Stampin' Sisters in Christ . . . beeee yourself

Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ. This week's hostess is the lovely Linda, who has chosen this verse from Phillippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Her challenge is to create a card/project true to your style -- show us who you really are!

We have a new sponsor this week, Inspired Stamps, one lucky winner will receive a $15 store credit to go shopping, you can find the store here. Also on our home page you can see the rest of the creations by the design team here.

I found this challenge . . . challenging. I don't know about you but I don't know exactly what my style is. Since everything I know about stamping I have learned from other people and observing other blogs and cards, perhaps my style is called 'copying.' :)

Some weeks I'm in a CAS mood, sometimes I like to try new techniques, sometimes I like to color, sometimes not . . .you know what I mean (tell me you know, even if you don't!). So for this challenge I simply pulled out some things that I lean towards more often than not. I have found I work best when my background cardstock is a neutral; kraft, cream or white. I don't seem to use colors well except as layers. I like cream and pink or salmon so I chose those for this card. I like punches, I like flowers and I like just mixing up stamps from different companies. So that's my style too . . . mixed up! :)

We can keep ourselves from being mixed up emotionally if we pay close attention to the instructions in that verse. I had a conversation with someone this week about the fact that you can own joy but happiness is fleeting. Happiness is linked to emotions, joy is in the Lord and we remember that joy when we think on those things that are pure, and lovely and true, because of course God always embodies those virtues. When we keep our hearts and minds fixed upon him we can have joy inside and shoo away the emotions that are so volatile and tend to bounce all over the place depending on our circumstances of the day.

That's what I think of when I read this verse but of course I will be very interested to read Linda's thoughts on the matter.

Hope you can join in with us this week.

Stamps: Papertrey Ink
Paper: vintage cream, DP
Ink: Tim Holtz Ranger distress inks in spun sugar, lipstick, marigold, blue and green

Stampin' Sisters in Christ . . . hearts

Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ. This week's hostess is our founding mother :) Kris (she's younger than I am) who selected this verse from Proverbs 3:3 "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart." Her challenge is for you to make a heart stand out in your card or project.

Our sponsor this week is Digital Delights by Louby Lou and one randomly selected winner will receive three free images from that store. You can find more details as well as Kris' thoughts and the other creations by the design team members on our home page here.

I don't have one central heart really, but a string of three of them on the twine around my CAS card. I added the twine to illustrate the 'binding' portion of the verse Kris chose and also used the dog image for faithfulness. My dog is very faithful to me, he's lying at my feet now while I type up this post.

Unseen but ever more faithful than any of my pets or family is the Lord, His love and faithfulness is written on the tablet of my heart and my name is written in the Lamb's book of life for eternity. That thought gives me great joy, a joy only matched when another person who is lost turns to Christ and gets their name written in there as well.

For my card I used a simple dollar stamp I bought long ago at either Michael's or Hobby Lobby, I cannot remember. The dog is actually holding a bone, but I masked out the bone so he could be grasping the 'v' of the word love instead. For the letters I used an alphabet die recently released by Papertrey Ink; I can see myself using this die a lot. Thanks for looking and WE look forward to seeing your 'heart'felt creations in the gallery this week.

Stamps: dollar stamp for big box store
Ink: Memento black
Paper: white, random DP
Other: PTI canvas impression plate, twine, PTI alphabet die, copic markets

Stampin' Sisters in Christ . . . new!

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 my dear friend and earnest Christ follower Traci, who selected this verse from Revelations 21:5 "And He who sits on the throne said 'Behold I am making all things new.' And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true.'"

Her challenge is to use something new on your card or project this week. It can be a new stamp, paper, embellishment, or a new technique or idea that is new to you! Just have fun with your creation!

What a great challenge in this first, newest month of the year, use something new! God has made all things new and we get our chance to create when we sit down with our stamps and ink. I did order a new stamp set (or two) for myself for Christmas and am pleased to pull out this new stamp from Flourishes. I love looking at the birds and squirrels outside the kitchen window, little spots of color and activity in the winter whiteness.

I used prismacolor pencils on PTI fine linen paper and edged the border of the image with gold stickles, alternating layers of cream and fine linen paper with a touch of patterned paper from Stampin' Up. I did have a lot of fun with this, enjoyed the coloring and the quality of all the supplies I was using. That's our hope for you this week is that you can find some time to sit and create and have fun. Show us something new!

Stamps: Flourishes Snow Wonderful and coordinating die
Ink: memento black
Paper: PTI fine linen, vintage cream, SU patterned paper (retired)
Other: prismacolor pencils, gold stickles, cuttlebug embossing folder, satin ribbon, MS branch punch, PTI button

Stampin' Sisters in Christ first challenge of 2012 . . . Others

Happy Sunday stampers! It is time for another challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ, wehre all of our challenges are based upon scripture. This week our sponsor is The Craft's Meow, you can find more information about TCM on the main page, and see the other creations by the design team.

This week I am the hostess. The verse I have selected is from Philippians 2:3-4 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." My challenge is for you to create a card to let someone else know you are thinking about them. It can be a bible verse, a real thinking of you sentiment, sympathy, or hello.

I have some thoughts to share about this verse, if you care to red them.

Welcome to a new year. I don’t know about you, but 2011 was a tough one for our household and for many of my friends. When my husband and I sat down to look at the year in retrospect we realized we’re both tired.

But what you put into your mind and heart influences your outlook on life. This past week two of my children attended Passion 2012 in Atlanta, a gathering of more than 40,000 college aged people who worshipped the Lord and pledged to try to end human trafficking in their lifetime. Due to one person’s generosity, a live video feed enabled us to watch the sessions too and we were brought to tears by the stories of the individuals through film or narrative, representing the 27 million people around the globe who are enslaved or in human bondage.

I had a rough year? By my standards I did, yes. But I wasn’t sold into slave labor. I didn’t watch one of my friends get killed by a pimp. I don’t work all day for a crust of bread, a cup of tea and a beating at the end of it all.

I have been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast there fore as it continues in Ephesians Chapter 2, verse 10, “we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

I have work to do this year. Yes, we might be tired but I need to pick myself up and continue in the work the Lord has prepared for me to do, because my tiredness is nothing compared to 99% of the rest of the world. And before I ever watched that conference or heard those speakers I had selected this motto for myself for this year, to think of others before myself. To remember that reaching out to others, that remembering their needs and their wants above my own is the surest cure for the blues or the self-centered thinking that pulls me down in a whirlpool of self-pity.

So this week’s challenge is based on Philippians 2:3-4 and the goal is for you to make a card to send to someone who needs a lift. The general thought is a thinking of you card, but it can contain a scripture verse or any sentiment that conveys that your thoughts or your prayers are with that other person. That’s my biggest new year’s ambition, what is yours?

At the Passion 2012 conference the organizers challenged the college students there to raise $1 million to help end human trafficking. These poor students (very few college students I know have any money) raised more than $3 million in three days. If they can do that what can we do in the name of Jesus Christ this year?

I made two different types of cards for this challenge, one with my favorite duck stamp from Hambo and another with a wonderful bible verse I recently received off off a blog win from Our Daily Bread Designs, Scripture verse #3 collection. I like each and every verse in the set. I haven't stamped since last year prior to Christmas, it took a sketch to help me at least get started, so I found one at Mojo Monday, number 222.

We do hope you can find time to play along this week. Thanks for looking.