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First Candle Making Workshop Complete!

Yesterday was a day filled with sweet fragrance, not just from the essential oils, coconut oil, soy wax, and sugar wafting in the studio. It was the sweetest because a total of 16 ladies, aged from as young as four to as old as “who knows” showed up to make their own candles and sugar scrubs.

It was crowded with the layout of my small space, but everyone was so kind and helped each other go through the line, step by step creating a beautiful soy candle filled with fragrances from lavender to citrus to jasmine.

First were seven lovely ladies I’m thankful to work with every day! They put together a group and came to support my new endeavor. It was awesome! And, since I’m used to training, learning, and working with most of them it made the whole day start off on the right foot!

Next a lovely lady named Samantha just popped in to see what we were up to! It was Sam’s birthday so she was welcomed with birthday wishes and joined the lineup.

Soon enough four more arrived, then two more… and yet again two more… It was a nicely spaced pace and while the first batch of candles was settling, sugar scrubs became the focus.

Brown, fine, granulated or raw… take your pick! Add some oil.. let’s see, avocado, almond, or perhaps coconut. Coconut won hands down it seems. I think the idea of it getting a little solid was preferred. Lots of stirring in the coconut bowls with the coconut spoons!

After the jars were filled with what could be the most amazing addition to cookie dough(??), there was the embellishment station where dry rub transfers, stickers, twine, and ribbon were all put to good use… and even a little bling for some.

The first group headed to lunch, returning to perfectly set candles. Wicks were trimmed and bags were filled…. and the next round took place. All afternoon we had someone in line to do the next activity and it was so much fun!

I’ve put in an order for more wax, more fragrance oils, and have my list of supplies ready for the next round! Thanks to everyone who came and I hope YOU can join us for what promises to be another fragrant day filled with love and laughter at Refind Creations Studio!

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Pure Joy

I sent these verses to my family this morning from my devotional: Philippians 4:4-9

Always be happy because you belong to the Lord. I will say that again, “Be happy!” Be kind and patient in a way that everyone can see. Remember that the Lord is near. Do not worry about anything. Instead, pray to God about everything. Ask him to help you with the things that you need. And thank him for his help. If you do that, God will give you peace in your minds. That peace is so great that nobody can completely understand it. You will not worry or be afraid because you belong to Christ Jesus. Now my friends, I want to say this to you. Fill your minds with thoughts about good things. Think about things that are true, clean, right and lovely. Always think about things which people know are very good. Remember what I have taught you. Remember the message that you heard from me…God is the one who gives us peace in our minds. He will be with you.”

The past year has been a whirlwind, and the past six months have been full of change professionally and artistically. I left the Whatcom Art Market because of the demands on time it was creating that left me without the break I needed while working full time.

Within weeks of leaving, an opportunity came up to rent studio space, which my husband encouraged me to do. It was hard to imagine not making my art in our daughters’ former bedroom and how would I have all my things?

For the past few months there was no creating going on. It was all about setting up the space. Within a few weeks I had to travel for my real job and I visited a creative space in North Carolina where the exact dream I have of having a studio and retail space was happening. The artist gave me a little key chain as a gift – a metal stamped key chain. We talked a bit about her space and her dreams and my dreams of having such a space, where people can come and be creative, buy gifts, and have fun. I was inspired!

The studio I had rented was one fourth of a large loft inside another business. While I waited to see if any other artists were going to move in, it occurred to me that I hoped not – because the size of the space is perfect for doing just what my new-found friend in North Carolina was doing. What if I take that whole space and create the kind of place where people can “drop in” and create with me? And what if I create a retail space where I can sell my art and designs while allowing others to come in and work on projects? What if I open it up to other artists to come in and teach their craft?

So, I made a commitment for three months to open that exact concept. I have made numerous trips in the evening to the outlying areas to pick up pieces of furniture and accessories from those selling on the Facebook Marketplace. What would I have done without that?? I have ordered supplies, collected metal stamping tools and watched YouTube videos on the art of metal stamping. I have arranged and re-arranged the space. I have advertised and promoted and social-media’d people to death, I’m sure.

