Waking at Night

I have one child on Mission in Chile, one a Hotshot Wildfire Fighter out west, somewhere, and one Professional Tennis Player, who calls and says he is thinking about running a tennis program in Dubai.
So when Gina K sent our a message saying she didn't make a video last week cause she was sending off her first to a trip to India( organized and supervised). I made this one for her.

When I wake in the night knowing I have no idea where my children are or what they are doing , I remember that I have given them their inner landscape, no matter what appears in the outer, and that I am not the one who protects them now.
It's also a good time to color- quiet and no one calls.

The Created Byhand Challenge this week is "Only Ovals".
I used the Spellbinders deckled ovals to cut out the shapes and used the thermal emboss,emboss technique for the background.( see previous post.
The Quote is thermal embossed in Versafine Sepia- my goto ink. The back round and papers are colored with Distress Antique Linen and tattered rose, and the flourish is stamped in silver.
If I don't feel like coloring I read poetry.
Thanks for looking and your comments- what poetry inspires you?

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

— Wendell Berry

One is Silver

Make new friends
and keep the old,
One is silver
and the other's gold.
This weeks Created Byhand Challenge is Ribbon/Silver.
I went all out silver on this one. I wasn't thinking of this round we sang as Girl Scouts, and I'm please with the simple elegance of this card.
Shout out to Gina K for the background. I covered the card with Perfect Medium and thermal embossed silver, let cool and embossed with a Cuttlebug folder.Video here.I sanded it just a bit to cut the shine.
The quote I stamped in silver just to be safe and thermal embossed silver- no sanding.
I colorized the tag with Distress spun sugar and tattered rose using the blending tool.
Added the silver ribbon(I knew there was a reason to buy those mini-mini- glue dots) and some Stickles cotton candy pearls;make up a bunch on your craft sheet- let them dry and keep in a tin and you don't have to wait for them to dry on your card.

Much as I love my art supplies, friends will get you through times of no art supplies better than art supplies will get you through time of no friends!  I hope you have plenty of both.
HUGE shout out to all my friends who got me through the car crisis. You know who you are.

Thanks for reading and your comments.
To read what is on my heart please visit Still  Waters Refuge.

Just a Note

...is about all you are going to get from me today.
The theme of Created Byhand Challenge is 'only 2 colors'.
I used Distress old paper and antique linen and thinking it was all in the family fudged a bit using Versafine sepia for the quote and heart tags. the background is from the Crows set.
Hard to see, I sanded the color off of the brads and colorized them with sepia and thermal embossed. The colors are very close and blend with the card a lot more in person.
The flower is rolled ribbon with a glue dot and a hint of vintage linen and a liquid pearls center.
It was hard not to cheat and add more colors- especially to the heart. Use your imagination.
If you ever get the chance visit the Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford ,PA and check out the pencil drawings done by Andrew Wyeth with only a #2 pencil. When I look at them I see colors.
any questions- leave me a comment.
I'm thinking this will make a nice gift tag.

Thanks for your comments and please post your own entry.
To read what is on my heart please visit Still waters refuge

Giveaway winner

Random. org picked # 1
Dragonfly paperarts who said,
"Robyn, this card is beautiful and the quote seems to really fit. I really love seeing what you do with the Quietfire stamps, and it's making me think maybe I shall have to order some for myself. Thanks for the beautiful art you make. :)"
I've emailed you and look forward to hearing from you with your mailing address, choice of card, and I will send you your card and crafty goodies!
I love the sharing and inspiration that takes place here and you and all who read are what makes the magic happen.
We are all winners!

Fireworks and a Giveaway

Freedom I love-fireworks not so much. My oldest son is a Hotshot wildfire fighter- just out of Wallow fire in Arizona. I'm a tad touchy on anything that can lead to unwanted fire.
I enjoy the visual of fireworks if i can be somewhere where I can see them and not hear them.
My new home town of Montreat goes all out for the 4th of July. My tiny mountain top lane went from -Population- 5 to 100+ in two days.
Yesterday I gave out about 100+ popsicles in the best playground in the world( at least in the top 10) as we listened to our own Tarnished Brass play patriotic anthems and hymns.
Today we have a parade, with pipers, horses, floats and a day of general merriment, overeating and family fun.
This weeks theme in the Created Byhand Challenge is Fireworks/Metallics. I got this stamp at a yard sale and it was my first chance to use it.
The Quote continuing the New rubber at Quietfire is stamped with Versafine Sepia and Thermal embossed Clear. The image is stamped in Distress Barn Door and Brilliance Gold. I glazed the card with Japanese metallic watercolors for the blue sky.
It's more metallic than it looks in this photo.
Be Free-Be Freedom-and prayers from the heart for all .
****Giveaway****
Thanks for reading to the end of the post.
I have passed 10,000 page views, so leave me a comment saying what you like about my blog, or why you read my blog, or anything else, and I will randomly choose a winner who can pick any card featured on the blog-that I still have in my possession, and I'll throw in some other stuff- a Quietfire stamp, ribbon and some scrap. Be sure to give me some contact info if it is not in your profile.

Lavender Wands

The flowers are just beginning to open, it's been dry and warm for several days-time to make lavender wands. I colorized the ribbon with alcohol inks and had fun experimenting with different weave structures.
The ones I liked best are a 2 over 2 under basket weave and a 2 over 3 under twill that makes a spiral effect.

Aromatherapy while you weave.