A Little Affirmation is Good for the Soul!

(art from Brave Girls Club-Melody Ross)

Welcome, Overcast, Wintery, Foggy, Monday!

At least the Rain is non-existent today...Here we were in the throes of winter storm drama last week, rain, snow, fog, tropical (50-degree warmth), then thaw, which led to flooding all over the Willamette Valley!


A couple of little towns were hard hit, and totally evacuated...the little creeks and streams completely blown-out, which led to larger streams, then rivers being 'blown out' as well.



Here, in Salem, we reached flood stage, and a little past it, and sadly people were affected...the water has receded for the time being, but more rain forecast tonight.


I can say that I'm so SO thankful my house is on a hill, and I am thankful that our 'plant' here at work (sand and gravel company) was fortunately above the flooded area, but my heart hurts for the many who weren't so lucky.

there were many many volunteers, though who stepped-up and that is fantastic!



So--what do the Tough do, when the going gets Tough?


GET OUT YOUR GLUE STICK!!


Today, I decided to get out my Affirmation Journal (one of them!), and do a little work on it.

Actually, I should call it my Pseudo-SMASH BOOK, because it's just a fancy gift book, with a floral cover, ribbon-tied, and has it's own pen to write with.


Years ago, it was a gift, and I began journaling in it during some really dark times.  Only did a couple of pages, and it ended up in the garage in a box--\


too pretty to throw away!


However, once I read the pages again, and found how dark the thoughts were, I debated about ripping them out, but I realized, I'm a SURVIVOR of that really dark time, and instead of ripping them out

I symbolically saved them, and covered them up with happier, more positive thoughts.



Just like in real life, I think the dark thoughts can be dealt with and covered over with healing, and God's love.  I believe that, and hard work got me to a more positive place in my life.

God Loves Me, and I've gotten to great classes with wonderful people, finding an Artistic Voice, which hasn't always been appreciated by others. 


(the Joy Suckers of this world tried to take it away!)

So--Today, I worked on my Pseudo Smash-Book as it has become...it's like my own graffiti wall, full of random quotes, pictures with some meaning, but more humor, randomness, and just the weirdness that is me.  Here are a few pictures!

(truth from God and Pinterest)

Bye for now!

"Friday, Friday..."!!

Hi!


Have you heard the song, 'Friday, Friday, Friday is my Fa-vo-rite day?'


Friday, Friday, Friday is my Fa-vo-rite day!
Friday, Friday, Friday is my Fa-vo-rite day,
Monday is a Bummer,
Tuesday's only Fair,
Wednesday's just a weekday;
Thursday's almost there, to
Friday, Friday, Friday is my Fa-vo-rite day!

                                                                     (da, da, da, da-Boom!)




I didn't post photos yesterday, so I could save them all for today! 

(I do want to go back and put in a Madonna photo, and a football, for the Super Bowl, though!)

(this was a leftover card from a previous
 'Creative Explorations' class I took
at Stampin' Cat)

This week, I 'be' makin' ART!!

(and a lot of it, too!) 



I've gotten a lot of pages done for my Affirmation Journal--



(In review, this is the book I worked on over at the beach and took apart the spirals to put the Inka Gold/Copper and stamped the inside edge of all the pages, to cover the white space)


the irony is that we don't meet in December, so in January, when we all show up for class, I'll probably be working on another BOOK! and Jami, my teacher, will ask me to show the class what I did for the last month, and I'll hold up a plain white book, because I'm just starting a new one, and I will have completely forgotten the finished one at HOME!!

OH,

BA-ROTHER!  (I'm so silly, sometimes!) 

i'm thinking however, that the entire planet can use more 'silly' if you want to call it that, OR Comic Relief, which I am a self-declared PRO at!




Back to the book--

I'm finding what I like is that the square format, about 7",  feels good to me--not too overwhelming. If I feel like putting in one photo, that's okay, and it also seems large enough that I can collage a bit, too. 

(this image I cut directly from a
Somerset Magazine.  It's someone
else's art, but I loved the image, and will
only have it for my personal use)

Currently,
the rest of the 'AJ' class is using old
books which they are altering by tearing
out pages, and covering up. 



I have worked in Old Books before--my first 'AJ' was an old music book; I spent about a year on that, and stressed over  doing something new, tearing the pages
OUT OF A BOOK~!!!~~,   
and because it was a teacher's edition of a grade-school music book, I tried to coordinate
all the images I put in, with the words and titles of the songs!


