Celebration Goin' On Y'all

Good morning y'all!    What's everyone doin' today?    I hope and pray that everyone is doing well and have a fantastic day planned.    I just checked with Weather Bug, and she says it's supposed to be really mild temps today.    The high is said to be 79*.    That is almost unheard of for the dog days of August, but hey, I'll take it and be happy for it, because I know it will be hot again, sooner than later.

I have a couple of projects to share with y'all today.   I have been really busy working on other stuff that I just can't wait to share with y'all in the near future.   But, for today, I have a couple of small projects to share.   The first one is a card that I sent to a young friend on her birthday.

I love this shoe stamp.   I love the flowers on it and I love the possibilities of all the different colors.   I went with yellow and orange on this one and I do love the way it turned out.   I colored it with my Spectrum Noir alcohol markers.

The card base is craft card stock.    I really like that for a different effect at times.   I put some pale blue flat back gems in the corners.

I stamped the image on a stipple cut card topper that I had roughed the edges up.   I used my trusty clear star gelly roll pen on this card to get that bit of sheen and shine going on.   I love the cute little dragonfly too.

The next project, takes a totally different turn for me.    It was fun though.   So, I hope you like it.

Ok, so I went to my favorite local store, our new Dollar Tree pretty soon after opening back in May and they had thousands of these fedora style hats.   That was what was on the label.   hahaha    I walked right by, and then I turned and thought, "ah, why not", so I tossed it in my buggy.    It was plain.   It had nothing but the band.   So, when I got home, I had a box of flower layers and I picked out what I wanted to make a flower with and used a brad to hold the layers together and then I very carefully worked the arms of the brad through the weave of the hat and put my flower on there.   I really like it for a "bad hair day".    You have heard of some of my bad hair days as of late, so this is a tremendous help.

So, I decided I wanted to jazz my hat up a bit and used this hair clip that I got a the Masquerade Hospital Jewelry sale.   I got it because it was "purple".    That's good enough reason for me to buy just about anything.   But, I really liked the way it classed up my hat. 

So, this one is of some daisies that I had gotten at another on of my favorite places to shop, Mighty Dollar, up in Russellville, Ky.    It was a clear box, full of these flowers to use on projects.    I placed three of them on a piece of acetate and used pop dots to stick it to the band of my hat.   I really like this one a lot.

This is of all three hat toppers, side by side.     Ok, so around the first of the month we had what's called "Fashion Revue" through our FCE groups in the county.    We were to model our favorite, least expensive, great purchase.    So, I figured since I gave only a dollar for the hat and the two small flower pieces came to about 10 to 15 cents a piece and then the purple one was $5.00.    So my hat with three interchangeable hat toppers cost about $6.25.   I modeled my hat for the "accessories" category and  actually won 2nd place.   I did not expect to win anything!   It was fun, though, it kinda got me outta my comfort zone.   So, I hope you enjoyed these projects.

As I leave you this morning, I leave you with this favorite scripture:  Psalm23:1  "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want".

Have you ever thought about those simple words?    How many times have we read it and quoted it, but how many times have we stopped and thought about those simple words.    When David wrote this Psalm, he was writing from his own experiences.   David was a shepherd in his youth.   And he likened his relationship with God to that of a shepherd.    When David said "The Lord is my shepherd", he was speaking of the same trust that sheep have in their shepherd.  A good shepherd will protect and lead and direct his sheep to the most fertile grass and sweetest stream of water all the while standing guard and watch over his flock, to protect them.    Sheep follow their shepherd out of obedience to their shepherd.   Their shepherd would always protect them and provide for them, because the shepherd loved his sheep.   The sheep recognized their shepherds voice and the shepherd recognized the calls of his sheep.

David then says, "I shall not want".    Sheep are totally dependent upon their shepherd for guidance, protection and provision.    A good shepherd will take his herd to the best grassy field and the clearest, coolest, freshest streams of water.   A good shepherd will take care or his sheep to the point that they will have no needs or wants, because all needs are met.

This is the image that David is giving of himself, as the sheep and the Lord as his shepherd.    David knew that God had only his best interests at heart.   David knew that God would protect him and that God would provide for him.

I love looking at this scripture, and I hope that you do too.   I pray that you recognize "The Lord" as your "Shepherd".    I pray that you recognize the voice of God as your Shepherd.    Just know that God always has your best interest at heart.   I pray that if you have heard and felt the call of the Shepherd on your life, that you will listen and follow the Lord as your Shepherd.    Your life will not be pain free, but you will never have to take another breath alone.    The Good Shepherd is waiting to be your Shepherd.     I pray that you will let Him.

