Today is a Blessing!!

I want to share a layout I did a while ago for Faithfully Yours.  This was a design team assignment using the Praise Collection to create a project based on the subject "Today."  I tried thinking of how I could apply this and I came up with Today is a blessing.  After searching for scriptures to support this, I found Psalm 29:11.  It was perfect.  

I just love the bright cheery color palette of the Praise collection.  These beautiful, happy colors just beg to be paired up with happy cheerful pictures.  So I searched through my stash of photos looking for the perfect snapshots.  I found these two pictures taken a few years ago that I never got around to scrapping.  These pictures were taken on a Sunday afternoon after church and lunch.  It was a beautiful afternoon and we all found ourselves outside enjoying the sun and next thing I knew the kids and Dad got involved in a round of tickling and rough housing.  I went and grabbed my camera and managed to take these pictures.  Seeing the joy and love on the faces of my family remind me of how much God has done in our lives.  He has poured out his blessings on us in every way imaginable.  We are truly blessed today and every day!!

 

 

Thanks for stopping by today!!  Have a blessed day!!

My Journey

I'd like to share my latest project with you today.  This is a layout journaling my testimony of what God's done in my life.  It really is a rather long story so it took some time for me to think about how I could put it together so that all of it could be read.  So I decided it would have to be interactive with pages that open up to reveal my story. 

Here you can see the flap where the photo is attached lifts up to reveal hidden journaling.

Here is the layout fully opened to reveal all the journaling.

Here is a closeup of one of my hinges that attach the face piece to the back of the page.

I used the beautiful Faith Goals collection from Faithfully Yours to complete this layout.  What I really appreciate about this company is the strength of their paper.  It is very strong and durable.  I know this layout will stand the test of time. 

Thanks for stopping by!!  Have a great day!!

The Power of Friendship

I have a layout to share with you today on the power of friendship.  I drew my inspiration for this LO from a challenge at Courtney Walsh's website.  Her challenge was all about documenting the friendships in your life.  Since I had recently witnessed what friends can do together at my daughter's poetry recital, I thought this would be the perfect subject for this challenge. 

In order to appreciate how significant this event was in my daughter's life, you need to understand how shy she is.  She's a pretty quiet girl who never likes to draw attention to herself.  So when the assignments were handed out she told me she was NOT doing any kind of performance, even if it affected her grade.  She would have been happy to receive a B and not do any kind of performance, just so she didn't have to face the prospect of getting up in front of her peers, teachers, and family and performing. 

So you can imagine my surprise when I arrive at the school and she's on the schedule of events, listed as performing the song "Lollipop."  It turned out her friend talked her and another friend into singing this song at the last minute.  They found the lyrics online and a YouTube video of the original singers and played that in the background.  Not only did they do a great job, they were the hit of the show.  Needless to say they all got an A+. 

I used the Faithfully Yours Glorious Morning collection here as well as some card stock that I ran through my Cuttlebug to give some texture and dimension.  Of course a healthy dose of Stickles brings the title to life.

This strength of friendship brought to mind the verses in Ecclesiastes that talks about how we are stronger together than we are on our own.  This is never more true than here.  My daughter would  rather have died than get up and do this on her own.  I know this is true for the other girls as well.  These pictures really are a testament to the power of friendship and the veracity of the word of God. 

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great day!!

Win a Shopping Spree!!

I'm really excited to share a contest with you today.  Faithfully Yours is looking for tips on how you have found ways to be a good steward with your scrapbooking materials and resources.  Simply submit your favorite tips you have and you could win up to a $50.00 worth of product at the Faithfully Yours store.   This contest is open until April 20, 2012. Here are the details:

There are many ways to be good stewards with our time, money and scrapbooking supplies.
*Using up scraps
*Creating with what you already have on hand
*Making your own embellishments
*Being organized.
I love trying to be a good steward and want to share even more ways. Share your favorite stewardship tip and be eligible for a $50 shopping spree in the Faithfully Yours store, as well as a $25 shopping spree!  Plus every entry will receive a free ebook entitled “Time Management for Creative People”.
Ideas for the kind of tips I’m looking for:

• Make your own ________ (glimmer mist, glue dots, pearl flourishes)
• Ideas on how to use ________(tags, borders, buttons, leftovers)
• Organizing your supplies using everyday household items. (jars, baskets)
• Old tool used a new way.
• Old patterned paper made new.
• Dollar Store makeover

***if you have a tip for anything already mentioned above, go ahead and submit it!
What your tip should include:

• As much detail as possible
• Step by step instructions if necessary
• Cost if you are submitting a DIY project or recipe.
• Short bio and link to your blog.

Would love for you to include (but not necessary):

• photos of steps
• photos of finished project or item
• video

How To Enter

1. Submit your stewardship tips by emailing me at Dawn@FaithfullyYours.net
2. You may enter as many tips as you would like, but only one per email.
3. Include  your name and use an email we can reach you at if we have questions or to contact you if you win.
4. Submit your tip by April 20, 2012

Shopping Spree:

• First prize of a $50 shopping spree will be chosen for the best and most unique stewardship tip.
• A $25 shopping spree will be randomly chosen from all entries.
• Every entry will also receive a free gift-Time Management for Creative People ebook.
• Winners will be announced in Faithfully Yours ezine the following Friday, April 27.
• Winners will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email notification.
• If the original winner has not responded within 48 hours, another winner will be selected.

Submitted Tips:

• May or may not be used on the Faithfully Yours blog for Stewardship Saturday.
• Credit will be given for tip in the form of a short bio and link to your blog.
• Tips will be compiled into a downloadable ebook. All submissions will receive a complimentary copy.

Easter Goodies

Today I get to share a couple of Easter projects I completed for Faithfully Yours.  My first project was a cross I made using the new collection Glorious Morning.  This paper is so pretty!!  It has flourishes and doves interspersed across the page in a beautiful soft lilac purple.  

 

I decided to make this my first project because of what the cross means to me.  In Christianity, the cross is the primary icon.  But I think it's good for all of us to consider what that icon means to us personally.  For me the cross is where Mercy and Grace met.  Mercy is not getting what we deserve, whereas grace gives us the things we don't deserve.  So through Jesus sacrifice we obtained mercy in that we deserved death and punishment for our sin, but Jesus was merciful and took our punishment for us.  By doing that he gave us grace in that we don't deserve salvation, blessings, health, provision, joy, and all the other inheritances of the promises of Abraham.  But we receive them all through his atoning sacrifice.  His sacrifice brought us so much more than just our entry into heaven, it freed us from the bondage of the law, it made us heirs with Christ so that all his riches become our riches.  It was the great exchange: He became poor so that we could become rich, he bore our sickness and infirmities so that we could be healthy and strong, he bore our sin so sin would no longer have dominion over us, he knew shame so that we never have to be ashamed again, he was a man of sorrows so that we could know his joy, he was despised and rejected by men so that we could be loved and accepted by the Father, he stepped down from his position in heaven so that we could gain entrance.  Hallelujah!!!  What a savior.  To me, the cross is a symbol of the beauty of Jesus' finished work.  It's a symbol of how much he loves us, and that is a beautiful thing.  

So, to make this cross I began by sanding down the edges so they would be smooth.  Next I painted the edges and sides with a matching acrylic paint, in case any area of the wood showed through, it would match the paper.  

After it was all dry I traced the image onto the paper and cut it out.  Then using ModPodge, I adhered the paper to the cross.  Here's a tip:  if the paper starts to warp or bubble in places, first smooth it down then place it under a couple of heavy books!!  

While this was drying I cut out the words "Mercy" and "Grace" using my Silhouette.  I used the Papyrus font because it looked old and antiquated.  I also began punching out my flowers.

For the flowers, I inked their centers and edges with a small ink pad.  Then using Liquid Pearls, I gave each flower it's center.  I let those dry too. After everything was dry I attached my letters, my flourish and my flowers.  I also edged some of the flower petals in Stickles.

To complete the project I edged the entire cross in sequin ribbon.  The only way I found to get a good secure adhesion was to use a heat gun.  

This project turned out beautifully and I plan to hang it up for Easter for many years to come. 

Of course this project left me a lot of scrap left over from that sheet of paper.  So I decided to make a card too!!

Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely Easter!!