Palette – penpaletteheart

Rag Doll Love

My doll, Mary in Grandpa's chair

When I was just a year old my Great Aunt Bess made me a doll from a bleached Robin Hood flour bag. I know that it was a Robin Hood bag because his picture, although faded, was still faintly visible. When I was old enough to talk I named her Mary and she became my constant companion. She had long yarn braids and an embroidered face. I absolutely adored her and slept with her, ate with her and dragged her (usually by one arm) around wherever I went. Over time her face got tear stained, orange juice stained, and otherwise well-loved. I decided that in the face of any disaster she would take precedence over any other possession I would rush to rescue. The painting above is a water colour I made for my parents in 1971. It hung in my mother’s room until she moved out of her home and into a seniors’ residence. Now it has returned to me and will be passed on to my daughter.

The chair on which my doll is sitting was won by my grandfather who enjoyed lawn bowling. My parents had it repaired and reupholstered for a wedding gift for my husband and me. Hopefully someone will want it as a family keepsake one day.

The One Who Makes the Wind Obey

The One Who Makes the Wind Obey
© 2019 Mollie Pearce McKibbon

1)
The ocean swells with the rising tide
And I cannot see the other side.
My craft is small and the water deep,
But I must cross it before I sleep.

refrain
How wonderful to trust my frail steps
To the One who made the ocean depths;
To the One who makes the wind obey,
My Jesus, who carries me all the way.

2)
As I sail over the bounding waves,
I trust my soul to the One who saves,
Mightier is He than any king,
God, the Maker of everything.

3)
I am never alone, have no fear,
For my Protector is always near.
He guides me through every storm
And shelters me from eternal harm.

What’s the Buzz?

This is the spring pattern I designed for material to make a pillow and two tea towels. It was fun to draw, easily sewn, and is a cheery addition to my kitchen. It is just the reminder of coming garden flowers that I need in April. I drew the black on white design, scanned it and filled in the colour in Photo Shop. Then I uploaded it to Spoonflower. Now the tea towel hangs in my kitchen and the pillow is on our couch.

What's the Buzz?#edit

Garden-inspired Patterns

Here are two of my latest patterns inspired by our beautiful garden flowers:

A Red and yellow tulip

Original drawing

ra-red-and-yellow-tulip_my pattern in Spoonflower

Repeating pattern for material, wallpaper or wrapping paper

Lilac time

Original drawing

rlilac-time_my pattern in Spoonflower

Repeat pattern for material, wallpaper or wrapping paper

Designing Patterns

Designing Patterns for Fabric

For the last three years or so I have been using a new outlet for my creativity – designing patterns for fabric on Spoonflower, a company that prints personal designs on fabric which the designer may use to make projects for themselves or offer for sale. Here are some of the patterns I have created.

shamrocks and daisies

Shamrocks and Daisies

planted garden edit

Planted Garden

Helmets and Collumns

Helmets and Columns

Rooter Row

Rooster Row

These are the rather raw originals. Photoshop is a handy tool to clean up erasures and join lines. Some of my designs I have printed and made into scarves, runners and pillows. It is wonderful to see my creations transformed into fabric that I can use. The company also sets design challenges each week that designers may enter. The designs are voted on and the most popular creation result in a prize for the contributing artist. I have enjoyed these challenges and making things from the fabric that I can wear or give as gifts. If you love drawing and like a challenge start making patterns for fabric on Spoonflower.

Mirrors and Windows

angel-and-shepherd-painting-on-hall-mirror

This is the painting that I put on my parents’ hall mirror the Christmas that I was 18. I loved the way the light seemed to shine through the painting, so each year at Christmas I would put a new painting on the hall mirror as part of our Christmas decorations. When my husband and I moved into our apartment I put a Christmas scene on our front window and later, when we moved into the country and became youth leaders, I enlisted the help of the youth group to decorate all the windows in our little country church. The paintings could be seen from the inside and the outside. They really looked nice when the church was lit up at night. Eventually, the windows of that church needed to be replaced and so I was asked to draw up designs for each window. I chose the familiar themes of the Ten Commandments, Alpha and Omega, The Burning Bush, The Lord’s Supper, and the Open Bible. We took the designs to a stained glass window artist and he had them re- drawn to accommodate the requirements of his craft. The windows were each sponsored by different church families and we had a special church service to dedicate them. Although we no longer attend the church as my husband and I are pastors in another , it thrills me to see the windows each time I pass the church. It is such a pleasure to use my gifts to praise God.

I was thinking of this today, and it occurred to me that we as the people of God are asked to reflect the glory of God in all our being. I think that we can either be mirrors or windows in life. The limitation of a mirror is that mainly the reflection we see is our own. Windows, on the other hand, show what is on the inside and through them we can see the world. We need to be windows to show the love of God that dwells within us to the world. In order to be windows, we need to make sure that what is inside us is clean , healthy, and true.

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)and find out what pleases the Lord. ” (Ephesians 5: 8-10 NIV)

My Design on Material

I was thrilled to receive the first swatch of material printed with my “Sunny Garden” design in the mail today from Spoonflower. This is a company that encourages artists to submit their own designs for material, wrapping paper and even wallpaper and will print it on demand. You are even able to sell your designed paper and material to others. Spoonflower gives designers weekly challenges and members vote on the winning pattern. I have really enjoyed seeing the amazing colourful and imaginative patterns created by so many talented artists. If you are interested in designing your own material, wrapping paper or wall paper go to http://www.spoonflower.co

Here is what I got in the mail today:

My Bible Illustrations

Moses in the Bullrushes.

Moses and the Burning Bush

I made these illustrations for a children’s picture Bible which has yet to be published. Many other artists also made illustrations for it. I hope one day it will be completed, but in the meantime, here are two of the illustrations I did.

Peonies in oil pastels

First Recital

We have been to a number of our granddaughter’s ballet recitals and we always enjoy them. The youngest dancers are adorable and really tug at the audience’s heartstrings.

First Recital

Bewildered yellow ducklings

toddling in a row,

are staying close together

not sure where to go.

Teacher stands on tiptoes

watched by widened eyes

as obediently they follow

in their duck disguise.

Bobbing and turning,

arms held ballet style,

they trail after their instructor

close in single file.

One has stopped to stare

beyond the spotlight sun.

Mom and dad are spellbound,

will their ducking run?

But it’s time to curtsey;

it’s time to take their bow,

shaking tulled tail feathers

at the audience now.

One behind the other

they skip out of sight,

blowing tiny kisses

to the audience’s delight.

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this: