the YOU of Isaiah 26:3

Hello dear friends!  

Welcome back to the Creative Worship Blog for Sweet n Sassy Stamps!

Today, I put together a bit of a tutorial as to how to make a tip-in that looks like a small piece of artwork for your Bible, for a frame, for a friend...
Let me tell you that it is NOT difficult, it is NOT complex, it IS fun, and it DOES help when it comes to learning how to work with water and pigment. 
I pulled a couple Distress Oxides from the shelf and began working in a watercolor technique by just adding water.  Simply, you stamp the entire pad onto a smooth working surface (craft mat, piece of acetate, etc.) and spritz  water into the pigment until it's nice and wet.  Don't over water; you could potentially lose all that wonderful color!  

Begin by masking the edges for a straight border

Add water to the Distress Oxide and apply liberally, using more
pigment in places than others.

Then start painting like you would with actual watercolor discs, crayons, or pencils.  They work pretty much in the same way, only for some reason I LOVE how easy and fast it is to work with Oxides.
Blending colors is big - make sure that when you use a blue, you also incorporate a bit of the blue into the other colors used, particularly when trying to achieve a sunset/sunrise.  Most sunrises/sunsets are not one color on top of another, but rather several colors intertwined to produce a beautiful sighting of God's glory!

I used Landscape Silhouettes and Sweet and Simple Alpha
(Affiliate link below)

I filled in the bottom of the image with a Faber Castell brush pen
to produce a greater horizon.

Layering is key, so after the initial color is laid down, allow it to dry (or use a heat gun) and continue to add more color as you desire.  Typically I use a deep blue, a nice purple, a yellow and a red for an image like this one.  Once that step is done, you can begin stamping those lovely silhouette images for a drastic contrast and lovely portrait!

Sisters and brothers, a couple weeks ago, God handed me yet another verse that blew me away though I'd read it and thought on it numerous times beforehand:
"YOU will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is dependent on YOU, because it trusts in YOU."  (Isaiah 26:3, emphasis mine to help us see the centrality of this verse)

Can I tell you something God's Word says about God's Word?
"The Word of the Lord is living and active.  Sharper than a double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. "  (Hebrews 4:12)

So when the Lord hands over a piece of His heart, you know that it can only mean one thing: it's GOING TO WORK!
This working had its place in me; a timely word spoken!  A necessary word breathed straight into my marrow!  The life that it gave me at that time was enough to take a heart full of trouble and a mind full of lies, clean them up, and set them back up again.  I was burdened - OVERLOADED - with thoughts that were simply not true, and worries unfounded as, according to the Bible, those that have no place!
The verse in Isaiah was what brought a mind whirring with doubts about the future back into focus on God's love. 
Perfect love casts out fear, and as promised, those who fear only God will indeed have peace. 

I used a white gel pen to give a highlight to the word, "YOU"

Remove the masking and trim down to the desirable size card.

When I posted a page from my Bible a couple weeks back, I asked two questions:
The pre-occupation of my heart…who is it?
The thoughts of my mind…what are they?

IF the answer to EITHER of those questions is ANYTHING other than the Lord God Almighty, then I WILL NOT have peace; this promise will go waiting for me to grab hold and make it mine. 
When giving ourselves over to "what if's" and "who knows," our minds become the very place our adversary - the Devil - can play the game he's always played with the souls of man: doubt God, and deny God. 
BUT if we are staying our minds - thinking on "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy," (Phil. 4:8) - on the eternal, loving Father, we will be at peace.
We WILL have peace.
WE will HAVE peace.
We will have PEACE.

Just think about the last time you encountered something disconcerting, terrifying, confusing, destroying, disappointing…
Were your thoughts about His truth?
Were your thoughts right?
Were your thoughts lovely?

Refusing our natural inclination to worry already sets us ahead of the situation and the ploys of the one who wants to devour us. 
Rejecting the lies our enemy sets as snares, to listen to God's voice on a matter, places us in the hands of the One who can fight and win!

Peace comes to us by keeping our preoccupations on His word, because His yoke is easy. 

Peace comes to us by letting the Lord do His work, because ultimately it pleases Him to do so.
 

Today, are you worried?
Ask yourself, what are you thinking? 
Who are you thinking about?
Remember, peace for a troubled heart comes by way of fixing our eyes - our very THOUGHTS - on the Lord that loves you, and cares for your precious heart so very much!

Much love,

Deeds
IG: @mercies_journaled
Affiliate Link for stamps: http://www.sweetnsassystamps.com?aff=7  (Thank you very much in advance!)

Landscape Silhouettes

Sweet and Simple Alpha Stamps