Dancing with Simplicity

Simple Living, Walking by Faith
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Art classes and more!

  • January 7, 2020 1:53 pm

I’ve been venturing into the art world as of late, and hope to be sharing resources here in the near future. This is a sample of my rabbit drawing skills from a Skillshare class by Illustrator Nina Rycroft. You can sign up for Skillshare, or look at their free courses even, through my links on the right side of the screen. These are affiliate links, thank you for using them should you choose to purchase. P.S. My rabbit is the one on the right. My little crooked town is another idea I gathered from various artists…Stay tuned for my resource/supply lists. And for the craftsy side of you, visit this link for some fun, 2020 planning!

Sprinkled Hearts

  • April 3, 2019 5:31 pm

I’m working on digital products. You can obtain this poem in a few ways. Here’s one link for some nice tea glasses.

Dancing with Creativity: Daily!

  • March 8, 2019 4:53 pm

Dancing with Creativity

Having been a recent recipient of two art classes, a member of two mentoring groups and a lifelong craft and writing lover…well, I have not been generous with my time and attention to these arts. Life gets in the way. I had a thought recently:  why not create something every day? This is probably not a new concept to anyone.  I quite often hear writers stating that they must write every day in order to keep moving forward. I suppose artists say the same thing.

If I begin a project, I can give myself permission to keep it going a day or two before moving on to another endeavor. Why not? If in fact, God has gifted me to create and I am not doing it, then perhaps I am not being a good steward of the gift. What do you think? Can anyone relate to putting off the use of these kinds of gifts because they are too time consuming? Isn’t life too short to wait?

When I started this blog, my thought was that we are often dancing around the very thing we are called to be doing. Dancing with, toying with but not doing. Walking by faith is more stable, or should be. But life it seems, is a dance and we are swirling around the very things we want to do but cannot seem to ‘get to.’ I’m going to attempt this. Create a time for colorful art, writing or creating something. Dancing with creativity…daily.

 

Happy Thanksgiving 2017

  • November 22, 2017 12:01 pm

The holiday season is upon us, and it’s time for you crafty folk to have some fun.  Please visit the sites in the sidebar for your supplies, and some Black Friday specials.  Bible journaling, scrapbooking and more…….please note, I am an affiliate for these sites.  I appreciate your purchasing through the links.

Have a blessed holiday season.  And let’s remember to give thanks.

Psalm 100:1-5 (NASB77)
1   Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.
2   Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing.
3  Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4  Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name.
5  For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, And His faithfulness to all generations.

Bible Art Journaling Fans

  • August 24, 2017 11:26 am

If you love Bible art journaling, planners and Christian gifts please visit my links on the sidebar.  These are affiliate links, and I thank you for visiting them to make your crafty purchases. Those who love to scrapbook will also find some goodies there.

July 4th: Crafty Ideas for Holiday Celebrations

  • June 22, 2015 9:40 pm

fourth-200x246Summer is upon us here in the U.S., and the holiday we’re focusing on is July 4. Many Americans see this as a day to gather friends and family together for a summer meal. Whether before or after the fireworks, there will be hungry mouths to feed. Many of us fill the day with traditional meals and activities. Some face the stress of trying to find things for the kids to do, while they await sunset and fireworks.

This year, why not provide the excited tots, teens and tweens with some new options? Plan your usual holiday dinner, but incorporate some crafty projects. Give your family the task of inviting friends to your family holiday meal. Ask them whom they would like to invite. Then, consider involving your children in some artful ideas for a Fourth of July theme. Crafts are an excellent way to shift the focus from the waiting and anticipation of those fireworks, over to a special meal designed for family and friends. Take a look at sites such as Better Homes and Gardens for a wealth of ideas via slideshow, or The Crafty Crow for children’s food and craft fun.

  • Start with invitations. Card making is all the rage, and it shouldn’t take you too long to come up with a design. Even if you have never made cards before, an online search will lead you to all sorts of ideas and projects. Deliver the end result to your invited guests. Help children personalize the invitation for the people they are asking to dinner. You can take this activity as far as you want to go, but it’s guaranteed to delight someone! Your kids will be proud when invited guests respond to their invitation.
  • Next you’ll want to create a focal point for your dinner table. Look online for ideas that go beyond the holiday table and include yard and porch decorations as well. You won’t go wrong conducting an online search for holiday yard and house decorations.

For a special table design give this a try: Grab some special ribbon and tie a few sparklers together; add some custom tags labeled with each guest’s name and you have an inexpensive fun decoration. After dinner everyone will have his or her own fireworks to light. An online search will provide you with nametag ideas. Placeholders are a fun way to make guests feel welcome. Tags are readily available and easily decorated.

  • Have some fun planning your tableware. Yes, you can just go to the local party shop and buy things but why not add some creative touches of your own? For instance, white cups create a blank canvas for your family to decorate. Purchase a white paper tablecloth, supply markers, colored pencils or crayons and have everyone doodle some patriotic art. Throw in some fun stickers for an added artistic touch. Remember that adults love to color too! This makes a great activity while waiting for the meal.
  • Last but not least, create some food related crafts using your traditional recipes, or new offerings. Barbecued meats may not inspire you, but summer is an excellent time to be crafty with fruits, and vegetables. Take a trip to your local grower’s market for colorful seasonal offerings and turn them into table art. Use small American flags for patriotic touches on your food items.

