Zentangle

Ah my favorite form of art right now the Zentangle. Over at the Zentangle with a Twist Society Group our challenge was to make a tree. I don't know what came over me but I had a great time making these trees!

...and...

Looks a little wild but loving.

Quote for the Day!

What we love to do we find time to do.

~John Lancaster Spalding

Time stays long enough for anyone who will use it.

~Anon.

Autumn Blessing

 

Autumn leaves are here again...

BLING

My Bling card for Maggie Monday Musing group over at Flickr. I am learning how to emboss my cards very interesting technique. As you can see bling is shiny items of jewelry or beads.

THE FAIRING

Oh dear! What a beautiful Doll

My sister has bought at the fair!

She says I must cal it "Miss Poll",

And make it a bonnet to wear.

O pretty new Doll! it looks fine;

Its cheeks are all cover'd with red;

But, pray, will it always be mine?

And, pray, may I take it to bed?

How kind was my sister to buy

This Dolly, with hair that will curl!

Perhaps, if you want to know why,

She'll tell you I've been a good girl.

~Nancy Sproat

THE CROSS WAS HIS OWN

They borrowed abed to lay His head

When Christ the Lord came down;

They borrowed the ass in the mountain pass

For Him to ride to town;

But the crown that He wore and the Cross that He bore

Where His own-

The Cross was His own.

He borrowed the bread when the crowd He fred

On the grassy mountain side,

He borrowed the dish of broken fish

With which He satisfied.

But the crown that He wore and the Cross that He bore

Where His own-

The Cross was His own.

He borrowed the ship in which to sit

To teach the multitude;

He borrowed a nest in which to rest-

He had never a home so rude;

But the crown that He wore and the Cross that He bore

Where His own-

The Cross was His own.

He borrowed a room on His way to the tomb

The Passover Lamb to eat;

They borrowed a cave for Him a grave,

They borrowed a winding sheet.

But the crown that He wore and the Cross that He bore

Where His own-

The Cross was His own.

~Unknown

Zentangle

 

Medium: Ink

~ Ranie Patridis

Zentangles

 

Medium: Ink

~ Ranie Patridis

AGE AND EXPERIENCE BRING CONFIDENCE

Such to me is the new image of aging;

growth in self, and service for all

mankind.

~Ethel Percy Andrus

Black n White 

MAMMA MONDAY MUSING

I drew one of these for the challenge and swap it out. This one is mine, I always like to make two one for me I seem to always give my art away.

AZALEAS

 Medium: Ink and Watercolor Paint

Zentangles with a Twist

ZENTANGLE TAG

 

Medium: Ink

 

THREE GATES

If you are tempted to reveal

A tale to you someone has told

About another, make it pass,

Before you speak, three gates of gold.

These narrow gates: first, "Is it true?"

Then, "Is it needful?" In your mind

Give truthful answer. And the next

Is last and narrowest, "Is it kind?"

And if to reach your lips at last

It passes through these gateways three,

Then you may tell the tale, nor fear

What the result of speech may be

From The Arabian

IS IT TRUE?

Is it true, O Christ in Heaven,

That the highest suffer most?

That the strongest wander furthest,

And more helplessly are lost?

That the mark of rank in nature

Is capacity for pain?

And the anguish of the singer

Makes the sweetness of the strain?

Is it true, O Christ in Heaven,

That whichever way we go

Walls of darkness must surround us,

Thinks we would but cannot know?

That the infinite must bound us

Like a temple veil unrent,

Whilst the finite ever wearies,

So that one's therein content?

Is it true, O Christ in Heaven,

That the fullness yet to come

Is so glorious and so perfect

That to know would strike us dumb?

That if ever for a moment

We could pierce beyond the sky

With these poor dim eyes of mortals,

We should just see God and die?

Sarah Williams

Fall Apple Harvest

I enter the Fall Contest over at ATCsforALL 

Fall Apple Harvest

 

After the last look at the voting mine not making it. What was I thinking about Fall, me Harvest look like everyone else was thinking Halloween. Oh well, I had fun painting this in watercolor.

