Broken Toys

Ξ July 19th, 2011 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Around The House, Challenges, For The Kingdom, Tammy's Toys, The Healing Garden |

I’ve been limping by on these while I’ve been waiting… and waiting for my new glasses. Yesterday we hopped into the car to head to Walmart to buy some needed home items and then swing by the Vision Clinic on the way home to pick up my new specs. We got ready, locked up the house and headed out… We got all seat-belted in and ready… Car wouldn’t start. We popped the hood, checked ALL fluids, jiggled connections and tried again… Car wouldn’t start.  I don’t have my own car. I rely kindly on my college-age son for transportation to and from where I need to go. I was truly heart broken to the point of tears.

The car wasn’t the only thing to break yesterday. We had our team of support come after work to find out what was wrong… it appears it’s a simple fix with a part that’s less than $20… YAY! My sons father found one … came back with it only to find out that one of the parts that goes with it is the wrong one. (I called AND emailed the photos of the correct part to the place we purchased the “wrong” part from… still no word and it’s been about an hour.)

My heart truly sank and it’s stuck in a sinking feeling this morning because of the lack of phone call or email from the parts place… DUDE… if you DON”T have the part you need to let me know so I can get on the phone and find one. TODAY! My week is slowly being destroyed.

After the mayhem had settled down yesterday evening my hubs and I decided it was time to treat ourselves for good deeds done and those intended to get done… He with a bowl of Vanilla Bean ice cream with chocolate syrup and myself with the last teeny container of banana pudding with a scoop of frozen cool whip and a drizzle of choco syrup! Nom Nom! Well, after everything was dished up and all the stuff was put away… he looked at me and told me I looked like I needed a hug. (I did!) He set his bowl down on the counter, mine still in my hand I wrapped my arms around his neck and his foot accidently hit my “bad” ankle… The bowl slipped and went crashing to smithereens to the floor.

That was it for me. My day was done. I just couldn’t take any more. I went upstairs to my room and closed the door… lay down on my bed and wept. Some days are just too much. I’ve been waiting SO long for my new glasses to finally be fixed and to actually “see” again. I so had my heart set on getting some much needed chores done and everything just fell apart yesterday. I stayed in my room the rest of the evening reading Psalms and drifted off to sleep. When I woke this morning… the glasses I’ve been limping by on were broken.

I don’t have a toy today for 2sdays Toys… instead I’m sharing a poem… I hope it helps you in your time of need as it’s helping me now.

As children bring their broken toys,
With tears, for us to mend;
I brought my broken dreams to God
because he was my friend.

But then instead of leaving him in peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help with ways that were my own.

At last, I snatched them back and cried,
“How could you be so slow?”
“My child,” He said, “What could I do?
You never did let go….”

 

Happy Monday

Ξ July 18th, 2011 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Around The House, Art-tastic, ATC, Etsy, Fun with Food, The Great Outdoors! |

♥ Poppy Love ♥

Here’s another ATC that will be going up in my Etsy shop this week. This was exceptionally fun because I adore this color combination! I started another one this morning and I’m waiting for Mod Podge to dry so I thought I’d drop by and share this. These flowers are SO much fun and so very flexible that you can make just about any color combination, use so many different mediums and experiment with new ideas.  Today is going to be a busy one. I have some things to do around the house… The vision clinic called last Friday to let me know my glasses were in… what they failed to tell me was that they close early on Friday’s so it was too late by the time I got there. I’ve been waiting all weekend yet again for new eyes and today I finally get them. I’m praying they did a better job on the bifocal line this time around. I also have to take a shower rod back to Walmart and pick up a few things needed around the house… then I have some shelf painting to do and some photos to take… and dinner to tackle.


Tonight we’re having Jambalaya … we had the ingredients so I figured why not! It’s a good way to celebrate a Monday and get the week off with a much needed “kick!”

Check back tomorrow for some pictures of my home improvement projects I’ve been working on! I have lots to share.

 

Psalm Sunday

Ξ July 17th, 2011 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Art-tastic, Challenges, For The Kingdom, Psalm Sunday, The Healing Garden |



♥ Psalm Sunday ♥

Given that I have a plethora of toilet paper rolls to work with… and that I’ve nearly finished the backgrounds of the five I started with an idea came to me about what to do with this different form of art. … To better myself I started reading the Psalms in my bible. What better way to share the word than to do so in the form of art. This is the first Psalm, and I picked the quote “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.” I thought that was the perfect phrase for this pieces as I used the maple seeds that blew off in the wind. I picked them up and pressed them between paper towels for a few weeks. I think this turned out perfect for the introduction to my new category. What a fun way to learn the Psalms and to share God’s word as well as sharing art. Maybe you’ll hop on the bandwagon and do a weekly Psalm with me… if you do let me know, I’d LOVE to see what you come up with. Maybe Psalm ATCs… that would be fun.

I scanned this with a brown paper bag behind it… I’m not sure yet how I’ll mount these or even if I will. They are mailable as they are so they would make great inspirational gifts for loved ones. If I don’t adhere these to anything I’ll be printing out the Psalm and gluing it onto the back so that the recipient will have the entire verse at hand.