This year, engage your family and friends in the preparations. Besides drawing everyone into healthy activities, you might possibly establish some new traditions for future celebrations. Bookmark some web sites for project ideas for future events and keep in mind; there are no mistakes in crafting! Don’t worry about your talent or lack of.

The arts of cooking and crafting go hand in hand.Pencil Crayons 1

Family, food, friends and a little crafty touch! You’ll find the resources to be endless, and the rewards to be great.

 

 

Are You Being Transformed?

  • January 22, 2015 12:15 am

TMD-Wk3 IICorinthians 3:18 (HCSB)
18 We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Take Me Deeper online study. Week Three. Shine!

Visit His Kingdom Come for more information.

Take Me Deeper Week 2/His Kingdom Come

  • January 11, 2015 11:50 pm

TMD-Week 2This is based on my word for 2015, Seek, and Take Me Deeper online community prompt for week 2: II Corinthians 12:7-10. This art work can be purchased on Café Press. https://www.cafepress.com/+tote_bag,244511525

https://www.cafepress.com/+silver_square_necklace,244511309

 

Calling Christian Crafty folks! (Writers too!)

  • January 9, 2015 10:58 pm

dreamstimefree_187386[1]Within the framework of my simple living theme, there lies a huge desire to incorporate crafts into this blog. I have things planned for the future but for now I want to call your attention to a new community I found online for Christian crafty folk!

I was on my Facebook page one day when I was attracted to a group on Bible Art Journaling.  Immediately I was amazed at the talent and the desire members had to study the Word, meditate on it and then craft away in their Bibles. You can access the group Journaling Bible Community, on Facebook.  If you are from that group and found your way here, please introduce yourself.  I would love to post some of your work!  The idea of adding art to your Bible may be a little unusual to some. I do believe however, you will see the heart of these men and women in the Scriptural pages they design.

If you are like me and don’t quite feel like an artist (though I have a huge desire to study and learn), don’t fret. You can still do this. You’ll find many in the group who simply are trying their best and learning as they go. You’ll find others whose work probably belongs in a gallery. Awesome stuff!

From that group, I ended up in another online community known as His Kingdom Come . Within the group are two study groups for 2015, and many smaller groups built around different forms of crafts and art. There is also a Facebook group for this community under HKC-Take Me Deeper 2015. Logos365 and Take Me Deeper, are the two study groups. With one focusing on choosing your word for the year, and the other focusing on weekly devotionals, both offer a chance to join with a sub group to create something based on Scriptural prompts.

Ok, if I have not lost you, visit the link to His Kingdom (see the sidebar for direct access) and check out the site video. There are so many wonderful videos, and tutorials (paid and unpaid) within the community you may be overwhelmed. Take your time and look around, and feel free to ask them or me for help. Check out the two Facebook groups as well. I want so much for this blog to reflect the arts, and crafts community. I feel God has created artists, and employed them in this world. More to come on that later. Have fun looking at the sites! By the grace of God, I’ll be attempting to create something most weeks of the Take Me Deeper study…

 Warning: Faith Art, Bible Journaling or any other craft in which you work from Biblical prompts, can be life changing.  If nothing else, I can say that participating in the art community and focusing on the  prompts, has caused me to meditate on the Word.  And isn’t that what we are supposed to be doing?

Links and Lists

  • November 11, 2014 11:56 pm

Pencil Crayons 1

Someone laughed at me when I said I was a blogger, interested in simple living.

Yes, I have a lot of technical stuff.  And yes, I want to simplify my daily living. More than that, I want to learn new hobbies, and use my creative giftings.

I’m sure you can think of ways to make your family or personal non-working hours more simple and fun.

Here’s a few suggestions:

  • Visit a library. When was the last time you ditched your Kindle for a real book? Do your children know what a library is?
  • Color. Yes, color. Grab a coloring book and some pencils or crayons and go for it. At your next holiday gathering put out a white paper tablecloth and let the guests have at it with crayons, pencils, markers. Not for kids only.
  • Sketch. My Dad had me hooked on sketch pads and pencils. Send your kids out, or yourself, to the yard or a park or somewhere interesting and try sketching what you see.
  • Bake Bread. Does anything smell better than baked bread? You have no excuse for not finding a recipe, and some instructional videos if you are reading this online.
  • Sew. Knit. Crochet. Weave. How much do you have hidden in that fabric or yarn stash that you meant to use one day? Go get it. Now!
  • Play with paper crafts.  Don’t get me started.  As the owner of a new Cricut, and vast amounts of supplies, I am in love with the art of card making.  See the blinkie on the side bar? The Stamps of Life has a wonderful stamp of the month/die of the month club.  Visit your neighborhood craft store for free idea sheets.  Warning:  Can will be addictive. Instructional videos, paid and free online classes are readily available if you have Web access.
  • Board Games. If you don’t know what these are, you are too technical. Monopoly, Clue, Pictionary. Card games.  Something you can do if the power goes out. Really…..
  • Fill in the blank….how have you escaped the technical world for some family friendly, fun time?