Pumpkins!

I've always wanted to break away from the traditional jack-o'-lantern . Not that silly and scary faces aren't wonderful, but this Halloween weekend I felt like it was time to try something new. So I made a bird (cause birds are one of the only things I can cut out freehand). I think it turned out quite nicely. This weekend I am in love with our front porch.

Ben's B'day Exchange

Way back in December, Ben gave me one of the coolest b'day presents ever: 2 frames. One of them for me to keep, the other for me to make pretty and then give back to him.

Ben's picture looks like this:


Kind of creepy, also awesome.

I finished mine up and gave it to him in February, and it looks like this:


He used sheet music for "If You're Going to San Francisco" as his backdrop and he gave me a Key to Dicotyledons to make my art on. I added some dried flower petals, to go along with the flower theme. I think it worked out quite nicely.

Thanks Ben! Birthday presents that not only encourage, but FORCE the recipient to make things are the very best.

Banners are hip, right?

My banner phase started in November, while I was falling in love with Learning to Love You More. We all kept talking about assignment #63: Make an Encouraging Banner.

This first one is hard to see, but when Joel, Mel, and I all moved away from Bellingham, we made a banner for ourselves that said ADIOS. We also hosted a Talent Show which I think was enormously successful. It included hula hooping, a couple magic shows, ukulele playing, a burping of the ABC's, Brooke reading Miley Cyrus' Party in the USA as spoken word, and lots of songs. Joel, Ben, Mel, and I sang and danced to Hold on by Wilson Phillips. And I think this picture was taken while Josh stuffed two whole doughnuts in his mouth...


Ben gave this "Be Your Higher Self" banner to Joel and I when we moved. He'd been working on it for weeks, ever since we started talking about making encouraging banners. I feel honored to have it in my possession after knowing how carefully he cut out each of the letters. Also, it is a nice banner to wake up to every morning.


My mom made this one for my birthday! (I forgot to take a photo while it was still hanging up in the living room)


Miniature banners are cute, so I made this diorama for my sister for Christmas. I thought it turned out nicely. (Natz is her nickname)


Now I'm going to make one and hang it in a public space. Any ideas for what the banner should say?