Don't be LEFT OUT: STAY CONNECTED!

Nobody likes to be left behind! 

I remember as a little girl always fearing

being last to be chosen for a game or a team.

I don't want you to be either!

I have changed my design name 

and created 

a whole new blog,

website and focus.

Please go to my new blog and follow it so that

you don't miss out on the news 

and freebies!

I am having a Big Giveaway on my new blog

next week!!

The next edition of my newsletter 

comes out on Monday with a new name-

Outside The Box Design Studio news.

Don't miss it- LOTS of good things are happening

and I will be sharing about my upcoming giveaway! 

You may ONLY participate if you are a subscriber, so HURRY and sign up. 

Use the Subscribe page at the top of my blog- just under the OTBDS name.

Here's a sneak at the giveaway:

Little Bit of Art Journaling in My Life!

Little bit of Art Journaling fun!

"My Mind's Eye"

"Be Authentic"

Part of the Tell Your Story Art Journal Collection!

My dream studio has...

I have been waiting a very long time for this,

we have a property that we have an accepted offer on,

and is under contact but closing has been hindered 

by a very complicated case against the govt. 

When we do close I will include much

of what is in this slideshow in my custom studio. 

The area is an artist community, and will be wonderful!

( I speak by faith!)

Today was a difficult one in several ways.To explain, I have to be pretty transparent... ugh. Here goes: My DH has a kidney stone that is very painful. He was laid off last year and then the position dissolved, leaving us without health insurance. The meds just to help the condition are $159.00, and a visit to the Urologist is $350.00 just to get in the door. I hate seeing him in pain. Working aggravates the condition, but after 3 days off, what's the man to do?
Then we got the news that our case is still being played around with- one would think that wouldn't be possible at the U.S. Supreme Court level. WRONG!! All the families involved are about to come out of their skins, and the husbands are discussing risking imprisonment to get the truth revealed. We need a revolution. To top it off, uninformed fellow believers have criticized us for our circumstances, without asking for the details to help them understand. No way did I ever think I would be living this ordeal. After a college education, starting a Christian school in a foreign country, and raising two great kids- never did I think I would be walking this path at this age; fighting for the basic rights that most Americans don't even realize they have, they are so natural to them. But not to us...
Have you ever imagined that you were blind? I have tried many times to identify with those who are blind by taking just a few steps with my eyes closed. After a couple of steps I am totally disoriented. It is so unnatural for us to walk without looking where we are going, yet that is precisely what Paul says we Christians must do. "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7)
So today I created this page- another page related to what my Dh and I call our Walk through the Dark. We have no one we are allowed to speak with about this, so we cannot obtain much counsel. We are forced to go directly to our Source.
Habakkuk said:
2: 4"Behold, as for the (A)proud one,
His soul is not right within him;
But therighteous will live by his faith.

A Walk through the Dark

I made this tag "book" for my younger sister.

Turns out it was good timing for her as she 

discovered her husband had lost his 

long time profitable job, and

some encouragement to not fear 

was needed. That was two years ago,

and now she has the same concern about

her job.  Life is like that, goes in cycles.

Hope you enjoy t his look into some of

my pieces from HisHeARTworks .

The envelope that holds the book- open.

When closed it is belted shut.

 

 

my copyrights

COLS_TIGG papers copyright

Thankful for His nearness

Scripture of the Week at Faith Perspective:

The King is who we serve, the wise King, Good King, Mighty King.
And He cares for us in ways we often don't even recognize. His presence
is constant, and finally, for us, beginning to be tangible once again. I am
more thankful for His nearness than for anything else I can tell.

