Tell The Story

Tell the Story and Be Part of the Story

I love photo albums. I could look through them all day! 

Each photo has a story. We may not remember the date or the day but we remember the who, the what and the where.

I enjoy making these mini albums. Creating doodle picture frames around the photo. Pairing it with a scripture verse. As the next generation flips through the books they will not only see a capture of special days but they will see reminders of God's grace and love. In my own doodle handwriting they have a snapshot of favorite scriptures where they can find hope, comfort and love.

Some Supplies

This small notebook with black pages can be found at Michaels in the isle with the planner notebooks. It is the perfect size for a 2x3 photo and room for text.

I enjoy using these white gel Uni-ball Signo pens. They can be found at all craft stores, Target and on Amazon. Fine point chalk markers work well too. Using one color of gel ink keeps my mind from going into the clothes dryer effect ... with my mind tumbling over and over trying to decide what colors to use .

I love my HP Sproket mini printer for my phone.  I can print 2x3 prints. The back peels off to expose a sticker surface that allows me to place directly in the mini album without needing glue or tape. 

There are many versions of mini printers for phones. Check them out.

I love using the Apple app VRSLY to add text to my photos. Pic Monkey is a photo editing program that I use as  well.

Doodle frames around photos and text gives the page a fun look.

Doodle lettering is very forgiving.  Large lettering catches the eye. A simple frame gives the message a home.

Adding color to the doodle gives a dimensional look. Happy letters!

I am adding a cloth cover to this mini album.

This is how I draw flowers...I doodle them. They always end up somewhere in the project.

And so we tell tell the next generation of the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power and the wonders he has done. Psalm 78:4

Print some photos. Place them in an album. Start small. Use your own handwriting to share the who, what and the where. Give it your own special touch. Tell the story. Be part of the story.

Praying the Stitches -The Fall Version

My Grandmother stitched.

My Mother stitched .

My Grandmother made crazy quilt blankets for couples as a wedding gift. 

It was on her sewing machine that had a place on the kitchen table that she allowed me to try my hand at sewing rows and rows and rows of squares. I loved it. I never created anything with all of those rows, perhaps my Grandmother did, but I remember having so much fun cutting out the squares and sewing them together on many a summer day. She patiently showed me how to wind a bobbin and thread the needle and how to use the seam guide to help me sew in straight rows.

My mother sewed for living working as a sewer in a furniture manufacture plant. At home, she made many beautiful things from fabric including curtains, tablecloths and such.

When I was in high school I learned how to sew on buttons and hem jeans. In the 70's it was very cool to have some kind of embroidery on your jeans such as ...hearts , peace symbol, flowers, and your initials or your boyfriend's initials. I had lots of fun with my embroidered jeans. I wish I still had them! I wish I could still wear them!

So sewing and stitching is part of my childhood past.

Sometimes our plans are not God's plans . My plan was to have a Summer Bible Study that included a fun stitching project. Schedules, a new ministry program and an unexpected surgery put this Bible Study on the bottom of the totem pole. 

Praying the Stitches will begin soon but the hands on project will come first.

Over the next couple of weeks I will share with you how stitching can put your mind and soul into a state of calm. Praying for those things that are heavy on your heart. Slowing down . Finding peace and comfort in the moment.

So gather up some fabric, scraps of fabric, lace, trims, buttons, patches, the old dishtowel from your grandma's kitchen....and we will learn how to make fabric collage covers for our planners, small notebook, Bibles and a Memory Maker Smash book ( this is another project in the works.) Watch for it!

A bag to keep your project supplies is a requirement ! 

This is the fabric collage cover for my travelers notebook planner. 

This beauty contains my personal and ministry calendars, daily devotion reflections, visual prayers, project planning, and a daily gratitude dairy. 

Each piece of fabric has a special meaning and a prayer as I stitched it into place.

Each day when I pick up my planner I have a visual reminder of prayers lifted up and prayers answered. It is almost like having a secret code. Nobody knows the meaning of it all but me and the Big Guy!

The process I will share can be used to cover anything that has a cover!

The cover for this small scrapbook has been measured, cut and pinned . After the seams have been stitched , the fun collage work can begin. This small book is for my grand daughter. I will be using the fabric from pieces of her clothing that she has outgrown to be part of the collage. 

I have another grand daughter due in October and I will be working on a fabric collage cover for her Enduring Word Bible.  I love this fabric and it will be perfect to stitch and layer other fabrics to it. Oh the prayers that will go into all of the stitches.

Your finished cover will roughly be the same width of whatever you are covering.

If you have a sewing machine or know someone that does, you can take scraps of fabric and sew them together to make one large piece of fabric for our project. 

You will need a piece of wool felt to stitch to the wrong side of the fabric. This helps to give thiner fabric some body.

Lay what you are going to cover on top of your fabric and open the front and back covers to measure for the length . Add 2-3 inches on each side for the side pockets for the covers to slide into. 

Turn up the edges on the top and bottom of the fabric to create a seam. Use needle and thread or fabric glue or iron on hem tape to give the edges a finished look.

 The process is the same for a smaller cover.

Front cover pocket.

Back cover pocket.

You can even create your own fabric prints. Try it on paper first.

Created your own collage objects with fabric and stitches. These circle flowers are very easy and give the covers a dimensional look.  I made this one using 4 different sizes of circles. A button holds them all together.

