A new closet

Storage is at a premium in our house, so when Hubby discovered a small unused space by our spiral staircase, we had to cut a door into it so we’d gain a closet.

Dad removes the mop board before cutting the door hole.

Hubby cuts the door hole with his uncle’s saws-all. The dust was awful. We had a lot of cutting to do since our house was plastered, not sheet rocked. Plaster chunks were everywhere!

Hubby installs part of the door framing. We did this project as cheaply as possible. Framing boards were all recycled lumber.

The sheet rock was a damaged piece the lumber yard wanted to get rid of. The leftover sheet rock went into a hole in our driveway. It has worked wonderfully. No more awful hole at driveway’s end!

Dad cuts the trim. Fortunately, the house’s original door frames were simply trimmed without elaborate, hard-to-match embellishments.

While the men were hammering and sawing, I was sanding and staining. December 2007 was warm enough to stain, although I added the final coats in temperatures just barely above the minimum required. They took forever to dry.

Dad and Hubby nail up the trim. Aren’t power tools wonderful? I love my men. Happy Father’s Day!

Profound relief

Yesterday afternoon, Hubby and I took all the pictures I’m showing to the gallery. I feel such relief to have them all done and gone. No more weight of responsibility.

I still have things to do, boring things like finishing pricing and developing an order form for the pictures in the electronic frames, but the main project is out of my hair.

Thank you, Lord! I can breathe a lot easier now.

Color theory

When I took this picture, I knew it was destined to be shown.

But this picture had issues, power lines and power poles. Ugly things. I had intended to eliminate most of the sky to dump the power lines. I showed it to Art Teacher Jeff. Jeff said I shouldn’t crop it so severely, that the power lines actually helped the picture. That was unusual! I did need to remove one of the power poles, though. That took some doing. Removing pole wasn’t that bad, but lining up the power lines to the remaining pole took a long time. Jeff showed me some tricks in Photoshop, otherwise, I doubt I could have accomplished it.

When we got the matboards, we chose orange for this picture’s mat. While Jeff was cutting other mats for me, I looked at the picture and frame on the mat. That orange was garish, a horrible combination. I tried yellow, but that wasn’t a good color, either. Much of the background washed out. I shuffled through my matboards, but nothing I tried seemed to work.

He looked at what I was doing. I showed him the various colors I had tried. “Try the purple. It’s yellow’s complementary color.“ I put the photo on the purple paper. Wow!

What a difference a mat makes

I should have known not to figure mat cutting dimensions when my brain was mush, but I tried anyway. I cut it just big enough to allow the picture to fall through on the sides. I must have forgotten to subtract the half inch required to keep picture inside the hole.

I had no pieces large enough to redo the mat, so I tried patching it with an under mat of the same color. That looked terrible. I could not show it in that condition.

I bit the bullet and took it to the local framing shop.

I had intended to replace the original brown mat with another one, but Teri showed me a rust-colored mat. She said she could trim brown mat and put the rust one underneath, next to the picture. I loved the idea. The rust color brought out highlights that hadn’t shown before.

She adores this picture and wants to hang it in her shop as an example of her work. We traded my picture for her framing. I’m excited to see my work hanging on someone else’s wall. She also wants me to produce a book of my work for sale in her shop.

Is that cool or what?

Details and decisions

I thought that the grind of framing would be the worst part of preparing for my show. It is, but I keep finding more nagging details to take care of.

I entered all my inputs into a spreadsheet for Hubby. He’ll be figuring the total cost of goods sold so we can price these photos at last.

I’ve written my press release and had it proofed. I plan to send it out tomorrow.

Hubby bought an electronic picture frame and I’m loading 30 more pictures onto it. Gallery manager loved the idea. This picture of Louisiana cypress trees is one of those. I’ll have to add a number to each picture and produce a pricing sheet. I’d like to see which standard photo sizes work best for each one and recommend what would look best.

Do I hand sign these photos or just add a digital copy of my signature?

Tomorrow I’m attending a free web design class. I could use the help. I have homework to do before I arrive, planning what I want to do. I’m not sure what I want, except a photo gallery and shopping cart.

I had a productive visit with framing shop owner today. She’d like to display some of my work and offer it for prints. Best way to show them off is to produce a book, which isn’t cheap. A sale would pay for it, though.

My head is spinning.

A problem to solve

At some point, the matting on this picture has shifted. When I attached it to the door, it was correctly placed. Friday night I noticed that the mat has become somewhat skewed.