The title of my blog post today is "Celebration Goin' On Y'all".    What is the celebration about?     One year ago today, I started my blog at the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit.    Who am I to have a blog?    What do I do or have to say that anyone would be interested in seeing and reading?    I still haven't quite figured that out yet, but I had the assurance that if I keep God first place in all I do, then this venture will be successful.   Y'all have helped this become a success story for me.    As of this morning, I have had over 70 countries and more than 460 thousand visits to my blog and google+, for that, I am most thankful!!!   For many of you, you have that many visits in two or three months and that is wonderful!   For me, I never figured I would ever have a thousand  hits in 10 years.    God is good and faithful!     So, I am thankful for each and every visit that y'all have given me.   There are many places on the web that you could be, but at this moment you are here.    Just know that I appreciate that and I do not take that lightly.    I pray that y'all will continue to visit and tell your friends about this little corner of the web where I share "Fun little pieces of Life", one piece at a time.

I thank you for your visits and I appreciate all the comments that y'all have left for me over the past year.    I pray that you'll continue to check this place out form time to time and that you will take something good away from time to time.

Ladybug, I pray that you are doing well and hope to see you soon.   Sweetpea loves you.

Have a blessed day y'all.   Just know that God loves y'all and so do I.  hugs, Patty

Cultural Arts

Good morning y'all!!!     This is a blessed and happy day before each one of us.   What are we gonna do with today?     Well, for me, I thought I would share a bit of it with y'all by sharing a bit of yesterday, today.    ggg    Yesterday was another sweltering hot day.    You know what I'm talking about.    One of those days where the use of a curling iron or a flat iron is a waste of good electricity!    Oh yes, you've been there!    When you work and work and work to get your hair just like you want it only to go outside into the humidity and it causes your hair to pop up all over your head, some of looks like ink pen springs, some of it looks just like the cow licks on your head that you worked so hard to get tamed, and then still more of it just doesn't even look like your hair at all!    And then you get to thinking, I just don't remember fixin' "that" head of hair.    hahaha    I have come to the conclusion that on days like yesterday, I'm just gonna take a spray bottle with water in it and instead of styling my hair before I go out, I'll just spray it with water, sling my head around till it looks like my head has been in a tornado and hit the door with my sloppy, tousled hair and head held high.    Then when people look at me funny, I'll politely say, "Yes, I sure did mean to leave the house with my hair looking like this, really, I did."     Otherwise, there's no excuse for my hair looking like it did yesterday!!!    hahahaha    Oh well, what are ya gonna do?    I'm just happy I have a head of hair.   I just might have to start wearing my fedora hat that I got at the Dollar Tree here back.    We'll see.      Anyway.......

Yesterday was Cultural Arts Day and Taste and Tell Day for the FCE groups in Robertson County.    June is Dairy Month and all the dishes had to have a dairy product in them.    For the taste and tell, everything is cut, sliced, served in bite size portions.     You also receive a cookbook with all the recipes in it.    It is fun, and when you finally get through the line and sat down, your plate is rounded with single bites of all this delicious food.    It is really fun.    There is always a bunch of 4-H'ers there also serving water or milk to drink.   They are really nice and polite kids, the future of our county.    There used to be many more people that would show up, but as with all things, there are a lot of other things competing with our time, so hopefully, at some point in time, people will start coming back to the Cultural Arts and Taste and Tell day.

For the Cultural Arts side of it, everyone brings their items to enter and one of the county groups will be in charge of getting everything displayed and then the judges will look at all the items and rank them 1st or 2nd place and then everyone gets participation ribbons for the items that doesn't place.    I entered 7 items this time.    I ended up with 4-1st (blue) place, 1-2nd (red) place and then 2 (green) participation ribbons.    I took pics while at the event.    My pics are not great at all.    So after I got home, I took some better pics, still not all that great, though.    hahaha

The crocheted purple ombre scarf was mine, and it got a green participation ribbon.    As well, it should have, because there was some beautiful baby blankets that won, and they should have won.

Ok y'all, you remember how excited I was to share my first ever oil painting with y'all, it won 1st place.    Everyone loved it. 

