A New Altered Book Page in Chinese Ginger Jars

Today I had fun working in my art room, spending time playing around and dabbling in first one book, then another.  I suddenly got a burst of inspiration for the Asian themed book I've been working on. I am almost finished with it, as there are only a couple of pages left in the book to alter. The book is called Chinese Ginger Jars. I started the book a couple of years ago and picked it back up a few months ago. I have really been inspired to work in it lately. I had watched a tutorial from czekoczyna last night and was really loving her backgrounds. I gave this a try - sort of different for me. It doesn't really get the wonderful effect she gets, but it is a start and it was fun!

Beauty is is the eye of the beholder…
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives the passion that she shows. The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years. - Audrey Hepburn

Leaving Old Town - Edinburgh

A memory of leaving Old Towne, Edinburgh for new...We had such a lovely walk that day.

O' Holy Night

This is our nativity - in the entryway to the house.

Just Playing Around - Dead End

I have been enjoying playing around with the online editor Pixlr.com. This was a photo that Jess & I took while wandering around Cheboygan. I thought I would try a psychedelic look.  This is something very different from what I usually do, but it is fun to experiment.

A Light in the Darkness

Christmas is coming. Jesus said that He is the Light of the world. It is amazing how much even a small light brightens the darkness. Dow Gardens is beautiful this time of year.

The gardens are beautiful at night with all the Christmas lights.

It is so beautiful to walk in the snow along the beautiful paths that are lined with lights and singing of Christmas carols by local groups. It is so peaceful and calming - something that we all need this time of year.

Kelly Kilmer Artist and Instructor: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly in Art Journaling: Using Your Own Hand in Your Work

Kelly Kilmer Artist and Instructor: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly in Art Journaling: Using Your Own Hand in Your Work

This post from Kelly Kilmer is very inspiring to me. I never journal my own feelings because of fear. So I am challenging myself to let go of fear and write down my true thoughts. Who reads them anyway? No one, really. So I am posting a link to her post to help me to remember.

I Toured the Light Altered Book Page - Book of Days

Here is a recent page in my Book of Days. The Light Bulb artwork is by my daughter, Jessica. I printed it out and glued it onto my background page.

The Problem of Pain

I have been reading quite a lot lately. I have been fascinated by C.S. Lewis. I just finished reading Mere Christianity. He has such a profound way of putting things. Like the following quote from The Problem of Pain - so very true. Our life is so hemmed in by our own experiences. Everything is measured by what we know (or think we know).

[Christianity] is not a system into which we have to fit the awkward fact of pain: it is itself one of the awkward facts which have to be fitted into any system we make. In a sense, it creates, rather than solves, the problem of pain, for pain would be no problem unless, side by side with our daily experience of this painful world, we had received what we think a good assurance that ultimate reality is righteous and loving.  

                    C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

Emotional pain sometimes is truly worse than physical pain. Your heart truly aches and there is no escaping it. It is worse when there seems to be nothing you can do about it. Like when there is pain in watching your child go through something difficult and you can't make it better. We know in the depths of our soul that there should be a reality that, in Lewis' words, is righteous and loving.

Oh, The Places We Will Go!

Pleasant memories from a trip Katy and I took to Petosky one summer - we shopped and had coffee and wandered around looking at all the lovely shops and the beautiful harbor. I am looking forward to making another trip this summer.

Do You See Beauty in a Piece of Junk Like I Do?

This is a piece of old farm equipment that Ron and I came across while hiking at the Nature Center. I still see with my Dad's eyes, I guess. He could always see the beauty in everything. Boy, do I miss him!

More Gypsies

Here are a few more of my pages in my book. I am having such fun with this book. I just purchased a book called Bury Me Standing, because I have become so interested in gypsy life.

The lives of gypsies are so interesting, somewhat romantic, and yet tragic in some ways - for example - the Holocaust. I am looking forward to reading my book.

