night 8 - Eight Nights of Lights 2009

Tonight's topic is Penance - thinking reflectively about your life's path--and what changes you might want to enact.

Penance is defined as a feeling of regret for one's wrongdoings. Last year,I talked about making penance art. But it was penance for what happened to the Jewish children killed in the Holocaust. My feelings of regret for what someone else did that was wrong.

Several months ago, I started tonight's project. There's over 80 hours tied up into the making of it. Not something you can do in a day. But I think huge, time-consuming pieces of art are necessary every now and then in order to make us stop and give thought to what we are trying to accomplish.



Notes of Hope - my gift to Amaco because of their generosity in supporting the Holocaust Museum in Houston. If you read my blog, you know that they have sponsored a contest for the second year - making butterflies, 1.5 million of them, one for each child who died in the Holocaust.





Notes of Hope - is a collaborative piece. While the design and majority of it was completed by myself, I have contributions from Linda Peterson, Jana Ewy and Liz Welch. And we all 4 have signed the canvas. It's big. 20" x 16". Considering that strips of Friendly Plastic are only available in 1" widths.....just imagine how much product was used to create this!!! And in the process of making it, I've spent many hours thinking about the art the world has lost in the death of all the children...and the children's children that they might have had.



Notes of Hope - why the music? In Exodus, it indicates that there were about 3 million Israelites who left Egypt. And it tells us that they sang a song unto Jehovah. Now, can you fathom a choir of 3 million people singing in the desert?

And they sang: Jehovah is my strength and song, And he is become my salvation: This is my God, and I will praise him; My father's God, and I will exalt him....Thy right hand, O Jehovah, is glorious in power, Thy right hand, O Jehovah, dasheth in pieces the enemy.

My hope is that Jehovah will destroy the enemies of Israel and that we will be educated and wise enough to prevent children, such as those in the Holocaust, from perishing again.






Notes of hope - I have a lot of them!

Tonight's video will show you how to melt Friendly Plastic pellets, roll them out flat, and then airbrush designs on them. And I'm also showing you a closeup of the canvas.




1,500,000 children died in the Holocaust. 1,500,000 children who never created art. A great loss to the entire world. So I ask you to make a simple butterfly and send it directly to the Holocaust Memorial.

Hanukkah - my Eight Nights of Lights. Jehovah Jesus Messiah - the Light of the World. My art - my way of spreading a little light into the night. I hope you have enjoyed it all. May Jehovah bless you richly in the year to come.

Night 7 - Eight Nights of Lights 2009

Tonight, it is the practice to reinforce the rituals of the past 6 nights. So, tell the story of the great battle, eat more good food, share some humor, play some games....and truly just enjoy the blessings of life.

This has been an incredible week. I go to bed each night saying my blessings. I wake up each morning with such a feeling of excitement. Why? Well....I haven't known what I was going to do except for the first night and tomorrow night! The rest....I've just left up to the "moment". And while there have been a couple moments of panic....for the most part...it's been one of the most fun weeks of my life! This morning, I was clueless. So I got out every single thing I own that could be Hanukkah related. Spread it out on the table. Pulled out all the blue, white, silver, gold papers that I have. Pulled out all the crystals, buttons, beads.....and then I got to the acrylic. I had forgotten about the Messiah journal.

And that was it. I knew that today....in just a few short hours....I had to start this journal. And while it's not finished....it's ready to finish! All that's left is to write my story....and I think I will write the story of this past week. Each day has been such a blessing. Filled with scripture reading, Hebrew study, creating, playing. And bless Kerry! He has just been so patient with me through it all! "Honey, can you fix lunch? I've got ink all over my hands and I don't think you want green chicken today!" or "Sweetie, can we go out for dinner tonight? I'm just way too exhausted to cook anything!"

(OK, it really helps to start everything with "Honey" or "Sweetie".....just give it a try!)




For my project tonight, I simply incoporated a lot of what we've been doing.....but I added a few new things! Isn't that all art is? We just do the same things over and over while we add new techniques, new products to what we do....and it's so much fun!

I love playing with acrylic journals. In my video I show you how to use alcohol ink to color acrylic....and not get that polished stones look! I know! We all want polished stones. But once in awhile, I don't want it - I want something that looks like I sprayed it on. But if you spray paint, you won't get a transluscent look. That's why I like using alcohol ink!