I am very proud of it because it was my first one.  I may even go back and add some stamping sometime. 


(I'll share photos on that someday.)





What else artwise have I done?
I also sorted out odds and ends of clippings yesterday, which I don't care for anymore, and what's the point of using them in Art, if I'm not passionate about them?!!

i'll just share some of the pages I've put together over the last several days while I wasn't blogging! Here we go---



Okay, these three photos go together--they make up one pocket page with a re-purposed bookmark  (originally too large-too white, but I LOVED the yarn and the saying),

and the pocket needed something else in it besides the bookmark, so--


I made a little card, which had two sides, so once I flipped it over, it had to be filled up, so
ON goes the dancer and a quote!




(can you see this hobby is sorta like Dominoes! 
one thing sure leads to another--!)



Now, these cute little ladies were in a magazine, and i used my Victorian-Edge
scissors to give it a vintage-looking cut edge,
and they're knitting like crazy, so I had a
cool quote, to use with it:

"Keep At It!  Keep At It!"

which came from a friend's grandma. 

I wrote that on a leftover tag I had, and used my new funky Numbers Tape purchased from Stampin' Cat Studios 

(it's in Salem, Oregon--Lisa Taylor has a TOTALLY Rockin' Store!!)



Next page (these next two face each other):

I loved this 'Beauty' clipping! I added the 'Light'  (cut out of a Rejuvenations Catalog, to shine a light on Beauty), and other elements. 

The page on the right is just a couple clipped photos, but helped convey the 'Bloom' message.


(Who doesn't need a reminder to let their Beauty Shine?  And we all need to keep Blooming!)

This world is a dark, harsh, mean, ugly place sometimes with a lot of unhappiness. We have Adam and Eve to blame for that, but one Positive thing is that we know there is something much better ahead! So-if we know the world is ugly, we don't have to feel bad leaving it behind--someday!

In the meantime,

while I'm here, I will do my best to encourage others, brighten the corner where I am, and seek out other positive images and people to help fill me up!

You do it too, and we can light it up together!


                                                 Friday's sermonette is over!!  haha!


Oh, sure you say!--she musta planned this:
cuz

Here come the ANGELS!! 


I did not plan the asides nor the layout of the blog, I just write what comes into my brain--


I'm so Hilarious and Random--
I swear these happenstances always happen to me! 


Whadda you do?  Gotta roll with it!


Anyway--
I completely forgot to tell you that I designed the Beauty/Bloom section as two pages, BUT they're really Four.  How's that?  Well, I used gaffer tape for to hook 2 pages together, so it flips over, opening up to the Angels.

it's way more fun to make these interactive...a challenge, creative, fun, ARTY, and that's why 'we' do it, right?


last page in this section:

This is a post from Brave Girls Club, which has the most amazing Affirmations EVER! 

(use the little toggle at the bottom of my page to connect with it for yourself)

anyway--found this little birdie in as part of a hand-crafted necklace, added a couple little do-hickeys  (hickees, hickys--THINGS!),  a phrase, and some glitter paint--ta DA!

PRESTO!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, on to other things:

As I'm going along in paper-arts, one of the things I most love is all the different papers.  I really like to use those as background, cut to fit the page, make as a separate unit, then glue into the book.

The scraps from a 12x12 paper make great borders and pockets, and lots of the ones I buy have two sides...Twice the fun!


This next year, I plan to learn more about building backgrounds with paint, and other techniques;

I want to take Art Journaling classes to branch out in my skills as an Artist.

So, anything can happen!



thanks for coming on the journey with me...!

Monday, Monday!

Hi, Folks,
Well, it is Monday, and as they go, it's not too bad...The sun is shining brightly, there are a few clouds, but wispy ones; a pretty day for December 5, all told.

This morning, I was not too with it, and have been on caffeine all day, and not helping too much.  However, the sunshine is the BEST!

A weekend in Bend for a Ladies Tea, where the speaker was Jane Kirkpatrick--and if you've never heard or read her---get thee to an appearance!  What a fantastic speaker!  Jane is a great storyteller, and that really comes across.

Her books are fascinating, full of detail, and; after years of historical novels, she's venturing into modern day with her latest, 'Barcelona Calling.'

find all her info at:  http://jkbooks.com

Saturday, the morning started a bit bumpy...mom was under the weather, but insisted that daughter, Caitlin,  and I go to the Bend Christmas Parade, and it was fantastic!...Our friend Ashley was in the lead with the Police Honor Guard, so we were off to a fabulous start.


