Can There Be Too Much of a Good Thing???

Good Tuesday all my crafty friends! It'a a BEAUTIFUL day in Georgia today! It was not the case yesterday, but hey......it's spring!! Or as spring as it get's in Georgia! LOL I was able to get some well needed yard work done over the weekend. It's Tuesday, and my body can still testify to it!! LOL Sad, but true story!! And so the months of grass cutting begins!!

I was able to play in my art closet this weekend for a bit. The time I did have, I decided just to do whatever I wanted. I didn't work on any challenges, I pulled out several journals, a canvas, some tags and just started slapping stuff with no "theme," no rhyme or reason and just because! It was liberating!! LOL So now I have quite a few unfinished projects on my desk that I can finish here and there! I love it.

All that said, I have a journal spread I will share with you today! I have been all in this spring mood lately and wanted to do something to reflect that! We leave out next week to go on a big camping trip and I guess I have the fever! I can't wait to get out on those hiking trails and see all of God's beautiful nature. When I'm out on those trails, I am getting some great exercise, but it's also a time for me to be with my creator. One on one, He and I and we have some beautiful talks! I can't wait!

One of the things I knew I wanted to do was use some of the goodies that I got from Heather over at the Kraaft Shaak. I ordered her fabulous Mixed Media Kit and there were so many goodies, I didn't know where to start! LOL I had some color scheme in mind because of the fabulous chalkboard paint that Heather included in the kit. So I went with that in mind.

I started the page by applying some of Tim Holtz's tissue paper with Mod Podge. I then did a gesso wash over that. I then scraped (literally) Prima's chalkboard paint in Sea Breeze over the two pages here and there with a palette knife. I then sprayed on some Glimmer Mist in Black Cherry and misted with water and then took a baby wipe and blotted all over. I stamped some back ground stamping with black Archival and edged the pages with the same.

I have so many great flower stamps from Unity, so I just picked a few that I liked. I stamped the first flowers from the June 2014 Layers of Life Collection in black Archival as if a background and then stamped the flower from the February 2015 Layers of Life Collection on some card stock where I then painted it with Daler Rowney Pearlescent in Sundown Magenta and Liquitex Inkl in Deep Violet. I also stamped the flower from the February 2014 Layers of Life Kit onto some card stock and then painted the with Faber Castell Gelatos in Mango, Tangerine and Lemon. I wanted to mute those flowers just a bit, so I spritzed them with Heidi Swapp's Color Shine in Gold. I then fussy cut both sets of flowers out.

I then took the FABULOUS Finnabair Art Extravagance by Prima Gold Crackle Texture Paste and applied it through my yummy new stencil from Finnabair, Doily 3. I love that stuff and it had a great effect to it, but as with all art, you live and learn. The next time I do it, I will put a thicker layer. It was my first time playing with it, so I wasn't sure how thick or thin. It was fine on this, but I want to try a thick later and see how that works! You have to try that stuff! I did leave it to dry on it's own because I had several projects going on at one time.
When the crackle paste was dry I then applied my flowers down with Mod Podge and shaded with my favorite Faber Castell Big Brush Pens. 

Heather had put a butterfly die cut in my kit and I knew I wanted to use it in some way as well. It was a mauve color which was perfect with my flowers. I wanted to embellish that guys so, once again I had a live and learn moment. I took Finnabair's Art Ingredients GORGEOUS Micro Beads in Berry (that were in my kit) and mixed them with Liquitex Gloss Gel and applied it over top of the butterfly die cut. While I am not going to say it was a complete disaster, I will in fact do it differently next time. The texture was really, really cool, but I probably should have used a lighter background die so the beads could pop more! Not bad, but just not the WOW I was looking for! I highlighted that little guy with my favorite Viva Inka Gold and then painted him some character on with the chalkboard paint and liquitex black ink. I gave him a key body and a jewel crown! :)

I finished this spread by hot gluing my butterfly stamping my sentiment along with some cute little bees, adding some little gold elements from my Mixed Media Kit and then spritzing with the liquitex black ink. Voila!

It was a fun spread especially since there was no agenda, I just started and watched where it went! Spring is in the air and this page just has me excited!! I hope you are looking forward to spring in your part of the country!

Bless you today! :)

Nothing But The Blood!

Good Friday all my crafty friends! I hope you all are having a lovely day!! I have a lot to do this weekend! Spring has come to our area, however we are expecting a little cold snap tonight and tomorrow night. That being said, if it will be on the cooler side (It's been in the mid 80's already here) then tomorrow will be perfect to do some good old yard work to prepare for the upcoming grass cutting season! I love working in the yard as I am a VERY outdoorsy kind of person.

