Nana Campana http://www.nanacampana.com Exchanging the Ashes of the World for the Beauty of the Lord! Sat, 29 Dec 2012 15:22:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 Let Your Smile Be Your Umbrella & a little tutorial http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/11/let-your-smile-be-your-umbrella/ http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/11/let-your-smile-be-your-umbrella/#comments Wed, 14 Nov 2012 20:57:39 +0000 admin http://www.nanacampana.com/?p=875 Spring Jubilee Celebration Paper, I immediately thought about freedom.  There are so many times in life that no matter how much we desire to see the sun in our lives, all that surrounds us is [...]]]> Hello Beautiful!
When I saw the quote “let your smile be your umbrella” , and the butterflies in the Pink Paislee Spring Jubilee Celebration Paper, I immediately thought about freedom.  There are so many times in life that no matter how much we desire to see the sun in our lives, all that surrounds us is rain and cloudy skies.  It is during these times, that smiles can truly be the umbrella of the heart- the only thing that can shelter our very hearts from turning dark! :)
With that in mind I decided to create this canvas so that  I could hang in my studio to be reminded of this at all times.
I have an obsession with dimension so propping up the wings of the butterflies was a no brainer to me.  In order to do it, I cut a second set of butterflies from the Pink Paislee paper and glued the center of each butterfly to the one that was already printed on the background paper I chose.  Here is a close-up of that:
I must admit that my absolute favorite thing in this canvas are the flowers I created using Punky Sprout’s Lil’ Blossoms Lacey Paper and Parchment.  If you have not had a chance to play with this, you NEED to get your hands on these like yesterday! :)  These are, by far, the most versatile papers I have, and find myself reaching for them for almost every project.  The neutral color in both is perfect to either use as is, or to dye it using your favorite medium with the promise of achieving the perfect color.  
The flowers were topped with a Bazzill Jewel button that reminds me of that beauty we are able to reflect in the sun, so I thought it was the perfect element to bring the meaning of the quote full circle.  
Here’s a little tutorial for you to be able to make your own flowers:
English tutorial:

Spanish Tutorial:

May your rainy days be filled with smiles! :)
Love in Christ,
Nana
]]> http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/11/let-your-smile-be-your-umbrella/feed/ 0 Do you Believe in God? – Christianity Explored http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/10/do-you-believe-in-god-christianity-explored/ http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/10/do-you-believe-in-god-christianity-explored/#comments Thu, 11 Oct 2012 17:56:41 +0000 admin http://www.nanacampana.com/?p=1825 There are many people around the globe that claim to be Christians.  There are others that claim to be atheist.  There are still another group of people that claim to be agnostic.  Whatever camp you land on, the truth is you probably have lots of questions, and would like to receive an answer.

Like you, I am filled with questions, with doubts, with ideas that shape and form my thinking and my beliefs.  If indeed my actions are directly linked to what I believe in- then it would be wise to stop and really consider the things I have come to believe as true.

What would you do if you were offered a monetary gift?  Would you go back and cash it, or would you throw it away?  Take a look at this video and learn what hundreds of people did when faced with this choice.

 

The Bible talks about the narrow road being a difficult one to walk on, yet the only way to actually get to Heaven.  Lots of people are offended by the exclusiveness of that statement, but very few take the time to actually explore and see whether these claims are indeed true or not.

I want to invite you to join me in this conversation – I want you to join me as I explore Christianity.  Whether you are a believer or an atheist – you are invited to join me in this 7 week journey of exploring the truths that Christianity lays out.
                  
I would like to begin with a very small and intimate group of 5 of us that would meet once a week for seven weeks via the internet. If you think that you are ready to REALLY look at what you believe with an open mind to allow truth to prevail- then leave me a comment or send me a message.  I would love to have you join our online journey of Exploring Christianity.

