Creative Life

Crochet

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I know this is not the first post with that title, but as I am proud of where we have gotten to, this is another post about our crochet adventures!

We managed to get our creations in a Craft Coop in High Wycombe town Center, and Melody spends a couple mornings/afternoons in the shop to help out. Valuable experience is gained and contacts made.

The busiest season is coming up and we are preparing for an additional fair at Stanborough Church plus 2 pop up shops in the Reading Business park. All very exciting!

We are not big sellers yet, but we are selling and therefore I am very proud! Mostly of Melody who is very creative and trying new things.

So if you are around, why not visit us on one of our locations, or check out our shop here on the website!

Gold

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Kintsugi is a Japanese art to repair broken pots with gold. Golden joinery, part of the history of the pot.

I love the thought that is behind it.. although there may be some personal interpretation in this.. that being broken does not mean it’s useless and should be thrown away. Instead the pieces are glued back together with gold, making it more precious and valuable in the process!

It appeals to me, to know that even though I feel broken sometimes, I can be made whole again with gold.

There is a verse in the Bible that speaks to me about this too: Job 23:10

But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I shall come out as gold.

None of us are spared trials, struggles and difficult situations. It is in those times however that we can rely on our God to purify us and make us whole again, if we trust Him with our heart and lives. What an incredible promise that is. Made valuable through golden joinery.

The words of a particular song (we are broken, by High Road. You can listen to it by copy/paste this YouTube link in your browser… https://youtu.be/r0XFrF6Mpj4 ) sum it up so well. Sometimes it takes a little thing to mend.. We are broken to become more beautiful, tried by fire, shine like gold. We are shattered to free the diamonds in our souls.

We are broken to be whole.

Just like the Japanese art form.. made whole by gold, more valuable than ever!

Taking Photos

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‘If you see something that moves you, and then snap it, you keep a moment’

‘There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer’

‘Photographs open doors into the past, but they also allow a look into the future’

‘To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place. I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them’

These are some random quotes about taking pictures.. and some describe adequately my thoughts on the subject. It’s exciting to see the world through the lens of a camera, trying to capture the moments seen in front of you. Being very proud when this turns out to be ok.. and sad if the moment just can’t be captured well.

It’s true that not all moments lend itself well for photos. Sometimes it’s ok to be seeing scenes with the minds eye. Try and capture that amazing sunset, or the tears inducing romantic scene.

Still, I try and capture as much as possible with my camera and now my iPhone.. resulting in 1000’s of pictures I like to browse through once in a while.

I don’t venture much beyond the snaps I want to keep for myself, feeling inadequate in the post processing of pictures.. photoshop is pretty alien to me although I really admire those that are proficient in it. Quite a number of people come to mind whose work I admire and treasure.

I assisted Melody on a recent photo shoot recently and saw the amount of work that goes into planning out the pictures.. and tremendous amount of work still coming taking the pictures from ordinary to extra ordinary.

I am more of a point and shoot woman.. I like the different lenses and settings, but as the picture is taken.. so I’ll keep it. Guess I still have much to learn!

When enjoying all this, the bible verse in Psalm 95:4-5 comes to mind:

‘In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land’

Or Psalm 19:1 ‘the heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands’

So don’t mind me when I my phone or camera is in front of my face. I am trying to capture the beauty I see around me, thanking Him for giving me eyesight and the ability to see beauty all around me!

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Relax, He’s got this

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There is something about flowers that relax me. Flowers in the garden, flowers in a vase, visiting a national garden etc. Not that I am any good at keeping flowers beautiful in my own garden! But the variety of species, the intriguing designs, such a reflection of our Creator!

One of my absolute favourite past times is to visit lavender fields. The colour is beautiful, the smell is lovely, the vastness amazing! Below a small selection of photos from my most recent visit @hitchin.

When you look at their intricate design you can’t do anything but marvel at the beauty, and thank the Designer for thinking of all this. It reminds me of a verse out of the sermon on the mount (Matt 6:28-31)

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?

Flowers can not care for themselves. They are beautiful, and dress up the environment they are in. We can learn from this that we do not need to be anxious about our matters. God will take care of us as He is taking care of the flowers.

What a comforting thought when worry is often so much more natural than trust in God.

He’s got this!

Flowers remind me of that, as I am a natural worrier. Maybe that’s why I love being surrounded by flowers!

 

Success

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A wise woman once told me that only in the dictionary comes success before work. For sure that is a hard lesson to learn and ever so easy to forget. We all want overnight success, without having to put in the effort. We often look at others, see how successful they are, or are jealous of what effortlessly seems to have been achieved. Instant success. Except we do not see the long hours of preparation or study that goes into that. No one grew their business or learned their skill overnight.

Am often reminded of the verse in the Bible in James 1:12 where it says:

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Perseverance means persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

Falling down, getting up, pushing on, having that dream front and centre in the mind.

With that it’s important to have people cheering you on, ‘having your back’. Those who talk with you, pray with you, remind you sometimes not to give up but keep trying.

Success, the achieving of ones goals… I will keep on trying.. what about you?

Happiest Place on Earth

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When you think of your happy place, what comes to mind? Maybe a great cup of coffee shared with a friend? Having a special dinner with the family? Doing something you really love? Spending time with that special someone?

For my daughter it’s Disney I think… hence the title… a visit to the happiest place on Earth… Disneyland near Paris…

I had promised to visit for her birthday but life got in the way… off we went this weekend though!

We were blessed with the most beautiful weather for February… feels like Spring time. Blue skies, mild temperature… a great day for exploring (which mostly means walking around and watching every parade)

Mickey stuff everywhere!!! Including cookies, marshmallows etc.. we had to try something!

A little boat ride through frontier land is one of my favourite things to do.. usually no waiting, and a moment of peace…

Disney parades with all the dancing and beautiful floats is another highlight… we try to find good spots with great views.. even if we have to wait a half hour!

Character spotting was not terribly successful, although we did see Baloo from Junglebook

We decided not to stay for the fireworks.. the park was really busy… below just a few snaps of the lights and the castle… can’t miss that…

Is Disney the happiest place? Maybe not… but it may be a close second…

What’s your happy place?

Lazy Sundays

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A typical Sunday in the Tap household is cleaning, grocery shopping, eating… or taking me to the airport for me to travel to someplace or other…

Not this Sunday though… we thought about going to the beach due to the nice weather, but changed our minds when pictures of the beach emerged in the news and it looked like you could walk over the heads of people.. instead, a picnic in Cliveden was on the cards.

We have been National Trust members for a couple years, but not made it to Cliveden yet. The estate is not far from our house, and this day we decided to have a look there. It’s a beautiful park! A beautiful hotel too, but we did not make it that far… we found a lovely space in the shade under a tree and spend a few hours just having family fun.

Although I hurt my back a little, this truly is what family fun is about… Mel and I crocheting, Geert reading for his classes… just idling the time away together.

It reminds me of that passage in the Bible of the wedding in Cana. Jesus hung out with His friends and family, showing it’s important to make time for each other… it was His first miracle in the Gospels actually, where He turned water to wine… to me though, the most important part is the being together having fun bit! Spending time….

What’s your Sunday routine? Rushed to get ready for the week? Or are you able to take time out to have fun with family and friends?