Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak
"Spacious Skies"
Showing posts with label Crystal Expressions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crystal Expressions. Show all posts

Saturday, June 19, 2021

Crystal Expressions

 











These are just a few of the different types of greeting cards I have designed using my daughter's Art.  Birthday Cards, Thinking of You, Hello, Thank You, Christmas Cards, Motivational and inspirational cards, Encouragement cards, etc.  These  cards have been mailed to nursing homes, veterans, foster children, assistant living residents, hospitals, school, shut-ins, Ronald McDonald House, Care ministry lists, throughout the US, Canada, England, Germany, Belgium,  France, Scotland, and so on.

Artist Crystal Michelle Fallin

 








For her birthday, I honor my daughter today through her art.  This is a collection of Crystal's colored pencil artistry consisting of creative drawings of her own unique interpretations of classic Disney characters.  The collection includes Chateau de Chambord and Belle from Beauty and the Beast, and "A Beautiful Life" mermaids inspired by Ariel from The Little Mermaid.  Her art graces the covers of Greeting and Handcrafted Cards, Notebooks, Journals and gifts for children and the young at heart.

I use her art to touch the lives of others for encouragement, kindness and love to those who are ill, isolated and lonely, to connect on an emotional level with people in need.  The groups and organizations include but not limited to:  The Angel Card Project; Cards for Hospitalized Kids; Blessings in a  Backpack; Small Acts Big Change; Smiles for Seniors; Braid Missions; Kind Cards for Cool Kids; Postcards for Kindness; From the Heart - UK; Random Acts for Cardness - Card Showers and Smiles for Kids, Three Wishes for Ruby's Residents, etc.  

Crystal Michelle Fallin
June 19, 1984 - August 18, 2019

Thursday, March 11, 2021

What Now?

Isaiah asks, "Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth."  (Isaiah 40:28 NIV)  
As time passed, after my daughter's death and during the pandemic lockdowns, all church programs and activities were shutdown so isolation, loneliness and illness became a way of life for many.  I ask God, What now?  I ask the Lord to lead me to a new ministry.  Something I could do that would help me with my grief, keep my daughter's art alive, and to serve God the same time.  I started a card ministry to use my daughter's artwork and my photography to spread uplifting messages and encouragement to the lonely, elderly, orphans and foster children.  My card ministry is called Crystal Expressions.  It has expanded to Spiritual Cards, handcrafted cards as well as photography mounted cards and now I have started painting watercolor cards.  For SIFAT, an international Christian organization, I custom printed Spanish Bible Verse Cards for them to send to their students and alumni in South and Central America,  I was informed this week that they are traveling to Costa Rico and plan to distribute my cards to their Spanish students living there.  God has opened the door for me to spread his Word through this card ministry and the opportunities keep flowing in.  

Sunday, February 28, 2021

Filling the Empty Space

 In filling the empty space from the love one I have lost, Life has giving me an opportunity to share the artistic and creative work of Crystal's color pencil drawings and coloring.  I now have a card ministry called "Crystal Expressions" which is a collection of her artwork used in handcrafted cards.  I use Crystal's art to bring smiles to seniors, hospitalized kids, foster children and those who are lonely, isolated and suffering.  These cards were mailed to "Small Acts Big Change" to be distributed to nursing homes and assistant living facilities.  The spirit of Crystal's art lives on and is enjoyed by the elderly and children across the United States, Canada, Scotland, Holland, Germany, France and England.  These are the places where her art has been shared to bring encouragement and a smile.






The Binding Thread of Grief

 


When my daughter departed this earth everything brushed against the raw wounds of my grief, reminding me of Crystal.  A tilt of the head, a laugh, fragrance of candles, the beach, walking the neighborhood, places where she ate, attended daycare, schools, playgrounds, the Nutcracker Ballet, and the list goes on.  Even drawings of children who resemble her attracts my attention.  It often brings tears to my eyes and sometimes it's difficult to bear but I also can't let them go.  These binding threads of grief is gradually, bit by bit, becoming gifts of loving memories that can never be taken away.  So there is hope where loving memories can also bring smiles.  The binding thread of grief also brings treasures.  Crystal's artwork lifts my spirit and I use it to bring smiles to the lonely, isolated and elderly through non profit groups The Angel Card Project and Kind Cards for Cool Kids.  I used her artwork and added graphics and text for Valentines and mailed the cards to 100 people around the country.



Thursday, May 28, 2020

Flowers Grow Out of Darkness


We live our lives in moments, hours, days.  During profound grief, healing can come when we pick a wonderful moment from time to cherish.  A healing process is to take a good moment from our lives:  a trail walk, a beach sunrise, misty mountain morning, a walk in the moonlight.

"Flowers grow out of dark moments"
Artist Corita Kent

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

"For God so Love the World"

The way to find life is to pour out love on the rest of creation.  The earth will help us -- the cycle of the seasons is alive with the promise of rebirth.  Jesus promised us rebirth if we believe in him.
Corinthians 15:20-22 "But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.  For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die so also in Christ all will be made alive."
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only  begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

"The best way to know God is to love many things."
Vincent Van Gogh

The Earth is My Sister



God created Heaven and Earth and God created us.  Creation is interconnected and is a mystery and so is death but there are clues and promises that we are children of God.  Romans 8:16  "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God..."   Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers:  for they shall be called the children of God."  Galatians 3:26 "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."

Shadow and Sunlight

"Each substance of a grief hath twenty shadows."
William Shakespeare

The beach and the river reminds me of Crystal's spirit.  The reminder is also a shadow.  Reminders are everywhere of the loss of our beautiful daughter.  It is also sunlight--wonderful, life giving sunlight.  There is no shadow without sunlight behind it.  It's like a bridge that connects the two worlds:  Shadow and sunlight.

Above the Earth Way

"Her love is everywhere.  It follows me as I go about the house, meets me in the garden, sends swans into my dreams.  In a strange, underwater or above earth way, I am very nearly happy."

Author Sylvia Townsend Warner (1893-1978)

On the Peaceful Shore

In my heart, I'm Celebrating your life at the river, relinquishing your hand and watching you cross over to that peaceful shore.  You are on the other side, safe and at peace waiting for the day your love ones too can cross over to the other side.

Crossing the River When My Time Comes

"I miss seeing her face and hearing her voice and knowing she was always there close to me.   She has crossed a river from me that I must wait to cross before I see her again.  When I see a river, I will think of her."


Author Terry Kay

Thursday, April 30, 2020