Remember Abby? Her Lesson is A Good One

Greetings all,

I would like you to meet Abby. She is a shy little girl from a poor family. Abby is smart and understands many big words.

Abby learned a very important lesson when she was very young.

Abby loves dragonflies.

And she loves playing dress up too.

Sometimes she gets into her moms make-up.

Abby is often sad when others make fun of her torn and tattered clothes. Sometimes people will use words they think she does not understand, but she does. She knows they don't really mean the awful things they say.

Abby knows her freckled made-up face, her best clothes and shoes and a beautiful crown will always put a smile back on her face.

Abby came to me in a dream. She was inspired by a poem I had written...

This is a mixed media collage painting created on a board roughly 24"x10"x3/8". I used acrylic paint, fabric, tissue paper, an iron on dragonfly, computer generated words, magazine clippings, buttons, twine, Sobo Craft and Fabric Glue and Mod Podge to create Abby's Lesson. I adhered words and phrases cut from an old children's book to the sides all the way around.

Abby is my first attempt at creating a real looking face. I don't know how artists create such beautiful faces. Her nose gave me so much trouble. Her face is so dirty because of all of the erasing and doing over. I wanted her to have a dirty freckled face and I guess she definitely got one. In my original sketch she had pigtails. I tried, I really did, but the pig tails idea was just not working. I like how the twine gives her hair a bit of a messed up stringy look.

It doesn't matter if a little girl comes from a poor family or a rich family. When she's all dressed up she can still feel like a little Princess.

I hope you enjoyed meeting Abby as much as I enjoyed creating her.

Oh, and a big thank you to my granddaughter for helping me find just the right crown for Abby.

Have a great week and remember to

USE KIND WORDS,

Tess

Have you encouraged someone today?

There are times when one of those generic e-mails that are sent around and around the world finds it's way to your inbox and you can really relate to it. This happened to me today. I often wish the author's name of the wonderful quotes or essays were included in these e-mails but they usually are not. We take a chance of infringing on someones copyright if we reproduce the content on a blog or website. Sometimes the content makes taking that chance worth it. If anyone knows the author of the following I will gladly give credit where credit is due. I enjoyed this immensely and am sure you will too. Read on:


Once upon a time there was a bunch of tiny frogs who arranged a running competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower. A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants. The race began.... Honestly, no one in the crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower. You heard statements such as: "Oh, WAY too difficult, they will NEVER make it to the top!!" Or "Not a chance that they will succeed, the tower is too high!" The tiny frogs began collapsing. One by one except for those, who in a fresh tempo, were climbing higher and higher…The crowd continued to yell, "It is too difficult!!! No one will make it!" More tiny frogs got tired and gave up....But ONE continued higher and higher and higher. This one wouldn't give up! At the end everyone else had given up climbing the tower. Except for the one tiny frog who, after a big effort, was the only one who reached the top! THEN all of the other tiny frogs naturally wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it? A contestant asked the tiny frog how he had found the strength to succeed and reach the goal? It turned out....That the winner was DEAF!!!!
The wisdom of this story is: Never listen to other people's tendencies to be negative or pessimistic because they take your most wonderful dreams and wishes away from you -- the ones you have in your heart!
~ Author Unknown


Always think of the power words have. Because everything you hear and read will affect your actions! And remember everything that you say and write will affect another.


Therefore: ALWAYS be.... POSITIVE! And above all ~Be DEAF when people tell YOU that you cannot fulfill your dreams!