Newest Creations

Recreated an old line... some personal note cards. Spoiler alert.. Aunt Carol if you're reading this, please stop till after the box arrives. Aunt Sue, if you want some for your birthday just let me know. Your box contains something different.

There are two cards each with matching envelope liners/card trims, making for a total of 8 cards. The packet is wrapped in a vintage hankie. I'm so tickled. Had a lot of fun. My original line was made using tools available to me on "Crop Nights", but since that store is no longer open I had to rethink my designs.

I hope she enjoys. I would have rather done lavender as that is a favorite color, but I had pink, so that's what we went with.

Then, I finally started metal stamping/hammering tonight. This is my first attempt, made into a sweet necklace. I really like it.

Although it's hard to tell in this photo, I've used a brass/copper metal for the pendant and chain. The bead is a beautiful pink pearl glass bead. I've done the wire wrapping as well. All new skills since Art and Soul. 

If anyone is interested in ordering a personalized necklace just let me know. I'll happily oblige. Prices will vary depending on metals and beads used. 

Blessings and happy creating!
Kim

Garden Tea Party

Yes, I know it's winter. January to be precise. Yes, I know it's snowy outside. And in the 20s to boot. And yes, I know this is my art blog. But, this party was a fun party showing some wonderful artsiness (don't you LOVE that word?!) by my friend April, and her daughter Ava. I had a bit role as well... supplied a few things here and there.

the LoVeLy Miss Ava... oh, excuse me, Princess Ariel! She and her sister had their own personal tea party table set and ready to go.

Note the "Olivia" theme... Miss Tiny LOVES Olivia. 

So, I brought the Fostoria china... can you believe how beautiful it looks  here? I almost returned this to my mother-in-law. It belonged to Dear's Grammie. I'm so glad we kept it. It's GoRgEoUs! Worked well with April's stemware. Are you seeing the art in all of this? 

LOVE the hat! She brought many of her hats to share with us. I'm talking the vintage and antique hats, not the "wife, mother, Sister in Christ, teacher, chocolatier" hats...

Wish you could see the whole ensemble here. April's got  StYlE!

What about this hat?

Good choice!

Can't believe I caught this picture. Love it. 

Like mother like daughter. She has her very own fashion sense... pink, purple, Ariel, crowns, BLING... that's her style!

We had to be with her as she chose her "jewels" for the party.  Wait till you see the next picture... after all, she's also her mama's daughter, and where would she be without her ...

RED cowboy boots?!

This is my goddaughter. I really love her!

One small shot of April's amazing house. Go look this week. Quick. Next week it will be different. But always awesome and gorgeous. April has inspired me to seek beauty...spiritual, family, art, style... 

Another sister chick in her bonnet. 

I love it when I see this look on her face. She is so in the moment, watching and storing up memories. 

She ran over and held on tight. It was such a special moment.  My recent greetings have been seeing her fly down the steps yelling "Zee Mama" and then she leaps into my arms, holds on tight and gives me a huge hug. After that I get tours of all that is important in her life that day. 

Yes, berries and blooms in the middle of winter. I TOLD you it was a garden tea party!

With dainty pinkies and all!

"Yes Dahling... I told you. I'm FABULOUS!" (actually, I don't recall what she was saying, but it had that  "uppercrust" tone  to it. I love friends that can make me laugh and step outside the expected!) 

Our original dainty pinky questioner... "Does this mean I have to crook my little finger?"

Daddy Dawg got in on the act when he returned from training. I do believe Miss Tiny  might have had something to do with that! What a great dad to be able to play with his little girls!

Sometimes little hands need help with tea cups. Miss Olivia tea cups that is. 

And yes, the girls got him to try another hat as well.

Just wanted you to see how art plays out off canvas. Make your home your canvas, and your friends, think outside the box and have a garden party in the snow! Thanks April, I love your artistic side. And I love that not only are we BFFs, but that we are sisters in Christ. Thanks for the love, that is part of your art, making others feel beautiful and special and loved. Hope my art can make the same true for you!

Blessings, Kim

Creating Beauty in the Home

I have a number of artsy friends and I see so much of their personalities expressed in their daily home decor. It seems that love of beauty, of creating beautiful things, extends to creating beautiful spaces. I look at my home and I wonder... where is the beauty in the home?

At Christmas I definitely see my personality, my hopes, my dreams, my loves come through. What are these things that are expressed so clearly? Well, all who really know me know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE glitter. Can you have enough glitter? I'm not really sure. I love many many vintage things... at Christmas time I find myself gravitating mostly to things that have come from "mid-century modern"... i.e. the 40s through the 60s. And, I dearly miss Gram, my mom's mom. So, in many places you'll see evidences of her about... even down to the "Touch of Schlaf" in my Art and Soul display each year.

