Will Woke Up

and continued a post from the one earlier this morning.

Will woke up this morning after a few hours of sleep and felt a bit piqued besides he decided he didn't want to be plain anymore . So we pulled out some cheap eye makeup and painted his face. He streaked his hair and colored his eyes, he even painted his mouth. Now he feels better. Will doesn't hate plain, he just wanted something different today. He may get foiled tomorrow bc he is evolving. And I believe he needs a bowtie.

We also decided he won't visit QA this morning in the mail. Envelopes can get a bit stuffy at times and did he mention cramped, too. Besides his directional skills have landed him in the wrong place more than once. So he plans on remaining here a bit longer to play with me.

He is waiting on his sister to show up. She has been too busy to stop her creative arts to come an visit. But she realizes everyone needs to take a break now and then. So maybe tomorrow she will allow us to take her picture and post while visiting Will.

Go Green & Morning Song

Yesterday I came across this Native American song called Morning Song on YouTube. I fell in love with the beat and sound.

GO GREEN ART

I worked on this piece for Quilting Arts magazine. The challenge was to make a 5"square mini quilt out of materials you have on hand. It could weigh no more than 1 pound.

As some know when I walk my dog in the mornings many times I find unusual things, pick them up and bring them home. I have quite an unusual collection of what I call "MAN DROPPINGS."

This quilt is made completely of "man droppings." The backing is cut from a pair of men's boxers. I found them on the sidewalk one day when I walked an it was drizzling rain. It looked like someone had dropped them out of a backpack bc they were folded all neat and were definitely clean. Otherwise they would still be laying on the sidewalk.

That same day I found a pair of bedroom slippers near a bus stop by then it was pouring rain, I was soak and wet. But I felt compelled to pick them up too. I wish you could have seen me carrying a pair of slippers up the main road of my town in the pouring rain. Now wasn't that weird two unusual garments in two different places. If I had found the robe I would have wondered. h-u-m!! The center batting and front are made from the slippers after washing them and stripping the soles off. I hand stitched the quilt edging with orange waxed cording I found one day.

"Will's" face is made with a red pipe cleaner for his mouth and nose, a pair of broken glasses surround his bottle cap eyes and his irises are glass beads I found. The ear piece from the broken glasses make up his eyebrows - he has a uni-brow. I even found the name tag "Will" as I walked one day. My label on the back is a job invoice for a car dealership. I hand stitched it on the back.

Yesterday when I was walking I came across this nice piece of slab with feet. Man this will make a nice piece for laying things on to glue, heat and all-around work space. It was heavy but my doggie's walk was cut short so I could take my find home and clean it off. Oh yes I found the pliers too, but not together.

Mangled and Missing

Yesterday the weather was weird in this area. My son lives a little over a hour away in what is actually Chesapeake area. He and I were on the phone talking when the wind and rain picked up where he was. He needed to fix a tire that was going flat but decided to wait. He said he could hear the rain and wind pick up, it was weird. A few miles away a tornado decided to land in Suffolk instead of moving in my son's direction. It tore up an area called "Driver" and displaced the entire neighborhood bc of potential foundation and structural damage. Many were injured but no one was killed. I must say I am sorry so many are facing major life-changing decisions today but I am grateful my son was spared of this ordeal.

To look at the mangled vehicles and totally missing homes from their foundation is a surreal scene. People always amaze one another bc you see true heroes emerge to help their brothers and sisters; people that in everyday life they might see, never speak to and never get to know.

Two different people sent me comments about the wonderful song "Amazing Grace." What neither of them know is that its a song my FIL sung all the time with his own words. I've mentioned that on my blog before. There are days I feel he must be in Heaven talking to God about his daughter. In the Bible it says there are others "cheering us on." Boy do I feel the need to be cheered on right now. Here is a site my friend sent me to on one of the interesting stories of Amazing Grace. Its called "The Black Notes." Hope it sparks your interest to seek the Lord of all Creation today. It reminds me of another song "His Eye Is On The Sparrow." I don't know if that is the title but that is what I remember. Enjoy your life today. God has a purpose for you. And I'll close with this version of "Amazing Grace" in Cherokee.

I closed this post out and then it hit me. I bought the movie "Amazing Grace" two days ago bc I had really wanted to watch it. I quickly forgot about buying it bc I don't buy or rent movies. I feel a stirring in my soul this morning to watch it. It feels like the beginning of a tornado.

House of Belonging

I received a beautiful handmade journal from fannie on Friday. I have a hard time writing in new journals. But I was determined to use this beautiful journal as it was intended. So I played with neocolor wax pastels on the first page, then cutout a bird pic I had taken. I double exposed the picture going through the copier by accident but I used it anyway. What a breakthrough for me!!
I wrote this little haiku or that is what I refer to it as called "Birdie."

Birdie

sitting still,

looking down what do u c?

millions of humans

Just like Me.

Also this weekend I was reading about Rumer Godden and I love this axiom from an Indian proverb she used in one of her books.

House of Belonging

Everyone is a house within four rooms,

physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.

Most tend to live in one room most of the time,

but unless we go into every room every day

even if only to keep it aired,

we are not a complete person.

