Featured Blog of the Week 4/30/08

This week's Featured Blog was sent to us to add to our blogroll- and I loved it! I would recommend a visit to Scrap of Faith. This is a wonderful site, with and active forum, galleries and challenges. They even host retreats- sounds fun! Thanks for sending in this link- and congrats on being A Faith Perspective's Featured Blog of the Week!!

Weekly Prompt: 4/29/08

Do you have a favorite verse? Perhaps it is your life-verse, a verse you have chosen and dedicated before God to be the motto of your life....or maybe you have a verse that has given you strength through hard times. There might be a verse you have always liked and wanted to memorize...this week your prompt is to scrap a verse. Take any verse out of Scripture that you want, and add it into a page or project. Then be sure to add it to our gallery, so that everyone can enjoy it!!

Featured Layout of the Week- 4/28/08

I just love this layout Alisa Schenk did- the color, elements and sentiment all work together so well!! Thanks for sharing with us Alisa- and congrats on being A Faith Perspective's Featured Layout of the Week!!

Remember to upload your faith based projects- no matter what the theme- to our gallery for your chance to be featured!!

FaithBuilder Friday

This week, out faith builder is actually one of my favorite tools. I really love to add Scripture to even the simplest layout- you see nifty quotes added to layouts all the time...what better then Scripture for these quotes, right? (This also makes a handy way to teach/memorize Scripture, btw...everytime the family looks at your album, they will be reviewing key memory verses...sneaky!)

Anyway...BibleGateway is a wonderful tool to help with this...look up a verse by keyword, topic, reference...even phrase. Then, they give you your choice of versions and languages. They also give you the easy choice of seeing the Scripture in context- a feature I find very handy for reminding myself of the story. If you have not added Scripture to your albums, I would encourage you to give it a try...and take a peek at BibleGateway, too. Very Handy!!

Featured Blog- April 23rd: Triple the Scraps

This week our featured blog is Triple the Scraps. This blog is hosted by Patter, wife, mother of triplets, and wow- what a scrapper! Patter also hosts a weekly Scripture Card Challenge on her blog that really is too much fun! The idea is simple- take a 2 dollar deck of jumbo playing cards- you can get them at any Walgreens. Every week, Patter gives a word-like joy, comfort, etc- you find a Bible verse that this word reminds you of. Now, alter your card using the verse. Fun, right?! It may be April- but it is never too late to join in- or just wander around Patter's beautiful site...there is plenty to see and learn, I promise!!

Remember, keep recommending your favorite faithbooking sites and blogs- we want to visit them too- and they might end up our Featured Blog!

New Week, New Prompt

As we are concentrating on the theme of 'Why Faithbook?' let's flesh the theme out a little bit. This week, our prompt is the phrase 'I believe'. Take these words, and build a layout/project around them. The most precious gift/legacy we can leave are our beliefs...but how many of us have taken the time to put into words our exact beliefs? I encourage you to do this- then load your work into the gallery so we all may see and be encouraged!!

Featured Layout- Week 2

This week, our featured layout is from Monique Drost of Erressa Designs. This is a wonderful layout called 'Why I Keep a faithbook'. I love the color and composition of this one...almost as much as I love that she does keep a faithbook, lol! Here are the details:
Journaling:
Why I Keep A Faithbook
To leave a legacy. Not just for me, but also for those close to me. My parents, boyfriend, and close relatives. I'm really not good at telling about God and what he's done for me, but I can sure write it down on scraps. This way I leave my own testimony.

Credits:
K Sharonk - Summer Spice Freebie (not available anymore) (green paper)(twolittlepixels.com)
K Sharonk - Fancy Free Freebie (not available anymore) (blue paper and stitch)(twolittlepixels.com)
K Sharonk - Simple Packages Doodles 1 (blue doodle)(twolittlepixels.com)
Vintagecharm - Lil Freebie (frame)(not available anymore)(twolittlepixels.com)
Lisa Whitney - Painted Doodles Stars (scrapartist.com)
K Sharonk - Scruffy Freebie (not available anymore)(staple and v-stitch)(twolittlepixels.com)

Thanks, Monique, for an awesome page- and congrats on being this week's Featured Layout!! Remember to get your pages uploaded to the gallery, everyone- you might be featured next week!!

FaithBuilder Friday

A Faith Perspective recognizes that we must grow and develop our faith, before we can add it to our everyday scrapbooks. To help with this, I will be highlighting resources that are out there that would fall under the category of faith building.

