Happy Holidays!

My, how time flies! I can’t believe six videos of working with God have already gone up on my Youtube channel! Here’s the link to the latest and you can click on others while there if you’d like: https://youtu.be/v0PxrW286UA?si=xOtdeMvFuD3c3MEW

This time of the year, waiting for the birth of our Savior, is my very favorite. I love making and buying gifts for people, having the house decorated, eating all the treats, spending time with loved ones, seeing the colorful lights and trees around town, and singing along to Christmas music. I even sing out of tune and loud – and I’m okay with it, haha! Leading up to Christmas, I have opted to work an advent calendar, painting with de Winton Paper Co. on Youtube; my husband has also given me an advent puzzle, and I’m doing the Luke challenge in my Facebook group. These activities are saving me from eating too much chocolate of a regular advent calendar! 

I had a lot of fun putting my Christmas cards together this year. I ordered the fronts (mugs with cream) from my mom who has a handmade card shop on Etsy. I got to pick the colors so I chose red, green, and blue. Here’s one:

I took those fronts and glued them to colorful paper and then added stamps and stickers to the cards, and they turned out great! Here’s the link to her shop if you would like to see her cards: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Totouchaheart

The Lord and I have been busy making Christmas gifts, mostly knitting and crocheting this year. Moving back north feels familiar because I was raised in cold winters, so it’s been a joy to work them. Getting into my yarn stash has gotten me back in the yarnie mood, so I will be uploading hats and headbands to my Etsy shop next month. I missed posting for the Christmas season this year, but winter passes through December and people may need hats in January and onward. I’ve made many chemo caps for donation in the past, and those are always needed as well. I haven’t added anything new for a while, but if you haven’t been to my Etsy shop before, here’s the link to check it out: https://www.etsy.com/shop/DMPaulArt

I went all in at Karen Campbell’s Awesome Art School, and I work a lot of her lessons and art-alongs. She has a really fun attitude and picks great subject matter. She experiments with new mediums sometimes, and so do I, so this little fox image was made with oil pastels. It’s a messy medium, but I totally love him! 

I expanded on her gnome and elf lessons by making them into winter/Christmas scenes in my own style. 

I also have accepted a challenge she offers called “sketchin’ expressions.” In the challenge, she draws a face and we are to follow her, then we go on to make four more faces by changing something in each one, and then she will draw a figure to match the face. I have been able to draw three faces so far, coloring the last one with markers. It’s always so fun to see how we advance in our skill levels.

This season can be tough for some people, so if you need prayer, please let me know how I can pray for you. God is good and prayer is our best weapon and option, whatever the circumstance.

Whether you watch my videos, participate in my Facebook group, or read my emails, I appreciate every single one of you, and am wishing you the merriest and coziest Christmas and a clinking jolly New Year full of God’s blessings! 

Take care,
Dawn