Lovin’ This – Page 3

Category: Lovin’ This

Ornament Exchange with Studio JRU

TGIF!! Are you feelin’ me?

Looking back on my week, I am almost amazed at what I accomplished (even posted 3 times!). SOOOO, why was it such a long week? It should have flown by! Not complaining, just saying:)

Many of you know our dear and creative friend Jennifer from STUDIO JRU.

She is crazy talented and crazy organized and I well, feel into her trap! But I’m so glad I did because it was pure JOY to make and recieve 10 handmade Christmas ornaments.

Here is what I came up with.

Nothing too complex, just a mini canvas mixed media ornament with a black spiril wire hanger. I used acrylic paint, paper, stamps and of course gel medium.

Fun to make and I hope it was fun to recieve.

AND…drum roll please>>>>>>>Here is what I received!

I know, I know!! So good right?

What fun it was to go out to my mailbox each day and anticipate what would be waiting for me there. Even the kids were excited!

I would totally do this again, as it just reminded me of what a wonderful community we have built together. I had a piece of you, right there in my hands! Every time I log on, I feel like that way. I never knew when I started writing this blog that I would have the pleasure of being welcomed into your homes and hearts. I never knew I would grow to care about you and your struggles and triumphs. But God knew… and I’m so glad he led me to you!

I hope this Christmas Season is leading you to a deeper love of HIM!!

Stop over and visit Jennifer, STUDIO JRU, to see who made what.

THANK YOU for sharing your talent with me!

Is this what Heaven Sounds Like??

My hubby sent this to me this morning and what a blessing it was. As I was listening to it I couldn’t help but think ‘Is this what Heaven sounds like?’ Then the tears started and I sat in JOY and WONDER.
This day at the mall must have put a smile on our Holy Father’s face.
🙂

May God bless you today!

Texture technique for your mixed media artwork

It’s BLACK FRIDAY!!

And there is no way in BEEP that I’ll be hitting the mall today! Not my thing, but if it is your thing then happy shopping. I know there are some amazing deals out there.

My day will be spent making soup and preparing for my final artshow of the year. This show has been so well organized and it will be great to see all the local artist that I have really enjoyed getting to know as we do a lot of these shows together. BUT…I really need the Jan/Feb break! My business seems a little (ok a lot) disorganized these days and the dreaded tax season is right around the corner. Staying organized is not my thing either!! That’s why I usually wait until the last week to prepare for shows (and taxes) that have been scheduled for months. I wonder what would happen if I ever got organized? Would the world implode?

Anyway, for all my creative friends who are in their studios today, I have a fun project for you. I may not be organized but I am thrifty and here is a creative way to get some cool texture on your mixed media artwork.

Here’s what you’ll need…

Gel medium

mini paint roller

empty toilet paper roll

a cut out strip of texture

*this technique can also be used with a large roller and empty paper towel roll for larger art pieces.

STEP 1

Secure some paper or non-slip drawer liver around your paint roller. You’ll need to do this so that the toilet paper tube will fit securely. Glue the cut out texture strip around the empty toilet paper roll, textured part facing out. Pull the t.p. roll over the paint roller like this…

STEP 2

Roll your textured tube through paint, just as you would if you were to paint a wall.

STEP 3

Roll it out onto your canvas or surface.

Check out these other items I used to create texture.

Here is the result painted on surface.

BURLAP

CIRCLE PUNCH OUT THINGY FROM THE HARDWARE STORE

YARN

I hope you’ll enjoy this fun and thrifty way to create some texture in your artwork. It’s not near the mess and it really is fun to just roll on. Bam! your done.

I was so excited with myself after coming up with this a few months ago that I was convinced i should have it patent . I recently went in the art supply store and much to my dismay I found a similar item marked at $12 for two tubes and a brush. Man, another dream gone:)

If I could only get organized!

ode’ to my studio

Ode to my STUDIO…

Little room that greets me

always smiles
even when I leave you dirty or alone

always welcomes me home

Little room that inspires

full of wonder

unfinished works
already done in my mind

Little room that loves

never judges

holds me close

I’m the one you love most

You were created just for me!

I know she’s messy right now.

Supplies spread all over,

Unfinished works, sleeping but not forgotten.

But she let’s me play and get messy. Here is where I express myself and make mistakes.

Never thought i could find all that in a room!

Next Tuesday i am offering a TRU GODDESS Workshop to 12 creative Goddesses. In this workshop we will be using a variety of mixed media techniques to create a inspirational dream board. This is such a creative way of goal setting! Putting your dreams on canvas is a powerful exercise and I’m so excited see the hearts desire of these awesome women.

What is your hearts desire?? Make a dream board and set it by your bedside or on your bathroom sink. Give you dreams life and room to grow.

I would love to link up with you and see your Goddess Dream Board!