This week, you almost get a two-fer. Let's start here: Living Proof Blog. This is the blog for Beth Moore. Now, if you have not done one of Beth's incredible Bible Studies- RUN, don't walk to get your hands on one. You will be blessed beyond measure, I promise you!! Here's the second part of this two-fer: Beth's Podcasts. These are updated regularly- weekly, I believe. This woman is just a joy to listen to, I tell you! I know that you will enjoy pod-ing her!

Now, if you have a resource for faith building you think we will all benefit from, I am trusting you to send it to me! afaithperspective(at)gmail.com Have a wonderful weekend!

Issue 3 Call for Pages

I am on the hunt for pages to be published in June's column in Scrapbook News and Review. The subject is: What influences You and your Faith. Specifically, I am looking for pages dealing with books, music, movies, etc that have influenced you and your faith (whether these are Christian songs, old hymns, great books, devotionals, etc, etc). So send them on in, let's see them!

The Specifics:

*Photo or scan is fine
*Include complete supply list
*Type out all journaling/text, please
*Include name, address, phone, and email contact info
*Send to: afaithperspective@gmail(at)com include Issue 3 in the subject line.

This is due by May 10, 2008.

Thanks!!

Our First Featured Site!

I am proud to announce that our first featured blog is Faith Sisters. This is an amazing site, filled with loving and supportive Christian women. The forums are active and encouraging. The galleries are filled with wonderful examples of recorded faith. And, every week, Faith Sisters hosts 3 different challenges designed to grow your faith, and develop your Spirit led scrapbooks. Here is the official Press Release:

Leave A Legacy Of Faith with Faith Sisters
Faith Sisters is proud to announce the grand opening of a brand new Christian scrapbooking website at www.faithsisters.com. The launch of this exciting community brings together many sisters from all over the world who participate in faithbooking challenges, contests, member chats, and so much more.

West Virginia November 27, 2007 – Faith Sisters announced the opening of its new website www.faithsisters.com “Helping You Leave A Legacy Of Faith” in September. The site is designed to provide inspiration, support, and a feeling of community amongst the Christian artists that visit there. It offers weekly faithbooking challenges, tutorials, exclusive designs, an online shop with lots of faithbooking freebies, downloadable Word Art, inspiring layouts and artwork in the inspiration gallery, and many other useful services. The Faith Sisters Shop has pre-made digital designs for sale, one can find educational assistance at the Online Classroom, and members can post their own layout creations in the Inspiration Gallery and chat with other Faith Sisters in the forums.

Faith Sisters is the brainstorm of three creative women who befriended one another while working in the scrapbooking industry. Karma Holoboff, Sunny Kohler and Michelle McVaney, the co-owners of Faith Sisters, live many states from one another but they are proof that the internet can be used for good. Their goal was to create a website that would give like minded women who are followers of Christ a forum to meet and share their art and inspiration, while also introducing others to this idea of leaving a legacy of faith. “We wanted to start Faith Sisters to provide an organized, fun, and helpful website for others to learn how to leave a legacy of faith in their scrapbooks,” says Michelle McVaney, a co-owner of Faith Sisters. “We envision it as a place for all to feel welcome; a place that nurtures those new to the idea of faithbooking and scrapping while allowing the more experienced artists to inspire and shine. Faith Sisters provides all of its members with a place to feel at home, surrounded by friends, sharing something that we love.”

Karma Holoboff, the Faith Sisters webmaster and co-owner, says,"We expected the site to be popular, but we were shocked to see the forum grow so quickly! The traffic numbers on the site have been higher than we could have ever imagined. For the month of November we will have had over five thousand unique visitors. Proof that Faithbooking and Leaving A Legacy of Faith is growing quickly and has been much needed in the industry!" Sunny Kohler, another Faith Sisters co-owner, adds, “As faithbooking is growing and developing within the scrapbooking industry, we see a huge potential for product lines both paper and digital. This large faithbooking market is new and untouched and deserves to have high quality products specific to this new form of art and worship.”

The art of paper scrapbooking has seen tremendous growth in the past few years. The Hobby Industry Association estimates the number of scrapbookers in the U.S. to over 62 million, with 57% of U.S. households participating in scrapbooking. Digital scrapbooking is a unique alternative to the traditional craft of scrapbooking by incorporating the computer to create artwork. Faithbooking is adding your faith into your scrapbooks, documenting God’s fingerprints in your life. “TELL the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord.” (Psalm 78:4).

