I have been searching for quotes about doors closing and other doors opening. While I found loads of them, they all seem to suggest that the door that is opening is far better than the one closing.

I don't feel that way.

I see it as just a different direction or path.

It is already obvious to anyone who has been here before, that this little blog is neglected.

My life changed directions last April.

I was offered a job.

I haven't worked (outside the home) in 16 years.

It was a GREAT thing. I was already doing the job for a year or so, and the position was created officially in April.

Simultaneously, I began to rekindle my love for serious photography.

I spent many years during college studying and practicing photography.

I thought when the digital age came there was no place for my darkroom love.

So for the past 2 years, I have been re-learning and re-discovering all the things I love about photography.

So my focus has shifted.

I still have a few stamp sets but I won't sell them anymore.

The business of Artsy Faith has closed.

I will still participate in Bible Art Journaling because I love it and it feeds me. I just won't be offering anything for sale.

Be encouraged to keep doing what you love, and I am thankful for all of the wonderful opportunities and experiences I have been blessed with.

Psalm 23 Artsy Faith Stamp Set

Here it is! You have seen the pin on pinterest and now the original artwork has been turned into a stamp for you to use in your own Journaling Bible!

The stamp is one stamp of 7 stacked overflowing teacups.

The stamp is made from high-quality photopolymer and is specially designed to work in the margin of your Journaling Bible.

While it was designed to work specifically in the margin of a Journaling Bible, it works great to use when making bookmarks, cards, or scrapbook pages.

You can purchase yours HERE

Keep in mind that I produce stamps in small batches. 

I am a one woman operation and enjoy what I do. 

Once the sets are gone they are gone. 

As always, I appreciate your support and business.

His Timing Isn't Always Our Timing

When I started Bible Art Journaling...

more than a year ago, I jumped in 100%! I was all in and it filled all of my free time. It seemed to me that I had found my perfect marriage of my faith and my need to be creative. As I created more and more, I was asked to teach a class. I did and made it available online so that anyone could create keepsakes of their own cherished verses. 

The stamp line came about because one of the ladies in the class asked if there were stamps available instead of doing the hand lettering. At that time, there  weren't any in the market place. I began to research what it would take to make a stamp line designed specifically for the margin of a journaling Bible. Over several months I began to put together what is now Artsy Faith. I had a plan for 25 stamp sets. I had hoped to produce 5 in my first year. This is the first place where my initial plan did not work with God's plan. 

First it took many more months than I had planned to get that first stamp set out. I had to learn about how to produce artwork for stamp production. It was frustrating but it was part of the process. Doing this in my free time also delayed the process. Eventually, I produced my first set.

Next, I had to learn how to get my stamps seen. I don't have a marketing degree and I think this part is harder than the stamp production! I am still learning. Eventually, I started to see steady sales and was able to produce a second set.

This second set was not what I had planned to produce, but I listened to those who purchased, and set out to give them what they wanted.

The first set is nearly sold out and I am waiting on the manufacturer on my third set. So what happened in between? Why such a long time between sets? Well, during all of this time I was also doing volunteer work at my church.-creative work to help improve our branding, website, slides and that sort of thing. After returning from a trip abroad, I was offered a part-time position on staff at our church! I was humbled and elated to be able to continue doing what I was doing! So at this point my free time became nearly non-existent as I transitioned to working part-time. It has been a blessing and I think it will add to what I am doing with Artsy Faith. 

I have continued to create verses in my Journaling Bible, I just haven't had the time to keep up with the blog. I am hoping to change that during the summer months. What I have learned during this time is that I have to listen to the Lord and let Him guide me. So while I am not as far along in my Artsy Faith as I had planned, I have a job that I never dreamed of -or thought possible! I have been so blessed by both experiences. 

I wanted to share this to explain why everything slowed down. I am still here. A new set should be available in July, and another in late August. 

The next set will be a set that is made from this artwork:

The next release will be a set that is made from this artwork:

This set will have 4 stamps: the branch, the hive with the verse, a bee, and bee trail.

If there is something you would like to see in a stamp set, please let me know. 

If you are on my email list, you will get notification of the new stamp sets before they go on sale. 

I really do appreciate your support and hope that these sets will help you create meaningful verses in your own Journaling Bible.

I hope to be posting once a week. If there are topics or techniques you would like to see, please leave me a comment. 

