Artistic Mother Project: Week 5 ~ Butterfly Reminder

It has been months since I did an Artistic Mother project!

I have been working away at the

Believe Truth E-Course.

Life has been busy as a mom.

So my "art" has been

writing

lately.

Or taking a picture here and there

of our various family activities here on the ranch.

My "reminder" is

Be Authentic.

Which I have been

putting into practice

writing this e-course.

{sigh}

It is still a challenge sometimes.

{another sigh}

But always more freedom.

In being the real me.

http://www.studiojru.com/

This was my Sneak Peek into my "studio"

a.k.a. dining room table

on Sunday...even though it was supposed to be Friday!

Check out the other studios~artists~writers over at Studio JRU!

Some of my favorite blogs are there!  You will be pleased you did!

P.S.  Is anyone else having a challenge with this new blogger photo uploader?

I find that if I don't upload all my photos at once, I have to re-upload them!.  Then I cannot seem to get them in the order that I want.  Unless I upload one photo at a time.  And so therefore, the photos in this post are not in the order that I would like . . . just wondering . . .

Artistic Mother Vision Board ~ {DONE!}

THIS has been a fun project.

This is the most excited I have ever been

about a "goal poster" or "vision board".

It has been over a year since I have clearly defined my heart and mind's vision.

It has not been clear.  But, has been coming together.  Bit by bit.

Between commiting to projects in The Artisitic Mother by Shona Cole

and Leslie's 31 Days of Creativity Challenge

AND

my kids visiting my Mom & Dad--

I completed this project & am so excited to share the bits & pieces.

First is my Syd with Toby the beagle and my heart's desire of a Scripture:

John 4:42

They said to the woman,

"We no longer believe just because of what you said,

but now we have heard for ourselves

and now we know

that this man really is

the Savior of the world."

Then is my Erin painting at the dining room table

in an apron made by my mom

highlighted with one of my favorite

Stampin' Up sets:

LIFE ~ live like you mean it. 

I absolutely LOVE that saying.  That is how I want to live...

LIKE I MEAN IT.

{Some days it's not so easy.}

That photo is the backdrop of my goals.

I must "mean it" about my goals if I'm going to live it.

Then, my overall artistic vision is over one of my favorite photos of Erin.

It was a day this spring that she said,

"Come outside and laugh with me, Mommy."

And so I did.

And we took wonderful photos of spring. 

In this one she is breaking up the ice over a mud puddle saying,

"Be free, be free.  Be free, ice, be free!"

In another photo she is walking through the muddy part,

and she says, "I'm scared!"

Her lady bug boots were making that suction cup sound

when she lifted them out of the mud.

We decided that sometimes daily adventures are scary

when you step out your door

and into the world.

My title Art Vision

has beside it another favorite stamp,

"all things grow with love".

I chose that because I have found

that when I don't love my vision and goals,

it's not really my vision

and the vision will not grow and become.

I love this vision and these goals

and I am excited to participate in their growth and becoming.

I simply love this quote by e.e. cummings:

"It takes courage to grow and and turn out to

BE WHO YOU REALLY ARE."

Yes it does.

"Be Who You Are" is part of my vision.

Here is my young man, Tom. 

I would say Tommy, he would say Tom.

Blowing bubbles much to the delight of his sisters.

His photo is the backdrop of my values

developed through a "values clarification" exercise I did

with author and life coach Joan C. Webb.

The fabric is one of Jim's old shirts that I rescued from the garbage.

It was one of my favorites ~ and so reminds me of him.

It is a symbol of the foundation and support he is

for not only our family, but also of my visions and goals.

The butterflies . . .

well, that was all explained in a recent post which you can click and read here:

{get a cup of coffee or a glass of iced tea}

"Why I Love Butterflies".

Notice that I did sew a little bit here!

And I am excited to be putting one of these goals into action.

Very soon I will make the announcement!

