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

As for me...

Hi friends,

I'm sharing a page with you today that I had marked in my bible a long time ago as a really profound verse that I wanted to meditate on:

Psalm 73:28
But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.

I love this simple declaration: as for me, it is good to be near God. Other people might choose to be near many other things or people, but for me, I want to be near God. What a wonderful thought! Being near to God means making Him our refuge in every season of life, allowing Him to be our  shield and protection. As much as it is good to be near family and friends (and even a radiator in this cold British weather!), no one else can ever be as faithful and strong as our God. Let us draw near to Him, make Him our refuge, and declare His deeds to those around us.

I created this page by layering acrylic paints in the background, then creating the verse over the top using alphabet stickers and a combination of Sweet n Sassy stamp sets, including Good Shepherd, God is Good and His Wings. I also added some flowers with Scribble Flowers and coloured them with gelatos. I can't seem to resist adding butterflies so I added this lovely washi tape.

Check out the gorgeous Scribble Flowers set:

Did you know that you have a chance to win this stamp set until this Thursday, 30th of November? Just head over to the @sweetnsassystamps Instagram page or our Facebook page and find out how to enter!

Have a blessed week!

x Amy x

Donut Worry

Hey friends!! So I'm sharing a page today that I used the 'Skinny lowercase alpha' on. I'm not sure about you , but I love a good font stamp! This one is so great because it's small enough to fit in the margins!

This page I used the napkin technique-if you are not familiar-just google it! You add gesso to your page, cut the napkin and separate the layers and place it on the gesso. Then use a paint brush-I like the sponge kind, and add some more gesso over the top. Smooth it out and let it dry. I'm not perfect at this technique but it still turns out good and super fun! I then stamped the Donut Worry and added a tab at the top and some donut washi that my friend had. I also added the little bit of washi that says Let it go and let God. It's such an important part of our walk with Jesus! I journaled in Matthew 5-Therefore I tell you , do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Later in the passage it says....Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day as enough trouble of it's own. Friends, let it go and donut worry!!! God's got this!!!!!!

Glory, Grace & Goodness

Hi friends,

I recently had the privilege of attending Hillsong Conference London and whilst there heard a sermon on the glory of God. We saw in Exodus 33:18-19 that when Moses asks the Lord to show him His glory, God causes His GOODNESS to pass in front of him and declares that He is both gracious and merciful.

Often we think of the glory of God as a difficult to grasp concept, beyond our comprehension. And yes, while God is way beyond our comprehension, this link between God's glory and His goodness and grace was one I found incredibly helpful and encouraging.

God wants to manifest His glory in our lives through displays of His goodness and grace. Are we looking for and giving thanks for His glorious work in our lives?

To create this page I applied layers of acrylic paint using a babywipe for the background, then added paint platters and washi tape over the top. The text was created with a combination of stamps
(Child of the King, Skinny Caps Alpha, Mini Grunge Type Alpha and God is Good):

Here are my paint and pen supplies I used on this page...

I hope you've been encouraged today to see God's grace and goodness and displays of His glory in your life!

x Amy x

His Word Brightens My Day!

My usual style for Bible art-journaling leans toward softer colors, subtle designs.  I'm not too bold in my artwork.  I wanted to challenge myself to move out of my comfort zone and try some new background techniques. And I wanted to go BRIGHT.  I love the fact that you can never run out of new things to learn in the art form.  Plus, being in the Word of God to create is a delight as well.  I have two submissions to share for the post today.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 

 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Hebrews 12:1-2 

I love this little passage in Hebrews 12 that provides so much encouragement for our Christian walk.  Sometimes we all struggle with our faith.  The promise implied in this verse that it is Jesus who grows our faith.  He initiates faith within the heart of the believer at conversion and He is the one who will see us through the trials and temptations of life.  Our responsibility is not to grow our faith, but to keep our eyes on Jesus...to stay focused on Him.

I decided to have fun with this page, go bold, and try some new things with watercolor paints.  I just started splashing swashes of paint across the page.  The I stamped on top of the paint when it had thoroughly dried.

I had to get even more brave for this second submission, but I used some techniques I'd used with my mixed media.

Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand. 

You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will take me into glory. 

 Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you. 

 My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart
    and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:23-26

I was inspired to do this verse when listening to a CD I recently purchased.  In short, it simply says that God is everything I need.  When I fail, when I am weak He is the strength of my heart, and He is sufficient for every need.  When this life is over, I will be taken to glory to be with Him and THAT fact is an encouragement for certain!

I scraped on acrylic paints thinned down a little with water.  I wanted the paint to remain transparent enough that I could still read the scripture through it.  I did all of the background first, then used heavy-bodies acrylic paint over a stencil to get the raised dots.  The heart is hand-drawn, and the flowers and butterflies are rub-ons.  While the page is typically not my style I really like it.  It makes me happy to see it in my Bible. 

Here's a list of the stamp sets I used for the pages shown:

 God is Good (left) and Capture This Moment (right). 

 All Your Heart

 Give Praise (left) and My Comforter (right)

His Name

 

You are on His Mind!

