It's so exciting to see my book making it's way to your homes. Thank you everyone that has posted, texted, and called me about it, I appreciate your support! My prayer is that this book will draw you closer to the Lord and break down any of those "I'm just not creative" ideas rolling around in a lot of our heads. (If you haven't got a copy yet you can pick one up here on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2tNDDp0, Barnes and Nobel and other retailers.)
We've had such a busy week with Vacation Bible School and visiting with family that I was completely surprised by receiving an advanced copy of the book I wrote during November and December last year.
I was super excited to show my Grandma it when it arrived since I had dedicated the book to her. She was the person in my young life that was crafty and creative and she took the time to share that with me. -Thank you Grandma!
I'm so excited to share more about the book as the launch date draws closer, but in the meanwhile you can see more about it on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2tNDDp0
You guys (or I should probably say ladies since I'm pretty sure that's who most of you are), this is a book you need to read. Especially if you're hard on yourself, or hard on other people and looking for grace. Now "grace" is one of those words Christ followers use a lot and expect that the rest of the world knows what we're talking about...but a lot of words have different dictionaries for different people, so when I say "grace" I mean getting the good we don't deserve. On the vertical relationship between God and myself He's given me the grace of eternal life instead of the judgment I deserve. (Romans 5:7-8) And because He is so gracious with me, I can be gracious with others horizontally. (Colossians 3:12-17) So ask yourself...Are you piling shame and guilt on people (or yourself), or are you freeing them? Are you consistently pointing out your kids strengths or their failures? Are you loving the unlovable people in your life?
Ok, so if your heart is heavy get ready because now is the time for grace. Jen Hatmaker's book is both light-hearted and deep. I laughed, I felt convicted. It's good!! Now, I will tell you that it's wrote in a very conversational essay style, which is not the type of book I usually read so it took me a bit to adjust to that style and think of it as sitting down for coffee with Jen and chatting about life. Real life.
So now I envite y'all (Jen's from TX so I'll go with that LOL!) to join me in reading For the Love. There's an online book club starting up September 15th, and you get some freebies for signing up too. Check out what Jen has to say about it in this video:
Disclaimer: I am part of the launch team for this book and was giving a free copy of it and invited to the launch party, however I truly would not recommend this book, or any other product on my site unless I really did like it. Trust me, I turn a lot of stuff down because it's not good! ;)
This post contains affiliate links. If you buy from this link it won't cost you a penny more but I make a little bit of money (not enough for a pony)
I love a good book, especially art books! Here's some great ones that I've had the pleasure of reading through recently.
This book is only around 5" x 7", but don't let it's cute small size fool you, this book is packed full of inspiration & painting techniques from contemporary artists. It covers everything from traditional watercolor, gouache, digital, mixed media, other water-based media, and non-paper media and contains material needed, tips, instructions, and a super handy visual index that I've used to find paintings I was interested in when first reading through it.
The author, Helen Birch is a prolific artist based in the UK. She is also the author of the highly popular blog drawdrawdraw. Her previous book is Freehand:Sketching Tips and Tricks Drawn from Art. Birch teaches courses in art and design, fine art, and illustration at Bradford School of Arts and Media.
Confession: this book came at the perfect time for me. I have been stuck in a creative rut, only making time for the creative work that I have to do and not doing any of the ones that I really want to do & that feed my creative soul. I'm working on applying a lot that I've read in this book, so stay tuned for an upcoming article on that. (<--- HERE'S my article)
Author Carol Marine, who blogs at Painting a Day (or Almost) was herself suffering from painter's block - until she discovered the now wildly popular method of "daily painting." The idea is simple: do art (usually small) often (how often is up to the individual). It's such a great discipline to establish for yourself!
In the book she offers a unique system for jump-starting artistic creativity, encouraging experimentation and growth, and increasing productivity for artists of all levels. In addition to some basic lessons on composition, color, and supplies, Marine provides advice on the benefits of having a daily painting practice and offers tips on setting up a routine, taking the pressure off & the ego out of creating art, fitting art into a busy life, ways to combat artist's block, learning the rules and then breaking them.
Urban sketching, the process of sketching on the go as a regular practice, is a hot trend! Author, France Belleville-Van Stone, a self-taught French artist who now lives and teaches in New Jersey, encourages readers to craft a sketching ritual of their own and devote more time to art, even if it's just 10 minutes a day. She offers motivation to move beyond the comfort zone, as well as instruction on turning rough sketches into finished work.
Besides all the great illustrations and techniques, the author includes a list of daily sketch prompts, tips , ideas on how to draw when time & resources are limited, and going digital with your work. By sharing her own creative process, Belleville-Van Stone inspires you to rethink your daily practice and to sketch for the pure joy of it and to document your life and the world around you.
So, if you're in a place in your life like I am where you need to find new ways to relight the creative flame or get practical advice on how to apply skills then these books are worth looking into! All of them are available at Amazon and other fine book sellers.
Disclosure:
Book Review - I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
Affiliate Links - Some of the links in the posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission...and it won't cost you a penny more. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Thanks for purchasing through these links, it keeps this blog up and running!
I love books! Fact, fiction, crafts...they're all good! Today I'm going to share with you some great new books that I was sent to review. Rest your mind at ease, when I get review books I read them and if I don't like them I don't review them...so these ones passed! :) I'm so glad they did too because the publishers were nice enough to allow me to give a copy away to my readers and also some of the finished projects! (see the giveaway details below)
This paperback book is chalked full of little crochet projects. 144 pages worth! It's divided into six sections:
Make sure you read the "read me first" section of the book to make sure you know what supplies you may need as well as helpful techniques and tips. Each project will tell you the normal information you'll need: the skill level, materials & tools, pattern notes, abbreviations, and most importantly, the instructions. A lot of the patterns also have note on how you can use your finished piece.
Here's a few of my favorite projects from the book:
About the author: Suzanne Thompson has crocheted and knitted since childhood. In junior high, she earned a fortune (of several hundred dollars) by crocheting and selling granny-square handbags. However, she later chose writing and designing over mass production. The author of Crochet Bouquet and Crochet Garden, Suzann also teaches and writes about crochet, knitting, and polymer clay. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Dublin, TX.
Who loves simple and speedy projects? -This girl! And good news too, because there are some cute ones in this paperback book! All the projects in the book are designed to take anywhere from an hour to a weekend so you can actually get them done instead of adding them to the "work in progress" bin!
Some of my favorite projects are:
Each project lists the approximate time it takes to make it, supplies and templates, step by step instructions with photos. With 142 pages of projects you'll be sure to find a fun one to work on!
About the author: Fiona Goble is an accomplished knitter and the author of many craft books and articles. She also owns a small business making woolen bags and home accessories. She lives in England.
5 lucky blog readers will randomly win a prize of either one of the books or a finished project from the book! Enter below by commenting and then hitting the +1. There are additional entries as well, see all the details below.
Excerpts reprinted with permission from Cute Crochet World © 2014 by Suzann Thompson, Lark Books, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. Photography by Lark Books.
Excerpts reprinted with permission from Sew Quick, Sew Cute by Fiona Goble. Copyright © 2014 Ivy Press. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you buy this from these links it won't cost you a penny more but I make a little bit of money (not enough for a pony).