Be Ye Strong

Happy Wednesday!! It's time for another challenge at Word Art Wednesday. This week we're focusing on a verse in the Old Testament, 2 Chronicles 15:7, "Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hand be weak: for your work shall be rewarded." A little history lesson for this one (you can read it for yourself in 2 Chronicles 14 & 15). Israel's king at this time was Asa. He was a good king that sought the Lord and wanted to please Him. He put away the idols and altars made to false gods. When he was in battle, he prayed to the Lord and asked (and received) His help. A prophet, Azariah, came to Asa and told him that if he would continue to seek the Lord, the Lord would continue to help him. Azariah told King Asa that for a long time the people of Israel had neglected to serve the Lord and that because of this they had suffered adversity. But that when they sought the Lord, they found Him there to help them. He encouraged Asa in verse 7 to be strong and continue to do what was right and that the Lord would reward him. Asa took courage from Azariah's encouragement and continued to remove the altars, idols and other places where false gods were worshiped. He was such a good example to his people that they also worshiped the Lord. As a result, the Lord gave him a long period of rest from battle and blessed him.

So what does this have to do with us? It's a reminder to us that encouraging others is vitally important. If you see someone trying to serve the Lord, encourage them to keep on serving. Your pastor, Sunday School or Bible Study teacher, choir director or other church leader carries burdens you don't see. Encourage them to remain faithful and that the Lord notices what others do not. Encourage fellow Christians to hold the line and remain true to the Lord. As card makers, we have a perfect opportunity to turn our hobby into a ministry of blessing others. How about a note to a shut-in, a mom who has missed church due to sick children, or a missionary that your church supports? Let them know that they are not forgotten. Let's try to be like Azariah and encourage our Christian leaders and fellow Christians. Let's also try to be like King Asa and remain faithful in serving the Lord and be a good example to our fellow Christians. Who will you encourage this week?

For this week's card, I used the pleated drapery or curtain technique. This works best with double sided papers. The background cardstock was embossed with an embossing folder for added interest and texture. Burlap ribbon covers where the drape and patterned paper meet. Some layered flowers add some decoration and a little sparkle.

Supplies:
Cardstock: The Paper Studio Heavy Weight (cream for cardbase), Georgia Pacific (white for sentiment), Bazzill (Quicksand)
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye (Dilly Dally 6 x 6 Pad)
Stamp: WORDart by Karen
Tools/Embellishments: Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (Honeysuckle Vines), Bazzill Paper Flowers (slate blue), The Paper Studio White Beaded Micro Flowers, Our Daily Bread Designs dies (Double Stitched Rectangle), Distress Ink (Vintage Photo), Big Lots Craft Ribbon

I'm entering this card in the following challenge:
Crop Stop April Challenge #38 - Use item/brand found in the Crop Stop online store (I used Bazzill, Ranger, Fiskars, Scotch, and Cuttlebug)

Thanks for visiting with me today. I hope you'll stop by the Word Art Wednesday blog to see the projects that the rest of the Design Team have made, pick up your free digi and check out our wonderful sponsors.

Choose Joy

I have another mixed media project to share with you today. This is another 16 x 20 canvas made to be hung in our office gallery. I was inspired by this canvas I saw on Pinterest. I loved it and decided to make my own version. I started by cutting patterned paper in various lengths but with a width of 2". I used gel medium to adhere them to the canvas. I used some acrylic and distress inks applied with a baby wipe to provide a color wash over the collage background. Using thin cardboard, I made a pattern for the leaves and flower petals. The petals are about 5.5" x 2.75". Using the 6" x 6" Blooming Garden Collection of patterned papers by Our Daily Bread Designs I traced and cut lots of petals. The petals, leaves and stem were distress with distress inks. The sentiment was printed on the same patterned papers using my computer. The edges were distressed and a black marker was used to free-hand draw a double border that was intentionally not straight.

