Scripture of the Week

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High; to declare Thy loving-kindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness by night... For Thou, O Lord, hast made me glad by what Thou hast done, I will sing for joy at the work of Thy hands. How great are Thy works, O Lord! "

-Psalm 92:1, 4-5


Are you almost ready for thanksgiving? No, not the holiday. Not all of us live in a country where the holiday is celebrated. But, are you ready for thanksgiving? Are you ready to live in a perpetual attitude of thanksgiving. Thanking God in the morning, all day long, and in the evening. Doesn't leave a large portion of the day open to complainging, does it?

Thanksgiving is an attitude, joy is a decision, and praise is a lifestyle. So..are you ready for thanksgiving?

Scripture of the Week is a regular feature of A Faith Perspective, hosted by Scrapbook News and Review Magazine. We invite you to join us.

Thankful For Friends of Faith Blog Hop

Welcome to Scrapbook News and Review Magazine's A Faith Perspective Thankful for Friends Faith Blog Hop. Today, we're out in force on the internet -- showing our faith and giving the glory to God. United, we stand as Christian paper crafters and blog owners to make a presence on the internet for all to see. We're celebrating the theme of friends and we're happy to share our projects with you based on the verse:

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. " Ecc4:9-10a

If you're just joining in on the fun, you can find the start of the train here: http://www.scrapbooknewsandreview.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=100783. First, we would like to take a moment to thank our generous co-sponsors: Layers of Color Stamps, Gina K Designs Stamps and Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps. Together with Scrapbook News and Review Magazine, these companies have donated some wonderful prizes for today’s blog hop.

Prizes? Oh, yeah! There will be three lucky grand prize winners for today’s event.

To enter, simply hop to the blogs of all of the participating staff members of Scrapbook News and Review Magazine, take note of the staff member’s name, and leave a comment on their posts. Then send us an email at
games@scrapbooknewsandreview.com listing each of the staff members who participated in today’s hop. It’s that easy. All entries must be received by Monday, November 16, 2009 at 12 noon, EST and three winners will be randomly chosen to win.

What are the prizes?

One $100 gift certificate from Layers of Color Stamps AND a 6 month subscription to Scrapbook News and Review Magazine.

One basket of goodies -- four stamp sets from Gina K Designs and a 6 month subscription to Scrapbook News and Review Magazine.

One set of digital stamps from Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps and a 3 month subscription to Scrapbook News and Review Magazine.

In addition, every participating staff member of Scrapbook News and Review Magazine will offer a free one-month subscription to the magazine to one of their lucky visitors by simply leaving a comment on their blog. That's a lot of chances to win, so let’s get to the Hop!

You've found the blog of a Scrapbook News and Review Magazine Staff Member. In order to enter our grand prize drawing, be sure to put my name on your list. In addition, I'm giving away a one-month subscription to Scrapbook News and Review Magazine to one lucky visitor of my blog. To win, simply leave a comment on this post with your name and e-mail address. Comments must be left by 12 noon, EST on Monday November 16, 2009. Winners will be chosen at random and notified by e-mail within 48 hours.

Since the theme for the weekend nis friends, I've deciced to share a layout I did for one of my BFF's. Holly and I were roommates in college, and friends for years afterward. One of my fondest memories of her, and college, was reading the Lord of the Rings trilogogy outloud to each other. We didn't have television in our dorm room, and this was grand entertainment!



I am so glad that you hopped my way! The next stop on this blog hop is: Patty
at: http://pattycakescreations.blogspot.com/ . Thanks for hopping in!

Love You!

This card was from the Outlines Stamp event in September. I loved the fun of stamping on Cloth. To do this:
1. Iron interfacing onto the back of your cloth. Use a very slow iron for this step, slower is better.
2. Stamp in Solvant ink.
3. Cut out.

It really is that simple! And, the interfacing is so cheap, too- like a $1 a yard. Ha! I got a new weapon in my arsonal!

Want to see more art from this event? Look here.

Scripture of the Week

1 Chronicles 29:11-13 (KJV)

"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.

Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.

Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name."
We devote almost a month to the celebration of Christmas, there are decorations, parties, presents. I am not saying that is inappropriate, either. Christmas is my favorite time of the year. How can you not get excited at the thought of a God that loves you so much, He said aside His Godhood to be born a babe?!
A month for Christmas, and a day for Thanksigiving. Hmmmm.... This month, Scripture of the Week is going to focus on Thanksgiving. this week, have you given God the glory for your wealth and honor? Not rich, you say? Are you reading this on a computer? Did you eat a meal today? Are you clothed, right now? We live in the most affluent time in human history. We are blessed beyond measure. Praise God for all the many things I take for granted on a daily basis! forgive me, Lord, for all the many things I take for granted on a daily basis!

Scripture of the Week is a regular feature at A Faith Perspective, the faith blog and column hosted by Scrapbook News and Review. We invite you to join us!

Outlines Rubber Stamps

Have you discovered all of the amazing events and classes that are held on WEds and Satudays at Scrapbook News and Review? Seriously- there is so major inspiration to be had, and it is totally free!

This is from the Outlines Stamp Comp Feature in September:



I love the texture that stamping on a sheet of cork gives. You can find these sheets at Mike's in the art section in packages of 6. Very Cool!!

Want to see more projects from that event? Here you go: http://www.scrapbooknewsandreview.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&Itemid=369&func=view&catid=165&id=15551

Thanksgiving Card

How about a little Thanksgiving card as we close out October? This one was made usiong the new scalloped circle stamp from Apple Blossom Studios- one of my favorite stamps ever. This stamps and cuts out really well, for many different uses. Also, don't be afraid to layer a stamp with your sentiment- I think it just adds a little punch.

Scripture of the Week

"As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God? " Psalm 42: 1-2

Do you thirst for God? I am just going to be honest, and transparent, and let you know- I struggle with this. I truly want to know, love, and honor God more. I want to live my daily life in a manner pleasing to Him. I want to be one of those people that others see and are drawn to the Light shining from inside me. I want all of these things. Then life happens. The day is busy, the kids are sick, the bills come early, the (whatever) breaks down, I'm tired...dang, there are a lot of different obstacles that get thrown in our way, aren't there? During those times--am I thirsting for Jesus?

As a deer pants for water...I love the word pictures the Bible paints. A deer needs water in order to survive--and they are pretty obvious about it, too. I need Jesus in order to survive, no doubt. My encouragement for you all, this week is this: are you being obvious about it? Are you making your time with Jesus a priority? More importantly, are you allowing Jesus to walk with you throughout the day as a constant companion? Deers don't drink once a week. They don't walk away and not give water another thought. They stick close to water sources. Let's stick close to our Source.

Scripture of the Week is a regular feature of A Faith Perspective, the faith based blog and column hosted by Scrapbook News and Review. Come on over and pay us a visit, we would love to meet you!

Embossed Tile

I made this tile for an article for Scrapbook News and Review. The point of the article was to show how stamps could be used off the page. Such great little tools, our stamps are, and if we can make them even more useful- well, it just helps justify the expense, huh?

This tile was a breeze to make, and turned out so cool. To do this, or stamp on ceramic or glass, just follow these basic steps:

-Clean the surface before stamping.
-Using a watermark ink, stamp your images.
-Apply embossing powder in the color of your choice. Tap off excess. Tip: use a small paintbrush to help chase away even the tiniest of stray powder specks.
-Using heat gun, start heating powder. KEpp in mind, this part takes considerably longer than embossing on paper. Just keep heating, it will emboss.

Voila! Easy, peasy and oh so fun! Now, picture this, only with 4" ceramic tiles. Add a little cork to the back, and you have a set of coasters for a great Christmas Present.

Cute As A Button

For this frame, I used the adorable 3 Bugs line: Snips and Snails. The image is from Stamping Bella.

To make the Button Filled B:
1. Use a scrap piece of chipboard from packaging to create the letter B.
2. Gather your buttons, and place them on the B as desired.
3. Use Glossy Accents to adhere the buttons to the B.
4. Fll in between the buttons using Glossy Accents.