Credits:
Cari Cruse Painterly Scenes kit at Pixel Gypsy Designs , Crown by EMSArts

This Walk through the Dark

Today was a difficult one in several ways.To explain, I have to be pretty transparent... ugh.
Here goes: My DH has a kidney stone that is very painful. He was laid off last year and then the position dissolved, leaving us without health insurance. The meds just to help the condition are $159.00, and a visit to the Urologist is 350.00 just to get in the door. I hate seeing him in pain. Working aggravates the condition, but after 3 days off, what's the man to do? Then we got the news that our case is still being played around with- one would think that wouldn't be possible at the U.S. Supreme Court level. WRONG!! All the families involved are about to come out of their skins, and the husbands are discussing risking imprisonment to get the truth revealed. We need a revolution. Not likely. LOL.
To top it off, uninformed fellow believers have criticized us for our circumstances, without asking for the details to help them understand. No way did I ever think I would be living this ordeal. After a college education, starting a Christian school in a foreign country and raising two great kids- never did I think I would be walking this path at this age. Fighting for the basic rights that most Americans don't even realize they have, they are so natural to them. But not to us...
Have you ever imagined that you were blind?
I have tried many times to identify with those who are blind by taking just a few steps with my eyes closed. After a couple of steps I am totally disoriented. It is so unnatural for us to walk without looking where we are going, yet that is precisely what Paul says we Christians must do. "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7)
So today I created this page- another page related to what my Dh and I call our Walk through the Dark. We have no one we are allowed to speak with about this, so we cannot obtain much counsel. We are forced to go directly to our Source.
Habakkuk said:
2: 4"Behold, as for the (A)proud one,
His soul is not right within him;
But the righteous will live by his faith.



Those who have been harassing, stealing and assailing us are full of pride. We have been humbled by a call to walk this path of utter dependence. To know Him as HE IS, not just by what Man says He is. To take all of our imposed limits off of Him. To allow Him to be Who HE wishes to be in our lives. Many believers never enter into this. Most weeks, I haven't sensed His presence during this dark season. I cannot go by what I feel, or even my past experiences with Him. I have to walk this thing out one step at a time, He is giving only light for one step. I have to TRUST that HE is there. And some day, soon, I hope, will once again show me His face...


[credits: Starving Artist Designs Like Seriously paper, CreationFrenchGirl Storm paper, Ami Collofello Charming Alpha]

Hybrid Art!

I had some extra time on my hands this weekend. I CANT STAND to sit around, I am always doing something even when watching a movie! So I jumped in and did some HYBRID stuff. The first is a Guest/One Kit call to which I am glad I responded!


This second one is related to one of the CTs I am on - Stuff to Scrap Hybrid.



It was fun, though messy, to get my glue and scissors back out. I was also inspired by one of MLAS' owners, Carolyn, to get back into ATC's . For those who aren't familiar with this art form, Artist Trading Cards. Simply put, you take a base the size of a playing card or trading card, and decorate it in any way you like!
I will post some this weekend...

A Very Different Kind of Post

Today's post is about Life's challenges. Trying to get things right,
we sometimes cause a bigger mess. Scrapping is a great way
to ease the stress and gain a time of reflection. :) I did that this weekend with several "challenges" at MLAS.

Challenges, Challenges!
A Gourmet Scrap (Recipe Challenge) at MLAS:

3 generations of little girls, Grandma, Mom and me. Guess which one is me- leave your email in the shout box- if you are right, you get a free QP from my new (shhhh!) kit...

I am really missing Honduras, and with recent events* the nation is heavy on my heart. It is a place we once called home- a beautiful land of humble and quiet people. [From our friends and former colleagues in the capital city of Tegucigalpa, the president, Zelaya, wanted rights to an additional term as President, which is a violation of the constitution. The General opposed it, and a coup ensued. *
Here are a few photos of Saturday's events:
To some there, Zelaya is popular because of his poverty background and not necessarily his administrative skills. That seems to be a pattern in world politics this year. He is a friend of Venenzuela's president Hugo Chavez, as seen here in the photo. Chavez was actually supplying the voting machines for the vote on an additional term.
At any rate,
our adopted daughter Cassie is there- You can read her story here-
and many friends-
we pray for the peace of Tegucigalpa,
and may they remain free
from even greater Communist influence. ]To end on a happy note:

Credits: Rebecca_psp kits
Tulippping
Whimsical Garden
Tom Boy, consecutively.