Check it out!

I came across one of those rare, wonderful customers who let me have free reign over her custom frame order this week. She requested a Bible quote and when it was finished she wished it looked more "joyful". I offered to re-do it and she offered a suggestion of a multi-font design to emphasize certain key words.

Once I started, it just took off and this is what we ended up with:


I do think it looks joyful but I would have never thought of creating such a frame from a Bible quote! Maybe it's the Catholic upbringing, but I always think of anything related to religion as serious, somber, quiet...lots of tradition. Does it have to be that way?

One of the last times I attended service (it isn't often now that we are outnumbered by kids...shhh...) there was some occasion for us to clap. Well, you would've thought he asked us all to stand on our heads or something. We all kind of looked around and moved our hands like they weren't part of our bodies. Quiet pats of hands were heard here and there while we all had an expression like, "is this okay?" The visiting priest said "Come on!" and slowly the applause grew a bit louder, and the smiles were bashful.

I like the idea of being "joyful" about religion, but I don't know if I have it in me, not while in a church anyway. For the meantime, I have this photo of my newest frame as a reminder that life doesn't have to be so serious. And maybe I can open my kids up to something that wasn't common when I was growing up. Can we have "fun" in church? Time will tell.

To view this frame and other Heartsongs Memory Frames visit my etsy shop
at www.HopeStudios.etsy.com