Homegrown Hospitality

Today's Post is...

brought to you by the letter "P"

Brave Girls POSTED my new "Faith the Chicken" doodle on today's "A Little Bird Told Me" Daily Truth.   Faith is "me" (and maybe you) and you see, having "faith" is one thing...being brave (a chicken, get it?) is a whole other story...and this "Faith" that you see in the doodle, she has decided that she wants to be brave and colorful...like a PEACOCK!!!!! and she is sassy!

P is also for PRACTICE..and in addition to PRACTICING bravery, I am also PRACTICING my coloring skills on the newest PURPLE onion stamp release. (PSSST...Trim-a-tree starts shipping tomorrow!)

and am very PLEASED with the way they are all coming out.

P is also for Pete...and as I type, I have a huge PILE of glass ornaments sitting to my right, ready to be PAINTED.  Thank you all for PLACING your orders..keep them coming...I will be painting for a few weeks...so there is still time.

and lastly..and most PROUDLY...

P is for PURPOSE...and I am soooo PLEASED to tell you that with a PORTION of the PROCEEDS made from the sales of the "Little Muslin Hearts" YOU were able to PROVIDE 10 little lovebugs with some JOY...so thank you so so much!!! 

Faith & Bravery

I see that my sweet little "Faith the Chicken" doodlebird is being featured over at Brave Girls today so I saw it fitting to talk about what "she" means.

 
She is me (and maybe you)...growing and being tested in "faith",standing (not hiding) eyes pointed forward and focused (not down or closed) ...but very much a big "chicken" about many things (and being honest and open about those things).

Being a "chicken" is not a bad thing, sorta...as long as you fall back on that "faith" to help you do what you need to do....to be faithful, strong & brave.

"I've commanded you to be strong and brave. Don't ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the LORD your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 (CEV)

I know you might be thinking that it says "do not ever be afraid or discouraged" and I am telling you the opposite by admitting that I am a chicken about somethings....

well, yes, I am often afraid and/or discouraged..because I am human, duh! BUT (dang big but!) I do not let my fears prevent me from doing things...It just makes things a little tougher, I am a little more anxious and uncomfortable..but those things make the outcome of doing something that I may be chicken about much more beautiful.

whew.

My faith is the "wind beneath my chicken wings" (sorry in advance if you sing that song all day!)  to help me fly .

Yes..I know that "chickens don't fly"....but just play along..She's a doodle for the love of Pete! oh..and she is a stamp too...

 
http://www.purpleoniondesigns.com/newstamps.html

Thanks to Mel & Kathy and all of the Brave Girls for helping me develop stronger wings for flight!! 

Worth Every Penny..

I just signed up..again...for Soul Restoration 2.

It is that good.

It is worth every penny.

Here is a little tiny look at what my journal looks like from last session

 
and I LOVE my book... 
but if you do not want to spend those pennies..you can sign up to give...blood...for free..NEXT WEEKEND we are having at Red Cross Blood Drive for this lovely.

and if you do not want to give blood...please give your time to say a little prayer for this big hearted little girl..she NEEDS them!!

and for the love of Pete...take time to make something today!  I spent a few hours over at Oh, Scrap! yesterday fluffing up the store for their KTLA Live Broadcast on Monday morning and was so happy to just sit and quietly create...and have not made these roses in a very long time...

 
The roses reminded me that I have a Create @ Home Technique Worksheet for $3.00 that you can order, download and, well...create at home. Click here to be taken to the link page!

  
Today...

Make time to take time..to do something...for someone else..and for yourself!

One Down...

In Brave Girls Soul Restoration 2 we are setting goals....and setting them the right way, not just because it is something we are supposed to do, you know, like on January 1st.

 
THAT NEVER WORKS..at least for me. 

In Soul Restoration, we are taking steps...at taking steps...make sense? and what better way to take a step than with new shoes...

 
yep, momma got a new pair of running shoes...and on sale, praise the Lord and...today, I am confident enough to share that my Goal #1 is....

 
Healthy Eating + Daily Fitness = Better feeling..Better Living..Better Mind..Better Body!!

You see, my problem has always been that I do one and not the other.....either eat great and not exercise...or exercise great and eat...well...like crap...and it does not work..

duh.

I know I am not the only one that does this and I even know that it does not work...yet year after year...I do the same thing even though I know that it only works when you do it AT THE SAME TIME...

"Pickin' up what I am puttin' down???"

DUH!

Totally reminds me of this verse from Romans 7:15

 "...I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate."

So I joined Weight Watchers last Wednesday. 

I have a goal....and Weight Watchers is one of my steps. 

 
It keeps me accountable...keeps me on track...and after one week...

I lost one pound!

Okay, so not thrilled about only one pound BUT....one is better than none..or better than gaining...and I have to tell you, the reward for eating good & healthy and staying on track AND EXCERCISING at the same time makes me feel like I have lost 10 pounds!!!!

So one down...many to go....goals that is...and pounds...amongst other things...

work in progress...

we all are, you know!

 

SR2

 Are you doing it???

 
Soul Restoration 2....???

