Must be a CALENDAR ERROR!

No way can I be 66! And yet, my calendar, and all my official records, proclaim that I was born May 23, 1947.

What a wonderful and blessed life I have had so far! Today was really a special day, with cards and phone calls and Skype with loved ones.

This morning my hubby of 47 1/2 years gave me a sweet card (I don’t know how he keeps finding such wonderful cards), and a beautiful Pandora charm that he picked out on his own. Love it!

We drove to one of my favorite restaurants, Brio Tuscan Grill, for a wonderful lunch.

Later in the afternoon, a surprise delivery arrived from my son’s family (who have recently moved far, far away): a gorgeous bouquet of a dozen roses, in a vase with a picture of my son’s two “children” (who are now almost 20 and 18)!

I was quite enamored with the beauty of the roses, and I got a little carried away with photographing them. But, rest easy—I deleted about 20 of the pictures!

“Rest” {and Restoration}

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I have always loved the word “rest.” Just speaking the word gives me a good feeling. I love the word even more when it is linked with another of my favorite words: “restoration.” I really believe that restoration comes THROUGH rest. So, “rest” becomes pretty important, in the grand scheme of things.

Trials and burdens of late have conspired to make me tired. So, naturally, I have recently been especially drawn to every devotional thought, every Scripture that I see, that has to do with rest and restoration. God has placed two specific devotionals in my Inbox during the last week: “Learn to Rest” by Wendy Blight and “Space to Exhale” by Lysa TerKeurst (both of Proverbs31.org).

Wendy wrote, “It’s easy to hide our exhausted souls. On the outside we may appear well-organized, emotionally stable, and put together. But on the inside we are often hopelessly overwhelmed and completely stressed out. The remedy for our weariness will not be found in a nap but in God alone.”

I like that.

There will likely be more art on this theme in the days to come, but today I finished an art journal project that I began while taking the “Art of Spring” class with Junelle Jacobsen. Having already sketched the window, I used “rest” as the theme to finish the pages.

Yes, my soul,
Find rest in God;
My hope
Comes from Him.

Psalm 62:5

Art Journal-“Joy” and “Purpose”

I am trying to get myself organized and focused, catching up on incomplete projects for example. I found a couple of journal pages with backgrounds only, so I built on those to create a couple of “random” layouts. Both of these backgrounds started with left-over prints from Gelli Plate experiments.

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My art journal pages usually reflect what is on my heart/mind at the time (okay, and also what is on my work table at the time). It’s interesting for me to note that one page is about focusing on JOY, and the other centers on my life purpose.

For the Purpose page, I used torn pages from a duplicate copy of Purpose Driven Life--I am using one copy of the book as an art journal in itself and have pulled some pages to allow breathing room in the “journal”.

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Morning Walk-Headed Home

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.-Psalm 143:8

“Though sorrow may last for the night
His joy comes in the morning.”
(“Trading My Sorrow,” Darrell Evans)

Scripture passages and song lyrics continue to pop into my mind, as I am seeing glimpses of joy through the sorrow…

Doodle House-“Live Where You Live”

I’m learning how to “doodle” in Stephanie Ackerman’s class “A Whole New Doodle.” This is a piece I completed for the class. The main thing I have learned is that I am not nearly as good at “coloring” as I was when I was a little girl! (Or maybe I judge my own work in a different light now…)

I had this art assignment on my mind when I read yesterday’s devotional from Proverbs31.org, written by one of my favorite authors, Suzie Eller. As is usually the case when I read these daily emails, it seemed it was written for me, or at least for me to read that day. The theme of the devotional was that we should LIVE where we are, rather than always waiting for the “next” thing (the next word from God, the next direction, the next move, for example). I decided I would make the theme of the inspirational piece the theme of my doodled home piece.

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Philippians 4:11 (NIV)

(Linking to Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge.)

Art Journal-Early in the Morning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lately, snippets of Scripture passages or phrases from songs have popped into my mind, and I recognize it as one way God is bringing me comfort and encouragement. Now that I have this “art journal” mixed-media hobby going, I have a way to express some of my thoughts (I’ve always been a writer, but sometimes it’s more “fun” to use more than just words).

When this phrase from the old hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy” came to mind, I wanted to find an image of a sunrise. That was easy (thank you, Google), and I loved it when one of the images contained a silhouette with arms outstretched! And I already had a background started with colors that made me happy—orange and teal. Happened to work great with the image!

I have about three bins full of old music; the challenge for me is finding a page that I don’t mind “tearing” to use in my art journal!

Yes, the day starts “right” when I begin it with a song.

Linking this project to:

Simon Says Stamp and Show Inspired By Challenge (song lyrics).

Inspiration Journal May Monthly Challenge.

Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge Anything Goes.

Flowers to Bring a Smile

These have been sad days, with my son’s family having just moved far away and my mother’s recent death still evoking emotional moments. Still, underlying the sadness, inexplicably, is an ecstatic joy. My son’s family is where they are because of their willingness to follow God wherever He leads. My mother’s absence from this earth means she is present with God in heaven.

Attempting to focus on the joy, rather than dwelling on the sadness, I am trying to get back to my “happy place” for daily routine, and that is crafting, playing with mixed media art, scrapbooking--wherever the mood leads me on any given day.

