Wisdom from Above

It's time for the last challenge of the year at Word Art Wednesday.  As we head into a new year, and think about new beginnings, new goals, etc., it's good to remember how God defines wisdom.  As our focus verse, James 1:17, says, "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy."  What a list!  I think most of us would like to be considered wise.  In order to do so, we need to develop these characteristics of wisdom in ourselves.  We are used to seeing pure, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy (merciful), etc.  But one of the items in this list that isn't as common is "easy to be intreated."  According to Dictionary.com "intreated" is the old spelling of our current word entreated.  The same source says the definition of entreated is to ask earnestly for something.  So "easy to be entreated" would mean that it's easy for people to ask us for things.  This means we're approachable, welcoming, and easy to get along with.  Yep, quite the list!  There are eight separate things on this list.  It would be overwhelming to try to work on all eight at one time.  Why not join me in a year long challenge to take each one and work on it for six weeks?  At the end of the first six weeks, add the next trait and so on.  By the end of 2015, we'll be a lot closer to having godly wisdom in our lives.  Please let me know in the comments or via email if you're going to join me.

I went with a masculine gate-fold card this week.  I did some shading on the WORDart banner with a W1 Copic marker.  Some twine, a button and gems complete the front.

For the interior decorating, I fussy cut the Morning Devotions (Gold) digi stamp and and added it to a kraft die cut. Some Glossy Accents were added to the coffee in the cup.  I stamped the sentiment above it.  The kraft image panel is mounted on an embossed die cut panel.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific (white), Recollections (kraft, blue)
Patterned Paper:  The Paper Studio
Stamps: WORDart by Karen (James 1:17), Sweet 'n Sassy (Comforting Pines clear stamp set), Clear Dollar Stamps - store now closed (Morning Devotions Gold digi set)
Ink:  Memento (Rich Cocoa)
Tools/Embellishments: Copic Marker (W1, Colorless Blender), twine (Jillibean Soup - Bean Stalks), rhinestones (The Paper Studio), button from stash, Spellbinders dies (Classic Rectangle Large, Deckled Rectangle Large and Small), Glossy Accents, Cuttlebug embossing folder (Basket Weave)

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I hope 2014 ends well for you and that 2015 gets off to a great start.  Please be sure to stop by the Word Art Wednesday blog and see the rest of the Design Team projects and pick up your free digi.

Once In Every Life...

I have a quick anniversary card to share with you today.  A friend asked for me to make a card for her husband for their anniversary and here is the result.  I used on old sketch from Operation Write Home (sketch #16) as my inspiration.  My pictures don't do the card justice in its simple elegance.

The black patterned paper has romantic words/phrases.  I really like this Bo Bunny pad for weddings/anniversary/romantic cards.  It just has an elegance about it!

The sentiments, inside and out, were stamped with VersaFine ink and then heat embossed with a clear glitter embossing powder.  You can see it a little better in this picture.  I really like the sparkle it adds.

The interior decorating of the card mimics the front but still allows plenty of room for her message.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Georgia Pacific (white), Bazzill (red)
Patterned Paper: Bo Bunny (Enchanted 6x6 pad)
Stamps: Stampabilities wood mount (Once in A While), Mark's Finest Paper (Celebrate Big clear stamp set)
Ink: VersaFine (Onyx Black)
Tools/Embellishments: Darice Whispers embossing powder (Clear Glitter), silver rhinestone flourishes (Want2Scrap Inspire Swirls by Nina Brackett), My Favorite Things Die-namics (Blueprints 1)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Sentimental Sunday Challenge #237 - Anything Goes
Clear It Out Challenge - Anything Goes
Fan-tastic Tuesday Challenge #66 - Anniversary card
Penny Paper-Crafty Challenge #208 - Anything Goes
Divas by Design - Anything Goes
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #352 - Sparkles (gems and glitter embossing)

Thanks for stopping by to visit today.  I hope you'll come back soon and often.  :)

Being Confident

Hi!  I hope your week is going well.  It's time for another challenge at Word Art Wednesday.  This week our focus verse is Philippians 1:6, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."  This time of year, we hear a lot of talk about faith and beliefs.  Why don't we hear consistent talk about the same topics all year long?  After all, what we believe and our faith in the Lord shouldn't be like a shirt we put on and take off at our convenience.  We are supposed to be consistent witnesses for the Lord.  Our faith in Him should be ever growing and deepening.  Obviously, we can not successfully live the Christian life on our own.  We need help -- from the Lord.  That's where today's verse comes into play.  It is a promise that He that began this work in us (when we received Him as Savior) will perform it (continue working) until the day of Jesus Christ (when we are Home with Him in Heaven).  What a great promise!  We're not in this life alone.  He's right there beside us helping us, continuing to work on us and won't leave us.