I don’t know how to fix this. I’m afraid to try removing frame from door. What if I break it? I don’t have another one ready, nor do I want to cut glass again any time soon. My experiences with lacquer were not positive, so I’ve decided to glass my photos from now on.

I stood the door on its side, hoping gravity will help me. I’m not optimistic.

Does anyone have ideas how I can repair this problem?

The red door

I finished the red door this morning. Door had a screw loose, so I glued it back in. I just want those old, rusty screws to remain where they are. They are no longer load bearing, just decoration. I glued the bottom boards together overnight. When I clamped those boards together last night, I received a bit of a surprise. The shim under the rightmost clamp shattered. When I loosened the clamp, I found that the clamp had gone through the back board into a rotten place. I wonder how much of this door is truly sound. Apparently the part I nailed the frame onto is still OK. Frame already had two holes in it, so I used them to attach frame. Worked great. Dad had given me a Dremel tool kit for Christmas. Teresa from Maggie Grace Creates had commented on my silverware wind chimes post about using a Dremel to grind off edges. Right then I decided I wanted Dremel for Christmas. I hadn’t had a chance to use it until yesterday. As you can see, the nails I had used to reaffix portions of the door were rather too long. These were the only rusty nails I had and I wanted to stay with the rustic feel as much as possible. The last thing I wanted to do was saw them off, so I got out my Dremel and its grinding wheel. A web forum said to wear safety glasses since the wheels fragment so quickly. Whoever posted that knew what they were talking about. I used an average of two grinding wheels per nail/screw. They just disintegrated. Those little pie-shaped pieces in picture are broken wheels. Dremel was a dream, much better than hacksaw. I was frustrated when I had to buy another collet for a tool that was included in my kit. Dremel welfare. Here’s the finished project.

I love it. I think it’s unique. I found this door on the ground. Hopefully soon it will be decorating someone’s wall. I love creating something beautiful and fun from other people’s castoffs.

Coming down the home stretch

I have just a few more items to take care of before I’ll be completely finished with framing. Thank God!

I framed Hanging Lake last night. I normally loathe the mat colors I used. That green and orange remind me of my least favorite vegetables (other than cabbage). I cannot stand cooked carrots and peas. Those mats are those colors. Ugh. But I was amazed how they made the picture pop. Wow. As soon as I saw what those colors did for this picture, I ditched my original plan. Plans only last until they meet reality.

I thought I might be able to finish framing, until I placed the glass in the keyboard photo. It was too short. Drat! I had been quite concerned about how I’d frame this picture. Plan A failed and I was very dubious about Plan B. Then I remembered a window frame I’d fished out of a house last fall. I tried it and it was perfect. I’ll take that frame, mat, photo and backer board to glass company after school today. They can put it together for me. Handling that big 40X29-inch sheet of glass scares me. I’d rather let the professionals handle it. All I want to do is cover the back with paper and add the wire.

I framed the red door last night as well, then nailed it to an old barn door. The nails were too long, so I’ll have to cut them off. I got out my new Dremel tool kit, but discovered that I didn’t have the cutting accessory. I’ll have to buy that this afternoon. Thankfully, I’m subbing for the teacher who has planning period right after lunch. I had to glue a piece of that door back together overnight. Once I trim the nails and add the hanging wire to the back, that package will be finished.

I lost the vertical picture of Hanging Lake last night when the lacquer spray stained it. I wish I would have bought glass for that picture frame. I don’t like lacquer; it’s too risky. I’ve now ruined a mat and a photo with lacquer. Disgusting. I won’t bother replacing the photo. I’m sure no one will miss it. The gallery will be pretty full with my photos as it is. I am deeply grateful to Jeff, the high school art teacher, for his help matting my pictures.

Measure twice, cut once

Today I started matting. First I cut down a couple mats that fit the picture but not the frame. I wasn’t thinking on the first one and just chopped all the excess off one side. When I turned it over, I was horrified. I thought about dropping the photo from my show, but found one matboard that will work in a double frame. I was relieved. I like my turtles. We toured a Louisiana swamp on New Year’s Eve 2007 with my brother and his family. Guide pointed out turtles. I was using my film camera. I focused on the branch and shot away, not knowing what I was taking. I was quite surprised when I saw this image. I’m calling it “Happy Together” after The Turtles’ 1967 chart-topper.

