Top Ten Blog Hop

Welcome to the Top Ten Blog Hop! 

You should have landed here from Suzanne Lee's lovely blog. If you just happened to be visiting me today, you can check out all the wonderful Top 10 lists starting at the beginning of the hop with Mendi Yoshikawa.

This past year I have not posted as much on my blog as in previous years. I've also focused a lot more on Bible Journaling, posting several times a week on Instagram and my Facebook page. Please be sure to follow me there for more frequent postings!

Here are some of my favorite blog posts from 2016. Enjoy!
(The next blog to hop to is listed at the bottom of my post.)

BURLAP PRAYER POUCH

DO NOT BE ANXIOUS COW

BACK TO SCHOOL BANNER

BRUSH LETTERING NOTES

TABLE TURKEYS

BIBLE JOURNALING

FAITH PLANNER

GALAXY SKY CARD

WATERCOLOR TAGS

Thanks so much for hopping along today! 
Please head over to Monique Liedtke next!

Bible Journaling Tags

Tags are a great addition to your Bible Journaling and one more way to incorporate your creative side into your devotion and prayer time. You can use tags as "tip-ins" directly in your Bible, add them to your Faith Planner, use them as a card base, or as a bookmark, and so much more. Today I'm sharing a layered and stamped tag design in 3 color versions.

Each tag is made with the same base and stamped sentiment. I cut the 2-layered tag using my die cut machine. The star cut-out on the top layer really said "Christmas Star" to me. Each top layer was cut in white cardstock. I used waterproof ink (I used StazOn) to stamp the sentiment. To make stamping easy, I arrange the individual words directly on my large acrylic block so I can stamp it all at once. Each of these individually cut clear stamps is found on the "God is Love" faith stamp set. 

After stamping, I used multiple ColorIn watercolor pencils to get the two blended color backgrounds (yellow-orange-red and lt blue-dk blue-purple). I cut the back layer in a coordinating cardstock. For the white tag, I only added a bit of inking around the edge of the tag and then glitter around the star. As a finishing touch on each I used a coordinating LePen marker in fine tip and added a dotted line to follow the flourished top and bottom edges.

For my Bible Journaling Tags project I used:

God Is Love Faith Stamp Set | ColorIn Watercolor Pencils | Le-Pen Fine Point Dark Set

Galaxy Card with Watercolor Pencils

I continue to be impressed by the wonderful versatility and strong colors of these ColorIn Watercolor Twists. Today, I used them to create a galaxy/night sky effect for a card. 

To begin, I cut a page from an old hymnal that included the lyrics to Silent Night. If you don't have a hymnal (I picked up several at a big book sale) you could print off the lyrics from online. This particular sheet was thicker than Bible paper, so it held water fairly well as I worked the colors together.

To create the effect, I used the black, purple, and blue Watercolor Twists. I began with the black around the edges and added the purple and blue gradually, being generous with the water to blend and layer them with the paintbrush. One of the tricks to creating a galaxy is to create a lot of movement of color across your page, as opposed to well defined, even splotches of color. Don't be nervous about going dark - watercolors are very forgiving and color can be picked up with the watercolor brush if needed. When the colors were nearly dry, I added a bit of watered down white acrylic and lots of white spray/splatter drops for that starry (or maybe snowy) look.

Advent Journal

I'm a big fan of upcycling or trying to use what I have before buying new. Such was the case with my Advent journal for this year. I had a little used journal, so I removed the used pages and freshened up the cover to create this notebook to record my daily devotions for December.

The cover was in pretty good shape, but after removing a couple of stickers, was in need of a refresh. I simply brushed on acrylic paint in a similar color to the original and it looks great. 

For the title, I grabbed some awesome and shiny SRM vinyl that I've been wanting to use. It cut beautifully in my die cut machine and adhered really well to my cover.

To finish it off, I added some great stickers from my Christmas stash. Now my journal is ready for the season!

For this project I used the following supplies:

Vinyl from SRM |  We've Got Your Sticker "Merry" | We've Got Your Border "Christmas"

Faith Planner

A few months ago I jumped on the planner wagon. I purchased a large planner (mine is spiral bound and about 7x9 inches). At first I had a hard time getting started and keeping up. So I decided to rethink how I could to make the best use of my planner. I wanted something to record my prayers, but didn't want it to be separate from my daily devotions.  So, I turned my planner into a "faith planner" and couldn't be happier.

Each week I creatively record my prayers and scripture that is standing out to me from my devotion time, study, and sermon notes. I use lots of stamps, washi tape, printables, stickers, and bits from my scrapbooking stash. It doesn't take much time each day, so it's easy to keep up with. The bonus I've discovered is that having all that in one place has really helped focus my prayers and see God moving in response to my prayers.

In this video I share several of my pages and show you a spread midway through the week as well as walk through my steps for setting up pages for the coming week. You'll see lots of SRM stamps and stickers. 

Hopefully you'll be inspired to think out of the box with your planner.

Here is my finished page for the featured week:

These are just some of the great SRM products I love to use in my Faith Planner:

Trust in the Lord Faith stamps | Shine Your Light stickers | Big Trinity stamps | Sticker Stitches

Bible Journaling in Proverbs

This passage in Proverbs recently stood out to me as I was thanking God for leaders and friends. "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17 As I reflected on this verse, I journaled in my bible using a combination of black pen, stamps, and watercolor pencils.

My first step was to write the key phrase in the margin. I gave it a free handed speech bubble shape and "pinned" on a small tack from the "Planner Notes to Self" Planner Stamps from SRM. I added a few more stamps from my favorite SRM-Faith stamp set, "Trust in the Lord." 

Then I grabbed my ColorIn watercolor pencils and shaded in the speed bubble and added a swatch of bright yellow on top of the crosses beneath it. It's so easy to get the smooth blending of colors with these pencils. I added a bit of white to help the tack stand out and finish it off. 

Thanking God for leaders, friends, and family who have sharpened me.

For this page I used:

"Planner Notes to Self" Planner Stamps | "Trust in the Lord" Faith Stamps | ColorIn Watercolor Pencils and Waterbrush

Bible Journaling with Stamped Background

Many passages in scripture use light as a symbol or to refer to Jesus. In this passage in John 11, Jesus reminds His disciples, who are fearful of returning to Judea, to walk in the light and they will not stumble. I used the  "The Lord is my Light" stamp set to remind me to walk in the light and stay focused on Jesus when faced with fear or anxiety. 

To create the patterned background, I simply used a sun stamp from the set and stamped it repeatedly in oranges and yellows, heavier on the margin and lighter as it covered the text and the remainder of the page. Turning the sun in multiple directions with each stamping will keep the background from becoming too linear.  I cut a smaller piece of white cardstock for the margin and stamped it with the same sun, but in a lighter yellow. On top of that I stamped the sentiment and a border from the set. The lighter block sets the sentiment up for a powerful contrast.

How and where will you use this stamp set?

For this journaling page I used:

The Lord is my Light SRM Faith Stamp Set