I realized that I have never posted my “Garden Tea Party” fabric collection from Studio E Fabrics!  The collection is based on my Antique Victorian Pansy collection, but with a contemporary twist for fabrics.  Those of you digital crafters will recognize quite a few of the fabrics and see some new coordinates that were created to complete the collection.  LINK TO GARDEN TEA PARTY

The first fabric shown is a stripe that can be cut in many different ways to help add great pizzazz to your quilting or fabric projects.  Each length of fabric has 4 repeats of each stripe per yard so it is as economical to use as possible.  The second is a panel fabric that can be used to create place mats, tea cozies, aprons, pillows, curtains or other fun projects.   If you’re a quilter or love to sew home crafts or clothing I hope you’ll really enjoy the blend of contemporary and classic that we tried to accomplish in this collection.  Also, with the digital clip art kits that are available and ink jet printable fabrics, the sky is the limit in what you can create with the combination!

Overall there are 8 fabrics offered in 2 or 3 colorways to make your projects easy to customize to your own style and taste.  If you create something with my fabrics, I would LOVE to see it.  Feel free to leave your information in the comments section and I’ll email you personally.  I’d love to feature any projects that have been made (Cheryl, that’s a hint!!!)  I have another collection that will be releasing at the Spring Quilt Market and will bring that to you as soon as it is released.

I happened to pop by my Fabric company’s website today and my newest collection is up and will be in stores beginning in April 2010.

This is a classic Christmas Red and Green collection with a contemporary twist.

Here’s the link to the site: STUDIO E FABRICS

There is also a Panel Fabric for making pillows, aprons, quilt blocks or other creative goodies with.  The image is not terribly clear as it is 44″ wide and reducing it to 72 dpi does not give you the depth of detail that the original design has.

Additional fabrics include peppermint candy stick stripes, some elegant tone-on-tone patterns, the elegant snowflake pattern as seen in the panel fabric, the plaid that is shown there as well.  I can’t wait to see the printed fabrics!

I could not believe just how long it has been since I posted here.  I have slapped my own hand for being so naughty and will do my best to start picking up the pace on posting.

This paper pack coordinates with my new Deja’ Brew Digital Clip Art Kit, but with its contemporary color palette it can be used for much more than coffee-oriented designs.

There are 12, 12″ digital papers included in this kit for $2.98.  There is a third kit in this series that I will have out in another couple of days (hopefully!)  That kit is “Deja’ Brew Holidays” and has fall and winter art with a coffee theme.  All three kits color coordinate for your use.

Also, I have a FREEBIE bookmark and gift tag set that is available at this link:  LINK TO FREEBIE IN AIMEE ASHER STORE

LINK TO KIT IN THE STORE

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY:  1 Thess 5:16-18  Be joyful always; pray continually;  give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  NIV

COMMENTS:  I’ve been watching people for many years.  I am fascinated by watching how people weather the storms in their lives.  It seems that the same storm that swamps one person and begins to send them underwater elevates another person to a new place in their walk with Christ.  What makes the difference?  What makes one person  bitter and other better?

I’m not sure what the entire answer is but here are a few things I’ve observed over the years.  ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING.  Circumstances come and circumstances go — God’s will as expressed in the scripture above isn’t about the circumstances — it’s about our response to them.

An attitude of gratitude carries us to victory especially over difficult circumstances.  When faced with terrible struggles, those who lead a joyful life find their proper perspective by looking first to God.  They recount what He has done in their lives in the past and begin to expect Him to bring them through the current situation as He has many, many times before.  They express gratitude.  They look for the good that can be brought out of difficulties.  They ask God to use their current circumstances to touch others.  They ARE NOT “ME” CENTERED, but are others and God-centered.

So far in my life, I have not yet met a continually depressed person whose life is characterized by a spirit of gratefulness and thanksgiving.  For those that struggle with depression, I know that it can be a physical issue, a mental issue and a spiritual issue.  Without discounting the physical aspect, there are ways that you can take control of your thoughts and choose to express gratitude for what you have and look up to God to make a way out of the darkness you feel trapped in.  Your focus and attitude can change your feelings.

