Fortitude - AJ Challenge Week 4

Done for Week 4 May AJ - Fortitude found here:  https://oscraps.com/community/threads/may-art-journaling-challenge-week-4-fortitude.42125/

Journaling reads:

When I have a problem in my life that needs a solution, one that is beyond my capabilities, seemingly, there are a few Scripture verses I contemplate followed by prayer. God has the strength I need no matter the circumstance in my life.

I can do all things through Christ Who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

My help comes from the Lord Who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. Proverbs 3:5, 6

Then, in Matthew 6:10, the Lord taught the disciples to pray, “Your will be done...”

Unfortunately, I don’t always heed this advice as I plow ahead and try to “do it myself.”  I usually end up making a big mess of things! Fortunately, God is Bigger than my messes!

Credits:

Queen Kit by et designs
Queen Sketches - Women by et designs
Queen Playing with Brushes by et designs
Seeds of Dreams Butterflies - Stamps by et designs 

 

June Color Play Sneak Peak

Release will be Thursday, May 29th.

Dream

Credits:

Created with Color Crush 86 by Joyful Heart Designs - May Color Play 2025

*Available in store* from Thursday 29th CST with the release of the Haps Newsletter.

Color Play - 2025 category: https://www.oscraps.com/shop/Digital-Scrapbooking-Coordinated-Color-Play-2025/

Let My Spirit Fly

Let my spirit fly.

Over mountains high

Spread my wings like an eagle

In the heavens above

Let my spirit fly.

I want to touch the sky

Adapted from “Let Your Spirit Fly”

Song by Jan Johansen and Pernilla Wahlgren, 2003 

Credits:

Created with Color Crush 86 by Joyful Heart Designs - May Color Play 2025

*Available in store* from Thursday 29th CST with the release of the Haps Newsletter.

Color Play - 2025 category: https://www.oscraps.com/shop/Digital-Scrapbooking-Coordinated-Color-Play-2025/

Dream Big

Like dandelion seeds

On the wind,

Let your dreams

Soar freely.

Credits:

Created with Dandelion Wishes by Mixed Media by Erin - May Color Play 2025

*Available in store* from Thursday 29th CST with the release of the Haps Newsletter.

Color Play - 2025 category: https://www.oscraps.com/shop/Digital-Scrapbooking-Coordinated-Color-Play-2025/

Make a Wish

Credits:

Created with Dandelion Wishes by Mixed Media by Erin - May Color Play 2025

*Available in store* from Thursday 29th CST with the release of the Haps Newsletter.

Color Play - 2025 category: https://www.oscraps.com/shop/Digital-Scrapbooking-Coordinated-Color-Play-2025/

Fantasy/Storybook Challenge

The Magic of the Night

Done for the Fantasy/Storybook Challenge #3 found here:  https://oscraps.com/community/threads/may-challenge-3-storybook-fantasy.42033/

Credits: 

Midnight Murmurs Collection by Art Addicts

 

April Monthly Review

Monthly Review April 2025

Journaling reads:

Left

A beautiful spring day to begin the month of April. We went to The Factory for brunch. We love the Carolina Sunrise egg and cheese sandwich. Then we went to DairiO for ice cream before going back to the house to play Qwirkle.  4/1/25

Female Downy Woodpecker 4/3/25

Where is that nut?  4/4/25

Ryan and Alayna’s Senior Formal 4/5/25

When Bro. Peter Halliman is in town, he, Kristy, and Bobby come to spend time shooting with Mark in the woods.  4/12/25

Asher enjoying the warmer weather 4/10/25

Time for a new hairstyle.  4/11/25

Right

When checking out of Food Lion, the clerk was giving away “out of date” flowers. They looked pretty good to me! So I decided to take some figuring they could die just as easily for me as Food Lion!  With the packet of preservative these lasted 2 weeks after I got them!  4/16/25

This tree was a threat to my she shed so Mark took it down.  4/18/25

This guy woke up from his winter nap hungry and feisty! 4/24/25

Ilene’s flowers are so pretty this year.  4/29/25

This month I have been doing some decluttering. And I still have lots to do!

I gave Rosa to Hannah since I bought the doll for her when she was a baby  4/18/25

Hilary and Billary  4/30/25

Every pair of Canada geese that hang around the church are named Hilary and Billary ever since Abby started calling them that when she was little after her Papaw Tim named them Bill and Hilary when Pres. Clinton was in office.

On the 26th, six of our ladies from church went to the annual Jubilee at Damascus Baptist Church. Afterwards, we stop at the Applebee’s in Statesville for lunch.

