It's 4:34 AM, time to blog

Sometimes we just have to get up out of bed and go do those things that keep waking us up thinking about them. Sometimes the dreams we are having make us feel so dreadful getting out of bed at 4:34 AM is a relief.

That's today.

                                   So, here's a few things I've been waking up thinking about.

this boy=my heart 

                                  And a craft show coming up this weekend. so much to do!

And these Tim Holtz crazy birds make me smile.

 

One of my new passions, coloring with alcohol markers. Such a fun, artsy way to be creative. Haven't you always wished your markers would blend without those streaky lines? Well, alcohol markers to the rescue. It takes a bit of fiddling around with them to get used to the difference but you'll love it!

          Well, it must be time for a cup of coffee and an early morning run. See you soon!

paraphrasing my mood

"traveling around sure gets me down and lonely
can't say much of anything that's new
i sure hope this road don't come to own me
there's so many dreams
i've yet to find"
 Carole King

NOT the most wonderful time of the year?

     Ok, I definately am experiencing a challenging Christmas season. But actually this is not the first Christmas I have felt rather bah humbugish. However, I will make every attempt to stifle my inner Scrooge and get with the tempo of the season. Listening to 24/7 Christmas music on the radio..
                                                             
                                                                   put up my tree...

                                         Made a very cute little ornament with my grandson....

                                              AND I have been into the Christmas card creating!

Hope you are getting into the spirit of Christmas better than me!

Check back in a couple days and I have more creations to share and 

hopefully and merrier tune to sing!

just a little fall fun...

Happy Sunday to you!

Just thought I'd post a few little fun Halloween creations. I'll have to move on to Christmas creations soon, but I am having so much fun with cute spooky stuff and pretty fall leaves. 

Ah well, crafting is usually half a season ahead (or more if you judge by your local crafting stores!)

Aren't those little boxes cute?! I found a sale on a box die ($7!) that had a flip top with the open square. So then I had some leftover clear plastic packaging that I cut to fit the opening and voila! And I love my boxes so I imagine stocking stuffers and work friend birthday gifts and secret pal surprises..... oh yeah.

And here is a spooky little creature...

I used a light core cardstock with an embossing folder and sanded over the embossed image, added a little hello and easy peezy done. My Mom will love this one! 

This last one is a tag in a top open ended card/envelope.

The leaves are heat embossed with different shades of powder I was experitmenting with. Add a little burlap (which seems to be very trendy right now!) and you can write on the back of the tag and that is a unique fall card, don't you think?

Well, get off your computer, put down your phone and go see how beautiful your day is right outside your door!

13.1

     This morning in Umatilla, Fl at 6:45 AM it was 100% humidity and around 70 degrees. And time to do a trial run for my half marathon coming up Nov. 3. So many reasons I didn't feel like pounding the pavement for 13 miles this morning. Achey legs. Sore feet. Too humid. Not in the mood.

     This morning at North Lake Park in Umatilla, Fl I got that run done and in the books. Actually I ran 13.5 just to be sure ;) Yup, the challenge of the mind, body and spirit all came together and whew, I feel so good! In a very achey, soaking wet, tired kind of way. So good! I can do what I don't feel like, what is uncomfortable, what is painful.

     If you want to prove to yourself you can do more than you think you have to set a goal you have never done and KEEP AT IT until it is done. If you just say to yourself you can't, well, you won't. If you have a loyal friend, make your goal accountable to them. Encouragement is an amazing boost.

     There is a quote that says " you are stronger than you think, smarter than you think and braver than you think". But that is something that has to be tested to be believed. Like faith. Just saying you have faith doesn't make it so. Let your faith come under duress. Hang on to your faith, pray through your firestorm believing and as you come out on the other side...growth. Each time you do this your faith becomes stronger, something you can trust.

     Something I learned a long time ago is that if you pray for a stronger faith, trials will come your way. Because that is what builds faith. You don't need faith in a bright sunny day. And even knowing this, I prayed for a strong faith that would not fail when terrible times came. I prayed for a building of my faith because I wanted to be without doubt in the faithfulness of my God. Without doubt in His unfailing love. To be able to trust in His mercy and grace no matter what. And some trying times have come my way. And my God, my Lord, my Abba Father remains my comfort and my strength. He lifts my head and holds my hand. And He will do the same for you.

    

Good job, Janie girl

     That's what I was telling myself this morning. Good job, Janie girl. Running 12 miles can be largely a matter of psyching yourself up or psyching yourself out. Such a mental challenge to keep going when your hip joints ache and your bones in your feet are whining. For me, the biggest obstacle can be just getting out the door in the morning! But hey, I continue to tell myself in many areas of life, just one more time, just one more mile, just one more day, just one more lap.

 Here is a simple card with a great detailed stamp I found at Hobby Lobby. Up close it almost looks digitalized. And yes...Life happens. Love helps.

 Another fabulous Hobby Lobby stamp. Reminds me of PSX stamps.

Had to show you my little man. Reaching into Grandma's overnight bag to see what fun things
 he can find. 

And the prize he found? My curling iron. Look at the fella trying it out! I am constantly amazed at how smart he is. 

