Yarn, Buttons and Sparkles=Projects.

I have been loving having some free time to work on some creative projects over the past few days. Sometimes, although I love my career as a professor and feel that it is one of the ways that God has called me, I think that it would be nice to be able to create art for a living. Maybe one day, that dream will come to fruition somehow, but for now, I just try to squeeze as much creative time in as possible.

Here are some peeks of what I have been working on. Over the weekend, I stopped in GapKids to pick up some clothes for my kids. They had the sweetest tree decorated with colorful balls of yarn. It totally inspired me so last night, I stayed up past midnight wrapping colorful yarn around foam balls. And this is what they look like on our increasingly colorful tree (all inspired by the colored lights picked out by Hayden!):













And these are my rendition of the button trees that have been floating around on scrapbooking sites. Most of the others use a foam core, but I picked some bronze tin trees at Hobby Lobby for 1/2 price and covered them with random buttons. I love the finished product--one is for me and one is a Christmas gift for my good friend. So Becky, if you are reading this, one of these will soon be on its way to you, along with a belated birthday gift that I will keep a surprise!



















I'm loving making some gifts and being creative and embracing handmade. I am also working on several sets of Artist Trading Cards (ATCs), including a gorgeous set of The 12 Days of Christmas theme cards that I am creating with 11 other women from across the US and Canada. When I get all the cards, I will post a photo, because they are truly works of art and so inspiring. I figured out a cool way to display them today, so I am checking my mailbox everyday to finish the set.

And, to end this post, a funny conversation between myself and my son 4-year-old son today. We were Christmas shopping at Best Buy and, as we arrived home, I couldn't find my small orange wallet (I know....only I could misplace a BRIGHT ORANGE wallet.). So, I drive the 15 miles back to Best Buy, but they didn't have it. So right there in the parking lot, I tear my car apart and end up finding it in one of the shopping bags.

ME: Hayden, I think I am seriously going to drive myself crazy.

HAYDEN: Mommy, you can't drive crazy. You have to drive the car straight on the road.

Love you, Buddy. Funny how thin the line between sanity and going crazy can sometimes be!