Oil Painting for January

Good "cold" day y'all!!!     Sure hope y'all are as snug as a bug in a rug that's close to the fireplace today!      Gosh, it just stays cold here in my neck of the woods!!!!      It will warm up for a bit and you'll see people out in shorts and sandals one day and then the next day you'll see those same people bundled up like they are dressed for the coldest part of Alaska or something.     It makes me laugh sometimes.    I want to do "before", "after", "before", "after" and see if they could get the picture.   Oh well, I'm certainly not the fashion police or the "seasonal" fashion police.    Just an observation that I think is kinda funny.    So, as I bundle up for the day, there's no telling what I will have the honor of seeing, once I leave the warmth and comfort of my home.     But, no doubt, it won't be anything new, so...............on to something that is new and that's my Oil Painting for January.

Yup, I went to Oil Painting Class in January and it was so fun.     There was 12 there that time and it was so fun for everyone to paint and just see that all 12 were different, yet beautiful, at the same time.    It will soon be time for this months painting class.    It should be a real beauty this time.     It is really more like a "real" painting with the kind of scenery and everything.    Kinda like looking at a lovely view from the back yard into a woodsy area.    Can't wait, but till then, I'll share what we done in January.

 The pic above is our instructors pic that she used to paint her pic by as we all painted ours.      She does a step and walks us through ours.    She really has the patience of Job.    She wants everyone to be successful.     I just love her!!!

 Ok, so the above pic has the white base all over the canvas.     We just put that on and then spread it all over the whole canvas.      Going left to right and then up and down to assure an even layer.     After that we started with yellow, and she said normally we would not start with yellow like we did, but she said that we needed to get a lot of yellow down now, even more than we wanted the pic to end up with, because once we get started, we can't go back and put more yellow in because it would get muddled with other colors.    So we used two diff yellows and then we put in a bit of orange.

Next we put in some red, I believe it was red.     Blended with the other colors it looks more rosy colored, but we just streaked it in and wow, I really love it.   

We used a bit of brown also for this.    Just a bit here and there, streaked around.

Here we was done the sky and started putting our trees in.     My trees look a little like stick people trees, hahahah.

On this one, we took the fan brush that we all love using and made clusters of leaves on our trees.      Just tap, tap, tapping in the clusters; kinda makes you feel like a real artist.    hehehe

Then on this one, we tapped in more background trees and undergrowth.    Then for the most part it was finished.     She wanted everyone to put in birds made like the funky check mark, but for the life of me, I could not do it.    I could not get a good bird painted and I wasn't about to ruin my painting by putting something that didn't look very good at all on it.    I had wished I would have saved my black paint from that day, I would have practiced more when I got home.     But, if I would have, and made a mess, I would have been stuck.     So, glad I didn't.

This is the finished and framed piece.      I took the pic flat on its back and the coloration looks a little different.     It is more truer to color in the above pic than it is in this one.     Kinda wish I would have noticed that before I got it on my blog, I would have taken another pic of it.     I do love the beauty of this sunset in oil.     As a matter of fact, a few months ago I was coming home from having been out town and when I turned on my street, which is facing direct west, this is the sunset I seen.     Just absolutely beautiful with all the swirly pastel colors.     God is good!!!!!

I had said January 1st, that my theme word for the was "rejoice".      I'm still rejoicing!       Sometimes is a little harder than other times, but there is ALWAYS something to rejoice about in every day, whether you feel like it or not.      There really is.

1 Thessalonians 5:16      King James Version (KJV)

¹⁶ Rejoice evermore.

Such a simple verse, isn't it?       Well, not really.      Although it is beautiful in the KJV, it is nonetheless, NOT very simple.      Paul wrote this letter to the church at Thessalonica.     He loved these people dearly.     

At the end of this letter he gave the "Instructions for Holy Living".     This is my quick gist of what Paul was telling these people.     Love each other; be at peace among themselves; encourage those not as strong in their faith; stay away from evil but follow that which is good; rejoice evermore; pray without ceasing; give thanks in all things; don't put out the fire of Holy spirit; hold no contempt for prophecies; test everything; hold on to that which is good; and avoid all appearance of evil.

Some pretty good guidelines for everyday lives, I do believe.     They hold as much truth in them today as they did the day God breathed those words thru Paul!     The two words I am focusing on is in the center of all theses is "rejoice evermore"!    Simple, right?     Well, that depends on the momentary situation I'm in, right?     Well, that depends on what side of the bed I woke up on this morning, doesn't is ?      Well, that really depends on how the religious folk treat me, right?      Oh, that really depends on what kind of day I had on the job, right?     Or, that depends on the news I got at the drs office today, doesn't it?     Oh, well, that really depends on my child's behavior at school, right?     Well, I'm really not expected to rejoice after the fender bender I just had, am I?     How in the world am I expected to rejoice over the death of someone important to me?     What about the victim of abuse, are they supposed to rejoice in that, really?     What about all the trouble that our world seems to be in right now, rejoice, really!!! 

Can you relate to any of those scenarios I mentioned?     Of course you can!     At least one or two and maybe even more.     Do you have the mindset to rejoice in and thru any of them?      This is where the rubber meets the road.     Sometimes, I just make the conscious decision, that I won't.     I'll be willing to say that you have too, at some time or the other.     We rejoice or we don't.     This is one of those things that we have to consciously think about and make ourselves do till it becomes second nature.     Till it becomes as easy as our heart beating.    Our heart beats and we don't even think about it, because we can't control it by the way we think.     So, when we get so accustomed to rejoicing without even thinking about, because it is so engrained in us that it has become a part of our spiritual dna, then we can say that we are "rejoicing evermore".    Paul wasn't saying rejoice when it's something worth rejoicing over or convenient.    NO!!!!   He said "REJOICE EVERMORE" as the KJV says.     So, even if it isn't something we would consider worth rejoicing over, do it anyway.     

Every day that you and I are blessed to have a part in is worth "rejoicing evermore" over.     If your eyes opened this morning, rejoice!      If you had the ability to get out of bed, rejoice!     If you have a job to go to, rejoice!      If you have a child, rejoice!!!     If all you have is memories of your loved one, rejoice because you have those sweet memories!     If it sounds like I'm preaching at ya', I'm not, this is just what I have to tell myself sometimes when it seems there's not a lot to rejoice over.       But.......when I look with the expectation of seeing something good and worthy of "rejoicing evermore", Oh my friend, it's always there!!!!!     Just being alive and being a part of God's plan, oh, that's something to "rejoice evermore".     Having Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior is what gives me the ability to "rejoice evermore".     If you know Him as your Lord and Savior, then you, my friend have an eternity that began the moment you accepted Him, that is also worth "rejoicing  evermore" about! 

I would ask you to be in prayer for all the sick, those with recent diagnoses of not so good stuff, those that are carrying a lot of burdens, those that have had surgery recently, and all the other stuff we know people are dealing with.     Sometimes we look at prayer as the last resort, don't we?     But I challenge us to look at prayer as the very first line of defense at our disposal any time, day or night, no busy signals, no put on hold and God is always happy to hear from us.

I hope the rest of your day is totally spectacular.     Look for the beautiful sunset where you live, see if you can see one that looks like what I painted.     I'll bet you will eventually see one just like it.    Remember to "rejoice evermore", it won't be real easy just starting out, but it will become easier.

Ladybug, I hope you are having an awesome day and I know you have been a blessing to a lot of people today.   For that, I am thankful.    Sweetpea loves you!

Always remember that God loves y'all and so do I!!!!   hugs, Patty

Couple of things to share

Hello everyone!     Hope y'all are enjoying this lovely day.    It sure is a beauty here in my neck of the woods.    It really is a keeper.    Actually, it got up to 65* today, pretty awesome.    I hope where ever y'all are that you are having a lovely day too.    My hunny has the weekend off from work, YAY!!!!    So, we are just chillin' and enjoying being in the same room.    Most of the time, at this time of the day he is getting ready for work, so we just enjoy days like today.

