A Play with Mixed Media

 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:34

I have been playing today with mixed media.  I had watched Nadine Milton (Hop-A-Long Studios on YouTube Channel) on the Art Expression Summit.  I used her ideas for this page.  I stamped, watercolored, stenciled with acrylic paint, and collaged with a napkin and with stamped and die cut acetate pieces.  I just totally had fun!  I am submitting this for the Art Journal Journey Challenge to use birds this month.  Thank you, Mia.  There was a bird on the napkin I used, which by the way is from our napkin swap a few years ago for TSFT.  Also, there are birds in the stamped image with the lighthouse.  I also submitted for the ACOT Rewind Challenge of the Mixed Media Hidden Journaling Challenge and to SplitcoastStampers for their Free4All challenge to use paint and for their Mix-Ability challenge to use the letters of the word Grads for elements in our project:

G- green
R- round, the stamped acetate pieces are circles.
A- acrylic paint, acetate
D- daubed paint
S- stamping, stenciling

I used Ken Oliver Color Bursts which I have had for years!  I used Stampers Anonymous TH Leger Script background stamps, Stampendous stamps, Art 101 acrylic paints, napkin, and acetate, using Ranger Archival Jet Black ink and Stazon Jet Black ink.

I hope you are having a great week!  Playing in my craft room today was very relaxing.  I hope you have something you like to do for relaxation.  

Here is a photo of another relaxing element in my life:  A cup of tea.  (photo from archives).  I am posting this for my ticket to TSFT.  However, I am posting early so I can get in on May's AJJ Challenge. 

Thanks for stopping by everyone. 

T Stands for Try Try Again!

 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:34

 I will try to post a video from my hike at the Junk Journal Retreat, or as we called it, God’s Gathering.  I tried last week but couldn’t figure it out.  I wanted to share that one thing from my fun time.  Because, not only did we craft, but we shared our junk, ate some great meals, and took some day trips, including the hike at Elk City Reservoir, a visit to Little House on the Prairie Museum, and one day to several flea markets! 

Okay, finally, after trimming most of the content I got about 30 seconds of it.  Apparently, that is all I can load.  But, I think this will give you an idea of our hike.  We did two, and this one was the easiest.  The other was more rocky.

Here are some stills:

This is called The Keyhole, and my photo doesn't do it justice, because looking through the keyhole you are looking down into a gully hole like place.  One of the hikers went down a little way into it.  Not me!

We are up high looking down to the lake.

Me at the overlook.

Here is our guide: Dan (Monk's Reflections on YouTube)

Another Day we went to see the Little House on the Prairie Museum near our event.

I Liked these signs with quotes from Laura Ingalls Wilder

I learned a lot about Laura Ingalls Wilder and her books that I never knew.  This was well worth the visit.  

I did take a photo of one of the Flea Markets, just because. LOL

The Rusty Nail

More than rusty nails around here!

I took photos while waiting for everyone else to check out with their purchases.

I had so much fun at The Gathering, (God’ Gathering is what we called it.) I met ladies from all over the country, including Florida, Arizona, Indiana, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri , and of course, Kansas.  I made new friends!  We enjoyed crafting together.  A couple of the ladies led games and challenges and had drawings for prizes.  I won my ticket for TSFT party over at Bleubeard’s and Elizabeth’s at Altered Book Lover!

Below is a photo of my messy desk when I was making pockets for my friends at The Gathering.  There was a total of 20 of us.

I will share some more photos next time as I have shared too many already!

That's, it for this week.  I hope you have a great week.  Thanks for stopping by.

Oh, and.............................

T Stands for Birds Singing

 "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?" Matthew 6:26-27

Good afternoon!  I am scheduling this for Monday afternoon, but am actually writing it Saturday night.  I will be out of town at my junk journal retreat.  But I will be checking in.  I had some wonderful walks this week and wanted to share what I saw and heard Thursday morning on my walk.  I am going to try to insert a short video with sound.

I had a lovely walk!  Here are some more photos:

Honeysuckle, I think.

For the first two miles I saw no one but the wildlife!  This was Thursday morning.  But Wednesday morning, I went to the dentist, and that is where I see Ruby.

She has her own calendar, and April is her birthday month.

Here she is for real!

And here is the photo in the ladies room above a basket of complementary toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Isn't she just too adorable.  It makes it worth it to see her when you go to the dentist.  She is quite the celebrity!

That is it for this week.  Thank you for stopping by and I will try to stop by and see you all.  See you next time.

T Stands for Things

¹² Sow for yourselves righteousness;

reap steadfast love;
break up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the LORD,
that he may come and rain righteousness upon you. Hosea 10:1

 Good afternoon readers!  It has been a busy few months and today is not exception! Here are the things going on in my life today:  I decided to go run errands all over town after seeing my shoulder replacement surgeon!  I think I was celebrating being released from him after a whole year.  He gave me an A+ as did the Physical Therapist.  They tested all my movements with my arm and declared my movements excellent! As I left, I got a coffee at their fancy machine. I always do this when I leave as it is my reward for going there.  You get all kinds of special coffee like mocha, espresso, latte, even hot chocolate.  Today, I just had a black coffee as I didn't want too much caffeine or sugar.  Next, I headed to the other side of town to the boot shop to get me some shoe inserts. I want them for our special hike in a couple of weeks when I am at my junk journaling retreat. Our leader for the hike is this man Monk's Reflections.  I am pretty excited to go on a hike with our junk journaling ladies, taking a break from our crafting.

