September's official number is...

Our new official number for September is....118.  We have decided to have a different family member choose creative ways to show our monthly number on the wait list and this is Ivory's month.

I also have something pretty for you.  We had the pleasure of attending a little ones 1st birthday and I made one of my Birthday hats for her.  So fun.

The Heart of it

Now this is a reason to make jewelry.  This is what makes me smile and happy to be a part of etsy and this blog world where God brings us all together.  I had the honor of donating this piece for a fundraiser for this lovely family who are adopting there sweet little girl, Shannon from Bulgaria.  It's beautiful to be a part of bringing their girl home.  Lord, thank you and bless them richly.

Russian hand painted brooch with fresh water pearls, black spinel gemstones, rhinestone rondelles, sterling silver chain and clasp.

How to Make Large Prop book

I know you all asking yourselves, "How do I make a very large fake prop book for my daughter's Christmas play?"  Well you are in luck.  I learned how to do this from the help from Dave Lowe (he was kind enough to share on his blog to help out this Mom)  Thanks Dave.  Here's my Tuesday Tutorial on Thursday.  Or presenting Thursday Tutorial....

Onward.  First start with foam core and cut front, back and binding.  Take chipboard (thin dense cardboard like on the back of paper pad) and use that to cut embellishments, strips on binding and raised middle.  Make sure it fits together then glue with spray mount.  I also added cut down furniture nail heads to the 4 embellishments in the corners with glue gun (seen in the next pic).

Next you will decoupage paper towels to your book with watered down Matte Modge Podge and let dry.  This gives a textured and weathered look.  When it's dry tape together on the inside and use glue gun if needed on the outside.

Now we add gold paint and let dry.  Then stipple and wipe off burgandy paint to give a distressed look.  Then use stickers or your handydandy Cricket to cut out the title of the book and glue on.  Also add holly to the corners because it's a Christmas play and The nice Director wants holly.  Then take your Mod Podge and decoupage the whole book to give nice matte protection.  When it's dry glue in fake pages that have been crumpled and distressed with ink on the edges.


And here is the finished prop on stage.  Isn't that stage warm and cozy?  Makes me want some hot chocolate.

Cardboard box, tape and some paint

Look at this supper cool car that my brilliant husband built for Elias' Awanas Drive In Movie Night. This night is so much fun for the kids because they get to play games, parade, eat, and watch a movie in their cardboard box cars. Can you say over achiever.....really this doesn't look like a box to me.

And I had to share Ivory's Awana box car Airstream from 2006 also built by Chris and painting and images by me. Don't you love the picture of us looking out the back? It's a real photo blown up.

This blog of mine...

Oh this blog of mine. It sits so quiet. So neglected. I hesitate what to write. What to share. Afraid to say the wrong thing. Do I have anything to say worthy of your time? Maybe. I think the problem has been on keeping reserved and not writing from the heart. This is after all a journal of sorts documenting this precious life that God has given me for just this time. But I do confess that this journaling/writing thing does not come easy to me. I have never kept a paper journal. Talking, sharing my heart face to face is what I am good at. And so I will have to write as if I am talking with friends and family. Not get caught up in the typed words on this screen. Here we go....

And the random photo of the earrings is to keep things creative and pretty here. Every blog post needs a photo! I made these for a dear friend (they were a gift from her lovely husband.) They are fashioned with amazonite stones, vintage shell rosary and sterling silver accents.

Beloved jane jewels

A gift for a dear friend. This necklace is made with Apatite gemstones, freshwater pearls, rhinestone rondelles, and sterling silver. Frippery at it's finest.

Taking off...Part One

RECAP...of our trip.
It's done....at least the bottom portion.  Aaah....a sigh of relief....I was able to get the front dinette bottom cushions finished and my sweet husband installed mini aluminum blinds in the kitchen and got the trailer all ready.... all in record time for our  trip to San Diego!  Off we go.  I'll let you know what falls off the trailer on this trip.

Airstream and Sewing

Summer time is approaching and I need to get busy sewing, our vacation is nearing.   We have a 1966  Airstream Trailer (Tradewind) that we have been fixing up for about 3 years now.  I managed to upholster the back pull out bed about 2 years ago and now need to finish by upholstering the front dinette.  I'm a little behind on schedule because when I was pregnant with my now one year old, the "trailer smell"  made me nauseous and I could not go near it the whole pregnancy.  I also couldn't drink mocha's...so very weird, because these are two of my favorite things.  And now,  I have been busy with a one year old who doesn't appreciate sewing!  So now is the season to sew...I think.   The front dinette is designed and built by my loving and handy husband, so our family of 5 can fit comfortably.  He also installed bamboo flooring for my birthday last year, new window (because the old one exploded into a million pieces in Yosemite...some kind of crazy static explosion), and installed a new back hatch (because ours blew off in Yosemite, apparently that happens a lot.)  Oh, and he had to install a new fan when the old one blew off on a trip to Santa Cruz.  Our joke now when we leave for a trip is "what will blow off next?"  We never leave on a trip without duck tape and cardboard.  

This is what memories are made of.

 

To be continued.

Mother

I decided to make myself a Mother's Day and Birthday present to celebrate being  "A MOTHER"!  I used a heart brooch that was made by my Grandpa Toar for  his mother, my Great Grandma Ivory.  My Grandfather was a tool and die maker/machinist by trade and photographer and "Rock Hounding" were his hobbies.  He fashioned this brooch out of metal heart with a plastic-like heart that he carved "Mother" into and welded a cut out of an old coin to the front and used  an actual safety pin on the back as the pin as a fastener.  I have had this pin for some time now and realized it needed to be made into a necklace.  I chose to use black glass beads, vintage rhinestone rondelles, black glass roasary chain, oxidized sterling silver chain and wire and black fresh water pearls.  I think it turned out quite lovely.  An heirloom to pass onto my daughter Ivory.

Beloved jane makes jewelry.

Making jewelry and setting up my etsy shop.  Stay tuned as it all comes together.  

belovedjane.etsy.com