What tough questions have you not been able to answer yet?  If you are ready for this journey, leave me a comment and tell me why you want to go through this journey..  )

Looking forward to journeying with you…

Love in Christ,

Nana

]]> http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/10/do-you-believe-in-god-christianity-explored/feed/ 0 Did You Lock Yourself Out? http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/10/did-you-lock-yourself-out/ http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/10/did-you-lock-yourself-out/#comments Tue, 02 Oct 2012 15:41:57 +0000 admin http://www.nanacampana.com/?p=1811 Do you ever feel like you do not belong, like you just do not fit in?  Have you ever felt like you are longing for something, and yet have no idea what it is?  These are all signs of being locked out of your very own home – which happened to me today in a very REAL way.

I would love to hear about your experiences of being locked out, so please leave me a comment telling me:

1. Have you ever (or are you now) locked out of “Home”?

2. Did you find your way back in?  If so, what did you do?

3. Is there anything I can do to pray for you?

Looking forward to seeing your answers..  :)

Love in Christ,

Nana

]]> http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/10/did-you-lock-yourself-out/feed/ 2 Journey Across the Northern Hemisphere http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/08/nolongerinsane/ http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/08/nolongerinsane/#comments Sat, 04 Aug 2012 05:11:30 +0000 admin http://www.nanacampana.com/?p=919 Welcome to the Journey blog hop around the UK, Canada and the United States.  We are a group of ladies who met through an online business course and other creative courses.

We have chosen Journey as the theme for this blog hop.  It’s a word that can be interpreted spiritually, physically, literally and creatively and we hope you will enjoy your journey as you hop around our blogs.

Here’s your itinerary:

Bernice

Carolyn

Marjolaine

Paula

Anita

Susan

Nana  <—-You are Here!

My Journey from Insanity to Sanity

It is said that when a person does the same thing over and over expecting different results – they are considered to be INSANE!  and before you decide to click off the page because I am declaring myself officially insane, I ask that you please stay for just a bit..

This is the story of how I walked from insanity to sanity…  from hopelessness to being joy-filled… from a nobody to being fully accepted and loved by the ONLY ONE that matters.

I don’t know about you, but I had deceived myself to believe that if only I was a bit skinnier, a bit prettier, a bit more prepared, or simply did a bit more – then somehow I would be OK.  For years I have carried the burden of having to BE the “perfect” picture of everything I admired:

  • a great mom
  • the perfect wife
  • the best business woman
  • the holiest of Christians
  • the best artist…
  • (you get the idea!)

All along my walk through life, I found myself picking up more and more titles I needed to excel in – only to end up feeling overwhelmed, disappointed, and ashamed.  I would spend time looking at others who seemed to have it all together and I would try to conform myself to their standards by doing what they do.

Have you ever done that?  Have you ever looked at someone you admire and decided:  ”I want to be just like her!”?  Well, I did that often.  In the process I found myself more lost than found.  It wasn’t until recently that I truly began to understand who I am not – which in turn allowed to me see who “I AM” is.

The Bible says that those who lose their life will find it- that those who die will live.  Although I cannot say that I have it all figured out, I am finally free to be me.  I realized that in my search to be the “best” in this world, the one with all the attention and the glory – I lost my capability of being just that.

I was created to be ME…

  • not another artist
  • not another entrepreneur
  • not another mommy or wife…

God formed me in my mother’s womb for one purpose: to glorify Him – not myself.

God is most glorified, when I am most satisfied in Him, and when I live my life trying to find satisfaction in anything other than Him – I lose my ability to see and understand Him.  

So my journey has been long.  Like the Israelites, I have wandered in the desert hoping to reach my promised land… until now!

For the first time in years I am not afraid!  

I am clear now in who I am and what matters.  I am willing to boldly find my satisfaction in Christ without having to straddle the line because of my huge fear of being rejected.  Whether or not you like me is of no importance to me – not because somehow I am better than you, but because I am clear that there is nothing about me to like.  Everything good in me has been a gift, and so all I have to boast in is Christ!  

