As I've been on a monster kick lately
(
),
Thursday, December 1, 2011
festive bird
),
Monday, November 7, 2011
work bird: a time of politics, violence, and bubble gum
Catch the Fawkeses for us, the little Fawkeses that are ruining...Parliament.
For my library Costume Party Program, the teens requested that we celebrate Guy Fawkes Day, as the program was on November 4th, which is close enough.
Because we cannot burn effigies in or on the library grounds (nope, sorry teens! not even in the dumpster), my alternative was to create a Guy Fawkes piñata. Since teens are generally endowed with super-human strength, unlike toddlers, I decided to make four small piñatas rather than make one large Guy.
For my library Costume Party Program, the teens requested that we celebrate Guy Fawkes Day, as the program was on November 4th, which is close enough.
Because we cannot burn effigies in or on the library grounds (nope, sorry teens! not even in the dumpster), my alternative was to create a Guy Fawkes piñata. Since teens are generally endowed with super-human strength, unlike toddlers, I decided to make four small piñatas rather than make one large Guy.
Toilet paper rolls and balloons make fat little Fawkeses.
By Friday morning, two Fawkeses were not yet dry, so my brilliant mother suggested that we bake them in the oven for a while. It was a bit startling because the heat popped the balloons.
I painted them black while working at the front desk (multitasking!). A patron asked me if I was making Tar Babies.
I made the hats and Daniel D. assisted by making the capes. Several teens asked me why I had V for Vendetta dolls.
The Fawkes hunt is over! (heh)
Let the bashing begin!
The British teens were the most enthusiastic about hitting the Guy.
Oh, the carnage!!!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
thirty-sixth bird
Make a haiku about something that happened today. Bonus: illustrate it!
OK.
Dear autumn colors
when will you be found outside
as well as inside?
OK.
Dear autumn colors
when will you be found outside
as well as inside?
Monday, October 17, 2011
sickly bird
What to do when not feeling great?
Draw lines, of course!
I know, I know. Lines in different colors. So creative!
Draw lines, of course!
I know, I know. Lines in different colors. So creative!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
walrus bird
The gist is that someone said they would hate to be a walrus, because of being monstrously fat and only having two tiny flippers for propulsion. Someone else noted that walruses are tremendously graceful in the water. Or, in space.
Hence:
Behold the graceful space walrus!
Hence:
Behold the graceful space walrus!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
it takes some time to realize reality sometimes
Arrogance is deadly. This is my realization of the day. I've realized it before, but I tend to forget what I find painful, especially if this is a pain that requires me to change. I don't generally like myself, but at least I'm familiar, right?
Ps 119: 65-72: Do good to Your servant according to Your word, O LORD. Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in Your commands. Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your word. You are good, and what You do is good; teach me You decrees. Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep Your precepts with all my heart. Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in Your law. It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn Your decrees. The law from Your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.
Here's the trick: the arrogant that smear me with lies can be other people, but, more often than not, is me. I smear myself with lies.
The filth I've been smearing myself with lately has been several connected topics:
--I need to do whatever it takes to make sure people like me.
--People don't like me.
--Trying to get people to like me is humility and service.
--Low self-esteem isn't low self-esteem; it's clear thinking.
--I can do things for myself that aren't ungodly, and this focus on myself will not be ungodly because the actions themselves are not ungodly.
Low self-esteem is arrogance. I know we know this, but do we believe it? Do we act on it? Do we change because of this knowledge?
Does it hurt when people are cruel or selfish or thoughtless or really and truly don't like me? Yes. Do I wonder with just about every single person I know? Yes. Do I see my identity in what others think about me? Yes. Is this behavior ungodly? Absolutely.
Did you ever stop to think that God might let us feel massively insecure because we've chosen to focus on ourselves, chosen to make ourselves miserable, chosen to find ourselves without Him? I have inflicted acute misery on myself by being obsessed with myself and, therefore, with what everyone else thinks of me. If I obsessed over what everyone thought of me and God didn't let me be miserable, this would mean that He no longer loved me, that He had abandoned me to my own way, that He had disowned me. The revelation of my sin is not so that I'll feel worse about myself, but is the love of a disciplining Father who wants me to know His goodness, His way, His love. But I have to cling to Him. I have to follow Him. I have to conform myself to Him. I have to be identified in Him and Him alone. Otherwise, I've just gained some useless information that I refuse to apply to real life.
