Queen Bee's Musings

inspired stamps February Favorite Sailor

2012-02-09T00:01:00.002-06:00

This month we are celebrating our Inspired Stamps Favorite Stamp Sets with giveaways, stamp showcases, and lots more fun! Be sure you check out the inspired stamps blog for all the details! My choice this week is the His Little Ones Sailor. I believe he appeals to me because when I was young, I had an older cousin who married a strong and handsome Navy man (I was the flower girl in their wedding at age 4). His stories of life on a ship sparked all sorts of images in my young mind and I thought he was just the most amazing man ever! They celebrated their 40th anniversary a few years back and I was privileged to attend the party and I must say he is still a pretty great guy-he's now a college professor in his "civilian" life.

Anyway, isn't this the cutest little sailor?! He's also super easy to color in:) Add a bit of color to his tie, shoes and eyes and then add a little shading to his hat and suit and you're done. I chose to surround him with Stickled stars and a great scripture for anyone serving in harm's way. This scripture is from another of my fave sets: Strength, it is full of encouraging scriptures to use for imparting strength to those in need.

Be sure you check out the rest of the teams' blogs and say hello to our new team members Gaby and Anita!

I just found a photo with Sam in it! I am the cute little girl in the middle:) The other 2 girls are my sisters and we are at the zoo. Fun times!

My Creative Space

2012-02-06T19:43:00.000-06:00

I have been blessed to have my very own room to create and teach in for the last few years. We have a remodeled/repurposed garage that is the family room and my creative space is the former formal living room. It was rarely used and I got tired of being shoved in a little corner for my crafting while this spacious room sat empty of life. It also has its own entry door so it's perfect for workshops or when my friends choose to join me.

I've never posted photos on here before because it is rarely completely cleaned and I always seem to be trying a new organizational plan! I'm sure none of you can relate:) Anyhoo, after years of perusing the web for the latest and greatest way to organize my scrap space, I am finally feeling I have arrived at a place with some staying power! We can only hope and pray-sigh....

This is my 8' folding table where I usually hold my Close To My Heart workshops. The "riser" is a bargain I snagged from a Steinmart when they were changing out their display tables. You'll see the rest of that find in a bit. I use the riser to display current completed projects or completed seasonal projects. The drawers are my newest attempt to organize my scads of embellishments. Thanks to Antoinette at Inspired Stamps for the fabulous idea of sorting embellies by color only! I have tried to sort by item (buttons, brads, die cuts, etc) and other methods but they took up so much space and took tons of time to sort through for a project. So far, I love this method and have started using lots of items that have been hanging around for years. I still have my flowers in the larger drawers by themselves but they are organized by color as they have always been. Lest you are afraid I am going to ruin my pretty tablecloth-I'll let you in on a secret-it's made by Con-Tac and sold at Wal-mart! Totally VINYL. It comes in a large sheet and can be cut to size.

The following is my work table. You will notice another of the "risers" that you saw in the previous photo. This sits on a matching display table that Steinmart was getting rid of for new displays. I had been scouring garage sales and other venues for several years looking for nice looking tables I could use in here. I saw 3 of these tables with risers for sale at $75 per set. I thought I would be able to use all 3 but I didn't have over $200. I offered them $150 for all 3 sets and they took it! After getting them home, I decided the 3rd table would not be big enough to share with my workshop attendees and sold just the table in a garage sale for $50 and kept the riser. So, I actually got 2 heavy oak tables and 3 risers for $100:) That's the way I roll-buy for a bargain or don't buy!

The pink boxes (Wal-mart) perfectly hold my Close To My Heart and Inspired Stamps as well as my stamp blocks. I cut chalkboard vinyl for the front of them to write on with what type of stamps they hold. The pink foam is attached to the edge of the table so my wheelchair arm doesn't scratch it up.

This rolling cart is another of my fave bargains. I snagged it at Michael's from the "as is" bin. It was a display piece that was very dusty and missing 2 cases. It had been around $60 and I got it for $7!!! I washed it down and added 2 pink cases and it was better than new:) The cases hold various projects I am working on with the products I want to use to make them. They make it easy to grab and go to a crop or I roll the whole thing in my van for a retreat.