All that said, I also am going to get as much as I can done this weekend because next weekend I will be preparing and packing our camper for our upcoming camping trip! I am so excited! It has been awhile since we have been camping because my husband was between jobs and promotions and his schedule changed so much that we were not able to make any plans to go anywhere! But last month he got the promotion we were looking for which took him to 4 ten hour days a week and EVERY weekend off!! Woooo hooooo!! Now the camping can resume!! My girls are so excited as am I! My brother and sister-in-law also have a camper and they go with and it makes for great family fun! Plus my daughter's usually bring pals along so we just make it a big fun brew ha ha! I CAN'T WAIT! :)

Today, I am going to share with you a VERY QUICK journal page that I did as part of my Take Me Deeper Journal Challenge over on His Kingdom Come community. Today I am submitting Week 3's journal prompt which ended yesterday. I am a little behind, as a matter of fact I still haven't shared Week 2....oy vey!! LOL  This past week's prompt was Nothing But The Blood of Jesus. As I have quite a few unfinished things on my desk, this one was done quickly, but not without deep though, so that I could get some of those other things rolling and done.

I wasn't really sure where I was going with this page, so I began by adhering some of Tim Holtz's tissue paper with Mod Podge. I then did a white wash of gesso over that. I then sprayed a couple of layers of Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists over top of that heat setting in between each layer. I am not sure of the colors, but the first was a light reddish color and the second was darker red. I then simply took one of my favorite Christy Tomlinson background stamps from Unity Stamps and stamped with Distress ink in Barn Door in various spots. I then took this great border stamp from January's Layers of Life kit from Unity stamps and stamped on all sides. Then I just sketched out the title on the page and then went back over with Faber Castell Black Pitt Pens and a black Big Brush Pen. I hightlighted with my white gel pen from Sakura and added the blood drops with my red Big Brush Pen and then outlined and shadowed with gifted Stabilo Pencil from sweet Heather over on Google+ Kraafter's Kommunity.  Voila!

As I said, this was a very quick page for me, but again, NOT without a LOT of thought! As a Christian, this thought resonates through my very being! NOTHING but the blood of Jesus covers all!! Many of you are familiar with the old hymn that is titled this. It is a beloved hymn whose words embodies who we are as Christians and why! Because of Jesus and His shed blood on the cross were were made right with, restored, or reconciled back to the Father! Instead of receiving the just consequences for our sins, our Father in Heaven sacrificed His only Son who shed His blood as the LAST pure sacrifice to cover ALL our sins! Glory! What an Amazing and Loving God! What's even more amazing is that His Son Jesus went willingly to the cross on our behalf! Willingly!! The magnitude of that sacrifice is beyond most of our comprehension!

One of my favorite line from that old hymn is "No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus!" That fountain of living water will NEVER run dry for those whom believe!! That living water that the Holy Spirit offers dwells in those whom have received and believe and seals them for salvation through the mighty, powerful blood of Jesus! NOTHING but His blood could do that for YOU! Nothing but the blood could reconcile YOU, nothing but the blood could redeem YOU, nothing but the blood could offer you ETERNAL LIFE!! His shed blood allows you to be seen by our Heavenly Father as white as snow, holy and righteous! What GREATER love could there be than this ULTIMATE sacrifice from a Father and Son??? And it's all for YOU!

As we are coming upon the Easter Season, I pray your thoughts and heart are reflecting on the work at the cross! What an amazing love that brings life and light to this world!

Blessings

Happy Wednesday!

Good Wednesday all my crafty friends! It's another Wednesday and another great day to be alive!! It's also ANOTHER rainy day in Georgia! It has it's advantages, to be sure, like rinsing all that LOVELY YELLOW pollen away, ha ha, but I think we are all ready for some order to our weather around here!! In the mean time, thank you Lord for your perfect order and......the rain! :)

Today I don't have a craft to post, I am dedicating this post today to Fran McGuirt over on our Google+ community! Fran made a post yesterday evening that really stuck with me! It was a picture of herself that her daughter took with the caption that read "And this is what artists block looks like, Oh Mio!" I laughed and laughed at that post because WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE! My post back to her was that I totally understood and that I have a "blank" journal page on my table that I have been staring at for over a week! Well as it were, it's more than one journal page Fran!! LOL And here is the evidence!!

I am committed to a few things online whereby I am "supposed" to do things "weekly," but sometimes, it just doesn't happen that way! Now I will confess, that bothers and perplexes me from time to time, (much like how Fran looks in her photo..LOL), but then other times I understand and believe God is wanting me to be "quiet" so that I can hear His still small voice!!

You know, the enemy's soul purpose is to divide and conquer! Since I try to approach everything from the Father's view, especially my art since I use it not just for art fun, but also a ministry tool, I look at the "blank page syndrome" much like a tactic from the enemy to keep us from hearing God! The enemy would divide us and separate us from God, but His Word says "NOTHING in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!" Romans 8:39 The enemy could use that "blank page" to perplex me to the point that I didn't believe I was hearing from the Lord or that He isn't ministering to me! When all along, God may be allowing that "blank page" to nudge me to "be still" so that I CAN hear what He is trying to say to me.

