Blessed Beyond Measure

Its been a few weeks since I've posted. Life is hectic and busy as usual. I've shared so many of my trials with you all lately that today I really wanted to share some blessings.



First is the blessing of time. I've managed to find some joy filled hours over the past few weeks to finish up a few projects and start a few more. Time with art is time to heal, to regroup, refocus and find a place of serenity within.



I created this piece today from an antique glass optical lens which I have drilled a hole through the middle of in order to attach the two antique buttons that swing freely around the hand forged center pin. The back has been collaged with text from a 1914 interest table book.

I love the mix of materials, notice the bit of antique purple cloth with the slightest green cast that backs the piece, and though it is hard to tell in the photo, it matches the purple and green hues of the vintage mother of pearl button nearly perfectly.

I have finally put to use some of the skills learned in a class taught by artist Keith Lo Bue to create the iron wire armature and handmade clasp that match the antique cuckoo clock chain so perfectly, but I really have to credit the awesome artist Richard Salley for his long distance help in understanding the technique. If you'd like to try your hand at it, Richard has generously posted a step-by-step photo workshop on his web site. His art is amazing!

I have titled this piece "The Number of Our Days" based on Psalm 90:12
"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom". How much I take each day for granted. I pray the Lord would help me to grow and learn from his word each day and appreciate every hour he has blessed me with, no matter what the task he gives me for that time.



This piece is titled Morning Light "he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from earth." - 2 Samuel 23:4,
Also created from an antique glass optical lens, a hole has been drilled through the glass on this piece as well, to enable the antique button (or is it some type of cuff link?) and the vintage dog tag to swing freely.

I have collaged the back of the glass with vintage text and music using a technique that creates a translucent effect. This enables the bit of pale pink and gold antique cloth to be viewed through the glass as well.

The clasp is the ring and hook that were attached to the antique cuckoo clock chain that I have used as the necklace.

I'll be listing both necklaces on Etsy later today.




A few blessings this month involve opportunities God has brought my way for my art. One is the opportunity to be published in a book about collaborative jewelry making. One of my goals for this year was to be published in a book and that opportunity came very early through the charm swap that I participated in last year. I won't be able to share what I've been working with you for a while, but you can read more about how the book came to be on Kelly's blog.


You might remember this piece titled "Tree of Life"....


And this one titled "Faith"....


And "Sublime"...
I've had the privilege of having them professionally photographed at work (thanks to Gus in the creative department for his help!) and all 3 have been accepted into a juried art show titled "Women's Works 2007". This is a first for me and an answer from God to another goal for this year. I have wanted to enter local art shows for a while and have not had the nerve before now.

I truly am blessed beyond measure. I am loved and highly favored. Saved by grace. When hope is gone and darkness has fallen, I will Rise Up and call myself blessed. I have a Savior in heaven. He sees me and knows my name. He has held me up by His right hand and leads me. When I stumble He will not let me fall, and if I fall He will pick me up again. My eyes will look with hope to the hills for I know my Savior lives!

Stripping Away

You might remember this folk art assemblage quilt I had pieced together a few posts back, having been inspired by the work of Janet Cooper.

I finally began to permanently assemble it, but in order to do so I first had to remove all the assemblage pieces so that I could start to sew the foundation together.

I started with a border of red eyelash trim around the old doll quilt. If you look at the original photo, you won't see it, I hadn't planned to use it before, but as I put it together I knew it needed to be included. Just that tiny embellishment made the quilt come alive visually.

Next came the red and white doilie down the middle, then the vintage linen hanky with its fresh Spring like border. I have folded it to create a little pocket.



And finally the centerpiece is some sort of odd ladies hat. As much as I am delighting with the way it looks here on my quilt, it amuses me to think of this on somebody's head.



As I started to sew the foundation together I began to think about all the pieces I had to remove in order to start. Even though the quilt looked finished in the photo I took, it would not have held together if it was moved. It made me think about how much, once again, my art was hinting at what was happening in my life.

When this season of storms began for my husband and I, I "happened" to hear a radio program in which the speaker said "Sometimes God will allow everything we rely on to be stripped away in order to teach us to only rely on Him." And that is what has been happening ever since my husband was laid off from his job.

One by one God has been loosening my grip on the things I believed were my security, the things that I could count on in my life and as I recognize what has been happening, I realize that He isn't finished yet.

I believe that not only is He teaching me to rely on Him alone, but He is showing me that while my life may have had the appearance of being put together, nothing was securely attached. The foundation wasn't solid enough and if He had answered the prayers I have been praying for Him to answer, we would not have held together. It sounds backwards, but He has to take it all apart in order to put it together the right way.

As I attach each piece to my quilt, it becomes more and more beautiful to me. When I am finished it may look a lot different then I first envisioned it. I'm betting it will look even better then I imagined it.

With God as my Creator, I'm betting my life will too.

The Long Arm of My Love

This art was inspired by and is dedicated to my online art friend Reverend Carol Maclaren.

In response to the many hardships my husband and I have been going through for many months now, Carol sent me a major blessing just before Christmas, and with it she wrote that the Lord had told her to tell me that His arm isn't too short to help me.

I wrote Carol my thank-you's and told her that I felt the tide was turning and surely her gift was a sign. I wrote the same thing here on my blog a few posts back, that I felt that this season of storms was coming to an end. I was wrong. Shortly after that post things seemed to turn from bad to worse and this time I completely fell apart. I was under so much stress from it all that I broke and wound up moving out of the bedroom and sleeping on a mattress on my studio floor for over a week. Neither my husband, nor I was willing to reach out to the other. The enemy must have been having a heyday with that.

But Carol was right, the arm of the Lord is long, and He is more then able to reach into our lives and save. He worked His love in our hearts and brought us back together and has renewed our strength to face another day.




This piece is based on the scripture from Isaiah 59:1 "Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save."

No not too short to save. He sent me encouragement all the way from England through my friend Carol. I'll be sending one of these heart danglies out to her on Monday along with one each to the ten women in one of the two Valentines Day swaps I'm participating in.

Both swaps are heart themed but I can't show you what I've made for the other one until after mine have been opened by the participants on the second day of February.

I'll be posting directions to two different projects here in February so be sure to check back.

And I've got a few extra's to share, one for my Etsy shop and one for Ebay if you want one of your very own!

Whats on your work table?

Not my entire studio, just on my work table. This is what I've been tinkering with since New Years day. With the exception of a few minor details, its all laid out and ready for me to start permanently assembling it. Bad lighting but you get the idea.
So what's on your work table? Leave me a note and post a picture on your blog.

Ringing in the New Year Playing With Art

This is a pretty bad picture of a really cute necklace that I FINALLY made from the 25 charms I received in the "Just Simply Charming" charm swap.

Its hard to tell but the charms are all attached to a pouch I made from the end of a wire mesh lint sock. The chain is a vintage watch fob. It clasps in front.

I wore it all afternoon and it creates the most awesome jangle when I move. Little pieces of art all swinging around my neck together. Music to my ears!

It makes me think of the scripture "Where your treasure is there your heart will be also." Luke 12:34

These little charms truly are a treasure to me. Art is my passion and I have such limited time to spend on it, but today I have had the opportunity to spend many hours playing in my studio. A great way to start the New Year!

It is January 1, 2007. I'm so excited to see where the Lord leads this year. I hope you had a Christ filled Christmas and your New Year is filled with His blessing of peace!