crafty.

About a month ago I was browsing one of the blogs I stalk and I came across this

click on the pic for the source.

I immediately fell in love and knew I HAD to have one of these.  Seven years ago when we began homeschooling (could it really have been that long ago?) Matt and I dedicated our home to be a house of learning.  This was the perfect way for me to display this intent.

After weeks of gathering the materials I sat at the table all prepared to go.  I then realized that the glue gun wasn’t working.  Then the baby decided he needed attention, the 3 and 5 year old were drawn to me like magnets and proceeded to hover. Not to be out done the 8 year old joined in the hovering.  I began to feel frustration building and then it dawned on me why I haven’t crafted in… well, in years.  So,  I let everything sit and did the only thing I could. I put them to bed and then came down and continued crafting.

It felt so very good. I recognized and loved the feeling of all those creative juices flowing. The thrill of creating something out of nothing. The wonder at how it would turn out.  The alone time where I just had to focus on my thoughts and not on anything else.

So, here is my version. I must say I am very much in love with it.

I felt it needed a little more splash of color so I wrapped the inner circle of the embroidery hoop with red ribbon before inserting it into the center.  It definitely made it pop a little more.

 

I am not much of a flower person, so I made a huge ribbon bow instead.  I was so excited to find the tape measure ribbon in my ribbon stash.

Even though  I intend to use it all through the year and not specifically for “back to school” I really love the colors of fall and so I threw in some fabric leaves as well.

Once I buy a white paint marker I will write “This is a house of learning” on the chalkboard. I know what you’re thinking, but it’s OK. I write really small.

Embellished with a few more scrap book things and I am declaring it perfect. I sat there for a long time with a dozen more embellishments, ribbons and leaves, trying to decide if it was enough and if adding anything else would be too much.  Finally I decided that yes, it would be too busy if I added more.  Sometimes less is more.

It has been up for a little under a week and I love coming home and seeing it hanging on the door.  I hope it will serve as a reminder to my children that our home is indeed a place where learning is of the upmost importance.

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.   Romans 15:4