Spanish Señorita

 

It's a Friday and I've got a painting in progress on my desk so I decided to join Paint Party Friday!  "Spanish Señorita" is a mixed media piece inspired by my recent trip to Spain.  She's got a map of Madrid background, some lace, pieces of a broken wooden fan, colored pencil, Promarkers, Copic markers, watercolors, poster color and gesso on watercolor paper!  I hope you like her!

Also linking up with Inspiration Avenue and Studio Sneak Peek!

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Spanish Señorita Work in Progress

It's time for What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday and on my desk is a variety of things (notice that I have again used an open drawer to make up for the small surface area of my desk.)

Here is the Spanish Señorita painting I showed you last week.  I have added her lace veil and a fan.  She still needs a hand to hold the fan and some other revisions.

We've been having typhoon weather and yesterday we didn't go to work.  Since there was no electricity, I spent part of the day cleaning up the attic.  I found a pile of thread, lace and embroidered cloth...

and a bag made out of woven telephone directory pages (no, I didn't make it).

 

Last weekend, we went to a province six hours away and while I was there I found a thrift shop where I bought this little copper box for P10 (£ 0.15 or $0.23).

And here is a book I couldn't resist buying for P15 ((£ 0.22 or $0.35).  No, it's not for reading but to alter someday.  Hopefully.

Here is a crucifix I got from the World Youth Day Pilgrim's Pack and here is my post about World Youth Day: Part 2 (wow, I actually got to post in between Wednesdays!)

 
Do drop by Julia's blog for the WOYWW list and get to see desks from all over the world.  Happy WOYWW, everyone!

World Youth Day 2011: Part 2

Have you ever been in a tent filled with energetic and joyful young people from all over the world, praying, singing and raising their hands in praise?   All over Madrid, during the World Youth Day celebrations last August 16 to 21, there were events like this going on!  Being with these young people during this special time was truly a faith building experience for my whole family.

My two children (21 and 17 years old) helped host Soul Food Café, "a space where young people could gather at any time during the Youth Festival.  They had a continuous programme of music, interviews, panel discussions, breaks, comedy, theatre, dance, art exhibitions, and more."

"The Soul Food Café was a meeting point where young disciples could connect with a global network of other young Catholics.  It was a center of international meetings, a chance for youth from different nations to get to know each other in a positive, relaxed faith filled environment."

"The three main goals of the events within the Soul Food Café were
- to stir faith (through prayer, exposition of Christian culture in art and music)
- awaken hope (through seeing and hearing stories of Christians from all over the World)
- grow in love (through meeting others, networking, relationships and tasting the universal church community)"

Indeed, our faith was stirred as we prayed with and for one another, as we listened to the performers...

and as we admired the art made by different artists and would be artists.  

Indeed our hope was awakened as we heard stories like the one shared by a young man who was told by the doctor that he would have to have his leg in a cast for months.  He shared that after only a few days, his leg was totally healed after his friends prayed over him.  Yes, even today, even among the young, miracles do happen!

And indeed, our love grew as we got to meet many different people, young and young once, of different races and speaking different languages, but amazingly, brothers and sisters, part of one body.

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:4-6

Linking up with Brag on God Friday, Spiritual Sundays and Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday. 

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: WIP Señorita

Finally, there is something other than tidying up going on in my desk today for What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday!   My Work in Progress, the Spanish Señorita, is inspired by my recent trip to Spain.  The thought of another week of nothing to show you and the encouragement in the Papaya blog to find time to be creative encouraged me to start it...

I plan to add some lace for a veil...

 

 

and some pieces of a broken fan to decorate her "abanico"...

 

I don't think I have shown you this project which I made some time ago.  It is a medical giveaway that had a brand name embossed on both sides so I covered it up with gesso...

and decorated it with a dictionary page and a vintage graphic I printed out on the computer.  I use it as a stand for an Artist Trading Card.

 

Also, here is one of the reusable bags I bought in Spain for only €0.50.  It says "This bag is green" and comes in different colors.  I always use reusable bags to help the environment since I have seen a lot of plastic bags in the oceans and in dump sites.  They just don't disintegrate.

 

If you want to read a little about my experience in World Youth Day (Part 1), please visit my previous post and if you want to visit other desks from all over the world, drop by Julia's blog for the WOYWW list.  Happy WOYWW, dear blog friends!

World Youth Day 2011: Part 1

 

What started out as a desire in my heart as I read a blog post about World Youth Day in Sydney (in 2008) became reality last month when my family went to Madrid...

 

 

Jornada Mundial de la Juventud, World Youth Day, was not actually a day but six blessed days. The intention of these days was "to bring us closer to Christ" and for those who come "to meet Christ and strengthen our friendship with him."  

