Christ’s way is not only the right way, but ultimately the only way to hope and joy. — Howard W. Hunter

My original intention with these scripture journal pages was to share them on Sundays. While I have been finding my inspiration for each page on Sunday, I find that I don’t seem to be able to complete my pages on Sundays, better yet actually create a blog post. I now have a solution to my problem. I will post the page I create each week on the following Sunday.

This past Sunday, I really wanted to create a page focusing on hope. Not because I’ve been feeling very hopeful lately, I haven’t. What I am trying to do is find my way back to a more hopeful place. I began looking for inspiration in the scriptures. No doubt, there are a lot of scriptures about hope. However, none of them seemed to have the message I was seeking.

Luckily, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a great mobile app called Gospel Library (links at the bottom of this post). I decided to make use of the app and do a search on hope. That is when I found the perfect inspiration. To be honest, I probably should have begun my search with Howard W. Hunter, as I always love his talks on Christ. His love for the Savior just fills each talk and they always inspire me.

I finally created my Scripture Art Journal page yesterday. I really like how it turned out. I think I really achieved a look of hope with this page.

Created for my Scripture Journal using Sizzle, an Oscraps designer collab. Fonts are AXR Neverland Shadow and Ambarella.

I chose the AXR Neverland Shadow font as I felt it had a very artsy feel to it while allowing me to create the word “hope” large enough for me to clip different papers to the word. I used mostly light colors because they make me think of Spring and Spring really is the season of hope. At least I think so. The background itself is a single paper. No blending papers this time, which is not normal for me. There are three different painty pieces layered under the word. I chose nature images (butterflies, flowers, sun) as they often make me think of springtime and hope. This is definitely not the most complicated page I’ve made but I really like the results.

Thank you coming to look at my latest scripture art journal page. Enjoy your Sunday and remember that this is a great day to document your memories.

Gospel Library App

David’s starting a new job on Monday, so we have put our celebration on hold until mid-September. That doesn’t mean I wanted to wait to create a layout celebrating our love. (I never want to wait to create a layout that includes David.)

I created the page I’m about to show you for the August Storyteller Challenge at The Lilypad. This challenge was a scraplift of a paper layout. There were three or four layouts to choose from. This is the layout I chose to lift.

I chose this page because I loved the large photo and the scalloped border. This is my version of the layout.

Created using Storyteller 2016 August Collection and Storyteller 2016 August Add-on Styles from Just Jaimee. Fonts are Cooper Std and Brush Script MT.

I really limited the elements on the page for a couple of reasons. One, the large photo and the double level scalloped border took up a lot of space on the page. Second, when I tried to add paint or stamps it just seemed to add clutter and distracted from the page.

Creating the scalloped border was easy once I stopped trying to make it hard. For each level, I positioned circle shaped along the edge to get the look I wanted and then I merged the circle layers together to create each level.

The large photo was not taken on Thursday. It was taken back in April at Epcot. No, it’s not the most recent picture I have us. But it was the best photo I had that was in a horizontal orientation.

I really like the way the final page turned out. Not a very complicated design, but sometimes simple is better.

Thanks for making it this far. Until next time, don’t forget to document your memories.

During the current election cycle, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend. People have started treating politics like it’s football. They pick a side to root for and then this side becomes the only team for them. The Liberal Team. The Conservative Team. The Republican Team. Once the team has been chosen, then they are only willing to support the politicians and ideas that their team captain says should be supported.

Internet memes are compounding the problem. When we are on Facebook or Pinterest, we are surrounded by memes. Some of them are cute and funny. Many of them are political based. These memes encourage our desire to choose a political team.

Politicians and political activists would have you believe that you must choose a team. That only by being a 100% loyal to your political team can change come. They want you to believe that choosing a team is the only way to a better world. In reality, it’s the only way to ensure nothing changes. Letting party loyalists make decisions for us is not going to make things better.

