Amazing Grace

"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice

over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult

over you with loud singing."

Zephaniah 3:17

How sweet is that?  Our Father sings over us? I've been exploring different techniques and hand lettering for my bible journaling.  It's definitely a learning process.  One of the things I'm learning or trying to learn is to be gentle with myself.  My letters aren't perfect.  The color technique didn't turn out like I wanted....on and on.  So easy to criticize and frustrate myself.  I need to remember that it is an offering, as is and just be sure my heart is rightly focused on Him. 

I love the song How Sweet the Sound by Citizen Way.  The verses of the song remind us that His grace is amazing..."amazing grace, how sweet the sound, it covers every part of me.  I once was lost, now I'm found.  It's a beautiful sound."

It makes me think of the times when I would of sing with, to and over my own children.  I couldn't resist adding the sweet silhouetted images from Happy Together and Sweet N Sassy Stamps at the bottom of the pages.  Just picture it--it's how He sees us!  

I tried my hand at some lettering....I need more practice, but it's a fun challenge--especially to find a style of my own.  I also added color with distress inks and the watercolor smoosh technique--not sure if that is an actual technique name or not.   I added inks to my nonstick kraft sheet, spritzed with water and dipped the pages.  It's definitely something you need to have an open mind about as it's hard to control for a specific outcome.  It's good for me as I then have to work with what I have rather than what I wanted.....kind of like life--you know?

I used several other Sweet N Sassy sets to complete the layout:  Borders and Backgrounds, Words of Life-Collection 1, Choose Faith and Note This. 

It's a beautiful sound......grace.....

Be Amazing--Jane

I got crafty with:

Heart & Soul

Today, I am wishing a Happy Birthday to my sweet friend, Korin!  She IS Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps and today is her day!!

Korin has a heart for God that inspires me.  In her honor, I created this page in my new bible journal.  It's a brand new creative process for me--one that Korin has encouraged with her amazing Creative Worship line, her words of encouragement and her generous sharing of her own art and learning process.

As I began my creative process for this page, I poured over the words found in 1 Chronicles.  This particular portion starts, "set your heart and soul to seek the Lord your God..." 1 Chronicles 22:19 (My ESV actually says "set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God..." however, the heart and soul wording from another translation really resonated with me.  Therefore, I'm using it all!)

I find art to be much like music for me....it meets me in a place where I cannot articulate sentences or words, even, to describe my experience.  To be truthful, sometimes, it's just a project or just a song, but other times, it feels transforming and like another form of worship.  A wordless way to meet my God and feel His strength, comfort and love.

I'm so grateful to know Korin and to be able to work, learn and worship with her.  Happy Birthday, Sweet Friend!  I wish you a year of health, restoration and the desires of your heart!

Seek....and, find......
Jane

If you are curious to know what stamps I used, I got crafty with:

Splendiferous

It's Monday again.  Spring Break is over.  Vacation is over.  If ever there were a reason for a cheerful project and flowers, this is it!!  I'm brakin' for I Brake For Stamps, today--thanks for joining me!!

This easy card features a background created by some tone on tone stamping using my favorite daisy/cone flower set, Floral Half Sheet 148B.  The tone on tone created the perfect backdrop for the focal flowers.  Truthfully, I have no idea what kind of flowers those are....they look like daisies to me.  I'm a crafty girl, but not so much with the growing of plants or naming nature things...LOL!

My focal flowers were stamped and water colored, then trimmed and adhered to the background.  I added a strip of patterned paper and also tore the top of the card stock for some added texture.  Easy peasy, just like monday morning......

If you are looking to purchase your own naturey things to make some super cool projects, stop on over at the I Brake For Stamps store and be sure to use my coupon code for some cool savings:  SAVE10JANE.

Be awesome!  TTFN, Jane

Someone's Having A Birthday...

It's true that someone celebrates their birthday every day!  If it's you, Sweet Friend, then Oh, Happy Day!!!  Thanks for popping by my blog and sharing this Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps project with me! 

Boy cards are hard.  While I don't find myself to be too particularly girlie, I still struggle with boy cards.  Especially when I'm trying to create for one of the many teenagers in my life! It's a fine line between cool and uncool--I'm told ;)

So, I started this card for my nephew with some embossing.  I embossed a sentiment from Sweet N Sassy's Birthday Bash Clear Stamp Set on water color paper.  Then, using distress inks and a water color drip technqiue, I added some color.  Once the color was around the sentiment, I used a micron marker to outline for a little extra "pop"!

I couldn't resist a few embellishments--a few star sequins and some white dots.  Not too girlie--right?

Have a great day--be awesome!
TTFN, Jane

I got crafty with:

You're Special

Happy Easter Week!  It's Monday and that makes it an I Brake For Stamps kind of day!  After a long week, last week, I was able to spend some time in the Studio.  It was good for my soul and now, I have lots of projects to share!

Easter kind of snuck up on me this year so, instead of a cute bunny (get this one....there's only TWO left!) or a little chick  (this one is going FAST!) or these that you can get RIGHT away, this week, I have flowers!

I love I Brake For Stamps' beautiful Kerr jar image and I know I've used it a bunch, but it's just so darn fun to color!  Visit my Enjoy post or Lacey Spring Flowers to see some other Kerr inspiration.


I was in the mood to water color--I've been working on the no line water color technique.  You can see the ink I used to stamp this so, I'm not quite there, but I like the finished product just the same ;)

Spring is a time for new so, if you are itching for some new goodies of the stampy kind, go visit my pal, Della, and pick up a few things--you can save using my code: SAVE10JANE.  Have fun!

Be Awesome!  Jane

Sing For Joy

Happy Friday!!  I'm excited to share a new Creative Worship release from Sweet N Sassy Stamps, His Wings.

I'm patiently (not really) waiting for my new Journaling Bible to arrive.  I'm just itching to start my first entry.  In the meantime, I do still enjoy my Scripture-dex (I'm borrowing this term from another brilliant stamper!), but find the smaller platform limiting and and constricting.  Originally, it was the small card that attracted me to the idea, but I think I'm ready for a bigger canvas!

From Psalms 63:7, I find such a beautiful word picture of singing my praises tucked safely and securely beneath the wings of He who made me.....

Sing with me?

#itwillbeawesome 

Jane

Life is Sweet.....

Happy Monday! It's back to schedules, work and routine after a great and relaxing weekend of doing whatever the moment held!  I love weekends like that....they make life sweet--don't you think?

Every so often, I like to drag out a little used product and goof around with it.  Lately, my water color crayons have been on my mind.  I haven't used them in years.  I've been doing a lot of water coloring with ink and thought maybe I'd try something new for a bit. 

I chose  Floral Silhouette Bouquet, from I Brake For Stamps, for my first card.  After coloring with various crayons directly onto the stamp surface, I lightly misted with water and stamped on smooth card stock.  When it was completely dry, I outlined the entire image with an ultra fine black marker, Pigma Micron 005, to be specific.  It's an interesting look--the outcome is hugely dependent on the image and a steady hand!  I'll have to keep at it :)

My second card, includes a similar technique to create the background.  For this one, I used the diamond background stamp from Typewriter/Diamonds Half Sheet.  I finished the card off with a sentiment from the Binoculars and Golf Ball Half Sheet. Both sheets can be found in the I Brake For Stamps store.  You can save by using my coupon code--SAVE10JANE

What goodies do you have tucked away that need to come out and play??

Drag them out and be awesome!  Jane