March has kept me hopping- in more than one place... I've been kept busy in our last weeks of Florida living by catching up on all the projects I brought from Indiana so I can tote them all back north with me and get started on teaching Sunday School again on Easter Sunday. I've come up with a way to involve the kids in learning about missions by using the "Flat Stanley" idea into a "Flat JESUS". Some years back, I was asked to do a Flat Stanley for a Nephew (on our Dixon side). I decided using just plain paper wasn't going to cut it for this special boy... so I sewed up a soft Stanley that was even complete with a suitcase and pajamas for his overnight trips with us everywhere we went. I took that idea into manipulating the JESUS figures I am using in our K/1st Classroom and made him into an iron-on which I then sewed together with some Pellum in between for a bit of firmness. Ta-da: a soft, 6-inch JESUS who can go along everywhere and we'll add the photos to the huge maps (3 of the World, USA, Indiana, and one of our own County and City) as everyone posts them onto Instagram. Hopefully, the Parents and Congregation will help out by posting the hashtags/photos on their pages where we can find them, print them out, and add them to the huge maps on the wall. The kids will hopefully begin to understand that our example of JESUS goes with us everywhere and it's part of helping to "go into the world and preach the Gospel to all the nations" and that JESUS is with them everywhere they go. I made a larger 12 inch to keep in the classroom, too. I get so busy; I lose track of the days and dates and Pi Day was half over before I realized it was March 14th: Hunni Pi's special day. I miss her dearly every single day.
With only one week left to enjoy the bloom Azaleas, warm beach, waves, and sunshine... an emergency popped up on the younger Kids up in New York. They were facing a rough time and flying Memaw up to help was asked- and urgently granted. While the older Grandbabies in Indiana were having some warmer days with sunshine (enough to open up their playhouse again for the year and Princess Chloe to sport a new Princess Dress for the summer coming up) ... I left balmy 70* (at 5am) Florida and found myself on a plane (crowded with Spring Breakers) headed up to 30* snowy (with more on the way) New York. But the cold is worth the fun of dodging snowballs Pecan threw at me -through the front door glass :) - and the belly-button giggles, warm hugs, and kisses from Princess Rose at 19 months. I'll fly back to Florida on Friday, pack up the house till the next visit, drive back to Indiana and spend part of that week with Peanut and Princess before heading back up to New York again. And so, 2024 continues.... God willing!
I was late getting my project blogged due to the emergency and flying out so quickly, so my apologies if this posting comes out a bit later than usual for The Funkie Junkie Boutique's blog, Inspiration Ave.
(THANK YOU, Linda, for being so flexible with the Design Team whenever "life" happens!) It's all coming along- but the younger Kids will need some prayers along the way. :') The newest theme for Inspiration Ave is out and it's one of the sweetest days of the year for this one: "Easter Joy"! There are so many different ways- as well as many different craft items- to craft something for this special holiday- and I'm up first with my take on this. I'm keeping to the heart of it with my double-sided tag I've titled HOPE. Scroll down with me and I'll show you how this Etcetera Tag came together.
Let's start with the handy list of LINKS for you to find what I've used here:
Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Blending Solution
I tore off the handles from a grocery brown paper sack to use them for the cross.
I trimmed them off, embossed them with Crackle Folder with Black Soot Oxide, and then used
some Oxide Ground Espresso Ink to age them.
I covered the inside heart from the Etcetera shape and after some sanding down,
inked it with Oxide in Ground Espresso.
My ChiefHubby found the cement nails for me- they were smaller and fit just right.
The rust is real since these nails were probably in the storage area for quite some time.
I chose some Backdrops from different TH Volumes 1, 4, and 5 packets of paperie
to cover my Etcetera pieces. Names for those in The Book of Life
and an old receipt for payments that stood for "the cost" of life.
I added some stitching from my sewing machine after fussy-tearing and inking.
Each piece got some edging in the newest Scorched Timber Distress Crayon.
I needed some rays of light, and the TH Snowfall Paste- wich a little added Oxide
Squeezed Lemonade mixed in- added just the right amount of soft sparkle.
I gave these a couple of coats of paint each.
Then chose to use some Amythyst Alcohol Ink to bring out more of the purple in the Backdrop sheet.
I used some VERY OLD Rock Candy Crackle Paste for a few cracks on the white paint.
then distressed it with some Distress Crayons on a water brush before putting it together.
Some seldom-used TH IdeaOlogy Bouquet:
I peeled it apart to arrange it how I wanted.
Distressing the Salvaged Rabbit...
I LOVE how Tim brought these back again for 2024!!
Some newer TH Word Tags along with older Heart Charms on a couple of TH Jump Rings
helped the ribbons of color with sentiment.
The ribbons were all Freebies from The Funkie Junkie Boutique!
Here's the HOPE Tag I ened up with:
FRONT
The perfect sentiment for this Tag came from TH Quote Chip Labels.
BACK
The IdeaOlogy Salvaged Rabbits are sooo cute!
(So are chocolate bunnies, but I won't go there...)
The tiny BIBLE is a make I did last fall while making tiny books for another TFJB project.
in celebrating our "Joyful Easter" theme at
Don't forget to pop back in every couple of days so you can enjoy
the rest of our great Design Team's take on this latest theme from
Wishing you a very HAPPY EASTER.
with all the BLESSINGS,
great and small!
Until next time...
Stay Safe &
HAPPY BLOGGING!!
