UPCYCLE MONDAY!! Decorating for New Years Party

 

In this new year, tightening our belts for the uncertainty of times does not mean sacrificing beautiful things. God gave us a few basic things, our hands, our brain, and of course, trash that could be transformed into treasures, plus a few things I'm sure most of us haven't put away yet, namely; christmas lights.  



 



 

So, I gathered a few clear bottles, cleaned them out and found this antiquated address labels used in the 80s for the peg printers. You can also use any extra blank labels or anything you come up with, like if you have real star stickers, even better but make sure you are able to remove them easily.

I then drew stars, a lot of stars, cut them and randomly place them around the bottles.

I then took silver spray paint and spray painted all the bottles. they dried quickly so I removed the stickers and voila!! Instant decor accent. I then arranged them on my fireplace mantle, stuck a few led lights inside with some strung outside in between. So the led lights I had is battery operated so no cords but I was just fortunate to have them. You can use white Christmas lights as well.



The rest of the things you see in the photos are paper decorations from party city, cheap ones, 39 cent 8 foot ribbons, cardboard stars you can make and hang yourself, and those vent hoses for the dryer you can get at home depot, cut and connect in a circle and then hung!

The rest of the things you see in the photos are paper decorations from party city, cheap ones, 39 cent 8 foot ribbons, cardboard stars you can make and hang yourself, and those vent hoses for the dryer you can get at home depot, cut and connect in a circle and then hung!  Have a great 2013 and of course...

LOVE ONE ANOTHER!!!  NOW IT'S TIME TO PARTY WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!  DISCO MIRROR BALL!  LOOK BELOW

BORN TO DIE - The tragic life of Jesus

The greatest tragedy of the life of Jesus is that He was born to die.  When there is a new birth within our own circle, it doesn’t even occur to us one way or another that our babies will one day die.  How it must have been so painful for Mary to know that as soon as her baby was born, He was immediately stamped for death. 

Jesus was never described in the Bible to be extraordinary with His looks.  His was not the handsome face we see when artists’ depict Him complete with the intense attractive eyes, soft smooth hair with a halo around His head.  Further, coming from very humble means, he was not adorned with jewels or clothed with the finest linen.  He had to be identified by Judas to the Roman guards because His non-descript appearance. 

When He was being scourged and beaten, blood was coming out of His pores because His capillaries burst internally.  Even God the Father turned His back from Him.  Jesus Himself feared His inevitable death so much that He begged His father to let that cup pass from Him.  But God was, is, and will forever be true to His Word.  He gave up his precious Son.  Gave Him up!  Does this resonate with you as much as it does for me?

I have two kids.  If someone said that I have to give them up to die for the sake of saving others, I highly doubt I would agree to it.  Being a mother, my two babies are more precious than my own life.  How could I even start to think of sacrificing any one of them?  Sometimes I feel so undeserving of God’s love.  I stop to think, who am I to not live my life for His only Son who sacrificed His own life for me?  It is so heartbreaking to imagine and try to put myself in His place as he was being beaten.  I writhe in pain from a little paper cut let alone be crucified, beaten or slashed!!!! 

Yes, the commemoration of Jesus’ birth is over.  We have had our celebrations, came together with family and friends to share a common happy time.  But as we go back into our own lives, back to our daily grinds, do we thank God for our loved ones, our world, our own relationship with God so as to really understand the most precious of all gifts we had been given, that is, a chance to live in eternity because of the life that was sacrificed for us to be given our own eternal life after death?  Just like the great and wise man Rick Warren points out in his book, The Purpose Driven Life, “It is not about you.”

This Christmas, I have been held accountable by God in so many ways towards several people.  It hurt my pride to try to make amends with people I didn't really care about making amends with because of the hurt they have cost me.  Unwillingly but obediently, I succumb to God's wishes.  It will probably take a little time for me to feel better about it but that's only because I am human and imperfect.  But the fact is, I gained the approval of the only Number One Person who matters to me.

That being said, note that the greatest of all commandments was from Jesus and He said, LOVE ONE ANOTHER!!!!  So be it.