The next mat-cutting went better. Somehow the original pink mat for this photo had gotten a stain on it. I cannot understand how. None of my mat stash or matboards went with the picture. When I went to thrift store for more frames to cannibalize, I found one with a large double mat, one medium blue and the other cream. It went perfectly with that picture and enabled me to use a black frame that I was recycling. After my experience with the turtles, I was much more careful to properly align the frame on the mat. Because of the mysterious stain, the picture is not dead center within the mat, but I rather like its appearance. As you can see, I drew several cut lines before I got everything centered.

When I finished framing this, I had recycled frame, glass, backer board, hanger and one mat. I went to high school this afternoon and began cutting. What a pleasure! However, “Measure twice, cut once” saved me this time, too. We kept confusing the horizontal and vertical cut dimensions. I laid the picture I was matting on the matboard before cutting and that saved me. We changed measurements on one mat several times with various colored pencils. By the time we cut it, matboard back looked like a Scottish tartan. Whatever works.

Making progress

Dad was here Sunday-Thursday to help me. We cut all kinds of old glass from frames I am either recycling or obtained at thrift shop. Old glass is notoriously hard to cut. Dad said he had never done such a nerve-wracking job. I had intended to take some pictures of him working on the glass, but didn’t do it. I was too wrapped up in what we were doing to remember to take pictures. This whole process has been nerve-wracking. I had thought the cedar picture would be a fairly simple process. It fit so well in the old pie safe door that is it’s frame that I had no need to mat it. Just cut the glass, cut the backer board, put spacers on glass to keep separate it from picture, place picture between them and clamp them to back of frame. I should have known better. I was using glass from a frame I had bought at a garage sale sometime ago. I have never had such difficulty cleaning glass in my life. I estimate I spent two hours cleaning it. By the time I put the “picture sandwich” onto the frame, I had had enough. I went upstairs and figured we would be able to quickly finish framing it in the morning. I should have known better. When I awakened the next morning, I realized I had forgotten to sign the photo. Sigh. I undid the sandwich, signed it and put it back together. Dad and I clamped it down. When I turned it over, he said, “The glass has cracked.” I shrieked. We searched for the source that caused the crack and found that the door was warped. We didn't know what to do. Door matched the picture so perfectly. No other alternative was acceptable. After some discussion, Dad said, “Do you have any silicone caulk?“ No. But that gave me an idea. I got my glue gun and filled the spaces with hot silicone glue. Problem solved. We put the sandwich back together. Whew. I should have known better. Dad said, “The picture has a fold in it.” I wanted to cry. After all that trouble, the picture dares to have a crinkle? I Googled the problem, but got no definitive answer. In a similar situation to mine, the person was jokingly advised to iron the photo. What have I got to lose? With my heart in my throat, I turned the iron to the lowest setting, covered the ironing board with a press cloth and the picture with another press cloth. Both these press cloths were more of a screen than a cloth. I put water on my fingertip and dabbed it onto the offending crack, then gently, ever so gently, pressed it. When I turned it over with shaking hands, I found the fold much diminished, but the screen had left a slight imprint. I tried to remove it with the same process, less the bottom press cloth, and got some of it to smooth out. But not all. Dad said, “Let’s just put this back together and hope no one notices the slight imperfection!“ So we did. I put it in bags to protect it and put it on the table with the rest of the finished pictures.

I wondered why God had sent me through this awful process. Then I realized what a valuable experience it had been. I had learned how to correct warping and folded pictures. But I’d rather not go through such an ordeal again.

Fork twister

For Christmas, I crafted photo holders from forks. I picked forks out of a large bin of silverware at local antique mall. Every one came from a different place setting.

Every one of them bent differently. Most difficult part was curling the tines in front. I wrapped duct tape around my Vise-Grip’s jaws to avoid scratching, but I still left scratches. I wish I could figure out how to totally eliminate those annoying scratches. Hubby said he likes the tortured silverware projects I’ve been doing, but I shouldn’t start torturing toys. He doesn’t have to worry. I lack an inner Sid the Toy Torturer. Silverware, however, is entirely another story.

Rub-a-dub-dub, I want to grab this tub!

I found a tub like I was looking for in this post. But how I’m going to pull it out of this basement is a mystery.

I want a fountain like this one, which has been shut off to overwinter. It’s an outstanding example of repurposing, which I love to do. Keeping objects away from the landfill makes me feel virtuous.

This is a closer view of the entire fountain piping.

Here are a pair of views of the piping outside the tub.

