A Quick Valentine How to

I  am so glad you stopped by! Thank you for reading my blog yesterday on traditions and leaving such great ideas! I love hearing about you and all the creative things you do! It's beginning to look a lot like Valentines around here! Last night I actually made a valentine skirt for myself. My sweet husband came in and tried not to laugh, but be an encourager and sweetly asked where I was going to wear it? ( He just texted me and asked me out for dinner tonight...I think I'll wear it tonight! IF I knew how to put a smiley face right now I would! I'm dying laughing!) Anyway...obviously we are making fun things around here and I will post some of them over the next couple of days.

I have actually been getting my studio ready for a couple of valentine art classes. I'm so excited! I have a few different groups coming to my studio to make handmade valentines. How fun is that? I will definitely post end results. I've been gathering goodies lacey, pink, and sparkley for the occasion. I've also made some things to help inspire creative thinking. This is one of my designs. I wanted to share it with you to hopefully get your creative wheels turning! Let me know what you think!



The class is actually coming to make Valentine cards, but I worked on a 6x6 piece of MDF. I covered the board with book pages using a gel medium like mod podge. It does not have to be perfect. In fact the less perfect the better. Then I cut different strips of patterned paper to paint on and create a border. Don't grow attached to anything you choose, because when you are doing mixed media the key is to layer layer layer.



Here you can see that I covered everything in paint and gel medium. I left a little of the book page showing because I liked it. However, I have no idea if it will even be recognizable when i'm done. As you can see I cut hearts out of patterned paper and painted them. Remember, the hearts aren't a perfect shape. Be brave, just cut and have fun. Try to cut different sizes. When everything is a different shape and size, it's much more interesting to look at. Keep layering.



Once you've layered all your paper, paint, and whatever else you choose, add detail with stamps, markers and pens. I think this is my favorite part. I add paint, pen, ink...the list is endless. Don't be afraid, keep adding stuff! It's so much fun. Someone asked me one time, "How do you know when you're finished layering?" Great question. Sometimes you just have to step away from your work and decide, "I'm done!"



I really love the way this turned out! I added a lot more paint than I intended too, but I think it works in this situation. Like I mentioned earlier, the beginning stages are almost unrecognizable. That is the really cool part. You don't always know what you're going to end up with when it comes to mixed media! I love that! I did print out a little love note and attached it with gel medium. You can put whatever you like or not at all. I hope this inspires you to create your own valentine today! I love all your ideas, post your creations and let me see! I'd love it!!  Thank you for stopping by! I loved creating with you today! Leave me a comment or picture of your designs! I cannot wait to see what you come up with! Happy Creating! love love love Ruthie

Valentine Traditions!

[caption id="attachment_1767" align="alignleft" width="300"] This is an idea from my Art Journal that I recreated onto 8x8 piece of MDF.[/caption]

Hi! Thanks so much for stopping by! Guess what?! Valentines Day is around the corner! I love it! I have so many fun projects I'm doing this month and I will post them all so you can do them too! I love Valentines Day! It's my children's favorite holiday too! I guess it's because from the time they were itty bitty, I made Valentines Day super special at our house!

Valentines Day hasn't always been my favorite. I think when I was younger I felt like Valentines day was all about couples, or dates, or crushes. When I was in school, clubs would sell cards and flowers the week before Valentines day and then deliver them on Valentines during homeroom. Even though I didn't have a boyfriend or expect a thing that day, every time the classroom door opened I felt the anxiety of hoping one of the deliveries would have my name on it. Conversations swirling around the lunch table were all about who sent what to who and who had a date and where they were going and what they were doing. You get the idea. Anyway, to make a long story short, I never wanted my children to dread Valentines day. I wanted them to love it and look forward to celebrating a day filled with love. So I decided to make February 14 the most wonderful day of the year at our house. Oh my goodness it is! We love it. To this day, everyone reserves February 14 for our Valentines party.

I decorate my kitchen from top to bottom in everything pink and red and hearts. It's tacky fabulous. When my children were little, I decorated an empty cereal box and put it the center of the table. The days prior to Valentines, we all made valentines for each other and put them in the box. When they were really young their valentines were paper with red crayon scribbles. I would have tears in my eyes as they would reach into the box and get their little scribbles out and pass them around with such joy. For thirteen days that box would be overflowing with little love notes. For breakfast I usually fix heart shaped biscuits. I use to fill the lunch boxes with notes and treats and of course, a heart shaped sandwich. Dinner is more of the same. Then Party Time. I  plan five valentine games with five prizes so each child wins a little prize. Games like valentine bingo, a balloon popping game, even a hula hoop contest. Soooo much fun. The games are really hilarious and we still love to play them if we can. However, the highlight of the night, hands down, is sharing valentines. They are amazing. They no longer fit in the cereal box. They really are more like works of art. They are all still hand made and very creative.  It always amazes me how the valentines perfectly reflect the personality of the creator. It is a special treat! It really is our most favorite day of the year!

If you don't have a Valentines Day tradition. Please borrow mine!!! You will be so glad you did! It's a good one!! My kitchen is already beginning to transform into pink hearts. Some of my children have already started working on their cards. A couple work better under pressure and wait till the last minute. Either way, each card will be cut and glued with lots of love. Thanks for stopping by! I will post some fun projects and Ideas all month, so be sure to stop back by! And please leave me a comment on how you make Valentines day special! I would love to add more fun to my day!               love love love Ruthie

koo-de-HOOOOO!

[caption id="attachment_1751" align="alignleft" width="224"] Controlled Burn[/caption]

I am so glad you stopped by! Aren't these pictures amazing? I love my husband's job! He is a forester which means he manages property for private land owners. He also sells land and timber and has bull doziers to do things like site prep, ponds, and road work. (carlsonlandservices.com)  Anyway, this weekend he burned a piece of property, and I got to tag along. If you've never seen a controlled burn situation, it is a really cool thing to see. I love getting to go and "help." He doesn't really need me, but he lets me carry a torch and set fire along side of him. I love it.


[caption id="attachment_1752" align="alignleft" width="224"] Eddie with torch watching the fire[/caption]The very first time he took me to burn, we had only been dating a little while. When he called to ask me out, I was thinking dinner and a movie and he was thinking trucks and torches. Date nights with a forester are never dull! He told me to wear work boots and jeans and he would bring me a down coat. He and his good friend John picked me up early one afternoon and we headed to the country.( I'm laughing thinking about the three of us riding slam up next to each other on the bench seat of Eddie's truck.) We pulled up to a beautiful piece of property and the guys got out of the truck and prepared torches, moved tractors, fixed water tanks, got these big rubber flaps out and discussed how they were going to burn this place off. Then Eddie turned to me and asked if I would like to learn how to carry a torch and help out. It was very cool and I could hardly wait to learn.


[caption id="attachment_1753" align="alignright" width="224"] I love getting to tag along and help out![/caption]

While the sun was setting, Eddie carefully explained every detail. The last thing he said was that if I got into trouble I needed to holler "koo-de-HOO." I nodded in agreement, and he and John just stood there staring at me. Eddie said, "Let's hear it." I have to tell you, we had not been dating all that long and I was still in the "trying to impress him stage," and I didn't think it wise to holler "koo-de-HOO." He was dead serious wanting me to practice hollering, and I assured him I would be fine. He and John thought that was hilarious and so they "koo-de-hooed" back and forth and laughed hysterically. The sun had gone down and it was so dark. Truly, I could barely see my hand in front of my face.

[caption id="attachment_1754" align="alignleft" width="224"] View of the fire from the fire lane.[/caption]


John and I, torch in hand, loaded up on the back of the truck. Eddie dropped John off, then drove me to my drop off point. He made sure I was good and then went to park the truck at his starting point. It seemed easy enough. John dropped a line of fire to my right and Eddie dropped a line of fire to my left. I would walk straight across the property all the way to the fire lane dropping a line of fire using their lines as my guide. Though we were a good distance apart, I felt comfort watching their lines of fire knowing they were out there in the darkness.  I had no idea how far I would be walking or how long it would take, all I knew was to keep walking and stay in between their lines. Then all of a sudden I heard a sloshing sound. I wanted to stop, but I was afraid too because I had just dropped fire right behind

[caption id="attachment_1755" align="alignleft" width="224"] I love this pic. The fire is dying down and I think its so beautiful next to the greenfield.[/caption]

me. I slowly took another step then another and it was pretty  obvious I was in water. In just a few seconds I went from "this is awesome" to "what in the world do I do?" Eddie said nothing about water. It was pitch black dark and I had no idea where I was. Their fire lines were leaving me and moving ahead and I was frozen with fire at my back. It felt like an eternity, though in reality it was only seconds, as I considered my situation and my options. There was only one.....you guessed it! "KOO-DE-HOOOOOOO! I hollered at the top of my lungs and to this day I will never forget that moment! Though I could not see the boys, I saw both their lines of fire take an immediate detour to my rescue. What a night!

