Soul Restoration Blog Hop coming

March 5th-6th, I'll be participating in a blog hop for participants of Soul Restoration 1,  the online workshop taught by Melody Ross.  I was fortunate enough to win my registration through Christy Tomlinson's Blog, and I have met some of the most amazing women and found a really good place in me that I can call home again.  It is artistically fun and personally challenging.  So come by this weekend and see what just a few of the graduates of SR1 have to say about the experience.  Lots of the bloggers will have blog candy, and pretty much all of us are "little known" bloggers-- so we appreciate your comments, and would love for you to follow us.   Hope to see you this weekend.

Glass tile pendants... simple and such fun

I'm having the best time making these glass tile pendants.  Sure... some of it is that I LOVE LOVE LOVE playing with my typewriter, and, touching paper... but it really is something as simple as In less than an hour, I can have a piece of jewlry that matches my mood withcolour, pattern and a word.   Y'all know I believe in words... there were many years throughout which I really thought I'd be a writer and not a crafter.  But my love for making things is just as strong as my love for words... so  now I play with both in a way that makes my heart stretch a little bigger.  This week, I made Pink Ribbon Tiles, that feature the words "brave" or "hope"  and they are available at my ShopHandmade.com Shop.  I'm still busy trying to organize my supplies and space so that I can spend more time crafting and less time looking for where I put that whatever the heck I'm looking for now item.  As it is,  have about a two foot space on the floor of my craft room where I can work.  I'm getting there... a little each day and maybe I'll have a clean enough space to be ready for the craft show coming up this fall... 
make something beautiful with your heart and your hands.

Last Two Journals for Blessings In A Basket

confusion is a pattern you don't understand yet

Wow... these were some fun to make...   Nothing terribly complex here... just a lot of dry time... The patterned textures are made by applying modeling paste (or thin plaster) through a screen (mask, template, stencil)...  I particularly like using  die cut papers as a mask because there is so much surface area design.  I played with a lot of things I've been collecting for my journal making and just hadn't made the time to use...

if i had wings

tissue tape, 7 gypsies binding rings,  and I'm really grateful to work for letting me use the guillotine cutter for cutting my pages-- cutting a journal size stack of paper on a bypass trimmer stinks!   The little butterfly acrylic gem is from the stash that my mom sent me... She's been sending me little packages with embellishments and packs of paper as she finds them on clearance where she lives.  She gives me a lot of support in my endeavors.   I love making books... altering them or starting from scratch... this is the first time I've made this many in such a short period of time and it was really an experience.  As I struggled with the design concept of one, the idea for the next one would come to mind.  Most of the things I do on a production scale are "repeats" so I don't have to keep the creative fire on high-- this was really different.   I'm looking forward to a continued relationship with Blessings in a Basket.

Fabulous giveaway at Where Women Create

Hey guys... just had to share this... Where Women Create is hosting a giveaway for the She Art Workshop from Christy Tomlinson.  This is really a super generous giveaway:  there will be three winners and they each get not only the course fee  but also a $35.00 gift certificate to the new Scarlet Lime store.   I can only say that I wish each and every one of you could take this workshop and I know that for most of us, while this is not an expensive class, we are all so careful about what we are spending.  Good Luck!

Word Tile Pendants

True, Gentle,  Brave

So I think I could play with this Olivetti and paper  for days... I have always loved words... and I really love being able to choose a word that directs my thoughts.   Tile pendants will be available at my shop, if you haven't had a chance to visit me there, please stop by.

Just a few words...

Funny how just a few words can change everything... Sometimes that's a positive thing, sometimes it's not.  Hearing "I love you," or "Good job," has so much power.  I've been working really hard at saying the few words that will do the most good, while trying not to say the ones that hurt.  I'm not always good at it.  I lash out when I feel attacked, when I'm scared, when I'm tired (and y'all know, I'm tired pretty much all the time).  I've been trying to create better habits for myself and have been having a wonderful time making new things.  I have really been enjoying my experience making books, and I made some glass tile pendants with words like "brave" and "true" on them... (pictures to come soon).  I'm really loving branching out and forcing myself to take my crafting as an important part of my day.  I'm looking forward to starting Christy Tomlinson's She Art workshop and trying to decide if Soul Restoration 2 is in my budget.  Just wanted to pop in and give you an update, I'll post pictures and give more news later this week.
Hope you are busy making something beautiful with your hearts and your hands!

What if things are real BECAUSE we believe ?

Hi y'all... I'm going to take a brief digression from my normal craft stuff here and ask that you join me in a brief moment of prayer, thought, belief... whatever word fits your needs...   As many of you know, my dad is battling a pretty nasty form of renal cell cancer, and his current regimen of chemotherapy has proved unsuccessful.  He is about to start a new chemotherapy treatment, though in the best case, this is only life prolonging.  We knew that before.  We know it better now.  My dad is in no pain, is in wonderful spirits, and is very accepting of his condition.  We could all learn alot from his great attitude.  I have plans to visit my family back east this summer, to celebrate some milestone birthdays including my father's 80th.  Please join with me in saying "I believe" that my dad will still be with us this summer, to see his grandson again and celebrate his life.    Please feel free to link to this entry on your blogs, facebook, where ever... the more people who believe, the more powerful this will be.
I believe.