school is in session

with school getting into full swing and my homework piling up, i've found i have less time to blog than i used to. i am also realizing that i didn't take advantage of my blogging time when i had it, and maybe i should have. now, i'm required to blog. my computer art class has a class blog, and i have to post to it three times a week, at least, if i want an A in the class. i think we all know how often i post, and three times a week has never been something i could accomplish.

so i may not post as much here in the coming months. that may also have to do with the fact that i'm learning Wordpress for my class, and i like it a lot. so i may be moving this blog to Wordpress, with a brand new professional name and some new-fangled features. so keep your eyes open for the move.

but i do have something to share tonight. this past week, one of our babies moved (with his family, of course) to north carolina. he was a precious little one in our nursery, and had one of the best personalities of the group. he loved to laugh, and always smiled for us. and we called him the King. so as a going away gift/ instructions for his new daycare in nc, i put together this:

in case you can't tell, it's a scroll. i made the medallion from a wooden "l", painted it metallic navy, and added charms (a crown, a fleur de lis, and star) and tied a tassel around it. the scroll unrolls to reveal several shots of the king wearing his crown and making typical faces for the camera, and lists in detail some of the things that make him tick.

i cried on wednesday after he left. he was such a sweet baby, and his family was wonderful. we will miss them a lot, and i pray for their safety and prosperity now.

what i've been up to lately, or, "you did that?!"

so, it's been over a month since i last posted. if i had any faithful readers, i'm sure to have lost them now, but alas, i shall keep blogging. if anything, this blog can be a portfolio of my work, and i can show off my art and writing skills all in one place. remind me to correct my typos, should i decide to actually show off...

anyways, in the last month, a lot has happened. i found out i'm just as bad at computer stuff as i thought i was. i still can't print from my laptop, but it seems so close to being there. and when i'm actually in my computer art class, i do really well at following the step by step instructions of my professor, and even helping out the girl next to me, although her defaults are set weird. but, when it comes time to hone my newfound skills at home, i find that i should have voice-recorded my professor, because i don't remember one step of what he taught us. and the first project is do in less than a month!

on a happier note, i seem to be a lot better at drawing than i thought i was. see, i'm the type of person that has always said "i can't draw." and i'm not da vinci by any means, but i'm not the total failure i thought i was either. take a look.

i used to be a stick figures and squiggly outlines kind of girl. now, i just two weeks, i've learned to draw accurate angles and ellipses. the pictures are a little crooked, but i think you get the idea. when i showed my mom, she said three times, "you drew that? i can't believe you drew that!" and my dad just said "wow!"

i have to admit, it felt good. i feel like i'm learning something. and as much as i learn to write, i feel like this may be more fun than writing. at least, the end product is easier for me to judge.

i'm also taking a Spanish class. i was exposed to Spanish in high school, and it is coming back pretty fast for me. i'm excited to learn Spanish. with a degree each in English and Graphic Design and the possibility of being bilingual, i think i'm becoming a very marketable individual. real world job (with salary) here i come! (if i don't gain my true dream first, which is marriage and motherhood!)

well, i've got some more stuff planned to share. i finished JJ's art piece, and was pleased with the outcome. i'll have to show you that. and i found a piece of writing i was urged to share somehow, someway, but it just isn't submission material, so i think i'll post it here soon. but until then, i'm off to bed. i've got to work in the morning!

branching out

i've always been called picky. i don't like a lot of things. i've had to learn to temper my gag reflex on my international travels as i've been asked to ingest rancid goat milk and millet, fish with literally thousands of bones, parts of chickens I never knew were considered food, turkey heart, marmite, and ox tail. surely, all these things are considered edible, if not delicacies where they are natively served, but to me, they were just weird. however, in an effort not to offend my hosts, i have tasted. it hasn't always been good; i haven't always been able to swallow/not gag; i have tasted almost everything put in front of me (i drew the line at the chinese soup that included every part of the chicken, and i couldn't be sure which partswere in my bowl).

but here in america, i've been a little more stubborn about the foods i don't like. these are usually foods that i wished i liked, because life would be easier if i did (I wouldn't have to make special orders or wonder about the fare at a dinner party). because i'm not allergic to any foods, i think it would be rude of me to say to someone, "oh, please don't serve that dish, i really hate tomatoes." i mean, come on... my friends and family know i don't like certain things, and aren't offended when i pick something out, at least, they've never told me it bothers them (sorry if it does...). i don't make a fuss about it, i just don't like certain foods. these, for example:i've never liked tomatoes, mushrooms are a fungus for goodness sake, watermelon is weird and doesn't really taste like much more than water, and avocados are exotic and buttery-ish. these have been my excuses. until this year, that is. i decided i would grow up this year. it's been a slow process, i know. i'm 24 and i'm finally getting there.

anyway, it started in China when there was pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, and i was going the miss out on dessert because i don't like pumpkin pie. it's a texture thing. i love pumpkin bread, and pumpkin butter when the season is right. but, i have an extreme sweet n' salty tooth, which basically means i crave everything, sadly. so i decided that dessert is not something you just pass up, took and big honkin' (okay, half a slice) of pumpkin pie, and proceede

d cautiously. and, it was delicious! amazing! i can't believe i never liked it before i was 22 years old. oh, what those 22 years were missing!

so i came home and slowly started to try foods i'd never liked before. my mom's squash casserole. avocados, and by extension, guacamole (i had a horrific reason for never liking guacamole), salsa, spinach dip, hummus. all of these endeavors proved at least moderately successful: i no longer didn't like any of these things, and would eat them if served, although, they wouldn't necessarily be craved by me.

the past few months, i've been trying to keep the trend going. i tried watermelon in may. it was alright, but still, it was mostly water. i'd really rather drink my water and not worry about spitting out the seeds. but i could eat it.

the big step, however, came tonight. i was served a sandwich for dinner. a sandwich with a big, gargantuan, thick slice of tomato on it. it was so juicy that pulling it off would have still left the taste behind, not to mention would have been rude, i think. so i held my breath and took a bite. it was a little rough at first. the taste was hard to get past. but i didn't gag. i filled my mouth with delicious garden salsa sun chips (amazing that i love things with a tomato flavor, but not actual tomatoes...) once my palette was mollified, i took another bite. it was better than the first. then, i kept taking bites until the whole sandwich was gone. and you know what, not only did i not gag, but i think i actually liked it. a little. maybe.

so i'm going to keep branching out. i'm not going to order things without tomatoes for a while, and who knows, but this time next year, i could be chowing down on this:

okay, that may be a little crazy, but you never know...

sassacraft #18 and preview

wow. it has been a while. i really miss blogging. a lot has been happening in my life that has deterred my semi-frequent craft and life updates, the main event being the complete demise of my previous computer. i say this wishing i could tell you some awesome story about how my computer burst into flames while using it, or how it blue-screened on me and i went office space on it, but i don't have an awesome story. it just got too old and too full of all my digital stuff that it became, for all intents and purposes, useless. it took about half an hour to turn on and boot; the battery fried completely, so it only ran on ac power; the programs frequently encountered problems and had to be shut down; error reports failed to send. In the end, my pc showed itself to be of less than enviable lineage. so i scrimped and saved and blew my savings on clothes and vacations and borrowed cash from Old Moneybags, a.k.a Dad, and forked out one and a half k for this brand spankin' new beauty, stickers not included:

and i received it in the mail a few weeks ago, ready to go right out of the box. i'm not interested in a big debate about the perks and pitfalls of macs versus pcs. i'm only interested in what will work best for me at this point in my life. which brings me to the next big event delaying my crafting, and therefore blogging about crafting: school. i enrolled in a local school to pursue a second Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts in Graphic Design. my first degree will remain a mystery, as you may begin to critique my grammar and point out any dangling modifiers in my posts if you knew. (mostly, i forget to spellcheck...) anyways, the computers in the art department are all macs, so i figure this is best.