The weather might have been a bit cold, but we were bundled up, and standing in the sunshine.  Parade contestants in great spirits, lots of local color! 

how can you not love classic cars, pygmy goats wearing antlers, roller-blading men doing 'jumps' in the center of the street, dance teams, marching bands, mini-cars with vacuum bags on the back, a school bus-wearing a Polar Express costume, elves, dressed-up kids, firefighters, classic cars, a couple Harleys, cross-country clubs on roller-skis, foo-fooed doggies, sparkly horses, Parade Princesses---it goes on and on!


(actually, it did--for an hour and 15 minutes!)

Fantastic!

It was one of those 'Life's Perfect Moments' but a whole bunch of them strung together.  Thank you, BEND!


Back at the ranch, 'Grammee' still under the weather, but Evan was up and awake and Christmas decorating and music ensued. 

Later on, over peppermint tea, we caught, 'Santa Claus 2' on Netflix. 




Come Sunday, we were spoiled by the same glorious, dry, sunny, cold weather (ooohhh, too bad!  NOT!), and we 'flanneled-up' and went to church.


Pastor Ken @ Westside knocked it outta the park, encouraging everyone to 'Be Still' this holiday season; remembering the meaning, and how we gain nothing with the stress and rush.

(I loved this line: "We are NOT Human DO-ings; We're Human BE-ings."  As such, it's our job (task, assignment, response) to BE: reflect on the season, the meaning, the person of Jesus.)




One of the reasons I have grown to dislike Christmas so much is the push and stress that the media place on us.  From Halloween until Christmas we're assaulted with commercialism, and pushed into trying to keep up the competition to be, do, create; something we aren't, or don't have.


(no mention of whether or not you can actually AFFORD it!)



The media makes us think that--we're not allowed to just BE!



Well, Pastor Ken gave us each permission to 'take a mini-Sabbath': i.e., a two-minute break or walk, deep breathing; even unplug from an regular event a year in advance--to pre-plan how we want our schedule next Christmas.

good stuff. 


(followed by warm, gooey, melty chocolate chip cookies in the Atrium)




Rest of Sunday uneventful--nice drive home, although concerned for Mom, who although was better, was not totally well. 
(as of monday--she's gettin' there!)



Today, the weather, as I said before: Perfect for December!  We've sold some rock, the kitties are better, and recuperating after getting 'fixed',
and the week has begun. 

I made a little art, as well.

Here are a couple Affirmation Journal Pages I did today...

I found a couple quotes, and just worked around them.  You know, the older you get, you find out women can make fantastic friends, and appreciate how blessed you can be.  My life right now is full of female friends, and they're like facets of a diamond:

each shines brightly on her own, each offers something unique,
and together, they are DAzzLING!



I'm a blessed woman!

(I found this 'girls on tractor' picture in an ad in Somerset magazine, then used my Victorian edge scissors to make it vintagey; and added some scuff marks from the Distress Inks, 'Vintage Photo' color.)


While that was page was drying, being in the 'groove,'

I started a tag with another quote, and made it to be a little bit interactive:

(tag front)

(inside detail)

here's a great quote from comedienne
Rita Rudner:   >  >  >  >

Then,
I found some odds and ends of paper samples, a little red bird in a cage;


used the Tim Holtz 'Vintage Photo' Distress Ink-brushed around the edges--love this!



to stick it together...
the new Vintage Street Tinted Tape: 'Numbers' from

Stampin' Cat Studios--
(the awesomest Salem altered art/paper creativity/stamping shop!!)

www.stampincat.com



Hand-lettered the quote and made it open up!  decorated the inside of the paper (with extra gee-gaws leftover from another project) to cover up the manufacturer/color numbers,


Stuck it at an angle to 'art it up', and tied some yummy iridescent ribbon to the top of the tag!

(I might just spread on a little Inka Gold-Copper to
add some happy to the page!)

So, now you know what I've been doing the last several days...


Come back tomorrow, and let's do something else!


Thanks for stopping by.

Monsoon Season is HERE!

               (Look! Not even blue sky in Puerto Vallarta!)

Welcome Back!
(at least to me, I've been away from my blog for a couple days). 

I see the last blog was November 17, and now, it's the 22.  I will briefly say that it is pouring /pooring  rain! and no real signs of letting up for a couple days.  Today is 80% chance, tomorrow 100% chance, and Thursday/Thanksgiving is down to 70% chance!    Woowee!  It's gonna be a Thanksgiving MIRACLE, I tell you!

