What's on your Workdesk Wednesday: Paper Lanterns

The Christmas season officially ended (in the Catholic church) last Sunday and we have taken our Christmas decorations down.   Every Christmas, since we started visiting the local jail regularly, I have received a paper lantern from the inmates.  I thought of making a post about these wonderful lanterns and that is why they are piled on top of my desk today...

They are made from old telephone directories, cut, folded or rolled, and pasted together.  Aren't they amazing?

Here is my box of my favorite Pigma Micron Pens.  I have been using them for my prayer art journal.  I have managed to keep up with it until now (I'm chuffed and giving myself a pat on the back)!

Here's a peek at one of the pages inside...

For a peek at more desks, go visit the very amusing Julia at the Stamping Ground.  You will learn things like new uses for a shoe horn (to fit your new craft supplies into your shelves, LOL!).

And why not join my giveaway for the My Memories Digital Scrapbooking software.  It's great for all sorts of projects and since no one has joined yet, you could be the sure winner, LOL!

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Happy New Year!

Hello, my dear blog friends!  I hope you enjoyed your holidays and are all set for a wonderful 2012!   My desk today is deceptively spic-and-span.  I not only used the push back method, but the more drastic push out (to the floor)...

I have started a new prayer journal.  My sister Patsy says making art in her prayer journal has helped her to remember the verses she has meditated on so I decided to follow in her footsteps...

I am using a journal I received from Sarah for the WOYWW Pay It Forward last year.  Thanks, Sarah!  Have you visited Sarah?  She has a Mojo Monthly feature in her blog that has wonderful projects and artist interviews.

That's it for now and you might want to take a peek at more desks joining What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday!  Happy New Year, everyone!

Happy New Year and the Winner is...

Here's to a wonderful new year filled with abundant blessings!

And the winner of my giveaway is number...

Congratulations, Lisa Isabella Russo!  Please send me your address and I will send you "Wonderfully Made Eve".

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Awesome Christmas Blessings!

If you didn't get to visit me before Christmas day, I wish you a wonderful and blessed Christmas season.  After all, just like Theresa said, Christmas isn't just one day.  It's a whole season.  And if the days before Christmas were so busy and full, perhaps for the rest of the season we can remember that "Jesus is the reason for the season".

On my desk for What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday is a whole jumble of Christmas goodies.  I will have to do some reorganizing to fit my new stuff in!  An artist's box...

...scrapbook paper, clear stamps, a travel watercolor set, distressing kit, Prismacolor pencils portrait set, gel medium...

and of course, you wouldn't have missed the awesome new laptop, still in it's box...wow, jackpot!!!

 

For a peek at more desks, go visit Julia.  And I leave you with a lovely reminder...

So remember while December
Brings the only Christmas Day,
In the year let there be Christmas
In the things you do and say;
Wouldn't life be worth the living
Wouldn't dreams be coming true
If we kept the Christmas spirit
All the whole year through?
-unknown

May the blessings of this wonderful season be yours throughout the coming new year!

You are Wonderfully Made! A Giveaway

The Giveaway has ended.

Thank you very much for joining.

Watch out for the winner!

Just because I appreciate each and everyone who drops by and visits me, I made two paintings inspired by the verse from Psalm 139:13-14, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful."  Yes, I think each one of you is wonderfully made! 

Would like a chance to win one of these original paintings (6" x 9" mixed media pieces on watercolor paper)?  

 Wonderfully Made in Purple

Wonderfully Made Eve

1. For one entry, simply leave a comment on this post telling me which painting you prefer.

2. If you are a follower of my blog and would like a second entry, please leave a second comment on this post telling me you are a follower.

3. For a third entry, make a post about the giveaway or put it in your sidebar with a link to this post and leave me a separate comment telling me you did this.

I will be using the random number generator, so please make sure you leave me a comment for each entry you make.  I will pick a winner on my birthday, December 24.  

And, for those of you who are interested to try out digital scrapbooking, watch out for another giveaway I will be having soon (as soon as I finish up the post) for a digital scrapbooking software.

Hugs and thank yous to all my wonderfully made blog friends and visitors!  I'm linking up to Paint Party Friday, Studio Sneak Peek and Show and Tell Saturday.

