Overwhelmed, But Not Defeated

Today I realized that it has been nearly seven months since the last post.  Much has been going on in our household.  We lost our best friend to cancer after a long battle.  Though we miss him, we know he is in heaven and is no longer in any pain.  His wife, my BFF, is a very courageous woman who draws her strength from God.  She told me in the last several months, "I don't know how anyone gets through the trials of life without God".  Well said.  The pain may run deep and the days after his death were so very sad, yet God is still our fortress.  He is the one we run to when times are tough.  He is our source of strength.  My friend has certainly demonstrated that as well as her husband, who still had joy and a sense of humor through and to the very end of his life.

We also moved to the "quasi country", which was somewhat brutal - the moving part - as we get older changes like this can take their toll.  My health has been a challenge as I deal with a sometimes debilitating syndrome - Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue.  Not everyone understands the drain of energy that takes place when I have pushed myself too hard.  And, it is somewhat depressing that I can't do everything I want to do because on certain days it is all I can do to get to the sofa for a time of rest.  To those who don't understand this illness, I look healthy and fine on the outside, yet when I have to cancel an engagement, they may see me as "flaky" and "undependable".  I dislike that greatly!!  Yet, this syndrome is not unto death and for that I am grateful.

With this move also came relationships that were and are challenged.  Where there had been distance, now there was a closeness, an in your face, in those relationships.  Roots of bitterness were exposed from both sides of the relationship.  Like an exposed nerve from a tooth, raw and painful experiences of our lives culminated in a love/hate relationship.  BUT, God never sends us something too big to handle when we give it to him.  I see this as an opportunity to draw nearer to God.  Unfortunately, this has taken me three months to get to this point.  I can do nothing by my own means to heal woundedness in another or myself without God taking care of the many things required to right this relationship....if it is ever to be righted.  Honesty has me proclaim that I am also to blame for things I have done in the past.  Having asked that person for forgiveness, I am not sure it was given.  But, then I am looking to the approval of man/woman when I should seek God's approval above all.  For "seeking the approval of man is a snare".  Lord, help me to remember this every day of my life.

While I was ignoring this blog, I was also ignoring my "private prayer time and reading God's Word".  A big mistake on my part.  This left me adrift at sea, like a life boat without oars, being tossed about on a rough ocean.  I knew better, but the pull of life and the change we were going through trumped that ever important quiet time with God.  The enemy of our soul relishes this type of compromise.  And, the enemy played me like a fiddle....tossing me about like a rag doll...playing with my mind and attempting to undo all the "good" that came from reading God's Word daily. A depression was beginning to blanket my every day.  The soil of my spirit man, which was once fertile and rich with His Word, was becoming a rocky, barren patch of ground with thorny bushes choking out the Good Seed....God's Word and His Promises.

So this morning I leave this message to myself and to you: 

"Putting the Word to Work:  Most of us struggle with loss and brokenness in our lives.  Has your enemy the devil robbed you of joy?  Has he turned your peace into doubt or insecurity?  Do you know that God wants to bring healing and restoration to you?  Ask God to come into those broken places in your life, and trust Him in his perfect ways and timing to bring wholeness again." (The Everyday Life Bible Amplified Version w/Notes and Commentary by Joyce Meyer pg. 1402)

Lord, I yearn for this to be true in my life and for anyone else who is going through a trying time.  Father, uncover any places within me that I am unaware of or have just forgotten....bring them to mind so that I may seek forgiveness.  Help me to pray for my enemies...to turn the other cheek...to know that their own lives may be a living hell.  Help me to release them and pray for restoration and to pray that they turn their face to you and seek a closer walk with You.  Also, Lord, help me to extend the same mercy and compassion to them as You extend to me.  Help me to believe that Your Mercy is there for me as well.  Though my faith may seem small as a mustard seed, I know from your Word that that is all it takes for Faith to work in me and those I love.  All this I pray in Jesus Name.

Creatively Yours,



 

Guest Artist

Some time has passed since my last post and promise to reveal the "fun" that one of my good friends (Guest Artist) and I had decorating an old bookcase and new wooden letters for my Great-Niece, Taylor, who is now 6.  My good friend's grandchildren call her Lolly, so that is the name I will use.

I found this small bookcase at an estate sale with Taylor in mind.  She needed more storage in her room and this would be great!  But, it needed some help.  It had been painted white, as you can see.  My friend, Lolly, had done some similar decorating for her daughters.  The "decorating" is what I used to call "decoupage".  Maybe it is still called that, but armed with leopard tissue paper and Mod Podge.  You need to first tear many, many pieces of the tissue paper, so you will have a good supply to keep you busy gluing/brushing them to the shelf.  I used a foam brush that was about 1-1/2", plus I mixed the Mod Podge with a little water in a separate bowl.  FUN!

