Sunday, December 15, 2013

Ornaments

I’m not sure if this goes with my creation theme, but I wanted to share some of the ornaments that hang on my tree.  I have a very wide assortment of ornaments.  Some Kitschy, some homemade, some old, some new, and many that aren’t really ornaments at all. I just really like anything with a special meaning.  I especially like the homemade ones and the weird little ones that make me smile!
 
Here are some of my favorites…
 
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I’ve had this little guy for many years.  It’s my son, Danny’s favorite.
 
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Here is an example of the things on my tree that aren’t really ornaments.  It’s a tiny box of vintage mini-ornaments.  So, I guess since they are ornaments, they kind of fit into the ornament category, right?
 
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Remember these little characters from the 70’s?  My mother gave this one to my son when he was just 2 years old.
 
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Here is another “non-ornament”.  I have many photos on my tree, but this is my favorite. These are three of my grandkids trying to flee the scene during their visit with Santa.  Sometimes those photos that you think were a disaster at the time you took them turn out to be your favorites as time goes by!
 
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What Christmas tree would be complete without a spider made out of Styrofoam, pipe cleaner, and glitter?  This was made by my daughter, Mary when she was a little girl.
 
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Ok, I know…weird.  These go into the kitschy vintage category that makes me smile.
 
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Last, but not least, is an ornament from my childhood in the 60’s.
 
Hope you enjoyed my odd little ornaments!
 
Until next time…
 
I hope you make time during this busy season to enjoy the little things that make you smile.
 
Praising God for all of His blessings,
Jane  <><
 
 

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

A Room With A View

I have a “fake” window in my house.  It’s hanging on an inside wall that has no real windows.  I bought this window, complete with shutters, at a Garage sale a few years back.

The fun part of having a fake window is that I can put any scene that I want into it.  So, what I do is change the scene for each of the four seasons.  I use my own photos to make a 13x19 print.  I have a large format printer that can do this.  If you don’t have a printer that can do this, you can have a photo processing place make one for you (surprisingly cheap).

If you don’t happen to have an old window, you can buy unfinished wood window frames with or without the glass at Menard’s or Home Depot.  You can paint them any color, or use an aging process for a shabbier look.  I haven’t checked for a place to buy the shutters, but I’m sure there is one.

Here is my window with a Winter scene photograph that I took…Seeing it reminds me of the endless amount of time I spent sledding and skating as a child.



My grandkids made the cute little penguins for me last year.  The old Santa bobble-head has been in my family since I was a little girl.

It’s fun to know that no matter what room you’re in, you can always have a room with a view!

Until next time…

May God give you the eyes of a child to see the wonder of the Christmas season!

Exalting My Savior,
Jane  <><

Monday, December 9, 2013

Let It Snow!

Here is a mitten holder that I made a few years ago.  Since I don’t have little ones with little mittens to clip on it, I use it for vintage black and white pictures of playing in the snow.
 
The piece was quite easy to make…a piece of wood, acrylic paint, clothespins, and paint-pens for the lettering and snowflakes.  I used metallic silver for some of the flakes.
 
Let it Snow
 
Now, back to work on my new Christmas creations!
 
“Let Your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in You alone.”  Psalm 33:22
 
Amazed at His unfailing love,
 
Jane  <><

Sunday, December 8, 2013

The Heart of Christmas

Happy Sunday to all.  I’m feeling so thankful today.  As I’m writing this post, I’m looking outside the big window in front of me.  I’m seeing lots of snow covering the trees, the yards, streets, and the rooftops of other houses.  I love Minnesota Winter!  I love the coziness of being inside with a cup of coffee and a warm blanket, especially when the tree and house are decorated, and you have no place to go.  After this, I get to work on a Christmas gift to give to my family.  Gregg is outside shoveling snow, so right now he probably has a little different attitude about Winter than I do.
 