Choosing a political team is a bad idea. This is not football. The issues and candidates we support should not be determined by a political team. We need to evaluate the candidates and issues carefully, look at the situation from all sides and then decide which candidate or issue we will support. This is how we get politics working for us again.

We need to get politics working again now. We cannot wait for another election cycle to make changes. Start now to decide for yourself what politicians and ideas you support. Don’t let party matter. No one party has all the answers we need. It’s time to leave political teams behind.

Begin now to think for yourself. That is the only way things will ever change.

This first page was created for the challenge I am hosting this month, Famous Works. For this challenge, I’ve asked participants to create a page that is inspired by the works of a Surrealist artist. One of the responsibilities of a challenge host is to create an example layout. This is the page I created.

This digital art page was created using using Garden of Delights from Studio Romy. Font is Bradley Hand.

This page is inspired by Masque de (Jeune)=Comédien from Paul Klee. Initially I tried to duplicate the bands of color on the face image in the original painting. However, I wasn’t liking anything I did. That’s when I decided to go more with a duplication of color while creating an image in the Surrealist style. The use of the facial image was also inspired by the work. What do you think? Was I successful in creating an image in the Surrealist style?

I submitted this second page for the Mini-O Challenge. I say submitted instead of created because I realized after I finished the page that it totally fit the requirements of the challenge.

Created using Tropical Fusion Shabby Solids and Tropical Fusion Artsy Papers from Joyful Heart Designs and Tropical Fusion Artsy Bits & Pieces, Tropical Fusion MagicLights and Tropical Fusion Photo Masks from NBK Designs. Fonts are Amazona and Sandscraped.

Normally, I start a digiscrapping page by choosing the photo I want to scrap. This time, it was the products I wanted to use that I chose first. Because of my product choices, I knew I would be creating a more artsy, painty page. With the names of the products all starting with “Tropical Fusion,” I knew that a beach photo was a must for the page. I created the background by blending one of the Artsy papers on to one of the Shabby Solids. I then used one of the clipping masks with one of my more recent beach photos. I used the MagicLights to add a little more interest to the photo and finished up with a couple of the painty pieces from the artsy bits & pieces.

This final page I created only yesterday. Since I was creating the page for the White Space Challenge, I decided to really limit the number of elements I used on the page. (After putting paint on and then taking it off.) Here is the final creation.

Created using Sizzle, an Oscraps Designer Collab. Font is Apple Chancery.

With only four elements, one paper and the photo this is very minimalist (as opposed to my normal style of fill the page with paint). I chose the dark blue background as a dark background was required for he challenge and I think the color works with the photo. I used the flowers and the mesh element to add the required pops of color. I used a white stroke around the photo and wash tape to help anchor the photo to the page.

If you are already a digiscrapper, I’d love to have you come join me for this month’s challenges. If you’ve thought about digiscrapping but have not yet given it a try, this could be your chance to get started. There are plenty of free samples at Oscraps you can use to create your. You don’t even need to purchase a program, as GIMP is a great open-source program perfect for creating digital scrapbooking pages. If you do create a page, leave me a link in the comments and I’ll definitely leave you some love.

Thank you stopping by and taking a look at my latest digital scrapbooking pages. Until next time, don’t forget to document your memories.

(Full Disclosure: I am on the Creative Team at Oscraps and receive free product in exchange for creating layouts using that product.)

I voted for the first time on November 8, 1988. When the presidential elections roll around this fall, I will have been voting for 28 years. In that time, I have voted for Republicans, Democrats and at least one third-party candidate. In all that time, one thing has never changed. I have always believed that no matter who won, the United States would be okay. With this election that has changed.

The purpose of this post is not to convince you to vote for Secretary Hillary Clinton, Governor Gary Johnson, Dr. Jill Stein or Evan McMullin (the newest Independent candidate). If you want to write in Senator Bernie Sanders name that is up to you. You need to research each candidate and decide who best represents your values and political beliefs. What I am here to say is the one thing I’ve never said in 28 years of voting. There is a candidate that absolutely cannot be President. That candidate is Donald Trump.