Christmas Greetings and a Giveaway Reminder

I didn't have anything new to show you for today but I didn't want to miss the opportunity of greeting my dear blog friends from Paint Party Friday, Studio Sneak Peek, Show and Tell Saturday and Brag on God Friday,  a very joyful and blessed Christmas season!  You have been an encouragement to me this past year and I just want to thank you and wish you all a wonderful holiday season.  My painting is an ATC I made some time ago but since it is a Madonna and Child, I thought I would share with you.  After all, in the midst of all the busyness of the season, Christmas is really all about the birthday celebrant, Jesus Christ.  

Today I celebrated my birthday (December 24) in the Quezon City Jail.  It is my way of celebrating Jesus' birthday too.  Jesus said, "But when you give a feast, invite the poor..." (Luke 14:13)  and "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40).

Most of the inmates here are innocent but are waiting for their hearings.  They cannot afford bail.  Sometimes even their families don't visit them anymore and they are so happy to have us come to visit them.  Sometimes, when we are so comfortable, when we have everything we need, we easily forget people like these.  But what joy there is in bringing joy to the poor, the sick, the aged, the lonely, those in prison.  And how inspiring to see their faith in the midst of their trials.  May this Christmas season be a time of love, hope, generosity and joy for all of us.

And, a reminder that if you haven't yet, there's still time to join my giveaway for a chance to win my original art!  Just leave a comment on my giveaway post.

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: A blessed Christmas!

 

It's the last Wednesday before Christmas day  (can you believe how time flies!?) and so I'd like to greet all of you a blessed and joyful Christmas!  For What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday, my desk is relatively clean but of course I didn't show you the floor!

On my desk today, some goodies I received in the mail!  I joined Kimberly's Merry Christmas ATC Swap over at ArtJoyStuff  and here is the absolutely beautiful fabric ATC she sent me.  Even the envelope it came in with the vintage Santa embellishment is gorgeous!

 

I also received two lovely pendants from Kimberlie when she had a giveaway in her B.B. Bellezza blog.  I won a gift certificate and got to choose from Kimberlie's Etsy shop.  I chose upcycled domino and scrabble tile pendants.

Here's a better view of my pendants.  Aren't they lovely?

 

Some beaded charms from a craft fair called 10a Alabama...

A bag charm made out of leather that I bought from our shop, Papemelroti...

A bottle of newly bought Transfer Medium and a Christmas Thank You card from World Vision, a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice.   Sponsoring a child helps fulfill the verse written on the card, "...and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Genesis 12:3.  World Vision also provides emergency aid, like for the recent big typhoon in southern Philippines.  If you want to donate, you can go here.

And, a painting I made some time go, inspired by early icons, a reminder during this oh so busy time, that Christmas is all about Jesus being born into the world because of God's great love for us (and on my computer screen is my post about my Advent Calendar made up of 25 ATCs.)

And, you still have time to leave a comment on my giveaway post  for a chance to win my original art!  

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Advent ATC Set

I thought I would share with you an Advent Calendar I made last year in case you haven't seen it.  After all, Christmas is all about Emmanuel, God with Us.  It is a mixed media piece made up of twenty five Artist Trading Cards, one for each day of December until Christmas. Each ATC has a symbol (like Jesse tree symbols) for a bible character and story which can be read and reflected on for the day and the ATC put in it's place until the whole picture comes together on Christmas Day.

From top to bottom row, left to right,

Day 2. - God, Creation, Gen 1:1-2:3 - Tree
Day 3. - Adam and Eve, The First Sin, Gen 2:4-3:24 - Tree with Fruit or Apple
Day 4. - Noah, The Flood, Gen 6:11-22, 7:17-8:12, 20-9:17 - Rainbow and dove
Day 5. - Abraham, The Promise, Gen 12:1-7, 15:1-6 - Field of Stars
Day 24. - Magi, Worship, Matt 2:1-12 - Star

Day 19. - Habakkuk, Waiting, Hab 1:1-2:1, 3:16-19 - Stone Watchtower
Day 7. - Jacob, Assurance of the Promise, Gen 27:41- 28:22 - Ladder
Day 22. - Mary, The Hope for a Future, Luke 1:26-38 - Mary
Day 20. - Nehemiah, Return and Rebuilding, Neh 1:1-2:8, 6:15-16, 13:10-22 - City Wall
Day 14. - Samuel, The Beginning of the Kingdom, 1 Sam 3:1-21, 7:1-8:22, 9:15-10:9 - Crown

