{3} Cards to Share

Hello everyone! It's the end of the month, and it's time to share my Blue Fern Studios creations. Today I have three cards for you that all use the new Ombre Dreams papers from Blue Fern Studios. I hope you find some inspiration for this new, gorgeous paper line!

Love
On this card, I used the Tangier Page Panel. This is a 12x12 chipboard panel but I cut just a small piece to use on the card. The paper is called Ginger's Dream from the new Ombre Dreams paper line.

To color the chipboard, I used three different colors of gelatos to match the papers.

Papers: Blue Fern Studios Ombre Dreams Ginger's Dream, Paper Trey Ink cs 
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink frayed burlap 
Blue Fern Studios chipboard: Tangier Page Panel (painted w/gesso and Gelato colors buttercream, lemon, and metalic mint) 
Embellishments: Prima resin angel and Color Bloom sunshine spray, Petaloo ivory faux dried mini, Kaisercraft Happy Snaps Collectables, Hug Snug hand-dyed seam binding, Project Life Just Add Color 2x2 card, CTMH pewter paperclip, misc. cheesecloth, sewing machine

Thank You
I don't work with purple very often but Joyce's Dream paper has such beautiful colors in it, that I couldn't wait to play with it. You can see the paper is mostly lavender with hints of torquoise and green. Truly beautiful! I also used the chipboard piece called Lace Rounds. This particular piece fits perfectly on a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" card!

To color this piece of chipboard, I just painted it with gesso and pearlescent liquid acrylic.

Papers: Blue Fern Studios Ombre Dreams Joyce's Dream, Memory Box cs 
Stamp: Anna Griffin Chalkboard Sentiment Stamp 
Stamp Ink: Archival jet black 
Blue Fern Studios chipboard: Lace Rounds (painted w/gesso and FW Pearlescent sun-up blue)
Embellishments: Prima Corine flowers and Color Bloom lime wedge, vintage coal, and iris sprays; Petaloo purple botanica minis; Divine Twine; Hug Snug hand-dyed seam binding; sewing machine

Just Because
For this card, I used Charlotte's Dream paper. I also added a bit of modeling paste and mist though I hated to cover up the beautiful paper! I also used the Bits of Honey chipboard and just covered it in gesso. I wanted to leave it white because of the colors scheme I chose.

Papers: Blue Fern Studios Ombre Dreams Charlotte's Dream, Memory Box cs 
Stamp: Anna Griffin Chalkboard Sentiment Stamp 
Stamp Ink: Archival jet black 
Blue Fern Studios chipboard: Bits of Honey (painted w/gesso) 
Embellishments: Manor House Creations flower, Zva Creative flower, Prima cradle robin and Color Bloom cobalt spray, Hug Snug hand-dyed seam binding, bakers twine, sewing machine

Thanks for stopping by today, and remember you still have time to join us in the May Sketch Challenge. Click here to see the details and join in! Blessings,

A Layout for My "Book of Me"

If you remember, I am working on a "Book of Me" this year. I have two layouts in my album thus far. You can see those layouts by clicking here and here. Today, I wanted to share a third layout I just completed before church this morning to go into my album. It's shows the cover of my favorite book "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers. If you have never read this book, I highly recommend it! One of my daughter's has read this one three times now I believe. Truly a great, great book based on the story of Hosea in the Bible.

For this 8 1/2 x 11 page, I used the lastest sketch from Flying Unicorn. I also used Blue Fern Studios papers and a title from the Blue Fern Studios chipboard set called Spiritually Speaking. I painted the title with Shimmerz Texturz and then I inked over it with Archival ink. That is the first time I have done that, and I think I will use that technique again.

Papers: Blue Fern Studios Garden Timeless and In Bloom, Memory Box cs 
Blue Fern Studios chipboard: Spiritually Speaking (painted with Shimmerz Texturez gold mine then inked with Archival coffee) 
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink antique linen, Archival coffee 
Embellishments: Manor House Creations Ohh La La flowers, Kaisercraft chino pearls, Tim Holtz burlap stencil, Prima resist canvas lace and Say It In Crystals, Flying Unicorn metal butterfly, Hobby Lobby doily, Jenni Bowlin journaling card, Petaloo Botanica minis pistachio and pink, Wild Orchid Crafts leaves, joint tape, sewing machine

I hope you have enjoyed today's inspiration. And if you haven't started a "Book of Me," why don't you join me. You could start with the three topics I have already done. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Art {Journaling} A New Page & A "Do-over"

