Handmade Wednesday: Fabric Bookmark

Well, the day has finally come. Perhaps you guessed it. The day when I actually came up with a craft and made it myself! And here I am sharing it with you. How fabulously creative of me. I have always been a rather crafty person but have lacked the time and financial resources to make my own wonderful concoctions. So, I hope though I have not -in the past- been making the crafts I share here, that you can find it in your heart to forgive me and follow me as I begin a new journey of creating pretty things to inspire my life and yours.

This weeks handmade beauty was actually inspired! I have been in the mood for reading over the past few months. This is a new and noteworthy time in my life since I have never ever ever been a reader. Obviously, I can read so let's get that right out of your minds -I am writing here!! But as a child reading was so monotonous and boring to me that I just could not stand the thought of having to pick up a book. Even if it was suppose to be good. This terrible -in my opinion- habit has carried over well into my adult years. But as of late, this strange and insatiable desire has cause me to find myself at many a book store and library, wondering just what I was doing there. Okay, okay, so I'll get to the craft already. But I just had to preface this craft with a bit of a story. I am just so excited about this!!! Can't you tell? Needless to say I am reading and realized I have no bookmarks! I hate folding corners of pages if the book does not belong to me and so I decided to make one. And here it is:

I started with the only vintage-ish fabric I had, flipped it to the wrong side giving it a more worn appearance and cut two pieces for front and back. Cutting them 7' x 3' will give you room for sewing as well as a little edge when you're done. I also recommend using a piece of cardboard or sturdy poster board in between your fabric sheets to help the bookmark maintain it's sturdiness. I cut that piece to 6' x 2'.

I wanted a piece of fabric down the center of the bookmark for writing a word or just a little depth and color change. All I had was some ivory ribbon so that had to do! As you may notice in the picture, I sewed the two pieces of floral fabric together on one side. You don't have to do this to start, I just did so that I could be sure of the exact location my ribbon would go (based on the threading).

Next, I wanted to add a bit of interest to this bookmark of mine by adding a little more ribbon off to one side. I will be adding more detail below but wanted to make sure this pretty green thing stayed in place, so I hand stitched a quick thread through to attach it.

And here's that detail I promised you! I have a ton of silk flower arrangements that I never use and so I stole one itsy bitsy baby flower from one of them and took any plastic remnants off so that it would lie flat. Of course it was a tad tired looking and I have half a drawer full of buttons, so I thought one would be a nice touch. If you don't like the button idea, scrounge around your home for things you can use. Seriously! That junk drawer can be a crafters treasure trove.

This is just a photo of my sewing on the ol' machine. I threw it in here for fun and to see what my Finepix S1000 is capable of. Not much, unfortunately. I love photography and would die for a better camera! This one will have to do....

Lastly, you will probably want to add some sort of tab to your bookmark to help you open your book and see where you are. But it's not completely necessary. This is your bookmark and your craft. Be creative with it!

And walla! I wanted to do so much more, but with limited resources at home and a wallet that I've had to hide from myself in order to be able to pay the bills, this is what came out.

And right along side is the newest book I have been unraveling, Captivating. It is a book about women and who God created us to be. The Eldredge couple has written this book for anyone of any age and gender, for both sexes need to understand each other. I am only a few chapters in, but loving every page of it. I plan on passing it along to my husband Movie Star when I'm done. Then I'll pick up Wild at Heart (it' their book on men...) I am also considering blogging my way through this book because so many feelings and discoveries have been coming up. Would you all like that? Let me know.

Keeping Romance Alive

When I was reading my Couple's Devotional Bible the other day, I came across one of the Daily Discussions which spoke about how the "honeymoon period" of a marriage can so easily fade away to leave it lonely, dull and lifeless. Having been married for 4 years, this struck me because the last thing I want is for my marriage to have become vapid. I want my husband and I to always be "in love", keeping our romance evergreen. I love what the authors of this daily discussion Les and Leslie Parrott had to say on the matter:

The frequent expressions of affection and approval that couples give each other during courtship and in the honeymoon stage can dwindle in the first years of marriage. You may still love each other just as much, but you start to talk about it less.

Contrary to the fairy tales we were weaned on, romance always fades. But you can keep your romantic love alive long after the honeymoon has ended. The secret is simple: Do everything you can now to establish lasting habits of loving behavior.

The habits you develop now can lead either to actions that will nurture lifelong love or to behaviors that will sabotage love. The little things you do now - without thinking - will shape your relationship for years to come. So pay attention to those little things.

We tend to think about romance on a grand scale - such as the perfect, once-a-year getaway - and neglect the little opportunities that present themselves every day. Consider how you greet one another after work, or how well you incorporate common courtesies like saying "please" and "thank you". Be sure to maintain a dating habit too, to keep your marriage from falling into the doldrums of working all week and coming home to collapse on the weekends.

Keep love alive - starting now - by establishing daily habits of romance, passion and intimacy. Your honeymoon will become more than just a memory. It will become a way of life.

Though my husband and I love each other very much (and tell each other so everyday) it is hard to find romance. My hubby is not an overly romantic man to begin with, so I have to take the things that he does daily, and turn them into my romantic moments. Like when he consistently does the dishes when I'm not paying attention, when I come home at the end of the day and he has cleaned up the house, when I'm making dinner or brushing my teeth and he hugs me from behind and kisses my neck. And my favorite is when he calls me "Lover Girl" in a baby voice. I think finding these moments in a mature marriage is more about spontaneity than planned events - though those are wonderful as well. But when you are together and you can laugh about something or stop to recognize the enchanting moment you're in, you've found your romance.

How Bolt Comes to My Rescue

I have a little guy named Bolt. He is a jack russell/boston terrier mix and I don't know what shape I would be in without him. I have always loved dogs, but never had one in my home until I was in high school. The dog my parents brought home was a wonderful addition and I love him to this day, but his existence didn't chance my life at all. My Dad also had a few dogs come and go over the years, though not seeing him all that often just made them cuddly playmates. However Bolt.... well he means so much to me and my husband.

Being a new year, I have started thinking about 2010 and how it was exceptionally difficult. There were many times I wanted to just give up on everything. When I felt worthless in life. When my husband and I would argue or feel down right depressed. As I've been looking back, I realized that there were so many instances where Bolt came to our rescue. No, I wasn't Little Timmy stuck in a long dark pit, but my emotions might as well have been. And Bolt knew just what to do! He licked me incessantly until I realized he was trying to give me kisses. He cuddled up and made me feel warm and loved when I all I really felt was alone. He brought me his favorite toy to squeak and throw so that I could have some fun playing. And he just plain did silly things that made me laugh out loud, even when I had been crying. There were many times his constant positive nature paired next to his contentment with simplicity caused me to look at life in different ways.

I know some of you may be thinking "it's just a dog; a pet." And I'm inclined to agree with you. However, I believe God has used my little pet this past year to help me cope with seemingly hopeless situations. My husband and I had wanted a dog for a very long time but we didn't feel the time was right until just before things began their downward spiral. We have always trusted in God to provide for us in ways we can't provide for ourselves. And during this past year that we have had Bolt, God has provided a way to endure this wilderness we are in. I hope your pet can be the same for you.

Don't have a dog or some other pet? I recommend a trip to your local pound. Though it may make you feel a little sad at first - for you can't take all those sad faces home with you - you just may find one you can. And it has already made you feel better! Now you have a companion and just think.... you saved it's life. Doesn't that feel good?