Where is your focus?

It seems like more and more lately I have been challenged to re-prioritize my time.  There are so many fun things to do as well as so many things that are good to do. 

Overall, it has to be filtered through an eternal focus.

This is just about one of my favorite collages.  It measures 30x40 and is paper and paint.

Inspiration:  “He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.”  Ecc 3:11

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…”  Matt 6:19-20

The trellis, rotted in some places, supports a lovely flower garden.  It also has some bug-eaten leaves and a few stingers.  The background is composed of dictionary and chemistry pages, suggesting what we know of this world. 

The house, on the other hand, is grand and in sharp focus, suggesting our heavenly home.

So, where is your focus?

Have a lovely fall-ish weekend.

Kelley



Used Clay

 

The last several months, I have been fascinated with clay.  Over the years,whenever I attend a craft fair, I always gravitate to the pottery artists and I usually bring home at least another mug.  Finally, I have had the opportunity to give it a try myself.  Last fall, my daughter joined me in the class and this spring, my husband gave the wheel a try.  It has been tons of fun and I am longing to get my own equipment.  (Gotta heal from a saw accident first, bummer.)

 

This collage depicts some of the uses of clay and is inspired by Jeremiah 18:6:

"Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand"

We are to be moldable in the hands of God and trust that He will shape us to His will.  Some of us will be seed planters who share the Good News, some waterers who encourage and disciple, and some to bring in the harvest.

 

Our job is to try to stay moldable and on the wheel. 

 

Hugs to you.

Kelley

For this season...

 

This has been a lovely fall.  I have been trying desperately to keep up with the leaves and all the other things that go with the season, such as camping and craft shows.  Yes, a lovely challenge. 

I must remember that this is a season that will pass in its time.  The busyness of day to day things cannot blot out what I stand firm on.  If I let it, I could be changed by the shifting tides.  Nope, I will be reminded:

"Praise be the name of God for ever and ever;

wisdom and power are his.

He changes times and seasons,

he sets up kings and deposes them.

He gives wisdom to the wise

and knowledge to the discerning.

He reveals deep and hidden things;

he knows what lies in darkness,

and light dwells with him."

Daniel 2:19-22

 

Blessings,

Kelley

 



The difficulty with clay

About a month ago, I began a pottery class with my daughter.  This has been a wonderful time together, something we have wanted to do for a long time.  We meet in town after she gets off work and my husband joins us for a picnic before class.  We jokingly ask each other what we think we will make that class.  It is a joke because we are so inexperienced with clay that we just hope for something round...ish.  I am always content with the "handmade" look. 

"Yet, O Lord, you are our Father.  We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand."  Is 64:9

Also, in the last several weeks, our Bible study class has discussed gifts.  Sometimes, I want gifts that I just DO NOT have- like singing or public speaking.  I have to remind myself to be content with my own unique gifts.

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit....Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good....All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines." 1Cor 12:4,7,11

 

In this paper collage, the circles are unique, mostly round, marked by the creator (that's the spiral in the centers).  Each offers its own color story to compliment the overall piece.   Just a reminder that I am the clay, and thankfully, "He is the Potter" and He has a perfect plan for me.  I just need to stay workable and willing to be on the wheel.

Blessings,

Kelley



Between the Rains

Last spring, I had the pleasure of participating in a Bible study written by Beth Moore called "Mercy Triumphs" on the book of James.  Her studies are quite in depth and this one amped up the challenge as expected.  One of my favorite "take-aways" was found in the verse:

"Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming.  See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains."  James 5:7

A major point was made that between those mountain top spiritual highs, like the rains in the verse, we are to be reminded of God's faithfulness.

So, what do you do when you find yourself in a time when your prayers seem to hit the ceiling or you are going through a time of seemingly endless trials? 

Be reassured that He hears your prayers, He is faithful.  Remember His covenants.  Guard your heart.  Praise Him without ceasing.  Stay the course.  Fellowship with other believers.  Know that the sun will rise tomorrow, and the rains will come.  