 Deedee's Digis is one of our sponsors this week.  I hope you'll play along with us so that you can have a chance to win some free digis stamps. Like most of you, this is a busy time for me.  I've been a bit swamped with custom orders the last month or so (that's a good thing!).  So, I took a little help with today's card and used one of Deedee's Digis pre-colored digis from the Love One Another set.  I thought it went well with today's verse - after all, getting a cat and mouse to get along would take on-going work.  :) The critters' noses are accented with Glossy Accents for a little dimension and shine.  The kitty's collar got some attention from my Wink of Stella glitter pen.  I used a copic marker to provide a little shading and ground the image.

I used lots of scraps on this card.  The scalloped die cuts remind me of a shop awning.  The button die is from the My Favorite Things Blueprints 1 die-namics set.  I love that die set!!  Some baker's twine finishes off the front.  The interior got just a little decorating.

For the Top Tip Tuesday Challenge we're to include a picture of what around our home inspired us.  My kitty, Sasha, is the inspiration for using the gray kitty (and why I tend to color all cats gray).  She has been my scrapbooking and card making supervisor ever since she was a kitten.

Supplies:
Sketch:  MOJO Monday (MOJO221)
Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific, Bazzill
Patterned Paper:  kaiser Craft (Chanteuse Collection)
Digi Stamps:  WORDart by Karen (Philippians 1:6), Deedee's Digis (Love One Another)
Tools/Embellishments:  Copic Marker (W1), baker's twine (The Twinery), Spellbinders Dies (Big Scalloped Border Petites), My Favorite Things Die-namics (Blueprints 1), Glossy Accents, Wink of Stella brush marker (Clear)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Path of Positivity Challenge #21 - Faith
Top Tip Tuesday - Inspiration from your home
Clear It Out Challenge - Anything Goes
Sentimental Sunday Challenge #237 - Anything Goes
ABC Challenge - Z is for Zany (fun/quirky image)
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge #208 - Anything Goes

Thanks so much for visiting with me today.  I really appreciate you taking the time to stop by.  I hope you'll have time to play along with us this week for your chance to win some free digis from Deedee's Digis.  Don't forget to stop by the Word Art Wednesday blog to get your free digi and see the other projects from the rest of the Design Team.

Good Tidings of Great Joy

It is time for another challenge at Word Art Wednesday.  This week our focus verse is Luke 2:10, "And the angel said unto them, Fear Not; for, behold, I being you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people."  Christ's birth was the greatest news (tidings) that have ever been given.  Wouldn't it have been neat to have been an angel that got to tell people the good news of His birth?  It would have also been pretty cool (and yes, my knees would have been knocking to see and hear the angels talking to me) to hear the news straight from the angels.  Let's be sure to share the Good News of the Gospel with others so that they too can know the "Good Tidings of Great Joy."

I kept my card pretty simple today.  This card is an adaptation of Dawn Griffith's Trim the Tree Christmas card.  I follow Dawn on YouTube and really enjoy her projects.  I also returned to some old favorites: inking the edges of my papers and faux stitching.

The interior has a little bit of decoration too.

Supplies:
Cardstock: DCWV (Christmas & Winter 12x12 cardstock pad), Recollections (cream)
Patterned Paper: DCWV (Heirloom Christmas 12x12 stack)
Digi Stamp: WORDart by Karen (Luke 2:10)
Ink:  Distress Ink (Vintage Photo)
Tools/Embellishments: Staedtler fine tip marker (brown), ribbon (Hobby Lobby), rhinestones (The Paper Studio), Spellbinders dies (Petite Ovals Small, Petite Scalloped Ovals Large), Fiskars border punch (Apron Lace)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Bling it On!
Pile It On Challenge #49 - Christmas/Holiday
Scrapbook Blessings Club - Holiday theme
Shopping Our Stash Challenge #180 - Favorite technique (inking and faux stitching)
Going Gray with Scrap Creations - Christmas
Cuttlebug Mania - Anything Christmas


Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you'll have time to play along with us this week.  Please don't forget to stop by the Word Art Wednesday Blog and see what the rest of the Design Team made and pick up your free digi.

