Introducing British Bible Art Journaling Stamps - by Sarah Anderson

I am a regular contributor to Craft Stamper magazine but when the editor asked me to write an article for March I really wanted to ask if I could do a bible art journaling page.  That was very scary as this is a mainstream mag so I asked some close friends for prayer and they were all very encouraging.  

And so was the editor!  As long as the technique could be used out of a bible she was happy for me to do the article.

When the article came out last Friday it made me cry as they didn't just feature my step by step but included other pages from my bible.  My go to when I'm journaling is just my fine, black bic pen and occasionally some watercolour but that's not something you can write about in a stamping magazine!!  I also love to use deli paper, something I've written about on the blog before.

I love to stamp in my art journals and am thrilled about the recent availability of British bible art journaling stamps, thanks to the wonderful Hannah at Creative Bea.  It is brilliant to be stamping more in my bible!   

Firstly I thought I'd share again the benefits of deli paper.  It is very light and brilliant for covering up bleed through or mistakes.  The page on the left has bled through and I used deli paper on the other side.   The bleedthrough happily co-ordinates with the deli paper!

Painted deli paper also looks pretty as decoration for the edge of a page...

... and inspired by a page by Christy Fae I've cut it into mountain shapes.

Hannah has recently brought out a new set of stamps and I was privileged to get to play with them early.  I was keen to use the 'Calvary' set as much of my reading lately has been about our inheritance through the death of Christ.

If you're familiar with my bible journaling you'll know I enjoy reading a variety of translations and paraphrases.

All translations are influenced by the theology of the translator so reading a variety gives a better understanding of the meaning of the passage.  To me it's a bit like when you hear a preacher explain a verse or passage, but in a book!!  The Passion Translation's aim is to reveal the heart of God and His passion for us.  

Another favourite paraphrase of mine is Francois du Toit's Mirror which is translated "with the person of Jesus Christ Himself and His finished work as the proper interpretative lens".  

My journaling bible is an NIV, my 'go to' read but I love to add a different version in the margins in order to amplify the meaning.  My reading this morning was from James 4:8 which reads

"Come near to God and He will come near to you"

NIV

but it was the Mirror's interpretation that particularly spoke to me today so I added it to the margin.  

"Snuggle up to the warm embrace of God,

experience His closeness to you"

The Mirror

In Christ, there is no separation between God and us (Romans 8), absolutely none..... so He is as close as close can be.  I needed to remember that!

#31 days of adoration, Lettering a verse a day by Sarah Anderson

Last year I successfully completed the #100dayproject over on Instagram.  You choose to do something for 100 successive days and I chose to art journal everyday.  

I still can't believe I stuck to it as I'm not usually great at these things.  

I also tried #30daysofbiblelettering but only managed about a week.  

One of the big differences that affected the success and failure of these two challenges was that I always had the minimum amount of time to complete the art journal task - 10 mins, but not always the lettering, which would take at least 30mins.  I could choose to spend longer on the art journal but couldn't minimise the time on the lettering (bigger page as well as higher expectations of illustrating verse or spending significant time on fancy lettering).

This January I have challenged myself to art journal everyday.  I find it great for my emotional well-being and I feel so relaxed after doing it. I decided that I also wanted to have another go at lettering a verse a day.  This is partly because my journaling bible isn't with me at the moment (more on that next month) and I didn't really want to start a new one! I also wanted something from the bible to 'ponder' each day.

Two things have kept me on track so far.  I planned to just write out the verse in a diary, with a nice fountain pen.  This only takes a few minutes, so is achievable everyday, but if I have more time I can embellish the pages.  The challenge involves a lot of Psalms so I'm also reading the whole Psalm (usually in the Passion Translation) the verse is taken from.

The second thing keeping me on track is a few verses I read in The Passion Translation from 2 Peter 1 that have had a huge impact on my thinking.

God's Generous Grace

"Everything we could ever need for life and complete devotion to God has already

been deposited in us by His divine power.  For all this was lavished upon us through

the rich experience of knowing Him who has called us by name and invited us to

come to Him through a glorious manifestation of His goodness.  As a result of this, He

has given you magnificent promises that are beyond all price, so that through the power 

of these tremendous promises you can experience partnership with the divine nature,

by which you have escaped the corrupt desires that are of the world.

Faith's Ladder of Virtue

So devote yourselves to lavishly supplementing your faith with goodness,

and to goodness add understanding,

and to understanding add the strength of self-control (inner strength).

and to self-control add patient endurance,

and to patient endurance add godliness,

and to godliness  add..."

Since these virtues are already planted deep within, and you possess them

in abundant supply, they will keep you from being inactive or fruitless in

your pursuit of knowing Jesus Christ more intimately...."

2 Peter 1:3-8

[my emphasis]

I don't have to 'try hard' to have self control or self discipline, I already have it!!  God has already given me the strength I need to do the things I find hard but are good for me (like healthy eating!!).

So a combination of sensible expectations of how long I can spend on something to always ensure it happens in my day, and the knowledge that God has given me the inner strength to have the 'umph' to both art journal daily (for my emotional and mental well being) and read/write out part of the bible daily (for my spiritual/mental well being), is proving successful.

I really encourage you to take hold of these verses and know that you have all that you need to be who God made you to be, without striving, but resting in the truth.

I'm working in a passport sized traveler's notebook.   Just holding it gives me pleasure which means I want to work in it (another means of encouraging myself to write a verse a day).  For the month of January I am using Sara Hagerty's (from @everybitterthingissweet on Instagram) list of verses on adoration.

Perfect Peace - by Sarah Anderson

 I have admired this effect on a number of bible journaling pages on Instagram and decided that my declaration of peace page in John 14 would suit it perfectly.

I dip into Steve Backlund's book 'Declarations - Unlocking your Future' a lot!  Through attending therapy, after experiencing depression a number of years ago, I am now much more aware of the negative thoughts I have a tendency to listen to, and am making a conscious effort to now listen to the truth.  It's transforming!

I wrote out my notes, declarations, reference and date in the margin with my favourite pen - a fine Bic..

then used a flat brush and my Winsor and Newton watercolours to add patches of blue around the margin.

I continued adding a range of blues and a purple until I was happy with the effect - a simple but very effective way of adding colour to a page.  And for those of you who would like to know about bleedthrough -

None there :)  The photo was taken immediately after adding colour to the page so it will smooth out after being in a closed bible for a while.  I rather like the crinkly pages though :)

I'd forgotten I'd written this in my bible, in early January apparently, and used it again this weekend as part of our Creative Worship service at church.  It's not that we're not creative in other weeks but once a month we dedicate a whole service to an idea we explore creatively.  This week we asked people to bring an empty wine bottle to church as we were considering Song of Songs 5 from the Passion Translation which talks about Jesus' enjoyment of each one of us like this -

Jesus, your Bridegroom-King, says to you:

"I have gathered from your heart...

I have tasted and enjoyed my wine within you"

Imagine enjoying your favourite drink, whether it's a hot chocolate with marshmallows, cold elderflower cordial, or a large glass of wine - that's what Jesus is like, and more, with you!  

Sadly I forgot to take a photo of the finished wine bottle (It has been gifted to a friend who needed to hear this too!) but we gave everyone a large label to put their declarations of who they were on (and a sticky label with the Song of Songs verse for the back).  I chose to write a declaration of peace and after writing out the declaration from Steve's book, wrote my own around the edge.

And yesterday I was sooooo chilled despite some difficulties at work :)