Next, I went to Book-A-Holic, a locally owned independent used bookstore.  I just kind of found it in the same shopping center near $ Tree. Then I headed for Spice Merchant (Elizabeth's favorite place) to buy myself a new cup in celebration of being released from the doctor.  I found mugs and cups everywhere in all kinds of places!  I am glad I was vigilant because I wanted another one like the one, I got a couple of years ago.  I loved it as it just had a good feel to it, weight and everything.  It also had to be microwave and dishwasher safe.  I finally found it, and it was same brand. It is designed by Gail Flores, and the brand is burton & Burton.

Here is my new butterfly cup with Stash Spiced Chai Tea, along with my lunch as I was hungry when I got home.  I had skipped breakfast and really enjoyed the leftover chicken and pork tenderloin my husband had grilled out over the weekend. 

I also took some photos while out.  I found two more Keepers of the Plains replicas, by the parking lot in back of Spice Merchant, another one in a park; by two different artists.

I also took photos of some mural artwork.  Unfortunately, I know nothing about the art or the artists.  One was right across the street from the Spice Merchant parking lot and the other was in back of their parking lot.

Here is what my craft space looks like.  This is why I am in the living room posting from my laptop, can't get to my desk!

You can tell I don't get out much!  I really had me an adventure today! Still, when I got home I did walk a couple of miles before eating. It is a gorgeous day here.   These are  some of the things I am doing; what things are you doing?

 Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to check out the other T Stands For Tuesday bloggers over at Bleubeard and Elizabeth's at Altered Book Lover.  I will see you next time.  

T Stands for Lots of Teapots!

 ¹² Sow for yourselves righteousness;

reap steadfast love;
break up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the LORD,
that he may come and rain righteousness upon you. Hosea 10:12

Good afternoon!  It was 82 degrees out Saturday when I walked and it went down from there to a low of 14 this morning!  Yesterday, we about blew away in the 60 miles an hour wind, coming out of church.  The rest of the day I couldn't get warm!  What a roller coaster this weather has been! LOL Saturday the trees were blooming.  I am sure at 14 degrees the blooms are gone, now.

Enough about the weather!  It was a great day for crafting.  So, I completed this project for our Bible Study Kick off brunch favors.  They are little boxes for candy.  That is all I have left to do, buy and fill the little boxes.

I stamped and die cut 56 teapots from patterned paper.  I die cut 28 large flowers and 28 small flowers.  I cut 28 pieces of cardstock, scored and folded for the boxes.  Then the fun part began: the coloring with alcohol markers and glitters pens the flowers.  Oh, and then tying 28 bows, putting them all together!  On one side is the small flower and on the others is the large flower and bow.  The stamp and die set from Stampin' Up was gifted me by a friend who knew I would use it.  LOL Done, two weeks ahead of time.

I am joining Bleubeard and Elizabeth for our Tuesday t party or T Stands for Tuesday (TSFT) over at Altered Book Lover.  

Thank you for stopping by.  Have a great week!  See you next time!

T Stands for Tis’ Lovely!

 

If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
⁴ Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant ⁵ or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ⁶ it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
⁸ Love never ends. 1 Corinthians 13:3-8

I quoted the Bible verse about love today, because of all the quotes that were on Elizabeth's mug. I thought there were a lot of similarities.

Okay, I always think T has to stand for something that begins with T, although I notice on other blogs that is not necessarily true! LOL. But it tis beautiful here today.  I took a three mile walk this morning and evidently a lot of folks thought it was lovely as there were many of us enjoying ourselves on the trail.   It is in the 70s and it is supposed to be in the 80s tomorrow!  Love it!

Besides walking, I have done some crafting to.  I have been taking part in CalvinBall with Alice Boll.  If you remember the comic strip, Calvin and Hobbs, CalvinBall is based on that.  You get points, but the points don’t matter and we make up the rules as we go! LOL. Just lots of inspiration to use stash and to have fun. #scraphappy, #calvinball .   I did a journal page for the Art Journal Journey Spring Forward Challenge, hosted this month by Chris aka pearshaped crafting, and used a lot of the CalvinBall prompts.

This is also for my March Junk Journal challenge for Julie Dear Julie, and the sketch challenge on ACOT.  Our theme was monochromatic for the Julie Dear Julie page. Each page this month will have a different theme, all beginning with Ms.

The burlap is a pocket on the page. I think butterflies and flowers when I think of Spring.  Now that I think about it, there should have been birds on it, too.  Next time!

Now, my ticket for the tea party, TSFT over at Altered Book Lover hosted by Bleubeard and Elizabeth.  Our dear friends that visited last month left this in our refrigerator.  I love iced tea with lemonade.  So fun~

Thanks Shelly and Ray! :)

I have a couple more photos.  I generally photograph dogs on my walks, but last week I photographed cats!  So here is for Bleubeard and Elizabeth and all you other cat lovers.

Aren't they adorable?

Have a wonderful week!  Thanks for stopping by!  See you next time!