While I was doing the shelf, Lolly was covering the wooden letters as you can see next.  Taylor's room is purple and pink with leopard.  How perfect!  Each letter was covered with the torn pieces of pink, purple, and leopard tissue paper, then a little bling was added for my little girly-girl!

Now it is time for the reveal.  There was not a back on the shelf, so I put a white board just to give a better visual of the tissue paper that had been applied.  And, best of all, Taylor LOVED it!

 

Thank you Lolly!  You are welcome back anytime.

And, I will leave you with something I received in an email. The author was anonymous so I can't take credit for the words of wisdom:

"WHEN THERE IS NOTHING LEFT BUT GOD, THAT IS WHEN YOU FIND OUT THAT GOD IS ALL YOU NEED."

May God Bless You and Yours in all that you do. Happy Creating!

Houston, We Have A Problem!

It appears that the website, Scrappin Designs, where I purchased my blog's Design  has overloaded the server at Photobucket, where they store their created images.  Good for them that they are so successful, and sad for them because Photobucket doesn't have enough room on their server to house all of their templates, which, by the way are free to anyone who wants them.  I did make a contribution for the template that I used....which you can no longer see.  So, rather than my normal layour, you will see a "watermark" square that appears in the middle of the page you are reading...."This image has been removed....".  And, not being the expert in blogging, particularly creating templates, I am not sure how to get this off and choose one of the simple designs that are now available on Blogger.  In other words, when I clicked on one of the "simple designs" of Blogger, the Photobucket watermark was still there.  I will have to work on that.

Other than that, there is alot going on with the October Wedding Invitations that were in a previous post.  I just got the message from my Bride friend that the wedding will now be in August!!!  Thank goodness I have the paper and had begun cutting the main pieces. Unfortunately, the pretty turquoise bows will not be on the invitations because of the time frame.  The invite still looks elegant and pretty.

When I told her that the invites would be going out very late, she said that everyone who was invited already knew about the wedding.  That is a good thing. Thankfully, her Aunt has volunteered to address the invitations. Whew! I am nearly done with the project and hope to mail them this week. I cannot be mad at my Bride friend who is so ready to be married.  They just bought their first house.  :)  She is a sweetheart and doesn't realize the time it takes to create.

Here is a peek of the next posting.  I had a guest artist in my art shop a couple of weeks ago and we had so much fun making the projects that will appear in the next post.   Here is a snippet of what we created. 
The reveal will be in the next post!!

Happy Creating and God Bless You!

Wedding Invitations - The Number Keeps Getting Larger!!

A young friend of mine named Rode is getting married in October and she asked if I would make her invitations.  "Of course," I said, "It would be my pleasure. How many do you think we will need?"

"175", she said, as I gulped. But now that number is 225, and I think growing. Good thing my friend Laura likes to scrap and craft, because this project is big.  We both like playing with paper, canvas, etc so this will be fun.. 

I created a few examples for Rode to choose from.  This Tri-Fold was her first choice.  And, mine too.  I love using the Provo Craft Cuttlebug Embossing Folder of swirls.  It's so rich.

My friend Rode is Hispanic, and I was not aware of their customs when it comes to weddings and invitations. First, the wording is going to be in Spanish. Ooops, I don't know Spanish, even after two semesters in college...a long time ago. No problem, she can write it out exactly, then we print and email to her for her review. This will be a fun adventure.

After more phone calls from Rode, I am told that members of the family contribute by paying for portions of the wedding costs and their names are to be listed on the invitation.  Our little Tri-Fold card is looking a bit to small, even if we use
the backside.  Fortunately,the only paper that had been cut was for the sample.

Now I'm back to the drawing board and sketch pad.  I had to keep the Cuttlebug Embossing Folder swirl in the invitation as she is having her cake decorated to match.  Cute idea.

Here is the next invitation that I came up with; and, fortunately, she likes it equally as well.  With this portrait layout we now have plenty of space. I will have ample room to add the people who contribute to the wedding on the back side. The next thing I had to overcome was to emboss with the Cuttlebug Swirl folder.  Aha, by folding the top portion of this invitation, I was able to incorporate the  swirl embossing and the aqua ribbon.  Her colors are Aqua, White and Black.  A Fiskar border punch was used on the ends - top and bottom.  By adding a small black strip of paper behind the border, I was able to get all of her colors into the invitation.  Whew, so glad to be able to create another invitation that she would be happy with.

I am relatively new to this blogging thing, so I don't yet know how to keep the text in the right place, but with time and practice, I will get there.

My hope is that you were inspired to create something fun...and something that will bless you alot. 

Created In His Image!  

  

My Garden

"Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation,; seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.  And, it was so." Genesis 1:11

There is another form of creating that has evolved in my toolbox of art forms, and it is flower gardening.  We have been in our current home for five years. Little to no landscaping had been done, but we had the vision.  The large machine you see was there to build a pool and it gives you a picture of the back yard at that time. 

