Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY

July 31, 2012

A peek at my day:  Some flowers I bought on clearance after Mother's Day - and photographed for playing in photoshop later - and these lazy days of summer are perfect for staying cool and enhancing photoshop skills:

Processed with Kim's "sunkissed" texture and a new brush for Beyond Layers students...

Outside my window...The heat is really decimating the landscape, yet this morning (rather late) I heard the "chuck-wills-widow" calling - the early morning hours, just before the heat becomes rather unbearable, are a perfect time to be outside...

I am thinking...about a conversation the good Dr. Mungadze and I had yesterday about a client...

I am thankful...for this promise of Scripture:

¹⁰ “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
¹¹ So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.   (Isaiah 55:10-11, NASB)

In the kitchen...another pan of "Texas Sheet Cake" - recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman...

I am wearing...a white cotton shirt and a white skort

I am creating...an online gallery format for either this blog or the website - which one?

I am going...to the pool with sweet tweener later...

I am wondering...if I will be accepted into the "Faith Artists" group here in our area...{fingers crossed?}

I am reading..."Fit in Fabulous in 15 Minutes" - it looks promising and I think I can handle the routines!

I am looking forward to...guest posting soon for a friend - so excited!

Around the house...Continuing to work on sweet tweener's T-shirt quilt + chokers and bracelets made out of the rest of the shirts...ideas found on pinterest here...

I am pondering...35 years of marriage coming up - how can that be?  I feel so young - like I am 35 years old, not married for that long!

One of my favorite things... when my DH comes home from work...

A few plans for the rest of the week: Staying cool, staying cool, staying cool, etc.....

A Scripture to meditate on from this morning:  I wrote all about it here...

Joining with the Simple Woman's Daybook community here
and
Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday here

Beyond Layers "Instagram-ish" week images

 
Something borrowed image: I am borrowing this book "The Original Sanctuary" from my best friend because it sort of reminds me of, well, the sanctuary of the altar of the Lord in His temple *sigh* - and the swallow that builds her nest there....so I am revisiting "Book Spine" poetry as a way to feature my borrowed item..I simply processed this with Daniel Box's "Early Bird" action - with a layer mask to take down some of the brightness over the dove...
 

Water image:  Clark Garden's in Mineral Wells - processed with Kim's texture "Red" at softlight blend mode+a texture to add a distressed aged edge that I found on Flickr (here) and applied at multiply blend mode...

I'm linking this creation up at Beyond Layers...

Sneak Peek - Recent work and a show

Fronts and backs, ready for words

I still find nests, eggs, and birds so charming - and I am thinking about the fall edition of the Finding Sanctuary e-course...with a few minor changes, including a sub-title change (stay tuned ☺)...I was inspired by some of what the Lord is speaking to me to make some little (recycled CD) clocks reflecting that there is a time to gather, a time to build, a time to nest (think "rest") and these make us ready when it is time to fly...are you hearing the Spirit speak to you already?

Placing the words at the hours

Ready for the mechanism...

Others feel this affinity to swallows and sparrows, the smallest and humblest of our feathered friends...I can't help but notice blogs with names like "Sparrow Song" and "The Feathered Nest", or just go to Etsy.com and you can find shops like "Swallow and Twig", "Swallow Comes Spring", "Sparrow Hills", "Sparrow and Bellflower" - and there are so many, many more...










Of course Pinterest has so many images of sparrows and swallows (I've got two "Finding Sanctuary" boards here and here) -

And then there is Flickr (just type in swallow or sparrow in the search window)....

Hey, what's Jack Sparrow doing in my sparrow search!?!?

So many ideas for the word picture in Psalm 84:3 - of being a swallow building her nest at the altar of the Lord!

Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God.

My table display at the show and luncheon the other weekend - it was great fun and I made great new friends while selling a little art...(see the clocks near the front?  And I made a few nest necklaces, too, in the very front.)   I don't do very much jewelry, but I do keep "seeing" ideas for it...so I will carefully move forward in that as the Lord leads...

now waiting for a new resting place and available at the shop here

And now, it is time to "gather, build, nest and fly"...{smiling}

Linking up with Jennifer and other creatives at Sneak Peek Friday at StudioJRU

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY

July 25, 2012

A peek outside my window:

Playing with photoshop again, trying to get an image to look more painted rather than a photo...

my sweet dh took this picture earlier this spring - looks like the bushes need trimming!

 (mouse over to see the before)

I used "Canvas Magic" from Kim's collection on this image, along with several adjustment layers...play, play, play!

Another image - I am amazed at how photoshop can be used to take a really bad photo and transform it - doesn't that sound like what the Holy Spirit does in our lives!  I am happier with this picture than with the one above...I think I am getting the hang of the procedure for painterly effects, but I definitely need more practice, too!

I used Kim's "Fall in" texture along with several adjustment layers + the kanji brush and Haiku font for the wording.

I am thinking... about how we learn so much better by example rather than by lecture...by being invited to "walk along beside" a person and gaining access to their lives - witnessing the moments strung together and how those moments are embraced or missed...how honest vulnerability is more impacting than something like "do x, y, z for a closer walk with God"...

I am thankful... for sweet tweener's sweet disposition, for the telephone, for airconditioning!

In the kitchen...I made this recipe last night with a pile of tomatoes from the garden and dh loved it (so did I) - Fresh tomato spaghetti sauce. 

I am wearing... A black tank and wind shorts (it is hot in Texas!)

