Creativity: Tea stained table runner

I made a table runner with material and lace. It turned out so cute. I loved it so much it went right on my table.

I got the material from my sister in law Jen and the lace from my roommate Carolyn. They weren't the same color as you can see below.

So what I decided to do was to dye the lace...with tea!

I dried the lace on the line in my backyard. 

Believe it or not they turned out to be a perfect match once the lace was dyed. 

I love table linens, so I am really glad this turned out. Stay tuned on my blog for more table runner ideas. 

Creativity: All things work together for good....

I made a painting this week in my favorite color combo; teal and burnt orange. I like that color combo because they are complimentary colors on the color wheel. I have another series of three paintings, a triptych, in those colors, so I hung this new painting on the wall with them. 

This painting is about my theme verse for my 30's, Romans 8:28, "All things work together for good for those who love God and work according to his purposes. It has given me a lot of peace.

 Here are the set of three paintings I did a while ago. 

 The one above says, "Go in the direction of your dreams, live the life you have imagined." Henry Thoreau

I hope you enjoyed looking at these paintings as much as I had creating them. 

Family: Summer Birthdays

Last weekend we had a birthday party at my house for my mom and my nephew Emanuel. It was a lot of work but super fun. I love hosting parties, but the funny part is that I think of the decorations first before the food. I think both were a hit but I loved the way the table was so colorful.

The banner of flags is made out of big paint chips from Rona. I asked before I took them as a courtesy.

My brothers chilling on the porch

My mom and William

A very blurry picture of Emanuel but you can still see how cute he is. Love you buddy.

The twins, Caroline and Hannah

What a blessing it is to celebrate another year of life. Whether you are 4 like Emanuel or an undisclosed number like my mom (: it is a blessing to take some time to celebrate the gift of another year of life. Life is surely a precious thing. 

Inspiration: Seasonal creativity

I just figured something out this year. My creativity seems to change with the seasons. I thought I would take some time to explain how I think the seasons affect my creativity. Hopefully it will help you figure out your own creative patterns. I am learning to go with it, instead of fight against it. I take advantage of times that I feel creative and am learning grace for the times that I don't feel creative at all. This is going to be a little bit of a longer post, so get comfortable and enjoy

Summer

These pictures were taken the summer I was in Greece in 2004. They just remind me of that lovely time.

 Corinth

 Meteora

 Mediterranean

 Santorini

Volley Ball on the shores of the Aegean sea

The great thing about summer is getting to be outside. These pictures capture the essence of summer: flowers, sun, travel and play. Although this is a great time of year, and in the past I have lived for this time of year; it's not my most productive. I find that during summer it is either too hot to work in my studio or it's too nice outside to be cooped up inside. I am trying to find grace with myself. I am trying to let myself "off the hook" this time of year and just enjoy it. 

Fall

 My sister in laws and I

Thanksgiving weekend with my family

I find the fall is a great time to get projects started and hopefully done. I feel energized because there is still some lovely days but it's cool enough that I want to snuggle in my studio. I find the cool air is good for my creativity. 

Winter

Stephen, Stacy and Emmanuel 

 Christmas decorations in Chicago

 Chicago fun

This last winter I really tried to have a good attitude about it and it made it better. I realized that winter is a time that I peculate, I think of new ideas and what I want to do in the coming year. This year I am going to make a plan for my winter of projects that I want to do. I have a feeling that this is going to be a good winter.  

Spring

 Hyde Park, Chicago

My parents, Easter weekend

Spring is a wonderful time of year, things are new and fresh. So is my creativity, I get bursts of energy and a desire to create. I am very productive this time of year preparing for craft shows and expanding business.

I am learning that each season brings good things to my life and my creativity. Instead of fighting against these rhythms of creativity, I am learning to go with it. I encourage you to to the same, find your creative times and go for it.  

Family: Cottage time

I went up to a cottage north of Bancroft with my brother Michael and sister in law Andrea and William. Andrea's parents were there too. I had a great time swimming, hiking, and hanging out. Here are a couple of pics from my stay at the cottage.

 Rock Lake

Inside the cottage

My favorite spot to sit and journal or read

Here we are on a hike to Eagles Nest

My nephew being silly

It had a really great time at the cottage. I loved the beautiful lake and the relaxing atmosphere.