Just Felt Like Drawing Something...

I'm not sure why but I haven't been the mood to draw anything for a while (over TWO MONTHS!), but today I did...doodling....

Hersey Kisses Christmas Tree

Today someone posted a picture of a Hersey's Kisses Christmas Tree and asked if anyone had a pattern for it.  I didn't but it looked easy enough so I volunteered to give it a try.  It is made using a Silhouette or Cricut Paper Cutter.   Unfortunately, my Silhouette software isn't working so I had to use SCAL and save it as an SVG file.  Now I can't test it with the Silhouette software.  It cuts perfectly from SCAL... I HOPE IT WORKS!!!  I don't have a picture of it yet, but I will put one when I get candy for the trunk.... I'm just trying to get the pattern out there for folks to use ASAP.  I decided that even though the original had a trunk I was going to skip that for two reasons... 
1. I didn't want to go get more candy and 
2. You really never see the trunk of a Christmas Tree so it isn't necessary.

 This picture is of the box with a clear top made out of transparency film.

The REEEEALLY quick, unedited, How-To video showing how to put the cuts together is HERE. (actually I was able to load it below, just not sure how it will do) 

The SVG file is HERE. 

The SCAL file is HERE.

After I did all the work to create a box I found the original design and realized that it was SO MUCH EASIER!!!  It took me about 5 minutes to create the .svg file!  Below is a picture of the difference in size.

If you want the SVG version without the box go HERE

The SCAL version without the box is HERE

You can see how Brenda Quintana (I think she is the original designer... Thanks Brenda) puts her design together HERE

Using Your Cricut For DIY Washi Tape

I know that most folks like to use their Cricut machine for cutting vinyl or paper but my absolute favorite use (currently) is to use the write function ... In this case I made some DIY washi tape with black masking tape and a white Gelly Roll Pen.... Think of the possibilities! I also use a black Gelly Roll with natural tape to draw pictures ... Just needed to fill in the spaces that needed filling in, by hand.

Double Sided Adhesive Paper!!! At last!

I have been in search of double back tape for years now to no avail... The widest I could find was only 6" wide and came in a roll. I FINALLY found some 8.5"x11" sheets tonight.  Hallelujah! 

The goal was to cut a large intricate something, put glitter on one side and stick that down on something else.  I have been cutting large non-intricate things out of label paper and putting glitter on the sticky side but I then had to use glue to stick it down...like the photo.  (Yes I do have a large Xyron, but I hate using it)... 

Anyway, it is a Silhouette product but it can be cut with a Cricut and/or Silhouette.  I wanted to share it ASAP because prices change so quickly on Amazon and right now it is almost half off, with free shipping! I just ordered bunches... 

IMPORTANT NOTE!!!

If you decide to cut something like a state out of a full sheet of label paper be be sure and cut the reverse or the reflection of the state so that the sticky side faces up, otherwise your state will be backwards. 

    

My New Ohuhu 48-color Colored Pencils/ Drawing Pencils

Doing a happy dance!  I just received my new 

Ohuhu 48-color Colored Pencils/ Drawing Pencils 

. LOVE!  I wasn't expecting to like them more than any other color pencil set that I have, even my Prismacolors.... well, ok, they are not better than my InkTense, but that's really comparing apples and oranges.  Anyway, who knew???   I only ordered them because they were available as a lightning sale and they had great reviews.  

I just love the way they color... very smooth and easy, no need to scrub to get a good layer of color, and there isn't a wax buildup.  My only regret is that I didn't get the 72 color set, I got the 48 colors.  Hummmmm.... and having the blank, uncolored numbers on my chart kinda really bothers me... :-/

If you would like a copy of a blank color chart click here and download.  

It isn't actually curved, my colored version was curved with I took the picture, sorry!  Let me know if the link doesn't work and I will send you the .pdf file.