I am creating... a T-shirt quilt out of sweet tweener's old shirts + headbands and bracelets out of the remaining T-shirt scraps...I am enjoying being back in the sewing mode again!

I am going... to the free movies with sweet tweener later this morning...

I am reading... (actually just finished) a book on creativity by a pastor - an interesting thought from here is that we are responsible to use our creativity just as any of the other gifts He has implanted in us.  The book: CREATE: Stop Making Excuses and Start Making Stuff, by Stephen Altrogge.  He covers all types of creativity and offers us all a holy kick in the pants (really!).

From the learning room...Science summer camp online - ROBOTS!  I am so impressed with sweet tweener as after just one lesson she is now putting together her own robots...
 
I am pondering...  a question a friend and I were discussing this week - how the church presents worship and the differences...how some churches worship with freedom yet order...it is intimate with gifts flowing and no different than what one does at home in their private times with the Lord, and then how some churches worship with a different...what?  Goal?  To lead others into worship or instruct/teach the "how"?  It seems less vulnerable, less risky?  Especially in a corporate setting?  Still listening to what He is saying...

One of my favorite things... the charm of clotheslines.

Instead of a scripture meditation, this is from an old children's book we (sweet tweener and I) found this week.  I love these words from God's heart - it is worth reading all the way through as it sums up beautifully the entire Bible(!):

You're looking for answers?

Then here's what to do:

Just turn to the Bible to find what is true,

And listen to everything I say to you.

You won't find a picture of Me in a book.

There isn't one person who knows how I look.

But don't be upset that you can't see My face.

You can look at My work in this beautiful place.

I've been alive since before time began; 

I made the whole world by My very own plan.

I'm as tall as the heavens; I'm as wide as the sea.

But even your hairs are all counted by me.

My voice can be gentle and silent and still,

And also like thunder that roars through the hills.

I sing with the waves and the whistling breeze.

And joining my song are the hills and the trees.

I'm strong as a fortress, a rock, and a shield.

But as gentle as rain falling softly on fields.

When you are unhappy that makes Me feel sad.

I'm filled with great joy when I make your heart glad.

My anger comes slowly and fades like the night.

There's no darkness in Me, just goodness and light.

I live in the world and in heaven above.

I live in the hearts of My people who love.

For I AM the Maker of heaven and earth.

I spoke, and My Word brought all life into birth.

I AM like a mother who comforts your fears

And tenderly wipes away all of your tears.

I AM like a father who wants to provide, 

 to care for your needs and to stay by your side.

I AM the Creator, the first and the last,

I'm God of the present, the future, the past.

I AM the good shepherd, who cares for each lamb.

I AM the Almighty, I AM WHO I AM.

I'll love you forever, whatever you do,

For nothing can separate My love from you.

I've loved everything that I made from the start.

My world and My people I hold in My heart.

Kathleen Long Bostrom

Joining with the Simple Woman's Daybook community here 

Beyond Layers here

and Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday here

A Sneak Peek at more Custom Work

A peek at what I have been mostly working on for artistic endeavors... 

I think I will do some blue colorways for boys' rooms

A wonderful customer had great ideas for more subway art, and agreed that I could offer prints through the shop - I should have these listed over the weekend...and  there is one more I am working on...just wanted to link up with:

Jennifer at StudioJRU and other wonderful creatives here...

Have a great weekend!

A Basket of Plums - TT

Our plum tree was laden this year! (In May)...playing in Texture Tuesday - 2 different textures...

I used a levels adjustment layer and a layer mask over the cherries

KK's "Be Still" at multiply

KK's "Sunkissed" at softlight (it brought out the yellow tones of the plums in a beautiful way 

and gave a sunny glow to the negative space of the picture.

 

Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday here

Making vintage style photographs~

I am doing a little "catch-up" for my Beyond Layers class - we just finished up a wonderfully full and fun weekend...and I am ready to get back to creativity of this sort {smiling}...

The image to the right is the original... 

The image to the left is the original...

I am enjoying learning all the different features of photoshop - tho' my images (having had a different beginning point than the class image) do look somewhat different from the example - I did deviate from the recipe just a little for the topmost picture, and the recipe was followed exactly for the one immediately above...

Let me know what you think of them!?

Color Palette fun + Sneak Peek

We have been busy with summer fun over here - the 4th was spectacular with lots of friends joining us for all the fun! I am busy getting ready for a show next weekend, but for a little peek into the "fun" I had to take a break from preparing - here is an assignment from my Beyond Layers class:

 I learned a super easy way to do a color palette with a picture this week...I love learning new creative ways - I think God must so enjoy watching us have fun creating...did you realize that we humans are the only created life that He gave the gift of creativity to?  How can we NOT create?!

More color palette fun spots (you can generate your own palettes on these sites):
Colourlovers
Color Palette Generator
Color Hunter
Kuler
DeGraeve Color Palette Generator
ColRD

Joining with Jennifer and other creatives at Studio JRU

and 

sharing at Beyond Layers

Combining both projects for the Beyond Layers class this week:  an image of my ABSOLUTELY favorite cup for drinking coffee processed to look like an old polaroid photo. 

I have had this cup for probably 20 years and tho' it most definitely is appropriate for the winter, I also use it year round!  After this long, I really don't even notice the painted design...but what the cup has going for it is:
       that it is just the right size to wrap my hands around,
       the handle is the perfect size to slip two or three fingers through,
       it is a bit on the large size, so it holds more coffee,
       it is just the right weight,
       it holds the coffee at a perfect drinking temperature...
*sigh* - I will be lost when it comes time to break in a new one!