Stacked Stones Studio!

What I dream of is an art of BALANCE , of purity and serenity...a soothing calming influence on the mind...rather like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue. These are the words of Henry Matisse -- great artist -- creative genius...and he confessed to struggling to find balance in his art. My life is a continual struggle for balance...in my art, my profession, my relationships, my time and emotions. I believe the only source for true balance is to put God absolutely first on the list -- and let HIM set the percentages for everything else. If I am tuned in to Him...my life has purity and serenity...He is my source of balance and soothing calming influence...Jesus said, "Come to me all you who are weary and weighed down with heavy burdens and I will give you rest." Ahhh -- now that feels like a good armchair.

Today was my first day as a university professor! I honestly, didn't know what to expect...would I freeze? Would I babble on? Would my students seem like puppies? The day started off great...Royce and Weston took me to breakfast...and at the end they each presented me with an apple...one red -- one green. They also had one more present for me...a watch. (I don't know if you know this about me -- but I never wear one.) I think they might have really been looking out for my students...in case I lost track of time! *smile* It was so thoughtful...and during class, I could look down at my wrist and be reminded that "my guys love me." Class ended up being great too...I have 22 students...freshmen to juniors. I also have a girl from Belarus in my class -- so that was a delightful surprise...we had a brief conversation in Russian -- and she promised she wouldn't give her speeches in Russian -- because my Russian is so bad! *laughing* We mostly did introductory stu...

are often accompanied by mixed feeling...and this week is certainly following that plan. This Thursday, I will step back in to the class room to teach undergraduate studens the Fundamentals of Speech...and maybe another class. Oh...I am not concerned about the materials...it is just that the environment has changed so much -- technology is the lynchpen for what goes on in the classroom. Their assisntments are not "handed in" -- they get uploaded to my :on-line classroom. Our discussion on the ethics of communication will not be held in the classroom...but in a chat room where opinions are not faced with the reaction of their peery...at leaset not face to face. I am not saying all of this is bad...it is just there is so much that I must adjust to -- in addition to preparin for the parts that I am respoinsible for. I know I will get it done...and I am exceited about gettingit done. I love new beginnings. I love new challenge....teaching at Cumberland promises to be bot...

Ok...Nashville isn't supposed to be this hot still! I moved here from Dallas where -- sure we expected it to be over 100 degrees all through August -- but not here in Nashville. Nothing like doing a photo shoot for someone's engagement pictures and having them (and me) dripping with sweat...oooooooooooo so romantic! ha! Ok...so they still managed to generate a little heat on their own...ahhhh young love!

I decided to make a mini-album to collect all of my "one little word" challenges. Each word has its own significance...but taken together they are almost like a self portrait...something to look back on and reflect why these word had particular importance to me at the time. I had this delicious little acrylic mini-book just waiting for some sort of cleverness -- and when I saw the iridescent Hambly with leaves -- I knew I just had to use it. I cut it to fit behind the piece of acrylic and then backed that with another transparency of word definitions. A few letter tiles and some rub- ons were added to the front for titling. I attache3d the paper and transparency to the acrylic board with copper foil tape (used for edging stained glass prior to soldering). The word this week was * SEEK *. I have been working on taking joy in simple things...not letting important moments go by because they are not HUGE and attention getting...those are some of the very best memories. M...

Do you like to study faces? I do -- my favorites are those who are older and younger...the first have stories to tell...the second are yet to be told. Such a study in contrasts. This photograph was taken during a trip I made to Cuba a few years ago to take humanitarian aid. I ran into some of the most wonderful people -- who have very hard stories to tell. When I saw this paper from 7 Gypsies it so reminded me of the way things are "weathered" there (both the buildings AND the people)...so even though the paper line is named from areas of ITA, I still had to use it. Enjoy -- am looking forward to being back in Nashville on Saturday -- have a huge need to scrap.

Hello friends...hope everyone is off to a GREAT week. I am in Indianapolis for a conference this week. Should be good -- but have to tell you that traveling for another week is NOT one of my favorite things at the moment. Ready to be home and able to get back to a more regular routine. Ah well...paying the house payment IS one of my favorite things -- so, I believe this balances this out to a "neutral thing" if not a favorite! One of my favorite things this weekend was getting to hang with my friends from Scrap It! We had a huge crop this weekend with more than 70 people in attendance...the scissors, glue, paper and embellishments were FLYING! One of the funnest things was doing a round robin -- will have to show you the results when I get back. We each got 10 minutes to start our layout...then had to pass it off to the next person -- and they had 10 minutes to work on it and then passed it on. With six people in our group each layout got an hours worth of work -- a...

I love this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson...in my life -- not EVERY day seems like the best day -- but I think when we purpose in our hearts to find something good and right in each day -- God gives us the grace to do it. I want that in my life. I want to help Weston and Royce find that in their days too. Decided to create a layout to put up in my studio to remind me of this "purposing" that I want to do every day. For someone who really doesn't like to scrap themselves -- apprently, I have gotten over it. Just noticed how many of my last few layouts have me in them. Not sure what got into me -- but am glad I have a few done.

Ok...this week's word over at the One Little Word Challenge is* automatic .* Had me scratching my head for awhile...first all I could think of was that I drive an " automatic ." That sounded old. Then I thought about something my mother always said when I was a little girl..."Saying 'thank you' should be automatic ." That sounded preachy (but great advise). And then this afternoon, I saw squirrels out in my yard trying to bury nuts in the ground (which is a whole OTHER story because my yard is all ROCKS) -- and I automatically reached for my camera....aha! Finally -- my one little word could become a layout. Decided to play a bit outside my normal style. Have been seeing some cool "funky frames" on the Scrap In Style tv site....and wanted to see what would happen if I tried to create one myself. Have been waiting for a fun project to use a wonderful kit filled with Tinkering Ink goodies from Scrap It! Online....so all these things j...

My guy really loves "peace." Not that I like conflict -- but he would almost rather go to the dentist for a root canal! It is a true sign of his love and commitment to me that he is willing to weather the storms that come in relationship. I so appreciate and love that about him! This is from the Scrap In Style TV July kit called I "heart" Candy Town. Hope everyone is off to a great weekend -- I am glad to be back in Nashville -- this was a long week -- and I say again, VERY long week!

My friend Renee just handed me a picture and said, "do you want to scrap this?" Obviously, the answer was YES! How cute is Miss Sweet P? Of course, I had to take the comical route on it. As you who know her know -- she LOVES everything "princess." When I saw her pensive look and the red, white and blue of her outfit -- I couldn't help but compose a fairy tale where she just found out that America doesn't have "princesses" so she decides she has to become President instead. Ok -- at least it amused me! Am looking forward to being home on Friday...too many days away from home and from my scrap table. Hope you all are having a great week.

Today is the anniversary of my Mom going home to be with the Lord. It has been a year of processing lots of things. I decided to do a layout to contain some of my reflections...most are hidden in the envelope -- but the tag reads...I miss you, Mom. I do. We struggled most of the time with our relationship. Probably for reasons on both sides. Still -- when all is said and done -- I miss her. She poured a lot into my life that I am grateful for: 1. Love 2. Faith 3. Love of literature and the English language 4. Creativity 5. Adopting me and giving me a home and a heritage. 6. A sense of right and wrong 7. Love for my sister 8. Appreciation of nature. 9. Imagination -- she is the one that showed me that a refrigerator box could become a personal clubhouse. 10. Sense of humor. I know she is at home with the Lord -- and I am so grateful that she is no longer sick -- nor hurting. Honestly, I wish we had been able to get everything worked out so we could have been friends -- isn'...

OK ...so I never thought I would be scrapping THIS picture. Oh sure...I loved it when I took it...who could resist a baby face -- even if that face IS an orangutan !?!?! But scrap it?!?! Good grief. However, it was as irrresitable as that face when the One Little Word Challenge was the word sIMPlicity. The journaling reads: Have you ever watched the monkeys in the zoo? Not much bothers them. They are happy and very content. Their life is simple. No email...no text messages, but they still manage to be content. I guess I need to live more s IMP ly. OK I also can't resist a good play on words...and I really do want to add simplicity to my everyday life? How about you?

What shows did you love to watch when you were younger? Of course, like most kids, I loved to watch TV -- but if I had to narrow it down my list was definitely filled with funny women: Carol Burnett, Lucille Ball, and Doris Day. I had saved this copy of the Saturday Evening Post from 1976 -- (yes, I realize MANY of you weren't even BORN then, much less starting to SAVE things) with Carol Burnett on the cover. Hadn't really known what I would do with it -- just wanted to keep it. Then a few days ago, there was a challenge on Scrap In Style tv -- that was to use something for your background other than patterned paper or cardstock. There are LOTS of great responses...ranging from clear hambly layouts -- to glass. I loved the creative things people came up with. This was my response to the challenge. I took the whole magazine -- mod podged the first eight pages together (leaving the article about Carol intact) and then used a picture of me from the year the magazine was from (yes ...

