Everyone is born with creativity. But those people who appear to be super creative have a secret. They know that creativity has to be developed and exercised to come easily. I am on a quest to immerse myself in creativity of all kinds. I hope you will join me!

 I have this old three drawer dresser in my bedroom. It was handmade and I am the third generation to use it. When I got it, it was painted a color not naturally found on earth. I repainted yellow and white crackle. And of course, it needed beads.

 I replaced the pulls with some very inexpensive metal ones. Then I pulled out bead soup (my bead stash of leftovers and donations). First, beads got strung on a wire. Then the wire was wrapped around the drawer pull.  So easy, a preschooler could do it.


To add dangles, I cut a 10-inch length of wire, used pliers to made some bendies at the bottom, strung on some beads and wrapped a simple loop at the top. I cut another 8-inch wire, wrapped a simple loop at one end and wrapped the rest of the wire around the pull support.  I connected the loops and voila.

No two drawer pulls are alike.

It is absolutely atrocious technique for a beader, but I was interested in fast, cheap, and easy. The beading adds some fun additional visual interest, and that was my goal.

Not sure if Grandpa would be proud or cringe at his dresser.  I love it because it is a collaboration between us.

Take your Vitamin C and see what needs updating in your bedroom!

 I am not much for shopping. ...aka I really hate it.  However, there are a couple places I like to go to just look at the colorful, texturedy, I want it, how cool is that?, oooooooh yeah, visual party time.

I like Party City for that reason. The color in that store is so GOOD. And now, I have found Home Goods. If you don't have one, let me know if I should mourn or celebrate for you (it is a really tempting store).

Home Goods is a discount store and they don't stack the shelves with multiples of things. If you see something you want, you have to get it now. It won't be there when you come back. They merchandise by grouping things together so you can see the big picture. Prices are pretty good. And I don't see the things they sell everywhere else. That makes them able to have a huge variety of items in the store.

I can only allow myself to go once in awhile because I WANT EVERYTHING.

So, I took a few pics while I was there. Which of these things do you think went home with me today?

 There is a big peacock that makes the third leg on the back of this outdoor bench. Love it, very creative.

 Isn't this just begging for iced tea and a wrap around porch?

 Cute little patio set... in my color.

 Green wicker chaise. Just need a little pillow and a book.

This is wild and bold and green and won't go in everyone's house!

You might like the Home Goods blog if you are looking for inexpensive decorating ideas or follow home dec trends.

Home Goods is a good dose of Vitamin C!

It is still raining, but my journals finally dried.  Remember, I have umbrellas on the mind? It mixed around in my head and came out a journal.

Here is what I did. I started with a bound journal.

I took it to the scroll saw and cut the journal in the shape of half an umbrella.

I used Mod Podge and fabric to cover the front and the inside flaps of the journal. When it is open, it looks like an umbrella.

I did a little painting to show the umbrella sections and a ribbon trim.

Opened, a view of the inside.  Looks like an umbrella this way too.

It was screaming for a little bow of zebra ribbon at the top. I also added a long black ribbon at the bottom to look like the umbrella handle. You can use the ribbon/handle as a bookmark inside the journal if you need one.

Cute!

4. Cartoonish Umbrella
5. Table Centerpiece  Party Frosting

I have been working on an umbrella project and hoping I will be able to share tomorrow. Since it has been raining 40 days and 40 nights, my project just won't dry.

Really hoping the next thing on my mind isn't mold. It will be hard to make a project with it.

Take Your Vitamin C and think about umbrellas......

Ninth in the series, this bracelet uses two thin bangles. You could use any beads you like or have, as long as they are all the same diameter.  I have been saving these beads for something good. They look like turquoise M&Ms.

• 2 thin metal bangles
• 22  gauge wire
• beads
• wire cutters

Craft Hope.  Just ran across this web site and I LOVE it. These people see a need and do something about it. They have two current projects running. Take a look. maybe you can pitch in.  I am thinking hard about how to contribute.

Maybe a dose of Vitamin C would inspire...

Working with the Holy Spirit in Your Creativity

Today, I had the opportunity to spend time at the high school with a group of artists and art lovers discussing Christian Art.

Aak. I am not an artist so much, but those kids were!  I am also not an expert on the subject, but I talked about my own story and then we got into some good discussion. Made us all think. It was good.

The preparation for the presentation was a gift for me. It made me see all of the amazing things God has led me to in my art ministry. 