Here is a simple watercolor I did with a verse that is fitting.  I love the traditional red and green at Christmastime, but the cooler colors of blues and purples seem to fit the cold weather outside.  It’s 7 degrees out today, which is actually quite warm compared to this past week.
 

 
Wishing you a December filled with God’s blessings – snow or no snow, wherever you may live.
 
Loving the Creator,
Jane  <>< 

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Ornaments

Today I’m sharing with you some of the ornaments that I made.  I made several of them for the Craft sale that I was in a few weeks ago.  Here is how I made them…
 
I used a canvas type fabric to make them.  Some of them were stamped with a permanent ink before I started sewing.  I put 2 uncut pieces (about 5”x 5”) of fabric together right side out.  I then lightly penciled the shape on the fabric.  Next, I sewed along the pencil line, leaving a small opening for the polyfil stuffing – for the first bird, I left the tail open and tied it with twine instead of sewing it shut.  Then I cut around it leaving about a quarter inch margin – You can use a pinking shears for this too.  Stuff it and sew the opening shut.  Now, a little hand-stitching, fabric glue, string for a hanger, burlap, buttons, or any other embellishments that you may want to use, and you’re done!
 
These are the ornaments that I had left after the sale... 
 
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I hope your creative juices are flowing this December!
 
Until next time…
 
Oh, what a wonderful God we have!  How great are His riches and wisdom and knowledge!   Romans 11:33
 
In awe of His riches,
Jane  <><
 
 

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Silent Night

This is one of my (many) favorite Christmas songs.  Here is a watercolor that I did that attempts to express the peace that should experienced each day of this season.  This is the peace that can only be felt through the birth of our King Jesus.


“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus.”   Philippians 4:7

 Until next time…

May you receive many moments of silence during this busy and often stressful season, so that you can experience His peace. 

 Blessings,  Jane  <><

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

December Days of Creativity

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged.  I was very busy doing arts and crafts for a sale that I was in at our church.  My goal was to blog throughout the process of the many different items that I created for the sale, and maybe even a few tutorials.  Needless to say, this didn’t happen.  As always I wait until 2 months before the sale to start on things, so I’m pretty much in panic mode just to get enough to put in the sale.  I’ve just never learned the art of pacing myself. 
 
That being said, I decided to challenge myself to a December of creative blogging.  This seems to work well for me and my motivation issues.  Notice that I haven’t said that I would blog every day of December…this gives me a more relaxed attitude.  The last thing that I want to do is add stress to the month of December by putting more pressure on myself!
 
So, I’ll start with some Christmas typography that I did in Photoshop.  It’s fun playing with all of the different fonts.  It’s also very time-consuming, but worth the time if you like this sort of artwork.
 
Christmas
 
Here is the same piece with color…
 

 
Now, back to my Christmas decorating.
 
Until Then…
 
May this Christmas season be filled with joy in our Savior and King.
 
Love to all,
Jane

Monday, August 26, 2013

Inspired

I belong to a group board on Pinterest called “Lord Jesus Saves”.  I love how inspiring it is to have so much of God’s word coming into my life everyday through Pinterest.  The photography and artwork is just so beautiful.  I can’t say that I love 100% of what comes in (maybe more like 80%), but the good definitely outweighs the not- so-good.
 
Ever since I’ve had the capability (through Photoshop - many years ago), I have loved to put words with my photos and art.  I enjoy finding just the right verse to go with the image, and choosing a font that I think is a right fit for the image as well.  I then frame some of them for gifts or for sale in my Etsy shop, or make greeting cards with them.
 
Here are a couple of photographs that I did this past week…
 
God's comfort
I tried to find out who wrote this beautiful quote, but couldn't find who it was.
 
 
Sunset canoe
I took this picture at my friends cabin.  I actually had them canoe back and forth several times just to get the composition that I wanted.  Thank you for your patience Lori and Darlene!
 
I hope that I’ve inspired you in some way to bring beautiful words and scripture into your life every day.
 
