A Blessing to Others - Word Art Wednesday Challenge

Hello!
It's time for another challenge at Word Art Wednesday!  Did the last two weeks just fly by or what?!
We have a new sponsor for our challenge: Stamps of Life  ($25 gift card), thank you Stephanie Barnard!  I hope you will visit her store and blog and be inspired! There are so many adorable stamp and die sets in her store! She also has some great tips and videos to share there as well.

Here is my card for the challenge and the Scripture Art from Proverbs 11:25

I stamped the flowers on each side of the Scripture, the stamp set I've used is a very old set from Gina K Designs called One in a Million (it continues to be a favorite of mine!)  The butterflies are from Reverse Confetti : Hippity Hoppity stamp set.  I've done some simple coloring with Copic Markers and then added Kaiser Pearls and Doodlebug Matte Sprinkles (tropical assortment).

I've trimmed out my focal piece and matted it with black card stock, then mounted it on the purple card stock (Bazzill) and adhered to an A2 white card base.

The Scripture this week is a little difficult to understand in the old English but I think translating it into language that we would use, it makes perfect sense.

Simply put "A generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself" (NKJV); the New Testament equivalent would be what Jesus said, It is more blessed to give than to receive."  We reap the benefits of giving, especially when we aren't looking to be repaid.  God has promised to bless the generous soul with riches in this world, the next or both.  When we give, God knows how to give back to us.  We can't water others without being watered ourselves.  We can never out give God.  I once heard it said that He has the bigger shovel!  So whether I give of my time, my finances, whatever I give, with the right motives I know that God will bless me.  

Luke 6:38 says "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measure back to you."

2 Corinthians 9:7 says "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver."

May you be a cheerful giver, led of the Lord!  Thanks for visiting today.

God is Faithful - Word Art Wednesday

Hello and blessings to my delightful friends and family,

Time for another fun Anything Goes - Family Friendly challenge at Word Art Wednesday (#294-295)! 

Hope you've been able to play along and if not maybe this week you can join us.  You can link up to 5 new projects.  We would love for you to play along. This week our sponsors are Frantic Stamper (online store) and Craftin' Desert Diva's (2 digis) and there are lots to choose from! Thank you to our Sponsors! Be sure and visit their blogs and check out their shops!

Here is my card:

Our Scripture art is from 1 Corinthians 10:13 and it's not too clear in the photo (so sorry), you can grab it at Word Art Wednesday or here below (it's free to use!).

Paul reminds us in the verse that God is faithful when we are faced with temptation.  If we are willing, He will make a way out for us.  Notice I said "if we are willing" unfortunately we have a tendency to let our flesh nature get the best of us or we reason that what we are doing isn't so bad, but God definitely has higher standards for His children.  This is where His faithfulness comes into play for us.  Because we belong to Him and He loves us so much the Lord will make a way for us to escape the temptation which will lead to sin.  He makes us aware of it sometimes through a verse that comes to mind, or "a check" or "uneasiness" in our spirit, or the Lord will send someone our way (divine appointment!) to help us through whatever difficulty it may be.  BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL... such true and profound words.  I'm so glad I serve such a loving Father that has sent His Holy Spirit to walk alongside me not to trip me up or trick me but to encourage and help me stay on the path towards Him.  God is most definitely faithful!

Ingredients to my card:

Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Gingham background and Wild Cuddly Critters; 

Dies: Lawn Fawn - Spring Showers and Stitched Hillside borders;

Taylored Expressions - Rolling Clouds die;

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black; Distress Oxide Broken China

Copic Markers to color.

Thanks so much for visiting and have a blessed week!

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!)