Hello sweet friends!  Do you realize that you are on the mind of God…that He thinks good thoughts toward you?  It's TRUE!  The verse I'm sharing with you today has special meaning for me.  It was given to me by a very dear friend after receiving a devastating report from the doctor which included a very skeptical prognosis.  That was over sixteen years ago and I am still holding on to this promise.

"I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NKJV)

Did you catch that?  He thinks good thoughts toward us.  Even what appears to be evil…like a disappointing doctor's report...will turn out good and be what is best for us in the end and in God's perfect timing.

I used Dina Wakley's Clear Gesso for the first time to prep my page.  The flowers were hand drawn and I was surprised how easy it was to erase the pencil marks with this gesso.  The rest of the page was done with stamps and stickers and then watercolored with Peerless Watercolors.   Art Anthology Gilded Gold spray was added to give the page a little shimmer.  

Be sure to keep watching the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Store because three of the Creative Worship stamp sets used on this page are brand new and will be added to the store in the near future...they are all AWESOME!

The other sets used on my page are Seek Him and God is Good.

Rebecca's Challenge #5 on the Creative Worship Facebook Page is to journal in an un-journaled book of the Bible.  Since this is my first page done in Jeremiah it fits the challenge!  YEA!  (I still have some catching up to do!)  Be sure to check out the challenges…they are a lot of fun…they get you into the word...and we would love to see your journaled pages!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Until next time…

Get into the Word and let the Word get into you!

Hugs,

Cathy

His Name

Happy Friday- Jamie here!

What a week it has been, I finally feel like I am coming up for a bit of air.  I don't know about you but when I get stressed out or feeling overwhelmed I often forget that I have someone I can lean on.  The Faith Journey I am on is a very new journey for me and often I have to be very mindful about it.  It doesn't come naturally to me- I wasn't raised in a Christian home, I wasn't raised reading the bible or hearing and learning scripture.  I didn't grow up singing worship music, knowing hymns and having the ability to quote verses from the Bible.  So everything I am doing now, as an adult, is all very new to me.   The comfort level I have between the Lord and myself isn't where I ultimately want it to be.  I often question it and wonder where my place is within this life.  I know this is for now, not forever.  So this journey of faith I am on is a learning process and one I am embracing with a full heart.

Because this week was a struggle, I started in on my typical self destructive spiral of feeling down and doing a little bit of wallowing in self-pity.  I even canceled a Bible Journaling "date" with a friend of mine from Bible study.  How could I not be up for Bible Journaling?  And then I sat down that day, alone, with my bible and really started thinking about my post for this week.  The stamp set I wanted to use is called "His Name" (it should be released next week by SNSS) as I read different verses about all the names we call God, I asked myself "how did I not know all of these names for our Lord"?  That got me thinking about a couple verses I read that mentioned that He knows us each by name/ He has called us each by name.  Shouldn't we be calling Him by name?

During difficult times, and I know we've all experienced this, often God is silent.  We need to remember that even in His silence and even when we are having doubts or questioning- our God is a magnificent God and we can always lean on him.  I find, I tend to focus on what I need from Him, rather than what I am already receiving.  I need to remember that we have to have faith that he knows what is best for us.  I feel like I need to acknowledge Him the way he acknowledges us.  Shouldn't I be calling Him by name and assuring Him that he is mine just as much as I am His?

I wound up calling my friend, whom I cancelled on, and told her what I had come to accept and acknowledge.  I asked for her opinion on this post and she was in tears happy for me.  She said that God works in His time and maybe today was the day that I needed to be with the Lord alone.  Can I tell you how thankful I am for a friend like that?  One day I will, I promise :)

The verse I chose to journal this week is:
Isaiah 43:7 "everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made"

 

To create this page I used the following:

"His Name" stamp set by Sweet' n Sassy Stamps - Will be released by the end of next week.

FaberCastell Gelatos Set - Brights  

Zig Memory System Writer Dual Tip Marker, Black

Uni-Ball Signo Broad Point Gel Impact Pen White

*I made the confetti tape with double sided tape dipped in confetti and stickers on my page tab w/ ribbon.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!  Please take the time to make a special acknowledgement to our Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Creator, the Messiah, Father and King of Kings- call Him by name :)

Much love and blessings,

Jamie McNamara

IG @JamieJournals 

Redeemed and Forgiven

My father was a great story teller.  He loved to spin a tale or two and he never lacked for a captive audience.  From years of listening to His stories, I learned the love of lore.  But there is one story that needs no embellishment or eloquence.  It is the story of the redeemed.

God's Word says we are to share the story of God's enduring love and faithfulness to us.  The redeemed to are tell their story.  "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever. Let the redeemed tell their story." (Psalm 107:1-2)  Can you think of anything more exciting than to tell others of God's goodness to you?   I included part of the testimony of my salvation on the right panel.  Just a simple story of a miracle-working God!

                

For the left panel I used the Squiggle Banners set (LOVE) and God is Good.  The rest on both panels hand-lettered.  Then at the bottom of each page I used words from the Words of Life Collection 3 set. I love the big, beautiful and bold looks of those letters.  Sets used:

  

Squiggle Banners                   God is Good                  Words of Life Collection 3