What's on My Kitchen Counter

 In my last post I added a snowman, and now I can't seem to stop adding them!!!  I painted this one with Arteza Gouache colors and added on a layer of Snowtex.  I wish I could take credit for this fun theme and actually getting a few things right on this, but I followed the very good instructions by RK McGuire in THIS video.  After watching it, I watched another fun video by Paint and Sip At Home - see it HERE .  This one was really fun to make and I didn't even have wine! Here is another one ( HERE is the video).  It was a quick one but fun to make. I learned so much doing these, and hopefully I can start applying what I learned to some original work. I also go three more Christmas cards done. Thanks for visiting!!!  Hugz

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and I have to tell you there are lots of things I am thankful for this year. No matter what we think of C-19, it has made us more grateful for things large and small.  We were running through life before without any thought to most things like being able to by toilet paper at the last minute or eating out or spending time with family and friends.  We often took our health for granted as well. I am hoping that we (I especially), carry some of that gratefulness over into future years once things improve.  One of the things that I have really enjoyed during this pandemic is that I have totally fallen in love with journaling in my Bible and learning mixed media techniques from very talented people in virtual groups I never knew existed like **Art*Journal*Journey*and Try it on Tuesday. Also, I have grown closer to the Mixed Media addicts on Splitcoaststampers.com.  You all inspire me so much, and you have helped me stay sane during these trying times and home isola

I set out to case THIS card by Leslie Springer as she is this week's Featured Stamper on Splitcoaststampers.com, but I wanted to do a more detailed background with watercolors.  I was so lucky because I found THIS awesome video by PaintyKat showing how to create a great winter wonderland picture.  I created the background in my bible and on two panels of watercolor paper (one sheet that I had cut in half).  I then cut the watercolor paper panels in half so I had 4 pieces. I was able to create 4 cards and one BAJ page.   I used watercolors.  My versions are not anywhere near her awesome creation, but I used a cheap set of watercolors, only two types of brushes, my sponge was old, I did them super fast, and I am a beginner (hopefully that is enough excuses to get me by - lol).  I had so much fun and it was so relaxing!  I love how they came out - especially the peaceful feeling of the Bible Journal Page (Psalms 119) and the fun of the Santa card.   All my stamps are from DRS Design

I am doing the book of Lamentations in my BAJ right now.  I find it very therapeutic in these times which seem sad for us but seem much brighter when compared to the feelings of the Israelites in 586 BC!  This book is so full of deep feelings, despair, understanding of sin, and then hope.  Hope is what we all want when we are in times of trouble.  It is also masterfully written with special numbers and verse designs which are all way above my head. For example, I read that the first 4 chapters are written as acrostics.  1, 2 and 4 have 22 verses which correspond to the 22 letters of he Hebrew alphabet.  The first lines start with first letter of the alphabet and each line after starts with the next.  Chapter 3 has 66 verses and each letter of the alphabet is used in three lines which is soooo cool. Anyway, I was inspired to do this page after seeing THIS great journal layout by Kath Stewart, Wendy's **ART*JOURNAL*JOURNEY* bird theme, a dot theme on the Ways to Use IT challenge on

 I played with making some faux washi tape this weekend after a friend of mine posted a mixed media challenge about it on Splitcoaststampers.  She said masking tape was the easiest method so I set out to try it.  This is my first one.  Just painted on some acrylic paint and then stamped a Dina Wakley Scribble bird.  Linking to **Art*Journal*Journey* where Wendy has us playing with birds this month.  Did some of the strips with a ruler stamp from DRS Designs and a Darkroom Door stencil.  This worked out well to cover up a page I had previously done on Psalms 148.  This time I focused on how this Psalm tells us everyone and everything should praise the Lord - including birds.  Lovely Psalm and I am glad I could use this faux washi tape to cover up a design I did not like. I had so much fun making this faux tape that I did another set of tape and made another BAJ page plus a card.  I was inspired by some Christmas washi tape on the Cute Tape site (the inspiration site on Splitcoaststamp

We are moving fast to the BIG holidays in the U.S. - Turkey Day and Christmas.  This year the holidays will be very different!  I am interested to see what happens.  I am doing a lot of Zoom and MS Teams meetings in my craft room/at home office so I think I am going to get a tall skinny tree to go behind me so things will look more festive.  Thanksgiving is going to be very interesting as I am doing Whole30...the turkey will be a go, but I am going to have to bring two stuffing dishes:  Sweet Potato Sausage Stuffing and my Mom's old recipe for everyone else. I can see the looks on my family's faces when they come up on the sweet potato stuffing!  There are three semi-ealthy eaters that may venture out and try it, but the rest will turn up their noses and say "there she goes making some weird stuff again."  I always slip a bunch of cooked yellow squash in my normal stuffing and they never know it. Tee Hee!  I am still losing weight a little at a time - down 18.5 pounds

Catching up after last week's power loss  - Zeta knocked out all the power and internet in our area for several days.  Only one tree down and it barely touched my car with just a few little scratches.... several trees look shaky though and another one looks like it is headed this way next week.... I did do another lines page in my bible and intended to post it to **ART*JOURNAL*JOURNEY* where we were playing with lines (October prompt), but the power made me miss it. I wanted to share it because I used birthday goodies sent to me by my sweet friend Jayne and I love the colors.  Super simple: Gesso base, gesso on the music/architectural paper (from Jayne), gesso on the crayon paper (from Jayne), stamp the DRS Design pencils and water color them, slap on some more water colors and done.  Fun tuff. The page is James 3 and 4 which are about controlling your tongue and heart and understanding that God values humility and hates the proud.  I like to think of Mother Teresa and her selfles