Sacred Art Blog

Christmas projects

2011-12-12T21:36:00.000-06:00

Just finished some Christmas projects. Making a book paper wreath was fun.

Prayer

2011-12-09T11:17:00.001-06:00

"Prayer"

Altoid tin container by Janie Mills for display or to cradle a dearly loved rosary.

I love this depiction of a Madonna, a Mother, a Woman in quiet communication with her maker. Simple text with the word "Prayer" is added. A tiny pink candle lights the way. It was perfectly sized in it's partial use when taken out of an old box of birthday candles. I wonder what stories it could tell?

See this link on how it was made:

http://janiemillsart-images.blogspot.com/p/nichos-and-altars.html

Day 9 of "A Virgin a Day" hosted by artist, Rebecca Brooks. You can join us at:

recuerda mi corazon

Love Springs Eternal

2011-12-08T09:09:00.001-06:00

May you be surprised at finding beauty in the midst of ruin.

Day 7 of "A Virgin a Day" hosted by artist, Rebecca Brooks at:
recuerda mi corazon

I created this nicho using a vintage Italian Holy card of a Madonna in adoration of a rose that appears to have sprung up in the midst of nothing. I couldn't keep from thinking about how many times I have been surprised at finding beauty in the midst of what might have been viewed as ruins or despair.

See more detail at http://janiemillsart-images.blogspot.com/p/nichos-and-altars.html

Vintage Prayer Card

2011-12-07T14:38:00.001-06:00

This is today's pick for Day 7 of "A Virgin a Day" hosted by artist, Rebecca Brooks at: recuerda mi corazon/
See more of my prayer cards on My Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/janiem/madonna/

Check out this giveaway!

2011-12-04T18:52:00.001-06:00

Click here for Giveaway details.

New painting

2011-11-02T11:32:00.000-05:00

"Delilah"

16" x 20" Oil on canvas covered board.

Sorry - Not available-

Just breathe

2011-09-11T23:42:00.001-05:00

"All the masterpieces of art contain both light and shadow. A happy life is not one filled only with sunshine, but one which uses both light and shadow to produce beauty." -- Rev. Billy Graham

New painting - "Siren Awaits"

2011-09-02T15:37:00.000-05:00

"Siren Awaits"

Just finished a new painting. This is an unstretched, raw-edge, oil painted, canvas with tab attachment to hang on dowel. It's a biggie at 40" x 50".

How many of you recall your Greek Mythology? First one to reply with the correct answer to the meaning of Siren will receive a "trifle" of a gift from me.

Work in Progress

2011-07-19T22:00:00.000-05:00

I have a couple of paintings

I am trying to finish up.

This vintage photo was my inspiration-

Meet Miss Fussbudget

She is still on the easel. Her arm and hand has to be fixed, so she can become real. What do you think so far?

New Dresden Foils

2011-07-17T22:21:00.000-05:00

Some gorgeous new German, embossed, foils for your art work added to our supplies today. Click here to see details

Honoring Those Who Gave The Most

2011-05-30T18:37:00.000-05:00

The SON has risen

2011-04-24T00:01:00.001-05:00

The SUN has risen

via

and our footsteps have run their course with only an 

echo to be heard.

BUT

THE SON 

HAS RISEN 

via

and you have been invited to sit at table 

in order to partake in an endLESS feast

under a canopy

of amazing grace.

Thanks to Castle Crowns and Cottages for this inspiring post.

