Art by Debbie Saenz

Mod Podge Monday: Girl's Monogrammed Box, So Sweet!

Last week I featured Treasure Boxes I made for my nephews. This week, I want to show you the sweet box I made for, Isabella, my little neice. Sparkle Mod Podge is one of my favorite formulas!

I'm now selling these adorable boxes in my Etsy Shoppe.

Mod Podge Monday: Treasure Boxes

This year, my nephews and (one of my nieces) got special little treasure boxes as their Christmas gifts from our family.

I always make some kind of handmade gift...so this year, treasure boxes it was! An heirloom they can treasure forever. They were so much fun to make too, once I finally settled on my idea. And of course, Mod Podge all the way!

Gifts for boys always baffle me. I can think of a million things to make for little girls, but these boxes ended up being a real hit with my nephews. Whew! now I need to get my brain in gear for next year!

I transformed simple wooden boxes into something special!

I filled each one with chocolate coin candy along with a little toy.

Since these boxes were such a hit with my nephews...which range from toddler to pre-teen, I thought, other little boys might like to have their own personallized treasure boxes too! Easy enough...these special boxes are now available in my Etsy Shoppe as a custom order! 

Linking up with:

Skip to my Lou

 

Mod Podge Monday: Sparkly Winter Gift Box with Matching Necklace

Whew! last week was a whirlwind. I was working on Mod Podge projects for Plaid's booth for the winter CHA show which will be in Anaheim CA this year. I saw the pre set-up booth and WOW! it's going to be awesome...and oh how I wish I were going! I can't show you my projects just yet, but very soon!

Here's a project I created some time ago... and since it's been soooo cold here in Atlanta, I thought this wintery box and snowflake necklace would be great to feature for Mod Podge Moday! 

Have you ever used Sparkle Mod Podge? If not, you've got to give it a try...there's something...well...so...sparkly about it. I know I've said this before, but I love to use it on "girly" projects. 

I designed this cute little Winter box using Sparkle Mod Podge. Snowflakes must have sparkle, right? And, notice the doilies?

Have you ever thought about Mod Podged jewelry? Well, here it is! I created a necklace using wood snowflake cutouts. Drilled some holes, doctored them up with some paint and Mod Podge, added jump rings, beads and chain. Ta-da! Aww, the variations are limitless! 

You can get my complete instructions here:

Download Sparkly Winter Gift Box with Matching Snowflake Necklace

Also, just a reminder, Shannon's fundraiser ends this Wednesday, the 18th. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can read about it in my last post here.

I think I'm gonna go grab a cup of hot tea and warm up by the fireplace! 

Linking up with:

Skip to my Lou

sumo's sweet stuff

My Heart is Moved...Her Name is Shannon...and there is Hope!

Last week I met a beautiful family, the Shpak family, who's hearts long to bring their little girl home. Shannon is living in an orphanage in Bulgaria. Money is the only thing that stands between her and her family. Sad.   

My heart was moved to help...I donated one of my art prints for a fundraiser, which will run until January 18th, to help bring this precious child home to her family. Myself, along with many others, donated handcrafted items to help raise the remaining money for Shannon's adoption through Reece's Rainbow. 

Isn't she beautiful? I love her bright and beautiful smile. Shannon is a Special Needs little girl with Down Syndrome.

There is more to this family's story! Ethan was adopted a year ago. He has Down's Syndrome and a complicated Esophageal Atresia with no hospital that can repair it. He's been to three so far. They are racing against time to try to get him to Boston where they have the only EA/TEF clinic in the world!  

 He's adorable and enveloped in the loving hands of his siblings; but sadly, Ethan's condition has deteriorated since this photo. It's been a long and hard road.

To follow the Shpak family's adoption journey and to participate in Shannon's fundraiser go to:

Faith Set Free

You can find out more about Ethan's story at:

 Little Wonders. 

 

I have donated a print of my Hope painting mounted on wood towards Shannon's fundraiser. I sell these in my Etsy Shoppe.

ok, I know this is not one of my typical "Mod Podge Monday" posts, but hey, it kinda works since I use Mod Podge to mount my prints on wood :) 

Please pray for this family and if your heart is led, allow God to use you by helping them financially...there is Hope and a Future for this little girl...and her brother!

 

New Painting...Captivated!

I pray each of you had a beautiful and very Merry Christmas celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! 

I can't believe how long it's been since I last wrote a post...yes, the busyness of the season got the best of me, leaving me with no time to tend to blogging about my creative life! But boy, let me tell you, I was like a little elf, working non-stop on so many handmade gifts. As the weeks go by, I'll share what I made. 

But for now, I want to share a mixed-media painting that I recently finished. It's titled "Captivated" and that is my heart's desire for 2012...To be Captivated more and more by the amazing love of Jesus! and I long for His love to spill out into every area of my life with more and more fervency! Oh yes Jesus! sanctify me in Your truth, Your word is truth...John 17:17. This is my heart's prayer for 2012, what's yours?

I created a background with hand written prayers, printed scripture. hymnal pages, and even a few Bible pages.

I added color and used lots of different techniques to create the mood I wanted, then I painted over that with the figure of a women on her knees, worshipping and reaching for more of what her heart longs for...she is captivated! 

My heart longs to be completely captivated by His love - I hope yours does too? 

Happy New Year!

Ps...One of my Christmas gifts this year was a flatbed scanner and also a photo printer! Yea!! I'm so excited. Now I will be able to offer prints of my larger paintings in my Etsy Shoppe. I'll let you know as soon as they're available! : ) 

Linking up with my friend Jennifer at:

 and

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