I am trying to imagine him as a diplomat. Instead of reasoned arguments, we will get heated diatribes. Donald Trump doesn’t believe in reasoned arguments.  I am not even sure he believes in listening to anyone but himself. In March, he was asked who his foreign policy advisors would be. The answer, his number one advisor would be himself. That’s gonna make for great foreign policy.

Can you imagine his interactions with Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel or the UK’s Prime Minister Theresa May considering the misogynistic attitude he has displayed many times? We only need look at his attacks on Fox News’ Megan Kelly to see his attitudes in full display. Will he even consider them his equals? Somehow I doubt it.

The United States needs to have strong relationships with it’s closest neighbors. How can we maintain a strong relationship with Mexico if Donald Trump wins in November? He has said that Mexico is not our friend and that Mexican immigrants are rapists and drug dealers. I suspect that relationship will go south pretty quickly with Donald Trump in office.

Are you concerned about national security? Then Donald Trump is not the candidate for you. There is a reason that 50 Republican national security experts are refusing to vote for Donald Trump. They are convinced that “in the Oval Office, he would be the most reckless President in American history.” Is that the man you want responsible for national security? His temperament makes him absolutely incapable of protecting this country.

Want to look a little closer to home? The President of the United States is also our Commander-in-Chief. How can Donald Trump maintain good relationships with those serving our country in the military when he has shown he is willing to attack former POWs like John McCain and Gold Star Parents like Khizr and Ghazala Khan? I think it will be very hard. I know I cannot support anyone who would denigrate those willing to fight for our county and the family members of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Can you?

You need to look no farther than some of the things Donald Trump said in just the last week to know he is unfit to hold office. First he implies that gun owners should assassinate Secretary Clinton or federal judges. He claims it was a joke. Even if you believe him, I don’t think we need a President who makes these kind of jokes.

Then he makes the claim that President Obama and Secretary Clinton co-founded ISIS. A conservative talk show host tried to clarify his position by asking if he meant as a result of their policies. His answer. “I meant that Obama founded ISIS literally.” Now he claims he was being sarcastic. How can anyone want this man to be our President.

The idea of Donald Trump becoming president truly frightens me. He is a narcissistic, hate-filled, violent, misogynistic, racist who is willing to discriminate against members of a minority religion. He lacks the temperament and knowledge necessary to be our President. I am not the only one who feels this way.

The list of Republicans not willing to support Donald Trump is growing. Earlier I mentioned the 50 GOP national security experts not willing to support Mr. Trump. They are not the only ones. One of the latest to announce they will not be supporting Mr. Trump in the fall is Senator Susan Collins from Maine.

I will not be voting for Donald Trump for president. This is not a decision I make lightly, for I am a lifelong Republican. But Donald Trump does not reflect historical Republican values nor the inclusive approach to governing that is critical to healing the divisions in our country. –Senator Susan Collins

Meg Whitman, the president and CEO of HP, a major GOP donor and former candidate for governor in California has stated she will be voting for Hillary Clinton this fall.

To vote Republican out of party loyalty alone would be to endorse a candidacy that I believe has exploited anger, grievance, xenophobia and racial division. Donald Trump’s demagoguery has undermined the fabric of our national character. –Meg Whitman

These are just a few examples of Republicans stating publicly that they are not supporting Donald Trump. This list is only going to grow longer before November. Can you remember another election where so many prominent members of a candidate’s own party have come out against him? I can’t.

I care about the United States. I feel that I am truly blessed to have been born in this great nation. I love this quote from Alexis De Toqueville.

America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.

I believe the United States is a great country. I know Donald Trump is trying to convince you that the U.S. is no longer a great country and only he can fix this problem. I would argue this is still a great nation and will remain so unless Donald Trump is elected.

