Watching for that UPS truck

Monday, December 6, 2010 - Daily Prayer Guide 

46And Mary said:

   “My soul glorifies the Lord

 47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48for He has been mindful

   of the humble state of His servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

 49for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

   holy is His name.

50His mercy extends to those who fear Him,

   from generation to generation.

51He has performed mighty deeds with His arm;

   He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

52He has brought down rulers from their thrones

   but has lifted up the humble.

53He has filled the hungry with good things

   but has sent the rich away empty.

54He has helped His servant Israel,

   remembering to be merciful

55to Abraham and his descendants forever,

   just as He promised our ancestors.”

Luke 1:46-55

The Bible in One Year

·         Daniel 3-4

·         1 John 5

The day flew away and I didn't get any cards made today. But I did order Watercolor Wonder crayons and lots of stamps and paper from the new catalogs. My head is filled with ideas. And I do have a card design all cut and ready to stamp for you to see soon.

Another LNS Challenge 98-No Red or Green

Devotional for today - Preparation & Expectation

Read: Luke 2:8-12; 21:25-28

When our children were young, we observed Advent (the time beginning on the fourth Sunday before Christmas through Christmas Eve) by making a wreath and lighting candles each night after supper. We sang a carol and read a short Bible passage about the birth of Christ. This was a special time of preparing our hearts to celebrate Christmas.

But Advent is more than that. When Christians first started practicing it in the fourth century, they viewed it not only as preparation for celebrating Jesus' birth but also as a time of looking forward to His second coming. They found hope and cheer in the sure promise of His return.

The gospel of Luke describes "the glory of the Lord" that shone around the shepherds when the angel announced the Savior's birth (2:9). Luke also records Jesus' promise that He will return  "with power and great glory" (21:27). These two events frame the purpose for which the Son of God came into the world.

In Latin advent means "a coming." The weeks before Christmas can be a wonderful season of repentance and expectation as we celebrate our Lord's first advent in Bethlehem and anticipate His second advent when He returns in glory. Christ has come! Christ is coming again! - David McCasland

An angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. Luke 2:9

The Bible in One Year

·         Ezekiel 47-48, Daniel 1-2

·         1 John 3-4

Late Night Stampers Challenge 98-Another no red or green

I'm a bit stuck on this technique lately, but I like how it looks.  Ink up your stamp with Versamark then a color, dunk in clear embossing powder and heat set for a Woo Hoo effect! It also give a neat vintage look with brown inks.  Important tip: Clean your stamp between inkings as the color will transfer to the Versamark pad. The color doesn't hurt anything. And I discovered that a baby wipe will absorb most of that color. (Can you guess how I know this? Yep, multicolored Versamark pads bother me. ;o)!

All supplies are from the big Idea Book and Catalog:

Stamps:                   Serene Snowflakes, pg 42 115438

                                Christmas Greetings, pg 44 115448

Cardstock:              Whisper White, pg 169 119952 - cut 6"x6" , score & fold at 3"

Ink:                          Peach Parfait, pg 165 119783

                                Concord Crush, pg 165 119785

                                Blushing Bride, pg 165 119786

                                So Saffron, pg 167 105213

                                Marina Mist, pg 167 119668

                                Night of Navy, pg 168 102977

As soon as I finish this post I am going to submit my preorder from the Occasions Mini Catalog (available 1/4/11) and Sale-a-bration Catalog (available 1/25/11). Oh, just wait until you see the clever and beautiful new stamps, papers, die cuts and embellishments that are on the horizon. Just when I think they can't possibly think of one more pretty thing, they create dozens! My challenge is limiting my choices. I predict you will agree when you see these new catalogs, but you can host a workshop with me to earn credits or join my Make It LSB team. Early access to these new items is just one of the great reasons to be a Stampin'UP demonstrator. This is a very generous and ethical company. And I am so blessed for the friendships I've made with other incredibly creative and inspiring demonstrators and customers.

It's a lovely winter day in New Mexico, the sun is shining, the sky is blue like nothing you'll see anywhere else, Christmas music is playing and my darling hubby just made me a cup of coffee. Life is very good!

A post is long overdue

First things first. The daily devotional:

God's Signature

Read: Genesis 1:27-31

Displayed on the wall of my friends' lake house is a collection of pictures. Each one of the photos is of a sunset, taken from their deck during various seasons. While each is strikingly beautiful - no two are identical. When I look at them, it reminds me of what another friend once called a sunset - "God's beautiful signature at the end of a day."

God writes His signature on each sunset and on each of His unique children as well, I never grow tired of discovering how every person I meet is so delightfully different. God is infinitely creative, and the variety in our personalities, senses of humor, abilities, and preferences in music and sports are all handcrafted by Him.

In the body of Christ, we see how a diversity of spiritual gifts still have a common bond and can work together for God's purposes to bring Him glory. In 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, we read, "There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all."

God's signature that is so evident in nature is also present in His people. Let's celebrate the differences that make each of His children unique. Cindy Hess Kasper

God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. Genesis 1:31

The Bible in One Year

·         Ezekiel 45-46

·         1 John 2

Next: My try at the LNS challenge #98 - A Christmas card that is not red or green.

 

I like both versions. Which do you prefer?

Stamp Set: Snow Swirled, pg 40 Idea Book & Catalog (IB&C) 111690

Ink: Versamark, pg 195 IB&C 102283

       Night of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad, pg 168 IB&C 102977

Cardstock: Bashful Blue, pg 167 IB&C 105120

                  Whisper White, pg 169 IB&C 100730

                   or

                  Brushed Silver, pg170 IB&C 100712

White Embossing Powder, pg 196 IB&C 109132

or

Silver Embossing Powder, pg 196 IB&C 109131

Punches: Extra-Large Punch, pg 25 Holiday Mini 120907

Die: Northern Frost, pg 38 Holiday Mini 120901

Make you own white shimmer paper: Frost White Shimmer Paint, pg 195 IB&C 116854

• Cut Bashful Blue cardstock 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", score at 4 1/4". Cut out snowflake design along outside edge with the Northern Frost decorative strip die and the Big Shot. 
• Make your own shimmer paper: Fill a 2 oz spray bottle about 2/3 full with rubbing alcohol (find these bottles in the travel section at any department store such as W or T). Add 10-12 drops of Frost White Shimmer Paint. Cut a piece of Whisper White cardstock 5 1/2" x 4 1/8" and another scrap piece to puch out labels. Spray twice with the Frost White mixture; allowing it to air dry or help it along with a heat tool between applications. Shake bottle often to keep paint suspended in alcohol. Pretty neat! I wish the photos showed the shimmery sparkle.
• Emboss snowflakes in white or silver
• Stamp greeting in Night of Navy on Bashful Blue, punch with XL punch.
• Punch two more labels from homemade shimmer paper or brushed silver. Cut one in half long ways, cut one in half short ways. Adhere these to the Bashful Blue sentiment piece to create a larger mat. 
• Pop this label up with dimensionals
• Adhere 5 1/2" x 4 1/8" shimmer paper or brushed silver inside card. Stamp sentiment with Night of Navy.