Sing Unto the Lord O Ye Saints

 Sing unto the Lord O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. Psalm 30:4

A Little Note ~ Inside

Fun and usually with a bit of a twist--an unexpected embellishment, a catchy phrase, a pop of color or an interesting angle--describes the crafting style of this week's Wednesday CASE Artist at Christian Paper Crafts, MisimcGOa, or in real life, Cheryl! Cheryl is also quite gifted musically. She loves her dogs, Hunter and Sammy, and getting away with her husband to the cabin!

In case you’re wondering, her user name is a combination of her nickname, Missy (given by her dad) and McGuire, her paternal grandmother’s family name. Cheryl knows this because another of her hobbies is genealogy, though her family considers it more an obsession, than a hobby!

Cheryl’s been doing genealogy research for several years, ever since her grandmother asked her to do a family tree for her for a reunion she was attending. Grandma was looking for a chart of her descendents, but what she got was a family tree back nine generations! Cheryl says, “Gramma used to laugh and tell me I got carried away.” Because of her interest in family history, Cheryl was given the honor of being the keeper of her great grandfather McGuire's violin dating back to the early 1900s. When her grandmother was dying, Cheryl was able to bring that violin to the hospital. She says, “The smile on her face when I laid that instrument in her lap was worth more than 100 old violins.” It is a cherished memory, and she is thankful to the Lord for the opportunity to have been able to be a blessing to her grandmother.

When I say, that Cheryl is gifted musically, it’s not just what she does as a hobby, but it is her profession as well. She is a music educator and gets to play “pretty much all of the woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion instruments as well as piano and guitar.” Cheryl’s major instrument is the clarinet, both the B-flat clarinet (the one we all are used to seeing) and also the E-flat sopranino (it's about 3/4 the size of the B-flat, according to Cheryl). Cheryl plays with a local community band and in the pit orchestra for the community theater, as well at church on occasion. And she loves to sing, and as you have gathered, comes from a very musical family who still get together during family gatherings to play and sing songs.

Cheryl started scrapbooking about 10 years ago, though lately has been more interested in paper crafting and card making. This is your invitation to join me in honoring MisimcGOa and to be inspired by her lovely gallery. So take a look through the gallery of MisimcGOa and create a card or project inspired by what you see there. Be sure not to copy exactly: make it your own! When uploading your card or project to the Christian Paper Crafts gallery, please use the keyword WCA112 (no spaces or commas). When posting anywhere else online, please use the keyword CPC-WCA112. Have a blessed day!

CARD DETAILS
Stamps: Lizzie Ann Designs House, A Harvest of Memories, Sweet and Sassy Stamps Sing to the Lord
Card Stock: Bazzil, SU Cranberry Crisp, Sage Shadow, Whisper White
Designer Paper: Cosmo Cricket Upcycle
Ink: Cranberry Crisp, Ranger Distress Antique Linen
Accessories: Spellbinders Large Reverse Scallop Square Dies, assorted markers, Penny Black Sticker, craft wire
Technique: Stamping, Coloring, Die Cutting, Wire bending
Special Notes: Based on Sweet and Sassy Stamps Sketch #SS115
Challenges:

Hope in the Lord

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24

Two challenges, two cards, one design! The first is for the Our Daily Bread Designs Challenge #69 to use piercing. . .and there is piercing inside and out.

CARD #2

The second card is for the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge #99 to use stark contrast illustrating the difference between our ways and the ways of the Lord as set forth in Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
The Little Red Wagon Challenge #91 is to use heat embossing and the main image is embossed with clear embossing powder over VersaFine Onyx to give more depth. 

Inside of Cards. . .

Inside Panel -Card #2

DETAILS

Title: Be Strong in the Lord
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Scripture Collection #3, Stampin' Up! Bronc Buster
Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Soft Suede
Ink: Versa Fine Onyx, Ranger Distress Frayed Burlap, Antique Linen
Accessories: Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 3 and 17, SU Framed Tulips Embossing Folder, EK Border Punch x2, Zva Creative Gems, Brads, Clear Embossing Powder, Sizzix Flourishes Embossing Folder. Piercing Tool and mats, heat gun
Challenges:

• Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light Challenge #69 Piercing
• Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge #99 ~ Stark contrast black and white; ivory and white
• Theme Scripture for Challenge: Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” 

• Little Red Wagon #91 Heat Embossing (Card #2)

Wash Me Clean ~ CPC Blog Hog

Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

It's time for the monthly blog hop at Christian Paper Crafts (blog hop details) featuring this month's theme of Retro and Vintage. . .so join us by linking up your retro or vintage project. There are some great prizes! (Some of the guidelines are listed below!)

Christian Paper Crafts Blog Hop Rules: Create a card, scrapbook, page, altered items, etc., using the same monthly theme as the Design Team Delights Gallery. Our monthly blog hops will always be on the 22nd of each month and ends on the 24th at 11:59 p.m. EST. Winners of the blog hop will be announced on the 25th of each month. It is up to you to claim your prize by the last day of each month by writing to taylor@cpcmag.com to let her know which prize you won.
For all blog hop participants, we ask that please use the Inlinkz to link your project to, which will be at the bottom of the post. If you’re a member of Christian Paper Crafts, please put CPC after your name when you link your project.
Please help us to spread the word and the Word! Simply grab the code from CPC's sidebar. Leave this graphic on your sidebar and it will automatically change for you for each month’s blog hop theme and graphics. It’s that easy!
In order to be eligible for your prize (member or nonmember), you must have the Christian Paper Crafts Blog Hop Badge on your sidebar.

CARD DETAILS
This card was crafted for the CPC blog hop, for the Our Daily Bread Designs Stampin' In Time: On Assignment Challenge #39 to use something recycled on your project, and the Verve July Challenge Sentimental About Paper to use some of your stashed, er saved, designer paper and sentiment only stamps. No stamped images.

The recycled items include a label from the back of my favorite laundry powder from La Bouquetiere, Inc. (My personal favorite is the violette laundry powder. . .so vintage, so lovely. It's reserved for special things and thankfully, a little goes a long way!) Also recycled are the corrugated bit, the button, and the string. The corrugated bit is from a box my dog shredded. She's quite handy that way!

Inside

Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Scripture Collection #5
Card Stock: Whisper White Textured, Early Espresso, Dusty Durango
Designer Paper: Basic Grey Curio x2
Ink: Chocolate Chip Draft, Ranger Distress Antique Linen
Accessories: Zva Creative Flourish gems, flat clothespin, Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 20 #3, EK Punch, Wilton cake decorating doily, twine, linen thread, antique button,  La Bouquetiere Laundry Powder Label and corrugated box (recycled)
Tools: Heat gun
Special Notes: See above
Challenges:

• Christian Paper Crafts Retro and Vintage Blog Hop (Stop in and join the fun!)
• Our Daily Bread Designs 
• Stampin in Time: Challenge #39:SNTODBD39: Something Recycled
• Verve July Challenge Sentimental About Paper (show off those papers and use sentiment only stamps, no image)

Prayer the Lord Hears

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 1 John 5:15

Crafted for several challenges including the Christian Paper Crafts Bible Verse Thursday Challenge #116" "Your challenge is to make a project that reflects quietness, and/or peacefulness that time alone in prayer with God gives you. "

Quietness portrayed by a lone bird, sitting on a limb as the snow softly falls, expectantly waiting. . .as should we who are the Lord's. He promises to hear and answer the prayers of His people and we are to watch expectantly, continually giving thanks, knowing that He will answer, not always in the way we expect but ALWAYS in the way that is best for our eternal good and His glory!

This is also entered into the Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light Challenge 68 to use the phrase or a word from the phrase as inspiration: "You're a grand old flag, you're a high flying flag."
You can use a  flag, something flying, something high or grand..... the bird flies and our prayers are lifted to heaven.

