Day Thirty-Four: Quilling

I went to Hobby Lobby today specifically to look for inspiration for Firsts. That's one of those deceptive stores that makes the average person feel as if she can do anything just by choosing to shop there, and it was tempting to pick out projects that were not currently realistic for me. (Though maybe someday I'll have all the crafter skills and make a fortune on Etsy.) Ultimately, I discovered the quilling kits (on clearance!) and my mind was made up for my afternoon project. Thankfully, it was not too difficult, and Clay and I found it to be very enjoyable. (As soon as Clay found out I had returned from the store with art supplies, he was 100% on board!) Maybe with a little more practice, I'll be able to open that Etsy shop sooner than expected!

Tools of the trade and first fruits

I love spending time with my people as I work on my Firsts

The front of a card I made

Day Seven: Origami

I've had an origami book on my Kindle for quite a while. It's something I got for free at some point and thought the kids might enjoy. When I came across it this afternoon, I had my inspiration for today's first. Though it didn't offer step-by-step instructions with pictures like I was hoping, it did have some interesting history and background on the various origami techniques. In traditional origami, the folding of cranes was sometimes regarded as a type of prayer, the aim of which was to teach concentration and patience. Hmm. I happen to be in need of an extra measure of patience at the moment, so I decided to go ahead and try the crane, even though it was rated "medium" for difficulty. And, I decided to use the instructions I found on origamiway.com, since the site offered clear steps and pictures. My crane still needs a little work. But so do my patience and concentration. So perhaps I will keep trying until I start to see improvements.

My first attempt at origami