Done, and easy-peasy.

Scripture of the Week

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Gen 1:27

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

One of my all time favorite attributes of God is His creativity. I stand amazed, on a regular basis, that He created the universe in a breath. The infinite diversity, the amazing combinations of elements and beauty. It is simply mind boggling to me! I play at being creative. I love this thing called paper crafting, it gives me a creative outlet and an opportunity to express my heart in a tangible way. Then I look at what God has created, and am blown away at the heart that it reveals.


Of all of creation, of all of the incredible things that God has created, the one things that stands at the center as His most amazing feat would be my clean heart. I know how that yicky old thing started out, and I can promise you this, it was not pretty. Oh, people who know me, or who knew me before I was a Christian would tell you I was a basically good girl, a nice person. So, how bad could it have been, right? Compared to the holy standard God sets, a stinking piece of rotting flesh. Bad, right?

But, God created the world in six days. He rested on the seventh. And a few thousand years later, He sent His Son. The result? One clean heart beating in my chest a few thousand years later. Praise God.

Scripture of the Week is a regular feature of A Faith Perspective. We invite you to check out out new home on the Scrapbook News and Review mainsite.

Thankful for Friends of Faith Blog Hop

We are organizing a Blog Hop for the weekend of Nov 14th, 2009. We would love to show the world how many faith based blogs, and bloggers of faith, are available on the internet, as well as give an opportunity for these blogs of faith to be seen. The theme for this weekend will be Thankful for Friends of Faith. We will ask that any who would like to participate create a project with a friendship theme, based on the verse: "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. " Ecc4:9-10a

Would you like more information? Would you like to join in? We would love to have you!! Check out this link for maore information.

Friday Finds

Hi, there! Hope your week has been a great one! Are you ready for some great finds? I have a few for you, this week:

Make a Crystal Ornament with Andrea

Here's a class on 4 different cards from Erika Taylor.

This tutorial will show you how to glitter flowers, from Beth Root.

Here's a Covered Button Tutorial from Connie

And, here is a class little ol ME taught that makes a few Christmas ornaments.

Splash Redux

Ever have a layout that you just cannot get to gel? One that sticks in your craw and bugs you until you just have to rip them apart and start again? This was one of those layous for me. This started out on 7 Gypsies paper, and it never felt right to me. Oh, the paper was lovely, but the layout just never seemed right. So, when I had the chance to redo it, I jumped at it. This is another project done for the July 3 of a Kind article at SNR. For this project, I did some serious masking with the raindrops over the boots and umbrella. I also added Glossy Accents to the boots and umbrella for a fun look. I liked this one much better than the last.

Scripture of the Week

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

Want to know the verse I am hating right now? OK, maybe hating is the wrong word. Struggling with, right now? Micah 6:8. Oh, it may sound innocent enough. It's even a little poetic. But have you considered it? Even tried to apply it to your life? To act justly: ok, to be fair. Not too hard. To love mercy: I have to confess, I think I like justice a little more. Be fair, don't most people? We like to see the bad guy get what's coming to him. Until we realize that we are the bad guy, then it get's a little easier to be grateful for mercy, doesn't it.

The part I have really been working through, though, is the last one. Walk humbly. Yeah, that one is misleadingly easy sounding. Put my own pride, desires, ambitions, and goals away, and walk humbly with my God. Understand that it is not by my power, my competence, or my gifts that anything of value is accomplished, but by the gifts of God, through the yielding of my own will that the Spirit is allowed to work through me. That one packs a punch, I tell you. Do you think we will ever get that one mastered?

Scripture of the Week is a regular feature of A Faith Perspective. This week, AFP was thrilled to move to its new, and last, home on the Scrapbook News and Review mainsite. If you have not seen our new digs, we invite you to drop by and visit!