This scripture is a command.  Notice it doesn’t say “Feel joyful.  Feel prayerful.  Feel grateful?”  Instead it says “Be joyful always.”  What’s the difference?  Choice, pure and simple.  I can choose to be joyful.  I can choose my attitude and usually the feelings follow.  If I wait for the feelings to take the steps toward the action I’m usually waiting and waiting and waiting….

When dreary thoughts come, try this exercise.  Think about what God has done for you in the past week, month, or year and thank Him for His faithfulness.  When you feel overwhelmed and depressed or perhaps feel that no one cares for you — ask God to show you someone who you can make a difference in their life today.  Turn your thoughts outward rather than inward.

If you wish someone would call to cheer you up, find someone to call and cheer up!  Be joyful!  Spread joy!  Be thankful!  Spread thanksgiving to others.  Find someone who is doing a great job and tell them so!  Do you wish someone would take notice about what you are doing for them?  Do you feel unappreciated?  Trust me we ALL have to admit to feeling this on a regular basis, LOL!  Look for someone else that is doing kind things and express your appreciation.  These actions can go a long way to lifting your depression and blahs.

Joy is contagious!  Gratefulness is contagious!  Living in an attitude of thanksgiving produces great joy and satisfaction in our lives — without our circumstances changing one bit and if they do change?!  Whoo hooo hoooo!  IT’S PARTY TIME!

PRAYER:  Lord, sometimes I find my eyes become downcast and I become so focused on my own needs that I can’t break loose of depression and heaviness of heart.  Show me how to be joyful.  Help me to learn that joy is an action not a feeling.  Teach me the attitude of joy and gratefulness.

Remind me of all you’ve done for me in the past that I might express my heart of thanksgiving towards you in a new way.  Let thanksgiving fill my heart and my mouth so that I can be filled with your presence and joy.  Show me others who are in need of the joy of the Lord today and help me to be bring a ray of light to their dark and dreary world.

I finally was able to spend a morning getting a new digital clip art kit into the store!  This one has been long awaited by many of you.  It’s my Deja’ Brew Coffee Collection.  For those of you that are quilters or love to sew you may have already seen the fabrics that debuted in January with Studio E Fabrics.  This digital clip art kit coordinates with the fabrics and if you love to sew the possibilities are endless.  You could design and print your own coordinating pieces on printable fabrics such a Pabric (www.pabric.com) and create a whole kitchen decor between the items you print yourself and the fabric panel from Studio E or the coordinating fabrics!

For those that don’t sew you’ll also find plenty of ways to use this artwork, especially if you love to create your own gift/food products for gifts or as a crafter.  If you don’t sew, try using the coordinating fabrics as your “gift bag” by cutting out large circles of fabric with pinking shears, putting your cookies, chocolate covered coffee beans or other goodies inside the fabrics and creating your own gift tags, product toppers or other packaging options.

There will be a paper pack to coordinate and a Deja’ Brew Holidays that contains both fall and winter designs that coordinate.  Look for them in the next couple days if everything goes okay.  Enjoy!!

LINK TO CUSTOM BABY BOY NAME FRAME KIT IN STORE $9.98

LINK TO CUSTOM BABY GIRL NAME FRAME KIT IN STORE $9.98

I’ve been working on a really fun idea, one that’s very different than my usual product.  When I first started my framed print business, I designed a fun baby room name frame called “Brennan’s Bears” (which was because my last name then was Brennan)  These were framed 8″ x 20,” hand watercolored individually created artwork that sold for close to $100.00 framed.  I always have enjoyed the specialty baby business and creating gifts that can be treasured for a lifetime.

I wanted to update that product line and came up with “Jungle Babies.”  This is a item that I will custom create for your baby, grand baby or baby gift.  You order your item by downloading the instruction kit, which consists of an instruction sheet on how to order your custom name, and two idea sheets with suggestions and instructions for what you can make with the art when you receive it.

