Changing careers

I think I want to go to law school. What am I thinking? I really do, though. In all this stuff surrounding the new immigration law and being a Spanish teacher and seeing how this affects students and families, I really want to help these people take the steps to be here legally. It breaks my heart.

I'm not saying that they aren't breaking the law, and I understand that some immigrants are dangerous people. But in researching today, lots of first-born Americans (parents were illegal) and those who came here illegally but then got proper papers and citizenship have gone on to be some of our nation's best inventors, writers, doctors, etc.

They come here for hope, promise of a better life. Jesus said we are to love our neighbors and not turn away the foreigner. I want to be an immigration lawyer to help this community get the necessary help and paperwork processed so they can start their lives over in a better place.

He wants me to write

He wants me to write. I don't know what I'm supposed to write about but lately I have had many signs and dreams and overwhelming instances that God is putting in my path. It has not been revealed to me what I should write about but I am just going to start because that's what I feel I need to do.

I am a Christian woman who loves the Lord. I was raised in a Church of Christ family but now I am a member of a United Methodist church. I have had many lessons in my life and I'm still learning. After all, He's not finished with me yet. There is still something for me to do here on this Earth.

I need lots of prayers and I am praying myself for the revelation of my topic - the "it" that I feel I am being urged in so many ways to write. I love to write. I always have. I have written several children's stories, one of which I self published and illustrated. I sent another manuscript to a company who needed a large investment from me that I have fallen short of providing. It was also a children's story. These stories will be shared one day. Maybe that's it. Maybe God really wants me to finish publishing that one or change it a little. I don't know. I just don't know.

I need to change the name of this blog if I'm going to truly write down my thoughts and ideas. One Crafty Lady just doesn't get it. I'll pray about that too. In the meantime, I think I'll just change it to something simple.

Have a blessed day!

New Name

Those of you who actually read this blog may have noticed (or not) that I changed the name. I have decided that I am just one crafty lady who enjoys making things during my spare time and that running a home business is just not what God wants for me right now. So, the name change is my acceptance of the path I am on at this moment. I still sign all my art and craft items with "jen c" but I'm not going to continue spending money to stockpile tee shirts, fabric or notions to make sell-able items that simply sit around my house and take up space. I do still sell on Etsy but it is basically a custom order based business.

So, tomorrow, I will share a craft project that this crafty lady has recently done!

Crafts to try

Well, I know I said my list might change but I didn't think I would change it that much.

First of all, I never found the time to paint an Easter decoration for my front door. Actually, I haven't had a lot of time for any art. I did make some cute pillows (shown in my previous post) but I don't know where to put them yet.

As for April, I still have time to make that moss wreath but I'm low on cash and low on time to get to the craft store. I'm going to try.

My daughter has decided she doesn't want a daybed made from old doors; she wants a bunkbed playhouse that she saw in a popular, high-priced catalog. So, her daddy and I are going to try to build one ourselves. But that craft project is scheduled for August so we have the summer to work on that.

I've been very inspired lately and really hope that I can use my summer vacation to jump start my projects more than ever and build a nice emergency fund for my family and then begin paying off debt and saving for college. I feel like God has been giving me a bigger voice in my art and craft ideas recently and I'm really excited about being out of school soon so I can have more time to get some of these things going.

Just keep crafting!

It's craft time again! Pillows!

For this craft, I used some leftover fabric from a vintage pillowcase that I had used to make my daughter a top. It was just enough for two pillows. I used plain white cotton on the front so I could paint something cute on it.

If you have a sewing machine, this is simple. Cut the fabric to the same size with right sides facing. Using just a running stitch on your machine, stitch all the way around but leave a hole large enough for you to stuff the pillow. I like to use my back stitch in the corners just for extra reinforcement.

Turn the pillow form right side out and begin to stuff with polyfil. I stuffed mine pretty firm but still soft and squishy. Not lumpy.

Using a needle and thread, whipstitch the hole and tie off.

You could certainly stop here but I like to add a little whimsy and personality. I used acrylic paints in red, pumpkin orange, and bright blue to add flowers to the white fabric. These are the colors in the vintage fabric that's on the back. Then, I let it dry just a little and used a black paint with a writing tip to outline my flowers. Wonderful way to perk up your sunroom, porch swing, or patio. Just be sure if you use these outside that you bring them in during inclement weather and keep out of direct sunlight as that will fade the fabric and the paint.

