Girls Gone Thread Wild project #2

Prayer for a Cure

I had the greatest time this week. I love it when an inspiration finally becomes the tangible! Often when I create I see it in my mind's eye, I like this process and I am given many good ideas
this way. However, it does have a downfall, sometimes it is hard to get away from this idea too.

I have had the materials for this project from Monica Magness for a while but I sat ruminating on these "other images" for a few months, needless to say life got in the way and I wasn't able to get to my idea right away.

This really turned out to be a blessing! Because what I had in mind was completely different than what I ended up with! Gotta love that! This 10in. x 10in. block has a totally different color scheme, less complicated design, just enough detail. Frankly, I like this creation much better than the original inspiration!

Detail of tag with glitter

This not only has material but also paper decoupaged to it, a paper tag, ribbon, scraps of lace, and buttons, a safety pin, stamped material(wings and crown) glitter, beads and trim.

I also discovered another thing... I have been missing my sewing machine! Boy was it fun to get my stitches and threads out and start playing. Different materials and textures! I really like velvet and canvas together, who knew?

One of my Favorite Treasures-Books!

Books are one of my favorite things, aren't you thankful that you were given the gift of literacy? Another treasured kind of book is an altered book, they fascinate me! I have always had within me the spirit of exploration. As a girl I loved to wander the forests of my girlhood home and find special places just for me. Altered books fill this requirement for my soul. I love all the pockets and tags and flaps. They just beckon to me to explore and find the treasure within it's cover. I think I would have been a great pirate!

If you don't know by now, one of my dearest friends is our LOC challenge hostess Laura. Our first artistic project together was an altered book for each other. We used the letters of our names to guide our pages. This is an example of what Laura gave me.

Incidentally, she made this for me and gave it to me for my 40th birthday. What a gift, it still makes me tear up to think about opening this package I got in the mail. No one had ever made something so special for me, ever! A true treasure, just like our friendship! I know this isn't my art work but Laura's(I got permission to post this way) however, I thought it only fair to show her book since she used mine for the challenge inspiration!

So I guess in a round about way you eventually see my work and hers, just not in the conventional way-which is just how we like it!

Patience

Here is my entry in the Salt Challenge this week. I recently did a personal swap with a friend and we did a Fruit of the Spirit books out of ATC's. I thought it would fit nicely with this challenge theme. Each page was an attribute of the Fruit of the Spirit. Each page had a verse from the Bible on that quality. I chose for the patience page this verse:

Colossians 1:10-12

10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

I am constantly checking myself on this one. I tend to have a shorter supply of this and it is a part of my character that I constantly work on. The Lord continues to teach me so much in this area, and having four children certainly helped in the efforts for me to see the light :o)! But I so love this verse! I love how patience is coupled with endurance, what a happy marriage that is. To me patience is the internal and endurance is the eternal.

Father in Heaven... I hope and pray that I live a life worthy of You, Lord and that it may please You in every way. That I bear good fruit and grow in the knowledge of You. That I will be stregthened in all power according to Your glorious might so that I may have great endurance and patience! Amen

Fruit of the Spirit - A Swap

I did a personal swap with my friend Sally S. She came up with this great idea of doing a Fruit of the Spirit book-I was totally on board with this idea! In the Bible there are nine attributes that come from having the Fruit of the Spirit, they are: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. We each created a page with the attribute and then references a verse from the bible to go with that character quality. Great idea Sally!

So, how many of us don't need more of these attributes in our lives? I know I do, especially in the areas of Patience, Faithfulness, and Self-Control! Listen to me it sounds as if I have the others all figured out doesn't it?...don't get me wrong, there are plenty of days that I run out of these too. It seems as if these others are qualities that come easier to me, you know the ones I don't have to work so hard at :o)! But alas, I'm a fallen soul and I will always come up short. So, the Lord's grace means so much to me, you see, I don't really deserve it and I get it anyway! Incredible.

This is just part of this wonderful little treasure that I received. I wanted to share Sally's work with you because I think it is so beautiful and what she created very much represents me! She captured the feel of the things that I love with great detail and care. The wonderful thing, is that Sally and I have not met face to face and have known each other for only a short time. That is the Lord, isn't He good! I hope you will visit Sally's site Lydia's Lineage. She is so insightful and filled with the love of our Lord. After your visit you will feel blessed. May your heart be filled to overflowing with the Fruit of the Spirit Sally! ~Keep looking Heavenward, Heather

Look What I Just Got-Precious!

I am a bit late in posting this I actually received this at the beginning of the week. This is a personal swap I did with a wonderful gal named Sally S. Visit her blog at: Lydia's Lineage you will not be sorry. I can't even tell you what a blessing this was! I was filled with such joy at this token of friendship Sally! It just took my breath away. Isn't this just lovely? I love the worn blue hankie, buttons, strips of material and ribbon! All things I just love, but then take a look at this old fashioned image, it is so tender, a picture of true friendship and sisterhood in Christ. I am so honored! You made my week. It has been a busy one so even to take a moment and gaze upon this lovely piece of artwork really gave me a relaxing moment of reflection. Thank you dear Sally...I can't wait for our other swap too. Many kind thoughts of you, Heather

A Wonderful Surprise!

I have been having a new experience- I have been PRIORITIZING! I know-stand back... this is a feat for me because I feel like I am not always very good at it. All that to say, that I received a wonderful surprise in the mail last week and I am just now getting it up on my blog.

I participated in a wonderful swap hosted by The Vintage Dragonfly "For the Birds"and I got this lovely above from Margo, you can visit her blog Dining Room Studio and see what I gave her if you would like, thanks again Margo for posting mine!

Getting this in the mail was such a treat, because I have had other things taking center stage. Do you ever have times when you move from one thing to the next thing without a breather? That has been me lately and it is not a pace I am use to- it was starting to wear me out! However... I am getting an amazing amount of art, chores, activities done, and THAT is a blessing! Enjoy Margo's lovely artwork!