Blessings Abound!

Good Thursday all my crafty friends! I hope fall is beginning to set in wherever you may reside! We have had snippets here in my part of the country for sure, so I am getting super excited for the full blown season! I am being blessed this weekend with a road trip! Yep, I can't wait! I am launching off to a Women of Faith Conference in North Carolina and I can't wait!! It is such a timely trip for me right now! I need to get away, and not just get away, but with some lovely like-minded ladies, to go bask in the presence of the Lord!! I have never been to a Women of Faith Conference, but I understand that it will be awesome! I will also possibly have an opportunity to go visit Donna Downey's Studio! I am so stoked! I hope we get to make that happen! And I will also get to visit with my brother and sister-in-law while I am there! I am looking forward to an eventful weekend!

Today, I am going to share a journal spread that I had loads of fun with! I did this spread also as part of the Kraaft Shaak Kraafters Challenge over on Google+ (#KSCOCT15). This month the theme is "Leaves!" Woot, woot, I LOVE leaves, especially in the fall! I can't wait to see all the entries for the month! Everyone loves fall and I am sure there will be some colorful entries!

I really loved doing this page because as I have noted before, fall is my favorite time of year, but also because these area ALL my favorite colors to use! So this was a win/win for me!! LOL  I started this page with a coat of gesso and then I just dotted some PaperArtsy Fresco paints (Mocha Mousse, Evergreen, Irish Cream, Dusty Teal) here and there and and spread around with a baby wipe until I got the effect I was looking for. I then used various Unity Stamps for background stamping and used Vintage photo through a TCW Mini Chicken Wire stencil here and there as well.  I spritzed a top coat of Perfect Pearls Mist in Mint and then rounded it out by distressing the edges with Distress Ink in Peeled Paint and Vintage Photo. That's a LOT of different mediums going on there, so I sprayed a fixative over top so it would all stay in place.

I then simply just started gathering my elements for the pages. I had a RAK of leaves from a wonderful friend that I colored with ColorBox inks and clear embossed and then stamped out those fabulous bottles that I love with a stamp set from Graphic 45 onto some really yummy architectural paper and then sprayed with my fave Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays (Autumn Leaves Set). I then pulled a paper pad from American Crafts called Night & Fall and cut various pieces to make two boxes. I'm not real good at making things look dimensional, but it is what it is! :) Then I just adhered everything down with Mod Podge and Aleene's.

One of my favorite stamp sets is from Little Yellow Bicycle called "Faith." I use it a lot for cards, etc... I used a couple of the words from that set and then some words from a Quietfire Design stamp set called "Being Thankful." I stamped them with Archival Ink and then highlighted with my Sakura Gel Pen in white. Once everything was down, I went back with my Faber Castell Big Brush Pen in Nougat and gave shadows. I finished by taking that same pen around the edges and smudging out. Voila!

I try to always remain in a place of thankfulness, but this time of year always lends itself to reflection and thoughts of the many things we can be thankful for! My prayer for you today is that you take this season time to look inward and reflect on your own life and the many blessings you have been given. Maybe you have been struggling as of late? I am honored to tell you of the amazing "Hope" of Jesus Christ that brings an Eternal Blessing to all! He sacrificed Himself for you and I! His final act on the cross secured, for those whom believe, eternity with the Creator of the Universe! That is something that I will forever be thankful for! I am no longer dead to sin but ALIVE in Christ! Glory!

I pray this season of leaves brings an amazing display of color your way which will offer up to you opportunities to be thankful those things and people God has so strategically placed in your life!

I'm certainly thankful to ALL of my beautiful online friends who take the opportunity to come visit me here on my blog! Many blessings to you today! :)