You can contact Scrapbook Your Life to order word books - pick any word you want...and you can go 3 rows deep!



The stamps are by Outliners.





For me, personally, nothing inspires me more than the Star of David. It is the shield that protected David in battle. It is the star lights the world. It is my sign that I am always seeking the Messiah. And it is His sign that I see in every snowflake that falls. Oh! To be so blessed! To be able to share my art with you! Hanukkah is not just 8 nights of lights - it's 8 nights of delight!!!

night 6 - Eight Nights of Lights 2009

Humor

Mom always said, "forgive and forget". So when I would get mad at my sister, mom would patiently tell me that I had to forgive her and then forget about it. So, I went off to church and asked someone how many times you had to forgive something and was promptly told: 70 times 7. That's 490 times. Yes, I went home and started counting. I was probably around 12 years old. And when I got to 490, I went back to mom and said, "Now I don't have to forgive her anymore." I explained that I had been counting. And mom said, "Jennifer, if you truly forgive, then you will forget. And if you have forgotten, how can you remember that it has been 490 times?"

LOLOL!!!!

And with that, I gave up not forgiving. It was such a great lifetime lesson. I learned to forgive, to forget, and to laugh at myself.

So, tonight, pick one person in your life. Forgive them. And then find someting humorus in your thoughts about them. Even if it's as simple as "wow - I spent all that time being mad at them!" I honestly don't think any of my sisters or my brother could ever do anything to make me angry at them these days. But as kids - oh yeah! No less than 300 times a day! LOLOL!!! Age does have it's blessings!!!

I'm going back to Friendly Plastic tonight because I find it completely humorous. The possibilities are endless. You can use funky face stamps, an image from the internet....or use your imagination to create your designs. I hope you enjoy what I've done with it.

Or you can turn it into something meaningful and beautiful like this Star of David. Bet you're wondering how I got the lines to go over and under? It's all in how you layer your Friendly Plastic strips!



Do you think Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was a rock group during the 60's?

When the pastor tells you to turn to First Condominums, do you look it up?

Do you think the minor prophets worked in the quarries?

If so, you just might want to read your Bible a little more often!!!

LOLOL!!!!!

Night 5 - Eight Nights of Lights 2009

Tonight, on this 5th night, we share our gratitude and remember our blessings. Oh! What an amazing year this has been! My life has never been more blessed than it is right now and I wake up every morning just thanking Jehovah for life.....and for His Light!

I am thankful that mom and dad taught me how to ask questions. OK, that they taught me to question everything. That they taught me how to look things up (ok, back in "those days" we had to use and actual encyclopedia and a dictionary!) I used to get so mad at my dad. I'd ask, "How do you spell 'administration'?" And he would say - "look it up". And I would argue - how can I look it up if I don't know how to spell it? And he would say, well, just read the definitions until you find the right one!

Yes, I was a frustrated child! But how brilliant was he? Kept me occupied for hours on end! LOL!!!

I am thankful that they had so many kids! That I am blessed with 3 sisters and a brother. That we are all as different as night and day, but we all love each other so much. You know, we would never have made it in today's world. They put all 4 of us girls in the back seat - and you couldn't get 4 carseats in the rear of 1 957 Chevy even today!!! I wonder just how they would have gotten us all to church? I can just see dad making 2 trips. He was so determined - he would have done just that!!!

I am so blessed because of my art, my ability to design, and all the amazing friends I have met who are such incredible artists that inspire me to learn and do even more....and then to share what I know. I really do have much to be grateful for!

So, I've posted tonights photos between my writing. It's a light box. It's fabulous if I do say so myself! Over 100 swarovsky crystals hand set down the left hand side. 22K gold leaf and silver leaf used on paper So yes, tonight's video will show you how to take an ordinary diecut....and turn it into gold or silver. Everything in my light box is made from 80# white cardstock. How fun is that???

Now, be sure to watch all the way to the end of the video so you can see how the light box operates!

Be sure to count your blessings every single day!

Be sure to honor Him because He is the Light of the World!

Night 4 - Eight Nights of Lights 2009

Oh - my favorite night! All about food. Food traditions, recipes, enjoying time together. Yummm!!! So, I thought I'd share my memories of food as a child. Yes, there were lots of them!