Patches remind me of my childhood and my grandmother.

Another way to add layers.

These red stitches give the heart a 3-D look.

Simply adding a touch of color can make an object stand out.

                                  

Find calm and clarity.

 There is a story about the rainbow. Notice how the stitches are very imperfect. Yeah, just like you and me. More about the imperfect rainbow in the Praying the Stitches video. Keep reading! 

So, you may be very overwhelmed by now and think you could never do this. No worries. I will walk you through this project in a series of Praying the Stitches videos. Be sure to follow @beebeebost on Instagram and on the Do You F.R.O.G. Facebook page ( like the page to see notifications)

The Road To 60!

The Road To 60!

On June 30 of this year, I celebrated my 59th birthday. Being a realist I know that my life is more than half over and I find myself being tempted to focus on what is undone, the bucket list ( I don't have one), regrets...you get the picture. So many folks have said," well, next year is the big one"! And then I had that light bulb moment......every year should be the big one! And it should be celebrated with thankfulness and the HOPE of many more happy healthy days on this earth. 

On the day of my birthday, I came across this beautiful verse from the Psalms and a prayer that really tugged at my heart strings.

I find inspiration in so many places and I know that this Psalm and prayer was meant for me.....to do something with. To share, to create devotions around it, to use it as a way to celebrate this year with hope, peace, joy and love.

My road to 60 will be 365 days of reflecting on the Psalms. Each week I will take a verse and share whatever God inspires me to share. Each day I will try to share reflections and prayers from the weekly verse.

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do". Ephesians 2:10

So "she" will wait and watch to see what the Road to 60 will bring!

Follow the daily posts on Instagram @beebeebost

Do You F.R.O.G ?: Praying the Stitches

Do You F.R.O.G ?: Praying the Stitches: Praying the Stitches My Grandmother stitched. My Mother stitched . My Grandmother made crazy quilt blankets for couples as a we...

Praying the Stitches

Praying the Stitches

My Grandmother stitched.

My Mother stitched .

My Grandmother made crazy quilt blankets for couples as a wedding gift. 

It was on her sewing machine on the kitchen table that she allowed me to try my hand at sewing rows and rows and rows of squares. I loved it. I never created anything with all of those rows, perhaps my Grandmother did, but I remember having so much fun cutting out the squares and sewing them together on many a summer day. She patiently showed me how to wind a bobbin and thread the needle and how to use the seam guide to help me sew in straight rows.

My mother sewed for living working as a sewer in a furniture manufacture plant. At home, she made many beautiful things from fabric.

When I was in high school I learned how to sew on buttons and hem jeans. In the 70's it was very cool to have some kind of embroidery on your jeans such as ...hearts , peace symbol, flowers, and your initials. I had lots of fun with my embroidered jeans. I wish I still had them! I wish I could still wear them!

So sewing and stitching is part of my childhood past.

FAST FORWARD

About 7 years ago, I think,  I stepped up to lead a small Bible Study group at our church. I choose to use the devotional "BLOOM" written by Stephanie Ackerman for Illustrates Faith...one of the first devotionals released. Wow...that has been a while ago. This was a game changer for me in many ways. It was during this time that I found myself using illustrations as a teaching tool for the devotional. It just came natural. I wanted my ladies to have something that would serve as a reminder of our study.

Together we came up with this statement as we reflected on Ephesians 2:10. I took their statement of belief and created a digital card and printed one for each one of them.

FAST FORWARD

This Summer, I will be using the same devotional, "BLOOM"  but with a different small group. It will be video based with a live Periscope feed. Hopefully!!! This format will be Kiddo friendly and I encourage 2nd graders and up to participate.

Signature Doodle Flower and Logo "BLOOM"

Which inspired this fabric stitched book mark. "BLOOM"

Which inspired this. Taking lots of small scraps to make one large piece of fabric, stitching a flower on it. "BLOOM"

Which made it necessary to purchase this... and what a game changer this has been!

AND.......the stitched fabric is the inspiration for this 3x5 Praying the Stitches Sampler.

The sampler reflects my statement of belief : I am blessed to have the love of the cross, and because of the strength and power that I receive through my faith, I am able to GROW and BLOOM into the person God created me to be.

" For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10
Workmanship : the Greek for this word sometimes has the connotation of a "work of art."

Next steps are creating a pdf for it and then to transfer the pattern onto a piece of muslin. 

The sampler will be stitched during my personal prayer time, then added to another piece of fabric to create a cover for a planner or Bible. Watch for it.

I find much comfort in stitching and the memories of those summer days with my Grandmother. 

You can be part of the Praying the Stitches Summer Project. 

We begin in June!

 *I will show you how to create a sampler that reflects who you are, your journey and where you are in your faith walk.

*Your sampler, your work of art, does not have to be stitched. It can be created to look like it has been stitched on paper. I will show you the process.

*I will share how to make the BLOOM fabric stitched bookmark.

*I will share how to take your sampler and add it to fabric to create a beautiful cover for your planner or Bible.

* I will share the handy dandy Sizzix machine. 

Stitching is fun to learn. It will slow you down. You will de stress. You will find peace. 

Follow me on Instagram @beebeebost and on my Facebook Blog page Do You F.R.O.G.

Get updates on the project by email. Subscribe.