Three, Two, One...

Happy New Year!  Although I've not had a lot of time to work on my artwork or blog during the last 2 weeks, this has been one of the most wonderful Christmas holidays I've had in a long time.  There were no extravagant present exchanges, but there was plenty of health, time, food, love, and laughs to share with loved ones.  Thank you, Lord!  The following are a few of the ways to I found to express myself creatively.

Tablescapes and Fashion
Maria's Orange You Glad It's Friday #71
Julia's What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday #239
Lorik's Mandarin Orange Monday 75

Tag and Gift Card Envelope
Tag Tuesday - Winter Landscape
Collage Obsession - M is for Merriment
By Your Hands - Blog Party Sunday

During the heart of Christmas, all my creativity centered around the various celebrations.  In the first picture you can see 3 of the tablescapes I put together for my family's various gatherings, as well as a shot my oldest daughter took of my wife and me in our Christmas Eve finery.  I'm especially proud of the last minute centerpiece I put together with greenery, fresh fruits, cinnamon sticks, miniature silver pine cones and a candle.  The second picture is a sample of one of the diagonal 2-pocket envelopes I made to enclose gift certificates and Christmas tags I designed for various family members.  The latter made the gift certificates enclosed much more unique and thoughtful for the recipients.

Family Puzzle Night
Inspiration Avenue - Expressing "Joy to the World"
52 Photos Project: Gallery 37 {The First Day}
Denise and Roger's ABC Wednesday - Y is for Yearning Moments

Silently (Watercolor Pencil & Ink Sketch)
Art Journal Journey - Silence
Karen's Word Art Wednesday #113
Eva & Kristin's Paint Party Friday (Week 43 - Year 3)
Take a Word Challenge - New Year
Jenn's The Artist's Playroom #87
Alexandra's Sunday Sketches
Ramona's Inspire Me Monday - Week 105

The following two photographs reflect what continues to be my main blessings and creative inspirations in 2014, which are family and my Lord - nature is a close third.  I shot the black and white photograph of this simple family activity last Sunday evening, and felt it perfectly embodied what family is all about - Sharing.  Rather we are going through painful or joyful situations, I know I can count on them.  The photograph of the art journal page reflects my first resolution for 2014, which is to be silent, so that the Lord may take full lead in my life.  I have some obsessive compulsive tendencies which stifle me sometimes, hence my bluish shaded portrait, so I know He laughs at my silly control issues - LOL!

Time Inchie Series
Every Inchie Monday - Inchie Time
Moo-Mania - Birds
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Something New
Tag Along #19 - Tickets
Order of the Opus Gluei #173 - Leftovers
Three Muses - Colour Me Happy
Illustration Friday - Time
Manon's Paper Saturdays
Rhedd and Rosie Challenge Blog: Going Dotty

The last picture is of an inchie trio inspired by the word "time" that I designed yesterday, two of which I incorporated into a moo and a tag.  I began by cutting my inchies out of a scrap piece of cardstock and distressing them with an ink pad.  Next, I arranged them side-by-side, stuck a shared clock rub-on, and re-cut them apart with a craft knife.  I further distressed them with other ink pad colors.  Then, I used more rub-ons, stains, punches, stamps, glitter, gems, glossy accents, ephemera, paper/fabric scraps, embroidery floss, and micron pens to complete my designs.  I also used a new set of Seweasy paper piercing tool and heads purchased during the holidays when visiting my family in the DFW area.

I hope you've enjoyed my first post in my blog for 2014.  I want to thank everyone in advance for their visit, as well as for all the encouraging comments left during my posts in 2013.  May your life be  blessed with a year filled with hope, peace, joy, love and health!