So, I've got to change, or abandon the way of God. I can't stay the same and go where God is going. I can't. Sometimes we like to think that, as long as we've realized what our sin is, we're ok. God will still let us come along. But, He wants us to change. When He shows us what we need to change, He really means it. And we can't go any further with Him until we do. The discipline of God is love. The discipline of God is good. And the discipline of God is painful.
Sometimes we think that if we give everything to God that He'll take away all of the things we love, the things we like about ourselves, our personalities, our quirks, our dreams and desires, and will leave us hollow little goody two-shoes cookie cutter Christians. But He says that in Him we have our being, we have our existence and our identity. We are ourselves as He intended. If God created me full of quirks and weird humor, why would He take that away from me when I submitted to Him? Would He not perfect me in His image, removing the things that are unlike Him? Would He not make me more useful, more myself because I'm more like Him? People free in God are the most fun you can have in a room because they only care about what God thinks, so they're going to be themselves and do what they were created to do as God intended them to be and do before God and men to the glory of God.
At the same token, how much of your self is God worthy of? Where do we draw the line? Where do we decide to stop giving God what He is asking of us because He is asking too much and we're too valuable? What if God demanded everything and never gave any of it back to me? Would He not still be good? Would He not still only do good? Goodness is defined by God. God doesn't do good things, God does things and they are good because He does them. Do I trust that? Do I trust Him enough to give Him everything and know that whatever He does is right and best and the only possible good?
I do not define myself. You don't define me, either. Only God knows who I am, and I only become who I am when I know God and am known by God and am completely owned by God.
My confession to you is that I sought your approval through this blog. Like me. Like what I make. Like me because you like what I make. Think more highly of me because you think highly of what I make. There can't possibly be any harm or sin in some little arts and crafts, right?
This is not only foolish, but completely arrogant and ungodly.
The point of this whole blog is going to change. The content may not change much, but the glory, if any is to be found, is for God and to God and to God only.
The challenge I bring before you is to find out who you are in God. Otherwise, you'll be miserable. Otherwise, you'll be uncertain. Otherwise, you'll live your life striving and striving to get something without God that He would love to just give you.
Because He loves you.
Because He wants to for His own.
Because He made you on purpose.
Because He made you for a purpose, and walking in that purpose is pure and overwhelming joy.
If I'm afraid of looking stupid, I'm afraid of the wrong things. I'm looking to the wrong people and I'm going to lose.
Ps 119: 65-72: Do good to Your servant according to Your word, O LORD. Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in Your commands. Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your word. You are good, and what You do is good; teach me You decrees. Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep Your precepts with all my heart. Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in Your law. It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn Your decrees. The law from Your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.
Here's the trick: the arrogant that smear me with lies can be other people, but, more often than not, is me. I smear myself with lies.
The filth I've been smearing myself with lately has been several connected topics:
--I need to do whatever it takes to make sure people like me.
--People don't like me.
--Trying to get people to like me is humility and service.
--Low self-esteem isn't low self-esteem; it's clear thinking.
--I can do things for myself that aren't ungodly, and this focus on myself will not be ungodly because the actions themselves are not ungodly.
Low self-esteem is arrogance. I know we know this, but do we believe it? Do we act on it? Do we change because of this knowledge?
Does it hurt when people are cruel or selfish or thoughtless or really and truly don't like me? Yes. Do I wonder with just about every single person I know? Yes. Do I see my identity in what others think about me? Yes. Is this behavior ungodly? Absolutely.
Did you ever stop to think that God might let us feel massively insecure because we've chosen to focus on ourselves, chosen to make ourselves miserable, chosen to find ourselves without Him? I have inflicted acute misery on myself by being obsessed with myself and, therefore, with what everyone else thinks of me. If I obsessed over what everyone thought of me and God didn't let me be miserable, this would mean that He no longer loved me, that He had abandoned me to my own way, that He had disowned me. The revelation of my sin is not so that I'll feel worse about myself, but is the love of a disciplining Father who wants me to know His goodness, His way, His love. But I have to cling to Him. I have to follow Him. I have to conform myself to Him. I have to be identified in Him and Him alone. Otherwise, I've just gained some useless information that I refuse to apply to real life.