Needle-Felted Chicks

2011-04-19T13:30:00.000-05:00

Tools and MaterialsFoam mat
Wool roving
Felting needle
Wood skewer
Needle
Black upholstery thread
Sheet of felt (to use for beak)
34-gauge wire
20-gauge black-coated craft wire
Needle-nose pliers
Awl
Fabric glue
Cosmetic blush (optional)
Mini fabric flowers or mini hats (for embellishing)
Egg cup
Needle-Felted Chicks How-To
1. To make the head, pull off tuft of roving and wind into a ball. Jab with a felting needle.
2. To make the body, wrap wool roving around wood skewer; pull off skewer. Jab with a felting needle, sculpting it as you go into an egg shape.
3. To make the breast a different color, needle-felt a thin layer of roving. Add a bit more roving to one end to form tail. Jab with a felting needle.
4. To make the wings, needle-felt a ball and flatten it into a disc, tapering one end. Needle-felt wing to body.
5. To add eyes, poke a needle threaded with black upholstery thread up through bottom of head, exiting where you the want eye to be; thread bead onto needle.
6. Go back in and out through where you'd like second eyeball to be; thread bead; go back in and out through where you want the beak to be.
7. To make the beak, fold felt in half and cut a triangle. Attach beak using same thread as used for eyes and bring thread out through bottom and tie off.
8. Attach head to body using 34-gauge wire threaded through a needle. Insert needle up through bottom of bird body and out through the top where you want the head to sit. Go up through the head, then and down the head, through body and out where you entered. Twist the wire very tightly to secure. Use pliers to curl up the wire tightly against the bottom of the body. Take a tuft of wool to cover dent in head and wire at bottom.
9. To make feet, cut two 7-inch lengths of 20-gauge black-coated craft wire. About half-way down, bend wire around needle-nose pliers. Make three "toes" and then wrap wire; twist, then bend up at "ankle"; cut "leg" 1-inch from ankle. Snip excess wire at ankle.
10. Use an awl to make two holes in bottom of body. Put a dab of fabric glue onto leg. Insert legs into holes. Allow to dry.
11. Sew feet to a larger felt ball with upholstery thread. Glue ball into egg cup. To embellish, glue a mini fabric flower (or mini hat) onto bird head and to the rim of the egg cup, where it meets the felt ball. You can use a little bit of cosmetic blush to give the chick rosy cheeks.
ResourcesWool roving is available at www.halcyonyarn.com.
Special ThanksViewer-crafter Jenn Docherty, www.jenndocherty.com


By Martha Stewart Living

Paper Peonies

2011-04-15T15:48:00.000-05:00

These gorgeous peonies are made of paper.
The artist Lisa Yuen shows how to make these flowers here: Part One and here Part Two.

Click this link---> to go to the Peony petal Instructions. The link in the supplies list below takes you right to the printable template.

Tools and Materials:

20-pound recycled paper (20 sheets)
Blender
Silpat (I think plastic wrap would work too.)
Cookie sheet
Sponge
Rolling pin
Paper Peonies template
Acrylic paint (magenta and green)
Paintbrush
Acrylic varnish
Pearlizing medium
Plastic bag
Thin paper
Scissors
Glue gun
Cable wire
Floral tape
Paper Peonies How-To:
1. Rip 20 sheets of 20-pound recycled paper into strips.
2. Boil ripped paper in 5 quarts water; let cool.
3. In a blender, pulse to reduce to a paper pulp.
4. Place 3 cups pulp onto Silpat-lined cookie sheet; spread out.
5. Use sponge to soak up excess water. Let dry for a couple of hours.
6. Flatten with rolling pin. Let dry for one day.
7. Download and print template.
8. Cut 50 petals for each peony: 10 small, 20 medium, and 20 large.
9. Make mixture of 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon magenta acrylic paint, 1/3 cup acrylic varnish, and 1 teaspoon pearlizing medium.
10. Dip petals into paint mixture. Dry overnight on cookie sheets lined with a plastic bag.
11. Curl and wrinkle petal edges.
12. Make a pistil by cutting a 3/4-inch-by-8 1/2-inch strip of thin paper. Fold lengthwise. On the fold, make 1/4 inch cuts, approximately every 1/4 inch. Roll to resemble a paper decoration for a "lamb chop" end. Secure with glue gun.
13. Make a 1/2-inch diameter wad of pulp with a point (shaped like an acorn); let dry.
14. Take dried wad and glue (using glue gun) to uncut end of "lamb chop," pointy side down. Flare ends.
15. Assemble a flower. Using a glue gun, glue five small petals overlapping, surrounding the wad. Glue another layer of small petals. Repeat process for medium, then large petals, working in layers, until you have a full peony.
16. For stems, use the glue gun to glue the end of a length of thick electric cable wire to the base of the flower and wrap, then wrap in floral tape. Paint stems green with acrylic paint.
ResourcesRecycled copy paper is available at office supply stores. We used magenta acrylic paint from Delta, Iridescent Tinting Medium from Liquitex, Acrylic Glazing Gloss Liquid Medium from Golden Makes, yellow card stock or yellow/pink origami paper for the stamens, and a hot glue gun by Dremel. You can find cable wire for the stem at hardware stores.
Designed by
Lisa Yuen, www.paperbloomsters.com

A Matter of Faith

2011-04-07T08:23:00.010-05:00

A brilliant post by Steve McCurry:

Girl praying at a mosque, Kabul, Afghanistan

I have seen many manifestations of faith during my travels over the past three decades. Some have been spontaneous, some have been part of a liturgy, some have been prescribed rituals, some have been in magnificent buildings, others have been outside under a tree. Some people’s faith is embedded in the way they live their lives.

