Stampin' Sisters in Christ # 125

It is my pleasure and honor to hostess this week's Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge. The following is what the Holy Spirit put on my heart. I hope it encourages you and blesses you.

I walked into the grocery store this week and saw all the heart balloons, and flowers, and heart shaped boxes of candy… all ready to be bought for Valentines’ Day. My thoughts went to all the people who won’t get anything for this day. Does that mean that they aren’t loved? I remember when I was in high school, and all of the girls with boyfriends got roses or candy delivered to their home room. I was one of those who didn’t get anything, and I remember feeling sad because no one “LOVED” me. I have a friend who went through a divorce and now she is a single mom, and I doubt if she will get anything this year. Will she feel like no one “LOVES” her? I also have a widowed friend, will she feel loved? Why do we feel like we need a gift to feel loved? I’ll be the first to admit that I feel this way sometimes. Do you know that someone loves you, and gave you a gift already? Not just any gift, but the best gift you could ever receive?

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he GAVE his one and only son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Once you accept that gift, NOTHING is going to take that love away.

Romans 8:38-39 “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I have 2 videos that I think you will enjoy. I know I did!





My challenge for you this week is to make a card/project that shows love. It could be a heart or the word love, or even something that you love using on your cards/projects.
My extra - bonus challenge is: give your card to someone who might need to be reminded that they are LOVED.

For my card I used a big LOVE sentiment from a Mark's Finest Papers set callled Love Remains. I took a piece of white cardstock and stamped flowers using 2 different shades of green. Then I took that piece of cardstock and cut it down the middle. Half I left plain. The other half I ink-spray-smashed with blues and greens. (A technique that I LOVE, with the colors that I LOVE.) I sewed on my card (I LOVE sewing on my cards.) I stamped the poppies and did paper tole. (Flower set that I LOVE and another technique that I LOVE.) I finished my card off with 2 butterflies. (Anyone who has seen my cards for any length of time, knows that I LOVE butterflies.)

This will also make my bonus challenge because I am giving this to a friend that I want to remind about God's love and my love for her. She loves butterflies too!!

Close up of butterfly and poppies.

Our sponsor this week is Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. Check them out.
Check out what my Stampin' Sisters in Christ have created for your inspiration:

Kristine
Linda
Miesje
Peggysue
Traci

Something missing... Prayer

1 Corinthians 10:17 – Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

This is the verse that my Stampin' Sister in Christ, Miesje choose for this week.

I love the fall because that is when I start making home baked bread. I love the smell of the bread a it is rising and especially as it comes out of the oven. A lot of ingredients go into making the bread: water, flour, milk, butter, salt, yeast, eggs... too much or too little of the ingredients and you get either a mass of dough or something that resembles a rock.

Jesus said in John 6:48
I am the bread of life.

I love communion. A time when we as believers come together to remember what Christ has done for us. To me it is also a reminder that I am not alone. I have brothers and sisters walking beside me.

The other day I was feeling particularly discouraged. Satan kept telling me that I was all alone. Now we know that Satan is the father of lies, and what he was telling me was a lie, but it started to really feel true. I reached out on facebook asking for prayers, and within minutes, I had Christian friends from all around the world praying for me and lifting my needs before the Father. Some of the problems that I had were still there, but I didn't feel alone anymore. What a blessing to live life with our Christian family. That is the number one reason I love being a part of Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenges. I know that I have family that is praying for me. If there is ever a time that you need prayer, you can leave me a comment and I will definitely pray for you.

Our Sponsor this week is Sweet and Sassy. Go check them out.

Miesje's challenge is a Recipe Challenge - choose at least 3 of the following for one card. (ribbon, button, a swirl, hat pin, brad, charm, popped up image)

My card has ... ribbon, button, charm and popped up image. I thought I would share how I did my popped up flower.


First I stamped the flower three times. On the first flower I crossed out every other petal. I reveresed the crossed out petals on the second flower and on the third flower I colored all the petals in. I cut the flowers out, cutting off the un-colored crossed out petals. I took the handle of a paint brush to curl the petals.


Here are my cut out flowers with their curled petals.



Next I cut small pieces of craft foam.

Really small pieces.

I glued the first one to the bottom flower and then one to the middle flower.

I added glue and stacked the middle flower on the bottom flower.