As for my TP rolls… in God’s eyes… everything old is new again!

 

Toilet Paper Treasures!

Ξ July 15th, 2011 | → 2 Comments | ∇ Around The House, Art-tastic, Challenges, Chatter, For The Kingdom, Supplies/Techniques |

Using up-cycled toilet paper rolls I’m creating something that will be posted on Sunday… This is for my new Category that I hope will become a weekly posting. I took the TP roll and cut it with scissors lengthwise. Using a spray bottle with water I misted it until it was just pliable and flattened it using my hand. Then I did the same on the opposite side. I let them dry before applying layers of printed papers. I used a Trader Joe’s newsprint fryer for these. Next time I’m using vintage sheet music. After they dried I started by using very crumpled tissue paper and mod podge. I gently flattened out the tissue and used a mist of water from the spray bottle and adhered with mod podge on both bottom and top. Let dry again… and then the fun really began! Using different color schemes I used baby wipes, paper towels, fingers, paint brushes, bubble wrap and other found objects to apply paints. With some you can apply when they are both wet but with others because of the color difference it’s best to let them dry between coats or the colors become muddy.

After you’ve complete that part of the process you can pull out your embellishments and have fun! As these are not done yet I will give more detail about each one when I post them individually. As you can see in the photo the blue/green one has wet mod podge on the umbrella so I’m in play mode right now. I just wanted to take a bit of time to tell you not to toss the TP!  You can make ART on EVERYTHING!  Back tomorrow with an update on one thing or another… until then… God Bless You!

By the way… I got this idea from Hands and Heart and want to share her link.

 

Fun with ATCs

Ξ July 14th, 2011 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Art-tastic, ATC, For The Kingdom, Reading Room, The Great Outdoors!, The Healing Garden |

Along with a handful of other smaller paintings I’m working on I finished this one up yesterday evening. This ATC was done for practicing technique and experimenting with colors and papers. I’m testing applying paints with various tools, from brushes and fingertips to baby wipes and splatters. I love the baby wipe method… since they are damp if you don’t like what you’ve done, granted you’re using light layering… you can either wipe it off or blend it in. For a small project this was very in depth. I’m ready to try it on a much larger surface now. I need to buy some super sized canvases so I can make some art for our living room. I think I’m going to do something along the lines of this style… in soft blues and greens with bits of yellow and apricot. I’m not sure what my main focus will be but the flower are pretty sweet.

Today is grocery day and I’m really dragging… again with the up to late reading ritual! I really have to learn to turn the light out at a decent hour. I’m half way through The Hiding Place and I quit last night at a very “scary” spot so tonight will be interesting. I’ve also added the movie to our Netflix so I can watch it after I’ve finished the book. It’s time for me to get ready to head out so I’ll see you tomorrow when I share a new category that I’m going to be introducing to my blog. It’s something that came to me while working through a painting process. See you then!

 

Full Circle

Ξ July 13th, 2011 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Art-tastic, Chatter, Etsy, Reading Room, The Great Outdoors!, Whispering Wednesday |

♥ Full Circle ♥

From beginning to end… here’s the finished painting. I worked on this all day last Friday and finished it up. All I need to do now is give it a coat of varnish. I’ve temporarily hung it on my studio wall to photograph it and will have it up on Etsy by next week. What a fun project it turned out to be. I really enjoyed the washes of color and the freedom this allowed me to explore. I enjoyed it so much that I have a plethora of little items on my desk that I’m playing with… and I’m having a hard time tearing myself away from my playtime!

I can’t believe it’s Wednesday already! The time has been flying by so fast since we moved… I finally got my plants re-potted in gorgeous new planters (I’ll photograph them and share soon!) And Monday was spent cleaning, vacuuming, mopping, and cleaning some more. With three bathrooms their’s upkeep that needs to be done. =)


My parents came by on Monday and again on Tuesday with my niece. We had a nice visit and laughed till our sides hurt. I’ve been staying up WAY to late reading and have been paying for it this week. I feel foggy headed… but I finally finished Bonheoffer. Now I’m reading The Hiding Place. (It’s a *must-have-box-of-tissues* book so far.) I have a few books lined up for after I’ve finished this one but I haven’t decided yet which one it will be.


Whispering Wednesday is here once again and it’s time to share something obscure about me. So here’s a few oddities off the top of my head.


  • I don’t like rhubarb.
  • I adore tassels and fringe.
  • At 18 years old all my art supplies fit in a 12″ by 9″ basket…


…that I carried with me wherever I went. Oh how times have changed!


 

Work in Progress

Ξ July 8th, 2011 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Around The House, Art-tastic, Chatter, For The Kingdom, Supplies/Techniques, The Great Outdoors! |

♥ Work in Progress ♥

Here’s something off the beaten path that I usually travel. I found a tutorial with flowers in it and fell in love so I thought I’d try to make the flowers with this painting. You know how much I adore texture… I’m having a lot of fun layering and painting, and layering again! I adore bright and cheerful colors and might even find a place in the living room to hang this if it turns out the way I want. If this turns out as good as it is fun to create I’ll be over the moon happy!