Shaolin monks training, Zhengzhou, China

“Just as the body cannot exist without blood, so the soul needs the matchless and pure strength of faith.” Mohandas Gandhi

Prayers and teaching, Peshawar, Pakistan

Sikh holiest site, Golden Temple, Amritsar, India

Sri Lanka

Prayer Flags, Lhasa, Tibet

Charlotte, North Carolina

Religious Instruction – Jewish child in Yemen

Srinagar, Kashmir

Brazil

Camino, Italy

“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”

- St. Thomas Aquinas

India

Thrissur Pooram, Kerala, India

“Faith is a bird that feels dawn breaking and sings while it is still dark.”

- Rabindranath Tagore

Tibetan Prayer Festival in Bodh Gaya, India

Pilgrim praying with monks at the Buddhist Academy of Larung Gar, Kham Province, Tibet

“What is Faith? When your good deed pleases you and your evil deed grieves you, you are a believer.”

- Prophet Muhammad

Monk at Jokhang temple, Lhasa, Tibet

The Eye of the Beholder

2011-04-06T09:55:00.000-05:00

As seen through the lens of Steve Mccurry

The Taj Mahal in Agra, India, and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, are two of the world’s most iconic buildings. They both evoke passionate emotions, even love, despite being on opposite ends of the historical and architectural spectrum.

Taj Mahal, Agra, India
Built with translucent white marble and inlaid with gems from China, Tibet, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and the Arabian peninsula

In both buildings shape, size, scale, proportion, texture, color, and light work together to spectacular effect, but very simple structures can also be designed to bring aesthetic pleasure.

Guggenheim, Bilbao, Spain
Constructed with a steel frame covered with titanium sheathing

What makes things pleasing to our eyes, and how can the design of everything from majestic buildings to simple utilitarian structures bring delight?

Kyoto, Japan

For centuries, there has been documented evidence that people have preferences for structures in the built environment and in the natural environment that have certain geometric proportions known as the golden ratio or golden proportion.

Red Fort, New Delhi, India

The ratio of length to width of approximately 1.618 appears not only in art and architecture, but also in natural structures.

Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet

Junagarh Fort, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India

Step Well, India

Kimberly Elam’s book, Geometry of Design: Studies in Proportion and Composition, points out that things in nature as different as
the human body, the pine cone, and the trout all share natural proportioning systems that provide the foundation for all art, architecture, and design.

Summer Palace, Beijing, China

Art is the imposing of a pattern on experience, and our aesthetic enjoyment is
recognition of the pattern.
- Alfred North Whitehead, Mathemetician

Jodhpur, India

Gujarat, India

Jaipur, India, 2008

On photography and geometry:

“For me the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the instant which, in visual terms, questions and decides simultaneously. In order to “give a meaning” to the world, one has to feel involved in what one frames through the viewfinder. This attitude requires concentration, discipline of mind, sensitivity, and a sense of geometry.”
- Henri Cartier-Bresson

“Let no one destitute of geometry enter my doors.” - Plato

Tutorial-fabric flowers

2011-04-04T12:15:00.001-05:00

As found on Project Wedding:

Do you ever find yourself coveting those lovely fabric flower hairpieces at JCrew? Or maybe one of those beautiful ring pillows with fabric flowers on top that you see on Etsy? Or even a sweet little flower-adorned cardigan to cover up your shoulders on your wedding day?
Here’s a quick tutorial to show you how to make your own fabric flowers! The uses for these flowers are endless – attach a clip to one to put in your bridesmaids’ hair, string them together to create a cute garland for the pews, attach stems to create a fabric flower bouquet, or stick one on your clutch to match your wedding colors!

Materials:
Fabric (anything works – from silk organza to your old bedsheets) 
Needle 
Thread (in a color that matches the fabric)
Large circular object (for tracing around) 
Medium circular object(about ¼” – ½” smaller in diameter)
Small circular object (about 1” in diameter) 
Scissors

Process:
1. Trace the large circular object onto your fabric 9 times.
2. Trace the medium circular object onto your fabric 1 time.
3. Trace the small circular object onto your fabric 1 time.
4. Cut out all 11 circles.
5. Set small and medium circles aside. Take a large circle and fold it into quarters.

6. Place this quarter on top of another large circle.

7. Using a needle and thread, sew the tip of the fabric quarter onto the flat circle. Make sure you sew through all the layers.
8. Take 3 more large circles, fold them into quarters, and continue to lay them out onto the circle. To keep the flower perfectly balanced and proportional, make sure all the openings face the same direction. Sew each quarter as you lay it down. After all 4 quarters have been laid out and sewn, sew a couple times between the quarters to connect them together.

9. Fold another large circle into quarters. Place this directly on top of another quarter on the bottom layer, and angle it 90 degrees. Again, make sure the opening faces the same direction as the quarters on the bottom layer.