Finally I glued the top flower on top.

I added a button center.

This is how the card looked when I finished it. I kept looking at it and something just seemed to be missing.

I added a simple tag with the sentiment... I'm praying... Then I knew it was complete.

You should go check out Miesje's devotion at Stampin' Sister in Christ Challenge.

Check out what my Stampin' Sisters in Christ have created:

Kris Linda Miesje Pegggysue Rebekka Teresa Traci

Mark's Finest Papers August blog hop day 1

Hello! Welcome to the August 2011 MFP New Releases Blog Hop!

This week's new releases are:Black Eyed Susans for Encouragement, Butterflies and Wisteria, Forest Gifts, Fun on the Farm .For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers.

So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Set: Black Eyed Susans for Encouragement? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if today's winner has already purchased this set!)

For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win Black Eyed Susans for Encouragement. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's MFP blog post.

Lois
Vicky
Dawn
Anne
Peggysue
Connie
Linda
Karen
Patty
Roxie
Vicki
Liz
Geri
Lynn
Mark’s Finest Papers

There are just some sets that become favorites the minute you see them. This black eyed susan set is one of those sets. You can see from my examples how awesome it is. I know you are going to want this set too.

This last card combined the flowers from other "FAVORITE" sets. I made it for a co-worker's wedding card. I used these other Mark's Finest Papers sets: Just Dandy, Poppies,poppies, poppies, and my favorite butterfly from Daffodil and Anise. For this card. I used burnt glue for the centers of the poppies and I added glitter and ground up styrofoam for the dandylions, and the black eyed susans have several layers. The petals are cut out everyother one and curled. I placed piece of craft foam between the layers to add to the dimension.

Check out this week's Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge.

James 2:18,19 But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble.

What a great reminder to not just SAY you have faith, but to back up what we SAY with what we DO. It made me think of David. I can imagine that if we could ask the Isrealite army if they believed in God, they would have said "Of course we do!" But when the giant Goliath came, they were afraid and trembled and let it go on for 40 days. Then along came David, who backed up his faith, by taking stones, and a sling (not really battle equipment) and went out to battle the trained, giant warrior. He knew that God would defend him and that he would be victorious.

I think is was interesting that King Saul tried to PROTECT David by giving him his bronze helmet, shield and sword (more along the lines of what I would call battle equipment) But David turned him down and put his whole trust in God. What might have happened if David had tried to put that trust in his own abilities and that armor? I don't think he would have had the victory.

Another thing that I find interesting about this story is that after David put works to his faith, that it encouraged the Isrealite army, who picked up their equipment and went to battle with the Philistines.


I am praying that this week as I come up against the GIANTS in my life, that I will put my whole trust in God, and that I will put works to my faith, so that when others look at me they will be encouraged like the Isrealite army.


This is Rebekka's challenge:

"What works for you use your favorite item for stamping, it could be a stamp, embossing folder, favorite spellbinder shape."

I choose to go with my favorite technique... Ink-Spray-Smash, my favorite colors blue and green, my favorite butterfly (Mark's Finest Papers).

Simon Says Stamp is our sponsor this week.

Check out what my Stampin' Sisters in Christ have created.

Chris Grace Kris Linda Lisa Miesje Pegggysue Rebekka Sabrina

Great Spangled Fritillary- I think

The butterfly at the top of this post, was dead when it fluttered next to my daughter's feet. She was fueling her truck up at the gas station when she noticed it. She picked it up and brought it home to me. It is gorgeous with it's little spots of silver on the wing. Wow, what a wonderful creation that God made. I spent a lot of time looking at butterfly images trying to determine what kind of butterfly. I narrowed it down to a couple of choices and my son Joshua and I thought it most resembled the Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly. I really wish I knew an entemologist so I could know for sure. I made two cards using my Mark's Finest Papers butterfly from the set DAFFODIL AND ANISE. I tried to mimic the real thing. I really like how both of these cards turned out. The top card used SC339 sketch and the second one used MOJO197.

Mark's Finest Papers June blog hop day 2

Hello! Welcome to the June 2011 MFP New Releases Blog Hop!

This week's new releases are: All Aboard, Poppies Poppies Poppies, Sand Surf Relax, and Floating Along.

