Saturday, August 6, 2016

Can You Row?

The focal image is an August Release stamp.  Please remember that August Releases for Technique Junkie Stamps are on sale 15% off through August 8.  You have a few more days to make your choices.

The August Release stamp I used here is called Row - http://techniquejunkies.com/row/.   I also used a stamp called Sea Waves - http://techniquejunkies.com/sea-waves/.

First I created the Antique Glimmers background using various shades of blue, lavender, and purple inks.  I masked off the sky before I stamped the Sea Waves stamp.  Then I stamped the Row stamp with black Versafine pigment ink and heat embossed with detail black embossing powder.

Now because I have this "thing" about horizon stamps not extending the whole width of the "horizon" on a card, I had to make it go the width of the horizon on this focal image.  I used the fine tip end of the Versamark pen and with a ruler drew a line for the rest of the horizon on one side -- and heat embossed with detail black embossing powder,  Then I repeated the same steps on the other side.  Now the horizon extends the entire width of the horizon on the top layer.

I added a few black pearls under the verse.

This stamp is very meaningful to me.  I didn't choose it -- Pat just sent it to me as one of the several stamps she sent to me from the August Technique Junkie Stamps Release..  After my husband died very suddenly in June 2015, I often felt like the wind was totally gone from my "sails."  This went on for months.  I am sure many of you have felt the same way after you have had some devastating loss in your life.  But life goes on.  Laundry has to be done, food has to be cooked, bills have to be paid, letters have to be written, and so on.  So when the wind stops -- we have to ROW!  Life continues.  Family continues. Jobs continues. Things go on.  Just plain "stuff" continues to happen and we have to deal with it in some way.  But this is what I can tell you - memories of love shared helps to sustain me.  God's love always sustains me.  The comfort of friends and other family members helps. Receiving sympathy cards really does help.  (So if you are tempted to not bother sending a sympathy card - just do it! It really does matter!) There were days when just doing the "normal" things was all I could do.  There is a ton of stuff to do after a spouse dies - much more than when a parent dies.

Just remember - when the changes of life tend to overwhelm you -- sometimes all we can do is ROW!

Have a great day -- and get inky.

Judy Jackson

3 comments:

Beth Norman-Roberts said...

Such a lovely card. I am so sorry for your loss and hope you are finding peace. Your posts are always so nicely written with such beautiful work. I like how you masked off the sky. Wouldn't have thought to do that. Thanks for sharing that tip.

C. M. Taylor said...

Judy,
You have no idea how timely this message is. Thank you for sharing your art, your verses and your messages.
May you always have enough.

Mitzi said...

Judy, I can relate to what you are saying. We lost our two children within four years of each other and it has taken the wind out of our sails. Life seems so empty at times. If we didn't have our Lord I don't know how we'd ever get through! Keep rowing; we are!