Vacation, Mission trips, and my Faith Journal

Well I'm just back from another Mexican vacation to unwind. It was lovely, as it always is. It is my retreat, my sanctuary. I love the people, the culture, the food, the land, the ocean. It is such a vibrant and beautifully alive country. I'm so glad I can share it with Mike, the love of my life.

Mike is away in Belize. He is working with my Dad, building a chapel in the memory of my Grandfather Earl who passed away this time last year. I had my 16th birthday in the jungles of Belize along side my Dad and Grandpa. They are building in that same area, helping the beautiful Mayan and Ketchi Indians.

Since Mike and I started dating, we've never been seperated from each other for longer than a day or two, and then we always were able to call. I'm really missing him badly, because there are NO land phones where they are- let alone cell towers. I've had 2 short emails from my Dad telling me that all is well, and the building is on schedule, and he and Mike are doing fine. I think some retail therapy is on the agenda to cheer me up tonight....

I've been trying to get back into the routine to finish my ABC faith journal in the next month. This weeks page seemed to be a compilation of all the things I was feeling. Here's my latest addition, R for refreshing. The photo is one Mike and I took on a secluded little beach in Mexico.

And the winners are....

The OWOH giveaway is over again for this year. (But the web site is still up to follow all the wonderful blogs!) Congratulations to all the winners, and more importantly all the new friends out there!

My winners are: (I will be contacting you for addresses!)

daytoncat said...
What cute charms with such great sayings! Thank you for the chance to win!dayotncat1(at)yahoo(dot)com
February 10, 2009 2:38 PM

roma said...
Kari, Wow, what delightful treats they are. You are so talented and what makes you a blessing is that you share that talent, along with Jesus, with others. Thanks. roma kentandroma@wowway.com
January 22, 2009 9:27 PM

Bejeweled said...
Those are just fabulous! I love how they are both fun pieces of art and yet, have a message too .. too fun! Yes, please enter me too for a chance to win some of your awesome charms! http://jeweledelegance.blogspot.com/
February 10, 2009 8:53 PM

One World-One Heart Giveaway 2009

After so much fun last year, I am joyously participating in the One World-One Heart Giveaway again this year. If you would like more information on this great way to meet other blogging friends, I encourage you to visit http://oneworldoneheart.typepad.com/ and get the whole scoop.

My giveaway is open to anyone, you need not have a blog of your own to win. No Strings! All you have to do to enter is leave me a comment to this post. I will be drawing 3 winners. All winners will be announced here sometime Thursday February 12, 2009. I will print out the comments, and cut them out individually. I will then have Mike draw 3 winners names.

I'm giving away packages of my Enchanted Bubble Charms.




Make sure you leave me your ACTIVE e-mail or blog address in the comment so that I can contact you if you are one of the lucky winners!

UPDATE: Thank you for all the lovely comments! Winners will be drawn on Thursday Feb 12, 2009. Therefore, comments will end at 12:00 pm EST on Feb 12. Winners will be drawn and announced the evening of the 12th.

Thank you all so much for the kind comments! I have read each and every one, although I have not had time to respond personally yet, I intend to make my way back thru the list after the giveaway is over and get to know each of you a little better!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! 2/12/09 12:01 pm EST.
Thank you so much for visiting! I will post the winners later tonight. Good Luck to all!
For any of you interested in the Clay Bubble Charms, I have a quick tutorial of a variation of them on my blog at http://backporchartessa.blogspot.com/2008/02/clay-bubble-charms.html.

Enchanted with the fairies

I think these fairies are like potato chips, I can't stop with just one! Here's a picture of one I did for my hair stylist! She's a creative soul, and I just thought she needed one of her own!

For her face, Maria herself is beautiful, so I used her picture. I made a photocopy and coated it with diamond glaze front and back. I cut it out and sewed it on the doll body and beaded around it.

The body I painted with lumiere paint, and mottled with craft paint and Staz-on ink and stamps. I then used Glimmer Mist sprays, and beads, charms, suede fabric. I glued butterfly wings together to have sequins on both sides. I added dolls hair with sewing and Fabri-tac glue. Maria has a pretty tattoo, so her fairie got one too, added with a Pitt artist pen. My favorite addition is the little scissors charm in her hand- they really open and close.