but as the fall draws nearer, i am caught scurrying around making appointments with advisors and trying to get into full classes because i am registering so late. i transferred 122 credit hours from my first degree, and only need classes in Spanish and Graphic Design to complete this second degree. but i am super excited about both and can't wait until the semester begins.

while i wait, i'm looking for a job that can support me while in school. i love my babies at the daycare, but need to make more money, and would like to live on my own. or with my yet-to-be-realized-husband, whichever becomes achievable first. personally, i'd prefer option two.

with all this going on, i haven't found a lot of time to craft. but, i did make something several weeks ago that i didn't blog. i made another imitation piece from emily's blog.

i used some gray linen and foam letter stamps for the "dwell," and free-handed the bird. i cut out the matte and painted it the same color as the lettering, and framed it in a cheap Hobby Lobby frame. but why did i make it? when i saw it, all i could think of was Psalm 91 where it says "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty....He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge." i don't know if that's how emily meant it when she made it, or if i took it for what i wanted, but i knew i couldn't afford her price for the piece. so i made one myself. i had the paints and stencils and linen at home, bought some card stock for the matte, and got the frame during a half off sale. it worked out great, and i love the piece. and it's a good reminder to me to dwell i God's presence, and rest in His shadow, instead of trying to figure out this life thing on my own.

lastly, i wanted to show this preview of a piece i'm making for a friend. and i'm going to be honest. it will either look pretty good and a little funky, or it will look like a third grade art project. i'm leaning towards funky right now, but it isn't finished, and i'll never know until the recipient sees it and lets me know. i told her if i came over and found it hanging in her closet, i would know how she felt, and i wouldn't be offended. it's a first attempt at this kind of thing, and i've struggled with it a lot. we'll all just have to wait and see how it turns out.

well, i haven't forgotten

i know it has been a while since my last post. like a month or something. and it's not like i have forgotten. i've attempted several times to post. i even have new crafts to put up. but i've been a little busy/tired/unable to get time on the computer. but now, at least, part of this matter is solved. i received my new Mac today. and i am in the midst of transferring files and getting everything set up and filling this new computer with me.

i'm excited to have it. it will help a great deal when i start school again in the fall, seeking m second degree in Graphic Design. yeah, i'm going to make this creative stuff my job. i've just got to get through two or three more years of school.

but for tonight, i need to figure out how to get my music from my ipod to my new mac without completely wiping all my music from existence in my life. that should be challenge enough for now. i'll write again soon. if all goes as planned.

sassacraft #17

spring is here. i've been told this is true. calendarily speaking it is true. but after unseasonable cold snaps, late frost warnings, and having to find my winter coat after prematurely putting it away, i think it is safe to say that spring is actually here. the thunderstorms confirm. the tulips concur. the daffodils dance for joy.

in honor of this season of renewal and beauty, i wanted to make something special. i was perusing my new favorite blog and came across this:

i thought is was just splendid, and wanted to make one. so, a trip to hobby lobby, thirty-six feet of ruffled muslin, a mess of dried moss, a ripped-up bouquet, a trail of blue paint, a jammed sewing machine, and a week of procrastination later, i made this:

now, don't just stand back in awe of my astounding abilities of imitation and reproduction. Emily (she's my new favorite blogger) posts very detailed tutorials for her readers. i combined her lesson on the wreath with her post about wire words and added "bloom" to my wreath in copper. i didn't glitter my eggs because the one thing i don't get about Emily is her love affair with glitter. and i didn't use sheet moss because that stuff is expensive.

it makes me smile. does it make you smile? spring always make me smile.

crafts are brewing...

just so you know.

sassacraft #16

happy first birthday, B. for you, i made this. your mommy (my friend Emily) picked the verse 3 John 4 and i decided where to go from there. i painted a cross, off-center, on this canvas. then i mod podged pages from the Gospel of John. i painted your sweet little feet pink and let you make some footprints on the canvas. i wrote the verse: "I have no greater joy than to know that my children are walking in the truth," on the cross and around your footprints.

