Christmas Illos

A couple of sketches inspired by our Scripture readings the last two weeks at church. We've been camped out in Luke 2.

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told." 

- Luke 2:8-20

Christmas Shoeboxes

Some of the OCC boxes collected at BCM.

At our house we follow the rule of no-Christmas-stuff-until-the-day-after-Thanksgiving, but there is one big exception. Operation Christmas Child. click here to read more about it. Basically, you pick a gender/age group (2-4, 5-9, 10-14 & boy or girl) and fill a box with all sorts of things from hygiene items to school supplies to toys. The boxes are then collected and shipped around the world to kids in need. I think this is our 4th or 5th year participating, and we always have lots of fun with it. Mom & I usually go shopping for the boxes together and have fun picking out stuff. I enjoy it because I get to pick out school supplies (some of my favorite things!) and buy toys, which I normally don't get to do because I'm the youngest in my immediate family. There's also the fun challenge of seeing just how much stuff you can get in that one little shoebox!

All the stuff to go in the boxes! I chose to do 2 boxes: one for a boy & one for a girl, both 10-14.

With the help of Pinterest, I made up
a little fishing kit for my 10-14 yr old
boy box.

I put in a custom note for my kids.
Maybe one of them will write me back.
Find a similar template HERE.

This year I found even more ideas of what to put in the boxes thanks to Pinterest - if you search for 'Operation Christmas Child' it comes up with all kinds of stuff. I also ran across this blog Clip with a Purpose that has the motherload of ideas and info about what to put in the boxes, as well as tips for buying stuff year-round (when it's on sale) so you can get even more stuff to put in the boxes! I will definitely be doing that this coming year. Of course it's awesome to know that somewhere the box I pack is going to make some kid's day. This will be the third year I've put special tracking labels on our boxes, and I can't wait to see where they end up this year. Last year our boxes went to the Dem. Republic of Congo, and the year before that they ended up in Ukraine!

If you've never participated in Operation Christmas Child, I encourage you to do it in 2014. It's easy and super fun, and it blesses a child who really needs it!

Ready to go shoeboxes! Where will they end up?!

The Wingfeather Saga Trunk

Board to explain what my trunk was,
since most people wouldn't be familiar
with the theme.

Warning: long post!

Also: Click on the pictures to make them bigger!

I haven't posted anything for a while because I've been feverishly working on my trunk decorations and costume for my church's annual Trunk or Treat. As usual, my OCD-crafty-self got somewhat carried away, but the results were, as my friend Jess would say, EPIC. Not to mention a fitting fan art tribute to one of my favorite book series: The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson. (Peterson is also my favorite musician, but I'll save that story for another post). For several years now I have wanted to do a trunk inspired by the Wingfeather Saga, but I could never figure out how to do it. Turns out I was over thinking it, making it too complicated. So I simplified, and finally came up with something wonderful and doable.

The pic to the left is actual what started the whole idea spinning in my head (aside from loving the books). I always find the fact that Leeli's grandfather Podo carves her a crutch that says "LIZARDKICKER" in book 1 highly amusing. Basically, I wanted to find an excuse to dress up as Leeli so I could walk around with a crutch that said "Lizardkicker." Hence, the need to design a trunk around it! (Trunk or treat is kind of the only legitimate excuse I have left for dressing up in costume.) Though it was one of the last pieces I finished, you can see in the pic that I indeed created the infamous crutch. I used my Cricut to cut the letters out of vinyl, then stuck them on an old crutch we had stowed away in the garage. 

The rest of the idea came from rereading the books and taking copious notes about character and scene details, writing favorite quotes down, and then sketching out my idea in the notebook I use to design all of my trunks. 

Below are my original idea sketches for both the trunk and my Leeli costume: 

There were 3 main components to my trunk: the book poster, the sea dragons, and my costume. I started by using my notes to sketch out some of my favorite scenes, as well as some I thought might be intriguing to someone who had never read the books. I ended up with 11 sketches, plus a couple I had drawn a few months back. I drew in pencil, inked with my trusty sharpie pen, scanned into the computer & cleaned up, and then colored them using my favorite pastel settings in Painter. 

Here are just a few of my favorite sketches (click to make larger):

Left: The Sea Dragons and Nugget the Brave

Right: Janner and Tink opening the door in Anklejelly Manor

 Left: Leeli touching a seadragon

Right: Beneath the Moonbright Heavens (the saddest and most beautiful scene out of the 1st 3 books - I bawl like a baby every time.)

I had my mom print out the sketches, then I glued them onto a giant book poster I made out of matte board and posterboard. Then I added several of my favorite quotes from the books. 

