But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7, ESV) (Listen)
Did you know?…Umbrellas have been found in historical artifacts and depictions thousands of years ago. Originally they were made as protection from the sun not the rain. The word umbrella is from the Latin word umbra, which in turn derives from the Ancient Greek ómvros. Its meaning is shade or shadow. An umbrella or parasol are also, sometimes colloquially called, gamp, brolly, or bumbershoot. The first umbrella shop of record, which opened in 1830, is still today at its original address in London. There, James Smith and Sons sold umbrellas that were works of art; many made of wood and whalebone and covered with alpaca or an oiled canvas, some even covered in feathers.
I added an umbrella to my artwork for Layers of Color Challenge. The vintage photo is of a female actress with a cane. I imagined her to be an umbrella shopkeeper, so I turned her cane into a colorful umbrella. Paraplule (para-plui) is French, for umbrella.
All stamps in this piece are Layers of Color Architectural Blocks stamp set. The background is paper rubbing over the stamps using colored pencils, then stamped over the rubbing with chalk inks and pierced through the paper. Details include stitching on the sheer ribbon and adding a decorative upholstery tack.
It was such fun to make that I also created a tutorial for this Unique Technique to show others how to make the paper umbrella and awning.
Jessica also met the challenge with this delightful rainy day dance! I love the bubble umbrellas and book page raindrops. This reminds me of Jessica’s childhood when she would dance in the warm California rain with her little friends…except they wouldn’t bother with the umbrellas… they wore their swimsuits!
What a Buzz! My Queen Bee purse has been published in Stampington’s Spring 2008 issue of Haute Handbags! It’s featured on a full page, (pg. 136) if you pick up copy.
Some of the special features of this purse are that it’s made of linen and silk, the bees are boullion embroidery with copper fabric wings. Jewelry, stamps and a honey drop bead accents the bee. A Unique Technique used on this purse is that the large wings are made from natural skeleton leaves sandwiched between layers of sheer copper fabric, then stitched along the edges.
I love the image of bees and their symbolism. Since antiquity, bees have been held in high regard. It’s the heraldic emblem of the kings of France and the Barberini princes. Bees were attributed many human qualities, including industriousness, valor and chastity. Christian tradition has a fascination with these little insects also. Some saints are compared to bees for their good works or the sweetness of their words. Historically in art, a bee alludes to the image of Christ and his forgiveness of mankind’s sins.
My kitchen is decorated with a pair of red shutters painted with bees and this bible verse, which refers to God’s Word,
“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
…Or “Hoving Lusband” as he playfully likes to refer to himself. Either way, I thought this would be a nice surprise for him hanging on his closet door or rear view car mirror on Valentine’s Day. The oval represents a large “O” as in a big hug and the “X” represents a kiss. I wrote a love note on the back. I chose colors that blend well with our bedroom. Find a combination that speaks from your heart and share it with your love.
Black cardboard, recycled back cover of a drawing pad
Layers of Color Fleur Heart stamp
White ink stamp pad
Souffle opaque puffy ink pens
Black trim, tassel and vintage rick-rack
Silver bead and pearls recycled from costume jewelry
Glitter letter “X”
Cut oval approx. 5 3/4″ X 3 3/4″. Stamp Fleur Heart in white and go over several times with the opaque pens. Trims and letter are glued using tacky glue and hot glue. The UNIQUE TECHNIQUE used in this project are the inset pearls. I punched multiple holes with a Cropodile hole punch, then using the flat end of a screwdriver I forced the pearls into the holes making sure that the bead hole didn’t show. The result is a great tactile bumpy effect. The pearls along with the raised area of puffy ink and separated letter makes this a wonderful technique as a gift for someone who is blind.
