This is a picture of our home altar and kneeler.  At the moment, it contains a crystal cross, candlesticks, and vase; a votive holder; a little brass holder for seasonal cards (we have a Trinity card in there at the moment); and a painted and embellished wooden book-shaped box.  We’re working on getting a proper fair linen; Alex’s mom offered to sew us one that would cover just the top of the table.  I also hope to get some seasonal paraments made… I’ve got the fabric in mind.  This home altar serves as a focal point for family devotions at night and private devotions and prayer during the day.

Here’s more of a zoom-in of this box…

…and another closer zoom-in.  The crucifix painting on it is loosely based on a 13th-century illuminated manuscript.  In the original, the black cross has patterned detail going through it, and the four medallions in the corners house the symbols of the evangelists.  I chose to decorate these areas with small rhinestone embellishments.  I think that using them where the wounds of Christ are worked well.  The book I used to copy the painting from is a Phaidon art book called “Crucifixion.” It’s practically nothing but images of the crucifixion, from the very earliest through the end of the 20th century.  I’d highly recommend it.  Apparently there are others in this series too, such as the Last Supper– remind me to order them!

These can be incorporated into devotional art projects, jewelry, gifts, or any other use you can think of for them.  I suppose that this is like “part two” of the first post that was specifically about paper crafting.  The following is in the realm of “metal and metallic.”

• ~A sterling silver “baby Moses in basket” charm that opens!  Too cool.  Would be neat in a charm bracelet themed on the life of Moses, or a child’s bracelet with Bible stories, or some such.  Although this seller is from the UK on eBay, you can also order it straight from U.S. sellers– they just didn’t have the photo of the charm when opened.  It’s also considered a nice charm idea for a parent who is adopting.
• ~These Judaica charms, among a couple others that might be of use, include a really neat pewter Moses w/ the tablets of the Commandments.
• ~Loads of awesome silver charms on this page!  Including:  A little Luther’s rose; communion charms; charms for godmother and godchild; churches, including one that opens to show people inside; a face of Christ; a Bible; a praying boy; etc.
• ~Another silver Luther rose charm.  This one looks like the same as the one above, but at you can see better detail here…
• ~A different Luther rose, in pewter.  Very unique!
• ~And a slightly bigger one.
• ~I love this one… a baby being baptized!!
• ~This page has some praying children and angels charms.
• ~Okay, fine, here’s a Noah’s ark charm.  Why not make a baptism-themed bracelet?  It can be done!
• ~For example, here’s several inexpensive brass shell charms.
• ~These small praying hands also come in a 5-pack.  They’d work great for a bracelet with symbols of the parts of the Catechism.
• ~The tablets of the Commandments.
• ~Figure of Christ with arms outstretched.  Probably designed to look like the famous statue in Brazil, “Christ the Redeemer.”
• ~There are some more unique charms of Jesus images here, including a couple I hadn’t seen elsewhere:  more “Christ the Redeemer” charms (but in pewter and more recognizably of the Brazilian statue), and Christ carrying the cross.
• ~Lion and lamb charm.
• ~Joseph and Mary going to Bethlehem.
• ~Jonah in whale.
• ~You can get an array of tiny crucifixes here.
• ~This enameled Holy Spirit medal is nice as well as inexpensive.  Appropriate for confirmation.

Okay, that’s enough in the realm of charms for now!  How about these fascinating accoutrements for scrapbooking and other crafts?

• ~These gold lattice foil bars from Alpha Stamps would be great in any liturgical craft project.  They are reminiscent of church architecture.
• ~And here we have some excellent gold or copper colored foil shrines/windows.  Great for framing a picture or a cross.  They suggest that the “T” in the middle can be cut out if you don’t want to use the window idea.  These products from Alpha Stamps are all die-cut, embossed paper.
• ~An excellent site for filigrees and metal stampings, not to mention rhinestones, and just about the only place I’ve seen “no-hole” faux pearls.  This page has some filigree cross designs on it, but I’d recommend scouring the whole site for ideas.  It’s quite impressive!

I think that I shall officially threaten to assemble a large book of craft ideas that appeal to liturgical, traditional aesthetic sensibilities– suitable for Sunday School, VBS, ladies’ groups, Reformation parties, fund raisers, and the individual Lutheran artisan, crafting for any number of occasions. I’m bored with seeing crafts that are generic, dull, and look more Pentecostal than Lutheran. I have tons of ideas.  Think any publisher would go for it?