Unless .....

Hello friends!  Its been a while since I posted ( the PP post was pre-posted ).  Just wanted to take a few minutes to share with you what I have been up to.  Let me begin by saying how sorry I am that I haven't sent any Christmas cards.  : (    I do have some winter cards I made a while back and hope to get some of those in the mail soon.  This month has turned out to be very overwhelming .... but I hope to get back to more regular post in January.

Well we went on a little road trip that took us from Houston, TX to Georgia to visit relatives, then down to Jacksonville, FL for our daughters graduation.  We also had to finish packing up my daughter and mother to move them out here to Houston.  We were exhausted by the time we got back.  

I ask for your prayers.  We moved my mom here expecting to move her into an apartment soon after arriving.  But there were some problems that resulted in the apartment complex turning her down.  Imagine our shock.  We have an opportunity to submit a letter for them to reconsider and I am asking that you PLEASE pray about this for us.  We will be turning in the letter tomorrow and will have an answer in 24-48 hours.  This is really a stressful time for us regarding this right now, so thank you so very much for your prayers.

Of course, the best part of the trip was seeing my sweet girl graduate.  I'm so very proud of her!  She will be an elementary school teacher and the kids in her class will definitely be blessed by this very enthusiastic girl who is determined to change the world.  And I believe she will!

Here are a few photo's the first class she taught for her internship.

It was so wonderful to have the opportunity to stop by her class on the way to graduation.

"UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it's not."

The Lorax

thank you so much my friends for your prayers!

Melisa

Mixed Media Project's

Hello mixed media lovers.  This is a long post, but bare with me.  I rarely share personal stuff, so I"m going to make up for some of that in this post, teehee.   My daughter, Nicole, visited us (she's away at college in FL) back in June and we had a wonderful time crafting together.  I treasure these times with her now that she is an adult and lives so far away.  They grow up so fast, don't they.  

 She is a sweet, loving, funny, crazy, quirky, energetic young women who is passionate about changing the world by becoming a teacher, teaching in inner-city schools, and reaching children who need to know how much God loves them.  And these qualities often shine through in her art as well.

I am so proud of  the young women she is becoming and how she celebrates life with all that she has!
YOU go girl!!

She is a full-time student and works part-time, so she doesn't get to create as much as she would like to.  She loves arts and crafts but has never taken any classes.  She loves to re-purpose things and we never knew what she would find at a second hand shop and bring home to turn into "art".  She just see's things that inspire her and goes for it.    Often she is inspired by a bible verse, song lyrics, meaningful quote, or something that is going on in her life.  She loved the piece I created as a result of taking Roben-Marie Smith's online class back in April and wanted to give it a try.  (You can check out my project HERE.)  She created a couple of projects and wow!  I was so proud.  She has never taken mixed media classes, so it really does show you how awesome Roben's class is.  I don't want to share all the step by step instructions, since Roben's class is still up for sale, but I will share a few photo's of Nicole as she was building her canvas.

  

Roben's class is "Art Journal Conversion" and you can read more about it HERE.

It involves lots of spray inks, stencils, gesso, modeling paste, doodling.  All the things you have probably used before as a mixed media artist.  What was different for me is the way Roben builds layer upon layer creating so much depth in the background.  I love here style and loved the class.  And it was a steal for $24.99.  The only thing I didn't own, and had to add to my supply's was oil pastels.  I got a set for about $10.  You can check out Roben's blog and projects on her blog HERE.

She used the same techniques to alter a journal cover

   

Add because this post is all about my daughter and her art, I am going to share a few more pieces she has created over the years.  Not always the best photo's (she took them herself) and often her idea of a good background was the grass in the backyard, teehee.  I hope you see something that inspires you!  

She likes to take models from magazines, adhere them in her art to use as a base, and then paint over them. This one makes me laugh, it says "How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being"

   

 This is one of her cats.

" He who accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it"  "I have a dream that for little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judges by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."  "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"  MLK, Jr.

"But hold on to what you believe ... in the light ... when the darkness has robbed you of all your sight"

"I know my call despite my faults and despite my growing fears"

  

"Tonight I'm going to bury that horse in the ground"

  

I thought this one was an octopus at first, teehee.  But it's a mouth with words coming out of it.

"There's nothing else we can do.  We have to speak about the things we've seen and heard"

  

  "For we can not but speak the things from which we have seen and heard"  Acts 4:20

This is a series of 3 long canvases.  Across the bottoms of the dresses "I'm tired of striving to be, who You already say that I am.  I am Yours"  "All I know is beautiful in me is You.  Every good thing, every true thing.  Beautiful in me is You".  It's so wonderful and encouraging  to know there are young adults out there who are not consumed with this world, and desire to serve God.

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

If I do not love, I am nothing.  1Cor 13 1-3

Not just your art, but your life and who you are is an inspiration to me my sweet girl!

Live, laugh, love!  Mom

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

Hello friends.  Just wanted to share some photo's of our tree's and wish everyone a Merry Christmas!  It was so nice to be in our home this year (last year we were in a rental) and get all the Christmas decorations out.  I had forgotten how much work it was though.  I missed my daughter helping me.  Nicole if you are reading this  ....  Christmas will not be the same without you this year.  I love you and miss you! 

 

"1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed... 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with Child" (Luke 2:1, 4-5).

"6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn" (Luke 2:6-7).

"8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night... 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:8,10).

 

"And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger" (Luke 2:12).

 

"Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14).

 

"15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the LORD hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger" (Luke 2:15-16).

 

 

If you have shared photo's of your tree, I would love to see them!  Just email me a link, or leave me a comment with a link!

Merry Christmas!