CARD DETAILS

Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Scripture Collection #3

Card Stock: SU Soft Suede, Very Vanilla

Designer Paper: None

Ink: Ranger Distress Antique Linen, SU Soft Suede

Accessories: Sizzix Birds w/Leaves and Flowers Die, SU Tulip and Northern Hearts Embossing Folders, Zva Creative Flourishes and Gems, Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 1, Gold Shimmer Mist

Technique: Die cutting, embossing, sponging, layering

Challenges:

• Christian Paper Crafts BVT 116 Bible Verse Thursday 116
  
• Paper Pretties PWC163 Use Embossing
• Sugar Creek Hollow Wing Things
• Our Daily Bread Designs
•  Shining the Light Challenge #68 ODBDSLC68  Phrase Inspiration

Unwavering Hope

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart,
 all ye that hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24

Our hope, as Christians, is not as the world views hope which is a sort of "well, we really want this to happen" kind of hope. Rather, for us, it is the “expectation” or “anticipation” of something that is certain to happen, but has not yet occurred. What makes it certain is that God has promised it; what makes it hope is that the promise has not yet been realized.

And it is this biblical hope that enables us, by His Spirit making real to us those promises, to endure the disappointments, trials and difficulties that come our way on our journey home.

Praise the Lord! Those who are trusting in Christ are never without hope, no matter how dark the difficulty or situation. He has promised and He is faithful. He will never leave us and He is working all things together for the good of His children and the glory of His name!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Crafted for the Christian Paper Crafts Bible Verse Thursday Challenge 115 and Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light Challenge 68.

The Christian Paper Crafts Challenge is to use Psalm 31:24 (above) or the word "hope."

The Our Daily Bread Design’s Shining the Light Challenge #68 is to be Inspired by a WORD or the ENTIRE PHRASE "You're a grand old flag, you're a high flying flag." If you’re wondering how this card meets the challenge, besides the stars, of course, it is the unwavering hope that we have as we march under Christ's banner. Our calling is high and our purpose and destination most grand and glorious!

CARD DETAILS

Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Scripture Collection #3

Card Stock: Basic Grey, Basic Black, Silver

Designer Paper: None

Ink: Colorbox Silver

Accessories: Embossing Powder, Aluminum sheets salvaged from a yard sale; Cuttlebug Stars embossing folder, silver brads, punch

Technique: Embossing, sponging.

Notes: The aluminum plate was embossed, as was the black card stock.

Be Still

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:40

 Crafted for the Christian Paper Craft's Color Monday Challenge 115 using the Colorful Starting Point "color story" prepared by Jennipher Lowrey (Paper Expressions). A fun feature of this card is the play on words. . .and letters!

Close Up View

CARD DETAILS
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Scripture Collection #4
Card Stock: Bazill Orange, SU Crumb Cake, Re-purposed parchment
Designer Paper: BasicGrey laser cut doilies
Ink: Dusty Durango, Ranger Distress Antique Linen, Vintage Photo
Accessories: K& Company Brad, Cuttlebug Embossing/Die Cutting Plate; Prima Flower, Seam Binding, pages from re-purposed (due to doggie distressing) Streams in the Desert devotional; Zva Creative Gems, Piercing Tool
Challenges: 

• Christian Paper Crafts Color Monday CPC-CM115
• Stampin' Sisters in Christ 97 - What Works for You (Flowers even using my least favorite color)
• Sugar Creek Hollow Paper Piercing
• Paper and Such Challenge

Thanks for stopping in! Blessings!

Rest Patiently

 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7a

Crafted to honor Patter Cross (Triple the Scraps (Blog) and Identical Triplets SCS Screen Name) as the featured stamper this week at Split Coast Stampers. Patter is a blessing and such an encourager. She crafts beautiful projects and is an organizer extraordinare! She was featured at Christian Paper Crafts recently with this tribute. Congratulations, Patter, on your selection as SCS's featured artist! May the Lord bless you!

