It has been a busy month!

Wow - I am always surprised at how time can fly.  It has been a month since I posted and a lot has been going on.  I took at trip to Pennsylvania, a trip to Houston to the International Quilt Show, and am now in Colorado on vacation.

I will devote this post to my trip to Pennsylvania. And the next posts will be the Houston Quilt Show and our Colorado trip (where I went to a KC Willis workshop and made a beautiful fabric collage piece using her techniques).

What a wonderful time we had in Pennsylvania!  My friend, Barbara, and I flew to Philadelphia to attend a breast cancer event at Byer's Choice and the James Michener Museum which Victoria Adams Brown, the founder of The Way to Women's Wellness Foundation had set up. Byer's Choice makes Christmas and other holiday dolls about 15 inches tall or so - some smaller.  They have a lovely set up where you stroll down what appears to be an old English cobblestone street and each window is decorated in a different theme. Their campus is unbelievably beautiful and manicured.  Here is a picture of the statue of children at play that greets you as you enter their campus.

They had a lovely open house event with food and wine called "Think Pink" where our artbras and several of our crazyquilt wallhangings were exhibited.  The room where they had the artbras and quilts was just stunning and each artbra was behind a glass window.

Six of the artbra designers were able to come in for the event.  We autographed and sold our calendars.  We were fortunate to meet and talk with survivors and listen to their amazing stories.  (in the picture left to right:  Laurel, me, Stephanie, Barbara, Leone, Brenda, Victoria)

After the Byer's Choice event, we went to Skippack - a beautiful little community where they were having a street fair which was fun and we visited a great shop called The Wooden Duck (we had met the owners the night before at the Byer's event) and had a great time shopping!  We then went to the James Michener Museum where one of Vic's bras was on display and one of Barbara's bra's "Grape Expectations" will soon be auctioned.  While there, we also shopped (imagine that!) because their gift shop had fabulous things ( the muppets were there) and a wonderful metalsmith artist, Sherry Tinsman, was too.

Here is a photo of me with Sherry.
Sherry had wonderful silver designs and I have to admit, I left with a couple of pieces and I believe most of our group did as well.  The majority of her designs focus on dogwood flowers. It was a wonderful, busy, whirlwind of a trip.  Vickie was a great hostess to us and it was wonderful for us all to meet and get acquainted.  We chat online often, but many of us had never met face-to-face and that was really special.  One shop I really enjoyed visiting was "Ten Thousand Villages".  It had hand-made items from all over the world and the sales of these items benefit people who would otherwise have no means of support in their country/village.  I discovered that we have one back home in Houston as well and plan to visit it when I need that special gift for someone.  We all bought some beautiful jewelry there at very reasonable prices.  I also got a really neat scarf and hat.  The most challenging thing about our trip to Pennsylvania was the driving....they don't have their streets laid out perpendicular at all and intersections often had six or more streets converging so even GPS directions were hard to follow, but we made it!
One of the greatest things that happened is that our first print run of the calendars sold out!  A second printing was ordered and has come in so I hope you will order yours:  artbra calendars 

Here are a couple more fun photos:
Byer's Choice had a costume room
and I had fun trying on different
clothes and hats of the Victorian Era.

Here is a picture of a real covered bridge.
Vic found this for me - I have always
wanted to see one in person.

And, of course, here is my artbra on display at the exhibit.  Mine is the one on the right.  The one on the left is an artbra by Stephanie Novatski.

God Bless till next time!
Jules

Leaves are falling, are falling, are falling....

Well, finally here in Texas, we have experienced our first little "cool" snap.  Leaves are falling like rain, but it feels so nice.  We had such a dry, hot summer - it is so refreshing to walk outside and feel comfortable instead of like you are walking into a steam bath.  I have really missed working in the gardens and now will be my opportunity to get out there and play in the dirt a little bit.  That is when I am home any this coming month.  October is going to be very busy, I have trips to Pennsylvania, Houston, Arkansas and Colorado planned - whew!  It will be tiring, but loads of fun.

