Art Blessing Giveaway!!!

"LET THE TEARS FALL" GLASS COLLAGE PAPERWEIGHT

OH its that time again!! I try to have an art blessing giveaway every month and wanted to be sure I didn't miss this month before we head off to make some fun memories with the family for spring break! I love to find little bits of artistic encouragement to bless others with and send them out into the world! I decided to offer several items this time! Pictured in this post are a few treasures that I will pick names for on the evening of Sunday April 6! I have always told my husband I wish I secretly had millions and could just send inspirational art into the world on a daily basis! I am not a millionaire but I do feel blessed to be able to share my heart through my art journey and I hope these humble little pieces will be a blessing to several of you! So just leave your name and contact information in the comments and I will put your name in the art blessing drawing for one of the pieces pictured in this post! So check back on April 6th and I will draw four names...one for each of the treasures pictured! I am grateful for each visit you make and for the encouragement that your comments and support have given me as I find my way in this creative quest of mine to bring healing into the hearts that God graciously brings my way!


"ASPIRE TO BE" ART CARD PRINT MOUNTED ON MATBOARD


"INNER PEACE" ART SQUARED MAGNET(3.5 X 3.5 INCHES)



"AWAKEN" ART DOLL LAMIMATED DANGLE

New Work to Share....

"Breathe" Altered Vintage Shadowbox

I have several new pieces to share that have listed on ebay over the weekend! I am recovering from a huge family Easter dinner!! Me and mashed potatoes (sung to the tune of Micheal Buble's "Me and Mrs Jones")...well its just pure lust!!! Hope you all had a day blessed with family and friends or solitude that was bathed in relaxation and peace.

Easter Reflection.....

I always struggled to understand the cruxifiction quite honestly. One day long ago I was driving in my car asking God about it...asking Him to help me grasp what the sacrifice was really about..to understand why. Immediately this song came on the car radio. It has always made me weep ever since. I know these images are so heartwrenching to watch but there is such power in the message...in the truth of how immense the sacrifice was...that He died for me...and He died for you...may you each be blessed this Easter season....

Artist's Mess Challenge....

I was inspired by my friend Debrina of Spark Your Imagaination to risk baring your "artist all" and give a peek into the reality of what your studio "really looks like" on any given creative day! She was given the challenge by Julie Molina on her blog. So it feels like some daring fun to reveal the mess...if not a tad vulnerable to give you a peek into my creating space!! Lets just say this would not be a good day to have company coming for dinner as I took over our dining room and claimed it as a studio when we moved in this house almost three years ago. After years of being in corners of the house, taking over kitchen tables or out with the dog in the cold garage, I feel blessed to have this humble room as my artistic sanctuary! So needless to say my idealistic dream of having wonderfully prepared meals ready for the family served at a beautifully set dining table every night haven't happened too often. I always just give my hubby puppy dog eyes and say, "But honey...under all that mess on the table is a new piece of art just waiting to be discovered...if I clean it all up I might never find it!". Only because of the beautiful shelves he built for me does the rest of the studio stay relatively decent...but that table...well...my only excuse is...I am an artist!

I love peering into the places where other artists create. Its cool to visualize them in their studios or creative corners tinkering with all their treasures. So often on the internet we can all feel a bit faceless and untouchable. Seeing what surrounds an artist as they create gives us a small window into who they are. So this is a little bit of me...where I go to work every day...where I lose myself and play...the quiet where I dream and nurture my healing heart....

Art Block Addiction....

Once I get started on these blocks I seem to get so crazy about creating them! Here are the newest sets that were listed on Ebay! They are hours of "playtime" fun for the little kid in us all! And heres a favorite song of mine to inspire your day!

Creative Healing.....

New treasures listed on Ebay today!

A Day in the Studio.......

In many ways its been a rough week inside. Many things to wrestle with and wonder about.....so I give them to God and hope you'll find some comfort in this song I love which shares a place we can bring the softest of our whispers to......I am grateful to have the time today to let my struggles find expression and release in artwork. Just sharing the results of my time in the studio today. Sometimes there is just not enough hours it the day (or night) for all the creative ideas that swarm around in my head! Can an artist sister get an "Amen!". These pieces listed on Ebay tonight!

New Original Altered Art Blocks.....

Its been a busy week and I am trying to catch up it seems on all fronts. I spent some time this weekend sharing my work at a collage therapy workshop. It is always such a blessing to see how working with images allows those who are hurting to express their pain in ways they had never experienced before. I always marvel at what a creative God we have and the unique ways He moves to bring hurting souls freedom and healing. My sweet friend Florence invited me to come stay at the retreat home ("Journey's Rest") the night before the workshop to prepare and enjoy some quiet time all by myself. It was such a relaxing and refreshing time! She has so many yummy candles everywhere, soothing music and snuggly blankets to cuddle up with and heartwarming books in every nook and cranny. I lost count how many chocolates I had with my many cups of tea!

I had a chance to create a little today and am excited to offer my original altered art blocks again. These five, large altered blocks have been listed on Ebay. These are really fun to collect and display as sets! I love giving them as gifts of encouragement! Thanks for stopping by and may this week bring you new insights and the courage to move out in the direction your heart is calling!

So Simple......

Really...when everything is down to all that really matters...when its all stripped to the core....its really so simple...isn't it?

Soul Tapestry.....

The time will come
When, with elation,
You will greet yourself arriving
At your own door, in your own mirror,
And each will smile at the other's welcome,

And say, sit here, Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
To itself, to the stranger who has loved you

All your life, whom you ignored
For another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

The photographs, the desperate notes,
Peel your image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

"Love After Love" by Derek Walcott
Original Mixed Media Canvas on Ebay!

A little creative experimenting.......

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I felt like a little girl playing in a coloring book today as I experimented with my very humble paint shop program. It was just fun to play in this digital medium and watch what unfolded. I must admit I missed the hands on of glue and paper and getting messy but this was creative in a way that felt quite exciting too...you know the kind of excitement that bubbles up deep in your creative core and whispers..."Now this has some cool possibilities!" I dared myself to put them on the blog or even sell them though they feel a bit elementary. But isn't that what living is about....just lay it bare, humble yourself to be a beginner, throw yourself into the wind and risk something you've never tried before! These prints are available on Ebay!

"Imagine"...New Journal Art on Etsy!

I am revamping my Etsy store and slowly beginning to add some new items. I finshed some inspirational tag sets, wooden star dangles and altered library pockets. I discovered this beautiful black easel in my frame store I have out in the garage (haha...my hubby says I should not be allowed to buy another frame for as long as I live!). It was perfect for another piece of journal art. This sweet vintage fairy journal can be found on etsy today too!




Also..This weekend is a leap year special over at my Zazzle Store. They have a free shipping with purchase special going on through the end of the weekend! Have a fabulous end of the week everyone!

Now Offering 5X7 Enlargements.....

Must be almost spring as I feel that nesting thing coming over me...nesting, gutting out, reorganizing and making room for the anticipation of the new!

I wanted to share that I am now offering 5x7 enlargements for $8.99 each of over 150 designs I sell as ATC/ACEO prints. I often have requests for my art cards to be enlarged for framing. They have been a blessing for me to frame and give as gifts to special ones who God brings my way! I also decided to offer my ATC ACEO Prints unmounted for $3.99 for those who want to save a little on my art card prints (prints mounted on matboard sell for $5.99). You can find all the designs there are to choose from here and either purchase through ebay or if you would like to purchase any ATC prints or enlargements direct from my blog just let me know. Shipping is 1.25 for the first enlargement, $1.00 for unmounted ATC prints and free for any print purchases after the first!.

A sweet thank you to Cathy at Avalon Rose, Judy at JMK Originals and Izabella's Blue for your encouraging gift of the "You make my day award"...
The award gives me the opportunity to share some blogs that are wonderful to visit! I can never narrow down who to put on these lists (plus I hate to leave anyone out!) so I would encourage you to check the list of incredible blogs here! The OWOH event was an fabulous chance to explore some truly unique and delightful blogs!