I know that many of Donald Trump’s supporters truly hate the idea of Hillary Clinton as President. I know that if you are in this camp, you will never vote for Hillary Clinton. Just take some time to consider if you can really support Donald Trump. Is he truly the kind of leader you want for this country?

Think hard. Our nation depends on it.

More than a week ago, while working on my lesson for the six year olds I teach in Primary, I was inspired to create a new page for my scripture art journal. This time, I wanted to create a page based on “Love One Another” as found in John 13:34 – 35. Here is the page I created.

Created using Core Essentials Paper, Cranky Stitches, Deep Blue Sea Papers and Stamped, Embossed and Kraft Alphas from Dawn Inskip, Sail Away Papers and M3 June 2016 Add-on Papers from Little Butterfly Wings, Cardboard Bits – Broken Hearts from Kim Jensen (recolored), Amore Mio Brushes from Paula Kesselring, Layer Edge Borders – Inked from Just Jaimee, Stax On Hearts from Kaye Winiecki, Paper Tear Actions and Stamped Alpha Brushes from Mommyish (the alpha was part of “For The Love Of” from the Digiscrap Parade)  and Mish Mash Alpha Stash 4 from Captivated Visions. Font is Ambarella.

While I’ve had the original idea for more than a week, I found putting the page together took several hours. My original color concept was a combination of red and tan. But I just was not in love with that page no matter what I added or took away from the page.

To be honest, this page will probably never be considered one of my favorites. But I was able to finally come up with a page I like. Let me share what I did to create the page. The base paper for this page was a neutral tan with paint added in both black and white. I added two papers on top of the original. A red one to which I applied a hard mix blending mode and a blue and green page using the Darker Color blending mode. I then added some paint elements to which I added a white color overlay. The heart elements were recolored from their original kraft color to the color blue. The torn scripture element was created using a kraft colored paper and paper tear actions. My final elements were stitches and a heart scatter that I recolored. I used three different alphas to add “Love One Another” to the page.

While I have put my challenge on hold, I hope to be back with some additional pages this week. I still have a couple of pages that I created late last month that I haven’t shared yet. Plus I want to create a couple of additional pages.

Until next time, don’t forget to document your memories.

July is the month when the United States celebrates it’s independence from Great Britain. Our celebrations on the 4th of July are huge. During this month, I always create at least one layout sharing my pride in being an American. Yet, I almost let the whole of July pass without creating even one patriotic layout. The key word in that sentence is “almost”. I now have a layout for you sharing my happiness and pride in the United States.

Created using the Freedom Collection and 12×12 Tears and Page Masks #3 from Dawn Inskip. Font is Shintia Script.

I know that using lyrics from God Bless the USA by Lee Greenwood is so cliche. But they just fit so perfectly that I could not help myself. Using one of Dawn Inskip’s 12×12 paper tear templates allowed this layout to come together very quickly. My main work for this page was positioning elements, adding shadows and adding a color overlay to the alpha.

Phew! I finally shared another layout with y’all. I plan to back tomorrow with another page. Until then, don’t forget to document your memories.

This first page is one I plan to do every Sunday. For a long time, I’ve been interested in bible art journals. Most of the ones I’ve seen have been using actual pages in a bible, but not all. I’ve finally decided to create one for myself. I’ll be calling it a scripture art journal as I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and we have more than one book of scripture. I am also going to include uplifting quotes in my journal. I am beginning with a scripture from the Book of Mormon, Alma 5:26.

Created using A Little Bird Told Me from Captivated Visions, Layered Tissue Pastels from Anna Aspnes, The Alpha Files No. 20 from Krystal Hartley and Paper Tear Actions from Mommyish.