Today, I thought I would talk to you about something I have been involved with that is so satisfying - good for the soul, and helpful to others.  I met an extraordinary lady at my church who some years ago lost an infant after childbirth.  The experience led her to start a ministry to help others who are affected by the same loss.  The ministry is called Johnathan's Ministry, after the son they lost.  It is about giving comfort and hope to families who have suffered the loss of their babies and to show Christ's love as the only true comfort.

Their mission is to provide memory boxes to southeast Texas area hospitals. With the support and cooperation of the nursing staff and health care professionals, the items reach families who have suffered the loss of a baby. The boxes include a tiny bag for hair clippings, a plaster kit for hand and foot prints, a disposable camera, a GUND teddy bear, and a handmade layette that includes two gowns, caps, and receiving blankets.  Nothing can really comfort a broken heart in the loss of a child, but healing can happen, and joy can be found again.....in Christ and that is what this ministry is all about.  Here is their website:  Johnathan's Ministry.   Even though you may not live in our area of the world, perhaps you can find or start a similar ministry in you area.

Here are a couple of photos of little bereavement gowns and caps I have made for Johnathan's Ministry.  There is such a need out there - hospitals are always contacting them for more of their "bereavement boxes".  If you like to sew and/or do silk ribbon embroidery or other embellishment, please give it some thought.  White cotton batiste is used to construct the dresses and hats; and lace, decorative machine stitching and even silk ribbon embroidery is added for a special touch.

I have also spent some time lately going through some family photos.  One of the reasons I am going to Colorado is to stop in and take a workshop in fabric collage with K.C. Willis in Longmont at the beginning of our Colorado vacation.  She has some really fun techniques.  You can check out KC retreats here.  So, I thought I would share with you some of the lovely old photos I have found of family members.

 

Aren't these fun?    The little girl putting on her shoe - my Aunt Julie, the year 1919.  All the other pictures are prior to that except for the young boy in knickers - that's my dad about 1930.   That is my great grandmother and grandfather sitting in the rockers in their store - my grandmother made hats for ladies.  They are also pictured in the oval print with the three children - the little girl in my great-grandmother's lap is my grandmother.  The picture of the girls on either side of the chair are my dad's mother on the left and her sister.  The photo of the young lady in the buggy with the horse is my great Aunt Juliette "Tot" - she won this horse and buggy in a contest, but was deathly afraid of horses so did not keep it.  I just love going through old pictures.  The main frustration is that I wish I knew more background information on each one of them.  Most of these old family pictures have no notations on them which is really sad.  So...I have a decision to make as to which photos I want to use in my fabric collage workshop...what do you think?

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This year in my Bible Study Fellowship, we are studying the Apostle John.  Although we have just started the study, I can clearly see that it will be a favorite.  He had such a personal relationship with Christ.  He waited many years after Christ's death before writing the book, reflecting on what he had seen and heard and allowing the Holy Spirit to move within him. The Book of John, therefore, reveals the meaning behind the words and events of Christ's ministry and is a much more intimate accounting than the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke.  John's goal: to provide evidence that Jesus is the true son of God and our salvation.  I look forward to sharing with you the lessons it holds for me. 

Blessings till next time -

Jules

A Quick Note - Busy Days - Calendar Done!

Hi!  I just wanted to drop in for a quick moment to let you know that the website for the sale of our "ArtBra" Calendars is up and running. I will be leaving for Pennsylvania soon to attend the Byer's Choice ArtBra Exhibit and Gala and I am so excited.  It will be great to see old friends, meet new ones and see every piece in the exhibit up close and personal!