 

Gold Award

Thank you Diane for the Gold Award. Friends are special and when we start surfing on the web we tend to forget the miles between it is like we are right next door!

 

From what I understand I am suppose to send this gold card to four friends, one of the being out of them to be out of my country. Four wonderful Artist that I have enjoy becoming friends with.

The first one I am sending this Gold Card too is CattyCat check out her blog she is doing the Monster Mash over there a great place to visit.

The second one I am sending this Gold Card too is Hazel Rose Looms a wonderful friend of mine so much like me who is into all sorts of Arts n Craft. Hazel and her hubby makes the most beautiful looms. Please go visit her blog she is always sharing her beautiful photographs.

The third person I am sending the Gold Card too is Artyfax - An Artist Blog who is in the UK a very nice gentleman a wonderful Artist. John has a flare that sometimes make me shake my head he is always bringing a smile to my face.

The fourth person I am sending the Gold Card too is Pause-ablity a wonderful delightful artist that is a person of her own. I am always amaze how she comes up with the most delightful art that she creates.

I consider all these individuals and so much more my Internet friends. Now my friends it is your turn, click on the picture copy it to your computer then pass it onto 4 friends one of the must live outside your country. Have fun! I did!

IT MATTERS

In matters of principle

stand like a rock

in matters of taste

swim with the current.

~thomas jefferson

Vintage Tag #2

Here is my 2nd vintage tag. I have a friend here that is also involved in a lot of art groups. She is mostly into chunky books right now. I'm trying to stay away from them. Anyway she just host a Blink Chunky Book swap. Well I wasn't sure what bling was, the other day I went over to her house admiring everyone chunkie book pages. Some marvelous work there ladies! After viewing all that lovely work seeing what they use for bling ..giggle.. I have bling, oh how funny. While working on this 2nd vintage tag for the challenge swap over on the flickr site I just couldn't get that bling out of my head.

vintage tag #2

 

~Ranie Patridis

Oh my, once working on this card I started adding bling in the form of beads, lace and button. The clip art I painted with metallic acrylic paint add lace to hang the tag by. When all done and said, I couldn't let this go either. This was my 2nd tag and my first bling ..giggle.. I kept it!...and NO I did not attempt to try to do a 3rd one I decided that 2 attempts were enough. Hopefully when I enter the next challenge swap I'll be strong enough to let go....

 

Vintage Tag

Over on the Flickr site i belong to a group of artist that once a week we have a challenge swap. At this time the challenge was making a Vintage Tag size 2.5 x 3.5 Well I made one, loved it so much I kept it. After all it was my first tag I had ever made. 

vintage tag #1

 

~ Ranie Patridis

I love Fall I love seeing the changing of the colors not to say the harvest from all your grow. Pumpkins are my favorite squash I love pumpkin pie and soup. Can't you see a child carving faces into a pumpkin at harvest time? I can. This is a collage I alcohol Ink the background then I added vintage clip art that I had layering it. I like to cut my figures out and mix them up. Then I cut up some straw very small then last not least like to take my paints and touch up the clipart. I then add a bunch of yarns and ribbons to hang by. I kept this one and thought to myself  you can make another one for the challenge to swap. That you will see tomorrow.

MAKING A MAN

Hurry the baby as fast as you can,

Hurry him, worry him, make him a man.

Off with his baby clothes, get him in pants,

Feed him on brain foods and make him advance.

Hustle him, soon as he's able to walk,

Into a grammar school; cram him with talk.

Fill his poor head full of figures and facts,

Keep on a-jamming them in till it cracks.

Once boys grew up at a rational rate,

Now we develop a man whil you wait,

Rush him through college, compel him to grab

Of every known subject a dip and a dab.

Get him in business and after the cash,

All by the time he can grow a mustache.

Let him forget he was ever a boy,

Make gold his god and its jingle his joy.

Keep him a-hustling and clear out of breath,

Until he wins-nervous prostration and death.

~nixon waterman

UP-HILL

Does the road wind up-hill all the way?

