Hymn and Scripture Challenge - Cleanse Me

Here is the next hymn I'm adding to my Hymn and Faith Journaling Album. This hymn that Patter chose for her Hymn and Scripture Challenge #5 is a beautiful prayer. On our own, we don't recognize every sin that creeps or even leaps into our lives. In order to be used by God, we need daily cleansing. I've had family and friends who are often plagued by troubling thoughts, anger, or fear. I've shared the truths that I learned myself about how God's word is like water that washes away troubling thoughts in addition to guiding us in the right direction and pointing out sin in our lives.

I like the verse I chose from 2 Corinthians that I printed from Clear Dollar Stamp's digi "Value Verses 2." We cast down those imaginations and bring every one of our thoughts into captivity and obedience to Christ. That's not an easy thing to do when you're facing trials in life or the "he said, she said" situations. Sometimes those negative thoughts race and jump around in your mind not letting you calm down. In my most troubling times in life I found great consolation in Psalm 34 and have encouraged others to read it many times. For many years I kept up a routine of reading 5 Psalms and one Proverb each night before bed. So many truths are packed into those books that refer to our relationship to God and how he helps us (Psalms) and how to respond to others (Proverbs).

I'm also sharing this layout with Word Art Wednesday this week.
 

Hymn and Scripture Challenge #1 - Lift High the Cross

Yesterday I found the box where I had stored my 9" x 9" scrapbook and papers that fit it. I had started them last year with Patter's Hymn and Scripture challenge until life became unorganized and I lost track of the scrapbook. I kept meaning to start again when things settled down, so I was ready to make a fresh start and play catch-up and keep up.

As a grandma, I can tell that my thoughts aren't as sharp as they used to be. I want to record the importance of the Lord in my life and the truths I absorbed from the hymns I've always loved singing. I know it will be meaningful for my kids and grandkids someday. (A few of my scrapbooking friends enjoy reading what I've put on these pages as well.)

I don't believe I had ever sung or heard this hymn, "Lift High the Cross," until I heard it from the link on Patter's blog. It's very inspiring and reminded me of a chorus we used to sing in Christian school, so I included that on my layout. Please check out Patter's blog post for this hymn to hear it and to see the wonderful verses she shared that relate to this hymn.

With the Easter season approaching, many people will be thinking more about Christ's crucifixion. I always have a tinge of sadness thinking about Christ taking such a horrendous punishment for my own sins. This song encourages us to elevate what took place on the cross to the level that others see His great love in that act of sacrifice. Another hymn uses the phrase "Let others see Jesus in you." I used to tell my young students that what you do and what you say should be what Jesus would do or say. That's one way to let others see Jesus. We are also to proclaim His gift of salvation to the world "till all the world adore His sacred name."

I always enjoy the time in the church service in our small town church when people can share blessings. Sharing what Christ has done, how God has blessed us is another way of lifting him up in praise.

I included the verse from John 12:32 that Jesus spoke, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." We do the proclaiming and He will be the one who draws or pulls all men unto himself. I think it's like the verse that says His words will not return unto him void. We do the sowing and He will give the increase.

I'm also sharing this layout with Word Art Wednesday Challenge #72. They have a great verse this week about being crucified with Christ (that I'll use on another layout!!)

Mojo Monday 285

This will be a short post. Our internet connection keeps going off every five to ten minutes, making it difficult to do anything. I used the Mojo Monday sketch for this week and the Word Art Wednesday that I tried to upload yesterday from last week's challenge. They seemed to work well together.

Perfect Sentiment Challenge #71 - Fairies or Butterflies

My husband has been a great photographer since high school. Before we married, he had a fascination with photographing butterflies. I helped him plant a butterfly garden which included purple coneflowers. Later I added asters to attract the migrating monarch butterflies in September. These details helped inspire the card I made today for The Perfect Sentiment Challenge.

CREATE A CARD FOR THE OCCASION OF YOUR CHOICE USING EITHER A FAIRY OR BUTTERFLY IN YOUR DESIGN. DON'T FORGET YOUR SENTIMENT ON THE FRONT.

     

Our sponsor is PATTIE'S CREATIONS/CRAFTY CITY. One lucky winner will receive a $5 GIFT VOUCHER TO CRAFTY CITY(US ONLY)/3 FREE DIGIS FROM PATTIE'S CREATIONS.

I made this card for my pastor's wife who has been sick in the hospital. My image, "Thinking of You," is from Pattie's Creations. I printed it twice. I used the second image to cut out the closest butterfly wing and some of the petals to pop dot on the image. I colored all of it with Copic markers. The center of the flower had little dots, so I dotted the darker earthtone marker on the surface and added dark brown and black bitty pearls on some of the dots in the design. I mounted it on a black mat cut with Spellbinder's Nestabilities Lattice Rectangles. The background dp was also embossed, but it's nearly completely covered, so it doesn't show. The white ribbon is a soft satin, my favorite.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
ABC Challenge #21 - flowers
Craft Your Passion #153 - ribbons or lace
Creative Creations Challenge #6- things that start with "B" (butterfly)
Flutter By Wednesdays #231 - any winged creature
Pause Dream Enjoy - Anything goes


 

Twist of Faith Easter Card

My family always celebrated Easter with dying and decorating eggs and plenty of chocolate in the Easter basket on Sunday morning. We wore new dresses my grandma had made (with scratchy petticoats) and little white gloves, white shoes, and hats. But the real highlight was going to church. I always loved singing hymns about Christ's resurrection. I was even allowed to sing with the choir one Easter when my dad pastored a small country church. I still remember that we sang "Low in the Grave He Lay" when I was only eight, singing with the grownups! After church our extended family would get together for a large dinner and lots of hugs, laughing, and photos.