CARD DETAILS
The background paper is Stampin Up's Tea and Crumpets, and is in remembrance of Patter's childhood in England. The card was influenced by Patter's gallery overall.

The aluminum sheet behind the flower is from a stack that was a yard sale find. It was embossed, die cut and embossed with pearl translucent embossing powder.

Stamps: Sweet n Sassy Stamps Wait on the Lord
Card Stock: Early Espresso, So Saffron, Always Artichoke
Designer Paper: SU Tea and Crumpets
Ink: Early Espresso, So Saffron
Accessories: Sizzix Flowers #3 Die, Bird and Flowers Die, EK Medallion Punch, SU Scallop Border Punch, Aluminum sheet, embossing powder, damask embossing plate, Sizzix Branch with Leaves Embosslit, Vintage button, Twine, Piercing Tool, Spellbinders Nestabilities S4 19
Challenges: 

• SCS Featured Stamper FS231
• Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge 97 
• Christian Paper Crafts Wednesday CASE Artist Patter WCA109

Fruit of the Spirit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23

In opening up this week's Christian Paper Crafts Bible Verse Thursday Challenge Hostess Abby says, "In this scripture, the word 'fruit' refers to evidence of what is within. The fruit of the spirit are those characteristics, gracious habits, or spiritual fruits that reflect the glory of God through attitude, action and application."

She adds, "Notice the scripture doesn’t say 'fruits' of the spirit, but rather 'fruit'. The nine stand together: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control and make up our walk with God. We will enjoy a bountiful harvest of spiritual fruit when we yield to God and allow His Spirit to work in us as we travel on life’s journey. Just as we reap the benefits from fresh fruit; those around us will reap the benefits of our spiritual fruit."

So. . .this card illustrates the gracious working of the Holy Spirit in the hearts and lives of believers. The different manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit in our life are represented by the different varieties of apples that are filling up and overflowing. May we be such a vessel for the Lord, full and overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit that we might be a sweet smelling fragrance to those who are being called to salvation!

CARD DETAILS
The background pattern was made by inking up the acrylic stamp blocks and stamping directly onto the paper. It was then trimmed and embossed. This wasn't intended to be a background, just a technique practice, but it looked workable and saved paper. This is the CPC Fun on Friday Challenge.

The main image was colored with Prismacolor pens and SU watercolor crayons using a blender pen. I added a bit of glitter to a couple of the apples. Portions were fussy cut so that the Out of the Box technique could be used with a Spellbinders Nestabilities Die. The result is that part of the image is die cut and part is "out of the box" meeting the CPC Clean and Simple Saturday challenge.

Card Stock: Old Olive, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White

Designer Paper: None

Ink: Old Olive, Ranger Distress Faded Lipstick, Bashful Blue

Accessories: Twill Tape, Ribbon, Hodgepodge Hardware, Sizzix Dots Embossing Folder, Spellbinders Nestabilities Reverse Scallop Squares, Acrylic Block, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Blender Pen, Watercolor Crayons, Prisma color pens

Technique: Stamping, Coloring, Acrylic Blocks, Out of the Box, Fussy Cutting

Challenges:  

• Christian Paper Crafts Challenges:
  ~Clean and Simple Saturday 35 "Out of the Box"
  ~Bible Verse Thursday 114 "Fruit of the Spirit"
  ~Fun on Friday 113 "Use Your Acrylic Blocks"
• Flourishes Farm Fresh Challenge FLLCJUL11.

Free Indeed!

If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." John 8:36

 Christian Paper Crafts WCA111 {7/6/2011} CASER'S CHOICE 
 In celebration of Independence Day in the United States (July 4), this week for our Wednesday CASE Artist Challenge at Christian Paper Crafts, you are free to choose ANYTHING from the entire gallery to CASE. Although this particular holiday is celebrated only in the United States, the freedom represented by this week’s sample is the freedom from slavery and bondage to sin; the freedom to please and obey God; the freedom that is available to people of every tribe, tongue and nation; and that is the freedom available to all who will repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ! 

