Last day for my ATC Giveaway and a chance to win 4 more ATCs

It's the last day for my ATC giveaway for my followers. Just leave a comment on this post if you'd like a chance to win.

And my sister Patsy is having her own giveaway that you might want to join.  Four ATCs of lovely ladies with chain necklaces.  She'll be picking her winners by the second weekend of April.

Vintage Collages in ATCs

I thought I'd share with you my latest Artist Trading Cards.  There are a lot of great sites that offer beautiful vintage images so I decided to use them in some collages.  I combined the images with book paper, magazine cutouts, a part of a sandalwood fan, and added touches of watercolor, colored pencil and some gold poster paint.  The first one with the sandalwood piece is my favorite.  Hope you like them!

If you would like to have a chance to win my ATC giveaway, please visit this post.

Every Child is Precious

Such sad news.  My friends' 2 1/2 month old baby died in his sleep the other day.  He was a premature baby but we all thought he was out of danger, having overcome many challenges in his first few weeks.  We had just celebrated his baptism last February 12 and then, we were back in the same church compound, only this time, to say goodbye.

I was reminded of a poem which I came across some time ago and it is about how our children are just lent to us.  

TO ALL PARENTS
"I'll lend you for a little time a child of mine, " He said,
"for you to love the while she lives and mourn for when she's dead.
It may be six or seven years, or twenty-two or three,
But will you, till I call her back, take care of her for me?
She'll bring her charms to gladden you, and shall her stay be brief,
You'll have her lovely memories as solace for your grief.

I cannot promise she will stay, since all from earth returns,
But there are lessons taught down there I want this child to learn.
I've looked the whole wide world over in my search for teachers true
And from the throngs that crowds life's lanes I have selected you.

Now will you give her all your love, nor think the labor vain,
Nor hate me when I come to call to take her back again?"
I fancied that I heard them say: "Dear Lord, Thy will be done!
For all the joy Thy child shall bring, the risk of grief we'll run.
We'll shelter her with tenderness, we'll love her while we may,
And for the happiness we've known forever grateful stay;
but shall the angels call for her much sooner than we've planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes and try to understand."
by Edgar Guest

Isn't it so terribly sad and ironic that this beautiful baby, so beloved by his family, died in a world where so many abortions take place?  This site says approximately 42 million abortions take place in one year.  "Every child born into the world is a new thought of God, an ever fresh and radiant possibility"(Kate Douglas Wiggin) and I believe even the ones who have not yet been born are already so very precious.

In the Philippines, March 25 of each year is celebrated as the "Day of the Unborn". This day is "devoted to the vast number of babies forbidden to live and partake in this world."  Who knows what potential a baby would reach if he were allowed to live.   

Listen to "A Baby's Prayer"...

  

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..." Jeremiah 1:5

Let us treasure our children and the precious time we have with them.

An ATC Giveaway for my Followers

As a heartfelt thank you to all of you who have decided to follow my blog, I'm giving away the ATC I made for my previous post, the tutorial on drawing a face using the tracing technique.  When I started my blog, I didn't know if anyone would be interested in what I had to share.  And so, I am truly so grateful for each one of my followers.  That's why I decided to have a giveaway specially for all of you who follow me (I wish I could give each one of you a giveaway!). 

All you have to do to have a chance to win my ATC (I've named her "Tracy", an appropriate name don't you think?) is to be a follower and make a comment on this post before March 31.  If you aren't following my blog, you can still join my giveaway if you decide to follow it.  If you would like a chance to win an ATC sized print of my OWOH giveaway, please let me know in your comment.  I will be giving them away as consolation prizes if anyone wants them.  Let me know if you have added a link to my giveaway in your blog and I will also give you an extra chance to win.   

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED.

Thank you so much for joining!

I will announce the winner on Easter Sunday.