Christmas Bell Necklace

 

One of my most favorite things about December is that I can pull out my advent calendars.  I LOVE advent calendars and have started a little collection of them, the girls love them as well and race around the house counting down the days until Christmas. 

One of my newest advent calendars is a train with large boxes to hold items and knew right away that I wanted to put something special each day in it not just a simple piece of candy.

Having very little money I knew I had to get creative and use things that I already have on hand. 

For the first day I thought about what a had on hand and knew that I wanted to use some of the jingle bells, nothing sounds like Christmas more then the ringing of a bell from Santa’s sleigh.

So I made each of my girls a jingle bell necklace.  It was really simple I simply took a bell put a jump ring around it and put it on a silver chain.  Of course ever necklace needs a card to sit on which gave me an opportunity to come up with a poem.

“Do You Hear What I Hear?

From This Christmas Bell

A Sound of Santa Cheer

From the Sleigh it Fell

Wear Around Your Neck

And Give a Little Ring

Keep Yourself in Check

For Presents He Will Bring.”

For those who want to use it for themselves I created an adobe file, each page includes two poems.  Just click HERE!

Don’t want to make your own you can purchase it from my etsy shop for $3.00, just click HERE.

And here they sit until the girls get home from school.

Messenger of Peace

I’m sure you have noticed that my blog isn’t my regular bold red, but has been changed to Purple.  I didn’t change it to purple because it is my favorite color (although it is one of them).  I changed it because we are nearing October which is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month and purple is the color that has been chosen to represent domestic violence.

As you may or may not now I am a survivor of Domestic Violence. Although I have been out of the relationship for nearly 10 years, it is still difficult to talk about and as a result I have been unsuccessful in starting any new relationships. For the month of October I am going to dedicate my blog to making others aware of domestic violence.  I plan to talk about my past and perhaps even retype some of my journal entries.  I hope to also have other survivors come forward and share some of their experiences.  I do this not to make others feel pity but to encourage others.  My hope is to also give others the resources that are needed if they are victims or know of victims.

To prepare for the month of October I have been designing a jewelry collection that I am naming Messenger of Peace.  Each item will carry the color purple and a silver dove.  The silver dove carries the color purple symbolizing as a messenger of domestic violence awareness and bringing peace to those who have been affected.  A portion of all proceeds will be donated to assist victims of domestic violence.  I have listed some items in my etsy store and will continue to create more throughout the month.

 

I know this topic can be difficult for many but this is an issue that needs to be stopped and needs not be ignored.  As most of my readers are women I hope that through the heart ache you read that you will feel the strength to empower each other.

Family Beehive Art Knock off

I grew up in Utah and as you may or may not know Utah is the Beehive state.  Throughout Utah you will can see beehive symbols in odd places, even the Utah Highway Patrol’s logo feature the beehive.  I like beehives, perhaps Utah rubbed off on me but there is just something so amazing about bees and their homes.(source)

On a recent trip to Deseret Books I saw this framed personal art.

Sadly, I couldn’t afford the $229 price tag, and then I remember a post at I Am Momma Hear Me Roar found HERE about getting cheap prints at Staples, by using the blueprint option, and thought and I can replicate this, for cheap.
I went to work and searched for a beehive image that I liked.

(source)

I didn’t want all the hoopla around it so I used my paint program and erased everything but the beehive.  I then went to The Graphic Fairy’s and found a bee image I liked (hind sight say’s I should have just used the bee’s in the original image, I think they kind of came out as looking like fly’s).
After I placed my bees where I liked them I went to Picnik and using tips from I Am Momma Hear Me Roar found HERE placed the final touches.  This was a gift for my brother so I but on his last name, the year he was married, and the little decoration underneath, the five bees represent my brother, his wife, and three sons.

I went to the Staples website and placed my order, within 10 minutes they called me back telling me that my order was ready, it was so quick.  This is what it looked like when I picked it up.

I took out my colored pencils and colored the beehive and bees yellow, and my vision was beginning to take place.

I then took wet black tea bags and rubbed them all over the paper, to make the paper not so white.

I had an old frame that the glass had broken out and had cardboard backing I originally planned on using a piece of extra white board that I had on hand but it wasn’t quite big enough.  Instead of buying a sheet of wood I decided to just use the cardboard, because I was trying to replicate a canvas look I wanted bubbles so I Mod Podged the paper directly onto the cardboard.
I still didn’t think that my paper was dark enough so I took some black acrylic paint and mixed it with my Mod Podge brushing it on top of the art work.  Once it dried I brushed on a few more layers of regular Mod Podge and framed it.

I am so happy with how this project came out.  My biggest regret?  Leaving it on the floor to dry, my mom’s dog walked on it and ripped a piece of the paper, whoops.  One reason I don’t have dogs. 
A break down on the pricing:
Printing                              $3.17 (tax included)       
Colored Pencils                   FREE (already had)                
Tea Bags                           $2.00                                
Picture Frame                      FREE (already had)                 
Mod Podge                         FREE (already had)           
GRAND TOTAL                  $5.17
Original Image                   $229.00                               
SAVINGS OF                  $223.83 
I saved a huge amount and even managed to make my image larger, BONUS!  I am so excited to give this to my brother and his family.   I originally planned on doing it for a family Christmas gift but I really couldn’t wait to make it.  Happy Birthday big brother.
I am linking this post to

and the parties found at the bottom of my page.