Beth Moore - Living Proof Event and Happy Mail

Hello Delightful friends and family!

I received some happy mail from one of my online friends and sisters in Christ, Stephanie from The Enchanted Rose blog.  Just had to share the fun and beautiful items I received.  Thank you so much Stephanie.  Be sure and visit her blog  HERE.  

I had a wonderful and refreshing time at the Living Proof event in Eugene, Oregon this past weekend.  It definitely was worth the 5 plus hour drive from California!  I love how Beth Moore teaches the Word, I have 4 pages of notes and so many Scripture references. I was not just gathering information, there was so much revelation to make one more fruitful in our Christian walk. (isn't that what we are called to be... to be fruit producers?!) Beth was led by the Lord in a very "timely" message.  If you were able to attend and you read this I hope you'll leave a comment.  Seeing so many women worshiping the Lord and drinking in the Word blessed my soul and I was privileged to join in with all these precious believers.  Jesus definitely was lifted up and glorified in the event. Travis Cottrell and the team of singers and musicians led the worship in a most excellent way.  I can't say enough times how our Lord was lifted up.  13 women came forward to receive Christ.  Just thinking on that response gets me teary eyed all over again.  We were encouraged, challenged and Lord willing no one left unchanged.  I know I needed a refreshing from the Lord and I received that from Him.  God is good and so faithful.  To God be all the glory and may the Lord continue the work that went on in Eugene and spill out over all the pacific northwest.  Spiritual planting and watering went on in a big way and I know that God will bring about the increase!  Again: To God be all the glory!!

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.  Ecclesiastes 3:11

A special shout out to my friend Donita who let me know about the event and invited me to come and stay with her and to my friend Brenda who went with me - it was a blessed time to share with you both! 

Secret Garden Tea Party

Hello Delight Friends and Family,   

Just a warning, this is a long post with lots of pictures featuring the Tea Party I hosted for my mom's 75th birthday.  Hope this gives you some fun ideas or at least inspires you to have a tea party.  It was a lot of fun.

 

A "before" the tea party, picture.

This is the little girls table!  

 I designed the simple placemats for the little girls to give them something to color. They are 11x17 white card stock.  I used Microsoft Publisher and found the teapot clipart on that site but I believe the lace-y edges are from digital images I had (sorry don't remember from where).  All of the napkins used were homemade.  The fabric came from JoAnn's  and were originally from the tea party we had at the church about 3 years ago.  Ironically, my mom had forgotten that she was the one who had stitched all the edges of the napkins for me!  The picture doesn't show the chairs but I took two pieces of  tulle and tied a bow on the back of each of their chairs.

 I had purchased Monster Inc themed crayons (JoAnn's) and recovered them with the Graphic 45 Secret Garden paper and then tied the group with tulle and added a matching punched butterfly.

  The garden bunny is from an old set of three bunnies from Home Interiors that I've had for ages.  The vase is a set also from Home Interiors (BH&G line) that are made for place setting cards.  I used the quote cards from the G45 paper that are from the book "The Secret Garden"

 I found this pretty picture online as I was browsing Pinterest and thought that it would be perfect for the party.  I used Microsoft Publisher to design the 11x17 flyer and added the wording in Scriptina font.  I've printed it on white card stock and the background color is a light lavender.  I also designed a food and tea menu using the matching colors and fonts.

 This was a large piece of card board that I used to make a backdrop of a garden wall, with flowers and secret door to go along with the theme.  Addy (age 3 1/2) helped me with the flowers.  She stamped a few and then I had her do some thumbprint flowers.  I used stamps (Dylusions How does your garden grow and Further Around the Edge), stencils (Plaid brand) and acrylic paints (Making Memories, Ranger Distress Paints, Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Paints) and a couple of Prismacolor pencils.

  The tulle I purchased from JoAnn Fabrics (it was narrow, on a roll for under $3. I think there was approx. 20 yards per roll), I used three different colors throughout the room: green, pink, lilac.  I tied knots on the long piece that was used for the table centerpieces.  It was a simple way to add color and not take up too much space.

 I made favors for each guest from the Graphic 45 paper. It's a tea bag holder.  The band that holds it closed had a layered paper flower (Tattered Flower Die and the mini Tattered flower - Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations & Movers and Shapers; Leaf Die: Taylored Expressions.  The center part of the flower was a scallop circle that I cut out in a spiral and then rolled to make the flower. I added a key to each one to keep with the theme and matched the paper perfectly!

Inside shows the tea bag.  Each was a little different, there were no two alike.  I wish I had taken a picture of my favorites!

Onto the food... pictures only no recipes.  You can find many of the recipes on my Pinterest board Tea Party Food and Decor.

Yes, I was one cookin' fool for two days.  Yummy stuffed strawberries, cucumber sandwiches, croissants,  mini cream cheese bites, kiwi and cataloupe and lots of desserts. 

Mini cupcakes - decorated with homemade fondant, Cream wafer cookies (love this recipe - not on Pinterest so I thought I should mention that).