My daughter, who is my official business partner and design consultant, even flew up from Las Vegas to help put the final touches and re-touches on my concept.

I ordered cookies, invited everyone I knew, and made a “grand opening” on December 6 during the First Friday Downtown Art Walk, which was extremely well attended.

I imagined groups of women coming in and doing metal stamping with me. I imagined no one at all coming. I imagined too many people coming. I had no idea what would really happen. Planning anything new is a risk, but I know my concept is good. I know, also, that no matter what, I now have time to create and work on my art in a beautiful space.

My first “customers” were my cousins. Two teen boys who loved metal stamping! They were so much fun and enjoyed themselves a lot! All the adults who came through on the first “drop in” studio day glanced around, admired my art, and even had tea…. but no one wanted to create with me.

Last weekend was my second drop in date. Again, teen boys showed up and they were delightful! One boy used the heart shaped blank and stamped LOVE on it, making a necklace for his mom! Heart-melting. The others made backpack tags and they had a lot of fun. It was refreshing to see teen and younger boys enjoying the creative process that included hammers and noise!

A five year old girl came in as well. She and her mom just happened by and she wanted to make an ornament for her and her brother but she did NOT want to hear the noisy hammer! So we made a deal – She would plug her ears and tell me which letters to use to spell the names – Solveig and Jens! Oh she was so cute and she was so proud of her ornaments.

Still, this morning, I was feeling a bit discouraged. Although I enjoyed these kids coming, I really was hoping that some adults would show up and participate. I was thinking maybe I had this all wrong, but I prayed that the Lord would send the right people who needed to be there and that this place would be a place of happiness. I read the verses from the scripture above and went on with my morning.

I was excited that this was going to be a rare day that I wasn’t carrying a load of supplies, Amazon boxes, or furnishings up the stairs with me! I actually only had one stop on the way in, to buy some jewelry stands from a lady (on Facebook Marketplace, of course) so I could hang the key chains, book marks, and luggage tags I’ve been stamping.

I got to the studio just before my advertised opening time and for the first hour no one stopped by. I arranged and rearranged the area for the stands and decided to just keep working on my projects. A couple stopped in and bought some potpourri and a stoneware jar. Nice! A few more trickled through and admired my technique but overall it was pretty quiet.

Then an older man came up the stairs and two young girls came along with him. I was busy stamping and offered them a chance to watch. They were just out shopping and had no idea about my classes or space. The younger girl was on crutches and we talked about her broken ankle and how I am an MRI technologist, and her grandpa knew my place of work well, he said. The older girl became extremely interested in the metal stamps and I asked if they wanted to give it a try, not knowing if grandpa had planned to spend much time with them getting creative.

They both took a seat and I showed them how the letters work and we practiced a couple things before they just went right to work on their ornaments, dog tags, and gifts. They had so much fun and it was pure joy on the older one’s face when she said, “I could do this all day long, every day!” She is in sixth grade while her younger sister is in first. They love creating and they have a room at home, where they live with their grandparents, full of craft supplies and Shaylee, the sixth grader, even knows how to sew. She repeatedly told me how much she loved the space, how much she wanted to spend all her time there, and she said she would work for me for free because she loved it so much!

I made them cocoa and they made a total of six projects in the hour or so they were there. They were so happy and the pure joy of it was such a blessing. They hugged me and signed my guest book, carrying their bag of gifts down the stairs and promising to come back again and again.

Downstairs their grandpa got in a conversation with the owner about some furniture, so the girls headed back upstairs to see me again and to say over and over how much they loved being there.

Willow, the first grader, said she was so proud of herself for all the things she made. I gave them each one of my “mini masterpieces” – a tile on an easel with a pressed flower on the front that looks like a mini painting.

They were so truly happy about that and they hugged me again, promising they would be back soon and that Shaylee would teach me to sew. She is sure her grandma wants to come along as well and they will do all kinds of projects.