It's Crescent Rolls for dinner!

OK, so I have not had time to do any crafts lately but hopefully soon. I did not meet my goal of making an Easter painting for my front door but maybe I can by Sunday.

I did, however, resist the temptation to order out for dinner and cooked what I had available. So...crescent rolls with a twist.

First, I cooked some cheese pizza crescent rolls for the little ones. Spread the rolls out flat in a pan and bake according to directions. I took them out about 4 minutes before the oven beeped to add the marinara sauce and pizza blend shredded cheese. Then, stuck it back in the oven until the timer went off. Actually, I had to leave it in for a couple extra minutes to melt the cheese completely. I would have added a little garlic but the little ones don't like that as much as I do. Still, it was pretty good.

Then, I made some giant pigs in a blanket. Simply wrap half a hot dog in the crescent roll and bake according to directions. I did have to cook these for a few extra minutes also to get the dough cooked all the way around the "pig".

Simple Friday night, stay at home dinner that made everyone happy.

Count your blessings!

Jen

New crafts I want to try before the end of 2011

I know it's odd to make a list like this but there are some things I want to try before the end of this year. And by making a list, I hold myself accountable and will remind myself to make the craft and post it here.

By the end of...

March - make an Easter canvas for my front door. (OK, not really a new craft, but something I need to do.)

April - make a moss wreath (saw a cute one in the shape of letters for your last name)

May - homemade facial cleanser

June - poolside table made from the wood I found at the lake

July - driftwood shelves

August - make a daybed for Jessalyn out of doors (hopefully I can find some cheap at a yard sale)

September - big rug made from old blue jeans (saw this on a Disney show my daughter watches)

October - painted plates to hang on the wall

November - banana pudding cupcakes

December - make Archer's tee shirt quilt (not a new craft but something I definitely need to get started on)

OK, so there's the list. It might change a little. I'll post as I complete and I may not complete them in this particular order. Those are just my personal deadlines.

I need to doodle!

I haven't doodled in a while. I miss it. I love to just sit and doodle, draw swirlies and flowers, hearts, anything. It seems to calm me down when I'm stressed. But lately, I've been too stressed and have been too busy to take time to doodle.

I think I'll go do that now. Enjoy some of my past doodles!

Easy Casserole dinner

OK, so my life is about to go into overdrive. Two boys playing rec league basketball, and both have already started their baseball seasons too! My poor daughter doesn't have time for activities but she'll be in softball soon. Which isn't going to leave a lot of time for dinner preparation. And with all these admission fees and gas prices, I can't afford to feed my family of 5 from a drive-thru every night.

So, I'm starting my Sunday cooking days again, where I cook the main meat to be used for the week. All I have to do is prepare a side or two and heat the meat in the microwave.

Tonight, I threw together this easy chicken enchilada casserole.

Ingredients: cooked chicken (I used 4 big chicken breasts), sour cream, 1 can cream of chicken soup, salsa, shredded cheese, tortilla chips or taco shells (I had taco shells on hand), and fresh cilantro (love this stuff).

Step one: Cook the chicken. I broiled mine for 10 mins. on each side with some garlic and pepper. Cut into cubes.

Step two: Mix soup, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2-1 cup shredded cheese and a couple tablespoons of cilantro with the chicken.

Step three: Crush taco shells in the bottom of a casserole dish. Layer with the chicken mixture. Top with salsa (as much as you like). Sprinkle with more cheese. Top with more crushed taco shells. Sprinkle with a little more cheese and fresh cilantro.

Step four: Bake to melt cheese and brown the chips. I got distracted and burnt mine just a little but I picked off the really burnt chips. It was really good. I froze some in small containers for my husband and I to grab for work lunches.

Buen provecho!

Bible verse paintings

For this art project, I used an old Bible from when I was a child. I tried to find one at the local thrift store but couldn't. I'm sure if I'd kept looking for a few days or tried another store, I might have found one but I was really anxious to paint this. And I didn't want a new Bible - I wanted old, yellowed pages and highlighted passages.

