The Art of Healing

by Staci Louise Smith

It has been a sad couple weeks for us in the Smith home.  On the 5th we had to put down our furry companion of 15 years....our black lab Jake.

It was time, his body was failing him, yet it was still the hardest decision I have had to make.

We miss him terribly.  I had two weeks of just terrible sadness.  Weeping at the drop of a hat.  

Jake was my first baby, with my oldest son coming about a year later.  They grew up together, and he too, took this very hard.

So we had him cremated, and decided to make an oak box together for his ashes.  My husband made the box, and the kids helped to sand and stain it. 

It is so healing to do work with your hands.  Whether it is art, or cooking to serve another person, or digging in the soil to plant your own food, its just good for the soul.

Making this box, allowed us to cry and smile at the same time.  It allowed us to do one last thing for Jake as a family.

I finally got around to my part, which was to make the name plate for the box.

I used my jewelry skills and sawed out a heart and a lab silhouette. 

Stamping in a straight line is not really my thing, but I did my best.  

 It is getting backed in felt to soften it up, and will get tack nailed to the box.  

Art therapy really does help.  

Have you ever turned to creating to help you through a tough emotional time?  Share in the comments.....we'd love to hear your story.

embracing change

mary jane dodd

 

'release' mjd 2013

releasing can be critical to your ability to rebound. 

metal work is shelved for me right now - 

so i decided to focus a bit

upon my use of fibers. 

a basket for wearing mjd 2013

to allow myself to explore things more fully

that i had wished to try before. 

soft summer whites mjd 2013

finding ways to make the knotting, weaving and threading 

from my youth

a bit more grown up.

grow mjd 2013

thinking of ways to make bits of this and that into something

a designer might like to work with. 

if you are attracted to using fibers in your work,

i encourage you to always think about the strength of your material

and how it will wear over time as it rubs against metal.

how it can support the weight of your pendant or other components.

i personally love using waxed irish linen thread 

for its strength and knotting abilities. 

if you're new to fibers and are looking for some inspiration, 

take a look at 

bohemian-inspired jewelry

a book created around the use of fibers in jewelry. 

i think i speak for most of us when i say 

that making/creating/exploring is not just something 

we like to do, 

but something 

we have to do.

if you find your life turned upside down, 

be open to new ways

of expressing yourself.

then give yourself permission

to sink into them. 

not only will you be learning

a new skill,

but you will begin to heal

in ways

that modern medicine cannot fix you.

it will be the balm 

that soothes your spirit. 

-----------------------------------

for the winner of the giveaway please check the sidebar!

on hearts of all kinds...

mary jane dodd

like so many of you, hearts were calling these past weeks... 

i am attracted to hearts that show wear and tear... hearts that are mended or need mending... 

hearts that show that you are living and taking chances by loving deeply... 

hearts that though they have been put to fire, come out softer and more giving than before... 

and now for the winner of erin's generous giveaway - 

congratulations sue of sue beads! please contact erin to receive these lovely charms...