Wednesday, December 21, 2016

May God's Grace Abound in You!

An early Merry Christmas to my Delightful Friends and Family!

Not sure how Christmas tends to sneak up on me but it does every year.  I think I'm ahead of the game and BAM, I'm feeling overwhelmed and watching the days and hours go by so quickly.  I guess it's the last minute things that tend to add up that due me in! I keep adding to the to do list. I think I need to actually write out the list so that I know I'm actually making some progress when I have the pleasure of crossing out one of the "to do's"! I just spent the last two evening uploading over 850 pictures of the grandkids from this year.  Then I whittled it down to 593 and edited them. I've given my daughter and daughter-in-law photo albums of the current year for a Christmas gift, so that they will have pics of the kids I've done that the last 3 years and now if I don't do it I will hear about it!  Now if I was smart I would do this monthly so that it wouldn't be so overwhelming but... that's just not my style, it's one of those things that I've left to the last minute.  Okay, so next year I'm going to try and do better.

Well here is my card for our Word Art Wednesday Challenge.  It's the last challenge for 2016 (#262 and #263)! Hope you can find some time to squeeze in some crafty time and join us! Someone will win a $25 gift certificate from Simon Says Stamp!!  That would certainly motivate me to play!  Thanks to our sponsors for this past year and thanks to all our participants (and there have been many!!)

I've kept this card pretty simple and it's one that could be easily duplicated. It is a square card 5.5" x 5.5" which is just a bit larger than an A2 card so I will have to make an envelope for this one but I know 6x6" envelopes are available. The stamp set I've used is from Penny Black (Winter Joy) and I've used Copic Markers to color it.  The image was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink. The pattern paper is from Carta Bella Christmas Delivery Collection.

Here is a close up so that you can see how I've applied Glossy Accents to the berries.  

Don't forget the Scripture Art is free so be sure and go to the Word Art Wednesday Blog to grab it from there!


What a perfect gift, God's grace!  He is teaching us daily to live in contentment and to be abounding in grace so that we may extend His grace to others through giving of ourselves whether it be our time, money or even our ear to someone who needs a compassionate listener.  He wants us to abound not only in grace but in every good work which He has ordained for us before the foundation of the world.  It's wonderful to have His Spirit lead us and grow us into vessels fit for His service but it's by His grace and strength that we are able to fulfill His will and purposes to glorify His name. 

I probably won't be back until after Christmas so I hope you are all blessed with a peaceful, wonderful day celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thanks so much for visiting!

PS Thanks Shaz for your tip in the comment (Ginny's card was beautiful) and congrats on winning the digital images from All Dressed Up (they have adorable images to color!)

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Wednesday, December 7, 2016

For God So Loved - Word Art Wednesday

Hello and God bless to my Delightful Friends and Family!

Sorry for the late posting.  I usually get the post for the Word Art Wednesday Challenge written the night before and last night I went to bed instead.  It finally caught up with me!  I've been burning the candle at both ends, as the saying goes, and have had an awful upper respiratory "thing" going on so I chose to go to bed early. So here I am better late than never!

Here is my card for this weeks challenge #260 and #261 (I'm afraid it is not my best work and I really wanted to start over but I just couldn't muster up the creative juices and time was getting away from me.) I like the technique I chose but it's the design of it that makes me "scrunch up my nose". It's missing some design element, I may have to do another one and post the "better" version, IMHO. I love the digital Scripture Art but I'm still learning to resize and "tweak" it a bit to fit my cards. I've printed it out on Vellum and I need to find a better way to display it. I think I will move the Scripture Art to the inside and use a stamp from the Paper Smooches set that goes with the image.
  I work on Publisher so if you have any tips that would be really great!


Ingredients:
Paper: 140lb cold press Strathmore; navy card stock, white Neenah bright white card stock for the base.
Stamp: Paper Smooches - A Blessed Christmas
Dies: Simon Says Stamp! Stitched Circle
Ink: Archival Jet Black; Distress Inks (Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire and Broken China)
Coloring Medium: Zig Clean Color Brushes
Ribbon: from Michael's

I believe the beautiful Scripture from John 3:16 used today is perfect for our Christmas season.  Jesus was our gift from God the Father to restore fallen mankind to Himself.  He initiated the restoration process with the beautiful promise of eternal life.  How could anyone say no to that? All we have to do is believe.
I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, do you?  I hope so... He is the only way that leads to eternal life.

Thanks for visiting and I pray your week is a blessed one!

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