Gratitude's and Celebration - Week 26 - Miracles

Miracles Happen Every Day!

We are just 3 days into the New Year.  Do you remember what you did around this time last year?  I know many made promises to themselves of things they would do, try to achieve or try to change.  How many have see these things come to pass?

Often we look for the miracles in life to be massive things that take our breath away.  Winning the lottery, getting that dream house (out of the blue) or landing that job that you know you aren't qualified for but they liked you.  I am sure you can think of other things that are massive that you might count as a miracle.  For some these things have been their reality and they are looking for the next big thing.

Gratitude's and Celebration page before completion

For the general population miracles are happening every day, yet we over look them or take them for granted.  One of the reasons for doing a Gratitude's and Celebration journal was to remind myself of those things that I very often take for granted and celebrate them. I am grateful that the backache I went to bed with stopped when I got up in the morning.

Miracles Happen....

I am also grateful that I get to see another year.  I celebrate being able to see new changes take place in my life.  With the loss of my brother last year I celebrate his life and the impact that he made on me. 

Me aged 9 and Robert aged 5

 I celebrate all those fun times we had as children and the fine man he grew up to be.

Robert is dearly missed

Whilst we only got to enjoy 45 years of his life some get even less time and every day someone is loosing a loved one, and we were able to let him know how much we loved and cared for him.

Miracles are happening every day, if you are having a hard time in seeing them, look out your window, step out of your front door, take a breath, feel the breeze on your skin, put on some music and dance - knowing that you are at this moment pain free - even if it is just for a moment.  Make a promise to yourself this year, if it is the only promise that you do make for yourself, and that is to live each day from today with passion, see the big and small miracles that are coming your way, and do not take one more day for granted.

Miracles happen everyday! - Gratitude's and Celebration Journal

I would love to hear from you and share what you will be tackling next. As this week draws to a close have a blessed weekend! If you want to see how I made the journal (click here) Blessings!

Garden - Memories of Home

Well, it is the first day of the year and I wish you a very Happy New Year. I hope you enjoyed your celebrations seeing the new year in and where ever you are.

Welcome to Memories of Home, if you would like to find out more information about the series, Click here

Being in a supportive environment is important to our growth as individuals, not everyone has had that opportunity and as adults we try and create an environment that will nurture and bless our children and indeed ourselves.

Garden

With the new year brings exciting changes for all. I took time yesterday morning to spend it in the garden seeing what needed to be cut back in preparation for the spring, what needed to be cleared. I really enjoy this time as what you do now can impact the development of the plant and prepares it for the next stage of development.

When we were smaller we lived in a flat (apartment). We had a balcony which was small, but no garden space. My mother loved plants and had a wide array of houseplants dotted around the home. She would take her time walking round to each tending to them applying water and removing the dead leaves. She seemed in her own world and would often be humming or singing a song. Watching her and spending time in my own garden I realise the therapeutic benefits that she enjoyed as she spent time with the plants. 

I too find it relaxing, regardless of what I am doing even if it is getting rid of fallen branches. It is a lovely feeling to know what will be coming and how the plants will take shape as the weather gets milder. I have a plant that produced bright yellow flowers in the spring and yesterday noticed that one of them had decided to come out early and give me a visual taster.

This is the plant in its full glory and the flowers will last until the summer.  It truly is lovely to feast your eyes on it. Whether big or small do you have a space to grow plants, what is your favorite plant you have grown?

I would love to hear what type of plants you have in your own home environment that allows you to be comfortable. I hope you continue to join me on my journey over the weeks, as I share my mixed media houses and look back to the memories of home. I look forward to hearing about some some of your own memories. Blessings and peace to you!

Happy New Year and Tutorial Tuesday!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Better late than never, I wanted to start out by saying Happy New Year and wishing you a blessed year filled with peace, growth, insight, understanding and much love.  This is my last post of this year and Tuesdays are usually filled with tutorials.  I shared in yesterdays post the changes that will be happening, I am taking a few courses that I hope will bring new knowledge and change will come through in my work.  I want to step up and do more.  I don’t make new year’s resolutions but build on the plans that I made this year which will carry through to next year.

One of the changes that I will continue to work on is my health, getting fit, getting rid of clutter and making sure that nutritionally I have a balanced diet.  I am going to continue to clear the clutter and we are all going to make a big effort at home to get rid of those things that are just there ‘because’ rather than serving a purpose.

Rather than weekly to fit in the new courses I will be posting Tutorial Tuesdays on a monthly basis.  I will have lots to share from the insights and techniques gained on the courses and wanted to make some room for this.  I will be trying my hand at videoing and will try and do some video based technique videos.  There are so many things that I would love to do that there isn’t the hours in the day, but I will try and do a few of them.

If you want to take a look at the past tutorials click on the link below and it will take you to the topics.  

I hope you find ways to experiment and learn new things in the coming year.  As always share what you are doing and remember to be a blessing.

Happy 2014!

Material Mondays - Looking back on 2013 and changes for 2014

I have been spending time over the past few days with family and there have been quite a few late nights.  I am trying to get my body clock back to getting up early, so that I can catch the house when it is quiet and get on with a few things before everyone wakes up.

I have been trying to set myself some schedules, planning my learning for 2014, which starts today with Soul Food.  I feel that it is important to ensure that you do something for your self-development.  I will also be taking a few other courses including Life Book in January and Bloom True which starts in February.  

I am really pushing my learning next year and also intend to learn about quilting, book binding and photo shop.  I am intending on using them as ways to capture stories, my mums, mine and my role as her daughter and carer.  I hope to develop some creative activities that others will be able to use and be inspired to use with those they care for who have dementia.  I will be sharing my journey on the courses and recommend that you take a look at some of them as you think about your own learning for 2014.

I will be changing my posting schedule to make room for the courses and to be able to share what I've been learning and all the new art work that will be produced.  Material Mondays, Tutorial Tuesdays and Recycled Projects will all be posted once a month. I thought I would share with you the projects I have made so far with Material Mondays and put a link so that you can go and take a look.

I started Material Mondays as a way to show some of the creative work that I had done with textiles and crochet.  As I progress in my mixed media walk it is really enabling me to explore and experiment with all the techniques and equipment that I have always wanted to try.  I may find that as I progress there are some that I will not be trying at all, but the main thing is that I will have a taste of many of the techniques then decide if I want to incorporate it within my mixed media work.

I started sharing around October this year and have been posting pretty much every week, here is what I have created so far, if you want to take a closer look click on the image and it will take you to the post:

Crochet Choker

Crochet Necklace

Painted Recycled Fabric

Painted Fabric with Stitching added 

Recycled Bag Journal

Chunky button Fabric Journal

Crochet Neck warmers

Crochet Baby Hat

Chunky Wrist Cuff

Fabric Journal

Crochet Owl

Reusable Crochet Journal Cover

I am quite proud of myself for keeping up with creating and look forward to seeing the projects I make next year, one of which I hope to be a crochet bag and doll that you can keep inspiring messages in.  I hope you do continue to join me in my creative travels.  I am looking forward to the growth and expansion that will come from stepping out and not worrying about what you are creating but enjoying the process. Blessings and much love!