Sharing Handmade Kindness Challenge

-- Week One --

Sharing Handmade Kindness: Family and Friends

I have joined Jennifer McGuire's "Sharing Handmade Kindness" Challenge
for the month of November. 
 

 

I watched a video by Shannon Green called Journaling by 5's that I used to make this ATC and Roladex card, which was made for all my ATC club friends.
 

 

I did not necessarily follow Shannon Green's timeline, however, these came together quick as I applied her formula to make the atc (November ATC club theme: Architecture).

 

a. Color background = I used watercolor paint by Art Quest and a wide water brush.

b. Collaged recycled bits of paper = I tore up bits of security paper envelopes. I love the patterns and added them to the dried rolodex cards with gel medium. After it was dry I sanded the rough texture of the gel medium to make it smooth.

c. Use stamps or stencils = actually  I sponged through a plastic number mask and stamped the flowers and leaves in red and black stazon inks.

d. Then add images and/or words = I stamped the cottage, the extra flower and the sentiment, colored them, cut them out, and glued them down to the cards. I added the address label to the rolodex card and the sentiment strip to the atc.

e. Then use  a pen/pencil and other things to enhance the card. In this case, I used a black colored pencil to trace around the address label and sentiment, added the tabs, washi tape, and the gem.

~~~~~

-- Week Two --

Sharing Handmade Kindness Theme: Community

 

I broke out the small gelli plate for the very first time

and made a pocket letter for an exchange.

Here's one of the cards =

 

I also made two thank you cards, one for my pastor and one for a friend who has donated a copy of his published cemetery book to our local genealogical library center.

I made it based on this design, click here.

 

 

I did not have the kit mentioned in the video, however, I cased a similar copy with eight accordion folded panels by cutting down 2 sheets of 8.5" x 11" pieces

of cardstock in half lengthwise

and taping three of the halves together to make one long strip of paper.

Next, I scored it about every 2.5" to 3" for every panel until I had 8 panels.

Whatever was left over was cut off.

I then stamped four different background stamps on 2 panels each and glued foam letters

to the center of each design until I spelled out the word T-H-A-N-K-S.

On the back of the end panel, I stamped a "thank you" in the center back

and signed it.

It looks nice standing up!

~~~~~

LOVE IT!

 I have to tell about our Pastor's elementary children. They made something handmade with their mother and handed small plates of it out this morning to people as they left church.

They were the yummiest chocolate chip cookies!

They were sharing handmade kindness today too with their community!

~~~~~

-- Week Three --

Sharing Handmade Kindness: Kids

 

This is what I made!

 

A pocket letter (I have one more to make) and several small hand games for the kids in my church. I gave the small tic-tac-toe games (found the game pieces at our local odd-ball salvage store called Bargain Factory. I think there is a link to it over on the side menu)

 to our church's candy lady for her yummy bag

 and the pocket letters will go as a card shower to two kids who are battling cancer.

I made the pocket letters like my rainy day puzzle,

except I left it in black and white so that the children

will have something to color if they feel up to it.

Having spent two weeks in the hospital myself a couple of summers ago,

even with TV, it's just plain boring, so

I can't even imagine spending a large part of my life there.

And just like an adult pocket letter, I have small things

appropriate for their age group inside each pocket.

If you are a crafter, consider joining us in making a card for the children

and/or their siblings and their parents. Jennifer McGuire has

posted the due date and rules on her blog post here.

And by the way, a niece shared this video with me today.

She's taking college classes and this is what she learned in her psychology class about 

the social pain of rejection from bullies.

It seemed appropriate to share it here.

She said she learned that the children's little saying

"Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me"

was false statement, because they both register in the same region of the

brain as pain

which is the body's way of saying that something is wrong and needs repair.

 

It reminded me of several Bible verses such these:

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."

~ Proverbs 16:24

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

~ Proverbs 17:22

" Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness. . ." ~ Colossians 3:12

~~~~~

-- Week Four --

Sharing Handmade Kindness: With Strangers

~~~~~

I didn't get to complete the Sharing Handmade Kindness Challenge

because the son shared his virus with his ole mom and dad,

so we were sick all through Thanksgiving weekend and I still can't seem the shake it,

however, just as I was getting ready to get off the internet a few minutes ago,

I saw that Katie Couric has written a news story on the Kind Campaign.

That's kinda exciting! Click here to see the video and her news article!

I have a craft that I made for my Sunday School kids several years ago,

that as soon as I can retrieve it from the craft barn and get it scanned,

I will upload it here. It goes very well with the theme!

 

Remember the wooden carpenters extension rulers that folded up?

Well this is based on that design.

You will need eight (8) bright yellow atc-sized cardstock cards (2.5" x 3.5"),

a hole punch, seven (7) large brads, a black marker and a yard-stick.

In the two end pieces, on the short sides, punch one hole. In the rest of the pieces, punch a hole  on each short side. With the marker and straight-edge, mark a line on on long edge, making sure each card cooresponds with the other.

Starting at one end, place each piece over the top of each other, like fallen dominoes. Line up holes & place brads. Remember, you will want slide atc's together like the wooden ruler.

Then using the yardstick, make lines on this golden ruler to correspond

with the inches on the yardstick.

Below that, add the words, evenly spacing the words across the "ruler:"

 

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." Luke 6:31.