A FULL LIFE...

OK, I DID get this picture up, our mermaid Peyton! That's my girl! She loved her dress..... 16x20 in progress collage... like my house... unfinished! A woman on a mission!! That's how I feel .... but with the children in tow! That is a wicked little purse ... but it has some money in it .... YAY! My art studio mess .... I love the metal letters in the window ...A R T Mushed paint, rolled a pointed roller thing over it and wallah.... I saw a jar with a flower.....this was fun. Used oil pastels over acrylic ... new for me. Loving those colors from the pastels.... gotta have more! Finished page for the GUT ART JOURNAL.... An idea coming from one of the field trips .... these were old photos (copies) of us when young and more shapely!....or I guess I should say LESS shapely! My Mother sewed my "Vogue" pattern dress...my whole wedding with cake, reception and four bridesmaids cost $500.00! Yes, the dot is in the right place! Collaged tissue around him in his flight suit (1967).... this is NOT Michael Jackson, (with the great lips and black glove, chuckle) but it is my honey ....I want to pursue doing something with these..... it will come to me. A quick line drawing with color pencil wash from a woman on the TV.... quickly done. Good practice.... These two (of five) beautiful children (after church) are awaiting the finished home they will have .... little by little they work on it ....it was a condemned house that got to be saved and done for a family! All their saved money and efforts and prayer! Many of you know or remember Elizama, my sort of adopted child.... known her since she was nine (now 21) .... this is her precious baby girl, a happy child, and Mom and Dad are so proud of her! She laughs a lot! Here, she has on a dress that MY MOTHER made me from feed sacks in 1947!! I still have it.... my Mother embroidered little flowers on it. We had to try it out for a photo! These are some of Pilar's ART (age 6 to 7) she would do this all day long!! We need to loosen up like the kids do with their art! And YES, SHE is a WINNER! I tried to post a picture of my grand daughter in the Mermaid dress I made her and couldn't get it off the email...will try another way later.... she is my heart! Hello to all .... I know I have not posted in a while. Here are photos and art projects ( unfinished) of what is going on in my life at the moment. Just too much to write about. However the art of mine is from some of the reflections of field trips taken on the GUT ART CLASS.... I'm very behind ....but I have taken a ton of notes and have drawings that will go in my GUT ART JOURNAL......behind?..... well, because I was blessed with an opportunity to do nine pieces of work with a deadline of three weeks, which is ending tomorrow. I can't show them and will tell about it when it all comes together ..... since it is only my work for another group. So with that I have had my head swirling in the studio ....painting nights and sleeping days.... as there are no interruptions at night. And it is probably my body clock anyway! Sleeping from 7AM to 3PM, then doing regular life...and then painting from 7PM to 7AM in heaven ... I must say. This project came as a result of much prayer and soul searching and direction that the Lord wanted me to go in my life, plus a few other things. WELL, He is MAKING it happen .... WHY am I surprised!!? Also, you will see little precious children in my life, one of the Mom's lived with me for four months when she was fifteen (now 21).... the other children are from church and a favorite family.... and then Pilar's Art.... my little artist! I keep her in sketch pads and markers...and she will draw or paint all day long! We have four full note books (sketch pads ...9x12 thick from Wal-Mart) that she has filled. Some day when she is grown I will give them to her.... so they won't get thrown away. Any who..... as you can see, I am behind in my class, but live a FULL life! And thank goodness the Lord motivated my hubby to take care of me with food during all this!! ENJOY HIS BLESSINGS!!! I AM.....

CUPCAKES and GROOVY GIRLS...