Yes, to the very end.

Will the day's journey take the whole long day?

From morn to night, my friend.

But is there for the night a resting-place?

A roof for when the slow dark hours begin.

May not the darkness hide it from my face?

You cannot miss that inn.

Shall I meet other wayfarers at night?

Those who have gone before.

Then must I knock, or call when just in sight?

They will not keep you standing at that door.

Shall I find comfort, travel-sore and weak?

Of labour you shall find the sum.

Will there be beds for me and all who seek?

Yea, beds for all you come.

~christina georgina rossetti

Dancing Butterfly Dance

A few days ago I received an PM from a DariRose over at ATCsforAll asking me to do a blind trade with her. I agreed. I was still on the butterfly thread so I decided to one for her. As I worked on her card I decided I needed to make me one.

dancing butterfly dance

 

~Ranie Patridis

The back ground of this card was done in Acrylic Paints several different colors giving it a abstract look. I then once the back ground was dried I then painted the butterflies in with Watercolor and Ink. Here I choose to have 2 different size of butterflies. The one I did for DariRose her butterflies were all the same size. This was so much letting loose playing with the colors.

 

 

Zentangles with a Twist

I just love making these zens to me it is doodling made into an art form now adays.

Over at ATCsforALL I have open up a Society group. This group of artist are there just to have fun, giving us a reason to keep practicing. 

butterfly delight

~Ranie Patridis

HAVING ENOUGH TIME

What we love to do we find time to do.

~John Lancaster Spalding

Time stays long enough for anyone who will use it.

~Anon.

There is time for everything.

~Thomas A. Edison

Make time in your day to pray be in communion with your Lord.

~Ranie Patridis

INNOCENT OF HALLOWEEN

My 2nd card in the set title

innocent of halloween

 ~Ranie Patridis

The innocent of trick or treat running from home to home asking for treats. Not realizing as we grow up what the true meaning of Halloween is. Most think of it as just a night of spooks n tricks getting the daylights scared out of ya or the one day of the year you get lots of candy. Do a seach for the history of Halloween then decided is this what you really want to be part of.

INNOCENT OF HALLOWEEN

When we are small the season come and go. As the seasons are passing through we have these Holidays along the way. Halloween is one of them. Over at ATCsforALL they have a monthly contest. This month contest Title: Halloween

What else would it be. I decided to particpate keeping a mind on the Innocent of Halloween. So many children who even grow up to be adults do not realize the history of Halloween or how it all came about.

innocent of halloween

 ~Ranie Patridis

I made a set of 2 only enter this one in the contest.  

Tomorrow I shall share with you all the 2nd part of this set.

THE SHIP THAT SAILS

I'd rather be the ship that sails

And rides the billows wild and free;

Than to be the ship that always fails

To leave its port and go to sea.

I'd rather feel the sting of strife,

Where gales are born and tempests roar;

Than to settle down to useless life

And rot in dry dock on the shore.

I'd rather fight some mighty wave

With honor in supreme command;

And fill at last a well-earned grave,

Than die in ease upon the sand

I'd rather drive where sea storms blow,

And be the ship that always failed.

To make the ports where it would go,

Than be the ship that never sailed.

~Author Unknown

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING

Unanswered yet the prayer your lips have pleaded

In agony of heart these many years?

Does faith begin to fail, is hope declining,

And think you all in vain those falling tears?

Say not the Father has not heard your prayer;

You shall have your desire, sometime, somewhere.

Unanswered yet? tho' when you first presented

This one petition at the Father's throne,

It seemed you could not wait the time of asking,

So anxious was your heart to have it done;

If years have passed since then, do not despair,

For God will answer you sometime, somewhere.

Unanswered yet? But you are not unheeded;

The promises of God forever stand;

To Him our days and years alike are equal;

Have faith in God! It is your Lord's command.

Hold on to Jacob's angel, and your prayer

Shall bring a blessing down sometime, somewhere.

Unanswered yet? Nay, do not say unanswered,

Perhaps your part is not yet wholly done,

The work began when first your prayer was uttered,

And God will finish what He has begun.

Keep incense burning at the shrine of prayer,

And glory shall decend sometime, somewhere.

Unanswered yet? Faith cannot be unanswered;

Her feet are firmly planted on the Rock;

Amid the wildest storms she stands undaunted,

Nor quails before the loudest thunder shock.

Nor quails before the loudest thunder shock.

She knows Omnipotence has heard her prayer,

And cries, "It shall be done sometime, somewhere."

~Ophelia Guyon Browning

Zentangles

This week in the Zentangle Society Group our theme was an Open Theme meaning it is open to your own interpretation.

Butterfly Delight

2.5 x 3.5

Peaceful Woods

A couple of cards I made for myself to represent the woods that surround us.

Size 2.5 x 3.5

and here is the other one......

Medium: Watercolor Paint
I also made three other wood scene drawings which I title Trinity Woods. I did those for the NorCal Swap that was being held over at ATCsforALL

ENTHUSIASM

ENTHUSIASM IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE

With renunciation life begins.

~Amelia Barr

As I grow older, 

part of my emothional survival plan

must be to actively seek inspiration 

instead of passively waiting for it to find me.

~Bebe Moore Campbell

Home Sweet Home

Challenge for this week is Home Sweet Home

Size 2.5 x 3.5

My version of Home Sweet Home.

For me Home Sweet Home is have the birds sing outside your door. The sweet smell of the flowers beauty all around your. Not to say having a dog or cat maybe a bird or two.

Inside the home is the beauty of a relationtion with family. Here I portray a child playing house with her little doll. 

Matrimony

Over on the Flickr site I participate in a group name Maggy Monday Musing. Each week they have a challenge that is due on Saturday. 

 

This challenge is on matrimony so this is my version of Matrimony not many of us pick the right mate the first time so for those of you that manage to stick it out it must be true love an ever lasting love!

SUCCESS

Genius, that power which dazzles mortal eyes,

Is oft but perserverance in disguise.

Continuous effort of itself implies,

In spite of countless falls, the power to rise.

'Twixt failure and success the print's so fine,

Men sometimes know not when they touch the line;

Just when the pearl is waiting one more plunge,

How many a struggler has thrown up the sponge!

As the tide goes clear out it comes clear in;

In business 'tis at turns, the wisest win;

And, oh, how true when shades of doubt disma,

"'Tis often darkest just before the day."

A little more persistence, courage, vim,

Success will dawn o'er failure's cloudy rim.

Then take this honey for the bitterest cup;

There is no failure, save in giving up.

No real fall, so long as one still tries,

For seeming set-backs make the strong man wise.

There's no defeat, in truth, save from within;

Unless you're beaten there, you're bound to win.

C.C. Cameron

I THINK THAT GOD IS PROUD

I think that God is proud of those who bear

A sorrow bravely-proud indeed of them

Who walk straight through the dark to find Him there,

And kneel in faith to touch his garment's hem.

Oh, proud of them who lift their heads to shake

Away the tears from eyes that have grown dim,

Who tighten quivering lips and turn to take

The only road they know that leads to Him.

How proud He must be of them-He who knows

All sorrow, and how hard grief is to bear!

I think He sees them coming, and He goes

With outstretched arms and hands to meet them there,

And with a look, a touch on hand or head,

Each finds his hurt heart strangely comforted.

Grace Noll Crowell

Zentangles

Aw Zentangles again.

ZENTANGLE with a TWIST

SOCIETY GROUP

This is a card that I made for this week challenge.

Theme: Fall Harvest

 

ATC

As I worked on these cards I just had to do one more.

Office Calls

 

This is my last card in this series. 

 

DOING WHAT'S RIGHT FOR US

We Must Do What's

Right For Us

The great thing to learn about life is,

first, not to do what you don't want

to do, and, second, to do what you

do want to do.

-Margaret Anderson

ATC

I had so much making atc using the theme Telephone Book I came up with this one.

