Prayer for Peace

 

I have had these antique chandelier Crystals for several years.  In a world that is filled with war and violence I decided to create a Christmas ornament that would be a visual reminder of my prayer for this Christmas.

I started with Sandra Evertsons Dresden wings and Relics and artifact Milagros.  Tim Holtz bottle brush wreath cut in half and reformed and peace from Tim Holtz sizzix handwritten holidays.

I covered the wings with glossy accents and then sprinkled them with Diamond Dust and let the wings dry.

I then covered the praying angle with Pebeo glitter medium and let it dry.

I assembled the ornament by using E6000 to attach wings, praying child, crystal, peace word and wreath .   After they dried I hung it on the tree.

Here is how it looks on the tree with and without lights.

I hope that the peace of Christmas will invade your life this year.

Just in the nick of time I am completing my April Tag.  It has been a busy month …  The Flower stamp is a fun stamp.  I didn’t have access to a sewing machine so tape will have to do.   I also created this picture using the Flower Stamp last month when I got the stamps in the mail.  

Tim Holtz 12 Tags of 2015 March ” Honeymoon Time”

I am obsessed with these birds.

The Bird Crazy Stamps are so fun. II look at them and they have such fun personalities you can make them into almost anything.  We are quickly approaching the wedding season so I thought it would be fun to make a bride and groom bird.

I used all the techniques that Tim used in the demo.  I ment to take pictures but well got so busy I forgot.  The tag is # 8 ranger tag lared some tissue tape on the back ground.  Then used 4 colors (peacock feathers, worn lipstick, dusty concord and silver.     The Suite cases stamp with black ink and clear embossing powder  is great for backgrounds.  The rose stencil works great  with embossing powders because the background really pops.

I colored the birds using distress markers and water brush on water color paper.  I embellished the bride with some tool and sequins.  The groom got a cool bow tie from some Tim Holtz damask paper.  The birds are adhered to the tag with Ranger foam tape so that the tag has some dimension to it.

The tag is embellished with a Tim Holtz ideology word band, with white crinkle ribbon, loop pin, pear baubles and heart charms.  I hope you enjoy this tag…

. There is a copy of Tims Inspiration tag for March…..

12 tags of 2015 – march…

Valentines Cards Continued!

Hope you are prepared to let the people in your life know that you love them this Valentines season.  

Mail them a Card today!

Tim Holtz 12 tags of 2015

The Valentines Dance

As the father of 3 daughters every year since they were in middle school they would start preparing for the Valentines dance.    I always loved those times.  I enjoy spending time with my wife and daughters.  I remember we would start looking for those special dresses as soon as Christmas was over.  I would stand for hours holding dresses and handbags as they all congregated in the dressing room and would one by one come out and model each dress.

Every time they came out I was reminded of them  being little girls and playing dress up!  They would always ask me if I thought they  looked pretty?..  They are such beautiful young women now and I don’t get to go shopping with them much any more.   While Valentines is always associated with romantic love and I am still madly in love with my wife of 25 years, I am also caught up in the nostalgia of 3 other young ladies who captured my heart from the moment I laid eyes on them.

When I saw Tims inspiration I knew what I wanted to do.  I had just purchased the model stamps from Tims new collection because they were funky and different.   I was interested in how could those fit in to Tims normal grunge aesthetic and this is what I came up with.

Michelle and I have always stressed to our daughters that they are not defined by a Boy (while a significant others can make life special) and your attire is only an accessory to the natural beauty that is found from being a strong confident woman.   You must believe in yourself and dream big because you only live once so make what you do count for something that makes this world and those around you better…

My WISH is that their life will be filled with beautiful memories just like the ones I have!

ps.  If you look real hard you may see cracked Pistachio!.  (thanks to My Hearts Fancy in OKC)

This past summer I had the opportunity to walk one of my twins down the aisle as I presented her to a wonder young man who I think is almost as crazy about her as I am…  I was excited that she included me in helping purchase that special dress…  She was beautiful and so were my other two daughters in the dresses that I got to help them pick out!  I thought I would include a couple of pictures so you could see why I am a proud Dad!

The wonderful pictures were done by Oh My dear photography.   They are the best if you are in need of a photographer in the OKC area.   http://www.ohmydearphotography.com/

Valentine Card Fun Day 2

Love is in the Air

I have really enjoyed making valentines this year.  I can’t think of a better way to say I love you than with a homemade card.   This little guy looked so cute and seems almost so angelic you just expect him to do the right thing and show up with flowers to say I love you.

Always and Forever

This little Guy is one of my favorites.  He is so cute and ornery looking.   I am sure he will have all the girls attention.   The smile on his face says You can trust me…

The pictures I used for both of these valentines were purchased from the Paper Crown in OKC.  They are Pion Paper and come from Sweden.   Their picture papers are always cool and vintage looking.

Only 4 more days till Valentines Day.

