Trading Cards

It's been a while since I last posted in my blog. After joining ATCs for all and looking through the gallery, I marvelled at the wonderful cards that were up for trading. I found myself offering to trade cards with some very talented artists til I had nothing left to trade. Since they offered to hold the cards I was interested in for me til I had new cards, I found myself having to make more cards to trade out. Having that goal and "deadline" really encouraged me to sit down and create something. I think ATCs are a wonderful way for artists and would be artists to develop their talents and skills. Since it's such a small size, just 2 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches, you can just leave a card you're not that happy with it and start another one. Or bring along a blank card to draw on while waiting for an appointment. You can even use recycled materials, cardboard boxes or old invitations. Even children can make ATCs! Although I haven't received the cards yet, I'm excited to receive the cards and I look forward to learning techniques from the artists I'm trading with.

Take Time to Listen

A few days ago, I went on a prayer walk. With my bible and journal in hand, I took a walk in a nearby park early in the morning.

As I walked, read the words from Jeremiah 29:11-14a,

"For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare, not for woe! plans to give you a future full of hope. When you call me, when you go to pray to me, I will listen to you. When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, you will find me with you, says the LORD, and I will change your lot..."

In the early morning, there are not that many people around. It is peaceful and quiet and I thought, "in silence, I will find Him." I could hear the crickets singing, the rustle of dry leaves beneath my feet... "In silence, I can hear things I don't ordinarily hear." And so it is that I need to take time to sit in silence and seek the Lord.

Often times, our day to day lives are full and noisy. These days, especially, there are many voices that say all is not well, and the future looks bleak. But this verse promises that God wants a future full of hope for me. For you. As He promised, "when you seek me with all your heart, you will find me with you...and I will change your lot..."

Trading ATCs at ATCs for All

I visited ATCs for All the other day to learn more about ATCs. After reading the tips and instructional posts and posting a message in the welcome thread, I was surprised to find a private message for me from Kat, who was offering me an ATC from New Zealand! How exciting, my first trade (of course I offered her one from me as well)! Her topic preference is a native animal, so I found myself thinking about native Philippine animals. I think the Philippine tarsier would be a good subject for an ATC since it is also very small (just like an ATC).

Artist Trading Cards

Last November, my sister had an "Artist Trading Card" birthday party. After dinner, she brought out cards, paints, pens, glue, papers and all sorts of other materials and she introduced us to ATCs. She told us they should measure 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches (she pre-cut them for us) and had all of us making (or attempting to make) our first one. Here is mine.

Yesterday, I decided to make another one for Valentine's day (see my previous post). Maybe one day I can really make some to trade with other artists around the world. For now, I'll do some practicing first!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I have been thinking about generosity since I visited the One World- One Heart blogs of so many generous people these past few days. Some of them gave away things that had obviously taken them so long to make, that I wondered how they could part with those beautiful handmade things. And visiting those sites made me feel like giving something away as well. Generosity is contagious, I thought. That's one of the reasons I started this blog. I decided I wanted to give something away in next year's event. But also, I decided I wanted to share a part of myself throughout the year - my thoughts, my art, my stories, my faith.

And the best example of generosity is God himself, who, as the often quoted verse in John 3:16 says, "gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." And why? Because He "so loved the world." It is not easy to give away something so precious, and as a parent, I know how precious my children are to me. How awesome to think about how much God loves us to have given us His Son. And God's love is far different from what many think love is when they say "I love you" to someone, especially on days like Valentine's day. And I wish that you will experience God's generous love in your life, and that you will strive to give this kind of love.

It is not always easy to love this way, generously, unconditionally. But I believe that we should strive to love this way. Generosity is contagious. Let the words in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 be our guide: "Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Happy Valentine's Day!

Surprise Blessings! One World - One Heart

I visited all 911 sites participating in One World - One Heart, and after finding so many great blogs and making comments about the fantastic giveaways they were offering, I wondered if I would win even one thing. After all, I don't usually win anything.

Well, today has been a wonderful day of surprise blessings and I won some great giveaways!

I was so excited when I opened my email and saw Melanie's email with the subject: "OWOH winner". I am thrilled to be the winner of one of her multicolored glass bead necklaces and a surprise giveaway of a digital scrapbook. She will make the pages, have them professionally printed, and put them in a book all for me. Isn't that so wonderfully generous of her? Thank you so much, Melanie! Visit Melanie's blog at 88 Designs By M.

That would have been enough! But a few minutes later (yes, I admit I kept checking my email every few minutes), another email sent my heart jumping again. It was from Char (PawsN2Stamp) and it's subject was "Winner of OWOH giveaway." Wow! By then, I was practically jumping up and down with delight. Char decided to add 2 more albums to her giveaways and picked my name for the third one! Thank you so much, Char, for deciding to give away 3 of those wonderful flip flop albums!