The top two layers are Petit Fours from Costco that my sister order for the party.  They were DELISH!!!!  A little pricey but definitely pretty and melt in your mouth good!  The bite sized cinnamon cheesecakes were a big hit!  

I used a sunflower cookie cutter to make the shaped sandwiches (egg salad).  I took a long slender loaf of french bread cut it into bite sizes and these were so easy and very good, I used a harvest flavored cream cheese spread then added a thinly sliced English cucumber and a little piece of fresh dill.  Easy peasy and so yummy!  I also served a turkey, cheese with veggies croissant (a tea party favorite!)

The "big" little girls taking a little time to color. (left to right) Mia, Addy & Riley

Tucker Lynn the little fashionista!

After tea... Do you know how hard it is to get 4 little girls to stand still, especially after filling up with petit fours, cream wafers and cupcakes??  I gave up after this picture (which this was probably the 12th take) so I do not have a picture of them with their great grandma, affectionately called GeeGee, which was going to be the next photo :-(  I should have taken more "before" pictures!

Since this was a tea party, I'd be remiss to not share the teas I served!

Here's the list:  White Peony, Oolong, Lady Grey, Jerusalem Mint with Pomegranite, Vanilla Blackberry Sage, Green Tea, Lemon Ginger, Honeybush and Chai Tea Latte.

All in all it was a wonderful time with the "girls" and we were able that evening to share with family and friends a surprise dinner party for my mom.  And she was indeed surprised!!  

Thanks for visiting and sticking with this very long post!  

Hey, it's good to be back but I think it's going to be short-lived because I'm heading to Oregon in a couple of days with a friend to a Living Proof Event which features one of my favorites, Beth Moore!  When I get back from that we will be having company for a week.  Our good friend Darrell (more family than friend) is coming for a week and preaching at our church for three nights but staying for about a week. Boy, who can I get to clean my house?!! Maybe I can coax my youngest to give me a helping hand!! Makes it difficult to be "crafty" knowing I need to prepare for a guest, so I hope by the second week in May perhaps then I'll be able to get back into my craft room!

Have a great week!!

Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise.  Ephesians 6:2

Tea Party coming up...

Hey Delightful friends and family

My mom is celebrating her 75th birthday this Friday and we are celebrating with all the daughters, granddaughters and great grandaughters, plus daughter-in laws,  a week from Saturday with a fun Tea Party which I'm hosting.  So I'll be missing from here due to all the prep I'll be doing.  I'll be excited to share some of the fun projects afterwards, unless for some reason there is a window of opportunity to get it posted but don't count on it!  I've got to get this house spotless as well.  But I wanted to share that  I'm using the Secret Garden (Graphic 45) collection as my inspiration and theme. Can't wait to share in a week or so!  Keep me in prayer!

God bless!  See you soon....

With All Diligence - My Faith Art Journal - WAW#74

Hello Delightful friends and family,

It's already Thursday, can you tell me how that happened?! Hope you are having a wonderful week . I'm enjoying this new faith art adventure, here are my latest pages, just finished (well I think they are done, you never know I may revisit them and add more, time will tell!)  

My last art journal post I  shared about the verses in 2 Peter chapter one that I want to use for my inspiration in this journal. Those verses were the beginning of the "stepping out of my comfort zone" and the beginning of a woman's Bible study (that was just about 15 years ago!). 

 I had been teaching the children for years but never had taught in the women's ministry at our church.  But you know (or maybe you don't, I don't want to assume) when the Lord begins to speak to your heart about something that He desires you to do, He goes to great lengths to get your attention!  For me it was this small voice "suggesting" that I start a morning Bible study for the ladies at our church. Being the great woman of faith I jumped at the chance to be obedient (NOT)!!!! Sadly, I questioned, "Lord is this just me?  Is it because my husband is the pastor that I have to do this??"  I reasoned that the other pastor's wives never did this... surely this is just my own thoughts, right Lord?  I teach the children, I'm not scholarly, I'm not a good speaker, I hated speech class!  You've got to be kidding, right? 

Well, this went on for a week or so but it just wouldn't go away.  So, I prayed, Lord I believe this is You and I want to please You and be obedient, but if this is just me and my own thoughts, I just don't want to do it if that is the case.  Well, the Lord did answer that prayer by waking me up in the middle of the night and spoke to my heart and made it clear to me that I was to begin a study for the ladies and it was to begin in 2 Peter. Period. And that He would equip me to do it. Period.  And I can honestly say that He has done exactly that  and He has been so patient with me!  He is faithful and it is so true that when He guides us, He will provide for us, whatever the need may be.  

And so that gives you (if you made it this far) a little insight into my faith art journal and why these verses in 2 Peter are so personal to me.

I'm excited to share with you that my friend Abby (Little Birdie Blessings) has shared on her blog part of an outline of one of my Bible studies.  I had originally shared this with the group of ladies from the local Vital Network (Stonecroft Ministries) in February of this year.  The Lord is still taking me out of my comfort zone, from the four walls of my church and into the community to share His Word.  Thank you, Abby and to God be all the glory! 