Next to the rolling cart and by my work table is this stand with a set of 3 wooden and basket drawers from Hobby Lobby. 1 drawer has my Copics sorted by color families in mason jars, another holds my punches and the 3rd has bulky tools-large crop-a-dile, wire cutters, etc. My often used smaller tools, scissors, pens, pencils, markers, etc are in the spinning tool holder on top.

The organization continues next to my comfy recliner and cozy quilt (made by my sis-in-love Joni). Just beside it is a wire rolling paper rack I've had for years. It holds all my solid cardstock- sorted by color. Behind the recliner is an old wooden display shelf I got from my brother's booth in an antique mall. I think I still owe him $25 for it! It holds several photo boxes and card organizers. The photo boxes hold various craft supplies that are used occasionally such as small plastic bags, embroidery floss, glue sticks, etc. The card organizers hold...cards:)

Well, that's it for today! I will add more of the room in a few days.

Still Standing

2012-02-05T23:02:00.000-06:00

This was originally posted May 2011. I wanted to re-post it as next week will mark TEN years since I began life in a wheelchair.

Belinda Kersey 2/25/08

God’s Word

Ephesians 6:13 “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

The Song

“Still Standing” by Israel Houghton and Cindy Cruse Ratcliff

As we were learning this song in choir rehearsal, I was taken back to that same date six years before.   I had been lying in a bed at Harris Methodist Southwest Hospital on that Wednesday night in 2002. My church was earnestly praying for me because they had received word that my kidneys had shut down and that I would not be walking again. The reality was that my bladder was not functioning, I couldn’t walk, my hands were extremely numb and not working well, my eyesight was blurred. Basically, I was completely helpless.

I had entered the hospital on Monday after suffering through a weekend of pain following a fall on Friday. I had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis just a short 3 months before. The apparent progression of my disease was overwhelmingly fast and very rare. Tell-tale lesions had been discovered on my brain in November 2001 but were not on my spine. Now, 3 months later they were appearing on my spine as well, thus explaining the rapid deterioration of my mobility.

Hubby Jeff, had been asked by my neurologist if our legal affairs were in order.   Those words were more devastating to him than any of the facts from my MRI. Needless to say, things looked pretty bleak for me. Death was not suggested or expected but a life of extreme disability seemed to lie ahead of me. Oh, as if all of this was not enough, there was a shake-up going on at Jeff’s job and he wasn’t sure if he’d be employed at the end of the week. In fact, it was suggested that he better limit the time he took off work to be with me at the hospital.

You see, apparently Satan was intent on knocking us down and keeping us there. He wanted us to believe that God's plans for us were to harm us! That’s why this song brought back all of that to me. It declares “I’m still standing, but by the grace of God.” Now, my story would be amazingly awesome if that prayer service my church had that Wednesday had resulted in my walking out of the hospital completely healed.

As you know, it didn’t happen that way. However through it all God “gave courage to believe that all (His ) goodness I would see.” My friend, Wendy, came to see me the day after that prayer service. She told me she had been so mad at what was happening to me that she “gave God a good talking to”. She then went on to relate that God listened and then told her to settle down because her friend was going to be just fine. You know what, she heard right! Even though I wasn’t healed then and haven’t seen my complete healing yet, I’m just fine. We’ve had much more to go through over the last several years but we know that “if not for (His) goodness, if not for (His) grace, (we) don’t know where (we) would be today...if not for (His) mercy, if not for (His) love, (we) most likely would have given up. If not for (His) favor (we) could never say, I’m still standing.”

As Steve Bryant, our music minister, said-we are like a Bozo the Clown toy that gets punched and then pops back up again. The enemy has taken many shots at us over the last several years but here we are- still standing! Despite the circumstances, Jeff was one of TWO people out of fifteen who were “still standing” with their jobs at the end of the shake-up. Despite the loss of my ability to walk, I am stronger now, I can see clearly (except for being old and needing reading specs!), the lesions on my spine have been gone since 2004 and I can take care of all of my own physical needs. And, in February 2008 I returned to work part-time! So, “to (Him) I lift my offering, and set my heart on higher things. For if it had not been for (Him) standing on my side, where would I be?”