Until next time…
 
Your word is a lamp for my feet, and a light for my path.          Psalm 119:105
 
Praising God for lighting my way,
Jane  <><
 
 

Monday, August 19, 2013

Having Fun With Color Swatches

I’ve been having more fun with making color swatches.  I’m hoping that the color combinations will inspire people in their decorating and craft projects just like they inspire me.  My last swatches were pinned to Pinterest many times, so that’s always an encouragement for me to create some more!
 
Here is one I did using a photo that I took in our basement.  We have it all fixed up as a 1950’s malt shop (which I'll be blogging about soon).  My pretty little model is Miss Hailey, my granddaughter.  In spite of the many wardrobe changes, props, and poses, she was very patient with me as I clicked away - looking for just the right shot. 
 
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This next photo is a little scene I came across while walking on the rocky shoreline of Lake Superior.  Well, to be honest, I may have staged it just a little bit.  I love the earthy color palette.
 
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The last one for today is from a watercolor painting that I did a few months ago.  The colors go perfectly in my guest bathroom…which they should, since I painted the picture to match this bathroom.
 
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…and that’s it for today.  I hope you are having a fun-filled summer!
 
Until next time…
 
“The more of heaven we cherish, the less of earth we covet.”    David Brandt Berg
 
Maranatha!
Jane  <><

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Green Wagon

 
This is a photograph that I took in my front yard.  My sister Polly gave the wagon to me - she bought it at an occasional sale.  I love things old and well-used.  It gives them character, and makes me wonder about their history.  I enjoy the feeling I get when something speaks to my nostalgic nature. 
 
What stories would this little green wagon have to tell?  It may have brought smiles and laughter to a little child, or could have been used by a gardener.  If it’s anything like my childhood wagon, it’s full of happy memories of my little brother Jimmy and me taking turns pushing each other on the sidewalk around our house as fast as we could go.  It would also have witnessed the many “accidents” and tears we shed as a result of going around the corners at full speed!
 
Jesus Loves you.
 
Until tomorrow…
 
May the love of Jesus bless you always!
 
“For great is Your love, reaching to the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.”  Psalm 57:10
 
Feeling Loved By The Creator,
Jane  <><
 
 

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Color Swatches

I’ve seen (and pinned) many of these “color swatches” on Pinterest.  I love how they take the colors from a pretty photograph and use them as color inspirations for decorating.  Just for the fun of it, I thought I would try doing my own swatches with photos that I have taken.  Here is what I came up with…
 
Color Swatch - Daisies
 
Color Swatch - Yarn
 
I did a few more that I will share later.  I might do some using my paintings too.
 
Until next time…
 
“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord almighty.  I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord.   Psalm 84:1,2
 
May God bless your day,
Jane  <><
 
 

Friday, July 12, 2013

By The River

I took this picture at my Uncle Tony’s restaurant in St. Cloud.  The restaurant is called Anton’s, and it is known for it’s unique ambiance, beautiful view, and great food.  Many geese and ducks make the lovely “back yard” their home.  This sweet little family of geese just looked so happy…who wouldn’t be happy in a setting this pretty?
 
 
Jesus said…
 
“Whoever believes in me, as scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”  John 7:38
 
Until next time…
 
May you thirst for the living water that is Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
 
God Bless,
Jane  <><
 
 

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

30 Days of Creativity…Day 30!

For my last day of the creativity challenge I’m going to share a watercolor that I did for my mom for her birthday.  My mom likes hollyhock flowers – she says they are an “old fashioned” flower.  When she was young, she said that there were hollyhocks everywhere.  You don’t see them much anymore (not in Minnesota anyway).  So, I thought that I would do a painting for her of this pretty flower.  The original painting is an 8x10 done on Arches hotpress watercolor paper.
 
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This is a photograph of hollyhocks that I took at Munsinger Gardens in St. Cloud...I used it as a guide when doing my painting.
 