This is my Crucifixion Diorama that I made at Easter with a file from Doodling Deb.    It won 1st place in Holiday Decorations.     Some of the ladies said that the judges wanted to give it 2 blue ribbons.    I said, "hey, gimme my other ribbon!"   hahahaha    After the judging took place and people started coming in to eat and sample the food, there was quite a few smaller children there, around 4 to 6 years of age.    Their moms let them look but not touch.    I just so happened to look up at the tables where the items were displayed, and the diorama was at the perfect level for the children to look into and see it.    I heard some of the kids saying, "Hey, come here, (to their buddies) you can see Jesus in this one, Jesus is here, Jesus is on the cross, come, see!"    I almost started crying at the sheer excitement of the children seeing Jesus on the cross.    One of the little fellers stood there for the longest time, elbows on the table, and his head resting in his hands, just staring into the diorama, looking at Jesus.    I would really love to know what was going through his little mind.    I do believe he was contemplating what he has learned in Sunday School about Jesus.

This is of my color photo, but it's not a good shot.      Sorry.

Neither is this one of my black and white.    They both won 1st place.

This is my little dog wood sculpture, and it won 2nd place.

This is a better shot of what I entered.   My oil painting and blue ribbon, in front of that is my wood beaded necklace with a green ribbon, beside that is my dogwood sculpture with a red ribbon and then purple ombre scarf with a green ribbon.

This is my Crucifixion Diorama with the blue ribbon.    Thanks Debbie!!!!!

This is my color photo.   This is of the ice storm from March of this year.    I called this "Frozen Fireworks" because that's what it looks like to me.

This is my black and white photo and it was made the same time as the color photo.     I called this one "Fat Bird".    hahaha    He was so fat, I don't know how he sat on the fence.     But you, my little feathered friend, garnered me a blue ribbon.   Thanks, little birdie!

That was a little bit of my day yesterday.    It was really fun and then to put icing on the cake, one of my friends called and we got together for a bit and a bite at Burdette's Tea Room.    Perfect end to a perfect day, all except the hair deal.    hahahaha

Matthew 6:33 says:   "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

These were words straight from the Masters mouth.    Jesus spoke these words to His disciples at the same time He spoke about the Beatitudes starting in Chapter 5.    He had spoken to them about various things from the Beatitudes to this point here.    He was teaching them about "worry" now.  

Do you have an issue with worry?    I have to be the first one to pop my hand up in the air, because I worry!    I have to go back every once in a while and check myself about the worry condition.    I try not to, and when I find myself blatantly worrying about something, I try to stop it, drop it, and roll on along with good thoughts and prayer.    You noticed I used a terminology that fire fighters use in teaching people how to put out fires that may be on their clothes, with the "stop, drop and roll" technique.    The same technique works when we have a fire of worry going on.

Jesus said if we "seek first the Kingdom of God"....   What does that mean?    Putting God in the first place of our lives in all that we do.    If God is in the proper place, we will be less likely to worry about anything, because we know God is in control of everything.   Yes, there will still be problems that arise in the lives every one of us.    But when we know that God is before us working it out, then it is easier for us to walk it out.   With God first place in our lives we won't be worrying about the trivial things in life.    Sometimes we worry about food and clothing and a roof over our heads, but Jesus used the illustration of the birds and flowers.   God takes care of them, will He not do more for us?

Then Jesus added, "and all these things will be added to you".   Put God in His rightful place and everything else will be put into it's proper place.    God provides for the birds of the air and flowers of the field.   He feeds them and clothes them.    Guess what, He'll do the same for us.    God instilled in his most prized creation, us; human beings, the desire to work.   Now, I realize that some people can't work through no fault of their own.   For me, I can't work like I once did and my job at home is being caretaker of what my husband brings home each week.    I ask God to help me spend wisely and choose wisely and I also ask Him to help me find the best prices on what ever I do need to buy for us.   Clothes and groceries, and anything else we spend money on has been prayed over before we purchase it.

In a previous verse, verse 24, Jesus said we can't serve two masters.    We serve God or we serve money.    We can't serve both.   We must choose which one we will serve.   Put God first place in your life!    It may not be easy to do so.    People may laugh at you and make fun of you.    That's ok, you know why that's ok?    Because Christ died for them, also!    When we live faithful, obedient lives to the Father, others will see Jesus in us.    Keep up the faith and seek God first!!!!

Ladybug, I hope you have a great day today.   Praying fervently for the upcoming days.   Sweetpea loves you bunches and can't wait to see you again!!!

I pray y'all enjoyed your visit today and do come back again!   God loves y'all and so do I.    Have a blessed day!   hugs, Patty

I felt like making a Quilt

Wow, that's a funny title for a blog post, isn't it?    Well, it will make sense in a few minutes.   ggg    I don't know about where y'all live, but here in my neck of the woods, today has been a really great day.    Y'all, this is my kind of weather.  Finally, it feels like Spring.   It was in the upper 50's most of the day!   Yay!!!!   There was a bit of rain and mist in the early morning, but, by afternoon, the sun had popped out and was "doin' it's thang!"   Such a beautiful afternoon!    I hope and pray that where ever all y'all live, it was beautiful there also.

