Enter My One World One Heart Giveaway Now Through February 15th

Welcome to my One World One Heart Giveaway.

This giveaway is for bloggers all over the world.

A little bit about me: I am a homeschooling mom of five ages 23 months to 21 years. I love to sew, paint and collage. I hope you'll take the time to look around a bit.

To enter the drawing, please leave a comment in this post between now and February 15th. The winner will be chosen by random drawing. Please leave your contact information, for example, a blog or email address, so that I can contact you if you win. You must have an active blog to be eligible to win as this is a blog event bringing together blogs from all over the world.

And for an extra entry, sign up as a follower!

And for a third entry, add my blog to your blog list.

For each entry, please leave a separate comment along with your blog address for verification purposes.

I am looking so forward to getting to know new bloggers and their blogs. This will be fun.

Leave a comment today for your chance to win!

And good luck!

THE GIVEAWAY PRIZE:



The giveaway prize is a $23 value Show Horse Corral needlepoint kit by Dimensions. If needlepoint is not your thing, this would make a great gift for someone special or to use as a giveaway on your blog.

Button Flower Bouquets

The children and I made these beautiful flower bouquets with buttons. I have one of the bouquets sitting in my sewing room, of course.









Here's how:

All need are buttons, wire, and floral tape.



Decide how long you want your flower stem to be, then cut the wire double that length. Place one button on top of the other and put the two ends of wire through the holes, each end in a different hole.



Now wrap the floral tape around the stem tightly, pulling just a tad and pressing the tape snugly onto the wire as you go.



Let me know if you make one. I'd be happy to post pictures of your bouquets on my blog with a link to your blog if you email them to me.

Happy creating!

Trudy

SIDENOTE: DON'T FORGET. MY GIVEAWAY STARTS TOMORROW.

Cord Sandwiched Between Rice Papers Tutorial

Here is a demonstration of how to sandwich cord between two layers of rice paper.



First of all tape white plastic trash bags with no print to your art table. Place a sheet of rice paper on top of the plastic. Then place strips of cotton cording vertically and then horizontally on the sheet of rice paper.



Or you could lay your string on the paper in any design you like.



Then place another sheet of rice paper on top of the string.



Now spritz with water till it is nice and damp but not drenched.



Now pour some matte medium on top of that. When it dries, it will have somewhat of a milky look to it. If you would prefer more of a transparent look, use gel medium. I would suggest trying it both ways to see which look you like best. I'll be doing the gel next time myself.



Very gently spread it around with a damp paint brush to cover the entire surface. If you get a little tear in the rice paper, not to worry; it will just give it an interesting look.



Let it dry completely before removing it from the plastic. When it is dry, just peel it off. You could then use it the way it is in whatever project you need it for, or you could paint it.



I left one unpainted and I painted the other with several different colors so that I would be able to just use bits and pieces for collages and have a variety of colors available to choose from.

A Call For Help

(Photo taken by Edwards Muzoz/Reuters and lifted from this site.)


(Photo taken from Somebody Cares America.)

I have been very touched by seeing the outpouring of people wanting to help on several of the other blogs. I know that we are all deeply concerned for the people of Haiti. I would like to recommend Somebody Cares America. Doug Stringer is the founder. They have a history of doing a lot with very little, and they have experience with disaster relief. My husband and I are personal friends of Doug and have known him for over 20 years; so we can vouch for the integrity of this ministry. I hope you will take the time to go to their website and read the "About Us" and other sections of their website and consider sending your donations to them. Thank you for your consideration.

The text below is taken directly from their site.

"Working with our Somebody Cares Caribbean chapter and it's network of churches, we are getting firsthand accounts of the situation and needs. The infra-structure in the Haitian capital is overwhelmed by the destruction. The scope of human suffering is unfathomable. But the Church is a beacon of hope and integrity in the midst of the chaos and pain.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE:
Gathering resources to assist Frienships set up a base for relief workers in Haiti. The ship is scheduled to depart a port in the Gulf the middle of next week. Specific needs include:
Generators of all sizes- gas or diesel
Rope/nylon line- ¼" in 600 ft. rolls. At least 1 pallet worth
100 lbs. of dried rice, beans
MRE's
Cooking oil
#10 Cans of beans and other vegetables
Portable halogen lights with stands - 500 watt
#12 extension cords (any length)
Flashlights
Work gloves
Powdered milk
Dust masks
UV Lightbulb for water purifier (The bulb costs $500 and is urgently needed).
Shower/toilet trailer (Length no greater than 24 feet, height no greater than 11 feet).

