Creativity, Crafts, Books, Movies, Greyhounds & Favorite Things

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Every Monday, I post a painting “inspiration.” Every Thursday, I post how I interpreted the inspiration. I decided to do this to keep myself painting, to strengthen how I go from an idea to a painting, and to give myself permission to play and try new things. For the next several weeks, I’m taking my inspiration from the great ideas you sent me.

This week’s inspiration comes from Kirsten of Peaceful dog…SEASHELLS. I’m going to take two weeks to work on this painting because I’m using a larger canvas than I’m typically use to. This canvas is 16″ x 20″.

How to be HAPPY!

Every Thursday, Jay of The Depp Effect, posts something that makes her happy, and I’m playing along. She encourages us to look around and notice the things that make us happy. I enjoy this challenge because it makes me consider the things that make me happy, but are easily overlooked. It’s a wonderful exercise in attention and gratitude. Please grab the badge and join in.

Here’s something that makes me happy…DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY.

I was never interested in photography until digital photography opened a whole new world for me. You immediately get to see your picture, so you can try something different it you didn’t get what you were hoping for; you can take as many pictures as you’d like without going broke developing them; you can instantly get rid of the duds, and storage of your pictures is easy, either on your camera or on your computer. Also, since digital cameras can be super sleek and slimline, they’re easy to carry at all times.

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I have lamented many times on the state of my photos. Last year, I even started a small School Memories album. While I LOVE the idea of scrapbooking, I’m not inclined to do it right now, so I was intrigued when my sister told me about Project Life.

 

Project Life is a simple system for scrapbooking. It consists of an album, photo pocket pages and inserts.

The pocket pages and inserts make it easy to create pretty photo pages.

I’ll do a few pages for next Wednesday’s post. It looks like a simple idea. I hope it works for me.

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April is National Greyhound Adoption Month. Why would you want to adopt a Greyhound? According to Freedom, Casper and Nikki, adopting a Greyhound can help with, if not completely solve life’s important issues. For instance…

Fashion fades, only style remains the same. Coco Chanel

Freedom: Do you have style? If so, we’ll add to it. If not, we’re automatic style.

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:10 (KJV)

Casper: What with collars, matching leads, tags, coats, plushy beds, toys, treats…we’ll make sure you have no money, and you’ll never be happier about it.

There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship. Thomas Aquinas

Nikki: When you have a Greyhound, you’ll have as many friends as your floor will support.

2012 Allies for Greyhounds of West Michigan Spring Fling

The bond that links your family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life. Richard Bach

Casper: When you adopt a Greyhound, you also join the Greyhound Cult Family.

If you ask what is the single most important key to longevity, I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension. And if you didn’t ask me, I’d still have to say it. George Burns

Nikki: Watch us and learn. We’re masters of relaxation. We’ll have you living for a very long time.

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. Lao Tzu

Freedom: We will make you brave and strong.

Thank you, Freedom, Casper and Nikki. I would agree with you on all points. If you are considering a new addition to your family, give a Greyhound a look. To find a group in your area, checkout the Greyhound Adoption Group Directory. Our group is Allies for Greyhounds of West Michigan.

Once you have a Greyhound (or any pet), you’ll want to get them some neat stuff. The Pet Blogger Mall is new and exciting…a place you can go to purchase products made by pet bloggers. It is currently under construction, but you can sign-up to receive progress notifications. Sounds like a lot of fun.

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Here’s what’s going on in my studio…

One of my two cards clubs got together this weekend.

We made these inserts for pocket photo album pages, but they also could be used as card toppers.

We made three photo album inserts with the same color scheme back in July.

This Week’s Inspiration

In 2013, I’m doing Inspiration Mondays and Results Thursdays. Every Monday, I’ll post a painting “inspiration” and then on Thursdays, I’ll post how I’m interpreting that inspiration.

Last week’s inspiration was from Kat of Dog Gone Right…WATER. Here’s the girl that came out of that inspiration…

This week’s inspiration comes from Kirsten of Peaceful dog…SEASHELLS.

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Every Sunday I do a post about my creative journey under the category “Creating the Creator.” Over the years, I’ve done a variety of things…book studies, e-courses, challenges. The last three months, I worked my way through Creating A Life Worth Living by Carol Lloyd. I put a lot into it, so now I’m ready to take a little break and do something fun and different. Last week, I mentioned reading a book on creative writing, but then I saw a post on Audrey Electric about a doll she made and it reminded me of an unfinished project I have. Many years ago I bought four patterns from Hanging by a Thread. I finished one, but never got around to the other three. Now, I want to finish them up. I’m going to save the creative writing books for later and dig into this unfinished project.

The dolls’ names are Seedy Lady, Sunny Lady, Snowy Lady and…I can’t remember the one I finished. Spicy Lady?