This was a fairly easy layout to put together. I began by taking a look at saved scriptures in my notebook at LDS.org. Once I had the scripture, I used a blending mode to put the text on top of a solid paper and then used a paper tear action to give the scripture bit the appearance of being torn from a page. (This is what I love about digital scrapbooking. I don’t think I’d ever tear a page found in a physical book of scripture. Making it look like I did in Photoshop, not an issue.). I then layered several pieces of ephemera underneath the scripture and added a title. The hardest part? Letting myself stop adding pieces underneath the scripture.

My next page was created simply because I wanted to play with the July Mixed Media Monthly kit that I receive as part of my monthly subscription. I was in love with the bright colors from the moment I saw the kit. Totally reminded me of growing up in the 80s when neon was so popular.

Created using the July 2016 Mixed Media Monthly kit from Little Butterfly Wings, Lynn-Marie, Nancie Rowe-Janitz and Paula Kesselring

I actually did not have a plan for the page when I began other than using my new kit. When I saw the word art in the kit, I knew that would be the journaling for the page. This is another page that was fairly simple to create. I blended one paper on top of another. I then added several elements and painty pieces to the page and used the Underlying Layer slider to make the pieces look a little more realistic (more painted on). The last thing I did was recolor the word art.

I appreciate your making it to the end of my post. Thank you for stopping by. Until next time, don’t forget to document your memories.

With the page I am sharing today, I was reminded that simple can be hard. I started my page wanting to fill the page. (That is my norm.) I just wasn’t happy with the results I was getting. So I tried to go with a more stripped back approach. I still had too much stuff on the page. Finally, I went with a background paper, the photo mask, one artsy bit, one brush and a MagicLight. For me, this was keeping it simple. I did repeat the brush multiple times to create the scratched look. I also duplicated the flower that was part of the artsy bit so I could put it on top of the title. I did use a second paper that I clipped to the large font.

Created using Tropical Fusion Gradients and Tropical Fusion Artsy Papers from Joyful Heart Designs and Tropical Fusion Photo Masks, Tropical Fusion MagicLights, Tropical Fusion Brush Mix and Tropical Fusion Artsy Bits & Pieces from NBK Design. Fonts are Stamp Act Jumbled and Baskerville

To be honest, I still feel like it is unfinished even though adding more is just too much. Sometimes, you just have to say, this is done. This meets my goal. That is what I did today.

Thanks for stopping by to see another one of my digital scrapbooking pages. I plan to be back tomorrow with a new, more artsy page. Until then, don’t forget to document your memories.

Several times this week during the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, I have heard speakers specifically say that if you do not vote for Donald Trump, you are voting for Hillary Clinton. I commented on this last night on Twitter.

No, a vote for @GovGaryJohnson is not a vote for @HillaryClinton. Don’t let anyone convince you that you don’t have options. #Election2016

— Cindy Siebert (@scribler) July 21, 2016

During this election cycle, I have come to believe that the two party system is broken. If the options provided by the two major parties are Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, we need more options. The good news is that we already have other options.

The options available to voters will vary from state. However, there is one option that will be available to voters in all 50 states and that is Governor Gary Johnson. Not only is he on the ballot in all 50 states. he is within a couple of percentage points of qualifying for the fall debates.. (You need to have 15% support in the polls. He has 13%.)

Governor Johnson is not the only third-party option receiving attention in the news. Jill Stein is the Green Party candidate for President during this election cycle. She does not have the popularity of Gary Johnson but she is making the news.

There may be other options available to you as well. I am not here to advocate for either option. Although I will admit that at this point, I do plan to vote for one of the third-party candidates. What I am advocating for is the notion that the two-party system in the United States is broken It needs to be fixed. However, nothing will change if we don’t accept the idea that our elections are not binary propositions.

Please, take the time to find out all of your options for President in 2016. Consider supporting one of those options. It’s time for a change and that change starts with us.

Cindy Siebert currently resides in South Florida where she lives with her wonderful husband, two crazy dogs, a weird cat and a sweet little lovebird. Cindy has a passion for politics, technology, science fiction, anime, photography and digital scrapbooking. She has a BA in Political Science from BYU.