Hollyhocks
 
So, that is the end of my challenge.  I really liked doing this, and I’m sure that I will give myself more challenges like this in the future. 
 
 
Until next time…
 
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I’m hoping everyone will have a safe and fun 4th of July weekend!
 
All Praise to the King,
Jane  <><

Monday, July 1, 2013

30 Days of Creativity…Day 29

Today I’m sharing another black and white photo.  This time I added the color to it in Photoshop.  Gregg and I came upon this bicycle outside of an antique store.  It wasn’t in front of the picket fence, so I asked the shop owner if I could move it there.  It just seemed to be the perfect place for it.  The bike was actually a worn out reddish color which was nice, but I decided to turn it into a turquoise bike (my favorite color). 
 
bicycle
 
I like to leave most of the photo in black and white, and just add color to the main subject.
 
Here is the same photograph, but I gave it a different look and feel.  I gave this one a sepia tone and gave only the flowers color.  This photograph is available for purchase in my Etsy shop
 
bike by fence
 
Tomorrow is the last day of my 30 day creativity challenge…I’m almost there!
 
Until tomorrow…
 
“He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;  He is my God, and I am trusting Him.”  Psalm 91:2
 
Feeling safe in my Father’s care,
Jane  <><
 
 

Sunday, June 30, 2013

30 Days of Creativity…Day 28

I have a doodle for you today.  I really like doing flower doodles, so this was a fun one for me.  After the doodling was done I scanned it into my computer and added the color.  I also added a verse using the CK Curly font – this is one of my favorite fonts to use with my doodles.
 
Flower Doodle
 
Thank you for visiting my blog today!
 
Until tomorrow…
 
“The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs…you will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”   Isaiah 58:11
 
Maranatha!
Jane  <><
 
 

Saturday, June 29, 2013

30 Days of Creativity…Day 27

Several years ago I went on a photo retreat in southern Minnesota with my camera club.  We were in Amish country, so our challenge was to capture Amish images without taking photos of the Amish people (they do not want pictures taken of themselves).  I was thrilled to find this beautiful scene on the side of the road of two Amish teenagers selling quilts.  They were very sweet, and gave me permission to take pictures.  This is one of my favorite shots of the day…
 
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I shot the photo in black and white.  This was before digital, so I printed it in my darkroom.  I then hand-painted just the quilts with Marshall’s Photo Oil Paints.  Fast forward several years…I scanned the photo into my computer.  Using my “Photoshop Essentials” program I was able to add the yellowing tint and scratched border to give it an old, worn look.
 
Until tomorrow…
 
“From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.”  John 1:16
 
May your day be blessed,
Jane  <><

Friday, June 28, 2013

30 Days of Creativity…Day 26

I bought a few old cameras at the thrift shop a few weeks ago.  They aren’t really old enough to be considered collectable yet.  That’s probably why I only had to pay $1.50 each for them.  I had one similar to this in the early ‘70’s.
 
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I decided to spray paint one of them glossy white. Before I did that I put some masking tape over the lens and viewfinder (see above picture).  After it was painted I took the tape off, and wrote “smile” on it with a Sharpie marker…
 
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I thought this would make a cute photo/message holder.  The wire that I used to do this is a 12 gauge aluminum jewelry wire that I got at Michael’s.  I really like this wire – it comes in several different colors, and it’s easy to bend.  It also doesn’t tarnish like other wire I've tried from the hardware store.
 
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Next, I bent the wire.  There are many different ways you can bend it – I decided that I wanted it to hold two photos, so I bent mine with two loops. 
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I also bent the base of the wire into a circle that fits the mechanism on the camera that was used to attach a flashcube (remember flashcubes?)  A little glue will hold it in place.
 
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And that’s it!  I like how it turned out.  It’s my Mom’s birthday today, so I put in a photo of my Mom and me, and a birthday note.  I know my Mom reads my blog every day, so I want to say a special Happy Birthday to her!  Thank you for being my biggest fan Mom…your support means everything to me.  I love you so very much, and I couldn’t ask for a better mother!
 