10. Sew the quarter onto the bottom layer.
11. Repeat this using 3 more of the large circles. This should form an entire top layer.

12. After the top layer has been completed, remember to sew between the quarters again.
13. Take the medium circle now and fold it in half.

14. Roll it up into a cone shape.

15. Place it flat against the top layer with the tip pointing toward the center. Sew the very tip into place. It should be able to stand upright when you are done.

16. Flip the flower over. Take the smallest circle fabric and sew it onto the back to cover up your stitches. If you are attaching a hair clip or headband to the flower, put it between the flower and the small circle fabric. Sew the circle into place with the hair clip headband sandwiched inside it.

17. Flip the flower over again and fluff it up!

Tutorial-Tissue Pomanders

2011-04-03T12:07:00.002-05:00

As found on Project Wedding:
Supplies:

Styrofoam Balls: Sold at craft stores such as Michaels. For this guide, Marina used 3” balls.

Tissue Paper: For each pomander, you’ll need approximately 72 sheets of tissue paper cut to be 5” x 7”

Scissors

Wire: Sold at hardware stores

Wire Cutters: Sold at hardware stores

Cost: $2 - $5 each

***

Step 1

Cut each sheet of tissue paper to 5” x 7”.

Step 2

Stack 4 sheets of tissue and fan fold all the way up.

Step 3

Tie some wire around the middle of the tissue. You’ll need to play around with it to get a feel for how much you’ll need. Be sure to leave a little extra since that’s what you stick in the Styrofoam.

Step 4

Start pulling the tissue sheets up one at a time. Left then Right. Continue until all the tissue is pulled up and it looks like a flower.

Step 5

Stick the wire under the flower in the Styrofoam ball. Keep placing flowers all the way the ball until it’s full. Play around with the placement to make the flower as tight or loose as you’d like.

Tutorial-Powder Puff Bingo Tag

2011-04-01T16:31:00.011-05:00

As found on 2 gypsy girls:
1. Stamp tag with a script stamp (Antique Linen). You only need to do the top and bottom since the bingo paper with cover the middle.

vintage photo for edges

2. Adhere paper bingo card and brocade trim to tag. (see photo above, I forgot to take one before I glued the puff on!). Set aside to make the puff.

To make the powder puff-
3. Cut at least 1 yd of creme tulle lengthwise so you end up with two long skinny pieces about 1 1/4" wide. Here's how I did it: I cut one piece of tulle 2 1/2" wide with my roller cutter (of course) and then cut that piece in half to get two 1 1/4" pieces. Don’t worry, it does not have to be perfect, mines not!

4. Lay the two pieces on top of each other and run a basting stitch down the center of the 1 yd length.

maybe I should clean the glue off my sewing machine?

5. Gently pull the string to gather the tulle.

adjust tulle so the ruffles are on one side of the stitching line

6. Cut out a 1 1/2" circle of heavy weight interfacing. Smear a bit of white glue over interfacing and add a piece of cheesecloth. Let dry.

7. Working in a circular motion, hand stitch the gathered tulle strip to the interfacing circle catching the cheesecloth in the needle. In other words, you don't need to stitch down into the interfacing.

Start sewing on the outside of the circle and work your way to the center. This is very forgiving, you don't have to be a great seamstress to try this and if all else fails, you can glue it.

8. Run a small piece of wire through a pearl. Bring the two ends of the wire together on one side of the pearl and twist once.

I cut up vintage graduated pearl necklaces to get the right color, size and look.

9. Thread the pearl through a metal bead cap.

You can see the bead cap is much larger than the pearl. I did that on purpose to make it look like the pearl is the center of a flower.

10. For the next step you will need a dangle of some sort. We started with a small dangle made with a jump ring, one blue bead and eye pin (a piece of wire with a loop at one end). If you have never done this before you might check out this.

11. I wrapped 24 gauge wire around an old ladies watch movement and added it to the blue bead dangle. Slip the jump ring onto the long wire with the bead cap as shown here.

12. Tie a bow and thread the wire through the ribbon knot.

13. Then using the long wire like a needle, push through puff.

backside of puff

14. Splay wire like a brad and clip off. It will be secure once the puff is glued to the tag.

finished puff

15. Adhere puff to the tag with liquid glue.

One Lucky Day: No. 14 - I Wish

2011-03-31T16:15:00.004-05:00

TUTORIAL as found on 2 gypsy girls:

1. Adhere a piece of ledger paper to tag.
2. Add WISH ticket to the bottom of tag.
3. Free-hand cut (yes, you can do it) a scallop border from a scrap of vintage music paper. Adhere to bottom edge of tag.
4. Add crochet lace at top edge of paper.