Thank God that He is not going to leave you where you are at this very moment. Make a bold statement that by the grace of God, no matter what the circumstances, you are still here and you are still standing.

Inspired Stamps Favorite

2012-02-02T00:01:00.000-06:00

This week the inspired stamps design team chose their favorite stamp set to create with. I can tell you, it was not easy to narrow down all the choices to my favorite but I finally settled on Winter Ruth. Now, part of why I love her so much is I feel I had a tiny part in her creation-I had told Antoinette I would love a character stamp who could hold various objects in her hands. Antoinette took that idea and created more than I could imagine! Ruth is a larger character than the His Little Ones so she is so easy to color in. She comes with 6 different items to place in her hands which makes her one of the most versatile stamps for several occasions. For today's project I used the cross w/heart. The set also includes 6 phrases to choose from.

For this project, I used up stuff in my stash. This was so easy to do since I had just reorganized all my embellies by color as Antoinette shared with us on her blog. The pink canvas was left over from my craft show days last year and gave me the color to start with. The tag on the bottom was stamped with 3 words from another of my fave inspired stamps' set-Perfect Christmas Sentiments. As you can see, this is not a Christmas project at all but there are several words on this set that are great for all year.

I chose once again to cut away the tree and snow bank from Ruth and then added "wings" with 2 silver leaves I've had forever! I really was pleased that I was able to use up "stuff" and create a cute project with my favorite Inspired Stamp in the process!

Monday Musing-As You Are

2012-01-29T00:01:00.008-06:00

Belinda Kersey 1/28/2012

The Song
"Come as You Are" by Pocket Full of Rocks

God’s Word
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." -Matthew 11:28

My Thoughts

On a day I was feeling unworthy of God’s love, restless and out of sorts, I chose to change the radio dial from my regular station to one I hadn’t listened to in a long time. The moment I settled on the frequency, I heard these words “He's not mad at you, He's not disappointed”. It seemed a “God thing” for me to hear this song. This was a day I needed reminding that God sees me as I am-every single flaw and failing-and He still loves me. He wants me to bring every imperfection to Him so He can turn the ashes of failure into beauty for Him.

Jesus wants every soul to know “You can come as you are, with all your broken pieces and all your shameful scars”. Unfortunately, many people fail to come to Him because they believe they have to clean up their act before they can deserve His love. The irony is, no matter what we do, we will never deserve the Love of a perfect God; but my friend, “His grace is greater still, than all of (our) wrong choices, He is full of mercy and he is ever kind”.

In the early 1990’s, my husband and I worked for a Teen Challenge center. The young men and women we worked with all had different pasts, varied issues and came from all over the USA. However they did have a couple of things in common; they all shared soul scars and they all desperately desired love and acceptance.

It took time and God’s love to break through the walls they had erected and to teach their hearts to hear their Savior. They desperately needed to hear Him calling “Louder than the voice that whispers you’re unworthy , Hear the sound of love, that tells a different story”. Once the walls started to crumble and their hearts began to open, there was nothing more joyful and gratifying than to see one of these lambs of God “bring it all to Jesus”. When God shattered “their darkness and (pushed) through the lies”, their countenance changed, their personality bloomed and they were freed from the pain they held in their heart.

Our precious Savior has always looked for the broken hearted and has desired to lift up the downtrodden. No better example of His unfailing love and mercy for humanity’s outcasts can be found than the moment in John 8 when He told the woman caught in the very act of adultery “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” He didn’t tell her to go get some clothes on and come back and fall before Him in contrition. He did not tell her to leave His sight because she was unworthy to be in His presence. He didn’t tell her to live a life of purity for 3 months and then ask for forgiveness. No, the Perfect One, God Incarnate looked at her, in her sin and depravity, with eyes of forgiveness, compassion and love. He told her to begin a new life from that moment on and to sin no more.

Our sweet heavenly Father wants to do the same work in your heart. He wants you to know, no matter what you have done, He is waiting for you with open arms. Come as you are to The God of the Universe, He does not condemn you.

