Daily December

I have joined the Daily December a little late in the game in the respect that most people started prepairing for this in October. I just started TODAY! I have my journal complete with daily pages, and ready to start journaling. I did not use acrylic overlays because I decided to use only items that I have on hand and not go out an buy anything new for this project. I found a small 3-ring binder that holds 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 sheets. I have each day started and ready, and I have extra sheet in the front pocket if needed. I really like the thought of having a journal that is just for one certain month. I think that this would be a great idea to use for any month of the year. If you have alot of birthday's in a certain month it would be a great way to record the special events. It could be used for the days leading up to a wedding or to the birth of a child, It would also be a great gift for a new mother. You could make all the pages and have the little circles ready for the new mom to enter the date and a place for a photograph for each day would be a great reminder of a baby's 1st month.

The Countdown Begins Tomorrow

Today we made our Countdown Calendar for Christmas. The girls were excited to hang it. We took down the picture that hangs over our piano and hung it up there. I used tinsel ribbon and library pockets that have been in my collection for a while and I used blue, white and green winter themed papers for the backgrounds. I printed out the numbers using various fonts and then outlined everything with a black Pentel pen. I like the way that it turned out. Some of the pockets have one large square for the background and others are pieced from the trimmings from these sheets.

Supplies:

• Library Pockets
• Various Pattern Papers
• Numbers 1-25 printed or handwritten on 1' circles
• Adhesive tabs
• Black waterproof pen
• Tinsel Ribbon (or any other thin ribbon of your choice)
• Clothspins

Step 1:
Cut pattern paper to fit leaving a border of the pocket showing.

Step 2:
Adhere the pattern paper to the library pockets.

Step 3:
Adhere the numbers to the center of the pattern paper.

Step 4:
Adhere scraps of pattern paper to the top of the clothes pins.

Step 5:
Hang the ribbon up and clip the pockets up and enjoy.

Blessed to Bless Bags

The Contents of one bag.
Image Via http://www.joyshope.com/

I will be hosting a "Blessed to Bless Bags"  event in the next couple of weeks. It is a bag filling night and , we will be handing them out at a later date to the homeless people in the Atlata Area. We need all the help with this event and even if you are not able to come you can still contribute to the cause. We will be taking donations in local dollar stores and from local businesses. These items will them be packaged into bags and delived to the homeless during the week of Christmas. The list of items is long and every bag doesn't have to have all these items in the but this is the suggest list:

Everything will be places in a 1 gallon Ziploc bag
1 Juice box
Throat lozenges
Trial size Ibuprofen/Acetaminophen
hand sanitizer
hand or face lotion
packaged hand wipes
lip balm
soap/shampoo
Small selection of ready-to-eat protein rich food such as:
Cheese and crackers
Power bar
Tuna in a bag (no cans requiring an opener)
Vienna sausages
Beef jerky
One sweet item such as canned fruit or pudding
Plastic utensils and napkin
Washcloth
Small bible or bible tract
Gloves/ knit beanie
Pair of men’s socks

I have been feeling that I have a great purpose in life than just helping my local church, I dont mean that you should not help the local church, but I feel the need to reach out, outside those 4 walls, and do something positive for someone else. I was raised in a small church growing up and the, well I guess you could call it mission statement was "The Ministry to the Forgotten Man". Our church was about helping people who had his rock bottom and give them a hand up not a hand out. Helping them help themselves and to show them the love of God through us. During my Teen years we had a homeless mission and we bused people from the streets of Atlanta in on Saturday mornings and feed them a hot meal gave them a place to take a hot shower, a clean change of clothes, a checkup from a Dr, and Dentist, and other services to help them come off the streets. We would always have a short church service and anyone that wanted would be allowed to stay on at the mission. Once they stayed they were given job training and allowed to help make the items that was sold to support the mission.
On those Saturday mornings I felt that I was making a difference. I would help wherever that they needed me in the kitchen. It might have been chopping greens, peeling potatoes to washing dishes, and then serving on the line when the people arrived, but I was allowed to help.
Now as an adult with a family of my own, I want to instil that same want to help people into my children and the people around me. If we can be a positive impact on someone elses life then we have made a difference. We take for granted most of the things that are on the list above, but to a person who has nothing this could mean the world. We were not placed here to just be here, we where placed here to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.
Matthew 25: 38-40 says
38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

We need to do more than just be.

I am praying that you will find it in your heart to help and if you would like to donate you can email me at craftykate1@gmail.com I am in the process of setting up a PayPal account to recieve these donations. My hope is that this not be just a one time event. I would love to see this happen at least evey other month and try to keep in going, but I will not be able to do it with out help from other. Thank you in advnace for you help.

Thanksgiving

The start of my homemade cranberry sauce

Today is a day we set aside for Thanksgiving. Almost everyone (no matter the religious belief) will be celelbrating this day. Some with Turkey and Football, and some in a long line waiting on the first hot meal that they have had in days.
People will eat way too much and wonder why they feel so bad. Sometimes I feel we take this day for granted, and don't really get the real meaning of Thanksgiving. It isn't about being thankful for the big things as it is for being thankful for the little things. We really need to have the sprit of Thanksgiving in our lives averday and not just for one day out of a year. There are so many things that we can be thankful for. It you have a warm , safe place to sleep, food to eat (when ever you want it). Clothes on your back. Shoes on your feet. We are blessed with all we NEED. We may not have every thing that we WANT, but our needs are met, and we have our health, our families, our security, and this is not based on our bank account or wither we make a large salary. We have the love of God and the peace in knowing that he loves us and is the supplier of all our needs.  I hope that you all have had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Remember to comment on the post below to enter the drawing for the book giveaway.

Blog Tour and CONTEST

I will be going on a blog tour over the next couple of days and will be updating this post with every blog that I visit. If I visit your blog and leave a comment, come back to this post and leave a comment for me, and you will be entered to win a copy of Sally Goldenbaum's newest book A Holiday Yarn:

Sally Goldenbaum

For a second entry post a link to this post. Then comment on this post with a link to your post.

For a 3rd entry post a link on facebook for twitter, then comment on this post stating that you did.

The contest is CLOSED. will be open until Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at 11:59pm EST.

Here is a list of the blogs that I have visited so far:

•  Nice Package 
• A Little Imagination
• Dispatch from LA
• Joy's Hope
• Top of the Page
• Cake and Cotton
• The Reed Life

Added Wednesday, November 24, 2010

• (In)Courage
• Girls Can Tell
• Thompson Family Life
• Create. . . Breathe
• Holly Jolly Gal

Added Thursday, Novenber 25, 2010

• Gratitude with Grace
• Rebecca Sower
• Allison Burke
• Every Single Day

P.S. You can enter the contest even if I don't visit your blog or even if you don't have a blog: just post a comment and you will be entered in the drawing.

 A Winner has been chose by Random.org and the winner is Gratitude with Grace comment # 2. Thankd for tweeting about the contest and commenting on the blog post.

Journals

I thought I would look around and see how many journals that I have, well I didn't think that I would have more that about 5 or 6 but when I finished looking, I have 10. My goodness, I can't believe that I have so many.

Two are new with nothing maring the kraft paper pages, but the others are all works in progress. I have a small one that it almost finished (the one with "joy" on the cover). The solid red one was found in a box of books that I had packed up and I had forgotten that I had it. It was started in 2007 and only have about 15 pages that have been completed. The Sunflower one on top is my newest addition that I posted about earlier this week. It has become my go to journal for writing about my life. The Third one from the bottom of the stack is a composition book journal that I have started to glue the pages together and add other pages on top to make a thicker surface but I have not gotten any farther that that and the cover. The spiral  bound kraft paper ones are the new ones. I found these on the clearance rack at Borders for under $3 each (I love a bargain). I wish I had bought them all. The large spiral bound on the bottom has a doodle cover that I have posted about before. I have a thin one that is just lined paper that I use for ideas and then there is the Teesha Moore inspired book near the top. I covered the cover with printed packing tape. I have a date book journal that I bought with the good intentions of using it to keep up with my schedule and then abandoned it after about 3 weeks because I disliked being so scheduled. Sometimes I think that my journals have just as much of a story as the pages inside them do. I really love the idea of keeping up with the day to day and also recording what I am doing in my art at different times in my life. With each journal page I am recording the history of our lives in a more concrete fashion. Each one tell a little bit more about how we have changed and how we have grown into who we are today. I record scriptures that capture my thoughts at certain times and quotes that I want to remember, and events that happenings that are important at that time in our lives. I also tell my story about I feel when faced with different things as well as the joy that I have in my life. Each day has a purpose and we have to let God show us what that purpose is or was, when we reflect on the day in our journals.  Our lives are in progress just like each of these journals. We start each day with a blank page, it is up to us how we fill it. We need to make each day something that is worth writing and make each moment count.

My Week

This week has been very full. We have had 2 dinners. One at school and one at church. Both of them were on Wednesday, so that meant I had to cook 2 days in a row. I made a Banana Split Salad for work . It was the first time that I made it, and I really like the way it turned out.
We had a great turn out for the Dinner and a Message and plenty of food. I really am thankful for all the people who contributed to make the night a success.

My friend Tonya made the cutest little Turkeys out of Oreo's and different types of candies. I really had a great week and I hope to start bringing out my Christmas Decorations this weekend. I love bringing everything out it really makes the season come alive. This evening will be spent with friends and I look forward to the fun and fellowship.

My Week in Pictures

Most of my time is spent in a classroom so I took a few pictures of the things that I see everyday. I also have a couple of pictures that I took this week at other events that places that I have been. I really need to get back into the mode of taking pictures more. I love to but sometimes I get so caught up in the moment that I forget to pull the camera out. 

Scrap Journal

I have really been inspired by all the scrappy journal that I have seen posted around the web. Well I decided to make my own and I just love it. I used a plastic gift bag for the cover with a fabric backing. I added scraps of ribbon and discarded silk leaves for added interest. I have always collected paper, so I knew that this would be a great way to use what I have collected and make something that was useful at the same time. 

That is how this journal was born. It is truly a mixed media collage book. 

I used my sewing machine to connect all the pieces together. Then I added lined paper from notebooks that were not completely used up with a glue stick on one edge only. After seeing all the beautiful journals around it made me start looking for the inspiration for them. I found it here, it is called the Remains of the Day Journal. I really want to take the class but at I can't right now. One day I know that I will. 

I hope that you are inspired by my journal as much as I have been by the ones that I have seen. The journal itself is complete but it is not filled with my words yet. 

More Journal Pages

These pages are from my larger journal. This journal is one that I like to work in when I have all of my supplies in easy reach. I love to experiment with techniques on the pages and try out things that I might not really use on any other piece of art. The first page is all about my love of Coffee and Tea. Tazo Wild Sweet Orange is my favorite tea, and Starbucks is my favorite coffee. I used a napkin adhered with Gel Medium over a yellow and orange painted background. The small circles are chocolate and brownie images that I punched out of a magazine. I drew the coffee cup and added a phrase to the right side of the page spread. I used the Grid Letter that I featured in a previous post for the words "tea" and "coffee" . I also added a couple of the wrappers for the teas that we use for Ice Tea in our house, because we go through about 4 gallons a week. :-) 

The Second Page is "My Hands" I listed things that I do with my hands in the bubbles and added a phrase to complete the page. I credit card painted the backgrounds for this page as well as the first page. I used a combination of Sharpie and Bic Permanent pens for the lettering and outlines on these pages. 

