Friday, October 12, 2012
In the Pumpkin Patch an Etsy Treasury curated by VowanGems
In the Pumpkin Patch, a collection of Autumn Treasures!
Project: Chrismons
As an adult and a mother of precious boy/girl twins, I want to bring Christ back to Christmas. I want my children to understand their Christian history and God's saving Grace. Chrismons are symbols used by early Christians as a symbol of faith as well as representing biblical and theological concepts.
Last Christmas, the twins were 22 months, we decided to decorate a small, artificial evergreen tree on top of our bar. This way we could keep the children from pulling the decorations off the tree and we could have some decorations in the house. We added non-breakable decorations to the tree including a silver star Emma and Nathaniel made in the church nursery. This silver star was the start of our Chrismon project.
This year we are going to have felt Chrismons on a bigger tree hopefully in our dining room. We might have to hide the wrapped gifts in another part of the house- I suspect twins would rip through the paper as soon as the boxes go under the tree -
Last night, I started cutting out my pieces from a pattern I found at Sunday School Kids. I'm going to make mine three dimensional, by adding stuffing to the patterns and gold glitter glue where appropriate. The Jerusalem star will be designed using gold glittery felt.
Last Christmas, the twins were 22 months, we decided to decorate a small, artificial evergreen tree on top of our bar. This way we could keep the children from pulling the decorations off the tree and we could have some decorations in the house. We added non-breakable decorations to the tree including a silver star Emma and Nathaniel made in the church nursery. This silver star was the start of our Chrismon project.
This year we are going to have felt Chrismons on a bigger tree hopefully in our dining room. We might have to hide the wrapped gifts in another part of the house- I suspect twins would rip through the paper as soon as the boxes go under the tree -
Last night, I started cutting out my pieces from a pattern I found at Sunday School Kids. I'm going to make mine three dimensional, by adding stuffing to the patterns and gold glitter glue where appropriate. The Jerusalem star will be designed using gold glittery felt.
Grams Christmas Gift
Last weekend my mother took me to The Old Craft Store on the Historic Downtown Carrollton Square She thought I would enjoy having a new place to be inspired by sewing. I had picked up some cute Halloween Owls fabric at Hobby Lobby in late September, thinking I would make Emma a cute jumper - if I start now perhaps I could have it ready for Halloween 2013 -
While I was there I saw a Memory Quilt. Since I don't quilt, I inquired about having one made. I was told I would have to make an appointment over the phone with the manager. I was introduced to the manager and given a business card so I could make an appointment for a consultation. Couldn't I have just made the appointment when I introduced to the manager? I thought, too much trouble for a mom of twins who doesn't get much time off. I'll make it myself. Aside from this bit of trouble and the throbbing migraine I was experiencing I got to walk around inspiration and fabric fairy land. Gorgeous quilting fabrics unlike what can be found at the big box craft stores. Vintage inspired fabric, Halloween/ Christmas fabrics, toille - a sewers dream! And patterns that I have only seen on the internet were available for purchase. I wandered into a large work room filled with friendly quilters. If I can find the time, I would enjoy coming back for workshops/lessons and fabric, fabric, fabric!
This is going to be one of my Christmas projects, making a memory quilt for Gram. Since she is house bound, I'm going to make a lap quilt for her. With the help of my children, I've picked out the fabric and washed it last night. Tonight I'll be lay out the squares and start the fun part, designing the quilt!. It's my husbands job to choose the pictures for the quilt. Raggedy Ann and Andy are going to be on the back of the quilt. I plan to do the sewing on my Singer. Will this be a good introduction to what my machine is capable of doing. I've had it for about 5 years and have only used it once. Too busy raising twins and designing jewelry, but getting to a place where I might have more time to enjoy sewing again. Will I pull my hair out over this project? Or enjoy it so much, that I make a memory quilt for my own mother? Check back to see my progress...
While I was there I saw a Memory Quilt. Since I don't quilt, I inquired about having one made. I was told I would have to make an appointment over the phone with the manager. I was introduced to the manager and given a business card so I could make an appointment for a consultation. Couldn't I have just made the appointment when I introduced to the manager? I thought, too much trouble for a mom of twins who doesn't get much time off. I'll make it myself. Aside from this bit of trouble and the throbbing migraine I was experiencing I got to walk around inspiration and fabric fairy land. Gorgeous quilting fabrics unlike what can be found at the big box craft stores. Vintage inspired fabric, Halloween/ Christmas fabrics, toille - a sewers dream! And patterns that I have only seen on the internet were available for purchase. I wandered into a large work room filled with friendly quilters. If I can find the time, I would enjoy coming back for workshops/lessons and fabric, fabric, fabric!
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Fabulous Fall Finds - Etsy Treasury
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjE1MDM1M3wyNzIzMjc4MDMy/fabulous-fall-finds?ref=pr_treasury
Curator Angela Lee from Sweet Serenity Gifts
Thanks for including my Cayenne Dangles in this wonderful warm Treasury!
Anglican Rosaries - Eternity Rings and Trinity Beads
How did I get started making Anglican Rosaries?
