A time for Joy!

Howdy all!  It's Sunday and time for another Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge!  This week our challenge hostess is the dear and sweet MariLynn.  She has chosen Ecclesiastes 3:1 for this week's Scripture. 

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens."

MariLynn's challenge is to 

Make a card that shows the passing of time. A clock ( for hours) a sun (for days) a calendar for (years) etc.

Remember when you were little... and you just couldn't wait for Christmas morning?  The days leading up to Christmas seemed to just drag!  Now I find myself amazed that it's almost Nov. and Christmas is right around the corner!   The older I get, the more aware of how quickly time  passes I become!  I also am becoming more and more aware of how all our days are in His hands, and the time that we have here on this earth is but a drop in a bucket compared to eternity!  We put so much emphasis on this life, and the things of this life, but the things God values have eternal value! 

 My husband's recent layoff really brought home to me the truth to this passage.  Just as God created the seasons, and there is a different purpose for each season... our lives contain many seasons as well. Some are sunny and warm, some are filled with colorful moments of awe and beauty.... and some are cold, and possibly painful. 

Not long ago, my husband and I both started praying that God would  draw us closer to Him and help us to empty ourselves of all that stands between us and our relationship with Him.  Funny thing is that we knew even then that there was some "risk" in praying that way.  What layers might need to be stripped away to help us to completely trust only Him and let Him be our all in all?   What little things might He uncover that we have unknowingly been holding back from Him?  Would He ask us to step out of our comfort zone?  Would we be able to do that?  I truly believe that emptying us first of our "plans" for our future, our retirement, all the things we were expecting to work out according to "the" plan, He is revealing to us that  He wants our trust to be in Him and Him alone. It's not to be our "retirement package", not our 401k, not the health insurance we were 11 months away from being guaranteed through our retirement.... not a job, nothing but Him.  As my husband was driving home his last day of work.... he was praying and actually thanked the Lord for this season!  That's not to say it doesn't hurt!  It's just to say that He saw this as a way God was going to do a work in our hearts, and perhaps even in the hearts of others,  and so he was able to  thank the Lord for whatever He is going to do through this!    We know He never leaves us nor forsakes us, and we are not alone!  We also know that this world is not our home, and we are looking forward to our REAL home!  Our minds can't even conceive the riches He has for us in glory!  

So whatever season YOU are in right now... even if you are in a painful place... a place where it's hard to put one foot in front of the other, a place where you can't seem to see God's hand at all... just know that God DOES have a plan and wants to lead you to a new place of beautiful relationship with Him!   If you don't know Him.... that first step would be to come to Him in faith, accepting Him as your Savior.  If you do know Him, but are not experiencing the joy that overflows your heart when you are basking in the warmth of His presence, I challenge you to ask Him to take you to that next season...   Do you seek JOY?  Do you seek FULFILLMENT?  Seek HIM just as the wise men of old did! 

I decided to use a "season" theme and make a Christmas card, but I also got my clock in with the stick pin! LOL!  I used this month's release from Our Daily Bread designs Joy to the World Hymn, as well as Christmas Rose.  I stamped with Memento Ink and colored the image with Prisma Pencils, blending with Odor Free Mineral Spirits.  I also tore and distressed my edges and used the Faux Burnt Technique on the edges.  The technique can be found on SCS under Try a New Technique  Past Challenges.  I used four shades of Distress Inks: Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy, Walnut Stain and Black Soot.  I used a base of Craft from Mark's Finest Papers, and the designer paper is Websters Pages Waiting for Santa/Sweet Season combo pack.  The flower is made with a Marianne Poinsettia Die, and I added a clock stick pin for the time element.  The beautiful flourishes around the focal image are various parts of a Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish. 

Our Sponsor this week is Digital Delights by Louby Lou

The prize is Three Free Digis from the store!

 

For the full details of the challenge, prize and devotional, please visit the SSIC Blog.

Be sure to check out the rest of the design team for more inspiration:
Chris, Linda,  Miesje, Rebecca,  Kris, Peggysue,  MariLynn,  Lisa, and Traci

I am entering this in the following challenges:
 Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge - at least one metal embellishment (metal brads),
Totally Papercrafts - layer upon layer,  Moving Along With The Times - Vintage
Shelly's Images -  Anything Goes,   My Time To Craft - Punches & Dies,  Sweet Stamps - Lots of Layers, Top Tip Tuesday - Layer It  Use It Tuesdays - Metal  Week, Christmas Inspirations - 2W, 2E, must be Christmas  Die Cuts or Punches, Little Claire's  - #14 Christmas,

Framed Holiday Wishes

Hello everyone!  I hope you have been enjoying a wonderful week!  I must admit this week has been flying by for us... filled with phone calls, trips to unemployment and Social Security offices, reading volumes on health care plans, medicare part B coverage, what it means to be in the donut hole, financial advisors, and on and on!  My poor hubby has been working so hard to make the milestone of having our insurance covered into retirement but 11 months before that date... laid off!  It has been hard for him and it happened so suddenly that we are finding ourselves with only 10 days to figure out what medical insurance we can pick up for me, what medicare supplements are best for his coverage, and of course trying to figure out what we will actually have to live on!  We are falling into bed at night totally exhausted and then hitting it hard and heavy the next morning.  My creating time has been almost nil and my mojo is lost somewhere, so it's with that that I share this card.  Fortunately I had most of it ready before all this happened, or it might still not have been finished!  LOL!

