Homegrown Hospitality

"Creating a life that reflects my dreams..Living a life that defines my Purpose"

The title of this post is part of my mission statement.

It is what I do. Create, Dream, Live (well, and laundry..) and is based around my purpose. Part of that purpose is that I share my creative passion and vision with others and in the process, I may be able to inspire others.

Today, I hope to inspire you to use what you have to create something else.  

Yesterday as I was cleaning up the flag block project, I lost focus (whoops) and happened to come across a project I had started creating a year ago (not kidding) and never finished (trying to work on that) 

This is a small file folder journal that was going to be a class once upon a time. The background of the file folders were painted using a baby wipe and paint and then a little neighborhood was created using many different patterned papers and Mod Podged on.  Poor little page sat like that for a whole year and never complained.

Yesterday, I grabbed my black Distress pen (that is really in distress because I have used it so much) and a blue Faber Castell chapstick looking paint thing (geez, I bet they would LOVE me for that amazing promo) and with in 10 minutes, my little neighborhood looked like it had been hit by Ty Pennington and the Extreme Home Make Over crew...

I am going to finish up this piece by adding these words:

²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. ²⁵ Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another —and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV

So now, go create something from things you already have and enjoy the process!

Trailer Park Martha's Home

This is the "Shead-Teau."  My studio & supply storage home sweet home nestled in our little backyard between our garden and patio. I have been spending a little time each day re-organizing and switching things around based on what I am working on right now.  

My buckets hang from the pegboard above the worktop and now hold markers, paint brushes, tools and watercolor pencils:

to the right of me, I have more jars than a canning factory full of this, that and the other and seem really cluttered but in fact I know right where to go when I need something

and behind where I stand is proof to myself that once upon a time I was a scrapbooker (geez, maybe I should put them somewhere better than in a stack, duh!)

to the left of my worktop is the most messy-perfect inspiration board 

in front of that inspiration board sits a two-tiered rod iron rack that is now the new home to my paint supplies

and a new little something I made this morning using Scrabble tiles from a jar, markers from a bucket, baby wipes from tier one of the paint supplies and some stamps. (of which are not picture but stored in the cabinet underneath my work surface)

Take a look at what you have and use it.  It is very rewarding to create something new from the things you already have.  It is why I refer to myself as "Trailer Park Martha"  We can all create amazing things like Martha Stewart, most likely with the things we already have laying around.

 

Get To Work

It is our job..

Now, go get to work!

Happiness Influencer

I am quoting "The Seed" again and using the Tim Holtz Distress Markers to help influence happiness.

Who knew a book & a marker would make a girl so happy.  You may want to consider getting the book and the markers, well and a highlighter for the things in the book you want to remember.

I was inspired by the colors in the wrapping paper I had so I pulled out the markers closest to them. Using the brush tip and watercolor paper, I just added the color onto the paper:

Then because I was playing, I placed a papertowel on top of the page and with a little spray bottle, I soaked the papertowel with water, patted it down and let it sit for a minute or two.  Then I pulled off the papertowel and was happy to see that it now looked like corduroy..Yay!! 

Then I used a heat gun to dry it which took about a whole minute.  

Insert Picket Fence.

Not an actual fence, a pen.  A magic pen that is a happiness influencer on its very own.

Wrote out my word, watched the magic happen, traced the word, wrote out the excerpt from the book, added another word in Picket Fence, traced around it and called it done.

Today, be a happiness influencer. 

Just added...I got an idea...

Stay tuned...

okay...happier than before..

Do Something & Pass It On

Today, I am giving you a new doodle to color and hopefully inspiring you to give something to someone else, kinda like a "Do Something" and "Pass It On" challenge.

 Dream...big dreams

Create..something

Love..one another

Believe..in yourself

Practice..good deeds

Give yourself 20 minutes to color and think about the things above WITHOUT thinking you should be:

1. unloading the dishwasher
2. folding the clothes
3. sweeping the floors
4. cleaning the bathroom
5. ________________

Taking 20 minutes (more or less) of quiet, being still, or in this case, coloring.  It will relax you a little and add a little JOY to your soul...and reboot you, and if you are a mom, a girl, a lady, etc.....I know you could use a little reboot...

then..."Do Something" like 

1. Pass on the doodle to someone else to color and inspire someone else 
2. Bake some cookies and deliver them to your local firefighters and/or police
3. Take your shopping cart all the way back up to the front of the store instead of leaving in- between cars
4. Go to Jessie's Facebook page to "Like" it (PLEASE!)
5. Take your neighbors dog for a walk
6. Offer to make or take dinner to someone

and you will find that 

"There is more happiness in giving than in receiving" Acts 20:35

Directions on how to print this doodle out because Typepad will NOT cooperate with me therefore making this an example of being "Simply Complicated" (dang it!!!):

1. Right click on doodle above
2. "Save Picture As" (save it to your computer)
3. Either insert it into a "Word Document" and print it or simply "Print" it as a picture.

