Weekend to check off my "Wish List"

 This past weekend, I was able to check off one of the very top of my "Wish List" items!
 I met my #ArtGoddessIdol, GwenLafleur;actually took two classes with her,taught by her~
 both "Angels and Icons" and "Mini journal Mayhem"
as well as,was able to meet in real life #IRL two of my Tribe mates,
Jill McDowell of Infinite Possibilities and Linda Edkins Wyatt of LindaEdkinsWyattBlogspot

It seems as though the four of us have known each other forever-we all agreed on that! So to spend this time together,well it was just Amazing!

 Gwen is a fabulous teacher(and not because I am a bit biased)LOL
 As she demonstrates,you can actually feel the inspiration circling around everyone and the creativity bubbling over! Cool right?!! I am still reeling from the weekend!

 These are Gwen's examples of "Angels and Icons",our class for the first day
Gwen was inspired to create this class from the many trips around the world she has taken, especially when she visited Russia and the Ukraine and experienced the beautiful shrines and churches filled with religious icons.

                                           These are Absolute Gorgousness on a canvas!

Above is our table ,Jill, Linda, another gal Nancy and myself-we kinda spread out when we work!   there was no way another would ever fit at this table! LOL
 My piece is the one in the foreground, work in progress...I'll share again when it is finished!")

                                                             AND... Now for some exciting news!

 Gwen announced to us on the first day,about the release of her brand new stamp line designed by her and made by PaperArtsy- in the UK!

Some of Gwen's stamps are based on her stencils, while others are new designs. Each and every one of these,in my opinion is out of this word marvelous! And... she could not have picked a better stamp company to produce her line. PaperArtsy's quality material and producers enable Gwen's highly detailed stamps to print perfectly in all of their glory! (guess I kinda like them huh?!heehee)
                                           how can you not love these designs!
                                              Available now at PaperArtsy !

The second day, Gwen taught us the class "Mini Journal Mayhem"

The classes were held in The Papercraft Clubhouse in Connecticut,to which we traveled. 

We rented a little cottage and were able to bring Chum along. And when they weren't out walking,Rile was hitting up garage sales! Fun for All!

Mary,above in pink,was one of the Papercraft Clubhouse "personal shoppers" as we called her!  If we needed or wanted a supply or paint from the store upstairs, Mary would get it for us- talk about being waited on! Tracie, the Clubhouse owner was super gracious and so sweet and Mary and Jonah were awesome at helping us with all of our needs.

 We all listened attentively while Gwen explained her details and instructions for creating the journals, so much color and yumminess of products!

and here below are our day 2 tablemates, Nancy on the left, Karenliz Henderson,many of you may know from Google and Jill McDowell.
Jill,Nancy and I took the two days of classes and Nancy, Jill, and Karenliz all live right in Connecticut so travel was easy for them!

A few pages in my Mini Journal Mayhem book, I was glad to complete a couple of them! Will share more along the way!

 And on Saturday we said our goodbyes but have already started planning our next get together with Gwen our leader and her Tribe. Jill, Linda, Lynda Shoup, Sandee Setliff and myself! What a weekend that will be!!  I miss my Tribees so much already!

Chum wanted to do selfies all the way home...

silly dog!

 So happy you came by and left a note!

 I've missed you all and am thankful for your support <3 

 If you have had a hard time finding my blog, you were not alone! Seems, since I stopped paying for it through Go Daddy, and went back with Blogger, my name had to be changed, so it is now Creatingwithcrayons-JackiePNeal

they have removed the without and just left with. 

I'm ok with that for now, hoping to build a website, we'll see, but I will be sure to let you know! Thanks for hanging in there with me! I'll be by to see you soon! 

 hugs & love,Jackie ")

am I back?

Good Sunday morning!
  This is a test post as I lost my blog for awhile and not sure if I am back or not! LOL
If you can see this,please let me know in the comments- if no comments come in, I guess I am still lost! heehee

Chum says Hi!

Welcome to the New Year!

Hello my friends!

 It has been quite awhile since I have done a blog post, and I thought I should put one out here to check in with all of my blog friends.

The past two years there have been many unfortunate life changes for us.I won't go into all of it;I just wanted to say,that it finally took it's toll emotionally and that is part of the reason for my absence. 

So,in continuing to heal my soul,I will be not as present for awhile. I need to step back and catch my self up on some needed "me time". I will continue to visit and comment when I can.Just know, that you are all never far from my thoughts and I'll be back when the time is right.thank you so much for understanding.💓

So with out further ado...

This post is going to start off with a bit of art. Specifically some more of the Artist Trading Coins I had fallen in love with. 

A few friends and I did a 3 for 3 swap of the coins,as well as made our own envelopes for traveling. I must say, my envies were not as artsy as the others,but I still had fun making them!