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Until tomorrow…
 
“How kind the Lord is!  How good He is!  So merciful, this God of ours!”  Psalm 116:5
 
In His Mercy and Kindness,
Jane  <><


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Thursday, June 27, 2013

30 Days of Creativity…Day 25

I’m back at home after visiting my daughter in South Dakota for 5 days (it isn’t a coincidence that we had no power for the same amount of days that I was gone).  I had such a great time with Mary, Kyle, and the kids.  It wasn’t too hard to say goodbye today knowing that Gregg and I will be going back for the 4th of July. 
 
Here are some more photos that were taken of Hailey and Jack.  I have to be honest…Mary took these pictures.  We both had our cameras, taking the same pictures, but hers turned out better than mine.  She gave me permission to use hers, but I thought that I should do something creative with them.  I picked my three favorites and “framed” them with three different designs.
 
The first is a doodle design of mine…
 
Hailey and Jack doodle blog
 
This is one of my designs too…
 
Hailey and Jack
 
This is a frame from my Photoshop Essentials software…
 
Hailey and Jack negative frame blog
 
So, which one is your favorite?
 
Until tomorrow…
 
“Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.”  Proverbs 17:6
 
In His Holy Name,
Jane  <><

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

30 Days of Creativity…Day 24

Good news!  Our power came back on today!  I’m still in South Dakota, but I will be going back home tomorrow.  I’m really missing Gregg and the dogs.
 
Today I’m sharing a watercolor with ink that I did last week.
 
Act Justly, Love Mercy
 
This is one of my favorite Bible verses!
 
Until tomorrow…
 
“And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord.”   Micah 6:8
 
Humbly walking with the Lord,
Jane  <><
 
 

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

30 Days of Creativity…Day 23

I decided today that I needed to take advantage of having two of the cutest little models in the world (spoken like a true Grandma).  So, after finding some nice lighting and a simple background, the camera came out.  Not only were these models cute, but they were happy to pose for me.  It didn’t take long for me to get some shots that I was happy with.  I like doing these collages in Photoshop Elements using several pictures to capture the different moods of each child. 
 
Here are the portraits of Hailey and Jackson that are my favorites…
 
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Jackson collage copy
 
Still no power back in Minnesota…so thankful to Gregg for holding down the fort while I’m here.
 
Until Tomorrow…

God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  Romans 5:8
 
Thankful for His Love,
Jane  <><

Monday, June 24, 2013

30 Days of Creativity…Day 22

I’m having a wonderful time with Mary and the family.  I’m not really getting a lot of creating done other than coloring with Hailey.  I did plan ahead, and did a few extra things last week so that I had something to post while I was here.  Here is a watercolor and ink painting done in a wet-on-wet technique that was fun to do.
 
Jar of Flowers
 
Poor Gregg is still without power in Minneapolis.  I’m feeling a little guilty about it, but the need for air conditioning outweighs any guilt I may be feeling.  I’m not too worried about him though…he seems to be embracing his unplugged adventure.
 
Until tomorrow…
 
“And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.”   2 Corinthians 5:15
 
Maranatha!
Jane  <><
 
 

Sunday, June 23, 2013

30 Days of Creativity…Day 21

Because of the bad storms that came through Minneapolis Friday evening we lost our power, and we still don’t have it.  They are telling us it might be back on tomorrow.  So, I decided to leave a couple of days early for my trip to South Dakota to visit my daughter and her family.  This is my excuse for skipping 2 days of my 30 day challenge.  I guess I never really specified that it would be 30 consecutive days, did I?
 
So, enough excuses.  Here is my creation for today…
 
Shout to the Lord all the earth. 
 
This doodle was inspired by one of my favorite worship songs, which was inspired by a verse from Psalms.
 
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music…”   Psalm 98:4
 
Until tomorrow…
 
Blessings to you,
Jane  <><