BEAUTI-FULL.

It was a drizzly, cold day here in Georgia yesterday. The kind of day that just makes us want to hang onto our cup of coffee or green tea as we hum around and work inside our studio.   With the snow falling on the northeast coast though, we decided not to complain about the weather here in Georgia. Instead, we made a choice to look, really look, for the beauty that is out there when the landscape is a bit dreary.
Look what we found "blooming" outside on a gray, drizzly day!  A flourishing lichen, spilling shades of celadon, lemongrass and smoky blue all over the day. What a beautiful sight.  We probably would've never noticed how full of beauty this little lichen was, hanging onto a weathered wind chime, if everything was blooming all around it.  The stark surroundings just seem to frame it in for a perfect photo session and sharing with you today.

                                                                                             
It's kind of made us think about the beauty that God sees in us, regardless of what is or has been going on in our lives.  We could have been going through a winter time of sorts in our minds, our outlook, our circumstances, but God still sees the beauty in us, the beauty He has for us, the beauty He longs to infuse into our lives.  Even if the weather, the attitudes, the day, have shaped up to be one large pile of ashes, He promises to bring ..."beauty out of the ashes".

                                                                                               
  The Voice translation says it this way:
"God has sent me to give them a beautiful crown in exchange for ashes, to anoint them with gladness instead of sorrow, to wrap them in victory, joy, and praise instead of depression and sadness." Isaiah 61:3

This promise was part of the framework for the artwork in one of our new mini-books that Divinity Boutique released this month.(In retail stores soon.) The mini-book was created with teens in mind, but it's a good read for anyone. A reminder that each of us are full of beauty,("Beauti-FULL"), in the eyes of the One who loves us most.  We hope you'll pause and take in a little inspiration from the artwork below and then share it with someone who needs to be reminded of just how beautiful they are in God's eyes.

After all this talk about where beauty really comes from, we've been pondering that phrase, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder".  Perhaps a truer version would be something like this:
 "Beauty comes from the eyes of the One we behold."  Because, when we look at Him, focus on Him, The One who loves us most, created every detail about us, cares for us, and sees beauty even in our ashes...His beauty just spills out all over lives.  It's kind of like we exchange our thoughts, our misconceptions, our perceptions about us and begin to see ourselves as he sees us.  Beauti-FULL.  Just like the dry, crusty lichen, draped on the wind chime outside.

Have a Beauti-FULL day,
The Velvet Lime Girls

Gift Mart 2015

G-R-A-T-I-T-U-D-E.

Our hearts are filled with gratitude this week.

This week over 50 gift items will make their debut at the AmericasMart in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Velvet Lime Girls artwork has been chosen to grace each one of them.  50 is big for us.  50 is really big for three girls who simply believed God could use them to inspire others through their artwork.   Nothing, absolutely nothing, is impossible with God.

May we take just a moment to thank each one of you who have encouraged us along the way?
Thank-you for the kind words from our Facebook friends, direction from our licensing team, Painted Planet Licensing,  opportunities from manufacturers, Divinity Boutique, Legacy Publishing, Enesco, Custom Decor, Carson,  and to everyone who gave us advice, insight or just a bit of your valuable time. Each one of you hold a gratitude spot in our hearts. Thank-you.

We'll be talking about some of our favorite items later this week, but for today, here's a small sampling of some of the gift items that are showing up this week with our artwork.  If you are a retailer attending the Mart, stop by the showrooms listed below each product group.

3 Grateful Hearts in Atlanta,
The Velvet Lime Girls

Stepping into 2015

We've put aside the  fancy shoes and fancy food.
                          

And we've embraced the new year with an expectancy that just makes us want to twirl!

Little celebration twirls are so good for the soul!

When was the last time you were so happy you just wanted to twirl? We can learn a lot from little ones who haven't forgotten the joy of twirling.

For us, the twirling, the anticipation, the expectation ... it all springs from God. The One who loves us the most.

The One who plants seeds of hope, courage and creativity inside of us.

The One who brings a sparkle to our lives.

The One who calls us blessed.

The One who writes out a sky-canvas printable for everyone, that seems to read, nothing is impossible with God.

A sky-scripture for all to download into their souls.

"For with God nothing shall be impossible."  Luke 1:37

So, with all this sky inspiration and twirling going on, we've put on our "big girl" shoes today, this first day of the year. 

"Big girl" shoes to wear as we begin our work of pouring out the creative ideas inside of us onto canvas, paper, computer and products.  We'll look forward to sharing some of our inspirations with you all, right here, throughout 2015.

Happy New Year,

The Velvet Lime Girls

P.S.  Thank-you's to:

Alexa Ladikos, for her petite feet, sparkly shoes and twirls.

Kelsey Rhodes, for her two pairs of shoes on one set of cute feet.

Penny-Anne Machemehl, for her hand-crafted cross, crystal and necklace.

We'll be featuring Penny-Anne's studio in a January blog.

Light-Bearers

Light.  

It’s a word that often comes to mind this time of year.

Christmas tree lights, shopping mall lights, houses lined in lights, and candlelight. All in celebration of the real light... the one who called himself, “the Light of the World.”

