Promises to Remember: An Altered Art Project

Every year, on New Year's Eve, our church has a wonderful tradition. We enjoy a time of food and fellowship, then head over to the sanctuary to ring in the New Year in prayer and thanksgiving. Toward the end of the service, we're encouraged to write a few things down that we'd like to leave behind. We take those things, dump them in a garbage can, then chose Bible verses from a basket to hold on to and meditate on throughout the new year.

This year, I decided to create some altered art that incorporated the verses I chose. They will be displayed in the places I spend the most time in, to be a constant reminder to me of God's faithfulness and unfailing love.

Below is the first piece I created. It measures approximately 7.50" x 8.25".

I used K & Company's Que Sera Sera papers to collage the background. 

After I tore the papers, I distressed the edges with Tim Holtz's Distress Ink in Vintage Photo.

I also used some vintage floral art I found on the Internet and stamped the 

metallic gold dots on the left. I also edged the board with the same metallic gold ink. 

The verse and the music paper behind it are collaged onto a 

wooden heart I had in my stash. 

The lace in the back and the pretty bee charm are from Hobby Lobby.  

I sprayed the pink roses with Lindy's Stamp Gang to give them a bit of sparkle.

The tiny white roses are from Michael's $1.50 bin.

The Old Testament verse was printed on my computer and distressed with Vintage Photo. 

" 'Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing love for you

will not be shaken nor My covenant of peace be removed.' says the LORD

who has compassion on you." Isaiah 54:10

I'll be making 3 more of these hopefully in the next couple of weeks. 

Blessings,

Millie

Graphic 45 January Challenge 2013

Hi All!

Finally finishing up my entry for Graphic 45's January Challenge! This month, the challenge was to create something from the beautiful Place in Time collection.

To see more of this collection, head over to their blog: http://g45papers.typepad.com/graphic45/2012/09/graphic-45-sneak-peeks-a-place-in-time.html

You can create anything wish. Layouts, cards, etc. I love doing three dimensional projects so I came up with this: 

Front side. Most of the paper is from the Place in Time collection but I also used some of their Birdsong and a tiny bit of A Ladies Diary. 

Close up of the bottom half. I love the old fashioned honeycomb paper Valentine decorations so I tried to created an hourglass in a similar fashion. 

Close up of the top half. I used a lot of the cutouts and stickers from the collection. I made the pretty red and pink flowers using the Tim Holtz Tattered Floral die. Both were sprayed with Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst mists. Love the colors!

This is the backside. I needed a new calendar and a place to keep cards for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. This is a pretty way for me to remember to send them. :-)

This is the pocket on the bottom. I made the flowers back here too. Right now, it's just holding the extra months for this year. 

This was another fun project and I love this paper. I still have a lot left so we'll see what I can come up with. Two winners will receive a $50 prize package. They will be chosen randomly and announced in the G45 newsletter on January 31st. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

Happy Crafting,

M.

A Good Start

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'm so excited about the upcoming year. Lots and lots of ideas brewing in my brain! And Christmas is over which means.....VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!

At the end of last year, I scored BIG at my local Goodwill and also picked up some things at AC Moore on clearance.

Lots and lots of fun stuff to alter!!!

My favorite Goodwill find! A cigar box just waiting to be beautified! 

Got that HUGE roll of red velvet ribbon for .99 cents!

Not sure what I'll do with 40 pairs of chopsticks but at a $1.99, 

I couldn't pass them up! The pretty roll of lace was at the bottom of 

a plastic bin full of craft items. I ''splurged'' on the "M" pin. It was $4.99. :-)

AC Moore had some really great Christmas boxes on clearance. 

The recipe box on top is perfect for holding a mini album 

and I LOVE the gatefold box on the bottom! The hexagon box

came from a quick trip to a dollar store.

Also at the end of last year, I realized I had a pretty boring art journal. So I decided the first order of business for the new year was to pretty up my journal. This is what it looked like before:

BLAHHHHH

And this is what it looks like all prettied up!!!!

Front cover! Much more inspiring!!!!

Back cover!

Now I'm all set for a year of creative bliss!!!! Happy crafting!!!

Millie

A Good Name

I thought long and hard about what to call this new one. Over the last couple of years or so, I had been thinking about starting a craft blog. I've enjoyed reading the posts of other crafters and have learned so much from them, so I thought it would be fun to join this very creative online community and share some of my own work.

I kept putting it off, largely because life is busy but also because I was so hung up on what to even call it. But the death of my most favorite aunt changed all that.

"Titi America" was, without a doubt, one of my greatest encouragers. I always walked away from a conversation with her feeling more confident, loved, and appreciated. She loved to tell the story, over and over, of how I took my very first steps in her apartment. Even as a toddler, I felt more confident around her.

Me taking my first steps. :-)

And in regard to my work, she always encouraged me to keep up with it, often saying something like, ''Millie, use your gift to bless other people."

So when she passed away this year, the thought of never hearing her call me ''Millie'' just about broke my heart. But in that grief, I found a way to honor her memory and remind myself of what she used to remind me of. And so I found the perfect name for this blog: MILLIE MADE.

My beautiful aunt. 

I love it. I loved her. And I'm so thankful for her presence and influence in my life. My prayer for this blog is threefold:

1. To honor God with the gifts and talents He has given me.

2. To honor my aunt's memory by growing and using those gifts and talents daily.

3. And to be a blessing to my friends, fellow crafters, and anyone else who happens to stop by.

Be blessed!
Millie