Out with the OLD and in with the NEW and a FREEBIE

Hello! May is here and it's officially spring in my neck of the woods! I'm trying to get myself in the habit of keeping my blog up to date and hopefully stick with it. So much goes on in my life that I rarely can keep track of it. But, with a little bit of discipline and motivation, I hope to make a point to blog at least once a week. I know there are bloggers who post something everyday and I must say, that is such a huge task for me to even accomplish. I've got two active toddlers which is enough to keep me super busy! Love every bit of it though! They are my life and without them, I wouldn't be doing what I love--cherishing and preserving MEMORIES!

I'm doing a little SPRING cleaning in my shop @ Faith Sisters. There are a lot of products that I'm currently working on and uploaded a few NEW things. I didn't have much to begin with since I was super busy with hosting challenges along with the usual stuff that goes on in my little world as a SAHM. But, it looks like I've finally managed to cut out some work and let my creativity flow. Anyways, in the process I've decided to put some of my older products on SALE in the CLEARANCE section with discounts running from 20% to 60% off! What a deal, huh? So, hurry and take advantage of the sale and grab these retiring products before they're gone! Here is a preview of a few of these goodies that you can grab here.

Gift of Love Kit

Reg. $4.00 / Sale $1.60


Gift of Faith Kit



Reg. $4.00 / Sale $1.60

WHAT'S NEW...

I've also taken some of my kits from our collaborations @ Faith Sisters to make them available to those who would like to purchase them separately and also ADDED more elements to it for your scrapping pleasure! The Kits is $3.50 and Paper Packs are $2.00. Grab them here.

Beautiful You Kit and Paper Pack







Unconditional Love Kit and Paper Pack







And here is my newest item - RENEWAL PAPER PACK. The full kit will soon follow so please check for updates!




Here is a FREEBIE sample for you!




Download here.

Have a wonderful day!! And don't forget to visit our site to find tons of creative inspiration from all of our faith sisters! The challenges are still going on every week for the Inspirational Faith and Scripture challenges and for a more in depth, out of the box, challenge - Faith Discovery challenges are posted here on my blog and at Faith Sisters every other Thursdays! Be creative and be blessed!

Faith Discovery Challenge - {Woman of Virtue} and a FREEBIE

Hello! Before I begin, I wanted to feature this beautiful LO posted for the previous Faith Discovery challenge -Stay Focused. This was created by another beautiful and extremely gifted CT member of Faith Sisters, Cheryl in FL a.k.a. gonewiththewind in the gallery.
She is such a beautiful person inside and out and it definitely shows through in all her creations.

Her journaling reads:

"The Road goes ever on and on down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, and I must follow, if I can, pursuing it with eager feet, until it joins some larger way where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say."

And this is what she says in regards to the quote:

"I am not sure where my path is going, but I must follow it with eager feet, knowing that God will place me where many other paths and errands meet. Although I often want all the answers and struggle, it is so refreshing to lean on Him and know that He has my path, my road, in His Hands."

Please check out her gallery for more inspiring layouts and you will definitely be blessed, I promise!

Featured Layout for "Stay Focused" Faith Discovery Challenge

By Cheryl in FL

Can you believe it's MAY already? I can't! May is one of my favorite months of the year and also one of the busiest aside from the holidays. To name a few of the reasons I love the month of May is because of the annual National Scrapbooking Day that everyone all across the nation and even in some other parts of the world, is excited about. So much is happening in all the scrapbooking communities and it doesn't matter which way you scrap--paper, digital, hybrid--we all have the same passion to preserve our memories and tell our stories for our future generations. Woohoo, I can't wait! If you want to know what's happening right here at Faith Sisters, please check back here often during this weekend. You won't want to miss it!

{Woman of Virtue}

Another special reason I love the month of May is, Mother's Day which is on the 11th (also the day my DH proposed to me :). Not only do I love being pampered, but it's always a special moment for me to remember how extremely blessed I am to be a mother AND it also serves as a reminder to me that we should honor and give appreciation to our own mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, friends and relatives who share the common gift of motherhood. My own mother went home to be with the Lord when I was only 11 years old. And even though it's been a very long time since then, memories of her life and godly example has never left me. There was one day at the hospital before she passed away that I clearly remember and the last words she spoke to me was something that I believe were words that God knew would help me stay close to Him throughout my life. This is what she said,

"Always remember to love Jesus and to keep serving Him because He will take good care of you. Be a good girl and finish school so that you will live a good life. Pray for your sisters and Daddy to keep going to church and to always love the Lord."