Supplies: a Bible (old or new), acrylic paint, canvas - flat or wrapped, glue, paintbrushes, old toothbrush, paint pens or permanent marker

Step one: Paint the canvas a solid color. I like using black as my background color. While paint is drying, measure your pages. For a larger canvas, you may have to use 4 Bible pages and you may have to tear them or burn the edges to get them to fit. Measure and lay out before you glue. For smaller canvas, you could use just one Bible page.

Step two: Glue the pages to the canvas. Use a paintbrush to smooth out the air bubbles, although I like having the added texture of a few wrinkles and air bubbles but that's just me.

Step three: Choose the verse you want to paint on the canvas around the image and write it down on paper. I like to choose a verse directly from one of the pages that I used on the canvas but you don't have to.

Step four: Paint a cross or an appropriate image in the middle of the canvas. For example, I recently painted one with the verse "A friend loveth at all times" and I painted a heart instead of a cross. While that image dries, use a contrasting color to add detail to the edge of the canvas. Just broad, uneven strokes - this is supposed to look "messy" and "folk-ish". Let dry.

Step five: Using a paint pen or permanent marker (I like using black), write the verse around the image in the middle. Don't forget to put the reference somewhere so you'll know where the verse came from. Let dry.

Step six: Using two or three colors, including black and white, splatter the paint on the entire painting. An old toothbrush works great or a dry brush with rough bristles. Let dry.

Step seven: Sign your painting. If using flat canvas, you can hot glue ribbon or scrap fabric with rough edges to the back for hanging. You could also add a few strips that have been knotted to one of the corners.

Estimated cost: under $10

Recycled tee shirts

So, I made a couple of these at Christmas as gifts and now here's how.

Supplies: several tee shirts with words or pictures on them, one blank tee shirt, thread, sewing machine, extra embellishments or paint.

I first decided what I wanted to spell. Then, I cut out the letters from the old tee shirts and spelled my new word. Then I layered it on top of the tee shirt fabric and scrap fabric I have around the house. Pin it down. Or, you could use heat seal to iron on the back and iron it together before you sew it. I just layered until I liked the look, then added it to my blank tee. I also like to use fabric glue and add rhinestones, sparkly paint, and sequins to make it girly and chic.

What will you spell today?

Daily Doodle notebooks

It's been a while since I've written but I've been so very busy.

I did this little project with my art groups at church and the kids just loved them.

Supplies: scrapbook paper or handpainted paper, hole punch, scissors, ribbon

Cut the paper into small squares or rectangles. We cut ours slightly bigger than a playing card. Punch two holes in one side with about an inch between. Stack together and string the ribbon through the holes and tie in a pretty bow (double knot).

Now you have a pocket-sized notepad, doodle book, or prayer list to keep with you all the time!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Even without the cold and snow, I'm making it look like Christmas around here a little at a time. I started today with my fireplace mantle. I've never had one before to decorate and make pretty. So, it's been fun today.

I started by making my teenager drag all my Christmas boxes out of the garage. That was really the hardest part!

I have too much fabric lying around and never enough time to make something with it all so I found a fun printed one with trees and snowmen to hang on the mantle. Then, I rearranged our family photos on one side of the mantel and sat a big Christmas canvas on the other side, leaning in front of the mirror. I spaced out the stocking hangers and alternated a shiny silver one with a rustic bronzed one. I found a hanging etched glass ornament that we received last year as a Christmas gift and sat it in front of the painting. I also added some red netting, dotted ribbon and white sheer ribbon around my Woodwick candle. Then, I added the stockings. Magical.

I'm sure as the season progresses and I give Thanksgiving time to come and go, I'll add some whimsical art done by the kids, the tree will be up in the corner next to the fireplace, lights glowing...this place will be a winter wonderland fit for Santa.

It's been a while but I've been busy

Sorry folks but I've been really busy since school started back. I miss not having time to give you craft ideas and projects to do with your children. But, then again, most of you probably don't have the time either.

Fall is upon us, football season has begun, and Halloween is just around the corner. I love the Fall! It's my favorite season.

I've been doing crafts and art projects with the kids at church and one project we are going to start this week is making paper mache pumpkins.

Supplies: newspaper, liquid starch, a bowl for the liquid, balloons, a large workspace, and a place to put your project to dry overnight.

Pour liquid starch into a bowl and shred or cut the newspaper into strips. Blow up a round balloon. Begin dipping newspaper strips into the starch, sliding your fingers down to shake off the excess. Layer the strips onto the balloon leaving an opening at the top. It is best to put a couple of layers of newspaper on top of each other. Let dry overnight or for 2 nights.

When dry, pop the balloon and pull it out of the paper mache "bowl". If necessary, cut the opening to make it more even and pumpkin shaped. Paint the paper orange and let dry. Using black paint, make a jack o'lantern face on the pumpkin. Coat the inside and outside of the paper mache pumpkin with clear acrylic paint or spray.

You can use heavy jewelry wire or scrap fabric or ribbon to make a handle for your pumpkin basket and use it to store candy for trick or treaters or as a treat bag for your little one to carry and gather goodies in.

Christmas in July!

What a fun project - make Christmas ornaments or gifts in the middle of July to mark the half-way point. So many things you could do here.

1) Peruse thrift store shops for wooden candlesticks to paint in red, white and green. Or find old spoons, bend the handle so it will hang, and paint it with snowmen, Santa, or trees. Or keep it simple and paint stars in traditional (or non-traditional) colors.

2) Go ahead and make a Christmas tee or sweatshirt. Paint a green triangle. Let dry. Paint a gold or yellow star on the top. Use red, blue, and yellow to paint balls on the tree. Let dry. Outline each ball, star, and tree with black paint that has a pointed writing tip. Let dry.

3) Use scrapbook paper to make Christmas cards. All you'll have to do is insert a family picture, sign it, and send! No more spending money on boxes of cards and your recipients will appreciate a handmade gesture so much more.

So...happy early holiday season and happy crafting!
jen

Cloud drawings

I recently took a little day trip with my hubby. On the way home, there were so many white puffy clouds in the Alabama sky that we began picking out what they looked like. Some were animals, others were random objects. My daughter and I saw a Yoda shaped cloud one day last week when we were out. I love doing that. So...it got me thinking how fun it would be to take the kids out with just a sketchpad, some markers or pencils, and sketch what we see in the sky. Simple. Fun.

Another thought was to take a digital camera and actually photograph the clouds before drawing them. Sometimes they change so quickly you need to capture the moment before it becomes something else. That way, you could have 2 craft days - one to photograph the clouds, then another (maybe a rainy day) to sketch the photos onto paper.

So, the next time you see those little puffy white clouds in the sky, grab your kids, art supplies, and spend quality time together. You never know what might be up there.

Happy Birthday America!

Well, it's finally here. Independence Day! I love this holiday - sun, lake, pool, red, white and blue, BBQ, and my favorite...FiReWoRkS! I don't know what it is about fireworks that I love so much but I could sit and watch a good fireworks show anytime. They make me happy. Maybe I'm just intrigued with the fact that you can light a fuse and this thing explodes and paints pretty pictures and shapes and colors across the night sky. I just love it.

Things have been pretty busy this week and I didn't have time to post a craft but I'll be back on it after the wonderful weekend and fireworks extravaganza...hopefully a bit inspired.

Craft Time!

Well, I've been thinking about what craft project to give instructions for so I think a good 4th of July painted tee shirt will do just fine. The holiday is coming up next weekend so this gives you plenty of time to gather supplies and have a fun painting party with the kids...or adults!

Supplies: a plain white tee shirt - you should have plenty of these lying around. It's OK if there's a spot or two because you're going to paint it anyway; red, blue (2 shades if you'd like), and white acrylic paint - not the expensive stuff, just the kind in the craft section that is under $1 a bottle; a black writer tube of paint - again, in the craft section but it will have a pointy tip that is used for writing or outlining (see post on crab bag craft for a picture of this); scrap cardboard to put inside the shirt; clothspins or clips to hold the shirt in place if you desire.

Front of shirt: Paint 3 big red stars on the front of the shirt and some random red polka dots, if you'd like. While that dries, paint dark blue smaller stars and polka dots randomly in the white spaces. Use the lighter blue to fill in all the white areas, but not too heavily or it will take a long time to dry. Let dry. Use white paint to add stripes, plaid, or polka dots to the big red stars if you want. Using the black writing paint, outline all the stars and polka dots on your shirt and let dry completely. This could take about 2 hours or you could leave it overnight.