Dear N/A, Please be our guest... to view the new collection of  the Way to Women's Wellness ArtBras at www.artbra.org The 2010 WTWW ArtBra Calendar will feature ArtBras, complete with stories, and   three crazy quilts. Net proceeds from the sale of the calendars will be donated to two cancer centers in Pennsylvania.  A portion will be donated to the Fox Chase Women's Cancer Center   mobile Mammography van, which will provide free mammograms to Philadelphia, PA neighborhoods. Proceeds will also be donated to the Lehigh Valley Breast Health Center in Allentown, PA for Survivor Services. We expect this year's calendar to sell-out!  Over 50% of the calendar printing has been sold. Calendars are $14, printed with heavy-laminated covers and gorgeous photography. Sincerely, Victoria Brown A Way to Women's Wellness  Cover Design  "Day of Wine and Roses and you..." by Barbara Blankenship We are pleased to present the 2010 WTWW ArtBra Calendar! Meet the Designers at the WTWW ArtBra opening exhibition at Byers Choice, October 2, 2009 in Chalfont, PA  All proceeds from the Exhibition Opening  Cocktail Party will be donated to Fox Chase Women's Cancer Center  in Philadelphia, PA for breast cancer research. The  WTWW ArtBras and Crazy Quilt Exhibition will be open through October 31, 2009. Event Info October 2, 2009 Cocktail Party 7 - 9 PM Byers Choice, County Line Road,  Chalfont, PA Exhibition will be open from Oct 2-31, 2009 October 3, 2009 Calendar signing at the James A. Michener Art Museum  Doylestown, PA October 4th Calendar signing at Byers Choice, Chalfont, PA   Designers attending ~ Barbara Blankenship, Victoria Brown,  Leonie Hartley-Hoover, Laurel Mazziott, Stephanie Novatski, Brenda Wilson, and Julie Yonge. Start your holiday shopping early and have the designers  sign a calendar for you! A Way to Women's Wellness, Inc www.artbra.org info@artbra.org

I am also busy putting together a couple of articles for the upcoming issue of Crazy Quilt Magazine (CQMagOnline.com) which will be out the end of October.  And, the moment I return from Pennsylvania, I am off  to the Houston Quilt Market and Show to attend workshops, meet vendors, and see what's new in the textile world.  

Sorry this is such a short post, I will try to post again soon and have some pictures of some things I have been working on.  

Have a blessed day!  Till next time,
Jules

Woohoo We Are At It Again!

I can't believe it has been over a month since I last posted. I surely apologize and will try to do better indeed. One reason that I have not been on the computer, is that I have been in the midst of creating another artbra. We had a short deadline and I had to really dig in and get busy. An artbra - what is that, you ask? Well, over the past few years, I have been involved with an incredibly talented lady of great vision, Victoria Adams Brown. Vic is the proprietor of an online business called RibbonSmyth which sells silk ribbons, laces, buttons, and all kinds of embellishments. She is also an author of ribbon embroidery books, a teacher, an amazing artist, and the founder of A Way to Women's Wellness, a charitable foundation to benefit breast cancer awareness and research. Vic is also the original creator of the artbras concept. Artbras are just that - we take a simple 36C bra and create a piece of art to inspire and encourage all women, but especially those who have in some way, been affected by breast cancer. A group of us began making artbras several years ago, a interesting undertaking indeed. The bras have travelled the country to many venues the past few years raising breast cancer awareness and funds for research. An artbra calendar with amazing artbra creations was published in 2005, 2006, and 2007 proceeds of which went to benefit breast cancer research. Here are a couple of snapshots of the event held in Lubbock, Texas I attended where a sizable check was donated to the Joe Arrington Breast Cancer Research Center there.
This is just half the bras that were exhibited at the banquet at the cancer center. Then, a picture of several "designers", me in the middle, as we autographed calendars ....what a hoot! And, finally a picture of Vic (in the middle) as she presents the check to the Surgical Doctor and Head of the Joe Arrington Breast Cancer Research Center.

