February 26, 2016

This week has been busy as usual.  It has had its ups and downs.  But never can I overlook all the wonderful blessings the Lord has given us even in the disappointments of life.  I had tried out for the Heartfelt Creations Design Team this month.  The designs I came up with were beautiful to my husband, my friends and I.  Of course, they had probably seen lots of the same design during their time as a company.  So in all fairness they probably wanted something new and fresh, diverse and perhaps on the unusual side.  They also probably had a lot of people trying out for the Design Team as well.  It would be difficult choosing from that many people.  Was I upset I didn't make it?  Yes, at first.  But I had prayed much about whether I should be a part of their Design Team or not.  I had prayed for God's will to be done.  I had prayed that He would close the door to the Design Team if He had other plans for me and open other doors for me.  It isn't like I don't keep busy.  Taking care of our home and my hubby and adult children when they are home, laundry, meals, making cards for people in our church for their birthdays, making cards for other friends and family, teaching card making classes which includes making all of those card kits, helping with Awanas on Wednesday nights and singing with the Praise Team at our church on Sunday mornings keeps me very busy.  My goodness I'm still trying to put Christmas away.  The trees have been down for awhile now and a few boxes of ornaments and decorations have been put away.  But I still have several things to put away.  It really has been on the low end of things to do.  It will get done eventually.  I will make sure of that.  After all I don't want to go into Spring with it still needing to be put away.  I want to get my Easter decorations out soon.  Easter is not too far off.  My Mother is still living at the Carbondale Rehab and Nursing Center at the age of 91.  She has full blown Alzheimer's disease.  So there will be trips to take to Carbondale this year.  We also want to go visit Lindsay in Ohio this year too.  So perhaps if I was on the Design Team I wouldn't be able to go as much, wouldn't get to make as many cards for my ministry at church.  There would be deadlines to meet and pressure to come up with things that perhaps I don't know how to do yet.  So, as usual, the Lord knows best.  

I do have some suggestions for Heartfelt Creations.  I had made a box envelope and decorated it for one of my projects I sent into HC.  A week or so afterwards they had come out with instructions on how to make box envelopes.  They had one of their designers to give those instructions.  I couldn't help wonder if it was because of the envelope that I sent in. And if so couldn't they have given me honorable mention?   

I suggest that they display the projects that were sent into them by those who tried out for their design team onto their website.  They should place the person's name underneath their projects they sent in. They should list the names of all the people that tried out.  Or an e-mail would have been nice letting me and all the people who tried out know why I/we didn't make it.  They could have told us what we needed to do to improve our projects.  They could have told us what specifically they were looking for.  They could have told us they wanted people who have been on design teams before.  Most of the Semis have been on design teams before.  Some of them have been on their design team before.  They could have explained that they wanted people with more experience.  They should also let us know what they are doing with our projects.  I realize that I might have been the only person to mail mine to them.  I posted the projects online to their website as instructed.  But I felt it would be good for them to see my projects in person.  I sent them a letter with my projects so they could get to know me better.  And yet, I didn't get any kind of response from them.  I have to say I was very disappointed that a Christian Company could not  come up with a response of some sort whether it be through snail mail or e-mail.  I can only hope that they didn't throw away what I sent them.  The cards were beautiful.  I just hope someone gets good use out them.  I would not like it at all if they chose to throw them away.  A lot of work went into them.  

While I know that the Lord is in control.  He has another plan for me.  It is a good plan.  And yet I have to admit I was rather hurt and disappointed for the first few days after seeing the names they had posted for the Semis.  I kept wondering what I had done wrong.  I still love Heartfelt Creations.  Their paper, stamps and dies are beautiful.  I will continue to order from them when funds allow.  But I hope next year they respond to those who don't get chosen with an e-mail explaining why.  I hope they explain just what it is they are looking for.  

Thank you to my family and friends who prayed for me during this time of anticipation.  Thank you to the Lord God almighty who knows what is best for me.  He is truly to be honored and praised and glorified.  I love Jeremiah 29:11 that says He has plans for us, plans to help us and not to harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future.  My future is in His hands.  

This is a card I made for someone in our church.  It is made from Heartfelt Creations Peacock Paisley collection of paper.  The Heartfelt Creations Arianna Blooms flowers were die cut, shaped and glued together with hot glue.  Embellishments were added to the middle of the flowers.  A gate fence was die cut from the Garden Romance dies and attached behind the flowers.  The Happy Birthday sentiment is from a Stampendous set of stamps.  It was cut out with the Heartfelt Creations Luggage and Tags dies.  A Paper Studio Embossing folder was used to emboss four pieces of purple card stock to cover the front, back and inside of card before adding the top pieces.  This was a fun card to make and fairly simple.  

A box envelope was made for the 4-1/4 x 5-1/2 inch card.  It was decorated with Heartfelt paper and flowers.  The butterfly is from Art c stamps and dies.  The bow was made with tulle on the bow maker.  It was attached with hot glue.  

The next card is also made with Heartfelt Creations and Spellbinders products.  I love this design.  I hope you like it too.