The last page was an unfinished scrapbook page that I cut down to add to by journal because I felt that then I would add my thoughts about my girls when they were younger. It may not be the words that I intended to write when I created the page originally, but I will have a place that I can look at the pictures and remember they way they were. (My oldest is 10 and youngest is 8)

New Art Journal Pages

 A couple of weeks ago I made this journal. It is made with 9x12 sheets of drawing paper. I made one signature and used the three hole binding method. The cover is plain paper covered with patterned packing tape, that I painted over with a lime green paint. I then painted each two page spread. After it dried I started doodling on the pages and here is just a sample of what is on the inside of this very slim journal. This was a very quick easy journal to create and it would make a great gift journal for a younger person add a few pens and stickers and you are all set for a gift that will give them hours of fun, and will be something that they can keep for years to come.  (Click on the pictures for a larger view)

Teal paint with a banner design across the top

Blocks and Lines make this page quick and easy to finish.

Fall on My Street

 As I was driving into our Neighborhood today. I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the God's creation around us. The colors on the trees that no painter could paint.
I just love the way that the colors on the trees make me want to curl up with a warm blanket and a good book. I put on a pot of Veggie Beef Soup for dinner and am going to curl up with a good book for the night. I hope you all have a wonderful week. I will be posting more journal pages this week, as well as a new journal that I have been working on. I hope that you will let me know what you think about them.

Art Journal Finds

Art Journal Finds

Grid Lettering

A Year in the life of an Art Journal

Journal Prompts

Sunday Scribblings

Creative Every Day

Artist's Journals

Fun Add Ons

My Stick Family from WiddlyTinks.com
I created this in just a couple of minutes and I thought I would share the other things that this site has to offer. 

Christmas Countdowns at WiddlyTinks.com
I love all the countdowns tickers that they have there was too many to choose from on the Christmas ones.

I also found the site Picnik a photo editing website. It has great free editing tools or you can upgrade for even more tools. 

Found Tutorials

Decor and Organization Finds

Magazine Mirror

Sign Redo

Nesting Box

Subway Art

Ziploc Bag Organizer

The header for this post is courtesy of Just Something I Made

Happy Sunday 2

Book Review

Sally Goldenbaum has done it again. The Holiday Yarn is sure to please a knitter as well as a mystery lover. Her chriters are well rounded and the suspense builds from the first page until the last. This book is set in the town of Sea Harbor, Maine. Among the Chrismas festivities a mystery is brewing, was it murder or suicide. You have to read this gripping book to find out.
I have really enjoyed this series of books and I know that if you love a good mystery, with a twist.

To quote the site above

It's holiday season in Sea Harbor, MA, and Nell, Izzy, Cass, and Birdie are busy with cookie exchanges, holiday parties, and knitting winter gifts. But not all plans go smoothly.

The knitters' friend Mary Pisano is busy remodeling her grandfather's estate into a  bed and breakfast when her cousin, a fasion magazine editor, is found dead on the back porch.

A winter cloud gathers over the imminent opening of Ravenswood-by-the-sea, and the Seaside Knitters must sort through secrets and separate fact from fiction. While the knitters are helping Mary unravel the mysteries surrounding her B&B, Izzy is also unraveling her own mysteries. When Sam Perry begins pulling away from her, their relationship becomes fragile. As the holiday draws near, the four knitters plunge in to solve the crime and restore holiday peace--and the magic of mistletoe--to Sea Harbor.

Broken and Shattered

Photo Credit:
http://www.recyclethis.co.uk/20070418/how-can-i-reuse-or-recycle-a-broken-glass

I dropped a glass and it shattered,

into to many pieces to count.

I thought about how it could never

be put back together.

Sometimes our lives have been shattered, and

are in so many pieces that to man

it looks like it could never

be put back together,

but if we will just

put it in God's hands

He can fix it all.

We just have to turn it over to him, and

let him take care of the rest.