Is there such a word as "do-over"? Hmm, maybe I should say "recreated." If you remember seeing the page I made for my best friend in the front of her journal, I loved that page so much that I had to have it in my own journal. So, I guess that's why I am calling it a "do-over" since I recreated that page again for my own art journal. You can see the original page I made for her in this post here. And here is how my page turned out:

Paints: Liquitex gesso, super heavy gesso, matte medium; Angora watercolors; Faber-Castel gelatos; Lumiere pearl turquoise; Claudine Hellmuth sky blue acrylic paint 
Stamp Ink: Archival Ink jet black, Tim Holtz Distress Ink black soot and picked raspberry 
Stamps: Provo Craft 18 pt roller stamp, SU rollagraph alphabet B, Unity reversed punchinella
Embellishments: The Crafters Workshop mini deco doily, Luxe Designs black letter stickers, My Mind's Eye Antique alpha stickers, old hymnal page "My Hope is Built" 
Journal: Moleskine sketch book

Yes, slightly different but still very similar. I even had some of the hymnal page left over to use on my page too. I thought it was the perfect hymn for the quote.

Next, I wanted to thank you all for your prayers and concern regarding my mammogram. Because of Winter Storm Pax, I had to have it rescheduled. So, now I go on Tuesday of this coming week with a doctor's visit on Wednesday. I don't know when I will get results but I will certainly update you. I thank you ALL for your prayers and concern. Here is the page I created on the day I found out that I have to go back in. It was a bad day with our epileptic dog too so I kind of just put my journaling out there. It's how I felt that day.

Papers: Basic Grey RSVP, Graphic 45 Couture Collection, Manor House Creations Believe 
Paints: Liquitex light modeling paste mixed with Dr. Martin's green india ink; Liquitex matte medium; Golden black gesso; Faber-Castel gelatos; Claudine Hellmuth landscape green acrylic paint 
Stamp Ink: Archival Ink jet black 
Stamps: Becky Higgins date stamp, SU rollagraph nursery letters 
Embellishments: Donna Downey lattice template, Quickutz Diesel alpha, Luxe Designs black letter stickers, Faber-Castell PITT big brush pen carmine and cobalt green 
Journal: Moleskine sketch book

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope this inspires you to create a page this weekend. Blessings,

A Spool and a Layout with Blue Fern Studios

I am excited to share two creations with you today showing off lots of fun Blue Fern Studios chipboard and the wonderful 7 Dots Studio products.

An Altered Spool
My parents are big antique shoppers/collectors. I love that they are able to pick up little pieces for me as they see them. This spool is one of the pieces they brought to me. I couldn't wait to alter it for my new studio. The 7 Dots Studio Domestic Goddess line was perfect as it matches the colors in my studio. I also used the chipboard dressform, scissors, and sewing machine from the Blue Fern Studios Miss Tailor Set.

Papers: 7 Dots Studio Domestic Goddess 
Blue Fern Studios chipboard: Miss Tailor Set (painted with gesso, Inka Gold old silver and distress inks) 
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz gathered twigs and walnut stain 
Embellishments: Prima Valentine Vine white flowers, resin clock, and Lucido flower; Divine Twine Memory Box pearls; Maya Road tiny ruler; Wild Orchid Crafts pink roses; Making Memories silver brad; Hobby Lobby wood alpha; misc. tulle and string; sewing machine

I used Inka Gold old silver on the chipboard scissors and sewing machine to make them look like metal. I also added a silver brad to the scissors. I think it makes them look pretty real. :) I love this piece in my room.

An 8 1/2 x 11 Layout
For this layout, I used the 7 Dots Studio Messy Head collection. There are so many beautiful pieces in this collection that I had a hard time choosing what papers to use. On this page, I also used the Blue Fern Bits, Organic Vine, and Quatrefoil Panel chipboard pieces.

Papers: 7 Dots Studio Messy Head; Bazzill cs 
Blue Fern Studios chipboard: Blue Fern Bits, Quatrefoil Panel, Organic Vine 
Stamp Ink: Prima blossom tree chalk ink 
Embellishments: Manor House Creations pink sugar and spice flower; 7 Dots Studio Messy Head elements and big words; Prima Soubrette B flowers, wood veneer title, and checkered stencil; Maya Road wood bird cage; Wild Orchid Crafts leaves; May Arts twine; Faber-Castell gelatos; sewing machine

Thanks for stopping by, and remember there are a few days left to join in on the Blue Fern Studios September Sketch Challenge. Click here to join in the fun! Blessings,

A {Little} Sewing Project

I have this beautiful Bible that doesn't have a cover. I haven't carried it because it's too pretty. But with my failing, aging eyesight I decided I want to carry it exclusively now. It's a thinline Bible, and it's large print. Perfect! 