God is so good. It was the most encouraging blessing to hear the purity of joy, the longing to be creative all the time, and the absolute beauty of their spirits.

After they left I was just so touched by it all! I decided to step out and get a bite to eat to refresh. When I returned there was a couple in the shop looking around. I greeted them and went back to my key chains. They walked around and chatted a bit then decided to buy a couple of the stoneware jars… and suddenly the woman declared she was buying one of my “paintings” – Windswept. It was on raw canvas, painted in sunflower pigments and a collage of elderberry blossoms and dried sunflower petals. I was so happy – it is my first sale of original art since I moved out of the art market!

I feel that the Lord confirmed that I am doing what I am meant to do. To bring that kind of joy to people simply by being there is such a blessing. I have dedicated a portion of all my sales to very specific charities, one of them being Skookum Kids. Knowing those two little girls live with their grandparents and that Skookum Kids is all about fostering children and their caregivers, I feel led to support that ministry specifically.

I hope Shaylee and Willow will be able to join me in a fundraiser for Skookum Kids on February 7. I have three “Paint-by-Number” canvases with baby animals with their mothers. They will be set up in the studio for people to paint for a donation, with all proceeds and the finished paintings going to Skookum House. And I hope it brings as much pure joy to the children there as it will bring me pure joy to make it happen!

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Creating a Studio

It has been at least four years since the seed was planted in my mind, maybe I would say in my soul, to create a creative space for myself and others to Refind Creative Spirit. My daughter and I have had many long conversations about what our “store” would be like if we could dream it up. We collected business cards from people, made lists, wrote down ideas, and made up names. She was finishing college at the time and my creative juices were just starting to flow after so many years of being dedicated to family, work, kids, life in general.

It came as a surprise to find this urge to create. Sometimes it’s like an insatiable appetite, this need to take a found object and turn it into something new. This brilliant idea to take flowers and scan them on my flatbed scanner for months before finding out it was an actual thing others did as well. This compulsion to dry flowers, collect things from nature, to spend hours in “junk” stores, which really should be called treasure troves, and use those to create my own style of art. Finally the absolute obsession with taking those dried petals and using them in place of paint strokes to create the most unique and beautiful designs that just capture the imagination.

Today, after all those months and really years of planning, I was allowed to say, “It’s my grand opening” and Refind Creations went from an idea to reality in a whole new way. For the past two years there has been the fantastic opportunities to be part of the Whatcom Art Guild and sell my designs in their Art Market as well as online in an Etsy shop and now in my own online store. It gave me the confidence and focus to branch out to creating a lovely space where I can continue to come up with ideas and make a mess, study a pattern, or find a whole new thing like metal stamping.

I am especially excited to have a space where the community can come to spark a creative idea themselves. Art Walk is a monthly event where everyone is welcome to see what is going on artistically in our community. It opens doors to collaboration with other artists and brings people in to see what we have all been up to in our studios. The turnout last night was amazing. Hundreds of people flowed through our space and heard about the opportunities coming up for drop in creative projects. I have so much planned and always I come up with something new.

I am looking forward to showing people the tools of the metal stamping art. There will be times where we will pour soy candles, learn about essential oils and their benefits, and make scrubs, lotions, salves, and ointments from nature. We may collage, paint, craft, cut, paste, and even scan things… I am so excited about the possibilities and hope that word gets out that this opportunity to create, collaborate, and bless the community is right here in Bellingham, WA.

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Inspiration Vacation

My husband and I have been in Leavenworth, Washington, for the past several days. We are celebrating our 33rd wedding anniversary, which actually took place in May; however for many years we have chosen to celebrate in September when things calm down after summer.

Leavenworth is a Bavarian Village in the Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest. To say it is beautiful would be an understatement. The alp-like mountain range surrounding the town are breathtaking. The Wenatchee River meanders through for miles and pine, fir, and cedar trees fragrance the air.

