Spring is here!

This week's Shining the Light challenge is our 200th challenge! We want you to celebrate with us this week and create a card or project that uses spring colors and any ODBD image or sentiment. 

Living in South Florida is like spring much of the year (and summer the other half). We plant zinnias in the spring, so I used the Zinnia and stamped the smaller blossom five times, colored the layers, and fussy-cut each one (even though there is a wonderful die for this flower). I cut the petals apart, embossed them with a stylus and curled them up a bit, added some gold glitter, and layered them all together, popping the center. For the sentiment I used The Lord Has Risen in one of the Antique Labels & Border dies. I used paper from the Blooming Garden Collection, paper-pierced, and added one of the Beautiful Borders dies that I embossed with ink and threaded with some pearl cotton.   

Yes, spring is here, and flowers are appearing once again as the sun returns with its warmth after a long winter. Solomon's Song of Songs is a beautiful and poetic book in the Old Testament that is often used by pastors when speaking with married couples. But on a deeper level, it reminds us that the marriage covenant between a man and a woman is a "picture" for us of the relationship between Christ (the Groom) and His bride, the church -- we who believe in Jesus as Savior. What a beautiful book I encourage you to read. 

To see all the creations in one place or join the challenge, please visit Our Daily Bread Designs Blog. You have until May 4 to join us. You may use any stamps to enter, but if you have any Our Daily Bread Designs stamps, we would love to see you use them. If you participate, you have an opportunity to win a $15 certificate toward ODBD stamps or to be "spotlighted" for the Shining the Light Award (the SLC award is only for those who use ODBD stamps). We would love to see your creations!

For more beautiful inspiration ideas for this challenge, please visit my precious design team sisters:

Chris Olsen * Diana Nguyen * DJ Rants * Elizabeth Whisson
Linda Carson * Robin Clendenning

I have also entered this card for this week's Word Art Wednesday challenge.  

Thanks so much for "stopping by" and leaving a comment or sharing a thought. 

May we remember that we are to point others to Christ and that our "gown" is the righteousness bought with His blood. I am so very grateful for the grace of God and what Christ has done for me.

For His glory,

Card Recipe:

Stamps:  Zinnia and The Lord Has Risen (ODBD)

Paper: Blooming Garden Paper Collection (ODBD), Solar White (Neenah), White (PTI), So Saffron and Pear Pizzazz (SU)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Black (Versafine), So Saffron (SU)
Tools/Accessories: Copic markers, Antique Labels & Border dies (ODBD), Zinnia & Leaves dies (ODBD), Beautiful Borders dies (ODBD), Pearl Cotton 3348 (DMC), Gold glitter pen (Spica), Perfect Layers tool, stylus, 3M dimensional tape, red tape
Techniques: Paper-piercing and sponging
Card Size:  A-6