You know, it's NOT that we CAN'T hear God or that He doesn't speak to us, because we absolutely can and He absolutely does! In His Word He tells us that "My sheep hear my voice, and I KNOW them, and they follow me!" John 10:27 But sometimes, our own thoughts get in the way of hearing Him. That's just the foothold the enemy needs to encourage you to think that God isn't speaking to you, thereby pushing you to think that God doesn't really love you and He's not interested in you! No, you just may have too much junk in the way to hear Him and the void may be the space He is allowing to encourage you to slow down and be still, so that you CAN hear His voice!

Key to anything with a relationship with the Lord is to stay in His Word! The Word of God is living and active and it discerns the thought and intentions of the heart!! So if you remain abiding in Him and allowing Him to abide in you then you will quickly recognize that God uses the "down times," "blank spaces," and even "quiet times" that He may not be speaking, to encourage you to seek Him! His Word encourages us to call on Him and He will answer! Take heart understanding also that it will be in His timing not our own!! But you remain faithful to listen and wait! He will honor your position!

The quote above from Eleanor Roosevelt says "With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts." I like that!! Each new day shows us a new FULL cup of grace, love and mercy from the Lord! Take time today to cast down all those thoughts that try to exalt themselves above the Lord, be still and listen for that still small voice! He will give you the grace as you wait! Even as you look at that blank page! :)))))

Bless you today! :)

Another Happy Mail Day!

Good Tuesday all my crafty friends! I hope you have had an extremely blessed day! :) Today, I am going to share a quick post with you! I got ALL kinds of crafty mail to share with you!

As a part of the tag swap over on Creating and Sharing Mixed Media Art on Google+, I will share my tag swap partner's tag with you today. This month our theme was International Women's Day! My tag partner for this month was Clemencia Rosado from sunny Florida!! I was so excited about that theme. I am not a staunch "women's libber" per say, but I do believe in empowering women! The women in this country have long been the strength and glue to a family, and have been a force in the work places, to the point that even during "war time" they WERE the work force! I believe the women in our country and world have many talents and gifts to offer and that being said, should enjoy and celebrate a day (March 8th) and month that is all about them! 

I love, loved Clemencia's tag! It is so beautiful in this picture and more so in person!!! The colors were gorgeous and went right with the springtime feel in Georgia right now!!!  I am not really sure what products Clemencia used, but it felt like chalkboard paint or spray and a little embossing. The bird was just precious and her cute little flower and the yarn she used was gorgeous! I feel so special with this tag Clemencia and I can't thank you enough! Love it! :)))))  I have been so busy with my schedule lately and have not gotten your tags in the mail until today! Sad part is they have been done for weeks, but I just couldn't make it to the P.O! How sad is that??? LOL  Hope you like them Clemencia!! Hugs

My second goodie for the day came from the lovely Sheri Whitfield. Sheri has a gorgeous Etsy Shop called The Supply Garden! She has all kinds of yumminess over there from jewelry findings, to cards, to journals, to tools, to filigree bronze embellishments, to gifts!! Sheri's prices are sooo wonderful and I bet if you go check her shop out, you are sure to find something you just can't live without!!

I got bit by the Steampunk bug, actually from Sheri's Tag It Tuesday challenge for March! March's theme was Steampunk and I had so much fun! But that got me wanting to further dive into that crafty goodness and so I decided to get lots of bronze filigree goodness from Sheri's shop!

My goodies came in this cute little bag, that I know I can use for something! Hey what about that cute hoot owl on the package! I just love it! LOL I couldn't wait to get inside to the goodies!

I had a hard time picking what I wanted, but I started with a few and then I can just add from there right!! LOL I got the Mixed Metal Steampunk Gears, Rhombus Filigree Bronze pieces, Lace Filigree Bronze Leaf piece, Large Round Filigree Bronze pieces and the Square Filigree Bronze pieces! What do you think? You can't really tell here folks, but these are such nice quality pieces and you can't go wrong! I am so happy with them and I can't wait to get going on some projects! The only thing Sheri didn't carry in her Etsy Shop was..........time!!! LOL I need just a little more of that so I can get more crafty funness in my day!!

Thanks so much Sheri for the lovely product and the QUICK shipping!  What a blessing!! Take the time today to go over and check out Sheri's shop and you will be blessed too!!

Happy evening my crafty friends and be blessed! :)

Kraaft Box Hooray!!!

Good Monday all my crafty friends! Well, it's a rainy day in Georgia! The weather is still crazy all over the country. I know it's still snowing in some areas? What? We had 80 plus weather Saturday here, and now it's 55 today. We are used to crazy weather here, so I am not too shocked, but makes me worried about what our summer is going to look like when it's already warm and balmy! Oy vey! :)))))

Oh Hi!!!!