This beautiful village has been one of our favorite vacation spots throughout the years. We have stayed in every level of comfort, from tiny cabins on the river when we were newlyweds, and even when our kids were little, to the stunning Enzian Hotel where the alpenhorn is blown every morning during a fabulous breakfast, to the Howard Johnson motel on the highway. We have been here in every season, from the rains of spring to celebrate our daughter’s birthday, summertime fishing expeditions and trips to the swimming hole, fall festivals and art shows, to the most wonderful time of year when the snow falls and the hill in town becomes a sledding wonderland. It is a magical, blessed, and unique place that has been part of our lives.

This year my husband made the reservation and planned our trip. He wanted to really make it special by reserving the most decadent location – the Posthotel right in downtown Leavenworth. This is above and beyond the most beautiful, luxurious, and relaxing place we have stayed in our years together. First of all, no kids allowed. Everything is absolutely stunning, pampering, and carefully planned and executed. We have been spoiled and relaxed in the most delightful ways – from the spa, pools, hot tubs, saunas, steam rooms, and ice rooms, to the absolutely delicious breakfasts and lunches provided with our reservation.

Feeling quite blessed and relaxed, today I decided to venture out to the antique mall about fifteen miles away in Cashmere, Washington. Refind Creations is all about finding rusty, crusty, old, disposed of, useless things to recreate works of art, right? Well, my darling husband thought he would come along for some reason. Usually he stays and reads when I go on these adventures. We arrived and immediately I found some amazing things – an old tumbler that was painted turquoise and chipped and battered from years of use. I loved the idea of making a succulent garden in it, but I’m sensible enough not to spend $85 for something like that.

On our way to Leavenworth the other day we stopped at another of my favorite treasure/junk stores and I found a nice rusty bale of barbed wire! He didn’t understand why I would pay $20 for barbed wire, let alone rusted, eventhough he routinely helps me make my art! Duh, it’s to make the stems for the roses! Really…

So today, we had not been through even two of the spaces, of which there must be at least a hundred, when he asks, “What are you looking for?” My face must have shown my surprise by such a naive question. “I’m not looking for anything; I’m looking at everything. It’s how I get inspiration for my projects.” He can’t comprehend and asks how long do I think it will take? “Could be hours if I was by myself,” I say, trying to keep my voice calm. “Why did you come with me? Are you trying to torture me?” “This is called antiquing! Duh!” Sigh. Grumpy face. I try to point out to him some of the finer things he might find fascinating – old tools, perhaps. He tags along a little more. “How much longer”, I hear his inner voice. I know – we’ve been married too long. He doesn’t even have to say, “Are we there yet?” So now I start moving through the booths that don’t have any obvious treasures for me.

Last year I spent at least two hours in this store – this time looks like we are going to be doing well at 45 minutes. Grrrr… and then I find exactly what I’m looking for! A mannequin head! She’s beautiful. She has perfect eyes, beautiful makeup, and the most delicious lipstick! “What do you need that for?” he dares to ask. Duh! He knows I sell headbands and beanies on this site and in my Etsy store! He knows I have an upcoming event where I am going to sell those items to raise money for cancer research and awareness. Oh my gosh, and she is 50% off!!! Oh, I have to let go of the angst he is giving me because I’m so happy with my treasure. A little girl in line ahead of me asks, “What are you going to do with her?” She really liked her. When I told her the plan she thought it was great. Ten year old freckled nose girl understands!

Mannequin head got wrapped up and tucked into a metal container I bought to make a succulent garden, and sweet husband takes them out to the car, thinking I’m right behind him… but I told him, “Be out in a few minutes- I have to make one more round to make sure I didn’t miss anything.” He rolls his eyes and waits patiently in the car as I go round one more time and then we return to our luxurious hotel and my heart is happy. I found what I was looking for!

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Garden Ladies

Yesterday was a rare Saturday all to myself, so I decided to take a drive around the county collecting flowers from some of the ladies who offered me art supplies recently! I actually started at the Dollar Store getting more tubs, towels, and nightlights for upcoming projects. Next stop Hobby Lobby where I only stopped to get silica but since they didn’t have that I browsed the frames and shadow boxes for a couple other projects… Oh so heavenly!