Little pin cushion from Deb that I bought at the Antique Show in June..... I bought three and gave two to my little grand daughters..... A practice dress..... A dress with a Tutu for special occasions..... A practice mermaid out fit... each girl will make one at the girl's club on sewing nite for their Groovy Girl Doll....I bought shimmery much more sparkly material for them..... Next week!! A happy girl with her dolls..... The Dress the girls will make on the third class ..... What do you do when you can't paint or go out and have to sit with painful feet propped up!? Well, you have some cupcakes with the Groovy Girls!!! OK, I'll explain.... it all started when we bought the first "Groovy Girl" Doll for Pilar and one for my Grand-daughters, Olivia, Peyton and Elena .... and a little precious pin cushion (the little tiny one) from the Antique Show in June ....... and some little girls at church bored with hot summer life with not much to do ....... SOOOO.... after not being able to sleep one nite, I was "GIVEN" this idea to have a Girl's Club at Church once a week learning the basics of sewing. They (18 to 20 girls) have pinned and cut fabric to sew on a bag and sewn buttons on a felt bracelet for practice, using felt for simplicity..... then they will start to cut and hand stitch their first little doll dress this week..... like the pink one with dots around it. The other dresses came about just for fun at home. NOW.... where did the pin cushions come in?!.......well, I've had to prop my feet up for some days and that is how the pin cushions got made..... sitting and doing nothing.... I HAD to do something!! Well, they got bigger and wider, so I decided they would be cupcakes!!! The colors were fun and the stitching which came back to me from childhood sewing...... inspired by the little pin cushion I bought from Deb. I decided I would make as many as I can while I have to rest my foot and then sell them Antique week for purchasing more felt and goodies for the God's Girls Club. Five to seven Mom's have come to the Girls Club to help and we have had such a fun time for two hours with a snack at the end. I am thankful for such enthusiastic little girls!! They are preparing to be God's Women "....she makes coverings for herself and her clothing is fine linen and purple...."......like in Proverbs 31....where it describes the woman, buying land, sewing, "making" her home. Now the boys want to do something..... I'm tempting Dick to do the Paper Airplanes with the boys. He is hoping to start that next week for around six weeks. A good time to sit and converse and just have fun building the airplanes from Fiddlersgreen.net. In the meantime.... right about now I'm wishing one of those pincushion cupcakes was real cake and icing!! ENJOY!!

"ABIDE IN ME"

Melissa and our Carrie.... Our daughter-in-law is beautiful, even when she sticks out her tongue!..... Karen (Janel and Carrie's Mom)....where were you when I needed you!? Corie and Janel..... happy faces..... Grace seriously looking for the right scriptures.... Amy's hands working her artistic talent ...... Amy 's end result of going a step further with her bird's nest ....... These look like bees!!..... Now the "LOVELY" results of each one........plus the first one at the top! Janel, Melissa and Amy with their necklaces...... Corie, Grace and Carrie with their creations...... These cloth pouches for their necklace charm were made with ideas I gleaned from Deryn, and other artists I have gleaned from on the super creative blogs I find.... and in books........ The bird's I purchased from a collage artist recently .... sorry I can't remember each person I have gleaned from..... I'll try to add them.... but all you have to do is go to Deryn's blog and start clicking on the blogs that she recommends.... beautiful blogs to inspire your creativity ... I got a piece of jewelry from Deryn in one of her sewn pouches.... which gave me the idea....of adding sparkles and the netting..... Just Wal Mart fabrics, twigs from my peach tree, purchased birds and nest paper, brite cut felt pieces (vintage from Great Grandma's bag) and the little piece of crochet..... then I printed and added a scripture I picked for the girls..... because they are so valued by the Lord .... and lastly a ribbon with brite felt sewn on the ends for a little punch. These were fun, fun...... my grand- daughter, Olivia and daughter, Kellie helped me design them while she was here from out of state...... my other JOYS!! We had the pleasure of hosting a small retreat group of young women this last week. They are the Bible Study group of my my awesome daughter-in-law, Carrie, the beautiful one with her tongue sticking out ..... a joy! They had personal study, prayer time, great food and some fun time as well!! My email friend Deryn Mentock gave me the "blessing" of letting us use the tutorial I bought from her of the "bird nest charm" to do with the group of girls, so here are the photos, Deryn .... Thank You!!! They each picked their "nest eggs" .... and then after twisting the wire and adding beads they searched for the scripture or words they wanted to add to the leaves ....each one with their own "heart reasons". As I photographed each one, I came across one that said "Abide in Me" ...... and I thought about what a bright future this country, their children and friends have because of "THEM ABIDING IN GOD'S LOVE". Just to watch their faces and experience their faithfulness to a God that will never fail them. They think and prepare their lives with "Eternal Purposes" and results that can't help but make a Nation have Hope for the Future ...... Wow,..... we know they have not had the perfect life without great hurts or disappointments, but we see where they have turned ...... to direct their lives and in whose hands.....they put it all..... the Living Word. Dick and I .... being older relished the fellowship, faithfulness and friendship we saw, not only with each other but their personal relationship with the Lord. I don't know what their study was on(to see what they studied, see Carrie's comment below, click comments), but I know when I saw the words of Christ to us on one of the necklaces that said..."abide in Me" .....John 15:9 and John 15:5 ..... "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love." and "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." ...... I knew I had evidenced it in them and it gave us joy and hope for the future of our grandchildren and beyond! Thanks girls for blessing us with your presence!!! Come back, ANYTIME..... OH!!!! I MUST thank and praise some husbands and Dad's who took care of things and the children so these awesome women could get a break!!! THANK YOU..... YOU AWESOME BOYS!!!!!