Christian Artists Street Team on Etsy

Business Topics: Showing God's love in your packaging

2012-02-14T08:41:00.000-05:00

Photo by Cathryn. Used with permission.

In today's age of expanded technology where the only communication with your customer is usually an automated response email, it's hard to find ways as a Christian artist to show God's love. When I started my business, a couple of years ago, my goal was not only to sell quality pottery but also to plant that little seed in every person that clicked on my website. Since most customers zoom in on that one item they love in your shop, some times they miss the message.

So in hopes of getting in the last word, I found these great labels that have scripture verses written on them. I wrap up my pieces in bubble wrap and I stick on one of these great tiny excerpts from the best selling book of all time with a prayer that the receiver has an open heart. These labels have been replaced on Current Catalog with new ones written about friendship. But who says you can't create your own? The Bible verse that touches your heart might just change the life of one of you customers. And now you have another reason to believe that every one of your sales is more precious than what it puts into your bank account!

Thanks,
Cathryn

by Cathryn of EdenPottery

Trust in The Lord

2012-02-13T07:32:00.000-05:00

I have embarked on a new adventure this year. I am renting a larger space in an art gallery cafe and joined the co-op for it. Last year I rented 4 feet in this store, now I have 10 feet of space and will volunteer and share in some of the profits. Before I said yes I prayed like crazy. Could I afford the extra cost?. Will my pottery and photography sell? We live in a tourist area which gets into full swing in May and slows down in October. Last year I made the rent and a bit more, but this was the first year, hopefully it will get better. Also I have only been in the area for 2 years and they say it takes 3 years to get established. Saying yes was a large step for me.
http://www.etsy.com/people/gracearchive

The second week of January, in church we were worshiping to 'God is our strength, he is our refuge, he is our fortress, in him I will trust'.

As we sang this song I felt the Lord ask me, "Do I trust him to sell my pottery in this store". Did I trust God? I know he asked me to do this so why do I doubt it? I felt I should speak to the church, prophecy what God was telling me. As I spoke this word to the church "trust me! trust me!" kept coming out of my mouth.

http://www.etsy.com/people/CraftyHomeschoolers?ref=ls_profile

Many in the church thanked for they have doubts too.

That evening the service again was trust me. Trust me has been ringing a lot in my ears. I have a feeling this will be my motto for the year.

Trusting God is not easy. It is a process. As Paul said we go from glory to glory. '2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in the mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord the Spirit'.

http://www.etsy.com/people/DesignsbyLindaNee?ref=ls_profile

I keep asking myself why I have a problem trusting God and falling back on my own strength. My strength has failed me many times, but God's has never failed me.

How many of us know we need to trust God yet struggle with this? Deuteronomy 30:6 Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so you may live.Verse 8-9 And you shall obey the Lord and observe all His commandments which I command you today. Then the Lord your God will prosper you abundantly in the all the work of your hand in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the Lord will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your father.'

We have so much to gain if we trust God and let him do the work in us for it is his job not ours.

I pray that I will trust God with all my heart, all my soul and all my mind. May this pray be for you too. Trusting God is way better than leaning on our own understanding.

Sunday Scripture - Love

2012-02-12T01:45:00.001-05:00

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Galatians 5:13-14 (NIV)

Felted Wool Pillow - Love Me Pillow in Red & Brown

Have a blessed Sunday!

Loretta / Thoughtful Gems Crafts

CAST Shop of the Week: KellyBermudez

2012-02-11T09:04:00.000-05:00

I am delighted to introduce you to Kelly of KellyBermudez. Kelly will be joining me as a volunteer blogger for the CAST Team working on this very Shop of the Week feature. Thanks so much, Kelly! Her lovely watercolors will surely delight you. My favorite is the fawn. The tagline in her shop is "Gentle Whispers Visual Devotions." Please take a moment to browse her shop and see for yourself what that means.

Fawn Original

Please note that the only way to be featured as the CAST Shop of the Week is to tag your shop items "castteam" on Etsy and to not hide your teams in your Etsy profile. You will also have to have at least 12 items to feature. Those are the ways that I find great CAST shops to feature each week.

CAST Members: If you have a minute or two, please feel free to favorite this shop or promote it on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or other social media. Thanks!

by Sue of SueRunyonDesigns

FRIDAY FINDS - PATIENCE

2012-02-09T16:10:00.001-05:00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/73462901/religious-bookmark-they-that-wait-upon

Ecclesiastes 7:8
The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.

2 Corinthians 6:6
in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;

Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

I have, for the past 5 months, been dealing with an anti-immune skin disease called Bullous Pemphigoid. Never heard of it? Neither did I and, honestly, I don't think that my Dermatologist had ever treated it before. She is very sweet and also very young in her profession.
I am now on the positive side of "remission" due to the power of prayer, God giving knowledge to my doctor on treatment and PATIENCE.

PATIENCE is a really good thing that is referred to in Scripture over and over again.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/85177859/fruit-of-the-spirit-appliqued-kitchen

Romans 8:25
But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Micah 7:7
But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

Sue Anderson

Blog Team volunteers needed

2012-02-09T08:46:00.000-05:00

We currently have several positions open on the CAST blog for volunteer writers.

Monday Devotional:

One writer and one alternate position need to be filled.

If you are a writer, this could be the place for you. Our volunteers write one original devotional each month and our alternate fills in each 5th Monday and has one other post always ready just in case.

Wednesday Featured Artist:

Two writer and one alternate positions need to be filled.

This requires a little organizational skill and familiarity with blogger, but no real writing talent. Featuring our CAST artists is one of the most important things we do. There is a set format for these posts. There is a real need for helpers here. If we don't get some volunteers we'll be forced to schedule this twice a month instead of weekly. Writers put together one post per month and our alternate fills in on every 5th Wednesday and as needed in a pinch.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Sue at SueRunyonDesigns by convo.

Hobo Tote Peacock Feathers by Amy Butler

If you cannot commit to any official CAST Blog volunteer position, you can still be an important helper. Comment on our posts to encourage all of our wonderful volunteer bloggers. It's the only payment they get for all their hard work. Also, click on shop or product links and favorite ♥ them or promote them a little in any social networking media you choose: Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Etsy Treasuries, etc. all are greatly appreciated!

Wednesday Featured Artist Cathryn Barger of Eden Pottery

2012-02-08T10:48:00.001-05:00

feature written by Elisabeth Arona of AronaDesigns

Today we are featuring Cathryn Barger of Eden Pottery! She has offered a giveaway of a beautiful "wonderfully purple" pendant (pictured below.) To enter, please go to her SHOP and find your favorite item, then come back here and comment telling us what it is! Remember, just commenting won't do it! Please include your email to make it easier to contact you!

Your name: Cathryn Barger
Your shop name(s): EdenPottery
Tell us about yourself!: I live in South Western, Ohio with my husband and 4 & 3 year old son and daughter. Since my home studio resides out in the country, I get a lot of my color inspirations for decorating my pottery from nature.

How did you get your start on Etsy? Before Etsy, sales had always come easy for me through fairs and shows. But after posting a few items on Etsy to just try it out, I was feeling a little discouraged with all the waiting for just one sale. It took a couple months, but I finally got my first sale after joining a few teams on Etsy.
How did you choose your shop name? I named my business after my biggest inspiration, my daughter Eden. Even though I had been creating pottery before she came along, she is the one I wanted to leave a legacy for. And even at the age of 3, she is already taking an interest in my work.

What does a typical day look like for you? I am still a mom first and a potter second, so I usually spend my time in the studio when the kids are playing quietly or in bed. I begin my day with finishing the pieces that I've thrown the night before. They need trimmed, altered or cleaned up before they are ready for their 1 week drying time. I usually sit down and throw several pots in a couple hours time. My stoneware requires two kiln firings, so I spend a couple hours a week just loading and unloading my kiln. There is also glazing my work, cleaning the studio, preparing the clay for the next day and so much more.
If you could be anywhere in the world for one day, where would it be? Ravenna, Italy. I've always wanted to go there after studying in school about their churches full of gorgeous mosaics. The country is rich with ancient pottery techniques, culture and food.

What is your favorite Bible verse? It's a verse that I have drawn to every time I had a need that I couldn't figure out how to meet. 'Call on Me and I will answer Thee, and show Thee great and mighty things that though knowest not.' Jeremiah 33:3
What is your favorite Etsy item listing to feature? The pie or casserole plate pictured above.
URLs to where else we can find you on the internet (Facebook fan page, Twitter, your own dot.com, your blog, etc)
www.edenpottery.com/
www.facebook.com/EdenPottery
www.twitter.com/EdenPottery
Thank you for agreeing to be featured Cathryn! Everyone go check out your shop and by all means enter to win her pendant!

Business Topics: Using a White Board

2012-02-07T09:03:00.000-05:00

by Kelly from SewEndless

I have been asked to share a very useful tool in my sewing room: My white board.

