paper crane project . . .

I am STILL working on my paper crane project . . . every so slowly.  

Crane # 751 is headed to New Zealand.

Peace Love Cranes

Life is good . . .

 My birthday crane!  

Avery's first visit to the zoo.  

Birthday wishes . . . . 

The kind of silliness that makes you smile . . . and touches your heart. 

An eye popping zombie toy . . . because my desk needed one.

(Some people just get me.) 

Getting a whole bunch of wishes from Charlotte!

Life is Good!

Peace Tree

I absolutely love my Christmas tree this year. 

 I didn't get everything made that I wanted to put on it - so it isn't quite as full as I would have liked it to be . . . but I will add to it next year.  I will also start a little sooner.  

This was sort of a last minute idea and I still was in the process of making pom poms when we brought the tree home.  We got it in the stand and Charlotte was ready to decorate the tree right then . . . 

. . . so we decorated the tree - ready or not.

For me decorating a tree with my 5 year old granddaughter is mostly about letting her decorate how she wants.  This tree is so kid friendly . . . and we had so much fun!  

We added a few ornaments that I had to fill it it and set the tree in front of this tapestry . . .  I LOVE IT!

We are calling it our PEACE tree!

If you notice the little doll toward the top.  I won her in a Giveaway on Instagram @ b3twixt.  

Check out her dolls in her ETSY shop - B3twixtByJessi 

I like the idea of a WISH doll . . . now what to wish for?

4th graders make me happy . . .

Every year I fold origami cranes with the 4th graders at the school where I work.

Every year I enjoy it a little bit more.  I think 4th graders are wonderful!

You can see more of their paper cranes here.  I started my paper crane project a few years ago . . . not intending for it to take me so long - but I am still at it. I am pretty sure I have folded over 1000 cranes outside of the ones I have folded for my project . . . and usually after I do this with the 4th graders - some of the kids go "crane crazy" for awhile . . . so I will probably be sitting with some of them at lunch recess folding more.  

more paper crane ornaments . . .

I am still making paper crane ornaments.  I am pretty sure I will end up with more than I need for my Christmas tree.  I may have to try and sell some of these.  I love making them!

more paper cranes . . . .

So I fold them . . . then fold more of them. . . and then I have to do something with them. 

So I give them to kids and use them for my 1000 paper crane project . . . and for right now I seem to be obsessed with making these ornaments.  

I am really going to like my Christmas tree this year!

It all starts with one little bead . . .

 Jake and Kasey wanted a dream catcher to hang in Avery's nursery.  (No Avery yet, but very soon.)

I don't  think I would have ever made a dream catcher otherwise . . . and I'm not sure if I will ever make another one . . . although I do have some ideas.  

 All the beads on the table inspired Lily to make a necklace.  She spent the night this weekend . . . so we painted . . . and beaded . . . and read . . . and stayed up late eating popcorn and drinking root beer.

Fun Night!

I've been folding these cranes from old book pages . . . hoping to get enough to fill up a tree this coming Christmas.  I have over 200 so far . . . I think I will have enough by December.  

origami obsessed . . .

I just keep folding . . . when maybe I should be doing other things, but sometimes this is exactly what I need to do.  I have probably made about 400 paper cranes the last couple of weeks - most of them for the kids at the school where I work.  I am not sure how they caught on . . . but for right now these kids like paper cranes and I enjoy all the kids . . . so I will keep folding.  I also have plans to make some ornaments and have enough cranes made out of old book pages to decorate a Christmas tree this coming year.  I seem to be a little origami obsessed. 

simply wonderful weekend . . . .

What a wonderful weekend . . . of doing not really anything.  Well, I guess I did something . . . 

I painted, I read, I fold paper cranes . . . I took a nap that felt simply wonderful

Richard and I played cards, took Charlotte to lunch . . . and did few things around the house.

I didn't anticipate enjoying a do nothing weekend as much as I did.  I feel rested and relaxed!

Finding joy in the little things!

more paper cranes . . . .

 Charlotte wanted to color with me  - so we worked on coloring some origami paper. 

 She had to leave before her sheet was finished . . . so that paper crane is yet to come.

  I can't wait to see what her crane looks like once she is done and I get it folded.

 I used some watercolor pencils on my sheet .  I colored it rather quickly and 

dabbed it here and there with a wet paint brush . . . then had to wait

for it to dry before folding a crane.  I like how it turned out . . . but then,

I always like how paper cranes turn out.  

I have been a little obsessed with paper cranes this week!

paper cranes . . .

It was a cold and rainy weekend . . . perfect for being inside and getting online to list my Shabby Charlotte dolls.  Instead . . . I folded paper cranes.  I will get the dolls listed soon.
 I seemed to have had origami paper all over the place . . . so decided to get it all back in order.
After looking at all the beautiful paper I just felt the need to make some cranes.
Happy Monday!

coloring . . .

Richard found this wonderful origami  paper that you color.

Now I just want to color and fold cranes . . . 

. . . and paint . . . and sew . . . and take pictures . . . and make dolls.  

I have a head full of ideas these days . . .  hoping to make it a creative new year!

paper cranes and paint . . .

Faith is not about everything turning out okay.

Faith is about being okay 

no matter how things turn out.

I am back to work this week after two weeks off - which I suppose is a good thing.  Being back on a schedule seems to help me in some ways . . . but I am missing my late nights and days filled with doing exactly what I want to do.  

I am finding a little time each day to play and create something.  

That is good for me . . . good for who I am.