MAY I MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

ATC

I belong to a group at the Flickr site. Each week they have a challenge. Well, I got confuse as to the due date so I ended up keeping this card. We were to make one card and the challenge theme was 

TELEPHONE BOOK

This is the card I made for the challenge

I SAW TWO CLOUDS AT MORNING

I saw two clouds at morning,

Tinged with the rising sun,

And in the dawn they floated on,

And mingled into one:

I thought that morning clound was blest,

It moved so sweetly to the west.

I saw two summer currents

Flow smoothly to their meeting,

And join their course, with silent force,

In peace each other greeting:

Calm was their course through banks of green,

While dimpling eddies played between.

Such be your gentle motion,

Till life's last pulse shall beat;

Like summer's beam, and summer's stream,

Float on, in joy, to meet

A calmer sea, where storms shall cease-

A purer sky, where all is peace.

John Gardiner Brainard

FAITH FOR TOMORROW

"Tomorrow, friend, will be another day,"

A seer wise of old was won't to say

To him who came at eventide, in grief,

Because the day had borne no fruitful sheaf.

O Lord of Life, that each of us might learn

From vain todays and yesterdays to turn,

To face the future with a hope newborn

That what we hope for cometh with the morn!

Thomas Curtis Clark

Zentangles

Well now, here are the cards that I turn in to swap over at ATCsforALL 

Zentangle Black n White plus 1 Color

Will what do ya think?

Like them?

I even made one for the Host which I don't do often I knew CattyCat would really like this one and I was right I gave her the choice to pick and she picked this one.

 

It was hard to let this one go too. I sure love those Zentangle in my day we called it Doodling now it has become an art form.

Zentangles

Zentangles Black n White plus 1 Color

A swap over at ATCsfor ALL

I like these so well that I kept these for myself. Now I need to make more cards for the actual swap.

I love doodling so much that I actually started a society group over at ATCsforALL the name of the group is called 

ZENTANGLE with a TWIST

a few ladies have join we are having a blast!

OUR FAITH AND BELIEF CREATE OUR REALITY

Positive Thinking and Self-Fulfilling

Prophecies and Actions 

Beauty to me is being 

comfortable in your own skin.

Gwyneth Paltrow

Man is what he believes.

Anton Chekhov

The Little Book Challenge Swap

Now the book is completely finish. Remember the first and last page go back and check it out the finish product sure changes the look!

 

Oh heck!

Here the finish back view too.....

The Little Book Challenge Swap

This is the last tow pages in the book. 

 

My favorites the page on the left is about reading being a book warm. The little girl I drew then the page on the right 2 vintage clip art with wording underneath about friends.

HAPPINESS

Happiness is like a crystal,

Fair and exquisite and clear,

Broken in a million pieces,

Shattered, scattered far and near.

Now and then along life's pathway,

Lo! some shining fragments fall;

But there are so many pieces

No one ever finds them all.

You may find a bit of beauty,

Or an honest share of wealth,

While another just beside you

Gathers honor, love or health.

Vain to choose or grasp unduly,

Broken is the perfect ball;

And there are so many pieces

No one ever finds them all.

Yet the wise as on they journey

Treasure every fragment clear,

Fit them as they may together,

Imaging the shattered sphere,

Learning ever to be thankful,

Though their share of it is small;

For it has so many pieces

No one ever finds them all

Priscilla Leonard

MY CHURCH

My Church has but one temple

Wide as the world is wide,

Set with a million stars,

Where a million hearts abide.

My church has no creed to bar

A single brother man

But says, "come thou and worship"

To every one who can.

My church has no roof nor walls,

Nor floors save the beautiful sod-

For fear, I would seem to limit

The love of the illimitable God.

Unknown. Signed E.O.G.

The Little Book Challenge Swap

These two pages were fun. I decided that I needed to do something different so I made a open pocket so to speak using the Vegas theme. When you open the card up you will see all sorts of gaming machines and so much more.

 

The page on the right is a pocket with a tag in it that has a picture of a key. Hence the title Key to my heart.

