Cardmaking, Creative Memories, Encouragements, Journal, Junk Journals, KwithJDesigns Etsy Shop, memories, stamping, travel journal

5 Easy Ways to Encourage a Friend

Posted on July 24, 2019 by JosephinesDesigns.com

Hi Sweet Friends,

As a cardmaker…I LOVE this article and I love encouraging others.

I pray each of you are encouraged!!

Hugs and prayers….k 🙂

Mar 24, 2019 by Jordan W.

In a word of quick text messages and the instant gratification of technology, let’s be a light of inspiration and encouragement to those around us. I love holding onto cards and notes from sweet friends as a tangible reminder of the love and encouragement the people in my life bring me, and it’s also a great reminder to do that same thing for others in my life! Below are five different formats that make it simple and easy to send love and encouragement to your people!

1. Encouragement Postcards

A postcard is one of the easiest ways to quickly send a note of encouragement to a friend or loved one from a distance. These cards already have an encouraging message and beautiful design on the front, so all you have to do is jot down a quick note on the back, put a stamp on it, and send it out! The convenience doesn’t take away from the sentiment – you’re making that relationship a priority just by putting a simple card in the mail.

2. Scripture Shareables

These compact cards are full of encouraging words straight from the Word of God, and they make it so easy to share God’s Word anytime, anywhere. They’re small enough to carry around in your purse or wallet so you have them whenever you need them. Put one on a coworker’s desk when you know they need some encouragement, leave one with your tip at your favorite coffee shop, or give one to a friend who shared their heart with you and just needs a little extra from God’s Word today. These little cards are small but powerful.

3. Prayers to Share

Similar to the Scripture Shareables, Prayers to Share are an easy format to hand out at a moment’s notice whenever you feel led. Each sheet has a scripture, a prayer, and an inspirational quote on it, so they can be universally inspirational, or more specific to a person’s situation. I keep a stack of them on my desk so I can write a note on the back and share with coworkers whenever I feel led. You can also tuck them inside a greeting card or even leave them on someone’s windshield for a little extra happy in their day.

4. Sticky Prayers

Sticky prayers are a fun way to encourage those around you. They’re small, customizable sticky notes, so they make it easy to share a prayer or encouraging message anytime. The blank space allows you to write your own message or prayer, and then you can literally stick them anywhere – the possibilities are endless!

5. Greeting Cards

Greeting cards are probably my favorite way to encourage friends. I just choose a card that’s made for the appropriate occasion, whether it be Thank You, Happy Birthday, Thinking of You, etc., and then choose a style with a beautiful design and message. I usually add in my own little note on the inside, and then I send it out! It’s simple, thoughtful, and takes no time at all, but the sentiment goes far with my loved ones.

I know how much I love to receive an encouraging note every now and then, so I’ve tried to make a conscious effort to be more intentional in that department. Stock up on your favorite cards or Prayers to Share so that you always have something encouraging on hand to share when the opportunity presents itself!

Article Credit: Dayspring.com

Cardmaking, Creative Memories, decorative travel journal, Encouragements, file folder journal, Journal, Journals, Junk Journals, KwithJDesigns Etsy Shop, memories, memory keeping, Mini Albums, Miscellaneous, Occasions, organization, Paper crafting, planning, travel journal, YouTube Videos

I Can’t Wait….

Posted on July 3, 2018July 3, 2018 by JosephinesDesigns.com

Hello Dear Friends,

I am over the moon with this gorgeous paper kit!! I also love the stickers that match as well!!

I will be making cards and album pages using these darling pictures and stickers…it is just our thing!!! 😉 As some of you know, we have been eating a vegetarian diet for many years and are working to going vegan. This is just our thing!!! As well as My Sweet Husband LOVES gardening and working in his small orchard. He is never so proud as he is when he brings in he produce!! And we all love his gift to our family!!

Here’s a quick peek!!