I remember freezing cold nights where the ice on Duck Creek would freeze solid (well, ok, it was only about a foot deep!) Dad would light a fire and the kids would all come over and we would go ice skating after dark. When we were frozen stiff, we'd go back to our house and mom would have taffy ready for us to pull. She was so smart. Have you ever pulled taffy? I think you have to pull it for at least an hour! Great way to keep a whole bunch of kids busy!

I remember Sunday lunch at Aunt Dorothy's house. The kitchen would be buried deep with food and pies would line the counters and the bureau in the dining room. So much food you just didn't know where to start. And all the cousins, aunts and uncles would be together. I tried to count up once and gave up at 48. What a crowd!

And can we talk about pies? Gooseberry? Yuck! Raisen cream - which I really loved. Black Raspberry - my absolute favorite. Crust that was so good I can still remember the taste. Grandma Moore's caramels, Aunt Marilyn's tea bread ring, Mom's divinity....the list is endless. Shall I end the blog here while I go eat? LOL!!!lllll

It's intersting to me that in Christian religions, Jesus Messiah is referred to as the "bread of life". Jews have a heirarchy of blessing, and the bread they eat receives the highest blessing. It is equally interesting to me to have visited the Sinai desert and to just imagine the manna - a crystal like substance - falling from heaven every day to feed the Israelites.

Yesterday, I showed how to tool leather. Today, we'll take those same principals and "tool" metal. Some call this metal repousse, but for me, it is the exact same thing as tooling leather. I'm using Amaco's pewter - I've been using it since 2004 and it is one of my all time favorite mediums!




Amazing what you can do with a single piece of rolled pewter!

Close up of the charms. Again, these are from 1-800-dreidle

And did you notice how well I painted the light blue background? Another video?

He is the Way, the Truth, the Life....

He is the Light of the World.....the Bread of Life.

Night 2 - Eight Nights of Lights 2009

On this second night of lights, the tradition is to host a party and exchange gifts. To me, these are more secular traditions, probably established by merging a bit of Christmas tradition into the Hanukah celebrations. But I do agree that Hanukkah should be a joyous celebration.

So, we need to make a dreidle in order to play!!! My brother sent me this great link.....there's so much stuff here about Hanukkah it makes your head spin! And spinning the dreidle is quite the fun game - unless you end up with all your coins in the pot!

Tonight, I'm going to use Amaco's copper wire and show you how to solder it into just about anything you want. Dreidles, ornaments, window-catchers, butterflies...you name it, you can make it, with a little solder and some copper wire!



I totally loved doing this star. Look closely and you will see that the wires thread in and out, not flat against flat, so a little more difficult to do....but the triangles slide....they are not fastened together.



And is this the perfect start to a butterfly wing? Turn it 90 degrees to the right and you have a wonderful pendant. Too fun!!



And the whole reason to do this....to make frames for Friendly Plastic. Linda Peterson has been doing just this for ages and I thought this insert was perfect for the Dreidle. I've used Jana Ewy's Fracture n Fusion....modified to my 1/8" strips. The Hebrew is hand cut, melted on the griddle, then laid on top of the fractured plastic. I let it melt part way down in. Sorry that my Glossy Accents hasn't quit dried - hopefully I can post a better photo later.




So, I hope your Hanukkah party brings a little light and joy into your life this night!

Night 1 - Eight Nights of Lights 2009

Shabat Shalom!!! Happy Hanukkah!

On this first night of Hanukkah, it's important to tell the story of why this holiday is celebrated. It was a great battle. It was a great victory. There was oil to keep a light burning for a single night. The miracle is that the oil lasted for 8 nights. A great miracle indeed.

It's important to know how to celebrate this holiday. It's the Festival of Lights. It's the Feast of Dedication. For He is the Light of the World.

Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech ha-olam a-sher ki-de-sha-nu be-mitz-vo-tav ve-tzi-va-nu le-had-lik ner Chanukah.

Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech ha-olam she-a-sa ni-sim la-avo-te-nu ba-ya-mim ha-hem bi-z'man ha-zeh.

[Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days, at this time.]

On the first night only, add this blessing:

Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech ha-olam she-heche-ya-nu ve-ki-yi-ma-nu ve-higi-a-nu liz-man ha-zeh.

[Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.]

