Word for the Week - Deuteronomy 31:8

Welcome to the word for the week.  Taken from Deuteronomy 31:8 and reads - 

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.

The last few months have been a hard one where we have had to stand with two people who were battling health issues and they past within a few months of each other.  Since we have been in Barbados we have already attended 3 funerals with one just on Saturday.  At each of the funerals, the life of the individual was celebrated and there was a joy for having got to know them in such a short time, obviously tinged with sadness for the family no longer having them around.

One thing that gives me comfort is that the Lord is always with me, I have no doubt, and can testify to many incidents where if not for the Lord I wouldn't be here.  It is that faith that gave me strength when my own brother was ill with multiple myeloma and eventually was take from us.

I want to encourage and lift up those who are going through sickness, longstanding illnesses and friends and family who support you that you are not alone.  Make the most of every opportunity that you have to speak to those around you and tell them how much you love them, share special moments, build the memories, for these are what we can hold on to, and that you can look back on.  Don't leave it to tomorrow, next year or 'when the time is right', for tomorrow for some will never come.

Recycled Projects - Are Back! - Crafting a Cup

Happy Saturday!   So great that you could join me today.  I wanted to let you know that the Recycled Project posts are back and I will be sharing things that you can do with recycled materials.  There are a lot of crafty things that you can do with recycled materials.   You will have endless amounts of fun re-purposing, reusing and just making stuff that you might be able to use around the home or in your crafting space.

This is also useful if you are creating on a budget and want to find some inexpensive ways of creating the products or equipment that you might need for a fraction of the cost.

In one of my previous posts I shared a book case I made from Cardboard boxes

Cardboard Bookcase

which was made from packing boxes below!

The foundation of the bookcase made from Cardboard

I had great fun making it, was able to make it fit the space I had in mind.  I have since been making other things, and there seems to be more recycled material than time to make something new and exciting, but I am giving it a go.

I have come up with a few ideas for things to do with plastic bottles and newspaper, and again it is quite exciting what you can do with a little bit of imagination.

I have made a storage container this week, which will be used to hold some of my tools in the studio, see photos below, you can also see the video so that you can see it from a different view point.

So many things can be made from these two materials

So many things you can do with plastic and paper!

There is a wealth of things that you can create with plastic and paper, here is one way in which you can create an inexpensive storage container, that can be used in a variety of ways in your creative space or around the home.

The design formed itself and began to take shape once the paper was added.

It is made using the top of a plastic container and newspaper.

I love the way the paper lays on the plastic

The newspaper is rolled and covers the plastic to get the textured effect.

I created a stand from the rolled paper

It is dried and painted then given the brushed gold effect with metallic paint. I really like the detail on the handle and the pattern around the container.

Painted cup, which is varnished

It is then sealed with varnish and is water resistant, but to preserve it don't actually use it as a cup (lol).

With some thought you could allow your imagination to run away with you and create other shapes and styles - how about a series.

Do come back next week to see what else can be made, subscribe and sign up to the emails, so that you don't miss out on a post!

Transformation Friday - Let Peace Reign

Here is a page I did recently for my transformation Friday art pieces.  I took an image and worked on it until the story came out.  I tell the story through video, I hope that you enjoy!

This is how she came into the story, wanting a change, but not knowing where to go, so I helped her with her transformation using my art supplies and gave her the tools she needed to tell her story..

Her journey was filled with doubt but she kept going, kept trying to understand her full potential..

With each step and sweep of the paint brush she became who she knew she could be

Come back for more Transformation art journal pages

Quote Wednesday - Don't give up

Welcome to Quote Wednesday, and I hope that it finds you in a good place.  Despite where we think we are there is always room for improvement, even if it is just a little tweak here or there.

I have been on a journey (another one!) trying to find where I fit with my work and where I want to take it, it meant that I removed myself from my blog to a certain extent.  I realize that it didn't quite make how I feel any clearer, just left me with so many things I wanted to share.  

Anyway, that I will do, I hope to continue to inspire, encourage and be real.

Mixed Media Art - Amanda Trought

Don't give up on your dreams, just change your perspective a little.  Stay blessed and be a blessing.