Once we receive your email telling us what the baby’s name is and the color combination you would like to order, we digitally create your own custom artwork and send it to you within two weeks or less (the goal is always to send it as fast as possible).  You will receive via email your artwork in two sizes, a 14″ x 4 1/2″ version that can be printed out on legal sized paper (8 1/2″ x 14″) and an 11″ x 3 1/2″ that can be printed out on standard letter sized paper.  Both are jpeg files of original water colored art work with your baby’s name surrounded by jungle animals that is suitable for framing or making a variety of crafts with.

We give you instructions on how you can make a simple plaque version of this artwork to hang in your child’s room.  We also give you some ideas of how you can print this art on printable fabric and create a quilt, a crib bumper, a pillow or a diaper stacker.  Print it on iron-on transfer paper and make a baby onesie and a matching Grandmother’s sweat shirt, the ideas are endless!

LINK TO HAPPY EASTER 2 CLIP ART KIT IN THE STORE $4.98

Three more Easter/Spring Digital Clip Art Kits have been released today.  There is a second Easter Clip art featuring two Easter Bunnies, more Easter eggs, papers, tags and other fun art.

The font used in making the word art with this kit is AJ’s Whimsical and it is available in the store in case you would like to coordinate all of the elements.

LINK TO HAPPY SPRING ALPHA IN THE STORE $3.98

There are also two alphabets that have been created to coordinate, one is a plain, striped, stamped 2 1/2″ tall alpha bet with two different versions of every letter in a large size and a third version in a smaller size.  This will allow you to create word art or titles that are “Upper” and “Lower” case even though the letters are all capitals.

LINK TO DECORATED HAPPY EASTER ALPHABET IN THE STORE $4.98

The second alphabet is a coordinate to the plain alpha and it is decorated with bunnies, chicks, eggs and flowers for Easter.  There are two totally different versions included to make creating words easier.  Mix and match the two alphas to create an endless supply of word art!

LINK TO HAPPY EASTER CLIP ART KIT IN STORE  $4.98

A couple of new kits to debut today!  I got some painting time in last week and created some brand new Easter art for children (naaah, my grandson had absolutely NOTHING to do with my motivation, LOL!)  There are 4-5 more kits in this collection coming over the next few weeks.  I hope you’ll enjoy them.

LINK TO ABIGAIL SCOTT’ S HOPPY EASTER TREAT BAG KIT IN STORE  $3.98

Also I’m reviving our “Abigail Scott DESIGN Studio” brand of printable digital crafting kits.  There’s a new kit using the “Happy Easter” art.  This is a fun kit that is very, very quick to assemble making it perfect for  doing treat bags for a classroom full of kids, a few kids in the neighborhood or perhaps for your own children or grandchildren.

I have also uploaded two of my previously released fonts to the store.  I have a couple more that I hope to get up soon as well.  Thanks for your patience!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY:  Job 4:4-6
Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees.
But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed.   Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope?  NIV

Eph 3:12-19
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.  I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

For this reason I kneel before the Father,  from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. NIV

DEVOTIONAL:  I’m continuing with our theme of understanding why our hearts become dry and shriveled spiritually.  When we experience dryness, how can we overcome it?  I’m tackling one of the most common reasons I have seen people pull away from God and that is their disappointment with Him over unanswered prayer or unexpected suffering.

All of us decide in our heart just how God “should” respond to our prayers or  circumstances, whether we realize it or not.  If God “fails” to perform as we wished, it is very easy to get discouraged, disappointed or even angry with Him.  When someone we love suffers and God doesn’t seem to be in the situation or someone that is dear to us is not healed but instead passes away, when the job we believe is perfect for us goes to a less worthy candidate, we can begin to harden our heart towards the Lord.

There are two different responses to suffering in the verses above.  One is from the book of Job and is a comment from one of Job’s friends who is observing him going through terrible suffering, with no apparent reason.  He believes that if Job is as righteous as he claims he wouldn’t be suffering.