So, how many times have your Bible pages been bent because your Bible is down in a bag or you are just carrying it without a cover? I know it has happened to me way too many times. With this Bible, I don't want that to happen but I also don't want a cover—I love the soft leather. So, I decided to create an elastic band to keep it closed while I am carrying it. This also adds a bit of fun to my Bible and keeps the pages from getting bent. Here is what I call my "Bible Band."

I used a piece of duck fabric that I purchased from Hobby Lobby, created the band, and added a Manor House Creations fabric flower to cover the seam where I brought the ends together. The flower adds a bit more pink to my Bible. Agh, just what it needed. :) Most of you know that pink is my favorite color. :)

To create the band:

1. Wrap a tape measure around the height of your Bible (front and back) to get the length.
2. Using that measurement, cut one piece of 1" wide non-roll elastic the same length. Set aside.
3. Next, cut a piece of fabric that is double the measurement x 4" wide.
4. Fold the fabric in half lengthwise with right sides together and sew together using a 5/8" seam.
5. Turn right-side out and press.
6. Thread the elastic through the opening.
7. Bring ends together and wrap around the Bible to make sure the fit is as desired. Adjust if necessary and stitch together.
8. Add a flower or other embellishment to cover the seam.

Note: I left my edges raw on the end as they are not seen underneath the flower.

So, if you have a special Bible that doesn't have or need a cover, maybe a Bible Band is just what you need. Thanks for stopping by. Blessings,

{HSCRC13) Hymn #14, Breathe on Me, Breath of God

Hymn Challenge #14: Breathe on Me, Breath of God
Written by: Edwin Hatch
b. Sep. 4, 1835; d. Nov. 10, 1889

Edwin Hatch was born in Derby, England. He graduated from Pembroke College in Oxford. In 1859, he was ordained as a priest and traveled to Canada where he was professor of classics at Trinity College until 1862. He returned to Oxford in 1867.

Two weeks ago our church had an Acapella Sunday. I have never participated in a service like that, and I must tell you, it was amazing! Our music pastor was out of town, so our senior pastor thought it would be nice to have an Acapella Sunday. Our pastor noted that some churches today worship this way each week stating that there is no reference to instrumental music in early church worship in the New Testament. This hymn is one of the hymns that we sang during our service. Below you will see a link to my church singing this hymn two weeks ago. Now onto our study of this hymn. First let's look at the words since it is a short hymn yet very meaningful.

Verse 1
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
fill me with life anew,
that I may love the way You love,
and do what You would do.

Verse 2
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
until my heart is pure,
until my will is one with Yours,
to do and to endure.

Verse 3
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
so shall I never die,
but live with You the perfect life 
for all eternity.

When a person accepts Christ as their Lord and Savior, they receive the Holy Spirit. So, what is the role of the Holy Spirit? Who is the Holy Spirit? As our pastor said this past Sunday: "God created us, Jesus redeemed us, and the Holy Spirit convicts us." Then I found this on Pinterest last night:

"Do not follow your heart. Follow the conviction of the Holy Spirit."

Jeremiah 17:9a "The heart is deceitful above all things."

Ezekiel 36:27 "And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."

John 20:22 "And with that He breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'"

Do you just ever have that "feeling" inside that you should do something or you know something is right or wrong? Some people would say that is your conscience but as Christians, we know that is the indwelling Holy Spirit. Are you relying on the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit gives us the desire to be holy. Our holiness, our character, is the most important thing about us because we represent God. Let me say that again—we represent God. Wow! That knowledge should affect us in every part of our life. How are you representing the Lord at work, around town, and better yet at home? Our homes are the hardest place to remain holy yet be careful—your children and grandchildren are watching and learning.

I love what Verse 1 says "that I may love the way you love, and do what you would do," and Verse 2 "until my will is one with yours, to do and to endure." Are you truly loving the way He loves? How about towards the neighbor you have feuded with for years? Or towards that person with different political views? And are you truly seeking His will or are you doing things your own way? That might work for a time but in the end, following His will is always the better choice.

