One of the hugest traumas of my second grade year was not the fact that I had to go to speech therapy for an embarrassing speech impediment. But rather, that I had to miss part of the only thing I liked about school...ART! I lived for art. I was teased for the way I talked, but no one could tease me about my art. I sewed my own stuffed animals. I filled sketch book after sketch book with drawings. My grandmother taught me to cross stitch and embroider. I loved to make things out of clay. Give me a new box of crayons and some construction paper, and I was happy for hours.

Some things never change. Well, I guess these days I'd rather have new acrylic paints and scrapbook paper. But, I just simply NEED a creative outlet. I've finally come to see that art is in my heart, and it's therapeutic. A must for my emotional health.

So, when my friend (and neighbor!) Jessica suggested a craft club, I was ALL about that! She and I have compared new craft techniques, and thrown out the "let's craft sometime" mantra too many times to count. But, with six kids between us....you know how it goes. Setting a regular time to get together and craft with friends--just for the fun of it--FABULOUS!

Thus, the Art and Soul Craft Club was born. We picked the first Thursday of the month, and we are making it up as we go along. Here's how it's come together so far. We take turns hosting. Whoever does not host is responsible for choosing the craft, sending the evite, and purchasing the supplies. Whoever hosts needs only to have their house ready. Guests pay only to cover supplies and they bring snacks. This is not a money making endeavor--just a chance for girlfriends to get together and find their inner crafter. We've apparently hit a nerve, as the response has been amazing. It's not an exclusive thing. We've just let word of mouth spread the news.

We are considering a logo, and thinking about creating a binder with all craft instructions and supply lists. Anyone who wants a binder simply pays an annual fee. The binder will also include a calendar for birthdays and other gift giving dates so lists of crafty gift ideas can be organized. Wanting to add some more "soul" to our art, we are considering ways to serve others through our crafts, and maybe even an additional time to meet for Bible study. We want this club to be whatever God intends for it to be. And, we are loving the chance to try some new things and build our friendships.

At our first meeting, we made bottle cap necklaces. Here are some of the girls working at Jessica's house.

Some of the finished products. These bottle caps were filled with resin (Enviro Tex Lite) to seal them, and then a magnet was glued on the back. The necklace has a washer on it, and the bottle caps can be switched out, attaching to the washer.

At our April Art and Soul, we made domino necklaces, glass tile necklaces, and scrabble tile necklaces. Here's a few samples:


These are a few of the necklaces I've made for gifts. Jessica taught me how to bead them! She is a wonder of amazing creativity.
I'd love to hear from you guys out there (all both of you!). Any craft ideas we should try? Ideas for using our creativity as an outreach? Wish to give me your e-mail address for instructions or supply lists? Just leave a comment! You, too, may need to add a little art to your heart.