Make Something

I am still being inspired by the February issue of Oprah and again, in the same article that I quoted from the other day, I read more really good stuff...

so today, I am going to be making things.

it is raining so I am making soup...

it is a sport free weekend so I am making art

and I am a mom so I am making piles of laundry to wash...

What are you going to make?

Insert: Purpose

Yesterday on my way to the post office, a new sign caught my eye. I drove by the building that is the new home to the "Joy Factory", the Jessie Rees Foundation. I can NOT imagine being a mom that would be putting up a sign on a building in honor of my child, but that is exactly what a family in our community, a family in our church is faced with and is doing..and has vowed to keep their precious Jessie's dream alive.

INSERT Purpose.

I am on team NEGU..

NEGUstands for Never Ever Give Up and is something we have really started living by in our little home sweet home.  It was what Jessie did in the 10 month she fought...and ultimately lost.  It is her story, the will of a 12 year old girl that taught us to NEVER EVER GIVE UP and will continue to be a force in our house.

KEY WORD: House

So what in the world can I possibly do to help besides pray? 

I can paint and I can run.

(NOT a the same time, duh!)

What can YOU do?

1. You can Join Team Negu and help spread the word
2. You could simply "like" Jessie's FB page (they are trying to get to 200,000 likes by April 8th, which would have been Jessie's 13th birthday)
3. You could sponsor me and Team NEGU for the 1/2 Marathon by clicking that little red scrolling box up there in the right corner because I am training and will run that race for her and for all of those little love bugs that are fighting with that DAMN cancer (excuse my language).
4. You could go to Ebay and bid on this new 12x12 canvas that I just finished last night:
   

I am auctioning this handpainted 12x12 Mixed Media canvas that reads "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" Joshua 24:15.  All proceeds from this auction will be donated to the Jessie Rees Foundation.

GOD gave me the skills and abilities to paint, doodle...and run so that is what I'm doing...in between laundry, carpool and painting base boards...you know, stuff like that.

So..what are you waiting for???? I just listed the canvas on EBAY...as an auction..for 5 days and I sure hope that I did it right...

Happy Friday!

Works of HEart

I have been creating "Works of HEart" on canvas, paper & wood, even blank journals, for several months knowing the specific purpose for the work but not knowing how, where or even better "what" I was going to do with them all. 

I just kept creating and doing what I was to be doing...and stacking them high.

Yesterday, on a whim, I took my stack and "displayed" them just to see what I had.  At one point, Jack even stopped to ask "Mom, what are you doing???" and I just answered..."Just Playing" (but what I was playing was "Art Show")

so this morning, I get an email from my best pal Staci at Grove's asking if I wanted to bring asome of my orginals to Grove's....

for a little Art Show during my classes.

Of course she asked me that...

and of course I want to...

and of course HE knew...

because THAT IS HOW GOD WORKS.

For months, I have been working on a new purposeful way of teaching, teaching techniques to make things like in the photos above. My new "hands on" (not online) class is designed to teach you how to create art from HEart (which sounds confusing)

BUT, some of you do not want to take a class, some of you do not want to learn another technique and some of you do not want to take another online class...so, I am going to start (slowly) offering my "Works of HEart Art" starting with a little Stephanie Ackerman Designs Art Show at Grove's at the end of April.

For more information on my classes and for the Art Show, please visit the Grove's website at http://www.grovesoffice.com/Home.html

 

Stretched and Uncomfortable

Now that is a pleasant title for a Friday...

"Stretched and Uncomfortable" is something that, when doing the will of God, we will feel at one time or another and sometimes...more often than not.  It is what I am feeling and maybe what you are feeling, too...but it does not mean you get to give in or give up...oh, no...

Trouble is part of life, duh and when you are in the midst of troubles, conflicts, strife, ________________ (enter your thought here) amongst all of the homework you struggle to help with, socks to match, appointments to make and carpools to figure out, how you deal with all of it is what makes the difference. Relying on God and doing what HE wants you to do versus how YOU think you should handle your situation will make all of the difference.  When you are sure of that, you will be able to deal with what life brings you much easier.  It will provide you a sense of peace and THAT is what living in Gods will is all about. 

I am certain you are thinking "Well, good morning to you, too" or "Well, I am sure glad I stopped here this morning" which I am glad you did, because I am learning and growing in my walk and here to tell you that "Stretched and Uncomfortable" is a normal and good....and the name of a new canvas that I created yesterday out in the ol' shead-teau while the sun rose...

which, by the way, is a great way to start the day! 

Practicing:Faith

I used to think, say and tell people that  "Having Faith is Easy and Being Brave is Hard"

 

 

but I was wrong and by being wrong, I have learned what is right...Whew!

I have learned and now believe that it is one in the same...that "being brave" part is what I have to do to demonstrate and strengthen my faith one..step..at..a..time..

"Be strong and courageous.  Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”  Deuteronomy 31:6