On my white board is a list of my orders. I bought dry erase markers in different colors with magnets on the caps so I can hang them right on the board (if it’s not too full). My orders are in black with potential orders and orders for which I need for information in purple. In green is a “shopping list” at the bottom. It tells me how much I need of my staple fabrics so I don’t have to calculate it every time. When I get really busy I draw lines between orders to represent how many I plan to finish in a week. If there are three green lines, that means I’m 4 weeks out.

When I finish an order I erase it from the top and move everything up if I need to make room. Each order has the name of the item(s), the name of the buyer and any special measurements, colors or notes.

My white board hangs on the wall right next to my cutting desk. From anywhere in my sewing room, I can check to see how many orders I have. If someone asks about how long an order will take, I can look at my white board and give them an approximate time. Or realize I had better pick up the pace.

Next to my white board is a calendar that will soon be the home of my production schedule. Now that I have almost 3 years under my belt, I’m going to sit down and write up a production schedule to give myself deadlines since I seem to work better that way. My schedule will consist of dates for seasonal items. For example, I know that I need to have my children’s school/book bags done by the time school shopping season hits, which is from the first week of July to the second week of August. So I will write down June 30 as my deadline for school bags.

by Kelly from SewEndless

Ruffled Handbag Purse Tropical Floral

Nothing Can Separate You

2012-02-06T17:01:00.004-05:00

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
~Romans 8: 38-39

Thoughts:

How many times have you gotten caught up in work, school, family, business, hobbies or any of life’s ‘extracurricular’ activites and one day looked up only to feel that you have drifted far away from God? What about when you go through the phases of looking at your bible in sheer obligation, where you know you need to read it but just can’t bring yourself to? So many other pressing obligations seem to shadow spending time with God. Have you opened your eyes one day to realize that you’ve stopped praying, stopped listening, and stopped spending time with God? To be honest, I have. It was like one of those many ‘new years resolutions’ that you make, to read and study and spend more time with God and then… life gets in the way.

Nothing can separate us from the love of God

First we must remember that the times we wake up feeling miles away from God, that nothing can separate us from His love. This means we can never wander away far enough to where God cannot reach out to us. So if nothing can separate us…then why do we feel distant? It is because WE separate ourselves. We let our lives get in the way of our relationship, and wind up unintentionally putting God on a back burner. Or, we find ourselves so deep in sin we become to ashamed to turn back to the God who so faithfully brought us out before. In the midst of these pitfalls we could fall into the doubt that God would still love us after all that we have done.

We must remember that nothing in this world can separate us from the love of God, and as long as we are alive, it is never too late to get right back up and get back on track. When we take one step towards God, God takes a huge step towards us and fills the gap.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." ~Matthew 6:33

Life... our lives are filled with dreams and desires, goals that we tend to spend a lot of time and effort trying to bring to life. Sometimes we spend more time trying to make our goals a reality, then spending time doing God's work. But what does God say about this?
We have read the above scripture more than once…but have we really took time to understand what it means? It is God telling us that if we just get into His word, pray to Him and focus on Him, that He will simply GIVE us all the things we are spending our time trying to give to ourselves. That GIVE God our time and attention, and He will GIVE us our desires. Now who but our wonderful loving God would make a trade like that?

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, let us turn our attention back on You, and put the time and effort we have carelessly used elsewhere to furthering Your Kingdom. And Lord, should we have fallen short, please forgive us of all our sins and remove our guilt and shame. Let us remember that no matter what You love Your children, and wait with open arms for us to return. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Till Next Time
God Bless
Amanda of AstriaLegends

Sunday Scripture - 2 Corinthians 5:20-21

2012-02-04T21:19:00.001-05:00

"Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:20-21

White Turquoise Cross with White Turquoise Rondelle Beads and Antique Brass Swarovski Crystals
by Turtle Dove Gems

Happy Sunday!
Melanie/Beads-N-Style

CAST Shop of the Week: holmescraft

2012-02-04T09:47:00.003-05:00

Introducing one of my all time favorite CAST Team shops. Holmescraft makes the most incredible wire wrapped rings on Etsy. Grab a hot beverage and relax while you browse through this shop. You will be utterly amazed.

14K Gold Filled Wire Wrapped Beehive Ring

Team members, feel free to show this shop some CAST Team love by adding it to your favorites, using items in treasuries and promoting it on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. Thanks!

by Sue of SueRunyonDesigns

Recipe of the Month: Taco Soup

2012-01-31T11:04:00.000-05:00

Taco Soup

INGREDIENTS: 1 lb. ground beef, turkey or chicken

1 Lg. onion chopped

3 (16 oz.) can kernel corn with liquid

1 (16 oz.) red kidney beans drained

1 (16 oz.) black beans drained

1 (16 oz.) chopped tomatoes with liquid

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 ½ c water

1 (4-5 oz.) chopped green chilies

1 (1 ¼ oz.) pkg. taco seasoning

1 cup salsa

1 envelope Ranch salad dressing

Cook meat and onion until no longer pink. Drain. In the mean time, in a big pot, add all other ingredients. Add meat mixture when done. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and simmer covered for about 30 minutes.

This yummy recipe can be served with toppings listed below. It tasted great with corn bread and or a side salad.

TOPPING: Shredded cheese

Lettuce

Sour cream

Guacamole or chopped avocados

Tortilla chips

by Regina of reginatherrienstock

Sunday Scripture: Love and Friendship

2012-01-29T08:36:00.000-05:00

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

2 Peter 1:5-7

Blank Note Cards, Valentine's Day Cards, Set of 3 Valentine Candy Hearts Photo Note Cards, 5x7, Blank Inside

by Sue of SueRunyonDesigns

CAST Shop of the Week: HandiworkinGirls

2012-01-28T09:24:00.001-05:00

I have to admit being drawn to rugs of all kinds. HandiworkinGirls shop has these wonderful, colorful t-shirt rag rugs that keep catching my eye. In addition, you'll find all sorts of other great handmade items for your home from re-usuable gift bags (also something I'm very fond of) and doll clothes. Click on the shop link and browse to your hearts content.

Rag Rug T Shirt Rug Coral Melon Pink Peach Cottage Chic Farmhouse Kitchen Rectangle 24 in by 33 in FREE US SHIPPING

CAST Members: If you have a minute or two, please feel free to favorite this shop or promote it on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or other social media. Thanks!

by Sue of SueRunyonDesigns

Friday Finds - Time

2012-01-27T10:30:00.000-05:00

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9 (NIV)

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8 (NIV)

Katy Pixels

Time - it's one of those things with which we humans seem to be obsessed. The cosmetics industry sell products which claim to effectively reverse or slow down the effects of time on our skin and looks. A quick look in a bookstore or a Google search online will provide one with various books and techniques for improving one's time management. As a busy mother of two little ones, I am always wishing for more time to get our various activities and chores done or wondering why things can't be done faster. And as someone who struggles with impatience, waiting for answers to queries, a task to be completed or just for the red light to turn green can be tedious.

Amy's Top Stitching Co.

But God views time differently from us. He is patient and his timing is always perfect. God doesn't run late, he never runs out of time or makes mistakes; I would even say that, being eternal, he is outside of time. The Bible tells us that God is never slow to keep his promises, but that he does everything at the right time. I know that sometimes that can be hard to remember, epsecially when you have been calling out for an answer to prayer or wondering why something happened in your life. Did you know that the Israelites were in Egypt for 430 years before God brought them out and led them to the promised land? Reading that passage in Exodus certainly put things into perspective a little for me!

Romantique Punk

So what does this mean for us? For me, it is a reminder to be patient like God is, and to remember that he does care for us and keeps his promises in good time. It is also a reminder that I need to pray to God, asking for patience and for an increased trust in Him. What about you? Are you still waiting for an answer to prayer? Or do you need to work on your patience? Then don't forget to spend some time in prayer and take comfort in the knowledge that God's timing is right.

Deb (dspdavey-Two Cheeky Monkeys)

Made by the Margerums

Featured Artist - Darla Noble of DSquaredCrafts

2012-01-25T21:32:00.000-05:00

by Melanie Arntsen of SqueakyBug Specialties

Introducing Darla Noble of DSquaredCrafts!

Introduction: I am a young housewife who loves crafting. Almost all the presents I give are hand made, whether it is sewing, crocheting, making jewelry, folding origami or a multitude of other things, I love crafting.

How did you get your start on Etsy: I was introduced to Etsy through a friend who uses it and I was initially an Etsy customer.

How did you choose your shop name: My shop name is a combination of my name, my love of math and science and my love of crafting.

What does a typical day look like for you: My typical day begins with making a nutritional breakfast and getting my child ready for and to school (this includes a Bible and prayer time). Then I do housework, spend time with God and if I am lucky, I have some time for crafting. Next I pick up my child and make dinner and spend time with my family.

If you could be anywhere in the world for one day, where would it be: If I could go anywhere for a day it would be to Japan. I have been there several times and I have a heart for the people. It is a country that has little knowledge of God. Less than one percent of the country is any Christian denomination. Japan is also where I found my interest in origami.

What is your favorite Bible verse: My favorite verse is Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." ESV This verse reminds me that I am not saved by my own doing and gives me comfort and security.

