The Container Challenge

 Hey Everybody, 

Angie's challenge was to use containers. You can find her challenge here.  

I knew exactly which stamp set I wanted to use. I used Potter's Clay by Verve.  I dry embossed white cardstock with the Cuttlebug embossing folder called, Decorative Tile. Then I pulled the distress oxide inks across the debossed side. I used broken China and Faded Jeans. I stamped the vases with pretty peacock, boho blue and lost lagoon inks. Then I die cut the vases. Then I stamped and fussy cut the greenery. I stamped the sentiment and cut it out with my paper trimmer. I used my triple corner punch to round one corner and add a decorative corner opposite it. I added a strip of night of navy cardstock to ground the vases. The images and sentiments were added with dimensionals. I dabbed a small dot of gold stickles in the center of each small diamond.

Keywords: F4A842 BVC26

Stamps: Verve Stamps-Potter's Clay

Paper: white, night of navy

Paper Size: A2

Ink: Distress Oxides-broken china and faded jeans, SU-pretty peacock, night of navy, boho blue, lost lagoon

Accessories: Verve dies, dimensionals, scissors, Cuttlebug Decorative Tile Set, Gold Stickles, dimensionals, SU triple corner punch

Techniques: direct to paper on debossed side, die cutting, fussy cutting

This stamp set evokes both happy and sad feelings. I purchased this set along with other Christian stamp sets from the husband of a lady who used to frequent Splitcoaststampers, but passed away. I got a private message that he was trying to sell her things in bundles to help with expenses. I found quite a few Christian stamp sets that he had posted and purchased them.

The happy part of this set is the song it is taken from. I sang this song for years in church. Take a listen.

For me, it took a long time before I could sing this song and make it real for myself.  That's the way humans are made. We are full of ourself and full of pride and self-reliance. After becoming a Christian, I still wanted things my way a lot of the time and I tried to fix things that went wrong in my life. 

What I noticed though was that I began to pray, not my will, but yours. Not all the time, but little by little I did this.  I found the same thing with prayer. Instead of praying when things went sideways, I'd pray more often. I began to use prayer to thank God for what he'd done for me.  Sometimes when things happened I'd actually look up to heaven and say, "I know that was you!"

I began to be able to step back and watch what God could do in my life. I'm not saying since I've become a Christian, things are rosy and uncomplicated.  Far from it. I've had some of the most painful events in my life happen as a Christian. What I saw was God didn't keep me from the pain, but brought me through it each and every time.  These painful events change all of us. 

The thing I didn't do was to blame God for them or demand why I had to go through them?

I'd got back to my life verse, Trust in the Lord and the words in this song; You are the potter and I am the clay.

Life is very difficult and sometimes almost impossible. I often ask how people who don't have a belief and relationship with God, make it through a day let alone difficult times.

Well, there you have a little bit more of my beliefs and story.  I became a Christian in late 1983. My father passed away in August of 1983. That event brought about my walk with Jesus.

What about you? Do you have any stamp sets that have a story?  Maybe a reason you purchased the set or a reason you keep the set?

What would you use as a container for this challenge?

I thank you for stopping by today.

I truly appreciate it.

Blessings,

Sue