I was studying Priscilla Shirer's book on Jonah the other day and it made me think about that night I was in the woods. Jonah had been in the belly of a large fish for three days and three nights. Can you even begin to imagine that? Jonah describes it like this, "The current engulfed me. All Thy Breakers and billows passed over me. Water encompassed me to the point of death. The great deep engulfed me. Weeds were wrapped around my head. I descended to the roots of the mountains. The earth with it's bars was around me forever." You probably remember the story. Jonah tried to run from the presence of God. God saved his life by swallowing him up by a big fish. It took Jonah three days and three nights in the belly of a fish to decide that was not where he wanted to be! Do you believe that? My very favorite part. Verse 2 of chapter 2, Jonah, in all his filth and disobedience, he called out to the Lord. He cried out for help..and at the end of the verse it says...."You did hear my voice." I LOVE that! In verse 6 it says, "Thou has brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God. Then in verse 10, God commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land! He heard Jonah's voice from the depths of the ocean and the belly of a fish. God heard his voice and rescued him.

When was the last time you needed to be rescued? When was the last time you hollered "koo-de-Hoo?" I've gotten pretty good at "koo-de-Hooing" over the years. The best part about it, is that God never grows weary of hearing my voice, He always hears me, and He delights in rescuing me. If you holler, He will hear your voice! Thanks for stopping by!                      love love love Ruthie

May I Have This Dance

[caption id="attachment_1748" align="alignleft" width="300"] Oil on Canvas[/caption]

"Let's dance, you and I." That's one of my favorite lines from the movie "A Knight's Tale" with Heath Ledger. Of course, he wasn't asking a beautiful actress to dance. He was actually inviting the villain to a jousting match. One of my fave movies. Anyway, as I was beginning to blog on dances that line came to my mind and I thought I would throw that in for free. Let's dance. Do you remember your first dance? I do. I was in junior high, and it was a homecoming dance. Honestly, I don't remember much about the dance, but I do remember that I wore a hideous off white sweater with a red and blue stripe around the middle of it. I had a corsage on my left shoulder as big as my head. I had a mouth full of braces, big hair, and I was taller than my date. I don't remember the type of music being played, but I do remember being in the multipurpose room and dancing arms length apart with every light on in the room. I don't think I ever made eye contact with my date. However, I do remember dancing next to my best friend, who was also taller than her date, and we talked the entire time we danced as though the boys did not even exist. Can you believe that's what I remember? Isn't that crazy?

There are so many fabulous movies with dance scenes that literally take your breath away. The scene in "The American President" ....ahhhh.  Michael Douglas, the president ,asks Annette Benning, "Sydney" to dance. With all eyes on the couple, he escorts her onto the dance floor and puts his arm around her waist, looks into her eyes and waltzes her into the center of the room. (their conversation)  Sydney,"I don't know how you do it." The president, "Arthur Murray. Six lessons." Sydney, "That's not what I mean. Two hundred pairs of eyes are focused on you with two questions on their minds- Who's this girl and why is the president dancing with her?" The president, "First of all, the two hundred pairs of eyes aren't focused on me. They're focused on you. And the answers are Sydney Ellen Wade and because she said yes."  DREAMY! Another favorite is "The Sound of Music." Is there nothing more romantic than the dance scene with Maria and the Captain outside on the terrace. His eyes fixed on her and she literally looses her breath and backs away and pretends she doesn't remember the rest of the dance. When the young boy Kurt interrupts the moment and asks why her face is all red. Without taking their eyes off each other, Maria puts her hands to her face and exclaims she must not be use to dancing. However, we know otherwise. They are both hopelessly in love with one another. I melt every time I see that scene. Even the cartoon movie, "Cinderella" makes dancing look so romantic and fabulous. The way her dress movies as they glide across the floor makes it look as if they are floating on air. Ahhhhhh.