I believe that was her prayer and God definitely heard it because most of it has already come to pass. After so many years of being lost, I found my way back to the Lord, I'm currently in school and blessed with a wonderful husband and two precious children, and my Dad re-dedicated his life to the Lord 3 months before he died. So, it's only a matter of time before my sisters and their families receive the gift of salvation which I have been fervently praying for and know will also come to pass. I guess what I want to share is, the prayers of a mother are very powerful. Like my pastor, Rev. Mary Stewart (wife of our beloved Rev. Ed Stewart) would say,

"Don't underestimate the power of your prayers. God listens and He hears and is faithful. Your prayers have value and we have such a privilege to be able to pray to our God who is alive and is able to do exceedingly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us."

So in honor of all the mothers that we love and care about, this week's challenge is based on a passage that I think describes the highest standards of what a mother is and the beautiful role that they play. I know that we all would love to be as perfect as this proverbial woman, but I know that even if I may not do all that it says, there's one verse that I believe we should all focus on and it's Proverbs 31:30, "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." My mother was hardworking and sacrificed so much of her life for her family but. the one thing about her that was unforgettable was her love and faithfulness for the Lord, which is my understanding of what true virtue is. My prayer is to do the best that I can be to be a woman of virtue and to leave behind for my family, a legacy of faith, just as my mother did...

Challenge #11 - In honor of Mother's Day that is just around the corner, this challenge is based on scriptures found in Proverbs 31. This passage has always given me a glimpse of what a virtuous woman is like especially Proverbs 31:30 - "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." For this challenge, I thought I'd ask you to read and study this chapter in Proverbs and create a LO of your mother or someone that reflects the character of a proverbial woman. For some of us who may want to scrap about a sister, a friend, or a relative would be perfectly fine, too. Another option to this challenge if you'd like, is to scrap about what you feel in your heart when it comes to the person you are and the things that matter to you as a woman of virtue.

*click on images to see credits*

By Dahlia Co

In honor of my mother, Erlinda A. DeGuzman

By Terrie L.

By Jackie Ann

By Tammy

By Rita S.

I do have one more thing to mention!!!! Don't go away just yet! I have a free download for you and maybe you'll be able to use it for this week's challenge! I hope you like it!

Download here.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and I look forward to seeing your work! It's never too late to do any of our previous challenges so feel welcome to join in at any time! :) For discussion and info, please visit our FDC forums as well. Take care and have a blessed weekend!

My Heart's Desire Freebie, New CT, and New Friday Freebies

Hello! Just dropping by to say hello! It's Friday and wanted to share some cool stuff that's happening at Faith Sisters. Check it out:

Our New Creative Teams:

We are happy to announce our new Challenge and Digital Creative Teams!!! You will see their work here on Faith Sisters and all over the scrapbooking community!

Faith Discovery Challenge #4 - {Desires of the Heart}

It’s the first day of February! Winter isn’t completely over but, hopefully we’ll continue to survive the cold (at least where I am) until spring arrives. Ah, springtime is such a beautiful time of the year. I’m always looking forward to seeing the first flower bloom or hearing the first sounds of birds chirping and of course, more sunshine. All of the sudden, everything is so green and lush! I guess having all this rain did do some good after all. What would we do without rain? God is so awesome to have created everything for a reason. Everything on earth is purposely made to do a specific job. I believe nothing is by accident and though some things may seem coincidental, the Bible says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) This also means that He created you for a specific purpose! God does have a plan for your life! Praise the Lord!

Last week’s challenge was {Your Family Legacy} and was also a great opportunity to submit your layout to Scrapbook News + Review’s March Call for faith based layouts about/with/for your family. Anne, thank you for giving us this opportunity! Also, thank you for adding that suggestion for those who found it difficult to do the challenge for personal reasons, that they can also create a layout of a personal letter that shares your faith with your family or a specific person. By the way, I really enjoyed seeing all of your beautiful families and reading what God has put in your heart for them. Thank you once again for participating! Anyways, I hope those of you who are still wanting to participate in these challenges know that you are always welcome to do them at any time! But, be sure that you come to the forum designed for that specific challenge to let us know, so we can visit your gallery and offer you praise. Many of you are already doing that which is great! It’s such a blessing to see what God has done and is doing for you!