It was “good” for me to make this tag, with a happy reference to flowers, a reminder of the freshness of springtime in Missouri. It was good to create something once again, and the theme of the tag was good for my spirits!

I spent quite a bit of time on the background of the tag, and that is actually funny, given the fact that the background isn’t really visible! I started with chip board to which I adhered some woodgrain-textured scrapbooking paper (it was so pretty—wish you could see it—looked sort of like an old wooden fence). Then I used Tim Holtz’s Tag Die to cut a tag from the covered chip board.

I painted some blobs of Lumiere Halo Blue Gold around the edges and then spritzed with water and let the paint run, which made the “blue” part spread around but left the “gold” part of the Lumiere. I used stencils and gesso to add texture. I added some aqua chevrons (cut from card stock—there are three strips of them on the tag, but you so cannot see them!), with more paint (Golden fluid acrylic Bronze) on top of that. I cut some greenery from Tim Holtz’s Regal Crest die. Then I created a flower arrangement, making a lace bow for the base, and added some butterflies. To embellish the flower that was totally white, I painted all the edges with Inka-Gold Old Silver. The crinkle ribbon was saturated with the Halo Blue Gold paint and the Golden fluid acrylic bronze paint.

Thanks to Lynne Forsythe for some of the technique inspiration for this tag.

Linking to:

 Simon Says Stamp and Show Inspired by Challenge (technique inspired by Lynne and using quote from a favorite author).

Simon Says Stamp Challenge.

Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge Anything Goes.

My Mother-More Precious Than Rubies

Leona Cox Wilson
January 21, 1928-April 20, 2013

I made this digital scrapbook page to be displayed at Mother’s funeral service. It also served as the title for an incredible slide show created by my brother.

Resurrection Day Celebration

Our traditional Easter celebration centers around our thankfulness to God for the glorious resurrection of His Son Jesus, who paid the price for our sins by His death on the cross!

We always enjoy some family time as a part of the celebration. This year part of our family could not be with us, and we surely missed them!

Spring Bunnies on Canvas

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These days my mind is heavy with many thoughts, some too heavy to blog at this time. So, I’ll share a happy project I have been working on, inspired by The Art of Spring class with Junelle Jacobsen.

Each canvas is 6x6. I sketched the bunnies and then used Claudine Hellmuth acrylic paints (sometimes mixed with molding paste, and for the pink in the ears, I combined acrylic paint with glass bead gel). For the grass, I made water color puddles on water color paper and then cut them in tiny strips. The bunny tails and the pink flowers are made from tissue paper.

Barely got this one done in time for Easter, and that was my goal!

Ready for Spring

My heart is heavy with family sadness. But The Art of Spring Class with Junelle Jacobsen is lifting my spirits, when I get time to play with sketching and painting.

This is in my Junelle-style art journal (a book that has been made into a journal).

LInking to Anything But a Card Spring Challenge.

Working in “Art of Spring” Class

I know it’s like second-nature for so many people, but I am 65 and never in my life thought I could sketch or make art, really. So, the “Art of Spring class” with Junelle Jacobsen is opening a new world for me. It’s not “fine” art but it is whimsical and fun, and though I am not excellent at the projects, it’s just amazing to me that I can do ANY of it. Here is some of the work from the last couple of days.

I did not originate “the idea” for these sketches—the class provided the inspiration.

From my sketch book (Me? a Sketch Book? this is crazy). These little bunnies were inspired by the work of another member in the class—hers were so adorable, I had to see if I could sketch some similar cuties.

Sketched the practice duckling into my “art journal” (a second copy of Purpose-Driven Life, made into an art journal).

Water colored the sketch.

Finished with pen work and splatters.

This is the beginning of an art journal layout—I will finish out the two pages and post the finished product, but this is where I am right now.

This class has come at a good time for me, as it is cheerful and bright and renewing. I need this right now! It is a blessing, really.

Bring Spring-Art Journal from Art of Spring Class

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I am really enjoying The Art of Spring class with Junelle Jacobsen. I actually sketched the bunny and the jack rabbit. Me. Sketching. Unreal.

Barbie Bunny and Jackie Rabbit

Then I took the sketches to the art journal, where I used a lot of acrylic paint. There are many layers of green paints here. The flowers and leaves were water painted and then cut with Tim Holtz Tattered Florals and Tattered Leaves dies. This project was all about the bright colors of spring!

June is a delightful teacher, and I think I can actually learn how to sketch little whimsical characters. Maybe it’s just because I am so ready for spring, but it really was quite fun.

Linking this project to Fussy and Fancy Flowers Challenge.

Season of Letting Go-Art Journal Inspiration

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From Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3 (NIV)

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

  a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
  a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
  a time to search and a time to give up…

  He has made everything beautiful in its time.

I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.

I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

Yes, it is a season of letting go, for me. Without thinking too deeply, I can easily name at least fourteen areas/things/people that I am being called upon to let go at this time in my life.

It’s a difficult season, a challenging time. It is not a crisis of faith, however. I know that I know what I know. And what I know is that God is in control. He is the Only One who knows His plan. All He asks from me is that I trust in His plan. And, since He’s done pretty well with running the show in my life to this point, I am trusting Him with the rest of it. That doesn’t mean I like it or that I get to be happy all the time. But it does mean that I trust and believe His promise:

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. – Romans 8:28