52 Crafts in 52 Weeks – Week Ten

When we set ourselves this challenge, we never thought how much easy, simple fun we'd have together!  Today we celebrate ten weeks of crafting with only forty two left to go this year!  How exciting is that?!

I decided to join busymitts this week – busymitts is the world's busiest online crafting community with over 28,000 projects to inspire you and ever so much more!  Visit the homepage here.  Feel free to pop by anytime...I would love to have you stay awhile there...  I haven't uploaded many of my own craft projects yet, but as soon as time allows, I'll see if I can fill up my page a bit...

The internet really is a wonderful source of inspiration for me.  Although most of the crafts we try come from magazines and books,  I find I feel quite inspired to try new projects when I see the pretty things featured around Pinterest, other blogs and of course, busymitts.

This week's craft is a stunning one!  Again it is from the wonderful Ideas magazine which we love so very much:)

Now I must tell you something.  I just love snail mail.  Really, I do.  If someone sends me a letter in the mail, which isn't very often (sniff:D) I have reason to celebrate!  I love everything to do with sending and receiving items in the post.  It is wonderful and so simple...  It makes me think I am a young woman of days gone by when every person everywhere relied on postal services.  I pretend I am writing to a loved one far away, telling him or her about all the interesting happenings of my daily life...  The only thing I dislike about the mail we receive nowadays are those horrid stamped addressed envelopes containing bills...  Fortunately they don't have my name written on them yet...:)

I think envelopes are dull.  They are.  Really.  Blank, white envelopes with a smudged address scribbled across their fronts.  My soul thirsts for pretty things – I eat, sleep and play beautiful things and if I don't have them I feel empty.  I suppose that is why I think commercial envelopes are terribly terrible.

When I was smaller and had lots of time to doodle and dabble away with sheets of paper, I wrote letters to one of my dearest friends who lived a great distance away.  And she would send me little letters sealed in pretty envelopes that she made herself!  Not only are letters more personal – especially ones that are handwritten – but envelopes are too.  I think they add that special touch and can brighten up a person's day that much more.

I have thus decided to say 'goodbye' to bought envelopes and 'hello' to a new world of handmade, patterned ones.  Please welcome...

...The simple heart envelope...

 

Photo Credit:  Ideas Magazine - March 2013

Here are a few of the envelopes I made...

I never thought a simple heart shape could ever be folded into such a lovely envelope...  You can find the easy instructions as well as the template HERE.

And now, while my pen and paper lie on the desk, ready for writing whenever its author is, I shall bid you farewell until another day...

Crafty hugs and love,

Kelly

x

First Ten Verses...

Here is a list of the first ten verses I have memorized this year...  Do you want to join this challenge?  If so, then please visit the lovely challenge blog here!  This challenge will bring you closer to the heart of the Father and will strengthen your walk with Him...

“The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth.”

Psalm 145:18

“Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.”

Psalm 141:3

“Go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Mark 16:15

“Believe in the lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”

Acts 16:31

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Psalm 139:14

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”

James 1:9

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:4

“I have loved you with an everlasting love.”

Jeremiah 31:3

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

Proverbs 4:23

“He who sacrifices thank offerings honours me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.”

Psalm 50:23

Week 1-10 {52 Weeks 52 Verses 2013}

52 Crafts in 52 Weeks – Week Nine

...And we are nine weeks into our craft challenge with only 43 to go!  It has been so good for us; keeping us on the lookout for new crafts and projects to try, as well as ensuring we're always busy (as if we weren't already, though!).  And it keeps us creative. 

Crafting is a wonderful way to release those creative juices in oneself.  Everybody can make beautiful things – anybody.  And the lovely thing about doing these things is the sense of accomplishment and pride one feels when you are finished.

Let me encourage all those even slightly crafty ladies, young and old to get creating – persevere and have fun!  Try NEW things – the things you  never thought you could do.  I am certain you will surprise yourself!  And if you lack inspiration, have a look at my Pinterest page.  Maybe something there will tempt you...:)

This week's project is a knitted one.  Now, I confess I have never been much of the 'knitty type', probably because I find it takes an age long time to complete anything! 

However, a few weeks ago my mom and I pinpointed a cute idea for a closed scarf in the June 2012 edition of Ideas Magazine.  (Now, if you live in South Africa and you don't receive this stunning magazine, then I would suggest you subscribe – otherwise, my overseas readers can visit their Pinterest page here and their website for fun DIY craft projects.  A lot of the crafts we've tried so far have come from them.)

When we stopped in at the little wool shop in Sedgefield on Wednesday I noticed a rather beautiful but expensive looking wool on one of the shelves.  Having a closer look showed me it wasn't the ordinary, rough double-knit everyone uses.  It was the lovely soft one which was but a few rands more than the others...I had to get it!  I chose a beautiful shade of green and I had a ball knitting with it!  I have decided I shall never go cheap again when it comes to wool.  The quality is just so much better...

I am quite proud to say I actually finished the scarf.  I sewed it up and wore it!  Aaah...what a lovely feeling.  I look forward to winter when I can enjoy the warm fuzzy feeling of it around my neck – right now the days are just too deathly hot to even dream about wearing anything woolly, let alone scarves!

 

Nancy and I showing off our lovely warm scarves...

Crafting is a definite self confidence booster.  I see it as a therapy and as a way to relax.  I would recommend it to everyone.  

God created and loves beautiful things and He wants us to enjoy them too.  I believe He delights in us when we delight in the true and beautiful things in life.  Just think of musical instruments and angelic voices that are used for His glory and busy hands creating and making beautiful things to praise Him – I think He must smile on us then...

May I encourage you to step out and try new things.  Crafting may not be your cup of tea, instead gardening might be, or painting.  May I encourage you to find a hobby or two or even three and go for it – have fun and give glory to the One who created you with these gifts and talents...

Blessings and hugs,

Kelly-Anne

P.S.  My verse for this week is from Proverbs chapter four verse twenty three.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

And as I failed to post my verse for last week which was Jeremiah 31:3, here it is - “I have loved you with an everlasting love.”

xxx