EXCITING CHANGES HAPPENING IN 2013

Yes, Yes, I know!  I've been slacking!  There is a firm direction My Happy Cocoon is headed and that is to be ever present every day in 2013.  That is my goal.  For next year, I will start a theme plan and be more up to date so that if you happen to swing by my blog, you will have something new every day.

Also, there will be an additional presence in the coming year, but she is a surprise for now.  She is funny and lively!  That's all I'm going to say, lol!  So watch out for her!!! 

Also, there will be an actual website for My Happy Cocoon now.  Most of the upcoming events, new art, new YouTube announcements will be there so you can also visit the website for new information.

There is also another secret that will be revealed in the next three months, so stay tuned! 

I will also be doing more giveaways, I know I have not done one in a long while but I was just waiting to get more visits from you as well as interactions so that more comments are made.  Thanks to those who have commented as well. If you wish to be an anonymous comment giver, please sign a special name at the bottom of your comment and send me an email with your name and the special name to identify you in case you are the lucky winner!

Hopefully a store will also be in the near horizon so I can give you details and if you are close enough, you can view my artwork in person.

So the beginning of the theme plan will be this Sunday.  For international readers, it will be published at 12am eastern time.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

May the joys, grace, blessings and good fortune be upon you all from God!!!I love you all!

THIS WEEK ON MY HAPPY COCOON - HAPPY FRIDAY!!

    

     This one is a submission to Grumbacher "Winter Wonderland" art submission.  It is an ATC (Artist Trading Card - same size as a baseball card).  The snow section is textured.

     This is called Blue Peacock 18x24 on canvas.  This will be displayed in my new co-op coming up soon!

TWO-FACED

There will be days when one’s faith is tested.  satan uses the vulnerable to attack us in this physical world.  When you stub your toe, you just chuck it as accidental.  It hurt physically but you pay no second thought to it.  However, when someone deliberately berates you and throws false accusations, it is much more challenging. 

We have certain levels of sensitivity to people around us.  There is Level 1 which is reserved for our immediate family such as a spouse, a brother, a sister, children, etc.  Level 2 is more for close friends, in-laws, etc.  Depending on which level they belong, our levels of sensitivity is higher or lower.

However, in the same token, the closer we are to certain people, and which level they represent, there is a certain expectation of how well they know us.  Also, we must lower our expectation of self-centered people as their willingness to look outside themselves to get to know others is a task for them, sometimes even zero.  This is where patience and forgiveness come in.  Most often, self-centeredness is a direct result of low self-esteem.  The lower the self esteem, the higher they regard themselves because let’s face it, only they have to hold themselves up to the highest level because they don’t trust that others will regard them that way solely on their own merits.  Low self-esteem self-centered people will often put others down further to lift themselves up.  They do not know how to handle life crisis because they can’t get the focus out of themselves first so they can begin to empathize with others.

These types of people are experts in uttering the right words, not because they mean it but because they want to appease you so you can feel validated and in turn get that much needed appreciation back.  Be aware of such people because when confronted by accountability, the horns, so to speak, will emerge.  Vile utterances will suddenly spew out at you uncontrollably when they get backed into a corner as you will find yourself wondering what the heck this is.

So how do you deal with such a person between levels 1 and 2 when they come at you with such gusto? 

You pray.  First thing is to pray to cast the devil out but immediately remove yourself from the situation.  Next, ask God to provide you a stronghold of your faith so as not to fall into satan’s trap to trip you up to sin.  God does not require us to continue to associate ourselves with the ungodly, especially family, unless they ask to be forgiven, then and only then would you have a Godly responsibility to forgive.  Never put yourself in a situation where you might be attacked again.  God puts a higher expectation on us, especially those who present themselves wearing the cloak of God’s purity but sinful behind such cloak.  Third, you ask God to bless them.  Suddenly you will feel peace.  The best part of this is that you walked in line with God’s perfect Will and He will pour the blessings out to you more than what you wished for or expected.  After all, it is God you want to please and no one else.

Until my next rant… YES, YOU CAN LOVE ONE ANOTHER, WHETHER YOU KNOW THEM OR NOT!!!!!

SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT

The events that occurred yesterda in Newtown, Connecticut is an outrageous and unbelievable tragedy against God’s little angels and school staff I call heros.  Inasmuch as God reveals Himself to us in unique ways when He does, where we could only regard it as Divine intervention,  satan tries to upstage Him like he always does.  I say this because this little quaint New England town that is so picturesque, Americana and sleepy as sleepy could be satan run amok yesterday when the town experienced such horrifying tragedy in the highest of all levels.  This is the sort of place people relocate to when they want to escape the chaos of big city living and violence.  Who would have imagined that it could happen to them?

How in the world can one 20-year old child commit such heinous crime.  I often wonder what goes through these peoples’ minds to be able to do, or even think of committing such evil acts.  I will assume that the same goes through your minds. 

It is an interesting thing we ask why there is violence in our schools but God has been systematically removed from our schools, should we be so surprised that schools would become a place of carnage because we’ve made it a place where we don’t want to talk about eternity or life?  What responsibility means? Accountability? Not just are we going to be accountable to the police if they catch us but one day we stand before a Holy God in judgment, if we don’t believe that then we don’t fear that and so when people ask, why did God let this happen?  God wasn’t armed, he didn’t go to the school, but God will be there in the form of people, with hugs, with therapy and a whole lot of ways in which He will be involved in the aftermath, maybe we ought to let him in on the front end so we wouldn’t have to call him to show up when it is all said and done and at the back end. 

My daughter Tara and I were discussing this, not to relive the events but to brainstorm about what the solution could be.  If God is not welcomed back in our schools, why not then create a humanitarian class?  Teach good values and morals and create a class in school from Kindergarten to Senior Year in High School.  Even if they were as basic as politeness, caring for others, or controlling their anger when situations arise.  Regardless of what solution there is, something’s got to be done.  Basic instruction starts at home, but considering the homes that some of these kids come from, the schools are their only hope.   

Until my next rant.... LOVE ONE ANOTHER!!!

THIS WEEK ON MY HAPPY COCOON

Hello Beautiful People!!! This week I've been so busy making art, re-inventing past art and just getting ready for the Christmas holiday!  As you enjoy God-inspired art below, please remember the reason for this season.  It is not about us, it is to commemorate the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who gave His life up to save ours.  As exciting as this celebration is for us as a happy common denominator, it also reminds us that humanity is more important than anything in the world.  With that, LOVE ONE ANOTHER!!!  Thank you for continuing to support my blog and reading my rants about the most important person in my life... GOD!

OUR BOHO CHIC TREE FEATURING THE ORNAMENTS FROM MY HAPPY COCOON! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Tada!  It's a really small tree but it's great!  It features all of the ornaments posted on this blog!  Have a great Christmas everyone!!!  Before photos and close ups below:



Until my next rant.... LOVE ONE ANOTHER!!!!

VINTAGE JOINTED SNOWMEN ORNAMENTS!!

Here we go again!  We are running out of time and running out of money to finish shopping for Christmas presents.  I have an idea!  How about taking a little time on the last few weekends to make ornaments for those loved ones who have everything?  A personalized ornament along with a heartfelt Christmas card or baked somethings?  How can one go wrong with that?  Two years ago, this is exactly what I did.  I bought some candy containers from Michaels and filled them with baked food for the gods and one of these personalized ornaments.  They're so cute and the best thing is that they would more likely grace someone's tree for years to come and remember the giver!

So our staple here is again the paper clay from the last project.  You will need the following:

Glue gun
acrylic paints
miniature and flower shaped buttons buttons
miniature pompoms
letter plastic beads from Walmart (the ones kids make name bracelets with)
any soft and thin fabric to make the scarf
cinnamon sticks or just sticks from outside
wire
toothpicks
1 1/2 inch styrofoam balls
1/2 inch thick styrofoam sheets cut into 2 in. x 3 in. rectangular shape for the body
Cracle medium

For the head:  Cover 1 1/2 inch styrofoam balls with a thin layer of paperclay.  Stick toothpicks halfway through and apply glue around the tootpick to hold it permanently in place.

For the styrofoam body:  Sand the edges to make it rounder.  You can use a piece of styrofoam as a sander, it works fantastically.  The shape doesn't have to be perfectly straight because it is vintage, the irregularity will give it character.  Cover with paper clay like the head

Let dry for about 2 days. You can tell it is dry when it looks chalky.  When completely dry, paint with gesso or just white acrylic paint.  Paint a second layer of diluted sky blue color, haphazardly but not completely covering the body.  This will be the under layer color that will you will see coming through the cracks.  Do the same with the head but use a touch of pale yellow. 

