New Blog Banner

I just can't stop playing with my blog banner. I think I'll stick with this one for a while. What do you think?

Frosty Autumn Glory

You know those few days of the year when it is just so BREATHTAKINGLY beautiful outside that you can't help but sing praises to the Creator of such Beauty? Today is one of those days. We had our first heavy frost of the year and the sun was hitting the Fall trees just right. So gorgeous.

Week 14 Inspirational Prompt from the Art in the Word Yahoo Group

Deuteronomy 32:2 (New International Version)

2 Let my teaching fall like rain
and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass,
like abundant rain on tender plants.

As I was searching and praying for a verse for this week, I came
across this wonderful verse from Deuternonomy.
Here in Ohio we have had a LOT of rain and in California they are in
desperate need of rain. This verse reminds us that the Word of God
is more important than the rain. Without it, we become parched and
if we get too dry, the fires (tribulations) will quickly consume us.
However, if we read His word, His teachings will fall on our parched
souls, making us fertile ground to bear fruit for His Kingdom.
May the reading of God's Word bless you this coming week
Lennea

Now for sale in my Etsy shop! http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7638356

Christmas is coming!!!!

Oh yes it is! For artists and crafters we have to start thinking about Christmas months in advance. Here's a sneak preview of some vintage silvery soldered ornaments that I will be selling in my ETSY shop and a local boutique starting Nov. 1st. Each ornament will be $25.oo and there will be a very limited number made. If you would like to preorder an ornament just e-mail me at onceuponacottage@yahoo.com

These ornaments for 2007 are the first in my Christmas box series. This year's theme is White Christmas. I will create a new theme for the Christmas box series every year.

Each ornament is created with my own collage of acrylics, vintage glitter, vintage victorian photo, vintage lace, and may include a tiny bottle brush tree, antique buttons and other baubles. No two ornaments are the same! These box collages are then sealed with handcut glass and hand soldered to create a beautiful silver box. I have added chandelier crystals to dangle from each ornament. A Christmas heirloom to be enjoyed for generations!

The ULTIMATE BLOGGING AWARD!!!!!!!

The AMAZING, TALENTED and VERY FUNNY Jan Thomason http://polkadotbarn.blogspot.com/ has presented me with the FIRST EVER CREATIVE SNIT AWARD!!!!!!!!

Unlike many other blogging awards, THIS award requires much thoughtful deliberation and strict adherence to the following CREATIVE SNIT AWARD criteria.

THis award shall be presented only to worthy artists who have shown evidence of being in a creative snit.

To help with the selection, we need a common frame of reference. I found this definition of snit:

snit
noun
a state of agitated irritation; "he was in a snit"

However, I think a CREATIVE SNIT requires a somewhat different defintion:

creative snit
noun
a state of creative chaos, creative frustration, or a state of obsessive creativity: "she was in a creative snit"

Therefore, worthy recipients of this prestigious award should demonstrate one or more of the following criteria:

1) photos of their chaotic creative studio spaces (see my blog for example)
2) reports of staying up till the wee hours of the morning while consuming large amounts of coffee and or chocolate in order to finish a swap or prepare for a show
3) documented frustration over the creative process
4) evidence of a large quantity of art created over a small period of time
5) photos of the recipient at vendor night at any art retreat ( it goes without saying that ALL attendees at such events are either in or will soon be in a creative snit)
AND FINALLY

6) ( created especially for Jan) witnessing the recipient in a SNIT at a CREATIVE EVENT!

(note: Jan is a lovely, kind and generous person, who would not normally qualify for this award - However after traveling several hours on a plane to Art & Soul, she arrived at the hotel in the wee hours of the morning only to discover that THEY HAD GIVEN HER ROOM AWAY! And didn't have any rooms available! Now, if that's not cause for being in a SNIT, I don't know what is!)

I am quite honored to be the FIRST EVER recipient of this most prestigious award. Thank you Jan!!!

AND now, I award the following AMAZING and TALENTED artists with the INAUGURAL CREATIVE SNIT AWARD!!!!!!!

Jan Thomason http://polkadotbarn.blogspot.com/ for being in a SNIT at a CREATIVE RETREAT and for creating the CREATIVE SNIT AWARD!

Lani Kent http://artistlanikent.blogspot.com/ who may have first coined the term creative snit and I quote" I always get a bit overstimulated and in a creative snit after those events! It really is amazing..all that creativity in one room!"

Chel Hery http://chelise.typepad.com/ who is ALWAYS in a creative snit and graciously writes about if for our amusement

Keesha http://lemoncholys.blogspot.com/ who , DESPITE being very tired and getting sick, still felt compelled to add all the charms from Art and Soul to her necklace! Read about it here https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinu95CLk4ctHOiEYX77Qf2HOy9rW6QN2IdEHZ6Tz_weSXSYPG7QfQyCqMlGfNK9YDHwo1S09IrK1gWi3eooW2f-PypHne420Fjkxl8XOodoLL2seMvTuc5fh_E26FmNYuqNXH_Ig/s1600-h/IMG_0747.JPG

To all CREATIVE SNIT AWARD RECIPIENTS;

Congratulations! You have now earned the right to award other artists with this most prestigious award! There is no limit to the number of artists you award this to and there is no time limit on handing out this award. Just please post the CREATIVE SNIT AWARD button on your blog and refer your recipients to this post for more information.