Please call the Somebody Cares office at 713-621-1498 and ask for Vickie Gaskins to discuss details and logistics of any donations.

DISASTER RESPONSE:

The Somebody Cares Disaster Response approach is that of Church-Based response. Throughout the many disasters the Somebody Cares network has been part of—from Tropical Storm Allison flooding in 2001 to the Southeast Asia tsunami to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ivan and Wilma—we’ve seen over and over again how the church responds quicker and more precisely than any other agency. Even the government has taken note of this! A Homeland Security Institute report issued in December 2006 states: “It was neighborhood congregations….—the local fabric of America—that appeared to have carried the day to a great degree.”

That’s because the church is the heart of its community, and our highest common denominator is Jesus. We were made for adversity because we were made to be the peacemakers in the midst of the storms – to bring hope in the midst of despair.

Instead of spending tens of thousands of dollars on administrative overhead; the Somebody Cares network funnels donated funds and urgently needed resources directly to communities that are hardest hit – to be distributed by church-based volunteers who know and love their neighbors and neighborhoods. Being a tangible expression of God’s love to our neighbors means we must excel at unity, organization, and giving.

Our goal is to see churches empowered to reach their communities and be there on the ground with tangible resources to meet the desperate needs of disaster survivors. To do this we recognize that we need to work with government agencies and other organizations without losing our distinctiveness.

When disasters happen, real people have very desperate needs. Often, resources to meet the needs become tied up in bureaucracy and bottlenecks. We work with agencies like FEMA, the Red Cross, Salvation Army and others—to be an asset, but not to be controlled. They have great systems, but the church has people who know their communities. But these agencies are not our source for disaster response; rather we look are a resource to facilitate aid directly in communities affected by disaster – all across the country and around the world!

Join the Somebody Cares Disaster Response team by giving generously today!"

Bon Appetit

My big boy loves to cook. He is always asking if he is can make special dishes as a surprise for someone in the family. He has a heart to serve and bless others. He also has quite a flair for the presentation of the dish as well. He is quite the artistic chef. Here you can see his latest creation.

Garden and Pet Rocks

The children and I painted rocks. I enjoyed watching their creativity. My favorites are the lady bugs. The purple one with the black swirled lines was made by first painting the rock all one color, letting it dry, then drawing the lines on with a permanent marker. I put the paints in an egg carton for the children to make it easier for them to keep their colors separate so that wouldn't all run together. We used acrylic paints. We let each layer dry before adding another layer. They don't take very long to dry unless the paint is put on pretty thick. While one rock is drying, you can be working on another rock; so have lots of rocks available. Another thing to point out to the children is not to paint the top and bottom at the same time or the wet side facing the protective paper you've placed over the table will get stuck to the rock. I sprayed a coat of gloss over the rocks after they were dry.

You can do many things with your rocks. I put a couple on my kitchen window sill for a decoration. Some can go in the garden. You can use them for paper weights or bookends if they are big enough. The children can play with the smaller ones, stacking them. You can give them away as gifts. I enjoyed doing this project myself. This is a great project for kids. They can literally spend a whole afternoon doing it.

Do you have any really fun and simple projects that you and your children or grandchildren have done or that you have done yourself that you think my children and I would like to try? Please share. I'm always looking for new ideas.

Bringing Nature into the Home

As a mother, homemaker and artist, I am always thinking artistically, not just when I am sitting down doing a painting, collage or sewing. Artistic creativity flows into every aspect of my life, including cooking and home decor. For example, when cooking, I think not only of the nourishing benefits of the dish I am making, but of the presentation.

Recently, when the children and I were out enjoying the outdoors, I spotted pine cones everywhere. So we filled the trunk of the mini-van; and when I came home, I set about making little displays with them about the home, bringing the beauty of nature into the home. This was my art for the day. We may use some for a craft later, spraying them with paint and/or sprinkling them with glitter. We may spread some with peanut butter and then roll them in bird seed and put them outside for the birds to enjoy.

This was such a simple thing but very fulfilling. We are enjoying them very much, even my seven year old son, who sees them as great targets for his Nerf guns, is enjoying them in his own way, as he blasts them with one bullet after another. Now I must go and pick up the little pieces that have broken off after his last shooting session.