So today I got my Kraaft Shaak Mixed Media Box....HOORAY FOR ME! :))))) When Heather over on Kraaft Shaak decided to do the Mixed Media Boxes, I knew I just wanted to get one!

The premise behind Heather's box I think is two fold. Heather's box is filled with all kinds of Mixed Media for you, if you are a beginner, to help kick start you in the right direction with different types of media. Often times as a beginner, you don't really know where to start, but receiving a box filled with this goodness, will start you in the right direction. In addition, several of the products you get to choose, so that makes it even better.

If you are a seasoned mixed media artist or someone, LIKE ME, who calls themselves "knowing what they are doing...ha ha," then the products will just be a welcome addition to your current stash. Not only that, but some of the products that are "new" in our crafty world that maybe we have wanted to "try" but not buy a whole tub yet, are offered in the kit in sample size so that we can actually try before we buy! What a crafty idea right? And the samples are just enough to do a project or two, depending how you use them!! Score! LOL

Out of the gate there was a cute "Thank You" card from Heather whereby she used what looks like Finnabair's Gold Crackle Paste from the Art Extravagance line by Prima through a stencil on the front! I had requested a sample of that, so I got double....I already saw the awesomeness on her card and I will also get to use it myself! I also requested Prima Chalkboard Paint in Sea Breeze. I have soooo been wanting to try that, so I am so excited and can't wait to use it!

The goodness just kept on going from there. One of awesome things I got (which I was secretly hoping I got) was Finnabairs awesome 6x6 Elemental Stencil that is a doily shape. We did not know what we would receive....it was either a stencil or a stamp! I had seen the stencil on her vid, so I was really wanting that! Another score!! LOL I also chose the option with the 5x7 canvases. I love working on canvas, but I have a special thing in mind for these guys!! The rest are just lovely, lovely sample products from Finnabair's rocking line, which we have all been eyeing since they made their debut! She had some other paper elements, which I can't wait to use as well and one of the other things I secretly hoped was in my stash was this plastic piece that I am not sure what she called it, but you could use it for sooo many things, ie...a stencil, or on your gelli plate... I was stoked to see it in my box!

All my crafty goodness!!!! Thanks Heather!!!

I must admit that I have been envious of all these other folks who have been getting their Kraaft Shaak box when they do a reveal video because Heather puts a lot of love in her boxes. She pays attention to every detail from the wrapping with her own lovely papers to a "toy surprise" inside. Heather had commented on a comment I had made about wanting to see items in her store, like Stabilo pencils because they are hard for me to find where I live. And that kraafty little lady put a coveted Stabilo pencil in my box! Heather you are just toooooo precious!! Thank you so much! It doesn't take much to make me happy, BUT that pencil does!! :))))))))))

Check out the Kraaft Shaak or watch Heather's Mixed Media Kit video and see what's going on over there in her store...she will be glad you stopped by! :)))

Blessings

Love, Cherish, & Embrace!

Good Friday all my crafty friends! Boy, did you ever think it would get here? LOL Sometimes, you just can't wait till Friday gets here! LOL Now, I don't like to wish my life away, but sometimes, I am just ready for the weekend! :) I hope you all have nifty plans up your sleeves, or at best planning on some "you" time!

Today I am going to share a project I did for a friend of mine who has a friend who saw a project I did for my friend and wanted one like I did for her! Boy that was a mouth full! When I do my art, it is for non-profit. I do my art for fun and for ministry! I love to sow seeds! I know when I sow seeds that I will be blessed in doing so and hopefully the person I am sowing into or the place I am sowing into will receive a blessing. After all, my art is for the most part, God inspired and as such, carries its own weight, all I have to do is be obedient and the rest will follow! :)

Without going into detail, my girlfriend's friend lost a loved one recently and wanted a cross in remembrance of her loved one. She had seen a cross I had made recently as a surprise gift for my girlfriend and wanted one similar and asked would I make one. I was so touched and honored and knew right away that this was something I wanted to do. She expressed her favorite color was yellow and her loved one's favorite color was pink and she loved butterflies! What seemed like an easy request, so I dove right in!

This really was a simple cross to make. Things like this are time consuming, but easy none the less and especially when God imprints in your heart and mind a picture! I began this piece by collaging on scrapbook paper in her chosen colors with Mod Podge and then applying Tim Holtz's tissue paper to the back as well. I then did a light coat of gesso over all. I mentioned the other day that I love, love sprays and working with them, so I just went pulled out a ton of different kinds of my prays and just went to it.  I just began spraying until I got the results I wanted. I used Tattered Angels sprays in Sweet Pea, Blue Skies, Cherry Blossom, Starfish, Sunflower and Pearl and then used Dylusions in Lemon Zest and Heidi Swap Color Shine in Gold.