Day 12. - Joshua, The Fall of Jericho, Josh 1:1-11, 6:1-20 - Ram's Horn Trumpet
Day 21. - John the Baptist, Repentance, Luke 1:57-80, 3:1-207:18-30 - Scallop Shell
Day 17. - Hezekiah, Faithfulness and Deliverance, 2 Kng 18:1-19:19, 32-37 - An Empty Tent
Day 25. - Jesus, Birth of the Messiah, Luke 2:1-20 - Jesus
Day 23. - Joseph, Trust, Matt 1:19-25 - Carpenter's Hammer

Day 6. - Isaac Offering of Isaac, Gen 22:1-19 - Ram
Day 9. - Moses God's Leadership, Exod 2:1-4:20 - Burning Bush
Day 8. - Joseph God's Providence, Gen 37, 39:1-50:21 - Coat
Day 18. - Jeremiah The Exile, Jer 1:4-10, 2:4-13, 7:1-15, 8:22-9:1-11 - Tears
Day 10. - Israelites Passover and Exodus, Exod 12:1-14:31 - Lamb

Day 1. - Introduction of the Jesse Tree, Isa 11:1-10 1 Sam 16:1-13 - Stump
Day 11. - God, Giving the Torah at Sinai, Exod 19:1-20:20 - Tablets of the Torah
Day 13. - Gideon, Unlikely Heroes, Judg 2:6-23, 6:1-6, 11-8:28 - Clay Water Pitcher
Day 16. - Elijah, The Threat of False Gods, 1 Kng 17:1-16, 18:17-46 - Stone Altar
Day 15. - David, A Shepherd for the People, 1 Sam 16:1-23-17:58, 2 Sam 5:1-5, 7:1-17 - Shepherd's Crook

I'm joining Paint Party Friday, Studio Sneak Peek , Show and Tell Saturday and Brag on God Friday!  Don't forget to join my giveaway for a chance to win my original art!

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Yikes!

 

With my desk a whole mess, with all sorts of things piled high...

I was tempted to hide it and not join this week's link party What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday, where we show off our desks, messy or not!   But here I am anyway and after searching my desk for something (anything) to show you, here is a handmade wire and bead bookmark I bought in a craft fair last weekend...

a vintage key from a Paris flea market propped up against a bookmark...

and a bag of newly purchased velvet Christmas ornaments...

If you haven't yet, you might want to join my giveaway for the chance to win my original art!  Happy WOYWW, everyone!

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday: Getting Ready

Nothing interesting happening on my desk today.  I have been scanning old ATCs and putting backings on them...

And since the days before Christmas are getting less and less, I am getting ready to wrap Christmas presents.  Brand new rolls of tape and little boxes...

and my box of little gifts I buy all throughout the year.  There is stuff from countries like Thailand, Turkey, the Czech Republic, the U.S. and Greece in this box.  Beside it is the daily devotional I use every day, The Word Among Us.  The meditations help me remember what Christmas is really all about.  And if you're looking for a meaningful way to celebrate Advent, there is a wonderful  Jesse Tree Advent Family Devotional from A Holy Experience.

In the back, a tin box from Nuremberg, Germany that used to be filled with gingerbread cookies.  It is from my son who worked in Frankfurt for 9 months and is now back home!  The 3 L'Imperatrice Eau de Toilette at the back is also from him and it also came in a really nice box (my daughter told him, you could have given her just the boxes!  Ha, ha, so true!)

And here is a pair of earrings I bought from my last trip.  For those of you who tried to guess where I was, I was in Thailand!  No, I didn't buy these to wear but to take apart for embellishing something (do you do that?)

Have you joined my giveaway?  I'm giving away one of these paintings.

And I will also have a giveaway for the My Memories digital scrapbook software as soon as I finish my post.  I made this calendar using it.  Oops, I just realized I put 2011 instead of 2012.  Good thing I can easily change it.

I'm joining What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday.  If you want to join, all you have to do is take a picture of your desk or just join in the fun of peeking at desks from around the world!