Credits:

MonthReview Template Album No 9 by Anna Aspnes

Budding Tales Collection by Art Addicts

Photos are mine

 

Monthly Review March 2025

Month Review March 2025

Journaling reads:  

Left: YAY! It’s bike riding season again!  Still just a tad chilly, but not enough to keep us from riding! We rode 4 times through the month:  3/11, 3/13, 3/14, 3/30.

Destination:  Ruby Tuesday 3/11/25

Male White-Breasted Nuthatch checking out the commotion on the other side of the feeder.  3/1/25

Brown-Headed Nuthatch is smaller than the White-Breasted cousin. Started coming to the feeder after the neighbors had his habitat of pine trees cut down  3/4/25

The pouring rain did not keep this house finch from coming to feed.  3/5/25

The birds around me hopped and played, 
Their thoughts I cannot measure; 
But the least motion which they made 
It seemed a thrill of pleasure. 
—William Wordsworth (1770–1850)

Beautiful daffodils 3/4/25

Mark doesn’t let me climb on the ladder to clean the windows, but it means more work for him.  3/8/25

Ilene wanted to fix supper for us, including black- berry cobbler. YUM! We rode the bike.  3/13/25

Right:  I worked 1 1/2 days to prepare these 28 freezer meals.  So worth the trouble!  3/16/25

I cut about 5” off. Next step - short! 3/19/25

Ilene spent the day. After supper we played Qwirkle in the woods. 3/21/25

Noah spent the night and went to church with us. 3/23/25

No school for Abby, so she spent the night and we went to breakfast  3/28

The 6 of us ate supper in Pfafftown and went to a comedy show at Vivienne Baptist.  3/29/25

Today we rode some of the backroads in the area from our house and around to Thom-A-Lex park and back to the house. 3/30/25

Credits: 

Blooming Garden Page Kit by ADB Designs (I changed the hue/saturation on the text paint in the bg to make it purple like the violets instead of blue.)
MonthReview Template Album No 9 by Anna Aspnes

Photos are mine

 

Month Review of February 2025

Month Review February 2025 

Journaling reads:  February came and went with no special events. Snow was probably the big news since we hardly get any in N.Carolina........but as usual when it snows in NC, it’s here today and gone tomorrow, which is fine by me!

Credits:

Echoes of Elsewhere - Kit by Joyce Paul
Echoes of Elsewhere - Brushes  by Joyce Paul
MonthReview Template Album No 9 by Anna Aspnes

Photos are mine

 

Christmas in January

I do spreads about special events, especially when my family gathers. This is the second spread for January 2025.

Christmas Gathering January 2025

Journaling reads:  We originally had our gathering scheduled for the weekend of Jan. 10 but the weather turned snowy for everyone. Unfortunately, we had to cancel which meant Nathanael would not be able to join us on the reschedule date of January 31 - Feb. 2nd. Michael and Jessica and Jennifer got in early Friday, so Jen brought Ilene with her as we met at Ruby Tuesday. Elisabeth and family had something going on and couldn’t join us.

Mark led the prayer for lunch on Saturday. There were 18 of us. If Sue, Nat, Sam, and Addy had been able to come, there would have been 22. When we get together, we always play games, inside and out.  Dirty Santa is probably everyone’s favorite activity.

Ryan’s girlfriend, Alayna, and her brother, Jamil, have joined several of our family gatherings as Jamil and Chance have become friends. The boys are always up to something crazy!

As usual, we ended the weekend by attending church together. I didn’t get any pictures on Sunday before everyone left. It was another great weekend, even though we missed Nat and family. We actually had decent weather all weekend, too!  Thank You, Lord!

Credits: 

All product by Anna Aspnes

MonthReview Template Album No 9
ArtPlay Palette Doniferous
MultiMedia Holiday No 10
Holiday Fastener Notions No 1
Holiday WordART Clusters No 3
MultiMedia Holiday No 11
Photos are mine

 

January 2025 Month in Review Spread

I'm way behind on my monthly review spreads. I will actually have 2 for months that our family gets together. January's, we gather to do our Christmas gathering. So, the spread below is dedicated to the birds that visit our feeders. I will do our Christmas gathering next.  May/June we gather for our summer get-together. That will happen the weekend after Memorial Day in a couple of weeks!  YIKES!  I need to get busy with the preparations!

For the Birds

Credits:

All product by Anna Aspnes

Take Flight No 1
ArtPlay Palette Take Flight
ArtsyTransfers Take Flight
MultiMedia Birds No 1
MultiMedia Branches No 1
ArtPlay MiniPalette Oisau
MultiMedia Trees No 1
MonthReview Template Album No 9 

Photos are mine