Art-y Goal Goodness

Giggles, my new studio muse
I've always had "goals." They were the fairly anemic, typical things. Get married to a great guy, get a creative job, travel, make art, be a good person kind of thing. I never really customized them. I used to balk at the idea of setting specific goals for myself. I have to set them at work, and I just didn't want the extra pressure of having something to pin me down in my personal life. This, I came to realize was really based on a fear of failing, a fear of disappointing myself or worse yet, loved ones. Once I learned the secret of letting go, and setting attainable and realistic goals, I was able to enjoy them. They have helped me to focus, and concentrate on what is truly important in my life, in my art. They have given me a direction, and are helping me to shape a path, reducing the chaos that comes of of trying to make decisions in the heat of the moment. Most of all, they have eliminated a lot of wasted effort. The satisfaction and feeling of accomplishment I get when I reach a goal seems to work wonders for my self esteem and resolve to accomplish more.

One goal this year, is to complete at least one creative project every other week. They can be abandoned projects from earlier, or new projects. Sort of a side goal that goes along with that is to as much as possible, use the items I already have on hand, squirreled away in my studio.

I have other creativity and inspiration goals, I'll have more on those another day....

To jump whole-hearted into this goal for this year, I spent Saturday with Amy Flowers of Shrew'd Arts, enjoying her Magical Faerie Doll, and Clear Acrylic Book classes. It was a wonderful, relaxed day of creating, meeting new friends, and catching up with some I haven't seen for some time. Amy is an encouraging, giving and extremely talented instructor, and the other artists creativity and friendliness all added to the fun of the day. Amy can be found at http://www.shrewdarts.com/classes.html

In creating Giggles, I played with Lumiere acrylics & stamping. I added beads, and craft paint, and tulle. We also learned an easy wool felting technique allowing for a light and airy feel. ( I really enjoyed this method, as it was really quick!)

Good News and Gratefulness for another blessed year.

It seems as if this year has been frought with pitfalls for my family. But we are grateful. Lots of really great things have happened too! As many of you know, my parents left for an extended vacation to Mexico on Saturday morning. On Monday Mike got a call he needed to go back to the airport to pick them up.

They had been there only a few hours when Daddy lost his vision for 15-20 minutes. He went to the local Hospital to get checked out. They determined that his eyes were fine and he needed a MRI to determine what was happening. Since the closest MRI machine was a 6 hour trip away in Guadalajara they decided to fly home.

They came home Monday and we went straight to the hospital. He has been there since waiting on an MRI. In the mean time they have completed multiple other tests on his heart and head including a CAT scan. Monday night the doctor told us it appeared that he had a stroke in the portion of the brain the effects eyesight. The MRI that he is still waiting on is to rule out other things so they may determine that it was a stroke.

God is truly good. Daddy does not appear any different, only bored from being in the hospital for a few days. His eyesight has mostly returned. There is only a small place on one side of his vision he cannot see. Things could have been a lot worse. Although this has happened God took care of them and has returned them back home to us safely.

Were are awaiting the MRI and results. If anything different comes about I will update you. If you would pray for Daddy that his eyesight would be fully restored the family would be grateful. He is really doing fine other than wanting to get out of the hospital.

On that SAME day, I recieved in the mail something WONDERFUL! I got an advanced copy of Somerset's ART Journaling Magazine! I got an advanced copy because my article and artwork are in it! I feel so HONORED to be in this fine publication! As with all their wonderful books and magazines, it is an awesome piece, and really quite inspiring for anyone who might be interested in journaling or even people who have been journaling for some time! I feel it's an absolute DREAM come true for me to see some of my personal art in a Stampington publication!

If you would like to check out the magazine (NOW AVAILABLE) here is the link. http://www.stampington.com/html/art_journaling_w09.html

Have a Blessed Holiday season

Wow! I've been away for sometime, struggling with illness that kept me down. However I've been so blessed this holiday season, and hope everyone reading has enjoyed a wonderful season of Love with their family and friends! I'm so grateful for all that I've been given, and most of all that wonderful gift given on the original Christmas day. I hope the Lord is blessing all of you abundantly out there, and pray for you all to have a marvelous healthy and happy New Year!