Birthday Roses

This week's Shining the Light challenge is Birthday with ODBD. Make a card or project to celebrate a birthday using ODBD products. (And you have two weeks to work on your card.)

I love this cluster of roses from the Rose stamp set and decided to color and fussy cut it. Yes, it took patience, but it's something we all need to work on, right? I used Ornate Hearts dies to add under my roses (sponging and popping the filigree heart die), used some of the beautiful Blushing Rose Collection paper pad (my favorite), and added the edge of one of the Beautiful Borders dies. I added the sponged "happy birthday" sentiment from Rose Bouquet, paper-pierced around the border and bottom corner, and I think it has a vintage feel to it. 

Roses are so beautiful, and yet, their thorns can pierce our skin. In life's journey, "thorns" can and do hurt us. Yet, we know that God is in complete control and allows the hurts and hard times to make us more and more into the image of Christ. He alone provides the comfort and encouragement we need in our trials. I'm reminded of an old hymn, "O To Be Like Him." But to be more like Him, we must endure trials and hardship. James 1:2-4 is a great passage that reminds me that all suffering I endure will continue to draw me closer to Him and prayerfully make me realize that I can do all things through Him Who strengthens me. Here are some thoughts about our suffering and trials from John Piper: They are not a surprise but a plan, they give evidence of our union with Christ, and God is glorified when we rejoice in our sufferings. Trust God alone.

Count it all joy, my brothers [and sisters], 
when you meet trials of various kinds,
for you know that testing of your faith
produces steadfastness.
And let steadfastness have its full effect,
that you may be perfect and complete,
lacking in nothing.
James 1:2-4

To see all the designs in one place or join the challenge, please visit Our Daily Bread Designs Blog. You have until July 6 to join us. You may use any stamps to enter, but if you have any Our Daily Bread Designs stamps, we would love to see you use them. By participating in the challenge, you have an opportunity to win a $15 ODBD gift certificate good towards the purchase of stamps in the "stamps column" on the ODBD website or to be "spotlighted" for the Shining the Light Award. We would love to see your designs!

For more beautiful inspiration ideas for this challenge, please visit my precious design team sisters:

Chris Olsen * Diana Nguyen * DJ Rants
Elizabeth Whisson * Linda Carson * Robin Clendenning

I have also entered this card for this week's Word Art Wednesday challenge.  

Thanks so much for "stopping by" and sharing a comment, thought, or prayer request, and I hope you have a wonderful week!

For His glory,

Card Recipe:

Stamps:  Rose, Rose Bouquet (ODBD)

Paper: Solar White (Neenah), Vintage Cream (PTI), Primrose Petals (SU), Blushing Rose Collection paper pad (ODBD)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Black (Versafine), Antique Linen distress ink (Ranger)
Tools/Accessories: Copic markers, Ornate Hearts dies (ODBD), Beautiful Borders dies (ODBD), Petite Ovals dies (Spellbinders), piercing tool, 3M dimensional tape, red tape
Techniques: Fussy cutting, sponging, and paper-piercing
Card Size:  5 1/4"

His Love Endures Forever

This week's Shining the Light challenge is to make a One-Layer Card. Cards for this challenge can have one layer on top of the base or just one layer including the base. This has to be the easiest card I've made in a long time, and it was fun!

One a single card base, I used the large sprig of lavender from the Lavender stamp set, repeatedly stamped it along the bottom, and colored it. Then I stamped the verse from Scripture Collection 11 (using my Stamp-a-ma-jig for precise placement) and added a coordinating satin ribbon...and it was done!

This is such a beautiful verse that reminds me of God's enduring love. When we worry about future generations, it's comforting to know that our sovereign and loving Father has it all in control and will bring about His plan for us all!

For the LORD is good and His love endures forever!
His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100:5

To see all the creations in one place or join the challenge, please visit Our Daily Bread Designs Blog. You have until June 22 to join us. You may use any stamps to enter, but if you have any Our Daily Bread Designs stamps, we would love to see you use them. By participating in the challenge, you have an opportunity to win a $15 ODBD gift certificate good towards the purchase of stamps in the "stamps column" on the ODBD website or to be "spotlighted" for the Shining the Light Award. We would love to see your designs!

For more beautiful inspiration ideas for this challenge, please visit my wonderful design team sisters:

Chris Olsen * Diana Nguyen * DJ Rants
Elizabeth Whisson * Linda Carson * Robin Clendenning

I have also entered this card for this week's Word Art Wednesday challenge.  

Thanks so much for "stopping by" and sharing a comment, thought, or prayer request, and I hope you have a wonderful week!

One last thing, ODBD is having a "Free-Shipping Special" through Friday, June 20. Find more details here. 

For His glory,

Card Recipe:

Stamps:  Lavender, Scripture Collection 11 (ODBD)

Paper: White (PTI)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Black (Versafine)
Tools/Accessories: Copic markers, Perfect Plum satin ribbon (PTI), Stamp-a-ma-jig
Card Size:  A-2

Pink Iris

This week's Shining the Light challenge is a Color Challenge using pink, ivory, and tan. 

What beautifully soft colors for this week's challenge. I "googled" the word iris and found that God grows them in many different colors. I normally think of them as purple, but I used pink for this week's challenge. I colored my Iris and used the label die from Vintage Flourish Pattern dies, sponged it, and hand-cut a pink matted border. Then I used one of the the sentiments from All Occasion Sentiments and hand-cut my own fishtail ends and sponged it as well. I used one of the Beautiful Borders dies, sponged it with pink, added some embroidery floss, matted several layers of designer paper that I sponged, and paper-pierced the outer layer. The final touches are a ribbon and pearls. I think it has a vintage feel to it.

This sentiment reminds me of the passage from Numbers 6:24-26:

The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face to shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you
and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

Oh, this is a very special hymn that I remember singing in choir! It is by Peter C. Lutkin (1858-1931), and it is sung here by the Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, near where we used to live. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

To see all the projects designed for ODBDSLC205 or to join the challenge, please visit Our Daily Bread Designs Blog. You have until June 15, 2014, at 8 p.m. EDT, to join us. By participating in the challenge, you have an opportunity to win a $15 ODBD gift certificate good towards the purchase of stamps in the "stamps column" on the ODBD website or to be "spotlighted" for the Shining the Light Award. We would love to see your projects!

For more beautiful inspiration ideas for this challenge, please visit my sweet design team sisters:

Chris Olsen * Diana Nguyen * DJ Rants
Elizabeth Whisson * Linda Carson * Robin Clendenning

I have also entered this card for this week's Word Art Wednesday challenge.  

Thanks so much for "stopping by" and sharing a comment, thought, or prayer request, and I hope you have a wonderful week!

For His glory,

Card Recipe:

Stamps:  Iris, All Occasion Sentiments (ODBD)

Paper: Classic White (Neenah), Vintage Cream (PTI), Primrose Red (SU), First Edition DP (SU), Basics Kraft (BasicGrey)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Pretty in Pink (SU), Antique Linen and Frayed Burlap distress ink (Ranger)
Tools/Accessories: Copic markers, Beautiful Borders dies (ODBD), Vintage Flourish Pattern dies (ODBD), Perfect Layers tool, seam binding dyed with Copic marker R83, DMC Floss 957, Chino pearls (Kaiser) 3M dimensional tape, red tape
Techniques: Sponging, fussy cutting, paper-piercing
Card Size:  5 1/4" square

Grow in Grace and Knowledge

This week's Shining the Light challenge is to use White on White. Once again, it's out of my "comfort zone," but that's what challenges are for, right? It was fun to work with the beautiful dies that ODBD continues to design!

I started with this wonderful verse from one of the new June release sets called Iris and used the label die from Vintage Flourish Pattern dies and stamped a coordinating border using Flourish Label Borders. Next I used the larger die from Vintage Flourish Pattern dies and die-cut two and glued them together to give them more dimension on my card base. I used the leaves from Fancy Foliage dies and the small flower from Ornamental Crosses dies and added pearls for the centers and in the corners.

This verse reminds me of what God has done for me through Christ and how I can be more like Him:

Grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory both now
and to the day of eternity.

2 Peter 3:18

Growing in grace does not mean we need more grace but that we grow in our understanding and appreciation of His grace. God's grace is all-sufficient. And growing in our knowledge of Christ by reading God's Word draws us into a closer relationship with the Lord and is one of the means by which we are being transformed into the image of Christ through the Holy Spirit.

To see all the projects designed for ODBDSLC205 or to join the challenge, please visit Our Daily Bread Designs Blog. You have until June 8, 2014, at 8 p.m. EDT, to join us. By participating in the challenge, you have an opportunity to win a $15 ODBD gift certificate good towards the purchase of stamps in the "stamps column" on the ODBD website or to be "spotlighted" for the Shining the Light Award. We would love to see your projects!

For more beautiful inspiration ideas for this challenge, please visit my wonderful design team sisters:

Chris Olsen * Diana Nguyen * DJ Rants
Elizabeth Whisson * Linda Carson * Robin Clendenning

I have also entered this card for this week's Word Art Wednesday challenge.  

Thanks so much for "stopping by" and sharing a comment, thought, or prayer request, and I hope you have a wonderful week!

For His glory,

Card Recipe:

Stamps:  Iris, Flourish Label Borders (ODBD)

Paper: Solar White (Neenah)

Ink: Smoky Slate (SU)
Tools/Accessories: Fancy Foliage Dies (ODBD), Ornamental Crosses Dies (ODBD), Vintage Flourish Pattern Dies (ODBD), pearls (Recollections), Glue n' Seal adhesive, Zots glue dots
Card Size:  A-2