I wanted to add some further texture so I pulled out some Stamps from Unity Stamps from the February 2014 and February 2015 collections and stamped with black Archival ink, I then took my Liquitex Modeling Paste and mixed it with Lindy's Stamp Gang Spray in Autumn Maple Crimson and applied it through one of my favorite stencils from The Crafter's Workshop, Well Rounded. I then applied some of Finnabair's yummy Glass Beads in Butter down the middle both ways of the cross. I love, love those glass beads!

It was time to open up my element drawer stash and I just started pulling things out. I, of course, knew I wanted a butterfly and I have this great little set from K&C Company that has various sizes and colors and low and behold (a God thing) there was the perfect one! LOL I stamped a dove from the Unity Stamp January 2014 collection onto some book page and sprayed it with the Tattered Angels Sunflower and then sprinkled with some of Finnabair's awesome glitter. I took some white Prima flowers and stacked them and then brushed the tips with Tattered Angels Sweet Pea and then sprayed all over with Heidi Color Shine in Gold and then added a Studio gem in the middle. 

I applied some die cuts that had been sprayed with the Tattered Angels Blue Skies and the Lindy's Stamp Gang Autumn Maple Crimson and then again sprinkled with some of Finnabair's glitter. I made some little roses out of book page, covered the lightly with gesso and then sprayed with the Tattered Angels Blue Skies and then added a few other elements and gems from Paper Studio. Lastly I stamped the sentiment from one of my favorite Unity Stamps onto scrapbook paper, sprayed it with Tattered Angels in Blue Skies and Pearl and then distressed the edges with Distress Ink in Vintage photo. Voila! I was tickled with the outcome!

Sowing God's love is a humbling and precious experience. God's Word says "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness." (2 Cor 9:10) God supplies and He increases. The increase is for His glory! I love to sow because I know that it will not only bless another but bring my Father in Heaven such glory! I have been given, so I give! God blesses me in turn every time. He never fails! His Word does not return void! It WILL accomplish whatever He desires for it to and achieve the purpose for which it being sent if we will but be obedient! I want to be faithful with His work, how about you?

Won't you sow a seed and bless another today!

Love in a Letter!

Good Wednesday all my crafty friends! I hope you all had a lovely, green St. Paddy's Day yesterday! In light of my post yesterday, I did NOT get pinched, so I feel so very fortunate! LOL My hope is that you didn't either! LOL :)

Today I want to share love in the form of a letter! It was really a package that came to my mailbox from my gal pal Becky Wentworth!! Becky has TONS going on, yet she found the time to send me lots of love in my mailbox! I love getting mail, so I was ALL SMILES when I saw the package! :)

Becky sent me these FABULOUS tags for the month of March that were just wonderful! She ALWAYS wraps her goodies in the best papers that I keep to put in future crafting! I have since taken up her wonderful idea and have been making a plethora of "crafty" papers to wrap goodies with in the future! Thanks for the idea Becky! :))

Spring is in the air here in the good ole south and I hope you are enjoying the sights and smells in your area as well. The bad part about the beginning stages of spring is knowing the onslaught of pollen it will bring!!! I love the flowering trees show we get here, but don't like the pollen that comes with! LOL Guess it will be another few months before I was my car! LOL

That being said one of the tags Becky sent me has the air of springtime to it! It has yummy spring colors and textures and these sweet, sweet birds to go along!! The word for the tag was "inspiration!" Well, I am TOTALLY inspired Becky! I love it!

The other tag Becky sent me was was FULL of gorgeous colors and textures! Our tag swap this month over on Google+ Creating and Sharing Mixed Media Art was celebrating women and this tag had a fabulous lady full of color on it topped off with flower head dress! Her textures are always the yummiest! I love BOTH tags Becky and I can't thank you enough for the bright spot in my day! :)

I have lots on my desk that I am working on and hope to get some posted tomorrow or Friday! Can someone PLEEEZ make the days longer because I need just a little more time in my day! LOL

Hope you are extremely blessed of the Lord today! :)

Tag it Tuesday!

Happy Thursday and St. Patrick's Day all my crafty friends!! I actually forgot today was St. Patrick's Day, can you believe it??? LOL That being said, I wore NOTHING green to work!! Uh, oh!! Fortunately, I work for a municipality where our City pin has a green shamrock on it!! Yay me, right? So I was saved by the shamrock!!! LOL What's really sad about it all is I work for the City of Dublin...Georgia that is, and we have St. Patrick's celebrations allllll month long! LOL, isn't that a hoot? I used to be all big into the festivities, but as time has marched on, I have gotten myself out of it all and it's just another month to me!! Erin Go Braugh to you all today! :))))

Well, it's Tag it Tuesday time hosted by Sheri over at Cards and More by Sheri.  I love doing tags, so when Sheri started doing this a few months ago, I was all excited! Thanks for the fun Sheri!! :))) This months theme is Steampunk! What a stretch and challenge for me! I love Steampunk, but have never given it a go! So, no time like the present!! LOL!! Hope you like my version of it!