Healing Rain post

The following post is the Healing Rain video by Michael W. Smith. It is my prayer for the people in the line of fire in San Diego as well as everyone that needs the grace and power of God's healing rain. I pray that you will receive the healing rain from God today - whether it be the literal rain needed to quench the San Diego fires or the spiritual rain that comes from God to quench your spirit.
Blessings,
Lennea

Healing Rain by Michael W. Smith

More Videos

Paper Dress Swap

Heather at http://www.speckled-egg.com/ hosted this wonderful swap. It was a five for five swap and Heather included ribbon and small clothespins to hang our dresses from. I LOVE the dresses I received!

Lennea Poppet

I Created this poppet for the Art in the Word inspirational prompt.

Colossians 3:12"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."That's a pretty tall order , isn't it? It's easy as Christians to get caught up in the law ( as the Pharisees did) and our own self-rigteousness. And there's always people at church, in our family and neighborhoods who try our patience! But God commands us to exhibit all the above qualities. Notice, he doesn't add Clothe yourself with..... WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE IT! or if the person deserves it! We would all do well to wake up each morning and remember to also put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience just like we put on our shoes!

Directions for making Claudine Helmuth's sitting pretty Poppet People are on Martha Stewart's website along with printable templates. They're very fun and relatively quick to make! I did not enlarge the template when I made this one. I also was jumpy with a headache, excedrin and coffee, couldn't find my tin snips or utility knife and was too impatient to let the ink dry from the printer, so the ink smeared a bit. I know better than to create when I feel like this, but I did anyway. I was in a bit of a creative snit. ( wouldn't that be a GREAT name for a blog??) If I ever make another blog - I think I'll name it Creative Snit!

Where one organizationally challenged woman creates

These photos won't get me into any lovely book on where women create, unless it's titled "Where Real Women Create when there studios aren't staged for a photo shoot". I invited all the women from my Art in the Word Yahoo Group to view my studio after a lively discussion on messy studios. NOTE! IF YOU ARE MY MOTHER, YOU MAY NOT WANT TO VIEW THESE PHOTOS!

Please notice my many attempts at organization- the labeled plastic bins, wire shelving, canvas drawers, magazine folders buried underneath the mess. I'm good at setting the system up, but not good at USING the system!

My favorite pieces in the room are the antique dresser that my Grandpa made and the antique book rack that I picked up along the curb of a shop that was giving it away.

These photos are my BLESSING to you today! May you go back to your own studios feeling better about yourselves!

I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes " HOme is a place for creative Expression, NOT a place to make an IMPRESSION"

Bless the Broken Heart

New mixed media painting.

practice, practice, practice

These are a few pieces I made in Sally Jean's Soldering for Virgins class. I finally got around to adding the jump rings today. I really need to learn to take better photos because the scanner makes every little bump look like a CAVERN! These look a lot smoother in person - really they do! Except for the Christmas one which I wanted to add bumps around. Now I need to get busy and start making some Christmas charms and ornaments.

Art in the Word Inspirational Prompt

From the Art in the Word Yahoo Group weekly prompt.

Proverbs 4 :18
"But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day."
From "Daily Wisdom from the Bible" devotional:
"The lives of those people who are touched by the love of Christ are like guiding lights to others who have yet to find Christ in their lives. They can provide guidance and help, and they shine forth as bright examples of how good life can be. God's light can shine through us if we will only let it. We have the opportunity to show others the difference that Christ can make. When we live life empowered by the light of God, we live as He wished we would."
"Father, please make me a light for my world. Let me shine forth with Your goodness, care, and love. Let all who look to me see Your grace. Help me to reflect the saving light of Christ which You have lovingly given me. Amen."
Let's shine our lights to all those around us this week!

Art of Christmas with Lesley Riley

I made these two "spun cotton" ornaments in Lesley Riley's "Art of Christmas" class at Art & Soul. This is the first time I made dolls like these and I'm hooked. I finally learned how to make a doll armature and wrap it with "spun cotton". The dressing was easy, too and required minimal hand stitching. We only had 7 students in this class, so it was almost like taking a class from Lesley one-on-one. It was so fun and relaxing. Lesley is so nice and approachable. I wish I could join her for Art & Soul in Italy! Anyone want to sponsor my trip to Italy? heehee

House of Secrets

I made this in Tom and Romona's class "House of Secrets" it is a double journal made out of copper and glass. I got to use a torch in this class! I have to get one of those!

Back from Art & Soul

I'm BAAAAAAACK! I had a fantastic time at Art& Soul. Above is several photos of a piece I made in Sally Jean Alexander's class"Le Divine Shrine" Mine is titled "A Unique Doll Show."

Off to Art and Soul!

I will be getting up at 4am tomorrow to catch a plane to Portland Oregon for the Art and Soul Retreat! Only an art retreat could get me out of bed at that time;). I'll be learning new soldering skills from Sally Jean Alexander, how to make lovely Christmas angels from Leslie Riley and lots of metal techniques as I make a metal journal!

We were supposed to alter a paper mache house to display at Art and Soul. Here is what I created ( I'm still in a cream and rust phase!). I made the little doll "Faith" . The other doll is JoAnna's that I have been working on for an art doll RR.