GardenMama

.: Transferring Images Onto Stone ~ Mindful Giving :.

.: Stones we created today with transferable images :.

You may notice that the winter months bring about quite a bit of crafting for my family. We try to enjoy creating each and every day.  Many of you know of my affinity for stones! Like some of you I have quite a collection of stones collected from the ocean this past summer...

I am usually one who will use materials found near-at-hand or materials that can be recycled. Today we mixed things we had on hand and something that caught my eye at the craft store!

.: Choosing our stones for the project! :.

We gathered up a few stones from the collection and placed them in a bowl. These stones were chosen for their smoothness and size so that the images we transferred onto them would fit proportionately.

.: The sheet of transferable images :.

I purchased this sheet of transfers from the craft store. Some of the images appealed to me as I imagined them transferred onto the stones.

.: By rubbing over the image it transfers onto the object :.

I started with a few and soon all three children were gathered around to choose their own images and transfer them onto the stones!  The simple process  entails placing the transfer onto the stone and with the stick provided you rub over the image and it transfers itself. 

.: Butterflies hold significant meaning for me, this one is beautiful! :.

.: I appreciate this little bird sitting atop a stone! :.

The butterfly and bird stone are two of my favorites--they make me happy and now live in my kitchen!

.: A sweet pairing of stones :.

The bird and bird cage made for a fun pair! I think these stones would make beautiful Valentine gifts for  friends, or as party favors!

.: These stones are now placed in unexpected spots around the house! :.

I appreciate discovering them in unexpected places around the house. It makes me smile to see their simple beauty paired with nature!

.: Admiring their work! :.

.: My favorite stone which holds symbolic meaning for me :.

Ginny, who writes the blog Sweet Myrtle wrote a lovely post that I enjoyed reading today. She spoke of choosing a word to focus on in this new year.  Ginny wrote a long list of words that bring inspiration to her before choosing one word to focus on.

This resonated with me because over this past year my family adopted the mantra: "Be here now." Many times I have pondered this mantra and it rang true for me in times when I needed it.

.: A warming word bringing peace to my heart :.

I know firsthand that writing a positive or inspirational word on a stone is powerful. Wouldn't this be a great project to create a few stones with life-affirming words on them and place around your home to bring more encouragement, joy, and mindfulness into your day?

.: Wishing you creativity, beauty, and inspiration today! :.

.: Valentine's Day Garland :.

  

.: A garland of painted watercolor hearts for Valentine's Day! :.

We have enjoyed a beautiful week full of crafting! Many cheerfully colored hearts have been drawn that now adorn surprise Valentine cards. Today while the snow softly fell we decided it would be a perfect time to set out glass jars full with liquid color!  Shades of red swirled together in the water and onto our papers to make a lovely pink. Yellows paired with red manifested orange and other delicious colors in between!

Today we created lovely watercolor paintings that we cut into heart shapes to fashion a Valentine garland that I will happily leave out not only on Valentine's day but all year long! 

.: A tray full with hearts cut from watercolor paintings :.

.: Taking out thread and tape to create the garland :.

After cutting out the desired number of hearts we took out thread and tape...

.: Setting out the pattern for the garland :.

Then we sequenced the hearts in the pattern we desired for them to be strung together in.

.: Placing thread across each heart and securing with tape :.

After flipping over each heart we set thread across each heart and began taping it in place until we acquired a garland of hearts to the preferred length. 
 

.: Decorating the home in color and with love! :.

Next came the fun part of decorating the house in cheerfully-colored hearts!

.: May your home be full with love! :.

.:Cultivating Rhythm During Meal Times / Napkin Ring Tutorial:.

.:Plates, cutlery, cloth napkins, and rings all set on a low shelf for the children to make their own place-setting:.

There is great meaning in the simple daily ritual of eating together as a family.  We are very enriched by sharing time together during each meal.   We have come to know a rhythm of cooking together, each taking a special role in the preparation of the nourishment we collaborate with love to create and share.  

During the summer months we gather ingredients from the gardens, and year round we chop, slice and prepare beautiful medleys of flavor and color. The food we eat from the garden keeps us rooted in the earth. We harvest it's gifts and nourish our bodies and minds with its abundant rewards. 

.: The table is set with natural beauty :.

Wooden plates, bowls, cutlery, and cloth napkins are set for each meal. They are stored on a low shelf in a glass cabinet. The children enjoy placing their own setting. When a meal is complete they excitedly bring food scraps for the Vermiculture bin. after the plates are rinsed, we take a moment to apply Beeswax to seal each wooden piece.

.: Each meal begins with a table blessing read from a handmade Waldorf book of blessings :.

We enjoy the tradition of having our oldest child read a table blessing over the meal from a handmade Waldorf book of blessings before beginning the meal. I have preserved a lifelong tradition from my own childhood in asking each family member: "What was your favorite part of the day?" or "What are you thankful for today?" to bring us closer as a family.

Another personally cherished part of our mealtime traditions is to set the table at each meal in a beautiful way.  Flowers from the garden in the warmer months, berries and greens in the colder months, a beautiful tablecloth, table settings, and napkins.  Candles are lit with each meal to bring reverence to a special time as we all sit in one space together as a family.

.: I have been thinking for some time about creating napkin rings to hold each cloth napkin. Today my imaginings came to life as I created these twig rings to bring nature indoors.  I am happy to share it here with all of you! :.

.: Our cats always enjoy when I set out crafting supplies! Recycled paper tubes are set out for creating! :.

For some time I have been saving cardboard paper tubes. (I appreciate that they are recycled) They make a perfect form for this craft.

.: Paper tubes are cut in half to begin our time of creating napkin rings :.

Cut cardboard paper tubes in half.

.: Approximatly twenty three twigs cut to length :.

Measure the tube and cut a branch to length. Then use this branch as the template for each additional branch, cut to the equivalent length.  In total I used approximatly twenty-three twigs to cover one tube.

.: Secure each twig onto the paper tube with hot glue :.

With hot glue begin to glue each twig to the paper tube.  This method may also be used to create a twig vase like the one I created here.
 

.: The finished napkin rings bring natural beauty to the table :.

Now your napkin ring is complete! I enjoyed the process of conceiving and creating these nature-inspired napkin rings and also enjoy the beauty they bring to our table!
 

May your meal time with your family be met with love and togetherness and your table set with beauty.  I look forward to sharing this table blessing with you so that it may also grace your family meal time...

For sun and rain

For grass and grain

For all who toil

On sea and soil

That we may

Eat this daily food

We give our loving thanks

To thee.

.: May meal times with your family be a time of beauty, rhythm, and love! :.