Spring Decorations are in Progress

Spring is coming and our home decorations are in the works. 

Normally, I would decorate a word appropriate to the season for my fireplace mantel scape. This season I decided I wanted something a little different. 

When I started crafting, the first projects I made were decorated photo cubes. So, I returned to my "roots" and decided to make these photo cube holder that display the word "Bloom". 

I painted the cubes a mustard yellow, then mod podged on a multi floral card stock. I used the other side of that same card stock (yellow dotted) for the word portion of the craft.  The "bloom" flowers were cut with my Cricut machine along with the letters. When I completed the cubes and word, I felt it needed a little something so I added the turquoise jewels to the top of the cubes.

Now, part of the spring season includes Easter and I didn't want to have to make a whole new fireplace scape so, I decided to make these photo cubes multipurpose. I used the other side of the word "bloom" and spelled out "risen".

To finish the mantle scape, I'll create a photo tray using the same card stock. I also painted some wooden flower shapes in coordinating colors with the card stock that I will hang on the scroll work that hangs above the mantle. 

For the completed mantle scape, you will have to come back and check in later next week (I'm hoping to have it done by then). In the dining room, I usually create a small vignette on my side hutch. I will be using the word "HOP" I made last year and creating a small banner above that says "Hippety". For my dining table centerpiece, all I can tell you is that it includes the eggs painted below and green Spanish moss.  

I'm looking forward to both designs coming together and of course to the change of season they signify. 

Shadowbox Valentine

I wanted to make something for Dave this Valentine's day and this is the outcome - a shadowbox valentine.

The shadowbox was purchased at Michael's. I painted the inside with Martha Stewart's Chipolte Red acrylic paint and the outside with a glossy black paint. The back is lined with scrap book paper that says "I love you". Then, I cut the heart "layer" using the Paper Lace cartridge with my Cricut. I chose to adhere it in the upper left side so that I could place the "scrabble tile" letters in the lower right side evening out the "weight" of the elements. To finish it, I glued in some garnet gems as a border for the paper background. 

Sadly, I finished it this morning. Better late than never, plus I do love him more than just on Valentine's day. I gave it to him today after work. He said "it is nice" and then "thank you for making it for me." 

Valentine's Day

Its Valentine's Day. Can you feel the love?!!!

Last night while the kid's were sleeping I hung the heart "curtains" that I made for them last year. Emily had asked me a few weeks ago if we would be decorating with the hearts. I told her that it was something for the night before. Sadly, Matt's "curtain" would not cooperate with being hung so I improvised and laid them all over his floor. This morning he had all the reason that he is loved laying at his feet. 

I woke a little earlier than normal this morning to be able to make the kids and Dave pancakes with mini red M&M's for breakfast.  

Tonight after dinner, we will be going through our heart pails to see the reasons why each of us is loved by the other.  

Yes, I can feel the love!!

Kid's Chore Chart

We've been talking with the kids for a while now about the chores they need to do on a daily basis and how they can contribute to our home. They are receptive to doing chores and wanted a chart to keep track. Both kids are highly visual so I was not surprised by this but I wanted to make the chart appropriate to their age, not too childish.  

I used a cork board I purchased a while ago. The line separations were made with crafting/washi tape.  The tags are from the Martha Stewart collection at Staples - yellow for Emily and blue for Matt. I also bought some small tags for extra jobs. The chart titles are "scrabble" style letter tiles I hot glued to the board. 

Now, every one has different feelings regarding allowances and you may not agree with ours but this is the system we have set up. The kids are assigned personal daily jobs - the things they should just be doing like making their bed, homework, getting laundry to basement, etc. They are also assigned two home jobs to complete each day (the number of these jobs will change based on time available and age). They must complete all the jobs for the day in order to get that day's allowance. If they miss one job, they don't "earn" their allowance. Oh and reminders by mom and dad are not part of the program....they need to be accountable for looking at their jobs and getting them done. The kids can also "earn" extra by completing additional jobs that have been written on the small hanging tabs.  

Emily was so excited when she saw the board. Already she has complete her jobs for the day, looked at the "extra" tags and asked "how do I do the laundry by myself".  With just a little "technical" help (where to set the dials and the amount of soap needed), she did the kids uniforms start to end. Oh she did also ask for help in telling  the difference between her and Matt's shirts while hanging them.  

