Paper Cutting, Butterflies, and Babies

One of my nieces recently had a baby girl and she had the good sense to decorate the baby's nursery with a butterfly theme. Obviously my niece is not only a wonderful person but she has excellent taste as well. A fine young lady. Anyway, I knew immediately what I wanted to do for her and the baby.

The blurred part has the baby's name cut out as well. I have made it a general policy not to use the real names of my family, friends, or loved ones here in the Jungle (and it's kind of fun making up nicknames for them- we'll call this baby Happy, because she's full of smiles). Even though only minor detective work will lead to my real name there are reasons that the in-laws (as well as Zippy and some others) might not be so easy to track down. I want it that way. I'm not calling out my butterfly visitors as untrustworthy, but the Internet is the cyber wild west and I want to keep my loved ones safe, especially the kids, because one just never knows. Any way.....

I used a shadow box that I got at Michaels, the one with the adjustable depth, and cut two layers of butterflies (three if you count the very back). It was great huge fun! Want to see?

I drew out and cut the original design first and then transferred it, upside down, to the back of the colored scrapbook paper.

Then it was simply a matter of layering the butterflies in the frame, using the different depth options. I used little 3D buttons on the white butterfly to raise it up from the background. The green butterfly is placed on top of the highest layer and is against the glass.

I used a tiny little hole punch that I found at the Dollar Tree to punch little butterflies out of a monochromatically colored pience of scrapbook paper and sprinkled them here and there.

And that's all there was to it! But oh so much fun. I'm guessing there are more kinds of this project in my future. I would love to do one for my Zippy-Gal but she's not a sweet little butterfly sort of kid. Maybe Minecraft, Doctor Who, or her dog. Hmmm...

To wrap up today, we'll do a bit of butterfly archeology. Fossils of butterflies are rare with the earliest butterfly fossils from the early Cretaceous period, about 130 million years ago. The extinct prodryas Persephone butterfly is the oldest known butterfly, discovered at Lake Florissant, Colorado. It is the first fossilized butterfly found in North America. Though about 40 million years old and known from only a single specimen, it is one of a dozen species of butterfly found at the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in Colorado, run by the National Park Service, and is certainly the finest fossilized specimen in the park. In additon to the colors and patterns, the wing venation is beautifully preserved. It is even possible to see individual scales on areas of the forewing. Its name, Persephone, is that of the daughter of Zeus.

Source

So there you go, my precious butterfly visitors. Thanks for checking in today.



Hectic In The Jungle

Life here in the jungle has been pretty busy. I started a new job a couple of weeks ago and even though it is for the same hospital doing similar type of work, it's still a change. My brain has felt like my new desk looks...

... full and in need of some organization (that's my Gracie Mae peeking out at us). My new position involves setting up a new program of sorts, or an extension of an existing one, so it's kind of exciting in that respect but I feel a step removed from the actual medical care that goes on so that will be an adjustment. Part of it might be that I haven't gotten in the groove of seeing patients regularly again so maybe I'm just missing that aspect until I can shake out all the administrative type things. My new office is lacking a window, something that will be hard for me, but I have already been trolling poster websites for something "outdoorsy". I do have an entire folder on my computer dedicated to cloud photos, like this one that I took out the bedroom window yesterday. Maybe if I tweak one of them and get it printed up humongo-sized I could have nothin' but sky above my desk.

Everyone has been so apologetic about my bitsy-sized space but I honestly don't care: it's good to have a job in this day and age and I like to think, correctly or not, that I can make any space cute. This little cubby hole of an office would be a great subject for a remodeling post but we'll see how that goes. I've already disarmed half of the florescent lights as their glare off the screen gives me instant and huge headaches.

My Zippy-girl returned after almost two weeks at the beach with a friend, sporting her first real sunburn. I have had skin cancer in the past and while I'm not as rabid about the sun protection as I should be, we do try to make a good effort at protecting our hides. That Zippy got to her teens before her first significant burn is way better than I did and a learning opportunity for her. Now she knows how much a good burn can really hurt. I make sure to play up my sadness that she has to suffer a sunburn to try to emphasize that it's not a desirable thing to get.