Now for the month of February, I felt led by the Lord to base the challenges for this month on a certain theme. Can anyone guess? The title above should’ve already given it away but, it is going to be about our HEART. Not only because of the fact that we celebrate Valentine’s Day this month but, because we all know our heart is such a vital part of our lives both physically and spiritually. The heart is the center of our being and it is the core of our feelings and emotions. Most of the time our actions are based upon the motives of our heart so it's evident that God knew we needed a Savior to come into our heart. To make our hearts new so that He can dwell in it and keep our hearts in check. There are so many references to verses in the Bible that speak about the matters of our heart and the importance of how it affects the way we live. Luke 6:45 says, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart." God wants us to have a pure heart and before anyone can change, it begins with our heart. Now, there are so many things that I could challenge you to create concerning the matters of the heart but, because this is God’s work I’m doing, I’m going to trust Him to help me with these challenges and that they be used to open your heart to Him. After all, He wants your heart, not just some of it but, all of it. Are you ready to surrender your whole heart to Him?

Challenge #4 – Create a layout about the desires of your heart. We all have desires both earthly and heavenly but, according to Psalm 37:4 – “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” God fulfills these desires which work according to His will and plan so there’s probably reasons why some of our desires weren’t granted. I believe that He knows what’s best for us and gives us our desires if it’s going to glorify Him. Some other ideas for this is you could also create a page about a desire that God already granted or desires of a loved one who has passed away or even what you think are the desires of God’s own heart. You may have a list of things or maybe just a few but, take time to really think about your heart’s true desire.

Here is my layout:

All original designs from the freebie "My Hearts Desire" mini kit created for this

week's challenge only!

I've put this little kit together for you using the designs that I created in my layout. It's only free for a limited time only until next Friday, February 8th! So enjoy and thank you for supporting me and playing with my designs. Be sure to upload your work in my designer gallery if you happen to use this kit. I'd love to see it!

My Heart's Desire Mini Kit

**Download expired.**

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FDC Gallery here.

FDC Forum here.

Dahlia Co Designs Gallery here.

Friday Freebies ~ New Releases from our designers @ Faith Sisters.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!!

*GIFT OF LOVE* First kit for sale & a Sampler Freebie

Has it been that long since I've blogged? Well, I have a very good reason for this and it's all reasonable! :) With the change of seasons from warm to extremely cold, there's been a lot of runny noses to care for including mine. Josiah had another visit to the doctor for a breathing treatment which almost looked as if he had pneumonia instead of just asthma. Fortunately, it wasn't the case! phewwww! So from now on, it's all about preventative medicine--lots of handwashing, lots of fluids, lots of good sleep, healthy food and keeping warm out in the cold weather.

Other than that, I've been designing my first kit! Yes, it's now in the shop and calls for a celebration. This day marks that milestone in my creative life as a designer to have a place in the digital design world where I'm able to share the gift God has given me as a profession. I must say that it was a rather humbling experience. If I went back in my journal or this blog, I would be able to see how the Lord led me here. All the little steps that I took with Him holding my hand the whole entire way. I couldn't have done this without Him. I realize how much time and effort it takes to just design a kit and having to balance that time with everything else. There was one point where I felt like giving it all up. The enemy started making his attacks on my mind, my body, and my relationships with my husband and children. Spiritually, physically, emotionally, I became so tired that I felt like I was never going to see my dream come true. But, whatever God had ordained for my life, He made sure that I perservered and held on to the promises that He gave me. The enemy can push and pull and knock me over all he wants, but because of the victorious spirit of Jesus in me, I'm never going to be defeated. Not by my flesh, nor by my power, but by the Spirit of the Lord God Almighty! (Zechariah 4:6)

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." I Corinthians 4:7

I don't know if this happens to anyone else but, because of the extensive amount of journals that I've kept over the years, I've noticed a pattern in my spritiual life. Whenever seasons change in the natural such as spring, summer, winter, fall, I also go through spiritual changes in relation to these seasons and they are all changes that refine and strengthen my character as a woman of God. Spring is a season of renewal and new growth, summer is a season of active labor and preparation for harvest, fall is a season of reaping the fruit of that labor and an abundance of blessings, and winter is the season of pruning away the old in preparation for the new. Reflecting on these seasonal changes has helped me to gain understanding about the trials and struggles I face to be a necessity if I want to become more and more like the person that God is molding and shaping me to be. Each phase that I go through and situation I'm placed in, is really God's way of teaching me that when I am weak, He is strong and that His grace is more than sufficient in time of need. So I hope you have peace in knowing that whenever you go through trials, as long as you keep trusting in the Lord and seeking Him through His word, you will see His hand working upon your life and your faith strengthened....

So now, let me introduce you to my first kit called "Gift of Love" which is the first series of my Gift Collection. It was inspired by the Bible of course and because LOVE is the greatest gift of all, I knew that this was going to be the theme I wanted to create. It's in the shop @ Faith Sisters for $4.00! But wait! Even better, since I love to give away gifts of appreciation, I also created a mini sampler kit for you for free! Please click on the links below the images which will direct you to the shop.

Get it at Faith Sisters here.

Download at Faith Sisters here.

And remember that Faith Sisters is holding weekly challenges that are not only a fun way to be creative but, also gives you the opportunity to leave a legacy of faith and ultimately, to share what the Lord has done in your life. It is a ministry that will touch the lives of others and leave your loved ones with something to treasure for generations to come. So jump in any time! We'd love to have you join us! Every Wednesday is a new challenge and every Tuesday we announce our winner!

Have a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving!

New Shop @ Faith Sisters

Good news everyone! Faith Sisters just announced their debut of their very own digital shop! I have all of my freebies there right now and now I'm so anxious to let the designer in me come out and start designing. Actually, this is another dream that I've been praying and hoping for, for a very long time. It has been a very gradual process but, God knew when that time would come and it has finally arrived. There's no other perfect time as right now where it all seems to fall into place. So be on the lookout for my upcoming designs in the near future! And if there's something faith based or not, that you would like me to create, please email me directly at dahliacodesigns@yahoo.com. Yay!

By the way, the shop was designed by our very talented Faith Sister Co-Owner Techno Queen, Superwoman, Karma Holoboff. She really rocks!

In a matter of just a few months our community has grown tremendously with so many wonderful women of faith from all over the world. And it's not only for digital scrapbookers but, for paper and hybrid as well. We have so many great inspirational ideas for projects that will be hosted on our blog and/or forum in the new year and lots of amazing work are being uploaded in the gallery everyday. It's all based on our love for the Lord and our desire to let our love for Him flow through us to people we love and to those around us. Even more you'll find that when you join our forums and connect with some really great people, you will have found yourself a place where you can be encouraged, uplifted, and inspired in a loving environment. Like I said, it's like family there! So come and meet us! Our weekly challenge for this week is to "Faithbook your church or place of worship." It's actually due next Wednesday so there's still time to jump in. The scripture art to the left was created by Krystal Hartley which you can use for either digital or print. Just go to the gallery to download it for your personal use only. Krystal is also a wonderful designer who designs for Polka Dot Potato, Digitals, and Faith Sisters. She has other scripture word art at Faith Sisters that you can can grab for free.

Well, thank you for all your comments and taking time to say thank you when you downloaded my freebies. Your support and prayers are greatly appreciated and in return I hope to create more freebies that you can enjoy. Take care and have a blessed week!!!

Weekly Challenge @ FaithSisters and a LO....

Hey everyone! Life is getting busier as the holidays are approaching. So much to plan and prepare. In between, I've been having so much fun creating layouts for the weekly challenges at Faith Sisters and if you haven't joined us, it's never too late. This week's challenge is to scrapbook about "A Day In Your Life or Week". There is a word art freeie of Ecclesiastes 3:1, created by our own creative team member Krystal Hartley that you can download in our gallery and also use in your LO. You'll also be able to see what our CT already created for this challenge in both paper and digital. Don't forget to leave a comment if you do. Every Friday is when we announce our winner! So come and join the fun and create pages that will leave a legacy of faith!

Sweet Stuff

Find Credits here.

I forgot to post a LO that I did a while back that was in response to a CT call at Little Dreamer Designs. It was created using all of their products. I really love the colors in this LO and I used one of my favorite photos of my son, Josiah, holding a bouquet of flowers that my husband bought for me. It's just one of those sweet little moments that I want to treasure forever...