If you have any questions feel free to email: JosephinesDesigns.com@gmail.com

And you can also visit my website 24/7: www.CreativeMemories.com/user/JosephinesDesigns.com

Mine is on it’s way!! YAY!!!! 🙂

Great big Summer Fruit and Veggie hugs,

k 😉

Cardmaking, decorative travel journal, Encouragements, file folder journal, Gallery, Journal, Journals, Junk Journals, KwithJDesigns Etsy Shop, memories, memory keeping, Mini Albums, Miscellaneous, Occasions, organization, Paper crafting, planning, Project Life, stamping, Supplies, travel journal, YouTube Videos

First YouTube Channel Giveaway!!

Posted on December 14, 2017 by JosephinesDesigns.com

Hello Dear Friends,

After a wonderful bit of time on YouTube: JosephinesDesigns.com , I am thrilled to share my first giveaway!! Please enjoy the video below and then hop on over and take a peak at the channel. It’s a great community with a focus on encourgement. Encouragement through planning, crafting, hauls and Bible study/Illustrated Faith.

So please grab a nice cup of tea and come on over (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNF08CE8fU6EsXPvN3mzVpw/videos) and say hello!! We’d love to encourage you!!

Encouragements, KwithJDesigns Etsy Shop, Miscellaneous

Weekly Verses…

Posted on December 4, 2017 by JosephinesDesigns.com

Monday

This is what the Lord says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”

—Isaiah 43:16 and Isaiah 43:18-19
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…

The year is gone, finished, past. We cannot reclaim it or undo it. We cannot rest on the things it has brought us. If tomorrow dawns, it will be another day, a new opportunity, and the time to show our faith in Jesus as Lord. Let’s journey forward, knowing that God already inhabits the future and promises to provide us refreshment.

MY PRAYER…

Lord of all eternity, please help me to learn from my mistakes but not dwell on them. Please help me not rest on my accomplishments in this past year, but use them to further your work in me and through me. Please help me not quarrel with those who injured me yesterday, or last month. Instead, O Father, lead me in your paths and help me see your mighty works this next year. In Jesus name and by his power I ask it. Amen.

Tuesday

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
—2 Corinthians 5:17
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…

We all like “do-overs” or second chances. God does much better than that! He allows us to become new again. Being the “God of new things” he can even make us new. Beyond forgiveness, beyond cleansing, he makes us holy through Jesus. Let’s use the opportunity of a New Year as a springboard to living a life fresh and new and alive to God!

MY PRAYER…

O LORD, thank you for a New Year and a fresh start. Please give me wisdom and strength to serve you with integrity and faithfulness in this coming year. I pray that your work be done in my life as I offer myself, my plans, and my future to you. I pray this through Jesus, my intercessor and Lord. Amen.

Wednesday

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
—Psalms 90:12
New International Version\

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…

So often we look up and time has passed us by. The things we promised ourselves we’d accomplish and the deeds we told others we’d do get left undone. Before we know it, days have become weeks, and weeks months, and months years. We find ourselves unable to do what we once assumed we could do any time we want. We must ask the Spirit of God to help us see and seize the opportunities the LORD places in our path.

MY PRAYER…

Father, I confess that so often I leave undone what needs to be done. Please help me see your plans in each of my days and live in a way which not only honors you, but also blesses those you want me to reach. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Thursday

While [Joseph and Mary] were [in Bethlehem], the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
—Luke 2:6-7
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…

I’ve always been amazed at how God chose to place his Son into our world. He could have done it any way he wanted. But he chose this way — to enter the world in difficult times under difficult circumstances as a helpless infant who must be cared for by parents who were vulnerable to so many frailties. Yet in spite of the challenges that lay ahead and the bewildering mystery that confronted them: Joseph and Mary, along with everyone around them, were caught up in the great joy this new child gave.