We like the way The Voice translation conveys the meaning of this expression, the light of the world:

 "Jesus: I am the light that shines through the cosmos; if you walk with me, you will thrive in nourishing light that gives life and will not know darkness.”  John 8:12

Amazing.  We can thrive in nourishing light.  
In light that gives life.  Just by walking with Him.

That’s all he invites us to do here … to walk with Him.  
The Light of the World.

This walking with the Light of the World will transform us….really make us into something quite different…a new creation, a new species of being, a child of the Light…with His light shining bright out of our ordinary, everyday lives.  

Jesus knew this kind of luminous transformation would occur within us, as we began to walk with Him. He talked about it with his closest friends, and said words like this, to all who would reach out, take His hand, and walk with Him:

“You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world.  God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill.  If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you?  I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand---shine!  Keep open house; be generous with your lives.  By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”  Matthew 5:14

So, go ahead, light up all the lights in the house this Christmas.  And as they twinkle and sparkle, may they remind you to walk with the Light of the World, and become the light-bearers He so wants us to be in this world.  Light-bearers who bring out beautiful God-colors as they shine on the hill.

Letting our light shine,

The Velvet Lime Girls 

P.S. Thank-you James, for the inspiration you bring to us with your soft pastel artwork that lights up our studio with light-bearing, beautiful God-colors.

Fragrant Gifts

A season of giving is about to be ushered in as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our Immanuel, our "God with us". We've been thinking a lot about giving and gifts in the Velvet Lime Girls studio. Quite often, the most memorable and treasured gifts are the ones given fully from the heart. Gifts like the one Mary Magdalene gave Jesus, a pint of pure nard in an alabaster jar. Nard was an expensive, lavish, aromatic perfume and many scholars believe this may have actually been an essence of lavender. The Bible records it would have taken a year's salary to pay for the amount of precious ointment given by Mary to Jesus. It was an extravagant gift, poured straight from her heart, filling the senses of all those present, and continuing to touch people today, whenever the story is retold. We've wondered if this gift came from a field of lavender as vast, as beautiful, as costly as the one pictured here, a never-ending field of fragrance. The heady aroma from this lavender field seems to waft off the paper and into our hearts, reminding us of just how beautiful a gift is when it is given from the heart.

We'd like to thank James, our "Platinum Advisor", for bringing this inspiration to us. He picked up his crayons again after 40+ years, and with soft pastels created this fragrant work of art, and we've just been inhaling the inspiration it brings to our souls. The artwork sits on an easel in our studio, it is a work still in progress, but we wanted to share its fragrance, it's reminder to all of us in this season.. that gifts given from the heart last forever.

"Then Mary took about a pint of nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped His feet with her hair.  And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume."  John 12:3

Learning to give from our hearts,

The Velvet Lime Girls

Live Simply

Live Simply.

It's an expression we welcome this time of year.
Just before Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve come rolling in with all the family, memories and significant celebrations.
We know the holidays also come with their bags packed full of lists, programs to attend, presents to buy, packages to wrap, trees to decorate, cookies to bake, and cards to mail.
It can be overwhelming. Especially when we forget what the celebrations are really all about.

So, we'd like to take a little pause beforehand and just reflect on the joy of simplicity.
The joy of living life a bit more carefree and, well...simply.
It's an important thing to embrace just before the full season ahead.

So, take a brief moment with us and treat yourself to a cup of tea, a five minute coffee break, or just a moment of solitude and let our Live Simply artwork bring a little rest to your soul.  You weren't meant to go 100 miles an hour in a day.  We hope our artwork reminds you to just lighten your load a bit and allow yourself to live life a little less encumbered, a little less burdened, a little more simply.

The word "simply" has a few interesting synonyms that include:
easy, effortless, uncomplicated, and child's play.
Hmm... child's play.
We remember someone who encouraged us to be like a child.  To become like little children.
He's the same person who said this:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with 
me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or 
ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Matthew 11:28-30

and this:
"Don't store up for yourselves treasures on earth...store up treasures in heaven...
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:19-20


Live Simply,
The Velvet Lime Girls

Purple Grace

Just beyond the last coreopsis still standing in our studio garden, a cloud of purple flowers floats above the flowerbeds closing up for winter.  

The purple mist appeared just as fall began, carrying a bright hope that covered all the weary, heavy-burdened, faded flowers, standing valiantly in the face of the soon coming chill. 
With its soft, purple blanket, the flowers draped the garden in a silent, beautiful grace. 

A beautiful purple grace.

A grace that carried our hearts and minds back to the grace given to all of us by God. 

A grace that covers weary, heavy-burdened, faded lives and brings a beauty to all who reach out and let grace pull a heavy blanket of love over their lives. 
It's beautiful, it's life changing, it's amazing.  
It's amazing grace.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  2 Corinthians 12:9

With temperatures dipping below freezing tonight, we wanted to warm your heart and soul with the  

purple grace that blooms in our garden, gently reminding us of God's beautiful, amazing grace.

The Velvet Lime Girls