CAS Series: Hugs XOXO Card Set---Join 613 Avenue Create for our Monthly Anything Goes Challenge...

Hello everyone!  I'm featuring this Card Set for this month's Challenge at 613 Avenue Create.  So sorry for posting late as I've been super busy the past few days.  We would love to have you link with us your wonderful projects and share the fun of crafting the entire month of September.  As always, it's Anything Goes with an optional twist of Clean and Simple (CAS).

Yesterday, my family and I went to Six Flags (Amusement Park) to swim, eat and have fun.  Though there were some attractions that were closed, we managed to make the most of our time and enjoyed the partially cloudy weather which saved us from the usual scorching Texas heat.  Then we went for dinner in one of the park's restaurants.  We noticed the clouds turned dark and before we could even start our meal, a heavy rain started to pour. Then came thunder and lightning.  Despite all of that, we took our time to finish our meal believing that it was just a passing cloud.  That it would soon be over and we could go to the final attraction of the night---the Fireworks Show!

But it never lit up.  The rain poured heavy with no end in sight.  Convinced that the final show was canceled, we prepared ourselves to go through the severe rain to make it to my vehicle in the parking lot.  Without any umbrella, we asked the restaurant for some trash bags which we converted into ponchos and off we went.  My head, feet and legs were drenched but the rest of me stayed dry.  We walked through puddles and flooded surfaces laughing at ourselves (how we looked like with the makeshift ponchos) while surprisingly enjoying the experience.  And then, I told my hubby, "Out of all the things we did that day, the time we go through that rain was the most memorable and fun of all because it was different and out of the ordinary."  And he agreed.

So why am I sharing this?  It's because when the rain began to pour, I started praying and believing that the rain would stop in time so as not to go through it.  There were similar situations in the past when God answered my prayers---He calmed the storm, the thunder and lightning (literally) showing His faithfulness to us.  But there were also situations such as this that though He didn't stop the heavy rain from pouring, He provided us the means to go through it.  Come to think of it, He supplied the makeshift ponchos and the right spirit to tackle the situation.  It reminded me of a famous saying, "If life gives you lemons, make some lemonade."  It's evident that  I can only make wonderful lemonade out of the lemons of life when Jesus Christ is there to encourage and empower me to take the necessary steps towards faith in Him through the leading of the Holy Spirit.  That no matter what life brings, good or bad, expected or unexpected, He is my one and only Source!  So whether I'm faced with physical storms or the endless storms of life, I keep a positive attitude and gain wonderful experiences because God is always with me.  When we acknowledge the move of God in every situation, we find the joy that surpasses all understanding after every/any storm.  I would like to share this verse to encourage you in your walk with the Lord.

"Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress.  He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.  They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind." (Psalm 107:28-31)

For this Card set, I used an image from Stampendous and colored it with my Prismacolor markers.  The sentiments are also from the same stamp set. The sentiment on the envelope is from another set of Stampedous stamps.  The base is white CS, cut and scored to make an A2 size cards (4.25 x 5.5 inches).  I also made the coordinating envelopes using my Envelope Punch Board from We R Memory Keepers.  I love the result since our Challenge optional twist is Clean and Simple (CAS).  It's as simple as it can be.

 HUGS XOXO CARD SET

 HUGS XOXO CARD SET 1

HUGS XOXO CARD SET 2

This Card Set is entered into the following Challenges:

Time-out---Inspired by Words
2 Crafty Critter---Add a Critter
A2Z---CAS
A Bit More Time---ATG
A Perfect Time---ATG
Classic DT---ATG
Craft Galore---ATG
Crafty Animals---ATG with Animal
Crafty Girls---ATG
Color It---ATG
Digistamps4Joy---ATG/Flower Frenzy
DL Art---ATG
Eclectic Ellapu---ATG
HLS---CAS
Love to Craft---ATG
Love to Scrap---ATG
Morgan's ArtWorld---ATG
Not Just Cards---ATG
Papercraft Business---ATG/Thankful
Paru's Cardmaking---ATG
Sunny Day Crafting---ATG with Animal
Creative Crafters---ATG
Worldwide Open DT---ATG
YSP---ATG


There you have it, folks!  Don't miss the opportunity to join our Anything Goes Challenge at 613 Avenue Create.  Can't wait to see what fabulous projects you're going to link with us.  I hope you have a great week and know that through faith in what Jesus accomplished at the Cross, we have complete victory over the works and schemes of the enemy!  Let us share this hope to countless others in the world.