Happy Advent!

Let these words sink deep down...He is the truth and the light. If you don't know Him, stop running and seek Him and He will satisfy.

"The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made."

Psalms 145:8-9 I pray that ADVENT ( means coming) is filled with many opportunities to know Him more.

Texture technique for your mixed media artwork

It's BLACK FRIDAY!!

And there is no way in BEEP that I'll be hitting the mall today! Not my thing, but if it is your thing then happy shopping. I know there are some amazing deals out there.

My day will be spent making soup and preparing for my final artshow of the year. This show has been so well organized and it will be great to see all the local artist that I have really enjoyed getting to know as we do a lot of these shows together. BUT...I really need the Jan/Feb break! My business seems a little (ok a lot) disorganized these days and the dreaded tax season is right around the corner. Staying organized is not my thing either!! That's why I usually wait until the last week to prepare for shows (and taxes) that have been scheduled for months. I wonder what would happen if I ever got organized? Would the world implode?

Anyway, for all my creative friends who are in their studios today, I have a fun project for you. I may not be organized but I am thrifty and here is a creative way to get some cool texture on your mixed media artwork.

Here's what you'll need...

Gel medium

mini paint roller

empty toilet paper roll

a cut out strip of texture

*this technique can also be used with a large roller and empty paper towel roll for larger art pieces.

STEP 1

Secure some paper or non-slip drawer liver around your paint roller. You'll need to do this so that the toilet paper tube will fit securely. Glue the cut out texture strip around the empty toilet paper roll, textured part facing out. Pull the t.p. roll over the paint roller like this...

STEP 2

Roll your textured tube through paint, just as you would if you were to paint a wall.

STEP 3

Roll it out onto your canvas or surface.

Check out these other items I used to create texture.

Here is the result painted on surface.

BURLAP

CIRCLE PUNCH OUT THINGY FROM THE HARDWARE STORE

YARN

I hope you'll enjoy this fun and thrifty way to create some texture in your artwork. It's not near the mess and it really is fun to just roll on. Bam! your done.

I was so excited with myself after coming up with this a few months ago that I was convinced i should have it patent . I recently went in the art supply store and much to my dismay I found a similar item marked at $12 for two tubes and a brush. Man, another dream gone:)

If I could only get organized!

My Sweet Girl is 11!

My Little Baby is 11 years old.....

LAUREN

Caring heart

big goof ball

intelligent

stubborn

artistic and creative

'look at me, look at me'

sensitive

God loving

strong willed

On the day you were born, your Dad and I could have never prepared our hearts for the love and joy you would bring into our lives. Our sweet gift from God, always treasured, always loved, always.....

DRIVING US UP THE WALL!!

***************************

I've missed visiting with you all these last few weeks. Life had other plan for me. I did the best I could and now I get to take a breather and rest in Him.

My prayer for you my friend is that when you grow weary, you will rest in Him. You don't have to fall, you can just stop and rest. And if you do fall, I hope you will look to the Son as He carried the cross. He fell many times and was helped back up by others. He even allowed someone else (Simon) to carry the cross for awhile. Even HE couldn't do it on His own.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, whose most dear Son, as He walked the way of the Cross, accepted the service of Simon of Cyrene to carry his physical burden for him: mercifully grant unto each of us the grace that we may gladly bear one another's burdens, for the love of him who said, "In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me," even the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever.

Amen