Material Mondays - The Conversation - Mixed Media Fabric Wall Hanging

Welcome to Material Mondays, it is great to have you come and visit and see what I have been up to in the studio.  I have found over the past year as I am sure that I have said in previous posts, that I have really enjoyed working with fabric.  From painting, sewing, embellishing and seeing not only what you can come up with creatively but where you can take the fabric that you are working on using different mediums and tools to enhance your project.

These fabric pieces have been real projects for me as they take time to complete due to the more intricate work that goes into adding the beads to the pieces.

But the joy is not only in adding the beads but selecting, and sorting.  I have been making many trips to my charity store to see what jewelry and embellishments they have, and have come across some unusual and very pretty finds.

This latest piece is called The Conversation.

 Do let me know what you think, leave a comment and share what you have been working on, does it inspire you to give this a go?  Or even add an element to your creative projects.

Stay blessed and be a blessing!

Word for the Week - Deuteronomy 31:8

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8

As you meditate on the scripture and enjoy the image ask and think about the many gifts you have been given, the many challenges you face, and the fruit that will come from the work of your hands. 

Words and images for the week, to bless, encourage and inspire you to be all that you have been called to be. 

What will you do with what you have been given today?

Stay blessed and be a blessing

Gratitude's and Celebration - Week 67 - Shine Your light

When we switch on the light or lamp we don't try and hide it or put it under cover, we don't put our light under the bed but we use it to illuminate the room.  When we think about all of the lights that are in our home we use them to allow us to see better, to locate those things that are hidden or out of view and to enable us to do other activities as well.  

As this light shines it not only shows us the thing that we are looking for but it also shines on other things as well.  If we wanted to focus the light we might use a torch or spot light, but generally speaking the main light is the one that will brighten the whole room.  There are some things that we don't want in clear sight and we might put them away in draws and wardrobes behind doors that invite a peek or we hide them behind other things.  As a collector of things there comes a point where you have built up layers and layers of things and barriers build up stopping the light from reaching the four corners of the room.

The bible tells us that we are to shine our light and my understanding is that we have to be all that we are created to be, without hangups, doubts, insecurities, and fear, and where these things are present then we have to work at doing something about it.  We have all been given talents, abilities and gifts, some of which we haven't yet seen manifest, we are to make sure that we are using and making the most of them, we shouldn't hide them under stuff or the cares of the world, we can't lock them away and pretend we don't know we have them, carrying them around in your bag or backpack afraid of your potential.  

When we are using our gifts talents and abilities it can impact like the torch on specific areas at a time or as with the main light switch in the room it can impact on many people from different walks of life and in different ways all over the world - look at the many gifted and talented people that have impacted on the world that spring to mind and have inspired you.

I hope to shine my light through my art and my words bringing meaning, wisdom, knowledge and understanding, and also to be effective in helping others to think about what they have been gifted with or to work on those things that they have been yearning to do in their hearts giving them the courage to make that step,  I think we all have that ability to inspire someone else and we can't take it for granted.

As you learn to shine your light and be more than you thought you could be others may try to stop you and those who will want to accompany you for the ride, but more often than not it is the journey that you have to make by yourself discovering your strengths, you have to be willing to do the work and take the necessary steps to get to that place where your insecurities no longer stop you but enable you to soar!

I am grateful and celebrate today the light that I carry within me, one that we all carry and it is our responsibility to use the talents that we have all been given to help others and be a blessing to others. I hope as always that my words carry encouragement and that when you have read this post that you feel encouraged to shine your light, to think about how much more you could get from your life if you turned it up a notch.  What ever has been laid on your heart in a years time you will have wished that you started right now!

Quote Wednesday - Confucius

The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.

Confucius

Each Quote Wednesday I share a quote with a painting or photograph that I have created Quotes can be so inspiring and uplifting it is a good idea to meditate on the words and make a point of saying something encouraging about your life!  Do something great and share your favorite quote in the comments below.

Join me next week for the next inspiring quote and image. Blessings