SWOONING

We're swooning today.

SWOONING: To be emotionally affected by someone or something that one admires, to be ecstatic.

Yep, that's us...swooning.  Ecstatic.  We  find ourselves humming that lively line from an old song:

"Look what the Lord has done! Look what the Lord has done!" 

And we just can't help thinking about this beautiful promise:

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.”  1 Corinthians 2:9

(Yes, all you Bible scholars out there, we know this verse is specifically talking about the wonderful gift of salvation and eternal life with our God in Heaven, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, made possible to all who will receive Him... and our grateful hearts receive this with great reverence.)  

When, however, we experience a little glimpse of God's goodness in our daily lives, a little evidence of Him preparing something beyond what our mind has imagined ... could it be that the ripples of joy reverberating in our hearts are a glimpse of the eternal joy God has prepared for us who love Him?

The source of all this joy today is a little spotlight article on us, the Velvet Lime Girls, and some of the amazing opportunities that have opened up for us. Hey, we're just three women who had a little dream.  A dream to let the love and grace of God that changed our lives, SHINE OUT through us and encourage others.  And now, look what the Lord has done!

May our story encourage you and draw you closer to God, so He can give you a dream, a vision, a joy in life, as you simply walk with Him, listen to Him, and Let His Light Shine Through Your Life.

 Thank-you to the team at Painted Planet Licensing for this lovely spotlight. Here's the full article:

Velvet Lime Girls

BOUQUET OF FAVOR

FAVOR. 

It’s a sweep-you-off-your-feet, love expression from God, catching your breath with His extravagant fragrance of grace, and filling your heart with such gratitude, that you just bury your head in God’s embrace at the end of the day, and say...“Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

And the familiar words, “He-can-do-over-and-above-more-than-we-can-ask-or-think,” pounds loudly in your spirit with each thrilled heartbeat. Oh, don’t you just love it when God sweeps you off your feet with a beautiful bouquet of favor?

We do. 

It's brought us to our knees in gratitude and stilled anticipation about the creative journeys ahead. May we share a little of our joy with you today? A few of the “petals” from this bouquet of favor we've been given?

Thanks to the work of Jan Draheim, Rebecca Hubert and Leah Cochran of Painted Planet Licensing, we met some wonderful new companies last year and created artwork and sentiments for products that they launched last week at the Atlanta International Gift and Home Furnishings Market.

Here’s a peek of a few favorites…

We’ll have more photos to come of journals, stationery items, garden flags, and other home accents that also launched.

Here’s a glimpse of one of the creative teams we’ve been blessed to work with. The talented team at Divinity, pictured below with us.

Laura, Marybeth, Keith Schwartz, Nicole McMaster

Keith Schwartz, President of Nicole Brayden Gifts and Divinity Boutique, and Nicole McMaster, Purchasing and Logistics Manager, are a creative team who spin out ideas, concepts, and visions so fast, that we’re inspired to get back in the studio to start sketching and writing! And our hearts were touched to see that the man at the helm of this great company, Keith Schwartz, has connected their company to an endeavor that certainly must touch the heart of God, the Production with Purpose program. See below. 

Divinity’s Facebook page gave us an informative read on the difference between Fair Trade and Free Trade. Read about it here at Huffington Post.

We’ll look forward to being involved with such a noble cause through our artwork and sentiments for Divinity.

During last week’s product launches, we made a quick stop by the Gregg Gift showroom, a division of Enesco Gifts, to see the totes, Bible covers, ceramic crosses and coin purses we designed for them. Although we were missing the third member of our team, Rebecca, her color inspirations can be seen in many of the products.

Laura and Marybeth with Gregg Gift products featuring Velvet Lime Girls' artwork.

We also stopped by the Carson Home Accents showroom to see the lovely display of placemats, table runners, napkins, tea towels, pot holders and aprons we designed for them. It almost makes you want to pull out the pumpkins and get ready for fall again!

We’ll share more product launches this week and you can look for these items in the spring at gift stores nationwide. 

For those of you who are retailers and would like to carry these products in your stores, please visit the company websites at: Divinity Boutique,  Carson Home Accents and Enesco/Gregg Gift.

Grateful Girls surrounded with favor,

Marybeth, Rebecca and Laura

The Velvet Lime Girls

“God can do anything, you know – far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.”  

Ephesian 3:20 - The Message