My first garden stop was closest to town where a lovely lady named Cheryl came to the door, which I didn’t have to knock on because her big dog was like an automatic doorbell named Maisy. Cheryl had responded to my request on Whatcom Gardeners Facebook page asking for dead daylilies. I recently, by accident, discovered that daylilies give off the most beautiful pigments when they are near death. Cheryl kindly showed me all around her garden and gave me some lovely blue flowers (roots and all!) that I can’t for the life of me remember the names of. She also gave me Balloon Flowers! These were so cool – purple hot air balloons that open into beautiful blossoms. She shared several other blossoms which I should have written down, but all were so lovely!

Next stop was Joanna’s farm, which I’ve visited a few times in the past to forage and to buy dahlias. Joanna’s daughter, Hannah, also does flower art and makes gorgeous jewelry which she sells at the Farmers Market. I was again greeted by a very large dog, this time larger than me – a great dane with no tail. He’s very sweet and friendly. Next came two more great dane “puppies” which were crazy dogs – one had just come flying out of the pond covered in mud and decided to bless me with a big swipe of his face on my belly! There was a black lab or something in the mix but he was definitely out of his league with those two characters.

Joanna had offered grape vines – the tendrils will make something, I’m sure, as they are very elegant and dainty. I came away with a pile of everything from gladiolas to marion berries, dahlias, roses, larkspur, blueberries, and many things I have no idea what they are called. Joanna has acres of beautiful land with horses, pigs, and of course, dogs! She is always gracious and generous with her time and flowers.

Morning was long past and I needed to get to my final stop, way out in the county, and the day was heating up quickly. With all the lovelies in my trunk and back seat I was worried about wilting all the treasures.

About 30 minutes east toward Mount Baker, the community of Everson and the surrounding farms never fail to bless me. The high hills, flat fields, and the snow-capped peaks all make for such a relaxing, scenic drive. I arrived to the greeting of another dog, this time a German Shepard, and a very sweet, quiet man named Joe who was out working in the yard. Joe and Jade live in a cute little house surrounded by acres of beautiful land. Jade had invited me out in the past but last year Saturdays were dedicated to my mom so I never made it. This year she invited me to pluck blossoms and even asked if I wanted to stay for a yard party! If only I was sociable… So blessed by her offer but that would be beyond my abilities to manage!

I expected that Jade would have a lovely garden, but I was not prepared for the absolute sweetness that filled her plot. You see, Jade is a newlywed. Joe got her a book on growing flowers and it turned out to be a “How to”…. meaning Joe ended up having to build a greenhouse and Jade had to learn “how to…” grow flowers from seed and begin a wonderful adventure in selling her flowers at her absolutely adorable roadside stand and online. Check her out on Instagram @doublejflowerranch (https://www.instagram.com/doublejflowerranch/)

Now, I have never seen “cupcake” flowers, and so many colors of cosmos, and I can’t even begin to remember what else… so many absolutely gorgeous flower petals I could “paint” for the rest of my life with! I felt like I was back in time and that this new “flower lady” I felt I had known forever.

As soon as I made it home I spent hours sorting. Some were definitely wilted but all still viable…and so beautiful… piles and piles of flowers! Some went in the freezer, a pile went into the fridge, and the majority went into tubs of silica to dry and preserve.

I took a few and did a “painting” with the pigments – from gladiola, blue delphinium, and rose petals on canvas paper, a new product I wanted to try. Today I cut a piece of raw canvas and hammered an array of roses, marionberries, gladiola, and grapevines… awaiting the final result is always the hardest part!

A basket full of love from the Garden Ladies
smashed!
drying in the sun… looks like my apron after making jam!

I have met some lovely people through the Whatcom County Gardeners Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/623454961004098/ – Nancy is now my friend – she has been doing art with flowers for over 40 years and blesses me with good ideas, encouragement, and kindness. Check out her beautiful work at https://www.instagram.com/fortheluvofflowersnc/

And Diane, Kathy, Kristy, Jen… and I’m sure I’ll leave someone out, all the flower ladies I’ve met and who “follow” my art…. I am truly blessed by each of you.

