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!