As if that wasn't enough, I also won a lavender bouquet, lavender hydrosol/distillate, and mohair (which can be used for dolls' hair) from Cindy Jones of the Sagescript Institute. Isn't that great?!!! Thank you so much, Cindy!

And finally, another surprise (I could get used to this!) I won one of the "add-on" giveaways Susan decided to give. And I can even have a choice between 10 bookplates featuring the initial of my choice, 10 bookplates with a generic design or 2 bookmarks. She'll be sending me some pictures for me to choose from. How exciting!

Thank you, thank you, everyone who participated in this wonderful event, and thank you also to Lisa Swifka, the creator and host of One World - One Heart. All of you have encouraged and inspired me and it has been an amazing experience. I will be back to visit the blogs, and I hope to offer my own giveaway in next year's event!

Blog Candy

My journeys through blogland have brought me to visit so many warm and generous folks. They offer what is called "blog candy." And oh, what delightful papers, and ribbons and all sorts of embellishments they are offering. How exciting to think of winning them and using them for some projects! I've added some of their links in my sidebar and I'm crossing my fingers!

A Mother's Day Card Illustration

I made this by first drawing the outlines in pen and ink. Then I colored it in with watercolors.

Busy, Busy, Busy

I have been busy, busy, busy these past few days, spending late nights trying to visit all the blogs that have participated in One World - One Heart. And as I think about being busy, I remember another lesson I learned from my daughter. When she started walking, she often practiced and practiced and practiced. When I tried to hug her, she would squirm away. When I called her, she wouldn't come. She was just too, too busy. "How like me she is, Lord", I thought. "You long to spend time with me and I squirm away. You call me and I do not come. I am just too, too busy. Forgive me, Lord for the times I have been too busy for you. Teach me to be still and enjoy your love". "Be still and know that I am God". Psalm 46:10

Scherenschnitte Mother and Child

So this is what writing a blog is like, you never know what you'll be posting next. At least that's how it's going for me. The theme of Mother and Child is a favorite one for me and this is a papercutting (also called "Scherenschnitte" - did I spell that right?) of a mother playing with her little daughter. I made it to express the joy of having my daughter. This papercutting has a partially symmetrical design. The banner on the top border can have a verse or can be personalized with the names of mother and daughter.

The craft of papercutting has been done for many years in many countries all over the world. According to my research, one of the earliest known papercuttings is from China and dates back to 960 A.D. In Germany and Pennsylvania, Scherenschnitte (pronounced shair-en-shnit-teh) was a popular folk art in the 1800s. 'Scherenschnitte', which literally means 'scissors-cutting', was used to decorate birth and marriage certificates and Christmas decorations.

All you need for creating scherenschnitte is time, patience, a steady hand and a few inexpensive supplies. The designs can range from small, simple ones to intricate,detailed 'masterpieces' and once you learn the craft you can experiment with various papers, colors, frames and projects. You can make your own unique frameable gifts, cards, invitations, notecards, and many more projects with this simple craft.

Mother and Child

Speaking about mothers, here is a drawing I made for a charity auction for the Kidney Friends Foundation. I used water color, colored pencil, and colored markers.
I remember well when my daughter was a little baby. How utterly miserable she was when she was hungry. How loud her screams! Not until her hunger was satisfied, not until she was nourished did she stop crying. When she was finally sucking, she looked so happy, so peaceful, so contented. This is the way the Lord wants us to be, hungry for the nourishment of His Word, the nourishment of communicating with Him. May we always hunger for God and His Word. "I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands..." Psalm 119:131

On Being a Mother: Lessons from my Daughter

When I became a mother, I learned much about God's love for me and my identity as his daughter. If I can love my children so much, how great must be the love that my Father God has for me. His is a perfect love. If I want only good for my children, how much more does the Lord want only good for us, His children. Through my day to day experiences with children, I have had many lessons about life, and love, and God's ways with His children. Here is one of them...

One day, when my daughter was maybe about a year old, she caught sight of a shiny knife. Oh, how she wanted to get that knife. She kept pointing, and "talking", and I could see how wonderful she thought it would be if she could just get her hands on that knife. Of course, she couldn't have it - what a disaster if she got it. I realized that sometimes, we too are like that. We want something so much, not knowing that it isn't good for us. Well, God knows exactly what's best for us and that is what He wants to give us. Let us trust in Him and in His plan for us. He is a loving and faithful Father.

One World - One Heart

I have spent the last few days visiting a lot of amazing blogs by a group of wonderfully talented and generous people. They are all participating in One World - One Heart, an event created by a wonderful lady, Lisa Swifka. It's a way to discover new blogs, and even new friends, all over the world. All you have to do is leave a comment and you get a chance to win some great giveaways. It's kind of addicting to people like me, so if you have deadlines or important things to do, well, I hope you have more self control than me. Check out the OWOH website and see what I mean.