Whew!

I think the title describes it all.  Whew is right!  It's been a crazy semester at college.  I don't ever actually remember breathing, but I must have since I'm still here.  I don't think I remember sleeping either.  Maybe I did.  I definitely ate though - some of my best friendships were formed through food.  That is, if bacon can even be classified as simply a food... I'm thinking it deserves a title closer to Life-Giving-Substance-That-Tastes-Like-Heaven-In-A-Frying-Pan.  So yes, I definitely remember eating bacon.  And baking cookies.  And making crepes.  Not sure about the vegetables though... I think I probably ate them at some point.  Hm.

So, yeah, a crazy semester in which breathing, sleeping, and eating healthy was forsaken!  But, really, what else are college memories made of?  I certainly did homework somewhere in there and did amazing in all my classes (that's not bragging if the grades back me up haha), but I won't be telling my kids about that great afternoon I spent working on an English paper.  Although I might tell them about the time I spent an hour in a "study group" for history which deteriorated to making voices like Yoda and Tinkerbell.  Yeah, I think they might enjoy that one... especially if I include the sound effects.

You know what else I didn't do a lot of in college?  Crafting.  Seriously, I've missed my ATG tape gun.  A lot.  That's probably something really weird for a college kid to miss... I mean, imagine the conversations that could take place:
RANDOM ADULT FRIEND OF PARENTS: So what do you like best about being home?
ME: ...I get to use my tape gun?
ADULT: I think the stress got to her.
But, in all seriousness, I really have enjoyed crafting again.  And taking some time to write letters!  I'm still making cards to donate to Operation Write Home, and I'm still writing letters to heroes to send to OWH.  I wrote a bunch through my year at college and now it's time to mail them off.  I probably should have done that more regularly throughout the school year but... well, like I said, breathing, sleeping, healthy eating wasn't happening, let alone mailing off packages.

To start the summer crafting marathon off right, I've posted a picture of one of the cards I made recently!  Rather simple design, which I like, and the teal blue color is one of my most absolute favorites in the world.  I mean, if I had to choose a favorite color that would probably be it.  But I'd feel bad for all the pretty colors I left out.

Anyways - I can't promise to post here regularly throughout the summer.  Promises, promises... easily made, not so easily kept.  But, I am in a writing and a crafting mood, so I figure posting may kill two birds with one stone (although I really don't advocate killing birds and my aim is so bad I would probably end up hitting some rabid animal hiding in the bush which would come out to chase me.  Oh, and I don't run, so I guess I'm doomed.  Yeah, let's stay away from killing birds with stones.  The consequences could be terrible.)

So - happy summer, happy crafting, happy eating-sleeping-breathing on a semi-regular basis!

All

Jesus paid it all

All of it.  Everything.  The little white lie you told your parents, the gossip you spread, the time you ignored a person in need, the impure thoughts, the malicious actions… everything.  And not just for you – for everyone.  Every single person living on the earth today, their sins were all paid for by Jesus.  The irritating person who likes you more than you like them, the pastor who isn’t perfect, the prisoner who raped, murdered, and stole.  Christ came to pay for all of the sins of all the people, past, present, and future.

He really paid for them too.  Sometimes when one thinks of the word “paid” a simple transaction comes to mind.  We think of Jesus coming to earth and chillin’ down here for a while before deciding it was probably time to trade in his life for the forgiveness of sins.  But it wasn’t that painless.  Jesus really paid for our sin.  He didn’t just trade his life in as if he were exchanging an old car for a new one.  No, he paid for all sin for all people with all of himself.  He lost everything, not just his life.  Stripped nearly naked and ridiculed, he sacrificed his dignity for our sin.  Whipped until his flesh was filled with long gouges pouring blood, Jesus paid for our sin with his comfort.  The entire time his mother watched.  The woman who had rocked him to sleep as a baby, who had raised him into a young man, who had watched him work as a carpenter, was forced to look on from the sidelines as her son was tortured in a manner that must have made her sick.  It was hard enough for her, but Jesus knew she watched his suffering and he had to give up his peace of mind that his own family could be spared the horror of seeing him in his current condition.  Jesus paid everything he had in the most terrible manner possible for all the sin of all the people.

