Nostalgia

Just wanted to share with you these lovely bits of long ago. I think they came from my grandmother's home. She's been gone many years now, since I'm a grandmother as well. As a child we had the best holidays at her house which leaves for such fond memories. I only pray that I might create the same fond memories for my grandchildren as well.

If you'd like to see another lovely blog with some beautiful "nostalgia" just click on the title above to go to Faith, Grace and Crafts.

2010 Life Path Challenge

Wow, Life Path Challenge, week 52. It just struck me this morning that this is our last challenge week. I must admit it has had pluses and minuses for me. While I've loved hearing about what you all have done, it sometimes was a bit demanding for me to get this up every single week. Therefore, I"m sorry to say that I will not be continuing it into 2011 as some of you have asked. Nonetheless, my prayer and hope is that this year has presented some questions and thoughts that may have made a difference in your life. Everything we do has impact so it's important to remember we make a difference in our lives to those all around us. Thus, let us get on with our last question of the year:

WHAT ONE THING WILL YOU DO IN 2011 THAT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE AND/OR THE LIVES OF THOSE AROUND YOU?

It had been my joy to hear from you all. I would love to hear any parting comments or advise for improvement if I ever do this again. You may contact me by a comment here or by my email: coleenfranks@gmail.com

Happy New Year to you all, May 2011 be blessed for you, Coleen

The Gift You've Already Been Given

Simplicity

Simplicity was the prompt word for a new challenge for those who like to do tangles or zentangles. Just click on the title above if you'd like to check it out. This is one I did. Fun to do while watching TV or sitting in a coffee house.

Van Gogh and The Church

Paper Flowers: Poinsettas by June Campbell

2010 Life Path Challenge

Counting down the days to the end of the year now. 2010 is drawing to a close very rapidly. So, given the holiday season, it is a time when we usually focus on those we love so here's your assignment for this week:

It's always nice to share with someone why you love them. Today, I want you to draw a picture, doodle, sketch, of a person who you love, or admire. Then, write that person a letter telling them why they mean so much to you! If you are intimidated at the idea of drawing a portrait of someone, draw objects that represent that person or draw their name in a creative way. Enjoy and Merry Christmas to you all.

Artist Georges Seurat

European Book Art Project Call for Entries

I received the following call from a (professional) bookbinders'/book
artists' list thru another friend. The information may be of
interest to those who live in Europe. (At last! At last! A "serious"
European book arts project!) Full details are available on the
www.abot.mak.at website.

Check it out, Coleen

I would like to let you know that the MAK Vienna, in cooperation with
>the MGLC Ljubljana and the UPM Prague, has recently launched the
>EU-funded project "Artists' Books on Tour - Artist Competition and
>Mobile Museum". In this project we offer artists a platform to share
>their work in the field of artists' books within a unique pan-European
>competition.
>
>The submission period started December 1st, the application deadline is
>May 2nd 2011. Please note that the competition is open to anyone living
>and working in Europe.
>
>We would very much appreciate the announcement and distribution of our
>competition to anybody interested in the topic and eligible for the
>contest.
>
>For further information please visit our website www.abot.mak.at or our
>Facebook page www.facebook.com/artistsbooksontour.
>
>Thank you very much for your support!
>
>Best,
>Katharina Diewald
>Project assistant
>
>____________________________________
>
>ABoT | Artists' Books on Tour
>
>MAK - Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art
>Library and Works on Paper Collection
>Stubenring 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria
>abot@mak.at
>www.abot.mak.at
>www.mak.at

Merry Christmas from North Point's iBand

Now this is taking technology to new levels of creativity. I love it.

Merry Christmas from North Point

2010 Life Path Challenge

Gratitude is one of the keys to happiness. It is like a muscle...not used it is weak, but the more we exercise gratitude the stronger it becomes in our lives. And the result is more joy and passion for life, more love for those around us. And those things are infectious creating the kind of people we want to be around. As we approach the end of one year and the beginning of another it is often a time of reflection for people. So let's look at that idea this week.

AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME, WHAT ARE YOU SO GRATEFUL FOR THAT IT SWELLS YOUR HEART?

Tutorial - Fusing Plastic Bags

This is just a sample of what you can do with fused plastic...my mini-book. The pages themselves are the fused plastic. It's fun, give it a try.

Check This Out for Some Great Crafting

Just click on the title to see some beautiful Christmas crafts.

Ever Wonder About These?