While I rarely make BIG changes on a regular basis, we sometimes mix things up in how we display them, or even some years we simply leave things in storage. This year I was all for simplifying. I was feeling cluttered in my spirit, and needed to keep the surroundings less cluttered so I could "clean house" on myself. We really only decorated the living room this year. And we pared it down. Although, our "three foot tree for the crates" became a 6+ foot tree that dwarfed our fake tree of previous years. But, that's fine. Here's the beauty we created in our home this Christmas season...

 Here's the infamous... Michelin Man tree... it's over six feet tall and ROUND. WeeOne and I went to a tree farm, for my FIRST EVER real tree... we thought we were looking for a three foot Canaan Fir... we found this beauty... a White Pine. WE LOVED it. 

 Gram's shepherds. I think these may have sat on her sideboard... I can't recall. 

 Grandpa Gene worked for the Illinois Central Railroad. When the railroad closed down the employees were given remembrances... the pitcher and creamer here are from the dining car. The silk flowers are from my wedding bouquet, the tray was a $1 find at a garage sale... shiny brites of course.. And the tag/ornament was one of a number that I made and sold at Art and Soul.

 My "bling tree"... filled with vintage shiny brites, hand made ornaments from past sales, and generally a pastel pallet. Don't you love it?

 Tucked under the tree... literally... a glass brick to give it some height, that's covered with one of Gram's hankies, and then you see some vintage candles from her house. 

 More of Gram's collection. I have two of these sweet angels. I know that truly angels are awesome and fearful to look at, don't mistake me on that truth, these are here for the Gram touch... 

 April's creations come out every Christmas... the cards underneath the bird are "The Twelve Days of Christmas." You need to see these to believe them. Her husband, Rett, helped on this I'm told. The vintage nativity card is also from her, as is the bird I believe. 

 Another vintage nativity post card from April. (I love vintage post cards!)

 April had created a number of these flowers at her house, so I created a few for myself... they sit in vintage and antique bottles on our front half-wall. 

 See this stack of primitive wood boxes? (David's dad's toy chest and his great grandfather's storage box for his scales.) This is where the "tiny simple tree" was supposed to sit. Instead you see a pile of antique books, a candle made by WeeOne and the golden basket where we display our Christmas cards. The hankie on top is from Gram of course!

 This banner reads "Christmas Joy" and is one I made to sell at the first Art and Soul. One lady was very interested, but wouldn't meet me on the price. David said he was glad that he wanted us to keep it.. so it hangs above the front picture window every year. It's a set of vintage red and green bingo cards, holiday paper and various embellishments. 

 More of April... a wreath made from old pattern papers... and of course it's covered in glitter. I love it. Was thinking of buying it, but received it as a gift. So wonderful!

 A mini Nativity ornament from David's Grammie Bolt. It's sitting on a vintage tin, also from April. (She might as well just come and decorate my house!)

This banner hangs between the living and dining room. The birds... swallows, my favorites... are stitched on paper, and hung on red and white butchers twine. Each swallow is embellished with a word such as love, joy, etc. The last swallow holds a small envelope in which my gift was enclosed that year. 

I hope you enjoyed this view of the beauty we created at Christmas. I think it's one time of year where I feel I can decorate to my heart's content and not step on anyone's toes. (I think the house should reflect the taste and needs of all who live in it, so usually you won't see a lot of glitter or pinks... ). So, what do you do to create beauty in your home at Christmas? 

Blessings,
Kim

Creating for Creating's Sake

Around Art and Soul time, and Christmas time (which are pretty much neck and neck) I feel so pressured to create that by the end of December I'm ready to down the craft supplies, find some chocolate, a good book and a great load of wood to use in the fireplace. Seriously, I'm tired of creating and crafting by that point.

Why do I do it? That is, why do I create in such a rushed and forced manner? I'm not really sure. Perhaps I get so busy throughout the year with teaching, grading, keeping home, teaching childbirth classes, acting as doula at any number of births that I just get pulled too thin. Perhaps it's the emotions of the holidays and knowing it all won't be "just so" and so I get tired of trying. But, more realistically, it's just that every year I question myself. I wonder, "Am I truly created to create?" "Do I truly give people joy through this?" "Is it worth one more year of toil and prep to sit all day at a show and possibly sell almost nothing at all?" And, if the answer is 'yes' to any of these questions I then follow that question up with another, "Why?"