All to him I owe

All of it.  Everything.  It was my sin he suffered for.  The thing is, I should have been in his place.  In fact, with all I have done to hurt Him, Jesus probably should have been the one driving nails through my hands.  Instead, he took my place.  I didn’t just stand on the sidelines weeping in gratitude though.  No, I held the whip in my hand and beat him repeatedly.  I shoved a makeshift crown constructed of thorns on his brow so hard it punctured his skin and caused little rivelets of blood to trickle down his face.  I mocked him when he fell and the cross nearly crushed him.  And it was my left hand which held the nail steady as I raised the mallet in my right.

Christ did this for me without complaint.  He did it knowing I would continue to whip and mock him with each sin I committed.  He paid for it knowing I might not even accept him as my Savior.  For this perfect, unconditional love, I owe him everything.  Just as he didn’t only give up his life, so I can’t just give him mine.  I must give up my dignity, comfort, wants, time, money, talents… everything.  Without Him I would be without it anyways, as I would have been the one hanging from that cross.

Sin had left a crimson stain

Without Jesus I would be wearing red.  Perhaps even more than that – without Jesus I would be red.  Sin would be my identity.  The thing is, stains hard to hide.  Sure, you can try to cover them up for a while, but soon enough you’ll get another somewhere else and the more you accumulate the more difficult it is to hide them.  And with sin, they all leave the same crimson mark.  It’s not like a white lie is a little faded pink pin prick near the hem and adultery is a large blood red blot on the shoulder.  No, all are the same and are equally obvious to God.  Not only are they hard to hide, but they are also hard to wash out.

But he washed it white as snow

Here’s what I find interesting – Jesus washed out blood with blood.  The blood we have on our hands from all manner of sins, he cleanses it off with his own.  It doesn’t make sense.  I was baptized into His death and subsequent resurrection.  I was baptized into his suffering, His pain, his blood, and then resurrected with His triumph.  Through water and blood I am made as white and as pure as snow.

The idea of being washed also evokes the image of Jesus washing his disciple’s feet.  This simple act of service is reminiscent of his entire ministry and the sacrifice of his death.  His whole life seemed to be about washing – washing others with love, washing them physically in acts of service, and washing away their sins with his blood.  This is a reminder that if we want to imitate Him then we must wash others with love and service in any way we can.

Since Jesus paid for all the sin of all the people with all he had, I owe him all.  I must ask for His help in making Him my all so He may use me to reach all I meet, even if in the smallest way.  Lord, you paid it all, and I owe all to you.  Be my all.

One of My Nicest Thoughts

This is one of the handmade cards I made for Operation Write Home.  I folded an origami heart from a book page and then used a stamp set for the sentiment.

I Have Returned

I’m back!

Sorta.

Kinda…

Maybe!

I’ll explain… sorta… kinda… maybe!

Okay, I’m done with the sorta, kindas, and maybes (kinda… sorta… maybe… nooo stop it fingers!  Y u no type right?)  …See?  Reason #73 I should never write when I’m tired, hungry, or hopped up on sugar.  And I’m not even tired or hyper right now, just really hungry.

ANYWAYS.  To the point.  I’m back.  Just not in the same way was before!

I’ve been in some scary places the past few months.  To the State of Waiting for Some Exciting Things To Happen.  To the Land of Creating a New Blog and a journey to Discovering a New Blog Does Not Mean One Automatically Creates Brilliant Posts.  I’ve been to Infinity!  And Beyond!

Yes, I did create a new blog.  One of the reasons was because this one was connected to my Etsy store.  Not only was my Etsy site failing miserably, I hate selling things (I mean, apart from souls… kidding, kidding – I’m a ginger, I don’t have one.)  I guess one of the reasons I hate selling things is because I hate having things sold to me.  If I want to buy something, I’ll buy it, if not, well, I hardly doubt you can convince me.  It was really hard for me to try to recruit people to buy things from my shop, and I felt like all my posts here had to relate to what I was trying to sell, you know, to build a fan base or something like that... and somehow I didn't think book reviews and life rants fit into that.