MY PRAYER…

Give me a heart of faith, O God, so that I might always see your sovereignty and grace being poured out on me in special ways. I am thrilled that you, the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe, chose to enter my world as a child. Thank you for trusting your wonderful salvation to human flesh so we could know that you deemed us worthy of entering our world to make us right for yours. Through Jesus. Amen.

Friday

[God] has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…

God’s desires for us are not hard to discern. He wants to bless us with salvation. The incredible gift of his Son is powerful testimony to this truth. But salvation from sin and death is not something he wants to happen in our lives only once. He wants our lives to daily reflect his salvation and to share it with others. We should act justly and pursue mercy in our relationships, and honor him with our worship from a humble heart.

MY PRAYER…

Almighty and compassionate Father, as I embrace this New Year, help my eyes see what your heart sees. Teach me to hate sin and be merciful to the repentant. Teach me to know truth and act fairly, while hating abuse and exploitation. Through your Spirit, stir me to reflect on the great distance between your holy majesty and my inconsistent character. Make me more your child, I pray, in Jesus name. Amen.

Saturday

Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless.
Isaiah 1:16-17
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…

Do you find it easy to replace service to those in need with religious rituals? I know I do! But God wants us to not get so caught up in talking about him and celebrating his deeds, that we forget we’re supposed to care for others like he does. Whether it is Jesus defining his ministry in Luke 4:18-19 or James talking about the kind of piety that pleases God (1:26-27), we must realize true faith is treating others as God would. Today’s verse defines what God does and asks us to live the same.

MY PRAYER…

O Great God of all comfort, open my eyes today to see those who need your love and give me the attentiveness, time, and compassion to serve them. May Jesus’ work be seen in my life today. Amen.

Sunday

Prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 1:13
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…

When Jesus came the first time, he came to reveal God (John 1:18). As wonderful, powerful, and gracious as he was in his earthly ministry, it did not fully reveal Jesus our Lord. Our hope is tied to his return. When he comes this time, he won’t come to reveal God, but to reveal himself — the conquering Lord, the Rider on the white horse. Every knee will bow. And we will see him as he really and fully is, Immanuel in power and grace. With this as our hope, we can be ready for active service to our king as people who live their lives under his leadership and control.

MY PRAYER…

O Almighty God, I long for the day when I get to see Jesus face to face coming with the angels in power. Until that time, fasten my heart in hope to the glory Jesus will share with me on that day, and please empower me to live as one who knows that victory is mine in Jesus. Jesus, through your powerful name I pray. Amen.

Devotional credit: Oneplace.com

decorative travel journal, Encouragements, Gallery, Journal, KwithJDesigns Etsy Shop, memories, memory keeping, Mini Albums, Miscellaneous, organization, Paper crafting

Re-purposing Boxes with Graphic 45…

Posted on March 22, 2016March 22, 2016 by JosephinesDesigns.com

Hello Dear Friends,

I had allot of fun re-purposing some boxes with the gorgeous Mother Goose and By the Sea paper pads by Graphic 45. I absolutely LOVE their paper and delight in using it in my various projects!! 🙂

I hope these 3 boxes and 1 mini album encourage you today!!

Have a wonderful day,

Graphic 45 Mother Goose: Mary Had A Little Lamb Box and Humpty Dumpty Heart Box

Graphic 45 By the Sea: Box and Mini Album Insert

Cardmaking, Encouragements, Gallery, KwithJDesigns Etsy Shop, memories, Miscellaneous, Paper crafting, Supplies

Thank You Cards to be Sent…

Posted on March 14, 2016 by JosephinesDesigns.com

Hello Dear Friends,

Today I am sharing some lovely Thank You cards made with wonderful Stamps of Life dies, stamps, ink and paper pads. I had such a lovely time making these cards and…well just playing!! Such joy to give handmade thanks to those that we love!! 🙂

Enjoy,

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Supplies used:

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IMG_20160303_144701408

Cardmaking, Encouragements, Gallery, KwithJDesigns Etsy Shop, Miscellaneous, Paper crafting, Supplies

Holiday Cards Galore…

Posted on December 10, 2015March 14, 2016 by JosephinesDesigns.com

cropped-cropped-josephine-hatwomens-hats-2-josephines-silk-flowers-and-lace11.jpg

Hello Friends,

I have been working away in my little studio making fun cards for my Etsy Shop.
http://www.etsy.com/hk-en/shop/KwithJDesigns

I thought I would post a few on here to share with you all. 🙂

I pray each of you is having a lovely holiday season with those you love,

Snowflake Gold Glitter Dimensional Winter card and envelope set

(5 x 7 inch set of 6)

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Snowflake Gold Glitter Dimensional Winter card and envelope set

(5 x 7 inch set of 6)

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White Dimensional Snowflake Winter Card and envelope set

(5 x 7 inch set of 5)

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Colorful and Cheerful Dimensional Tree Winter Card and envelope set (5 x 7 inch set of 6)

20151209_143208

Glimmer Gold Dove with Cutout Snowflake Winter Card and envelope set

(5 x 7 inch set of 6)

20151209_143233

Close up of the snowflake cutout and gold shimmery paper.

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Shiny Copper on Purple Nativity Cards and envelope set

(4 x 6 inch set of 6)

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Vintage Wooden Merry Christmas Cards and envelope set

(4 x 6 inch set of 6)

20151209_143822

Shiny Glittery Glimmering 3 Gifts Dimensional Cards and envelope set

(4 x 6 inch set of 6)

Soooo much fun creating these cards!! I will also be posting a YouTube video in the next week. I will come back and add the link once posted. 🙂

JosephinesDesigns.com

Thank you so much for stopping by!!

Have a wonderful week and keep enjoying the season,

Gallery, Journals, KwithJDesigns Etsy Shop, memories, Miscellaneous, Paper crafting, Supplies, YouTube Videos

Fun File Folder Junk Journal Process…

Posted on April 7, 2015March 14, 2016 by JosephinesDesigns.com

Hello Dear Friends,

I have been traveling with my husband for his work. But there is always time for a project or two!! I literally took one whole suitcase of projects to work on. I am always more ambitious than time allows!! 😉

Here’s a quick peak at my drafting table ready to get started….

OK, yes…I am a two fist-ed tea and coffee drinker!! 😉 Gotta have my beverages!!! I LOVE a hot cup of coffee and some iced green tea!! And I LOVE this little beach clip cup holder I found at Walmart. It is great to hold my tea on the side of my drafting table. It’s great…no water sweating on my work surface!! 🙂 And very, very affordable…thanks Walmart!! 😉

Here’s some fun File Folder Junk Journals that I will be listing in my Etsy shop, posting on my YouTube Channel and my Instagram later this week. Please be sure to drop back by and take a look see!! 😉

Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/KwithJDesigns

YouTube channel: JosephinesDesigns.com or https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNF08CE8fU6EsXPvN3mzVpw/videos

Instagram: https://instagram.com/josephinesdesignscom

Many thanks to all the sweet ladies on YouTube and many blogs sharing their creations of Junk Journals that have helped me develop mine. 🙂 Such a wonderful online community of crafters!!

Here’s how I make these fun File Folder Junk Journals:

Each has 2-3 signatures, a clip and a band with decorating/journaling pages for each journal.

Here’s some of the process:

First I select the materials I will use. File folders, waxed twine, pages for the signatures, beads, bands, etc.

Next I measure, check and recheck. Then score and attach the folds.

Next I measure and then punch my holes for the folder to hold my signatures. I LOVE this simple awl…it always does the trick on punching paper/cardstock, easy peasy.

