CRAFTING HEARTS IN CZECH REPUBLIC

 This week Jeff and I have been in Prague, Czech Republic for The Mid-Atlantic Missionary Conference.  It was so good to spend the week with old friends and new ones and to be fed with the blessed words from our BMAA missions director John David Smith and also one of our stateside pastors, Clif Johnson.  What a blessing they were.  As you see above, the ladies did a break-out one evening to have some fun.

 These are a couple sample hearts I did to get them started.

 I don't know who did this one, but it sure is pretty. 

 This pretty piece was done by our missionary care director's wife, Sue Kidd.  Hasn't she got the most beautiful smile?

 Rachel Cross, left, came in from France and Jerene Reddin, from Arkansas, blessed us with her music ministry all week long.

 Jasmin Nahapetyan, came in from Armenia and did a pretty piece. You can see it better in the shot below.  Jasmin in Armenia starts with an H.

 Isn't that pretty?  We all had fun layering with doilies, more hearts, silk flowers and beaded buttons and earring backs.  This is how I use some of the old jewelry people send me.

 This one was done by Celia Broom who came in from Ghana, Africa.  Someone said it looked like and owl.  Who doesn't love owls, right?  They are so popular now it seems.

Our whole group of ladies representing the U.S., Romania, France, Armenia and Jordan.  I love doing this and we all had such a great time.  Thank you to all who send materials that allows me the privilege of this ministry.  You are a blessing to so many folks.

A BASKET FOR ALL SEASONS

I've always had a "thing" about baskets.  Can't tell you why.  I just like them.  The one pictured here is an example of what I taught ladies in our church.  It is actually made from the top of a round cake box.  That's right, the interior is card board.  It was padded all around and inside.  The handle actually moves up and down.  The material was a velvet scrap and the beads were a short piece someone sent that fit so nicely.  Found this cute little kitty and it seemed she was just destined to sit in this spot.  They were a lot of fun to do.

Bracelet Ministry

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I have always liked beads and buttons.  I use them both in my own arts and crafts, but also in my ministry with the people of Ukraine.  I have what I call my "Bracelet Ministry."  That is where I gather youth girls and sometimes ladies and we all make bracelets like these above.  Women always love bracelets.  I have folks who send me the beads or old jewelry that I take apart to re-purpose for bracelets and other crafts.  These are a few I made above.  I do that, wear them and from there often give them away.  I love doing that.  If you have any bead necklaces,  bracelets or out-dated jewelry you don't want, please send them our way.  We make smiles with them.

CARD CLASS IN UKRAINE

Greetings from Ukraine

Though life has been rather chaotic with all the political action in the country we try to keep a  semblance of normality in our day-to-day activities.  Sometimes that is difficult.

 This group of ladies and I have been crafting together for several years now.  We've done a prayer journal, a min-book and now we do cards, which is always a useful craft to give friends.

 Most of them have children and they are in a church about 45 minutes away from where we live.  That sometimes hinders our winter classes, but not often since the busy highway that connect us is usually clear.

 My thanks to all those of you who have sent lovely materials that they use in their creations.

They have joy over doing them and I couldn't do it without your help.  Bless your hearts.

"LET US REJOICE"

This year went so fast.  2013 is about to end.  Did the year go the way you expected?  Did you have some disappointments?  Maybe some unexpected delights?  God doesn't promise that all will be roses, but he does promise to take care of us, one day at a time.  If we can have a heart of gratefulness in all things, we will have joy.  If we have an expectancy of good and look for it, God will bless that attitude.  I made a decision a number of years ago to exercise a grateful heart....to look for the things I should be noticing and glad about....to count my proverbial blessings.  Has everything been roses since I made that decision?  No, there's been death, illness, injury, and more, but as I look back, the Lord was with me through it all and gave me peace.   As you go forward into this new year, why don't you make a decision to "rejoice and be glad in it."  I hope you will.  You will never regret.  Happy New Year to all our friends.  We love you.

Gelli Printing

Love this.  I just have to do more Gelli printing.   No Gelli plate, you say?   This can be done with an old mouse pad or a piece of craft foam.  I've tried it both ways and it does work.  Have fun.

MORE HOME MADE ART STENCILS

France Papillion does "Journal on Monday" every week and she is quite the creative.  You'll enjoy her take on making stencils.

