Hello, My Friend!

This Week One of our Shining the Light challenge is to make a card or project using Sponging or Stencils. 

A dear friend loves purple irises, so I really enjoyed coloring this with her in mind. I used the image from the Iris stamp set and sponged and pierced around the oval. The sentiment is also from the Iris stamp set, and I used the fish-tail tag from the Pennants die set and fussy cut a mat. I used a stencil and sponged over it for the background and matted it with purple. I used a Copic marker to color both the seam binding and the pearls to match. It's a fairly easy card, and I enjoyed making it.

Having good friends is such a blessing. A good friend is someone who encourages you, loves you, and -- most importantly -- prays for you. Now that's special! And yet, we have a friend Who is always there for us, no matter what. I'm reminded of an old hymn, "What A Friend We Have In Jesus." I especially love the second verse. I trust you will be encouraged by this verse today and take all your cares to Him, the Friend Who is always with us and will never forsake us.

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged--
Take it to the LORD in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the LORD in prayer.

To see all the designs in one place or join the challenge, please visit Our Daily Bread Designs Blog. You have until August 3 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. By participating in the challenge, you have an opportunity to win a $15 ODBD gift certificate good towards the purchase of stamps in the "stamps column" on the ODBD website or to be "spotlighted" for the Shining the Light Award. We would love to see your designs!

To help you get a head start on your Christmas card, this week ODBD is having a "Christmas in July Sale" this week through Saturday, July 26, 11 p.m. EDT.

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

Perhaps there is a friend you might call or email and say, "Hey, I was thinking about you today and prayed for you. Is there some special way I can pray for you?"

Thanks so much for "stopping by" and sharing a comment, thought, or prayer request, and I hope you have a wonderful week!

For His glory,

Card Recipe:

Stamps:  Iris (ODBD)

Paper: Solar White (Neenah), White (PTI), Perfect Plum (SU)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Black (Versafine), Pale Plum (SU)
Tools/Accessories: Copic markers, Petite Oval dies and Petite Scalloped Oval dies (Spellbinders), Pennants dies (ODBD), Dot Fade stencil (Tim Holtz), Perfect Layers tool, piercing tool, pearls (colored with V15), seam binding (dyed with V15), Glossy Accents (Ranger), 3M dimensional tape
Techniques: Paper-piercing, fussy cutting, sponging, and stenciling
Card Size:  A-2