I printed mine onto a full sheet label so that if I decide to cut it apart and stick it to something, like maybe whatever storage I come up with, I can do that with ease.

While I'm on the subject of color pencils, not all colored pencils are the same!  And, for the most part you really do get what you pay for.  I bought some at WalMart the other day for less than $5.... HORRIBLE! HORRIBLE!  Spend the $!

The price shown below may be different from the actual price??? it is automatically generated so I have no control.  I do know that the price keeps changing on Amazon so that might be the problem... whatever they actually are, they are worth the price.  I WILL be getting the larger set soon.

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Creating With My Silhouette and My Cricut...

This week I needed to come up with a little gift for someone using things I had already... no spending more money!

I decided to go ahead and make another pencil bag to match an small binder I have already, and include a journal and monthly tabs.

This picture shows the binder in the back, then the pencil bag and then the journal in the front.

I got the Monthly tab patterns from Silhouette.  I really wanted to cut them out with my Cricut because you can cut and write the month on the top at the same time... you can't do that with the Silhouette Cameo I have.  You can do both with the Silhouette Curio  but I don't have that one.  So, I did it the old fashion way, I had to hand write them!  AND too, unfortunately, the Silhouette and Cricut patterns are not interchangeable... at least not without jumping through hoops to convert them.

I made the pencil bag like the ones I made last week for my nieces, with a ziplock sandwich bag, duct tape and a vinyl paisley pattern that I made by scanning the cover of the binder.  If you look closely you can see the name of the person I am sending it to.

OK, I'll help you out with a zoomed in picture ..... As always the magnified picture shows all the places that need work!

And below, I used my Cricut to write the label for the journal... LOVE IT!  It makes me look like I have a pretty handwriting! :-)  

Oh!  Yes, I had to fill it in since the Cricut only draws outlines.

I used one of my favorite white pens in the machine, the white Gelly Roll.  It fits perfectly in the machine so the special "for cricut only" pens are not required.

DIY....A Perfect Place for Journaling Markers and Pencils!

I have decided to give all 5 of my nieces their own Journaling Bible and markers/color pencils.  I have no idea if they have any interest but I figure I will make it as easy to do as possible to encourage interest.

The plan is to make a book of stickers that they can just color and stick into the Bible OR, just draw themselves... so I bought them each a set of markers, colored pencils, pencil sharpener and a black PITT Pen.  Then I thought that it would be neat to have a small binder that will hold everything, stickers and all.  However, it is really impossible to find CLEAR pencil holders that fit in the small binder.  Hummmmm.... gotta do it myself.  So I went about "inventing" one.  I went to Joanne's and bought a couple yards of heavy acrylic.  Thankfully, I already have TONS of black zippers so that was a "freebie"

I decided that I wanted them to zip at the top so that's where I put the zipper.  Once it was made I decided to add "pockets" for the pencils to get a tighter fit.

VERY HAPPY with the results!  So I cut enough acrylic to make 4 holders for each girl, 20 in all!

But, before I started sewing all of them together I found the following idea on Pinterest.  Cover a Zipper Lock sandwich bag with duct tape!  COOL IDEA!!!

So, I then went to WalMart and bought the cheapest Zipper Lock bags I could find... I think I got 40 bags for less than $3.  They are 7"x8"And, of course I already had duct tape.  

And then I started applying the tape.

Once I got both sides covered I added a "tab" on the opposite side from the zipper so that I would have a place to punch the three holes.  Below you can see that I added 1/2" but that was a little too much, it should be about 1/3"... the wider made it stick out a little too much 1/3" would be better.

Mark and punch the three holes (I used a page that already had holes for a pattern.)

And here you go, PERFECT FIT!  Notice that I left the zipper edge clear so they can see the colors without having to open the bag...since they need two bags just for markers.  And yes, I had to put the zipper on the side because of the size of the bag, but that's ok for the markers because of their size.  This is just black duct tape... not so very pretty but ....