I have a few projects to share with y'all.    I got so far behind on stuff I wanted to share, so I am doing double and triple time just to get a lot of stuff up on here so y'all can see.    I had posted a pic of a bookmark and mentioned that I made several, but hadn't shared the pics yet and one of my pals was interested in seeing them so that is what I'm gonna share first.  

I am just so tickled with how they all turned out.   On most of these, I took a tag and tore it in half with interesting edges and inked the torn edges and then glued the top half to a tag and the bottom half to another tag and then inked the edges all around.   I had gotten a small EK Success punch at Wal Mart for about $3 and punched a bunch of crosses from scrap cardstock and used those and stamped images and used ribbon from the Dollar Tree. 

This is the one that is orange and blue inked in purple.    The orange looks more brownish in the pic but it really is orange and it has my fav verse on it, so I have latched on to this one.   One thing that I don't want to forget to tell y'all is that when I started making these tags/bookmarks, I threw all tradition out the door.   I put color with color that you would not NORMALLY put together and then used ink on the edges and none of the colors would usually go together.    So, for me, this was really freeing.    Tossing out the color wheel and just going with what I had wanted to do for soooooo long, but didn't want to break the color rules.    I just found out for myself that when we are doing what we love, "THERE ARE NO RULES!!!!"   And I love it!!!!     Look at some of color combinations.    In real life they would never go together.   

These here are all rub ons.   I picked those up at Mighty Dollar when I was up for a visit at my Mom's.   That is a great place for crafting supplies.   It's kinda like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates, "You just never know what you'll find".   But I really love how those turned out too.

These here are double embossed.    I used embossing folders in my Cuttlebug and the I used my Versa Mark and Embossing Powders and heat embossed them also.   They turned out quite nice.   I may do that again.   I had wanted to try that and see how they turn out and I liked it.

These are some of my all time favs.   I just love using the sand dollar stamp and then embossing it.   These really makes me happy.

These here were two different cross dies that I used.   The top ones I cut of of patterned cardstock.  Don't know that I will do that again.    They were ok, but they were not my favs.   The two bottom ones are better, I think.   And again, that's just me.    But.....the ones on the bottom have "goosebumps" spray on them, so I really love the feel of them.   Just little shiny glossy spots on them.   For me, it makes them fun. 

The first batch of about 35 or 40 I did not photograph.   I could really smack myself silly for that.    But I won't bother, one good smack is all it would take and it's just not worth the effort!   hahaha    Anywho......this batch had about 33 or 34 in it.   It's really fun and a great way to spend time in prayer while I am making them.

I wanted to show y'all something really neat I snatched up from the Dollar Tree!   It is supposed to be for your nails, but.......hey, I know I can use it on cards, bookmarks, just anything.    The really neat thing about these little vials is that they are glass with a plastic stopper.   They are so small (click on a picture and it will bring it up larger) and cute and they can be used as a decoration once they are empty.    How neat is that?  They have all these little shapes, aren't they cute?    They have chunky glitter that is really great and they have a fine glitter, plus micro beads.    They all come in these little vials and they are sooooo great.    Don't tell anyone, but I have a collection of 32 now.   hehehe   I love 'em and I bet y'all will too.

As you can imagine, the little pieces are really tiny, so I have these tools that I will use to apply the tiny little bits.    One of them is the Silhouette tool that can be gotten at Joanns and the other is a Quick Kuts product.   They are the same thing, exactly.   One has green sticky and the other one has white sticky.   Very valuable tools for working with these tiny little things.   Also very helpful for arthritic hands.   Anyway, next time you are in your Dollar Tree, look for these little vials of goodness, they are so great.   I'm gonna go back and see what all the shapes and colors are.   They had several racks of them.

Anyway, this is just a "partial piece" or a little bit of a little bit of what I have for y'all, but I'll try not to burn y'all out in one setting.    Besides, if I post everything all at once, I might run out of stuff to show.   I have some weather shots to show soon and that's what I was gonna actually show you today, but I'll show them later.   Maybe this summer when it's so sweltering hot and we are wishing for something cooler and I can share them to cool us down.   gggg   Oh well, it's all good, whenever we get to 'em.

