Whimsy Sneak Peak Day 3/ SSCC Birthday Tea

Happy Sunday Everyone!! I hope you are all having a great weekend!!  Today marks the third day of sneak peaks at Whimsy and it is also a new challenge at Stampin Sisters in Christ!!!

While most of the designers at Whimsy are using the fun  Kenny K images for their sneak peaks, I asked for special permission to share a Meljen's new release today since it fits absolutely perfectly with the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge which I have the honor of hosting!!

For the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge I chose the verse:

Psalm 121:2-4 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.  He will not let your foot slip, he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 

I am not going to go into full detail sharing my complete devotional since it will be redundant of what is already posted on the Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge blog, but I would like to share a poem which I also shared there that was shared with me by my dear friend Fhiona.  It fits perfectly with this verse and really touched my heart when I read it.

The Tea Cup

  Love this story or not, you will not be able to have tea in a tea cup again without thinking of this.There was a couple who took a trip to England to shop in a beautiful antique store to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They both liked antiques and pottery, and especially teacups.  Spotting an exceptional cup, they asked "May we see that?  We've never seen a cup quite so beautiful."

As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke, "You don't understand. I have not always been a teacup. There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay. My master took me and rolled me pounded and patted me over and over and I yelled out, "Don't do that. I don't like it! Let me alone." but he only smiled, and gently said;  "Not yet!"

Then WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. "Stop it! I'm getting so dizzy!  I'm going to be sick!", I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, quietly; 'Not yet.'

He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape to suit himself and then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door. "Help! Get me out of here!" I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head from side to side, 'Not yet'.

When I thought I couldn't bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. Oh, that           felt so good! "Ah, this is much better," I thought. But, after I cooled he picked me up and he brushed and painted me all over The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Oh, please, Stop it, Stop, I cried”. He only shook his head and said. 'Not yet!' Then suddenly he put me back in to the oven. Only it was not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I just knew I           would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried I was convinced I would never make it. I was ready to give up. Just then the door opened and he took me out and again placed me on the shelf, where I cooled and waited and waited, wondering "What's he going to do to me next?"

An hour later he handed me a mirror and said 'Look at yourself.' And I did. I said, That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful!!!

Quietly he spoke: 'I want you to remember, then,' he said, 'I know it hurt to be rolled and pounded and patted, but had I just left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened. You would not have had any color in your life. If I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you           wouldn't have survived for long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. Now you are what I had in mind when I first began with you.'"

 The moral of this story is this: God knows what He's doing for each of us. He is the potter, and we are His clay. He will mold us and make us and expose us to just enough pressures of just the right kinds that we may be made into a flawless piece of work to fulfill His good, pleasing and perfect will. So when life seems hard, and you are being pounded and patted and pushed almost beyond endurance; when your world seems to be spinning out of control; when you feel like you are in a fiery furnace of trials; when life seems to "stink", try this.

Brew a cup of your favorite tea in your prettiest tea cup, sit down and think on this story and then, have a little talk with the Potter.

This week's Challenge is:

 Create a card or project with a tea, hot chocolate or coffee cup and/or pot-this can be the designer paper, the image, or embellishment

Our Sponsor at Stampin Sisters is The Crafts Meow which will be giving away  a stamp set designed by Nina Brackett. How fabulous is that!!

For my sneak and challenge creation I used the darling Tea Cup Birthday Mouse designed by Meljen's which is to be released in rubber on Wednesday, May 18!!!

  The sentiment is a new release from Whimsy, Last month called Party Mini letter seals designed by Ann of Raindrop Echo Designs. The designer paper is from Prima Sparkling Spring.  The dies I used for the shape of the card include the Grand Scalloped and standard Circle as well as the large and small scalloped and standard circle dies from Spellbinders.  The image is colored with copics. The flowers are from ZVA Creative.

For more inspiration or sneak peaks from the Whimsy team, please visit my talented dt sisters:

Ann Vento
Jackie Randolph
Minna Paajanen
Lori Pachkowsky
Dawn Bennett
Marley van der Heijden
Donna Smith
Lisa Cook
Simonne Clay
Pattie Goldman
Annika Ryan
Melissa Cross

For more inspiration for the Stampin in Christ Challenge, please visit my dt sisters:
Grace, Linda, Lisa, Peggysue, Randi (on leave), Miesje, Kristine, Sabrina, Marilynn and  Rebecca.

For the full devotional and challenge details please visit the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge.

Challenges I am entering my creation in:
Sisterhood of Crafters -- Let it ShineCrafts and Me - Punches, Crafty Creations - Anything Goes, Creative Card Crew - May Flowers, , My Mum's Craft shop Use Dies, Penny's Paper-Crafty - Anything Goes, Stampavie and More - Ribbons, Your Next Stamp Challenge - Pop it Up- mouse is popped up, Fabulous Friday - Use ribbon or twine, Fairy Fun Fridays - For the girls, Inspire Me Fridays - Always anything goes, Stamp Something - Anything goes, Craft Us Crazy - Use your favourite embellishments and/or something new- new image, Delightful Challenges - flowers, ECP Challenges -  #38 Pastel Colours Ellephantastic - Birthday Party Fab n Funky#72 Buttons & BowsInspire Me Fridays - Always anything goes Sew Many Cards -  Anything goes.Crafty Sentiments -  Buttons.Some Odd Girl - Shaped card.Digistamps 4 Joy - #18 CelebrationDivas by Design - - Anything goesClear It Out! -  Ribbon/Trim

Going Grey With Scrap-Creations - Circles Paper and Such Design -  #1 - Birthday CardPaper Take Weekly - Punches Or Die-CutsTuesday Throwdown - Die-cuts

Thanks for stopping by!!  I appreciate all your comments!! Have a great day!!

Blessings,