Coloring Sheet Symbolism

 Just wanted to write the next chapter of my doodle series with the symbolism that I've used on my coloring sheets. The two articles below contain some symbolism also. 

Advent Article

Special Colors of the Christian Year

I found a little hardback book a long time ago at the library that had a list of symbolic pictures and patterns used on church banners and altar cloths. As I've created my doodled coloring sheets over the years, I wished I had a copy of that book, but since I can't remember the title of the book or it's author, thought I might make a copy here on my blog of the symbols I've used over the years. I have collected stencils and templates to help me doodle my pictures. I have stored them in a clamshell Art Bin box, Dollar Tree envelope pockets and a huge diaper bag. They are categorized by Animals, Patterns, People, Sentiments in the Dollar Tree envelopes, plus Miscellaneous shapes in the Art Bin box and Kiwi Lane scrapbooking templates in a diaper bag. Some of the stencils are from craft and hobby stores, Dollar Tree, Dyan Reaveley on eBay, Stencil Girl via their artist Valerie Sjoden, thrift stores, and Walmart. I have even used homemade stencils/templates cut from Dollar Tree's thin plastic cutting boards with Sizzix Bigz dies, and woody's (little wooden shapes). 

Communion Bread and Wine = a gathering of believers feasting on bread and wine/grape juice representing Jesus' body and blood, salvation 

Cross = redemption, salvation

Donkey = gentle humility, Palm Sunday, peace, service

Dove = Holy Spirit, peace

Fish = Christian believers, 

Hebrews/Israel/Jews = Menorah, Star of David

Hope = cross, olive branch

Lamb = sacrificial lamb

Lion = power, strength, Aslan in Chronicles of Narnia represents Jesus the King

Peace = dove, olive branch

Royalty = crown

Stained Glass = let the son-shine though, 

(to be continued)

Allergy Editorial

I have to write something out of my heart this morning. I've been embroiled in a discussion in the comments of a video. As a crafter, before being diagnosed with food and environmental allergies, I would never have thought of this myself, but now being aware, I see why the FDA has mandates for labeling products. And it's a good thing for people like me and I will advocate for myself and the others like myself. 

Side note: Did you know that food allergies are considered a disability? 

I was watching someone make buttons out of avocado seeds. It was a interesting upcycle, that's why I stopped to watch it, cause my readers know that I'm ever into recycling, however,  I read most of the comments and nobody had mentioned allergies to avocadoes. I just so happen to have an allergy to avocados and have learned through experience that if you have an allergy to a food, it can also affect your skin. It can affect your breathing, if you have an asthma like I do. I've had asthma all my adult life. I didn't take it seriously as a young adult, until I learned you can die from these horrible diseases. 

I couldn't believe the callousness of some of the responses I got when I mentioned I was allergic to avocados. I was told I could have left that negativity off the comments and that allergies is not a societal thing. Yes, it's a societal thing, because I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person out there with an allergy to avocadoes. And it shows love, respect and compassion to those of us with allergies, if you make a garment as a gift for somebody with stuff that doesn't cause us to break out in hives. And if you are making a garment to sell to the general public, it should come with a label that explains what it was created with, so those of us with allergies will steer clear.

I've learned since my diagnosis, there are some strange allergies out there. And yes, you can even be allergic to water and sunlight. There is one I'm sure I have, but I wouldn't know how you would test for it except by demonstration in the allergist doctor's office. 

Most of my allergies were tested on the skin of my back with little pricks of the allergen put under the skin. There is also another test they can do with your blood to see if you are allergic to something. It's called an IgE test. The skin test I had was 75 skin pricks with a sharp pointy thing on my back the day I was tested and let me tell you, I had some itchy wheals or hives pop up. And some were surprises. 

It's an allergy to vibration. I sometimes get hives on the top of my arms when I crochet. At first I thought it might be an allergy to the yarn, but the yarn never touches that place on my forearms. Allergies are caused by the immune system thinking that food particle or environmental thing like pollen is a foreign invader like germs, so it's out to kill it by overwhelming it to snuff it out. 

And yes, I carry epi pens. I've gone to the ER with breathing difficulties before. I'm not real fond of needles, but I like breathing and living. I'm not ready to die just yet. So please, remember, if you make something, please label it with what it's made from, so that I don't itch or have my skin burnt from an unknown ingredient. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

Creativity

I. GOD, the CREATOR! 

1. Genesis 1:1 = In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 
2. Genesis 1:27 = So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 
3. Genesis 3:21 = The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 
4. Genesis 5:1 -2 = This is the written account of Adam’s family line. When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind” when they were created.

II. CREATIVES IN THE BIBLE! 

1. Genesis 4:21 = His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. 
2. Genesis 4:22 =Zillah also had a son, Tubal- Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. 
3. Exodus 35:10-12,25-26, 35 =  All who are gifted artisans among you shall come and make all that the Lord has commanded; the tabernacle, its tent, its covering, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets: the ark and its poles, with the mercy seat, and the veil of the covering. . . . All the women who were gifted artisans spun yarn with their hands, and brought what they had spun of blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. . . He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen, and of the weaver -- those who do every work and those who design artistic works. 
4. Proverbs 31: 13, 19, 22, 24, 31 = She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. . . In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. . . She makes coverings for her bed;  she is clothed in fine linen and purple. . . She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. . . Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

III. ME, A CREATIVE TOO!

1. Psalm 139:13 = For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
2. Ephesians 2:10 = For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
3. Colossians 3:10 = and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
4. James 1:18 = He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.

(more to come!)