My husband has a shop behind our home, so I said "honey, I need some junk!" Junk??? He didn't know what to make of that! I tried to explain why, but he couldn't fathom the outcome until I showed him. He got it then. Well, long story short, we searched high and low and out of that whole shop, all I got was a handful of "junk!" Is that crazy or what? He has everything in its place, spic and span and it doesn't include junk!! That's what I call one clean shop! Now, if I can get him to work on his closet so he knows exactly where his shoes are supposed to go!! LOL

Well I thought I would take some pictures of what I started with so you could see my beginning chaos to a somewhat happy ending!! I began my tag with placing Finnabair's Heavy Gesso through Jaime Echt's MIni Gears Stencil and also through a cheapo stencil that I got in a bargain bin that had these little squares on it. I then put a few pieces of drywall tape here and there. I fiddled till I got my placing and then adhered my junk pieces down with Aleene's and the heavier ones got the glue gun! Along with the junk I also added some buttons, cogs from Paper Studio, die cuts from Sizzix Sizzlits Scroll Set, a cute owl from Lara's Crafts, some basic prima flowers that I stacked and a homemade flower that I made out of book page. I then went over it all except the flowers with some gesso.


I love ink sprays! If I had boat loads of money, I would buy them all! I decided to start spraying this tag with Heidi Swapp's Color Shine in Tinsel and spraying a little water and then heat setting. I repeated the process until it looked like I wanted. I did the same with Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays in Ponderosa Pines and Tibetan Poppy Teal and then finished up with Heidi Swapp's Color Shine in Gold and Lindy's in Cattail Copper Brown.

I love, love Viva Inka Golds! They just are awesome to work with! So I highlighted the edges and the pieces with Steel Blue and Gold. To finish up the piece I added some gems from Paper Studio, some of Finnabair's Glass Beads in Plum and a cute clock piece from Paper Studio as well.

I had so much fun doing this tag! I want to do a canvas now!!! We shall see!! I will have to start on small scale to be sure!! That being said I ordered what will be an AWESOME Mixed Media Kit from over on Kraaft Shaak! Heather has put together a selection of different boxes to choose from and I picked one that has some canvas in it, so I can't wait till it arrives and get started!!! The boxes also contain some great samples of Finnabair products for you to try! So much easier than buying whole tubs of product and discovering it's not your favorite!! You should go check out Heather's shop I am sure you will find something you just can't live without! LOL

Thanks Sheri for the challenge! I know there will be more Steampunk for me in the future!! 

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Here's an Irish Blessing for you! :))))

I Will Follow!

Happy Friday all my crafty friends! Yep, it's been a WHOLE week since I posted!! Actually a week and a day! What's up with that?  How about time? It went right on by!!! LOL  Not sure! I actually have been working on projects and have some on my desk, but I can't share because they are to send out and I wouldn't want to post before they get them!! So, I will just make it look like I am being a slacker!! LOL I will share a project today however!!

Today I am posting my March, Week 1 Take Me Deeper Journal Page from over on His Kingdom Come community.  The theme for the month of March is Journey to the Cross! Boy, I love that theme as I feel we are all on or should be on a journey to the cross! When you have chosen that journey, you've chosen to take your focus off of "self," and put your eyes on Jesus! Week 1 was based on the scripture from Luke 4:1 that says "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness," is titled "I Will Follow."

This journal page was one God had definitely impressed in my mind as soon as I read the scripture as to how He wanted me to depict it. I began this by gessoing the page and then simply took some cheapo FolkArt paint in Cinnamon and Antique Gold and applied with a credit card here and there. I concentrated mostly on the left side and dispersed a little on the right side (there is a method to my madness! LOL) and dabbed here and there with a baby wipe. I then took my favorite Silks Acrylic Glaze in Sunflower and Sky Blue and applied with my fingers and a baby wipe to the right side and then sprayed on some Lindy's Stamp Gang in Autumn Maple Crimson and dabbed with a baby wipe as well.

I then put some FolkArt Metallic Gray through Jaime Echt's Numerals stencil on the left side and made sure that I placed a "4" and a "0" near each other and outlined them to make them stand out. I am not an artist in the "true" sense of the word, so I really had to stretch to make the next phase of my page happen!!! LOL I knew that I wanted to put an image of a "princess" going up a hill towards the cross, so I found a really great photo online and cut it out and mod podged it on my page. I then simply drew out (to the best of my ability) the scene with my Derwent water color pencils. I fussed with it as much as I could and wasn't satisfied so I pulled out my Gelatos to further highlight the scene and finally decided to pull out my Faber Castell Big Brush pens to finish it. I also used the pens to do some shading in the end. I then stamped my title with my cheapo alpha stamps and voila!

