Fiona's Art!

Fiona came home from school yesterday with a bunch of art projects that she had completed throughout the school year. (The one above is an embellished letter "F".)

The second one is her version of "Starry Night". They had learned about Vincent Van Gogh and used a marbling technique to create the night sky...

This is a monster they created with "squishy paint". I am SO INSPIRED by the girl's art work. Complete serendipity; look at those colors! Do you think she sat there beforehand and said "now what colors do I need to use for the best look?" NO! She just created with utter abandon and the wonderful color combination just appeared- straight from her heart:) I already told her I'm going to scan her artwork and use portions of it for my collages -I can't wait. What are you inspired by?

Photographic Fridays...

I really want to blog more often, I enjoy it, it's therapeutic, and it makes me happy:) So I am starting Photographic Fridays...

With the start of the warmer weather, I plan to do a lot more picture taking. I love photographing simple, basic things and making them look pretty. Makes me grateful for all that I have. I can't wait to get started, have a wonderful week!

Finishing an Embroidered Collage...

I finished a collage this week for a friend. I always start off with paint and old papers. I got this book from Lee at http://www.webersworld1.blogspot.com/ I love the papers in this book. I'm thinking about just framing some of the pages. Once I get the first layer going - then I layer with some paint, more papers - usually tissue and wrapping paper (some of the wrapping paper out there is fantastic!)...

Once the collage part is finished, I add the embroidered piece, buttons, and usually a quote...

This one is going to friends of ours that had a baby girl in January. And yes, God's work is definately beautiful! Hope you all have a Blessed week:)

A Gift For Some Friends...

Our friends, Josh and Dee, had a baby girl in January. Her name is Zada Marie Elieen Miranda. I scanned the birth announcement and printed it out on a sheet of printable fabric and went to work embellishing...

I LOVE doing stuff like this - especially when it's for two people as nice and as down to earth as Josh and Dee are...

The embroidery part is complete, I'm going to finish the collaging part tonight. I will post the completed pictures by the end of the week. We will be seeing them soon so it has to get done! Sometimes I work really well when there is a deadline looming. Why is that? Have a Blessed week:)

Treat Bags For A Special Evening...

I finally finished the treat bags for Saturday evening. I love doing stuff like this - to me it's just so much fun!

I played around in Photoshop and designed the iron on transfer, this was a challenge because I wanted to keep it gender neutral. I'm used to creating sparkly, girly things for Fiona and Alexa...

And of course these were REALLY fun to make:) They are Oreo cookies dipped in white chocolate and covered with rainbow sprinkles. Nothing like sugar on top of sugar! I hope the kids enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them.

Here is my new studio assistant, he seems to have attached himself to my hip lately. Where ever I go - he's right there, poking his big 'ol head in to see what I'm doing. Have a Blessed weekend.

Journey...

My family and I are going to a benefit on Saturday for my husband's cousin. She is a thirty-four year old single mother of two small children and she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. I've been thinking a lot lately about how lucky we are to just have the opportunity to to journey through this life...

It's really not about the destination, but how we journeyed through it...

I'm keeping this short and sweet this week as I have been a very busy person (and that's okay - I'm not going to complain at all about it). My contribution to this benefit is small treat bags for the kids that will be in attendance, about twenty of them. I have them almost finished and will post pics before the week is out. Blessings...

My life long facination with paper dolls...

I have loved paper dolls for as long as I can remember. I loved them as a child and to this day I get giddy with excitement when I pull my old ones out...

Now that the girls are a little bit older, I will let them play with "mommy's paperdolls". These reproduction Dolly Dingle Paper Dolls are my favorite...

Dolly Dingle made her initial appearance in 1913. She was created by Grace Drayton, the artist responsible for the famous Campbell Soup Kids. The paper dolls I have are reproductions from the series that came out in 1913 and from the around the world series that came out in 1917.

I think it is time that I scan them into my computer so I can use them in some creations. Have a Blessed week:)