Your Response
God loves you and is longing to hear you say you are giving Him all your burdens and pain. Turn it over to His capable hands today and choose to live a life of grace and forgiveness.

Colleen's Valentine Topiary

2012-01-28T12:26:00.000-06:00

Isn't this gorgeous?? My crafty friend Colleen made this for a blog hop. You can find the post with all the instructions HERE. She used the Close To My Heart Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge to create the roses. If you haven't purchased your Cart yet, you owe it to yourself to get it today! You can order it HERE

Inspired Stamps Love Card and a SALE!

2012-01-25T17:46:00.000-06:00

We were asked to share a love theme project today for Inspired Stamps. I haven't used Winter Ruth as much as I would like so I stamped her and then cut away the tree and snow bank. I used the heart to "fill her hands". Winter Ruth is unique in that she comes with several items you can place in her hands-LOVE IT! I colored her with Copics and gave her lots of sparkle with stickles.

For the background, I used the doily stamp from the new Lovely Lace stamp set. I used shades of yellow and purple and just overlapped them. This doily is such a detailed stamp and really has the textural look of a real lace doily-AMAZING!

The sentiment is also from Winter Ruth and I actually cut the sentiment in half to make it a two line sentiment-that's the beauty of these clear polymer stamps-you can manipulate or cut to help fit your design.

Be sure to visit the rest of the Design Team member's blogs. Lots of love-ly projects today!

Now for the SALE info! Inspired Stamps is offering 40% off one stamp set of your choice! Head on over to their "STORE" to take advantage!

Other details on this card include a silver heart charm that I filled with stickles. The paper, ribbon and ink are all from Close To My Heart

A Shield

2012-01-23T09:12:00.000-06:00

Belinda Kersey 2007 (originally posted in Feb 2011)

God’s Word

Psalm 3:1-2 says “O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him”.”

My Thoughts

Notice David is not asking God “how many?”, he is telling him “GOD, do you see HOW MANY?!” I didn’t notice this Psalm until our choir sang a song based on this passage. The first time I heard these words, set to music, I was deeply touched and could feel each word pierce my soul.

The song interprets it this way: “Many are they increased, that trouble me, many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, “there is no help for him in God”.”

On my very worst days I have that very litany playing in my mind. MANY are against me, MANY are upsetting my life, MANY say there’s no help, no cure for me. But thank God the Psalm, the song and my litany do not stop there. The all important six letter phrase follows: BUT GOD. The song says “BUT THOU OH LORD, are a shield for me, my glory and the lifter of my head.”

All of the ten or so versions of the scripture, I looked up, interpret the phrase this way…”But you are a shield AROUND me.” Now, we have all learned from childhood that a shield is something you hold in front of you. When the word “shield” is spoken, I automatically picture a Roman soldier’s shield or a royal Knight’s jousting shield. But read the word I capitalized one more time. It says “AROUND”. Now, I can’t picture the Lord jumping around me holding one little shield. If He did, then important areas would be left vulnerable. No, it says AROUND me.

It also says “you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.” When you see someone using a shield in a battle scene, they really aren’t holding their head up too high above that shield because then their head would be vulnerable. But the scripture says He lifts up my head.

Now that I have seen the movie “The Incredibles”, I can replace the shield picture in my mind. The daughter in the movie protects her family from the enemy with a clear, impenetrable bubble that encircles them. They are protected on ALL sides by this shield. That, my friend, is how I now see God’s shield. He SURROUNDS me, is AROUND me, and has me ENCIRCLED in his protection. Because I am invincible with his shield, I can lift my head high to face the accuser and the tormentor.

I can “cry to the Lord with my voice” and He will hear me and answer me from “his holy hill”. I can lie down to sleep and awake again because the “Lord sustains me”. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side” because the Lord is a shield AROUND me.

Your Response

Picture an impenetrable, clear bubble encircling you, your family and your home. Thank God for His protection. Praise Him for being mightier than your enemies. Lift your head to heaven and proclaim He is your shield and defender against every foe that comes your way.