Do you want to know the crazy part? (yes it gets crazier)

The moment I finally came to terms with the truth about who I am not (because I am NOT the best mommy, artist, wife, entrepreneur, or anything for that matter), I found the freedom to finally see the One who thinks the world of me! I am dearly loved in spite of me.  I am accepted as if I have ALWAYS obeyed…  I am called his daughter and He sees me as if I never have sinned!

For a person with a record like mine, THAT is freedom!

So, this is the journey I have begun –

I am committed to live out loud as I seek my satisfaction in Christ – and I want to take you for the ride.  I have told the Lord that I will forever serve Him, love Him, and obey Him.   Will you dare to join me as I embark on this journey?

The longest journey a man must take is the eighteen inches from his head to his heart”

 

My project is not complete because my journey has just recently begun… 

Will you dare to share your journey with me? 

Leave me a comment with the story of your journey. I want to know how the Lord has been working in your life… :)

Thank you for walking through this journey with us…  It has been a true blessing to have you visit! ;)

Love in Christ,

Nana 

]]> http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/08/nolongerinsane/feed/ 20 Hoppin’ Along with The Twinery and My Little Shoebox http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/06/hoppin-along-with-the-twinery-and-my-little-shoebox/ http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/06/hoppin-along-with-the-twinery-and-my-little-shoebox/#comments Wed, 20 Jun 2012 06:11:32 +0000 admin http://www.nanacampana.com/?p=902 “Hi there and welcome to the My Little Shoebox and The Twinery blog hop!!! We’ve teamed up this week to bring you lots of inspiration and prizes!” When I received the box of Twine, I almost had a heart attack.  Lately I have felt in my soul a switch of passion.  There [...]]]>  

“Hi there and welcome to the My Little Shoebox and The Twinery blog hop!!! We’ve teamed up this week to bring you lots of inspiration and prizes!”

When I received the box of Twine, I almost had a heart attack.  Lately I have felt in my soul a switch of passion.  There is just something I absolutely love about crafting things from scratch, and  making things my own.  So Twine became a perfect tool to invent new ways of adding beauty to my projects.  I wanted to use it in a very unique way, and so I had the beautiful idea to use it the way I would a pen, or a marker. Take a look:

Ain’t that the coolest thing!!  I think I have found a new hobby: drawing with twine! :)  

To make these shapes, I made an outline using a pencil and just filled in the outline with the twine.  It was very time consuming, but extremely therapeutic.  And at the end, it added the special touch I so longed to have in my finished product: a canvas for my daughter… :)

This project has tons of meaning for me.  It is so important for me that my daughter knows that she is perfectly made and loved – even when she breaks the rules, even when she does not obey, even when she simply blows it.  We all make mistakes- but God takes them and gives us beauty instead.  

I tore the My Little Shoebox “My Way” paper from the Up in the Trees Collection and glued it unto Stretched Burlap from Canvas Corp that had been covered in ink and gesso (representing our brokenness and sin). I then smeared it with blue ink and added the embellishments to it.  I love the way that some of the burlap shows throughout the canvas: a very clear reminder that while here on earth we are forever in need of a Savior.

Finally I added the title: You – perfect.  And with that I think I have said it all!   

Don’t miss a chance to comment on each blog to be entered to win our fantastic prizes! Here’s the hop order and links you need to follow:

 


Details on the prizes are on the My Little Shoebox blog and The Twinery blog…and they are GREAT prizes, so be sure to take a look!

 

In order to be entered to win a prize you must:
  • Comment on each particpating blog on the hop throughout the week
  • Follow the My Little Shoebox & The Twinery blogs
  • Follow the My Little Shoebox & The Twinery Facebook pages
Deadline to comment will be Midnight Eastern Time, Sunday, June 24th. Winners will be announced Monday, June 25th on each company’s blog.


“Now head on over to Stacy Rodriguez’s blog to see what they have to share today.

 

Love in Christ,

Nana

]]> http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/06/hoppin-along-with-the-twinery-and-my-little-shoebox/feed/ 33 SMILE, And WAIT for the LORD! http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/05/smile-and-wait-for-the-lord/ http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/05/smile-and-wait-for-the-lord/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 06:00:59 +0000 admin http://www.nanacampana.com/?p=776 blog, and immediately was filled with an emotion of hope and a perfect image in my mind of what the Scripture describes.  I was taken to the [...]]]> “My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen wait for morning,

More than watchmen wait for morning…” Psalm 130

I came across this verse in a blog, and immediately was filled with an emotion of hope and a perfect image in my mind of what the Scripture describes.  I was taken to the times that I have

  • sat by a phone waiting for “THAT” phone call 
  • or the times I had to sit by the door of my husband’s sick uncle waiting for the doctor to FINALLY come and give us an update 
  • or even the time that I went to my doctor’s appointment, while pregnant with Noelani, waiting to hear from the nurse whether that time would be the last time I would see her for an ultrasound (even when she was only 20 weeks old in my womb).

I’m not sure why all of the things that came to mind were serious in their own special kind of way.  Maybe it is that those were very crucial times of waiting for something good to come out of the darkness, so I’m able to remember it more than the times I have had to stand in line waiting for ice cream. :)  Maybe it is the fact that in all of those scenarios the result was one that I am pleased with.  Or, maybe it is the fact that through each of those, I can remember so very clearly how REAL God had become for me- how close and dear to my heart He was.  

It is in the difficult things that we learn to appreciate the simple… and the simplest thing you can do in life- the simplest form of expressing joy is with a 

 What has stolen your smile?  What are you having a really hard time letting go of, or moving away from?

Whatever it is, may your heart wait for the Lord, because He has a way of never LEAVE US waiting!

I know that you will probably not answer the questions above on a comment, but I would love it if you at least share with me the things you do to get out of, (or to at least cope with) the darkness…

Love you tons in Christ,

Nana

]]> http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/05/smile-and-wait-for-the-lord/feed/ 4 I’m Quitting My Day Job http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/05/im-quitting-my-day-job/ http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/05/im-quitting-my-day-job/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 16:42:56 +0000 admin http://www.nanacampana.com/?p=772 Hello Beautiful! I want to take a second to say I’m sorry for not being actively sharing.   It has been a combination of being extra busy with my regular job and the transition of my decision to leave it.  Besides that, I have been spending a lot of time going from doctor to doctor, (for those that have been emailing me asking about my health, I wrote a short update below, so that you can know what has been happening and how to pray for me )  .

Instead of using my free time posting and sharing with you, I have spent it creating YUMMY things to share with you ladies.  With that said, please forgive me!

I’m Quitting My Day Job! (in case you missed that in the paragraph above)

I know it sounds crazy, but I decided that I need to follow and do what I love: what fills me with passion- which is teaching women how to become who they were created to be through their gift of creativity. 

As you can imagine, this decision  has caused all sorts of new feelings, fears, and tribulations- but am very excited to start this journey…  I simply cannot wait to being able to spend the hours of my days serving you ladies and seeing how you go from surviving into thriving. 

So, after my whole list of craziness- I pray you can forgive me for being MIA, and I pray that you would walk with me through this transition.  I want to know how to better serve you, I want to learn about the things you want to learn, and share the things you want me to share.  You are all fantastic and an inspiration to me!!

I do not want to take much more of your time, but if you have 30 seconds, please leave me a cooment below  and tell me what you would want to see more of in my blog, what classes would you want me to create, or whatever else you want to share with me. 

