What's on My Kitchen Counter

**Art*Journal*Journey* is one of my favorite places.  I have learned so much about journaling from the participants.  I have bought all kinds of goodies as well - those women are enablers - lol.  I guess that is how it is with new hobbies though - you need the basics (and the cool stuff). THIS post by Alison (Words and Pictures/butterfly) inspired one of my shopping trips (on-line of course) and THIS one by another Alison (Crafttrog's Arty Adventures) lead me to bunches of videos and more purchases (and steeping tea for today's projects).  I learn from every post on **Art*Journal*Journey* plus I get to see pictures of food, treasures, flowers, and architecture from all over the world.  A delight for sure. Last green posts for the month - I can't wait to see what the theme is for April. All my BAJ journal pages are from Psalms.  I am 55% done with Psalms now! This one was a base of gesso, layers of watercolor and watery distress ink, sprays of Distress...

An eclectic mix of things on the Kitchen Counter today. This morning's Inspiration Challenge at SCS was the Ellen Hutson site.  I was inspired by THIS wonderful bullet journal idea by Adelina Starface.  I die cut a mask and then sponged 6 squares on the Psalm 71 page in my journaling bible (the God's Help in Old Age Psalm).  Then I stamped the images from some SU! chicken sets (Hey Chick! mainly).  I splatted on some green water color paint and sponged on some green with a chicken wire/honeycomb stencil.  I wrote in some sayings about old age - most are funny. Since I had the set out and lots of cardboard, I made a card too.  The background is ink/spray/smash technique with some Distress Oxides.  Next I made a coop with some boxes I had laying around from all my Amazon deliveries this week. I painted up the coop, sponged on some Vintage Photo Distress Ink and stenciled on some numbers and symbols. The answer inside the card is a poultrygeist....

Hello friends. I pray that things near and dear to you are going well.  We still haven't had any confirmed cases of Covid19 in our circle, but I think that is about to change soon with things accelerating fast. If you are like me, you are hearing all kinds of things and don't know what to believe.  I did learn this week that there are two strains ( HERE is the article I read).  Most articles I read said that the L type was more aggressive, but there is debate on that.  I have learned that being over 60 increases your risk of death or major complications if you contract the virus and that rises at 70 and again at 80.  Many articles defined 60 as elderly.  Wow.  I was leaning toward 60 as the new 50!  I try to limit myself to 1 hour of reading and listening to news a day, but I think I might scale that back to 30 minutes.  The good news is that our wonderful company is going to have our office working from home by the end of the week....

This week was pretty scary  - seemed each day the panic in my community and at work got a little worse.  I tried to keep calm, but a few days I did get myself worked up.  I had to calm a few people at work and in my family too so it was important to stay calm.  Journaling in my bible helps.  Last Saturday, I picked up some large old cards with vintage pictures and I couldn't wait to put one in my bible.  This week's Featured Stamper challenge at Splitcoaststampers.com was the perfect inspiration.  I cased THIS card by Pauline.  I also added in some flowers and butterflies, plus some old hymnal paper.  A few of the new Close To My Heart stickers and I was done.  Of course I made sure there was green so I could link it up to **Art*Journal*Journey* - I love that place and all the people who journey together there.  Psalms 63 is a comforting one - it reminds us God is there and will help us.  The inspiration challenge on ...

I got to see the very edge of the sea this weekend on my way to a funeral.  It was super windy and the sea grass was blowing.  Very peaceful and serene. It made me think of Psalms and Psalm 46 in particular - especially with the Corona Virus spreading and the loss of my husband's last remaining Uncle (his very favorite too).  So when I got home, I got out my favorite DRS stamp and stamped it all over the bottom of my journaling bible. I stamped the sea grass in linen, tea stain and vintage photo and then I sponged in some grounding.  I also sponged around a die cut star with CTMH Sea Glass.  I distressed the sky with a bit of water but you can't really tell unless you look closely. I also cased Faith (PeonySnail) who was this week's Featured Stamper.  THIS is the card that inspired my next page. I sponged the beach in tea stain and linen distress inks.  The ocean was sponged in sea glass (CTMH) and a little mowed lawn mixed in.  I dotte...

Yet more green in my bible journaling! Linking to **ART*JOURNAL*JOURNEY* - I have three shades of green on this page along with some purple, blue and yellow. Sponged and stenciled the background, and drew the houses and birds on torn book pages.  I saved the pages from the little scary book worm who was eating them.  That was scary - I couldn't believe it - I have never seen one and it was in my house - no more buying old books until they are totally inspected.  Urgh!!! The feathers are from DRS Designs - stamped on the page after my little handdrawn birds and houses were added with Gesso.  I watercolored them and then had to fix them a bit as they lost some definition. Psalm 40 - praise for God and request for protection.  We need to do this constantly with the virus going around!  Super important to have that extra hedge of protection. Hugz, Nancy

Green is so my favorite color.  Since it is the theme at **ART*JOURNAL*JOURNEY* this month, I will be adding it to my bible journaling a lot. I have also been admiring my friend Christine's use of Magenta Stencils ( It's a card days night blog ), and I finally bought a few (love them by the way). So of course I am combining green and Magenta on my creations today and linking them to **ART*JOURNAL*JOURNEY*. Both pages were made using an ink/spray/smash background of various green inks. The stencils I used are from Magenta (Silhouette 2 Small - the girl, Sunflower, Flying Butterflies, Numbers/Alpha) and Altenew (Stripes). This first page is from Psalm 34:15-16.  David wrote this one when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech who drove him out of the region.  David trusted the Lord and praised Him. When I did this page, I thought about how oftentimes, we worry about how tough our lives are when in reality our worries are small comparatively.  Co...

Early March always disappoints me.  I think it should feel like Spring, but it doesn't.  There are some signs of Spring though.  Some little flowers are popping up and my allergies have started up.  My eyes were bothering me last week, and then I found some great drops that helped.  That was until I realized one night that I was out of contact lens solution.  I used distilled water and that was not a good substitute - it bothered my eyes even more that day.  Then a few sleepless nights for some reason.  My poor eyes felt terrible (they are better now that I caught up on my sleep).  I told you all this about my eyes because guess what Psalm was next in my BAJ Sunday? Psalm 31. So I focused on verse 9.  Scripture always seems to jump out and work at just the right time. I had drawn the girl a few weeks ago just doodling while waiting on something and she worked perfectly for this scripture.  Also my Grandson Lewis had glued some ...