Oh what fun have I been having! Tonight's video - how to watercolor paint on copper! It' so easy! And while I try to keep these 8 nights all about light.....my torch tonight will represent His light!

So, why Hanukkah if I'm not Jewish? Well, the word Hanukkah is Hebrew for "dedication". The festival of lights is held to celebrate the miracle of the oil lamps.....but it is also a celebration of the determination of a people to defend their right to worship in their own way without interfence. I simply stand in solidarity with them.


The feast of Dedication is referenced in Daniel 11:31 and John 10:22. But the story is told in 1 Macc 4:52-59.






Here's to the first of 8 nights of creative videos...and maybe a little more knowledge about Hanukkah.

Eight Nights of Lights - coming soon!

Yes, I'll do it again! 8 nights of techniques, videos and so much more! I counted up that the videos from last years 8 nights have been viewed over 9000 times in the past year. Absolutely amazing! It all starts on December 11 at sunset. So check back that night through the 18th to learn about the Festival of Lights, the Feast of Dedication, and the miracle that happened.

From Marty Goetz's song.....

Take my supply of oil
Not enough to burn long I fear
But, oh, how I pray I may one day say,
"A great miracle happened here!"

On this Chanukah
On this Feast of Dedication
I dedicate myself to You

My Yeshua, I dedicate myself to You.

I hope you will join me for my Eight Nights of Light!

Eight Nights of Lights - Night 8

Tonight might be considered an evening of penance. A time to think reflectively about your life's path - and what changes you might want to enact.   I'd like to think of it as a chance to ask myself....am I following His design for my life?

 

David wrote, "The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear?"  

On this Feast of Dedication,  I understand what David wrote more than ever before in my life.

In Revelations:  "The night will be no more.  They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light....."  

May we light the lights for 8 nights to remember the past....and to pray for this day in Revelations to come quickly.

David also wrote:    "....You are my lamp, O Lord, and my God lightens my darkness." 

In my darkest hour, I have never once doubted that He was my light.  These verses were taught to me as a very young child.....and they have stayed in my heart all these years.  

And in Psalms:   Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path. 

It is His word that I have hidden in my heart, it is His Psalms that I sing in my soul, and it is in His design for my life that I share with you.

May you always see His design in every moment of your life....as well as in each snowflake that falls.  May He become the light in your life, not just for 8 nights, but for every day and night.

And finally, on this 8th night of lights, if I could wish you anything, I would wish this song for you:



Make my life Your temple
L-rd at this season start
To pull down every idol I have raised up in my heart

On this Chanukah
On this Feast of Dedication
I dedicate myself to You

Take my defiled altar
Come and cleanse and come repair
So every time I falter I can run to meet you there

On this Chanukah
On this Feast of Dedication
I dedicate myself to You

And with every candle on the menorah
That illuminates the night
Comes a prayer You'd kindle
In me, Yeshua
A desire for Your fire, for Your light

Make of my mortal body
A house worthy of Your name
Rid me of what's ungodly and every hidden thing of shame

On this Chanukah
On this Feast of Dedication
I dedicate myself to You


And with every candle on the menorah
That illuminates the night
Comes a prayer You'd kindle in me, Messiah
A desire for Your fire, for Your light

Take my supply of oil
Not enough to burn long I fear
But, oh, how I pray I may one day say,
"A great miracle happened here!"

On this Chanukah
On this Feast of Dedication
I dedicate myself to You

My Yeshua, I dedicate myself to You.

by Marty Goetz (he played in Denver this morning and I had the thrill of hearing him live!!!)

Eight nights of lights - Night 7

Tonight is a night to reinforce rituals of the past 6 nights. Well, in my mind, that means to light the lights, say the blessings, bake and eat food, play games, share stories, make someone laugh, remember your blessings....



But it's also a time to ponder traditions. Or ponder the reasons why we do what we do. I grew up in a house where we celebrated Christmas each year. We had a tree and presents. We believed in Santa Claus. We sang Christmas carols. OK, we did not light a yuletide log or have holly hanging around. But for the most part, a very traditional Christmas. For me, that grew into 3 Christmas trees filled with 1500 Hallmark ornaments and a house where it took me 3 full months to get ready for a single day. Not to mention the credit card debt to buy presents, ship them, Christmas cards, postage.....