1 Corinthians 6:19 "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own."

The Holy Spirit also guides us in all truth. We experience the truth and then it changes our lives. The truth leads us and over a gradual and continual journey with the Holy Spirit you experience sanctification of the believer. The Holy Spirit then glorifies Jesus through our daily life and actions. Sanctification of the believer is the pruning process. God in us transforms us into the image of Christ and the person He wants us to be. He works on us personally and it is continual process. Are you cooperating in that process or are you fighting it?

John 14:16-17 "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth."

John 16:12-13a "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth.”

Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Will you ask the Holy Spirit to have greater control of your daily life and to be a more effective ambassador for Christ? Is the Holy Spirit just residing in you or is He fully filling each part of your daily life?

Below you will find the sheet music for today's hymn. And for a special treat, you can listen to my church sing this from Acapella Sunday by clicking here. Our pastor moved everyone around so that sopranos were in one spot, altos in another, and so forth. We then practiced a few minutes, and WOW! I was SO impressed. We must have a lot of members with choir experience because I can’t believe we accomplished this in just a few moments. Our pastor only filmed the last bit but we sang the entire hymn. You can also click here to listen to Steve Green sing this beautiful hymn!

For my 6x6 page today, I used a sketch from Scrap and Music. I also used papers from 7 Dots Studio. I like the pink color for a couple of reasons. First, pink is my favorite color. Second, in Christian symbolism, red denotes the Holy Spirit. Pink then denotes a lighter shade of red meaning I am getting in the way of the Holy Spirit within me. Then I used several wood veneers to denote:

*My love for Christ (hearts)
*I am a new creation in Christ (butterflies)
*I need to rely on the indwelling Holy Spirit everywhere including at home (house)

I also used the Blue Fern Studios Doily Bunting and Nested Circles chipboard. I left the chipboard raw but then splattered on white gesso. I also put gesso on a piece of bubble wrap and "dotted" it on the page. The scripture I chose was John 14:16-17 noted above.

Papers: 7 Dots Studio Domestic Goddess, Echo Park Tickets Please, Creative Memories cs 
Blue Fern Studios chipboard: Doily Bunting, Nested Circles 
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz gathered twigs 
Sketch: Scrap and Music sketch #3 
Embellishments: Manor House Creations Imagine berry pink flower; Jillibean Soup craft frame; Memory Box Typewriter alpha dies; Studio Calico wood veneers; Wild Orchid Crafts leaves; sewing machine

Remember to use Keyword HSCRC13 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies, please see this post here. Have a blessed week ahead!

Blue Fern Studios August Sketch and my {BSF Notebook}

How can it be August already? I can't believe two of our girls head to college in just two short weeks. I think I may flood not only our town but everything in between! Anyway, as I think of them going off to school, it's also time that I begin thinking about Bible Study Fellowship. Leaders start back with a meeting in a few weeks, so I needed to get my BSF notebook made. What better way to do that then use the new Blue Fern Studios August Sketch Challenge! I saw one or two of you play along in July! So fun! I hope that more of you will join in! I love seeing my blog readers join in on the challenge because they then have a chance to win the awesome prize! Here is the August sketch:

August Sketch

This sketch features the use of the Blue Fern Studios Lattice Gate chipboard. You can see the complete August Sketch Challenge details and prize package by clicking here.

My Creation

So, as I mentioned above, I used this sketch to create my BSF notebook for 2013-14. I used extra paper pads I had and created this notebook using my Cinch tool. I used the Blue Fern Studios Garden Window chipboard. I painted it and then stamped on it. I also put a page from a Bible encyclopedia that contained some verses from Matthew in the window. It was perfect for our upcoming study of Matthew. Lastly, I splattered black paint on the book once all of my embellishments were on the front.

Size: 5 1/2 x 8 1/2
Papers: Maja Designs Sofiero, Jenni Bowlin Haven and Stamp, Pink Paislee paper dolls collage paper 
Stamps: SU clockworks 
Stamp Ink: Prima blossom tree, ColorBox Mix'd Media Chox midnight, Tim Holtz Distress Ink black soot 
Blue Fern Studios chipboard: Garden Window 
Embellishments: Manor House Creations Celeste pink flower and Mayglo green flower; Melissa Frances resin cross; Prima vintage trinket clocks, Life Time flower; sewing machine

 

Now jump on over to the Blue Fern Studios blog to see the full details of this sketch challenge and to see more sketch inspiration from the other design team members! Have fun, and I hope you will join in on the fun!