I think it is good to get outside your comfort zone and try new things....occasionally! *smile* I have seen several very talented ladies scrapping 6 x 12 for a few weeks now -- and I thought I would give it a whirl. Turns out -- I love it. It is a really manageable size -- immediately gives you two different orientations that have really different possibilities...you can use wallet size photos and still fill the page...and it seems to come together quickly. I'm not saying I am giving up 12 x 12 or 8 x 8, but it is a fun option to throw into the mix. Here are a couple of layouts I created -- the first is of Weston when he was building a Carpetball table (which if you haven't played is a TON of fun -- kind of like shuffle board on carpet with pool balls)...really got out on the limb with this one -- using cardboard to give it a rougher look. (Cosmo Cricket paper) The second one is from a Scrap It!! kit with Urban Lily. Loved the papers...wonderful kit! Have a great day ...

to be back at my scrap table... Here are a couple of lo from my time today. My house was clean (no distractions), the CD player was blaring a new CD from Desperation Band...and my hands and mind were busy. So good! I arrive home to find the Scrap In Style tv kit waiting for me...just so delicious...it is called Shabby Rockstar....has a great mixture of Hambly, Jenni Bowlin and Lil Davis...along with some absolutely unique embellishments. I immediately thought of this picture of a friend of mine's little girl in total abandon in a recent rainstorm. I am working on a collection of "scrapping your faith" layouts and this one just about put itself together. Hope you have had a great weekend...relaxing, creative, energizing or whatever you needed it to be. Have a great week!

Then I would like to suggest that you consider neurosurgery! I am convinced this generation of text messagers and im'ers has a future of carpel tunnel syndrome ahead of them! *laughing* I was doing a photo shoot with Weston for a project I am working on -- and I had to laugh when I sat down to review the shots...because about every eighth photo had him either checking his cell phone or replying to a message....totally cracked me up. Note to self: remove cell phone from general vacinity of any future photoshoot! This is a little mini-album I did for my nephew...inspired by an album that Ali Edwards had done...Gotta love the Hambly. Hope you all had a good fourth of July week....I am happy to be back from my conference...and using the weekend to get caught up. Blessings...

These beautiful and sophisticated flower have been created for several hundreds of year by "ladies in the know." They used them to create personalized jewlry that coordinated with their lovely gowns....or as one story tell to signal to a particular beau that she was open to his proposal of marriage. Now, it is time for that knowledge to be passed on to the next generation. Prepare well, ladies...for the burden is great to bear...and the cost...oh the cost... -- well it is actually almost non existent -- but that doesn't go very well with our line about burdens and costs now does it?!??! Few simple supplies 1.Quarter yard of organza fabrics in 2-3 coordinated colors. I chose to brilliant blues (one dark, one light) a pale pink and an off white. Lots of combinations available for those. 2. A drafters circle template to draw out the multi-tudenous number of circles you will need. Three sizes 1.75 " 1.5" amd 1". Make as many of each as you want to end up with ...

Well folks...those of you that have been doing the One Little Word blog challenge know that this week's word is MY. Two letters...inspiring lots of thought. Since I have been reading a lot lately about collage and altered art...and have been beginning an album on scrapping my faith -- I decided to do a combined challenge that would work for all three...(nothing like piling it on huh?!?!) Soooooooo....my "MY" layout is called...My Point of View. The journaling reads: I think there is a reason that God has us start out in this world as small children. As a child, we can't help but look up for ansers. We don't think we know it all. Children lift their arms up to be picked up and comforted. They know that things will be better in the arms of their parents. As we grow, we seem to outgrow that knowledge. We begin to think that we somehow have to figure out the answer to all of life's questions ourselves...when our Heavenly Father is waiting for us to raise our ha...

Cover of the book that I did for my niece to record all the things she loved when she was eight. The cover was made by ironing velvet squares over rubber stamps (fluffy side toward stamp) -- you really want to use a fairly simple design stamp to do this as detail doesn't show up well. This is the next two pages...more color correct that the next two...used the Love, Elsie fabric paper with adhesive back to make flower petals with wire in them. Page 3 and four (love the journaling cards from Jenni Bowlin) Back cover...