I must have missed this post from Pr. Cwirla’s blog originally, but it’s a good find.  Here’s how he describes the pictures he posted:

“Holy Trinity’s resident artist, Judy Greenlees, created a series of marvelous panels combining calligraphy and Celtic art to interpret the O Antiphons.  These grace the walls of our sanctuary during the season of Advent (and sometimes a bit longer).  Enjoy.”

By the way, I’d love to post more photos or links from Lutherans who have some church-related art to share, either from their own churches or private collections.  Contact me!!

Here’s the most recent ordination card (apologies for image quality).  I think the card turned out really well, despite a couple of small things like me not bothering to make it perfectly symmetrical, which would have definitely improved the overall effect.  The gold paper accents are Dresden paper again– I bought the tassel strips specifically to do this card design.  The stole is more tomato-colored velvet paper, and the effect together is really quite stunning.  The cross is actually a brad.  One of my biggest overall concerns with this design was to avoid making it look like a headless pastor.  LOL!  I think the design stays sufficiently abstract to avoid that.  After I’d finished the card, I found the perfect sort of trim to make a small horizontal line of a cincture, right between the stole, but it was too late– the ends of the white trim fray when cut and would need to be hidden under the stole, but I’d already taped the stole down.  Other variations could include the use of white lace, or making a chasuble instead of a stole.  This card would probably work well in any sort of pastor capacity, including ordination or installation, and if you’re really nerdy, the stole color and images on it can even be adjusted for the proper church season.

I definitely need to experiment more in the realm of those gold tassel strips with different colors of velvet paper to make tiny banners or paraments.  And check out these links to see some truly spectacular Dresden paper “scraps” that I hope to add to my collection soon:  altars, churches, and an ornate frame.  They’re a little on the expensive size, but really beautiful!

Here’s one confirmation card and two baptism cards. They all share similar design components. I was looking at some of my “word” paper and was wondering what sort of card I could design where the maximum amount of text would be visible. For the first and the last card here, the solution was to place a small square of vellum in the middle, with an object, and frame it. The card in the middle appears to have a transparent square near the middle, but that’s actually the design of the paper itself. All I had to do was add a little frame with a blue card stock oval and a cut-out paper shell.  These particular images aren’t the clearest, because I scanned them directly into the computer. The first card, especially, has a very 3-D Luther rose. To make it, I used a white paper rose (obtained by the package at a dollar store), cut out as much of the middle part as I could, and glued a small red heart rhinestone in the middle (also obtained in a package of materials at the same dollar store). The cross was simply drawn on with a fine-point Sharpie. If I’d have been really clever, I’d have used a circular piece of vellum and put a gold paper frame around it to complete Luther’s seal. Oh well, it still looks good… (UPDATE: Tonight I finished an “ordination” card long in the planning. I’ll post it very soon.)  And I maintain my threat to assemble a book of arts and crafts projects for liturgical sensibilities. Just find me a publisher.

In my never-ending quest to give you, gentle reader, art and crafting tidbits from all over the place that especially pertain to good stuff for Lutherans, here’s an excellent find.  Scrapbooking paper with Scripture verses, including some really good ones for occasions like Baptism and Confirmation.  (I’ve used both of these… in fact I’ve made a card with the Confirmation paper recently, so I’ll have to get that up and scanned soon.  The Baptism paper I’ve used for my daughter’s Baptism scrapbook.)  Note the use of Ephesians 2:8 in the Confirmation paper.  It might have been nice for the ”First Communion” paper to have a few more references to the Lord’s Supper.  Still, not easy to find this kind of stuff!  The company is called It Takes Two.  It also sells cards for religious occasions.

Other interesting products include Jesus Loves Me paper in pink or blue, sets of stickers with different themed verses, rub-on transfers, and a 6-piece assortment of scapbooking paper that includes a “1 Cor. 13″ paper I didn’t see elsewhere on the site.

I think my hubby wishes I would lay off the crafting stuff just a little and get back to painting and fine art.  My only problem is time– it’s not easy to pull out the paints and work for a couple of hours straight when you’ve got an infant (and no free-babysitting).  I have so many projects and ideas on the go, for both painting and crafting.  Not enough hours in the day!