You know if you can expect anything from this publication (besides our standard of excellence, that is), it is not knowing what to expect.

We’re not prone to themes and we haven’t had a “Special” issue yet, but a strange thing happened on the way to Volume 6.

It was the holiday season and our thoughts turned to family - not just to choosing (or better yet, creating) the special gifts for the people we love, but mostly, how to fully appreciate the special gift that they are to us.

So, we were thinking these thoughts and we noticed that many of the projects we were creating for this issue happened to have “family” as a theme. And that pile just kept growing. Pretty soon, if we added the usual columns, Art Lessons, etc., we had enough for two issues, not just one.

So, we decided to do a “Special” issue to celebrate what is most important to us all at this time of year.

This is it - “The Gift of Family” and we hope you enjoy it whether your family is traditional, made up of beloved friends, or even dogs and cats.

Family exists wherever love does.

And, we have done another new thing this issue which is to include a project that isn’t quick and easy, but that results in an art piece both elaborate and beautiful - and one that can be done by folks at any skill level (our cover piece). There are seven pages of unusual techniques for this project that can also be used in many other types of artistic endeavors. We hope you will find this project inspiring.

This issue of Now What? is filled with love and is our gift to you and yours for the New Year.

We hope you will enjoy it.

—jessica

P.S. Volume 7, a more “normal” issue will follow along shortly.