Photo A Day Challenge - Day 10: One O'clock

The stars were out at one o'clock this morning...

...time for sleeping soundly...

 I'm sooooo glad I chose one in the MORNING.

We're in the middle of a heatwave

and I didn't have to go traipsing about during the day

looking for photo opportunities for this challenge.

It's actually two photographs I layered on-top of each other,

one of me (pretending) to sleep soundly

and the other of the night sky view from my bedroom window.

Something to think about:

Hope your day was joyful!

 

Faith, Hope & Love

2013

 A new year

...with new goals 
 ...and fresh ideas (here’s hoping).

My motto for 2013...

FAITH. HOPE. LOVE.

And TRUSTING GOD to carry me through

as He has done every other year of my life.

I started blogging last year

but found that it’s not as effortless for me as others make it look.

I tried to be productive in other areas (painting, crafts, designing, markets, cooking, etc.),

and realized that I really have to MAKE TIME for my blog.

My hope is that I will do better this year.

I’m thinking my problem is I want to do too much with each post…

It’s the perfectionist in me, details details details…

So I’m going to try to keep it simple this year,

and maybe that means there will be more than 7 posts at the end of 2013.

So “HAPPY NEW YEAR” everybody out there in the blogosphere!!

May this be the best year ever!!

http://www.craftberrybush.com/

Love & Blessings...

Crochet Cutie Necklaces

So…it has been two months since I last posted anything (I just can’t believe it!). The rest of February and then March just vanished in a blur of activity and here we are…already well into April with the Easter holidays just over.

I’ve been a very busy little bee during the past months. Making and then exhibiting my handmade jewellery at a ladies creativity morning, came first. Then I received a last minute invitation to exhibit at a new arts and craft market, which caused me to immediately start producing for that so that I would have a full table of goodies to show. There really wasn’t enough time to do and make all that I would have wanted to for the market, because in the middle of everything, I left for a week away at the coast (a holiday invitation received from friends weeks before when there was nothing on my calendar yet). Between making more jewellery, some new paintings and pretty lanterns AND preparing for and going on my holiday…there simply wasn’t any time to blog. But I do intend on making up for it. A lot of picture-taking happened during this time to document all of my activities, so I now have many lovely & beautiful things to post about. Not only that, last week I received another invitation to exhibit at a market that forms part of a festival in May. It means, that in between having to catch up on blogging, filing away the growing heap of papers on my desk, some graphic design projects that is due and preparing for the next market…phew, I’m going to be a very busy lady during April as well. Here’s hoping everything on my To Do List gets done!

Ok…all the blah blah blah about why I haven’t been around is over. Now for the good stuff...

I found out that I like to crochet. Then I found out that you could crochet jewellery, and I like to make jewellery. The next natural step was to download a few free patterns and try them out with left over yarn. Results...ta-da!

When I received the invitation to exhibit at the arts and craft market, 'mass producing' a few of these cuties was at the top of my list. I went to a yarn store and bought what I deem to be shabby chic coloured yarns in 100 % cotton and 100 % bamboo. Bamboo yarn is such a revelation to me...SO soft everybody. Silky soft compared to the cotton yarn. It was just so much fun to make these necklaces and so satisfying seeing the end result.

The pattern for the big flower necklace above, can be found here: http://becreativewithamy.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/wicked-crochet-flower/

The pattern for these budding beauties came from: http://creativeyarn.blogspot.com/2008/08/white-flower-necklace.html

We're in the thick of Autumn here in South Africa...the weather is changing quickly and Winter will be here before we're really prepared for it. Wearing something as pretty as one of these dainty crochet necklaces, will brighten and warm up the coldest and most grey of days.

Blessings!

Surita

Lovely Little Trinkets 2

A lovely lazy weekend...nothing but resting, eating, washing my hair (been using the dry shampoo too much lately:P) and a little light food shopping late yesterday afternoon. We got home just as the weather suddenly turned from sunny and mild to 'raging rainstorm'. Great timing! Nothing inspiring on the box...'Godzilla' for the umpteenth time. Somehow I got sucked into watching this disaster movie again...it's like junk food, one bite and your hooked. I wish for a channel that's devoted to showing only Jane Austen  films and miniseries...all the versions ever made. Happily I own a few on DVD that I can watch over and over and over again...

Today was even more restful. I thought a lot about this new year and what I would like to accomplish. It was good to spend time in a peaceful atmosphere reading my Bible and praying about this and for my family and friends. The message came from Genesis 1:28 - "And God blessed them and said to them, be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast resources in the service of God and man ]..." AMPLIFIED BIBLE. This message was for me, as thoughts about what to do this year, finding creativity, earning an income, etc. has been filling my mind constantly lately. The knowledge that God has blessed me to do these things has given me a peace and also direction. The part about "...in the service of God and man ..." reminded me that it's not all about me and what I want. My plans for this year must include God and other people.

Another theme that came up was about having BALANCE in life. Balance means: having the right amount of:
1) healthy nourishment (addressing health & weight);
2) rest (sleep & relaxation);
3) work (purpose);
4) play (enjoying your life & exercising);
5) time alone with God (getting filled up spiritually everyday so that you can go the distance);
6) time to enjoy Godly relationships (blessing family & friends & others that cross your path).
I'll be praying about this everyday...

Friday night I came across a vimeo about 29 ways to stay creative: http://vimeo.com/24302498?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Tweet&utm_campaign=sfg . It's really good, actually remember about 10 of them:
1. Take breaks (have really been trying to do that...God worked 6 days and rested on the seventh...He's the ultimate Creator!)
2. Sing in the shower (do that a lot:))
3. Get away from the computer (since getting my new laptop, this one's been tough)
4. Carry a notebook everywhere
5. Go somewhere new
6. Try free writing (blogging?)
7. Clean your workspace (can't work in a messy environment anyway)
8. Exchange ideas with others - Collaborate
9. Don't force it
10. Listen to new music.

Now for those other collages I promised. All this 'free writing' is revving up the creative juices...ha ha...it really works!

5. Recycled Hardware and Smokey Accent Bead Pendant

This one has a very modern feeling. I don't know what this piece of hardware used to be, but it makes quite a nice piece of 'bling'. Will go great with a snazzy black outfit;)

6. Recycled Washer and Purple Beads Necklace

I've wanted to try making something with washers for a long time and was happy to have had enough 'stuff' to make a matching pair of earrings for this necklace.

7. Wrap-around Bracelet and Deep Purple & Amber Earrings

See, everything I make isn't pink:)

8. Miscellaneous Earrings

What a joy it is to make earrings...you can create something very pretty very quickly...and wear it directly! Those yellow ones are the cutest...they remind me of fat little bees or tiny angels. I recycled the yellow beads from a decoration that was around a hand lotion someone gave me once as a gift. (The gift that keeps on giving:))

Can't believe January is almost at an end...the time really flew by. Just the other day it was Christmas...

Blessings!

Surita