What is your favorite Etsy item listing: My favorite Etsy listing to feature is my Origami Angel ornament.

Where else can we find you on the web: You can also find me at www.facebook.com/pages/My-Etsy-Shop-DSquaredCafts/154415647937296

...and the winner is... The winner of the giveaway from our last Featured Artist, Hannah from bananaorangeapple is... Unexpected Treasure CONGRATULATIONS! I have sent you both a convo to let you know.

What is a BNS? and FAQ

2012-01-24T08:11:00.000-05:00

by Crystal of krafterscorner

BNS stands for "buy and stay." It is an Etsy treasury that is set up with 15 or 16 shops that have purchased a spot where they are featured. When you buy from a shop in the treasury, you take their place in the next round. You are not guaranteed a sale, but it is good for shop publicity. In the CAST BNS you do not have to purchase the featured item, it can be any item from the featured shop.

CAST BNS

If I buy in, when will I be featured?

Once a full round of 15 sales are made.

Am I guaranteed a sale?

No, not every shop makes a sale in every round.

How do I profit from it?

Your shop is featured until we make 15 sales. It is good exposure for your shop. In the CAST BNS, we do not have a minimum purchase price, so you could buy a $1 item and make a $10 sale.

Am I required to offer a coupon code if I am featured?

No, but it is encouraged. Buyers expect to receive a discount for buying through a BNS.

Why does the title change?

A running tally is kept for each round, the title of the BNS will always say the total sales number and spots left for this round

Why is it sometimes open and sometimes closed?

The BNS is only open when one of the curators can be present to run it. If you are interested in helping out with the CAST blog, contact Crystal.

How long will it last?

It will last as long as the curators keep it going.

I've also heard of a BNR. What is that?

BNR stands for "buy and replace." In a BNR you buy into it and replace the person you purchased from. In turn you are replaced as soon as someone buys from you. You can be bought out immediately or not at all.

Are all BNSs and BNRs the same?

No. The curators make specific rules which should be stated in the opening comments. They can be very different.

If you have other questions, please ask them in the comments of this post or ask in our CAST chat thread and someone will answer them.

Thanks!
by Crystal of krafterscorner

Hand Punched Hearts Die Cut Pink and Purple Checkered Print

Sunday Scripture - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

2012-01-22T00:01:00.001-05:00

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 NKJV


Love Never Fails 1 Corinthians 13 Art Print by RKR Creations

Love is Patient Stamped Floating Heart Necklace by Sissy's Pretties

Scripture Wall Art by grace for grace

... the definition of true love

Have a blessed Sunday!
Loretta / Thoughtful Gems Crafts

CAST Shop of the Week: BonJeanCreations

2012-01-21T10:08:00.001-05:00

When I was little, my grandmother purchased "Susie" doll for me and made a beautiful wardrobe for her. My grandmother had wonderful dress making skills. BonJeanCreations shop reminds me so much of my Susie doll and her wardrobe. I still have Susie, but she is much the worse for wear due to my exuberant hairstyling and eye makeup applied courtesy of a blue Bic pen, but the clothes are still as lovely as ever. BonJeanCreations has just that type of heirloom quality to her doll clothes. Also look for beautiful personalized embroidered items, handbags and much more in this lovely shop.

American Girl 18 inch Doll Hooded Velveteen Cape with Muff

by Sue of SueRunyonDesigns

Friday Finds- Wonderfully Pink!

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Enjoy these finds from our wonderfully talented Team!

Submitted by Collar Topia and Jules Java Jackets

In the Beginning.....

2012-01-16T05:50:00.000-05:00

John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. ⁶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/84059370/digital-download-yaquina-head-lighthouse

A new year has began, will we be new again too? We stepped over into the new year on January 1, 2012 12AM.

I have been thinking, what does this mean for us?

A bridge from old to new in our life. A new year depends not on the calender nor the clock, it depends on us. Will we make it new, will we see the neighbor, friend, family, homeless in a newer better light when we start over. Will we work with a new beginning, hear each other better, listen, trust anew, hope anew, show good will towards each other anew.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/88844595/5x7-snow-covered-bridge-with-scripture

Our future, the new future lies "over Jordan" on the other side of the river. We have to step over the threshold from the old to the new trusting God to be there to protect us from all our inequities and guide us.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82142312/water-for-the-hart-4x6-print-double?ref=v1_other_1

I took my step, nothing to fear, just walk on with GOD.....
and never, ever judge someone if you have not walked in their shoes .....in this new year.

Spread the word...until next Monday
Monika

2012-01-14T21:00:00.001-05:00

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." Matthew 5:13-15

Christian jewelry salt and light hand stamped sterling silver charm necklace
Pure Rox Faith

Sun Pin Sterling Silver ...I Am The Light Of The World...
Carol Maschler Jewelry

Let's be the light of the world!!

Happy Sunday!
Melanie/Beads-N-Style

CAST Shop of the Week: MeandMatilda

2012-01-14T08:30:00.001-05:00

It may be just after the start of the New Year, but it's not too soon to for planning spring and summer weddings. MeandMatilda has a huge assortment of ties, bowties, ring pillows and suspenders to make that wedding extra special and unique. And, it's just a beautifully put together shop to look around in.

Childrens Christmas Bowtie - Santa Dots Boys Bow Tie

by Sue of SueRunyonDesigns

Featured Artist: Hannah of bananaorangeapple

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

by Cindy of cksilver

Please welcome our Wednesday featured artist Hannah from the shop bananaorangeapple. Hannah has kindly agreed to a giveaway of your choice of baby dress or set from her shop! To enter, go to her shop, pick a favorite item and then come back and comment on it. DON'T FORGET to leave your email address, and an item (regular comments without an item won't be counted.)

Introduction
I am a teacher, married for twelve years and have a ten year old daughter named The Pickle. She got her nickname from a VeggieTales dvd my husband used to show the kids at youthgroup. For almost two years now we have been living on 13 acres just outside of the capital of Australia, Canberra. We are about 15 minutes drive from town but when I look out my windows all I can see are paddocks, tall gum trees, plenty of little trees that I have planted and the neighbour's horses. It is so peaceful here. We'll get some four-legged lawnmowers just as soon as we can fence off our baby trees. Our pets are a fluffy grumpy shih-tzu named BJ and a very energentic, tennis ball obsessed kelpie named Maggie.

How did you get your start on Etsy?
I am a bit of a greenie, I think it comes with teaching Geography, and I hate to see things go to waste. Since I grew up as a PK we did a lot of our shopping at the thrift store, or Op Shop as we call it in Australia. Once The Pickle came along and grew like crazy I thought it was wiser not to spend too much on her clothes, and of course I sent them back to St Vinnies once she'd outgrown them. I love to rescue vintage sheets and pillowslips, leftover sewing materials such as patterns, zippers and fabric, unwanted mens shirts, tablecloths and tea towels - whatever I can find that has appealing colours or pattern.

I have been sewing my whole life, since my mother taught me as a young girl. I have way too much fabric in my stash and can't seem to stop bringing more home so I thought I'd start selling my creations. On the 10th July 2011 my etsy shop was opened. Mum gave me some of her old patterns that she'd used to make clothes for my sister and I back in the 70s. I really love the retro look of the baby dresses in my shop, so I have been making as many of these as possible.

How did you choose your shop name?
My shop name come from a song we used to sing at camp. It goes "You are the light of the world (banana-orange-apple) You are the light of the world" etc etc. Since my nickname was Hannah Banana, or just Banana, the song seemed to fit. By the way, you have to say Banana with the emphasis on the second syllable (kinda like Obama)

What does a typical day look like for you?
My typical day: I work at a Christian school, which I love. But teaching teenagers all day can be somewhat stressful. My daughter attends the same school, and after work we like chill out, browsing at our local St Vinnies or Salvo's store before we head home. In my spare time, while hubby kills some zombies in Playstation land, I hang out in my sewing room turning unwanted fabric into cute dresses. I usually listen to a podcast while I sew, my favourite ones are "A history of the world in 100 objects" from the BBC, "The Great Train Show" from the ABC, and Chuck Missler's "66/40" which I get a lot out of. I always have at least one book on the go, and I like to read for an hour or so before I go to sleep and at breakfast time as well. On the weekends, my husband likes to take us out for coffee, we have horseriding lessons for The Pickle on Saturday and church on Sunday.

If you could be anywhere in the world for one day, where would it be?
One place I would like to be is Japan, but I can't decide if I want to see the cherry blossoms in bloom in spring or the maple leaves in autumn.

What is your favorite Bible verse?
I have two favourite Bible verses:
Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
I love this one because God is extending an open invitation - his salvation is available for all who are looking for it and we don't have to meet any prerequisites apart from accepting his free gift.

The other one is 1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain
I take this one to mean be happy in yourself and in the situation where God has placed you. Stiving after riches or status or goods will not bring happiness. If I can trust in God and have enough money to live on what more is there in life? This verse is the antidote to worry.