Anyway... enough of that!  My card is made with this month's Our Daily Bread designs Elegant Oval Frames and the sentiment is from Christmas Door (a set I really really love!)  I stamped the frame with Garden Green and the sentiment with Real Red.  The base is Mark's Finest Papers Kraft, then the cream layer is Papertrey Vintage Cream embossed with a snowflake border from Cuttlebug.  My panels are cut from dp from BasicGrey Nordic Holiday pad, punched at the bottom with an EK Success punch, and then I stitched around each panel.  The ribbon is seam binding tied and I added a sweet little button with some hemp twine.  I hope you like this simple little card!  It's very doable for mass production (well, maybe not the sewing LOL)!

We continue to wade our way through the shock of being jobless, and all the decisions we need to make quickly.... and we really want to thank all of you who have been praying for us!  We feel those prayers and we know God has this all in His hands!  We're praying for wisdom and direction... and we know He is in control!!!  Soooo thankful for that assurance!!!

I am entering this in the following challenges:
Aud Sentiments Challenge - Use any Sentiment (Winter Theme), Charisma Cardz -  Embossing (Heat or Dry),Just For Fun - non-cute - From the Sewing Box or the Bedroom(buttons), Shelly's Images - Anything Goes, Clear It Out! - Use Old Supplies - Trims (my ribbon, twine, CB, blling are all old), Top Tip Tuesday - Layer It, KB Cute Monday - Anything Goes, Lexi's Creations - Just a Sentiment, Make it Monday - always Anything Goes, Paper Playtime -  Sentiments PLUS Buttons and Bows, The Outlawz - Sentiment required - Everything Goes, Christmas Inspirations -  must be Christmas - Die Cuts or Punches, Stamptacular Sunday - Must use a stamp - Anything Goes


Thanks so much for stopping by and letting me know you were here!  Your comments really encourage me!!!

hugs,

SSIC Two of Everything!

Hello friends!  It's Sunday and time for another Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge!  Today our hostess is the sweet and talented Miesje.  Miesje has chosen Matt. 11:28-30 for this week's Scripture.

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Miesje's challenge:  Sharing: use 2 of everything you use. ie: 2 Dp - 2 flowers - 2 stamps - whatever you use two.

I love this passage but I think it's often misunderstood. I don't think Jesus is saying that if we come to Him, our lives will be easy and all will go our way!

Earlier this week my family and I spent 4 days at Colonial Williamsburg.  One of the things we saw was an old yoke, which was used to bind two oxen together so that they could work together in doing the work of plowing, etc.  The yoke is made of heavy wood and is worn around the two oxen's necks.  It does not give them hardly any room to move without the other one.  Imagine the struggle if one ox has a fly biting him on his back, and he wants to reach around to remove it.  It would be almost impossible! That to which we are yoked can be very burdensome to us, or it can be a great blessing to not have to do the job at hand alone!

Most likely Jesus is talking about the burden of sin which we all bore until we turned to Him for our salvation. He could also be talking about the burden of trying to follow a "religion" which weighs the follower down with rules and regulations that are burdensome to say the least, and are not going to do a thing to save a person's soul!

Jesus, however, offers not religion, but relationship.  When we become yoked to Him... He gives us rest from the burden of sin we have been bearing, and He teaches us (if we are listening) how to be His disciple.  Living a life for Christ is not necessarily always easy..... we all know that we still face trials throughout our lives.  However, living a life in relationship with Him is not burdensome... He fills us and empowers us to serve Him and instead of being burdened by our sin, or  religious rituals, we respond to Him because of His great love for us and all that He has done for us, and the love that we in turn have for Him.   Gone is the worry of where we'll spend eternity.  Gone is fear of the future.  Gone is the worry that our needs might not be met, because all His promises are ours if we have yoked ourselves to Him.    To look at the analogy of the yoke again....  when we are yoked to the One who is all knowing, all powerful, and all loving.... we have the advantage of having all His help in doing whatever tasks He may lead us to do!  He is yoked to us just as that second ox is and it is not burdensome to do anything because we are not on our own... He is right there leading, guiding, and  empowering us!

I have to share with you that this passage is particularly meaningful to me right now, as on Friday my husband was suddenly laid off from work.  It appears that all he was working for in a retirement and having our insurance paid into retirement has been taken away.  However, those were "our" plans.  God sees the bigger picture and has a plan for us.... and it's a plan for our good,  and we are trusting Him to meet our every need.  It's so wonderful knowing that we are yoked to the ONLY ONE who can fully be trusted.  He's been faithful and will always be faithful because it is one of His many attributes!  We do appreciate your prayers as we seek His will for the future.

For my card today, I used one of this month's releases from Our Daily Bread designs, Holiday Ornaments, which I stamped twice and embossed in gold.  I water colored the holly and then fussy cut the images out and sponged with distress inks to age.  I cut two birdcages out of Recollections brushed gold with a T Holtz die. laying one flat and then popping up the second one on top to give some dimension.  I used two designer papers from Websters Waiting for Santa/ Sweet Season combo pack and made two bracket cuts with the T Holtz  Bracket die.

For my embellishments, I used two trims: lace (Websters)  and the gold trim at the bottom of the bird cage.  I used two fibers, and I cut two Spellbinder's Holly Accents from brushed gold, then sponged and interwove them to make a sort of medallion effect in the center of my lace.  I added two pearls. 

On the inside of my card I used two of the negative cuts from my bracket die to finish off a pretty edge there as well.

Our Sponsor this week is Designed2Delight

We thank them for their continued support!

For the full details of the challenge, prize and devotional, please visit the SSIC Blog.

Be sure to check out the rest of the design team for more inspiration:
Chris, Linda,  Miesje, Rebecca,  Kris, Peggysue,  MariLynn,  Lisa, and Traci

I am entering this in the following challenges:

365 Cards -  So Sophisticated,Crazy 4 Challenges - Create something for an up coming holiday, Little Claire's  -  #14 Christmas, Marks Finest Papers -#77 Seeing Double, Our Daily Bread Designs - ODBDSLC80 Holiday with a twist, Stamp, Scrap and Doodle -   Falling for you anything with leaves (mine are holly leaves), Crafty Ann's - Inspired by a Christmas Song (Deck the Halls with boughs of Holly), Fabulous Friday - A Fancy Trim, Floweret - Christmas, Jingle Belles - Christmas - Inspired by a Holiday song (Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly), Charisma Cardz -In Stitches (real or faux)

Holiday Ornaments

 

Hello everyone!  Hope you have been enjoying a wonderful week!  Here in NC fall has suddenly bloomed in all it's glory!  This is my favorite time of year here!  However, when fall comes, Christmas is right around the corner!  While I hate walking into stores in Aug. and Sept and seeing Christmas things out already, for us card makers, we DO need to start early if we make all our own cards!  LOL!  So I have another Christmas card for you today, made with this month's wonderful set from Our Daily Bread designs, Holiday Ornaments.  It is made to fit the Spellbinder's Holiday Tags. I love using my Grand Calibur for things like this because all can be cut at the same time!   I used  three of the four designs and embossed them in gold on Papertrey Vintage Cream.  I used Brilliance Galaxy Gold to lightly ink the edges, and I used a Sizzix embossing folder to emboss the background.  I mated that with Recollections brushed gold and basic black and mounted on a cream base.  I punched two Martha Stewart holly edges from black and tied gold cording on to the tops of the ornaments.  

I love quick cards for Christmas because there's always so much to do, and this was pretty quick, no coloring and no designer paper to match up.  Hope you like it! 

I am entering this in the following challenges:

ABC Christmas Challenge - Christmas - use your old stash (the ONLY thing new are the stamps), My Mum's Craft shop - #27 song inspired (I'm dreaming of a white Christmas), Anything Goes Challenge - Diecuts/Punches or Both, City Crafter Challenge - Boo-tiful color (Use mainly Black & Cream), Flourishes - must comment on each of the DT's blog posts - #139 Christmas Card Featuring an ornament Or An Ornament, Heart Song Inspirations -Use Die Cuts and/or Sponged Backgrounds, Make it Monday - always Anything Goes, Woodware USA - 2E - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping!

hugs,

Christmas is just around the corner...Christmas Tree Collage!

Hello everyone~  Happy Sunday!  With Sunday comes another Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge and today we have a real easy one!!!  Our hostess this week is the sweet and lovely Linda!  Linda has chosen Mark 10:27  for this week's Scripture.

And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. 

Linda's Challenge is Anything Goes!  Now how easy is that!!!

My card is made with the October release from Our Daily Bread designs called Christmas Tree Collage.  It's a real fun stamp to work with... easy to color and very easy to use in a CAS card or a layered up card.... your choice!  I also used the border  stamp from the Porch Set. 