Then.... since we are all lover's of ribbon embroidery and stitching, we began making themed silk ribbon embroidery quilts which are donated to breast cancer hospitals with the goal of encouraging and supporting those women who are facing this challenge every day. Here is the wall-hanging quilt done for 2009. The theme was roses.


A decision was made recently to do a 2010 calendar and many new artbras will adorn its pages along with pictures of three of our breast cancer wall-hanging quilts. The blocks which comprise our quilts are made by fabric and silk ribbon artists from all over the world - New Zealand, Turkey, Canada, the USA, to name a few. Vic is just amazing at pulling together sponsors and other interested parties to work in partnership to benefit breast cancer research. It is a tremendous undertaking - she is just a dynamo! Here is one of the ads announcing the October Gala in Pennsylvania.
The bras will be featured at the Byer's Choice Gala. They will be professionally photographed to appear in the 2010 calendar; and along with each bra, a fun story about the bra and its possible wearer, has been created by its designer. The techniques and supplies used in its creation is also provided. This calendar will be available online for $14 each plus postage and will begin to ship the last week of September. The proceeds will go directly to breast cancer research. Byer's will be donating the monies received at the October 2nd. Gala to the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Pennsylvania and Vic has other breast health centers lined up as well. More information on those health centers receiving the proceeds will be in the calendar. Please visit this Flickr site "ArtBra" to see some of the gorgeous creations which will appear at the Gala Event October 2 in Pennsylvania and the new 2010 Calendar. I am so honored to be among the designers. I will be travelling to Pennsylvania with my friend and fellow artbra designer, Barbara Blankenship, to attend the Gala and the designer signing event at the James Michener Museum. I am so excited to be able to see all the wonderful creations up close and personal. Although the professional pictures are gorgeous, you just can't fully appreciate the amazing details and workmanship that goes into each individual piece until you put your nose about 8 inches in front of it :-) What a thrill!

Here are pictures of my three earlier bras and then a picture of the bra I just designed. My first bra is "Fowl Play", composed of genuine peacock feathers, silk velvets, rolled ribbon roses, beading (the sides of the bra have beaded peacock feather motifs). My second bra is "Sweet Seduction", composed of various fabrics for the chocolates, hand-dyed silk rolled ribbon roses and lace motifs, beaded straps and motifs on the side of the bra and some broken bits of jewelry to adorn the chocolates. My third bra - I don't know what I was thinking - thought I would try a bit of fantasy and came up with "Be Lifted Up, But Don't Touch My Honey". It is composed of various fabrics, flowers, beaded fabric leaves, wired organza wings, and the honey combs are made of form core, painted, sealed with a glossy glaze and covered with a honey-combed netting for affect. That is what is fun about these creations; you don't really know where they will take you - it is an adventure - a creative journey.
Lastly, here is my latest creation. This bra is "Morning Has Broken", one of my favorite songs. And, because of this, the inside lining of the bra is done in musical note fabric. The outside background of the bra is done in purple dupioni fabric with hand-dyed silk for the leaves and branches which extend to both sides and the straps of the bra. Fabric motif butterflies were cut out, painted front and back and stiffened - then I gold leafed their edges and added sworovski crystals to their wings and scattered them over the bra. The bird nests are made from an armature of foil covered with clay and then baked. Dried grasses, twigs, feathers, glitter were then added and sealed. The eggs are painted silk cocoons. The baby bird is also formed of clay, painted and sealed.
The flowers are silk millinery flowers from a vintage hat. The feathers were generously donated from my Quaker parrot, JJ.

Please check back for the website and specific details for purchasing these calendars. I will post it as soon as I have this information.

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I usually like to leave you with a bit of inspiration - a few words or a video. This short clip speaks to God's mystery. We can't imagine why some things happen, but we should never give up. God provides hope and courage deep within us...it is there in all of us, just ask Him - He will provide. Click here to see....Inspirational video.

Blessings till next time!
Jules

Do You Have Gremlins?

