My latest creation!

Here is a project I've always wanted to tackle. I'm just now getting to it and am so happy that I did! This is a gorgeous gourd vase trimmed with a raffia collar and one of a kind glass bead in the raffia fray on the front. This handpainted design is one of the things I love best. I love polka dots and what better way to use them than to incorporate them into a work of art. This particular design is a limited edition. I only plan to make 10 of these total, so they are indeed unique pieces of art. Each comes signed and numbered for authenticity. I hope you all love it!

In honor of Cherokee heritage

Well, I'm taking my crafts in a different direction for now. Actually, this direction is nothing new to me but will be new to a lot of you. I love nature. I love making things out of natural objects. My latest creations are made with driftwood, gourds and other miscellaneous objects I've collected from the woods in north Georgia over the last few years. I'm really stoked about all this stuff! I love nothing better than to get my hands on something natural and making something lovely for my home. I've done woodcrafts, driftwood arrangements, birdhouses from old wood and such in the past and hope that everyone else likes what I create. I probably won't be selling a lot of this stuff, as most of it is made for family and friends as gifts. Why am I doing this now? I don't know...but it sure is fun! (Here's a pic of what I finished tonight. The gourd freshly cut and then the finished project!)





Oh by the way. Did you know party of my heritage is Cherokee indian? Would you have guessed it to look at this blonde haired, blue eyed, fair skinned girl? Hahaha! Well, it is and that brings me to the other thing I wanted to talk about today. Have you ever heard of a professional storyteller? My 2nd cousin on my dad's side is a professional storyteller. She's awesome!!! You should go to her website and click on the gallery tab to hear some demos of her stories. My favorite isn't on her site, but is on a CD she made. The name of the story is "Rindercella" and it's just awesome. I love her!!! www.fayewooden.com

Living beyond yourself

Sometimes it's easier said than done. What does living beyond yourself really mean? Well, to me it means putting aside your own agenda, your own feelings and your own desires for someone else's good. Not always an easy task. Face it, we're all selfish creatures...it's human nature to be that way. But in order for us to show others how much we care, we are required to go out of our way to be the help, the ear, the shoulder or the servant that they need at that moment. Let's look at it in the practical sense. Living beyond yourself can be something as simple as my hubby going outside in the bitter cold to get something for me that I left in the car. It could be something as simple as spending the day with a friend who needs some company, even though you have many things that need to be done at your own home. It means making some cookies and taking them to a local assisted care center so some lonely elderly people can have some homemade treats and enjoy some company for a while. All of these things are examples of living beyond yourself. I wonder what this world would be like if we all lived beyond ourselves for just one day. One day given up for someone else's benefit, not because we want something in return or as a "pay it forward" because someone else did something nice for us. Just a day filled with service to another person, done out of the love in our own heart and for no other reason than that love for each other.

Camera, lights, action!

No, I'm not an actor now. Hahaha!

We took the boys on a Christmas light show tour Friday and Saturday nights. It was actually fun for all of us and the entertainment is almost free. Perk! Friday night we took them to Pettit Creek Farm in Cartersville as soon as we picked them up, since we weren't very far from it. Nice light display and live animals. I believe the drive thru the farm's lights was a little over 2 miles long. They also offer hayrides and you can pet live reindeer! Other animals at the farm included: donkeys, camels, zebras and I think there were some horses too. It was so cool to see the camels and the zebra!!! I loved those! I took pics but none turned out well enough to post.

Then we went to another display in Rockmart on the right side of 278 a little way up past Hwy 113. This one was not quite as long but was still a great light display. Afterwards we got milkshakes and went home.

Saturday night we went to see the lights at Life Chiropractic. It was really really nice but not quite as big as last year's display. Christopher sat on my lap while we rode thru the whole display twice and boy is he heavier than last year! I got some pics and have posted them here for you to see. Afterwards we all got cappucinos and headed home, plugged in the tree and lit a fire in the fireplace. Who says entertainment for kids costs a lot? I can always find something for us to do that is either free or very cheap for the whole family!

Hope everyone else is having some fun this Christmas season. Get out and see some lights!!!

Feeling kind of funky

I love my paper crafts but I also love other kinds of arts/crafts as well. Here's a couple of photos when I was making oil lamps...keep in mind that I also love animal prints! Also in today's mixed bag of pics are some of my ladybug postcards, paintings I've done and other art projects.

Toodles!

Don't box me in!