The Song

“Thou, Oh Lord” words and music by Lisa Ireland

Inspired Stamps Nature Projects

2012-01-19T00:01:00.002-06:00

Welcome to another inspirational Thursday with Inspired Stamps! This week's assignment is Nature and Scriptures. I decided to try out the Moleskin notebooks that Antoinette introduced us to a few weeks back. She said Target carries them but I found mine at Barnes and Noble. I am going to try to get several of these stockpiled and use for quick gifts for some special ladies:)

The 1st one is made with the new 1" Flowers and the Whimsical Trees Stamps Set, aren't these the sweetest little trees? The scattered leaf stems are part of the new 1" Flowers stamp set and the tiny asterisk shapes are from the tree set. The beautiful scripture is part of my well used Strength stamp set. The Moleskin notebooks take stamping beautifully but tend to "wash out" Copic markers. The greens seemed to color fine but the asst blues, purples and lavendars really became muted as you can see below.

The 2nd notebook features a flurry of flowers from the brand new 1" Flowers Set. I only used a small portion of what you will find on this versatile set. The scripture is from another favorite of mine- Inspired Stampers Favorite 2 Collection.

My last example is my favorite and will probably not be gifted because I'm gonna keep it! On this one I used my loved Eye on the Sparrow stamps. I also added the tiny musical notes from the cute Choir Boy/Angel set. The music staff is from Sing for Joy. Just for a little fun, I added some of my music tissue tape to finish the book.

I hope you enjoyed my trio of fun today. Be sure to take a look at the other beautiful projects on my fellow Design Team's blogs. Thanks for stopping by today!

Inspired by Color Layout

2012-01-18T15:47:00.002-06:00

Do you remember the color inspiration I put up yesterday? This is the layout I put together using those fun colors. I ended up using red as well for the apples. I really like how it came together. I originally planned to use only the blue and orange but the addition of the green and gold sparked my idea for the apple tree. That change really tied everything together and gave the layout some extra pizazz.

What inspires you? Color, shapes, a little of both or something else entirely?

Supplies: Close To My Heart Elemental papers, CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cart, Graphically Speaking cart, Copics and Stickles

Color Inspiration

2012-01-17T16:56:00.000-06:00

I have really been obsessed with color lately. It all started when hubby and I decided to redo our kitchen in bold red, gray, black and white from our present calming colors of sky blue, white and pops of sage. I found these gorgeous colors today at Homemade Simple. Maybe it's the cold day outside (40's today, 70's yesterday!) but I just really love the combo of cool blues and greens with the pop of heat from the orange and gold! Kinda like enjoying a warm bowl of soup while watching the snow fall! I believe I will have to create a card or layout tonight using these colors just as soon as I partake in the bowl of beef-veggie soup simmering on my stove:) Be blessed and stay warm!

He is With You

2012-01-15T22:16:00.000-06:00

I must apologize for not making the time to write a devotional for you this week. However, this is the song I planned to use and upon listening to it tonight, I believe it is a devotional all by itself. Please listen to Mandisa sing this encouraging and uplifting song that lifts my spirits every time I listen to it. Be blessed!

Sneaky Peaky with Inspired Stamps

2012-01-10T00:01:00.004-06:00

I was soooo excited about this new Inspired Stamps release that I actually had them ready to post last week! Good thing I rechecked my calendar in time to make something for last week's post! There are some fun new designs you are going to love! The closeup above is of a scripture from the new Lovely Lace set. This set is just so perfect for your Valentine projects and will be released for purchase on Friday!

I found these frames at Ikea before Christmas for 99 CENTS! I grabbed up several without a clue as to what

I would do with them and I love what I came up with for the 1st one. These are the colors that we plan to redo our kitchen in-Black, White and pops of red. This is just a tiny sample of what the Lovely Lace set consists of. You can see more on the next project below.

This is a simple exploding box If you need instructions to make one, just do an on-line search for explosion box. There are a ton of tutorials. For the top of the box I again used the Lovely Lace stamp set. Isn't that doily stamp gorgeous?!

