Month: January 2017

One Word 2017… Stewardship!

Moses had a stick.

The widow had a small jar of oil.

David had a slingshot and five little stones.

A young boy had five little loaves and a couple of small fishes.

God was able to use those small things in mighty ways.

Choosing my “One Word” for 2017 took a little while. It was a bit jumbled up in my head… and even on paper… until I realized that “Stewardship” best summed up all my random thoughts.

To me, “Stewardship” means taking care of what I have… keeping it, managing it, organizing it, saving it. But more importantly, it means USING IT. Enjoying it. Finishing what I’ve started. Filling it up and not letting it sit idle and empty. Creating and building with it. Spending it down to the last bit if it will bring about something good and useful. Taking a risk with it rather than squirreling it away. Redeeming it and giving it back to the Lord with interest, like the two faithful servants Jesus spoke of in the Parable of the Talents.

It might seem as if there’s not much you can do as a homemaker on
a tight budget with lots of little people hanging on your legs.

Or as a working Mama with barely a minute to spare.

Or as an emptier nester whose chicks have flown off.

But what’s that in your hand?

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A well-stocked pantry? A dining room table? Unfinished projects? Tons of craft supplies? Your home? An empty bedroom? A few spare hours? The nest egg you’re saving for a rainy day? Talents you’ve set aside during the busy and demanding years of life?

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That’s the question I’m asking myself this year…

How would the Lord have me use what is in my hand?

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Art Journaling… Warm and Woolly!

How is your January going?

Ours has been quietly eventful.

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We had snow last weekend. A nice quiet snow.

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Quite a bit of it, which happens only once in a while around here,
making it somewhat of an event..

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And in the midst of the snowstorm, a new little person
arrived in the world, and came to stay with us for a while.
A newborn in the house means lots of quiet naps…
and sometimes not so quiet moments, as Tyler and Nana are experiencing.

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We’ve had the snowy sort of quiet,
along with the newborn sort of “quiet.”

All that has kept me quite busy, but has also afforded a few minutes here and
there for journaling. I started working on my title page for January.

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Warm and wooly mittens and snowflakes seemed to be a good choice.
And a perfect chance to practice adding a bit of texture to my drawing!

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I pulled out a pair of hand knit mittens my daughter Katemade for me so I could have a visual reference. Warm woolly knitted mittens seems to have little “v’s” all lined up in rows.

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Tiny knit stitches were started with an icy blue marker.
I tried to follow the contour of the mitten as I dabbed them in.

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An ultra-fine black pen, along with a medium point
blue marker helped define the texture a bit.

Adding texture to a drawing takes a LOT of patience.

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It’s getting there. It’s not perfect, and I can already see some things I wish I had done differently. But that’s what art journaling is all about… learning and experimenting!

Art Supplies Used:
Copic Sketch marker B00 Frost Blue (Knit stitches)
Prismacolor Premier Marker Cool Grey 30% (Shading)
PaperMate Flair Medium Marker (Dark aqua details)
Pigma Micron 01 & Pima Brush Pen (Outlining)

January Art Journaling Page!

The New Year

A year to be glad in,
Not to be sad in,
A year to live in,
To gain in and give in;
A year for trying,
And not for sighing,
A year for striving,
And hearty thriving;
A bright New Year,
Oh, hold it dear;
For God Who sendeth,
He only lendeth.

Happy 2017!

I absolutely LOVE a brand new year, don’t you?

I think it’s that “fresh slate” thing.

Nothing like a new planner, a new calendar, or a new sketchbook to get me “up and doing.” And a new old project to bring to completion.

Or maybe “completion” isn’t the best word to use?

Since art journaling is kind of a lifelong project?

It’s basically a “get you started” project that I’m finishing up.

Anyway, the long-awaited, updated and revised, packed neatly into a printable PDF, Art Journaling Through the Seasonsbook is on its way!

Each month’s page will be posted at the beginning of the month (I’m shooting for the first Monday of the month!), along with some posts that will elaborate on the monthly activities.  The printable PDF will be available by the end of January, along with a Facebook group you can join if you’d like to share what’s happening in your (or your kids’!) art journals.

Speaking of kids… theses pages were originally created for homeschooled children, but kids of all sort have enjoyed them. And many moms are keeping art journals now too! They’re also created to be a springboard for your own journaling adventure… feel free to add your own ideas, search for poems or quotes that touch your heart or stir your senses, and draw whatever catches your eye! Permission granted to hop down any bunny trails that look fun!

And without further ado…

(Click on the image below for a printable page!)

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