 

"So, if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today-to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul- then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil."  Deuteronomy 11:14 

Blessings, and never forget He is faithful.

Kelley

 



Paper beads, covered in prayer

A few weeks ago, a sweet sister in our Sunday School class was approaching a major surgery.  We ladies "circled the wagons", so to speak, and had a prayer time, with food, of course.  Another thing we did was write out our prayers on scrapbook paper which was later made into beads.  We felt like it was a tangible way to remind her of our prayers and support.

 

Here's how we did it: 

On the backside of any paper, write out the prayers and scriptural promises claimed for your intended recipient.  Be sure to photocopy the paper to send with the finished prayer bead jewelry. 

If you use a 12" square paper, you will have 24" of bead length.  Use a paper cutter to cut paper into about 1/2" to 3/4" long triangles.  I always just eyeball the size.  It is handmade, after all.

Use a toothpick and roll the triangle tightly.  Apply a small stream of white glue to the last 4 inches or so.  It will ooze out and you can spread it all over the bead, making it firmer and a little glossy. 

I added a variety of beads to make the finished extra long strand necklace.  It is also lovely just alternating with pearls.  This is a very old craft that appeals to all ages.  Our girl scouts did this back in the day and I have also seen necklaces made by ladies in Africa. 

 

I love the idea of being covered in prayer.  This is just one way to share our love and support.

 

Blessings,

Kelley  



A paper collage, just for fun

 Just for grins and giggles, I tried out this collage using the kaleidoscope idea.  I like the color combinations that resulted.  It was a paper that had a circus motif, with clowns and lots of "masks." 

This is a close-up...

 

It was fun to work in the paper again.  I have paused in that area but I have some ideas brewing. 

Have a blessed day,

Kelley 

Shutters- overlooked, I think not!

As I mentioned earlier, this has been the year of the yard.  We actually do have some grass that has survived our drought this summer and you should see our water bill!  But, we were expecting that too. 

One thing that is happening is what my darling husband calls "scope creep."  This is a mysterious problem that seems to cause the TO-DO list to expand.  Yes, we had specific ideas for what really needed to happen and somehow, it just goes on and on.

Case in point would be our shutters.  Lots of people have those convenient vinyl (plastic) shutters and it worked for us for a long time.  Looking at the front of the house, though, it was just blah.  My husband even said, "We have shutters?" 

How hard could it be?  It is only 8 plus feet off the ground.  We do live on a hill so that wouldn't be level and of course, it is behind the bushes.  I shimmied up there to see if I could even get one off-piece of cake if you don't count all the wasp nests behind the thing.

Well, with the help of my adult children, we constructed simple 1x4 plank with cross beam shutters that were a little taller that the original but same width.  I painted it thoroughly with primer and outdoor paint and was ready to install.

Oh, my, this is the hair raising part:  The holes left by the previous shutters weren't in the same places on all four.  Ugh...  We ended up countersinking long screws that are gently (pounded) coaxed into the proper holes and "liquid nailed" to stay on the house.  So far, so good.

Then a couple more trips up the extension ladder to fill holes and paint. 

Another bit of "scope creep" would be that we just had to change out the light fixtures too.  Well, the devil is in the details, they say.  And the fun of home ownership never ends. 

 

Standing out in a crowded airport, for sure

I have wanted to do this for so long and finally, I just did it!  If you have ever traveled by air, you know there are a gazillion black bags on that baggage claim line.  I wanted ours to be easy to spot and less likely to get taken by mistake by someone else.  These babies will surely stand out in a crowd.

It was really pretty easy and I just used acrylic craft paint and lots of masking tape to make the plaid.  The plaid is on all the sides and the front plain pocket.

A word of advice:  Don't attempt this right before a trip, when you are tired and already stressed.  Give it some thought because once you commit to a pattern/design, there is no going back.  Be sure to give it plenty of time to dry.  Consider who else might be using the set of luggage.  I had in mind a lovely damask pattern but thought my husband might not be comfortable with it. 