The design team at FaithSisters.com encourages everyone to come – be inspired to Leave A Legacy Of Faith.

Faith Sisters
Helping You Leave A Legacy of Faith

If you have not visited yet, I would highly recommend you drop by!!

If you have a blog that highlights your faith, (even if it is not specifically about faithbooking) and would like to see it added to our rolls, drop me a line at annejillian(at)gmail.com .

Why Faithbook?

Every week, A Faith Perspective will suggest prompts to get you going in your faithbooking. These will be page starters, that you can take and make your own. When you are done with them, we encourage you to post them in the gallery for all to see, and be encouraged by!!

Every month, A Faith Perspective will host a month long Challenge. This will follow the theme of the column for the month, and help us to flesh out the idea a little. It will also be a great way to get working on adding your faith into your everyday scrapbooks!!

This month's challenge is: Why Faithbook? Why have you, or are you, making the commitment to add your faith into your family albums? Is it to honor God? Pass your beliefs unto future generations? Train up others in righteousness? Record your own journey? Do a page, project, or such- and show us your answer to this important question!! Be sure to upload your work into the gallery- we want to see it, too!! Also- I will be choosing the Featured Layouts from the gallery...who knows, it might be yours!

We're Live

This month's issue of Scrapbook News and Review has hit the stands, so to speak (without any ads, too- a bonus for the month)...and you need to take a look! Filled with hundreds of layouts, cards, altered projects...not to mention a ton of incredible articles, this baby is chocked full of goodness!!

This month's A Faith Perspective column deals with the basics of faithbooking. Why should we faithbook? Who are we doing it for? Etc, etc. I can't give you the column- of course- but we are building our time this month on this theme...Why Faithbook?

I want to encourage everyone to subscribe to the blog by clicking one of the subscribe links in the left column. This is a great way to do a couple of things: keep current on what is going on in this blog (and I have a lot in store!!) AND, send a message to the industry that there is a market for Faithbooking!! Please- sign up!!

Welcome, Welcome!!!!

I cannot even begin to express how excited I am to welcome you to your new Faithbooking Blog! For those who don't know, this is the blog extension of the faithbooking column in the Scrapbook News and Review online magazine. To be given an opportunity to talk/teach/share about Faithbooking in a major mainstream publication (in the form of our monthly faithbooking column in the Scrapbook News and Review magazine) is more than amazing- it is literally a gift of God. (And, I promise you- it is only by His power, and to His glory that any of this is going to be accomplished!!) To have this blog that corresponds to and builds on the column is more than a bonus! God has given me so many ideas and plans for this blog- I cannot wait to get started! I cannot wait to see where He takes us- so awesome! I called it Your blog, and I truly mean that. My prayer is that this will become a place to learn, share, participate and grow together- in our faith and in our faithbooking. This will only work with active participation- so dust off that keyboard and jump in...

I am going to admit to a bias...I am going to confess it from the beginning of our journey together so there are no mistakes...

I think theme books are great, they are a lot of fun. But, my goal is not for you to make a Faithbook. My goal is that you add your every day faith into your every day scrapbook! We will share ideas, tips and techniques to help with this- here and in the monthly column. We will also have lots of fun and features coming soon, too....oh, I am so excited! Are you ready? Let's go!

Featured Layout

One of the features I am excited about involves sharing our work. What fun to share our ideas, and inspire others along the way. We have set up a special gallery over at Scrapbook News and Review just for Faithbooking. This will make it easy for us to keep track of these wonderful layouts and ideas.

Every week, I will choose a layout or 2 to be the Featured Layout here at A Faith Perspective. This layout will get a little extra attention, and a spot of honor in the sidebar. At the end of the week, this work will be added to our special slideshow that will permanently be displayed in the sidebar. So- let's see those layouts and projects!!

This week, our featured layout is from Terrie Logan, aka Scrap Evangel. I love the colors, the journaling tag, and the layers in this....but I really love the way she found God in this circumstance! Great Job, Terrie!!

A Gallery for US!!

I want to encourage everyone to use the gallery provided for us at SNR. You can find the link on the side in the menu- and it is absolutely free! If you have faith based layouts, cards, or projects on any themes- they are very welcome!! I will also be scouring this gallery for projects to feature here. Want to be the next Featured Layout of the Week? UPLOAD!!

To upload in the gallery, choose the My Galleries text option at the top right of the gallery page. This will take you to an upload page, please choose the Faithbooking Challenges gallery from the drop down menu option. Thanks!!