As you look at this page, you are probably wondering my thoughts. As I have mentioned many times before, if you read my posts, that our Christian faith is all about reconciliation! It's about our journey back to the Father! That journey can ONLY begin at the cross!! As Christians, we believe that the ONLY WAY to the Father is through the Son! That journey back to the Father will come with many trials and not without tribulation. The key to getting through both is seeking the Father's ways (His ways are not our ways) and allowing yourself to be lead by the Holy Spirit!!

In the Bible, the number 40 is so significant throughout. It is signifies a period of testing, trial or probation. What is key to that is that it's always right before a regeneration or restoration!! That's why it is so important how you handle yourself through trials, that you remain strong in His Word and remain faithful....there IS a blessing on the other side!!! After each act of deliverance in the Bible there was a 40 year transition period to the promise land. This signifies that just as then, we too go through seasons in our lives! When you come through each season, by faith, you will enter into the promise land God intended!!

Seasons are all about preparation! Spiritually speaking, God may be preparing you for an intricate part in your spiritual walk, as you go through that "tuff" season, that if you didn't go through the season before you, you may not get to the blessing He has laid out for you. Not only that, but "seasons" are a time for growth! As we seek Him during that season, and, by faith, allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit through that season, we can then "enter in" and God can take us to the next level of the calling He has on our life!!

I saw myself on the journey to the cross in my beautiful garments of color that are only fitting for royalty! As a believer, I am co-heir with Christ to our Heavenly Kingdom! I am a daughter, a princess to the throne! In His Word those that wore such garments of color were authorized by their earthly father's to wear those "robes" as they performed some sort of "service." While wearing those robes, they went through some trials, but in the end were rewarded! I am called to serve today, but, by faith, I will be led on a journey I have been "chosen" for and "called to" for eternal life!

What journey are you on today? Allow Him to lead you for an ETERNAL BLESSING!!

Love Yourself!

Good Thursday, all my crafty friends!! Well yesterday, here in the south, was just glorious!! We saw sunny skies and I was able to put the sunroof back and take in all that beautiful sunshine and "spring time-ish" air! But alas, today it is back to the gloomy and looking like rain! I think we need the gloom days to remind us of the awesomeness of the glorious days!! I won't complain of the rainy days leading up to spring and summer here in the south! We see hot, dry summers, A LOT, so rain is so welcome to the land so as to bring in a magnificent spring and summer! Hope all is well in your part of the country....and enjoy the gloomy days because that only means a glorious day is around the corner!!! :)

Well, as of today.....I AM CAUGHT UP!!!!! YAY ME!!!!!! I feel so good knowing my journal challenges and my tag challenges are finally caught up and now I just have to get back on board with my ATC challenges that I have opted out of for a few months!  I love all the challenges I am involved in because they stretch me on so many levels. Only problem is, if that was ALL that I had to do in my life, that would be fine!! LOLOLOL!!! Unfortunately, my employers want me to work and my husband and kids want me to feed them, wash their clothes and clean their home!!! Hmmmmmmm......what's a girl to do??? LOL

I am sharing today, Week 4 of His Kingdom Come's February's Take Me Deeper Journal challenge. If you will recall, I had noted that February's theme was love and each week was a different kind of "love." This week was "Love Yourself!" Wow, that's a hard one for sooooooo many people! A lot of people have a hard time "speaking" about loving themselves because they don't want to seem haughty or conceited. But that, my friend, is not a spirit that comes from the Lord! That's the flesh! If we are "in Christ," then we ought to love ourselves as Christ did on the cross and does daily!! The magnitude of the work on the cross is SO that God the Father could see us "through" the eyes of His Son, Jesus, through the blood, making us pure, holy and righteous!! As such, we are to CLAIM those things and who we are because of Christ!! When you see yourself as God the Father does, then you can truly love yourself!

I started this page with gesso, because quite honestly, I wasn't sure at first where I was going with this page. Initially, I had an idea, but God took me a whole other way! How many times has that Happened to you? If it does, heed to it because in the end, you will be blessed! I am on the Praise & Worship Team at church so I'm always singing something, but I also ALWAYS have a song in my heart because the Lord is in my heart. So I decided to cut up some sheet music and lay it down in various spots. Then I took a stencil, I think from Heidi Swapp, and sprayed some Lindy's Stamp Gang in Autumn Maple Crimson through it. I put Finnabair's Heavy Gesso mixed with some Perfect Pearls from Ranger's Aged Patina Kit through Rhonda Palazzari's Well Rounded stencil. I used the green pearls powder, not sure what it is called, but it just turned grey.....you live and learn.....but I liked it ok in the end! 

It was then that the Lord began to speak to me about what He wanted me to do. So, I found this AWESOME picture on the internet of someones depiction of Jesus's eyes. So I cut it out and mod podged it on my journal page. I then brought out my Faber-Castell Gelatos and tried to paint over the photo to bring it onto the page and make the colors pop. I then mixed together some liquitex inks to get the blood drippage look I wanted for the photo and dripped it down exactly where the fabulous artist who did this page did it. Then I gave the photo some shadow with my charcoal pencil.