This verse I did as a reminder of the forces that work against us. There was a time when I did not believe in an enemy. After I accepted Christ, I still wasn't sure about how the devil worked in my life. I ended up reading CS Lewis' The Screwtape Letters and then it became clear how the enemy had been at work in my life. I wanted to do this verse to keep me grounded in truth and fully aware of the things that can't be seen.

I sketched it in pencil, used micron pen for the verse, and watercolor paint for the "force field" and darkness. I used a heat gun on a low setting to dry the paint and that allowed me to layer on a bit more paint to intensify it in some areas.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a blessed day!

Back to the Blog -found something so cute!

I saw the cutest custom Journaling Bible that had a hand painted monogram and hand lettered tabs. It was adorable and it was $95. 

While I think the price is right considering the cost of the Bible and the time to hand letter and hand paint...

I knew it was something I could do myself. 

The timing was perfect too. I have a friend that asked me to re-create some of my Bible pages so that she could mat & frame them and offer them in an auction. 

(When I have details on the auction, I will be sure to post)

So I ordered an extra Bible that I could cut pages out of and use for this purpose.

They were so inexpensive on Amazon, I ordered two!

And that is when I found this adorable custom monogram with tabs.

I decided I would try it out on my Bible that I am cutting the pages out of.

And so this post is the result.

I started with paper.

I had ordered 2 packs of this garden themed paper from Stampin' Up! I loved that it had black in it (works well for the cover), it is two-sided (24 prints), and there is matching washi tape!

I found a font that I could use to guide my drawing

I sketched my J using a white pencil

and then I painted it using white acrylic paint.

While that was drying I began punching out my tabs using Stampin' Up! decorative label punch

I cut them using a paper trimmer 

and then began hand lettering the tabs

This part I did in stages. I did some of these and then would take a break and paint. I went back and forth between the two until I finished.

I used Stampin' Up! re-inkers to tint white acrylic paint

I used paint brushes and toothpicks to paint and add detail.

I used the low-setting on my heat tool to dry in between layers.

I have been missing my blog and am happy to post again. I  was in India last month and went to see Beth Moore LIVE not long after I returned (this month) so I haven't been home much and now I am trying to catch up with life.

I have missed my Bible Art Journaling and was super excited to do this project.

Happy Easter to you all!

2 Corinthians 10:4

I started out doing 2 Cor 10:5-6 and ended up instead with verse 4

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

I had a day of struggle... again. Friends, I am flawed and some days more flawed than others.

On the day I started this I was trying to get my emotions in check.

and this verse just really helped me put things in perspective.

I have a verse on the next page and I worried that the watercolor paint would soak through, but it didn't. I used watercolor and heat set it quickly. I added a layer of white watercolor paint and heat set. I used colored pencils to help define edges and add some golden colors. I had to go over my lettering again. 

Hope y'all are finding verses that are meaningful to you and are exploring your creative side with your faith! You don't have to be an "artist" to love your journaling Bible!

If you need a little help with your lettering or banners, Artsy Faith has two stamp sets available to help you Bible Art Journal CLICK HERE

Be encouraged my friends!

Psalm 51:10

This week I had a day where I was struggling with those around me.

I was super frustrated.

Some of it was my own condition and doing.

All I could do was reach for this Scripture.

I drew the verse and inked it and then wanted color like inviting water.

I inked it but didn't like the results. It looked like a muddy river and I wanted a sparkling pool.

I used some water color paints and it ended up closer to what I wanted.

I had to re ink the lettering.

Some days this is all I can pray.

And then I am thankful that I have these words to pray for strength and encouragement.

God knows each heart

and knows just how to reach and comfort each heart

Blows my mind

that He loves me like that!

I Belong to God | 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I had a post written out for this one and it was lost.

I am having one of those days.

But at the end of the day, I belong to God!

I did this one to go with the 1st verse I did on our identity in Christ.

You can see the original post HERE

This one is on the left hand side of the page and the other verse is on the right hand side.

This was colored with colored pencils.

God With Us

In December we studied Jesus' birth in Sunday school. And at the same time I began reading a book on the names of God.

God With Us.

It reminded me of one of my favorite verses in Genesis 3 

v.8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool^c of the day

That is God with them for sure.

I find such comfort in the verse and the name. 

Happy 2016!