FEATHER FUN

This has been my silliness of late.  I did the lower ones first from hymn sheets of an old book that was put in it's binding upside down.  So it made a perfect candidate for crafting.  What you can't see here is the beautiful shimmer they each have.  The upper group was made from cardboard headed to the recycle bin.  I really do like birds so it stands to reason I would like feathers as well.  I'm already making more on this feather kick.  Not sure where it will end, but some have already flown off to other parts of the world.  I also shared this idea with my class  and they all wanted to make some as well.  So fun!  Hope you like them.

PAPER MAKING IN UKRAINE

 Not too long ago I had the opportunity to do something I've wanted to do for years... make my own paper.  Sometimes I do crafts with some of the neighbor kids and I wanted to give them this experience.  The above picture is the paper pulp sitting in it's tray with geranium flower petals and some sparkle stuff.

 Our first attempt was a disaster.  The paper was the thickness of a cookie.  So we did some other crafting that night and I decided I needed to work on it some more myself.  This page has leaves.

 After literally years of looking in Ukraine, I found this plastic vat that was just the right size to fit the screen I had that has to dip down into the mixture to pick up the paper pulp (made with my blender).

 After many tried for days to follow I finally got down to TOO thin where the paper ended up with holes as above.  So with much trial and error I figured it out.  The kids came back over and we made cards with the hand made paper.  They really liked that and we had such fun.

 This is my play with paints and some stencils.

 From the paper I made I have done my first signatures for a bound book.  Signatures are the folded pages that go into it.  I've made many mini-books in the past, but never binding my own so this was a first for me. 

 I also made a cover for my signatures and bound them with ribbon.  I'm far from done as I've yet to decorate the cover, (except for a bit of spray color) but I won't do that until I decide what I shall use it for.

For quite some time I debated what I would do with this book when it was entirely finished.  Finally I came to the conclusion I couldn't do anything with it.  As simple and maybe even a bit crude as it is, it is my first bound book so I must keep it.  One more checked off the bucket list.  What do you think?

DOODLING ON MY SHOES

 Last week we were required to take our car out of the country to re-register here.  So what do you do when you're trapped in the car for hours on end? 

 We live near the capital of Ukraine, Kiev, which is fairly central in the country.  So anyway we go is a drive.  Since my sweet husband Jeff likes to drive and since I like him to drive, I'm free to come up with projects to do on the road or where we're staying overnight.  This was one of several. 

 I haven't decided whether I'm done or not, but I haven't moved forward either with it since returning.  Any suggestions?  I'm open to ideas.  Hope you like them.  For anyone who's wondering, they were done with Bic Mark It permanent pens.  In addition I used a Gelly Roll pen in white Uni-ball Signo to clean up some of the places my hand lost control (bumps in the road).

Blessings from Ukraine,  Coleen

ART JOURNAL TUTORIAL

I look at a lot of tutorials.  I do that so I'm a better teacher in my classes and of course, to grow in my own art.  So when I find one that I like I post it here on my blog or on my Facebook art page which you can find here https://www.facebook.com/vintageterrace2.coleenfranks.  I think you'll enjoy this one too.  Let me know what you think.  She has a nice and simple approach.

THE "ART" OF THE PIANO GUYS

They are wonderful and if you've never heard them you are in for a treat.

5 STEPS TO FINDING YOUR ART STYLE BY LUCY CHEN

http://lucychenfineart.com/5-steps-to-finding-your-art-style/
This is an encouraging post I think you will like.  She does lovely work and you can see more on her site.

29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE

CLICK ON IT TO MAKE MORE READABLE

MIXED-MEDIA PAGE ~ PARIS

I started out doing this for a swap, but since I have a grand daughter who, at 10 years old, for some reason is in love with the whole idea of Paris,  I decided it needed to go to her.  This started out with Glitter Mist spray (Scarlet) on white card stock followed by stamping with a celery stalk dipped in red paint.  I wasn't real happy how that turned out.  I was hoping for more of a flower looking appearance to the stamp image.  Then my new Eiffel Tower stamp (that buy prompted by her love of Paris), followed by collage bits and ephemera.  Hope you like it.

DRAWING FLOWERS, HOPING FOR SPRING

We still have snow on the ground, though we've had days of melting.  Nonetheless, snow is predicted again.  Had enough melting up against the house that I saw iris shoots poking up.  Probably other things are growing under the now.  Some of these things I've seen have their own timing despite the weather.  I liken it to the fact that at times God has his own timing, despite what I want.  My challenge is to wait with patience.  So, even though we still have a foot and a half of snow on the ground, I am trying to wait with patience.  GOD, are you hearing me???