Many times the kids ask for something they want and are told "it costs money".  There are things we get for the kids because they need them but as they are getting older their wants far outweighing their needs. So, we decided on an allowance system in order for them to learn not only about earning money but also to help teach them about tithing, saving, sharing and spending of money....those are hard things to teach if your child has no money to learn.  As I said, you may not feel the same as us and that is just fine, we can agree to disagree but I am praying this new system will help our home run smoothly and help my kids gain some financial "smarts".

Our Kind of Busy

Once again, I find it necessary to apologize for my lack of recent posts. 

It seems that the last few weeks have been filled with life's "normal" occurrences and busyness. 

Last week, I worked on and completed my first bulletin board for a fellow church. I was very pleased with the outcome. Then, I became busy making items for my church's winter bulletin board - it needed a little bit of "love". 

The kid's are busy at school, Dave at work and me, I'm keeping myself busy with projects.  All in all just the norm for our home this time of the year.  

Our Family Valentine Project

Valentines day is on its way and its time to "create".  

Last year, I made Dave, Emily and Matt "Love Jars". I wrote reasons why I love them on strips of paper that they could take out whenever they wanted to feel loved by me. This year I wanted to do something in which we could all participate.  

I'd recently read a book regarding the words we speak to each other. In the book, it told how a teacher had her class write on a piece of paper something nice about each person in the class. The teacher took the lists and gave each student the remarks made about them. At the funeral of one of these former students, his parents showed the teacher that in his wallet he carried the list his classmates wrote about him. It was worn by how many times he had looked at it. While the teacher was looking at the list, several other previous students attending the funeral showed her that they too still carried the lists with them. They would turn to the lists often to encourage and uplift them. I felt that if the words of classmates could mean so much, how much more would the words of your family mean. This story inspired our family valentine project.

I bought 5 little pails at Michaels and put each of our names on one of them, the girls have pink pails and the boys red. The white pail holds colored hearts that each of us can write notes of "love" on to each other and place in the pails. I explained to the kids that it could be a specific reason why they like each other like "you helped me with my homework" or a general one like "you are so funny". On Valentine's day, we will take the hearts out and read them. 

Because I didn't want to change all my winter decor, I decided to create a small valentine vignette on the buffet in the dining room.  

Of course a vignette wouldn't be complete without a banner, so I made one. I used the Pretty Pennants and Storybook cartridges for my Cricut. The patterned paper is paper I had bought quite a long time ago.  

The only thing left to do is to hang the heart "curtains" I made for the kid's doorways last year, which I will do the night before Valentine's day. 

Oh, I feel the love!!!!

A Little More "Joy"

You would think by now I would be done with decorating for the Christmas holiday but I just seem to be coming up with more decorative projects.

This past week while working on a Christmas present for a good friend I was inspired by the colors and paper I was using.  Last year I made a few decorative canvas projects but not for my own personal use. This project helped me rectify that.

I took a small square canvas and painted it with Martha Stewart's chipotle red - love this color. I then adhered a sheet of  card stock to the canvas.  When I was making the Christmas banner last week, I cut out this wreath and berries using the Joy of the Season Cricut cartridge. The letters are glittered chip board.  I took some red gems and adhered them on each berry and did a top and bottom gem border.

I'm so please with the outcome. I think I will make another canvas for the winter/snow season and then there is always valentine's day.

I created another seasonal vignette on the raised hearth of our  stone fireplace. I found these candle sticks on sale at Pier One Imports. Three pine cones placed on the pedestals create this scene. The pine cones are cinnamon scented which adds a wonderful element to the room. I'll definitely be using this feature in the winter/snow season just unsure where I will be using it in my home. 

Believe it or not, I do have two more Christmas decorating projects in the works. We'll see if they make it out for this year or next year. 

Happy Birthday Jesus

Today my plan was to work on the elements needed for another bulletin board but I just wasn't up to the task of making precision cuts on foam board so I switched up my "work" schedule.

Instead I started working on a few Christmas gifts I've been asked to make. While preparing all the items I would need for the gifts, I remembered my conversation the day before with my friend, Debbie, where I mentioned the idea of making a Christmas  banner for my home. 

It has been over a year that I made my first banner at the request of friend for a party. Who knew that would lead to multiple banners being created. Sadly, I've come to realized that I've never made one for my family or home. It seems silly that I've created banners for other's but not for those who have my heart. Today I rectified this matter!