this piece is so special, because it reminds your mommy and, eventually, hopefully, you that you must strive each day to walk in the Truth. and i pray that every time your precious mommy sees it she will remember to pray for your salvation and walk with Christ, that you will grow each day closer to the heart of God and rest your head always upon His chest and cherish His Name. i know your mommy already prays for your salvation. you should know that. you are so precious to her, but you are even more precious to Jesus, sweet girl. that is why you are a Joy.

sassacraft #15

well, this is it, folks.

i know you have just been dying for me to reveal the piece i made for Emily. at least, i know i've been dying to reveal it, so your impatience is understandable.

but first, let me tell you a little about this piece. i love it. a lot. i wish i wasn't giving it away, because i have the perfect place to hang it. and it would look awesome there. it really would.

second, it is a mod podge canvas with burlap embellishments. i ripped apart my copy of Out of Africa by Isak Denisen and asked my mom to help me sort through the pages looking for good quotes and interesting pages. i mod podged the pages down one at a time, working very carefully not to leave any bubbles (there are a few, but not too many). then i drew out a large outline of Africa and used my new favorite tool--a rotary blade--to cut it out. i cut a heart from red burlap and used some thin gardening twine to stitch the heart to Africa. threading that needle was the most difficult part of this whole project. then, i used tacky glue to stick Africa to the canvas. ta-da, art!

and Emily loves it. see for yourself.

sassacraft #12 (adorned)

yay, a model!

see how cute the flowers are? you want one, don't you? for a limited time, starting at the low low price of $5. get them while you can, because this price won't last long!

sassacraft #12 (and a half)

more flowers. an hour an a half of work, and i have six more colors. just thought i'd share the hues, and let you know that a red is on it's way. a certain craft store here only carries shade of pink. really, if you want one, let me know!

sassacraft #14

this is a craft surprise for my dear friend Emily. we did a craft exchange (that was supposed to be for Christmas...) and she gave me my craft a couple weeks ago. she sewed a super cute purse that i absolutely love and need to take a picture of to show you all. and i made her this. she's gonna love it.

if you can't tell what it is, that's because i blurred it out, thanks to picnik. you see, it's a surprise. check back in two weeks and you'll see what it really is. you'll also get to see what i made for Em's sweet baby's first birthday. that's a surprise too.

anyone want to take a guess? and JJ, you can't guess, because you already know!

sassacraft #13

necessity is the mother of invention, or ingenuity. or something like that.

if you ask me, those boys are twins.

i was making my flowers, and cut open the bag of tiny beads (that was already spilling beads all over my desk without me knowing it) and found that these little things can escape from grasp very, very fast. i needed something to put them in, and i needed it five minutes ago.

i corralled the beads as best i could back into the baggie, and found myself so very thankful for strange donations. you see, about, i don't know, eight or nine months ago, a mother brought a box of empty baby food jars into the daycare to see if we could use them. they sat in the hallway by the craft cabinets for about six months, then i claimed them for my class in January, saying that i would make snowglobes with my three year olds (i know, i was overzealous...) well, i never got around to actually planning that craft, much less executing it, and March rolled in last week with the jars collecting dust in the corner. so i brought them home, thinking surely i could do something with them.

surely enough, i could. i found that baby food jars are the perfect size for holding tiny beads, small clothespins, scraps of Scripture, and buttons, among many other things: eyebolts, wire, ribbon scraps, screws, nails, bobby pins, barrettes..i could go on!

but with all that usefulness, the lids were kind of ugly. brand names just aren't that attractive. so i found a way to make them so. i cut 3 x 3 squares of fabric and mod podged them to the lids. I tied a thin ribbon around the lid for extra hold and trimmed the extra fabric off, though it looks cute with the pointy parts too. i only made four with some scrap fabric, but i think i might hit up Hobby Lobby on saturday for some fun spring prints to brighten things up. by next monday, i will have two dozen or so cute little jars for holding little things that can easily get lost under all the big things.

i can't wait!

