Heidi Swapp - Word of the Year Grace

What is your word for 2016? When Heidi Swapp challenged her media team to pick a word for the year I really sat and thought it through. I thought about my goals and how I wanted to grow through this new year and I kept coming back to the same two things....

This is a personal blog. All editorial content and projects are intellectual property of Create Often with Jennifer Evans. I am an employee and do receive financial compensation and material product from American Crafts to develop my craft posts, but all ideas and opinions are my own. 

 

There are two things that I know if I concentrate on during 2016 that everything else will fall into place. One, to love God. Two, is to love people. That's it.  It is simple when I bring everything back to these two things.

When I remember all that He has done for me and how He has miraculously changed my life, it is easy to love Him. It is because of His grace that I am able to live the life I do today. It is when I remember this that I am able to love people. 

There are several definitions of the word grace:  

- elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action
- a pleasing or attractive quality or endowment
- favor or goodwill.
- a manifestation of favor, especially by a superior
- mercy; clemency; pardon
- favor shown in granting a delay or temporary immunity.
- an allowance of time after a debt or bill has become payable granted to the debtor before suit can be brought against him or her or a penalty applied

It isn't my word of the year because I want to give more "grace" or act more in "grace" but it is my word because I want it to be a reminder to me about "HIS" grace and when I remember that - I am able to love others more.

I created this large home decor piece that will remind me to remember the "one thing". This is a huge statement and I can't wait to hang it in my home! Here is how I made it:

1. As photographed above, according to instructions I used Heidi Swapp's new Spring Marquee Love papers and wood grain washi tape to cover my Heidi Swapp Marquee Letters. You can watch this video to see how I did that.

2. I purchased two small wooden pallets from Michaels Stores. They come unfinished and you can find them in the unfinished wood section of the store. Using a paint brush, I painted Americana Gel Stain in Walnut on the pallets. This stuff is AMAZING! It goes on like paint but smooths out with the brush like a stain would. There is no mess and it has a quick drying time. I used only one coat too! You can find this in the paint section of the store with the other Americana bottles of paint.

3. To adhere the letters on the pallets I used E6000 and let it set overnight. I made sure the battery packs to the letters were easy to get through in the back before the glue set.

Now my word is ready for hanging!

What is your word for the year? I would love to hear all about it!

Create Well: Keeping the one thing the main thing in 2016.