Next came the sea dragons, which I made out of pool noodles, egg cartons, paint, construction paper, and lots of glue (hot glue melts pool noodles by the way!). Then I used my glimmer mist from my scrapbooking supplies to jazz them up. I used bricks and bailing wire to create rigs so that I could pose them in the 'sea' (the inside of my trunk draped in blue sheets). 

Two of the finished dragons:

For my costume, I got my wonderful amazing mom to help me (she is a much better seamstress than I am). She hemmed the sleeves of an old chemise for me, and made a mediaeval Russian style tunic with no pattern and next to no instructions (so I could wear it again the next time BK invites me to a SCA event.) Mom is also a potter, so I showed her the picture of Leeli's whistleharp from the back of one of the books - and she made that out of clay for me too. Like I said, she's amazing. I still have to tinker with it to see if I can get the whistle part to actually play, but it looks almost identical to the picture in the book!

I added a few little flairs of my own - I made a pin of the Annieran seal. I was originally going to use it to pin my cloak, but alas, I ran out of time and the cloak had to go. So I pinned it to my belt instead. I also borrowed a stuffed dog (for Nugget) from some friends and placed it on a stool with the actual books. It's all about the details. 

 

In the end it all came together and looked absolutley fabulous. It took a ton of work and more than a few late nights, but as usual it was just another typical project for me. Once I get going on an idea I don't stop. These books are wonderful, and I hope you'll look into reading them. You can find out more info and get the books at http://wingfeathersaga.com. Nothing more to say than to show off the finished trunk, so here it is:

Sketches from Scripture

Tonight at BCM Rose was talking about John 10:7-10 and Jesus being the gate. It reminded me of a sketch I did a few months back about the same verse when my pastor was preaching on the same set of verses. I've done several sketches over time inspired by scripture, so I thought I'd share some of them. I just finished scanning some that have been in my sketchbooks for a while, and I was surprised just how many there were! Some of them I drew during sermons. *gasp* I never thought I'd do that! One of my professors in college said he always did that and I used to think he was crazy. It's just not something I ever thought I would do - I raised or taught, if you will, that during the sermon you're suppose to sit and listen and do nothing else. I've found, however, that it helps me remember later on the story or the point of the message, which is pretty cool.

So below are a smattering of pencil sketches and fully finished art I've done over the last several years. Hopefully if you click on them the images will get bigger. 

Sometimes they're funny, like these two: 

Left: The whale slurping up Jonah              

Right: In Exodus 32, when Moses comes down from the mountain and Aaron had led the people in making the golden calf. It always sounded to me like Aaron was surprised and the calf just came out of nowhere. "It just . . .poof!"

 

I've tried to illustrate Psalm 23 and John 10 a few times. God as our shepherd. I like my cuddly sheep.

And some other well-known and lesser-known Bible stories:

Top Row: David with his slingshot; Hannah praying; the guy that Jesus healed after his friends lowered his through a roof

Middle: Mary Magdalene on Easter morning (left: at the sight of Jesus, right: telling Peter the news); I can't recall the Scripture for this one, but it's one of the stories where the guys are fishing, Jesus shows up on the beach, and Peter just jumps right out of the boat and swims to shore. I was trying to imagine all the weird looks his buddies must have given him. 

Bottom: Mary and Martha. I tried to capture the look on Mary's content face as she's listening to Jesus.

      

Some that don't necessarily have a 'story' behind them. 

Top: Matthew 6:25-34 (Do not worry); Isaiah 40:27-31 (run and not grow weary, soar on wings like eagles); caterpillar struggling to get out of his cocoon (dealing with troubles)

Middle: the widow who gave her last coin; a candle and a lighthouse from a message on being light

Bottom: from a message about service

    

 

Almost done! 2 more. These are 2 of my favorites: 

Exodus. Take off your shoes, for where you are standing is holy ground. A friend of mine once told me she takes her shoes of during praise & worship because of this verse. I often do the same now.

Inspired by the verses in Isaiah 6 when Isaiah sees the Lord.

Homemade Pizza Rolls

Yesterday I finally tried a Pinterest recipe I've been wanting to try - homemade Pizza Rolls! You can find the recipe here. Basically, you mix up the pizza goop for the filling, drop it onto wonton wrappers, fold/seal, and bake. I added more cheese than the recipe called for and also added some sausage. You could probably put whatever you want in them. The recipe said to put about a tablespoon in each one, but I couldn't seem to get them folded/sealed with that much in them. I used a heaping teaspoon amount instead. They cook up great, and are quite tasty! And certainly they have to be healthier than all the pre-fab junk that is in the store bought ones. I also discovered they freeze and reheat just fine! (About 55 seconds in the microwave, the same as the store-bought variety.) That pretty much sealed the deal for me! I will definitely be making more of these!

Bon appétit! 