And that leads me to the title. Sometimes it is simply fun to create for the sake of creating. It's fun to see something old take on new life. To see parts become a whole. Conversely to see a whole become parts, and then a new whole, or several new wholes... And the list goes on.

Last year I thought about doing a crafting day with the college ladies from my church. And life happened. And schedules. And doubts. And it never happened. This year I've been trying to host  a small crafting day with two of the young ladies... no longer in college!... for several months. And, just when I felt myself asking all those questions and thinking I should just cancel I decided instead to forge ahead.

You know what? We had a great time. None of us finished a single project, but we all started. We talked about what we liked to create. We talked and talked and listened and listened and became better known to each other. Truly, it gave me joy again in creating at a time when I doubted.

Now, a few weeks later I find myself the proud owner of two new craft books. Gifts from my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. One is a general crafting book and the other an "upcycled" jewelry book. And, deep inside where my feelings lie hidden I realize that someone else has seen into my heart, has learned more about me and has given me more than just books, but, in the oddest sense given me "permission" to craft, an incentive to craft, a push to craft, to create, to fall in love with this wonderful hobby/gift all over again.

I've straightened my table, redone my shelves, studied my inspiration board and begun planning for the new year. I don't have to make the same old thing all the time. The last creations I made were actually homemade spa gifts... bath bombs, bath soaks and bath sugar scrubs. Oh my, sooooo much fun. Still creating.. not only the product, but the packaging and all. Perhaps a new venue for Art and Soul next year. Or, perhaps, simply new gifts for family and friends.

But, I've learned that it's okay to create simply for the sake of creating. It gives me joy, peace, a sense of something accomplished (that won't be readily undone like laundry or dishes!) and it gives me happiness. Not a bad trade off!

Blessings,
Kim

Exodus 35:30-35

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

Bezalel and Oholiab

 ³⁰ Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, ³¹ and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts— ³²to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, ³³ to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. ³⁴ And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. ³⁵He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them master craftsmen and designers.

Future Christmas Swap?

Hey my Craft Creating Friends,

What do you all think about starting a Christmas swap? Now, I'm not saying for this year. Obviously. I just don't have the time. Nor do you  I bet. However, I thought we might start thinking and commenting about it now. I'd love to get a swap started for next year. Keep it small at the start... 10 people or so.

Ideas? One gift for each? Link people up as pairs? Grab bag style? Get to know each other first? Themed?

See, I have lots of ideas in my head, but just simply not the gumption to MAKE THE DECISION. We could even do this for Valentine's Day, or Easter, or simply a seasonal gift. See? No ability to decide right now.

I just know that I love to create. That I love to give pleasure to others with my creations and that I think this could be fun. I could meet new people. You could meet new people. Our creating might be jump-started to even higher levels.

So, if you have any thoughts on this please comment HERE on THIS BLOG.

And... Merry Christmas. Can you believe it?

Joy to the World!
Kim

One More Day to Save 20%

Dear Readers,
There's one more day left to save 20% at either my Etsy store or anything you see for sale here. Now, don't be fooled. IF you see one domino necklace that means there are 18 more for sale. Actually, 14 more. Sold are: Fly, Sweet Aroma, Hope and Bloom. But the rest are still there waiting for someone to love them. And with the sale they are only $8.00 I have multiple BOC necklaces, some on ball chains and some on rose gold plated chains with dangles. ($13 and $20 during the sale).

If you shop Etsy the coupon code is "ArtandSoulmonth"... if you shop here just contact me before midnight Nov. 30.

Remember, either items seen here or in my Etsy shop. And, I'll do special orders as well, but the discount will only be 10% .

SO, check out the bottles old and new, Bit of Charm (BOC) necklaces, domino necklaces and the new natural stone necklaces. Oh... and earrings as well. Many have been made to accompany a necklace already made.

                                                 A sampling of domino necklaces... styles and colors. Happy to make special orders. 20% off pre-made and 10% off special orders. 

On Etsy coupon code is "artandsoulmonth"

 Natural stone necklaces in "jasper" and "turquoise"

each one strung on waxed linen, matching beads and dangles in rose gold plated or platinum plated. 

$20 during the sale.

BOC bottles...

The back shows the necklace hanging.

The necklace is easily removed to wear,

and then...

when you're done simply twine the necklace around the neck of the bottle.

Turn the bottle around and you'll see the lovely decorations on the front.

$24 during the sale for both bottle and necklace. (Check earlier posts for other items.)