Needless to say, the last high school dance I chaperoned did not resemble any of those movies. Captain Von Trapp was nowhere to be found and the orchestra wasn't there either. It's a little different now. When Abby, with Potential Magazine, called and asked me for a few tips for parents of teens going to dances I really had a difficult time coming up with just a few. When I blogged this topic the other day, I loved hearing from y'all. I so wish you would leave your comments on my blog rather than messaging me because y'all have incredible thoughts and Ideas that I wish everyone could read. So be brave and leave me your thoughts. I have many thoughts on dances, but I narrowed it down for Abby and picked some of my favorites.  One of my favorite tips for you and your sons, is to have coffee or a coke with him once a week. Nurture your relationship and conversation outside the home. So many women say they have no idea what their sons think because "they're boys" they never talk. If that's the case and you want to be a part of his life and know what he thinks, then be intentional about spending time with him and talking to him. When you are intentional about time with him and conversation with him then you get to be a part of his thought process as he chooses his dates. Believe it or not, though it may seem a long way off, those treasured conversations about dates and dating will influence who he chooses to marry one day. Very cool thinking that you could be a vital part of that decision.  My other favorite tip for parents and their boys is I think it is important that the boy call the father of his date in order to let him know the details of the night. I believe it holds the young man accountable to the father of his date to take care of his date and to have her safely home at the time he said he would have her there. My favorite tip for parents of girls is that they know they are your treasure and that there is no dress that can make them any more beautiful than they already are. They are enough. Your daughters are precious and by helping them choose an appropriate party dress reminds them that they are loved. Modest is always hottest. I must give credit where credit is due for my next favorite tip for parents. It comes from one of my grown daughters. I love it! She said always be the kind of date that you would like to have. I think that's great advice.  My last tip is also a favorite and applies to both girls and boys. I believe it's huge to teach them nice manners. Boys need to be taught to compliment their date, to open doors, order dinner for their dates, have table manners, check their date's coat, thank their host, the list goes on. Girls need to receive a compliment, allow their dates to open doors, order their food, check their coats, and always say thank you. I think nice manners go a long way.

I know you could add a hundred tips to my few. I would love to hear them all. Leave me a comment and share your thoughts with all my readers. I would love it!!! Thank you for stopping by!                                                      love love love Ruthie

 

Sweet Art Journals

 I am so glad you stopped by. I have not forgotten that I told you I would post my "dance tips." It's just I worked in my art journal a lot this weekend and I thought it would be a fun thing for you to see and maybe do in your own art journal this week. A friend of mine challenged me to paint a big painting in oil every week. Of course I took the challenge. I started by sketching in my art journal some things that I was thinking. I worked on a few color charts finding the perfect color. I painted a big painting for the week and then back to my art journal. I love playful, fun, whimsical collage as much as I love my oils. I decided to take a break this weekend and play in my journal. Maybe I was hungry or needing some sugar. I'm not sure what led me to cupcakes, but I painted, collaged, glued, sketched, and  cut fun cupcakes in my studio this weekend. So enjoy!



I absolutely love working in my art journal. If you don't have one you need to buy one or make one. It is a fabulous place to think, sketch new ideas, try new techniques, and keep notes of future ideas. Some of my must haves in my studio besides my journal are gel mediums, markers, paint, ink, stamps, gesso, and paper made or bought.



Here I took a blank page in my journal and covered it in old book pages and bordered it in paper of my choice. I showed this paper because by the time I'm done this will be unrecognizable. Layer layer layer.



I then began to cut all different types of papers into shapes and collaged them onto my journal page. I made cupcakes out of collage paper. I then added paint to everything. The key here is layer layer layer. When you think you're done, layer some more! Be brave! Keep going. Layer with markers, pen, and ink as well as paint and paper! 

This is my journal page. Am I done? For now. I layered everything from paper to ink. I even printed my favorite words "love love love" and glued them down with a gel medium. Who knows, tomorrow I may come back and layer more. For me the process is the most fun part! The more you experiment the more you learn.



I love this picture because it shows you that my journal page inspired my canvas. I took the idea from my journal and put it on canvas. My art journal inspired a line of cupcakes to put in my etsy shop. So this week I will be designing cupcakes in my studio.

I hope this inspires you to play in your art journal today! It is a fun and easy way to be creative and try new things. Send me your pics of your pages! I'd love to see what you create! Thank you for stopping by! This was so much fun! Go create!!                                               Love love love Ruthie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dancing Queen

[caption id="attachment_1735" align="alignleft" width="227"] Art Journal[/caption]

I am so glad you stopped by! I need your help. One of my girls lived with a precious girl, named Abby. Abby now works and writes for Potential Magazine. If you have not seen her magazine, you need too! It's great and filled with fabulous information for parents and teens. I love it!

She is doing a spread on High School proms. She asked me for a few dating tips for girls and boys. She is creating a "parenting tip" spot in the magazine. I adore Abby and answered her with a very quick "Yes," and that was three days ago. Three tips on dating? Really? Only three? And just quick tips? Who can do that? Dating is so much more than three tips! As parents we have been teaching and training our children since birth, and I'm suppose to narrow years of training into three tips? I must admit I'm probably over thinking the whole thing, but it was a lot more difficult than I thought! That is where you come in! I'd love to know what you think! What tips on proms or dating can you share on my blog with parents of teens? I absolutely cannot wait to hear what you have to say! This is so fun!

Honestly I am not a big fan of dances for a lot of reasons. Even growing up I didn't love the dance, but I did love dressing up and twirling. I think it's really funny to see everyone's different reactions at just the mention of the word "dances." That word alone can stir up some emotion. It also seems like everyone has a horror story or two. I know I do. My sweet husband tells the story about taking a girl to a dance and not seeing her for the entire night until it was time to go home. His daddy then picked them up and offered to take them to get ice cream. Eddie was so mad he had not even danced one time with his date, he certainly wasn't taking her for ice cream. We laugh about it now, but at the time, that was a long night.

I mentioned to my daughter that I was blogging thoughts on dances and she was very sweet with her response. She encouraged me to ask you your thoughts rather than expressing mine. We laughed hysterically as she respectfully told me that I had much stronger convictions on dances and dating than most people, and that it would probably be a good idea if I kept them to myself. She is right. We have done things a little differently and I do tend to get a little passionate when it comes to my children. Interestingly enough, she did say she was thankful for our boundaries and convictions and would probably incorporate them with her own children one day. I love that because it is for sure I've done a lot of things wrong, but when your child looks back and thanks you for something it touches your heart in a special way.

So I'm following my child's advice and asking you what tips you would give to parents of boys or girls or both about dating or dances. I can't wait to hear what you have to say! Please post it on my blog so all my readers can enjoy your ideas! Thanks y'all and tomorrow I will post the tips I sent to Abby. Thanks for stopping by! I loved having you!

Love love love Ruthie

One Little Word

[caption id="attachment_1725" align="alignleft" width="300"] Some of my favorite things I used to create in my art journal[/caption]

I'm so glad you stopped by! I hope you saw my post on instagram yesterday! It is a page from my art journal and is my inspiration for my blog today! (instagram: ruthiecarlson) I love posting things I'm working on in my studio or in my art journal on instagram. Feel free to find me and see what I do there! I also just added a "subscribe" button on my blog. It's on the right side of my blog under posts. I'd love it if you added your email and that way when I post it will come to your email! Thank you for following me! It means so much!!!

[caption id="attachment_1726" align="alignleft" width="300"] I love to use all kinds of paper when working in my art journal. Here I have book pages, bought paper, and paper I painted myself[/caption]

My very creative friend, Patti, sent me an email challenging me to think of "one little word." She found the challenge at http://oneword365.com/. The blogger challenged the reader to choose one word that inspires the way they live. In other words, focus on "being" the word.

I've been thinking about my word now for about three days. The blog also says not to over think the word. With that in mind, I looked over my list of words and decided to commit to one. My list was lengthy and had words like joy, courage, hope, and contentment. As I considered each word I kept coming back to one...Love. It's so much more than a smile at a stranger or a kiss goodnight. A perfect description can be found in the bible in 1Corinthians 13. (read it) It reminds me that love is patient and kind. It is not jealous or arrogant. Love never fails. In 1John 4:18 it says there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. 1John 4:7 says "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God. Matthew 22:37-39 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

[caption id="attachment_1727" align="alignleft" width="300"] I started this journal page by cutting a head shape from book pages. I painted it with acrylic paints. Then with markers, paints, paper, and a little imagination I created a journal page to illustrate my one little word.[/caption]

The next step after choosing your word is "being" your word. I've thought about this a lot. I don't think you wake up and decide to be your word. It's a process that takes both time and effort.My journey to becoming "love" will begin with spending more time with the author and creator of love, God Almighty. I can hardly stand it thinking about spending more of my day in His presence and allowing Him to fill me up with Himself! This year, today, I want to know God more deeply and to become more like Him...and since He is "love", hopefully I can be "love" and you will be able to see Him in me.

[caption id="attachment_1729" align="alignleft" width="200"] My art journal[/caption]

So that's my word. I cant wait for love to spill out all over the place, in my family, with my  friends, in my art. What's your word? What will you be this year? Leave me a comment! I'd absolutely love to know your word!

love love love Ruthie

A Little Sunshine

  I am so happy to be back! Thank you for stoping by yesterday and again today! Im loving being back writing! I am also so excited about upcoming projects. I'm working on a couple of commissions, I've got a valentine tutorial I can't wait to share, and I thought of the most fun February challenge ever! If you're thinking "what about January?" So am I. I kind of hold my breath and close my eyes the month of January because I really don't  like cold weather. That's why I posted these flowers I painted over Christmas. This painting makes me think of sunshine and summer. It's oil on gallery wrapped canvas 36x40. I love a little sunshine!

I needed a little sunshine today! Today my college children went back to school and my  high schoolers started back to class and my working girl has a real job all day! My home went from constant motion to absolute silence in about two seconds flat! I know it sounds silly, but I'm not sure what I'm feeling. Who am I kidding? I know exactly what I'm feeling, I'm weepy and sad! I asked Eddie to stay home and be my friend today. Sweet thing, he did stay around a little longer than usual and have an extra cup of coffee (he was sad too), but he eventually left me for work.

I miss having everyone home today. We have so much fun. Truly, there is never a dull moment when we are all together. It's funny, I've heard women say their children are so different from each other they just can't get along. But as I sit here thinking back over the holidays, it's the "differences" that we enjoy the most! Each one of us brings something different and special to the group. I love that Eddie brings strength and security, while the children each bring other wonderful qualities that are unique to their personality. Throw all those "different" amazing qualities into one big pot and stir them up and you have family! Pretty cool. I will miss the hustle and bustle of schedules and activities tonight, but I will love remembering every minute of our time together over the break! Don't be sad for me! The twins are keeping things hopping at our house! They also know that "every day is a holiday" at our house, so they will have to get homework done in between my wild ideas and crazy art experiments. Like I said, never a dull moment! Make every day a holiday at your house!

love love love Ruthie

Happy Happy New Year

 Happy Happy New Year! I'm so glad you stopped by! I took the month of December off and hardly even looked at my computer! It was a nice break, but I'm glad to be back! I've missed you!

I am excited about 2013. I have so many things I want to do creatively and so many things I want to do on my blog. I want my blog to be a fun place for you to visit and be inspired to create along side me. I want to encourage you to paint or draw or journal more. I want to help you learn and grow as an artist or just help you with a saturday craft in your kitchen. I hope to paint every day. The painting I posted today is one I recently painted with oil of three birds on a wire. I adore painting big canvases with oil paint.  I hope to share that with you more. I love mixed media and all the cool things you can cut, glue and staple. I'm working on a couple of tutorials to teach you fun creative gifts to make. There are a million things I love to do creatively and even more things i'm dying to try, but my favorite thing is that you are enjoying this journey with me. I absolutely love knowing you made the "birthday banner" or "marbleized paper." It thrills me to hear from you on facebook, instagram, my blog, and even in the grocery store! You inspire me every day!!!! Thank you! I do love you and I hope my blog is a place that you feel loved and welcomed every time you stop by!

Love love love Ruthie