I’m hooking up with Jen over at JRU STUDIO http://www.studiojru.com/ today. Stop over and take a peek into Jen’s studio. She is full of energy! Other creative spaces will be found there and it’s a inspiring place to be on Fridays!

May you have a blessed weekend!

Typography?!

If you have been reading my blog, it didn’t take you long to figure out that I can’t spell! I know…a blogger that can’t spell! But I can’t and I depend on spellcheck to catch my mistakes. Often times this is like depending on mapquest, not 100% accurate! So I have been humbled
many times as I’ll read over a published post of mine, only to find I had misspelled something. CRAP!

What’s really ironic is I use the written word in my artwork. So I’m a blogger who can’t spell AND uses words in her artwork.

Not sure if I’m brave or just plain dumb but in this case ignorence is bliss.

What’s wrong with this picture?

CHEERIES?? What! Did I really write CHEERIES?! CRAP!

Now what?

Came up with this solution and sold these pieces first thing at the next art show I did. Had to laugh! Luckily the client laughed too after sharing my mistake. So glad they didn’t demand their money back.

Recently I learned that using words in art is called TYPOGRAPHY.

ty·pog·ra·phy
n. pl. ty·pog·ra·phies
1.
a. The art and technique of printing with movable type.
b. The composition of printed material from movable type.
2. The arrangement and appearance of printed matter.

Wow, didn’t know there was a name for this. So now I’m a Mixed Media Typography Artist.

So fancy!:)

I decided I would’nt hit “spellcheck” today, thought you would enjoy a good laugh.

I have a fun themed art project to share with you on Friday so stop over and visit! xo

No words, just JOY!

AWWWWWWWWWW! The Art Retreat! No words, just JOY and Gratitude!

Take a peek…

Flew into Sacramento and stayed Downtown for the night. Gorgeous city.

Lake Tahoe Baby!! Sunset the first night.

Just some of the art supplies…delish!

Lot’s of late nights spent connecting, creating, and DANCING! The poor neighbors! Sorry no photos of this.

Hiking on the first day. Aspens just starting to change color.

WOW! How did we end up here? Fallen Leaf Lake. Thanks God:)

Hiking on the second day.

Ended up witnessing the annual salmon run, unbelievable! Thanks again God!

Last sunset on last night.

On the last night we were also blessed to witness a RAINBOW!

A RAINBOW!!

Our creative endeavours!

We all worked on collaborative pieces to take home. It was so cool to see each person contribute their talent. This was mine. It will be cherished!

“””””””””””

We came, we laughed, we cried, we shared, and we connected!

We were fearless!

We were blessed!

Amazing True Women in My Life

I hope this post finds you healthy, happy and blessed!

It feels like forever since I’ve had a free hour to catch up with you. Sorry I haven’t had the time to keep my blog fresh or check in on any of you to see what’s been shakin’. But… I’ve had some great things happening so don’t give up on me just yet.

On the personal side of my life I’ve been healthy and happy. Even with struggles (and Lord knows I have them), by the grace of God, I still feel blessed. To top it off I lost 10 pounds, yeah me because I worked for that 10 pounds! This is so new to me, this peace. All the glory goes to Him because it really is so unlike me to feel peace in all things. Last weekend I was able to really spend some time alone with God as I attended the TRUE WOMAN CONFERENCE http://www.truewoman.com/?id=990 in downtown Indianapolis Indiana. It was an inspirational weekend, filled with 7000 amazing women. The next conference is in Fort Worth TX, Oct. 14th-16th and I would highly recommend going if you need to be REVIVED! I took pictures but for some odd reason most of them are gone, not anywhere on my camera!

Here’s a couple of salvaged shots…

I won’t soon forget my date weekend with God, He treated me like a princess:)

It has even sparked a trip that I’ll be taking with my daughter to a PURITY CONFERENCE http://www.reviveourhearts.com/pih/ in November . It’s in Tampa and it’s being held on her birthday weekend . I can’t think of a better gift to give a 10 year old and my husband looks at it as an investment in her future. We gotta let our girls stay young for as long as they are young! It saddens me deeply to see what our culture is doing to our youth, but that’s another rant to be left for another time.

Speaking of youth and rantings…my husband and I have recently become the Youth Leaders at our Church!! It is such a blessing for us to work with these amazing teens each week. They are truly incredible kids with a strong love for God and we are so inspired to watch God work through them. This is a labor of love for us and my husband doesn’t even complain that we will have to miss the Colts play on Sundays. Now that’s love!

On the art side of things, I’m plugging away and trying to find time to be in my studio more. Seems like the only time I can get in there is if I have a show coming up. Shown is some recent work I made before a show I did two weekends ago. This art show did not make for the highest sales this season, but I made some amazing contacts and some cool opportunities are starting to take shape. I look forward to sharing this with you when I know more.

Speaking of cool opportunities…(man this blog post is practically writing itself) I have been invited to an Art Retreat in Lake Tahoe by my sweet friend BEV from http://myawakenedheart.blogspot.com/. Bev is an amazing lady with a great love of God and I am so excited she invited me. Two of my dearest, artsy girlfriends here from Indy will be making the trip with me. Again, amazing women! They inspire me, encourage me, believe in me and I love them to pieces. As Bev puts it “it will be 4 days of art, girl time, great food and wine, and music”. AND Lake Tahoe! When I get home I will get back to blogging more often but you probably won’t hear from me for a week or so. I’ll be thinking about you with a piant brush in one hand and a glass of vino in the other!

God has truly blessed me with many beautiful friendships, a precious daughter, and a supportive mother. I’m so grateful for these amazing, true women in my life. Say a prayer today for the TRUE WOMEN IN YOUR LIFE! My God allow us to be a truly amazing woman, radiating His love like the sun.

Sneak Peek Friday with Studio JRU

TGIF!

I am so glad to be done with that week. It has been a challenge for me to get back into the swing of things. Wasn’t I was just talking to you about being exited to get back to a routine?

Must have been delusional.

Fun post today.

My sweet friend Jennifer, over at STUDIO JRU http://www.studiojru.com/ has a wonderful challenge for the brave and creative. Every Friday she will challenge us to post a peek on what we’re doing in the studio. I totally love this idea because it helps to create a community. By sharing ourselves with each other, creatively or spiritually, we are building a community of support. It’s not easy to put ourselves out there, but if you are an artist, writer, musician, etc… there will eventually come a day where you’ll have to dive in. Let us be there to catch you.

SOOOO…here’s what i’m working on this week. This is great timing because I just cleaned my studio last weekend:)

Mixing my love for modern abstract and collage. Not near done but lovin’ this process!

Mary piece on wood block and cherry still life. These two must be finished today for a show tomorrow. Please no rain or 95 degree temperatures. I have had 3 shows in a row with rain or heat.

Thank you for taking a sneak peek into my favorite room. Stop over to visit STUDIO JRU and check out what some of your fellow bloggers are in to.

Looking for inspiration or a fun challenge?

Click on Jennifer’s STUDIO JRU or Paulette Insall’s CREATE BY FAITH blog buttons found here. These are weekly challenges and a great way to BUILD COMMUNITY.

Have an INSPIRING weekend!

Back to School and randomness

Summer 2005

Summer 2010

Today my kids went back to school. This is a new school for them so we all had mixed emotions but mostly we were excited. I was more excited on the way to school thinking, awww my days are mine again! I can get organized, set some goals, lunch with girlfriends, go to the gym, get more time in the studio, begin a new bible study, keep my house clean, etc…those with little ones know this list well.

I walked them to their new classrooms and as all the kids stared at the new kids, it hit me.

They are growing up and becoming their own little people. Now if you know my kids you are probably asking, ‘really jill, you’re just figuring that out?’ My kids are very independent and we raised them that way. But YES, I’m just realizing that every year I have to let them go a little more, a little further, for a little longer. That reality is setting in. I know the day will soon come when they won’t want to hang around with their old mom and dad anymore and they will pick their friends to share thoughts and feeling with.

So today we moved down the road called life and I watched my babies (ok they are in 4th and 5th grade, but they are MY BABIES!) be brave and grow. I was so blessed to see this side of them and very grateful to be their mom. I wondered all day how they were doing so seeing the smiles on their faces as i picked them up was a precious moment of relief.

How do (or did) you feel when your kids go back to school? I would love to hear your story.

On a totally different note…

It is the season finale tonight of the NEXT GREAT ARTIST on BRAVO. I really enjoyed this show and I’m gonna miss my Wednesday night date with the tube. Is anyone else watching?? Who do you think will win? I vote for Abdee but I think it will be Miles. Can’t wait to watch!!!!

Lastly I wanted to invite you to be a guest on my DARE TO LOVE MONDAY posts. I always try and choose someone who follows my blog and who inspires me to grow. Your blogs do that for me so consider this an open invitation. I really feel like our blogs are a community so if you follow me, I follow you. I want to know and support those that know and support me, simple as that. So if you are interested in a visit, leave a comment or contact me directly. I really do love Mondays because i get to know you more.

Talk to you on Friday.

Happy Birthday Baby!!

I love this life you have made for us…

You lead our family on the path the Lord has put before us, on a path I may not have choose otherwise.

You build me up so I can do the hard things.

You always put God above all else and then your family second.

You are everything I’m not, I’m often in awe of you.

You are the love of my life and you’re love has set me free.

Happy Birthday Baby…

what did I ever do to get a gift like you?

1 234