What is your favorite Etsy item listing to feature?
Any of my baby dresses would be a favourite item to feature.

What are some other URLs where we can find you on the internet?
Shop: http://www.bananaorangeapple.etsy.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bananaorangeapple1
Blog: http://bananaquilts.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/banoranapple

And the winner of the beautiful lovely personalized hand-stamped copper necklace from the last featured artist (eagerhands) is ZudaGay!

Let Go and Let God

2012-01-10T00:00:00.002-05:00

"But the LORD's plans stand firm forever; His intentions can never be shaken"
~Psalm 33:11

THOUGHTS
I remember the beginning of 2011, and the devotion on Dreaming Big. Did you dream big? Or did you find that in the process of doing so people tended to let you down? As this new year begins I was left to think about all the times I was let down by those who only sold me empty promises. If you are like me there are times that we get tired of the inconsistencies that we find in others and ourselves. So many times others fall short of our expectations and as such we fall short of the expectations of others. We even fall short of the Glory of God.

"But the LORD watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love."
~Psalms 33:18

LET GO AND LET GOD
As we go into the year 2012 let us renew our trust in the One who will never fail us. The plans that He has for our lives are great and He will not change His mind. Remember that when we pray to God FIRST in all of our dreams and goals we receive FAVOR from God. When we have FAVOR with God, He will touch the hearts of the people and give us Favor with those we will come in contact with. God's favor never fails.

Let us let go of our trust in man, and all of the strings we have attached to them, and put our trust in the LORD. Let God control the 'all' of our lives and watch what wondrous blessings He has in store for us. For His intentions will never shatter, His heart, forever yearning for the love of His children.

We should also strive to be people of our word, doing what we say we will. Praying for others when they ask, fulfilling our obligations instead of giving empty promises, and helping others in need. Just as God does not fail us, let US not fail at shining the LIGHT that He shows through us, allowing us to be an example to a dying world. Striving to do better than we did yesterday.

PRAYER
Dear Lord we pray that we turn our focus more on You and your unconditional love. We pray that our trust will be in You and Your will and not those who may not come through. Let us also be true to our word, give us the strength to fulfill all of our obligations this year. In Jesus Name... Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Till Next Time
God Bless
Amanda of AstriaLegends

PS: Sorry this is a week late...I don't know why I had the 9th in my head and not the 2nd. My apologies.

Keep Running the Race

2012-01-09T07:11:00.001-05:00

George Bernard Shaw once said "A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing"

I must have a very honorable life with the amount of things I tried and the amount of mistakes I've made along the way.

I know God has called me to make pottery and be an artist, but I didn't start making pottery until I was 48. I was 39 before I picked up a paint brush. The two arts have meshed and now I am painting on pottery.

They say it takes 12 years to learn to turn pottery on a wheel. I am now entering my tenth year. In the beginning most of my pieces ended up in the garbage. Many times I wanted to quit pottery but God kept saying 'keep running the race, persevere'.

Hebrews 12:1-2a "Therefore, since we have a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus.

http://www.etsy.com/people/SheleyCalypso

It is hard to keep going when you don't know where it will lead you. When times like this come I relate it walking down a pathway in a forest. I enjoy the interesting things I see on the pathway. Getting to the destination means the journey is over and its time to come home. My life has been a journey and now I that I am selling the pottery I see why God kept me going. I am still learning new things along the way and God is continually opening new doors for me. My life's journey has become a joy and excitement for me, after many years of despair and depression.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/luluandnana

I am looking forward to this year to see what God has in store for me. What are you looking forward to this year? Do you know that there are new and exciting adventures waiting for you too?

http://www.etsy.com/people/crochetedbycharlene

I pray that we will embrace this new year and the rest of our lives with excitement and joy of what God will do in our lives and that through that joy we will reach many more new people for the kingdom of God.

Sunday Scripture: CAST Friends

2012-01-08T08:36:00.000-05:00

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now . . .

Philippians 1:4-5

Best friends suncatcher, stained glass, red, blue

by Sue of SueRunyonDesigns

CAST Shop of the Week: ShadowCutterJewelry

2012-01-07T08:59:00.001-05:00

Those CAST members who are active on the team's monthly discussion thread know Laura of ShadowCutterJewelry. But when is the last time you pulled up one of her listings and really looked at the intricate chainmaille she creates? I invite you to sit back, relax and enjoy her work. You're sure to find it fascinating.

Chained Amethyst Handflower / Slave Bracelet

by Sue of SueRunyonDesigns

Wednesday featured artist Lora Rogers of Eager hands

2012-01-05T13:07:00.001-05:00

Please welcome our Wednesday featured artist Lora Rogers from the shop Eagerhands. Lora has kindly agreed to a giveaway of this lovely personalized hand-stamped copper necklace! To enter, go to her shop, pick a favorite item and then come back and comment on it. DON'T FORGET to leave your email address, and an item (regular comments without an item won't be counted.)

Introduction on you: My name is Lora, and I am a happy wife and mother of five children. I truly believe that creativity is one of God's greatest gifts in life! I always feel closer to Him when I am making something with my hands. And it is my prayer that His love will be expressed through the little things that I have made. I pray over each piece of jewelry as I make it. I also love to pray for each person while I am making their custom orders. If the Lord gives me a specific verse or word of encouragement for them, I make sure to let them know. This little shop is truly a ministry for me! God has given me so many wonderful opportunities to minister to His daughters through these little works of my hands. It's been awesome!

How did you get your start on Etsy?: I opened up my etsy shop in December of 2005. It started out as mainly consisting of about ten crocheted scarves, but over the years, has grown quite a bit! Now, I have an average of 125 listings up in the shop, mostly consisting of vintage fabric/decor and faith-based jewelry (such as hand stamped necklaces and jewelry that incorporates vintage elements, such as antique keys). I pray over all of the jewelry that I make while I am making it, and the Lord leads me to certain scriptures for each piece.

How did you choose your shop name? eager hands comes from Proverbs 31:13: "She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands." When I started eager hands, I was predominately working with yarn and fabric, so I was very excited to discover this scripture! And I also strive to be a Proverbs 31 woman. I believe that there is so much joy and fulfillment to be found as we work with our hands, as unto the Lord. He can bless the smallest of things, if we dedicate them to Him!

What does a typical day look like for you? I have five children, all under the age of seven, so I am very busy caring for them! My oldest two are in school, and my third is in preschool in the mornings, so I usually spend my mornings working on packing orders with my two littlest ones running around me! :) I work on my jewelry throughout the day, and don't really have a set schedule. Since making the hand-stamped jewelry can be quite loud (each letter is stamped by hand with a hammer on a steel bench block), I try to do the actual hammering while the children are awake. They like to be involved and often give great suggestions as to what words/phrases to stamp, as well as colors of beads to choose, etc. At night, after the children have gone to bed, I take that time to finish up the details on my custom orders. Life is definitely busy, but God has given me a lot of grace for this season in my life. I haveloved having my etsy shop - it has provided such a wonderful outlet for me to share the love of God with my customers, as well as meet women from all over the world! It has truly been a blessing!

If you could be anywhere in the world for one day, where would it be? I have always wanted to go to Israel!

What is your favorite Bible verse: Right now, the scripture that has been speaking to me a lot lately would have to be:
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I Thessalonians 5:16-18:

What is your favorite Etsy item listing to feature? My most popular listing in the shop is my EUCHARISTEO necklace. I am reading the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, and this necklace goes along with the overall theme of the book. It also features my favorite verse right now!

URLs to where else we can find you on the internet:
blog: http://eagerhands.blogspot.com
twitter: www.twitter.com/eagerhands

Thank you Lora for agreeing to be featured. Everyone please check out her shop (using the many links throughout this post lol) and enter her giveaway!
The winner of last weeks featured artist Julia of Cards by Jeweleighab is Lorrie. Congrats! Someone will be in touch with both of you soon!

Cabbage Roll (galumpkis) Soup

2012-01-05T07:34:00.001-05:00

I love cabbage rolls but I don't very much like to make them. A little labor intensive. But I would even sacrifice the hard work if the cabbage rolls would freeze nicely and provide me with a couple meals for the future but that doesn't happen.

Heating up a meal of previously frozen cabbage rolls makes a really mushy encore. The cabbage has a very high water content. When frozen, then defrosted, you're left with waterlogged, soggy cabbage. Most unappetizing.

I wondered what would happen if I de-constructed a cabbage roll. Made soup with all the cabbage roll ingredients. Would it taste like a cabbage roll? I tried it. I was pleasantly surprized I was reminded of Bammy's stuffed pepper soup. Same premise.

The ingredients I used:

1 small head of cabbage - shredded
1 onion - sliced
1/2 # ground pork
1 cup of rice
1 15 oz. can of tomatoes
1 box of chicken broth
2 tbs. Hungarian paprika
salt and pepper
carraway seeds

Method:

In a large soup pot, brown the onion and cabbage. Remove from the pot into a holding bowl. Brown ground pork in same pot. When pork is browned, add the onions and cabbage back into the pot. Add the liquids, spices, and rice and simmer until the rice is cooked. (if the soup gets too thick, thin it down by adding more chicken broth or water)

You can keep the soup on the lowest setting of your stove after it's done so it'll stay warm for latecomers.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream. It is very nutritious, tastes wonderful and freezes well in small individual containers for future meals.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's some castteam shops that have delightful soup related items............

COMMANDPERFORMANCE
http://www.etsy.com/listing/86623055/vintage-5-qt-soup-tureen-4-pieces-made

STITCHPRINCESS
http://www.etsy.com/listing/81439432/cabbage-digital-copy-garden-produce

KOWGIRLKITSCH
http://www.etsy.com/listing/72692951/vintage-blue-green-and-white-ceramic

MARIAROSECOLLECTION
http://www.etsy.com/listing/69373063/bogo-in-stock-cabbage-fractal-fine-art

by Rita of sammysgrammy

Sunday Scripture - 2 Corinthians 5:17

2012-01-01T09:53:00.000-05:00

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

New Creation

by Angela's Heartwork

As we start each new year, many of us will think of what we can do better this year, how we can start afresh with goals and challenges, some even consider it a 2nd chance to get something right.

All those years ago when that precious baby was born in a manager, that is the gift God gave to us. A chance to accept that baby, Jesus, as our personal Saviour and become new -- a new person in Him.

Happy Sonday and Happy New Year!
Melanie/Beads-N-Style

CAST Shop of the Week: AppledoorStudio

2011-12-31T09:32:00.001-05:00

Here at CAST we love all of our International members. This UK shop has a variety of national flag heart ornaments and other items. Enjoy browsing Kyoko's shop AppledoorStudio.

Felt WALES Flag Love Heart with Roses hanging ornament/decoration Welsh flag

by Sue of SueRunyonDesigns

Friday Finds and Devotion for the New Year -(sorry a day late)

2011-12-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Devotion taken from Harvest.org (by Pastor Greg Laurie)

For Iknow the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace andnot of evil, to give you a future and a hope.— Jeremiah 29:11

SissyPretties

We never know what the New Year will bring. We don't know what problems we will encounter or what changes will come our way. We don't even know what blessings the Lord has in store for us.

But one thing is guaranteed. No matter what the New Year brings our way, we don't have to be afraid because Jesus Christ will be there for us.

VElishArt

I like the words of Corrie ten Boom, that wonderful woman of God, who said, "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." God is in control of our future. He is ready to bless us in this coming year. But we must be ready to walk with Him, worshipping Him and obeying Him. We can't expect the Lord to bless someone who is in opposition to His law and His love.

haveart

As you look back on 2011, was it a year when you progressed spiritually? Was it a year when you found yourself becoming a bit more like Jesus Christ? Or was there some kind of spiritual breakdown?

If so, now is a good time to make a change. Now is the time to resolve to grow closer to Jesus Christ.
Submitted by Julie Blanck of Collar Topia and Jules Java Jackets

vchleborad

Our Wednesday Featured Artist

2011-12-27T11:01:00.000-05:00

by Sheila of SewFaithful

Let's welcome Julia of Cards by JeweleighaB!

Julia is generously giving away a $15 credit to her shop, plus free shipping on those items. Leave a comment on this blog post to be entered :) I can tell you from personal experience her work is very professional and lovely!

Julia, How did you get started on Etsy?

In July of 2010, Iopened my etsy shop. I had heard of etsy through my sister in law, as well asthrough another friend, and had once purchased something for a gift. In fact, Ithink part of the reason I picked 'Jeweleighab' instead of just 'Jeweleigha'was because 'Jeweleigha' was taken already... and it may have been taken by mewhen I had ordered something earlier! Jeweleigha is just a different way ofspelling my first name.

Beautiful Flower Embellishments

What my typical daylooks like:

I wake up around thetime that my two boys wake up. This is usually between 8am and 8:45. Then I getboth boys changed and fed. I have to admit that breakfast is spent in front ofthe computer so I can get caught up on email, Etsy,and of course, the CAST teamdiscussion thread! The boys and I try to head somewhere each day -whether it's getting groceries, going to play at drop-in gymnastics, orvisiting friends. After lunch is nap time, and I take time for my own personaltime with my Bible as soon as both boys are in bed. I'm reading through thegospel of Mark now. Then I check Etsy, play with paper, and sometimes napmyself. Hubby comes home at 5:30 and we spend our evening together. After theboys are in bed, I often craft a bit. My preference is to work on my cards atmy craft desk downstairs when hubby is also in the basement, so I can havesomeone to chat to.

If I could be anywhere in the world...

Thinking of You Cards

This is a tough one. Istudied quite a bit of Greek and Roman mythology in university, and was veryintrigued by visiting Greece or Italy. My dad was born in Italy, so it has amore personal interest to me as well.

My favourite Bibleverse...

is Isaiah 53:5: He waswounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: thechastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

I love how it statesthe gospel so simply. I struggled with doubts about my Christianity for years,and this verse was a help to me. It shows what Christ has done for my healing.What a great verse!

My favourite etsy itemto list...

is usually my mostrecent item.

Assorted Mini Cards

You can find meat www.zachymakesthree.com,
as well as my Etsy shop.

Don't you just love these beautiful pictures of Julia and her family? Except I'm a little worried about the empty stroller and no babies in this picture.
Also, I like the way she spells "favourite" cause that's how Canadians spell it eh!
Thanks Julia for sharing your lovely creations with us.

Conviction or Condemnation

2011-12-26T10:37:00.003-05:00

Good Morning, I just want to take a moment to preface this devotional, I know that most of us are still probably in holiday mode and I really did try to come up with a devotional that would speak to that, the joys of Christmas and the opportunities to start over with the New Year. As I reflected on this past year though, God kept bringing me back to this one thing that, I really think, will make a difference for all of us as we go forward in our Christian walk. So I did choose butterflies for all the featured photos, I love the symbolism of transformation and struggle and recreation that they represent. All of that being said, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! May your home be graced with many blessings in 2012.

Conviction or Condemnation?

This past year has been a really challenging one for me spiritually. I have been challenged by other Christians who were offended by me following the leading of the Lord in my own life. I have been challenged by opinions and judgments.

Delightful Daisy

And in wrestling with all of these things and bringing them continually before the Lord these many months I have realized that I still have a long way to go in my walk with Christ, granted I have come a great distance but there are miles and miles to go. I have learned without doubt the difference between feeling convicted and feeling condemned. Conviction hits you in the gut, it is a deep deep sense that you have missed the mark, that you are capable of so much more, that you want to offer God something better and that by His grace, He will help you to do so. You need only to repent and begin anew.

Condemnation usually comes from the outside, it says “You’re not good enough”, “Christians don’t behave that way so you must not be one”, “You will never be able to please God”, “God did not speak that to you, you got it wrong”. Condemnation gives you the sense that you can never be worthy of partaking in God’s kingdom. It throws your past and your mistakes back up in your face over and over again.

Poppy Patch

But the Bible says: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:1 KJV) Let that sink in for a minute, do you believe that Jesus was the son of God and died for your sins? If yes, then you are “in Christ Jesus”. Do you chase after the things of God in your life? If yes, then you are walking after the Spirit. That means that you are not condemned, you are righteous and holy because of what Christ has done for you and in you. I pray that you find a deep sense of freedom and hope in this. I pray that you will recognize that when the Spirit of God convicts you of something, it is for the purpose of restoration, it is to draw you nearer to the heart of God. It is for the purpose of growing and maturing you. When you are feeling condemned it usually drives a wedge in your relationship with the Father, it pulls you away, it creates distance it your relationship with Christ. That is NOT of God, it is the work of the enemy.

Carry The Word

It is important that you deal with those feelings of condemnation, take them to God in prayer, ask Him to reveal if there is any grain of truth in them and deal with that if there is. If not, ask him to show you the root of those feelings. When the source of condemnation seems to come from those around you, take care to not allow feelings of rejection and bitterness take root. Ask God to help you extend mercy and grace, to love them just as He loves you. Then stand firm in the knowledge of who you are in Christ and continue to seek Him first in all you do.

Ingrid's Creations

Philippians 3:13-15 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.

Cherry's Creations

Friday Finds - Christmas

2011-12-23T10:30:00.000-05:00

...an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21 (NIV)

Cherry's Creations

With Christmas fast approaching, my daughters have been eagerly counting down the days till the 25th of December. Ever eager to teach them the real importance of Christmas, I was touched by my four year old's spontaneous prayer the other night when she clasped her little hands together and prayed, "Dear God, thank you for Jesus' birthday and that he was born and died for our sins." This totally trusting prayer got me thinking about how many I know who do not acknowledge Christ's birth as more than a fable and a reason for them to feast and holiday. Perhaps this Christmas we could take time out to not just thank God for the gift of Jesus, but to pray for the unbelievers we know. Please join with me in praying that this Christmas, many will come to trust in Jesus as their saviour.

