Weeks 51 and 52

Kathy

Hope you don't mind me adding to your blog, but thought I might suggest a couple of ideas for everyone for the last 2 weeks of the year.

I'm not going to write very much, but thought we could dedicate the last 2 weeks to you and use the following as inspiration:

Week 51 - some way in which Kathy has inspired you
Week 52 - a hope that you have for Kathy

I continue to pray that God gives you the strength that you need and that He continues to give you this wonderful peace.

love
Kirsty

The next few months ...

While I'm away here is a list of prompts for those continuing with their cards. All the best ...

36. Spring - hasn't it started beautifully!

37. Challenge - what is/or has been a challenge in your life? Look on challenges as something positive!

38. Childhood - something special about childhood.

39. Books - choose a favourite, why?

40. Movie - once again a favourite, why?

41. Dinner guest - who would you like to invite to dinner? Can be from the past or present and more than one person - have a whole party if you like!

42. Comfort

43. Rainbows

44. Hands - how marvellous are our hands!

45. Feet - hmmmm.... (I am very thankful for my feet, I just couldn't be a podiatrist!)

46. Recipe - a favourite, why? Maybe we could share these?

47. Angels

48. Crown - thinking of advent perhaps?

49. Summer

50. A Christmas tradition.

Well there you are - I plan on doing the last couple when I return. See you then.

35. Puzzle

This prompt is a little different - for your 35th card you need to incorporate your puzzle pieces.

You can do this in a variety of ways and here are a few suggestions ...

* attach them to your card and fill in your own back ground to suit by drawing, painting, collage etc.
* use them to inspire your own creative writing or use quotes.
* be completely random in your use of them - use them for their shape, colour or visual effect rather than meaning - see how creative you can be!

I hope you enjoy this different style of prompt and I'm looking forward to seeing/hearing about your ideas.

33. and 34. Comfort and Colour

After missing last week, I have two for today - Comfort and Colour.

As I am nursing a head cold at present ... what brings you comfort? It doesn't have be during a time of illness but anytime at all. Something to think about.

Also for week 34, a card featuring your favourite colour or it could be all the colours of the rainbow - it's up to you. So have double the fun this week.

32. Music/Song

Greetings one and all on this lovely Tuesday morning.

The prompt today is Music or Song (or both). This is another broad theme for you to do as you will.

I hope you enjoy it.

31. Water

A nice open-ended prompt for you this week!

I had so many ideas running through my head but after thinking of this topic for a while I couldn't get away from the idea of water being life-giving and ever-present. I also kept thinking of how thankful I am for it - in all ways as it gives physical, emotional and spiritual life.

My writing on the back reflects these ideas. On the front I incorporated a picture I took of the Thames while walking beside this wonderful river from its source to Windsor. I wanted to use this particular image as the water in the Thames is flowing well providing physical needs, the church in the background with its spire pointing heavenwards represents the spiritual, and one can only respond emotionally to the beautiful river itself.

I photographed my card propped up against some lilies - life-giving water again - and although it came out a little odd in the upper right corner, it gives you an idea.

P.S. I've put my 'flora' and 'in a nutshell' images at the appropriate places. Anyone else's are very welcome.

30. Nutshell

"and that's it in a nutshell!"

How often do we say or hear this phrase ... and what is 'it'?

For this week's prompt it might be fun to put one of our sayings, thoughts or philosophies of life in a nutshell! I know this may be a little more challenging but see how you go and I would love to receive any of your ideas and images.

I decided to put the first question from the 'Shorter Catechism' on the back as it is a summary of our purpose here in this world.

What is the chief end of man?
Man's chief end is to GLORIFY GOD,
and to ENJOY HIM FOR EVER.

All the best for a creative week.

Some of Sheridan's ...

Here is a peek at some of Sheridan's wonderful cards to inspire you -

what a stunning cityscape ...


and I love these two ...




and this one made me laugh (I can identify!)


I have more to show you another time.
Thank you Sheridan, you are so creative.

29. Flora

The prompt for this week is 'flora' which can be interpreted in so many ways ...

I immediately conjure up botanical images - hence the poppies on the front, but on the back I wrote about Thistle Harris, a botanist and author I knew when I was young. She introduced me to 'flora' as she roamed the hills searching for specimens. She also kindly gave my sister and I a series of books she had written through whose pages we gained a little insight into the wonderful world of flora.

I am enjoying these weekly challenges and hope you are too!

28. Birds

This week the prompt is 'birds' and I'm sure you'll all have fun with it.

I always think of Sheridan when I see the lovely 'vintage ephemera' being reproduced and I must admit to succumbing to some gorgeous postcards and stickers. Even so, I ended up choosing one of my absolute favourite creatures ... chooks. I did write about some other delightful birds on the back of my card though!

I would like to encourage you all with this quote from Henry Van Dyke:

“Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.”

**********************************************************


I've included my winter card - the season is stark yet has a beauty all of it's own, so I kept the front simple.

I could have written about so many things but on the back all I wrote was:

"Winter came down to our home one night
Quietly pirouetting in on sivery-toed slippers of snow,
And we, we were children once again." Bill Morgan Jr.

which describes so well the wonder and excitement of snow at the cottage (and it is forecast for tomorrow night!)

27. Winter

Greetings everyone! I hope you enjoyed your season of thankfulness and are ready for more weekly prompts.


I am including a few of Mary's lovely cards as inspiration for you - please feel free to add your own or e-mail some images to me and I'll put them on for you.


Above is a map of Mary's cruise as she will be setting sail(?) in September


and with Autumn well and truly over, I thought we should start our next series of prompts with Winter. I do enjoy this season for many reasons - open fires, berries along the roadside, snow (sometimes - but how wonderful when it does arrive), comfort food, brisk walks - I'll put them on my card to show you next time.

14. ... 26. Thankfulness

For the next 'quarter' of the year I would like us to focus on what we are thankful for. There is so much in our lives that is a blessing and for which we can give thanks, so let these next few weeks be a season of gratitude.

Each week you will need to incorporate one of the following into your design. They can be done in order or you can select one to suit whatever blessing you have chosen to focus on.

* spots
* stripes
* paint
* drawing
* calligraphy
* a letter fragment
* a rubber stamp
* checks
* tracing paper
* a postage stamp
* fabric
* a number
* a music fragment

For the first week I chose "home" as I was especially thankful for the safety I felt whilst sheltering from the strong gales last week. I used spots and on the back of the card I wrote about the different aspects of my earthly home that I appreciate.

I really enjoyed taking out my 'miscellany' cards this morning and noted how my collection is growing, I do hope you all are receiving much pleasure from this activity too.

13. A quarter

Here we are at Week 13 - a quarter of a year already!

This week is really open with the only stipulation being - you need to divide your card into quarters.

I hope you enjoy it.

I ended up brainstorming all the things I could think of to do with 'quarters' and found a lot were associated with time, hence the front of my card ...
Then on the back I wrote these words from "Today" by Thomas Carlyle:

So here hath been dawning
Another blue day:
Think, wilt thou let it
Slip useless away?

12. Autumn

“Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”
From ‘To Autumn’ by John Keats.

We have been experiencing days of extreme heat – high 30’s to 40°C – it seems strange for Autumn.
Robyn originally introduced me to this poem and I thought it might be nice to think upon the joys of autumn, even though 33°C is the forecast for today. At least it’s cooler!

On the back of my card I wrote some of the things I love about Autumn as well as a special Autumn memory.

11. Balance

* I had ‘balance’ ready as the next prompt but wasn’t sure whether to use it or not but a few days ago I received an e-mail from a ‘miscellany’ friend who said (and I hope she doesn’t mind me quoting her) …

“We are getting to the stage in life where we want to slow down with work and enjoy smelling the roses.”

So here is the prompt as planned, I hope you find it inspiring.

Today
is a day
like any other: twenty-four hours,
a little sunshine,
a little rain.

Listen,
says ambition, nervously shifting her weight
from one boot to another -
why don't you get going?

For there I am, in the mossy shadows, under the trees.
And to tell the truth, I don't want to let go of the wrists of idleness,
I don't want to sell my life for money,
I don't even want to come in out of the rain."

- Mary Oliver

There are so many joys in life “For there I am, in the mossy shadows, under the trees” and yet often they are combined with responsibilities, “I don’t want to sell my life for money” is one I have considered.

Do you sometimes find that joys/responsibilities are at odds with one another?
What joys do you experience that happily combine with responsibilities?
What gives ‘balance’ to your life?

10. Home

“Go to foreign countries and you will get to know the good things one possesses at home.”
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

What are your ‘good things’?
Have fun with your card.

9. Postcards

This week there is something else for the journey... we are making our card into a mini postcard.
You can send it from any place, real or fictitious, and include the usual things - an image, stamp, address and short note.

Wish you were here!


Just after we had returned from our most recent trip to England (including Shropshire), I read about Fordhall Farm. It was a tenant farm and had been in the same family for generations but was about to be sold to developers. The family wanted to stay farming the land but couldn't afford to buy it so it was set up as a community farm where one could by a share. My request for my birthday that year was the 12 square metres or so of land that would constitute my allocation as a shareholder.


Yesterday I received the latest mailing so decided to base my postcard on Fordhall Farm, using bits and pieces from the letter. I placed the card on a leaf of a pumpkin vine to photograph it - it is an overcast day today so the image is not very clear.

I would love to visit the farm and hopefully may do so later this year.

8. Maps

Now that we’ve packed our bags with enthusiasm, wonder and creativity … the journey is underway but do we need a map?

I love maps! At one stage I even considered undertaking a degree in cartography. I especially like maps that include images but I also enjoy looking at ancient maps, reading the interesting place names wondering about the lifestyles of those who lived in past times.

Many modern maps focus on roads – and where would we be without our street directories (lost!) – but think of other maps like pirates’ treasure maps, mind maps, mud maps, time lines mapping history, personal maps detailing our lives.
Where have you come from? Where are you heading? Where would you like to be going?

Paste, draw, paint, collage or somehow incorporate a map on your card this week.

My card uses part of a map that guided me around the ancient city of Chester a year or so ago. I particularly wanted to include the cathedral as I discovered the 'King Chamberlain's Men' setting up in the beautiful grounds. I peeped down from my bird's-eye view and thought - how amazing - as I had only recently been reading of this acting troupe in a book about Shakespeare.


I added a pointer for north to give direction but on the back wrote one of my favourite verses, words from the real guide to direct our paths ...

7. Creativity

The prompt this week is something else to take along on the journey – creativity! I think wonder, enthusiasm and creativity are three essentials for this miscellany.

Is there a place in which you feel more creative, or perhaps some items – paper, pens, fabric – that get your creative juices flowing? Is it keeping to routine or being open?

What is this often elusive but key element in leading an artistic life?

The image shows the front of my card and on the back I wrote, in a spiral, lots of ideas to promote creativity - I'll have to refer to them for inspiration!

6. Wonder

“Wonder is more than novelty. It’s more than thrill-seeking, although it can appear as a sudden intrusion or invigorating jolt. The merely novel, the brief thrill is totally self-centred, what makes us feel good or superior. Wonder is deeper, wider, and healthier. Wonder is bumping up against an astounding world of external glory, then reverently entering in.”

JANET CHESTER BLY

For my card I started thinking about the stars in the heavens, the beauty of nature but then moved to "lost in wonder, love and praise" from the old hymn. After a little search I found a 'lost in wonder' site set up by the Methodist Church in the UK which takes you through a labyrinth as you explore the wonder of God's love. Finally I chose part of an illustration from "Alice in Wonderland", wrote my phrase on the back along with the website address.

Wonder is such a special and essential aspect of our journey through life.
Include wonder in your miscellany!

5. Enthusiasm

As we are enthusiastically completing the weekly prompts and adding to our boxes of bits and pieces, here is the next word on our miscellaneous journey …

en•thu•si•asm (ĕn-thū'zē-ăz'em)
n. Great excitement for or interest in a subject or cause.

I find enthusiasm so infectious. The passion and devotion that grip some is inspiring and contagious.
Is there anything you have boundless enthusiasm for?


I decided that 'enthusiasm' should be bursting forth ... so I have the word and some synonyms opening up from the front of the card.

Have fun with it,

4. Journey

For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.

The prompt this week is 'journey' and I have included the above quote by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Do you find the anticipation of the journey half the fun or do you look upon a journey with slight trepidation? Do you like to have everything planned or be open to follow interesting paths as they arise, to meander a little into the unknown?

A journey can be a physical voyage as well as a metaphorical one.

I hope you enjoy this - here is the front of mine:

Yvon's progress ...

Yvon e-mailed me about her cards and with her permission I am putting it here...

We've just been away to Portarlington for a few days so I did my card there. As I had my pencils etc. with me I did it in sketch, though I have cheated and purchased large print cards to give me more space to work with. Just a minor deviation from the plan!!!! I did write some key words together for the front of my card, and illustrated it on the back; something like this:

Written word and spoken thought...
Easy conversation...
Lemongrass and lavendar...
Country homes and coffee...
Open fires and laughter...
Moggie on the mat...
Everyone sit back, now...

Relax!

Well, that was it anyway. I put a little saying on the bottom that I made up myself because it was something that does relate to being at one in my own space.

"Let everything take the time it takes."

There is an explanation to that but I won't get into that here.
Anyway, now I'll have to see what I can do with my name, or at least my spelling of it.

Till next time,
Yvon

Your phrases are so evocative Yvon, thanks for letting us know of your thoughts.

I have been to Yvon's home on many occasions and it is very welcoming and the "Everyone sit back, now... Relax" is so apt!

As it turns out Mary and I are also using slightly larger than normal cards ... there may be others?