Check out this item in my Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/listing/492077817/faith-christian-wood-sign-with-verse
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It’s a New Year!
Why does it always feel like a fresh start or clean slate, just because the year on the calendar has changed? But nevertheless, it feels like you get a do-over. You can make those new year’s resolutions, over again, begin that diet, get a new job and more. You are able to forgive yourself for the failures of last year or rejoice in the glory of the accomplishments of the last year.
So beginning this year for me, I too have big plans!!!! I’ve gotten past foot surgery, biopsies, and health issues. I’ve been working on new artwork and am making progress in setting up events to attend this year! Yay!
But above all that, I want my relationship with my Lord to be closer than it’s ever been. We rely so much on Him! But I want Him to be able to rely on me. To take His message wherever I go. He is everything! It’s not an easy task, loving others who are not easy to love, turning the other cheek when you really want to slap theirs. But there is way more to it than that. It’s about starving the fleshly desires and feeding the spirit. That’s what Jesus did. When the disciples wanted to know where the should go and get food, Jesus told them that he had food they knew not of. He was concerned with feeding the spirit, by the Word of God.
So I am believing that this year, my flesh will grow slim, and the Spirit within me will be very well fed! And the best place to find that food is in His Word. I want to use whatever He gives me and be the best I can be with it.
I have been working on new designs. I can’t wait to get these items out to the shows!
I know some of you have seen these already on my facebook. And please don’t notice the coffee cups, lol. I do love me some coffee!
Burned wood fractals and painted leaves and berries.
Needle felted bunnies
And quilting!!!!
So maybe it looks like I can’t make up my mind what I want to do, but I just love to do everything! This kind of approach to an art business is not very profitable… but I can’t seem to focus directly. I love to paint and can make the most impact with that. But oh the joy of fiber arts! SO I’m posting these pictures, I hope by the end of this year, my talent will have grown in fiber arts and painting. I would like to have painting tutorials on here for you in the future for those of you who have asked me about classes! I will keep you informed!
While getting ready for the Pennsylvania Apple n’ Cheese Festival……
I’m really conflicted about the future and how to go about making the important decisions that are necessary. Yes, my artist friends, I know it’s just a little show, but for me, at this point, it’s a perfect show to do, since I have a 40 hour a week job, not including the drive/lunch break time. My dilemma is that I need to make some changes soon. Life changing choices. I can stay where I am, where there is security, though it keeps me poor, or I can take that big leap of faith! Just like I did so many years ago. My heart is with my art. Do I follow my heart, and take the leap of faith, or do I continue in the monotony of a normal boring life with no future for growth mentally or financially?
There are big risks, not having a steady income. I know this from the past. But is fear of failure worth staying where I am? I think not! I can’t be one of those people that settle because it’s easy or comfortable. I have to be brave and courageous to achieve the goals God set in my heart long ago!
I need to be back to the shows, where I used to be, but I also need to be teaching my craft, showing others how satisfying it is to create something from the heart. I need to be more productive with my online sales. I already have a difficult time keeping up with my internet sales.
So keep me in your prayers about my future choices
. God always has a plan and He’s in full control, I just believe that the original plan He had for me, hasn’t changed. There was just a big speed bump!
I’m praying for opportunities and open doors. I’m excited at what the future holds!
UPDATE: Apple and cheese went very well thanks to good weather and a new craft! The woodworking went very well along with my usual stuff. I will be posting some new pieces very soon! If you would like to know more about my work or see some photo tutorials, just stay posted and let me know what you would like to see!
Also, please add my blog to your favorites! It will help me grow and create items that are inspirational to others!
Come visit us at Hammondsport!
The angel wing is finished! It measures slightly less than 5 feet long and was done with acrylics. It’s sealed with acrylic. It’s a one of a kind, that’s for sure. You can come and see it displayed at the Hammondsport Summer Crafts Festival August 19-20! We will have much, much more in the way of the electrified wood with the Lichtenburg Fractals.
Under His Wings, You Will Find Refuge
This wonderful piece of wood has been sitting in my shop, just waiting for the right design and project. I’ve sort of had an idea, but hadn’t gotten to it. Today is the day!
So when you see this piece, what do you think of?
It’s over 5 feet long. It has a burl on the bottom. Woodturners are quite fond of those! Craig says it’s a piece of white oak but it really is unique with being cut from the crotch of a tree.
So as I look at it, I think of an angel wing. I drew an angel wing in my journaling bible, with watercolor pencils and ink, but I think I will go a bit different with colors, mainly white. So I sketched it out on the wood, then base coated it with an off white.
Then one feather at a time…..
And that’s where it ended today! It’s actually very helpful to have the instant photos to
review my work. I will have the verse from Proverbs on there somewhere. This would be a great piece for someone with cathedral ceilings or a big space to fill. It will be lightly stained and sealed to protect it when it’s done. Then the wing will really stand out! I believe I will be finishing this at the Wellsboro Laurel Festival this weekend in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania! Stop and sit a while and visit! I’m in my usual spot near the front of the park on the corner. I will also have some of my new needle felt creations there as well. Hope to see you there!
A blessed morning with a shepherdess!
I got to take the time this morning to visit with my neighbors at Glenfiddich Farm! What a special treat! The England’s raise sheep, specifically for spinning wool. Kathy showed me her shop where she has many different types of yarns and roving wool and more! She creates a lot of beautiful things with wool and her knit sweaters were amazing! When I was on the show circuit, Kathy and company were also at some of the shows I participated in. Mainly the fine art or fine craft events and the folk craft shows. I feel really blessed to have them as neighbors! We really live in a beautiful area so Check out their farm and sheep in this video!
And on this trip, I was blessed to be able to purchase beautiful roving wool for my new art, needle felting and felted quilt banners. I was able to get a lot of natural colors to create animals and much more! Kathy is very knowledgeable and helpful! I noted all the great colors and types, she had bags of fleeces that hadn’t been cleaned or carded yet that were so beautiful! Her husband takes great care of the sheep, and is a wonderful shepherd! Kathy had bought several of my art signs in the past and it was cool to also see them on the walls of her house.
Maybe some of you remember when I used to create dolls, many unique creations from fabric, paint, and fibers? Some of my regular customers were sad when I stopped making them and went to painting only, Well loved creating all of them, the normal and the crazy moose, giraffes, elephants, porcupines, etc. and I am really looking forward to trying my hand at it again. Only this time it will be more refined and detailed. I will be making them out of mainly all natural fibers and materials.
Also! Gina M. and Laurie L. guessed my new craft! I will have a little something for you in a couple of weeks! Have a blessed day!
Another Hint!
This last week, I have been busily gathering new tools and supplies for my new craft! So I thought I would take a moment to give you all another hint or two. One thing I can definitely tell you is it’s not wood! Someone asked me about this video and guessed that I was going back to woodworking. In this video, that many of you have already seen, is my husband’s craft. He is into fine woodworking and wood turning. He’s very talented! The table top he is making in the video is hemlock being electrocuted with a very high voltage of electricity. He can maneuver the electricity to go in a direction he wants it to, and he can also alter the amount or depth of the burn. But that is his work! 🙂
So that is one category ruled out! My art requires very few tools, and most are small. So a tool that an artist doing the medium I will be working with looks something like this item below! Let me know if you can guess what I am going to be creating!
I hope you all are having a blessed Memorial Day weekend and remembering your loved ones that fought for our country! We all know that freedom is not free. We spent the afternoon with my husband’s family and visited the cemetery and placed flowers on the graves of family members. Thanks to Uncle Steve and Louise for all you do! The flowers were beautiful and the memories we create are even more special!
An artist’s revival!
Do you ever feel like there is something new or different that you are supposed to be doing, and you just can’t seem to figure it out? Being an artist for many years, I have encountered a few “dry spells” so to speak, but not like I have over the past couple of years. It’s been a bit of a burnout to keep doing the art I have been doing for 20 years.
But through the inspiration of my mom, my sisters, and my husband, I a moving into something brand new! My mom is a quilter, my sister Mary is creative on many accounts, and my sister Kristi is an encourager, My husband, is blunt but honest! LOL, so with all of that, I have found my new creative outlet!
While I have created many signs and painting over the years, I find that it has become monotonous and boring, When I started with signs, no one was doing them. Technology has become so accessible for people, most don’t have to buy signs, they can make them easily with a font and a printer! So why spend the money at a show? Yes, most of my designs were unique and detailed but it doesn’t really matter in this day and age. Simple signs are cheap and easily copied.
This last week, my breakthrough came at me, all in one day! Things I had prayed for and about, happened all at once! People came into play last week, ideas popped into my head, and I have totally redesigned my booth with a new vision, last Tuesday morning! I had prayed for a long time and never seemed to figure it out.
My husband told me that I needed to do something new with my current designs and updating them. He said I needed a fresh new look. Little did he realize, that was the kick I needed. Though truthfully I think he was a little afraid since I went a totally new direction!! However, he gave me a great gift with that comment, and he also purchased some new supplies and everything I needed to get started!
Then I spoke with my mom, she is a great inspiration with her talent. She was very encouraging! She sent me some information to get me started as well. So with family and friends helping me out, next year, you will see what I am working on! It is not common, and some pieces will be very original and unique! I can’t wait to show you and will keep you all updated so stay tuned! I will provide little hints as I go along!
A Work in Progress
As I looked through the wood scraps at a lumber yard, I am amazed at what the world throws away and thinks useless. Like this scrap of maple. My husband took note of the interesting shape of the wood, it’s color and the grain, even though it was very rough. It was destined to be used as a scrap for the fire.
But he could see something in it that the normal eye cannot. A piece of art. Even though it was rough and ugly, he could see beyond the exterior. I said that if he could bring out it’s beauty, I could paint something that would give it a purpose and bring joy to someone who wanted to share it.
So he put this board through a refining process so that I could turn it into a work of art. He sanded and trimmed, and brought out the unique grain and texture that no one else could see. It had amazing color when he polished it. This piece really had to go through a process for it to get to my art studio and receive the gift of art. So that it could be used in someone’s home to be a blessing to all who enter there.
I the same way, we can see how God works in our lives. He picks us out of the heap, the pile ready for burning. He takes us in and he refines us if we are willing. Many times we go through loss and suffering. We have our rough edges sanded off and trimmed. Sometimes we go through this process with difficulty and other times it’s easy. But go through it, we must. We get polished so that we can be used for the special gifts God wants to place in us. Just like the art added to this piece. We find our purpose and then can be used to bring glory to Him!
So truly, we are all a work in progress, brought out of the fire, and given purpose by the Lord! Alleluia!!
New Ideas going forward!
I am so excited to be getting back to doing new artwork! God has given me some new ideas and new plans. I would love to get the thoughts of all of my friends and followers! My original website has been redone, www.lauriesherrell.com I am also adding a possible second site through Kingdom which will be http://www.heaventohand.com and will keep you informed.
I am also considering adding downloadable files for you so that you can get my artwork and print it for yourselves. This would be very nice for note cards and smaller pieces. Of couse they would be offered at a discounted price!
What do you all think of t-shirts, totes, mugs and other items with my art on them?
What about coupons?
And would you still like me to reconsider going to some shows?
Lastly…..what do you all recommend that I do to help my website and my site on etsy that I don’t offer?
Any comments and ideas are appreciated!
You can comment here or email me at lauriesherrell@hotmail.com
I’m looking forward to hearing from all of you!
