Playing with the little house

 Still playing with my little house stamp. 

 

 

This version made it onto some cards. I like it, but

my fingers get itchy when I start dreaming of new things to try.

 

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts... and be ye thankful.

Colossians 3:15 

Little house on the file card

 

There is something wonderful about carving a stamp. It's the process, I guess. Taking a knife to a pristine pink, rubbery pancake ... creating a mountain of long and short pink slivers ... adjusting the plan as a shape emerges.

 

Testing, testing. (You should see the paper that covers my work table.)

 

Do I like it? Should I stop now?

 

There was a picture in my mind, when I started this stamp. The picture had bushes beside the house. The bushes ended up on pink sliver mountain.

 

One final test on a painted library file card. Maybe it was the background. Maybe I was tired. But for me, it was definitely love. There is something about little houses that touches my soul. So... yet another quirky little stamp joins the tidy pink pile in my stamp box.

 

 

 

 

 

The little house has already made its way into the world carrying a banner of wonderful words. God bless this house.

 But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore. Psalm 92:8

Smashing life in

Good grief. I cannot believe it has been 6 weeks. This blog has been a great way to keep tabs on all the events of life around here... and I just lost 6 weeks. Oh well.

The thing that makes me extra happy today is a ready-to-use "smash book". It is already yawning, the first pages filled with bits and pieces of the last few months.

 

Just a couple of my favorite pages. Loved this magazine picture of the paintbrushes. By happy accident, there were paint splatters all over the background. It works. *smile*

 



 

Stamps... can't create without including some stamps.

 

 

This makes me laugh. As items are attached to pages in the order they occur, I can't wait to see what lands on this page. Isn't that face priceless?

So... all is well. Every treasure of this year so far is safely tucked away. And there are plenty of pages ready and waiting for more.

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. Jeremiah 17:7

Growing green

There is no greater backyard joy than to discover the mi∙nute' seeds planted one week earlier have sprouted and are now marching like little soldiers through the garden soil.

 

 

Ok... so my little turnips don't exactly understand drill and ceremony, but they live! I am so happy to see their crooked formation weaving along the garden row.

 

And for the first time - half the fun is trying new things, right? - I planted a small patch of onions.

 

 

There is no green like that of a spring onion. Though I don't understand the profit in onion gardening - plant one, get one - I am eager to see how a home grown onion differs from its grocery store brothers.

 

I do not have a green thumb. Any plant that survives in my yard is a miracle to behold. And there is no more appreciative, and thankful, audience than this wannabe gardener.

 

Grow little veggies! Grow!

 

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. II Peter 3:18



On showers and sketchbooks...

Today is the last day of April and if the old saying, April showers bring May flowers, holds true, then we should soon be drowning in May flowers.

I'm ready. Bring them on!

I keep hearing about the value of sketchbooks. Although I am not a faithful adherent to the idea, I dabble. Apparently one of the advantages is that you can copy your own ideas and build on them for something usable.

I searched ... and found a couple of things that could have potential. One has already become a card and I think I like it. Another is still on the drawing board.

I do wish I had spent more time in that sketchbook.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

All things are become new

Two years ago I made my own version of a smash book- a bound junk drawer for the small bits of life that can't be thrown away. It was such fun, I immediately made another one for my daughter. That one being a gift, I poured way too much time into it and vowed I wouldn't do that again.

My original book - a recycled hardcover book destined for the dumpster - is now filled...

so I started a new one for myself. Another daughter looked through the filled book, expressed such appreciation for the idea, that I volunteered to make one for her.

I know. But I am saving the world... rescuing one, or two, book(s) at a time.

The giveaway book is finished and living life in its new home. Here's a peek at some of the pages that are ready for smashing.

Goggle lady will soon be covered with memorabilia... she's not as big as she look.

 

covered with handmade paper

Just a few more hours with papers, glue and paint, and my books (smash and prayer) will be ready for duty. Can't wait!

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. II Corinthians 5:17

Leave plodding to elephants

I've been working on a new prayer album. The process has been slow. After several days work there were only four finished pages. I was plodding.

There is nothing lovely about anything related to "plod". The word itself is laborious! So... I decided to take a couple of hours to revive the muse with a visit to Mixed Media Variety Hour session 5. The break produced this...

warm up 1

warm up 1 detail

 

I moved right back into my album and made this while the juices were still flowing...

 

 

I suppose it's hard to see in yourself the retreat into doldrums. When I looked at the pages before and after my refresher art session, I was shocked at the difference. From safe and tidy and entirely acceptable...

 

 

to free flowing and full of color. (Warm up 2 here. )

 



Warm up 3

 

I must remember to have fun. Fill the brushes till they drip. Splatter everything in the area. Make a mess! May I never plod again.

 

Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11

New things

Remember the art class I bought last summer? The wonderful thing about it is that once you're in, it's available forever. So I went back this week... and visited a session that I skipped before.

It's all about getting the creative juices going with quick projects. No fine art... just funky do-anything projects to spark a creative fire. Julie built hers around photographs. I used little pieces that have been sitting in bins waiting for some good reason to see the light of day. And tonight... I have some fresh guerrilla art.

Following the basic steps produced pieces that are much busier than what I usually do.

pink lilly of the valley

 

hand stitched



Makes me long for spring.

But ye ... be not weary in well doing. II Thessalonians 3:13