What you will see in the next few photos is advancing from the bulldozers in 6/2005, to today. 

I like to sit outside in the morning, drink coffee and read the bible.  This morning, I also brought my camera to take a few photographs.

I love getting my hands into the dirt.  Most of the plants are perennials:  Calas of various types, Day Lillies, Lambs Ears, Wood Fern, Elephant Ears, and other types of ferns and Cone Daisy's that return each year, so I am not having to plant and replant each year as I did for so many years until I got smart.  I was a little slow to figure this out, but when I did, Oh what a difference it made!

This is where I sit to have coffee...under the umbrella where I can see the birds feeding in the many bird feeders.  Cardinals, woodpeckers, blue jays, wrens, and others I don't know names of. :)

You can see a corner of my Art Shop where I spend another good part of my time creating.

The best news of all today was that I spent a good 2 hours this morning from about 6:45 to 8:45 a.m. trimming, cleaning the pool deck, and the pool, and cutting off dead buds and fertilizing.  I was hot and had a great work out and for the first time in what seems like forever, I did not have any Fibro pain in my back or legs.  Normally, I have to use a cane to stoop and get back up.  That was simply amazing.  For that I thank the Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Centers.  I have been going since October 09 and have been a stellar patient, following the protocol to the letter; and, it is working!!!  God is Good!!

I hope you enjoyed this little slice of heaven that my husband and I get to enjoy each and every day and maybe it will inspire you to do a little gardening yourself. 

Happy Creating and God Bless!

Painting a Self Portrait in Acrylics

This was one of my first portrait paintings on canvas.  I have always drawn peoples faces, but had never attempted to paint one.  Not wanting to insult another person with an image that didn't please them, I chose to do a self-portrait.  Then, I could only be mad at myself if I hadn't conveyed the image correctly. 

Paintings have many "ugly" stages until you reach the "finished" piece and I thought I would share those different stages.  If you have never painted, you might find this interesting.

In the first stage, the image is roughly drawn on, using a very liquid Raw Umber and a paint brush.  I need the acrylic to stay wet while I'm doing this so with the use of a water mister and gel medium, the image can be roughed in and corrections made as I go along with the paint staying wet.  The picture below defines placement, values, composition... 

Now that the drawing is roughed in, the full palette of color is introduced.  In this next image all attention has been focused on the face.

Here I am moving around as details are given to the bible, chair, shirt, etc.

Looks like I'm having a bad hair day! :)

The hand, book and background are coming together. As with many artists, it is all too easy to overwork the image....but if you feel you are heading in that direction, it is wise to lay the painting aside for a week or so, then go back and critique yourself, asking the question, "Does this work?

Created in His Image.

Vacation, Geology, Trees and Lips

My husband and I spent a week in the Branson, Missouri area.  I've got to tell you that the Ozark Mountains are truly inspiring, beautiful, and nothing like Bedford, Texas.  Don't get me wrong, I'm proud to be a Texan, I just wish we had more trees and hills.  Back in college, I loved Geology, such that my professor said I should major in Geology.  Something about sediment, fossils, and what the layers of color, horizontal or vertical layout of the rocks in mountainous areas mean.  It was just one of those things that came naturally and I loved it.  But I couldn't see myself working in rubber boots out in the oil or gas fields.  Maybe I'm too delicate for that sort of thing.  But, that's why I liked Branson on this particular trip.

In the Fort Worth area we have a geological area called the Woodbine Foundation that runs through the Lake Worth area.  This type of foundation produces more trees and hills.  Take a look at it when you are on 820 crossing over the Lake Worth bridge.  Wish we had more of the Woodbine in the DFW area.  We may not be living over the Woodbine Foundation, but we do live in an older neighborhood where people planted trees back in the 80's, when this neighborhood was first developed.  Big beautiful trees!  Love it! The only downside is that we have, for years, sat out in our lawn chairs in the front yard and watched the 4th of July Fireworks at the Bedford Boys Ranch.  But, alas, the trees have grown taller over the years and we can only catch the very highest fireworks.  Sad about that, but still love the trees.

But, I digress (you will find that I do that alot - my husband calls them "rabbit trails" - I have many)!

Now that I'm back home, the creative mode is gearing up.  I did alot of drawing while in Missouri, which inspired me greatly.  I was able to use the drawing skill yesterday, I took a book class at Anthologies in Hurst with my friend, Laura, and the two fun ladies sitting with me were wanting a pair of lips for the wedding books they were creating.  I said, "what color?"  Their answer was "pink".  "OK, give me a minute," I said, then whipped out two sets of pink lips.  Something like this except that I used a pink pen for them. 

They were happy and I was happy!  I truly love doing things for other people.  Another way of reflecting the Light of Jesus to everyone I meet.  

By the way, we had a good time in Branson.  :)

Created in His Image.