I would love to know if you have found things in nature that you have used for the home or for your art and what you have done with them. Please share. And if you email me pictures along with your website, I may just post them here. You can find my email address on my profile.

Introducing the New Collage Directory

I am so excited to share with you that there is a brand new art directory out there, and it is picking up steam fast. It is a one-stop shop for folks who create any kind of collage art including paper, paint, fibers, jewelry, sewing, photography, paint and so on. The directory also includes other artists' mediums as well.

It is a great place to discover new artists and for others to find you. If you mix your medias, work in layers, are blogging about your artistic life, then please join in the fun and get your blog listed today so that everyone can enjoy your creations. And check out some brand-new-to-you blogs while you're there. New ones are being adding daily; so check back often. Don't forget to post the collage button in the sidebar of your blog to spread the awesome news. See you there.

Change For The Better

Happy New Year!!! New Year's Eve my husband took two of our daughter's, Emily, age 9, and Kimberly, age 16, to a Square Dance from 7 to midnight. They had a wonderful time dancing the night away. Then at midnight they threw balloons, confetti and popped party poppers. I had a nice relaxing evening at home with our two boys, ages 7 and 22 months. We watched movies, played games and read stories. Then at midnight we hugged, danced to music and yelled out Happy New Year, read more stories and went to bed.

I hope you are having a wonderful day and a great start to your new year. This past year has been fun for me having my new blog and getting to know so many of you. I so appreciate all of your encouraging and kind words. You have made this a very rewarding endeavor for me. Another thing that's made it so much fun to blog about my projects is blogging with my daughter, Emily. We have enjoyed doing this together, talking about what projects to do, sewing and doing art together, what pictures to post, doing giveaways, and leaving comments on our favorite blogs.

And finally resolutions. I can think of so many things that I wish to improve and work on in the new year. I will be giving these some thought and making a few simple goals. Most of all, though, I would like to keep my priorities straight and put God at the top of the list. So I leave you with this, from Priscilla Shirer's latest book, "And We Are Changed," written to her brother Anthony.

"For living a life of unbridled devotion to God

For stepping out and away from the crowd

For being different

For never acquiescing

For using your talents for Him and Him alone

For not straddling the fence

For leaving the cocoon of mediocrity behind

For living radically and outlandishly for God..."

Here's wishing you a blessed New Year.

Painting of Fall Leaves

As a Christmas gift for my husband, I did a painting of fall leaves.

If you want to see photos of our family's christmas, just pop on over to my sewing blog.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Merry Christmas, Everyone, from our home to yours. I hope you have a blessed day as we celebrate the birth of our wonderful, risen Saviour!

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

Decorating Tote Bags With Apples - Great Idea for Gifts

At Wal*Mart, we picked up a couple of packages of canvas tote bags, three in a pack, for $6.00, $2.00 per bag, in the craft section, and decorated them. We sliced apples in half, painted them with acrylic paint and first practiced stamping on paper and then stamped them on the bags. We placed cardboard inside to keep the paint from bleeding through to the other side. After stamping the apples, we painted stems and leaves with a paint brush. On one of the bags, stamps were used to depict lady bugs crawling out to the garden. After the paint on the bags dried, they were heat set by placing a press cloth over them and pressed with the iron. These make great, quick and easy, Christmas or birthday gifts. We are keeping some for ourselves to use as library and shopping bags. This was so much fun and a perfect project for kids and adults alike.

Pretty Pony Tail Holders

The children and I made these pretty ponytail holders. They are so easy. You can use ribbon, tulle, or strips of fabric. We used a little of everything. With the strips of fabric we used pinking shears to cut out the strips to help prevent the raveling of the fabric. Cut the strips 12 to 14 inches long and 1/2 an inch wide for thicker matierals and you can go up to an inch wide for thin materials, like tulle and ribbon. Use anywhere from five to seven strips per pony. Tie them on, spread them about a 1/8th to a 1/4 of an apart, and you're done. You can make one to coordinate with every one of your little girl's outfits. Moms can wear them, too.

Red Felt Christmas Tree Ornaments

Here is the second ornament that we made. We got the idea from Kristy who got the idea from Zakka LIfe.

