Christmas Projects Adventures

I've been pretending I don't have a blog lately! Sorry about the absence. It's always hard for me to get back into the swing of things after Christmas and New Years.

Speaking of Christmas, I can finally post some of the projects I was working on for Christmas. Remember when David and I went to Israel back in March of 2011 and I brought back all this sand and water?

Well, this is what I did with the sand and small shells that came from the shores of the sea of Galilee.

I designed this and stuck it in the window of the box.

I ordered the boxes from Nashville Wraps online (it took me forever to find this, the perfect box) and the glass balls somewhere online too that I can't remember. They are a little nicer than the ones you can buy at the craft store because the glass is a little thicker. I super glued the tops on so the ball wouldn't fall off under the weight of the sand or come out of the small holes at the top.

I'd seen these ornaments before many times. They are a favorite for Young Women leaders to do with their girls because they involve Christ and are usually cheap to make (using any sand and balls that usually come from the craft store). I was excited to make them because I was able to use actual sand and shells from the sea of Galilee! I think they are pretty cool because of that.

The water David and I gathered from the Jordan River I treated with a little bleach and divided into these small vials (I knew that year I spent working in the HydroGeoChem lab at BYU collecting and distilling water samples would pay off!) I ordered the vials from a science supply site online and wax sealed the caps to avoid evaporation.

Then I designed these labels and put them in more boxes I ordered off of Nashville Wraps. I gave them to all my nieces and nephews (I only have one nephew above the age of 8 and I told him he could do whatever he wanted with the water) and I have plenty of vials left over for my future kids and any other future nieces or nephews.

One of the other projects I did was this 20"x20" oil painting I did for one of my sister's in law. All my sister in laws and mother in law on David's side have a watercolor I did of their fave flower. On my side they now all have an oil painting I did of a flower.

I have a hard time taking good pictures of paintings with my camera. In this pic the colors are truer to the actual painting, but there is a glare.

Anyway, I finished the painting just before Christmas and I couldn't send it out wet so I sent a picture of it to my sis with a note. I still have it at my house. Don't worry Paige, it is drying nicely and will be yours soon!

Those are most of my Christmas projects. I miss Christmas already!