To see the a larger photo just click on the image. The scripture is also from Lovely Lace-a wonderful scripture to focus on for Valentines! I tell you, you NEED this set of stamps right away and can start ordering at noon PST on Friday. The 2 circle flowers are from another fab new set called 1" flowers. There's a whole bouquet of little blossoms as well as vases and pots to "hold" them in this new set from Inspired Stamps.

You can see 2 more of these petite blooms on the sides of my box.

By the way, the papers I used on this box are called "Sweetheart" from CTMH and a pack of 22 coordinating papers are on clearance for $3!!! on my shopping website HERE.

Immeasureably More!

2012-01-08T20:44:00.000-06:00

by Belinda Kersey 1/8/12

God’s Word
Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us… (NIV)

Ephesians 3:20 God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (The Message)

The Song
God is Able by Hillsong

My Thoughts
Today was a typical Sunday at church. You know the routine-sing some songs, say a prayer, listen to the sermon, put your check in the offering. But today, in the midst of the weekly ritual, God’s presence was felt through a song I’d not heard before. Almost as soon as the song was begun, a holy reverence enveloped the congregation.

I know one family in the congregation had just lost a beloved grandmother, mother and wife, others are struggling with cancer, some have major decisions to make but this song spoke peace to all those situations. “God is able He will never fail He is Almighty God greater than all we seek greater than all we ask”.

Yes, my friend, God manifested himself through these powerful words and spoke “peace, be still” to each of our souls. He reminded us He was “lifted up (and ) He defeated the grave. (He was) raised to life (and He’s) our God (and He) is able.”

There was no doubt in the minds of those who were open to His presence that “God is with us God is on our side. He will make a way far above all we know, far above all we hope. You can be certain of this truth, dear one, because “He has done great things”!

I am so thankful for the times God’s presence takes us by surprise. I know he understands why those who have attended thousands of Sunday services sometimes become guilty of going on “auto-pilot” during church. I am also thankful He knows how to break in to our routine and shake us out of our slumber.

He wants us to never forget “In His Name we overcome for the Lord our God is able”. What is He able to do? He is able to step into your world and your situation and do IMMEASUREABLY MORE than you could even think about asking him to do! I don’t know about you but I have had some wild dreams and can imagine a few huge requests. However, my imagination and dreams are mere specks compared to what God can grant or fulfill! Remember, He imagined this amazing world into existence. He let out a breath and Adam lived.

Yes, today I am thankful he entered our souls and confirmed that “God is with us, He will go before us, He will never leave us. God is for us, He has open arms, He will never fail us for the Lord our God is able”!

Your Response
Voice your needs to your Heavenly Father and thank Him for doing FAR more than you can ever imagine.

Inspired Stamps Scripture Tag Book

2012-01-05T00:01:00.002-06:00

This week the design team with Inspired Stamps was given carte blanche for our project. I have soooo many scraps and bits and pieces in my craft room that I knew I wanted to start there. I am trying to curtail my craft spending so I can start a much needed remodel in my kitchen and dining! After I looked through my stash and gathered some interesting items, I created this tag book for a friend who will be embarking on a new journey in her life.

I filled it with vintage images from my pile of stuff and wonderful, encouraging scriptures from Inspired Stamps. The cover above uses Deuteronomy 31:8 one of the single scripture stamps for $3.99.

The 2 scripture stamps used here are both from the great Birthday stamp set. I used manila tags for all the pages and covered most of them in scraps of paper. The tag page on the right though is just colored by randomly pressing 3 different colored ink pads directly to the tag.

These 2 sweet pages feature scriptures from Stamper's Favorites #1 .

The page on the left does not have a scripture but rather song lyrics that I thought fit the cat with a sparrow on his hat perfectly! The stamp set is one of my faves-Eye on the Sparrow. On the right, is Phillipians 4:13

Ready for one more set of pages? Here I used Isaiah 30:15 with the butterflies and on the cute moon page is Inspired Stampers' Favorites #2.

Finally! We are at the back cover and I finished it off with a message from me from, once again, Inspired Stampers' Favorites #2.