The other is Paul encouraging others not to be discouraged at Paul’s own suffering on their behalf, but to be built up, filled with God’s love, encouraged and even empowered by it!

You will suffer at some point in your life.  You will be disappointed in God.  You will be disappointed in others.  You will become discouraged or saddened when the innocent suffer and the guilty appear to go free.  Life isn’t fair.  Life doesnt’ treat those we love fairly.  Will you pull away from God at this point or run toward Him?

I share with you the counsel of a wise saint of God who encouraged me early in my walk with the Lord.  She said, “A God you can control and manipulate isn’t much of a God my dear.  When life doesn’t go as planned, when God doesn’t do what you want — that’s when you have to decide ‘Who is God?’  Are you going to become your own God or will you let Him be?  Will you trust that He understands more than you and is working His purposes or will you pull away?”

Sometimes we will see in our lifetime the “Why” answered.  The job we wanted disappeared a year after we would have gotten it.  The home we were so sure was perfect for us sold before we could buy it, and a better one appeared soon thereafter.  But most often, like Job, we will never see the amazing plan of God, hidden in our suffering and the power of what He accomplishes through it.  Do you think Job might have gone through his suffering differently if he realized that multiplied billions of people would know his story and be encouraged by it?

If you don’t understand, praise God anyway.  If you’re hurting, choose to hand that hurt to Him and ask Him to use it to bless you and others.  If life is unfair — and it is, turn to the one who is perfect and who loves you perfectly.  If you’re angry with Him, tell Him that — He’s big enough to handle your temper tantrums.  The bible tells us that there are only two “gods,” the true God, our loving heavenly father and the false “god” of this world, Satan.  When you reject God as being “unfair” and turn away from Him you turn toward the “god” of this world… do you think he’s going to be fairer?!  Of course not, he wants to steal, kill and destroy you and everybody and everything you love.  But God loves you, trust Him in the middle of your pain and ask Him to help you through it.

PRAYER:  Lord, I am discouraged and weary.  Life isn’t going as I hoped or planned.  It seems like you are so far away from me and uncaring.  I know that isn’t true, but it feels like it.  Help me to praise you in the middle of the pain.  Help me to trust you when all I trusted in seems to be failing.

Restore my trust in You where I have allowed doubts and anger to destroy it.  Show me that you truly are God, You are real, You are powerful and You are sovereign over my life.  Please show me where my assumptions about You as God are off and teach me who You really are.  Please God, help my suffering to not be in vain but to be used to build me up and strengthen me that I might in turn strengthen others.

CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO EASTER EGG FAVOR BOXES IN STORE  $4.98

While I’m working on kits I got on a roll this morning!  These Elegant Easter Egg Favor Boxes are just adorable!  They’re the perfect size to fill with a few Hershey’s Kisses or other Easter candies.  The three eggs work beautifully together and can add an elegant touch to place settings at a family dinner, a women’s Easter brunch or other Easter gathering.  Add your own tags to them for place settings or to add all of the children’s names in a classroom.

There are photographic instructions included so it’s very easy to figure out how to put these together and even an older child could do these.  Cutting and scoring are at a medium difficulty skill level.

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY:  Matt 11:28-30   “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  NIV

DEVOTIONAL:  Continuing on yesterday’s theme — when we are spiritually dry there are a few common reasons.  Sometimes we are in sin, sometimes we are disappointed with God or our perception of God’s “fairness,” sometimes we are caught up in the world around us and sometimes we’re caught up in worrying.  I’ll go over each of these in successive devotionals, but today I’m going to talk about the most common reason we get spiritually dry and that is we grow weary.

Weary, tired, exhausted, overwhelmed — these are the most common words I hear in my daily life when I ask people how they’re doing.  I bet you hear it/say it too.  We’re all doing too much, in too little time with little or no rest to restore ourselves.