Apply crackle paint.  When dry, paint the entire head and body with a creamy white.  Do not use stark white as you want this to look vintage.  So you can add a tinge of brown or beige to your white instead.  Let dry and crackle.  Seal with gel medium or varnish.

Glue buttons for eyes.  I found some miniature glass ball ornaments and used those for the nose, but you can use buttons or pompoms, or whatever you want.  Paint the mouth by using black dots and then paint rosy cheeks with pink color.

Apply glue on the other end of the toothpick and insert through the top of the body leaving a half inch gap between the head and the body. 

Glue two pompoms for buttons as shown above.

Tie a piece of fabric around the neck and apply some glue to hold it in place. 

For the beanie cap, I purchased infant socks in red, blue and white and cut triangles with two edges sewn together.  Turned it inside out and then folded over twice.  Then I glued it to the head.  At the top of the beanie, I stitched a piece of cord, knotted to make a hanger.

Lastly, I attached the sticks to the side for the arms and legs (cut legs slightly longer) and threaded a piece of wire through so there is movement.  Then did the same for the hands and strung the letter beads through and curled wire on both ends to finish.  Viola!  Special ornament gifts for less than maybe 2 dollars!  All you need is time.

Until my next rant.... LOVE ONE ANOTHER!!!

BUTTERFLY EFFECT

Our current world seem to have succumb to individualization as of late.  What used to be all heart, genuine and wholehearted helping of each other, fall more and more by the wayside replaced by the sense of entitlement.  What is in it for me?  Our beautiful and generous awareness is becoming smaller and smaller.  The realness of the heart seems to become more miniscule as we face the upcoming ME generation.  We are not immune to judging the next person, even failing to look at ourselves first.  The true danger is the melding of the "I deserve this" syndrome into normality.  It is more difficult to see the the difference between wholehearted generosity and generosity to get  recognition.  So, we've become desensithized and fail to see what God expects an desires for us in order to do His good works.  Therefore, we have to be totally aware of our souls.  Soul searching is simply this:  When you help others, do you do it because there is an urging in your heart (which by the way, is really God speaking loudly), with no expectations in return, not even to say that you are doing it because God will honor you, but just by humbly giving God the glory?  He gave you the opportunity to do something for His kingdom, you will be blessed as you chose to walk with Him, in His will.  Make no mistake, we have to realize that there is a difference.  Once we realize this difference, it is a good indication that we are growing in our Faith.  God is then pleased. 

Till my next rant... LOVE ONE ANOTHER!

BOHO CHIC CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS JUST THE BEGINNING

I needed to make Christmas ornaments for our Christmas tree courtesy of my Mommy Dear.  She bought us a humble 5 ft noble fir which I was quite happy about since we planned not to get one this year due to its high price here in California.  I was awaken by my DAD (God) early this morning with this idea.

Since we now have a tree, and concurrent with my obsession with Boho Chic decor this year, our tree ornaments will not be immune. 

To further be in line with this notion, I planned to make everything from what I already had in hand.  At one point in my art obsession, I accumulated a lot of polymer clay in various colors.  So, I figured make ornaments using polymer clay and fiber!  Mixed media in mind, I pulled out my sewing machine and fabric remnants from past projects and came up with this.  I am going to make a video of this process and they will be available on Etsy in a couple of weeks.  Sorry about the timing, however, there is always a silver lining.  If you are interested in purchasing the dvd, you will be able to keep it for next year's projects, and it can also be given as presents even for birthdays, valentine, etc.  The possibilities are endless!!!  So for now, I hope you enjoy this!  More posts about the tree as I go along.  Stay tuned, but for now... LOVE ONE ANOTHER!!!

EYES OF THE HEART

How many eyes do you think you have? Two? Hmm... maybe not. Our two eyes see everything around us, every beauty, every landscape.  Some of our eyes catch general details of an object but some eyes, maybe the eyes of an artist see color variations, texture, etc.  Maybe an engineer sees the mechanics of how something works.  What we see in something is as unique as we are individually.

But there is another pair of eyes we may not see through so many times.  That is the eyes of our hearts.  In Ephesians 1:15-23 talks about these very eyes.  When a person has wisdom about God’s word and God has revealed Himself to him, he has the ability to see clearly through his heart.  He knows how to feel compassion when he sees someone in need, he knows how to use his tongue and speak only truth and wisdom, he knows how to cast evil when he sees it coming and he knows to see everyone as a children of God.

So how, pray tell, can we all achieve this great wisdom?  I believe we have to immerse ourselves in God’s word.  I was never a big fan of reading the Bible in the past, except for the Book of Revelation.  As a teenager I thought if I just jump to the end I would know and understand everything.  BIG mistake.  It’s just like reading a book and only reading the last chapter.  Am I serious? So as I jump around and read a verse here a verse there, I started to really soak in what it is God wants to reveal to me.  Somehow it made it clear to me why God revealed his plan at the end.  He was giving believers a chance to continue spreading His word and for non-believers to start believing and helping others do so.  Simple as that.  In my twenties I used the “fan the pages and point” method and every single time, my finger landed on the exact Bible verse I needed as a solution to my current problem.  Don’t ask me how that happens, I credit it only to God.

The eyes of our hearts are more important that our very own eyes because the eyes of the heart understand what God wants us to do as His holy army, giving us blessings so others would see and take examples from, understand why He sent His beloved Son to die and save us from our sins and that at the end EVERYONE will know beyond all certainty that He was, is, and will be the power that reigns over all.   So ask yourself, are you ready?  Read your Bible and get inspired.  Let the eyes of your heart find God and help you look at the world for you.  Jesus wants us to experience, sustain, and enjoy a personal walk with Him.  He is the fountainhead of everything; strength of your day, wisdom of your task, comfort for your soul, grace for your battle, provision for each need and understanding for each failure… EVERYTHING!

Until my next rant…. LOVE ONE ANOTHER!!

RAIN IN PARIS

Rain.  Living in California, spoiled with so much sunshine can prove to be a disability when rain shows up.  For a hot minute it gets me down, the gray, wet an ddreary outdoors.  I don't like the words, "but we need the rain", yes I know we do but it still gets me blue.

So then I rely on my imagination to take me away and guess where it did?  Paris!  I've never been there but just imagining myself and DeeDee in Paris in the rain doesn't make the rain feel so bad!  I hope you can take yourself away too!  All you need is a little bit of imagination!!!

Till my next rant... LOVE ONE ANOTHER!!

SOW ETERNAL WEALTH NOW

God’s power is boundless.  We are but a little tiny speck in this world that we live in yet we often forget the immense power God possesses.  He only imposes limits on his own powers when it comes to us because we were given the gift of free will when we were created.  He waits on us to ask Him for His will to be done because He only when He is invited.

Make no mistake though.  He will to work through people.  There are those who resist, those who sin in rebellion to His will but understand this, there will be someone through whom he can work, and He will.  Working for his kingdom is here on earth as it is in heaven.  We are here for but a minute, and heavenly life is eternal.  Make yourselves available to do God’s work right here, right now, on earth, and sow true riches in heaven because ETERNAL heavenly wealth is more valuable than earthly wealth.    

Jesus then says, “Let it be you”

Till my next rant.... LOVE ONE ANOTHER!



YOU BE THE JUDGE?

Next to deceit, judging others is possibly the worst of all human flaws.  Everyone is a judge, yes, including me.  What if we step outside of ourselves for a moment and analyze what makes us do so?  Some people judge others as a reflection of their own shortcomings to further create a smokescreen for the same thing they are judging others about.  There is a saying when you point a finger at someone, three fingers point back at you. 

If we truly look deep within ourselves, we don’t only see our strong traits but our weaknesses as well.  When we do so, we would know that the very thing we judge others about is the weaknesses we somehow cannot change within us.

In Matthew 7:1-6, Jesus warns about judging others.  He wants us to change what needs to be changed before we look at what they need to change.  To understand our own weaknesses, strengthen them, and then that strength will manifest itself in our actions which will then be a testimony to others which they can learn from.  This is the “plank” that Jesus talks about.  The very thing we judge another with what is impaled inside us and needs to be removed.  Have you ever met anyone who WANTS to be told what to do?  Isn’t it the saying that “actions speak louder than words?” 

So how do we do that?  Listen to yourself.  What do you catch yourself saying about others when you judge?  Before you let the words come out of your mouth, ask yourself, “Can someone else say the same thing about me?”  Chances are, the answer will be “Yes, indeed.”  We can’t overcome this flaw overnight just as sure as we may let one, two, three instances slip by.  God does not like hypocrites but God forgives us all instantly if, and only if, we confess our sins and are truly repentant.  We were born imperfect and He knows this.  He knows when and what you will do when you sin before you even do it.  That’s no secret to God, but you gotta ask yourself, is it worth it?  Do I further His kingdom by continuing to do the wrong thing just because I know I will be forgiven?  Or do I make that change now and become a good Christian role model to those around me, whether they are my family or just the people I come in contact with each day?

To be honest, even for me, it is a tall order.  But no matter how big the struggle is, I know that God is deserving of my obedience and love because that small thing I can offer Him is a mere speck compared to the magnanimous and gargantuan love He has for me.  Let’s make a concerted effort to, as the great Michael Jackson said, “starting with the man in the mirror.”

Till my next rant... LOVE ONE ANOTHER!

FEAR NOT

One might say, what does this painting have to do with today’s message?  Well, as the artist, my illustration of the wolf representing all the evils in the world that try to devour us leaves us sometimes feeling frustrated with how more and more people have become uncaring and even worse cruel.  However, no matter what, evil can never destroy another who holds a deep Godly character.  We all have some good inside of us.

A very special person passed away in 2001.  Earl Walker, Grandman, as we all lovingly call him was my daughter's grandfather who immediately became more like a father to me.  Beyond his role as a quasi-father to me and perhaps to hundreds of others whose lives have been touched by him, what I can say about him is that he was quite an exceptional human being.

Grandman was a saint, plain and simple.  He lived the simple life of a hardworking man.  For as long as I knew him, he never owned a car.  Yet he contentedly walked everywhere.  As a conductor for Amtrak Train, he had stories galore.  His stories were filled with inspiration, so I'm pretty sure that as many passengers as he came in contact with everyday, he's probably touched a thousand lives in a very positive way. A devout Catholic and Jesus’ number one fan, one look at him, you can immediately sense he had a strong relationship with God.  It was written all over his handsome smiling face, radiant with pure love.  He keeps God ever alive in us who were lucky enough to regularly receive snail mail from him with either a scribbled verse from the Bible, an article about keeping healthy, or just a note to say he loves you.

Grandman gave new meaning to the phrase "will give the shirt off his back for you" because not only will he give the shirt off his back for you, he would give you his last dollar, his next paycheck, his love, his time, and throw in about ten bottles of vitamins, anything! 

Grandman had friends, acquaintances, and fans even though his popularity was not concentrated to the Piedmont Ave. neighborhood.  Forget about walking down the street and engage in deep conversation with him if you would be annoyed by interruptions because people stop and talk with him everywhere. 

Grandman had a very infectious and jolly laugh and laughed at any joke you awkwardly try to tell.  But when it comes to serious advice, he readily gave it to you when you ask, genuinely understands, with boundless wisdom.

The day he passed away was perhaps the loneliest day of my life.  Where he used to be just a phone call away; now was a void that cannot be filled by another human being like him.  We are all unique in every way, so what Grandman had to offer was exclusive to him and would probably take a collection of several people just to make up for one Grandman.  So you're left with no one but yourself.  But wait...

As much as I loved and missed Grandman, all those loveable traits are just a few of God's traits.  Yes, I saw Grandman in the flesh, spoke with him, hugged him, etc. but I don’t have to see God to know for certain that He is there seeing, hearing, feeling me ALL the time.  God in all His power, faithfulness, and unconditional love is there anytime you need Him.

Loved ones come and go but God is always there, yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever.

We all had a “Grandman” who have passed away and miss so very much, and the sting of our loss may be unbearable but it only feels that way because they left something special of themselves with us.  Understand though, that very thing you miss about them is only a part of God they gave to you.  It is okay to feel the longing, but God comforts you whether you ask for it or not, He always has His loving arms around you.  All you have to do is accept them.

We all share some good from within ourselves to others who will always remember us in that light long after we pass.  The good traits we’ve inherited from God that make others gravitate to us. The closer we are with God, the concentration of such traits are seen and felt which turn into a legacy passed on and on.

 
Till my next rant... LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

BOHO CHIC LIVING ROOM - THE COMPLETION

A few months ago, I thought I was done with my Boho Chic living room but I realized that there were still some large furniture in it that negate that.  So the opportunity arose when my mother moved back into her previous residence and needed refurnish it. 

With the knowledge that I would finally be able to get a red couch, I searched Craigslist for one... or two.  I didn't have enough money to buy brand new so I had to settle for a used one.  However, I am very meticulous when it comes to used ones so it took me a couple of weeks to find one I was even willing to drive to and examine.  I found these couch and love seat that looked fairly new and clean.  I called the owner who told me that they were stored in their garage currently as they were replaced with sectionals.  They were only two years old, placed in a formal living room so barely sat on.  So we headed over and sure enough, it was clean, pet free, and stain free and came with a plethora of throw pillows.  I was sold... and excited to take them home.

You see, with a little patience and research, you CAN get what you want.  These couches were reasonable but of course I haggle, why not?  All they can say is NO.  Won't hurt my feelings.

The next day I purchased a 4'x4' canvas half price from Michaels and got to work.  Three full days later, my painting was finished.

Viola!  My completed (or so I think) boho chic living room.  If there is anything else I would probably do, it will be to cover the double papasan cushion to protect it, but that will perhaps come later... Much later.

Till my next rant... LOVE ONE ANOTHER!!!

OH SO GOURD-GEOUS!

As an artist and a crafter, I often alternate projects to kill the monotony of my profession.  After several weeks or months painting on canvas or flat surfaces, I switch to creating three dimensional art.

Recently, while organizing my studio, I came across some pint sized gourds I seemed to have stashed away a few years ago.  I am admittedly OCD when it comes to art supplies stating the age old motto that “I may use this someday” and being true to it.  Here is a link where you can buy gourds online http://www.pricedumper.com/gourds?campid=5336716136&ggkey=gourds

In these especially challenging economic times, we can resort to making our gifts instead of buying them.  So here’s my rendition of some updated way of making something special for someone for the holidays or just grouping them together to make someone smile.

Step 1:  Preparing your gourds

If they were store bought, you can certainly go straight to your paints and brushes.  However, if you are starting from scratch, you need to follow certain steps to dry them.  Here is a link to get some information of just how to do that (http://www.ehow.com/how_2049189_make-gourd-rattle.html). 

Step 2:  Apply a coat of gesso.  Please make sure you are using the type of gesso that will accept the media you desire to use.  I use acrylic paints.

Step 3:  Outline your drawing of a face.  It doesn’t really matter if you make a perfect one with shading or not, your receiver will appreciate it.  Consult a magazine or the internet to get an idea of color combination that will work for you, or, think about the person you are giving the gift to and ask them what their favorite color is.  You can certainly even make them look like the receiver of that gift. 

 Step 4:  Paint the details of the face starting with flesh, shading under the eyelids, around the nose, lips, inside face line and hair line with brown oxide.  Shade a watered down mixture of red for the cheeks and paint the lips.  Paint the color you desire for the eyes, and then black for the pupils.  Lastly, dot the eyes with white paint to add the sparkle.

  

Step 5:  Paint the hair.  This is where you want to be creative.  You can make the hair as big as the point of the gourd or paint a hat for her.  It’s up to you.  Paint the rest of the gourd’s back side with any color and decorate with polka dots, or swirls or even apply glitter!

Step 6:  Seal the entire gourd with Gel Medium.  When you are done, you can string three or four together, or just arrange them in bowl, wrap it up with clear cellophane tie it with a ribbon and there you have it.  A special gift for that special someone!

Until my next trick....LOVE ONE ANOTHER!