Several years ago, I visited an art ministry house in Grapevine, TX. It was a small house in an historic community that was so stinking cute. The artist owners decorated it very artsy. It made me want to move in immediately. They had classes, parties, bible studies, all kinds of great stuff going on. And I wanted to have one just like it. I felt God saying yes to an art ministry.  I waited and waited until finally I realized He gave me an art ministry of a different kind.

It has taken me to different locales and taught me many things. When I was preparing today and made a list of all the things I have been allowed to do in my art ministry, my eyes were opened. And I am very thankful!

Take Your Vitamin C!

The boss has assigned me a job this week. I will be organizing her ideas. I know, it does sound frightening. She keeps journals, idea books, notebooks galore, of ideas she finds everywhere. Ideas come from magazines, TV shows, stores, other people, the internet, and her scary little brain. Mostly, her ideas are in notebooks on pages like this. Perhaps you have something similar. Most fast brain people do.

Yes, you have heard of right brain and left brain people, but believe me, there are also fast brain people. Someday soon, I will give you a thorough intro to The Human PinBall and you will see.

So, the boss is the queen of ideas, but so not the queen of communication. She put this container in the doorway with a note on top that said, "do something with this." All of these notebooks are filled with ideas. In another room is a shelf that has several more. And we are not even talking about the ones currently in use. She has been at this some time.

I will comb through the books, toss out stupid ideas, and save the good ones.

After I steal the best ones. Oh. She wants me to.

In the spirit of organizing ideas, I think you should see this. It is apparently new, except that it looks pretty much like the 235323435 notebooks here already in the office.  The accessories look pretty interesting however. It amazes me how people come up with ideas to sell us what we already have and don't really need. Them = smart.  Us = broke...and wishing we were them.


And then, there is Pinterest. If you are not on Pinterest, you are way behind. Get with it.  Pinterest is an electronic idea book/bulletin board. They let you start your own boards, and pin onto them whatever you want to save or remember.

This is an example of one of our boards. You can add as many pins as you want.  Why you want a Pinterest account:

• You are lazy and can take other people's pins for your own. You don't even have to go looking.
• Each pin comes with a link to the website it came from. If you need the instructions or more info about the pinned pic, just click on the link at any time.
• You can follow trends by those people with nothing better to do  cool trend trackers.
• It takes no room on your bookshelf and doesn't break your toe when the boss put it in the doorway and you walk into it.
• You can get pics from everywhere and anywhere about anything and everything.
• I said so. Get one!

Here in the Detroit area, more than 500 churches have banded together in a program called E.A.C.H. Meaning Everyone a Chance to Hear, the program is about evangelism and service here in our own community. This is one of the most desperate areas of the country. Detroit needs what this program is about.

Service projects like mobile medical and dental, and programs to feed people are being manned by a variety of churches. Every church agreed to a certain amount of service hours and there have been all kinds of creative projects like building a house and giving it to a family, tutoring in downtown Detroit, and tons more.

Evangelically, we have all joined together  in prayer walks that have covered almost every neighborhood in SE Michigan, and in 2 Word Stories. Thousands of us have 2 word stories that we are sharing. I have seen yard signs, t-shirts, buttons, bumper stickers, and banners with 2 word stories. The stories reflect something about ourselves before we followed Jesus, and something about how our lives changes since following Him. They are stories of victory and joy, all with happy endings.

Whether you are actually in the garden having a party, or just pretending, these lights are fab! I painted a string of 25 big outdoor white lights with flowers, ladybugs and bumblebees.

 You need:

• a string of lights
• Folk Art Enamels Paints
• small brushes (a flat and a liner)

 Do this:
1. Decide what you want to paint on the bulbs. You might practice on paper a couple times if you need to.  Then freehand the designs onto the bulbs. I painted all sides of a bulb and then dangled it inside a glass until it dried. In some instances, like yellow and pink, I needed to either paint two coats, or one really thick coat.

Outlining in black covers a multitude of sins and makes your design pop out.

2. These paints require baking in the oven for permanence, but you can skip that step. When you plug the lights in and they get hot, it is just like baking in the oven!

You could make lights for any occasion. Princess lights with tiaras on them would be cute.  I am thinking about doing a set for my niece with her school colors and logo.  I am sure you will have lots of ideas.

Take your Vitamin C and see what happens!