Patience is a Virtue

They say "good things come to those who wait". We all have to be "patient" even when we want things "right now". My nineteen month old niece (Linnette) reminds me constantly that she needs "Elmo" NOW (all the time).

Growing patience is like growing beautiful flowers in that you must water, nurture, care for, and really work diligently on bringing tiny seeds to lovely, full blooms. Some of my favorite mixed media components include Scrabble times, dictionary pages, and other bits and pieces of our lives (which encompasses a lot of stuff). My "Patience" design reminds me that it takes a lot of many wonderful parts to create artsie beauties.

"Patience" is a gentle reminder for a friend that you must be willing to look at many aspects to grow your patience. It's truly a virtue. You can look at patience too as most wonderful results are worth the wait and time involved.

Oh, we have plenty of time to show Linnette that "Elmo" and other great things (in life) are there; we just need patience on the journey.

Almost Happy Valentine's Day!

Most people have a favorite holiday. Mine is Valentine's Day for a couple of reasons...I "love" LOVE. I think we need more love in the world or at least showing more love (kindness, care, and respect) for others. And February is my birthday month so having a holiday in the same month just seems cool to me.

With Treasured Traditions, I get to BE creative for me and others. I enjoy being able to take "old" and make it new. So in this spirit, I crafted some super cute "pockets" from authentic, genuine sheet music. Keep in mind that the sheet music was very "loved" and shows all the age and use (rips, tears, handwriting, and even "lipstick" on one page). One of my personal "rules" is to not cut, alter, or otherwise "use" pristine paper (sheet music, books, maps, etc.). It's okay though when the paper is seriously "loved".

I have a stack of old atlases, dictionaries, and cookbooks just waiting for me to give it a second life. Can't wait to bring together old ephemera and give it a special twist. All ideas are welcome as inspiration! Happy Valentine's Day to you!