 Up first are mine I created 

 Looks like the desk of a mad artist!

 3 of the 4 envies from the gals,one was caught up in the post for awhile.

and here are all of the coins I received and my little studio tree where I hung them

 

  This was really a fun swap and i just love each and every one of these special mini artworks!

Thank you ladies! 💟

  coins from Astrid Mclean

from Linda Edkins Wyatt

 from Kim Collister

  from Jill McDowell

 I just love this saying,I am striving towards this for 2019!

 Also, arriving in the post around the same time was this gorgeous designed and created handbag,by Theresa Martin. Theresa is a mixed media artist as well and combines her collage work with her fiber art and creates some of the coolest,most unique pieces I have ever seen!

 

 and then there is this atc Theresa made! I just adore it!

thanks so much my friend!

 

Aside from the art there have been other things happening...

After Thanksgiving,I flew out to Washington state to be with my son Lenny for awhile.

There had been quite a few changes in Len's life over the past couple of years,major changes.You may remember my speaking of Neda,his wife. They separated shortly after our cross-country trip to see them and divorced amicably last January.They are still very close and care for one another deeply. 

In between his job,and working on his new home,Len met a real sweet gal on a dating site,named Flora.

Flora

They hit it off immediately and fell in love instantly and began planning a future together,one that even included grandchildren!We couldn't have been happier and more thrilled for them!

Around the same time I had my neck problems and surgery,Flora was experiencing terrible stomach pains that her general practitioner kept attributing to gas. Len insisted on her seeing a specialist and it was determined that at her young 32 years,she had stage 4 ovarian cancer.

  Len stepped up and took care of Flora as if they had been together forever.He brought Flora home and cared for her so lovingly.Len did all the chores,cooking,taking to her to appointments,getting her outside for exercise and to see nature and breathe in the beautiful air.He would stay up all hours with Flora,giving her comfort in any he could,and then had her aunt and uncle come stay with them for a while to be close to her.

After exhausting every avenue of medicine;sadly,and tragically the cancer ravaged Flora and she passed peacefully at the end of September,the day after Len said goodbye to her. 

As we can only imagine,this was devastating for Len.

 Flora was originally from Taiwan and so her parents came to receive her and take her back with them.Len and Flora's best friend,Alicia are planning a memorial for Flora,this spring.I hope he finds the closure he needs then.

 

So my visit with my son was needed for both of us.Len and I get along so well and we spent some wonderful quality time together. We laughed and cried and discussed life in general. 

  So while Len did the cooking,
Momma did his mudding and trim painting.

 

Obviously by this photo,you can see Len isn't much of a camera guy! LOL

 One of the dishes Len made, Middle Eastern kabobs,with Rosemary potatoes and jasmine rice.

While Len was working-heehee
 I did a bit of decorating,using only vintage ornaments, holly and other fresh greens from Len's yard

  some of Len's artwork from first grade I had brought with me.

 and Flora's origami birds she had made.

And now I would like to share some of Len's progress on his place as it just blows me away how talented he is and what he has done.

The colored lighting is all designed and installed by Len.He has the coolest touch pad that controls all the lights in the home,and you can make them any color!

yes,Win,I soooo had alot of fun with this!

I love the stairway he redid~the cablework is fab!

 

Len has literally taken down each wall and replaced those with new drywall and is building his own trimwork.

 Len designed and built ALL of these cabinets himself,from scratch,teaching himself from YouTube

 Back in the kitchen,he is cooking my favorite~Asian pancakes! Yum!!!

 He even took me to a salon and hung out an hour while I had my hair cut!

on and on right?thanks for letting me brag on about my son, I couldn't be happier or prouder!

We had a great time together and I know he enjoyed it as well because he told me so at the airport...omgosh,I am crying all over again thinking about his words! lol

Oh wait, did I say I could not be happier or prouder?

Did you see the beautiful purple artwork above?

 this piece as well as the gorgeous canvas below were sent to me by my beautiful soon to be daughter in law,Hannah.

 The week before Christmas,Lindsey and Hannah bought a house after moving to Texas,3 months ago.
The day they closed(literally 5 days beforeChristmas-yikes!) and unlocked the doors of their new home for the first time,my Lindsey romantically proposed to Hannah and she accepted. So this Mom is proud as a peacock right now!

They make such a beautiful couple and they compliment each other so!

and the best part,is Lindsey blames me for Hannah's love of art! heehee and Hannah has asked me to help her with the wedding when they plan the date! I can't wait!!

Here we are at the end of my post and I would just like to take a minute to share with you,my gratitude for you all,and how blessed I feel to have you in my life!(even if it is only via the net!)

Sending wishes out to you all for a New Year full of blessings~filled with Joy, Love,Happiness and Peace!

Love to you,

Jackie ")