{HSCRC13} Hymn #13, O God, Our Help in Ages Past

Hymn Challenge #13: O God, Our Help in Ages Past
Written by: Isaac Watts
b. July 17, 1674; d. November 25, 1748

I have been humming this hymn all week. My daughter even asked me why I was humming it. I told her that I guess it was what God wanted us to study this week. And then as I began to look at the background of this hymn, I thought it was funny that Isaac Watts wrote this hymn in 1714 during a time of turmoil within the Royal family of England—the same week as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge has been born to the Royal family. God's timing is always perfect!

This hymn was first sung in 1719. Wow! I have seen that Isaac Watts wrote between 500-700 hymns—many of them very popular still today. A few written by him that you will recognize are:

*Join all the Glorious Names
*Joy to the World, the Lord Is Come
*Marching to Zion
*When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

Goodness, we could do a year long study just on some of his hymns and we would only cover 24 of his 500-700 hymns. I can't imagine writing so many hymns. What a gift from God! There is a biography written about Isaac Watts called "Isaac Watts Remembered 1674 - 1748," and a copy of the book is in the Royal Library of the British Monarchy at Windsor Castle. How fun is that? There is also a statue of him in a park in central Southampton, England (the place of his birth). See a wonderful biography and a list of 518 of his hymns by clicking here.

As I began looking at this hymn, I really got caught up in all of the scriptures. I hope that you will enjoy reading some of the lines from the hymn with a lot of scripture to follow.

Originally there were 9 verses to this hymn but in a lot of hymnals you may only see 5-6 verses. You can read all 9 verses by clicking here. Now here are some key phrases in this hymn:

Verse 1: Our God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come.

Psalm 90:1 "Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations."

Psalm 121:2 "My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."

Isaiah 25:4a "You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat."

We can go to Him anytime, and we find refuge in Him. He is our safety if we stay fixed on Him. He is all we need. But we must be careful. If we don't stay fixed on Him, it is easy to fall and become prey. Is He your hope? Are you experiencing Him daily and staying fixed on Him because He lives in you?

Verse 2: Sufficient is Thine arm alone, And our defense is sure

Psalm 33:20 "We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield."

Psalm 36:7 "How priceless is Your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings."

Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."

His arms are wrapped around us, and He protects us. He is the one true God. Are you exalting Him even in your trials?

Verse 3: From everlasting Thou art God, To endless years the same.

Psalm 48:14 "For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end."

Psalm 90:2 "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God."

Isaiah 6:3b "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory."

James 1:17 "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

Our focus always needs to be on God alone. We need to be filled with Him so that what comes out is Him! Is God so big in your life that you cannot contain Him? As we apply His word to our lives, we see His glory.

Verse 7: Be Thou our guard while life shall last And our eternal home!

Romans 8:18 "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

He is the God of the ages. He was there before the creation of the earth, and He is eternal. You can trust that He is there for you now. When your day seems full of worry or turmoil, remember He is the God that never changes. He has been there for you in the past, and He is there for you now!

Psalm 93:2 "Your throne was established long ago; You are from all eternity."

And I leave you with this quote from Kenneth W. Osbeck from his book "Amazing Grace"—"Live confidently in the assurance that the One who has directed your steps to this moment of time is worthy of your complete trust for the days ahead."

Below you will find the sheet music for today's hymn, and click here to listen to the St Paul's Cathedral Choir sing this hymn.

For my 6x6 page today, I knew I wanted to use these papers by Poin Design from the C'est Magnifique August kit. I love God's creation because it reminds me of Him constantly. So, this paper with the birds, flowers, the added butterflies, etc., was just perfect for remembering that He has been here before the creation of the earth, and He will always be here! I also used the Blue Fern Studios Symphony Corner Medium chipboard. It was just perfect for the corner of my layout.

Papers: Poin Design Vintage Garden, Bazzill cs 
Blue Fern Studios chipboard: Symphony Corner Medium (painted with Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paint shabby shutters and Inka Gold old silver) 
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink gathered twigs 
Embellishments: Manor House Creations Powderpuff citrus mix flower and Shades ivory and apple green flowers; Kaisercraft Marigold Collectables; misc. tag; Wild Orchid Crafts flower and leaves; sewing machine

Remember to use Keyword HSCRC13 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies, please see this post here. Have a blessed week ahead!