Well, if you see this out and about, say hi...I am nearby!

Kelley

Our yard makeover

This has been the year of the yard.  My husband and I decided our goal for this year was to make our yard enjoyable and green.  We had a yard of moss, rocks and nuts.  We had never really made an effort to do more than mow and have a few flowers.

We truly did try to find landscapers to come do the work in a more timely manner.  Yep, we are totally aware that it is late to be doing this.  Sometimes, you just have to roll with it.

Living in the woods causes lots of shade and makes sun-loving grass a challenge.  Eight trees came down, logged and removed.  A professional did two of those because they were close to the house and my husband and son-in-law did the others.  Whew!  Then, a guy came and ground down all those stumps.  The dirt guy asked if we were putting in a golf course after I requested the eighth triaxle dump truck of topsoil.  A couple of weeks with my dad's John Deer was all it took to get it all over the yard and then Daddy used his box blade to smooth it.  Finally, 150 lbs of fertilizer was scattered, followed by 150 lbs of grass seed.  Oh, my!

Then, at last we rented a straw blower to scatter a truckload of straw.  I gotta say this was the most nerve wracking part of the operation.  It was "a monster" and unknown...but when we finally just did it, the whole thing was done in an hour. 

In a thousand years, when they excavate our property, they will wonder about the tornado specific to this area.  In other words,straw was forcefully blown into the trees and on the roof and everywhere.  I got straw in my grill (aka braces) and in my belly button.  And believe me, it was all covered in prayer.   

Moral of the story:  We can do this!

Blessings, Kelley

Finally, a bloom!

I am over the moon excited to have blooms on this hydrangea!  This plant was a gift when we first moved into our home, 13 years ago.  That poor thing would never really take off, and less than a handful of blooms in all these years.  This year we removed tons of daylilies nearby...wonder if it was struggling with all that competition for water/food?  We have 5 blooms so far. 

This year, our big project is getting a yard.  We have had gobs of dirt delivered and will boxblade soon, followed by seed and straw.  I know, it is late in the season but not for lack of trying.  We started talking to landscapers in February but no one followed through with a quote.  Very frustrating.  Then it became a DIY with lots of help.  We live in the woods and with all the shade and rocks, we have never had much of a yard.  We only mow 4-5 times a season.  But that is about to change.  We trying to REALLY get a yard.

One of my favorite things to do is go to parks and historic sites and play at being an artsy photographer.  This was a special day with my like-minded daughter.  We actually found lots of nice patches of moss, some even had snails hanging out, for The Moss Patch. 

Things are never boring here.  Painted front door, veggie garden, potted plants, guest room re-do (photos next post), yard sales, pup with ear infections, algebra tutoring, furniture projects...

Blessings to you and yours,

Kelley

The Moss Patch

Some exciting news...my mom and I have opened a booth at our favorite antique mall!

Goodlettsville Antique Mall has gobs of fun things to look at and I have brought home treasures from there plenty of times.  We are constantly bringing a variety of crafted, repurposed, and antique home decor and furniture items.  Come visit often at The Moss Patch for an update on our finds.

That was my shameless plug..so far things are going really well.  It has been fun to have an outlet for larger items that just don't travel well to our craft shows.  And we definitely have different styles, so there will probably be something for everyone.  Mama, aka Trudy, is more refined and polished, while I am more on the shabby side.  Somehow, it all goes together. 

On this blog, I would like to share more "life" and less "stuff".  I haven't posted in quite a while because the blog's "identity" was so scattered.  We will see how this all goes.

I have also found Pinterest and gotten quite absorbed.  Do you have that problem? 

"Providence"

Oh, my, it has been a long while since I posted!  I have been anything but bored.  Very busy creating things for my home and for the upcoming craft booths.  We have already participated in one booth locally, with plans for two more next month.  In the meantime, I have painted my living room, slipcovered a chair and hassock, gone camping, tiled a laundry room, made cards, more collages....the list goes on and on.