Hubby and I watched the 39th Dove Awards on tv. There is such an incredible difference from other awards ceremonys because everyone's music is so uplifting and God/Christ centered.

I didn't even know there was a Gospel tv channel. I watched a great interview with Kirk Franklin on the Fame and Faith show.

To see 2 C's

I love writing and when I found these altered alphabets I had to save them in a file for use later. I may see if I can photo transfer them on to a project.

A friend sent me a funny story about a pastor accusing someone in his church of doing something this friend just knew the person didn't do. The jest of the punch line was the person was his wife. I didn't think it was funny. But then again God is dealing with me on communication between spouses and between our children. No matter how long we have known our family they can not read our minds. We need to communicate our feelings, and say exactly what we are feeling. If our lines of communications are not kept open we begin to shut down and build up walls that have to be torn down later. Honesty in love is not easy but better in the long run.

The other "C" is courtesy. Always treat others as you would want to be treated. Along with courtesy I believe you need to have healthy boundaries set. Its funny how the same thing that might irritate a person may be the very thing they are most insensitive to and the very thing where they lack courtesy in.

In my friends post this morning at the very end was this scripture. "He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint." (Isa. 40:29-31)

I found this quite interesting since I just blogged this very scripture two days ago in the story about the healing quilt God dropped into my heart in 2000. This was such an encouragement to me. WAIT - Wait on the Lord. I pray that your strength will be renewed this day as you wait upon the Lord.

Unfinished Projects

This project with molding clay was put aside and never finished. I really like this little piece and want to finish her. But I'm not sure how I want to finish it so I wait.

But there is one thing that was finished - Jesus' work on the cross. Another friend sent me a site about a pastor learning about "luminin" from a molecular scientist. He learned that the substance that holds all our inside body together is in the shape of the Cross. Truly when Jesus died on the cross and cried out "It Is Finished" He completed the way for us to get to God once and for all. Personally, I love the fact that its not about works that decides whether or not I get into the Kingdom of God. Its so simple - just accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

In my growing I have found it was easy to accept Him as Savior but harder to acknowledge Him as Lord everyday. Lord of all, of my everything - whatever everything was for the day. But I am learning and He is merciful and full of grace.

Desire To Transfer

This little journal is a "green" journal given to me by a friend that moved away 4 years ago. She moved to Wisconsin to be near her son she gave up for adoption when she was a young teenager. He was able to connect with her after all those years, but if he had not had that desire she would never reunited with him.

The journal is corrugated box and string with felt on the cover with a little button and button hole stitching.

Photo Transfer
This little picture on the right is a photo transfer on to muslin. My first one I have ever done. It is of a young child in Jamaica. What struck me was this beautiful little child behind a barred window without glass. I pressed yellow tissue paper over the area while it was drying, then decided to iron it to speed things up. Some stuck to the fresh, wet transfer. I love this happy accident. I think I will call it "trapped." It represents someone within myself that wants to be freed.

Prayer

Changing the subject and turning away from my art. I buy books at B&N and Bks-a-Million every time I go there. Well not every time but almost. I bought this book at the beginning of the year titled The Prayer Diet by Matthew Anderson. Its funny because I have never dieted before. I have exercised to tone up but I don't care about what I weigh per say but how I feel and how my clothes fit. This book is very interesting in that he challenged people to "pray" a prayer for weight loss but the book is so much more. He has little boxes of questions and comments throughout the book. One is -

What if forgiveness could come as easy as prayer?

What if forgiveness was as natural as breathing?

Who and what would you forgive first?

Fly Like An Eagle

This is a WIP from at least eight years ago. I hand-dyed this piece. When it was finished the background reminded me of a pond. So I appliqued a lily pad and frog on it. I expanded the frog idea by showing the life cycle of a frog by adding frog eggs, a tadpole and then the frog. I also added cattails, which are fuzzy. I don't even remember how I added the texture to the cattail. What I do remember is the fiber was flying around everywhere. It still is not finished. I had more pieces of hand-dyed panels I wanted to add to make the quilt larger. But if it is a wall hanging that probably would not be practical. I pulled it out this week, hung it up in my studio to view from time-to-time. Maybe it will become a finished work soon.


Yesterday I shared about a fast I did in 2000. I want to share another encounter I had during that time. The quilt I was led by the Lord to do for a handicap girl was my first totally spirit-led quilt. I knew it had nothing to do with me. It was what God called a "Healing Quilt." I finished the quilt on March 16, 2000; a friend stopped by my home and I showed her the quilt. She looked at the date and immediately John 3:16 came to her mind. When the quilt was finished in the early morning hours I was led to pull out a Native American tape and directed to dance on the quilt to this tape. When I realized the song I was dancing too it really shocked me.

God had a plan bigger than me. The scripture verse threadworked around the quilt was Isaiah 40:31 and the song I danced to was called "Fly Like An Eagle" which was Isaiah 40:31 put to song and music. Some would say that was totally an accident but I know and God knows who directed the entire experience. I was only a willing vessel and one experiencing the hand of God even deeper for the first time. What an experience!! And one I shall never forget. Orchestrated completely by the love of the Father.

p.s. - while finishing this writing I was reminded of what the cattail was made from

a pompom cut up.