Daily Courage

With school back in session one thing is for sure, Halloween decor is going to begin appearing  in stores, prompting us to get into the mood for what has become one of the largest holidays of the year. Some of the most fanciful characters and spirits you’ll see come from Bethany Lowe Designs. Here in our neighborhood of creative authors, we are very excited that Bethany’s new book filled with many ideas and designs has debuted. Bethany Lowe’s Folk Art Halloween is a must-have for any Halloween decorating afficionado.

A couple of weeks ago, I was at The Bead and Design Show in Pasadena, CA, and came upon a delightful booth that sold jewelry made from Halloween ephemera. I immediately thought of the Bethany and her daughter Erin Glennon Lowe. I had a great time choosing a pendant for each of them. This morning, I decided it was time to get them wrapped and into the mail. Using some of the ideas featured in Make It in Minutes: Mini-Boxes, I enjoyed embellishing and recycling some small tins with fall colored ribbon and papers to put the gifts in. I don’t spend enough time in my craft room, and it felt wonderful to start the day there. I wallow in the colorful handmade papers, ribbons, and trims and enjoy thoughts of gathering each treasure. Today, I used gold braid from a trip to Delhi with April Cornell, doodads from The Art Bar, and ribbons from Tinsel Trading - all favorites!

Once each tin was ready, I decided the pendants would be a much nicer gift with a silver chain. I pulled out my jewelry-making stash and found two nice snake chains and added one to each.

It was a fun way to start the day. Playing amid a stash that is tumbling out of drawers and cupboards just waiting to be part of special project. Today, I lived by the motto, Create Everyday!