Homegrown Hospitality

Creative Soul Retreat at The Whatever Craft House 2022

 “Creativity is a God-given ability to take something ordinary and make it into something special.  It is an openness to doing old things new ways…The creative spirit is part of our heritage as children of the One who created all things.  Nurturing our creativity is part of our responsibility as stewards of God’s good gifts.”  

Emilie Barnes, The Spirit of Loveliness

 

I think I'll continue to say this forever and know many women that will back up the claim:

"There is something amazing that happens when Art & Faith Collide, when you are in an amazing house full of women, food, coffee, snacks, paints and time to be quiet, restore, rest, stay up late, wake up early, wear your jammies all day long..."

 

That is the best way to explain it because honestly, there are not words to go along with what happens...and Jesus shows up every.single.time.

Here is a brief look at what is included: 

• Transportation: Pick up on Thursday & drop off on Sunday from ICT Wichita Airport for those flying
• All Meals: Each day you will get to enjoy amazing and fresh meals prepared just for you. Yep, three meals a day so be ready to eat.  Leave your diets at home and bring your stretchy pants.  In between there will be a ridiculous array of salty and sweet snacks and apples, coffee, water and tea with bags of sonic ice of course. 
• Lodging: The Craft House is located in Newton, Kansas.  It is a 100 year old restored home that is used for retreats and sleeps a total of 17. Upstairs there are four beautifully decorated bedrooms.  Each room has between 2 – 6 twin beds.  It will be hard to pick just one because they are each crazy cute. Be prepared for late night giggles and some early rising roommates.  There are three full bathrooms that will be shared.
• Creative Time & Supplies – IF you have a Journaling Bible and/or an art journal that you would like to work in, please bring that.  Everything you will need for all creative sessions will be provided.  Tip: You may want to keep a little extra space in your suitcase for the projects you create and the treasures you may find along the way.
• Daily Routine - At the beginning of each day and at the end of each night we will have a devotional and discussion time. There will be a mid-morning creative sessions with lots of supplies to play with. There will be plenty of time for naps, walks and you will even be able to schedule an in-house massage if you would like.  Note: Retreat registration does not include massage fee.
  During the retreat, there are no rules; you can do what you want, when you want. We will have a meal & creative schedule and will be having morning and evening devotions, but you get to take time when you want. We will be going to a local fabric store and walking the "downtown" area of Newton where there is a used book store, a few antique stores and a thrift store.

 

 

Registration is NOW OPEN for all 2022 dates for The Creative Soul Retreat at The Whatever Craft House, with one right around the dang corner!  To get information about each retreat, simply click on the dated logos below.  You will be taken to that individual retreat page.  Please note that there are only 4 spots left for March 2022.

 

 

 

 

Fine Print:
All Deposits are non-refundable.
Your registration is transferable to another attendee assuming the ticket can be sold.
If there is a waiting list, we will contact the next person on the wait list for you in the event that you will not be able attend.  If the spot cannot be resold and the date is past 30 days prior, the ticket is nonrefundable. You can transfer your entire registration to a future retreat date.

There will be no refund granted for circumstances considered an “act of God” such as but not limited to sickness, emergency weather or natural disaster.

 

I can't wait for us to sit around a big table, a cozy couch and a big beautiful kitchen together and create, share, encourage and inspire each other...well, and eat.

 

Join The Creative Soul Community

I am launching something I have been thinking, praying, learning, journaling and mapping out but, gulp.. procrastinating for a really long time because, well honestly, to many "what if's" invaded my mind and got in the way of something that I believe God has been prompting me to do, again for a long time.

DANG IT.

During 2020, guest Pastor Ed Stetzer came to Saddleback and said this: "The moment we are in does not pause the mission we are on" and while I shared it, reminded and repeated it to others, I almost forgot to remember it for myself :

NOW MORE THAN EVER, we need to keep going, keep sharing, keep encouraging, keep doing the work, keep reminding, keep inspiring and keep showing up.

For the past almost 5 years I have personally been working on becoming "fit to serve" God for whatever He has planned for me to do physically, relationally, mentally, spiritually and creatively. Amidst all of the 2020-2021 setbacks, failures, flops, sickness, changes, injuries, shifts and pivots, my purpose and goals have remained the same:  

Love God, serve others, use my gifts and abilities, grow my spiritual roots and teach, encourage, remind and love others. 

All of those things listed above also are wrapped around my passion and desire to create and to have a business that does all of the same. Going back to the Ed Stetzer quote, "The moment we are in" has changed pretty much everything dramatically for everyone. 

The "moment we are in" is what I often just refer to as "really dumb" and while I often catch myself going sideways, leaning towards a downward spiral of confusion, uncertainty, doubt, indecision and just plain unsure of who or what to trust, I have to actively participate in remembering what I know to be true:

God is control.

I am not.

He has a plan...

and it is good.

He promises us hope & a future but again, we have to be actively participating. 