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Petals In Process – Dogwood

Dogwood petals have been blooming all around and I particularly love the pink ones with their speckles and subtle tints. I had been asking if anyone had any for me to pluck for the past week or so as I want to see how they do with drying, pressing, and for use in my Petals as Paint process. Will they hold up to adhesives? Will the beautiful pinks go brown? Will they become brittle and turn into potpourri?

I finally plucked some at the cemetery on Mother’s Day when I went to put pink carnations on my mom’s headstone. The texture is soothing and the shapes are so beautiful.

Yesterday a friend from work said I could come pluck as many as I want from her front year, so I happily arrived with scissors and a bag which I quickly filled with about a hundred curly, flat, and angelic blooms!

Pink Dogwood Blossom
  • https://www.flowermeaning.com/dogwood-flower-meaning/
  • Rebirth and resurrection, particularly through the story of Jesus Christ
  • Christianity as a whole
  • Pity and regret over a specific decision or a situation that was beyond your control
  • Durability and reliability
  • Strength and resilience
  • Purity, especially in a religious or spiritual sense
  • A signal of affection to someone who may not reciprocate it

Now all those blossoms have been scanned and are in the drying mode. The majority are in silica for a few days while several were in the dehydrator overnight. So many beautiful ways to enjoy God’s Creations! – Next up, Rhododendrons!

Pink dogwood in silica
Pink Dogwood Blossoms ready for silica
Rhododendron Blossoms Dried
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Flower Season!

It is definitely flower season in the Pacific Northwest! We are still having frosty mornings (never plant before Mother’s Day, we’ve been taught – but who listens??) For me that means picking, plucking, buying, “borrowing”, and searching for flower petals to dry, press, preserve, scan and photograph. I am trying out different ones like camellia, tulip, and ranuculus – so far they are turning out very lovely. The Camellias tend to turn brown – or “rust” – as we say but even that can be extremely beautiful.

Camellia Blossom

This week I bought a new flatbed scanner. I have pretty much worn out my regular old printer/scanner and I think this will give me a little more room to be creative with my favorite media. I haven’t hooked it up yet because I am also getting a laptop to make my writing and blogging a little more mobile.

I have scanned so many flowers in the past year and now I will focus on scanning them at amazing resolution so I can make them more versatile for Print on Demand (Art of Where, Society6, Fine Art America, Printful, Zazzle, etc.) and my Etsy Shop. I spent a few hours today expanding my Fine Arts America/Pixels Shop – you can shop there through the link to the right on my main page. From wall art to duvet covers, t-shirts to phone cases, workout clothes to purses, you can find my original designs for any number of useful and beautiful items, gifts, home decor, or weddings.

Today’s creation is a collage of tulip petals, rose petals, and hellebore in a stained glass pattern. Between two panes of glass, when it is illuminated it is truly like a stained glass window – it would look amazing in a bathroom window. The details of the veins and the shading of the colors is so beautiful.

Petals as Paint – Illumination4

It is truly a magically beautiful time of year and there is so much to be inspired by in nature. God’s Creation is so amazing and I am just thankful to get to use his designs in my art!

Copyright 2019 – Refind Creations


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Pondering Purpose

I had a long, deep discussion with my son last night about music. We talked about how playing music is not about getting to the end, but enjoying the notes, rhythms, melodies, harmonies, chords and riffs. Playing music is purely for the purpose of the experience itself. Playing music is not a hurried activity. There is no pinnacle of success – you are playing simply for the joy and pleasure of the sounds and emotions those sounds invoke.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/668644122/18×18-flower-blossom-pillow-cover-pink?ref=shop_home_active_22&frs=1
Dahlia Delight

I related this to something I thought about earlier this week. Flowers. Flowers bring such beauty and pleasure to so much of our lives. People dedicate their entire lives to cultivating, growing, picking, preserving, and selling flowers. Flowers serve no necessary purpose really. They are a fleeting, seasonal, and temporary pleasure. But such an intrinsic part of our existence.