Tons of Love in Christ,

Nana

]]> http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/05/im-quitting-my-day-job/feed/ 15 Yumminess from the Gift Shop: Diaper Cake http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/04/yumminess-from-the-gift-shop-diaper-cake/ http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/04/yumminess-from-the-gift-shop-diaper-cake/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:14:18 +0000 admin http://www.nanacampana.com/?p=737 Diaper Cake from the Gift Shop:   Funny Farm Diaper Cake Diaper Cake Features Farm Hooded Towel Cow Bib Rooster Handmitt Plush Barnyard barn that opens Plush Pig that “oinks” Plush Cow that “moos” Plush Rooster that Cockadoodledos” Plush Duck [...]]]> Hello Beautiful!

This week I totally fell in love with this Diaper Cake from the Gift Shop:

 

Funny Farm Diaper Cake

Diaper Cake Features

  • Farm Hooded Towel
  • Cow Bib
  • Rooster Handmitt
  • Plush Barnyard barn that opens
  • Plush Pig that “oinks”
  • Plush Cow that “moos”
  • Plush Rooster that Cockadoodledos”
  • Plush Duck that “quacks”
  • Johnson’s Baby Lotion
  • Johnson’s Baby Bath
  • Johnson’s Baby Powder
  • Johnson’s Baby Lotion
  • Johnson’s Baby Shampoo
  • Desitin Diaper Cream
  • Johnson’s Soothing Naturals
  • Fork and Spoon
  • 35 Disposable Diapers

If you are anything like me, you like to give beautiful and practical gifts that can be used for a long time.  With this diaper cake, you are providing both beauty and practicality – PLUS necessity!

You can find the Diaper Cake here.

 

Love in Christ,

 

Nana

]]> http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/04/yumminess-from-the-gift-shop-diaper-cake/feed/ 0 Yumminess From the Gift Shop: Cotton Candy Couture Rosette Headband http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/04/yumminess-from-the-gift-shop-cotton-candy-couture-rosette-headband/ http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/04/yumminess-from-the-gift-shop-cotton-candy-couture-rosette-headband/#comments Fri, 20 Apr 2012 08:48:56 +0000 admin http://www.nanacampana.com/?p=733 Hello Beautiful! :)

Every little girl dreams with being a princess.  It is almost as if God has placed in a little gir’ls heart the concept of royalty… :)

Noelani so longs to be considered beautiful, to have her nails done, and some make-up on her face…  It does not matter whether we are going to the park or to a family gathering, Nani wants to be and feel very beautiful.  I see this trend with other little girls as well, so when I saw this headband I knew I had to feature it!

 

Cotton Candy Couture Rosette Headband

I love the colors and how simple yet gorgeous this headband is! :)

I pray you are having a lovely day… :)  Go ahead and click on share button if you think your friends would like to see this headband… :)  Help me fill the world with beauty!

Love in Christ,

Nana

]]> http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/04/yumminess-from-the-gift-shop-cotton-candy-couture-rosette-headband/feed/ 0 Creative Business: Business Goals- Make Them SMART http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/04/creative-business-business-goals-make-them-smart/ http://www.nanacampana.com/2012/04/creative-business-business-goals-make-them-smart/#comments Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:20:49 +0000 admin http://www.nanacampana.com/?p=707 here) Many people waste their time creating goals that are simply not realistic, and end up becoming frustrated with the reached outcomes.  Others spend their time setting up goals that are so [...]]]> Hello Beautiful!  :)

This week I want to encourage you to make your goals SMART.  Here is what I mean:

(image found here)

Many people waste their time creating goals that are simply not realistic, and end up becoming frustrated with the reached outcomes.  Others spend their time setting up goals that are so general that when it comes time to measure progress there is no real sense of accomplishment.  Then there is even others that do not set up a time frame to reach their goal- so frustrations sets in because it never gets done. 

As you make it a point to actually become successful, take the necessary steps to making SMART goals.  

What are the goals you are commiting to reach in the next 30 days?  Leave a comment with your goals..  I want to keep you accountable… :)

Love in Christ,

Nana

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