RedLetterWords

Giveway Winner! + a coupon code + free shipping:)

I loved loved loved reading your comments! - so many of you shared happy memories of singing these hymns, many shared struggles and sorrows and were comforted by the truths in the lyrics.  God is so good!

Well since I have to pick one random winner . . .here she is . . . 

#211 Erin - who said her favorite hymn was . . Great is Thy Faithfulness. A beautiful daily reminder.

Congratulations Erin!  Email me at info@redletterwords.com with your mailing address and which print you would like!!

But. . really everybody wins because. . .

Use nester15 code for 15% off the entire site* + free shipping** all weekend long!

Good through midnight Sunday January 29.    

 *Excludes custom prints and print of the month

**Continental US orders only qualify for free shipping.

Thank you so so much for your encouragement, support and LoVe!!

It's Giveaway Day!!

How exciting!!  The new Hymn Collection!!  Have you seen it yet?... 

Here's a few more of my favs . . . (really though - they are ALL my favs:)

Great is Thy Faithfulness -  How awesome is it that our God is always faithful, provides everything we need and gives new mercies every morning?

  

You are My Sunshine - I know its not a hymn - but its a classic and beloved folk song with extra special meaning to me as we often describe our youngest one's personality as "all sunshine and rainbows"  all the time.  She loves this song and loves to sing it to us.  And anybody else who will listen:)

It is Well  It is well with my soul . . True that and Amen.  

We are celebrating by giving away a $155 store credit to anything in the hymn and folk song collection!:)  Welcome to everyone who is coming over from The Nester!  Love herl! 

Won't you join us?  

Leave a comment with your favorite hymn!   Or you can just say - I love this collection and would really like to win!

For extra entries you can follow RedLetterWords on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway.  Return here and leave an additional comment that you tweeted.

Become a fan of RedLetterWords on Facebook and post a link to this giveaway on your facebook page.  Return here and leave an additional comment that you Facebooked!

The Giveaway is open until Thursday January 26 at midnight and the winner will be announced on Saturday the 28th!  

The fine print. . .

*Giveaway is open to US residents only *

 Be sure to head back over to The Nester to find out who else is giving stuff away!! - you can enter as many giveaways as you like!!!   Fabulous stuff there!!

 

The Hymn Collection - Behind the Design

Hymns.  Where do I start?

this collection has been such a blessing for me to create.  I've been researching them, learning the story behind who, when and why they were written, singing them, my husband will come up to see what I've been working on and he's been signing them -

insert loud deep voice . . It is welllllllll with my soulllll

my 6 yo daughter has been sounding out and reading them  - i need to record that - sweetest this ever!

I love them all - most were written several hundred years ago and the truth in the lyrics is timeless and unchanging.  here's a little bit more about some of them . . .

here's my heart - my favorite line from Come Thou Fount

In Christ Alone - really the one that started this whole collection.  I love this newer hymn

Amazing Grace - designed as single prints or as a set of 2.

my all time favorite.  The first 2 lines are beautiful . . .  Amazing Grace How Sweet the Sound

but its the last 2 lines where the story is for me . .

how precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.

I need to back up now and tell you about the hour I first believed.  December 5, 1997 we were married 41/2 years with a 5 month old baby.  Both my husband and I had grown up in church but as we got to be older teenagers with jobs and drivers licenses!  we had slowly stopped going.  We were very good Creasters though (church on Christmas and Easter for sure) but didn't see the importance the rest of the year.  We were extremely busy having parties.  We both knew that something was missing but didn't know what exactly to do about it.  So we decided it must be the weather. Surely warm sunny weather would make us happy.  We sold everything we owned and made plans to head west to San Diego with half baked plans to start a photography studio once we arrived. 

We had lots of goodbye parties.  But one of them was different than the rest.  Our friends Jeff and Michelle came over for dinner and said wow we are going to miss you and we are real excited for you and all but we just can't let you leave without sharing this with you.  Poured out the love of Christ with the gospel and right then and there holding hands around our little kitchen table we turned away from our old ways and asked Jesus into our hearts.  That was the moment we knew that  no matter what that everything was going to be ok.  That's all we knew.

How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.

that was also the moment we knew that the timing was off for our move.  Both of us were too scared to say anything to each other.  It was all planned out.  The house was sold.  The moving truck was in the driveway.  We didn't know what to do.  So we went.   the rest of the story is quite loooong but since it wasn't the right time for us to be there, it's no surprise that things didn't go as planned.  We moved back to Michigan 3 months later.  We have been blessed ever since.  There have been some rocky patches, and some huge storms of course, but my husband started an extremely successful photography studio (which we later sold) but I still think he's the best that ever was:) that led him into his current printing business wwww.colorincprolab.com.  God's got some other things working behind the scenes right now - including us being in of all places - Southern California for this semester (more on that later when I tell you about my word of the year- I know it.  I can feel it.  I don't know what though and that's ok.