IN THE DAYS OF OLD



When I saw this picture, a flood of inspiration overcame me.  A feeling of nostalgia triggered for those days when politeness, respect and caring were inherent in everyone as I drew and painted.  As human beings, we are imperfect, but deep within our core there will always be some good.  As the centuries turn, we fell farther and farther from good and were pulled towards unrest.  It saddens me to see the sign of the times but still hopeful and prayerful that we can make the change back to the days of old.

This morning as I read my Bible, God led me to the Book of Daniel.  In the past, I’ve only heard of the stories within that book but never fully digested the entire story.  I mulled about how great men, Kings at that, as tyrannical as they were, immediately change their course and succumb to the champions of faith such as Daniel, the messenger of God as he told of their fate if they continue to lead his people to worship idols.  Today it seems leaders’ hearts are stone cold.  If in those days the wrath of God brought cruel punishments, I shudder at the thought of our own punishment.  The sins I see in this current world is insurmountable compared to the acts done in biblical times, although we know that sin is sin, theirs is pale in comparison to ours.

God has a reason for everything and I believe the reason he led me to this book today is clear.  So I rant about it to you, in the hopes that it could lead you to read this book of the Bible, if not only to read such great a story as I thought it was.  It may touch you quite in a totally different way but I’m hoping its meaning, as deep as it was for me, hits just as deep for you in your soul.

Until my next rant…. LOVE ONE ANOTHER!



A DIFFERENT KIND OF MARRIAGE

Marriage defined at its most basic understanding is a union between two people in kinship.  The popular definition of marriage is a commitment between a man and a woman.  Although we all have our own concept of marriage, we can all agree that it is a sacred bond between two entities.  These entities could be a spouse, a job, a country served or our God.  Personally and currently unmarried, I uphold the highest form of all marriage in a form of deep commitment and it is the one with God. 

A commitment to God is one of obedience and submission to His perfect will.  Perhaps there are no words, try as I might, to implicitly describe the joy and blessing I feel within the bubble of His grace.  I say this not to try to persuade or force unbelievers to see the proverbial “light” but perhaps to urge him/her to ask a question within himself/herself on what it really means to be immersed in God’s glory.  God does not pick the creme de la creme of humanity to inspire others but instead uses the worse of the worst.  Why is this so?  Because it is further proof that God is a patient, loving and forgiving God.  How can he ever persuade sinners to come to Him if He only used the imperfect Christian to manifest his forgiveness?  The sinners would look at it and say, well yes he sinned, but he has been a Christian since he was born, how can I even measure up to that?  God uses people we can relate to because it would be easier for us to walk through his door of forgiveness that way.

Being in a committed relationship with God is not an easy task.  We can strive to be perfect but we will fail because we are born sinners.  But the good news is, our God is slow to anger and quick to forgive.  All you have to do is walk through that open door.

Until my next rant….. LOVE ONE ANOTHER! 

HOW TO MAKE VINTAGE PAPER CLAY SNOWMEN ORNAMENT

Crumple 1/4 page of regular sized newspaper into a ball and wrap blue painter's tape to hold the shape.

Cover with fresh paper clay completely as shown, adding a tiny ball for his nose and smooth out seam, then another ball shape, flatten a bit to create the bottom part of the hat and about a 1/2 inch snake on top of that.  Smooth out all around the seams.  Cut a piece of wire about 4 inches and with needle nose pliers, create a half hook on one end and insert on top of the hat all the way and then with a tiny piece of paper clay, seal around the wire.  make some interesting curls with the other end to create a hanger as shown below. 

 There are two ways to dry the clay.  If you are in a hurry, you can place it in the oven on the lowest setting such as "warm" for about two hours, checking occasionally to check for dryness.

Another way is to just let them sit in a warm room, possibly sunny but this takes about a week and a half to dry all the way.  When the clay is still wet, it is heavy, but when it is dry, it becomes lightweight.  So it's really up to you how you would like to handle this.

When dry, you can begin to paint whatever color you'd like.

I prefer to make mine look really festive so I added some interest by painting the entire head with white pearlescent paint.  It dries transparently so I found it really cute!

Finally, I bought a white boa from Walmart, or Party City and cut a few inches and glued it under the head to add more interest.  I gave these away to each of my guests at my Christmas party as a souvenier of a really fun party.  They can hang it in their tree every year!

Try it! They are so much fun!

Till my next rant...  LOVE ONE ANOTHER!