He Will Bless Them

I am late to the party but it's time for another challenge at Word Art Wednesday. The challenge started last Wednesday (3/25) but I had "one of those weeks" (haven't we all!) and am running late. I first want to check in with all of you. I hope you are doing well and staying healthy during this time of national emergency. I work for an essential business so I am still going in to work. We are all keeping to our own offices as much as possible and spraying the place down with Lysol (while it lasts) each evening. Hand sanitizer is in frequent use. My husband's weekday job was "paused" so he is home on a lay-off. It does give him more time for studying for his sermons. We are live-streaming our church's services from our living room. Doesn't everyone have a podium in their living room? :) I've added "Media Production" to my pastor's wife task list. LOL

In this time of uncertainty, our focus verse is very apropos, "He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great." Psalm 115:13. These are difficult times in our world to be sure. Knowing that none of this takes the Lord by surprise and that He is still in control brings such peace of mind. He hasn't forgotten us and will bless us. God doesn't care about our social status or age. He will bless all of those that fear Him regardless of their place in life. This is a comfort to me. What does it mean to fear the Lord? This isn't a terror type fear but one of respect and awe. This is the type of fear that motivates us to serve Him and live in a way that would please Him out of our love and thankfulness for what He has done for us.

In an effort to corral and ultimately use up my scraps, I recently went through all the scraps laying on my desk and cut them to 4" x 5.25". I was given a stacking plastic organizer for Christmas. These card front sized pieces were put in the top section. The smaller pieces, that were still of usable size, were separated out and put in the next section down. The bottom section contains some cardstock scraps that I'd used with some of the papers in the upper sections. Today's card uses paper from the top two sections. The downside of this organization method is that I don't know the manufacturer of my patterned paper. However, the scraps were overtaking me and desperate times called for desperate measures!

I used a large banner die to cut out the patterned paper from a two-sided 4" x 5.25" piece. Then I used a scrap of the same paper but used "side 2" to cut out just the top of the banner. A border die was used to cut a pinking edge on this piece and on a cardstock scrap to layer under it. The digi stamp of the cat and the verse were printed on white cardstock, cut to size and matted with cardstock. The design on the cat was colored with Copics. Some twine was threaded thru the banner and tied in a bow. This panel was layered on cardstock and then adhered to the card base. After adding the sentiment panel and some bling, some Nuvo glitter drops were added to the patterned paper for some extra sparkle.

A second card was made just like the first except the verse was traded out for this encouraging sentiment. I love this sentiment because it's also good for those with long-term or chronic illnesses as well as those going through a long-term difficult time. While they may never be "well" some days are better than others. Praying for them to have a good day acknowledges their illness/difficulty but also lets them know you are praying for them to have more "good" days than bad.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Recollections #110 (white for card base), Pen & Gear (white cardstock for sentiment panels), pink cardstock - unknown from stash, Simon Says Stamp (Audrey Blue)
Patterned Paper - unknown (maybe American Crafts but I'm not sure)
Digi Stamps: WORDart by Karen (Psalm 115:13), Bugaboo (Cat Silhouette), Deedee's Digis (Greatest Joys set - store now closed)
Copics:  RV32; R81, 85; BG10, 13
Tools/Embellishments: Nuvo Glitter Drops (White Blizzard), Darice bling, Park Lane bling, MFT Die-Namics (Pinking Edge - retired), Lawn Fawn dies (Stitched Party Banners), The Twinery baker's twine

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamps Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes
Crafty Sentiments Designs - Anything Goes
Dare 2B Artzy - Anything Goes
Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper Challenge: Use Patterned Paper

Thanks for stopping by to visit. I hope you will all stay healthy and while you are quarantined at home, that you will have more crafty time as a benefit.

Exceeding Abundantly

Hello! It's time for another challenge a Word Art Wednesday. This week we are focusing on Ephesians 3:20, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." There have been so many times in my life when I've see the Lord do exactly what this verse says. I've asked Him to work in a situation and had an idea in my mind of what He would do. Instead He not only works in the situation, but He does so in a way that far exceeds anything I would have imagined He would do. At times like that, all I've been able to do is stand back and say, "Thank You, Lord! You are truly a wonderful and loving God! Thank You, thank You, thank You!!!" The Lord truly does have our best interests at heart and when we trust Him to work in a situation and don't try to run ahead of Him, we can be sure that we will experience His best for us. It might not look like we thought it would, but it is what is for our best.

This week DRS Designs is our generous sponsor. They generously provided me with this beautiful Medium Daisy Bloom red rubber stamp to play with. I ended up making two cards with it. For my first card, I stamped it randomly on my cardstock panel and colored both the flowers and the background with Copic markers. I then die cut an oval window in this panel, backed it with a piece of kraft cardstock with a smaller oval window and adhered both panels over the verse panel. Foam tape was used to pop up this entire piece over two layers of cardstock before being adhered to the card base. Some jewels in two different sizes finish off the card and add a little sparkle.

For my second card, I colored and fussy cut three of the images. Two of the flowers were adhered to the embossed brown cardstock and the middle one was popped up with foam squares. Baker's twine was wrapped three times around the lower portion of the panel before double matting the panel and adhering it to the card base. A doubled piece of  baker's twine was used to tie the bow. The sentiment popped up over the twine and embellished with some small jewels. Larger jewels finish off the flower centers.

Supplies for both cards unless otherwise indicated: 
Cardstock: Recollections (110# white for card base, kraft, cream {card #2 only}), Bazzill (Gold Coins), Georgia Pacific (white for images), Ms. Sparkle Embossed Paper Pad (Woodgrain - Card #2 only)
Stamps- WORDart by Karen (Ephesian 3:20 - Card #1), DRS Desings (Medium Daisy Bloom), Paper Sweeties (Get Well - Card #2)
Copics: Daisy - Y11, 13, 17, 19; E25, 29, Background for Card #1 - YG03, 95
Ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black)
Tools/Embellishments: Eyelet Outlet Jewels (gray), Card #1-Spellbinders Classic Oval Dies Large and Small Card #2 only: The Twinery baker's twine, Zutter Round-it-All 1/2", Stamp Simply Fishtail Banner Dies

I'm entering the following challenges:
Crafty Sentiments Designs - Add Flowers (card #2)
Use Your Stuff Challenge Blog Challenge #393 - Favorite Embellishment (jewels - I love to add bling to my cards)
Dare 2B Artzy  - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Use Some Green (card #1)

I hope you have a chance to check out the rest of the Design Team projects on the Word Art Wednesday blog and please be sure to visit our wonderful sponsor, DRS Designs. Thanks for visiting today.