Thanks so much for visiting!

I'm also entering this into Word Art Wednesday # 74

Some of the ingredients used: Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. (She was a Daughter); Butterfly punch (Martha Stewart); Chevron and Leaf Die (Taylored Expressions); Dylusions Spray Ink and stencil (Ranger); assortment of acrylic paints and Prismacolor Pencils; Zig Pen Writer, black; Faber-Castell crayons

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  James 1:17

Not Old, Vintage! Happy Birthday Kerry Bear! STB#11

Hello Delightful friends and family!

Here is a card I made for my sweetie pie's birthday.  His B-I-G day is Tuesday and I wish I could say we have B-I-G plans but we don't.  We both have to work and in the evening we have our weekly prayer meeting and then he studies for Thursday night Bible Study.  So... we will wait until Friday to go out to dinner and maybe catch a movie.  In the meantime, I'm entering this in the Seize the Birthday challenge #11. I took some liberties with the sketch but it's all in fun anyway!  I think it's great to have extra birthday cards on hand!! 

Here's my birthday boy, Kerry with our granddaughter Tucker Lynn.

Ingredients:  Designer Paper - DCWV The Natural Pack (8x8); Paper Accents premade card base in white.  Stamp: Wood mount Hampton Arts - 7 Gypsies "collections from the journey"; Sizzix Tim Holtz Mover and Shaper Dies (Mini Jalopy); Embossing Folder (brick); Dimensional Pearls (Adirondack, Terra Cotta) Dies: Taylored Expressions Chevron border, Spellbinders Nestabilities Hexagons; Ink: Tsukineko Brilliance Moonlit white.

Thanks for looking!  

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Cor 8:9

Sweet Empty Calories F4A162 (SCS)

Happy Friday evening to all my delightful friends and family!!

Posting this quick-like between batches of Snickerdoodle cookies that are baking.  The Youth group at church is having a bake sale tomorrow in town so I thought I'd get some cookies made up for them.  Last night my youngest daughter asked me to make a couple of "simple" birthday cards for two little sisters turning 6 and 3 years old.  Jakob and Addy will be celebrating with them at the pool (indoor community pool!) tomorrow.  So here are my "simple and quick" cards I made.

For both cards I used the exact same stamp set and paper.  Stamps: Hero Arts, Cupcakes; Designer Paper: DCWV; Bazzill card stock.  This card I also used Liquid Pearls to add "sprinkles" to embellish and Glitz washi  tape.  Inks used: Memento and Archival in black.

On this card the Spellbinder scallop circle was die cut from  the Die-Namics Fishtail Flag that I had previously die cut.  The image was stamped on a separate piece of Neenah card stock and colored with Copic markers and adhered to the backside of the flag. I saw something similar on Pinterest so I thought I'd put my own twist to it.  I've embellished the flame and flower with Ranger Stickles.

Well that's it for tonight.  Mmmm the smell of snickerdoodle cookies are filling my house.... yum!  Thankfully, there are a few cookies that didn't turn out "perfect" that I'll just have to keep out of the bake sale, oh rats!  So much for my Sweet Empty Calorie post.  Which reminds me these cards will be entered in the Friday Splitcoast Stampers challenge Free 4 All which is "Sweet Empty Calories".

And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.  John 19:17-19

Have a blessed weekend and I hope you will consider keeping your focus on the great sacrifice Jesus Christ made for you and because He lives, we can live also. 

Buttons and Blessings! MFTWSC117 and WAW#73

Hello Delightful friends and family!

Hope this finds everyone well and getting prepared for their Resurrection Sunday celebrations.  

It's always a busy weekend here getting prepared for Sundays since hubs is a pastor. We are always celebrating Jesus! But with it being Easter we do have a special dinner with our family on Sunday afternoon.  I also want to get a couple of the granddaughters new dresses for Sunday and hopefully one of them will be able to go to our Sunday service.  Anyway.... I'm counting my blessings and... my buttons are organized nicely in a spice rack according to color! (lol)

  Isn't this is the cutest little Pure Innocence stamp.  She reminds me so much of my youngest granddaughter Tucker Lynn.

Here is Tucker Lynn age 2 one of our little blessings. This was taken last weekend. I was glad to get a decent picture of her, lately she's been growling at me.  Don't know what's up with that but maybe it's the outfit!

I'm entering my card in two challenges: 

1.  Word Art Wednesday#73

2. My Favorite Things Wednesday Sketch Challenge MFTWSC117

Here are the ingredients:  Stamps: Cute as a Button (MFT); Designer Paper, MME (Collectable 6x6 paper pad); Bazzill and Neenah card stock; Washi Tape (Glitz and Bella Blvd); Button (stash) Colored with Copics; Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa and Archival black. Dies: MFT (Fishtail Flag Stax) and Spellbinders Nestabilities Circle and Scallop Circle. EK Success corner rounder punch. Ranger Stickles.

Thanks so much for visiting and God bless. 

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?  Romans 8:32