This was Zippy's longest time away and there were a couple of late-night texts that made this momma want to jump in the car and drive the 500 miles to "save" her baby but homesickness is something that everyone needs to learn to deal with and I think I did well. Zippy did well too.

So a few things have been happening in the jungle: new job, world traveller kid, new neighbors, wrecks in front of the house, heat, heat, heat, heat, friends to pray for, visiting relatives (gotta love a houseful of Norwegians), dental surgery, and dog fights. Did I mention the heat? But I have managed to finish a little cross-stitch project that I started back in June when we had a lovely Crimson Butterfly at the end of our birth month flower post. June's flower is the rose and I came across a "rose" butterfly but couldn't get it together to use that little lovely so we went with the Crimson beauty. The rose butterfly I discovered is the elegant Ceylon Rose (Atrophaneura jophon) from Sri Lanka.



Photo by Nayana wijetilaka via Wikimedia Commons



This lovely butterfly is found primarily in the lowland evergreen rainforests of Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, and grows to about five inches. It is a rare butterfly and critically endangered  by Cites (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna) due in most part to habitat loss. Environment Canada has a very nice fact sheet on this butterfly if you would like to learn more about her.



Image via dnp.go.th



But what I really wanted to share with you last month and wasn't able to complete in June is the little cross-stitch I did of our classy Ceylon Rose.

This isn't a complicated pattern at all and in fact, it is actually a crochet pattern designed by Sandy Marshall that I found here. I added the lettering so I'm to blame for that bit of wonkiness but it was great to do some cross-stitch again. There are several butterfly patterns in this series so I might have to try some of the other ones.



And here we are, at the end of today's post. Gosh, we've kind of been all over the place today. I'll finish our July birth month flower in a day or two so please flitter back soon. As always, I so very much appreciate your visiting the jungle.

Stay cool. Use sunscreen- seriously.

Treasures

by Tasayu Tasnaphun via Flickr

It's been a busy week with a crazy work schedule and the next few weeks look about the same. Even though I didn't get to any posts or fun projects this past week, I did manage to uncover some treasure.

by opacity via Flickr

I recently saw a collection of photos of the spaces where people blog. My first reaction to the group of photos as a whole was, with all due respect, "Yea, right. And before you cleaned up to take the pic?" Anyway, I looked around my spot here and thought that maybe I don't need so much stuff in random piles on the desk. And the floor. And the piano stool. And the ... well, you get the idea. So I finally got around to tackling the big ol' former computer hutch that now warehouses my stuff. I'm sure it will be a blog post someday- when I'm done- and it really isn't the point here. The point is, that's where I found the treasures.

They were behind a row of manuals and books, tucked neatly away (OK, at least something was neat) for safekeeping. Most items were in a couple boxes, some were just stacked there as though they were completely without value.

The first box used to hold colostomy bags. I know, I don't have a colostomy but it was a nice sturdy box at the time and it was what I needed. It's traveled many miles over the years and it showing it's wear and tear. But what about the treasures?

My diary, circa the middle school years. That's my daughter's age now and it was a nice flashback that refreshed my thinking about having a Tween in the house. It contains all the important information about which boys were cute, which teachers were ridunkulous, who had a crush on whom..... you know, important stuff.

I could share a page with you but then I would have to kill ya.

Next came The Bundle, the stack of letters from my first love. No, there's no ribbon embracing them and no, I didn't read them. This fine man has since passed away and it's just too bitter-sweet. I love my husband without reservation but you know how it is- your first love has that special place.

Next up- a Marine Band harmonica. I think it started out as my brother's but in a big family things float around. And yes, just for the record, I did play it and yes, I can still rip it up. Well, Oh Susanna, at least.

Last in the box, this magazine photo a dear friend gave to me. We were full of teenage angst and this picture somehow seemed so meaningful and significant to us. I'm still in touch with this friend and cherish her deeply. Now we have middle-life angst.

So on to the next box and a whole new and different phase of life.