Of course, when I got my new blog I discovered a few things.  1) A new name does not necessarily mean I got new (more regular, witty, and interesting) posting habits. 2) I really love the custom template I’ve made here (what?  I like pretty things!)  3)  I still need a reason to post.  And the reason for having a blog is everything.

Recently I had an epiphany while writing (a whole ‘nother post there), but the basic premise was this: I have to write because I love to write.  I decided the same was true for blogging.  I have to blog because I love to do it.  I can’t blog to sell things (goes against my personality), I can’t blog to inform other people (because, then I’m just another informative blog in a sea of millions), and I can’t blog to aid my future career (because, well, I don’t exactly know what that will be.  And I’m sure this is nowhere near professional enough.  I mean, just look at that introduction!)  All those things could be side benefits – but they can’t be the main reason!

So, yes, I’m back!  What does this mean?  When I have something to post, I will.  I love writing book reviews, so you’ll get some of those.  I love making handmade cards and writing letters to heroes, so you’ll get some posts about that.  I love being nonsensical and writing about random things that happen to me.  I’m going to be very busy in the next few weeks, months, and years, as I am starting a new chapter of my life.  That means I can’t promise to have weekly posts on a certain theme or host bloghops or do anything that a professional, real blogger would do.  It just means that when I have something to say, I will!

I have a few book reviews in reserve, so I will try to set those to post automatically (since I’m sure I’ll forget.  Hey, I may be back, but that doesn’t mean I suddenly have great memory retrieval tricks.)  I also have some Word documents with rants about writing, Doctor Who, internet memes, and glitter-phobia (intrigued?)

I will end this post not with goodbye, but with a hello!  And an allons-y!

P.S. Rereading this (and going all Grammar Nazi on it and stuff) I realize that I've used a lot of exclamation points.  This bothers me grammatically, but the perpetually cheerful side of me can't bear to delete a single one.  So I'm keeping them!  Just thought I would apologize for those that were also bothered.  Feel free to post a long exclamation point free comment to counter the excess of them in this post.

Stars and Stamps Our Daily Bread February Challenge

My first challenge!  This card was made for the Stars and Stamps ODBD challenge and we were supposed to use "yummy ribbon."  I don't know how "yummy" this ribbon is, but I am really happy I learned to tie such a neat looking bow, courtesy of this video here.  It also features an origami dress folded from a 3x3inch piece of origami paper.  I don't usually do such pastel colors, nor three patterned papers together, but I was happy at how this card turned out!

This was my first challenge for OWH and... it was really fun!  I don't know if I can do them regularly, I'm sorta strapped for time and do cards sporadically whenever I have a free day, but I certainly hope I can participate in more!

Thanks for visiting!

Spirelli and spirelli and spirelli... oh my!

I've been having more fun with Spirelli cards!  These are all made for OperationWriteHome.org.

One tip for making Spirelli cards is to remember that dark thread shows up well on light paper, but light thread doesn't "pop" when wound around dark paper.  My solution?  Use thicker strands of light colored threads.

Using thick embroidery thread makes this a bold fun card.  Now, see how it contrasts with a card made with single strands of dark embroidery thread on a light background.



These are two totally different looks, using the same colors - just reversed!

I also made a rather patriotic card... perfect for our military! 

I have also made a flower with Spirelli.  I didn't have any stamps with flower stems, so I had to improvise and draw one of my own.  I'm not sure what this means as far as sending it to OWH, I know that crafters can't include handwritten sentiments, so it might be the same rules for hand-drawn.



I hope you enjoyed these Spirelli cards!  I hope to post a tutorial on how to make them one of these days.

Paper 3D Snowflakes

I'm doing a service project at an assisted living home and we need centerpieces for the party we're hosting.  Here is the snowflake I made with instructions found HERE

I might post a tutorial at some point, with the tips and tricks I discovered while making it!

The snowflake was made out of six sheets of 8.5x8.5 inch copy paper.  It measures nearly 22 inches across!