I had an FCE meeting to go to today and we was all bringing different types of salad.   One lady brought chicken salad, another brought tuna salad, we had potato salad, a pasta salad and a congealed salad.   I brought a salad also.   I wanted to share with y'all a wonderful, healthy, fresh, vibrant salad that is really easy and nothing but "good for you" stuff in it.   Here's what it had in it:

Avo-mang-toes Salad

2 avocados, diced
2 mangoes, diced
2 tomatoes, diced and drained of any excess juices
1 tablespoon finely diced jalapeno pepper
1 large lemon, juiced over all of the above

Toss all of the above in a good sized bowl, stir well.   Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.   Stir again before serving.

It is such a colorful dish.  It is really cooling.   Very refreshing.

This is what I call a "make do with what you have" salad.   I knew if I had anything to bring home, I wanted it to be healthy.   Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE all the not so healthy stuff, that's why I'm a little too fluffy.   ggg

I hope if you try this, you will let me know what you think of it.

Now, about the quilt.   Last year I made a cardstock quilt for a swap.   I really liked it a lot and I wanted to make myself one as close to it as I could, so, I finally got around to doing that last night before I went to bed.   I was really happy with it and I hope you are too.

It is five layers.    I used a file from the Silhouette Store that was a card.   The top two layers was from the original card.

I brought the two pieces up in my designer software and enlarged it and then done an offset on it, and another offset, and then the final offset.   I finally got it enlarged to where the back white piece of cardstock would fit on the width of an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of cardstock.

I inked around all the edges and let that dry.  Then started putting the layers together, back to front, with my scrappy tape.

The very top piece was the hardest piece to place perfectly.   Believe me, it's not placed perfectly, but as good as I could get it anyway.

After I got all the layers adhered together, I took a white souffle pen and done my pen stitching around all the layers except the back white layer and the purple top layer.   I was really happy with the finished project.    I may try to age it a bit more and then put it in a frame.   I had been wanting to make one for myself ever since last year, but just hadn't done it.   It really helped me to just make something for myself and have fun with it.

I really hope that you have enjoyed my quilt project.   Quilts are very comforting for so many reasons.   My mother used to make quilts back in the day for utilitarian purposes, to keep us warm.   Then after we all got grown and had homes of our own, she made all of us a quilt.   She has made her grandchildren quilts.    I have made several quilts myself, over the years.  So, I love quilts and the ones that my mother made for me are very special.    When my father died in January 2012, a former Pastor's wife came to the funeral home to see me and brought me a quilt that her mother had made for her.   She gave me that quilt because she loves me and knew I would cherish it, and I do.   So, when I was making the little quilt last night, it made me think of all the quilts that I have been blessed to be given, and blessed to have been able to make the ones I have made.   I hope y'all have quilts that have special memories tied to them.   I hope you know the comfort of wrapping up in one of those quilts.   There's just nothing quite like it.

As I leave you this evening, I ask you this question, do you have any fears in your life that are unresolved?    There is stuff that comes up every once in a while, in our lives, that causes us to have fear, as a first reaction.   The second reaction we should have is to seek the Lord in prayer and turn those fears over to Him and He will see us through our fears.   We all know people who are going through uncertain days.   We just don't know what lies ahead for us, but, our Creator does.
   
Psalms 34:4  I sought the LORD and He answered my prayers and delivered me from all my fears.

When we have the uninvited interruptions in our lives that make us fearful, we need to seek the Lord in prayer first.   God never turns a deaf ear to someone who is earnestly seeking Him.   God is faithful and He does hear our prayers.    He will deliver us from our fears.   David knew about fear and he sure had his share of fear and he also had reasons to be afraid.   But, when he sought the Lord, the Lord delivered him from all his fears.

I hope you seen something here that you enjoyed and if you did, tell someone.   You can even leave a comment for me, if you choose to.   I would love it.

Ladybug, I hope you have had a spectacular day.   Sweetpea loves you!

Goodnight y'all.   I hope and pray that all of you have a wonderful night of refreshing, restful sleep.   God love y'all and so do I.   hugs, Patty

Fair Entries, Re-visited

Okay, so I posted this morning, with lots of enthusiasm and excitement, and forgot to mention my fair entries and how they placed.  So, I got out the Canon and took a few shots. (pun intended)  I hope I can them uploaded in proper order.

I have mentioned before, I do have an issue with my arts and crafts being judged by anyone.  What little talent I have comes from my Lord and Savior, so, I have a problem with my "stuff" being judged.  With that said, here is the results of what I entered in the fair.