Sassacraft #12

ah, flowers. i do love them. they always make me smile, and make me happy, and make me marvel at the amazing intricacies of God's creative hands. flowers are so beautiful, unique, delicate, colorful, and powerful. i mean, we wouldn't have honey without flowers, and if we didn't have honey, there would have been no "land flowing with milk and honey" for God to promise to the Israelites. the manna in the desert would never have tasted like "wafers made with honey." Samson could never have eaten honey taken from a lion's carcass, then made a riddle of this experience that would reveal his wife's character and loyalties when she told her people the answer to his riddle. David never could have said that the laws of God tasted like honey on his lips, sweeter even than honey from the honeycomb. John the Baptist would have had to subsist on only locusts in the wilderness, instead of locusts and honey (which, to me, would be the only way i would ever eat a locust, if it were smothered in honey...). and the scrolls Ezekiel and John ate would never have tasted so delicious on their tongues. flowers make honey possible, and without honey, the promises and truths of God would lose their flavor. God provided so divinely, so completely, that He made flowers to make honey possible, so that we could understand in part the fullness, richness, sweetness of His law and love and sovereignty and majesty.

in my own attempt to reflect His glory and majesty, i have tried my hand at making some flowers. i didn't come up with this craft on my own. i'm not that creative to know about fabric like this. i borrowed the craft from one of my new favorite bloggers, hailing from the great northeast, Emily. she posts tutorials and fun things on her blog, and sells some art prints that i like. if you want to know how to make these adorable imitations of God's awesome majesty, feel free to browse her tutorials and learn a few things like i did. i'm not going to explain them here, only say that they were easy, fun, and dangerous to make. a great combination!

and if you'd like to have one of you own, but don't want to try your hand at making them, i've got your back. $5 each, and you pick the way you want to wear it. hair clip? pin? headband? let me know!

why new shoes can make your day, or, how daycare refined my theology

Chucks are my favorite. also, TOMS. but i recently bought new Chucks. they are charcoal gray. or, grey, if you are so inclined. i was really happy when i wore them on monday. practically skipping, except i thought i might scuff them if i skipped. but probably beaming. because i'm a girl, and girls love new shoes.

then, i got to work. you may or may not know that i work in a daycare. and you may or may not know that this is a high stress, complex, frenzied, demanding career. i happen to work with three year olds. kids are so sweet at that age. they say the darn-dest things. for instance, "a bear bit my booty!" [child pulls down own pants to show friends imaginary bear-bite]. new skills are rapidly acquired at this age, such as somersaulting, tumbling, running [away], [un]tying shoes, potty training, and dressing and undressing oneself. children at this age begin to play with, not alongside peers. which directly correlates with their ability to fight with, not at each other.

don't get me wrong. i love kids. love. Love. LOVE. kids. i want my own someday. but i am also convinced that rearing 15 of my own children would be leagues easier to handle than rearing 15 unrelated children, mainly because not all of my children will all turn three between July 2010 and May 2011.

here's a few reasons why.

parents are important. this is incredibly understated in a culture that finds it normal to let strangers raise their children. most children under my care are at the center for between 7 and 10 hours a day, five days a week. that's a lot of time. and not all child care providers realize the import of the task entrusted to them, that is to provide a safe and stimulating environment in which the children under their care can learn the truths of Scripture and develop into biblical children who "Honor your father and mother" and "obey your parents." but even when children are blessed enough to be cared for by such people, they are missing some of the most important role models in their lives: mom and dad. i wonder how children can learn to "honor your father and mother" when the main disciplinary figures in their lives punch in and out each morning and night.

discipline is important. time out is not effective discipline. let me be frank. by the time i get children in my class, time out is a game for some, and a solace for others. and they are three. regulations regarding time out limit the number of minutes to corresponding with the child's age. the child cannot be out of sight of the teacher (and, consequently, cannot be out of sight of his or her peers). the child cannot be degraded in any form, such as forced to stand with his nose in a corner or where a dunce cap on her head. i'm not saying that i would do all these things were i allowed, i'm simply giving stipulations. were i the parent of these children, time out would be spent alone in the child's room, totally isolated from peers. but were i the parent of these children, and the child had behaved in a way that sent him or her to time out four, five, six times in the last hour, i would spank my child.