This pump and tubing recycles the water back through the fountain. I can envision this fountain in my yard. I want it near our lawn chairs so we can listen to that peaceful sound while we’re sitting by our outdoor fireplace. Someday my tub will come…

Header coat rack

Several years ago, we bought an old baseboard at an architectural salvage firm. That was our planned purchase. We also bought two old headers, some drawer pulls and a couple wooden door knobs. I had seen a coat rack made from those materials and wanted one for our house. When we returned home, I found that the place I had intended to hang them wasn’t suitable.

We put everything into storage until I could decide what to do with them.

Finally, the light came on. My sister-in-love loves architecture as much as I do. And my dad could sure use a coat rack. So I made one for each of them.

Since I was making two coat racks instead of one, I needed two more knobs. Marilyn and I had salvaged a bunch of brass doorknobs from a trash pile. I had intended to use them on a door, but they didn’t work. I threw them into my father-in-law’s recycle bin and he had taken them away. But I had inadvertently kept one of the knobs. (Apparently, I should never throw anything away!) I disassembled the doorknob set, retaining only the exterior parts. The interior went into the recycling bin.

My woodworking friend Darrell suggested that I drill holes 18 inches apart so the rack could be attached to the studs. I did that first.

Then I arranged the knobs to suit me. I drilled holes for them and screwed them on. I had to use dowels to attach the brass doorknobs. These holes required a spade bit. I had never used a spade bit before, so was rather intimidated. All went well. The dowel I inserted into the doorknobs was too big to insert into the exterior lock parts. I cut the big dowel a bit short of the full length of the doorknobs' hole and glued it to the handle of an old foam paintbrush cut to size. I topped the paintbrush handle with the exterior lock parts.

Project took a couple hours and was fun to do. Hopefully I can salvage the next boards and knobs myself.

A very redneck Christmas

Marilyn writes about her boss’s Christmas gift in her best imitation of redneck style.

As our admissions team considered a nice (or not-so-nice) Christmas present for our Director of Admissions, ideas flew through our office like reindeer on a mission! The result was the Ultimate Redneck Survival Kit, a gift we knew Gary would be so happy to receive. Not only did this gift have its hilarious aspects, most of the items were very practical, and they may become a lifesaver! As Tiffini and I put together this lovely gift set, our excitement grew. On the day we packaged the items, we were laughing so hard, we could hardly contain ourselves! (Yes, some people are easily entertained!) Of course, one needs the Ultimate Gift Box in which to place the lovely items. An old cardboard box with duck-taped edges came to our rescue! In Tiff’s best Redneck style, she wrote, “Redneck Survival Kit” on the side. Inside the box were some unusual gifts, each wrapped in their own special gift bag: a lovely brown paper lunch bag! Each gift came with a set of instructions, so that Gary could figure out how they were to be used. Hopefully, those in Redneck Land will appreciate Redneck Survival Kit instructions: A man who is outside in every kind of weather needs a Redneck Weather 4-Caster. We made it from a large block of wood with a twig duck taped to the side of it. We found some bright red yarn from Grandma’s sewing basket to hang from the twig. In our best Redneck handwriting, we listed possible 4-casts: *If yarn is swinging side to side, it’s WINDY. *If yarn is wet, it’s RAINING. *If yarn is white, it’s SNOWING. *If yarn is still, it’s STILL. *If yarn is gone, TAKE SHELTER! Yes ma’am, every Redneck needs one of those! Then you have the Redneck Wynd Chyme. Find an old board about 3 feet long, and gather those darn beer cans left in the yard from the last party there. Yessirree, then take some good ol’ wire and wrap three strands of it around the ol’ board. Then take those dirty ol’ beer cans and wrap the wire through the tabs. HEY, NOW, THAT’S ONE NICE WYND CHYME! Gary is quite the outdoorsman. He goes motorcycling in the summer and snowmobiling in the winter. We wanted to make sure that he was cared for on his outings. Every snowmobiler needs his own set of munchies. We found some Rodent Roughage that sure looked and tasted like those salted peanuts at the local farm stores. We came across some Reindeer Turdz that sure did look like chocolate-covered raisins. Then there was the all-important Fish Bate. That sure did look slimy, but it tasted just fine, kinda like those gummy worms the kids like to eat. Now Tiff is quite the city gal. So she found Gary some good ol’ sushi! Yessirree, she sure did! That was the best-tasting sushi I’d ever had. Kinda reminded me of sugarcoated gummy worms! I could eat quite a few of those myself! That Tiff was really a-thinkin’ about Gary’s safety out there in them bitter-cold mountains on that snowmobile, yessir. In case his brakes went out, she made an Emergency Snowmobile Brake. She found this red brick in her backyard, and tied some of that there bright red yarn around it. If Gary throws it out in the snow, hopefully the brick will catch something in a short time, maybe a tree root, and snowmobile will come to a screeching halt! Of course, a man could get lost in them there mountains on a snowy day. A Redneck GPS system sure could come in handy. This little bag contained what could be mistaken for sunflower seeds. The instructions said, “Leave a trail of these behind you so that you can find your way home. If the seeds are gone, hunt down that darn rodent who ate ’em and KILL him!” Oh there ya go! Sure ’nuff, no one should be without a good ol’ GPS. Of course, we all know Gary’s quite a b.s.-er. What snowmobiler isn’t?

