Stampin' Sister in Christ challenge 46 . . . red or blue

Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ. This week's hostess is the talented Chris Olsen, who has selected this verse:

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Her challenge this week is to use either red or blue, or both, but you do not have to create a patriotic card. Our sponsor this week is Whimsy Haven. You can see the other design team members' cards on our home blog page and read more about our sponsor this week.

I am looking forward to reading Chris' thoughts on her chosen verse this week. I know that as proud as I am of my country, even on this day of celebrating being an American, there are many things in this country that could use healing. I firmly believe that if people turned to Jesus Christ and accepted Him as their Lord and Savior and tried their best to follow his ways and his teaching, there is a lot we could heal.

It isn't easy to humble yourself! It can be hard to say, "I was wrong. Please accept my apology and forgive me." But think what happens to relationships when we do that. Some people are willing to forgive and move on, what a blessing! Others have a hard time and then the relationship is lost, which is so very sad. All you can do is your part to reach halfway.

But when we humble ourselves before the Lord, He is always waiting with open arms to forgive and to love us. That's a wonderful thought! No strings, no restrictions, no making us pay for a wrong over and over and over, He forgives and our sin is then cast away as far as the east is from the west. But it begins with examining your own heart.

On to my card. We had our town parade today. I loved taking my older kids to parades when they were little and I loved dressing them up in patriotic colors! I was reminded this morning of the dresses I would get for my older girls. Do you remember when you were little it always made a dress more special when it had ricrac at the bottom? Smocking and ricrac, those were big time when I was a little girl. That, and Swiss dots. So I combined them in this card reminiscent of a dress I had when I myself was a little girl. (Yes, there are rumors that dinosaurs still roamed the earth then, but prove it!) Its got the sparkly ricrac, swiss dot cuttlebug folder, another row of embossed flowers, and an arrangement of flower buttons. I stitched around the floral bit to help define the white on white a bit better and to give it more the flavor of a decorative patch sewn on a dress. Hope you like it and find time to play along with the challenge this week.

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Everyday Button Bits
Paper: White, red, blue
Ink: Garden green
Other: ricrac die, glitter, swiss dot folder, cuttlebug floral edge folder, MS scoring pad, buttons!, red marker

I found the Cuttlebug Spot recently and I think this card qualifies for using cuttlebug folders (two of them) and patriotic colors.
The Oh Alice! blog has a red, white and blue color challenge this week too!
Also on Stamp Something their challenge is to use the colors of your flag.