So, I've got to change, or abandon the way of God. I can't stay the same and go where God is going. I can't. Sometimes we like to think that, as long as we've realized what our sin is, we're ok. God will still let us come along. But, He wants us to change. When He shows us what we need to change, He really means it. And we can't go any further with Him until we do. The discipline of God is love. The discipline of God is good. And the discipline of God is painful.
Sometimes we think that if we give everything to God that He'll take away all of the things we love, the things we like about ourselves, our personalities, our quirks, our dreams and desires, and will leave us hollow little goody two-shoes cookie cutter Christians. But He says that in Him we have our being, we have our existence and our identity. We are ourselves as He intended. If God created me full of quirks and weird humor, why would He take that away from me when I submitted to Him? Would He not perfect me in His image, removing the things that are unlike Him? Would He not make me more useful, more myself because I'm more like Him? People free in God are the most fun you can have in a room because they only care about what God thinks, so they're going to be themselves and do what they were created to do as God intended them to be and do before God and men to the glory of God.
At the same token, how much of your self is God worthy of? Where do we draw the line? Where do we decide to stop giving God what He is asking of us because He is asking too much and we're too valuable? What if God demanded everything and never gave any of it back to me? Would He not still be good? Would He not still only do good? Goodness is defined by God. God doesn't do good things, God does things and they are good because He does them. Do I trust that? Do I trust Him enough to give Him everything and know that whatever He does is right and best and the only possible good?
I do not define myself. You don't define me, either. Only God knows who I am, and I only become who I am when I know God and am known by God and am completely owned by God.
My confession to you is that I sought your approval through this blog. Like me. Like what I make. Like me because you like what I make. Think more highly of me because you think highly of what I make. There can't possibly be any harm or sin in some little arts and crafts, right?
This is not only foolish, but completely arrogant and ungodly.
The point of this whole blog is going to change. The content may not change much, but the glory, if any is to be found, is for God and to God and to God only.
The challenge I bring before you is to find out who you are in God. Otherwise, you'll be miserable. Otherwise, you'll be uncertain. Otherwise, you'll live your life striving and striving to get something without God that He would love to just give you.
Because He loves you.
Because He wants to for His own.
Because He made you on purpose.
Because He made you for a purpose, and walking in that purpose is pure and overwhelming joy.
If I'm afraid of looking stupid, I'm afraid of the wrong things. I'm looking to the wrong people and I'm going to lose.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
thirty-fifth bird
Make something using staples or your stapler.
I considered making my stapler into a monster, but I didn't just want to glue googly eyes on it and I didn't have time to get that messy (painty), so I decided to make staple jewelry.
This probably won't take off as a style because it is rather poky.
I considered making my stapler into a monster, but I didn't just want to glue googly eyes on it and I didn't have time to get that messy (painty), so I decided to make staple jewelry.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
thirty-fourth bird
Take something old and make it look new.
This is a 1979 edition of The Elements of Style by Strunk and White.
The Elements of Style was originally written by a dude named William Strunk, Jr. in 1918 and was specifically written for students at Cornell University.
Strunk taught lots of folks, including a dude named E.B. White.
E.B. White, by the way, is the author of Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, and The Trumpet of the Swan, all of which are tremendously lovely.
In 1959, MacMillan and Co. commissioned White to revise The Elements of Style. He modernized and expanded it, and today it is informally known as "Strunk & White."
Since the book is so old, and since it was on the freebie table at work, I decided to make it a brand new cover.
Which I did in about half an hour.
I really think it shows...
This is a 1979 edition of The Elements of Style by Strunk and White.
The Elements of Style was originally written by a dude named William Strunk, Jr. in 1918 and was specifically written for students at Cornell University.
 |
| William Strunk, Jr. |
Strunk taught lots of folks, including a dude named E.B. White.
 |
| E.B. White |
E.B. White, by the way, is the author of Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, and The Trumpet of the Swan, all of which are tremendously lovely.
In 1959, MacMillan and Co. commissioned White to revise The Elements of Style. He modernized and expanded it, and today it is informally known as "Strunk & White."
Since the book is so old, and since it was on the freebie table at work, I decided to make it a brand new cover.
Which I did in about half an hour.
I really think it shows...
Monday, September 12, 2011
thirty-third bird
Make something that would not normal be considered cute and cuddly into something that is.
Rocks are not usually cute and cuddly, right?
My mom and I decorated rocks for Chris's happy graduation party. Because he is a geologist. Also, because rocks with googly eyes are tremendously charming. Also, cute. And potentially cuddly.