While I attended the Anglican School of Theology, I
took a class, “Prayer and the Spiritual Life” taught by Rev. Judy Frizzell. I
had no idea how much this class would
affect my life. We studied various forms
of prayer and spiritual discipline. Praying the rosary and meditation became my spiritual disciplines. I started off making prayer bead necklaces from there I I have been designing Anglican rosaries for 8 years. Inspired by a prayerful friend, Jayne Ann, while watching her pray with a Roman Catholic chaplet, I started designing Anglican chaplets several years ago. This summer I started incorporating that
design in a bracelet.
Unakite Anglican Chaplet Bracelet
Over the past few years, I have been making subtle
changes to my rosaries. When I designed
my Anglican chaplet bracelet, the ring I used to anchor the cross to the chaplet was also the clasp
for the toggle. So I added the eternity ring to take the place of the
invitatory bead to the rosaries. The ring symbolizes the Alpha and Omega, and
can be used just like the invitatory bead in rosaries.
Blue Goldstone Anglican Rosary with Eternity Ring
Almost all my rosaries have the unique
Trinity Bead Feature. When my husband went on a mission trip to Uganda to
minister to the Batwa pygmies*, he asked me to make wearable rosaries for both
men and women. I decided not to use African Trade Beads because I wasn’t sure
of the symbolism of the beads and didn’t want to offend the pygmies. It’s hot and humid in Uganda, even up in the
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, instead of
making rosaries with silk thread, I used hemp.
I made three knots in the hemp and hung a crucifix from the third knot. I incorporated this design in my
rosaries, there are three beads/knots on either side of the cruciform beads
representing the Holy Trinity. I add the three beads/knots at either side of
the invitatory bead and before the cross.
Painted Desert Jasper Anglican Rosary
*For more information on the plight of the Batwa Pygmies
check out Dr. Scott Kellerman’s website: http://kellermannfoundation.org/
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Victory in Jesus - Becky Keeney
Becky Keeney wrote a wonderful article on the Christian Artist Street Team Blog which features my I Love Treble Glass Tile Pendant in February 2012.
I've included part of the article here:
I've included part of the article here:
 |
| Carol Maschler Jewelry |
We had such a lovely church service yesterday.
It ended with the Hymn,
Victory in Jesus!
This hymn was written in
1939 by Eugene Bartlett,
(Copyright: BMI Work #1803360)
and it goes like this.
I heard an old, old story,
How a Savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning,
Of His precious blood's atoning,
Then I repented of my sins
And won the victory.
How a Savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning,
Of His precious blood's atoning,
Then I repented of my sins
And won the victory.
I love the reminder that the battle
was won at the moment of salvation!
The chorus tells us that He loved
us first. Before we even knew Him.....
Pretty incredible!
By the time the congregation got to the third verse
the volume had swelled and the praises were
winging Heavenward with gusto...
Someone had begun clapping
along with the music played on
piano, violin, mandolin and drum....
the air was electric with praise.
In this song, as in so many
of the lasting hymns the final verse
points directly to our eternal hope.
It paints a word picture of our arrival
in Heaven. A place prepared for us.
If you have ever had a house built for you
the idea of new construction is likely daunting.
But with Jesus as our mansion builder
we can be sure that it will be completed
on deadline and that everything will be
just as it should be.
So it is no wonder that songwriters over
the years have ended their songs
with this inspiration.
of the lasting hymns the final verse
points directly to our eternal hope.
It paints a word picture of our arrival
in Heaven. A place prepared for us.
If you have ever had a house built for you
the idea of new construction is likely daunting.
But with Jesus as our mansion builder
we can be sure that it will be completed
on deadline and that everything will be
just as it should be.
So it is no wonder that songwriters over
the years have ended their songs
with this inspiration.
As the church pianist I am in a unique
position to really hear and feel the reaction of the
congregation to the music.
Sometimes they are simply processing
words and notes.
But not today.
to read the rest of the article (and view my pendant): http://castteametsy.blogspot.com/2012/02/victory-in-jesus.html
Mixed Media Jewelry
I've been playing around with mixed media jewelry for several years now, mainly altering domino and scrabble tile game pieces and recycling bottle caps. Last November, I branched out into embossing metal and eco felt with a Sizzix machine. This opened up a whole new creativity process for me. I've really gotten into embossing metal, from the initial design concept to the inking or painting of the metal, polishing, buffing, re-inking, polishing, inking, polishing to the final touches of sealing design with either Renaissance Wax or Sun and Moon Dimensional Glaze. I dig Vintaj brass metal components. I've tried other metals without the same level of success of Vintaj products.
I have mainly worked with Ranger Alcohol Inks and recently ventured into painting on the metal with acrylic paint. In the mail today, I received a package of Vintaj patina produced by Ranger Ink. I'm so excited! I have been trying to come up with a turquoise verdigris without much success. So tonight I'm going to finish my Blue Sea Snake Necklace with coordinating earrings using my new Vintaj Patina opaque inks and perhaps I'll start my spring butterfly design (still a concept in progress)
A few examples of my mixed media jewelry I've created:
This is one of my first mixed media jewelry designs
I designed and sold these cute eco felt earrings over the holidays:
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