Though She Be Little....

As I sit here typing this, I am sitting in my sister's hospital room. She is quietly snoring in the bed beside my chair, finally able to catch rest for her mind and body after the whirlwind that has been the last 4 days. 

At 30 weeks pregnant, she went in 4 days ago for a standard pregnancy  glucose test. Less than an hour later she was admitted to the Labor and Delivery ward because her blood pressure was so high. Three days of tests and ups and downs happened...until yesterday morning when the doctor, in a God Inspired moment, decided to do an ultrasound. 

That decision saved my nieces life...and possibly my sister's. She had what is know as placenta previa and was bleeding internally. From ultrasound to OR to emergency c-section birth...my niece, Scarlet Rose, was born in less than 15 minutes...10 weeks early, weighing 2lb 9oz and being 15in in length. 

During my 7 hour drive from my home in Arkansas to her's in Missouri, I just kept thinking "She's a fighter." And the Skakespeare quote from A Midsummer Night's Dream stuck with me "Though she be small, she is fierce." 

When I made it to Missouri at 1:15 this morning, it was too late for visiting hours (or too early...depending on how you looked at it) and I had had so much caffeine that I couldn't sleep even if I tried. 

So...I dug out some of the meager art supplies I had brought with me and made something for my sister. 

The scripture across the side is Ephesians 2:10"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works." 

Yes...Scarlet is small, but she was crafted by the very hand of God to do amazing things. 

Here's a few of the steps I used to make this piece: 

(1) I created by background with Tim Holtz Distress Paints 

(2) Using a Scribe All black pencil, I free handed some feather shapes on my dried background.  

(3) I filled in my feathers with a layer of gesso. 

(4) using my Neocolor Watersoluable Wax pastels, I added blues and purples to my feathers and a little gray around the outside of them. 

(5) Since I didn't bring any kind of letter stickers or scissors to cut journaling strips, I used my gesso to make an area to out my quote. 

(6) using a Micron Pen, I added my quote and the scripture on the side. I finished the project by adding my paint colors around my journaling and flicking the whole project with black Neocolor, heavily watered down. {sorry...so pic of this step!}

though she be small...she is fierce. 

She comes from a strong mama...she will be just fine. 

Here is her first photo: 

  

Prayers...good vibes...positive thoughts. She could use the all. 

Until next time friends...xoxo. 

Keri 

So Glad for a sense of structure!

School started! Yay...and this has nothing to do with wanting to be away from my children (even though there are moments! LOL!) I am just so happy to be back to a time of structure in our schedule. This summer was just crazy!

I have not been in my studio as much as I would like this summer, but I have been able to make a few things...wanna see?!

My amazing friend, Becky Shaffer, (who I have talked about before) had a birthday a few weeks ago and since she has HUGE love and crush on Melody Ross and the whole Brave Girls Club, I thought I would make her a little something to remind her that she, too, is a brave girl.

It's an 8x10 mixed media canvas using Fancy Pants Design's Park Bench line. I, of course, used my Tattered Angels sprays along with some acrylics and my FAVORITE wood grain roller stamp by glitz design. 

Here are a few close ups! My favorite part is the wings. :)

Also this summer....

I didn't get to take a lot of pictures and I will do a FULL CHA post later, BUT I had the awesome privilege  of making a few projects for Marion Smith Design's  new line "Mad Tea Party" for the trade show. 

I LOVED the Alice in Wonderland influences so much that for the Printer's Tray (by 7 Gypsies) I actually used a vintage Golden Book copy of Disney's Alice in Wonderland and each section tells a different piece of the story.

Here are a couple of closeups!

The framed piece was actually my use of scraps. I found a cheap black plastic frame used my bits and piece of leftover paper to make my background and then hand-rolled some (umm...a lot!) of roses. The quote is one of my favorites from the classic Alice in Wonderland.

A good resource for quotes is a website called Goodreads. It has everything from literature to famous quotes and all sorts of other goodies.

Sorry this is so short...I've got some great things in the works that I know you will all be as excited as I am about!

Until then my friends...stay you...and stay creative!