ART IN MANY FORMS

Found this fascinating mask on Facebook done by the very talented

Sherry-Lynn Burton Arteaga

Some call this doodling, tangling or zentangle.  Whatever you call it, there's fun and relaxation to be had.  Google it.

You can see more masks on my board called "Crowns & Masks" by going here:  www.pinterest.com/coleenfranks, then look for that board.

 

ART JOURNAL ADAPTATIONS

Strathmore Papers does an annual  artist workshop.  This video is from one of the three I did last year.  The workshop begins March 1.  You work at your own pace and you have one year of access. The best part is they are free.  If you don't have access to the great Strathmore high quality papers you can do it all without, as I will since I can't get them in Ukraine, but once you use them you will be spoiled.  I will put the link to these workshops in my next post.

ART JOURNALS FROM GREETING CARDS~JENNIBELLIE

One of my favorite tutorial artists, Jennibellie is one for using what she has and I like that idea.

ART JOURNAL STARTED IN 2009

Greetings from deep winter Ukraine. The great snow blizzard in the northeast U.S. is our everyday experience.   I posted this on Facebook recently and several had asked to see what's inside.  My childhood family now consists of us three sisters.  I'm the oldest.  The middle sister gave me this lined-paper notebook she had no need of back in 2009 while I was visiting in her home to take care of my dad.  I used to go there to do that for three-four weeks every year while his wife went to visit relatives in Florida.  I just started writing and scribbling in it.  Little did I know it would be the beginning of an art journal addiction.  I've included early pages and recent pages to give you a flavor of what's in there.

Some very early drawings and writing.  Here you readily see the lined paper.  As I got heavier in my approach I started gluing pages together to make them sturdier.  Sometimes they would buckle some from the art, but I really don't mind that.

A quick sketch added into my book.

My most recent addition.  I doodled the LOVE word while bored at a conference not long ago.  It seemed to fit since it's February. Here, foreign text, wallpaper, a grandson's scribbling, used wrapping paper, scrapbook paper and a paint clean up wet-one (lower right) plus ephemera.

"Listen."  I like using lace.  The rose boarder is from napkins.  Some paint, foreign text and scrapbook paper in background.

Left side:  "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."  Psalms 126:3  Right: "Open my heart."   The couch begged for a reclining figure so I sketched one in.  The ferns are imprints dried from my garden.  Background: paint.

"Bird Friends" ~ "But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;" Job 12:7.  The yellow down the left side are dried flowers from Israel on a long stem.  Background: paint.

"A sweet friendship refreshes the soul."  Proverbs 27:9.  Done last fall with napkins.  Background: foreign text.  Top boarder and subject is from napkins.  "Friends" is wall-paste through a copper stencil.

My 2013 "Intentions:"  "I SHALL HOLD MYSELF TO A STANDARD OF GRACE AND NOT Perfection."  The bird card says Happy New Year in Russian.  The card flips to reveal a 1966 USSR written and sent post card.  Background: paint first, then spray through a plastic doily stencil which was then laid down on right side.

The background for these two pages are done with strips of leftover scrapbook paper I wanted to use up.  Though by the time I finish with all the layers it gets harder to see them. On right William Carey is quoted: "Expect GREAT things from God, Attempt GREAT things for God.  You see the slight buckling here didn't hurt the effect of the page at all.

Someone I quick-sketched while sitting outside at Balboa Park, San Diego, California with my two sisters for a birthday celebration.  The little house was glued in from something else.

Some fast scribbling one day with paint sticks.

This little guy was a request from my youngest sister.  She was thinking of writing a book about a turtle and wanted to see what I might come up with.  He was fun to do.

This is the year I started, though, I have been working in it and another I started in 2011, both of which are almost filled.  I can't really say finished.  Are they ever finished?  It's so easy to go back in and start playing with a page, tweaking what's there.  Flipping through an art journal is like going through a scrapbook.  I remember where I was and what I was doing with each page.  If you've ever fancied doing one my advice is to jump in, you'll be glad you did.  Remember, there are no rules and you don't have to show it to anyone.  Mine is a fat book, but you are only seeing a few pages.  It's a great place to practice.  Thank you, sis, for getting me started.