What a joy to see so many young people attend!  Being among them as they prayed and sang, chanted and clapped their cheers for Pope Benedict XVI was an amazing experience.  At times, walking alongside them, so energetic and joyful, I would be close to tears, but of course, that wouldn't be "cool", so I would quickly blink them away. 

What power and joy there is in community, in being together as we live out our faith.  There is strength and encouragement and the courage to proclaim our identity and faith.  Surely, if by themselves, these young people would not be as joyful and energetic when they had to wait for hours in the hot sun or walk long distances or live in such spartan conditions.  And so it is with us, in our daily lives.

As the Pope said at his arrival in Madrid, "Here on this Day, they (the youth) have a special opportunity to gather together their aspirations, to share the richness of their cultures and experiences, motivate each other along a journey of faith and life, in which some think they are
alone or ignored in their daily existence. But they are not alone. Many people of the same age have the same aspirations and, entrusting themselves completely to Christ, know that they really have a future before them and are not afraid of the decisive commitments which fulfill their entire lives." - the Pope's WYD Messages to the Youth

The World Youth Day events formally started on August 16 with an Opening Mass.  There were so many people (both young and young at heart) that we couldn't even get close enough to see the stage...

We could only see a video screen...

But being among the young people and talking with them was a blessing in itself...

After the Mass, as we strolled to the plazas of Madrid, there were concerts everywhere, with dancing and singing and celebrating.   What a wonderful start to a six lovely, faith filled days!

 

Linking up with Brag on God Friday, Spiritual Sundays and Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday.

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Blessings in the Mail!

I'm not going to start my post with exclamations of how fast the week went.  I'm not.  Really, I'm not.  But did you notice how fa... oops!

Well it's Wednesday once again and still no work in progress on my desk.  I am still trying to organize after my trip abroad (I will share some pictures soon, hopefully!)

 

When I got home, I found not just one, not just two, but three blessings in the mail waiting for me!

My WOYWW Anniversary PIF finally arrived - A lovely, brightly colored journal that Sarah of La-De-Dah made specially for me! Look how the colors match my blog!  Sarah has a Mojo Monthly feature in her blog that has projects, interviews (and a giveaway).  If you haven't yet, drop by her blog for some great inspiration!

And here is the book I won in The Weekend Artist's blog giveaway.

I just love how this book has little envelopes, maps and cards included in it...

It arrived in a big box with a bunch of scrapbooking embellishments!  Wonderful!

And I also won one of Laura's wonderful Artist Trading Cards.  Visit her blog, Artfully Musing, and join her monthly giveaway of the most amazing ATCs (and other pieces)!

On the rest of my desk is the pile of brochures and travel mementos that I collected while traveling in Spain, Portugal and Morocco last month.  Hmm, I wonder where I will put them and when I can get them into some sort of a scrapbook!

That's it for this Wednesday!  Visit the WOYWW list in Julia's blog.  Lots of inspiration to be found in the other desks from around the world!

A Thousand Sheets of Paper

I came across "a thousand sheets giveaway" and although many of you know that I can hardly fit my craft materials into my tiny craft cubicle, I just can't resist the chance to win some more paper (five winners of 200 sheets each).  If you would like a chance too, you have until September 23 to join the 1000 sheets blog candy.

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Travel Souvenirs

I'm back!  Although I thoroughly enjoyed attending World Youth Day and going on a tour of Spain, Portugal and Morocco, I am glad to be back home.  On my desk today are my travel journal and some of the souvenirs I collected (obviously, I have not had time to clean up, or to take a good picture of my mess!)...

Here are a few Promarkers and a white Pilot pen I bought in an art store I came across in Spain...

Some keychains form Barcelona (one of a Joan Miro floor mosaic in Las Ramblas and another one of "La Pedrera" building by Antonio Gaudi (I am figuring out if I can wear them as pendants since I already have too many keychains)...

 Some finds from "El Rastro", the open air flea market in Madrid...

Some bracelets and other souvenirs that I received from some other participants of World Youth Day (I gave them the charms I made)...

A shell charm souvenir of my visit to Pamplona.  Although it is more well known as the city where they have the running of the bulls, it is also along the "Camino de Santiago de Compostela," The Way of St. James, a collection of old pilgrimage routes which finish in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, northwestern Spain. The scallop shell is a symbol of the Camino...

  

And a charm of St. Teresa of Avila (and of Fatima on the other side since I visited both Avila, Spain and Fatima in Portugal)...

And from Marrakesh, Morocco, Argan Oil, which is said to have anti-aging properties.  Well, I do need to keep from aging if I plan to attend World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro in 2013, don't I? 

If you are interested to see more desks (usually there are some arts and crafts on them), visit Julia's blog and the list of more than a hundred blogs joining What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday!  Happy WOYWW, everyone!