I pray that y'all will have a great rest of the evening.    Don't forget to thank God for the day.    No matter what your day looked like, God was in it and has gotten you thus far.   I was at Wal Mart just a bit ago and was checking out and I ask the young lady how she was doing.   "Ummm, I've had better days", she said.   I said, "In the name of Jesus, it just got better".   The smile on her face was priceless.   She said, "It did, it just got better".    That's what Jesus does, that's what Jesus does.  

Anyway, it has been fun getting this together to share with y'all and I hope you have enjoyed it.    See you back here real soon with some more good stuff and probably more bookmarks.   gggg

Ladybug, can't wait to see you soon.   Sweetpea love you lots!   

 Always remember, God loves y'all so do I!!!   hugs, Patty

Tag with "homemade" texture paste

Hello y'all!    How's February treating ya'?    I hope it's being kind to all of y'all so far.  It seems like this year is already flying by, just like boxes of chocolates flying off the shelves of our favorite shopping haunts.    You know, "sweets for the sweet" and all that stuff.   Just gonna be real with y'all here.   My hubby and I don't have a lot of time for the "lovey dovey" stuff of Valentines Day and I'll tell y'all why.    We made a promise 35 years ago to try to be as good and nice and kind to each other each and every day, 365 days a year and try to make each day special, instead of saving it all for one day out of the year.    So, for us, every day is special, every day is a day for celebration and every day is a day for showing love and care for each other.    Years ago, when we lived in another state, at the place that I worked at, on Valentines Day some of the husbands would send their wives flowers.   One of the girls I worked with smarted off to me about me not getting any flowers.    I was not as nice then as I am now, and I just looked at her and told her I have never came in to work with bruises all over my body and I would rather have that any day of the week than to have all the flowers in the world.    All these years later, and I still feel like the most fortunate wife in the world.   When God was picking my husband, He gave me the best of the best and I am so thankful for that.   So, that is my homage to Valentines Day.

I have a project I wanted to share with y'all.    During the month of January I made a lot of bookmarks and will continue to make them.    I love doing it and it's fun and I also have a reason to focus my heart and prayers while doing so.   I have watched many videos on you tube and just all over the internet about all the crafting mediums.    On one of the Google + communities that I belong to; Kraafters Kommunity, it's loaded with tons of great artists that are doing awesome things each and every day and there is always lots of chatter going on about how they create all their lovely art.   Some have even been sharing how to be frugal and make your own supplies.   Well, don't you know that I am all over that like flies on honey, yes, I am.    So, someone had posted how to make your own "texture paste" or what ever the stuff is called.    It's almost free if you have the supplies on hand.   So, I made some and let it set for two or three days and then I finally decided that I would try to use it.   With all that said, I wasn't intending to make something that actually looked Valentine-y, it just came out they way.

This first pic is the two most recent tags I have made and the one with the cross on it has the texture paste on it.   The tag on the left is made primarily of peel and stick items.   The top and bottom border was just cut and then the backing peeled off and placed down.   It was a Martha Stewart product.   Then the cabbage rose is a K and Company product, just peel and stick it also.  After I got them placed, I traced around the cabbage rose with my white Uniball Signo pen and then I inked all the edges of the tag with a brown ink pad.

For the cross, I used the Stampendous Baroque Cross stamp.   I really enjoy that stamp.   I used Memento London Fog for the stamp.   After I was satisfied with the stamping, I then used a stencil I had gotten at our local Wal-Mart and my homemade texture paste.   I have never used anything like that before, so I still don't know if it is actually like it should be, but I think it turned out pretty nice.   I scooped a bit out of the container and put a couple of drops of pink acrylic paint in it and mixed it really well and then applied the paste over the stencil.

After I got the texture paste on it, I used my heat tool to dry it and finished inking and coloring it the way I wanted it.   I took a chalk ink pad and dobbed it on top of the hearts so they were more prominent.   I really have to say that I think I may have a new fav medium to play with.   I then sprayed it with a fixative.   It is really neat to be able to color it any color you want and then apply it.   Yep, I think I like it. 

You can see in this close up that they are not level at all.  They are sort of lumpy and bumpy and that is what I love so much about it.   The mixture itself is as smooth as silk though.    And, a little goes a long way.   I just love it.   If anyone wants a recipe for it, just google "homemade texture paste" and there will be tons of stuff pop up and most of it will be the same recipe.    I used the recipe with talcum powder, but there is also a recipe using baking soda.   I love the one I made, but I'm sure the other may be just as great.

A friend of mine had sent me this in a daily devotional that she gets and then she passes it on to others.   I just absolutely love this.   And to be honest, I may have already shared this within the last year or so, if I have, just consider yourselves doubly blessed, because this is just an awesome prayer.    God has shown me who He is in my life and that is "El Roi, the God who sees me."    I have much comfort in knowing that even if no one else notices, "I" matter to God!    In all those times I have felt invisible, I was always seen by God!!!!!     It is just human nature, to want to know that we each mean something to someone.   Well, let me tell you, there is so much sweetness and joy in knowing that you mean something to the One who matters most, and that is God!    You, my friend, matter!!!!    No one will ever care more for you than Him!!!!!!     You may be reading these words for the first time, if so, re-read them, then read them again.    Soak in them.   Let them penetrate your heart and mind.    Read them out loud for your own ears to hear.   When you hear something, you are more likely to remember it than if you just read it alone.    So, read these words aloud.    God also says His words will not come back void or empty.    So speak Gods words aloud and let God bless you with them.   He sure wants too.    Something else you can do is google each of these names of God and just go a little more in depth with them to find out even more than what is written here.    Anyway, read 'em, enjoy 'em and most of all, believe 'em!!!!! 

A Prayer Using the Names of God

Elohim,
I KNOW You can create something out of nothing, please create something out of any nothing areas - the impossible situations in my life.

El Elyon,
I KNOW You are in control, sovereign, and I give You my circumstances today.

Adonai,
I KNOW You are my Lord and Master, I choose to follow You instead of the ways of the world.

El Shaddai,
I KNOW You are God Almighty, and I trust that You are sufficient for my deepest needs today.

Jehovah Jireh,
I KNOW You are my provider, and will supply everything I need today.

El Roi,
I KNOW You are the God who sees me, and that I am never alone, and nothing in my life goes unnoticed, for You know it all and see it all.

Yahweh,
I KNOW You are the one and only, self-existent, eternal, covenant-keeping God and that You will always love me.

Jehovah Rapha,
I KNOW You are my healer and I come to You now with every area of my life that needs healing today.

Jehovah Nissi,
I KNOW You are my banner, and the victory in every situation that threatens me today.

Jehovah Mekoddishkem,
I KNOW You are my sanctifier, making me holy, doing for me what I can never do for myself.

Jehovah Shalom,
I KNOW You are my peace, and bring calm in every storm I face in life.

Jehovah Sabaoth,
I KNOW You are the LORD of Hosts, and bring deliverance as You defeat my enemies.

Yahweh Ro'i,
I KNOW You are my shepherd, and intimately care for me even if no one else does.

Abba, Father,
I KNOW You are my Father and that I can run to You and rest in the security of your everlasting arms.

In Jesus' name,
Amen.

Oh my, such powerful and precious words!!!   I hope you will read them over and over and over.     Always know that you have a soft place to fall when falling into the lap of God.    Abba, Father is waiting, what are you waiting for?

Ladybug, I hope and pray that you are having the time of your life and that you are the belle of the ball!   Sweetpea loves you and can't wait to see you again!!!

Good night my precious friends!    I pray for peace, joy and love to rule your days and pleasant dreams by night.   Lift your eyes and see the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!    He's there!!!!    God loves y'all and so do I!   hugs, Patty

Are y'all Rejoicing?