To create the center medallion-
5. Cut a piece of cheesecloth approximately 2 x 15” long.

Run a basting stitch to gather fabric.
NOTE: We stitched ours a bit off center so that when you fold it in half one side is longer than the other.

Pull the basting stitch to gather fabric.

Fold in half lengthwise at the stitching line.

Use a thick craft glue to adhere to chipboard ring. I used a ring instead of a solid circle so the brown striped ribbon could poke up through the ring (see step #8 ). Let dry. You can use a piece of heavy cardstock or interfacing in place of the chipboard ring.

6. Pinch wide stripe May Arts ribbon in half and secure with wire. Trim ends.

7. Adhere ribbon to the tag with liquid glue.

8. Add glue to the back of the ring and place over ribbon. Hold in place for a few minutes until it starts to dry.

9. Punch a hole at the bottom of a glittered chipboard circle (small hole on Crop-a-dile). Hang locket from jump ring and insert jump ring into punched hole in chipboard.

circle is 1 1/4" wide

10. Add glue to the back of the circle then adhere circle over the center hole.

11. Use a piece of wire and a 2” twig to create the center.

Wrap wire around the end of the twig. Using needle nose pliers, bend the wire toward the longer end of the stick.

Thread 3 pearls or beads onto wire (they can be different sizes).

Bend the wire back towards the twig, wrap around twig to finish off.

12. Weave a small piece of crochet lace (same as we used on the tag), onto the bottom of the twig. Gather so the lace is bunched under the wire. Wrap ribbon No. 2 around twig, below the lace and tie a one loop bow.

The ribbon secures the lace by sandwiching it between the wire and ribbon.

Use liquid glue to add to center of circle. In the photo, the end of the stick is hidden behind the ribbon.

xoxo - love letter meaning

2011-02-14T10:21:00.002-06:00

Why do X's at the end of a letter signify kisses?

In the Middle Ages, when many people were unable to read or write,
documents were often signed using an X. Kissing the X represented an
oath to fulfill obligations specified in the document. Some historians
believe that originally the signature was a cross, changed to an X
which symbolized Christ (Xmas), and represented a gesture of good
faith, like kissing the cross on a Bible. The X and the kiss
eventually became synonymous. Later people thought that the X
symbolized two pair of lips kissing – each half of the X represents a
pair of lips which were facing each other. It marked where the writer
kissed the letter, so that the receiver could kiss the same spot.
Happy Valentine's Day!
xoxo,
Janie

Cute DIY Valentine flowers

2011-02-11T11:37:00.001-06:00

Napkin flower center piece by Anne at http://bbqgal.blogspot.com/2011/02/napkin-flower-center-piece.html

Everyone is doing something for the big V day

I don't have any plans yet ... shocker, sign...

I do, however, have some left over napkins

From holidays ...

So I made a center piece for the V day

It's really simple to make those napkin flowers

Here is a quick tutorial

One napkin makes four flowers

Tear it apart like this (go along with the fold line)

You got four squares

Take one of them and tear in the middle again

Stack them together

Start folding about half inch like this

You will get something like this

Tie a string in the middle like this

Start to separate those layers like this

And here is the flower you will get

Repeat eight times and place a candle in the middle

You've got my center piece
It's that easy

Set the table with the rest of my napkin

To complete the look
A theme with no effort
Which I like...

I think it might also be cool to hang them from ceiling

Maybe make a quick art work from it
Or, just have them sitting on the dining table?

pink glitter vs. black mould

2011-01-14T11:06:00.000-06:00

Architectural scale model constructed with black paper and covered with flour and a layer of mould to create the effect of old abandoned buildings - by Daniel DelNero.

How about this macabre take on Putz houses? I do love that mossy, patina, crusty rusty look. Are you a pink glitter, shiny kinda gal or a mouldy, mossy kind? What about those of us who are BOTH? I have so many different tastes that I feel like Cybil! I wish that I could hone in on a particular art-form and be an expert on that one outlet. But, there are SO many different types of medium that I want to experience.

Putz Christmas Houses

2010-12-25T10:28:00.018-06:00

May your home be blessed and full of joy!

I wanted to send joy and a personal blessing to my family members' homes.
My husband and I actually got into this project and finished one of my goals this Christmas! I wanted to make a whole village of Putz Christmas Houses. These were gifted to family.

I even made a sculpey angel to go along with the set for my Mom, an avid doll collector.

An Angel on Earth - Hear the Angel's Voice

2010-12-13T08:57:00.000-06:00