Gratitude's and Celebration - Week 58 - Seeds

You can count the amount of seeds in an apple, but you can't count the amount of apples in a seed...Anonymous 

I love getting out into the garden and working with the soil, clipping back plants, perhaps moving a plant to a new location.  I find spending time outdoors a really relaxing activity.  Even when I didn't have access to a garden I had a lot of houseplants and would regularly nurture them with a song or two - there are studies that show that plants respond to touch and sound.....

The thing I enjoy most with gardening is finding a new plant the seeds of which find a good location depending on where the bird has managed to drop it as it has flown past.  These little surprises brings with it a new variety of plant.  But the key is where the seed falls which will determine it's success.

We also have to be mindful about where we plant our seeds - the words we speak to others, the gifts and talents that we have within us.  We have to not only be encouraging but make the most of each and every opportunity, building up the lives of others rather than tearing down. Are we sowing on good ground, nurturing and watering to ensure growth?

I am grateful and celebrate the gifts that I have been given to share, and I am thankful for the growing confidence to step out each and every day so that I can be an encouraging light for someone else.  

What type of seeds do you have within you and what type of soil are you sowing in?

I look forward to the journey and hope you come along and join me. Why not start your own journal, keep it as simple or complex as you wish, but do something!

Gratitude and Celebration Journal

Quote Wednesday - Ninon De L'Enclos

Quote Wednesday

Today a new sun rises for me; everything lives everything is animated, everything seems to speak to me of my passion, everything invites me to cherish it... Ninon d l'Enclos

Grab hold of the opportunities that are coming your way.  It is a new day, a fresh start, a do over.  See the beauty in the simplicity, take hold of your passions, and cherish every moment!

Each Quote Wednesday I share a quote with a photograph that I have taken. 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!  Join me next week for the next inspiring quote and image. Blessings

Listen - Mixed media art painting

I love music, a range of  and know that music has a healing effect on our bodies.  Here is a painting that I have been working on.....

Listening to the sounds

To the beat, the bass, the balance....

The sounds that make you bounce, make you sway and tap your feet...As you close your eyes feel the rhythm, as you let yourself go...... moving - the two step shuffle...

Listen to the Sound - Mixed Media Painting

Music that can take you away, uplift your spirits, make you laugh, and cause you be filled with emotion you shed a tear. 

 I would like to encourage my son Sekani to keep playing the piano and sharing his gifts.  He is brilliant at learning new songs and composing his own and I want to encourage him to take the next step in his music.  Take a listen to some snippets that he has put on his instagram account, and show him some love!

Word for the week - Isaiah 40:31

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint... Isaiah 40:31

   Through reading the word we should be renewed on a daily basis.  What is it that you need to let go of that is sapping your strength and preventing you from soaring as the eagle?

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 Celebrations - Week 57 - Shine

Gratitude's and Celebration - Shine

Live your life and Shine!

How close to your purpose do you feel that you are?  Are there areas of your life that you feel that you haven't yet achieved that 'thing' or done all those activities on your 'to do' list.  We can chase after a number of different goals and dreams and still come up short, and I think it is because we don't commit and allow fear to creep in.  We wait for what we think we want without making a step, hoping to 'feel' great and then wonder why we reach a particular age and haven't done half of what we dreamed we would do.

Live your life...

Our life is meant to be lived, you are here for a purpose, and there are things that you want to achieve and know that deep down in your soul.  You have passion and drive for something, don't be afraid to step out.  When we hold ourselves back from achieving our purpose, and living the live we have been given to the full then we short change ourselves and others.  God didn't form and fashion you in your mothers womb to be stagnant and stay in the same place year in and year out.

He created your life to live to the full, to impact positively on other peoples lives, to be a blessing, but to also to be blessed yourself.  If you can't think of one thing to do then find someone to help until you work out where your passion lies.  Don't stand still!

I am grateful and celebrate life, we have the opportunity and ability to be amazing and do amazing things.....now it's your turn:)

I look forward to the journey and hope you come along and join me. Why not start your own journal, keep it as simple or complex as you wish, but do something!

Gratitude and Celebration Journal

Quote Wednesday - Jim Rohn

Character isn't something you were born with and can't change, like your fingerprint.  It's something you weren't born with and must take responsibility for forming

Jim Rohn

 It is important that we surround ourselves with encouraging and motivating words and that we strive each day to be the best that we can.  You have an opportunity today to be more than you were yesterday.  It might just be a small change and you need to own it, taking responsibility for every moment!

Each Quote Wednesday I share a quote with a photograph that I have taken.  Join me next week for the next inspiring quote and image.

Material Mondays - Quilted Art Wall Hangings

 Fabric Art

Beginning layers of paint are applied

About a couple of months ago I started some fabric art projects, that used  some quilting techniques, while including beading and other mixed media materials.  I have been quite pleased with them and shared them HERE.

I have been progressing with the fabric projects and produced one above and shared it in its early stages on my instagram account.  

I liked using the paints on the fabric and using colours some of which were my favorite.  I quite liked the piece as it was but wanted to add additional paints, and then incorporate beads and stitching within.

The paint and gave the figure a bit more form and as I continued a story began to unfold.

wall hanging as it progresses

The piece measures 22.5 cm by 23 cms and was the type of project that you couldn't complete in one sitting.  I loved adding the beading, and the hand and machine stitching.  In the background I used a variety of stencils and doodling with pens and metallic paint.  It is a great way to add additional colour and sparkle!

Here is the finished piece, I attached a willow stick to the back of the fabric and added a cord to allow it to hang

Adding the beads to the fabric was very therapeutic, having to take the time for each individual bead allowed me to think about the creative process and unwind.  I also visited the charity shop and got some jewelry and found some really lovely pieces that I will be using in future projects.

Every hand stitch and machine stitch was part of the creative process.  I used the machine as if using a pen, and allowed doodles to form on the fabric.

I allowed myself to experiment, there was no right or wrong just allowing freedom in expression...

I realize how much I enjoy making these wall hangings and will be making more and make some available for purchase.  I find that these mini wall hangings allow me to get involved in all the disciplines that I enjoy without it being a massive project, it also allows for stories to come forth - not only in words but in materials, patterns and color.

Get out your fabric and other supplies and see what you can come up with!  I would love to have your comments, blessings!

Word for the Week - Psalm 34:8

Taste and see that the LORD is good; 

blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. 

Psalm 34:8

He is good, all the time and all the time he is good. Take a moment to ponder on your life, the breath that you take, how everything is formed, working together without your interference or collaboration.

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

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.  

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

Stay blessed and be a blessing

Gratitude and Celebrations - Week 56 - Trust, and more!

Sometimes you need to let go of your expectations and go with the flow, trust and embrace the change.....

I have been away on holiday for 2 weeks, which took me out of my normal environment into one that was sun filled with sand, sea and beautiful environment.  The preparation to go seem to come really quickly and then we were waving goodbye to the UK and saying hello to BARBADOS!

There was so many things that I had wanted to complete when I was away, and somethings that I managed to complete and put into place before I left, but with anything as always there will be something that gets left.  For me it was my blogging schedule, I didn't get to do the posts I had wanted to include during my time away and our internet connection and my internal clock was in a different zone which meant that by the time I was able to get myself into gear it was time to come back and here I am with the lesson of being in the moment and sitting where you are and enjoying the experience. 

I think that we all can relate to those things that seem to drive us from one point to the next, that we feel we should be doing which is all well and good, but we can also miss out on the very things that we should be focusing on.  I decided to go with the flow, enjoy the time at the beach, with family, making new friends, travelling around the island, knowing that when I came back I could more appreciate all that I had left behind.  We can so easily miss all the important moments with worrying about what should have been done, and when we let go of expectations the magic can really happen.

I am so grateful for the time spent away, for the new friends that I have made, for the surprise upgrade on our return journey which gave us extra leg room and 'real cutlery' on the plane!  I am even grateful for the jet lag, and the tiredness which beacons me to sleep even though I can think of a million and one things to do. I celebrate the changes that are yet to come and trust that as I embrace the change new opportunities and doors that will present themselves.

As you ponder on your week and look forward to your weekend, think about what you need to let go of and those things you should start to trust and embrace.

I look forward to the journey and hope you come along and join me. Why not start your own journal, keep it as simple or complex as you wish, but do something!

Gratitude and Celebration Journal

Word for the Week - Psalm 119:50

My comfort in my suffering is this: 

Your promise preserves my life. 

Psalm 119:50

Word for the Week

We look at situations as they are and forget that this is not the end of our lives, we are constantly being changed, renewed and transformed and we will make it through.

 

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

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.  

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

Stay blessed and be a blessing

Word for the Week - Psalm 119:25

I am laid low in the dust, preserve my life according to your Word....Psalm 119:25

Where ever we find ourselves he has promised that he will never leave or forsake us... we have to hold on to his word and know that a way will be made!

The Word and image for the week, to bless, encourage and inspire you to be all that you have been called to be.  

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.  