Vintage Gypsy Altered Book

I am continuing to add to my "Vintage Gypsy" Altered Book. Here are two more spreads that I completed recently.

Deux Vagabonds

More of Vintage Gypsy can be found here.

I found a great article on Houzz about how to add Rustic style to your kitchen - great ideas for the home we are going to build up North.

15 Ways to Cozy Up a Kitchen With Rustic Style

Houzz- Kitchen Remodel, Bathroom Remodel and More »

Browse Kitchen Products on Houzz- For Example:

Bar Stools And Counter Stools · Cabinet And Drawer Organizers · Dish Racks · Kitchen Faucets · Cooktops · Dishwashers · Ovens · Pot Racks ·

A Street in Baveno

One of the treats each day was to wander up and down the small side streets woven all through the village of Baveno. This is a good example of the streets. I loved the mosaic stonework of the streets.

Coffee and Hotel Dino, Baveno, Italy

Our trip to Baveno, Italy, is one that I will always remember. We had such a wonderful time ambling around the village, having fabulous coffee, or for Ron, fabulous beer and enjoying the amazing views.

This is taken at a little sidewalk cafe that we visited. It had the most delicious pasta dish I think I have ever tasted - Ravioli with Walnut sauce. It was just a short walk from the hotel. They actually had more than one option for salad!

Entrance to our hotel

 The grounds were absolutely beautiful. I love the pink stucco on many of the houses and businesses.

Another view of the restaurant.

 

 

Water was sold as "still" or "with bubbles". Ice was hard to come by, which for this Southern girl, was one of the main difficulties!

A Walk in Baveno

Roses growing on the fence

True Italian Pizza

Life size chess board at Hotel Dino

The view from the pool

Love the village nestled in the mountains fronted by the two islands

Gardenias on the fence - so fragrant!

More roses and hydrangeas in the back

Book of Days - Italy Trip

I have been working on several altered books that I have going, along with my Book of Days art journal with Effie Wild. You can find more information here:  http://bookofdays.org/ . Here is a page I made from some of the ephemera from our trip to Italy this past summer.

My Reading Stack

I just finished reading The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein, which was really, really good. It was given to me by a good friend, and I enjoyed it so much that I highly recommend it to anyone.

Now I am reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.

 This is not the type of book I would usually choose and was loaned to me by a friend. But I am enjoying it quite a bit. It is quite mysterious and full of magic. I am very curious to see how it turns out. It has certainly sparked a lot of ideas for future art.

Next on my list is another novel set in ancient Rome,  The Triumph of Caesar by Steven Saylor.

I really  like these ancient who-done-its that help to cement in my mind some of the facts and events of Ancient Rome. I love to study that time period!

Book of Days Art Journal Pages

I haven't posted Book of Days pages in ages. My camera was stolen while we were in Mexico, and I finally now have a new camera and can replace my lost photos. Here are a couple of pages from a while back. I hope to be back now to posting more often.

Bird on a Limb

It is hard to tell from this photograph, but I have folded fabric across the middle of the page. This was a super fun page to create. I painted over the top of the collaged papers and painted background. My inspiration was djpettit - I just adore her art and photography!

"Believe"

 This was another fun page to create. I used a tag, ala Effy Wild. I have wanted to put more of my spiritual life into my art journaling, and this page takes a quote from the book Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby. This has been a life-altering book for me.

"Believe"

This photo shows the tag open.  I was really pleased with how this one turned out too.

Getting Wet

This is a quote that I read today on a beautiful ripple effect.





As I pondered this quote and thought about it in terms of the scriptures I read this morning, it helped me to become more peaceful about my husband's upcoming surgery. While I recognize that we are going to "get wet", I know that God is in control and will be with us to walk with us through this trial. I just need to resolve to walk through it and know that, even though we are going to get wet, we will come out on the other side better and stronger.  The Lord reigns!

Psalm 99

¹ The Lord reigns,
    let the nations tremble;
he sits enthroned between the cherubim,
    let the earth shake.