Inspired Canvas of Words

So, remember when I wrote about this beautiful canvas that Leanne made?  And how it inspired me? 

Well, I decided to try my hand at it.  Leslie at Words of Me Project suggested we do something creative each day for 14 days starting January 23rd.  So for the last week, I've been working on making a companion piece to my Truth canvas. 

Using Leanne's recipe, I started by adding paper scraps to a canvas and mod podging the whole thing. 




I wanted to put all three previous words on one canvas, so I needed to make my own removable letters.  I just took some flimsy cardstock letters from one of my paper pads and put Alene's Tack It Over and Over on the backs of the letters.

I added some butterflies (my fave) to give the canvas a little dimension. 

Then painted it white.  I think the layer of paint might have been a little thin, but I told myself from the start that once I made a decision, I was going to embrace it.  There are no mistakes.

Once the paint dried, I removed the letters and sanded some sections.

Outlined the letters, added some some more scraps and sanded some more.  Then found my K&Co. keys.  I actually had another piece of metal in mind, but I couldn't find it to save my soul.  And I really wanted to complete this project. 

This took nearly a week to complete.  I worked on it every night after work.  It's not nearly as beautiful as the one I received, and quite frankly, if Leanne does decide to sell these in her Etsy shop, I would definitely consider picking some up for some friends.  This took longer than I thought it would. 

Oh, and the scraps from the scraps?  I put them in my art journal. 

I'll figure out something for that some other day.   

Now what have you done to feed your creative soul??

Scratching that Creative Itch

Leslie over at Words of Me Project has issued a challenge for us to do some creating every day.  I did do some this past weekend.  I made these:


32 Valentines for Children's Hospital in Detroit


These little cards are headed to Michigan.  You see, Pat over at The Rubber Maid has asked her followers to consider making some cards for kids in the Children's Hospital in Detroit.  Pat's goal is to have 1500+ cards sent to them to brighten their Valentine's day.  To get the full story, visit her blog here.  And if you email Pat the number of valentines you ship out to the hospital, she'll put your name in a drawing for some Flourishes stamps. 

The valentines can be any size or shape. Remember these from your grade school days? 



Courtesy of thedoodleplace.wordpress.com

 There's nothing better than to be able to create something and then give it away.  You've done something good for yourself and for others!!  SCORE!!!!

Have you heard of Pick Your Plum?  Every day they have a special deal that is good while supplies last.  Sometimes it takes a couple hours, sometimes it takes the whole day for the deal to be gone.  But I'm hooked on these deals.  One deal I scored recently was shipping tags.  I used those tags to make the little valentines. 

So that's my creating for the start of the week.  I have this (almost) nagging feeling that I need to put a brush in my hand.  Maybe I'll scratch that itch tonight after work.  I can't say I am creating each and every day, but the thoughts are there!  I'm going to run with that!!

Have a Terrific Tuesday!

Textured Truth

Maybe you read about it over at Leanne's place.  But I wanted to post here.  Since the Cellar Chicks decided on their One Little Word for 2012, Leanne had this vision.  And we all know that when that chick has a vision, beautiful things result. 

So this is the artwork she created for my word, Truth.  Such lovely texture, and a story behind the creation. 

It's a treat to run your hand over it, feeling all the different textures on one piece.  She posted the "recipe" on her blog and it is inspiring me to make a piece with my previous years' words.  Not that I can match her talent, but I'm loving the inspiration!!

Wouldn't it be nice if some of this showed up in her Etsy shoppe??

I think I'm going to spend part of the day creating.  Something.  Just don't know what yet.  But I scored some sheet music yesterday (Thanks, CE) and it's calling to me!!

Have a great Sunday!

Do YOU have a Dream?

Sure you do.  We all have dreams.  Some of them are goals, some of them border on fantasy.  Some of them are little wishes.  Some of them are humongous.  In my opinion, if what your dreams are make you into the best person you can be, then you are fulfilling your mission on this earth. 

Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday.  He had a dream.  A dream that certainly couldn't be fulfilled overnight.  A dream not just for himself, but for mankind.  "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but the the content of their character."  Isn't that beautiful?   

I'm glad that I've witnessed in my lifetime a shift in how people/races interact with one another.  One man spoke up to voice what others felt in their hearts and moved us to the healing that humankind so sorely needed.  You see, as long as we hold those prejudices and hates, we are not free.  We are shackled by those hates; that anger.  And until we decide that what's on the outside really doesn't matter and that the only thing that matters is what's in someone's heart, we will never be free.  He said it best when he said:

Let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring -- when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children -- black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics -- will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Whether or not you have the day off today, have a wonderful day!  And just send a quick note of gratitude to your higher power that we were blessed to have heard the words from Dr. King's heart. 

Make it a great day!!

What a Difference a Day Makes

Only 9 little hours...(c'mon, hum along)

I just wanted to show you how you can leave for work in the morning with nary a snowflake in sight.  Return home 9 hours later to a totally different look!

Thank goodness for my PG who cleared the driveway before I got home!!  He takes good care of me!

No, I won't be playing in the snow today.  Not that much of a fan.  Just an admirerer from afar!

Have a great Saturday!

A Journey in Mindfulness

It's a funny thing about this place known as blogland. Just as if you're at a party with a lot of people you don't know, you move thru the room and meet people.  Some you connect with and others you listen to and decide that you don't want to continue the relationship.  Recently, I came across a blog I enjoy.  LifeUnity is a blog that focuses on awareness. 

About three years ago, I was part of a research group that considered whether mindfulness had an effect on the recurrence of breast cancer.  When we met, we learned mindfulness exercises, yoga, being still and eating healthy.  Unfortunately, I didn't carry on with what I learned.

Back to LifeUnity.  Lisa has a project that started today that invites us to practice mindfulness.  I signed up for it.  It's called Wild Elephant Project. 

Day 1 - it's working.  'Twas a more mindful day for me today.  I paid attention to things that I would normally do without thought.  All because I did them with my non-dominant hand.  (Try brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand).

Looking forward to where this will lead.  I'm expecting delivery of the book that inspired this project in a couple of days.  Should be an interesting journey.

Care to join me?  Stop by here to let Lisa know.  And I'll keep you posted on how things go for me.

Happy 2012!!

Love the sweetness of this song and the interaction between the two. 

What a great way to start the year!!

Happy New Year to all!  May this one be filled with questions answered, wishes fullfilled, dreams come true, and good health and prosperity to enjoy it all.