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

Stay blessed and be a blessing

Gratitude's and Celebration - Week 55 - Appreciation

Gratitude and Celebration Journal

This year saw me celebrate my birthday, it was a big one, and I felt a bit off.  I wasn't sure if it was the prospect of belonging to a different club, or thinking back over my life - warts and all and either being satisfied or totally dis-satisfied.  To be frank, I didn't know how I was supposed to feel.

At the end of the day, the age is just a number. What is more important is how you live your life, your contributions to the society that you live and the type of relationships that you nurture and that nurture you.

I embrace and appreciate that another year is apon us and as I reflect over the years past I want to be able to draw out the positive encounters, the moments that made me smile, looking at opportunities to see the gifts in the sad times, making the most of the years to come.

I am grateful and celebrate another year in love, peace and grace.

I look forward to the journey and hope you come along and join me. Why not start your own journal, keep it as simple or complex as you wish, but do something!

Gratitude and Celebration Journal

Quote Wednesday - Sun Tzu

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win...

Sun Tzu

Word for the Week - Psalm 119:14

You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word...Psalm 119:114

The Word and image for the week, to bless, encourage and inspire you to be all that you have been called to be.  

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

Stay blessed and be a blessing

Quote Wednesday - R C Cordock

You must expect failure as part of your journey of success, failure and success go hand in hand, you cannot have one without the other... 

Richard Parkes Cordock

Word for the Week - Psalm 118:14

The LORD is my strength and my song; 

he has become my salvation... 

 Psalm 118:14

The Lord is my strength, when all seems lost, he is my fortress, the one thing in my life that is constant.  He is my song each and every day.  What strengths lay within you that you hadn't even considered, take some time to think about them.

Have a blessed week and be a blessing.

Gratitude's and Celebration - Week 54 - Become your own Cheerleader

Gratitude and Celebration Journal

As I embark on the 2nd year of keeping a Gratitude and celebration journal I asked myself where the self love was.  I have shared so many things that I am grateful about from the large to the very small, for the friends that I have to the opportunities that present themselves, whether positive or negative, everything has its' place at some point if only to shine the light on the gifts that lay within us that needed the trial to make it what it can truly become - think of the pearl and how that is created in the Oysters shell.

So thinking about self love, I asked myself how many times I had acknowledged when I did something good, did I take the time to celebrate the accomplishment. As well as having really encouraging people around who support and encourage you, how many times a day do you say something supportive about yourself, or say 'well done me'? 

We are not always going to have people around us that say those great things about our accomplishments and that is where you have to be your own best friend.  When you got up and did that exercise even though you wanted to slouch around what did you say to yourself? what do you see yourself becoming?, who is unfolding in front of your own eyes?  I say this because I realise that I don't always see myself, I see the person who fulfills many roles, I see the daughter who is looking after her mum with dementia, the daughter who deals with mums care and support from others, I see the wife and mother, the friend that is supportive, but for a long time I didn't see me.

As I approach my birthday next week, I have been thinking about who it is that I want to be for me, as an artist, a woman, a friend.  I have been listening to what I say about myself, how I treat myself, if I am putting myself and my needs on the back burner while taking care of others needs and beginning to shift the balance.  I realise that if there is no more of me then I cannot help others, I cannot be the blessing that I want to be. We need to take care of ourselves to be able to care for someone else, rather than taking it all including our well-being for granted.  I want to treat me as I would a best friend.

I celebrate and I am grateful for the woman that God created me to be, and will say and think encouraging things about myself everyday as I encourage others in their walk.

I look forward to the journey and hope you come along and join me. Why not start your own journal, keep it as simple or complex as you wish, but do something!

Gratitude and Celebration Journal

New Art - Sharing my Story

Welcome to the art that I will be sharing today, a mixed media art piece combining collage and acrylics on watercolor, called 'Sharing my Story', as part of a series of art pieces that I will be sharing this week here on the blog.

We all have different stories to tell, when you look into our eyes there are many things that they have seen.  You often can't tell what someones story is by just looking at them, and this is something that takes time and a building of trust in the relationship.

Do the eyes tell of a far off journey, or how far they have already gone.  Is there a longing for a means of escape or dreams of what is to come.  I have found myself including a hot air balloon in some of my paintings, and I guess for me it is about places to travel to.

We hold our stories close, sometimes only letting a few in and sometimes not at all, but they are stories that want to be told.  We learnt the practice, sharing and not being confined to just one way..  I journal on a regular basis and with the art journaling combine art and the written word.  But then again sometimes the image says it all and there is no need for words.

Thinking about home I have tried to make it the one place that after experiencing the cares of the world you can be yourself, find rest, be nurtured and restored.

You can dream dreams of adventures, stepping out of your comfort zone as you share your story....

What stories could you share that you have been sitting on for too long?

Sharing - Mixed media art