I then begin to build the signatures with all kinds of fun finds!! This week I was gathering fun inserts from the Korean market!! And I always try to include a current calendar in each one. I LOVE the whimsy of junk journals!! 🙂

After I build 2-3 signatures for each journal, I then begin accessorizing! I also include a clear business card slot in each one. 🙂

Finally I add my add my band and beads. I love to add a trinket to the band to help close it. And I love the beads on the spine as well. The opportunities are endless with all the clips, markers, etc.!!

Now this fun File Folder Junk Journal is ready for it’s newest recording of the owner’s next FUN adventure!! 🙂

Have a wonderful week,

Encouragements, KwithJDesigns Etsy Shop, Miscellaneous, Paper crafting, Supplies, YouTube Videos

Crafting Supplies Stash Shopping…

Posted on March 4, 2015 by JosephinesDesigns.com

Art supplies Stock Photos

Hello Dear Friends,

How many of you acquire more than you create? I have suddenly realized as the “acquisition officer” in my home…and the busy-ness of our home, I have become the best and yet biggest shopper ever!! We all go through the typical…gonna cut back on spending. But I am going to cut-off my craft spending!! My goal is to save money by using what I have, give great handmade gifts for all occasions this year and fill my Etsy shop to bless others!!

Today begins a new journey for me. I have through the years accumulated a “large” stash of supplies. I have had a Spinning, Weaving and Sewing business as well as Scrapbooking business. I am planning on spending the next month (and each month for the next year…baby steps, baby steps) using my stash. I will take each month at a time. I will have to be creative and shop my stash!! 🙂 Don’t panic…yet!! 😉 There will be a very small allowance each month ($20) for custom orders useage of: adhesives, ink for my printer, printer paper, etc.

Now don’t get me wrong…everything I buy is usually ALWAYS on sale or clearance….or I use a coupon or even double stack the coupons. I had become fascinated with extreme coupon-ers. But enough is enough!! You can only have so many supplies…the room is full and it is time to get busy!!

I also will begin next week tracking all expenses. With the online world of debit/credit cards I have totally given up tracking each spend…like we did all those years ago with a simple check register or even envelopes of cash. As I go through this process, I will do my best to share my experiences.

Honestly…I LOVE a good cheap buy!! I always feel as if I have climbed and conquered a mountain with my checked off shopping lists!! Now as a good steward of all I have been blessed with…it is time to get to work and begin blessing others!! The first is to bless my Sweet Husband who has worked hard in the “work world” to pay for most of these goodies!! And then next is to bless my family with hopefully (in time) freeing up space in our home by eliminating the “store”. (I literally have my inventory from my store in my basement!!) Then it is to bless others with gifts of handmade love from our family. And then finally it is to get busy growing and creating in the skills the Lord has given me!! It is all His.

I have loved watching some of the YouTubers share in there journey. I am currently watching ‘OCD Must ?’. Amy does a great job as well as the first video I ever watched…running her home like a business. YES!! Why has that been so hard for me? I have endless experience running and working in businesses? I now see how I need to implement that complete record keeping and accountability to if only myself in written form. I see I have let things slide with the online daily check of our accounts. It is too much with as busy as life can be to try to mentally keep a running tally. Time to tighten the belt and get to business!! 🙂

Now you may read this and think…what a downer!! But I am happy and content to say…honestly, I will miss the looking/shopping but it will be great to get the hoarder monkey off my back!! As well as working to bring in money and not spend out money. Can any of you relate?

On my other blog, I am doing a series of organizer/binders/journals etc. to help better prioritize myself, my family, our finances, my blogs and my YouTube/Etsy shop. I will reblog here to encourage you all as well. There are some fun creative mixed in with the everyday “planning”. 😉 Hey…I can still have fun in the “planning” game too!! 😉

So I could look at this as the glass half full or half empty. I am determined to see the glass half full!! I am excited to see where I go as a Christian/wife/mother and artist. I am excited to live within my budget and my stash…so to speak and see what is created!! Some of my best recipes when cooking dinner come from using what’s in the fridge!! So here’s to “fridge” shopping my stash and creating some fun new projects this next year!!