This week at Twist of Faith our challenge is:

EASTER

Your creation should also include a scripture,

uplifting verse or positive words/quote

 

We are excited to welcome our sponsor for this week, Robyn's Fetish! Our randomly drawn winner will receive their choice of five (5) digital images from  Robyn's Fetish ... and we thank our sponsor for their generous prize

 

I wanted my card to represent the stained glass windows at church and the white Easter lilies that line the front of the church. I wanted to include the first verse I remember memorizing that represents the gift of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, eternal life.

 

I chose to use their digi stamp called "Lily" with an "Inspired Hearts" Cricut die cut of a cross in a "stained glass" window. The digi was just one lily, but I flipped it horizontally in Photoshop to print it the second time. Both lilies were colored with Copics and fussy cut.

 

 

May your Easter be blessed with the joy of knowing Christ's gift of salvation. May you make happy memories of celebrating that gift with friends and family.

 

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge #71 - Easter or Spring

Avadares Challenge #9 - Easter or Spring

Digi Haven - Easter

Hiding in My Craft Room #89 - Use 3 designer papers ( 2 Basic Grey for the window, blue is DaisyD's)

Little Red Wagon #176 - Windows (mine is a stained glass window)

My Sheri Crafts #106 - Easter

The Paper Shelter Challenge #103 - Easter

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge #11 - Ribbons and Diecuts

Polka Doodles Week #11 - Easter

Simply Create Too #33 - Easter

 

 

 

 

 

Everybody Is a Genius - Digi Release Day Card

My husband and I both love stories about Einstein. My hubby is a scientist and I'm a retired educator, so this quote of his is so true about Einstein himself and so many children I've known. I plan to give this card to another educator who will also appreciate the depth of this sentiment. 

This Clear Dollar Stamps digi set comes with both colored and outline fish. I chose to color my own with Copics and to place him looking at the sentiment in a sea of other bluish tinted fish. It's the perfect card for my new blue epoxy bubbles and some very old, very wide blue spotted organdy ribbon.

This set has some great images for masculine cards. Next week I'll post another example.

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
Cute Card Thursday #260 - Anything Goes
Creative Moments #12 - Add a Sentiment
Fab 'n' Funky #162 - Add a Sentiment
Inky Impressions #101 - Use BLUE (for colon cancer awareness)




6.5" x 5" Card Recipe:
CDS digi - Everyone Is A Genius
Alcohol ink markers - Copics: Y17 Golden Yellow, YR68 Orange, YR61 Yellowish Skin Pink, 0 Blender; CTMH Honey
Paper - Graphic 45 "Tropical Travelogue," white and black cardstock
Accents - Close To My Heart Blue/Green Epoxy Bubbles, Michaels wide blue dotted organdy ribbon
Tools - printer

 

March Digi Release Day at Clear Dollar Stamps

March is the time to make Easter cards this year since we'll celebrate at the end of this month. Here are two cards I made using the new Clear Dollar Stamps digi set called "Jesus Paid It All." I especially love making Easter cards that celebrate Christ's death for our sins and His resurrection with its promise of eternal life.

This set has so many possibilities for even more cards. The images come in outline or colored form. I used the colored images except for the black crosses that were simply printed on blue cardstock.

Images - CDS Color digis "Jesus Paid It All"
Paper - CDS digi paper "Jesus Paid It All;" Fancy Pants Designs "It's the Little Things" (yellow label mat); Graphic45 "Fashionista;" CTMH Outdoor Denim and Colonial White cardstock, medium blue and white cardstock for printing
Ink - CTMH "Saddle" and Outdoor Denim
Accents - Making Memories ribbon, CTMH Mocha Pearls
Tools - Spellbinder's Nestabilities Large Labels and Fleur de Lis Rectangles
Technique - The daffodils were printed twice. I cut the middle stamen portions out and pop dotted them onto the main image. The petals were bent up for more dimension. The cross image had more Outdoor Denim ink stippled and sponged.

I'm sharing these cards with the following challenges:
Bearly Mine #77 - Easter
Use It Tuesdays #52 - Diecuts, punches, cut-outs and hoarded supplies (MM ribbon on 1st card stashed for 6 years
Digi Makeover Challenge - Easter or Spring
D.L.ART Thankful Thursday #105 - Easter
The Paper Shelter #103 - Easter
Penney's Paper Crafty Challenge #11 - ribbons and diecuts.
Stampavie and More #189 - Easter

Here's the second card. I used the March Viva La Verve sketch for week 1.

I had a really old hymnal with the hymn "Jesus Paid It All" that I scanned, printed, and used as paper behind my image. Two of the other papers came from the digital set, but were reduced in size to 4" x 6." I also colored parts of the colored image to extend it to the edge of my punched circle. I used Copics, but forgot to write which ones I used (oops!).

You can find additional ideas for this set on the Clearly iStamp blog. Thank you for visiting and may you have a blessed Easter season.

Image and sentiment - CDS Jesus Paid It All - colored
Ink - CTMH Saddle
Paper - CDS designer paper from Jesus Paid It All, Hymn from old hymnal, CTMH retired petal dp, white and black cs
Accents - Reflections roses, yellow organdy from stash
Tools - printer, scanner (for hymn), Spellbinder's Nestabilities "Lacey Circles;" 3" circle punch
Technique - I printed the image twice and cut out the larger stones on the left. They were pop dotted for extra dimension