A House is Made Card---Join Our First Challenge for 2018 at 613 Avenue Create!

Hello there, Crafty friends!  I would like to invite all of you to join our very first Challenge this year at 613 Avenue Create.  We had lots of wonderful entries last year and we're always grateful for participating and making our Challenge such a wonderful place to get some crafting inspiration.  Like our previous Challenges, you have a whole month to link your projects with us and meet some wonderful friends along the way.  It's always Anything Goes but if you're up for some challenge, take on our optional theme, "Something New" (House, Baby, Tools, Technique etc.).

Anyway, my inspiration card today is one I've given to a friend that had a house warming recently.  It's their first time to buy a home and in the midst of the celebration, they shared with us some of the struggles they had to face starting and growing their business that paved the way for this milestone investment.  In their story, it's undeniable that a big part of their dream becoming a reality is their faith in God.  We can plan many great things in this life but only God can make them possible. Proverbs 19:21 tells us, "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand."  As believers (Born-again, John 3:3) and members of the Body of Christ, we understand that Jesus is the One and Only Source of everything we receive from God.  Every blessing and windows of opportunities comes  to us by way of Jesus' finished work at the Cross (His death, burial and resurrection).  The Holy Spirit living inside of us reminds us daily of our inheritance in Him and leads us to His purpose. He gave us abilities and talents we can use to access not only the physical/temporal treasures of this world but more importantly, the spiritual and eternal treasures..  As we come under the knowledge of Christ and learn of His Word/Truth, we come to the realization that nothing in this world is more satisfying than knowing the treasures waiting for us in the eternal presence of our Father in heaven.  Everything we receive here is merely an extension of God's goodness which He had given to us in Christ before the foundations of the world. New cars, new homes, great job/career are only rewarding when we acknowledge the hand of God upon our lives.  And because we are His, we can expect great and wonderful things from our Father. I would like to leave you with the inspiration of God's Word in the following passages:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."  (Ephesians 1:3-14)

For this Card, I used an image from Heidi Grace that I colored with my Touch Five markers.  The flower is an Martha Stewart clear stamp image and the sentiments (both in the card and envelope) are from Stampendous (Family Home Set).  I embossed the front panel using a Paper Studio embossing folder, punched some leaves with my Fiskars punch and added a dot of liquid pearl to the center of the flower for added dimension. 

 A HOUSE IS MADE CARD

 A HOUSE IS MADE CARD LAYERS

A HOUSE IS MADE CARD WITH ENVELOPE

This Card is entered into the following Challenges:

a2z Scrapbooking---New to Me (use an older stamp never used before)
A Bit More Time to Craft---ATG
A Perfect Time to Craft---ATG
Artistic Stamper---ATG
Classic DT---ATG
Country View---ATG
Crafts Galore Encore---ATG
Crafty Awesomeness---ATG
Crafty Girls---ATG
CCC---ATG
Daisy Chain---Something New (New Home)
Fabrika Fantasy---New Beginning (New Home)
HLS---CAS
Lets Craft and Create---ATG/Love
Love to Craft---ATG
Love to Scrap---ATG


This it for now, guys.  Make sure to join us at our neighborhood---613 Avenue Create---for an Anything Goes Challenge.  If you want to be challenged (like I was), take on the Optional Twist.  But there's really no reason for you to miss it. Can't wait to see what you create. The Lord is with you every step of the way so, be at peace that you have Someone you can trust and have your back always.