Photography Challenge

As part of a photography challenge at Just4Keeps, we were to take some photos using the macro setting on the camera. I took these three pictures this morning in my backyard, while the dew was still on the periwinkles. Thanks for looking. ~ Bye for now.

Metal Working

Just had to show off the Nature Metal Art Journal I made at My Hearts Fancy in Okahoma City last week. It was the first time I had ever done any metal working. It was alot of work, but I am so happy with it. We stamped on the front, then etched with metal working stylus, hand wrote/etched the poem, did alcohol and other (can't remember) inking, then rubbed Brilliance black ink into the depressed etched areas, then rubbed it off. On the paper, there are some alcohol inks, some rainbow inks and I don't know what else. On the back, we stamped the bird stamp, then etched it with the metal stylus tool, then I hand drew the branches and leaves and doodles and alcohol inked and rubbed in Brilliance black ink like on the front. All I can say is that the pictures don't do it justice. Thanks for looking.

a sweet story

I don't have a photo to go with this post. It is just a sweet story. I started volunteering for AWANA this year and the first evening was this past Wednesday. For anyone who is not familiar with AWANA, it is a program at churches for children, where they learn to hide God's Word in their hearts. I have been assigned to four first grade girls for the year. They try to match up leaders with only 3 or 4 children so that the children can have one on one attention and you really get to know them. They are so precious. At the end of the evening, the parents come in and we give the kiddos back to their parents. One little girl's mother and the little girl came back to see me a few minutes later. The mom told me she wanted to visit with me and meet me because her little girl had told her that she loved her new teacher, but she didn't remember my name, so she brought her mom back to meet me. And I got a hug! ~Bye for now.

Watercolor

I did this watercolor in a workshop. Since my diagnosis of breast cancer (now breast cancer survivor, thank you), and having the luxury of quitting my more than full time job, I have devoted myself to trying to explore facets of my personality that I had always ignored, like my creative side by trying to write and draw. ~ Bye for now.

another take on 47 years

This is a digital scrapbook page I made from the two photos in the previous post as well as a photo from Crystal Springs Camp in Tennessee from September 2006. TFP. ~Bye for now~

47 years in between these pictures

These two photos are both of me, and both at the same church camp in Kelso, Tennessee - Crystal Springs Cumberland Presbyterian Church Camp. I am standing in front of one of the girls' cabins in each photo, although I have no idea if it is the same cabin. I am guessing that about 47 years have elapsed from the time of the first photo until the second. Just wanted to share.

~ Bye for now.

Shoes

Shoes are a funny thing. I am more of a Dansko or Birkenstock type of girl. I have to wear shoes that have arches and are good for my feet. But every once in a while, a girl has to have shoes that are totally different from her norm. These top shoes were purchased from Harold's last month. They are too cute. The bottom pair are from Chico's from 2005. Both totally unlike me, but fun for a change.
~Bye for now.

2006 Race for the Cure

I thought I would post these pics from 2005's Race for the Cure. It will be October 20th in Oklahoma City this year, I wanted to remind all of you so you could sign up. It is alot of fun, and raises money for a good cause, one that is close to my heart. :o)

In 2004, I went to the Race on Saturday, and my mastectomy was on the following Monday. As you can tell in these pictures, by the time of 2005's Race, my hair was already growing back in. Sometime I'll have to post my pages from 2006.

~Bye for now.

Things I Love

I was looking through one of my scrapbooks and found these and thought I would share. I did them last year in a class at my LSS, Just4Keeps in Edmond, OK. They were alot of fun to do. Really took me outside of my comfort zone. I had not done any drawing before, and liked my little stick figures - they even look like me! ~Bye for now.

Williamsburg, May 2007

These two pictures are from Williamsburg. I took the photo of an iris in a little garden beside the street. The other photo is of the capitol building. They were conducting a little skit in front of the building as we came up. I love colonial history, but I am grateful that I live today and not during colonial times. ~Bye for now. Sharon~

Sharing the Beauty of Flowers

I love flowers. I took this picture back in April, then added a filter on Photoshop. I can never remember what I did, so it is impossible to reproduce it if it turns out I like it. Just thought I would share and brighten up your day. ~Bye for now. Sharon~

Bread Workshop

The photo with four people in it was taken in July at the Demarle at Home national convention in Phoenix. The man between Karen and me is M.J. Coe, a professional baker. He gave us an awesome workshop on breadmaking. Demarle has come out with new forms called Silform which are specifically made for breadmaking, for giving a crispy crust.

The other photo was taken at a shopping center in Phoenix where we ate dinner one night. We had such fun. The restaurant was called "My Big Fat Greek Restaurant". Don't know why, but I liked the way the movement of the water show up, the appearance of the tiles and the lights in the store windows.

~Bye for now~

Cards

I have had a blast lately making cards and trying new techniques. The Christmas card was made with the outline stamp from Stampin'Up and then coloring with the inks with a watercolor brush. The one of a bird on branches was made by painting Twinkling H2O watercolors onto the stamp itself and then stamping (stamp from My Heart's Fancy). The card with the teddy bear is a Stampin' Up stamp, which was colored in with Prismacolor pencils. The name on the bottom was stamped using KI Memories clear alphabet stamps.

~Bye for now~

Demarle at Home

I have started a new home based business. I am an independent representative for Demarle at Home. They are best known for the flexible nonstick food grade silicone bakeware. It is unique and completely different from that which is sold in stores. There is woven glass to conduct the heat inside the silicone. The picture below shows products I have made in the flexipans or fleximolds. The items are sold through direct sales because the products are so unique that you have to see them to believe them. It has been alot of fun. In an effort to make contacts, I joined the Edmond Chamber of Commerce. The picture of me and two other women was taken at the national convention for Demarle at Home.

~Bye for now~

Attempting to learn to draw

I have been attempting to learn to draw. This is my latest attempt. I never even drew at all previously, but I am trying to find my more creative side. I was sort of happy with this one, except that my drawings never look like the people that I am trying to draw. I took a drawing class at the Edmond Fine Arts Institute with Gary Lennon. He is a wonderful teacher and gave me the confidence to at least try to draw.

~All for now.