Boy, I don't know about you, but I am sure I have gremlins in my sewing studio-ette. Yes, studio-ette, because it is not quite big enough to be a full fledged studio ....it is a studio want-to-be, but it is cozy and well used. My online friend, Willa, came up with this most appropriate term for those cozy sewing spaces we all create. Now, back to the problem at hand. Each time I turn around the place is a bigger mess than the minute before! I am sure it is gremlins...I just can't make that big of a mess so quickly can I? Anyway, I have spent the entire day cleaning, organizing, and straightening my studio-ette. I still have a bit to go, but I feel I can breath in there again. When it reaches "maximum clutter stage", I just can't get my creative juices to flow....they feel all squeezed in, so I am forced to "stop!, step away from the stitching and clean up the mess". And, no! I am not crazy enough to put such an incriminating picture online, but, I will show you my work table.

My darling DH put this together for me and it is wonderful. We took two inexpensive six-drawer dressers and put them back to back on a platform with a small space between the two. The platform is a firm foundation for the two dressers and it is on rollers so I can move the whole thing as needed. We left the space in between the two dressers for further storage of big, long items, so it has two shelves in there. We also extended one end a little bit and started the inside shelves about a foot or so in so that I could sit there and have my knees up under it if I was seated working on a project. The table measures about 4.5 x 5.5 feet. It is really great to lay things out on, but like my counter space, it is easy to fill up fast. What is about empty counter space....we just walk in and lay down whatever we have in our hands! It is also amazing how once we feel we have put things in an appropriate place and are organized....we can never find them again!

I want to share this adorable charm
I received from Stephanie Novatski.
If you are not familiar with Stephanie and her work, please check out her blog, Novablossoms (link on the left). She is an award winning artist. Right now, she is specializing in dolls. And, by looking at this beautiful fabric and beaded charm, you can see her talent in creating amazing faces. Each side of this fabric charm (which is about 1" in diameter) has been hand-drawn and painted by Stephanie. This was a fantastic surprise for me and I just love it. Stephanie also did "my face" I use for my profile picture here on my blog. She is amazingly gifted. You can read more about Stephanie in the upcoming issue of CQMagOnline (link on left). My sewing group has decided to make a charm bracelet soon and each of us will be creating a charm to exchange out of found objects and such so this charm will be a wonderful addition to my bracelet.

I have finished my "breast cancer block" (remember, I took some of it apart and re-worked it) and I will take a picture of it tomorrow to post. Barbara B. of our group is putting the breast cancer quilt together this year. Jan, Barbara and I went to Houston on a little shopping trip last week and found a beautiful light green brocade dupioni for the quilt backing. The theme for the quilt this year is "roses" and with all the varied pinks in the 20 blocks, the green will be a beautiful addition. Of course, with all the talented ladies that participate in this project each year, how could these quilts not be gorgeous. The hospitals and foundations that receive them are beyond pleased.

I have begun to stitch again on the lapel for my black kimono jacket which I hope to finish by Houston Quilt Festival....picture to come. I have signed up for some classes that are really out of my box at the Houston Quilt Festival...should be fun.
Oh, and look what I found on Ebay. Can't you just imagine an adorable little lady wearing this on Easter Sunday? Well.....I bought it to use the flowers on projects I am starting with KC Willis so each flower will have a new life :-)

The puppies are growing and real trouble-makers! I will certainly be glad when we get past this stage. They are too cute to toss, so I guess I will grin and bear it :-) It took a lot to get them this tired.

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This past Sunday, we discussed "authority" and how God places people in positions of authority. We had the kids each pretend to be the king or queen of their own country and let them make up the rules for their country. It was quite interesting to see that the majority of them wanted God to be revered and worshiped in their country, but at the same time, they each wanted extra special privileges for themselves. The ol' want the cake and eat it too. Many of them didn't want money to exist, they just wanted to be able to "have" what was needed. Interesting that they see at an early age the power of money. What I did enjoy thinking about was the fact that God does have control over everything so....shouldn't that make it easier for us to respect authority? God is our savior, redeemer, friend, protector - He knows exactly what's going on no matter the way things appear. I guess it's all about faith, practicing faith. If everything was perfect - there would be no need for faith or hope. Let's pray for those in authority to discern God's will and follow His direction - let's practice FAITH.