And finishing with one of my favorite quotes

from UCLA basketball Coach John Wooden

who recently passed away . . .

a man that I respected for his faith and leadership

"Make each day your masterpiece".

So fitting for an "Art Vision" board.

photos & text copyright 2010 Jodene (Jodi) Shaw.

"Artistic Mother" Vision Board Project

My next project in

The Artistic Mother by Shona Cole

is to make a vision board.

After 15 years of making "goal" posters

this is a familiar activity.

However . . . this feels more authentic than ever before.

Maybe it is because I know my own heart better than ever before.

Maybe it is because I have accepted and embraced myself and desires more than ever before.

But this is requiring me to take a deep breath as I prepare this post.

These are the vision, goals, values, and scripture that are my own.

And it is extremely vulnerable to lay my heart out there for the world to see.

And yet, I believe it is important. 

It is part of being real, being authentic, being courageous.

It is scary to even hang up in my own house.

But I am commited to living authentically for me and for my family.

This last week, I plugged back in to Beth Moore's broadcasts.

And watched "Don't throw away your confidence".

This is a bold, courageous, confident step for me to post.

But here's my heart, my hopes, my dreams, my goals ~

VISION

One of Beth's quotes was,

"What would a courageous person do in my situation? 

Be the person. 

Do it."

This is me doing it.

GOALS

MY VALUES

SCRIPTURE

In The Bible, in the book of John, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well.

Though they have never met, he knows everything about her.

She recognizes that He is the Messiah and tells everyone she meets

that she met a man who knew everything about her.

Through many experiences, I know that He knows me

better than I know myself.

I hope that as I share my stories of Him knowing me

Others will hear HIM for themselves and believe.

That is my prayer for my family:

that they will hear Him themselves

and believe

with their own faith,

their own hearts,

their own love,

know that He knows them

and know that this Man really is the Savior of the world

and of them individually & uniquely.

Photos & text copyright 2010 Jodene (Jodi) Shaw.

Artistic Mother Poetry Tote { ! DONE ! }

When I was in high school

one of the electives for freshman

was Home Economics.

I do not know what I took

but I was a career-minded, intellectual "snob",

and so I laughed when my dad

suggested I take it.

So, here I am:

living on a ranch, raising my kids, afraid of a sewing machine.

Somedays, I think I could use a few Home Economics lessons.

But . . . I have done it!  I completed a tote bag.

To go with my Poetry Journal.

Often I write about birds.

My Grandma Marj was an avid bird watcher

and her favorite bird book was always Roger Tory Peterson's.

So the quote on my poetry journal is from him:

"Birds are eloquent expressions of life and vitality

And watching them makes you feel more alive."

True.

And so is this:

She gave me my first Roger Tory Peterson field guide in 1980.

Like her, I have written the dates and places

that I have a new bird sighting

in my Peterson field guide.

Fond memories

of birds and my grandma.

Bittersweet feelings well up when I hear the call

of a chickadee, a blue jay, the cranes in the spring,

or see a slate colored junco or nuthatch.

I could not have made this tote bag

without my mom.

The machine, many phone calls, rotary cutter and mat,

trip to the fabric store, showing me where to bargain shop,

what kind of fabric to use, selecting thread.

Taking the machine 80 miles to her house

So that she could show me

how to thread the machine

without having an emotional breakdown!

And yet, it is good to do something

I did not think I could do

Or would want to do.

And enjoy it.

So, this recovering intellectual snob,

Who at age 15, planned on being a career woman,

Living in a suburb,

Is now a birdwatching at-home mom,

is an aspiring writer and photographer,

is in love with the man she married 14 years ago today,

 is in love with the kids and lifestyle on this cattle ranch

on the South Dakota prairie

painted with wildflowers,

and she has learned to sew.

{Thanks, Mom.}

Photos & text copyright 2010 Jodene (Jodi) Shaw.

Artistic Mother Poetry Tote Progress ~ New Things in Life

Recent advice:  Do something you never thought you could or would do.

