My Monthly Mojo: Creative Surfaces

Sarah, in her My Monthly Mojo for October, said "Upcycle and be merry I say... SHOW ME YOUR CREATIVE SURFACES!"

Well, upcycling is right up my alley and I finally finished two of my UFOs (UnFinished Objects) which I think are perfect for this theme.

First is a giveaway fan that started out looking like this:

After a coat of gesso, some watercolor, colored pencils, paper cutouts, computer print out text, and white Sharpie paint pen, here is what it looks like now...

 

The two sided surface of the fan inspired me to do a "day and night" theme and find a bible verse for it.  The "day" side has the verse "The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime"

and the "night" side continues "And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life" (Psalm 42:8).  Bible verses are among my favorite sources of inspiration.

My next project is an old CD that I used for a collage.  I used bookpaper, computer print outs, cake paper lace and wallpaper flower cutouts.  Isn't this a lovely quote?  Uh oh, I just realized I misplaced the text which says"St. Therese of Lisieux."  The Mother and child theme is a favorite of mine because my role as a mother is so precious to me.

I also recently finished a piece which I painted on a picture frame backing.  I am quite pleased that after you finish painting, you just pop it back into the frame and your painting is automatically framed!

Visit La-De-Dah for more projects joining My Monthly Mojo!

WIP: Bibi

Here is my work in progress, "Bibi".  From yesterday's colored pencil sketch, I added watercolors and copic markers.

As I shared yesterday, "Bibi" is an East African female name meaning "daughter of a king."  Instead of a crown, Bibi is wearing a turban and carrying some cloth.  And so it is with us who see ourselves as daughters of a King.  Although our crown is invisible, as we go about our daily lives, we can have confidence and rejoice in the knowledge of our identity.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1John 3:1


I'm linking up with Paint Party Friday, Studio Sneak Peek and Show and Tell Saturday!

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Bibi

Uh oh, it is another one of those days when I will only show you a small part of my desk because the other parts are in shambles.

Having nothing new to show you for our regular Wednesday link party, I decided to get out my folder of magazine clippings and do a quick sketch.  Not a very good likeness but I am just using the picture for inspiration anyway.

For a change, I chose an African model.  And so of course she needs an African name.  I decided to name her "Bibi", an East African female name meaning "daughter of a king."

This is what I always tell my daughter when she feels insecure about something, or compares herself with others who have more than she does.  You are the daughter of a King!

"And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty."2 Corinthians 6:18

Linking up with all the other folks showing off their desks for What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday!

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Markers and WIPs

Happy WOYWW, dear blog visitors!  I have had a very busy week and not much time to make some projects (or mess up my desk).   Last week, on my desk, I had a CD that I covered in bookpaper and I haven't done much with it except try out some vintage images and paper cutouts for a collage...

And just so I could finish something, I made a quick Artist Trading Card using the few Copic and Promarkers that I have (note to self: get some more!)

That's all for this week's show and tell.  Take a look at more desks joining What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday or better still, why not show us yours?!

Golden Madonna and Child

Starting out with the backing of a picture frame which I covered with Gesso, my Madonna and Child is now finished and in the picture frame.  Aside from the watercolor, colored pencil, rubber stamping and paper scraps I showed last week, I also used gold poster paint for the haloes and veil, and a gold Sharpie pen for the veil trim details.

I thought it would be interesting to show you how this piece progressed, in case you missed my previous posts.  Here it is after I made a sketch with brown colored pencil and colored it in with watercolor...

Then, I added shading using colored pencils...

And last week's picture after adding rubber stamping and paper bits...

I'm linking up today with Paint Party Friday.  Happy PPF!

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Chuffed to Bits!

I set a record last week of posting three times since last week's What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday link party (On Friday and Saturday, I posted about the progress I made on the Madonna I was painting, and on Sunday I continued my story about World Youth Day in Madrid)!  I also did some organizing and cleaning up and my desk is looking spiffy, don't you think?  And, I even got to do some art!  I am chuffed to bits (as some of you would say)!

Sarah, in her La-De-Dah blog, wrote "Show me your creative surfaces!" in her Mojo Monthly Post this month.  Well, I remembered one of my UFO's (Un-Finished Objects) which is on an unusual surface.  It is a giveaway fan that I collaged over with a day scene on one side.  This week I made the night scene on the other side.  Beside the fan is my Madonna and Child, and I am deciding whether she is finished now.

