Merry Christmas from Stampin Sisters in Christ . . . challenge 120

Merry Christmas from Stampin' Sisters in Christ! This is our last challenge until January 8th of 2012 as our design team members are going to take a break for family and to celebrate Christmas. We have enjoyed having you with us through our challenges this year and look forward to a fresh start creating in 2012!

This week's hostess is Mieje from the sunny south with our Christmas challenge. Her verse for today is from Luke 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." For her challenge, she wishes you to create a Christmas card or project that is Christian, image and/or sentiment must have the TRUE meaning of Christmas.

Our sponsor this week is Our Daily Bread Designs and one randomly selected participant will receive a $15 gift card to their store.

Please visit the home page at Stampin' Sisters in Christ to read Miesje's thoughts and to view the creations by the rest of the SSIC design team. I know they all wish you a Merry Christmas as well!

For my card I used an image of the three kings I purchased long ago from Cornish Heritage Farms, with a background creating by sponging around a Layers of Color stencil. Then I selected a verse from a Christmas sentiments stamp set by Papertrey Ink and played around with glitter and embellishments. I had fun creating this, hope you get a chance to play along too.

Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge 119 . . . birthday!

Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ, where all of our challenges are based on scripture. This week's hostess is sweet MariLynn who has selected this verse from Luke 2:11 "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." Her challenge is for you to, in honor of Christ's birthday, make a birthday card. You can read MariLynn's thoughts about her chosen verse here as well as view the rest of the creations by the design team. We hope you can play along with us this week! I do apologize that I haven't had any time lately to make comments, life has ramped up and gotten busier than ever. I am hoping I will have more time to comment in 2012.

In our family we are doing an Advent wreath once a week. It is supposed to happen Sunday nights, but it gets pushed to Monday sometimes and last week was on Tuesday because of our schedules, but we fit it in every week. We light a candle and read and discuss scripture and sing a few carols. Then our daughter gets to have Christmas cookies when all is done; that was one of the parts that my older kids liked best when they were little as well.

I used to like the cookies and the decorating and those minor details much more when I was younger too, but every year that passes I'm more interested in the bible verses and the wonder of the story. They are better than old, familiar friends, those bible verses because they are always true and hold out such hope and promise no matter what life situation you're facing. I hope that you are able to slow down a little and enjoy the Christmas story and the wonder that the God of this universe would send his only son down to earth to live among us, Emmanuel, God with us, my favorite name for the Lord. Wishing you blessings this Christmas.



Just thought I'd show the selection of pencils I used to color in that little Lockhart image. Thanks for looking and have a great week!

Stamps: Lockhart (lemons) and PTI (sentiment)
Ink: memento black
Other: prismacolor pencils, spellbinders, ribbon, MS edge punch

Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge 118 . . . angels

Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ, where all of our challenges are based on scripture. This week's hostess is a good friend Lisa, who has selected this verse from Matthew 1:20-22 ""But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.' All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel' which means, 'God with us.'"

For her challenge, she would like you to use an angel on your project. Our lovely sponsor this week is Simon Says Stamp. Please do visit the home page for Stampin' Sisters in Christ to see the creations by the rest of the design team and to read Lisa's devotional on her chosen verse.

My card is CAS as we have been traveling for the holidays and then just catching up on life after our return. Although it would be terrifying there are times when I wish an angel or someone would appear and tell me which direction to take in life, don't you? Not that those directions would suddenly make life easy. I know that just trying to live life the way the bible describes we ought to conduct ourselves is hard enough. Lately though I've listened to a series of sermons from our old church wherein the pastor tells us that we're not striving to live this Christian life on our own. Christ lives within us. He has the resurrection power. He who has begun a work in us will be faithful to complete it. That means the work is not our own, not all our own effort. I am glad to pass the baton on occasion and admit that I do not possess within myself to change a situation no matter how much I might desire to do so. I can rely on someone far more powerful than I to do the work.

I pray you find a way to rest a bit in this holiday season and think about the verse Lisa has selected and what it means in your own life. Thanks for looking, we hope you can play along this week.

Stamps: Hero Arts (angel), Papertrey Ink (verse or sentiment), Waltzingmouse (little star image)
Ink: Encore silver and SU ballet blue, black
Paper: white and silver
Other: ribbon, rhinestones, silver twinkle embossing powder, silver cord