Then I added some brushed gold vinyl dots to make it a little better looking ... hummmmmm....now the red "zipper" part stands out, gotta figure that one out now.

Here is the notebook closed with all markers and pencils inside.  YAY!  LOVE IT!

And to help the black and gold pencil holders match a little better I painted some gold on some of the paisleys.  Not the best picture but you get the idea.

Do Not Worry ... Matthew 25:25-34

I like what Corrie Ten Boone said "Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength, carrying two days at once.  It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time.  Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow it empties today of its strength."

  Good word!

That's just another way of saying  Matthew 5:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

And of course, part of the same chapter:

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

New Testament Timeline from Wayfinding Bible

Today someone asked me to create a timeline for the new testament like the Old Testament I did a while back.  Like the other one, I am getting the time line from "The Wayfinding Bible".  Each book has a timeline at the bottom of the first page.  It shows what is happening in that book in blue and any other events that happened along the timeline but not in that book are in black.  The chart below shows the dates of things that happened during the same time but aren't specifically in the Bible in the first column.  I hope that makes sense. 

Psalm 23:4... Walking Though The Valley

Man oh man!  This one was both easy and really hard to do.... how do you show a dark valley that needs a dark shadow so that you can see what needs to be seen???  To actually put light and dark it all the right places is way beyond my abilities for sure!  I have NO CLUE!  So, I just got something drawn really quickly and I may or may not go back and try and answer the problem... if I can come up with some kind of solution ????  Because I reeeeeally don't have the necessary talent!

Anyway, here it is in pencil in the mean time....

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me....."

Hummmm... now that I am looking at it I think I need to do a better job of the perspective of the words.  I didn't even thin of that when I was doing it... glad it is still pencil!

Oh heck!  I just tried adding more gray across from the shadow of death but it didn't help... bummer!  That's what I'm talking about, clueless!

Psalm 27:14 - WAIT for the Lord!

Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord.

I get an email of a scripture every day from Biblegateway and this is today's scripture.  WAIT!  Don't jump out ahead, you don't want to go ahead of the lord because you might go down the wrong path.

Before I started drawing I knew that I wanted to use a stop sign but instead of just drawing one from memory I googled "stop sign clipart"  and found this little guy:

Cute right, but a little too smiley, not as demonstrative as I wanted so I changed his expression. 

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Psalm 4:8... In Peace, In Safety

Psalm 4:8

 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. 

This is one of my favorite scriptures.  To be "in Peace and in Safety" because of the Lord.

About ten years ago I bought a large embroidery machine just so I could embroider scriptures on pillowcases.  This was one of the more perfect scriptures I used.  It is a nice little last minute reminder before you go off to sleep.

Would you believe that I made a MAJOR mistake on the above?  Of course I did!  Don't like making mistakes with a black pen!!  I put the "t" before the "e" in safety.  That's what happens when I don't have spell check to catch me!  Hence, the big black squares with white text.  Not bad, I actually like it better because it hi-lites the words.

Update:

Ya know, it always amazes me how many things I never see before, but really bother me AFTER I have a huge picture posted here!  Thing is the actual drawing is only 1.25"x 2" so it is hard to see the mistake and just fixing them with an eraser is HARD because my smallest eraser is too big, it erases too much!  Oh well... since it is so small I will just have to ignore it.... which is also really hard.

Proverbs 14:34 ... Sin Has a Gotcha

Proverbs 14:34 

Righteousness exalteth a nation: 

but sin is a reproach to any people. 

If you have been around long you know that I have done something similar to this in the past...but I wanted to put it into my Bible.  Gotta say, I see the nation getting blacker and blacker with sin... HEARTBREAKING!

I started out with colored pencils but quickly realized that there is no way to get a red as red as I wanted it with pencils... so I pulled out my acrylic paints.  I am happy to say that even though the pages are thin, there really isn't any bleed-thru.  There is a showdown because everything is so dark, but nothing that is distracting.