CHALLENGE SPECIFICS
This is your invitation to join in our free for all/Caser’s Choice and to be inspired by anything you find in the gallery at Christian Paper Crafts. So take a look and create a card, scrapbook page or project inspired by what you see. Be sure not to copy exactly: make it your own!  When uploading your card or project to the Christian Paper Crafts gallery, please use the keyword WCA111 (no spaces or commas).  When posting anywhere else online, please use the keyword CPC-WCA111. Have a blessed day!

 CARD DETAILS
The sample, and clones, were crafted (after casing the CPC gallery using the search term "July") to serve double duty: as new table signs to accompany church decorations, and then to be sent to our boys who are serving in the military. The card was created in Stampin' UP's My Digital Studio. Swatches of the Designer Paper were printed, trimmed, edged, inked and adhered to a basic black cardstock. The scripture was done the same way. This card was created in My Digital Studio originally. I then printed out swatches of the Designer Paper, trimmed, edged, inked and adhered to a basic black cardstock.

Font: CK Becky
Paper: Basic Black, Crumb Cake, Riding Hood Red
Card Stock & Designer Paper: Toucan Scraps Worn Well, SU Blueberry Crisp, Distressed Crumb Cake, Red Riding Hood Striped, Basic Black Dotted Stripe.
Ink: HP Printer, Ranger Distress Antique Linen, Versa Fine Onyx
Accessories: Twine, Star buttons, star brads, Pinking wheel
Challenges:  

•  Christian Paper Crafts Wednesday CASE Artist 111
• Sugar Creek Hollow : Celebrate With Your Country's Colors
• Our Creative Corner Last Minute Holiday Project

Have a blessed week!

Lead Me In Thy Truth

Lead me in they truth and teach me: for thou are the God of my salvation on thee do I wait all the day. Psalm 25:5

Crafted for the Casual Friday's Challenge CFC #9: Krafts-men: create a Clean and Simple masculine project using kraft. Kraft is so versatile. . .clean and simple, challenging enough, but then add the masculine twist. Definitely a challenge!

Inside

DETAILS
Card Stock: Kraft, of course! and black
Stamps: Sweet and Sassy Stamps Wait on the Lord, Verve
Ink:  VersaFine Onyx, Ranger Distress Antique Linen
Accessories: Paper Crimper, corrugated paper, SU buttons, twine, Cuttlebug argyle embossing folder, Fiskars trimmer with pinking blade (is that okay to say for a masculine card?), oval punch (and it's not even covering an oops!)
Challenges:

• CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #C9 CASS Masculine
  
• Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge #96 CASS
  

Thanks for looking. Lord bless!

God Turns My Darkness Into Light

You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. Psalm 18:28

Crafted for the Christian Paper Crafts Bible Verse Thursday Challenge 113. Abby, our challenge hostess says, "God’s Word, the Bible, is our lighthouse – a lamp for our feet….a light for our path, a beacon of light to help us find our way. We just need to look to it to be shown the right way. "

My card is an encouragement that for those who are trusting in Christ, that even during the darkest times of our life we can trust that our God is sovereign and has not forsaken us. . and more, is working through the circumstances to bring glory to His name and for the eternal good of those who are His.(Romans 8:28) He turns our darkness into light and He is the one who sustains us during difficult times. (Psalm 18:28)

It is also a clean and simple card. . .though it has a couple of layers. It also went together quickly (at least for me) at about 30 minutes!

DETAILS 

Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Keep My Lamp Burning

Card Stock: Basic Black, Silver

Designer Paper: None

Ink: Versamark, Colorbox Silver

Accessories: White and Silver Embossing Powder, Embossing Buddy, Stars embossing folder, brads, rhinestone brad

Technique: Embossing

Challenges:  Christian Paper Crafts Bible Verse Thursday Challenge BVT113
                     Stampin Sisters in Christ, Challenge #96