What would a wedding, funeral, romance, relationship, or friendship be without flowers? From a simple bouquet of wildflowers tied with a string to the most elaborate designs, flowers bring the beauty of life to life. In Victorian times, flowers were considered a symbolic language. They could be used to communicate deep emotions – from love to death, hate to passion. I have incorporated the mythical language of flowers into the descriptions of my products. Not that I believe that is their specific purpose, but to share the history and traditions of giving flowers as a way to communicate.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/668106914/26x20floral-pillow-cover-decorative?ref=shop_home_active_7&frs=1

Right now there is a tulip festival going on in my hometown. Tulips are so very temporary, but the life they bring to the community is invaluable. Farmers cultivate acre after acre, year after year. They plant the bulbs, cultivate them, cut down the flowers, dig up the bulbs, and repeat that cycle for their entire working life. People drive mile after mile, coming from around the world to see the Skagit Tulip Festival or the fields of Holland. For only a few weeks, the dazzling rows of every color create a beautiful quilt across the valley. On a rainy gray day the vibrant colors are enhanced by the subtle backdrop. On a sunny day we are dazzled with the snowcapped mountains, miles of fields, and the brilliance of the blue sky as a backdrop to the most colorful palette nature has to offer.

We can’t eat them or do anything other than pick them, arrange them, and throw them out. Or, if you’re me, you might add a couple steps – pick them, pluck them apart, press them and dry them, then use them as paints to create unique art designs.

What would a walk in the forest be without the delight of huge ferns, bleeding hearts, wild roses, and tiny wildflowers to enhance the beauty of our surroundings? They are there completely for our pleasure, and I am convinced for the pleasure of the Creator. Why else would he add such intricate details that we would never see unless we disassemble the blooms? There are an array of hues and tints and colors not visible unless you open them up and take them apart. The stamens and pistils are intricately designed solely for the purpose of reproducing the flowers for our pleasure and His.

From the most elaborate botanical gardens to my back yard, from dandelions along the side of the road to the gardens of the most elaborate homes, the purpose of flowers is to bring visual pleasure and emotion to our daily lives. Just like us, they were created just for the simple purpose to love and be loved. We are temporarily here on this earth to bring pleasure and beauty to the lives of others. We, like flowers, are here to reflect the beautiful creations of a Holy God who finds great pleasure in us and his flowers. Imagine the vast array of colors in a tulip field and fathom the flower gardens of heaven we have to look forward to.

The purpose of flowers, and even music, are only to bring us visual and emotional pleasure in the moment. When was the last time you got flowers? How did that make you feel? What is your favorite flower and what memories does it invoke? When was the last time you planted a basket of petunias or pansies, remembering your childhood? When did you last buy yourself a bouquet at the grocery store simply to brighten up your dining room table? Share with me your memories, your connections, and emotions that certain flowers bring to your life.

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Instagram Etsy Connection

Excited to share this item from my #etsy shop: Purple Flower Workout Tank Top *Dahlia Flower Yoga Tank Top * Multi-colored Tank Top * Fitted Tank Top * Yoga Tank Top * Running Tank Top #clothing #floral #athletictop #tanktop https://etsy.me/2VBrJIT

Dahlia Delight Scanography ??

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Praise, Primroses, and Bouquets

My latest designs were scanned today and I can’t wait to see what they become!

Omi’s Bouquet – This is from a bouquet my mother-in-law shared with me – Yellow Chrysanthemum, Pink Carnations, and I added white orchid petals, orange lilies, and some dahlia petals for accents

Praise Petals – Rose, dahlia, and poinsettia petals sprinkled with hydrangea

Primrose focal point with an ocean of hydrangea, dahlia, and geranium

Petals as Paint – a technique using flower petals in place of paint strokes to create unique geometric and nature inspired designs on tile. These are scanned at high resolution to be used on various home decor, clothing, and accessories on Etsy, Society6, Fine Art America, Zazzle, and RedBubble – Look for Refind Creations on any of these sites for your next work of art!