Rocks are not usually cute and cuddly, right?
My mom and I decorated rocks for Chris's happy graduation party. Because he is a geologist. Also, because rocks with googly eyes are tremendously charming. Also, cute. And potentially cuddly.
Monday, September 5, 2011
thirty-second bird
Create instructions that others can use to make something and then have someone try it.
I pondered a good bit about what sorts of instructions I could make. Activities at which I excel: making messes, making excuses, being busy. I thought about other crafts I've already made, but I've included instructions for a lot of those, and I didn't want to repeat myself. Because, that sort of feels like cheating. If I'm going to be lazy/excuse-y, I want to do it honestly.
After much pondering about what I'm good at, as well as some asking Chris for ideas ("Write instructions on how to run a library section." "That's a very long, involved, and slightly wibbly-wobbly process."), I settled on something very dear to my heart: relationships.
I want to challenge you all to try this (at your own risk).
And now you know...
I pondered a good bit about what sorts of instructions I could make. Activities at which I excel: making messes, making excuses, being busy. I thought about other crafts I've already made, but I've included instructions for a lot of those, and I didn't want to repeat myself. Because, that sort of feels like cheating. If I'm going to be lazy/excuse-y, I want to do it honestly.
After much pondering about what I'm good at, as well as some asking Chris for ideas ("Write instructions on how to run a library section." "That's a very long, involved, and slightly wibbly-wobbly process."), I settled on something very dear to my heart: relationships.
I want to challenge you all to try this (at your own risk).
Monday, August 29, 2011
thirty-first bird
Day 31: Make something with wire.
Well, it just so happens that I have done this very thing!
My awesome friend Jordan had a birthday party in which costumes were (basically) mandatory. And not just any costumes! Super costumes.
Chris and I decided to attend as the epic The Tick and his sidekick Arthur.
Since these costumes are not in high demand amongst the loyal patronage of our local Walmart, we made them.
Well, I made them...
(Sorry, Chris. You've been outed.)
This picture was taken by the fabulous Josie! It was stolen with permission.
And here are the original supers:
I think I did pretty well!
And, here is the part of the costume that qualifies this not only as a wire project, but also as an official bird post:
I made these wings. With wire. Also, paper. (And glue, ribbon, and packing tape.)
Just in case you're wondering: I also made Chris's mask out of a pair of blue shorts and some pipe cleaners; my mask out of a small girl's tank top, wire, and ribbon; and our bug eye goggles out of Walmart sunglasses and plastic cross stitch sheets.
I'll leave you with this:
Well, it just so happens that I have done this very thing!
My awesome friend Jordan had a birthday party in which costumes were (basically) mandatory. And not just any costumes! Super costumes.
Chris and I decided to attend as the epic The Tick and his sidekick Arthur.
Since these costumes are not in high demand amongst the loyal patronage of our local Walmart, we made them.
Well, I made them...
(Sorry, Chris. You've been outed.)
This picture was taken by the fabulous Josie! It was stolen with permission.
And here are the original supers:
I think I did pretty well!
And, here is the part of the costume that qualifies this not only as a wire project, but also as an official bird post:
I made these wings. With wire. Also, paper. (And glue, ribbon, and packing tape.)
Just in case you're wondering: I also made Chris's mask out of a pair of blue shorts and some pipe cleaners; my mask out of a small girl's tank top, wire, and ribbon; and our bug eye goggles out of Walmart sunglasses and plastic cross stitch sheets.
I'll leave you with this:
old feathers
Once upon a time, I had a fit of creative energy and I started messing around with appliqué. Then, I stopped.
I really liked appliqué. I just stopped when I got really busy, and never started again.
Are you seeing a pattern?
Anyway, I found the pictures the other day, had an "Oh, yeah!" moment, and decided to post them. Because, I know you totally want to see every art/craft project I've ever done. I see the eager greed in your eyes.
And, there you go!
Update: Why? Why is there highlighting? WHY?
I really liked appliqué. I just stopped when I got really busy, and never started again.
Are you seeing a pattern?
Anyway, I found the pictures the other day, had an "Oh, yeah!" moment, and decided to post them. Because, I know you totally want to see every art/craft project I've ever done. I see the eager greed in your eyes.
And, there you go!
Update: Why? Why is there highlighting? WHY?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)