I’m using a piece of beaten up wood that I gesso’d about three times. Then I layered it with super crumpled tissue paper, torn up decorative paper napkins and started with acrylic paints. I’m using torn circles using decorative papers and enhancing them with paints and stamps and whatever takes me creative eye. So far I’ve used acrylic paints, mod podge, gesso, and watercolor crayons and I’m not even half done.

Our weather is thankfully cooler again today and I’m so happy about that. I love opening the window, turning on my desk fan and wearing a hoody! I adore the chilly air. I could live outside with a campfire to keep me warm and a shelter to sleep in if I had to… as long as I had art to keep me company!

I’m fighting with my broken glasses today but at least I can *sort* of see unlike yesterday’s fiasco! I pray that my new specs come back perfect next week… and I also pray it IS next week… she made it sound like it could run into the following week… OY!  Okay enough complaining I guess… I’m going back to painting. God Bless you and thanks for taking the time to visit my blog!

 

New Glasses

Ξ July 7th, 2011 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Around The House, Chatter, The Healing Garden |

Well… I like them… but… they measured the bifocal line WAY to low so I have to go back today and get them remeasured so I’ll be out of new specs for a while… My old ones broke the day before these were supposed to be done but I had to wait an extra 4 1/2 days for them due to the holiday. I can’t say I’m not disappointed, or that I didn’t shed a few tears both from disappointment and frustration. Sigh… I guess God is teaching me yet another lesson in patience. I’m not looking forward to wearing glued and re-glued glasses for another week and a half. I didn’t realize how horrible the line placement was on these until I sat down to paint today. I can only see the line of the bifocal. I tried for over an hour and gave up… called the vision clinic and now have an “eye-graine!” Hopefully the Advil I popped will help out.

I’ve tons to do today, grocery shop, vision clinic, and today’s our 4-year wedding anniversary so I have to head out and git r done! I’ll be back tomorrow to give you an update! God Bless!

 

Happy Independece Day

Ξ July 4th, 2011 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Around The House, For The Kingdom |

God bless our founding father’s. God bless the troops who defend our country today and God bless America! Have a wonderful and blessed Independence day and stay safe! See you back tomorrow for an artsy update!

 

Where I Create

Ξ July 1st, 2011 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Around The House, Art-tastic, Chatter, Photography, The Healing Garden |


Shortly after my recent trip to Walmart for Independence Day~ I found the art supply section of the store. You can see the big jar of Mod Podge and Aleene’s Tacky Glue looming in the background! They are two of my much needed finds. The fan is for both comfort and putting art items to dry in front of. Works great. I get the breeze and the recently “glued ~ or ~ painted” items get a nice bit of wind to help them “set.” The spray bottle is a MUST have … it’s perfect for wetting and setting tissues and napkins. I crinkle, then place, then spray, dab, and mod podge them into place. The glass of ewy goo is extremely dirty paint brush cleaning water. Note to self, change water! That’s what happens in a day of creating! The purple wire basket holds a Tupperware style container with a large sponge in it and is filled with water. It’s used for cleaning rubberstamps and brushes. Other items of interest are paintbrushes, scissors, a bit of gold trimmed black ribbon that I’ve been hording for a long time! The meat tray is my palette. I always use them for palettes. They are free, they work great, wash up sweetly, and I just toss them when I’m done. They last for a long time as well.

Here you can get a glimpse at some painter tape I was using to mask off the Spam cans for painting the rims of the cans with nail polish, also you’ll see my “pot of paintbrushes” ~ my mom painted the pot. She’s an extremely talented decorative painter. I have much of her work and it’s displayed throughout my new home! Along with a rubberstamp you’ll see a stamp pad and my candle. I wrapped this cheapo candle jar with a bit of fun fur and added a few drops of lavender oil so when I light it and start my music I’m in full-on paint mode!

Now we’re talking… See that chocolate. Actually I buy that for my hubs. I rarely eat it. I prefer my chocolate in coffee/liquid form and have recently been searching for a frozen hot chocolate recipe that I can modify with some STRONG espresso. NOM! You can see my stack of drawers which is actually six drawers high. The jar with the cork was a gift when I was in college… My parents gave it to me FULL of quarters so I could do my laundry. It had well over $200 worth of wash in it. Now I use it mainly for trail mix so I don’t have to fix lunch while creating. I just grab a handful and keep going. Right now it has a bit of Wasabi Peas in it.  The pile in front on the left contains much of my recent Walmart art supply purchase. I’ll share those later. =) The yellow square shelves have been in storage under our bed for the past 6 odd years as we had no room for them. I bought them at a garage sale after moving to Olympia and only got to use them for about a year. They are PERFECT for supplies and adding objects of interest. Many which are “just because” gifts from my mom. She knows me SO WELL!

Now that you’ve seen a glimpse of what happens during the creating process… I’m off to clean up my messy desk and get ready for a new project (which I’ve already started.) I’ll share as soon as the mess is cleared away!

 

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