I brought out my favorite Tim Holtz Worn Text alpha stamps and stamped my sentiment, "I am In Christ." And then I stamped some of the things "I am" around the page with my cheapo set of alpha stamps. Obviously these aren't "exclusive," there are SO MANY things I am in Christ, but I just didn't have enough room!!! LOL I doodled here and there and then highlighted the main sentiment with my white gel pen. I also spelled "freedom" with some alpha stickers down the side of the picture, which is also my Logos365 word for the year. Voila!

When you KNOW who you are in Christ, there is a powerful "freedom" that you live in!! You can also LOVE YOURSELF when you KNOW who you are in Christ! I am always ministering to my daughter about the fact that it is key to know and walk in who you are in Christ to combat the enemies tactics that he tries to throw at you on a daily basis! The enemy knows who you are in Christ, DO YOU???

My friends, there is a spirit of pride attached to not seeing others or yourself as God the Father does! Pride divides and excludes....Love provides and includes!  God accepts ALL of us...the bad, the good and the ugly and sees us through the blood of Jesus!! So should you! :))))

Be blessed!

Love Your Neighbor!

Good Monday all my crafty friends!! I hope you all had a fantabulous weekend! Mine was very nice as we celebrated my daughters' 11th birthday!! Whoop, whoop!! LOL My husband and I started late in life, so whilst all my lovely friends have started having grandchildren, I still have young ones at home!!! I wouldn't take ANYTHING for either of my girls or change ANYTHING, but I do confess that sometimes I wish I was having that "life after kids" thing that everyone talks about, but then on the other hand, I still love "snuggling" with my babies!! If nothing else, they keep me young at heart!! :)))

Today, I will share Week 3 of my Take Me Deeper Journal Challenge over on His Kingdom Come. I'm still playing catch up, so this was last weeks journal page. Week 3's page was based on the scripture from JOhn 13:34-35 that says "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Do you know your neighbor? Some people live in a "suburbian neighborhood" and have "actual" neighbors and some live out in the "county," or "countryside" so your neighbor may be a mile or two down the road. But when you think about it, a "neighbor" could be ANYONE who needs a blessing in one form or another.

Let me take this one step further. The Old Testament said, "love your neighbor," but the New Covenant said "Love your enemies!" Oops! That could get some of our toes stepped on!! That, my friend, is a deeper and higher degree of love!! The true mark of Christian love requires us to reach out past our "own" idea of loving one another, requires divine power and this power is only given to those indwelt by the Spirit!! Our flesh doesn't want to love our enemies for any given reason that our flesh wants to justify, however,the Spirit cries out in the name of Jesus to love EVERYONE as the Father loves them, no matter what they may have done! The greatest example of that is the cross!!! As He was dying, Jesus cried out "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do!" His love for His enemies at the foot of the cross as they stood waiting for Him to die, was evident even then!! Our flesh is weak, but the Spirit is STRONG!!!!

Jesus loved us so much that He sacrificed for us that, that expression would set us apart and give us a CLARITY of the Father's love for us, that we could love another, EVEN OUR ENEMIES, as He loves us!!!

I began this journal page placing on some Tim Holtz tissue tape here and there and then covered with a light coat of gesso. I then just pulled out my cheap Folkart acrylic paints and smeared on with a baby wipe. I stamped with some background stamps and then took another acrylic paint with an old credit card and dotted on here and there. I then distressed the edges with Distress Ink in Peacock Feathers.

I knew I wanted to do some little houses, so I just pulled out some of my scrapbook papers and cut pieces to make some cute little houses that were quite visibly different. It's easy to love someone that's the same as you are, but sometimes its harder to love someone different! First however, I took out this cute little "tree" stamp that I got in a bargain bin one time for a buck and stamped a tree line for the background. I then glued my house pieces down and did some shading for the hill/tree line and around the houses with my favorite Faber Castell Big Brush Pens.

I decided to do some Zentangle/Doodling inside the trees rather than color them thinking it would be just a little different and then I added some smoke coming out of the chimney's, again, making them coming out in a "different" way. Then I just simply stamped the cute little heart with wings stamp between the two houses symbolizing the "love" and colored it in with my Sakura gel pens and added my sentiment at the top. Voila! This was really a fun page to do! :)))))))

Won't you take the time today to examine your own heart regarding your neighbor and your thoughts towards them. It could be your street neighbor or the person sitting in the cubicle next to you or even that person you had a disagreement with and are having a hard time forgiving! They ALL deserve to be loved and not just "loved," but loved with the magnitude that the Father loves us......through the eyes of Jesus! His blood covers ALL!!!!

Blessings