First place:  Blue Ribbons:

Second Place: Red Ribbons:

Third Place: White Ribbons:

No Ribbons: Clinkers: (hahahaha)

So, there we have it.  Nothing spectacular, as you can see.  But....absolutely everything made with love right straight from my heart.

Thank you for looking at my entries.  Maybe you are inspired by what you see.  It was fun and I am already thinking ahead for next year.  It will be interesting to find out how many points my entries scored for my FCE club.  If I find out I will
let y'all know.

Until my next post, I leave you with a blessing of joy always in your heart, peace that passes all understanding and love for God and others.  I pray for your eyes to look past the exterior and see the world around you through the eyes of God.

hugs to you this afternoon, Patty

Fair week

Well, this week is fair week.  I worked on a lot of different projects last week to get them finished and ready to enter in our fair.  I really don't expect anything to win any ribbons, but everything entered earns points for my FCE club.  so I had sixteen items to enter.  It was fun getting everything entered at the fairgrounds on Sunday after church.  The judging was to be today, but I haven't seen or heard if I actually won on anything or not, keep your fingers crossed for me.

This is my rosette turkey.  I did not get a good shot of him.

 This is a flower pot pincushion.  The top part lifts up so you can store thread, etc. in it.

 This is my stocking card, again, not a very good shot.

 This is a close up of the top of the stocking.

 This is my earrings.

 Bracelet to match.  Did not have time to get the necklace made, but I will.

 This is a flour sack towel with the image drawn onto it with permanent marker.  Colored with crayons, then heat set with iron.  I stamped a bumblebee in several places.

 This is a free hand water color pansy.  I done this one night at a make and take craft party.   I have never done water colors before, but i really enjoyed doing that.  I know, I know, it is really not good!!

This is a scarf I crocheted with the sachet thread, it is purple ombre in color.

 This is a stepping stone that I made at another make and take.  The mixture was made up and poured into cake pans and before it set up we placed colored glass fragments in it.  I really enjoyed making that also.  Again, its not really great at all, but none of my stuff is.

 This is my little bonsai dogwood sculpture tree.

 This is a little quilled baby feet tag.  I love this.

 This is the sentiment I put on it.  so... the story goes with 10 tiny toes.

This was a glass ball ornament from another make and take.  Coat the ball quickly with mod podge and quickly spoon colored seed beads all over it.  Carefully let it dry and then decorate as desired.

This is my God's Promises box.  I absolutely love making these boxes.  The butterflies are fussy cut from a sheet of butterfly paper.  Then I hand rolled each flower and colored and decorated them up.  I used a spellbinder die to make a small mat for the butterflies and flowers to sit on.

 A close up of flowers.

 A little better shot of the box.

I just realized that I did not get pics of everything I entered.  Hopefully, when I get my stuff back next Sunday, I will remember to take shots of what I forgot.  Anyway, like I said , really nothing spectacular at all, but it is fun.  I really need to start planning ahead of time, instead of waiting till the last minute.  Oh, well, I hope you enjoyed looking at some of the stuff I entered.  Will update when I can on if anything won anything.  I'll not hold my breath, counting on a win!!! gggg

This morning was a really big blessing for me at the grocery store.  H. G. Hill had their frozen 1 lb. bag of beans on sale for .99 cents a bag. WOW!!! WOW!!! WOW!!! That was 1.30 off each bag.  Even at Wal mart they are 1.58 a bag every day.  So this was still .59 cents cheaper than WM.  So, I ended up getting 30 bags of beans.  With the money I saved on the beans, I bought 2 big pkgs. of boneless pork spare ribs, 2 big pkgs of ground beef, a huge beef roast, and a pkg of country ham.

So, what I love to fix is this: a pkg of frozen beans in the bottom of my electric pressure cooker, a cup and a half of water over them, a teaspoon or more of ham base seasoning, put my rack down on the beans, put a pkg of spare ribs, or pork chops, or ham, on the rack, then put in a couple or more of frozen ears of corn, and then a couple of Idaho potatoes.  Process that for twenty to twenty five minutes after it comes to full heat.  While all that is cooking, whip up a batch of cornbread wedges and we have a couple of meals on that.  It is absolutely fantastic!!!!!  One pot to clean up!!!!  Love, Love Love it!!!!

Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed your visit.  Maybe you seen something that you want to try .  Maybe you even got a little bit hungry for some good ole comfort food.   What ever you take away from today's visit, please make plans to visit again.  Who knows what you'll find on here.  Thanks for stopping by and may God bless you today in a mighty way!!!

hugs, Patty