Matroyshka Dolls are all the rage now in a lot of places. Those above are 5 sets that we have that were gifts given to us early in our ministry here in Ukraine. When tourists or short term missionaries come the one thing you can be sure they will buy is a set of these. If you'd like to read a short history on matroyshka dolls just click on the title above and it will take you to "Above the Clouds." Another spot that simply displays a whole lot of different kinds of dolls is this: http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/2008/04/matryoshka-madness-russian-nesting.html
Enjoy, Coleen

Christmas Fun, Not Holiday Fun!

Two visitors enjoying my old platform rocker given to me by my sweet long gone mother-in-law. This is a reminder that we are seeing so much issue about Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. Let us not forget "The Reason for the Season," that of Jesus Christ who came to earth that we might be saved. All of man's history is dated by his birth as before and after (B.C./A.D.). What else in life has so impacted history?

This picture is a link up for White Wednesday featured on Faded Charm Cottage. You can visit them and see lots of other pretty vintage Christmas pix by clicking on the title above. Merry Christmas all. Coleen

Winter

Winter finally arrived in Ukraine. I'm not complaining mind you. I loved the long drawn out fall weather we had. I still had rose buds near the house in November. This is a tag I did in honor of winter. Hope you like it.

Vintage, Vintage and More Vintage

I know that many of you like to do vintage arts and crafts. I do too, but often I've found that along with that goes a general love for all things vintage. Things that speak to us about the past, about a gentler time and place in our lives and sometimes about actual happenings in our past. So I found a site with a wacky name that I think they suggest that vintage is better than anything. So don't let the name put you off. Just check it out and you'll see some lovely stuff just like the pictures above. And when you get there, if you want to explore further, check out her Etsy shop. The link is on her blog. Just click on the title above to go to her blog. Cheers, Coleen

SO FUN!

TRAVELING ARTIST'S GUILD

I am participating in a year-long art project called the Traveling Artists Guild. One of the projects for this is to do some sort of traveling container. Some used boxes, some bags and most used some sort of suitcase. I happened to have this old, very vintage leather suitcase that I thought would be perfect. Back in October I posted the plain suitcase so you could see what I'm working with. This is what I've done so far and I have one more side to do. Some of the vintage photos are those actually given to me of relatives and ancestors of friends. If you'd like to see more of the artists who are doing this just click on the title to go to the blog where our work and stories will be posted.

2010 Life Path Challenge

MESSAGE FROM THE HEART

PEACE, COURAGE, ABUNDANCE, LAUGHTER, REST, CHOICE, POWER, WISDOM, FORGIVENESS, INTEGRITY, DECISION, FREEDOM, CONFIDENCE, WONDER, BEAUTY, COMPASSION, HUMOR, ACCEPTANCE, CALM, HEALING, COMFORT, UNDERSTANDING, LOVE, BLESSING, HARMONY, PLAYFULNESS, AWAKEN, TENDER-HEARTED, GRACE, HOPE, CARING, HONESTY, TRUST, GOODNESS, CLARITY, FAITHFULNESS, WONDER, LIGHT, FAITH, THANKFUL

Pick a word from above that has meaning to you. My word is _______________.

My initial reaction to my word ______________________

Reflect on your word this week, write or art about how its meaning is part of your life. Enjoy.

Glitzy Double Loop Bow

You gifts will be big hits this Christmas with this technique by Tammy Malone of Not Just Paper and Glue. Find more from Tammy at her place here: http://www.notjustpaperandglue.com/

Stools in the Netherlands

I fell in love with these stools the moment I saw them. I'm sure this is a European thing because I've never seen stools like that in the states, but I have some just like them in my house. Now my imagination is turning on stool ideas, what fun. Just go here: http://bobbeez-8r1id.blogspot.com/ and you can go and see many cute crafts Susan does.

2010 Life Path Challenge

Sometimes life has a way of throwing things out of whack. That is how it has been for me in the last few months with having done a trip in each month of this fall season. Yesterday we returned from a 2600 kilometer (1600 miles) trip to south Ukraine and then onto Moldova to the west and back. Therefore I am late in getting this posted, but the good news is there are no planned trips in December.

THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT OF MY CHILDHOOD

Now this should bring up some thoughts. Enjoy.

SCRAPPERS TAKE A LOOK

For those of you who like to scrap, this is a blog that you will find colorful and encouraging. Jessica scraps for her family and she is one to share her ideas. There are also some very nice "sketches" for you to try in your layouts. If you visit her site be sure and tell her I sent you. You won't be disappointed. Just click on the title and you'll go right to it. And don't forget to check out her Blogaversary to win a beautiful prize.