Back of shirt: Using red paint, write "I pledge allegiance" in the middle. You could choose any patriotic phrase or child's name if you'd like. Make a few small stars or polka dots on the back and sleeves. Use the dark blue (if you used it on the front) and make small stars and polka dots on the back and sleeves. Let dry. Using white paint, accent the words by making small strokes on the letters very lightly with the brush. Fill in the remaining white area with the light blue paint. Then, use the black writing paint to outline the stars and polka dots. You could either outline your words or phrase or just write inside it. Let dry for a couple of hours or overnight.

If you only chose one shade of blue you can leave your shirt white or skip adding polka dots and stars and fill in the white space with the blue. It's up to you! Send pics! I'd love to see what you come up with.

Easy to write, hard to get published, harder to sell

I've been writing stories and books for several years now, probably since Triston was born. And he is 13 now. But, getting them published is so much more difficult. The first one, I am a Positive Child, was self-published in 2007, 3 years ago, and has sold a whopping...are you ready?...88 copies. Disappointing. But it is kinda my own fault. I paid to publish it but just did not want to pay them more money to market it for me. I thought I could do it alone. Plus, I really didn't have the money to do that. So, here I am, 3 years later and not even 100 copies sold.

Just this February, I was looking for a Spanish document for school, and came across another little story I had written in 2009. I read it out loud to Jamison and he couldn't believe it. He said, "Wow, that's good. You really need to look into publishing that." So, I did. I found a Christian publisher that sounded really good online. But, they require an author's investment of $4000...if you are chosen. I uploaded my document and sent it in, not really giving it any more thought. Then, about 4 weeks later, I received an email from a representative wanting to know more about my story, why I wrote it, who my target audience would be, etc. Now my wheels were turning. What if I get this major company to publish my book? Where will I get the $4000? Could I be the writer I've dreamed of being?

I answered the questions in a reply email and began to pray, every night. The news came while I was at school. Jamison sent me an email at work that stated UPS had just delivered a contract to my door. I was exstatic! But also scared. Again, the $4000 is still haunting me. After reading the contract, I had 10 days to return it, signed, with the author investment. I had questions, so I emailed the rep that had contacted me several times. Great news. They have a payment plan. So, I wrote a $500 check, signed the contract and dropped it in the UPS box the next morning. Whew!

Now, I am still paying on that author investment. The conflict comes from having to choose paying bills, buying food for the family or pay a little on my author investment so my book can move to the production stage. Easy to write, hard to find a publisher, harder to sell books. The good thing about this company is that they do all the marketing. They are a publishing company investing about $26000 in me. So it's worth it, right? Sacrifice a little now so that in 6-8 months I have a published piece of children's literature and book signings, traveling expenses paid by the company, book fairs.

I keep praying. I know the Lord will take care of me and my family and that ultimately it is His will that will be done. He has the plan for my life. So, when my little book gets published, all I ask is that you buy it. In the meantime, I could use some prayers.

If you'd like to buy my first book, you can purchase it here:

www.xlibris.com/IamaPositiveChild.htm

Getting this started

This has been a little harder than I thought to get this going...for several reasons. I'm still so busy with the boys and baseball. Then, there's all the painting I'm doing at church. It's hard to stay motivated but I know that it will pay off if I work at it.

I need to have an online sale or yard sale to get rid of junk and art so I can make another payment to the publishing company for my book. I really want that to get published but it's becoming very difficult and tricky to find the money to finish paying my author investment. Any help, anonymous donations, sales from Etsy, will be appreciated!

Off to finish another mural at the church...

Well, I didn't finish but I made progress. I don't think I'll work on it tomorrow but maybe. I have to go buy art supplies for the Holy Strokes paint class on Friday night and the boys have baseball practice. I feel a bit sad that Jessalyn doesn't have an activity right now but I just can't find the time anyway. I hope to have her back in baton soon. She really enjoys that.

After spending too much money at dinner, I need to list some more items on Etsy so please take a look and see if there's anything you'd like! I also have a few orders to fill for some friends so I'll be pretty busy tomorrow. I love it but what am I going to do when school starts back?