I hope you enjoyed my fun little book. Be sure to check the rest of the team's blogs for their great designs. Stop in next week for a great sneak peek at fabulous new Inspired Stamps sets!

He Has Overcome

2012-01-01T23:02:00.000-06:00

Belinda Kersey on January 1, 2012

His Word
Revelation 12:11 "And they overcame him (Satan) because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death."

The Song
Overcome by Desperation Band

My Thoughts
My anthem for 2012 is "I will overcome by the blood of the Lamb And the word of my testimony!" As I've thought over the triumphs and troubles of the last year, my mind is drawn to my precious group of scrapbooking friends that I have the privilege of leading at church. We call ourselves the Scrap Divas and there is a core group of around 6 of us that have been meeting together for over 3 years. We have had others join us over the years and usually can count on 10 ladies to meet together and chat, scrap, eat, pray and have fun together on a monthly basis. I have grown to love each of them and know I can count on their prayers and support.

This past year has been one with a vast breadth of emotions for our little group. There have been new births in many forms. Two first time grandmas were "born" in our circle. We have even had a grandma become a great-grandma! A first time mom welcomed the arrival of a beautiful daughter and then endured a difficult time of seeing her with health issues and even surgery on her skull. However, she was able to praise God when that precious baby recovered and healed with flying colors. Today, she is a precocious, healthy, beautiful 1 year old! We have seen the joy of our "mother" church birth a new church plant. One of our lady's is the new Pastor's wife and two of us have joined in the adventure of helping this new ministry flourish.

We've overcome many health related issues in our families. There have been at least 4 broken arms among 3 of our sons (you'll recall my son had 2 of those!). Some of our Divas have had emergency room visits, hospital stays and health scares. I can recall at least 2 young adult children involved in serious vehicle accidents but, praise the Lord, they emerged whole. We have watched some ladies employ a healthy new lifestyle and triumphantly shrink before our eyes.

Our group has its share of children in the military and all that entails. We've prayed over them and sent our handmade cards as encouragement to them. One son's dream of serving the military was dashed because of a fluke of a medical mystery. He returned home discouraged but not destroyed. He is determined to find the path God intends for him.

We have celebrated the accomplishment of high school graduations. We were in awe as one of our Divas graduated from college while raising 9 children and working a part time job! Now she begins her pursuit of a Masters in counseling. I would think raising 9 well adjusted, happy and healthy kids would already qualify her! One of her daughters has been a part of our Divas from the beginning and she became a teen this year! Its a testimony to this young girl's spirit that she sticks with us even though we all share our motherly wisdom emphatically and often!

My sweet friends celebrated with me as I had my cards and crafts published for the first time. They were so sweet and happy for me and I know without their love and encouragement I would have never felt confident in submitting my work. They also prayed diligently with me through health issues of mine and my family's.

There have been heart wrenching goodbyes this past year. The greatest sorrow we shared as a group was losing our dear, sweet friend Maria when she went to dance before the throne of God after a lifetime of pain and struggle. We watched her live out the entire scripture at the top of this page, including the last part. Although we all miss her greatly, we know she is living the glorious, eternal life she was created for. You can read my tribute to her amazing life HERE.

The one constant that has been with us throughout all of these moments of joy, pain, accomplishment, despair and just plain living our lives is that we maintain a solid faith in our Lord. We encourage each other with the knowledge that He is "Seated above, enthroned in the Father's love" and He is our "Savior, worthy of honor and glory, worthy of all our praise, (He) overcame (and He is) Jesus, awesome in power forever, awesome and great is (His) name." My friends, every victory we celebrate belongs to Him and every trial we endure has been overcome by Him! Stand firmly on this truth in 2012!

Your Response
Watch this video and determine in your heart that this is the year you will overcome!

 Your response

I Wish You Peace in 2012!

2011-12-29T00:01:00.004-06:00

This scripture is my prayer for each of us this coming new year. I have learned over the years to not expect the turning of a year to change my circumstances. HOWEVER, I have learned that no matter the circumstances, I can know peace through my precious Lord.

I used the Inspired Stamps stamp set, Inspired Stampers Favorites #1, for the scripture and the sentiment. This will sit on my desk and remind me to "look up" for peace in every circumstance in 2012. I created an easel card to hold the calendar and scripture. Antoinette has a fabulous video on how to create 3 of these from 1 sheet of card stock HERE.

Other supplies: calendar from skybluepink, pearls, Teresa Collins "Noel" papers, crinkled ribbon from My Craft Spot, ink and butterfly from CTMH, flower cut with CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cart.

Be sure you check out my fellow Design Team members blogs for their creative New Year projects and check out the Inspired Stamps blog for inspiration.

Happy NEW YEAR!!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:01:00.001-06:00

This is an amazing tribute to the truth of Christmas by a "flash mob". I hope it blesses you as it did me. I had tears streaming down my face! Merry Christmas to you all!

God SO Loved!

2011-12-22T00:01:00.001-06:00

Ready or not Christmas is in just 3 days! I have to be ready by tomorrow night when my son and daughter-in-love come home for our Christmas! Can't wait to have all my little chick-a-dees in the nest!

This card came together so quickly with the help of Inspired Stamps Vintage Christmas set. This set is so beautiful for Christmas. The inside is from the same set.

If you haven't tried these easy to use, Scripture based, clear polymer stamps, you need to head to Inspired Stamps and order a gift for yourself! Also be sure to visit each of my fellow Designers' blogs or start at the Inspired Stamps Blog

I pray you have a blessed Christmas!

other supplies used
Teresa Collins "Noel" papers
CTMH Cranberry and black ink
Joys of the Season Cricut cartridge
Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge
I-Rock Gold Flat Beads

Unspeakable Joy!

2011-12-19T00:01:00.001-06:00

This is my absolute favorite version of "Joy to the World". Chris Tomlin truly captured the amazing feeling of Joy in this song. Enjoy!

Joyful Choir Boys

2011-12-15T00:01:00.002-06:00

I thought I would diversify my choir this week! I tried 3 different variations on the same Inspired Stamps' Choir Boy Angel. Don't you love each one? Love these clear polymer stamps for so many reasons. They stamp clean and crisp every time! The music staff and note inside are from the Sing for Joy stamps set and the sentiments are from Perfect Christmas Sentiments.

inside of card

I started with a pre-made white and green card base for a quick card. I colored these crooners with Copics and added some Glitz Gel to their robes. The tiny bottle caps have been in my stash forever so not sure who made them.

I can't believe that the design team only has one more post before Christmas! I hope you will visit each blog to see the Christmas fun they have for you.

The Prayer

2011-12-12T00:01:00.004-06:00

This beautiful song is not necessarily a Christmas song but it is such a soaring prayer of hope, peace and faith. I believe it should be each Christ-followers prayer everyday of the year. There are many versions of this song but this one is so pure and not over the top when sung by these 2 talented young singers. This song is my prayer for each of you this coming year.

While You Were Sleeping

2011-12-11T15:04:00.000-06:00

This "Christmas" song is one that makes us truly consider the Christ child born in Bethlehem and reminds me of The Father's question to the world, "what have you done with my son". Will we be asleep upon the glorious appearing of our Returning King just as the citizens of Bethlehem were asleep upon the Miraculous appearing of The King?

WOW!

2011-12-09T14:18:00.000-06:00

Winter Boy Sparkle Christmas Card

2011-12-08T00:01:00.049-06:00

I don't think I will ever get tired of these wide eyed cuties from Inspired Stamps! This little guy is called HLO Winter Boy. He has the most mischievous look on his face but I'm sure he's been good this year!

I think he looks great next to this over-sized twine ornament. I added lots of sparkle, glitter and bling because "tis the season to sparkle! The sentiments inside and outside are from the appropriately named Perfect Christmas Sentiments. This set of stamps has EVERY Christmas sentiment you need to create cards for Christmas.

The inside shape was just a happy accident left behind after cutting and removing other shapes I had cut on my Cricut. I love it when my scraps are cute enough to use! The card base was from a set in the dollar section at Michaels and the inside paper was leftover from a long ago project.

Please check out my fellow DT's creations, I know they will be gorgeous!