Burnin' It Up!

Doesn't it look gorgeous and, dare I say, so serene, finally hanging on my wall? I admit this piece took me far longer than it needed to, but if I'd have completed on my original schedule, I wouldn't have been happy.

This pyrography project started out as a wall hanging at the local Goodwill store. Dear hubby and I were on a wood rescuing mission and this one jumped out at us. We took it home, pulled the lace off the back that filled in the heart and he sanded all the dark, dark, dark brown paint off the front.

Then it sat in the pile for about 6 months, keeping all the other pieces of wood company while I contemplated what to do with it. I decided the serenity prayer would be perfect, found a beautiful font, printed it all out, chopped it up and carefully set it in place. 

Then came the carbon paper. I don't have legible handwriting, so the thought of me freehanding anything is laughable. I covered the entire piece in carbon paper, then repositioned the wording, secured with masking tape and penciled over it so the words would transfer onto the wood.

I used a woodburning tool with a chisel tip for everything until the very last step. For whatever reason, even though I'm right-handed, I work from right to left. It's one of my quirks, like how I tend to read magazines from back to front. Who knows why I am the way I am?!

And this is where things came to a screeching halt. I decided I didn't know if I liked the way things were going and thought it best to step away and just let it cool off, so to speak. That was March 19.

Today is April 29 and I finally decided it's time. I picked up my little woodburner and heated things up! After I finished burning all of the words, I switched out the chisel tip for a shading tip and went around the edge of the entire piece and the heart, the swiped back and forth across the face. 

Here's the final piece. I LOVE IT!!! It has a rustic feel to it. Of course, seeing as it's still freshly burned, it smells like freshly burned wood and that just makes it even better. Once I finished this one, I needed to do another and remembered that I had one more that I'd drawn out and not burned.

It started with a $1.00 wooden cross from Hobby Lobby.

I followed the same transfer process.

After I'd burned the design, I finished this piece off by wiping it down with a vegetable-oil-soaked paper towel. When all of the oil absorbs, I'll wipe it down a final time before it gets sealed.

Rainy Day Blahs

What to do, what to do? I flipped away most of the early day, just battling the weather and the effects it has on my body. But I've decided not to let it get me down and give thanks to God for this day. Although it is raining, my husband doesn't have to work today, so we're putting together some of our big project plans and being goofy. It's what we do best, because hey...

While I rested my eyes earlier today I was imagining some old sheet music and printed graphics projects. I have gads and gads of old sheet music and just loaded up the printer with fresh ink cartridges, so I'm going to get a few ideas mapped out as this week marches onward. I don't recall ever actually completing one of these pieces, though I've put quite a bit of thought into them and have often admired the work of others.

Dear hubby and I also found a pair of old drawers that we may or may not use in some large-scale wall art projects. Our other major pieces to finish designing involve pallets. Right now we have two at our disposal with a couple more available. We've made some decent contacts recently and sort of feel like Red in "Shawshank Redemption"...you know, the man who knows how to get things. Sometimes it's good to know people.

In other news, the Quarter Auction for Brandi's Babies yesterday was an amazing success. My women's Missional Life Group accomplished so much with the support of a great church family and community. We served delicious food and had such fun fellowship. Words can't describe how wonderful it is to help someone the way our community stepped up to help Brandi and her children. When all of the excitement had ended, I asked my daughter if she'd be interested in doing another one, as she worked diligently selling quarters to bidders, and she didn't hesitate at all to say "yes!" I love being surrounded by the giving spirit.

So now looking back over this post on such a  dreary Monday, maybe I really do have a big, cheesy smile on my face. I have more than enough to be thankful for. Plenty of crafting to keep my hands busy, a man who loves me and will entertain me while we work, a daughter whom I see mature more and more each day, and all of it given to me by a great and loving God. 

Place Your Bids!!!

It's quarter auction time! I have been so engrossed in this and I've discovered that I actually can speak up and ask for things. I am not, nor have I ever been, a fan of public speaking. I do not like to ask for things. I am the one who will sit quietly, knowing the answer, and let a speaker stare across a silent group of listeners for fear of speaking up. But these past few weeks, I have learned to step beyond my comfort zone a bit further and speak. All in all, it's worked quite well.

Sure, I've faced rejections. Not everyone is in the mood to donate, others have met their monthly donation budget and still others don't support the cause you are collecting for. All of that is ok as long as I remember to thank people for their time - they are business people and they have taken time away from their business to listen to me talk - and respect their business decision.

Overall, I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the individuals behind the businesses that operate in these small towns around here. In a world that often seems very cold, distant and disconnected through all its connectivity, there truly are some tender and giving hearts. What this pushed me to realize is that I can do more. Not just with this situation, but in others as well.

