Back to School

It's back to school around here. I love the yearly supply shopping and getting back to a routine. I'm glad my daughter loves school and shares some of my enthusiasm for this time of year.


It's also a great time for crafting up some back to school goodies. This year I created an adorable banner that I used for our annual back to school photo shoot and now have it hanging in our dining room. Most of the die cuts are Cricut cuts that I just selected randomly from various cartridges. I used school themed paper to coordinate the different elements. To add a little interest at the top of each pennant I added a small doilie (from SRM).  I also grabbed a few clear sentiment stickers from my SRM stash to add to some of the banners.

Of course we needed a sign for my 2nd grader to hold during the photo shoot and on the first day of school. I used an piece of wood (found a great size in my garage) and added some SRM stickers and a die cut title. Simple and much faster than the banner! 2nd Grade here she comes!!!

I also like to give a small gift to our new teacher. This small red wire basket was in the dollar bin at Target as were some of the included goodies. I used some more SRM stickers and put them on cardstock and attached a magnet to the back so they would stick to the basket. A little twine wrapped around it and the gift was done. Teaching is a hard job (I taught middle schoolers for 13 years). We like to look for anything we can do to make their day a little more fun and a little easier.

You can find the SRM sticker products I used HERE:

Say it with Stickers "Teacher" | Freestyle "School" | Express Yourself "School" | Live Life "School"  | 6 inch doilies (red, black, green, white)

Walk in the Light

Today I'm sharing a page in my journaling Bible. In Ephesians 5:8 we are urged to, "walk as children of light." One of the many reasons I love SRM and am so excited to be a part of their Design Team is that, by offering a variety of faith-themed stickers and stamps, they are not only walking in the light, but shining that light and providing products for others to do the same. 

I wanted to set up a contrast between dark and light on this page ("...for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord." verse 8). To create the background, I used my ColorIn Watercolor Twists to color areas with black, purple, and blue. Then I took my waterbrush and began to blend them. I love this effect and it's easy to control the amount of water on these thin bible pages so it doesn't become completely saturated. 

When the page was completely dry, I stamped the sentiment and stars in (waterproof) black ink. The new SRM Faith stamp set "The Lord is my Light" worked perfectly here. This set makes it really easy to create a variety of perfect phrases and sentiments. I couldn't resist the super-cute star banner stamp found on the new "Birthday Plans" set either. To create the glow, I again used the Twistable and waterbrush to add the yellow. 

I used:

The Lord is my Light Faith Stamps | Birthday Plans Planner Stamps | ColorIn Watercolor Twist | Watercolor Brush

Burlap Prayer Pouch

I'm so excited to officially begin my term with SRM. Today is my first post over on their blog.

I'm sharing with you this adorable (and useful) little burlap bag turned "Prayer Pouch"  project. I loved sprucing up a plain burlap bag with the happy Vintage ribbon and stamps.

First, I sewed a strip of turquoise Vintage Floral Ribbon to the left side of the burlap bag (don't you love that contrast of the floral with the rough texture of the burlap?). Since I sewed right through both sides of the bag it created a narrow pocket, perfect for one or two of your favorite (LePen) pens. 

I stamped "AMEN!" with the BIG Amen Faith Stamp Set directly onto the burlap. 

Inside the right side of the pouch, I've inserted some prayer cards. I can use these to write out my prayers or as reminders of prayer requests. I stamped sentiments and stitches using the BIG Amen set and the BIG Trinity Set as well as the arrow stitch from the Lord is My Light set onto cardstock to coordinate with the ribbon colors. Even with the BIG stamps, there is plenty of space to write my prayers and notes.

To keep the cards together I grabbed a large paper clip and looped a bit of the ribbon onto one end. It just adds another fun element to this cute prayer pouch.

The pouch is great for on-the-go and can be tucked in your purse or Bible bag. You could also easily hang this next to your bed for those late-night thoughts of prayer requests and needs - write them down so your brain can rest for the night and then hit your knees in the morning to bring them before the Lord!

For this project I used:

5x7 Burlap Bag | Turquoise Vintage Floral Ribbon | cardstock | BIG Amen Stamp Set | The Lord is My Light Stamp Set | BIG Trinity Stamp Set | Le Pen 4 Piece Set - Dark 

Do Not Be Anxious...Bible Journaling Page

Our pastor's sermon Sunday focused on the "Do not be anxious" passage in Luke 12:22-34.

Jesus said:
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food and body more than clothing." v23-24

Excessive worry makes a life miserable and ineffective. It keeps us from reaching our full God-given potential.

Worry is the opposite of faith.

"But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!" v28

"And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?" v25



"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." v32











In a 16th century sermon, Martin Luther also preached on this passage. He noted how the birds and the flowers become our teachers here. They "do what they are required to do, but we not." He calls worry "godless unbelief" and we should be somewhat embarrassed when we look at the birds and the flowers who worry about nothing, confident that God will provide. And oh how our God provides!

"Thank you, flowers, you, who are to be devoured by the cows! God has exalted you very highly, that you become our masters and teachers." ~Martin Luther

I sketched the cow, outlined her in micron pen and colored with watercolors.  An excerpt from Luther's sermon is on the back.