Never Give Up

Here's a little encouragement just for you today.  A reminder that with God nothing is impossible. Absolutely nothing. He's actually able to do more than we can even ask or think, and He's concerned about the things that concern us. (Ephesians 3:20 and Psalm 138:8)

We hope our Grace-Graphic™ lifts your spirit today and gives you the kind of tenacity, that says in the face of any challenge, "Never, never, never give up." Winston Churchill 

Churchill had it right when he refused to give up, and you can do the same. You can tap into the strength, determination and reassurance that God offers to you. He's right here, ready to help you.  We like the way The Message conveys the kind of care He offers:

"Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds." Matthew 6:26

So let the little bluebird above, peeking down to a powerful promise in our Grace-Graphic™, be a reminder that you're cared for and absolutely nothing is impossible for you, with God.

Careless in the care of God,
The Velvet Lime Girls

Smoothie Time

We've been talking about chocolate, sweet things and love lately, but the truth is, around our studio, you'd be hard pressed to find many sugary things!  It's true.  You'd be more likely to find a green smoothie, and sometimes we can be very creative with the ingredients.  Now, we may not put shitake mushrooms or bark in it, like the above graphic suggests, but it will be loaded with lots of green things. We could talk for days about the benefits of green things, but we find great inspiration from this beautiful quote:

"Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant that grows on the earth and every fruit-bearing tree. They will be your food and nourishment."  Genesis 1:29 - The Voice 

  When we discovered that the original word for the seed-bearing plants included green, grass-like plants, we took a trip to the grocery store for wheat grass, spinach, kale and anything green!  Wow, do we notice a difference when we start our day sipping on one of these green smoothies.  Our recipe varies each day, so we're not including a recipe here, but you can find bushels of green smoothie recipes online, and there's one out there that will make you fall in love with everything green!

Sipping green smoothies,

The Velvet Lime Girls

Chocolate

Happy Valentine's Day! We hope you've had a little chocolate by now on this beautiful Valentine's Day.  If not, let your heart sink into to this sweet message today.  It's a lighthearted graphic inspired by a deadline that Marybeth was working on late at night ... 11:23 p.m., to be exact. 
Chocolate takes on a new meaning that late at night.


Our graphic inspirations usually have a biblical reference in the bottom right corner, but this one is a totally different.  This reference is inspired solely by our art director, Marybeth, at precisely 11:23 pm. Chocolate lovers everywhere will understand.

Happy Valentine's Day from The Velvet Lime Girls!

Love Lasts Forever

Love is in the air around here lately.  Each February we find ourselves fully embracing all the sweet sentiments and flowery phrases that float around just before Valentine's Day.  This time of year seems to bring a light-hearted joy to our souls and we think we might actually leave heart-shaped footprints behind as we go about our day. 

So, we'd like to leave a few imprints of love on your heart today with a favorite quote we read this morning:

"LOVE NEVER FAILS" 

It's true. 

It outlasts everything.

It's never ending.

It knows no limit to it's endurance.

It never becomes obsolete.

It is never lost.

It Lasts Forever.

We hope our graphic created for you today, with it's never-ending heart pattern in the background, is a love-note that you share with others.  And a beautiful reminder, that love really is never-ending.

Leaving heart-shaped footprints in the snow today,

The Velvet Lime Girls 

LOVE!

Happy first day of February to you! This is the month filled with sentiments of love, chocolates, roses, and gifts-from-the-heart to those you love. Here's a little love-note from us to you! 
A heart-themed graphic to print out or share with others.  It's a light-hearted, whimsical expression inspired by our reading of the historical letter found in Galations 5:6.  We discovered a real connection between faith and love in this letter, and The Voice translation seems to sum it all up beautifully:  "What makes a difference is faith energized by love."

This is so true!  Faith works by love, expresses itself by love and is energized by love!

So, take a little of the energized love we're sending your way today and get ready for a few more love-notes from us before Valentine's Day!

You are so loved,
The Velvet Lime Girls

Evergreen Samples!

Look what came in our mailbox today!  Samples from Evergreen!  We've loved working with this company to create artwork for their Suede Garden Flag line, (yes, it feels just like soft suede!). 

                                     
We've also enjoyed creating artwork for some very creative floor mats manufactured by Evergreen. They created a doormat with a design in the center that can change with the seasons!  We're so thrilled to see our artwork on this product and we will be showing this doormat once we confirm that they are available in retail stores.

You can find the garden flags nationwide at gift shops & Christian bookstores that carry Evergreen products or online at sites like these:
Let Happiness Follow You Flag
Walk by Faith Flag

Thank-you Evergreen!

Letting Happiness Follow Us,
The Velvet Lime Girls

King of Kings

Christmas is one week from today and we're re-posting a few of of our favorite heartfelt posts from the past.  We hope they warm your heart and kindle a little wonder and awe in your spirit, as you take a moment to settle-in and remember what Christmas is really all about. So take a pause today, pour a cup of tea or coffee, and settle into a place of comfort...then let the God of all comfort bring a little peace into your heart today.

 *A Christmas Re-Post from 2011*

This artwork came out of our hearts several years ago and we thought it was fitting to share it again as we prepare to celebrate Christmas.

Names say a lot about a person.  Parents often spend months selecting a name that will convey the essence of all their hopes and dreams for that child.  They know names are important.  It’s the manner in which a child will be addressed and referred to for life and often serves as a remembrance long after they are gone.

Sometimes a person can have a descriptive name that kind of sums up what their life is all about.  Thoughtful Thomas, Caring Cathy, Insightful Ian, Wise William … you can easily add to the list.

But a descriptive name like the King of kings is an entirely different category.  You’ll notice the dictionary even points out that when using this phrase in reference to Christ, that the first King is to be capitalized.  It denotes an authority that is higher than any king in history.  The KING of kings.

We wanted to weave the historical record of this King’s birth in the background of our artwork, wash it in a symbolic red glaze and crown it with a reference to His royal lineage. We love the way Marybeth took all these ideas and distilled them into this creative birth announcement/name declaration that creates a powerful remembrance.

We have a few more descriptive names we captured in artwork and we will share them over the next few days.  Come back and be inspired this week, as you see just how powerful a name can be.

        The Velvet Lime Girls