Deb - dspdavey

Spread the Word

Ryens Marketplace

bear river photo greetings

Zia Maria Designs

Karla Dornarcher

Crafty Creations

It's not YOUR birthday !

2011-12-20T08:40:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Jesus Photo Greeting Card

Except for a very small percentage of people (and Happy Birthday to you if you are one of them), Christmas Day is not YOUR birthday. We celebrate it with presents, decorations, music, gatherings and all manner of festivities. The party can go on for days. The "season" starts earlier and earlier each year it seems. The preparations can seem endless. We make travel or entertaining plans. We shop. We wrap. We package and send. We send greetings. Christmas drives our economy. We look forward to reconnecting with family and friends. Kids are off of school. We have vacations days off of work. We do things in this season that we don't do at any other times. We bake things and cook things that we only make this time of year. We watch special movies and TV shows and listen to special music. The humdrum routine we fall into the rest of the year is swept away.

With all of that going on it can be very hard to remember that it's not about us.

How do you keep the focus on our Lord and Savior this time of year? Please leave comments on this post and tell me how you do it at your house. Do you read the Christmas story from Luke? Attend a candlelight Christmas Eve service? Go caroling? Volunteer at a homeless shelter? Make a Birthday cake for Jesus and sing Happy Birthday? Have a special nativity scene you set out? Do you light an advent wreath? What do you do?

Leave a comment and let us all know.

CYBER MONDAY ETSY Sale - 10% Off - Happy Birthday Jesus Christmas Ornament

O Come Let Us Adore Him

Christ the Lord

by Sue of SueRunyonDesigns

"Starting over..."

2011-12-18T18:05:00.000-05:00

Mark 1:1 The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; 3 the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'"

4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

"Starting Over"

The Children of Israel needed a new beginning. They had squandered the promises and blessings of God. They had walked away from their mission, to be a "light to the nations" and instead had pursued wealth and status at the expense of justice, especially for the poor. As a result of their national, collective sin, they had been exiled. Though the exile was long over, still they did not enjoy the return of their status with their return to the land. There was no descendant of David ruling in Jerusalem, only a pretender named Herod. The Romans were the real masters anyway. The children of Israel needed to start over.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64539625/cottage-chic-plaque-for-baby?ref=sr_gallery_33&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=castteam+baptism&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_spelling_accepted=castteam+babtism&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

John appeared in the wilderness like the winds of change. He was not sitting in the Temple in Jerusalem, profiting from the personal piety of the people. He was down by the Jordan River, not far from the place where the people of Israel first crossed into the Promised Land. He was calling for all of the people to be "baptized." This was a strange request, for baptism was, in those days, a ritual cleansing for someone who was not Jewish to be brought into the faith. Yet John was calling for the Nation of Judea to submit to this ritual washing. It was as though John was saying, "We ALL need to start over. We ALL need to submit once again to God's cleansing, as in the days when our forefathers wandered in the desert. In short, we need to start over. God is going to do something new with us, and that something is coming soon!"

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82231313/nativity-set-manger-set-baby-jesus-mary?ref=sr_d27dcb4a81519cb8e893f62c6dc3fb058434b12b4b1ebf1e4b96175fb9ab6586_1323720396_14162941_jesus

It seems as though the people understood. They flocked to the river. They were all baptized by John. They wanted things to change. The problem is that at the same time, they had no idea that this change would not come according to their expectations. God was working again, and starting over, but God wasn't going to work the same plan, the same way as before. So while the people were ready, even eager, for change. They were not prepared for what God was going to do. They were not prepared to meet Jesus. God was starting over. But the conversation between God and people was going to be different this time. This time, it was going to be in person, Jesus.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/80586188/scripture-art-christian-art-create-in-me?ref=sr_gallery_28&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=castteam+christmas+bible+verse&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

Advent is a time for starting over. We proclaim that it is the start of a new year, and so it is. It is not the exclusive time for new beginnings, but rather it is a time when we remind ourselves that our God is a God of new beginnings. Our God starts over with us, patiently and graciously, every time we run away. Baptism is for me is not a one-time event. I consider my Baptism a signal of the daily struggle to start over.

The trouble is that often we do not understand that starting over means that the story will change. We cannot continue to be and to do what we have been doing. The conversation that God has with us is about to take a different direction. Perhaps this is why we must start over daily. We never quite get it right. We are not unlike the Children of Israel, gathered at the Jordan, wanting change, but wanting it at no cost.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/36724707/new-beginnings-original-folk-art?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=castteam+new+beginnings&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

New beginnings are not free. We must turn loose of the old in order to be grasped by the new. We must face our past with courage and honesty in order to live in a new and different future. The good news is that it is indeed with the presence of God's Holy Spirit that all of this now happens. God continues to meet us face to face. God is not content to call to us from afar. The flood that washes us continues to flow in and through our lives. We find that this pattern of new starts becomes a daily feature of our relationship with God and, as a result, our relationship with one another.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/79982609/bethlehem-christmas-watercolor-cards-5x7?ga_search_query=bethlehem&ga_search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_5774865

We remember this in Advent because it is the season that comes before our annual celebration of God's coming into our world and our lives. But God does not reserve his incarnation to one day or one season, nor does God limit our new starts to the four weeks of Advent. God comes to us daily. God renews us daily. We seek God out, not in order to get forgiven, but because our experience of the God who loved us so deeply as to experience both birth and death, is also the experience of the God of resurrection and life. God also has experienced our new beginnings, and has promised that we likewise will start anew. So, God comes again, and again, and again...

Until next Monday, spread the word...

Monika of Myeuropeantouch

CAST Shop of the Week: SticksNStonesGifts

2011-12-17T08:13:00.001-05:00

Christmas is next weekend! You might just have time to get something if you purchase today from your favorite CAST Team Shop and upgrade to Priority Mail. But even without a Christmas deadline, there may still be a need for some gorgeous warm scarves if you live in a cold climate. SticksNStonesGifts has some beautiful crochet items and lots of other cool things to browse!

Pink Scarf Chunky Knit Soft Long Handmade

by Sue of SueRunyonDesigns

Wednesday Featured Artist Deborah Davey

2011-12-14T12:21:00.001-05:00

Post written by Elisabeth Arona of Arona Designs

Everyone please give a big welcome to our Wednesday featured artist!

-Your name:
Deborah, but I go by Deb. ;)

-Your shop name(s):
Two Cheeky Monkeys and Domum Vindemia

-Introduction on you: I am a scientist, jewellery and homewares designer living in Melbourne, Australia with my wonderful husband and two gorgeous little girls. I was actually born in Singapore, but have spent most of my life here in Australia; and I have an Aussie accent to reflect that fact too, LOL. I grew up with Christian parents and have several Christian family members and I am constantly thankful for that blessing in my life. Like many Etsians I have met, my background is not in art or design and many of the creative techniques I know were learned from books or my mum. While my dad was quite good at fancy styles of writing and drawing, it was my mum who instilled me with a love of crafting by teaching me to cross stitch when I was four or five years old. As I grew older, I learned more and more crafty techniques but my favourite was jewellery making, which I taught myself from books as well as trial and error and spent a lot of my time (and pocket money) making earrings for myself and my friends and relatives.

-How did you get your start on Etsy?:
My start as an Etsy seller is a rather involved story! I quit my day job when my youngest was born, thinking that when the time was right, I would look for a position in a different institute. In the mean time, I returned to my love of crafting and creating to keep myself entertained and to entertain my girls as they became toddlers. I made so many handmade cards and jewellery pieces that I started giving them away to my friends and family who encouraged me to try selling my work. Since I couldn't find a suitable part-time job in science, I finally took this advice in mid-2009 and decided to try my hand at starting a handmade business. Domum Vindemia was opened in early 2011 when I realised how much I loved making upcycled homewares and that I was making more than I needed or could give away!

-How did you choose your shop name?:
My jewellery store, Two Cheeky Monkeys, was named after my two little girls! I toyed with various names when I decided to start selling my creations and my husband thought that "Two Cheeky Monkeys" was an appropriate name since it all started because of my desire to be at home with my children while they were babies. Domum Vindemia was so named because it means "vintage home" in Latin. I wanted a unique store name which would pique people's interest but still be relevant to what I sold instore, so I plugged a few different ideas into Google Translate (LOL) and liked the sound of Domum Vindemia the best!

-What does a typical day look like for you?: A typical day for me usually starts with the morning rush of making lunches and getting my girls to school or kindergarten on time. If I am child free, I try and go for a run to get some exercise and then run any urgent errands before I have to pick up my youngest from kindergarten. The rest of my day is then spent doing housework, working on my stores, entertaining my girls or being their taxi service.

-If you could be anywhere in the world for one day, where would it be?
I have been a little bit in love with Paris ever since I learned French in high school, although I would now like to travel all over Europe if possible. :)

-What is your favorite Bible verse?
My favourite verse tends to change from time to time but I do so love 1 John 4:10 - "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
My husband really likes this verse too and the passage it is from was one of the Bible readings at our wedding.