Last month, Annette from Scrap Happens Here posted about her project using some paint chips.  When I made a comment that paint chips are not available in my country, she offered to send me some! The paint chips arrived yesterday and here they are on my desk.  Thank you very much, Annette!  It truly warms my heart and delights me to receive these!  I wonder what I will make with them!

That's all for now!  Do visit Julia for the list of more desks to take a peek at.  Happy WOYWW, everyone!

World Youth Day 2011: Part 3

As I have shared before, last August, I went to Spain to attend World Youth Day with my family.   If you are interested here is Part1 and Part 2.

On Thursday, August 18, Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Madrid.  In the welcome ceremony, he said,

"I have come here to meet thousands of young people from all over the world, Catholics committed to Christ searching for the truth that will give real meaning to their existence. I come as the Successor of Peter, to confirm them all in the faith, with days of intense pastoral activity, proclaiming that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life; to motivate the commitment to build up the Kingdom of God in the world among us; to exhort young people to know Christ personally as a friend and so, rooted in his person, to become faithful followers and valiant witnesses."

Yes, this is what I want for my children.

That day, since we wanted to get a good view of the stage, we started out bright and early, arriving before the crowds (although some groups of young people had spent the night there)...

Before long, the place began to fill up with a colorful crowd of friendly people from many different countries...

 

 

 

We enjoyed making friends with the "pilgrims" around us, mostly Spaniards, Venezuelans and Guatemalans...

We exchanged souvenir tokens with each other and tried to communicate with them in our broken Spanish (remember the tokens I made?)...

We waited for hours that day.  Although we were under the shade, most of the other people were under the scorching sun.  As I thought of what we were all doing, on the sacrifice everyone around me was making, I reflected that, yes, there is always a price to pay and sacrifices to be made when we say yes to God, when we strive to walk in his ways, when we join a community of faith.   Yes, when we are in a relationship with someone, there is a price to pay.  It is not always easy to remain faithful and zealous and joyful.  At times we have to struggle to go on.  This verse comes to mind,

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

But, there is always grace available for us and with this grace, what we thought was impossible becomes possible.  I will share more about that in Part 4 of my sharing.

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

WIP: Madonna and Child

I have done a number of Madonna and Child pieces and when I started this one, I was thinking of putting it away for a while since it seemed to be somewhat uninspired.  But I received so much encouragement from my visitors these past few days (who seemed to see things in this piece that I hadn't seen) that I decided to continue working on it.

Starting out with watercolor and colored pencil, I added some stamping and bits and pieces from magazines, gift wrapper and an old devotional magazine, with a quote from a familiar Christmas carol...

"What child is this, who, laid to rest,

On Mary's lap is sleeping?

Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,

While shepherds watch are keeping?"

I am liking it now!  Thank you so much, dear blog visitors for encouraging me.  I am blessed to have you!  Today, I am linking up with Jennifer's Studio Sneak Peek and Artists in Blogland's Show and Tell Saturday.

Paint Party Friday: Madonna and Child

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday for October 12 is here.

I want to thank all my visitors from last week's  Paint Party Friday, Inspiration Avenue and Studio Sneak Peek!  What a lot of encouragement from such kindhearted folks!  Hopefully, I will get around to visiting more of you this week.  Here is my painting in progress.  This is one of my favorite themes.  I used the backing of a picture frame as the base so that when it's finished, it will have a frame.  As usual, I started with a gesso covered background and I've used watercolor and colored pencils for this painting.  At this point I have no idea what other materials I will use.  Til next time, happy PPF!   Join in the fun!

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: On to the Next Project

It's time for What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday!  If you think this is a messy desk, let me assure you that I cropped out the messier part so as not to horrify the neat WOYWWers.  

My Señorita now has a hand, some dangling earrings, and a comb in her hair.  I also decorated her abanico and revised her chin a little.  When I took a picture for What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday last week, I didn't like how her chin looked (interesting how I only noticed it in the picture).  I think she looks much better now.

 

Here is an empty cologne bottle my hubby gave me (he knows he should ask me before throwing anything like this away!)  I have seen some altered bottles in some blogs and since this one already has a cute zippered cloth cover, I think it will be perfect to alter.

And something else from the attic - my daughter's old "manga" (Japanese comic) book.  Maybe I can use it for drawing reference or for collaging.

I started a painting using the back of a picture frame (so that it will have a ready made frame when it's finished). 

 

So that's my desk this week and if you want to take a peek at what's on other people's desks today, or if you want to show us yours, go drop by the Stamping Ground and join in the fun!   Thank you for visiting and happy WOYWW!