I think on that hour I first believed quite often.  God never fails to bring a smile to my face or a tear to my eye -  usually both at the same time.  That is why you will see me with streaky mascara and a big smile whenever I hear this song- just in case you were wondering.  

What about you?  do you think about the hour you first believed?  I would love to hear your story.   

 

2011 in Review!

Wow!  I know I'm out of order.  I already posted and announced what's new for Urban Soul in 2012 but I couldn't go forward anymore without reflecting back on all the awesomeness that God brought in 2011:)

January 2011 - Urban Soul debuts at the Atlanta Gift Market!

Here's what I originally wrote . . Made of metal and wood with cool rivets - I LoVe LoVe LoVe everything about it.  I cannot even put into words how Amazed and Humbled I feel to be writing this blog post.  God has taken this hobby, my creative outlet where all I wanted to do was glorify Him in my spare time and through the awesome team at Demdaco has turned it into this amazing product line that will reach so many people.   I will be forever grateful to them for seeing something in what I do that could become something like this. 

And I am forever Thankful that

God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes  Psalm 18:24 The Message

Incidentally - my One Little Word of 2011 was THANKFUL!

January was also incredibly busy with custom prints!  so much so that I couldn't take any more orders for a couple of months! 

February 2011

A new section called Love is Everything and a cute room by Emily from Decor Chick

I also got a Looong awaited house project done! - these photos were actually 2 years old before I even got them hung on the wall! - still LOVE LOVE LOVE them:)

March 2011

Here's one of the custom prints that has totally helped me whenever I have a ton of things to do I always find myself remembering making this! -  

and another house project I had wanted to do FOREVER got finished! - 

 April 2011

April is special.  It's not only Easter time which I love - but I made a new design in April that remains among my all time favs!

this She Knew card and the Behind the Design

May 2011

My honey surprised me with a trip here

for Mother's Day!

Great great relaxing time!  We had lots of fun with the kids and made a super important and exciting family decision - a 14 year dream has come true! (more later:)

June 2011

A new website goes LIVE!!!!!  Here I shared a little bit about why I do what I do

July 2011

The Just for Girls collection is ready!  Here's the Behind the Design

August 2011

The 2nd Urban Soul collection is out!  Mirrors and crosses and prayer boxes and more are added to the line!  

Here's the collection in Baker Book House

September 2011

The Heart Collection is here!

My friend Holley and I collaberated together on this collection.  She is an author,blogger, encourager, friend and I love her to pieces!   The short story of THe Heart Collection is this. . .

Her words, my art. I love everything about this.  and have you read Holley's book yet?  

October 2011

Fall candles + more have arrived!  and an answer to the question . . 

In God's heart, I am ______________

November 2011

My daughter and I got to get away to Chicago for a much needed weekend of relaxation, shopping and girl time! Our first ever!  I Loved this time with her and can't wait to do it again:)

December 2011

My favorite time of the whole year was crazy busy!!  

I have had a chance recently to reflect on everything God has accomplished in me and through Redletterwords.  Thankful that He is using art over the internet to connect with your heart and mine. Thankful that He is being glorifed through art over the internet in whatever time He gives me to devote to Redletterwords.  Thankful for the ideas and the inspiration from the study of His Word.  Thankful for you who read this and comment and email me with your prayers and encouragement!  Thankful that you are hanging scripture in your homes!

Thankful.  One Little Word.

In the last newsletter I mentioned that I had picked my word for 2012.  It's part of that super important family decision we made back in May.  

Together is my word for 2012.  I can't wait to tell you ALL about it!  We are on an adventure this semester!  But first . . .

there is a new collection coming out!  Watch for it in the next week or so!!

New Urban Soul is out!!

Oh wow am I excited!!  The Atlanta Gift Market is happening right now and there is so much fabulousness going on!  Here's a sneak peak of the latest and greatest from Demdaco!!  

 

I love everything about this and am so beyond thrilled and thankful to be a part of this company and its amazing group of artists!!!

Last year the Atlanta Gift Market was a blast!! - I wasn't able to make it this year - but Jonathan from Demdaco sent me these pics of Urban Soul in the showroom yesterday!!

New Urban Soul Pics!

Check at your local gift store soon!!