-What is your favorite Etsy item listing to feature?
My current favourite type of listing in Two Cheeky Monkeys is the "Pride and Prejudice" brooches and rings. I don't have enough listings in Domum Vindemia to warrant featuring any, but if I did, I would probably feature the buntings.

-URLs to where else we can find you on the internet (Facebook fan page, Twitter, your own dot.com, your blog, etc):

Madeit: http://madeit.com.au/DomumVindemia
Etsy: http://DomumVindemia.etsy.com
Madeit: http://madeit.com.au/TwoCheekyMonkeys
FB: http://facebook.com/DomumVindemia
Blog: http://twocheekymonkeysdesigns.blogspot.com
Twitter @dspdavey

Thank you so much Deborah for allowing us to feature your lovely shops! Everyone please go check them both out, she has so much delightful stuff (especially for those pride and prejudice fans like myself) and don't forget to comment to let her know you read!
And the winner of the beautiful ACEO giveaway from the last featured artist (Derek Collins) is Sheila of Sewfaithful.etsy.com!

Peace Be To You

2011-12-12T10:02:00.000-05:00

Ephesians 1:2

'I greet you with the grace and peace poured into our lives by God our Father and our Master, Jesus Christ.'

We as Christians celebrate Christmas because it is the time God the son left his perfect place in heaven and came to live with us, to die on the cross so we may be saved from the wrath of God who gives us peace on earth.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SassyfrasDesignz

So in this busy hectic time of preparing for Christmas, how is your peace?

This weekend I put up the tree, earlier than normal, because the family flies in this weekend. It took almost all day. I decorate the house and clean as I go too. About half way through I thought I might not put up the tree in future years, especially if we don’t have the family here. Then I thought. It takes one day to put it up, one day to take it down. That is 2 days out of 365 days. I can do this, especially for the beauty it brings to our home.

Buying all those Christmas gifts can be another stress factor. I start in October and little by little buying gifts from my list. It spreads out the money and the time. Then there is the baking and cooking of many foods we only eat once a year. And sending out cards. Many people now use the email for this. I like cards as decoratations and the pictures get used as next year’s tags or for my art. I used to write and annual letter and last year I stopped that. I got a few complaints, oh well.

We do lots to make Christmas special, but how many of our friends and family would complain if every decoration wasn’t in place, every traditional baking wasn’t done, only a few, and tones of present weren’t under the tree? Maybe the last one they might complain.

We have a choice in life. We can make our lives stressful or stress free. It depends on how much we do and our attitude. I always say things go better in my life if I want to do something instead of have to.

http://www.etsy.com/people/CraftyCrochet4Kids

In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul is taking about marriage but verse 7 can apply to anything. ‘God has called us to make the best of it, as peacefully as we can.’

http://www.etsy.com/people/thedoodlebrush

So I’ll ask you again. Is their peace in your heart this year? If not, let God's peace be yours. 3 John 14 ‘Peace be to you’

I pray that you have the peace that passes all understanding this Christmas season.

SUNDAY SCRIPTURE - O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL

2011-12-10T22:35:00.000-05:00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/87594474/christmas-star-of-bethlehem-ornament

O come all ye faithful,
joyful and triumphant,
O come all ye citizens of Bethlehem,
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels,
O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him~
Christ The Lord.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64298144/print-of-holy-family

Sing choirs of angels,
Sing in exhaltation,
Sing all ye citizens of Heaven above,
Glory to God in the Highest,
O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him,
Christ The Lord.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/77607087/jesus-is-the-reason-hand-embroidered

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72995713/blockhead-design-sing-bird-wood-block

http://www.etsy.com/listing/86143849/angel-showering-graces

Sing praises of worship!
Sue Anderson

CAST Shop of the Week: marveles

2011-12-10T08:59:00.003-05:00

I have such fun searching "castteam" on Etsy and finding all sorts of marvelous shops to feature. And this one is truly marveles. Leslie's creations are bright, whimsical, intricate and dazzling. I know this shop will pick you right up out of any winter doldrums that may be setting in as the days grow shorter if you are in the northern hemisphere.

MarveLes GIANT SPRINGS GARDEN Wall Quilt Floral Black Pink Red

by Sue of SueRunyonDesigns

Friday Finds - Nativity

2011-12-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

Button Willoe Designs

by Deb - dspdavey

Business Topic: Add a Favicon to Your Blogger Blog

2011-12-08T08:53:00.000-05:00

Favicon? What is a favicon?

Favicon is short for favorites icon. If you are using certain browsers such as Firefox or Chrome, you will see tiny 16x16 pixel images or icons on your tabs, next to the url and on your favorites list if those sites happen to use a favicon. If you are using Internet Explorer as your browser or are on an iPad or another device you won't see them.

I have added a favicon to our CAST blog that is a dark green "C" on white. Etsy uses a white "E" on a orangey-red field. Facebook uses an offset "f" on a dark blue field. For my own website and blog I use a "S" in soft blue on a soft green field. Other sites use small pictures or logos. Any tiny image that identifies the company will do.

favicons on tabs in Firefox

It used to be a daunting task to add a favicon to a blog which involved creating a special icon graphics file type (.ico) and adding html coding to the root template of the blog. Now Blogger has made it very easy. Now all you do is create an image file (.jpg will do nicely) and upload it to your design page on Blogger.

Blogger "design" page

You'll want to create a file that is square and small as it will shrink down to 16x16 pixels. And you'll want to create something that is very readable at that tiny size and fits with your image branding. Any graphics software will let you make a simple text image like I have done and save it as a .jpg file.

If you search for favicon creator you'll come up with a host of free sites you can use to design a favicon pixel by pixel if you wish. I think they are sort of like the software you would use to design a cross-stitch pattern square by square and are fun to play with. They will create a .ico file which you will have to convert to .jpg for Blogger, but save the .ico file if you have a website you wish to use it on as well.

Be warned that your favicon may not show up immediately on tabs or favorites lists. Mine took 3-4 days to appear. If you want it immediately I think you have to do things like clearing cookies and other techie gobbly-gook I don't now how to do (maybe you do). You will also have to sign out of Google and then sign back in. You may have to exit your browser and restart your computer. If it is showing up on your design page it should appear eventually.

If you give it a try, come back here and comment and leave a link for us to look at!

by Sue of SueRunyonDesigns

Recipe of the Month: Pumpkin-Rum Bread Pudding

2011-12-06T07:37:00.000-05:00

Pumpkin-Rum Bread Pudding

6 c dry bread, cubed
1/2 c chopped nuts, fine and of your choice
3 slightly beaten eggs
1 large can of pumpkin
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 c packed brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
2 c milk
1/2 c of rum
1/4 c melted butter
2 tsp vanilla

Combine bread and nuts in the bottom of 13 x 9 x 4 inch baking dish. The baking dish must be deep! In a large mixing bowl, stir together eggs, condensed milk, pumpkin, spices and sugar. Gradually stir in milk. Add rum, butter and vanilla. Pour over bread. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes until inserted knife comes out clean. Make sure it cools completely before chilling overnight.

Regina M Therrien-Stock

THROUGH THE FIRE

2011-12-05T11:12:00.004-05:00

It is through the fire that we are closest to Jesus...

THOUGHTS
We have all been there, lost in a sea of trials and tribulations, sunken deep in the heart of the valleys in our life. We try our best to take steps forward wondering when God will bring us out, when the lesson will be learned, and when we will see the sun again. We are sometimes so quick to want the trial to be over that we forget just how close Jesus is when we are IN the fire.

THROUGH THE FIRE
There is something really special about going through situations when we are in Christ VS when we were of the world. Something truly different, not only because we know that God has already worked it out for us, but the way we handle it has to show that we believe He will see us through. So, next time you are in the FIRE, remember these four points:

The FIRE tests your FAITH
If everything in life were easy and simple, how would we ever see just how strong our faith is? Faith remember, moves the hand of God, and it is the times within the fire that God has an opportunity to move in our lives in ways we could not even imagine! When we are in the fire and our life is truly dependent on God coming through for us, He has an obligation to move on our behalf. It is HIS name on the line, not ours, and those whom trust in Him, He will not forsake.

The FIRE leads you to INTERCESSION
So wait, I'm telling you that when you are deep in the valley that you should be putting your effort into praying and interceding for others? That is exactly what I'm saying! When you pray for others it causes a healing to fall back on you! Taking the time to fight other people's spiritual battles leaves you free to allow God to work out your battles. You aren't getting in the way of your own blessings because your focus is constantly on others. This also helps your faith, because you have to truly give your worries, cares and situations to Jesus before you can focus your energy on praying for others.

The FIRE makes you REPENT
Ah yes, that old faithful word...Repentance. It is times when you are in the fire that you MUST look over your life and your heart to make sure there isn't any sins lurking about. Many times our trials become a cleansing of the things in our lives that we don't want anyone else to know about but don't necessarily want to get rid of. The problem is God can't move you to where He wants you to be with those sinful weights on you! So you end up in a valley in a time of cleansing, giving you the opportunity to finally release all the sin in your life. Take the time to really examine everything in your life, even those in your personal circle. Who do you hang around? Where are they leading you? Are there outside forces that you are letting a little too close to your heart?