I will also have some fun giveaways beginning next week to encourage each of you throughout this next year!! So keep coming back and see how it’s going. Hopefully you will be encourage and inspired as well!!

Have a wonderful week in the Lord,

Picture credit: dreamstime.com

Cardmaking, Encouragements, KwithJDesigns Etsy Shop, Mini Albums, Paper crafting, Supplies

Today Is A New Day…

Posted on February 5, 2015March 14, 2016 by JosephinesDesigns.com

Hello Dear Friends,

I just wrote an article and my computer glitched somehow and it didn’t save. So as I rethink the previous article, I see the blessing of possibly something a bit different.

I have been busy, busy, busy working on a family project, finishing up all the new mini album kits in my Etsy Store (KwithJDesigns), dealing with a computer that needs my Sweet Husband’s genius touch for a little repair work, helping my youngest with Latin, going through all the new inventory that has come in in the last week or so and well just being a wife and Mom. I have also been researching and purchasing new materials for a new article on my other blog (HealthyLiving4Him.wordpress.com) It’s an organizational article. With so many different things going on in our family as well as in my world of home, property and my little business…I am enjoying the joy of getting all organized.

As you can hear in my writing…we have been busy. Like all of you, we go through the holidays working as fast as we can to get everything done we desire on our list. My list…maybe like some of y’all’s is always a bit long. So after the rush I have stacks of supplies…well honestly boxes of supplies for all my hopes and dreams for Christmas crafting. I am honestly set for the next 5 years of crafting for my family and friend’s gifts if I didn’t buy another thing!! 🙂 But none the less it is all still there. Looking me in the eyes…daring me to try to store it!! And now with all the wonderful Spring/Summer supplies coming in…I now have to do something!!

So “Today is a New Day”!!! It is time to grab that bull by the horns and get busy cleaning up, organizing and getting all working in a much more efficient manner. I need organization at it’s best. With such a small space I need the ultimate efficiency in this room. I am so thankful to have this room…well I kinda commandeered it. It used to be our dining room. It was used on special occasions and as time went by I slowly took the room over until this last Summer I took the table and chairs out (the china hutch had been moved a couple of years prior) and made it my office/studio. In my other blog (HealthyLiving4Him.wordpress.com), I recently wrote about adjusting and learning to “bloom where I was planted” in our out in the country older farmhouse. It is a lovely home and I am so thankful to the Lord for it!! But there are times I honestly miss my huge newly built home that was in a large city. I don’t miss the city except when I need something quick and easy at a store and it’s now at least an hour away. 🙂 And I honestly LOVE the quiet of our little country life. Life seems so much more real here. There is life and sometimes death on a farm that make you stop and realize the Lord’s plans are so much more than our own. And in that blog…I come to the realization I can make this home work and not look back!!

So all this to say, as I look at my challenge before me…Today is a New Day!! And in the words of our Lord…this is the day that the Lord has made…I will be glad and rejoice in it!! So my major reorg begins. My Sweet Husband travels next week for work. We will be tied up as well…so today the planning begins. I will be pulling everything out and clearing everything out…Lord willing. But how exciting to again, find all the gems in the drawers and shelves I have forgotten are in there. To find a better spot for them to be used more readily. And to be the good steward the Lord needs me to be of all these supplies for my little business!! So exciting!!!

I hope somewhere in all this…you can find encouragement in your spaces of your home. May we all be so well prepared for what lies ahead of us that we can be ready at any time to do all as if unto the Lord. That is my goal in preparing this work space in my home. It is a place filled with joy, fun and whimsy!! A place that needs order and easy access so that I may enjoy doing all that is before me and blessing all that come in or receive what comes out of this space in my home!!

So after all the investigation of planning tools…here begins the first planning project of the year!! FUN!!!

May your day and your life be filled with the joy of the Lord,