As a Christian family, we recognize Christmas as the day we celebrate our Savior, Jesus Christ's, birth. Since Emily, our first child, was born, we have been having a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas night as our dessert and yes, we sing "Happy Birthday" and Emily and Matt interject in "cha, cha, cha" for Jesus as well. As the kid's have gotten older, they look forward to this celebration. 

So, the first family/home banner I made says "Happy Birthday Jesus".  It is hanging in our dining room where our Christmas tree is. This room is also the main entrance into our home so all who enter our door will see and know that we celebrate the birth of our Savior during the Christmas season.

A Busy "Work" Week

This week was my first week of implementing "work" hours for my crafting/bulletin board projects. I'm so glad I did because it has been a very busy week.  

On Monday, I made the lamp and post for the lamp post element being used on the winter themed bulletin board at church. I cut the letters and background to be able to make changes to the kid's school perpetual calendar. Also, I started making titles and elements for a school bulletin board for a friend's technology classroom. 

Tuesday, I had a friend come over and we worked on several memory boxes she was making for Christmas. Then, I made 4 more elements for the technology classroom board. I still have a few things to do with the titles and 2 more titles and elements before I turn all the items over on Sunday. 

Wednesday included a trip to a local wholesale floral store to get the pine needed for the winter themed church bulletin board. I then headed to the church and worked on preparing the tree bulletin board for its final phase. I'm going to be sad when I take this board down. It was my favorite board to make and "change" with the trees outside. Sadly around noon the migraine that was lurking in my head became full blown and took me out for the rest of the day. Thankfully, I was able to get some rest and sleep last night.  

Today I spent the morning putting up the new winter themed bulletin board at church. This board is going to be another one that will change over the next 3 months it is up. This is the Christmas/December phase. January there will be the addition of snow elements and then February a little valentine.

Sadly, my migraine was still lingering so when I finished the board I had to come home and rest. The problem with that is I still have a few "jobs" I need to finish before Sunday. Tomorrow I have to put up the "month" and switch the numerical dates on the school calendar....so tonight I still have to put it together. Then, I have to complete the items for my friend's technology classroom by Sunday for delivery. 

Tomorrow, I have plans to do some crafting/work shopping with my friend, Debbie and then Saturday Dave and I have a date to go Christmas shopping for the day.  Hmmmm....hopping I can fit it all in. Oh did I mention Sunday, I have to work on elements for another winter board at the kid's school?  This month is one busy month but I am so not complaining. 

Work, Work, Work.......

Work, work, work and I am not complaining.

You all know how much I love to craft  - creating things for our home and others. I've also enjoyed creating the bulletin boards at my church, kid's school and have had a few small "jobs" on other boards for a few teachers I know personally.  

For quite some time, I have been wondering and asking God what He wants me to do with this gift He has given me.  I don't mean that in a pious way, I truly want to use what talent He has given to me for Him.  

Over a month ago, the main bulletin board I did for the kid's school was seen by a pastor of church here in Bergen county. He commented to a staff member that it was a very well done, professional looking bulletin board. He was told that I did the boards and when I spoke with someone who knew him personally I said that if he was interested in my services I would be open to speaking with him. Well, that meeting happened, a proposal was submitted and I am happy to say that as of the 1st of the year I will be working with that church on their bulletin boards.

All this being said, I have found that my time while the kids are at school is the best time for me to work - it is without interruption and I can focus without concern that I am forgetting or neglecting the family. I've know this fact for quite some time but now that I am getting busier with scheduled tasks I've found the need to put into place some "work" hours for myself.  As of today, Monday through Thursday, 10 - 2 is my current work schedule. 

Today I found that time to be very successful. I was able to complete the lamp portion and post for the lamp post element to be used in my church's winter themed bulletin board.  I also gathered all the materials I will need for its assembly on Thursday.  I also cut letters and background for the perpetual calendar at the kid's school.

Another project I got started on is a group of titles for a bulletin board  to be used in my friend's technology class. I've had a hard time wrapping my head around how I would work this particular project but today it all became clear. What made it most difficult is that this classroom is where the Ipad I created "lives" so anything I make has to be of the same standard.

In this same time frame, I was able to cut out a few things on my Circut that Matt used in completing his state quarter project due tomorrow.

One thing I do ask is that you please pray that God would go before me and that He will lead me to the projects He wants me to do and that I will have the courage to say "no" when I feel He is telling me not to do something. 

Oh and if you need me between 10 and 2,  I won't be readily available......got to work!!!

My Organized Mess

I love having my "craft room". I know it is rare to have an extra room in a home that can be used for someones passion to create. 

Lately though, I just haven't had enough space to do the projects I've been asked to do. No matter how many times I reorganize and "simplify" this room, I find myself working on the floor surrounded by multiple supplies. Part of this issue is that the elements I'm working on are larger than my current craft table. 

I do have plans for this room to make it more to my liking and usage but I actually have an even grander plan that would result in converting my garage into a large craft room - its my dream, you know like the HGTV Dream House is a dream. 

All this being said, I wanted to show that yes, creating can be messy even for me. People that know me personally know that I'm a bit of an organizational geek. In my house, everything has a place and I'm constantly changing and streamlining. When I tell people my house is a mess, usually I get a questionable look or a "where?" So this picture is a confession of guilt that "yes, I can be messy." Oh and just so you know this room looks pretty much the same as I type this post. A few of the items were taken to their new "bulletin board" homes but once I got home from getting the kids from school it became homework, dinner, more homework and now blogging.  I will confess though that before I go to bed I will go in and pick up......I just can't leave it like that, even though I could just shut the door. It just the organizer in me.  

Emily's Point of View

Today when Emily got home from school I went through her student planner and books just to see what she had to accomplish for the evening. I'm trying to take the reigns off and let her become more personally responsible for getting her work done and quizzes & tests studied for.  

I don't know why I looked in her spelling composition book seeing her spelling workbook was also there and the list of words she needed to study were in the workbook. I guess I was just being lead to look at it.

I opened to the page last written on and it was a paragraph which I thought was a bit odd seeing this is where she writes sentences using the spelling words. Then I read the title and I knew why I was lead to open this. Here is what Emily wrote. 

Always Put Together

My mom does crafts for people. She makes picture cubes, billboards, and more.

She uses paint, stickers, tape, string, and others. I love my mom's creative work!

When she delivers her work to people, she gets $25! I love the way that 

mom is. If you want to get one of my mom's crafts go to Facebook and 

put in Always Put Together and she'll make the craft you want. 

I cannot tell you how good this made me feel. Crafting is something I enjoy doing! Slowly it is turning into a small business. I've mentioned to the kids when I am working on projects and they have seen the bulletin boards ("billboards") I've created at church and now at their school.  Occasionally, when I am on the computer, they might ask what I am doing and most of the time it is blogging on either this blog or my other "crafting" blog Always Put Together.  At times, I've wondered what they think of all of this and if they feel it takes time away from them (I've only just put a limit to my "working" hours). Apparently, it is something Emily is proud of. 

What I love is her comment about how I get $25 when I deliver my work - that is the cost I charge just for the banners - I'm still trying to figure out how to charge for bulletin boards. 

I also love that she has become a major source of advertising for me - "she'll make the craft you want".

All I know is that I was lead to read this.  I have been debating on where to take this whole "crafting" adventure for a while now and I have to say this "message" lets me know that my daughter is proud of the work I do and who I am. In my book, that is priceless. 

Sorry....so long

It has been a few days since I have blogged and it is not for lack of wanting but lack of time.  I've been very busy working on home and craft projects (check them out at my other blog Always Put Together ) during the day. Then, the kids started AWANA Wednesday night and last night was Back to School Night at HCS.

A "Normal" Day

As you know, yesterday was the first day of school for Emily and Matt. I thought I would hit the ground running dropping them off at school then coming home to craft. Of course, I told all of you about running unnecessary errands instead in order to avoid coming home to the silence. 

Today was a whole new day.  I dropped the kids off at school, came home (didn't even stop for coffee), did 3 miles on the treadmill while my first load of laundry was in the washer, threw that load in the dryer, started the next, steamed some spinach my neighbor gave me from his garden, prepped dinner for tonight and headed to my craft room.  

I've already been asked to help with several more projects beside the ones already on my "to do" list. Since school is back in session, my time is a little more "free" to craft/"work". Today, I finished some additional elements I need for the bulletin board at the kids school, HCS, and also cut the pieces I need for a christening banner due in October. Ye, of course, I used my Cricut (best birthday gift I ever) to cut out all the items but it still takes time. Tomorrow, I will be able to finish the bulletin board and then get started on my next project - 3 icons for the Ipad canvas.  

I can't tell you how good it feels to be back at "work"! Oh, I got 4 loads of laundry completed too.....it was a good day!!

A New Avenue

Friday was a great day for me. I was able to get my "required" cleaning done early and spent most of the afternoon crafting between packing for our mini family weekend get away.

I'm always trying to make different items. A few months back on a trip to my favorite craft store, Hobby Lobby, I purchased a plain wooden cross. I ended up being very pleased with the outcome. The cross is painted a beautiful chipotle red which coordinated very well with the scrapbook paper that I chose. The paper is actually from a Christmas collection and is called "Figgie pudding". To make it a little "special", I took some garnet gems and placed them on the cross sections of the circles and also some larger gems at the top, bottom and sides.

This is definitely an item that I will continue to make. I may just have a wall dedicated to crafted crosses in my house.

Ahhh....More Organization!!!

If you know me at all, you know how much I love to organize and be organized.

I've been wanting to find a way to store the pictures of the items I've crafted. I like having a hard copy of them in case I need to show anyone what I've done. I so didn't want to have a bunch photo albums, they take up too much space.

So, my solution was I sorted the pictures by category (picture frames, photo cubes, letters, etc.) then I hole punched them and attached them with binder rings. The binder rings make it very easy to add more photos.

I am actually pretty please with this solution.

Project Life Begins

Scrapbooking has begun again here at the Wessel home.

I opened the packet of Project Life materials and started by putting together the happenings of last week's Winter Break. It was a little difficult. There is a limit of how many pictures you can use and then there is the "limit" of how the pages are set up for vertical and horizontal pictures. Also, my digital photos are not the typical 4x6 size they are a little smaller so I had to make up for that "lost" space. The nice thing is I am able to use the paper and embellishments I am already well supplied with. My lack of scrapbooking these last few years sadly didn't stop my purchasing of materials when my "creative effort" was on hiatus.

Doing this layout will make me more deliberate with my photo taking. I will definitely be doing an equal amount of vertical & horizontal photos - I've noticed I like to take most pictures horizontally. Also, I will take more day to day photos too.

The best part is that I was able to get it all completed, journaling included, in one day.

I do plan on working forward and backward at the same time.....should be interesting but it has to get done. Glad to be back in the groove.

All in Place

I made these family clipboards a while ago and today they finally made it to their "home" on the wall heading down to the basement.

The main purpose of these is to be able to take all the papers that muddle my fridge or calendar and clip them to the appropriate family member that it belongs too.

I am not the "hanger" of the family. I can create but for some reason "hanging" eludes me. Today though with drill in hand I made my pilot hole and screwed in the hooks.

Of course, tonight when Dave gets home he'll tell me he was going to do it but it is nice to surprise him with the fact that it is already done.

As you can see, I already cleared off the fridge of the kids school agendas and papers. I love organization!!!

Project Life

I've really missed scrapbooking. With all my craft projects, it has taken the back burner but is always in the back of my mind. I love the premise of documenting the kids lives. Maybe it is a result or should I say "scarring" of having so few pages in my family album - love you mom!!!

Lately, I've seen a new way of scrapbooking called Project Life. Basically the ideas is scrapping each week on a two page format. What drew me to it was how it simplifies scrapbooking. It isn't necessary to take a slew of pictures at an event unless you want to do a two page format of that event - like a birthday or vacation. Another plus about it is that I can still use the paper and embellishments that I already have in abundance. The thing that has always tripped me up with traditional scrapbooking wasn't making the layout but taking the time to journal. I could never keep it simple. Project Life has you journaling on cards the size of a baseball card so getting a full layout done can be accomplished. Yesterday I downloaded to order the pictures I have taken since the first of the year. Picked them up today, so some time this week Project Life will begin. I'll post what it looks like after I get a few layouts done. I am excited to get back into scrapbooking!!!

Crafting for Friends

One thing I am always happy to do is help friends when it comes to crafting after all crafting is my passion.

My friend, Jen, is homeschooling her daughter and son. She asked if I could help her make some work binders for the kids writing materials. It was so much fun making these books for them. The nice thing about making these in binder form is when the kids interests change so can their covers. Enjoy your books Amelia & Eric.