Glory to God in the Highest

This card has LOTS of embossing.  I used Versamark with gold embossing powder for the images and sentiments.  The front panel was embossed with a Cuttlebug folder and then accented with a gold Wink of Stella pen.  I have had the CTMH stamp set for several years and have always had trouble stamping this city-scape.  This time I tried it with my Fiskar's stamp press and had no problems getting a good stamped image.

The front panel is popped up over the gold embossed main image.

The inside has a lot more gold embossing.  The flourishes are from an old BG Figgy Pudding stamp set.  The Merry Christmas is a Stampendous set and the verse is from Mark's Finest Papers.  It's hard to believe but I used four stamp sets on this card and NONE of them were digis.  :)

Supplies:
Carstock: Georgia Pacific (white), Bazzill (red)
Stamps (all clear stamp sets): CTMH (Bethlehem -retired), Basic Grey (Figgy Pudding), Stampendous (Christmas Wishes), Mark's Finest Papers (Christmas Music)
Ink: Versamark
Tools/Embellishments: Spellbinders dies (Rectangles Large), StampCraft embossing powder (Gold), CuttleBug embossing folder (Baby's Breath), Zig Wink of Stella brush marker (Gold)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Sentimental Sundays Challenge #235 - Lots of Layers
Scrapbook Blessings Club Challenge #35 - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Christmas
Eureka Stamps Challenge #117 - Celebrations
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Fan-Tastic Tuesday #64 - Embossing
PDE Linky Party - Christmas
ABC Challenge - Yuletide
Divas By Design - Feeling Festive
Pile it on Challenge #48 - Sprinkle It (use anything you sprinkle on your project - glitter/embossing powder/flocking/etc.)
Outlawz Twisted Thursday (TT120414) - Anything Goes with the "Twist" of Christmas

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you'll visit again soon.

Thou Shalt Call His Name Jesus...

Hi!  I'm glad you stopped by today.  Since it's Wednesday, that means it's time for another Word Art Wednesday challenge.  This week our focus verse is Matthew 1:21, "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins."  As we anticipate Christmas, it's easy to overlook the real reason we celebrate.  Jesus' birth is truly the "reason for the season."  Jesus came to earth so that one day He could go to the cross to die for our sins.  Many people love to talk about the baby in the manger.  However, talking about Jesus dying on the cross is not quite so popular.  But this is a core belief of our faith.  If Jesus hadn't come to die for our sins, we could have no home in Heaven.  That He was willing to give up the glories of Heaven for a season to come to live here on earth just because He loved us...Wow!  If that doesn't give us cause to celebrate then I don't know what does. Let's not forget Whose birthday we're celebrating!

I love this Away in a Manger digi set from Deedee's Digis.  I thought it was perfect to illustrate the focus verse this week.  

The image was colored with Copics and die cut.  I used some clear Wink of Stella on the baby blanket.  It added a little shimmer to got along with the shimmer in the snowflakes and gems.

The inside has a few more snowflakes and gems.  There's faux stitching and doodling inside and out.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Georgia Pacific (white), DCWV (blue), WorldWin (vellum),  scrap of glitter cardstock
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey (Figgy Pudding)
Stamps:  WORDart by Karen (Matthew 1:21), Deedee's Digis (Away in a Manger)
Copics: R20; Y35, 38; YR21; N3; B000, 21, 23; W1; E00, 11, 31, 33, 35, 37
Tools/Embellishments: Spellbinders Dies (Petite Oval Large, Petite Scalloped Oval Large, Create-a-Flake 4), My Favorite Things Die-namics (Blueprints 1), Queen & Co rhinestones, Staedtler fine tip marker (black), Zig Wink of Stella brush marker (clear)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Outlawz Friday Coloring Challenge (CPC112814) - Anything Goes with a Christmas Twist
Scrapbook Blessing Club Challenge #35 - Anything Goes
Sentimental Sunday Challenge #235 - Lots of Layers
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Holiday Cards
Eureka Stamps Challenge #117 - Celebrations
Shopping Our Stash Challenge #179 - Free is Good (the snowflake dies and Staedtler markers were gifts and I received both digis for free)
Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #223 - Bling It On
Cuttlebug Mania - Snowflake(s) and a sentiment
PDE Linky Party - Christmas
Digi Chooseday Week 48 - Christmas

V's Sweet Challenge #29 - Holiday Theme
Path of Positivity Challenge #21 - Faith

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  As always, I'd encourage you to stop by the Word Art Wednesday blog for inspiration and to pick up your free digi.