The center was made by layering two patterned paper die cuts and then topping them with bugle beads and seed beads. Gel medium was used to adhere both the die cuts and the beads. A china ink marker was used to add shading to the petals, stem, leaves and sentiment panels.

Supplies:
Patterned Paper: Background - Prima (Printery Collection 6 x 6 pad), Flower Petals and Sentiment Panels - Our Daily Bread Designs (Blooming Garden Collection 6 x 6), Flower Petals and Stem - The Paper Studio
Inks: Distress Ink (Vintage Photo)
Tools/Embellishments: Distress Markers for leaves/stem (Frayed Burlap, Shabby Shutters), Faber Castell Pitt Calligraphy Pen (Walnut Brown), Cousin Corp Glass Bugle Beads, Spellbinders dies (Petite Scalloped Circles Large, Standard Circle Small), Seed Beeds - unknown brand, Staedtler black fine tip marker, Distress Collage Medium, Master's Touch Matte Gel, Distress Paint (Blueprint Sketch), Craft Smart Acrulic Paint (Pale Blue), Computer Generated Sentiment

I'm entering this canvas in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Add Some Texture
Crop Stop April Challenge - Use Items/Brands from the Crop Stop Store (I used Ranger, Spellbinders, Fiskars, Cuttlebug, and Prima)
Crafty Creations Challenge #364 - Anything Goes

Thanks for visiting with me today. I hope you're having a good weekend. Please come back soon.

God Gives Wisdom

Hello!  I hope this finds you having a good week. It's time for another Word Art Wednesday challenge. This week we're focusing on James 1:5, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." I can tell you from recent, first hand experience that this verse is absolutely true. My mother-in-law has been living with us since the fall of 2015. Her health has been gradually declining. She was hospitalized a couple weeks ago and is currently in rehab, however, she has reached the point that she needs care we can no longer provide at home. We've prayed a lot about how best to care for her and for the Lord to open doors about what He'd have us do. He has opened doors and provided a great place for rehab and now a great place for her long-term care. We are still in the transition process, and it is very difficult for her and for us. Our heads agree with her doctor that this is the best thing for her, but our hearts still have to catch up.

Stamp Simply is one of our sponsors this week. They kindly provided me with the Thinking of You Rose stamp set to use. I stamped the rose image in VersaFine Onyx Black ink onto water color paper and then clear heat embossed it. After water coloring it with distress inks, it was fussy cut and partially popped up on the card front. The stamp set has a coordinating die to cut out the rose but I don't own it. Two pieces of patterned paper were used on the card front with a diecut border layered with a cardstock strip and piece of ribbon between them. The verse panel was matted with pink cardstock and layered on the front. Some black gems finish off the card front.

For the interior decorating, another rose was stamped on a watercolor panel, heat embossed and water colored with Distress inks. One of the sentiments from the stamp set was also heat embossed. The watercolor panel was matted and adhered to the interior of the card.


Supplies:
Cardstock: Georgia Pacific (white for verse on front), The Paper Studio Heavy Weight (white for cardbase), Recollections (black), Unknown (Pink cardstock and watercolor paper)
Patterned Paper: The Paper Studio (Petals and Blooms 6 x 6 pad)
Stamps: WORDart by Karen (verse), Stamp Simply clear stamp set (Thinking of You Rose)
Ink: Versafine (Onyx Black), Distress inks for watercoloring (Festive Berries, Picked Raspberry, Lucky Clover, Mowed Lawn)
Tools/Embellishments: Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps die (Laceye Eyelet Border - retired), Spellbinders dies (Labels Four, Labels Four Small), Want2Scrap Baby Bling, Offray ribbon

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Crafty Creations Challenge #364 - Anything Goes
Crop Stop Challenge #38 - Use Products/Brands carried by the Crop Stop Store (I used Tsukineko, Fiskars, Ranger, Spellbinders and Scotch)
The Paper Shelter Challenge #334 - Flowers

Thanks for visiting. I hope you'll stop by the Word Art Wednesday blog and see the rest of the Design Team projects and also check out our great sponsors.