It's been a while...

It has been a while since I have been on here and I have to say it will probably be a while before I am on here again. Life has become just a little bit busy, maybe a tad stressful at times and my cardmaking has sadly suffered for it. On the upside I have been spending some more time outside in the garden and enjoying God's beautiful creation (along with the dog, sheep, chickens and duck).

"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands."
Psalm 19:1

I did spend a little bit of time making some cards for our local Brunswick Show (one of Australia's biggest one day shows). I was thrilled to get 5 firsts, two seconds and a highly commended. I also took out the overall cardmaking trophy (third year in a row!!). 

Both of my daughters also entered items this year. The eldest won first for her chocolate brownies and second for an "item using a gluing technique" - she made a paper mache turtle. The youngest won second for her salt dough bowl that she made and painted.

Here are a few photos:

First Place - Child theme greeting card with stamping
Whimsy Stamps - Silver Fairy

Whimsy Stamps - Sweet Blossom

Second Place - Non-child theme greeting card with stamping
PowerPoppy - Tulips in Hobnail Pitcher

Highly commended - Christmas card without stamping
Using Our Daily Bread Designs and other dies

First Place - Non-child theme greeting card without stamping
Using various dies

First Place - Christmas card with stamping
PowerPoppy - Heaven and Nature Sing

First Place - chocolate brownies

Second Place - Item using gluing technique

Second Place - Item made from salt dough

So that's it from me for a while. Cards will still be made, occasionally, but may not always be posted. My Copics will not be forgotten either :-) Thank you all so much for looking.

I can't say for sure when my next post will be (but I don't think I will post much in 2017 - aiming to be back on a more regular basis in 2018). So until then, thank you and take care.

I'll leave you with a few (maybe more than a few :-) verses:

God Creates His Kingdom

 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1

"God saw all that he had made, and behold, it was very good." Genesis 1:31

"The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."" Genesis 2:16-17

But people reject God

"When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate." Genesis 3:6

 "And I will put enmity between you [the serpent] and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head and you will strike his heel." Genesis 3:15

and God banished them from the Garden

"So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken." Genesis 3:23

Everyone has rejected God

"For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23

But God loves us so much

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whosoever believes in him shall have eternal life" John 3:16

Jesus is the way

"For the wages of sin is death, 

but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

Jesus said... "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

because of what He did for us

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

If you have faith in Jesus, our sins are forgiven, we are washed clean

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

But life is not always rosey...but our focus must remain on Jesus

 "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

James 1:1-4 

"And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Hebrews 12:1b-2

 "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."

Hebrews 11:1 

"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever."

Isaiah 40:8