Sources:  Kelly Rae Roberts, Flying Lessons e-course teacher/artist/author

Rachelle Gardner, literary agent

Why?  It is one of the things that will make you a better writer and/or artist.

So here I am, doing new things.

Things like:

Sewing.

South Beach Diet.

(that is a HUGE coming out of the closet for me ~ but it's working!)

Taking an online ecourse and networking with women all over the world!

Posting blogs 5 days a week and promoting them.

Resisting the temptation to compare myself to other:

moms, photographers, writers, artists, business women.

Exercises in being true to me.  Examining what is important to me.

Standing up and being me.

Continuing to embrace my own identity and uniqueness, rather than compare.

Remembering that my victory is in Jesus, my identity is secure in Him.

Small brave steps.  One at a time.

I could write an endless post about each one of these!

I have committed to doing all 12 projects in the Artistic Mother by Shona Cole.

I just watched the movie Julie & Julia.

Instead of French cooking, I am making art.

Shona Cole is my Julia Child.

This tote bag is like Julie's boning a duck.

I have been stalled at week 3, as many of you know.

Sewing a "Poetry Tote" for my "Poetry Journal".

Here is the story.  Instead of matching the fabric to my poetry journal, I shopped in the sale bin and found these lovely greens, which is perfect.  Olive greens were the main color in my grandmother's home decorating palette.  Everything revolved around olive green.    The photo is my Grandma Marj and me in 1974? 1975?  My Grandma Marj lived next door to us, and is the one who taught me about birds.  She is the reason that I know the names of the birds and get so excited to see a new bird. 

The tote. 

Thank you to my mom for giving me for a cutting mat and rotary cutter!

Stripes...hmmm.

I will have second thoughts about fabric with stripes.

Getting them square, in line, frustrating.

Fabric stretches, moves, curves.

Paper is what I usually work with.

It stays the same shape.

I like that.

I do love printing pictures on fabric.

That is fun and I look foward to playing with it.

I do not anticipate quilt making...

well, if I do, it will definitely be CRAZY quilts.

I am not into precise measurements.

So, squares are a challenge.

But . . . I am doing something new.

And I am having fun.

Now, I need to thread the bobbin with my

olive thread.

Good thing I have Sydney to help me!

Last 2 Photos and text copyright 2010 Jodene (Jodi) Shaw.

First photo copyright Linda D'Orazio.

~ Artistic Mother Poetry ~

Erin is 3.

She teaches me

To find delight

In the little things.

When she was a baby

I remember

Watching her look at the leaves

Blowing in the wind on the tree.

And wondering

What it was like to see leaves on a tree

For the first time.

At three years, like all three year olds,

She sees and celebrates dandelions.

"Oh, there's MORE dandelions!"

"Let's go PICK 'em!"

After picking all she could find, she asks,

"When will they turn white

So we can blow the little things?"

"We have to wait for them to turn white."  I say.

So she lays down in the grass.

And says, "Ok, let's wait."

At last on Mother's Day,

I record her words in my poetry journal from my Artistic Mother project Week 2.

To make it easier to read, I will type it here ~

"Oh look!  White flowers!

I will go get some and blow them

and the little things will go

everywhere.

And I will laugh!"

So she did.

And she came back with dandelion seeds in her hair.

And she said,

"Mommy, take mine socks off.

You take yours socks off

and come down in the grass

and it will tickle yours feet!"

So I did.

{Mothers Day 2010.}

Photos & text copyright 2010 Jodene (Jodi) Shaw.

Artistic Mother Project & Baby Blankets

Fabric Photos

~for upcoming projects~

Baby blankets

I love taking pictures

of the fabric

more than the sewing.

But the sewing machine

is growing on me.

I have been hung up at "Week 3"

in The Artistic Mother by Shona Cole

but I finally got the fabric for the tote.

Now I am ready to go!

Will post finished products soon!

Have a great Thursday!

copyright 2010 Jodene (Jodi) Shaw