And then I went back to studying the Bible and came to know that all of this was based on pagan origins and I just didn't want any part of it. So I quit. Whew!!!



I like taking 8 nights to do all the things listed above. It's never too late to start new traditions in your life. It's never too late to study the Bible, learn something new, start a new art project, make a new friend.



It's never too late.....to do whatever it is you want to do, become the "real" you, find the child in you.....oh! the list is just endless!!!



Speaking of new ways to play....I'm always looking for things in the kitchen to play with in my art! Tonight.....silicone ice cube trays. They come in all shapes and sizes. Hope you enjoy!!!




And please, don't tell me my fingers are dirty! It's how I spend most of my time - dirty fingers, clean soul? LOL!!

On this 7th night of lights, I do hope that you will take time to remember why there are 8 nights of lights.

Eight Nights of Lights - Night 6

Have you seen Adam Sandler's "Eight Crazy Nights"? Do you know his Hanukkah Song? Tonight should be about humor. Humor can be something that makes your laugh til you hurt....or something quite simple that puts a smile on your face.



Maybe I should have titled these blogs "Jen's 8 crazy nights of lights!" I think I've given some truly different spins on the word "light".



We need humor in our life to balance out the sad, the grief, the tragic. But we also need to learn to find the balance. A little of this and a little of that.



Tonight, I'm working with friendly plastic. You can purchase it at your local Hobby Lobby or at Amaco. It never ceases to amaze me all the fun things you can do with this product and I don't think we use it to it's fullest potential. I hope this video will teach you how to do my favorite technique - diecutting friendly plastic and melting it into canvas to make wonderfully fun collages.



Sometimes, I just sit and giggle at the things my brain comes up with. Diecutting Friendly Plastic - melting it into canvas. One has to wonder how my brain works! LOL!!!

Eight Nights of Lights - Night 5

Tonight is the 5th night of lights. An evening of gratitude - thankfulness for the blessings we have. When we were little, mom would dress us up and the 4 of us girls would sing in church. One of my favorite songs was Bless This House (by May Brahe & Helen Taylor c 1927):

Bless this house O Lord we pray; Make it safe by night and day;
Bless these walls so firm and stout, Keeping want and trouble out:
Bless the roof and chimneys tall, Let thy peace lie over all;
Bless this door, that it may prove ever open to joy and love.

Bless these windows shining bright, Letting in God's heav'nly light;
Bless the hearth a'blazing there, with smoke ascending like a prayer;
Bless the folk who dwell within, keep them pure and free from sin;
Bless us all that we may be Fit O Lord to dwell with thee;
Bless us all that one day we May dwell O Lord with thee.

Can't you just imagine the 4 of us standing in front of our tiny little church of about 50 people, singing this song on a Sunday morning?



I do like the various traditions that go with the 8 nights of lights. How rich is your life right now? Perhaps not in the sense of money...but in blessings. Celebrate tonight by sharing these blessings with others by simply doing a good deed.



My life has not always been easy....but it has been blessed. No cancer in mom or my sisters to date. Oh! What a blessing!!! Only one brother-in-law has passed away....sort of a miracle with 5 kids and 5 kids-in-law most over 50. No major disabilities - most of us are still in fairly good health. And we all live in the same state, so we can see each other most any time we want. My children are healthy. Now, I call those blessings!



I have a warm home, warm clothes, a full refrigerator, and time to play. Those are even more blessings. And I have way more than I need. I'm sure that you do, too. Why not take what you don't need and donate it to a charity? Find one thing in your life tonight that you could give away tomorrow. And give it away. Your good deed. Your Mitzvah.



Every now and then, I even have a little extra money. (that's above and beyond the 10% I give from my income). I send those gifts to the American Red Magen David for Israel. 888 Seventh Ave, Ste 403, New York NY 10106. It's the "Red Cross" in Israel and they work to assist in so many ways. Scripture says that "I will bless them that bless thee" and I believe that applies to Israel and Jews. Yes, Israel gets my "tithe" and my "gifts". And my life continues to be blessed in ways I can't begin to explain!






So with the blessing of "time" - tonight we'll see more than just "one" tecnique as I just didn't know when to stop!!! Remember your Mitzvah.


And a mini bonus video on how to color ribbons, lace, pipecleaners and glitter to match any project you are working on:




On this 5th night of lights, may you take a little time to reflect on your blessings,