Release the Depth of my Soul....

I love the idea of journals being displayed as artwork. This new original Altered Journal is available on Ebay today. The work is displayed in a gold scrolled easel. I have one of own special journals perched at my favorite writing desk in a pretty stand. It seems fitting that our most intimate thoughts and musings be given a place of honor in our creative spaces or cozy writing/reading nooks. It is always so cathartic to let the words flow and leave footprints that trace our journeys! When we know where we have been it illuminates the road that is taking us where we are going!

Love heals the soul....

Had fun working with these beautiful antique metal embellishments I found in my stash. This sweet piece is double-sided so you can spend a little time reflecting on each message. I was reminded of all the special souls in my own life who have offered me real, safe and unconditional love. It has been in this fertile soil of love that my own heart has been free to heal and take the risk of embracing my tomorrows. Friends who can just sit in the quiet with you are a rare gift. This Altered Art Tin Assemblage is for sale on ebay today.

New Art Cards on Ebay....

Art cards are always a great way to slowly make my way back into the studio after a long creative break! I finished these this afternoon and listed them on ebay if you'd like to take a peek! I am hoping to experiment in the days to come, play with my soldering iron, gets my hands in some polymer clay and paints....time to stretch and move out of creative comfort zones is the gentle whisper I hear. It always takes me a little while to get back in the groove around my studio. So hopefully I'll have some new pieces to share in the coming days and weeks! Thanks for stopping by!

Hopeful words to share........

Attended an amazing workshop recently with the poet and writer Ana Callan . Such a tender and gentle soul whose insight into the depth and soul of poetry was such a deep encouragement to me. Thought I would share a piece written from my heart that day and hope it will bless yours........














Revealing while yet still in revelation
the hidden shadows and whispers of the emerging voices
receiving, holding, listening, believing

Reaching into the unfamiliar yet known
image of the core small form of the innocence of me
rocking, caressing, touching, releasing

Remembering the visions and untethered spirit
of the unique child that was of an existance before
untouched, unhurt, unfractured, unashamed

Offering a sweet and safe invitation
bathed in the hope of renewal and a more gentle rebirth
crying, aching, grieving, mourning

Braving exposure of the dormant inner passions
that have simmered in gentle and quiet childlike anticipation
creating, speaking, singing, healing

Lani Kent Copyright 2008



A sweet friend shared this song with me today. I pray grace finds you this day and mercy gives you the courage to hope... to try..to reach...to imagine all that is possible for you!

Today Another Child Will Be Hurt...

There are times when the burdens of our heart need visual expression. Art, music and media offer a way to bring what can be held in captive silence out into the open, touching our souls in profound ways. In my heart one of the reasons I wanted to begin a blog was to offer a place of hope, resources and education for those that are on a healing journey from the hurts they have endured. Sometimes those images and conversations can be difficult. Many of us still carry the wounds of childhood with us. Last night I heard yet another account on the news of the heartbreaking physical and sexual abuse of a child. I wanted to share this video to offer a moment to for us pause and pray for these children...to pray for the endless cycle of abuse to be broken...and for eyes to be opened to the children around us who may be trying to scream through the barriers of silence and ignorance for help, safety and healing.

One World One Heart Giveaway Winner!

What a fun event this has been! I can't thank everyone enough (all 165 of you!) who stopped by my blog, left such inspiring comments and entered the drawing for my giveaway journal! I ran out of time to try and get to all of the participating blogs but look forward to peeking in and getting a chance to meet all these amazing bloggers. The array of beautiful items that were offered were so heartfelt and truly some delicious eye candy! And the big moment...the winner is....JENNY FOWLER!

Congratulations Jenny! Stop by and check out Jenny's blog...what a sweet soul and I look forward to sending this journal off to you and hope it blesses you!