wordless Wednesday

Christmas card holder

Yesterday I saw a Christmas card holder at Crafts Direct that I just had to come home and try.  I started with a 12x36 inch canvas, a few spools of colorful ribbon, and these red thumbtacks.  (Theirs was left white, and they had simply added some red and green canvas snowflakes, which were available for an extra 16.99.)  I decided to skip the extra decorations and paint my background.  So I painted it brown, and then added some red dots here and there.

Next, I measured and marked down the sides at six inch intervals.  (I started at 3 1/2 inches from the top, so there'd be some of the canvas showing at the top and bottom once cards are hung.)  After measuring and marking on both sides, I stretched ribbon across and secured them into the sides of the canvas using red thumbtacks.
Next, I turned the canvas over and stapled the excess ribbon onto the frame in the back, and then trimmed off any extra ribbon that remained.
Here's the finished product, ready to be hung when little ones wake up from their naps.
First card hung.
Side detail.
Super easy!  You can do it too!  If you make one, take a photo and let me know!  Enjoy!

choose thankfulness

Three posts in one day!  It's feast or famine around here I guess.  This one's been brewing for about a week, but I wanted to wait until I had this banner finished and hung so I could include a photo.  At a time when there seem to be disappointments all around.. struggling economy, presidential elections that didn't go as we'd hoped (and what that means for 35 years of laws to protect not yet born babies), and things in our own life not going quite as we'd thought for the last few months... We choose thankfulness.  There is so much to be thankful for, in little and big things every single day.  The other night, we sat down as a family (after a few days of feeling really sad about missing home) and we decided to make a list of things that we're thankful for HERE.  And we decided that we're going to focus on these things and enjoy this place to the fullest for whatever time we have here.  We have no idea really if we'll be here for two years or twenty... only God knows for sure.  And while it's okay to miss family and friends (and weather and culture) where we came from, we're choosing to be thankful for what we have here.  Here's what we came up with... ideas submitted from all family members, well all but Judah, in no particular oder:

really nice sink water

extended family being here

playing with neighborhood kids

mornings together

being able to ride bikes and play outside more

new friends

corn field 

playing in the snow

wild rice

Old Creamery Cafe

Caribou Coffee 

Mall of America

opportunities to trust God

the Waters Church

great new church friends

the Christmas play (Brooklyn will be a narrator and Zeke will be "back stage" moving sets)

not having cable tv

geocaching

fun parks

Mississippi River

less traffic

cheaper gas (down to 1.62 yesterday!)

renewed dreams

getting closer as a family

less busy-ness

doing more art/ crafts

hands that hold my heart

Made to freeze this moment in time.  I love the little hands.  And the ones not so little anymore.  All working and playing together.  I am thankful.

Idea came from a post on The Crafty Crow.. which, by the way, is a super fun blog with lots of great crafty ideas.

etsy

So... I've been making things for quite a while and up until now, have only made things as gifts... baby blankets mostly, and recently coffee sleeves, with random things thrown in here and there.  A few friends in California encouraged me to sell my blankets, and one friend even offered to sell them in the gift shop she manages at a hospital in Napa.  I just never got around to it, or had the extra time to make things for selling.. I just made them as gifts.  Well, these days, I still don't have the time (maybe even less than before!), but I've been squeezing some crafting in here and there when I can, and am giving the selling thing a go.  I started an etsy site, and posted some things today.  I have more to post, but my photos were too large, so I'll have to take more pics tomorrow and try uploading again so I can finish listing the things I've made so far.  I may even contact that friend back in Napa about making some blankets and coffee sleeves (I'm calling them "green sleeves") to sell there.  Not sure what will come of it, but money is super tight right now, so I figured I'd give it a try.  Every little bit helps!  If you're interested, you can check out my etsy site.  Here are a few picures of some of the things I've listed there...