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

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.

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

Be Still and Know: He is God

"Be Still and Know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

When I saw this week's Christian Paper Craft's Bible Verse Thursday Challenge the image that came to mind was this gorgeous silhouette image from Angela at Toucan Scraps.

This card was crafted with Stampin' Up's My Digital Studio using elements from Toucan Scraps' Well Worn kit and is based on this week Christian Paper Craft's Sketch Tuesday Challenge 113 with a sketch from Gloria. A change in background papers produced a different look.

Stamps: Toucan Scraps Horse Silhouette
Designer Paper: Toucan Scraps Vintage and Worn Well series
Ink: Early Espresso
Accessories: Toucan Scraps Worn Well Elements
Technique: Digital Crafting (Stampin' Up My Digital Studio)
Challenges: 

• Stampin Sisters in Christ 
• Challenge #93 - Ephesians 6:2-4
  
• Christian Paper Crafts

• Bible Verse Thursday 111 (CPC-BVT111)
• Sketch Tuesday (113 (CPC-ST113)