The Wingfeather Saga - Round 1

The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson is one of my favorite book series. Find out about the series HERE. I just reread it in prep for doing some major sketches for my Trunk or Treat idea this year - working ahead for once! Here's a sketch of the three main characters (from left to right): Janner, Tink (aka Kalmar), and Leeli. The little black dog is Nugget. Each character is holding their gift from their father Esben - the first book, Esben's sketchbook, and a silver whistleharp.

And here's the seal of Anniera:

More to come later!

I've Got More Than One Home

I started writing this post a few weeks ago, then got busy and just now looked it over to finish it. 

Written 4/23/13:

Tonight was the last TNT (Tuesday Night Together) at the Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) on ISU's campus. The BCM is a mostly student-led organization that meets in an old house on the edge of ISU's campus here in Terre Haute. Each week, students from all the area colleges gather for a time of praise and worship, sharing, praying, and a message. Other times during the week there are Bible studies, and all kinds of events take place throughout the school year. Roger and Rose Bear oversee it all and inspire/encourage the students.

Standing in the presence of friends tonight, singing, listening to messages through song, skits, and testimony - and watching people get pied in the face to raise money for summer missions, I am reminded of why I so deeply love this place and these people. And what an unbelievable undeserved blessing Christ has bestowed on me by allowing me to be here. This place has been my lilly pad for almost 4 years now. Let me explain:

Author Anne Lamott describes her journey to faith in her book "Traveling Mercies" like this:

"My coming to faith did not start with a leap but rather a series of staggers from what seemed like one safe place to another. Like lilly pads, round and green, these places summoned and then held me up while I grew. Each prepared me for the next leaf on which I would land, and in this way I moved across the swamp of doubt and fear. When I look back at some of these early resting places . . . I can see how flimsy and indirect a path they made. Yet each step brought me closer to the verdant pad of faith on which I somehow stay afloat today." 

I feel like our journey once we come to faith is like that too, at least it has been for me. Jumping from lilly pad to lilly pad. Sometimes I fall off, sometimes I barely hang on, sometimes they slip from underneath me and I plunge head-first into the water. I could tell my whole faith journey using this lilly pads motif, but tonight I want to focus on just one. This one has comforted me, built me up, and helped me grow in ways I never dreamed possible. (Even though it took some nudging to get me to jump to it.)

That lilly pad is BCM.

I first heard about it from some guys at my church. They kept begging me to go, but since I went to school 3 hours away, I didn't see the point. (going there for one night, then vanishing for a couple months before I'd be able to go back again). When I moved home after graduation and took a job in town, I finally worked up the courage to try it out. At first it was awkward - Andrew and Isaac were the only people I knew. But the music was great, and it reminded me of my chapels back up in Huntington. I kept going back, and before long it became a second home.

Over the last four years, I have made so many friends, found a mentor in Roger, found a passion for leading worship with the travel team (and a passion for finding new ways to express music in worship). Rose and the summer missionaries inspire me with their service mindedness. They are both holy and hilarious, these Christ filled people. And cool enough to not care that there's a 26-year-old in there midst that already finished what they're in the middle of. 

There's a Christa Wells song called "You've Got a Home" that I love. I'm not entirely sure what Christa was actually getting at when she wrote this song, but for me, it will always and forevermore remind of the BCM. Here are the lyrics:

"Mountains melt into valleys and

you suddenly find yourself in shadowlands

where all of life seems out of your hands

don't think you've got no one left

Here's the key to my front door

I got a pillow if you lost yours

you got a seat at my table

you've got a home

Here's somebody who believes you

Let truth remind you 

you've always got a place to go to

you've got a home

Rain has come for all of us

pours out a different tune for everyone

there's rhythm and rhyme inside the dissonance

we'll listen for it side by side

Here's the key to my front door

I got a pillow if you lost yours

you got a seat at my table

you've got a home

Here's somebody who believes you

Let truth remind you 

you've always got a place to go to

you've got a home"

~ lyrics from "You've Got a Home" by Christa Wells, from the album 'Frame the Clouds'

Every word of that embodies the BCM. I know that no matter what I've got a home with these people, at this place. It was a lilly pad I struggled onto and found shelter on. For the first time in my life, I feel like I'm preparing to jump. I can feel the lilly pad shifting under me. I'm scared to death - I have no idea where the next pad is. but I feel like I'm being prepared to leave. I don't know if I'll get another year here, but I intend to enjoy it as long as I'm here. And I know when I do leave, it's always a safe place I can return to. And people who will be with me and cheer me on even after I'm gone. 

Late Night Cards

I took tonight off from work so I could go to my BF Erin's bridal shower this afternoon. The shower was from 2-4pm, which left the rest of the day/night to do whatever I pleased. I decided to make some agape cards (to hopefully sell eventually). Here's the first set: