Praying for Time

  

 

I've used a favorite Found Relative for this tag, I can't explain why this image appeals to me like it does and I only use it for special pieces. 

This Christmas tag has a melancholy side as I made it to commemorate a singer songwriter who passed away four years ago on Christmas day. His name was George Michael and he wrote a song called "Praying for Time." The words to this ballad are especially poignant during the holiday season and speak volumes about this tumultuous year.

The techniques I used include fussy-cutting, distressing, stamping (hand-carved), and placement of ephemera on some Paper Stash. 

I think it's worth noting that whenever possible, I peel the backs off photos, ephemera, etc., and rub away as much of the paper as I can to make these elements nice and thin. They naturally become more fragile but I encase them with medium (applied to both sides) so they hold up well when pasted down or painted over.

As always, I hope this post finds you well and happy and I appreciate your visit.

Until next time, take care.

Happy Holidays

 

A greeting card to share today representing a milestone for me as it's my first creation since relocating my crafting space. Abandoning my old studio after almost 15 years was traumatic and because I had to downsize, I cleaned up and donated a lot of extra material. My new space is doable but I'm struggling to remember where I put stuff--I guess the easiest fix for that is to just starting making again!

For this card, I distressed the edges of printed papers and used some hand-stitching and Stickles on the border. The stamp is from Ellen Hutson (Mondo Holly by Julie Ebersole) which was altered quite a bit.

First I heat embossed it, then tinted it with Distress inks, ironed off the embossing, redrew the lines with a fine line marker, fussy-cut it and added Distress Rock Candy Stickles to the berries.

I plan to continue blogging about my creations (even though many bloggers have left the pack) because it serves as a kind of diary and good reference tool. Now that my numerous family projects/obligations are winding down, I have more time to create and will be able to post more regularly again. I also post snapshots of my blog entries on Instagram @123beulahbee for those who like to click-and-run ☺.

As always, I hope this post finds you well and happy and I appreciate your visit.

Until next time, take care.

Heritage

 

It is said that as a figure is sculpted by the hand of the Artist, so is a man molded by those who preceded him on Earth. We have a heritage of which to be proud and much to learn and impart to those who follow us.

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Hello after one very-long absence from the crafty-blogger world! Historically, I've been pretty good about posting on a regular basis and participating in challenges but it's been almost two months since you've heard from me.

The reason for my absence is I somewhat accidentally stumbled upon a new hobby and got so thoroughly involved with it that everything else took a back seat. And I mean everything!

What, pray tell, could have been so compelling? It was genealogy research and putting together my family tree. An opportunity presented itself and once I started I couldn't stop. Mind you, it's probably not for everyone but for me, it was a fantastic escape into a past rich with history and heartfelt stories that kept me wanting more.

It took longer than expected because I didn't realize both my parents had descendents that traced back to the earliest colonial settlers. The process involves matching up husbands, wives and children (and my oh my, they had lots of children!) using places and dates to connect them. But the real treasure was inadvertently learning about things like Civil War pensions, government land grants, typhoid outbreaks, the Married Women's Property Acts, etc., etc..

To gather up names like Ithiel "Telly" Tellofare, Bushrod Ashburn, Rufus Benedict, Miles Omega, and Euphony Ann, some of the eleven children born to John and Mary from North Carolina who married in 1803, just made my heart sing!

I'm certain this experience will influence my art in the future. My love for vintage has taken on new meaning as a result of this experience. I plan to dust off the paints soon, I'm ready to begin again filled with the new found knowledge of many lifetimes lived. So proud, so brave, our Americans!

As always, I hope this post finds you well and happy and I appreciate your visit.

Until next time, take care.

Update 10/19/2020: My plans of crafting and blogging again have been put on hold due to an unplanned relocation of my studio. Finding a new space has forced a major decluttering event which only seems to grow the more I pursue it! Other responsibilities are also taxing my time--there just doesn't seem to be enough of it no matter how hard I work. There will surely be a silver-lining in all of this and I'll definitely be grateful when time permits me to craft again, I miss it so much!