Happy Mother's Day

It's never too early to start thinking about Mother's Day...and what better way to say "I love you" to your mom than to give her a handmade card? Okay, so there are a lot of things your mom would probably like better, but a handmade card pairs very nicely with a great gift. ;) This card and 3D box features the Pansy Punch. The 3D box was made using the Gift Box Punch Board, making 3D boxes super simple! This box measures 2.5" x 2.5" x 2.5" and would hold a lot of nice little treasures for your mom.

(Sorry for the spoiler on your card Mom!) :)

My Soul Finds Rest

Painting with acrylic paints has become a new favorite for me for Bible Journaling. The layout/design for this page was inspired by this post on Instagram, but I focused on Psalm 62:1-2, "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress. I will never be shaken." Such a great reminder when your mind is unsettled. He is always with you, and you can rest in knowing He will take care of all of your needs.

Be Still and Wait

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him." Psalm 37:7....this scripture has always been hard for me, mostly because I struggle with patience a lot. We live in a world that demands immediate answers and attention, and as a person I'm not different. But through the years, over and over again, it's in the times where the Lord tells me to be still and wait that the outcome always comes out better than I could ever imagine.

I was reviewing some old journal notes today and came across this scripture and the following passage that I had included with it (a blurb from the She Reads Truth daily devotional): "It's easy to forget God is in total control. We serve a God who fulfills His promises, and it is His delight to reveal Himself amidst a swirl of troubles. He calls us to be still and wait patiently, and in His goodness, even gifts us with the faith to do so. Even before the floodwaters swell over our head, He has already prepared a safe passage." I knew immediately that I wanted it to be today's journal entry.

I used this journal entry from my Pinterest board for inspiration, though since her post was just an Instagram photo I had no instructions on how she created the page, so I just stepped out and tried to recreate it on my own. I stamped the image using my "Blended Bloom" stamp in black StaZon ink, followed by adding the journaling with my Micron 01 black pen. For the color, I mixed hot pink acrylic craft paint with some water to dilute it down and used my Aqua Painter brush to do a water coloring technique. For the lighter pink, I mixed hot pink and white acrylic craft paint and then mixed in some water to dilute it further. Be sure to put a piece of wax paper behind your page before you paint to keep it from bleeding through. As you can see, the back side of the page looks brand new with nothing coming through!

The acrylic painting medium is becoming a fast favorite of mine. I love the vibrant color it gives. I look forward to doing more with paints in the future. It's not so scary--give it a try!

Basketball Birthday

My brother-in-law just celebrated his milestone 30th birthday. As part of the celebration, my sister planned a surprise party for him and enlisted my help on some of the festivities. With Brad being an avid basketball fan, she opted for a basketball/OKC Thunder theme. I made a birthday banner for the fireplace, food name tents, water bottle labels, the invitations, and the candy favors. I enjoyed making these and "free handing" the basketballs after punching them out using my 1-3/8" circle punch.

I'm currently smack dab in the midst of a craft room makeover and my craft room is inaccessible, so I haven't been able to craft anything to post here. Photos and a post from the makeover coming soon! :)