And finally, the FIRE brings your EVOLUTION
This is the wonderful thing about going through trials when you are in Christ! The main goal is to bring about your EVOLUTION! Its all about molding and shaping you so that He can take you to the next level! The one step closer to your destiny: His perfect plan for your life. Isn't that awesome? He brings you through things to make you stronger, preparing you for the future He has so wonderfully laid out for you.

Faith - Intercession - Repentance - Evolution.... F-I-R-E
When you think about it...what a wonderful cycle!

PRAYER
Lord we pray that you will see us though our storms and that it builds our faith to know that You have already worked so much out for us, we just need to follow your guidance. Lord let us not be hasty in trying to rush out of the storm, but be engulfed in your teachings, your lessons, and your presence. Allow us to learn all we can from you, letting you do as much molding and shaping as you want to so that we can see our evolution in the end. AMEN.

___
Till Next Time
God Bless
Amanda of AstriaLegends

Preparing our Hearts - Luke 3:4-6

2011-12-03T20:57:00.000-05:00

As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

A voice of one calling in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make straight paths for him.

Every valley shall be filled in,

every mountain and hill made low.

The crooked roads shall become straight,

the rough ways smooth.

And all people will see God’s salvation.’

Luke 3:4-6 NIV

FoR GoD So LoVeD ThE WoRLd , CHRISTMAS PRiMiTiVe NaTiViTy WooD SiGn.
by Dawn's Painting

Christmas Hang tag or gift tags JOY of the Season
by Oak Hollow Studios

Tis the Season Handstamped Primitive Christmas Tree Card
by Cards by Carla

Happy Sunday!
Melanie/Beads-N-Style

CAST Shop of the Week: CherieWheeler

2011-12-03T08:51:00.001-05:00

I was browsing CAST Shops and came across CherieWheeler the other day. I didn't get out of there without a dent in my Paypal account either. I'm smitten with her work and I know you'll enjoy it too. Grab a hot beverage, put your feet up and enjoy a little homespun Christmas style.

Christmas Joy Heart Decoration

by Sue of SueRunyonDesigns

Friday Finds - Humility

2011-12-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV)

Irish Nana Designs

As Christmas rapidly approaches I am reminded yet again of just how amazing it is that God chose to send his only son to earth to be the saviour of sinful man. Especially amazing is the humility and sacrifice which mark what Christ has done for us. Jesus, who was "in very nature God", made himself nothing, made himself a servant and humbled himself to an excruciating, degrading and humiliating death.

Another Womans Treasure

And one can't read these verses without being challenged by the very first sentence, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus..." We are to emulate the humility that Christ has modelled for us so forcefully. I don't know about you, but I can really, really struggle with showing humility. While I don't have any earth shattering solutions, we can always seek the Lord's help and study what his word has to say on the subject. We can also think of those we know who show great humility, and thank God for them and their godly example. So as we remember Christ's birth this Christmas, let us seek to follow his humble example.

Deb - dspdavey

The Country Sign Shop

Featured Artist: Derek Collins of watercolorsbyderek and derekcollins

2011-11-30T08:00:00.001-05:00

by Cindy of cksilver

Meet Derek Collins of watercolorsbyderek (watercolor) and derekcollins (acrylics)

Derek is giving away this beautiful "Owls Head Lighthouse" ACEO miniature painting (2 1/2 inches x 3 1/2 inches). To be eligible for the prize, please go to his shop and look around. Pick your favorite item and come back here and leave a note telling us which is your favorite. Be sure to leave us your email address too so that we can contact you if you are a winner. The winners will be chosen via random.org.

Introduction
I live in the real Memphis, Memphis Indiana that is, with my wife Stacy and two sons, Ryan and Tyler. At the age of 27 I suffered a severe back injury and was off work for 4 months. While bedridden I saw Bob Ross doing painting demonstrations on PBS. After 7 weeks I was on my feet again, but still unable to go back to work. I bought some oil paints and started painting. Within 6 months I started selling paintings. I have been doing art shows across the country for 20 years now. Ten years ago I went full time and we bought the house in Memphis and I built a Studio/Gallery behind the house.

Not that I have any spare time, but when I do I might slip off to the lake to go fishing. I tell my wife I'm providing food for the family. I coached some basketball for a few years and I sometimes give painting lessons. Recently an artist group formed at my church. Some of us are occasionally called on to paint a painting during the service to go along with the sermon. That has been a lot of fun.

How did you get started on Etsy?
I had been selling on Ebay for a couple years and I was doing a art show when one of the promoters asked me if I had ever tried to sell on Etsy.

What does a typical day look like for you?
Since I am a coffee snob, I start the day with 2 cups of French Pressed coffee. My cup is actually a large Rootbeer mug! But I can honestly say I only had 2 cups. That is the only consistant thing I do each day. None of my days are alike. I have been told that I can't multi-task, which may be true because I paint in binges. I may paint almost non stop and late into the night for a week, then I am totally drained of creative energy and unable to paint at all. So then I start framing, or taking pictures and putting paintings on-line. From April through September I am traveling to art shows so that really complicates things as I might only be home a few days of any particular week.

If you could be anywhere in the world for one day, where would it be?
Alaska, watching the bears catch salmon.

What is your favorite Bible verse?
Isaiah 1:18 "Though your sins may be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow".

What is your favorite Etsy item listing to feature?
That's tough, my favorite thing always seems to be what I painting now.

Where else can you find Derek on the web?
Blog - A painting each day: http://artistderekcollins.blogspot.com
Blog - Derek talks art and painting lessons: http://artistderek.blogspot.com
Etsy watercolor store site: http://watercolorsbyderek.etsy.com
Etsy acrylic store site: http://derekcollins.etsy.com
Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Artist-Derek-T-Collins-Acrylic-and-Watercolor-paintings/46041664715
Derek tweets art: http://www.twitter.com/artistderek

And the winner of last week's giveaway is... Julia of CardsbyJeweleighaB. Julia has won a lovely canvas doorhanger of her choosing from LeeAnn Gorman of designsbyleeann. Look for convos to each of you!

Christian Artists Street Team on Etsy

Business Topics: Showing God's love in your packaging

new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(11744366, 'shop','gallery',3,2).renderIframe();

Trust in The Lord

Sunday Scripture - Love

CAST Shop of the Week: KellyBermudez

new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(15482590, 'shop','gallery',5,2).renderIframe();

FRIDAY FINDS - PATIENCE

Blog Team volunteers needed

Wednesday Featured Artist Cathryn Barger of Eden Pottery

Business Topics: Using a White Board

Nothing Can Separate You

Sunday Scripture - 2 Corinthians 5:20-21

CAST Shop of the Week: holmescraft

new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(5580103, 'shop','gallery',5,2).renderIframe();

Recipe of the Month: Taco Soup

Sunday Scripture: Love and Friendship

CAST Shop of the Week: HandiworkinGirls

new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(12654276, 'shop','gallery',5,2).renderIframe();

Friday Finds - Time

Featured Artist - Darla Noble of DSquaredCrafts

What is a BNS? and FAQ

Sunday Scripture - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

CAST Shop of the Week: BonJeanCreations

new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(7365502, 'shop','gallery',5,2).renderIframe();

Friday Finds- Wonderfully Pink!

In the Beginning.....

CAST Shop of the Week: MeandMatilda

new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(5213706, 'shop','gallery',5,2).renderIframe();

Featured Artist: Hannah of bananaorangeapple

Let Go and Let God

Keep Running the Race

Sunday Scripture: CAST Friends

CAST Shop of the Week: ShadowCutterJewelry

new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(5887928, 'shop','gallery',5,2).renderIframe();

Wednesday featured artist Lora Rogers of Eager hands

Cabbage Roll (galumpkis) Soup

Sunday Scripture - 2 Corinthians 5:17

CAST Shop of the Week: AppledoorStudio

new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(17300419, 'shop','gallery',5,2).renderIframe();

Friday Finds and Devotion for the New Year -(sorry a day late)

Our Wednesday Featured Artist

Conviction or Condemnation

Friday Finds - Christmas

It's not YOUR birthday !

"Starting over..."

CAST Shop of the Week: SticksNStonesGifts

new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(8413351, 'shop','gallery',5,2).renderIframe();

Wednesday Featured Artist Deborah Davey

Peace Be To You

SUNDAY SCRIPTURE - O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL

CAST Shop of the Week: marveles

new EtsyNameSpace.Mini(7920000, 'shop','gallery',5,2).renderIframe();

Friday Finds - Nativity

Business Topic: Add a Favicon to Your Blogger Blog

Recipe of the Month: Pumpkin-Rum Bread Pudding

THROUGH THE FIRE

Preparing our Hearts - Luke 3:4-6

CAST Shop of the Week: CherieWheeler

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Friday Finds - Humility

Featured Artist: Derek Collins of watercolorsbyderek and derekcollins