I used Memento Ink to stamp the image, then colored with Copics, adding glittery hints to the flames with a gold Spica Pen.   The artwork detail in the stamp is all the shading you need!  I used THoltz Distress Ink in Stormy Sky to stamp the border from the Porch Set.  I sponged everything with Antique Linen, then Stormy Sky around the borders, and a little Adirondack Latte to age a bit.  The base is Bazzill, also sponged.  The dp is Websters Pages Botanical Christmas & Winter Fairy Tales Pack. I used Glossy Accents to gloss up the ornaments.   I added a bow of seam binding, a shiny bling star, and two stick pins with beads in the two major tones of the card, and done.  Very quick and easy!

Our Sponsor this week is Simon Says Stamp.  

We want to thank them for their continued support of SSIC!

Be sure to check out the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge for the details of the prize as well as to read Linda's devotional!

This weekend, our family including our grandkids are participating in a Re-enactment of the American Revolution period at Williamsburg, VA.  Sorry for the shortness of my post, but it was prescheduled.  I hope to have some pictures to share when I get back!

Be sure to check out the rest of the design team for more inspiration:
Chris, Linda,  Miesje, Rebecca,  Kris, Peggysue,  MariLynn,  and Traci

Have a blessed week and thanks so much for stopping by!  Your comments mean so much to me!

Joy Tree Ornament ~In Happy Jewel Tones

Hello friends!  Just a quick post today to share another project I made with the Oct. release from Our Daily Bread designs, Joy Tree.  I decided that I'd make a Christmas Ornament with it.  I used the general directions I found on SCS but had to change the dimensions to accomodate the larger size of the stamp.  I used a Big & Juicy Rainbow Stamp pad to stamp the image in so that gave me the spectrum of colors. 

The ornament itself is constructed from Real Red and I stamped on SU! White.  I added a little bling and the rainbow sheer ribbon and all in all it was a simple project!  This could hold treats on the tree or other goodies, as it folds into itself securely.

I am entering this in the following challenges:
365 Cards - a daily challenge - Framed (by Something Other than a Circle/Oval or Square/Rectangle shape), Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes (plus Ribbons), Crafty Cardmakers -  C15 - Anything Goes, Critter Sketch - Anything Goes, Hooked on Crafts - Anything BUT a Card, Make it Monday - always Anything Goes,  Pile It On - Do it for Fun, Sparkles Forum -  Something That Sparkles(the bling),The Ribbon Girls -  Must use ribbon - ( Christmas), Creatalicious Challenges - Anything goes, My Grafico -  Always anything goes,  Sparkles Forum Christmas - M, Christmas, P1 - Christmas Songs, 2 Sisters - #59 Fancy Folds, Stamp, Scrap and Doodle -   Anything but a card,Craft 4 Eternity - Anything Goes, nspire me Fridays - Anything Goes, Sew Many Cards - Anything Goes, 4 Crafty Chicks - Anything Goes, Southern Girls - Anything Goes, Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes, Scrapalicious Challenge - Anything Goes, Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes, Whimsical Wednesday - Anything Goes, Celebrate the Occasion - Any Occasion + Ribbon, Heart Song Inspirations - Use a ribbon or a tag

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are inspired to give this a try!
 
Happy Stamping!

ODBD October Release Blog Hop

Hello friends!  Welcome to the Our Daily Bread designs October Release Blog Hop!  If you got here from Lorelie"s Blog, you are in the right place.  If not you might want to start at the Our Daily Bread designs Blog and start from the beginning.  If you get lost along the way, simply return there where the entire hop is listed with links.

Now, here are the Hop Details:

• The Hop will run 8am EDT Oct. 1 until 8pm EDT Oct 2.

• The winners will be announced on the ODBD Blog on Oct 3.

• THREE blessed hoppers will win their CHOICE of ONE FREE SET, and ONE very blessed hopper will win the GRAND PRIZE of their CHOICE OF THREE FREE SETS!

Here is what you have to do to be qualified to win one of these prizes:

• Hop to each designer’s blog and leave a comment

• Return to the Our Daily Bread designs blog and leave a comment telling us that you completed the hop, making note if there were any you could not comment on.

• Answer the question  on the ODBD blog when you leave your comment.

Here are my card details:

Stamps: Christmas Door
Papers: Kraft (Mark's Finest Papers), Basic Black, DP: Making Memories, BasicGrey Wassil
Ink: Stazon Jet Black
Accessories: SU! Markers, Watercolor paper and water brushes, Flower Soft in Vintage Christmas, Pearls (AC Moore), MS Holly Punch, Distress Ink (Scattered Straw) for sponging and distressing, May Art's silk ribbon, Bow Easy

 

Here is a photo of the inside, using one of the sentiments from this set:

Now I'll send you on your way  to be totally blown away!  Your next stop is Becca's Amazing Papergrace!

Thanks so much for visiting!  Have a blessed day!