Grrrrrrr!

 This is one of my newest needle felted pieces.  He is my "I want to eat your face" wolf! 

    

side view

RED WHITE & BLUE!

 

Happy Independence Day!

Celebrate the Red, White & Blue!  I'm a little late due to parties but it's good to celebrate our great country any time!

My favorite colors for my kitchen have always been Red, White and Blue!  I remember in my other house I suggested a red kitchen and some people said that was "a stupid color for a kitchen", needless to say I did it anyway, I painted all the walls red with white trim, and white cupboards which I filled with blue  and white fancy teacups and my very special blue glass (cobalt) most of them are packed away until I find room for them. (hence the display cabinet being built!) ....someday it will be finished..  *sigh* 

This is a gorgeous table runner that my friend Noreen Strautin- quilter!  If you click on it you'll see the details in her work. She made is specially for me with only my color requests. 

This is a few of my pieces (photo taken this past winter).

 

 

The cabinet close to finish!  Almost 8 months! Yikes!

 

 

Here is some more blue...  Beautiful pansies in my garden.

 

 

 

 

 

One last picture of one of a blue grackle of the grab and eat crew!                                       Thank upi fpr stopping by.  If you leave a comment I can come by and visit you!

The Adverse Effects Of Lupus

This is just one of the effects of Lupus.

 
This is just one of the effects of Lupus.

So many people don't understand Lupus and it's devastating effects, myself and the doctors. I am slowly writing about some of my experiences with it. For me one of the most devastating effects has been the deterioration of my hands. It started out as a stiffness then I noticed some of my fingers started snapping and then they were slanting into each other. I tried using some silver ring splints and they helped for awhile.

 

They gave me a brace for my right hand and that helped me be able to go on working and doing my art, then the left hand got worse and now the second brace. As you can see in the second picture the ligaments are gone in the right hand and going in the left. Recently the OT gave me some exercises to help my muscles since using the brace has made them weak. This week the knuckles have disappeared because of swelling and typing makes it worse, I probably made it worse by too much exercising of them too.. I am afraid of loosing the use of my fingers altogether and not being able to create again. I'm giving them a break this week because they hurt just too much and am hoping and praying that by next week some of the swelling will have gone down.

Lupus has effected not only my joints and the connected tissues but my intestines, my eyes and and mouth with Sjogrens Syndrone (related to Lupus) Then there is the damage that all the medications I'm on is doing to my liver, kidneys and heart (now have high blood pressure) damage to the retina in my eye and Osteoporosis. I'm on the same medications that was used It's sad that this disease does not get the attention and funding that some of the other diseases get.

It's hard for people to understand because to look at me you wouldn't know all this is going on, and on the real bad days I stay in, sometimes it's a long period. Even so..I'm still trying to create. I'm looking for and trying different ways and things to assist me in creating. Just last week I signed up for Jude Hill's Spirit Cloth quilting class! I know..I'm a glutton for punishment but I'll try it.

I think the hardest part is not knowing how bad t his will get. Will I become a body with dangling appendages?

I'm writing this to bring attention to it but also to explain why I sometimes disappear for long periods and hope people don't give up on my blog..or my art. Any art I do I will price according because I do very little now and some pieces I won't sell, but will sell prints of it. I know God has a plan for me and if it isn't with my fingers then something else..I just have to remember that.

Pink Saturday

Hi! Welcome to Pink Saturday! My name is Judy and I'm here to serve you. : )

Beverly from How Sweet the Sound started Pink Saturdays. Please visit her blog. This is my first one. (Pink Saturday that is) I hope you like it.

So first..a cozy cup of hot tea, in of course a pink tea cup! Enjoy my pink roses from this summer. The small ones smell like apple and the larger ones are from a bush over 100 years old.

The china was my grandmother Welch. And who wouldn't like a bit of dessert?

A yummy 3 layer pound cake with whipped cream frosting and fresh strawberries! (Recipe is Stop & Shop!)

But it sure is good!

Thank you for stopping by and don't forget to stop by How Sweet the Sound Beverly's and you'll find a whole bunch of Pink Saturday blogs! I would love it if you would leave a comment if you enjoy this! I have another blog if you would like to read more about me.

http://jmkoriginals.typepad.com/jmkoriginals_art_paths/

 

  Art Doll Quarterly did a wonderful job putting together my DIY article "Jewel of the Sea" I put up a couple of pages but there are 4 with the instructions.

 

                              cover      table of contents       pages 66 and 67

I hope you try this magazine, its filled with wonderful imaginative dolls.  If you decide you want to make my mermaid, I hope the instructions are clear...they were clear to me but then again..I wrote them! lol!  I have to admit at first I was overwhelmed when I was asked to write the article and never thought I could write enough words..well I did and probably too many but to make the directions clear I thought it needed this much.  To all of you who make art dolls or anything else for that matter..take the plunge and send it in to a magazine (following their submission policies)  I didn't think my work was good enough and after years I got the courage to send in my first doll (that was rejected but they visited my blog and liked what they saw, so I say.."Go for it!"

I'm making an album on my side bar with more pictures of the doll in progress to help any of you, and in the future I may be printing up faces on fabric for sale for those of you who aren't comfortable in painting your own face. Check back for updates on that.

Thank you for visiting my blog!

Artful Blogging ~Star~ Izabella's Blue

Lookee looke! Look who is an Artful Blogging star! And they gave her 5 pages! (2 1/2 spreads!)
It is our own sweet Bella! our founder here and owner of Izabella's Blue Yaaay! I don't remember how long it's been because my memory is bad but when I first became aware of altered art and ATCs and started blog surfing, I discovered Izabella's art. It is so unique and with a sadness that drew me in. Her blog, which is a whole experience to visit..fascinated me so much that I decided I wanted to have a new blog. I had started another one but had trouble with it. Bella being fairly new to Typepad herself guided me ..sometimes having to literally spell it out for me! lol! But due to her patience and friendship I finally "got it".
Now...she is featured in Artful Blogging! Congratulations Izabella!

Milk Weed Skirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

I just discovered this dreamy blog from the magazine Artful Blogging! She sews the most beautiful clothing (love the children's pictures!) I love this skirt and guess what! it's a Milk Weed Skirt GIVEAWAY!!!!