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!!!!

I'm still here... And still creating FREEBIES...

I'm wondering if people still know I exist! I haven't updated this blog in the longest time because most of my time was spent on my other blog at Creative Faith Studio. It's been quite a journey for me since the beginning of this year. Those of you who know me at Faith Sisters understands what I'm talking about. I started hosting the weekly challenges called FAITH DISCOVERY and we're now at week #3 which I'll post about later. At first, it was overwhelming in a good way. God was really putting me out there and showing me that faithbooking (scrapbooking your faith) isn't just my hobby anymore. It isn't just a creative outlet or just a craft . It's my ministry and my calling. So, although I do enjoy everything about it and love that I get to scrapbook and witness my faith at the same time, it's also a life changing experience for me as well. My spiritual walk with God is undeniably growing and maturing and with all the support and encouragement of my sisters, I'm gaining a deeper perspective of who God is in such a special way. Seeing God's fingerprints in other lives and the amazing things that He does to draw people closer to Him just stirs my spirit up. His reality is definitely apparent in the lives of people all over the world as I witness what God has done through them. I just love how much our community has been growing at such a fast rate within the last 4-5 months and each day, I meet someone new who also loves the Lord and loves making it known in their artwork! Such a blessing!

My DH is so supportive and although we both have different interests (he loves gardening and anything that has to do with plants) it great that we both love what we do and find it fulfilling to work with our hands and our creativity. One thing we both discovered is that we do share something in common that links his gardening to my scrapbooking and that is photography. You have to see his photos, especially of his garden. You'll find so much beauty in his photos as well as some random ones that can be amusing. Go check his Flickr account and you'll see what I mean! :)

Anyway, I thought I'd go ahead and just post some of the new freebies I created since my last visit to this blog. Enjoy and hope you come visit me at Faith Sisters!

You can download them here.

Also, here are my layouts for the challenges I've done for Faith Sisters... You can click on the title to find more details about the challenge. By the way, these challenges are ongoing and you can join in at any time! Hope to see some of your work!

Faith Discovery Challenges:

Week #1 {Opening the Door to a New Day}

Credits here.

Week #2 {Time For a Change}

Credits here.

Week #3 {Your Family Legacy}

Credits here.

Scripture Challenges:

Week #1 - Faith

Credits for front side here.
Credits for back side here.

*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!

Happy Fourth of July and a FREEBIE!

Beware! This will be a long post....

Hi everyone! Tomorrow is July 4th and I have to get up early and clean house because we're having our yearly Fourth of July gathering. This year will be a little different since it falls in the middle of the week and also because it probably won't be the usual big group of people as we had in the past. However, it will be small and intimate with close friends and family. For the most part, I look forward to seeing the look on Josiah's face when he sees all the fireworks. Last year, he was so fascinated by the noise and the lights that he would not stop talking about it for weeks and weeks after. It will be Lukie's first time to experience such an exciting event and I don't know how he'll react but, I know one thing for sure is I'll probably end up being inside watching from our window. sigh....

Anyways, I had a good week last week but, my poor hubby did not. There seems to be a stomach flu virus lurking around and he had it really, really, really bad. My poor baby. So watch out people, wash those hands really well.

Aida C. and I finally reunited after so many years. She and I realized how much we've grown and despite all the time that has passed our friendship has not changed. That is one of the sweetest gifts to have - a friend that is always a friend in and out of season. Rob (my husband) and I were having a conversation about friendships one night. We reflected on all the friends we've had since youth and which ones are still considered our "close" friends. It turns out, that only a few still remained and those friendships that we thought would last forever have either disappeared or have turned to casual acquaintances. He always refers to the lessons he learns as a gardener when it comes to life issues. For example, I never knew what the difference between a PERENNIAL and an ANNUAL flower was until now. For those who don't know, a 'perennial' is a plant that is recurrent or everlasting and will continue to grow but, the 'annual' are plants that will only grow once for one season and then die. And it really made sense how it relates to friendships. Miriam G. came over for dinner and came to the same topic about friendships and because she has such a gift of communicating and has a very articulate way of expressing her words, she really hit home and gave me some valuable insight about friends. Her perspective is that sometimes friends are there for that specific time for a reason but, then things change not necessarily because of something bad but, because of the different directions that life leads us. People change and that's life. Yet, there are some friends that are God-given partners who will stand the test of time with you and no matter what you go through together, nothing can separate you, not even time itself. There are only a few people who has proven that to me and I am eternally grateful for them. I believe that one of the greatest gifts from God is a true friend. One who has seen me at my worst and seen me at my best yet still loves me for who I am. When I think of what a true friend should be like, I can't think of anyone other than my Lord and Savior, Jesus. Because He still loved me even when I did wrong and He brought me back to this place where I could be free from all the things that held me down. Because of Him, I'm so blessed to even be here and to even have the opportunity to be loved by my husband and two precious sons. Lord, thank you.

Okay...don't want to be over dramatic here! I do have some eye candy to share with you. I've been working hard to finish some scrapbook pages and finally got them done today! I also have a FREEBIE!!!! Yes, I know. It's about time lady! Well, I don't even know if anyone will even use them but, I sure hope someone will care enough to grab them and create something with it. Please comment me if you do and maybe it'll give me the confidence to keep trying and creating more freebies. Special thanks to Chickypow Designs for giving me words of encouragement to give it a try. Anyways, check out my layouts first and then scroll down for the freebie! Have a wonderful and safe 4th of July! God bless!!!!

In Your Eyes

Credits: Papers, flower, labels, ribbon, stitch,and buttons-Welcoming Spring Kit by Weeds & Wildflowers; Stapled Tag - Linda Billdal; Stamped Alpha - Michelle Coleman; Paper tear template - Traci Sims;

Fonts - Agency, Rage Italic

Journaling says:
"There was a time in my life when I didn’t believe in true love. But,the moment you looked into my eyes, I already knew that what we had was meant to last forever. I remember that still voice in my heart saying,“You’re purpose is to love each other,so other purposes will be fulfilled.” And because of our love we have witnessed so many miracles. You have made me the happiest woman alive and I can’t even express how blessed I feel to have married you. Being married to you is one of the most precious gifts God has given me. You are my husband, my best friend, and the greatest father to our beautiful children. I LOVE YOU...."

Dada - Our Father, friend, and hero

Credits: Papers - J'adore Kit by Michelle Coleman; Chipboard Alpha and Brackets- Leah Nicole; Corner chipboard and Scribbled alpha - IMadeThisToday; Brown label - Jackie Eckles; Stapled Tag - Linda Billdal; Stitches - Tracy B; Fonts - Kunslter Script, SF Grandezza, 8514oem

Journaling says:
Even though you tell us all the time that you love us, you prove how much by your actions. We know you work hard so that you can support our family while Mommy can stay home to take care of us. You teach us how to love and respect one another and how important it is to cherish our family. Loving the Lord is one of the greatest lessons you have taught us and that if we put Him first, then all our needs will be taken care of. Thank you for always taking the time to be a part of our lives and showing us that not only are you our Dad but, you are our friend too. We look forward to all the years of of wonderful memories that we hope to create with you...We love you, Daddy!

Introducing my very FIRST FREEBIE!!!

*this link has changed, please use link on 7/5/07 post*

You can download this here.
7 colorful grungy polka dot papers in 300 ppi res. Enjoy!