can of worms: opened.

some people don't believe in spanking. they think it is child abuse. they think it is detrimental to a child's well being and development, and that it will produce a generation of people who are delinquent and unruly. i believe the opposite is true. spanking is not abuse. it is discipline. it is not always the right form of discipline for a situation, but sometimes, it is. and if you think that spanking will produce a generation of delinquent and unruly people, you should see some of the children i come across whose parents only, always, use time out. unless parents exercise proper authority over the discipline of their children, they will raise children who do not recognize authority in their parents, teachers, bosses, or leaders. and then they will wonder why their teenagers were rebellious, why their college student dropped out after one semester, why their thirty-something couldn't hold down a job, or why their child got mixed up in drugs and alcohol. this won't always happen if you don't spank your kids. this won't always not happen if you do spank your kids. but i have seen what lack of discipline does to a child's respect for authority. and remember, i teach three year olds.

love is important. i don't think i need to elaborate this point.

all this to say, i have come to understand Christ better after my experiences at daycare.

i have heard it said before, even read it in the training materials from the state, that "children are naturally good." put another way, "all children want is to please their parents/teachers/care-givers." i sometimes wonder if people who believe these statements have ever actually met a child. you see, i believe that children are born sinners. i guess i'm a Calvinist on this, but humanity is totally depraved from the second they breathe their first breath. don't believe me? observe the eyes of a eight month old child when you tell her not to touch daddy's cell phone. there is understanding and defiance and sin in there. children do not need to be taught how to sin--how to lie and hurt others and steal and hide their wrongdoings. i have yet to work with a child who will tell me the truth the first time i ask. or the second. or the third. or ever. i don't have a single child in my class that can tell me what he or she is sorry for when they apologize. and when asked why they are in trouble, the rote reply is 'i don't know."

man is fallen. by nature, we seek to please ourselves. even babies. you may say i should cut infants some slack, as they are infants, but they serve to prove a point. they can bite, pull hair, push, and steal toys just because that is what they want, that is what will make them happy. three year olds do the same. they don't think about how the other child will feel, or how mommy will feel if they take the car away from their friend. they think about what they will feel. sinners of all ages act this way.

no child is naturally good. we are all sinners. the task of parents and care-givers is teaching children that they are sinners and teaching them to want to shun sinful behavior.

yet, Christ died for us. when our depravity runs so deep, He shed His blood to cover all our sins. the depth of that knowledge in light of what i see at daycare is staggering. and i love my Savior all the more. His sacrifice is so great, it is all i can do to praise His name. and realize my task with these children: to teach them of His sacrifice. what a weight of glory.

cake pops taste like awesome in your mouth

one of my dearest friends in the world recently started her very own business. she hopes it will take off and she can do it full time and introduce the world, or at least her own little part of the world, to the wonders of cake pops. and i think her little business venture shows promise. not just because she is my best friend in the world and i'll always encourage her, but also because these things are AWESOME! and i don't use capital letters frivolously.

cake pops just have a way of melting in your mouth, making you sigh with utter delight. what is a cake pop, you ask? well, you've asked the right girl, because i have an inside line to newest cake pop extraordinaire! it's cake and icing perfectly proportioned and rolled together, placed on a stick, and dipped in a delicious candy coating. the flavors are endless. the delight is pure. and the crumbs are few.

a few weekends ago, i helped this dear friend get ready for a local chocolate festival by rolling 700+ half-size samples. the pops were gone in an hour and forty-two minutes. some people came back for seconds. and thirds. and fourths. we had to stop them at fifths. children were told by their own parents to "get your own." women raved that it was "the best thing i've put in my mouth all day." men smiled maniacally as they swiped a second sample while their wives filled out door prize forms. grazers secretly used our trash can to spit out the brownies from the booth next to us, only to rave loudly when they tried a delicious cake pop. one girl even talked about having cake pops at her wedding.