Did you notice the “rest” in “restore.”  There is no restoration of energy without rest and there’s no shortcut to being refreshed.  Unfortunately you can’t plug yourself in like an electric car when you go to sleep at night to recharge in a few hours — it takes many consistent nights of adequate sleep to restore our bodies and with it our souls.

Jesus understands our weariness.  He wants us to come to Him, give him our weariness and burdens and find His rest.  I’ve discovered over time that His rest isn’t a magical formula, it’s a dramatic change about the way we approach all of life.  Are the tasks/assignments that you are stressing over, actually coming from the Lord or have you taken them upon yourself?  If the latter, His rest might come as you let go of the commitment.

Jesus pulled away from the crowds and sought communion with His Heavenly Father — even when it meant leaving the hurting masses.  Do you “leave” your family from time to time to go away and spend time with the Lord?  Most of us can’t physically get away, but we can go into our rooms each day and spend time seeking the Lord AND LEARN FROM HIM HOW TO FIND REST.

Start your time with Him with a simple prayer and ask Him to help you find out the root reason that you are weary and discouraged.  Then ask Him to lead you to the scriptures that will speak to your need.  It can be as simple as looking up “weary” in a good concordance and following the trail of scriptures.  Then I find that “pray-reading” the scripture is a great way to take it into my own heart and give the Lord permission to do the work necessary to change my heart.  The prayer at the end today is an example of how I like to “pray-read” the word.

If you are dry, or maybe you’re even in a long season of drought, you won’t feel restored over night.  You probably won’t feel different at all for quite a while, but I promise you, if you continue seeking His rest you will find it.  And with it you’ll find the refreshing rains of his living waters.  You’ll find the rains that bring forth the spring flowers.

PRAYER: Lord, you have commanded me to come to you when I grow weary and burdened.  I am so weary and dry right now.  I am so exhausted with carrying my burdens that I have come to you to find your rest.  Please show me what I need to do in my life.

You have told me that if I take your yoke upon my shoulders it will be a comforable and restful yoke.  My work will be less painfu, be more easily accomplished and lead to rest.  Help me to learn from you.  Teach me about where my life is out of balance and headed in a wrong direction and teach me what needs to be changed and perhaps more importantly, how to change it.

Thank you that you aren’t angry with my weakness, you understand.  You’re gentle and understanding and have a desire to lead me into your rest.  AMEN.

(NOTE: Click on images to enlarge for better viewing)  I bet a lot of you don’t know that I got my start as a professional artist in the medium of Stained Glass.  My sister had been in business for a couple of years and taught me the basics.  My career took off from there.  I did craft shows, custom design work and even helped her in a custom commission for turret windows in the rebuilding of a Victorian Mansion in Ventura County.  The mansion had burned to the ground during restoration work.  The Historical Society was able to pull together the best crafts people of the modern age and recreate the home, it was amazing to see.

One of the things that convinced me to give up doing stained glass work was the poisonous nature of the materials involved.  Lead and other dangerous compounds were in almost every supply I used on a daily basis.  I valued my health too much to compromise my life-expectancy for art.

Fast forward to the CHA show and I discovered some wonderful soldering products that can be used for creating jewelry and are entirely lead free.  Simply Swank has a delightful range of products for making very fun and contemporary charms and other jewelry pieces both easily and safely.

In the picture above, There is a delightful contraption that holds your piece so that your hands are free and don’t get near the extremely hot liquid metal.  This is quite helpful especially in soldering tiny charms.  This item can be used for many other projects than making jewelry.  It literally is your “third hand!”

HERE’S THE LINK TO THE SIMPLY SWANK WEBSITE

Think of all the uses that this jewelry craft can make of the digital art you probably already own.  Think of the heart-touching jewelry you could make with your treasured family vintage photos.  The look can vary from Victorian to contemporary to very feminine!  I’m hoping to get my daughter, Jennifer (the jewelry making daughter) started in this so she can make me some fun jewelry pieces.

