Grow in Grace

Many years ago a friend at church asked me to sing a duet with her. The song was new to me but the words have stuck so I want to share them with you because they kept playing through my mind as I made this card.

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase,
To added affliction He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

• His love has no limit, His grace has no measure,
  His power no boundary known unto men,
  For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
  He giveth and giveth and giveth again.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half-done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.

I used the wonderful Frosted Designs Card Sketch 17 and Challenge #106 at Our Daily Bread Designs to use no designer paper but make your own background. Here's the sketch:

The challenge at Stampin' Sisters in Christ provided the inspiration to use something related to a tree. Their focus verse is "Those who trust in the Lord] shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:8

Here's my card with no designer paper.

For the background I brayered Garden Green ink on the embossing folder on the side with the leaves raised so that only the leaves would get the ink. I set the paper on the opposite side and closed it carefully so it wouldn't smear the ink and ran it through my Wizard. I used the debossed side that is inked. The middle strip was stamped with a leafy border stamp.

The stamps are from Our Daily Bread Designs. The dogwood image was stamped with Garden Green and colored with a blender pen that picked up ink from a Sweet Leaf ink pad. Then I used a black watercolor pencil to darken the wood and flower centers.

May you be aware of God's grace working in your life as you face the challenges of this week.

Challenges:
Frosted Designs Card Sketch #17
Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light Challenge #106 - No designer paper
Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge #137 - use the image of something planted or the color green

5" x 6.5" Card Recipe:
Paper - Close To My Heart Sweet Leaf, White Daisy, Black cardstock
Stamps - Our Daily Bread Designs "Grow in Grace"
Ink - CTMH Garden Green, Sweet Leaf; Memento Tuxedo Black
Other - Cuttlebug embossing folder; brayer; Martha Stewart border punch; CTMH black buttons, white organdy ribbon, Blending pen, black watercolor pencil; black crochet thread;