A plain white cigar style school box. Probably from a craft store. And the loot?

The little hat the hospital gave us to keep my girl's noggin' warm her first days of life on the outside.

And the shirt.

A sweet tiny little locket my mom got for my daughter on her first Christmas "because every girl should have a locket."

This precious sun hat with Lilly-of-the-Valley embroidered on the brim.

This precious tiny book, illustrated by Michel Bernstein, that I got for my girl. Each left-hand page is text, each right-hand page is a darling illustration. I'm not a sweet-sy kind of gal but this was too precious to resist. The text reads:

Child of the moon, child of the sun,

child of a lifetime of laughter and fun...

Whispers so soft, fingers so tight,

butterfly kisses, lullabies light.

Cherished traditions, memories unfurled,

miniature friends in a growing up world.

Family surrounding, home filled with love,

Heavenly blessing sent down from above.

Learning to listen, learning to care,

learning to give, and especially to share.

Hope for the future, dreams coming true,

beautiful baby,

beautiful you.

 Gulp, sniffle, sigh.

 

My grandpa used to be a rock hound and we have several pieces of jewelry that he made from his finds. This turquoise baby bracelet is his handiwork and if I'm remembering correctly, he made one for each of us girls.

 

This was my favorite bracelet when I was a kid. It's very inexpensive and is missing two sets of the "pearl" tassels. I used to sit in church and move the tassels around on the chain. No wonder they have gone missing. I remember feeling so sophisticated wearing this because cameos, after all, are classic.

My daughter and I used to read three things at bed time: a story book, a Bible story, and So Many Bunnies.

We used to have it memorized and would recite it in the car on our long commute:

1 was named Able, he slept on the table,

2 was named Blair, she slept in a chair,

3 was named Carol, she slept in a barrel.

All the way to Zed on the shed.

And finally- oddly- in amongst the baby memories, a couple of my band medals. My East Texas high school band wore wool, military style band uniforms. Yes, they were incredibly hot on those muggy evenings but they sure looked neat with rows of medals pinned to the front, with all the different colored ribbons and the clinking medals....  I was a pretty good trumpet player in my day and had a few medals but these are all I seem to have left.

So it was fun to look through all of the newly discovered treasures, reminisce a bit, sigh some, giggle to myself, read So Many Bunnies.

Then I drove to the school to pick up my best and silliest treasure.

It's been very fun reminscing with you today.

Have you found any treasures lately?

Won't you share their story?

Happy Birthday

1. Birthday Glow, 2. wrapped for a party, 3. Cupcakes!, 4. birthday cake

We had a birthday around here last week. Our kid busted into the Tweens with all the flair and gusto with which she normally does anything. No, I can't believe we're at eleven already and I wonder what I've been doing for the past eleven years. Just trying to keep up, I guess.

by [ Leah ]

My husband and I travelled the fertility treatment road and when we got to the end of that road, we decided to sit at the intersection for awhile and rest. Rest, heal, cry a little bit if we needed to, and see what God wanted us to do next.

And then, beyond all scientific explanation, there she was- a miracle and a blessing neither one of us thought we deserved. To me, this precious child is a demonstration of both God's grace and His mercy.

I don't have any profound insights into parenting. It's been such a different trip than I ever imagined, with valleys to climb out of and hilltops from which to enjoy the view. Always more hilltops. I'm still amazed at how suddenly you fall in love with someone you've just met. You start out together, total strangers, and as you get aquainted that sudden love takes on incredible depth and richness and passion.

How is it that I can love my child so much? I believe that because God so desperately wants relationship with us, He builds into us a huge capacity for love. We are made in His image and our ability to love is a reflection of His image, of His love for us. That capacity to love doesn't grow out of the primordial soup. It is planted in us in order to respond to His love for us. That the ability to love spills out to others is like, well, frosting on the cake.

by TheKarenD

What do we do with birthday cake? We share it. Likewise, we share God's love with those around us, we reflect that love, we spread that love, because He has given us that capacity. Because He loves us.

And has blessed us.