The Little Book Challenge Swap

This page is funny. I don't know why but I got to thinking about years past when I was in High School it was such a big thing to have somebody streaking through the school grounds only in their shoes n socks. Darn! I never got to see it there sure was a buzz about it though. Since I could not get it out of my mind I decided to add it in the pages of this book.

The Little Book Challenge Swap

As this challenge went on I discovered that I needed to make things up for the pages. I did not want to just glue different pieces of paper together I wanted maybe some kind of a theme on the pages.

 

As you can see here I had a poem about friends that someone gave me that I put with this picture then on the right side a picture of Ma n Dad I made up a letter you can see part of an envelope with a stamp on it.

The Little Book Challenge Swap

Here are a couple more pages what made this book a ch

we were to only use the what ever we received from others

I did not think it would be such a challenge but it turn into one.

Little Book Challenge Swap

I have been working on some pages for the Little Book Challenge Swap over at ATCsforALL the next few days I will be sharing you pages of this book that I made. 

Here is the front and back pages.

LEARN TO WAIT

Learn to wait-life's hardest lesson

Conned, perchance, through blinding trears;

While the heart throbs sadly echo

To the tread of passing years.

Learn to wait-hope's slow fruition;

Faint not, though the way seems long;

there is joy in each condition;

Hearts through suffering may grow strong.

Thus a soul untouched by sorrow

Aims not at a hight state;

Joy seeks not a brighter morrow;

Only sad hearts learn to wait.

Author Unknown

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Living One Date at a Time Is a Key to Happiness

Live your life each day as you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance toward the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to be observed from each new vantage point. Climb slowly, steadily, enjoying each passing moment; and the view from the summit will serve as a fitting climax for the journey.

-Harold B. Melchart

Rings of Angels

Wow, here is the one I was waiting for and mine.

That makes 4 angels

 

The one on the left is Aileen the one on the right is mine.

Didn't they all turn out really nice?

So pretty n dainty.

Once we received them we were too attached all the angels together. Well I decided not too. It turn out we all did not follow the directions completely. Three of us made the angels accordingly to the direction, one angel was made completely different. I love them all.I decided to use them here n there in my home instead. Then maybe one day I will make another one then I can attached them together making a ring of angels to sit on my table.

Ring of Angels

A while back I share with you all four fabic quilted angels that I made for a swap. We were to keep 1 send three off in return we would get three back. 

 

Here are my first two that I received. The one on the left is from Joan the one on the right of from Beverlay. The angels are adorable. Joan Angel is flat so I'll be hanging her's on the wall where as Beverlay angel is two sided where I can put it over an candle it just use as decoration. Now I'm waiting for one more should be here any time!

AT THE PLACE OF THE SEA

Exodus 14

Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life,

Where, in spite of all you can do,

There is no way out, there is no way back,

There is no other way but through?

Then wait on the Lord, with a trust serene,

Till the night of your fear is gone;

He will send the winds, He will heap the floods,

When He says to your soul, "Go on!"

And His hand shall lead you through, clear through,

Ere the watery walls roll down;

No wave can touch you, no foe can smite,

Not mightiest sea can drown.

The tossing billows may rear their crests,

Their foam at your feet may break,

But over their bed you shall walk dry-shod

In the path that your Lord shall make.

In the morning watch, 'neath the lifted cloud,

you shall see but the Lord alone,

When He leads you foruth from the place of the sea,

To a land that you have not known;

And your fears shall pass as your foes have passed,

You shall no more be afraid;

You shall sing His praise in a better place,

In a place that His hand hath made.

ANNE JOHNSON FLINT

GRANDFATHER'S CLOCK

....as a kid I can remember singing this song....

My Grandfather's clock was too large for the shelf,

So it stood ninety years on the floor;

It was taller by half than the old man himself,

Thought it weighed not a pennyweight more.

It was bought on the morn of the day that he was born

And was always his treasure and pride,

But it stopped short-never to go again-

When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering-

Tick, tick, tick, tick.

His life seconds numbering-

Tick, tick, tick, tick.

It stopped shout-never to go again-

When the old man died.

In watching its pendulum swing to and fro

Many hours had he spent while a boy;

And in childhood and manhood the clock seemed to know

And to share both his grief and his joy,

For it struck twenty-four when he entered the door

With a blooming and a beautiful bride,

But it stopped short-never to go again-

When the old man died.

My grandfather said of those he could hire,

Not a servant so faithful he found,

For it wasted not time and had but one desire-

At the close of each week to be wound.

And it kept in its place-not a frown upon its face,

And its hand never hung by its side;

But it stopped short-never to go again-

When the old man died.

It rang an alarm in the dead of night-

An alarm that for years had been dumb.

And we knew that his spirit was pluming for flight,

That his hour of departure had come.

Still the clock kept the time with a soft and muffled chime

As we silently stood by his side;

But it stopped short-never to go again-

When the old man died.

Henry Clay Work

......funny, hm, I don't remember it being so sad, we loved that Grandfather Clock.

Altered Domino

Lately I have been working again on altering dominoes. This one was so much fun it is a combination of painting, stamping and collage.

Then I sealed it with several layers of Diamond Glaze

OH SPECIAL DAY!

Today is a very special day.

My husband and I was married on this day 15 years ago. 

Boy where did time fly too.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

 

A FRIEND'S GREETING

I'd like to be the sort of friend that you have been to me;

I'd like to be the help that you've been always glad to be;

I'd like to mean as much to you each minute of the day

As you have meant, old friend of mine, to me along the way.

I'd like to do the big things and the splendid things for you,

To brush the gray from out your skies and leave them only blue;

I'd like to say the kindly things that I so oft have heard,

And feel that I could rouse your soul the way that mine you've stirred.

I'd like to give you back the joy that you have given me,

Yet that were wishing you a need I hope will never be;

I'd like to make you feel as rich as I, who travel on

Undaunted in the darkest hours with you to lean upon.

I'm wishing at this Christmas time that I could but repay

A portion of the gladness that you've strewn along my way;

And could I have one wish this year, this only would it be:

I'd like to the sort of friend that you have been to me.

EDGAR A. GUST

ATC Butterfly Delight

This piece came to me while I was working on a set of cards over at ATCsforALL in a swap that I was participating in. For that swap I painted tulips some with butterflies. Here I hand drawn a stump 

adding a vine of flowers and a butterfly. The medium I use for this card is Watercolor. this was fun and I plan to make more in this series.

Altered domino Key Chain

One of my many hobbies is altering dominoes. This one I made into a key chain for a swap over on the Flickr site I belong too. We were to make a key chain using the them Travel. 

 

I decided on this one to collage it I started out with a map that I cut up the size of a domino. Then I decided that I needed someone traveling what better than a fairy. From there I wrote a couple of sayings:

Tour the Country Side

Road Trip

Once I was done with all my embellishment I then started layering several coats of Diamond Glaze. It took a few days to complete for each layer I let dry 24 hours. Once this was all done then I made the chain with rings which I accented with beads then added the key ring. Now what we have is a 

Altered Domino Key Chain

SUNSHINE AND MUSIC

A laugh is just like sunshine.

It freshens all the day,

It tips the peak of life with light,

And drives the clouds away.

The soul grows glad that hears it

And feels its courage strong.

A laugh is just like sunshine

For cheering folks along.

A laugh is just like music

It lingers in the heart,

And where its melody is heard

The ills of life depart;

And happy thoughts come crowding

Its joyful notes to greet:

A laugh is just like music

For making living sweet.

Author Unknown

TWEAKING A PHOTOGRAPH

Here is my last tweaking picture of this beautiful rose.

TWEAKING A PHOTOGRAPH

Well here I am still tweaking that rose. Once I get started playing in my photo program time gets away from me. Here is another picture that I just have to share with you.

Cool!

TWEAKING A PHOTOGRAPH

I love to take pictures especially with a digital camera. Then I sometimes like to tweak it a bit on the computer. The Rose that I shared with you, the full rose bloom, well this is what I did with it.

This would make a pretty quilt, to bad it is just a photo.