Shaping Up

Five new candles took shape this week. Brayden has been busy, with some help from the rest of us, making some new molds for his candles. It was nice to have two new flower molds ready for Mother's Day. In fact, that's a wonderful Mother's Day gift for me -- to see my dreams coming to reality. Thanks Brayden!


The little violin mold was the inspiration behind the whole candle business just over six years ago. Our first method of molding the violin trio proved to be less than satisfactory ... it has taken a lot of persistence and patience to finally have the time & resources to finally bring this to fruition.


Watch for the remainder of the strings trio in the months to come...

Nativity Collection

Brayden made a lovely new nativity for me ...


Timothy had a new unique nativity idea ...


Corbyn etched a detailed little nativity with pyrography ...


Ken gave me a set of 12 stainless steel nativity cookie cutters -- I think I'll use them dual purpose by using a red ribbon to hang them as ornaments.

Thanks to my guys for indulging my collection.

Ice-luminaries

Look at this easy, elegant ice-luminary.


We just put a five-gallon pail of water outside to freeze, then when the walls were about 2 inches thick we cut a hole in the top and drained the rest of the water. As it turned out the bottom was very thin still so we just broke out the bottom, put a lit candle on an inverted empty fish tin then placed the ice-shell over-top the candle.

Very elegant.

Someone mentioned seeing this lining the walks outside the church at a wedding -- nice idea, don't you think?

To dress it up, one could freeze decorations into ice as well for extra appeal.

Another tutorial for ice-luminaries can be found here.

Sprucing Up

Pinecones abound at Spruce Woods.

I enjoy using pinecones to "spruce up" my home ... and I use the greens also.

I've seen bags of pinecones and bunches of greens offered for sale at almost every supermarket so I figure I'm not the only one who likes to use pinecones to
"spruce up" my home for the CHRISTmas season.

Filling a special basket with cones and adding a bow is simple enough.


A nice way to add a festive look to my home with a basket that was gifted to our family filled with fresh flowers when my younger sister went to Glory just over a year ago. It reminds me of her simple, beautiful life.

This year we shared our pinecones with our CSA garden members. They each got a mesh bag filled with pinecones with their last garden basket of the 2009 season. It was for the express purpose of decoration and creative uses ... of course they also make nice starters for cozy fires in winter or backyard firesides in summer. One member sent me a picture of her little boy enjoying his craft - see it on my Facebook profile.

Really the ideas for using pinecones are endless ...

Years ago I made pinecone wreaths and kept this one for myself.


I never tire of it. Someday I just may make more of these again, now that we have a fresh yearly supply of pinecones on our own yard.

Nativity Collection

My collection keeps growing.

A "mommy gift" came with a baby gift already way back in January -- from the thoughtful friend who got me started on this collection. Thanks, Margaret!















A couple little ones bought throughout the year:











A couple new ones crafted in woods that are currently works-in-progress (watch for those in a later post).

And a little nativity creativity with Legos -- designed and created by boys, as a surprise for Mommy. Isn't that sweet?:

Sign of the Cross

This week is when we remember the work of Christ on the Cross. Without Him we all would be lost for eternity.

A little activity that has come to my attention is to challenge you & your children to go in search of visible portrayals of the cross in your world. The title of this post is an active link to see sample pictures of crosses that Berit Kjos has discovered in the world around her.

In nature, you may find two tree branches at right angles.
Man made crosses may be intentional or perhaps even unintentional like two airplane trails crossing in the sky, or fences posts forming a cross or threads in a fabric.

Whatever you or your children find will be worth the adventure. Be sure to capture the image with a camera to save it and/or frame it for future reference.

If you can, send me pictures of what you find I will post them here or post them on your blog and leave us your link.

To God be ALL glory!

The Best Toys for Boys

Have you every noticed that the best toys don't cost anything at all?

Boxes are the best! Big boxes make great houses, tunnels & nap rooms. Box cars, box boats, box-trains are all so-o fun.

Bubble wrap takes a close second and doubles as a distraction while traveling (more for the big littles, if ya know what I mean) - but, please do watch and do not give the bubble wrap to littles that put it in their mouth. Play team games with similar size pieces of bubble wrap - see which team pops all their bubbles first. Alternately, let them jump on the wrap to burst all the bubbles...ideas are endless.

So... let them take out frustration or fill the boredom void - with bubble wrap - recycled, of course.

Sticks and stones are not long forgotten around here. This summer our eldest sons picked up a new hobby (well, new to them) ... rock hounding. Their Great-Grandfather was a rock-hound and when we stopped by one of his favorite quarries on our vacation it was an instant hit with out guys too.

Then, there's the sticks: this fall they came up with wood-burning as their art of
choice.

It's really just like Crystal said on her blog today. And as you can see from Crystal's picture post ... it's not just for boys.

Pictures of Wood Crafts & Gifts

A set of the cedar nativity ornaments made by our boys using a scroll saw. They are also nice as a holiday ornament hung in a vehicle on the rear-view mirror.


A testimony of Jesus, the Reason for this Season.


Pyrography, or better known as wood burning, has been a new interest this year and quite a common interest it is. We found that out when we went to purchase a quality "Razertip" wood burning tool at Lee Valley - they had sold 4 just that morning and we had to wait to get one ordered in. Wow!


For these frames, the boys have used character qualities, depicting animals that demonstrate them and a Bible verse that encourages us unto Godliness.











Gift tags cut from veneer business cards, pyrographed & cut (we cut the hole later with a hole punch). The business cards can be bought at Lee Valley as well, 50 for $3.25.

Handmade Gifts

My love of crafts has passed along to my ... boys?! Yes,BOYS! They do crafts their way ... mostly with sticks and stones, metals & ... bones? Yes, that too(Antlers etc.). They make me so proud! But, before I fall(Proverbs 16:18) I must redirect the glory for all ingenuity and talent back to their Father in Heaven Who has gifted them with everything, in fact their every breath. And I ... am blessed to be their mother.

In past years, wood has been their medium of design. Using a scroll saw they have cut many intricate nativity ornaments using teak. (Look for pictures - I'll post them another day). This year they are making more of those ornaments, this time out of aromatic cedar which has beautiful qualities of color and aroma, but the disadvantage of being a little more fragile. They are hoping to sell sets of these (in fives) nicely packaged in an organza sachet or as singles (the individual ornaments are also VERY nice to hang on the rear-view mirror in vehicles).

Which reminds me, they're also using the tiny scrap pieces to make aromatic cedar sachets - packaged in smaller organza bags.

A new interest for them this year is pyrography, better known as wood-burning. They have literally spent hours with this new hobby making beautiful picture frames, name frames, artfully decoating wooden spoons, transforming veneer business cards into holiday gift tags and gift cards ... the ideas are endless. The pleasures are worthy. The work is purposeful.

I'll let you know how their first sales transpire at my Craft Table on Saturday! Then we'll try other venues ... maybe an Esty shop?

In all we do, we try to honor our Lord - most often best done by quoting His Word in art as well as in voice. God's Word will not return void. We believe that and stand on that truth to send out His Word through the work of our hands.

Ah, the benefits abound: the boys are busy - purposefully, entrepreneurially occupied (hoping to pay off the wood-burning tool with their proceeds), the Word is being planted in their hearts first as they seek it out & then burn it into the wood and again as it goes forth through sales or as gifts.

This Mama heart is blessed, humbled, thankful,
Darlene