We made him his very own B.S. Bag. The instructions on the little brown bag said, “When the B.S. starts to flow, blow into this bag. The B.S. makes good fertilizer. Spread it on your yard. Can be used around lawyers offices and political scenes as well.” Then we made B.S. Filters. They are to be used when the B.S. Bag just isn’t enough. This bag had little black pieces of what tasted like licorice. The idea is to blow through the little holes and then eat it. Oh my, that was one nice little gift. One day when we were looking around the office, we came upon a bunch of what appeared to be a stack of old wedding rings. As we wondered where on earth those came from, we realized that this Slinky-like gadget must be all Gary’s old wedding bands. Yessiree! So being the nice pals that we are, we put them in this box right where they belong! We also found some Lady Hookers. Yeesirree, you take a box of them there cute little candy canes and use ’em to hook you a gal!

And then we made up a document that Gary might need again one day. Yep, some Day-Vorce papers for ol’ Gary. Now that was quite the document. Instead of copying it all here, ask Gary to show you. You will enjoy it much more that way! So as I sign off from Redneck Land, I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas! As you work in your back yards this summer, keep in mind that many of the little things out there can be put to good use next Christmas! Everyone has a Redneck pal somewhere!

12 Days of Christmas plates

Several years ago, I ordered a set of miniature plates featuring the Twelve Days of Christmas. When they arrived, I got out hammer and finishing nails and was about to pound 12 nails into the woodwork above the arch separating dining room from living room. My mother was appalled. “You are not going to put all those nails in your beautiful woodwork, are you?” “Why? Do you have a better idea?” “No, but I bet I can think of one.” So off we went to the craft store.

She bought four little fences, some silk holly, red ribbon and a glue gun. In about 15 minutes, she had made these decorations. I was impressed. Every year, I unpack them gingerly and carefully check each plate before hanging each fence. Each year, at least one must be reglued. Once the plates are all secure, I check the string, fluff up the ribbons and hang them. I always breathe a sigh of relief when all is back together and on the wall.

Stockings hung on the door frame with care

I love vintage fabrics and lace and I love Christmas decorations. When I saw stockings made from old quilts and lace at a craft fair years ago, I had to buy two of them. They fit so beautifully in our old house (built in 1929). When my parents came to visit us that year, my mother noticed the stockings. I saw the wheels churning in her head as she examined them. I took one down for her and she traced around it.

When we came home for Christmas the next year, we saw her version of those stockings, one for each of us. She had quilted long strips of fabric, then cut stockings out of them. Note how careful she was to originate a strip right on the heel curve. My mother loved such details. She embroidered each name on green fabric, then stitched it to the cuff. Dad gave me the stockings last year. He didn’t think he’d be hanging them and thought I would enjoy them. I get a huge lump in my throat every time I hang them. My mother’s legacy.

Check out A Very Mary Design’s Adorable Packaging Giveaway Contest.

Boo and the Christmas trees

Mr. Boo Kitty loves Christmas. Or maybe he just loves the Christmas trees!

As soon as we put up the trees and cover the base with a tree skirt, Boo has to curl up underneath them. He seems to favor the little tree during the day and the big tree at night. He doesn’t climb the tree or swat the ornaments as he did when he was a kitten. I do tie the little tree onto the sideboard so he can’t knock it off and we hang fragile ornaments out of the kitty’s reach, just in case.

When we began putting the Christmas village under the big tree last year, I thought Boo would no longer be able to curl up underneath that tree.

I thought wrong.

He daintily between the houses and curls up around the tree pole. I think of Azrael chasing the Smurfs. “Papa Smurf! Papa Smurf! Azrael is looking in the window! What are we going to do?”

Azrael/Boo Kitty doesn’t seem to notice any village dwellers. He just snoozes amid the buildings.

Unfortunately, Boo’s black fur shows up rather too well on our little tree’s white skirt. The big tree’s skirt is red and green, so the fur isn’t as obvious.

