"You were born in my heart"

I finished a new piece of art today. 

 

In honor of National Adoption Month, I felt compelled to make a piece especially for Adoption.

I have been trying to think about what to do for this very special piece

that will one day hang in my adopted baby's room.

(I know I have plenty of time for this but it helps me while I wait.)

I have a very dear friend of mine that has 2 adopted children of her own. Seeing how her life has been blessed by Adoption makes me have so much HOPE! 

Knowing her journey and all that she and her husband went through to get there

is made even more special each and every time I get to see her 

and her sweet babies as they are growing up.

She asked me if I would make something for an auction they are having to help families raise money to afford the cost of adoption. 

I was honored! 

 ME?!! 

I just started to make art...I hardly call myself an artist...

But how could I refuse? 

 

I truly feel God is leading me...well more like pulling me in this direction.

I am feeling more and more that this is my ministry. 

That God has shown me something that was always there

but I was never quiet enough to see it. 

 

So, I am so very happy to make this piece for someone that has been touched by adoption. 

I really feel like it doesn't have to be for an adoptive family 

because anyone that knows someone involved with or

touched by adoption can enjoy this piece. 

 

(I actually feel like everyone can enjoy this piece..

It's not like I put the word "ADOPTION" on it in bold letters.)

 

 

It's clear when you really look at it but

every baby was born in someone's heart. 

Some babies and parents (birth and adoptive) just have a different story to tell.

 

But every baby born is a miracle 

 

and a true Gift from God.

So here's how I made it! 

I started with a wash on the wood using my absolute favorite color to work with. 

This color and a special red color I use for each bird's heart is in just about every piece I make. 

I can't help it...I just have to use it. 

I cut out the tree from a beautiful patterned paper from Melody Ross at Hobby Lobby.

   

I made a pattern by tracing the doves from my "carried" piece 

and cut the doves for the birth parents out of a white patterned paper 

i got at Hobby lobby too. 

(on clearance)

I love that they are the same birds from "carried" because

one day I will be carried by them 

and they will be carried by me.

Next, I cut out the Birds for the Adoptive parents. 

And add an adorable baby chick-a-dee for the baby bird

out of a different patterned paper.

Just 3 little birdies sittin' in a tree....

Now I started to work with the layout of all of the components. 

I used a piece of gold rope like the kind I used in "carried" for the birth parents to hold together.

They have a heart on that string because their baby that they created will always be in their hearts.

The baby Chick-a-dee is cut from the same paper as the heart the birth parents hold.

I painted out all of the pieces and begin to lay them down onto the wood.

 "Eeeerrrrr"...

I heard a record scratch in everyone's mind. 

I know what you are thinking...

"How could you paint over that beautiful paper?!!"

Well...I didn't want it to compete with the birds.

The birds are just too important in this piece 

and it makes the flocking stand out even more. 

That's why.

 Can you find all of the pieces?

I lay it all down with my favorite...Mod Podge! 

I love that when I paint onto this board it makes an outline of the shape.

Now each time I paint I will always see these birds all together. 

I Love how my hands look in the middle of working on a piece.

(we pause for a moment to feature my fur-babies)

  

This is Maggie...my sweet docile, content, lazy girl.

This is what she has to do when Tigger makes an appearance...

(He's only 3 you know)

I add in the chip art words and begin to fill them in with color. 

Here it is!! 

Now for some pictures for an Etsy listing.

(Don't forget that 100% of profits go toward helping us with out adoption fund.)

They make great gifts.

Just sayin'...

I love that I have such a variety of plants in my yard.

They make beautiful backdrops.

See the gold strand in the baby's mouth? 

Love it!

I added an antiquing process to highlight the patterned paper.

They are "carried". 

This is my dream...to bring home a sweet baby chick-a-dee to our home. It's not to "start a family" as I've always said it's to add to our family. 

Because a family is not always a Mom and Dad and a Baby.

A family is made from LOVE. 

So much love,

from so many places and that love is never ever lost.

It remains and settles in our hearts and we are forever changed.

This piece was made with LOVE, 

maybe a couple of tears

but mostly filled with hope

and it was made by my own two hands. 

xoxo,

JillyG