Well, are y'all?    And y'all may even be asking why I am asking such a question.    If y'all are, then I will refresh us on what I had discussed waaaaaaay back on January 1st.    Instead of making a New Years Resolution, which I always know I will break before I even get it out of my mouth, I decided I would challenge myself with something that would be far greater than any resolution I could ever make and keep.    The challenge was and is to be able to Rejoice every day.    I have felt like "Rejoicing" was something I had forgotten how to do.    So, I have made a conscious decision to look for and recognize that I have much to Rejoice about.

Have you ever thought about that particular word?    To be honest, I had not really paid that much attention to the word.     So, I decided I would get my Strong's Complete Dictionary of Bible Words out and look it up.    Just so you know, I did not go further over to the Greek and Hebrew section of the book.    With that said, there was 19 different numbers to look up in the Greek and Hebrew sections.     Each one having a different meaning of sorts.    But, I do want to share with you some of the ideas that the word "Rejoice" has behind it in the 19 different Greek and Hebrew words and wordings.     Rejoice; stage of life; delight; to jump for joy; exultant; reveling; leap for joy; wave; shout for joy; to be bright; cheerful; to laugh; to play; to be or make gleesome; to be glad in; to glory in; to boast or brag; to sympathize in gladness.      Do these words make you happy or what?!     They just make me want to "shout for joy", which of course would be Rejoicing!!!!       This is where my mental image just took me:  All of us crafters and artists and people who love the Lord, in our area that brings us peace and happiness break out into a "wave" all at the same time, in a celebration of Rejoicing; God seeing the big picture, smiling and proudly saying, "THOSE ARE MY KIDS!"     Now, tell me, is that not enough to make you want to rejoice?

In reality, we all do have so much to jump for joy, wave, leap, to laugh, to play, to be bright and to sympathize with in gladness.     We don't have to look hard either.     So, again Rejoice is my word for the year.     And, again, I challenge myself and y'all to look for ways to Rejoice everyday.     We won't have to look hard, I'm sure!

I had a major reason for Rejoicing on Sunday, January 11th, 2015.     My family finally got to have our Christmas get together at my Mom's.    She had texted me earlier in the week and was letting me know that Sunday would be our get together.    I had texted he back and let her know that we wouldn't be there, because of my hubby's job.     He was supposed to have to work, so we wouldn't get to be there.    On Friday, he found out he would have the weekend off and he texted me from work.    So, I was thrilled he was just having a weekend off and then I realized we would be able to see Mom and everyone.    I did not let my mother know we was gonna be there.    I just let it be a surprise to her, and she WAS soooooo surprised as was everyone.    It was a great day of family celebration and I have been rejoicing over that.

When we all get together, there is tons of laughs and lots of strolling.........down memory lane, that is.     The main conclusion that we all finally come to is that it truly is AMAZING that we all reached adulthood with all limbs, eyes, fingers and toes in tact!!!    Each one of us had to have had about 20 guardian angels!!!!!!    Looking back on those days, it truly is a miracle!    Something was mentioned about breakfast.     My oldest brother looked at me with eyes as big as serving trays!     I said "Oh my gosh, there has been times that I would have paid $20.00 for a breakfast that my mother used to make.   Every morning of the world for more than 30 years she was up about 2:30 a.m. making two cookie sheets of home made biscuits, gravy, bacon, sausage, eggs, oats, and always home made jelly.    (Try cooking for 8 mouths and see what time you have to get up and how long it takes.)    That is the way we got our day started off, every day.    Dad left for work about 5:30 a.m. and then we caught the school bus about 6:00 a.m.    Our particular school bus route was the longest route for one bus in the county, so we was on it early.    If I ever went home with a friend from school and spent the night, we had corn flakes.    Corn flakes don't get you very far in the day.    But the breakfast that my mother prepared for her family was fuel that would last till lunch and longer, if needed.

Those are good memories, worth remembering and sharing and passing on to the younger ones.    Those are memories worth rejoicing over!     I think so anyway, and I hope you do too.

Another funny little thing happened that day.   I had shared with y'all back in November about one my brothers coming and spending a major part of the day with us and having such a great time that day.    Well, a few years ago he started this little thing that I have just come to expect.   When ever we was together, he would say "Hold out your hand", and very cautiously, I would.    hehehe    The first time, it was a little monkey about 2 to 2 1/2 inches tall.    The cutest little thing you ever seen.    The next time it was another little monkey with a different pose.    He said that was us when we was little.    And over the years, there has been little animals, one right after the other.    Zebras, hippopotamus, a cardinal, a meerkat,  a mouse.........and the list goes on.    Well on Sunday, he came over and sat down by me and asked if I ever found anything after he left that day back in November.    I said I hadn't and that I was a little disappointed that I didn't, because I was so accustomed (spoiled) to it, that I really expect it now.    We laughed and he said "You haven't looked hard enough".    Well, I couldn't wait to get home!!!!!!     I had searched the living room high and low, but I knew nothing was there, because I would have already found it long ago, had it been in there.    I started searching the kitchen, high and low again; knowing that it would be easy enough to overlook in there, but I searched anyway.    Nothing!!!

Next, I went to the bathroom, and to be honest, there's not much of a place to hide anything in there, but I kept looking.    I have a little cabinet in the bathroom that is about a foot wide and a foot deep and its about 5 foot tall.    I have lots of makeup (not that it's used that much) and haircare products and stuff like that in the cabinet.    On top of it is a lot of dust (I decorate with dust and glitter), a Victorian style clock, and a set of makeup brushes (again, never used), nail polish remover, hand and body lotion and just stuff like that.    I had actually looked up there for something that he might have put up there, but I didn't look really good, just a quick glance and I thought to my self then "I really need to dust the top of that cabinet off", and then I thought of something else, what, I don't remember, just anything to keep from having to dust.

Well, sometime back in December, I was fixin' my hair or something and I bumped into that cabinet and I heard something fall over, but I didn't take the time to see what it was.     If I was fixin' my hair, I had plans, and my plans didn't involve dusting, so I forgot about it as quickly as it happened.    (One "might" come to the conclusion that I really don't like dusting.......one "might" be right.)  Well, then he asked me on Sunday if I had found something and I told him I hadn't.     After searching the living room and the kitchen, then I went to the bathroom and was standing there looking all around with my hands on my hips and I just said to myself, "There's really limited space for him to hide something in here".    I turned to the cabinet and done the tippie toe thing and, and low and behold, right there behind the clock was a little orangutang patting his head.    That is what had fallen over earlier when I bumped the cabinet.     I'm telling you what's the truth, if I had taken the time that day to look for and find what had fallen over on the cabinet, I do believe I would have had a heart attack!!!!!!!     I really do!!!!!   Even as it was, knowing something was somewhere, it really startled me when I found it!!!!     I still haven't told him I found it.    But I found it about 25 to 30 minutes upon arriving back at home.    So, now I will really have to watch him and keep a close eye on him!!!!    Hahahahaha      Oh how I love it!!!!!!     I can see us now when we are old, say, him 92 and me 90, I will be expecting him to give me a little animal and will be disappointed when he "forgets" it.    Hahahahaha   I don't know why he started, but it is something I look forward to now.     So, yes, he has spoiled his little sis.

I have been on a vacation from my blog and just had to sit still and let God be God in my life.    It has been a time of refreshing, renewing and reinvigorating.  So, I'm back, with a new attitude and a new heart for sharing some of what God has shared with me.    I just pray for God's continued guidance in my life as I strive to be the best that I can possibly be for Him, only with His help!   I hope I can put off the old Pharisee-ical "law" and walk in the "mercy and grace" of the cross.    I hope I can put off the Pharisee-ical pride and walk in the humility of the publican.

I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me.    Philippians 4:13     This is a sweet scripture full of that mercy and grace.    I can't do anything in and of my own strength.    But with Christ going before me, being my strength, I CAN DO!!!!!!!!!!

Ladybug, as you sail high this week, I pray for God to direct the vessel!    See you soon.    Sweetpea loves you bunches!!!!!