Giving isn't always about money, you see. What about your talent? What about your time? Time. That's the hot commodity these days. Nobody seems to have enough of it. After I read the statement about giving generously, I decided to make another personal donation to the quarter auction, not only because it was a gift of my time and my talent, but because it is based on the same thought.

Because really, a hundred years from now, it will matter that I was important in the life of a child!

Mish Mash Monday

Last week was a bit of a whirlwind of new adventures and this morning I'm starting to see pieces falling into place to make a clear picture. Toward the end of the week, and certainly over the weekend, I focused on writing and did zero crafting. Well, that's not entirely true.  I managed to network some crafting projects and increase my materials, so that still counts.

I had a bit of an epiphany upon waking one morning mid-week and officially have a cover page typed for my first novel. The content is still rolling around in my head and it'll probably stay there for 40 years before it hits paper. But that's ok. I've taken the first step.

Next I made my first ebay sale in years. I like rehoming things and giving them fresh life. I hope the new owner enjoys his purchase. Of course now I have the "what else can I sell" bug!

Dear daughter and I then went on a Goodwill spree and I managed to score two metal storage boxes stuffed to the gills with hand written recipes. It was like opening up my own grandmother's recipe box. I couldn't believe my eyes! The man behind me in the checkout line was a bit snarky, insisting there was probably a $100 bill tucked in there and I insisted that he was missing out on the true treasure. He didn't get it. But I did, and they're safely at home with me now. My husband has already earmarked several recipes that he'd like to taste test. How kind of him to offer his services. :)

My grandest achievement of the week was having my first post as a guest blogger published. I received a rating that stated "exceeded expectations", which made me smile. I've been writing professionally for a little over 5 years now, but it's still reassuring to receive a validating pat on the back from time to time, especially when writing for someone else.

None of this, not one single bit of this, could compare to the wonderousness of yesterday being Palm Sunday and the start of Holy Week leading up to Easter. Our church service was amazing - children ushering us all into the sanctuary waving palm branches, talk of a humble donkey, and the story of Jesus beginning his journey to the cross to bear all of our sins so that we can have everlasting life. Wow.

This week, I am focusing on prayer and charitable acts ahead of my work. If you have small children, I highly recommend this post on Holy Week by Christian Ministries for great ideas on family activities. 

Hosanna!

Play Time

I am back in business, so to speak, and feeling much better. Thanks to those who sent well wishes during my recent down time. Once I got back on my feet (literally), it didn't take me long to stock up on some new crafting supplies.

The first thing I ripped into was a "God Heals" necklace that I'd bought already assembled. It seemed fitting, as I'd just come from an important neurology appointment to discuss my new treatment plan. But it didn't seem quite complete. So I disassembled it and reconstructed the entire thing, including the closure and the chain. The finished product is a "For the Cause" trinket necklace that I adore.

 

Then I wasted no time diving into some new-to-me image transfer techniques found in the book "Playing With Image Transfers" by Courtney Cerruti. I've used a few of these in previous projects, but the fabric techniques she details are what really intrigued me enough to purchase the book (and the fact that I had a 40% off coupon to purchase it at JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store didn't hurt either).

I'm currently in the middle of a paper-to-slate transfer, a project of firsts for me. This includes using Liquitex Gel Medium instead of Mod Podge, which I've never worked with. I'm also working on an uneven surface instead of a smooth surface. I'm anxious to see how it turns out, but will keep you all in suspense because, if the outcome is as I hope it will be, this is going in someone's Easter basket. :)

Also on the project list are more horse blanket repairs, 2 cut-and-sew projects, a first attempt at an alteration and some super cool doohickies involving Mod Podge Dimensional Magic. Until next time...may God bless you all!

April Showers Blah Blah Blah

I've been a bit out of commission for the past 7 days and these April showers are not making me feel especially productive! Not that I'd be doing much today anyway, but I want to get next week's projects planned so I feel I've accomplished a little bit of something.

In order to do so, let's recap what's going on in the craft room, other than two big ole puppies just lounging around guarding the place...I have 2 pyrography projects sort of hanging in mid-burn, plenty of beads with a desire to be transformed into jewelry, 5 horse blankets in need of mending, 2 show vests that have to be cut and sewn and fitted and blinged to the max. Ok, so it looks like that's the start of a pretty full schedule for me.

Hopefully I can get a jump on all of this tomorrow, but first things first. I am going to officially start working on my very first quarter auction for a young mother at church. My part is to create invitations and gather up come donated items from local businesses. This is one of the most exciting projects I have ever been part of and I can't to dive in!!!

But for now, I think I'll rest up and conserve a bit more energy. It appears I may be needing it after reviewing that schedule I've just created for myself! Have a great day, all, as I leave with you with this totally true statement: