Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Tuesday The 30th

ab
Good morning friends,
-- Thanks for stopping by the shed today. 
Thought I'd jump on here and share a few things I've been doing lately.  
Mess... inkblobs and all.  
This is my walk in faith journal.  
It's a moleskine planner with this layout.  
A place to write in daily on the left.. and that blank page opposite of it.
For the most part; I write one scripture each day.  
Whatever verse jumps out at me during my daily reading.  
On Monday... I started to write one... and my twsbi fountain pen upchucked 
all over the page.  I had to laugh when I looked at it.  I've seen movies where some 
psychiatrist will show an ink blob and ask ... what do you see?  
I saw a butterfly in this one.  
I set it off to the side to dry... then came back later and added the words asking God to redeem my mess.  
No surprise my bible study later talked about not conforming but be transformed.  
Anyways, just thought I'd share that sometimes 
things get messy.  
Flipping back to the week before I see it wasn't the only ink issue.  
One thing I want to add is I have people tell me they'd like to art journal as well but they can't draw.
If that thought crosses your mind... toss it.  
Just toss it right out the window.  
If you can draw stick people... you can art journal.  
In fact I have one artist friend who in one of her journals; stick people is all she does on the pages 
and I can tell you it is so awesome!
So doodle, and journal away...
It's okay to be messy and have ink blobs happen...
 It doesn't have to cost a lot either.  
 
I have some really good paint sets... and often still grab  this one.
It's like five bucks at Michaels.  
Is it chalky... yeah... but I love that.  
Smudgy pencil too... In fact lately pencils 
are now what I'm loving more than anything.  
So I'm encouraging you today if you want to be creative... but 
don't think you're good enough.... 
Bite your tongue.  
Bite it right now... 
Don't compare yourself to anybody else.  
Coz you are you and you... are an original and 
anything you create is awesome.  
Remember when you were a little kid making something and when you finished
you'd run to Momma all proud of what you made?  
Let me be your  Momma today.  
I'm proud of you... good job!!!  
Let's hang your art on the fridge!

Since we are on a creative bent today... 
I thought I'd share my wanderlust class pages for this week.

 I'm excited to share this one coz it was soooo fun.  
We were to think about our past present and future self and 
make a poem about it ontop of a magazine collage.  
All the pictures I cut out of magazines here have a lot  meaning for me.
And the words that came ... were taken from a pile of words in my past present and future.  
I like how it turned out.  
The process was so much fun and incredibly heartfelt.  
The next lesson ... 
 Past, present, future... of my hand 
This was a meaningful lesson as well.
The background didn't turn out the way I wanted- 
In fact I may go back and rework it.  Because it has thick patterns under the black that I would 
like to pop off the page with another layer but... 
again... it is so meaningful to me.  
The symbols all mean something to me as well... mountains, valleys,
love... patience... infinity... eternal.. His eye on me.  Walking in the wilderness, our dots connecting.  Forget me nots.. the cross. Stars.  My ring with the word Walk.  
--When I look at this page; I love that my own hand was traced even though
in real life I look down right now and am NOT crazy how my real hands look.  
For a long time mine have appeared  thirty years older than they are.  They do.  I'm not even exaggerating.  
When my Momma was alive we would put our hands together and they looked identical.  
She was thirty years older than me.  
So right now as I look down... I'm looking at thin skin... tons upon tons of wrinkles.. and blue veins.
But they tell a story though.   They say I'm  a gardener and have baked in the sun..  They've done a  ton of dishes ..
they have scars... -hard work.  
There is probably no manicure that could ever pretty up my real hands.  
But... just like the ink blobs and mess of things.... This is the truth. 
These hands work hard... and they fold together and pray to God Almighty ...- they hold other hands, 
and love and praise and for that... I smile at all the thinning wrinkles and blue veins.
See how meaningful art journaling can be?  
How it gets you thinking?   
Try writing about your past present and future.  
See what happens.

 Last I thought I'd share this other album I started.
This is an album about My Family Trees.
I've had this  antique photo album sitting on a shelf for a long time now.  
And the green book up above and artist I follow inspired me to start documenting 
the special trees on our farm.  

 We have so many "special"  trees on our place and I thought it would be fun to 
document the story of each one.  
This is one  down in our woods that our two sons made a fort in and the ladder boards are still
there to this day.  
The boys would play Robin Hood and made this little hideout up in the olde cedar.
They plucked my chickens and made bows and arrows out of briar sticks and feathers.  
Their imaginations ran wild in this cedar tree and their Shetland pony Elvis would stand tied below it  in the shade.  I took a photo this week and pasted it on the page telling the story and I hope one day
someone will pick this album up and a piece of childhood will come back if even for a moment.
I hope these trees live... and continue to grow.   

 Well I could write all morning... but I'd best get to baby proofing the house.  
These old hands will soon get to hold and love some more.  
I leave you not with a scripture picture but a photo of  reminder.  
Feel free to use and share it if you like.  
Have a beautiful day!


4 comments:

rebecca said...

You are SO encouraging,Lea!
Still,I get enough pleasure marveling over YOUR journals
that I'm content to stick primarily with words in mine.
Now and then I get really wild and draw stars, underline, circle or vary the script/print. :)

robyn said...

I recently got into art and started a journal. I had a hard time at first because it was stressing me out when it wasn't "perfect." I have so much fun now since I no longer worry about that. It's my art and who says it isn't exactly as I wanted it to be? I would love to start one with scriptures, thoughts, and prayers. I really enjoyed seeing yours and you have inspired me.

Jean said...

Inspiring as always Lea and super encouraging for journaling and art and documenting life! So many moments to capture and record that would otherwise be forgotten.

Thank you for sharing your days and your Walk.

You are ALWAYS a Blessing and a Joy and especially on these dark dull wintry days.

Leaon Mary said...

Hi Rebecca, .... I always love when you share insights with me and you inspire me so much with things you share about life. Hi Robyn, I'm so glad you are reading the word and are inspired to record special scriptures in your own walk! I'm glad our dots have connected. Hi Jeanie across the big Pond... I hope and pray you all have a blessed week... thank you for sharing your thoughts and walks in life with me. Lea