You can also use copper foil and solder to create magnets, sun-catchers, wind chimes and dozens of other crafts.  HERE’S ANOTHER LINK TO SOLDERED ORNAMENTS FOR IDEAS.

Later I’ll share a company that produces a microwave kiln for producing fused glass!  Talk about AWESOME, wow that looked like so much fun.

Unfortunately, I can not remember the booth name on these next pictures.  Some “reporter” I am!  However, I thought this was a great picture of what could be done for a little girl’s birthday party using your extra scrapbooking supplies or digital art.  I loved the little feather boa trim on the hats — and what little girl wouldn’t too?!

On the shelf below is a cute idea for party goodie bags.  Using rolled up paper to match they’ve simply filled the tubes with goodies and wrapped them in cellophane and tied off the ends.  So simple but so cute.

The head band crowns are much easier than the wonderfully complicated and elegant K & C examples.  Dollar Tree would be a great source for the head bands and then simply cut the shape and decorate with either decoupage flowers or silk flowers, jewels, glitter and other fun embellishments.

Up above the same display was hanging an “Oh So Simple” birthday banner.  They used a gathered lace base and glued on decorated circles ith the letters.  You could also add streaming ribbons to the banner and dimensional layers such as butterflies or flowers to dress it out further.

Taking this same idea a little further, you could create a birthday banner for any theme.  For a garden party, use flower shapes.  For a tea party, use tea cup shapes.  You can print them easily on standard sized printers with your usual paper.

I saw these at a make and take for felting.  If you’ve never tried felting, it is about as easy a craft as there is and just watching her repeatedly plunging the felting needle rythmically into the project produced a soothing, restful feel.

These cupcakes were just so cute!  Wouldn’t they make an adorable centerpiece?  All they did to make them was decorate styrofoam balls cut in half with felting wool material.  They used pearl stick pins and a small painted, glittered ball with some felt leaves.  The cupcake base was felt that was cut with pinking shears and stitched lines made the “folds.”  If you substituted another material for the styrofoam balls, wouldn’t these make an adorable pincushion?

LINK TO KIT IN STORE

Specially priced only until December 15th at $3.98, this fun craft kit is so easy to print and assemble.  It’s the perfect size to fit up to a dozen cookies to give away for your yearly cookie exchange.  The kit includes a Chinese take-out style box (4″ x 4″ x 4″) with 3D accents, matching gift tag card, two additional tags and two versions of a recipe card to print with the cookie recipe that you’ve used.

There are many, many gingerbread kits that I have created which are available in the store.  These kits can be used to make additional items to match with this box and create a truly custom Christmas Gift Basket.

This is a brand new kit never before offered for sale.  Art & kit Copyright Audrey Jeanne Roberts

THE CHRISTMAS STORY: Luke 1:26-38

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be frightened, Mary,” the angel told her, “for God has decided to bless you! 31 You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin.”

35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s already in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.”

38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true.” And then the angel left. NLT

COMMENTS:  Mary was very young, many experts believe she was around 13 or so.  She had been raised in a faith that taught their young women that they could one day become the mother of the messiah.  She would have known many of the scriptures and yet like us, would never have believed that she could actually be “the one.”  Her response shows humility, willingness and a complete submission to God’s highest purposes.  Her willingness to say, “Yes” to God is an incredible example to us who follow her.  Have you said “Yes, God.  What ever you will in my life?”

Mary’s saying “Yes” would lead to great and soaring highs and terrible lows.  She would be blessed to kiss the face of God, she would be heartbroken as she saw her son, the Lord of the Universe, hanging on a cross dieing for something she didn’t quite understand at that point.  She would see her son rise from the dead and know that he sat at the right hand of the Father.  But as a mere child of thirteen she couldn’t yet comprehend the impact her saying “Yes” would have, instead she simply trusted God.   So should we.  “Yes, Lord” should be our constant answer — it’s mine, can you make it yours today?

PRAYER:  Lord, I can’t even imagine what you might be desiring to do with my “oh so ordinary” life.  I certainly can’t imagine an angel appearing to me like Mary, and my being able to so instantly and so trustingly say “Yes” to your plan.

But my desire is to always be willing to say, “Yes” to you.  Help me overcome any reluctance or fear and give me the strength and willingness that I need to be useful to your purposes in this world.  Lord, this day I say “Yes” to your will in my life.  AMEN

LINK TO FREEBIE GIFT TAG HERE.

This freebie is courtesy of Kath (“the Brat”) from The Aimee Asher Community www.aimeeasher.com

Kath is such a giving person, and wanted to share her creativity with all of you.  She made this tag using my “Windows on Christmas” Digital Clip Art and Crafting Kit LINK TO KIT HERE and a kit that hasn’t been loaded into the store yet, “Victorian Rose Christmas”

This freebie also kicks off our Christmas Story reading, which begins in the post below this one.  Each day I will post a little of the Christmas Story to help all of us keep our focus in the chaos of the season.  Come bring your cup of coffee or tea, put your feet up and join all of us as we prepare for the holidays together!

CLICK HERE FOR STORE LINK FOR “TRICK OR TREAT” Available now in the store for $6.97, this set uses the brand new “Trick or Treat” art by Audrey Jeanne Roberts.  This is a delightful party or gift giving solution.  Printable crafting set includes two sizes of gift bags or totes, a three dimensional candy wrapper for Hershey’s 1.55 oz chocolate bars, 6 nugget wrappers for Hershey’s nuggets, a popcorn box and a small goodie box to fill with your own special treats.  This sweet and innocent Halloween kit will charm any little person in your life or maybe yourself!

All files are 300 dpi jpeg.  Images are copyright Audrey Jeanne Roberts, 2008.

If you’ve never tried to create your own printable crafts discover just how easy it is to put your computer and printer to work creating special parties or gift giving solutions!  Just a little cardstock or photo paper, a little ink and a few simple tools and you can custom create 1-100+ party kits without leaving home!

CLICK HERE FOR STORE LINK FOR “SINFUL DESSERTS” Nothing tastes quite as sweet as sinful desserts! Using Audrey Jeanne’s “Sweet Desserts” Digital Clip Art Kit (preview on the post below this one) and her “Chocolate Love” sets, this sweet kit has a beautiful variety of recipe gift items. There’s a 1” x 5” x 6.5” gift recipe box to put your 4” x 6” recipe cards in. There are labels in many sizes decorate jars & containers for your home-made “Sinful Dessert” gifts. Tie a recipe card on the jar or use the labels as gift tags, the possibilities are endless and quite inexpensive. .

This is a large kit with 16 single recipe cards, 5 two-sided recipe cards, a gift box, and 5 labels that fit Kerr jars, Rubbermade “Take Alongs” and other packaging options.

All files are 300 dpi jpeg. All templates were designed, created and copyrighted by Abigail Scott DESIGN Studios. Images are copyright Audrey Jeanne Roberts, 2008. Special thanks to Atomic Cupcake. Limited commercial crafting use allowed, see Angel Policy Terms before purchase.

CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO THIS KIT IN THE STORE I think that one of the most special gifts that someone can give is a gift of handmade food.  Especially in this day and age where the fine art of food preparation as an expression of love has taken such a hit from our chaotic, time-crunched lives.  Since I’m not much of a cook myself, my gift of PAINTING food has to be my focus, LOL!

This kit was created strategically to make creating your own recipe cards, gift tags or gift packaging very easy to do.  In addition to the 4 papers that are included in the kit, you can use the Chocolate paper pack, AJROB_184_AA as most papers in that kit will coordinate perfectly.

Abigail Scott DESIGN Studios brand will be creating a recipe card set that uses both the Chocolate Love sets and this one.  Those sets will include a small recipe card gift box that will hold your recipe cards and make your gift complete.  If you have treasured secret family recipes you would like to pass along to a new bride in the family, or have quick and easy dessert recipes that you would like to send along with your gift to make a great impression, these kits will make that task very, very easy for you to do.