Swedish Tomte

I am in the process of moving some things over to this blog from a very old blog of mine. These are photos of some of my past work. Their hair and beards are all made of Llama fleece. 

Fishing Tomte, approx. 5" tall. (SOLD) 

Tomte with bundle of wood (SOLD)

Swedish girl cooking on fire (SOLD)

Swedish tomte girl with basket of traditional Swedish breads (Cardamon braid and Limpa)  (SOLD)

Swedish girl with mixing bowl (SOLD)

Candle Dipping Swedish Girl (SOLD

Tomte with ax (SOLD)

Here is a photo of two I recently did for a special order. They were ordered by a male nurse to add to his collection.  (SOLD)

Swedish Girl with Broom, approx. 5" tall (SOLD)

DIY Valentine Cards

Valentine's Day will be here before you know it. I'm sure you've seen the aisles at the stores filling up with all the pretty red and pink Valentine's Day decor and goodies for the kiddos to give to their friends. Let me start by saying, I know those little valentines which are sold in all the stores are very inexpensive. Some of you may be thinking you can't be bothered making something when you can get those for about a buck. However, if you are looking for something a bit more creative this year, and with a touch of recycling thrown in, this may be just what you are looking for.

I use old greeting cards regularly for various creative purposes and always end up with a stack leftover, you know the ones with the big cute critter or creature on the front. They are adorable but limited as far as creative purposes go. 

If you do not have little children at home, you may not have many of these cards coming into your house. But if word gets out that you are seeking old greeting cards for creating, you will get plenty passed on to you. You'll want to make sure no one wrote inside the front of the card because that's where your kiddos are going to sign their names. 

In addition to cards like these you will also need,

• this printed PDF of hearts (also available on our freebies page)
• colored paper if you want to make your own hearts
• glue
• lollipops
• scissor (including a pair with a fine tip if you want to cut little areas out) 
• a hand held hole punch if you have one. 

View fullsize

The first step is to cut out the part of the image which you want to use. Like this:

View fullsize

Then using an exacto knife or very sharp scissors like fingernail scissors, cut out the part of the image you want to put the heart under. Like this:

View fullsize

Then glue in place any hearts or other pieces you want to add. You could include little bows, glitter, gems, etc. 

View fullsize

Carefully cut little slits in the image with your sharp scissors, then slide the lollipop in. If your hand held hole punch will reach to the location where you want the lollipop holes then you can use it for making them. You may have to put a piece of tape over the lollipop stick on the back to keep it from sliding out.

That's it, sign the back and have the kids hand them out. Easy, repurposed, DIY valentine cards for the kiddos. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

I didn't like how this guys foot was cut off at the edge of the card so I just put the heart over it. 

View fullsize

Because Liada

What does Because Liada mean?  It comes from a quote from Helen Keller who said, "Life is a daring adventure, or nothing at all."  I love that quote and I think it pretty much sums up how God wants us to live this life He has given us. He wants us looking for that wow in every day. He wants us living an abundant, fulfilling life. But He also wants us to move beyond our pasts and be the child of the King He created us to be.  Why? Because Life Is A Daring Adventure, Because Liada.

 Because Liada also is the name of a bible study we are in the process of putting together. It is a creative, bible based, journaling and artistic adventure. I am so excited about this study. Each lesson has a creative project which goes along with it. If you have feelings of inadequacy in regards to your creative or artistic abilities, there is no need to worry, anyone can do these projects, and all instructions will be included. While this study has been fun to  write, it has been even more fun to play with all the art supplies as we work through the lessons and match up the perfect creative project with the bible lesson. This study will challenge  you as you discover the awesome authentic, unique individual God created you to be.

journal page 4

If you are interested in hearing updates as Because Liada progresses or possibly on being part of the launch team please email us using the form below. We will be looking for a select group of people who are willing to trial run this study and report back to us on the lessons and the art projects etc.

Mixed Media Journal Art Page - I do not remember crayons being this much fun!

journal page3

journal page 2

My daughter and I have been having a blast trying out different art techniques. The bible study I am in the process of writing has a different mixed media art journal page which you create to go along with each lesson. We've had fun experimenting with the art mediums and techniques to find which ones go best with which lessons in the study and well, you know, just playing with art supplies. But...Oh my goodness did we have fun with this new technique...and as I said before, this makes crayons even more fun as an adult! Then to top it off, I had these vintage ledger pages from a  tobacco manufacturers cigar ledger which I purchased and they have that oh so perfect vintagy discoloration which is just delightful. I am really excited about this study, it walks you through the process of learning about yourself, about learning who you are as a child of the King, finding out what your spiritual God given gifts are, embracing your life story and giving God victory over past hurts. In the process of working through the study, you create a mixed media art journal which is uniquely you, uniquely your life story. I can't really get into how this page was done right now, but all the directions will be in the study. I will also post directions on the blog for a couple of the techniques eventually.

Image

 It has been fun to work on creating my own book, to lay out my life story in this manner and really think about who I am as a beloved child of Christ, but it's been especially fun to figure out the techniques for you all to use to create your own personal journal.

journal pic 1

God does not want us living stuck in a rut being dragged down by our pasts, He wants us living a victorious life. He wants you to know about all the awesome, unique, hand selected gifts He has put inside you and He wants you using them. He wants you to believe you can do it, because you can through Him, and He wants you to be free to be you, to take flight and be all you can be. If you are interested in hearing when this bible study is finished, just email me and I can put you on the email list. In the meantime....go...live life abundantly, and if you haven't been living that way, start today.