I must have gotten rid of the pattern when I finished her.

The patterns include instructions for one doll and one mini quilt.

I love little details, so these are very satisfying because they include loads.

I don’t think the pattern company is in business any longer because I searched for them and couldn’t find any information.

I haven’t exercised my sewing skills in quite awhile. Hopefully, it’s like riding a bicycle…something you don’t forget.

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Every Saturday, I share my weekly Artist Date.

This week was another stay-at-home Artist Date. I wanted to work on my inspiration files.

What are my inspiration files? Generally images, articles and instructions I pull out of magazines and return to when I need an idea or inspiration.  When I see something that intrigues me, I put it in an accordion file.

From time to time, I go through the accordion file and put the pictures, articles and instructions in notebooks.

It was not just time for me to move things from the accordion file to my notebooks, but time to go through and do a review and purge. The weight of too many ideas can be as stifling as too few ideas.  This is not a one day project, but I can already feel a lightness.

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Every Friday, I share a poem. Friday is also the day I post a prompt of something you can do to make the world a kinder place. I call this the Kind is Kool challenge.

I offer both the poem and the kindness challenge without any obligation, so “Comments” are turned off every Friday. Enjoy.

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A Psalm Of Life. What The Heart Of The Young Man Said To The Psalmist.

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,–act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;–

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Kind is Kool Challenge

Week 15 Challenge – When you feel impatient with someone, imagine they are someone you love.

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Every Monday, I’m posting a painting “inspiration.” Every Thursday, I’m posting how I interpreted the inspiration. I decided to do this to keep myself painting, to strengthen how I go from an idea to a painting, and to give myself permission to play and try new things. For the next several weeks, I’m taking my inspiration from the great ideas you sent me.

This week’s inspiration comes from Kat of Dog Gone Right…WATER. Here’s the girl that came out of that inspiration…

How to be HAPPY!

Every Thursday, Jay of The Depp Effect, posts something that makes her happy, and I’m playing along. She encourages us to look around and notice the things that make us happy. I enjoy this challenge because it makes me consider the things that make me happy, but are easily overlooked. It’s a wonderful exercise in attention and gratitude. Please grab the badge and join in.

Here’s something that makes me happy…My favorite brush, a #12 FLAT BRUSH.

Any type of work is easier and more enjoyable when you have the proper tools. The #12 flat brush is my favorite paint brush. I love it for base coating, for adding shadows and highlights and for the precise line I can get with the edge of the brush. This brush feels good in my hand.

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There are certain words that confuse me. This is my list. What words are on your list?

Who or Whom

Any time you would say “him” or “her,” use the word whom. Any time you would use the word “he” or “she,” use the word who.

Examples

You sat by whom last night? I sat by her last night.

Who sat by you last night? She sat by me last night.

A trick to use to remember – Him and her end with a consonant as does whom. He and she end with a vowel as does who.

Farther or Further

Farther refers to a measurable distance. Further refers to abstract lengths that can’t always be measured.

Examples

It’s not much farther to the gas station.

This product needs further testing.

Lay or Lie

Lay means to set something down. Lie means to recline.

Examples

Lay the book on the table.

I want to lie down and take a nap.

Sadly, the past tense of lie is lay, which is probably why I’ll never settle this in my brain.

Fewer or Less

If you can count it one-by-one, use fewer. If you can’t count it individually, use less.

Examples

There were fewer days below freezing this year.

I drink less water than she does.

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The last three weeks have been spent remembering some of the pups’ naughty moments. This week, I’m re-posting a story I posted on February 2, 2011, one month after I started writing What Remains Now. No puppy naughtiness involved.

 

I’m not in this? Oh, that’s right, you said no puppy naughtiness involved.

It’s Good To Know How You Rate

Original Post Link

Most of us have a sense of where we stand in a family or social situation.  Sometimes those perceptions aren’t accurate and sometimes things happen and you get a big “confirmation” stamp on those feelings.  What follows is an incident that left me pretty clear about how I rate.

Shortly after we got the houndies, I was loading dishes in the dishwasher.  Freedom doesn’t like to come in the kitchen, but when I’m in there she likes to peek around the corner so she can keep an eye on what I’m doing…because you never know when I might get the urge to grab a snack for her.  When I’m standing at the sink, my dishwasher is behind me  I’ve done this simple act of loading the dishwasher for years with no problem, but on this particular night I stepped back just a fraction of an inch too much and caught my leg on the open dishwasher door.  Before I knew what had happened, I fell backward on the dishwasher door (yes, I broke it) and onto the floor (ceramic tile).  Me, going from standing to flat on my back (with a dishwasher door in between) makes a pretty impressive noise, so Freedom was startled and jumped back.  Immediately, I heard my husband’s concerned voice calling from the Family Room, “Freedom!  It’s all right!”  All I can say is, it’s good to know how you rate.