Thankfulness...

I have a wonderful life ; gratitude is a part of my day-to-day way of living…

I am eternally grateful for the love of my family and the treasures of home life with the ones I have assembled my existence around.

(word heart made with paper-clay)

I am grateful for your support of my blog and art
I am thrilled that to be allowed to create and express myself freely ~

Now for a little fun!
There is A Thanksgiving Giveaway for my new book "Layered, Tattered & Stitched" over at: Calamityville
so go take a look at a project that Kim made from my book
and let her know what your thankful for
and you just may by the lucky winner of my book along with a small piece of art!

Life Lines

“But tomorrow, dawn will come the way I picture her,
barefoot and disheveled, standing outside my window

in one of the fragile cotton dresses of the poor.
She will look in at me with her thin arms extended,

offering a handful of birdsong and a small cup of light."

~ William Collins

Craft Diva™

Please join me this afternoon from 12 to 1 pacific time for a live online interview with
the Craft Diva
(my call in time is 12:30)
it will also be archived if you choose to listen at a more convenient time.

"Art"

art 1 |ärt| noun 1 the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power :

Layers and textures intrigue me.

The idea of creating a cocoon to encase my art is just as important to me as the art its self.

I often use wax paper to create pockets to house my work as its reflective ghost like quality adds a depth and intrigue.

The transparent layer allows your eyes to image that what lay beneath...

Once opened you will discover layers of fabrics and papers connected with a sewing machine, threads are deliberately left and tied together. Stamps and ink are used to add extra texture and help to anchor the various layers that were combined.

(TIP: if you use a sewing machine to sew on papers you will need to use a 4 or 5 stitch setting to keep your paper from perforating.)

In march of 2007 I shared how I made fabric ATC's (art cards)
for the most part my process is still the same, I hope you will take a look and try your hand at creating your own small art.

small art~

"Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe. It is not enough that a thing be possible for it to be believed."
~Voltaire

I made these pieces of "small art" last night as they will be going around the world along with signed copy's of my book ...
(you can order one here)
one will be traveling all the way to Singapore! how fun is that!?
(I wish I could make a guest appearance in that package!)



I must admit that I have not been creative for weeks so making the "small art" was a nice exercise for me to "play"
I think that its important for us to remember to have fun with our self's and never forget the power that "play" has on us.

"Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play."
~Heraclitus

I have a lot of new ideas but have not had the time to work on them so hopefully in the weeks to come I will be able to make them a reality so I can share them with you all!

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.”
~ Gail Devers

small art: altered papers & cloth with etched silver.

"I am Thine, Thou art mine."

small art: altered papers & cloth with thread.

"Hopeful, cheerful, undaunted,
My path I safely tread."

small art: altered papers & cloth, buttons and paint.

"We all have our own life to pursue, our own kind of dream to be weaving. And we all have the power to make wishes come true, as long as we keep believing."
-- Louisa May Alcott

small art: altered papers & cloth, ink and pencil.

"Two souls with but a single thought, two hearts that beat as one."
~ John Keats

grow

Don`t wait until everything is just right.
It will never be perfect.There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled...
~Mark Victor Hansen

(Small piece of art in its protective cover)

As long as we are persistence in our pursuit of our deepest destiny,
we will continue to grow.
We cannot choose the day or time when we will fully bloom.
It happens in its own time.
~Denis Waitley

("grow" thread, paper and cloth.)

We grow neither better nor worse as we get old,
but more like ourselves.
~ May Lamberton Becker


(For limited time I will be offering a one of kind piece of art when you purchase my book here.)

Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go,
only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.
~Karen Ravn