Character Construction Stamps

I have been having fun experimenting with Kathryn Moore Character Construction Stamps.   They are so fun because you can deconstruct them and mix and match different body parts and have a completely different look.

I have been constructing some valentines to family and friends over the past couple of weeks I hope you like them

Both of these gentleman are part of the series Adventures in Tea.  The Dog and hat are from Cirque series.

Mr. Love Letter looks like a world traveler and enjoys keeping in touch and spending time together.

The card on the right reminds me of a Royal Canine who loves to travel to exotic countries and spending time in Grand Hotels.  He is always ready to lavish you with his money and presence.

Hope you have a great valentines week…

2015 Tim Holtz Tag Challenge January

This year I have decided that I would participate in the Tim Holtz 12 tags of 2015.  Here is a link to the Tag that Tim created.  http://timholtz.com/12-tags-of-2015-january/

Above is the tag that I created using some of the techniques that Tim featured in his blog.  I always love the Idea of starting the new year with goals and inspiration.  This year I am imagining where my life could go this next year.  As I was searching through some of my Tim Holtz products I came upon this image of the biker and It inspired me.  Life is a journey and we have the opportunity to choose the direction every day.

This year I choose to focus on being creative and more positive.  While I may not always be able to choose the things life sends my way I can choose how I respond and that will always take creativity.

The arrow is pointing up and it will be a reminder to me that I am always thankful to my creator for the strength to continue this journey called life.

Behind the tag is a notebook that I created to hold my 12 tags of 2015.  Tim is so creative I want to thank him for encouraging us all to be bold and creative.

Journey through Advent day 11

Luke 1:13-17 The Message (MSG)

^13-15 But the angel reassured him, “Don’t fear, Zachariah. Your prayer has been heard. Elizabeth, your wife, will bear a son by you. You are to name him John. You’re going to leap like a gazelle for joy, and not only you—many will delight in his birth. He’ll achieve great stature with God.

^15-17 “He’ll drink neither wine nor beer. He’ll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother’s womb. He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God. He will herald God’s arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics—he’ll get the people ready for God.”

Zachariah learns that God is going to bless them with a son and his name is to be John.  This son would bring Joy and would be different.  His life will bring clarity to those who are skeptics and point them towards God.   John would help people know who Christ is.

That is the same responsibility that you and I have we to are to be in the practice of softening hearts and helping people understand who God is.

Journey through Advent day 10

Luke 1:5-12 The Message (MSG)

A Childless Couple Conceives

^5-7 During the rule of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest assigned service in the regiment of Abijah. His name was Zachariah. His wife was descended from the daughters of Aaron. Her name was Elizabeth. Together they lived honorably before God, careful in keeping to the ways of the commandments and enjoying a clear conscience before God. But they were childless because Elizabeth could never conceive, and now they were quite old.

^8-12 It so happened that as Zachariah was carrying out his priestly duties before God, working the shift assigned to his regiment, it came his one turn in life to enter the sanctuary of God and burn incense. The congregation was gathered and praying outside the Temple at the hour of the incense offering. Unannounced, an angel of God appeared just to the right of the altar of incense. Zachariah was paralyzed in fear.

Todays journal is a bit abstract.  However I think that fear is abstract.  We never know when it will hit and sometimes have no idea what precipitated it.   In our scripture reading today we hear about a woman and a man who walked Honorably before God… They did everything right.  It would seem that they had everything all together, but,  one thing eluded them.  Zachariah and Elizabeth had longed for a child.  A son who would carry on the family name and yet they would never have one because Elizabeth was past the years of giving birth to a child.

It was time for Zachariah to do his work in the temple.  It was time for him to carry out his assignment and enter the temple and burn incense.  To enter the temple was a serious job.  This was a holy place and to have this job you had to be above reproach.  So can you imagine how startled Zachariah was when he looked up and saw an angel.  Fear gripped his body and he was paralyzed…

That is the way fear is.  We as humans encounter fear everyday. We are fearful to look dumb because we may not be accepted.  We are sometimes fearful of doing new things because we don’t know the outcome.   Some people are fearful of heights because they are afraid they might fall.   Young men are fearful of talking to the beautiful young lady because he may be rejected.   Young ladies are fearful to leave their home with out makeup or the perfect clothing combination because people may think they are ugly.    I could go on and on.  For many fear can be so debilitating that they become paralyzed.

In our story Zachariah was paralyzed at the sight of an angel.  He knew that at the sight of an angel his life would never be the same.  Everytime we read scripture and an angle appears we know there is about to be a disruption to the story line.  Something big is about to happen.  For those of us who like stability and normalcy a disruption strikes fear in our hearts.

Fear brings racing heart, sweaty palms, heavy breathing, and the desire to run.  But where do you run?   Your body is in hyper mode but you are surrounded by darkness and nowhere to go.

Today I ask you to think of the fears in your life.  What makes you fearful?  Can you trust God?  Zachariah didn’t and because of that he was paralyzed.

Allow God to take the things that paralyze you and help mobilize you for the work of the Kingdome…