 

I have just finished this collage, based on the inspiration of Phil 4:13...

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

The colors requested were butter, salmon, red and neutrals.

It measures 36 x 48.

I chose a quilt block called Providence.  By definition it means "the foreseeing care and guidance of God."  It is by His provision we do His will.  The center block, in whites and pale golds, represents Jesus, the Bright Morning Star.  The block is executed symmetrically and as exactly as one can be with handcut papers.  The tree is rooted in Jesus and grows long and tall.  At times, pruning has occured, just as we all experience.  

Scattered around the collage, are stamped words, suggesting all we "can do" through Him, such as grow, worship, love, play... 

This piece is composed of over 600 handcut pieces, using over 30 prints of paper, including vintage worship music. 

I would love to hear what you think.

Sofa Table with a story

Don't you just love a good story?  This table has many years under its belt, but it was built just last week.  I come from a long line of creative homemakers who see beyond what something looks like in the moment to what it could be. 

A few months ago, my mom was watching the ruins of a burned out old house in hopes of talking with the owners.  She walks the area every day and knows the goings on, if you know what I mean.  Finally, she had a chance to talk with them and got permission to salvage a few of the porch posts.  I buzzed over there with my truck and my wonderful husband and these babies came home. 

The top shelf is barn wood, complete with red paint, from my daughter's new in-laws.  It was used as siding on their wedding wagon...long story.

The bottom shelf came from my grandmother's barn before it was torn down.  I guess there was salvaging in my blood way back then...almost 20 years ago...just waiting for the right moment to shine.

A couple of years ago, another local barn was being torn down and my wonderful husband salvaged some hickory posts and beams.  Today, a few pieces make the feet of this table.

So, when you look around your home, what story does it tell?

Hope you have a blessed day.

Linking up to Miss Mustard Seed FFF  and Addicted To Decorating

Playing with Photoshop Elements

In some of my blog surfing, I ran across Kim Klassen and her cafe.  She offers really amazing tutorials on using photoshop and is a wonderful teacher.  Oh my...I have so much to learn! 

Blessings ;)



Asheville, NC

 For our 24th anniversary, my husband and I went to Asheville, NC.  What an interesting town!  It was quite "environmentally friendly" and "creative."  Of course, the Biltmore was really something to see.  I was blessed to learn that the couple was quite in love. 

 We were nearly the first visitors in the gate and we spent the cool of the morning in the gardens.  My darling husband was VERY patient as I played with camera settings and my tripod. 

 There were many "take-aways" from this visit. I loved the plantings in the suitcases.  It was unexpected in such a manicured place. 

I promise to post more on my projects...several things are now checked off the list. 

Blessings.



My kind of Birding

Looking around our house today, I realized I have something "birdy" in every room in our house!  We live in the woods and they are alive with the sound of bird calls.  That is one of our home's best features. 

I made this little fella from scraps of an old quilt.  It combines a few of my favorite things in life: quilts, birds and all things vintage. 

Blessings!

Present for Baby Girl

I have been wanting to make some baby shoes for ages.  At last someone in my circle is having a baby girl and this is the set I came up with.  I had a pattern for the shoes.  They are lined with regular felt.  The pattern called for wool felt but there was no white available.  Anyway, I came up with a ribbon embellishment in lieu of buttons (choking hazard).  The onesie is a $2 purchase at Walmart, embellished with a ruffle "skirt", embroidery and another ribbon flower.  I had such fun and so many more ideas for this personalized baby gift. 
Ah, someday I will be a fun Grandma...not too soon though!
Blessings,
 

"The Narrow Gate"

"Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."  Matt 7:13-14

"Known"

 Psalm 139
"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.  You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.  You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways."

"If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."

    

"You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." 



I love to create paper collages.  Usually they begin with faith.  I love this Psalm...I am comforted to know that I am "known".  If only all young women could keep this reassurance close to heart.

Blessings