If you are then make sure to join up with me in my "Homegrown Brave Girls" group..the names kinda sounds gang-ish...but have you met me?

So not the gang type....

Unless you try to take my paint brushes away...or my markers...

Just kidding.

If your not...

doing Soul Restoration 2, that is,

You should..

Really, it is amazing...duh..

It is Melody...It is Brave Girls...of course it is amazing..and I am not just saying that.

Random Creative

 
1. It is beginning to look alot like "12 Days of Christmas" in JULY..in Pennsylvania!!!!...I am awaiting two shipments, one from Ranger, one from Prima so that I can wrap up the class samples and get you all of the information! eek...I LOVE PA!

2. I made my own fabric from Muslin, water colors and stitching...love!

3. I had a little paint on my brush and on my way to rinse the brush off, I decided to paint a little heart on a little rock from in the front of the shead-teau.

4. More watercolor on Muslin...

5. More doodlin on canvas...

6. Soul Restoration 2 started on Tuesday...just in time!

7. Oh look, more free motion stitching!

8. Christmas stash...

9. Felt+buttons+free motion+hand stitching+Christmas Tree = happiness!

Why did the Chicken....EDIT

cross the road?

because she ("Faith, the chicken) is ONE BRAVE CHICK... 
and she just finished the Brave Girls Soul Restoration and she, ("faith the Chicken") is BRAVE...well, or getting there!!!

Come back tomorrow  it's here now...to see the finished piece but in the meantime, go check out Brave Girls Soul Restoration..Click here for all of the details!

   

Cultivating Creativity

Oh, if you were a fly on the wall and you were watching my process of how I create...you would fly away! I create my own chaos, I know..but it is my process.  I can spend hours on something, and then, that GOD given technique of intuition kicks in...and that "something just is not right" feeling comes over me..

So in a nutshell, here is how one thing ...becomes another (I should have filmed it!)  I started with a blank canvas, some Mod Podge, some white paper, a sponge, some string and some watercolors..

and it became this...  
but I just was not loving it...I did not hate it..just did not love it...so I let it sit for hours and came back to it, and painted over the entire thing...and grabbed LOTS of torn paper and Mod Podge

 
and created a paper mosaic (not a great idea for paper hoarders like me because now I will NEVER throw another scrap away!)....and it became this

 
except...I did not love it. I liked it, but felt that it was not me. Maybe because it was mostly pink, and I only like PINK (the singer) and I just was not feeling it....so...after several hours of just leaving it alone, I came back to it...

and painted over it...(see I told you that you'd want to fly away!)..I painted over the hearts..I painted over the background...over the string...I used the sponge..I wiped this, that and the other...

and I LOVE it.

Now, I know that we are all different (duh!) and have different tastes & styles...and I also know that I can not please everyone (dang it!) and some of you are going to LOVE one of these..and possibly....HATE another, (well maybe not hate)..but you know what I mean!

so, which one is your favorite?

1 (paint and strings)

2 (Mosaic papers)

3 (paint, Mosaic,paint)

and because I am GODS Creative CRASH test DUMMY and HE fills my head with ideas and inspiration which leads me to create ALOT...over and over...I kept going...and here is just a look at what is being cultivated right now....

 
Happy Friday!

 

Watercolors...

Update from yesterday's post....

I KNOW that every flower looks different, that no two are alike...but I know me, and think I will stick to painting watercolor hearts...and maybe cute little houses for BRAVE birdies to fly to!

 

Closed For Restoration, Part 2

It is Saturday, January 29th.

I just got back from a great run through the canyon road right along the backside of our neighborhood.  It is a stones throw away from home but when you are on the path, it seems like somewhere else.  The hills are truly alive after being burnt two years ago and flooded just four weeks ago.  The sun is bright and happy..birds are flying and singing, the mountains seem to be standing firm and even though there are horse "landmines" here and there, the occasional coyote pile of whatever...it is really, really beautiful.  As I ran with my headphones blasting, I yelled (probably way to loud for that early in the morning)up to Ben (who was riding his bike way ahead of me)"I wish I had my camera!"

Do not put it past me to take it next time..we all know that I can run and take photos...

I am a dork, I know!

anyways, today is Saturday, January 29th...

one of the BIGGEST days in the INDUSTRY that I "create" in.

The first day of CHA...the Craft & Hobby Association Opening day...and it is, ut um, about 40 minutes north of here in LA...

and...

I am not going.

(insert screeching breaks sound effect)

That is the first time I have told you this and believe me, I have typed it out several times...just never pressed the "publish" button. Do not worry....I am NOT leaving the creative world...just taking a break from that extreme part of it because I am CLOSED FOR RESTORATION! 

I know me and I know that Tsunami RUSH that hits me as I step onto the show floor...it is big, strong, overwhleming and over-stimulating and I am so at a place RIGHT NOW of being focused on restoring, cultivating, repairing and renewing that I did not want to disrupt my progression

so today, Saturday, January 29th

I am at home..enjoying the morning..doing laundry and teaching myself how to paint flowers with watercolors!