I can't wait to start sharing some of the stuff I done during "my silent period".   hehehe    Nothing spectacular, just fun.

May God richly bless each and every one of y'all with a deeper knowledge and love for Him.   Always remember that God loves y'all and so do I!!!!    hugs, Patty

Happy New Year, "2015"

Well hello Y'all!!!!    Do you feel any different, age wise than you did yesterday?    Me neither, but we are starting another year and for the life of I can't figure out where the old year went.    I may have to go on  a scavenger hunt to see if I can find it.   hahaha     In the mean time, I guess I will just try to make the most out of what I have, and that is today; right now.    "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is the present".    So, I'm gonna enjoy today as the gift that today is.    It is a gift!    We will never get today back again.    So, lets just try to make the most of each and every day of 2015.   "No regrets!"

I do hope and pray that each and every one of y'all had a wonderfully Merry Christmas and that you found time to celebrate the Christ Child.    After all, Christ is the reason for the Season. 

I just wanted to take the time to thank each and every one of y'all who has supported me by your visits, by being a follower, by your wonderful comments, and by your likes to my blog in 2014.    I have been overwhelmed by the number of hits I have had on my blog and I have y'all to thank for that.    Thank You!!!!    I hope to be able to share more videos in this new year and more fun projects.    I am certainly not an artist, but I do love to play in my craft room and I love to share what I do with y'all.

With that said, I do have a few pics that I want to share with y'all today and I hope you enjoy them.

Hubby and I got out for a bit yesterday, the last day of 2014 and this is what we got to see!!   It instantly reminded me of quilt batting.   hahahah    I have seen my mother roll out batting on a quilt top and then put the backing over it many times, and this is what this thin layer of clouds reminded me of.   I just thought that was a spectacular sight.

This was the same thing, just a different angle.    Hubby took some pics too, but I just shared mine.   All the pics were lovely.    I just could not get over how beautiful the sky was yesterday.

This pic and the next one is of cards that several of us made during an on-line hangout a while back.   A group of us from the Kraafters Kommunity on Google+ decided we would like to make cards.   So we each got our card design together and made 8 card kits and then mailed each individual one of our card kits and kept one for ourselves.   When everyone had gotten all the kits, then we had a hangout session and it was such a great time.   When all was said and done, each one of us had a bunch of beautiful cards.   It was a really fun time.

This is a poinsettia card I made.    I love that die, I just don't remember off hand who it's by.   It is a perfect size for card fronts though.

This is a flower made with my new little quilling comb.   I am hooked on that thing and will be doing more with it in the near future, so "keep your eyes peeled" for what I will be up to.    hehehe

This is another card made with a quilled cross.   I got my happy birthday sentiment a little crooked, that's ok, I just say I used my crooked eye for lining up the two pieces.    hehehe    Bad joke, no crooked eye, just poor placement on my part.

I hope you enjoyed seeing all these pics and the projects.   I hope to have many more coming up for the new year.    I hope to see all of you back here real soon.

As I leave you today, I leave you with this scripture:  Philippians 4:4  Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.

Do you have a lot to rejoice about?    If you are alive, you have much to Rejoice about.   Paul had been through the proverbial "wringer" throughout his ministry and here was telling his readers, then and now, to Rejoice!    What ever the circumstance in our lives, Rejoice!    What ever the trials and tribulations we may be going through, Rejoice!    There's gonna be some bad days, but Rejoicing through them is what will help us be victorious over those bad days. 

I pray that as each and every on of us goes into this New Year, that we will go into it Rejoicing, and if we are fortunate to live long enough to see the end of this year, that we will still be Rejoicing!    I pray that God will reveal to each and every one of us that we have a lot to Rejoice about.    I pray that at every turn, we will find something new to be excited about that we can Rejoice over.   Lets call this year the "Year of Rejoicing!"     Does that sound like a plan?    It does to me.

Ladybug, so happy you are feeling better.   Hope to see you soon.   Sweetpea love you bunches.

Happy New Year again!   God loves y'all and so do I!!!   hugs, Patty