After I wrote the post, Crafting with Rust & Relics, a reader asked,  “So what kind of crafts can we do with these old relics?”Since I’ve seen my daughter using these items, I have used them myself, read about relics, and have viewed them at craft fairs, I didn’t think to explain about projects you can undertake. 

Many can be attached to mixed media pieces.
Some can be background material for attaching others.
Use old wood and arrange some of the relics on it.
Some people attach keys, buttons, watch findings and similar items to quilts and fabric art.
Glue them together for three dimensional …read more

Mixed media crafting takes various forms and utilizes most any type of material. 
By scrounging family attics, second hand stores, auctions and recycling facilities, you’ll find many items you can upscale into art.
For instance:

keys
broken jewelry
old or distressed wood scraps
metal boxes
hinges
nails and screws
hardware cloth
wire
kitchen utensils
stones – colorful and dark
metal tags
cancelled stamps
belt buckles
buttons
many more
old paper and newspaper clippings
old photos

If these items don’t look old enough or fit into your theme, distress them or add dabs of rust colored paint.  You may want to spray rusted objects with a sealer to prevent further deterioration.
How have you utilized rust and relics in your mixed media …read more

St. John Marie Baptiste Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, was a 19th century clergymen whose heart is now a glass-encased relic on its way to New York (Saturday, October 7) and Boston (October 12-14) from Ars, France.
Vianney was renowned for deep devotion to the pastoral duties of priests and was believed to possess healing powers and the ability to read the hearts of penitents.
If you plan to visit the heart of St. Vianney, you will be expected to genuflect and kneel in prayer. Most will be praying to God for more ordained priests.
The Boston Globe, October 4, 2006