I used Golden paints... you will notice they are really pricy! That would normally throw the breaks on but I LOVE LOVE the reds and the transparency of them.  And too, the reds are among the more expensive, see how the black is half that price.... I think there is real gold or something in the red that makes it so expensive.  ???

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How I Index My Bible As I Study

I have spent years being frustrated because I would read something in my Bible that I wanted to remember so I would write it down in whatever notebook happened to be around... aka, lost forever!

I wanted something kinda like an index, but official indexes don't list the kinds of things I'm interested in... some topical indexes might, but I wanted something more "me".  For example, recently as I was reading, I realized that there were quiet a few major Bible characters that were born of barren mothers, like Isaac, Jacob and Esau, Joseph, Samuel, John the Baptist, etc....   Isn't that interesting?  The mothers couldn't have children but the Lord changed that, then used the child in a big way.  I want to be able to access each of those quickly and easily.

Last year I found something on pinterest that seemed like it might be "the answer".  It was a pre-printed index that you stick to the front of any Bible then add small tabs lined up with each topic... so I ordered it.  Problem was it came with words already and since it turned out to be for The Book of Mormon it was really useless to me... except I still loved the idea of it.

Sooooo, I did my own.  I printed out a grid that I can add any text as I'm reading.  I then assigned each topic a color and then I cut and colored little arrow tabs to stick to the actual page the scripture is on.

I KNOW!  MESSY RIGHT??  But oh so helpful, for me...  I'm finally gonna explain those UGLY BLACK LINES on the edge of my Bible!  This is my journal Bible so they show up on almost all my pictures.  I put the lines there so it would be easier to line up the little tabs on the edges of the pages.  They are very helpful, but oh so ugly!

Below is a picture of the index text, then the page that the scripture is on with an arrow pointing to the actual text.  At the bottom you can see the back side of the "tab arrow"... that was by design because I started out using the circle tabs, flush to the edge of the page like I was told to do with the Mormon package I bought, but, that ended up being confusing.... If both sides of the tab are the same then you can't immediately tell which side of the page the scripture is on... I also added the arrow pointing to the text later to help with that as well.

I have worked with the design for about a year now and I love it, because I can immediately tab an idea as I'm reading.  BUT, I've decided over time that there has to be an even better way.... so I worked on the new improvements yesterday, on a different Bible.

First, all the colors were unnecessary and a PAIN!  I am forever looking for the right color pen.  I have TOO MANY pens so finding the right one is always tricky.

Solution: I decided to use 4 colors... 2 may have been plenty but I went with 4... and I went ahead and colored the edge of the grid before I stuck it down on the first page of my Bible.

Second, how to avoid the ugly black lines...

Solution: You can see on these next two pictures, I hung the colored grid over the edge about 1/8". That is helpful because I colored the backside of the grid as well .... and then I added a partial grid to the last page... now I can "eyeball" it fairly easily.  And too, I now fold the tabs over so that they stick out from the page more "tab" like ... about 1/16".  WAY BETTER.

OH!  the colored edges of these pages are the actual edges of this particular Bible, I didn't add that.  It is the Wayfinding Bible that has its own ways of studying which also involves color.

Back page:

Next, I used my Silhouette to cut over 1000 arrows into a solid sheet of label paper and then used the same markers, that I used for the index, to color them.  (I know, the coloring is awful, but it makes ZERO difference to each individual arrow.)

I then stuck those to the front page, opposite from the grid, ready to use... no more looking for the right pen!

OH! And I used the grid, instead of just normal lines, because I can add tabs to the tops and/or bottoms of the pages if I run out of space on the sides.


I have a FREE DOT Grid that I shared back in March 2012 that you can use for the index if you would like. Just click this text to get to that link.







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Psalm 139:13-16 ... Before I Was Born

Psalm 139:13-16English Standard Version (ESV)

13 For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[a]
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.