May God shower you with blessings, till next time...Jules

I Love Classes!

OK, I have said it before...I love to take classes! I love to learn new things. In today's world of computer technology - learning new things is easier than ever! I found a really neat site, via a friend's (Judith) blog where you can get some online classes. It is Creative Workshops at Shabby Cottage Studio. At least they are in my genre! I signed up for my first digital collage class using Photoshop 7. I have tried to use Photoshop on my own, but it is not the most intuitive software. I have a VERY early version (like 1) of Adobe Photoshop and can use that quite well, but boy has it evolved! Well, I am so pleased with this online class. The teacher, Gail Schmidt, does a great job explaining and taking you through each step. And, she is readily available to answer questions by email. Let me share some of my digi-collages with you.... this is my very first digital collage. It has only three layers; fairly simple, but we learned some nifty techniques right off the bat....like how to create the little stars in an overlay and how to apply different effects to each layer. This is supposed to look a little ghostly.

Here is a practice collage I did using the same techniques I learned from lesson one. It still has only three elements or layers; sheet music, a lady and a rose.

Here is lesson two. We added more elements and more techniques. This one has at least six elements or layers including the text; a book cover about Venice, sheet music, a rose, a lady, and the grand canal. We learned how to soften edges and even make a background of an image transparent or "cut it out" to use in our collage and again change colors and effects, rotate the images, and more. This is the third lesson in the beginning series. Boy, it was a doosy, but my favorite to do. It has so many elements and techniques, I can't even count them. We learned how to change colors in different ways, how to add shadow effects, play with opacity, how to add color to the overall image with layers, brushes, and other adjustment tools such as hue, saturation and brightness. In the class this lesson used a picture of a french lady, but I removed her and added a sepia picture I had of my grandmother, Margarite.
The only draw back I can see at all this is that, like most other artistic endeavors, takes time and practice. But I have really enjoyed it and plan to continue to "play". Perhaps a logo, perhaps a new blog banner?

Oh, I mentioned in my last blog that I had also signed up for online video classes from KC Willis. Those were fun too! I am still pulling together my supplies, such a ticking fabric I found on ebay, and I have coffee stained everything I can get my hands on (including my hands).


I should be starting a fabric collage soon using KC's techniques (have to get my house and my studio straightened up first!)

I even signed up for a two-day retreat with KC in Colorado in October. You can check our her Collage Camp and her retreats here. Her location in Colorado is outstanding - we are planning to make a little family vacation out of it.

I also changed my mind about the Breast Cancer block I had pronounced finished. Decided I didn't care much for some of the elements in it so I have taken some of them out and am working on it again until I get to a happy place with it. I will post it when I am finished so you can see if you think I did the right thing :-)

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Can God use You? You know, lots of times when I stop to have a conversation with God, I think...boy, I am not really doing much in the way of helping you Lord. But, being the gracious Lord that He is, He assures me that He is using me all the time, in ways I don't even consciously know about - that makes me feel so much better. There are big ways He may choose to call on people (like missionary work, or teaching sunday school) and smaller, everyday ways He may call upon His people. Have you ever gotten the urge to contact someone out of the blue - that little voice coaxing you to call or write them note.....that is God using you. The person you call or write really needed that contact at that very moment for some reason or another. Let's not take for granted all the little things every day that can touch someone in the name of God :-)

Have a blessed and creative day! Til next time - Jules

Happy Fourth Everyone!

I hope you all have a wonderful fourth of July - spending time with family and friends and staying cool! Or, getting a much deserved rest if needed. Here in Texas, we have had a terrible heat wave, no rain and temps in the low 100's. Keeps me from working in the yard, but I do get time in my sewing room.