They were so easy and fun to make. We made them from 3-inch and 4-inch felt circles. Cut out six circles from whichever size you choose. Then stack the circles one on top of the other, fold a 3-inch strip of ribbon in half and place it between the layers at the top. Sew a straight line through the center of the layers, and it will catch the ribbon and hold it in place. Then pull two semicircles together and sew a stitch in the center. Pull up another one and put in a stitch, one on each side, stitching it to the last semicircle that you had completed. Then pull up another and stitch in the center, Continue with this pattern (one center stitch, two top and bottom stitches) until you've created a sphere and every circle flap is attached to each other. It's that simple. You could add beads with each stitch. We did that for one, but we actually preferred the look of them without the beads. In the last picture, we put both the Twinkle Pom ornaments and the red felt ornaments on the tree together. I Love them. They look so pretty in our living room. What do you think? Do you think you'll be making some ornaments this year? I'd love to know what things you are making for Christmas.

Twinkle Poms Christmas Tree Ornaments and How To

We made these super fun, quick and easy Twinkle Pom ornaments for our tree. All you need is a package of Twinkle Poms, straight pins, styrofoam balls and 3-inch ribbon. You can substitute other poms that are not sparkly if you would like. You need approximately 50 to 55 Twinkle Poms for the 2-inch in diameter balls and probably 30 to 40 for the smaller size. We used the smaller size, because once you add the poms, they are a pretty good size. Then just stick the straight pin through the pom and then through the ball. It's that simple. When adding the ribbon, fold in half, put a pom on top of it at the bottom and put the pin through all of the layers and into the ball. One little suggestion. You don't have to do this, but you may want to consider adding a little tad of Elmer's glue directly to the styrofoam ball and before adding the poms just for extra stickability and assurance that the pins don't slip out at some point. We didn't do this. We haven't had any problems.

We went outside and gathered some twigs, spray painted them white, put them in a vase and added our new ornaments. You can also put them directly on your Christmas tree or give them as gifts. You still have time to make these because it doesn't take a lot of time. It's a great project for kids. Have fun, and let me know if you make some.

Reminder: Just wanted to remind everyone that my 9 year old daughter and I both have our own sewing blogs. Mine is Sewing With Trudy and Emily's is Super Stitches. I hope you'll go look around. The top post is the same as this one; so you'll have to scroll down to see what else we've been up to.

I'll be posting another tutorial on Wednesday on how to make a different fun and easy Christmas Tree decoration. And in the next few days, Emily will be posting a tute on how to make a Christmas tree skirt on her blog.

We've recently made lots of other great things that we'll be posting over the next few weeks. So be sure and check back.

Multiple Projects in the Works

The children and I are in the middle of several projects right now. We are spending this entire week working on them. I'll have the finished products to show you real soon. You might even get to see one tomorrow.

Soldering and Altered Book Tutorials

Shona over at An Artful Life has a couple of awesome tutorials, one on soldering and one on altered books.

And The Winner Is .........

Congratulations to the beautiful and elegant Lady Queenie! She seems like such a gracious lady. I hope you will check out her blog.

I would like to thank everyone who entered my giveaway contest. It's been a lot of fun.

GIVEAWAY DAY, DECEMBER 2ND - THE MORNING OF THE 7TH

I am doing a giveaway in conjunction with Sew Mama Sew. I am giving away art supplies. I will purchase the art supplies based on the artistic interest of the winner.

This is open to everyone. I will ship internationally. My giveaway starts tomorrow, December 2nd, and runs through December 6th. You may leave your comments all through the night of December 6th and up until noon Central time on December 7th. The winner will be chosen by random drawing.

To be eligible, you must sign up as a follower and add my blog to your blog list. Let me know you have done this in the comment section. If you are already a follower and have already added me to your blog list, just let me know this in the comment section.

I am also having a giveaway on my sewing blog. And my daughter is having one on her sewing blog. So be sure and enter those as well to increase your chances of being a winner.

ALSO WANTED TO MENTION that my artist friend, Shona, of An Artful Life, is also doing a giveaway on her blog. She has written a book that is being published by North Light Publications. It comes out in March of 2010. It's called The Artistic Mother - A Practical Guide To Fitting Creativity Into Your Busy Day. It is an awesome book; so I encourage you to make a note of it on your calendar so you can get one when it comes out. Just to give you a few of Shona's credentials. She has been published in several publications including Somerset Studio's magazines, and she is an artist on call for Stampington & Company. She has an awesome blog; so be sure and take a look around while you are there. She is giving away a handmade tote and matching altered journal.

Here is a picture of her giveaway gift below:

Mixed Media Art of My Artist Friends

I'm participating in the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway December 2nd. I've chosen an awesome prize; so check back Tuesday for details.

























Here are photos of the artwork from the other artists in the two-day workshop that I attended. A few of these pieces were done by the instructor, Mary Wilbanks. It was very inspiring working in the same room with these ladies. I loved the creative atmosphere. I picked up several ideas from them as well. Three of the pieces have stamping on them. One with a black background, one with red and one was a brown paper bag back ground. The stamp was the rubber heel from the bottom of an old tennis shoe. She painted black paint on it and stamped it on. I thought that was such a neat idea. I thought, "Even I can do that."

PARTING SHOTS:





Here is a work of art my son did. He wrapped some wire with stars on it around a landscape lava rock.

Budding Artist

 

Watch out world. This little guy is amazing. This is his first creation, and I'll tell you what. I would say it's pretty darn good. A lot of work went into this masterpiece. Can't you just see his little mind working? He sure had a blast. Keep an eye on him. He is going to come onto the scene in a big way.

American Beauty Berry

"Nature is the art of God."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

"All I have seen teaches me to trust the creator for all I have not seen."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The American Beauty Berry forms the shape of the cross. It reminds me of the completed work that Christ performed on the cross for us.

A Collage of Leaves

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."
- George Eliot

Wild and Crazy Collages

These are the collages I made in the two-day collage workshop I attended. For the most part, I guess you can say that they are abstract collages and the viewer can read into them what he or she wishes. You may want to see if anything stands out to you. What do you see, an angel, a tree, a bunny rabbit, anything? Do any of these pieces speak to you in any way? Do you sense a meaning or message coming through? They may speak different things to different people. I did kind of have a theme and/or meaning in mind in the triptych, but I am leaving it up to the viewer to see if it speaks to them in any way. Do you notice a dominant element within the three panels? Does it flow from one piece to another? Does your eye travel throughout the pieces, taking you from one to the other?

In each collage, see if can recognize the dominant element. It can be a dominant color, shape, or materials being used. Now don't fret if you don't pick up on any "hidden shapes" or "pictures" or meaning because like I said, it is abstract. Many people will only see a bunch of colors and shapes here and there, and that's okay. There doesn't have to be a meaning. Some people see something in other's work; some never notice anything at all. But is it pleasing to the eye? Is there something you like about it? Because to be honest with you, with all of the collages I did here, with the exception of the triptych, there was no plan of design or hidden meaning when I made them. I made decisions on where to place the pieces of torn paper and other materials as I went along.

Now go easy on me because these are the first collages I've ever made. I learned a lot in those two days, and I have many ideas floating around in my head that I want to try. There are several things that I will do differently the next time around. Sorry about that last picture, but I just couldn't get it to turn the right way. I'm still trying to figure out these silly little computers. They have a mind of their own.

The first collage is my personal favorite. Okay. Now don't be shy. Do you have a favorite? Can you tell what materials I used in these collages? Please tell me what they are. Remember. I blog for comments. If you click on the photos, you can see a close-up view.

In my next post, I'll share with you some of the paintings and collages that were done by the others members of the workshop. And post after that, I will give you a tutorial of how I sandwiched the cord and leaves between rice paper.






The three panels of collages below are a triptych.

Painted Papers for Collage

I recently had the great privilege and honor of attending a two-day mixed media collage workshop with a wonderful artist and friend Mary Wilbanks. I love her method of collage. It is one that she developed herself. Her technique is very different from anything I have seen.

In a nutshell, she paints different colors and shapes with acrylic with no specific design in mind on heavy weight watercolor paper or canvas. After it dries. Then she puts a layer of torn painted papers papers from newspaper, paper bags, basically any kind of papers, still with no design in mind. She uses matte medium to get the papers to adhere. After that dries, she then tears off whatever will come up. She then sands the whole thing with sand paper to make texture. She comes in and paints the whole thing again. Lets it dry. At this point she starts thinking about design as she puts on yet another layer of torn papers and other interesting materials, like cheese cloth, for instance. She may continue this way or stop if she likes what she sees. Her work is incredible.

Below you will see pictures of some of the papers I painted in preparation for this workshop. I also gathered other materials, postage stamps, old letters, photos, bits of string, foil, corrugated cardboard, sandpaper, and so forth. You get the idea, anything!

It was a really fun day because I did this with my children. I set up two 5-foot tables and one 6-foot table and laid down drop cloths, and we spent the whole day painting together. Every technique I did, they did as well. In preparation for our painting day before painted, we watched a dvd together to learn the different techniques that we tried. It is called Water Media Collage Workshop by Carrie Burns Brown, NWS, put out by Creative Catalyst Productions. I highly recommend it. She is an excellent artist and teacher.

In my next post, I will be showing you the collages that I made in the workshop. Then in another post I will show you some tutorials I put together on how to do some of the papers that we did, one being sandwiching the string in between either rice paper or art tissue paper. Then in yet another post I will share with you photos of art work that other students at the workshop created. Their work is incredible. They have been artists for quite sometime. Some are with the Conroe Art League and some with the Art League of Houston.

In the photos you will that I sandwiched cotton cording between rice paper, leaves between rice paper. I painted on newspaper and brown paper bags, cheese cloth, sandpaper, light bulb cartons, shredded paper, tissue paper. I mixed coffee grounds in with paint and spread on paper for texture. I made texture by dribbling gesso and then painted over that. Just so many different things. I enjoyed every minute of it.

One thing to keep in mind when you are looking at these painted papers is that only bits and pieces are used. You just tear off a piece to use in a collage. That's why I have many different colors on a paper so that I have a variety of colors available to me when I am creating a collage.


Here is Mary's bio:


"Biography

Mary has received over 40 awards in National Shows. She is a signature Member of the National Watercolor Society and the Watercolor USA Honor Society. Her work is acrylic with Mixed Media on canvas and on paper. It can be seen at Envision Gallery in Taos, N.M. Paintings can be seen in several publications: The Best of Watercolor Two and Three; best of Watercolor Painting Texture; and Collage Techniques by Gerald Brommer.; and The Treasures of Arizona; "The Gift" appears on the cover of Random House publication Art and Healing.

Mary taught painting for 4 years at the Phoenix Art Museum, and for 3 years at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, and at the Juvenile Justice System in Houston and has juried local and national exhibits. For the past 12 years she has taught workshops In Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico. Canada, and the U.S. Currently she teaches 2 workshops a year at her studio, and at the Watercolor Art Society Houston.


Resume´

Who's Who of American Women 2009

Selected Solo Exhibits

Envision Gallery El Prado (Taos) N.M. 2005
Goldesberry Gallery, Houston 2004, 2003, 2002
The Jung Center, Houston 2001
The Preusser Gallery, Taos, N.M. 2000, 1999
Cynthia Woody Gallery , Scottsdale, Az, 1998
Art League of Houston. 1994

Selected Museum Exhibits

Albuquerque N.M. Museum Society of Layerists in Multi-Media 25th Anniversary Show, Exploring Multiple Dimensions 2007
Springfield Art Museum , Mo. Watercolor USA Honor Society 2006,1997, 1995, 1994,1991
TWS Mc Nay Art Museum, San Antonio 1997
Northern Arizona Art Museum Invitational Contemporary Art 1993


Memberships
Signature Memberships: National Watercolor Society; Watercolor USA Honor Society: National Society of Artists in Casein and Acrylic; Watercolor Art Society Houston: Society of Layerists in Multimedia; Art League of Houston, Texas Watercolor Society."



















PARTING SHOT:

Look at these designs! Have you ever thought to build with dice? Kids are so creative. Their minds are so freed up to think and not bogged down with the cares of life. Oh to be a child again.

Handmade Card and Tutorial

I made this card today to go with a gift I was giving a friend at church. I used card stock paper. I love the tone-on-tone look. Here a photo tutorial for you. Pretty self-explanatory. I got the idea from my friend, Disney, over at her blog.













PARTING SHOT:

BUILDERS OF TOMORROW

Now this is what I call thinking outside of the box. I think this is so cool. I would have never thought to build with blocks this way. I always do one on top of the other. We may be looking at some future engineers -- or artists. These structures look artistic to me. What do you think?

GCC Art Festival 2009

These are my family's art submissions for the GCC Art Festival in connection with Solo Deo Gloria Arts Ministry in Texas. I painted a cardinal using acrylics. Miss 16 did a mixed media painting. The symbol in the center stands for fun in Chinese. My husband's was a painting/collage titled The Brutality of the Cross. Mr. 6 made a strawberry potholder with the blanket stitch around the edges. Miss 9 made a collage using tree bark, twigs and leaves that she had collected from outdoors. She titled it The Picnic.

















PARTING SHOT:

Go and check out the scarf that my daughter made on her blog.