Well, you go have a wonderful Saturday. I'm going to downtown Mt Dora to a great book store called 

Barrel of Books and Games.

here is a link to their website.  barrelofbooksandgames.com

Then I'm headed to a craft festival in Eustis. Fun day for me!

Leaves speaking bliss....

     I have some beautiful fall cards to show you. And a couple seasonal poems for your Autumn enjoyment!

 
     I used a technique of stamping the leaves using black embossing ink and then heat embossed using clear embossing powder.  Then I sponged the leaves in various fabulous fall colors. I did 3 pages of leaves, stamping and embossing and then varying the ink sponging and then later I cut them all out.

 Some people think the fussy cutting is too tedious but if you have a bunch prepared ahead it's an easy thing to give your hands something to do while watching TV. The card base itself was made in a similar way. I stamped 4 sheet of cardstock with all the stamps from the Stampin' Up! French Foliage. Then I cut the sheets into 4  pieces of 3 and 3/4 by 5. That will fit on your 4 x 5 1/4 layer of contrasting color then your base is your typical 4 and 1/4 x 11 folded in half. (or 5 and 1/2 x 8 and 1/2 folded in half)

Every leaf speaks bliss to me

fluttering from the Autumn tree.

                                                     Emily Bronte`

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace,

as I have seen in an Autumnal face. 

                                                                      John Donne

Thanks for taking a look. Hope you are enjoying a lovely, cool fall day.

Being authentic in an age of disguise

    Everywhere I look I see a different me. Nothing so glaring as hypocrisy or lies, but more like a chameleon whose shades shift from one hue to the next along with the environment. Does anyone else do this? Is it noticeable?

                                                                        me

     Probably most people vary in their outward personality depending on work, school, close friends vs acquaintances, and then family. How about within the family? Do you ever find yourself agreeing with someone on something as you recall at the same time in your mind that in fact you agreed on the opposite with a different person not so long ago? I do this. It's embarrassing to admit.
                              

holiday loving me with my surf city love

     There are people I know who are very very good at being authentic. It's those "what you see is what you get" people. For better or worse, they don't go along to get along as the saying goes. They've determined somewhere along the way who they are and they are comfortable with themselves. More than that, confident that there is no other way they should be.

momma me with 2 of my loves

     Then there are those who I take much of what they say in the spirit of waiting to see what tomorrow brings. Like the sand at the edge of the sea, shifting and waffling with the change of the tide. These people have minds and hearts that are open to change. They listen for the sound of truth but are not confined to a specific version or vision.

     Being authentic is difficult for me in a time where there are many outside influences vying for my attention, my money and my commitment, my me. This is an age of disguise, of misinformation and manipulation and contradictions. My desire is to be a combination of the two profiles above. A confident open minded woman with a tender heart. Like my daughter.

silly me with 2 more of my loves

     Through the help of God, a good counselor, some good books (Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr John Townsend www.cloudtownsend.com  and The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman www.fivelovelanguages.com and loving family and friends I am discovering who the authentic Jane is. And part of who I am is still a chameleon. I like to see things from different perspectives. If you notice that I become less agreeable to everything you say, well, be proud of me. And as I firm up my hopes and dreams, beliefs and boundaries, I intend to give those around me the freedom to do the same.

 fun scary me with my momma lou

   

and here is the love of my life that is teaching me the newest aspect of me, Grandma me.

  Love is found in freedom. Freedom to shift and freedom to stand firm. Freedom to be flexible and open-minded and freedom to draw the line. It's a tricky process. And it's a happy cultivation.

rainy days and mondays

     Another day of getting called off from work. #$%^$ that's about how I feel about that.

     On the other hand...I am ever so ever so ever so ever ever ever so grateful that the loss of income does not bring me fear. Just makes it hard to get ahead and plan. Ahhh well.

     It also allows me more time to create! So here is todays bit of art. Love the Nature's Walk 

set by Stampin' Up!

     And I finally got around to uploading pix of some of my card creations of the last week. Enjoy!

 I seem to be liking my little baby pearls lately.

A photo does not do justice to this last card. The coloring is so soft and pretty, the expresso brown layer is embossed and this is an oversized card about 5X7 maybe.

Hope you are finding a peaceful way of redeeming your day. Monday's are hard to do that with sometimes, aren't they? 

And one final little note for your monday pondering;

Some people change when they see the light.

Some people have to feel the heat.

Just a thought I borrowed from some unknown but wise source. 

Thanks for stopping by.

questioning my beliefs

     Introspection can be a crooked trail with snaggy thorns and jagged stones that slow you down and trip you up, pull you towards slimy memories and painful broken promises. But that is the treacherous path I'm choosing currently. Discovery is sharp sometimes, piercing even. And I am finding that some of the beliefs I have held onto are faulty. Some are firmly grounded and some just need to be buried along with the people who hammered them into my psyche while I was a child. Digging through the mud and the grime is my chore and a hopeful excavation.

And along the road I will continue to create and smile and encourage others towards the same. So here is a few of my latest cards.

 Hope your day is peaceful.