(enough sarcasm)


Let's catch up on the 'Thankfuls':

Today let's all be thankful for a dry spot (hopefully, you have one), to work, and live.  I certainly am!  my work kitties are banded together into a little shelter I built, and they're not coming out except for canned catfood! 


Yesterday, was Monday, and hard to get motivated w/ the rain.  I really wanted to write, but felt tired--  Sometimes I just don't sleep well.  Oh!  I know!  I can be thankful for the show, 'Raising Hope.'  Have you seen it?  Hilarious!  Last night trying to unwind, i opened my Hulu IPhone app, and watched a couple episodes.   I love to laugh!  It feels soooo good.

Sunday, I saw sunshine at the Oregon Coast--specifically, Cape Kiwanda.  I stopped there to look at the ocean, and sunshine before I drove back to Salem.  (jogging  your memory--I went for a retreat w/ some quilting girlfriends).  It was glorious!  Thankful for SUNSHINE!!

Saturday, I slept in, and then grabbed my gear, and drove to the 'retreat'--friends Shawna, Lori and Phyllis were there, and going great-guns.  Because I was too tired Friday night, and got to the retreat late, I held off on quilting projects, but instead worked on my Affirmation Journal. 

That turned out to be a great thing--  I had been kind of stuck on a new book.  Had gotten one w/ a spiral binding, thinking the pages and cover could expand, but one problemo--I love to use decorative papers, cut to size, adhere them, and then collage over the top.  With the spiral binding...the break between the cut paper, and the spirals left a white space which was really bugging me.  (I've spent the last couple months at a standstill w/ this project; trying to make myself go ahead, in spite of the white space-- just wasn't happening.)


(One thing that is an iron-clad rule in my book: if something bugs you when you're looking at it, it will probably continue to bug you later--so, best to remove it!)

This has seemed to work on my quilts--look at them, and if a certain fabric or block draws your attention (in a bad way), then it may be best to remove it.

--However--!!   What do 'they' always say?:

rules are made to be broken!             haha!

What's an exception?  If there's something in a quilt or project that bugs you,                                                   
                                                           ADD MORE!!

                                                                    huh?

Adding more 'troublemaker' fabric diverts your attention.  Once, a quilt I made needed white.  I hate white, and brown...they're non-colors in my book.  So, when making the quilt, I left out white.  What happened?  No 'sparkle'!  so- the things you learn from color-study!


Back to the book: as I drove to the beach, contemplating my book, I remembered I could take the pages out of the spiral binding, and 'do something' to them (colored felt markers didn't cut it)...I remembered that i had just purchased a couple containers of Inka Gold; in Copper (why isn't it Inka Copper?!), and Gold, AND it was riding along w/ me in the truck with my art supplies!! 



This cool stuff, which I had no definite plan for (other than being cool, and have to have it!..), is like a creamy metallic shoe polish.  Get a little bit of water on a sponge, smoosh it around, and start wiping it on.  I decided as I drove, that it might be the perfect remedy for the white paper issue!


So, once I got the layout of the retreat-house (very nice, but no ocean view--can't compare to Coccoons, Mom!  but there were surfboards!  haha) and settled in, I went 'rogue' and took all the pages from the book, got out the Inka Golds, and the stamp-pads I had, and started sponge-painting the spiral part of the pages.

(oh, i SO love the copper!)

after i did a bunch of copper, I did some gold, and some Tim Holtz 'Vintage Photo' colored pad, and black.  The stamp pads, I just randomly pressed onto the spine of the papers, to make a 'grunge' look.

Once I got the covers back on, and a couple of the finished pages re-inserted, then things began to happen.

(My first page in the book--love, love, LOVE the dragonflies!)

(I love the Inka Gold-Gold! on the spine, too!)

I had been bugged about the spine, and now it was fixed, and the paper, imagination, quotes and photos begin to emerge in random ways; and as I go, I'll add in some rubber stamps, and/or maybe embellishments.

('Imagination is the eye of the soul,' says this PaPaYa art postcard.)

Friday's 'Thankful', looking back now, was flannel Jammies!  I was so tired, that when I got home, I knew I was not going directly to the beach, but instead, go my Victoria's Secret Pink polka dot jammies on, snuggled on the couch w/ Maggie, and took a nap for a couple hours.  This time of year, you just GOTTA HAVE 'EM!