To celebrate the fourth, my DH, Mom and I went to a concert on the local college campus. They have a beautiful theater called, The Clarion, built with wonderful acoustics and comfortable chairs! A fairly large jazz group played lots of really fun songs; many from the 40's like, In the Mood, Tuxedo Junction, Bugle Call Rag, and then ended the program with patriotic songs - oh how I love those and it reminded me so much of Dad. Songs like Anchors Away and Stars and Stripes Forever. It was so nice to have people from our community all together clapping hands and tapping their feet to the beat of great music, big smiles on their faces. Warm fuzzies :-) After the show, their was an ice cream social. I just love small town life.

Even with this Texas heat, I do get outside walks several times each day .....because we have two new puppies. A brother and sister pair of basset hounds we purchased from a breeder in Dallas. Bailey (the girl, black and brown) and Beasley (the boy, white and red) Cute! Cute! Cute! yes, but, bad, bad, bad. We are definitely in the potty training and chewing phase. Our older dog, Emma (a very large great pyr) is still not quite sure about these two interlopers! They spend time with me in my studio running around my
cutting table and wrestling with each other, which is OK until they find something they shouldn't to chew on like the cord to the iron; then it's back to their pen.

Well, I have done a bit of stitching. I have been working on a crazy quilt block for this year's Breast Cancer project. The theme this year is "roses" and had to include shades of pink. I took a digital picture of a Madonna image I really like, changed the background to pink, changed the graphic lines to a deeper maroon color, printed her on silk and used her for the focal point of my block. As you can see, I have given her a large bouquet of rolled silk ribbon roses and then spread other embellishments around the block. One of the hardest things about crazy quilting is deciding when something is actually done - my DH teases me about this all the time. But I think I will declare this one finished so I can go one to new projects and/or some UFO's that have been patiently waiting for me.

Speaking of new things, I just signed up online for KC Willis' Collage Camp. For some reason I am a bit intimidated by collage, but I plan on giving it a try with the help of her online videos. Check out her site if you like collage and combining lots of different textures in making wall hangings, journals, shrines, altered books, etc. http://collagecamp.ning.com/ I also want to try my hand at collaged pillows and put together a bedspread with coffee-stained fabrics to give it an old vintage look. If you would like to see the work of KC Willis, you can visit her at www.lipstickranch.com. So, hopefully, in the near future you will see some examples of my delving into fabric and paper collage fun. Right now I am waiting on the arrival on some supplies that I found on good old ebay, then I will jump in!

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As I strolled around outside today (with the puppies), I took notice of some simple things around me, things that are so easily taken for granted: the green of the leaves rustling in a soft breeze, an ant mustering through the dirt, cicadas singing their song in the afternoon heat. I love when I slow down and God gets my attention and opens my mind's eye to wonders of His creation. So why don't I do it habitually, continually? Pretty lame on my part not to make myself available to Him, huh? I can plan on having time with God every single day and before you know it, when I look back on the week that has passed, did I? Most oft times, not. Unfortunately for me, I do not discipline myself enough to include God in everything I do. Oh, I want to and I have good intentions, but I plod ahead each day, busy, busy, busy and fail to put Him first. Oh what a wonderful God, that He waits for me each day, patiently, until I slow down and call His name....it is like coming home, a wonderful calm, a wonderful joy. I am so blessed to know about God, and even more blessed because I know God. I know personally about His grace, mercy and love, yet I still feign to take control of my days. I have the desire to know Him more deeply, to commune with Him, but I am so selfish with my time. With the joy and blessings of time with Him, why is it so hard to give Him the time He deserves from me? After all, He has given me everything, even the gift of artistically creating for my personal pleasure. What an awesome God, thankfully a forgiving God. He opens my eyes and allows me to try again and again, and again to fill my life with the character of His son.

Blessings! Jules