I wish for all of us to actively participate, TOGETHER and today I take the step I have been procrastinating. To launch a community/membership group where we can: 

• Come as we are (via online live and recordings)
• Share what we have (encouragement and support)
• Take what we need (reminders and encouragement)
• Do What We Love (Use our gifts to create things and share them with people)

 

There is a lot more information to come, fun ideas, exciting thoughts, creative plans and I hope you will consider joining me online beginning November 1.

Register here for the Creative Soul Monthly Membership Group

Creative Soul Panel Kit Simple Ideas & Basic Instructions

If you recently purchased the Creative Soul Panel Kit, thank you! 

Before I talk about the simple way I added stitches to the panel, I want to share with you how this all came about.

I created the original "Creative Soul" color print by cutting letters out of scraps of paper. Then I thought, if it could be created with paper, it could be created with fabric but I did not have solid scraps in the colors I liked so I decided to use what I had and cut letters from patterned fabric.

I started out with the idea of using my old "Fresh Blossoms" Sizzix alphabet die to cut the letters for each kit but did not love the way it looked. I prefer a real hand cut look.

For a moment I did think about cutting out letters for each kit and then I had to think again. That is when I got a new idea. Cut once and reprint, so that is exactly what I did.

Your kit contains a "Creative Soul" panel and a larger heart background piece to create a project with.

Here are my very simple instructions on how I added either a simple backstitch or French Knot to the panel:

• Throughout the entire panel, I used 2-3 strands of coordinating DMC embroidery floss, outlined each individual letter and added stitches to the design on the fabric for each letter. NOTE: if you are adding stitches to fine lines and detailed patterns on the fabric, I suggest using TWO strands to keep your stitches neat and small.

• Take a look at each letter and see where you can add stitches:
  

c    different shades or reds and pinks that can be outlined

r    outline butterflies and antennas 

e    Gold lines throughout the E can be backstitched 

a    LOTS of little French Knots can be added

t    Lime and turquoise embroidery floss can outline details

I    Sage and olive green and a little bit of bright green added to flowers, leaves and flower centers

v    Turquoise, olive green and cream added to designs printed on the V

e    Bright Blue and Dark Blue stitches the the flower patterns

s    Same as the E - Gold lines stitched throughout the letter

o    Outline or fill in the heart on the O

u    Dark pink, Blush Pink and Bright Blue stitches on the U

l    Cream, Black and Blue accent stitches the the L

 

What will you create with what you have? 

I would love to see what you create so if you choose to share on social media, please use the hashtag #mixedandstitched 

Back to Some Basics

I announced earlier this week that I am de-activating the Documented Faith Facebook Group. The decision did not come lightly or quickly. I have been arm wrestling with the decision and then would abandon the thoughts. After some comments and conversations online and via email, I knew it was time. Once I made the decision and posted the announcement, I felt peace about it.   The next morning, in the daily devotional we are reading in 2021 as a group, "Live in Grace, Walk in Love" by Bob Goff, I read "...sometimes it just means it's time for a change" but the beginning part of the paragraph where I read this starts with "Sure, we might have to shut the doors on an organization we poured into for years...it does not mean we've failed. I have just about the entire page highlighted and feel as though God was speaking to me and confirming my decision.   It went on to say "Even when our plans fail, we usually realize a lot of people were loved in the process, which was our goal in starting. We ended up crossing paths with people we might never have met if we hadn't put ourselves out there."   Exactly. YES! Thank you, Lord.   Every day I practice creating a life that reflects my dreams and living a life that defines my purpose spiritually, relationally, physically, mentally, and creatively. My hope has always been that through what, where, and how I share, (not just in a FB group) I will be able to teach, inspire, encourage and remind you of things you might have already known, just maybe forgot to remember.  Thank you for being part of this Documented Faith Group for so long and for being on a creative journey with me and with each other. I will continue to share via my personal facebook page, Instagram feed, blog and this newsletter.   The Documented Faith Facebook Group will be deactivated on 1/31/2021. If you would like to receive Newsletter Updates from me, please click here: https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/d.jsp... If you would like to continue following me on social media streams, you can follow here: Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/stephanieackerman1/ Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.ackerman1     If you'd like to join us on Monday and/or Tuesday Nights from 5:00pm - 6:00 pm PST, it's free and all you need to do is register: "Becoming Fit to Serve" Monday/Tuesday Book & Bible Study

Eat Well My reality is when I'm not eating well, I do not feel well and when I'm not feeling well, I can't move my body well and ultimately can not do what God created me to do well. I'm short-tempered, emotional, tired, critical and cranky. (That's sounds fun.) That is not the way God created us to live. He wants us to be well and whole so that we can do what He created us to do. It brings Glory to Him and fills us with joy. THAT sounds much better.   "To move well, I need to eat well. To sleep well, I need to eat well. To think well, I need to eat well. To eat well, I need to prep well."