they were a big hit in a bite-size ball. they are delicious. what, you want to try some? order your own piece of awesome. i'm sure my friend would really appreciate it.

sassacraft #11

i'm back in the game, folks. mostly. i may not be able to complete projects as fast as i want, because my wrist is starting to protest. i sprained it as a teenager. i think i was playing wall ball in the back parking lot at church and fell and bent it backwards, or maybe i was jumping off the swings on the swing set in our backyard and and tried to catch myself and fell on it weird. actually, it was probably both. well, you may or may not know that old injuries can flare up from time to time when particular strain is placed on the joints. like staring a weight lifting routine, driving a lot, rolling cake pops (pictures on that to come), writing, typing, lifting small children all day, or getting on a crafting binge that has thus far produced 8 completed projects in about a month, with another three in process.

so the strain put my wrist in an immobilizing brace, and i can't use it a lot. when it starts to hurt, i have to stop. it even swelled a little, and i started thinking about that part in the Star Trek movie where McCoy keeps injecting Kirk with different vaccines to make him look ill, and Kirk has all these adverse allergic reactions, but it works because McCoy gets to take Kirk onto the Enterprise...rewind, i sound like a dweeb. but if you know me personally, you already know that i am a dweeb. and i own that.

moving on.

this is a piece i made for my mom. one of her favorite chapters is Psalm 1. she loves the imagery of a "tree planted by streams of water," and so do i. and it makes me think of "oaks of righteousness," which is one of my favorite images in Scripture. i sketched the piece first and painted it with watercolors. then i transferred the image to canvas. i used pages from Psalms for the stream, trunk, and leaves. my mom and i worked together on a paraphrase of Psalm 1:2-3: "How blessed is the man who delights in the law of the LORD and meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields fruit in its season and does not wither, but prospers in all he does."

i kept the watercolor sketch, and mom is going to hang the canvas in her bedroom.

so i know what you're thinking

i've fallen off the face of the earth, right?

wrong. i'm still here, alive and kickin'!

i just got a little too busy to craft, and therefore too busy to post. even now, i should be sleeping. it's not that late, but i've been struggling to make it through the days awake this week, so i should be drifting off to Neverland right about now.

but, i'm not. i'm blogging. and aren't you glad? you want to see a picture, don't you? well, here's one from a month or so ago.

that's my little prodigy, not progeny. she's great at puzzles. not that one, in particular, although she really helped a lot with sorting by color. i gave her a 48 piece puzzle that she worked in about 30 minutes the first time she saw it, without help. now i'm bragging. no one likes a braggart.

this is the fort we built.

she called it a "forest" because she couldn't remember the word "fort."

also, i have three projects in the works right now. and i'm really pretty excited about them, so keep checking back. this post was just to hold you over until the real stuff gets put up.

also, if you want to know what kept me so busy that i couldn't craft, check out my friend JJ's blog to see what i was up to last weekend. and, if you like the taste of awesome, you should totally place an order.

a different kind of painting

tonight was a volunteer work night at my church.

i had planned to spend the weekend painting again, but what with the work night, i didn't think i'd have time to do much. i started another mixed media project and had to put it on hold as i headed down to the church to work my muscles. i started out the evening moving about a hundred chairs from a Sunday school room so the carpets could be ripped up. muscles, check. then, i got drafted into painting. so i did get to spend the day painting after all!

we meet in a decently old building with lots of beautiful wood accents and old things and interesting nooks and crannies. except some of the wood, not so beautiful. because it's wood paneling. and it looks like it's from the eighties. so we painted over it. being reasonably familiar with cutting in and trim work, i was given a brush and a bucket and told to have at it. three hours later, i was still perched in one of those crannies, a window sill, cutting in around the plethora of corners that no window should have.

but the evening was fun, and well-spent. i really enjoyed being able to do something for this church i have come to love. i became a member at the beginning of this month, and really love the people there. it was fun getting to know some new faces and work alongside one of my pastors as we painted. it really was a blessing to give back to the church i love. i recommend it to everyone!