Birthday Blessings

One of the monthly features of Scrapbook News and Review is the 3 of a Kind Article. In this article, 3 people take the same stamps and show how they can be used for 3 different occasions, and then for 3 different techniques. The fun part of this article is getting great ideas for thinking out of the box on how to use the stamps you already own. Take this umbrella stamp, for example. This was a card from the July issue, and instead of just using this stamp on a get well card, we used it for a Birthday card, a baby card, and an anniversary card, too, if I remember correctly. The umbrella is from Penguin Pants, they had such great stamps. It is always so sad to see a stamp company fall victim to the economy. The circle stamp is a journal stamp from Apple Blossom Studios. Yet another look at using your stamps "outside of the box"

Friday Finds

This week, I have found the coolest tutorial for you. How would you like to use your decorative corner punches to make circles? Renee has a great tutorial showing you how:

http://reneelamb.wordpress.com/2009/08/21/martha-stewart-corner-loop-punch-tutorial/

Here's a shimmer paint tutorial:

http://andreawalford.com/?p=3376

Angel Purse Gift Set:

http://melstampz.blogspot.com/2009/09/angels-landing-purse-box.html

SteppingOut

Are you ready to get all dressed up, and step out for the evening? So is this cute little number! This was made for an article in the July issue of SNR. I colored these with my BIC markers, and I have to say, I am pretty impressed with these. They really make a pretty good poor man's substitute for Copics, and they come in huge packages of color choices, too. They color very nicely, so if you are looking for an option, give these a try.

Scripture of the Week

"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Gal 5:13-14

Oh my word, I am so sore!! But it was so freakin' cool, it was worth every ache...today was our church's Great Day of Service. Imagine it...over 2000 volunteers met at the church for prayer, then headed out into the community (of about 55,000) for service work, in the name of Christ. We are talking about entire neighborhoods swarming with people doing yardwork, trimming trees,up on ladders, painting. There were clothing drives, visits to nursing homes, shelters, food banks...you name it, we probably had a team doing it. We had the city involved in the planning- and so excited they even organized and added more to our number- then closed down a 3 block section of main street for us for an after party.

I have to say, it really was cool to go into these run down neighborhoods, work our little hearts out, and just look around and see hundreds of others working their heart out, too...and the change in the neighborhoods was cool, too. But, oh, am I sore...not use to using big old loppers to cut back overgrowth for hours at a time...

Imagine what a difference we, as Christians, could make in the world, in this generation, if people got used to seeing us out, sweaty, and working our tails of in the name of the Saviour. Imagine how attitudes and perceptions would change...and, oh- how Heaven would fill up as they asked about our Joy and Reason. I can't wait to scrap this one...such a great day.

Scripture of the Week is a regular feature on A Faith Perspective...Have you joined us on A Faith Perspective yet? This is a community of Christian crafters sponsored by Scrapbook News and Review that is dedicated to serving the Lord and uplifting each other. We would love to have you, come on over and pay us a visit!

School Bus Redux

OK, I have a bit of a confession...this school bus was a different card, at one point. But, I too the card, added it to the front of another card, and voila! A new card, completely! I got this Sugar Nellie image in a stamp image swap over at the Card Universe, and she was a perfect edition to this little gem.

Double Header Weekend!!

Double-header, double issue FREE weekend at Scrapbook News and Review Magazine. Come check out the fun and excitement at www.scrapbooknewsandreview.com. From Saturday, September 26, 2009 until Sunday, September 27, 2009, we're celebrating the Grand Opening of our brand new website. Come get a gander at the site, chat on the forum, join in a challenge, play a game or two and the best part of all, see the inside of the magazine for FREE.

Our Special Double Issue -- our largest issue of the year -- debuts on Saturday, September 26, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. EST and from the moment of debut until 8:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, you'll have complete access to the world's largest online scrapbooking magazine. With over 400 layouts (scrapbooking and digital), cards, stamping and altered art projects, product reviews, manufacturer spotlights and more, you'll be amazed at the incredible inspiration, fabulous tips, tricks and techniques, amazing tutorials and exciting eye candy. Don't delay -- register on our site today. You must be a registered user to play.