Tying Up Loose Ends

Things are a little quiet in Blogland these days.  I hope that you will share a quick comment if you come by, just to let me know that you've been here!

I have some loose ends to tie up--a couple projects that I've finished up but have yet to share the results with you.

When I came home from the CREATE Mixed Media Art Retreat, I had an unfinished page from my drawing and watercolor with Jane LaFazio, and I didn't want to just leave it in its half-completed state.

We used our pages as learning tools, rather than with the intention of becoming finished pieces, and since we didn't know exactly where we were headed during the class, we didn't have the option to plan out the balance of color or design on our pages.  I tried to improve those two aspects of the piece with the addition of some colored borders, decorative tape, and small colored circles.  It's not perfect, but let me know what you think!

I also participated in Tammy's Index-Card-a-Day (ICAD) challenge, but was't very diligent about sharing my final cards on the blog.  You can see cards from the first weeks of the challenge here:

• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4
• Week 5

And here are some additional cards from this year's collection:

My daughter participated in ICAD with me, and donated one of her cards to my group:

I like using index cards to practice tangle patterns, old and new:

I also love stitching paper for my cards.  I found a discounted bag of scraps at the craft store, some of which I used for these two cards:

And these two cards were truly scraps I just pulled from my art table, left over from other projects, and then indulged in some crazy stitching just for the fun of it:

I played around with paints and markers for these four cards:

I commemorated a dinner out with girlfriends on this card:

I used paints to create a little "On the Road Again" card (whose background is an orange that contrasts strongly with the sun's yellow, but you would never know it from my camera!):

And, finally, I "had at it" with paints and brushes and stencils for my final week's worth of cards:

I only missed maybe a week in the middle of the challenge, but I still have quite a satisfying stack of index card art to enjoy, and to add to my work from last year.

This year's stack of ICADs

Last year's stack of ICADs

I hope you are having a relaxed and happy August!

Getting Crafty at VBS

Each evening this week I've been heading to my church to work with three friends in the craft room of our Vacation Bible School. 

We've made mezuzahs, sandal necklaces, and tambourines, and we'll add key chains and scratch art to our creations before the week is over.

Almost 100 children have been cycling through our room each evening, from kindergarten-aged to fifth grade.  What a treat it has been to work with these kids, along with their crew leaders and junior helpers!

My fellow station leaders and I were a little taken aback at the prospect of the kids working from the floor, with no chairs.  But sitting on the floor has added to the relaxed atmosphere, and not having chairs has removed a host of potential discipline issues (things kids like to do, like lean back dangerously or scuff their chairs around while someone is trying to give directions!).

We have twenty minutes with each group, and when there is extra time left at the end of the craft, we have coloring pages, or we just sing and dance to the VBS music CD.  I am loving the opportunity to get crafty with my church family at Vacation Bible School this year!

We've been confronting some tough problems in our midst recently, in the aftermath of our pastor resigning and our congregation dividing itself according to their responses to his actions.  Seeing this faithful remnant committing themselves to doing God's work among the children in spite of the havoc we adults always seem to manage to wreak on our communities does my heart good!

MMSA: Bookmark Swap

For a recent Mail Me Some Art (MMSA) swap, I received these lovely bookmarks to keep track of all the reading I've been doing.  

Susie in Alabama used ribbon scraps from her mother's sewing basket for this beauty:

Leslie created collage and fiber loveliness:

Front

Back

This fun fabric and fiber tree comes from Ellen in Virginia:

And a burst of collaged sunshine comes from Currie in Florida:

You can visit this earlier blog post to see the postal-themed bookmarks I sent in for the swap.

Many thanks, as always, to Karen for organizing these fun MMSA swaps.  Visit her site to get involved in a swap for yourself!