The white skirt is the first tree skirt I remember. It was originally just a piece of white felt cut to size. My brother and I received the stockings as Christmas gifts a couple years apart. (Mine is visible at far left.) For several years, our mother hung them from the door between our living and dining rooms.

I remember her standing in the doorway examining them. I wondered why. A few days later, she bought red and green felt. She cut out red felt bells, felt holly leaves and berries. She top-stitched the stockings, bells and holly to the skirt, then added Christmas ribbon around the skirt edges.

Several years later, she decided to make quilted tree skirts for herself, my brother and me. She stitched red and green Christmas fabric triangles for the top, then added a red ruffle around the edges. Bottom is the red fabric. Skirt ties in back. Since she would no longer be using the original tree skirt, I asked for and received it.

Boo Kitty loves them. And so do I.

Christmas party

We hosted our annual Christmas party Saturday night. I like to have eight at our table, but we ended up with six (clockwise from left): Tonya, Linda, Marilyn, Hubby, my empty chair and Stacy. We love to entertain any time of the year, but especially at Christmas. The house is always so beautiful with all our decorations. The light of our trees and candles gives the dining and living rooms a warm, relaxing glow. And, of course, the food is always wonderful.

I always make the Christmas menu cards more elaborate than for other theme dinners. This ribbon decorated one of our gifts last year. I kept it for future use, not knowing what I’d do with it. As I waited for Hubby to escape a very ill-timed Saturday morning meeting, the design leaped into my head. After cutting ribbon, I lit a match and melted each end to prevent raveling. I had intended to secure ribbon to menu and name cards with knots, but my paper punch’s holes were too large. I had to tie three knots on top of each other before ribbon remained in hole. That took too long. Instead, I taped the ribbon to the cards. That method didn’t look quite as nice, but, as Patty says, life is a series of trade-offs. As I look at design now, perhaps I should have dangled the ribbon on the card’s other side. Whatever. Guests loved the cards. That’s what matters. The two menu items that are partially obscured were “Cranberry-Orange Pork Tenderloin” and “Out of This World Cranberry Salad”. We didn’t eat the salad. We intended to serve it with the pie, but we were too full. So we took it to our church’s Christmas dinner the next day. They devoured most of it.

Borax ornaments

I subbed in a physics class Friday. While students were creating bridges from balsa wood, I started preparing a borax solution for their borax crystal ornaments. I asked the teacher what strength of solution I needed to make. He said, “Just stir in as much borax as the water will hold.” He had left a box three-quarters full of borax, a Dutch oven and the bottom of a double boiler. I filled the pots with water and put them on the stove. As I heated the water, I stirred in borax. When the borax dissolved, I added more and continued stirring. Eventually, I poured in the entire contents of the box. When the water started boiling, I removed it from the heat and poured it into three beakers. After they had cleaned up their bridge project, students began shaping pipe cleaners into ornaments. Students tied string around their ornaments and a colored pencil. We suspended the ornaments in the borax solution.

When the basketball teams returned from their game that night, coaches were to remove the ornaments from the beakers. Picture shows how we hope they turn out.

The Gift of Christmas Is Jesus

My friend Martha is amazingly creative. To decorate five of our church’s windows for Christmas, she found a theme, then asked me to design each window using that theme.

The local lumber yard cut foam insulation sheeting to size for her, then she affixed 1x1 boards to each end for hooks. She wrapped the boards in Christmas wrapping paper. Once I emailed her the designs, she printed them on transparencies, projected them on the wall and cut out the silhouettes from a different roll of wrapping paper. She and Kim glued them on according to my design.

Martha bought white contact paper for the letters. I cut the letters with a Cricut machine and placed them on the wrapped board. Even using a yardstick, I couldn’t lay them exactly straight. I was frustrated. Hubby asked, “Do you want them to look handmade or as if some machine had made those posters?” I felt better.

We hung them with a chain from hooks in the ceiling.

Wendy had made beautiful, lighted flower arrangements for the entryway. Our church building is still under construction and the ugly construction materials were visible behind those arrangements. So Martha brought backdrops and hung fabric on them to hide the ugliness.

Our tree looked ready for the landfill, but she rescued it, too. Winding garland between the branches filled in the tree, vastly improving its appearance.

I love her ideas.

We are conveying the true message of Christmas to passers-by in a beautiful fashion. Jesus is the true Gift of Christmas. All other gifts are shadows of His great Gift to save us all. We only have to accept that gift, the gift of eternal life.