For your convenience, all these sets are available TODAY at Mark's Finest Papers.

So, do you want to WIN today's Featured Stamp Set: Poppies, Poppies, Poppies? (If you don't want to wait to win, you can always purchase the sets right away! We'll substitute a set from NEXT month's release if the winner has already purchased this set!)

For your chance to win: Comment on the following Design Team members' blogs TODAY before midnight EDT. There will be ONE random winner chosen from the comments on today's Blog Hop blogs. That winner will win POPPIES, POPPIES, POPPIES. We will announce the winner's name on tomorrow's blog post.

Lois
Dawn
Anne
Peggysue
Connie
Emily
Karen
Patty
Roxie
Vicki
Liz
Geri
Lynn
Lagene-Guest Designer for June
Mark’s Finest Papers



This is my card for the hop. It is another 6 fold card. I really like how it turned out.

This may just be one of my favorite stamps set of all times. I have already shown you some of these cards, but for the hop, I put them all in this one post so that you could see them all together.

MOJO194 Poppies Birthday Card

I made this birthday card using MOJO194 sketch. I made this for my friend Lindsey who has her sweet 16th birthday today. It uses Mark's Finest Papers set called Poppies, Poppies, Poppies. It is going to be released tomorrow. Check back tomorrow for June's blog hop.

Technique Lovers Challenge Hostess TLC327

If you are looking for the Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge Scroll down to next post.

My friend Holly asked me to be the hostess for Splitcoast Stampers' Technique Lovers Challenge. I was very excited to be asked. I put together this video tutorial showing how

I made my 6 fold cards. I was inspired by this card by Nikki. The couple of cards that I have made using this technique have been met with great reviews by the recipients. I think everyone loves cards that "DO" something.

SSIC91 Ecclesiastes 3:14

This week's Stampin' Sisters in Christ scripture comes from Ecclesiastes 3:14
"I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him."
This verse follows the verses that talk about the seasons of life that we go through...
There is an appointed time for everything.
And there is a time for every event under heaven—
A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace.

When we go through happy seasons we sometimes take God's control of the situation for granted, but when we come into a sad season, we sometimes question why God allows them to happen. With the tornado that hit Joplin, and with the earthquake that hit Japan, with so many people hurt, I am sure there are those who asked why God allowed those things to happen. I don't know the answer to that question. The question of "WHY?", I am sure, has been asked by everyone of every generation. Solomon was trying to figure out the Whys. Solomon's answer, "I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him." shows that he was aware that God is in control, men don't have the power to add or take away from God's will. I find such comfort in this thought. No matter what is going on, my God is still in control!! When I feel out of control, I can rest knowing that my God is still in control. When I am sad or lonely, my God is still in control... Do you see a pattern? I just need to be reminded of this truth from time to time!

The challenge this week is a sketch challenge.

Here is my card using this sketch.

Check out what my Stampin' Sisters in Christ have created.

Chris

Grace

Kris

Linda

Lisa

Miesje

Pegggysue

Rebekka

Sabrina

I made this card for this week's Card Patterns 116 sketch by Nina Brackett. I also made this for the color combo challenge 324 at SCS. My camera had a hard time capturing the true colors of this card. (Overcast day no sunshine... hate taking photos without natural lighting.) I used Mark's Finest Papers sets... Brick Wall and Daffodil and Anise. I also tried my first french bow on this card. I really struggled with it. I hope practice makes perfect! Have a blessed day!

Mother's Day 2011

Happy Mother's Day. I would like to take this time to thank my mother, Lois, for all she has done for me. She is an amazing Christian woman. You are my best friend Mom! I would also like to honor my Mother in Law Cris. She is another wonderful Christian woman. I am honored to have you as my friend. I would also like to say thank you to my 4 wonderful children. You are a blessing to me!

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time.

This is the scripture that Sabrina picked for this week's devotion. There are so many beautiful things . A few that came to my mind were flowers and music and cards.

Flowers: They are so pretty when they are getting ready to bloom, but wait on God's timing and they get even prettier. Have you ever taken a bud and forced it to open before it was ready? I have. The result is a smooshed, ugly mess, and the flower dies before it can really live up to it's potential.

Music: If I were to write a song, and you listened to it before it was completely finished, you might hear a phrase or two that you liked, but you couldn't appreciate as much as when you hear it finished.

Cards: I can take pretty embellishments, and dp, and lay them all out on my desk and they are pretty by themselves, but can't compare to how my card looks when it is done and all the elments come together.

To me this is how our lives are. If we look at eachother, we can see glimpses of what the Creator is doing in our lives, but that can't compare to how we will be when He finishes the work on us.

I love this verse:
Philippians 1:6
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Sabrina's challenge was to make a card that uses beautiful things on it. I used designer paper that I thought was really beautiful. I added pearls, flowers and a butterfly (Butterfly is from Mark's Finest Papers set called Daffodil and Anise). I got the idea of adding the white circles as baby's breath from this tutorial by Kittie Caracciolo.

Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge with sponsor this week : Simon Says Stamps

Check out what my Stampin' Sisters in Christ have created.

Chris

Grace

Kris

Linda

Lisa

Miesje

Pegggysue

Rebekka

Sabrina

I hope you can come join us at Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge.

3x3 tote for April

There are times in my life, where I am overcome with committments and activities and I feel like I am playing catch up. Can you relate? These past couple of weeks have been so hectic. It wasn't until yesterday that I realized that my youngest sister, April, is turning 30 tomorrow. You would think her name alone would remind me. I even had it on several calendars as well as on facebook. I think her present is going to be a little late because it is still sitting on my desk. I made her this little tote. It was today's Technique lover's challenge. I first thought of filling the tote with chocolate, but mailing chocolate to Arizona except in December is a very BAD idea. I then tried to think of other types of candy that I could put in it, but drew a blank. The tote is too little for a new pair of shoes... so what to fill it with. I decided to make little 3x3 note cards. Each card has a piece of ink-spray-smash paper to make it unique. I added lace, scoring and paper flowers, leaves and tendrils to each card. I'll have to e-mail April a link to this post so at least she can see her gift :). The butterfly is from a Mark's Finest Papers set called HEARTS, HEARTS, HEARTS. I used another Mark's Finest Papers set called DAFFODIL AND ANISE. I stamed the anise on white cardstock before ink-spray and smashing it for the base of the tote

Thank you card

I made some pink flowers for Thursday's ways to use it challenge. I used my LAYERS OF COLOR art stencil to stencil the vine to the plaid dp. I glued the flowers in the corner and added a butterfly from Mark's Finest Papers set called Daffodil and Anise. Sentiment is from Mark's Finest Papers set called Thankful for you.

Three cards- Three challenges

This is the card I made for Monday's Technique Lovers Challenge at SCS. Holly challenged us to make a card using newspaper. I made the roses on this card out of newspaper.

This is the card I made for Tuesday's Color Combination Challenge at SCS. The Daffodil is from the Mark's Finest Papers set called DAFFODIL AND ANISE.

This is the card I made for today's Sketch Challenge at SCS. I used the butterfly and peach paper from the DCWV Mariposa stack. The rust cardstock that I matted with was from my stash. I added ribbon and lace and a buckle. I usually have only one pair of shoes. They are what I wear to work, church, and everyday around the town. I was saddened when the strap that held this decorative buckle broke on my shoe. It was flapping around, so I cut the strap off. I am such a horder. I kept the buckle thinking that someday it would go on a card. Well today was that day. I put some sheer ribbon through it. It took a little planning to get the ribbon ends hidden in the panels.

Carissa's Card

My sister has a friend who was cooking with oil last week and the oil caught on fire and burned her badly. I wanted to make a special get well card, that would hopefully bring just a little joy to her. This is that card. I made the trellis card for the technique lover's challenge that Joan gave us today at SCS. I had made a lot of butterflies Saturday for Eva's butterfly blog hop. These 2 were ones that hadn't made it onto a card but were sitting on my desk. They just flew onto the card when they saw the handmade quilled roses. I stitched the panels together and added brads in the corners.

Close up of big butterfly.

Close up of little butterfly and roses.

The inside of the card.

The big butterfly was from the Mark's Finest Papers set called DAFFODIL AND ANISE.

The little butterfly was from the Mark's Finest Papers set called BRICK WALL.

The sentiment on the inside was from the Mark's Finest Papers set called GREET THE DAY WITH GERBER.