Zucchini Pancakes or Waffles   I made up this recipe so I do not have "nutritional facts" but you will be able to tell by the ingredients that it is all good stuff.   1 1/4 -1/2 cup of grated zuchinni* 1 egg 1 1/2 teaspoon of melted coconut oil (for waffle recipe only) 4 Tablespoons Almond Flour 2 Tablespoon Coconut Flour Or Almond Meal 1/4 teaspoon baking POWDER pinch or two of salt 1 drip or two of vanilla   Mix all ingredients together. If too dry, add a little water to moisten. Cook in a waffle iron or skillet.   Top with Almond butter or as pictured, with avocado, spinach, tomato and season with salt and pepper. IT IS SOOOOOOO GOOD AND now I am hungry.   *tip: Grate an entire zucchini and place it in a few paper towels. Roll up paper towel to absorb moisture. Use 1/2 of zucchini for your meal and place the remaining zucchini in a dry paper towel and in a zip lock and refrigerate.

Create Daily

The #The100DayProject begins January 31st this year, which is....3 days from now.   This is an online creative movement that I have been following and semi-participating in for a few years now. The The idea is simple: choose a creative project, do it every day for 100 days, and share your process online.. You can read all about it here.   In the past I have made it 5 days, 13 days, maybe 15 days but then I "squirrel" and am off onto another project. 2020 was different and while I did not stitch 100 consecutive days in the beginning...it ended up that I stitched almost 365 4 x 4 squares in a series of panels AND I LOVE WHAT IT HAS BECOME and has become a "sorta-monthly" kit. I provide the squares and hearts and you get to add the stitches and then decide what you want to create. Honestly, sometimes I just lay them all out, look at them and smile.   I know, you are going to ask "Then what are you going to do with them"and honestly, I do not know yet but I sure have enjoyed the process, have said 100's of prayers with each little stitch and love seeing what you are all doing with your kits.   New kits were added to my ETSY shop yesterday and there are still a few left! These kits coordinate with the January Mixed and Stitched kits and include strawberries, roller skates and hearts Kits are restocked on ETSY now: https://www.etsy.com/shop/stephanieackermanco

The March 2021 Creative Soul Retreat is SOLD OUT but there are still a few spots available for the May & June 2021 dates! Click the links below for details and registration/deposit information. May 20-23, 2021 June 17-20, 2021

Weekly Verse

 

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.   1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV

 

Take Heart 3" Hoop Ornament Kits & Instructions

There are limited quantity of the 3" Ornament Hoop Kits available in my shop that includes everything you need to create TWO super cute Hoop Ornaments.

Each Kit includes the following:

• Two 3" Wooden Hoops
• Two 4" x 4" Fabric Squares in Black & White Pattern with Lightweight Iron On Fusible Fleece adhered to back
• Two 2" fabric Circles in Whites with Lightweight Iron On Fusible Fleece adhered to back
• One Large Heart with Lightweight Iron On Fusible Fleece adhered to back
• One Small Heart with Lightweight Iron On Fusible Fleece adhered to back
• One 7 x 9 "Good Words on Black" fabric panel with over 150 words to cut
• Three Coordinating Colors of Embroidery Floss for you to complete two 3" hoops

Supplies NOT included: needle, scissors, glue stick.

To get a limited quantity kit, head over to my shop now: ETSY

Here are easy project instructions for the "Take Heart" 3" Hoop Ornaments. 

Supplies I used for the "Take Heart" 3" hoop ornament:

• 4 x 4 square of patterned fabric
• 4 x 4 Lightweight Iron On Fusible Fleece 
• 2" circle of coordinating patterned fabric
• 2" circle of Lightweight Iron On Fusible Fleece
• 1 3" Wooden Embroidery Hoop
• 1 Heart cut from coordinating fabric with Lightweight Iron On Fusible Fleece
• Fabric Words: "Take" "Heart" cut from Good Words on Black Fabric
• Embroidery Floss in coordinating colors
• Needle, scissors, Glue Stick

NOTE: you do not have to use the Lightweight Iron On Fusible Fleece on the back. This gives the ornament a quilted look and feel once stitches are added.

1. Iron Lightweight Iron On Fusible Fleece onto back of 4 x 4 square, circle and heart. Place 4 x 4 square into hoop and center circle piece. Adhere circle with a dab of glue stick.
   
2. Using 2-3 strands of coordinating embroidery floss, stitch circle into place. I always try to keep my stitches short and close together.
   
3. Adhere the heart onto the circle using a dab of glue stick and stitch into place using 2-3 strands of coordinating embroidery floss.
4. Adhere the fabric words into place using a small dab of glue stick and stitch around words using 2 strands of coordinating embroidery floss.
5. Flip hoop over and use scissors to trim edges off of 4 x 4 square.
6. If you make this into an ornament, tie a piece of jute, leather or ribbon to top of Embroidery hoop mechanism to hang.

Merry Christmas 3 " Embroidery Hoop Photos: