Magnets, ornaments, etc. I've been trying to get a few things done this morning. Soon, I'll be taking a break to have an early dinner out with Cory and Mom and Dad...
I've been feeling queasy for most of the day today. YUCK! Tried to sleep it off... didn't work. Ate a bagel, didn't help. Hanging in there but I'm just not feeling myself, pretty sure that it is stress. Maybe Cory and I need a vacation... HA! :)
I've been trying to stock the shelves at Cottage of the Seasons, but not fast enough! Poor Melissa and Karen are waiting VERY patiently for me provide some new Christmas inventory. Tonight was the Holiday Open House ( I should have already had a truckload of new goodies in the shop for this...) and we stopped by for a bit to visit...everything looked just beautiful! Trees, tasty treats and talk.... mmmm. Nice. The shop looked so festive and it was a real joy to see everyone! Thank you! And to Joey, thanks so much for my "faces" :)
Honestly, we could not have asked for a better Halloween day!! It was sunny, mild, not a cloud in the sky, 60 something degrees... the makings for a beautiful day! The parade was a lot of fun, the High school did a terrific job marching and the trick~or~treaters this evening were adorable, as always! We had visits from the cutest Elmo ever, a masquerade ball maiden, an escaped insane mad scientist, a butterfly... with her Grandma dressed as a butterfly catcher walking behind her (too bad I never came up with THAT idea when my babies were little) and countless others! These were just a few of my favorites! Everyone had a great, safe time!
Awww, right!! Class time is approaching... to our local friends: please join us at Cottage of the Seasons, downtown Atchison on Monday, November 2, at 7:00 pm. We will be enjoying another evening of creativity, munchies and fun! We have a really great time together.... bring a pair of gardening gloves.... we'll be bending lots of wire! :)
Trick or Treat!!! Can you believe that Halloween is this weekend? Where did the month of October go, anyway? We just need to get a few more spooky days out of the way~ and then I'll really be thinking of Christmas! The Holiday season is definitely upon us...
...How sweet! Thank you for making me feel like a QUEEN! A bewitched queen, that is! :)
Kelly and LuLu..... I just love you guys! I am so grateful to you both! Check out my newest goodies........ a vintage stationary assortment and an oh~so~yummy Halloween cake! This stack of greeting cards with old wrapping papers was picked just for me, and aw.... boy, did Kelly do a fantastic job!!!!!!!!!! No, I can't actually eat this new cake of mine...... it's strictly decorative and oh, just so gorgeous, but getta load of that faux icing!!!!!!!!!!! I am blessed to have met so many wonderful friends in this big, beautiful blogland that I have become quite addicted to! I also think that I am pretty spoiled rotten now, huh? *swoon*............ I love all of my treats! Beth Perry also sent me a wonderful "recipe" box. Recipes full of scrapping ideas!!!! How cool! I still need to take pics of it, Beth.......... that'll come next!
Here are a few things that I picked up last week at the Fall church sale. This wonderful black and white is a 5x7 golden framed pic~ love it, it's a very striking piece! No really exciting pictures yet... I'm still working on those. Wait 'til you see the baby book scored and the linens and such...I did want to show off the paper clips, they are some of the smallest I've seen! Tiny copper and matte black looking, these will be great for my journals. Ok, more later... I've gotta get to cleaning. Oscar arrives today and I've got bunches to do before work.
Pricing these to take to Melissa's!! I, by the way, am one of the happiest people on earth today!!!! I'll fill you in later on!
You know how I love the cake decor.... my new belt buckle in the post below totally ROCKS!!! I can't wait to sport the junk gypsy look with that buckle and my old ragged blue jeans! (my usual get~up!) The Valentine stickers... I think I had the very same package many moons ago, not a single one is missing, by the way! :) Oh, and check out the "greeting card negatives"?????? below.... (wth???) I'm not quite sure what they were used for, but I definitely know what I'll be using them on! Collage, he we come..... again....Muahahahahaha!!!! TTFN
I'm not quite satisfied with my little pink birdhouse yet...... she needs a teeny bit more bling, in my opinion. 
I guess I'm in rare form, tonight! Muahahahahaha
This one was made this morning...... very simple, but it may have turned out to be my fave so far.
the pipe cleaner packaging is filled, waxed and best of all.............HOT PINK! i love the name, "twisticks"....... so pretty for something so practical! i ran across 8 yards of this awesome lace for....ready?........ $.75!!!!!!!!!! the blue and white pearl necklace is stretchy, i think it'll eventually get wrapped around a bottle neck or something! who knows! have a great rest of the weekend!
I think I'll be going back to what I originally loved doing... drawing homes. Nothing permanent... I'll give these "altered" eyes a rest for now. HA! I find myself constantly dabbling in so many different art mediums and go crazy wanting to create so many different types of art...I've realized that I have way too many unfinished projects going on. Ahhhh, this takes me back.... I really love the old architecture~ especially in our small, historic town! Here are a few examples of my work.... not the best quality photos, but hopefully, you can at least, see the detail. Excuse the "Windows and Doors", my flash bounced off of the glass pretty badly....A special thank you to Liz and Linda for commissioning me to do this~ about 5 years ago! :) I sketched our Abbey, an old house on the corner and the home that we rented 14 years ago is at the very top~ it was never inked, so it's a bit hard to make out, sorry! The gazebo was changed a bit from the original view. I've done a handful of commissions and it's always a joy to see the owner's face upon completion. The Holidays are right around the corner~ what a unique gift. I can sit on location or draw from a snapshot. If I do have photos, I just ask for a clear frontal view and possibly, an up~close of ornate details around the home. I have so much fun doing these, I'll keep you posted on my progress! Thanks for looking!
My totally awesome daughter was lucky enough to have a butterfly land right on her hand.... and guess what? It remained content right there for longest time... she finally had to MAKE it get off of her hand by scooting it onto the school desk on the porch~ after about a half an hour! (She was SO over entertaining me by that time.) I ended up taking 46 pictures of this beauty... yes, 46! I know.... BUT~ I have a good reason, some didn't turn out...and I just couldn't get enough of it... let alone the fact that it had the fastest little wings ever! This is actually the image I wanted to capture. Every time I snapped the picture, she would close her wings. Only a few turned out this pretty with a flattened, clear view! Of course, my daughter got pretty frustrated with me and lost interest after the first 20 pictures... "enough already!!!!!"
I never really thought that it would be possible to make such lovely friends online. Most of my friends...I don't know on a personal level. I've never even met them, but for some reason, I feel very close to most. This package came in the mail today... it really, could not have come at a better time. It was a bad day and when this package arrived from my dear, sweet friend, Amy... to say the least, it really cheered me up! Amy is so creative, so wonderful. Whenever she pops by for a visit to this place, she signs her comments to me with the words "Blessings and light". Today, when I really could have used some Blessings and light the most.... there it was! Thank you dear, Amy from the bottom of my heart! My treats are beautiful, the most wonderful and softest colors and look.... even the giftbag was decorated beautifully with real clovers! My necklace, tin, sea glass and your amazing illustration are all treasures to me. I just love my friend, Amy! Thank you so much!
I've gotta get a bunch done today, so I'll make this quick.... but, I'll be back later on. Hope today brings you happiness and enjoy this beautiful Saturday! See you in a while....
Oh yeah, more vintage cards... baggie for a quarter!! L.o.V.e. my new curly~cue mirror... now, THAT was expensive... ONE dollar! :))))) Man! Last week I bought a small chest (bottom left) for 4 dollars... not knowing the drawer didn't fit, it was still quite a steal, I think~it's actually pretty old, but most importantly, I like it. Welp, this is what it looks like now~after a coat of black spray paint on the top of it, and adding a separate shelf on top, kinda like a hutch or something, I guess. I really don't mind if it's not perfect... nothing is..............even I have a crack! HA! Sorry... I hope that wasn't offensive to anyone. I'm just being silly. Had a bad day....
He keeps me company in my studio..... I hope that everyone is doing well...happy Wednesday! ~ I had a moment that made me just want to scream! Well, actually, a few moment-s! This may sound kinda lame, but you have to understand, I'm totally in love with all in blogland now. Last night when I logged in, my dashboard said that I was not following any blogs! I thought, ok..... it's just temporary, the site must be down or something. I logged out and restarted.... still, no blog updates. This morning, the same... I really thought that I had lost all of my favorite links to you forever! Believe this or not, that made me very sad! I love knowing what all of you are up to, I keep tabs on you guys... all of my favorite blogs. Not being able to reach you with just a click really did upset me. How else was I supposed to know when you had something new to say?! Turns out, it must've been a glitch.... thank goodness, it's up and running again for me! WHEW! That made my day....... petty, I know....................
Eeeeeeeekkkk! I forgot to show you this, and then I promise I'm done with the garage sale, loot-box, jackpot find from last Saturday....deal??!! Now, as much as I love the traditional vintage wedding stuff.... THIS, to me is........... *sigh*............. PERFECT!!!! (whatta bonus round!)
Well, here is what I've been up to this morning! My~unusual love for wedding decor~ collection has grown and, I still have many wonderful pieces left to create with~~ Woo!!! Can't wait to get that going. This afternoon, I hope to get some projects started, my only problem is, where to begin... so much great new silly stuff to choose from! Have no fear, I'll think of something!
Well, now that I've made this out to be a totally, won't want to miss, phenomenal post, this may not be that wonderful for some after all...but for me..... whatta jackpot, baby!!!! This morning, I went to a neighbor's yard sale and ran across a tub (yes, I said a TUB~ it's big, like one of those under the bed storage boxes) of bridal cake decorations!!!!! This treasure trove is full of wedding cake toppers, bells, commemorative anniversary numbers, pillars, angels, doves, curly-cue gate~ type thingies, crosses, vintage foil number stickers, etc., and about 10 differently sized bride and groom couples!! Oh, just wait until you see them when I get them unpacked, cleaned up and cute-ified!!! I really can't believe it!!!!! I am SO excited to get these beauties organized and sorted...altered art, here we come! Almost all of the decorations are vintage~there are a couple of newer ones tossed in~ like a hideous, new, gag thing that said "older than dirt", I still have to go through it all. Oh, and you know the sweet ballerina toppers?? I found a huge one inside! That is a real BoNuS!!!! She is sooo sweet... she's already found a spot in my dining room so, sadly, she was left out of the picture... but don't worry, she'll get her spotlight tomorrow! I really can't believe that I have aquired a collection this large- all at once... obviously, someone had a wonderful business at one time. A big thank you and hug to Marianne for allowing me to snag my new toys for only $4.00!!! Big thanks to Kim, also... these were part of her contribution to the sale. I can't remember who it was that was the cakemaker (mother or grandmother) but please know, they have definitley found a good new home. I cherish them so! Can't wait to use them..........in and ON everything~ like my life is just one gi-normous cake!!!! :)
Why do I love this spot???!! The colors, I think and my toys... and my party~guy! This vignette just makes me really happy, so this rack has a special place right next to my art desk. Call me crazy... but it inspires me!
Check this out~ what talent!!! I actually took these pictures a while ago...we have a garage out back...Beth and her friend, Rachel went graffiti cRaZy with sidewalk chalk! LOVE IT!!!! I told her to have at it! She even got ahold of our front porch! Hehehehe... Love you! XoXoX I know that these are older photos, Beth~but hey, they are too great not to post! :)
Hello to all of my friends... I can't believe this! I have not even given Halloween a second thought, and after the last few weeks of surfing all of the fantastic blogs out there... Now, I've gotten the fever~bitten by that same Halloweenie bug! Seeing all of the great spooky stuff being made recently, I've too, been busy making ghostly goodies...only did three, though. Melissa, Carolee, etc. Ok, I'll stop for now...Back to the sunny and whimsical stuff. Bye for now, I've got to go and eat some Count Chocula!!! HA! Talk about creating a monster... :)
Happy Saturday! I'm feeling a bit better today, but still not quite back to my old self. The good news is... it's a gorgeous day today, the weather here couldn't be any nicer! :) I slept in again this morning... I guess that I really needed it or, am I just a lazy~ bone!? Now it's time to get up and about and do something productive. Who knows, after tidying up the house, something pink just might be made this afternoon. :) If so, you'll be sure to see a photo later! Oh, and that's not a thrifting find... (go figure) that's actually MY baby book given to me not too long ago by my parents! Isn't it precious? I love you sooo much Mom and Dad~ and thank you!!! Hugs and happy day to you all! 
This trip was a tiny treasure adventure, I guess. With the exception of my rack, scroll down the previous post to catch a glimpse of a few more~~I came home with a bunch of smaller goodies. Everything is displayed on top of an empty wedding keepsake album that was never used, for $.50...Oh yeah~~~ can't wait to alter that one!!!! :)))) Old wooden spools of thread, old pink lace and a small length of trim, the praying hands were just too great to pass up and take a looksie at the mini silver cup!!! It only stands about 3" high and it's engraved with the initials S.Y.C. '59 !!!!! I LOVE this sweet cup~~ and can you beleive that I haven't even shined it up yet!!??! My ABC jars... I'm sure the jars by themselves aren't old, but the decals looked that way...so, I couldn't WAIT to fill them! The round knob~ looking thing, probably came off of a child's play stove. Oh, and do you see the little crochet hook? It looks like ivory, very dainty and has cute carving on the end. I really had fun on this trip to the thrift shop but, must admit~ I didn't come home with half of the treats that I normally do... but hey, I only spent $6.00!!!! WooHooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Check out a few more below.... Hugs!!!!
My $3.00 rack is a favorite... it's actually deep purple in color and has these fantastic cut~out designs on the edges! The brass seashell coaster holder was something that I would not typically buy, but check out the paper coasters that it came with...oh, the colors of those round paper cuties....and, they are embossed with the sweetest pattern.... I'll definitely do something with those!! Maybe I'll spraypaint the holder. Vintage childrens books...I can't ever get enough of those, can you?! Silly patches and bees.... while I was at it, picked those up, too! :) Why? Again, colors are everything to me! :)
Yes, what you are seeing is one of those plastic, tinsel coated light-up Christmas stars... minus the lights... add the bling! I spent some time going through old costume jewelry and such, and ran across that wonderful, silvery star that I could never get rid of. It's just another one of those "I'll use it someday" things that are multiplying by the hundreds in my studio! YIKES!!! I hope to finally, use up some of this "junk" and consider it work in progress. (or should I call it Spring cleaning!)
"My Favorite Things"... can't wait to host this one! Our next class will be on Monday, August 3rd @ 7:00 pm. Cottage of the Seasons, here we come! Don't forget to bring a collection of those one-of-a-kind finds that you just never wanted to part with... ticket stubs, photos, gumball machine goodies, tiny trinkets from the children, love notes, etc. The supply list could go on and on~ the sky's the limit! Just fill a shoebox!!! :) Bring anything that would fit nicely in a cubby, so that we can decorate and preserve it! We'll provide the shadow boxes, which will be pre-painted in various colors, and all of the ephemera you'll need to enhance your creation~~ you'll be in charge of making it personal! It promises to be a fun- filled evening, surrounded by creative women and a sampling of sweet treats! Hope you'll join us... just a few slots are still left, you can sign up at the shop. Hope to see you there! 
I love to share an occasional glimpse of some of my vintage stationary... whenever I run across them while out and about, I can't resist taking them home. The floral cards are being made into a journal and I do realize that it's not Eastertime, but of course I couldn't resist showing these off as well. Aren't the colors wonderful? The old bunny and chick illustrations are just too cute! I have a weakness when it comes to the look of old sweet greetings~~
Welcome to my home studio/retreat!!! As crazy and mixed up as it may seem... I really do know where everything is and I have a space for each and every treasure in this playroom of mine! AND... I can always make room for more... because don't forget, my motto~~ more IS more!!! HA! :) I've made my case at the end of this post but don't worry- it's short and sweet-hopefully, you won't get a headache browsing~ or fall asleep, for that matter! *giggle* It's a very sunny, happy spot and I can get lost up there for hours on end! Hugs to you all, thank you so much for stopping by... and I cannot wait to see the rest of the creative spaces in this big, beautiful blogland of ours! I have an awful lot of "surfing" do to this weekend...what a turnout! 
Hope that you can see through the mess... some of the picture images may be re-runs, as I posted a bit of my home studio a few months ago. I have been working (believe it or not) on organizing and eliminating... yes, I do realize that my previous statement seems totally untrue after viewing these photos, but I really have done some editing up there! :) We are lucky enough to have an extra bedroom and I've completely taken it over~ it is often confused with my daughter's room!! We stripped the heavily layered wallpaper and my paint color choice was definitely on the feminine side, SO, I didn't have to beg or plead that much at all when it came to asking Cory if I could have this room all to myself. :) Trust me, I've really put this sunny space to good use! I'm soooo grateful~ I have my own playground! Okay, I have a few more... hang in there!
Hmmm, that's what I'll call these. It was truly a pleasure making this small token today, and I hope to have a few more done by the end of this week. This is also my prototype... I'd like to have more trinkets and such on the inside and possibly more glitter around the outside. Wait, possibly? I mean... more glitter. Some of my plans for the others? Filled with sand and mini seashells, some with nests and mini eggs, buttons and ?????, you get the idea! This is pretty tiny. It only measures about 1" x 1 1/2". Every so often, I really do enjoy working in miniature~~ although, my eyes aren't what they used to be! :)
Good afternoon, all! Just got back home from making a small delivery to Melissa at Cottage of the Seasons... this is one of my newest projects~ finished it yesterday. Whew! I actually got quite a bit done the last couple of days. What a great feeling! Now, I'm waiting for mom... we're going to have a ladies afternoon out and do some running around town. Coffee and goodies~ here we come! Look out! I can't wait...:)
Today was yet another productive day... those creative juices are flowing again, thank goodness, because I really missed them while they were away... :) Introducing the re-vamped thrift shop frame... Plain, yucky brown and $.25 !!!! Not too shabby for a quarter!!!! (ok, yes~ NOW it's pretty shabby!) I'm hoping that this will make a dreamy addition to my dining room! I don't think that I'll be parting with this one. :)
Hello all and Happy Saturday to you!!!! A cool, sunny day here! We spent the morning strolling downtown~~ we went to check out the festivities while my daughter was still asleep... you know how teenagers can be. :))) I think she slept until about 12:30! She was pretty tired from staying up late last night. A yard sale was spotted along the way ... can't pass that up~ and found this little ceramic duckie!! I just had a funny feeling that I could provide a sweet home for her... what do you think? She graces a creation that says; "Baby, oh baby" ~along with a cutie mini cake that waves a "for you" banner and has tiny bubbles... hopefully, she'll find another sweet someone that would just love to adopt her!! Going to walk down to the fair with everyone! Catch up with you later! xo
Take a looksie.... These gorgeous goodies were waiting on my doorstep today... what a wonderful way to end a hectic week!!!! Handmade by Karen, these will always hold a special spot in my heart and home! I am very honored ~ being able to now showcase her talent and will always love her thoughtfulness! Thank you so much, Karen!! :) HUGS!!!
Peek at a part of my paper crown collection... just in case you haven't noticed, there's not a whole lot in this world that I DON'T collect!! Right?~ just take a look around my place!! (my family and friends tend to agree.) I sooo enjoy the sparkle and glimmer of these party crowns... hmmm, go figure ... I'm in love with whimsy!! *giggle*
This is Dilly's. My absolute favorite childhood memory of an ice cream shop!!! It has been around ever since I can remember when I was a little girl. Dilly's sits right at the base of the Delaware river bridge, on the Penna. side and each & every time we went back home for a visit, Mom and Dad would make the special stop for us. (probably because of the two wild kids in the back seat jumping up and down screaming) My favorite part? The JIMMIES! (aka sprinkles) We'd get a tall, winding chocolate cone and they'd roll it in~ what seemed to be~ a vat of sprinkles... On a family trip a few years ago, we were lucky enough to have taken my kids back to Dilly's~ not sure that they got why it was such a big deal to me, but oh well... just another ice cream place, right? WRONG!!! It was really sad, though... we just missed it being open for the season, by like a week. Waaaaa! I was heartbroken!!! But then, I spotted someone inside and was actually able to speak to a manager? just to tell him how much I loved the place! (and a bit more blah,blah,blah) He said to me "Hold on just a minute." He went inside and came back out with a T-shirt for me! Guess what it says?! I love Dilly's!!!! So true, so true! God willing, one day we'll return! xoxox
I definitely do my part in picking up litter when I see it!! :))))))) Yes, this bundle of color is from some popper on the 4th of July! Leave it to me~ to not only spot it in someone's front yard, but then... to stick it in my pocket! I LOVE this kind of stuff!! Oh, and hey... Guess what? The carnival is in town this week... uh, oh! That can only mean one thing~ trouble! Keep your eyes focused on the ground, Christina! *hehe* I'll be on the lookout for some unique "souveniors"! By the way, do you like my little door greeter's new hairdo?
I must admit, I've been pretty busy today. Here are three examples of my journals that I'll be delivering to Melissa's shop, Cottage of the Seasons. They are made using vintage stationary~ some, with a theme, and all are blank inside, with the exception of a bit of doodling and decorations by yours truly.
Some "faireum" photos... we had a such a great turn-out this evening, thank you all so much for being a part of our class! Look, even Zoe decided to join us! :) She's the cutie, little white furr-ball shopdoggie keeping tabs on everyone! Each and every faireum was just as unique and fantastic as the person that created it. Not one looked like another, which really, is my ultimate goal. We want individuality, we actually do hope that no two turn out alike. That's the fun (and whole idea) of it! We had an icy white fairy theme, we had a few brightly- colored princesses, miniature real-life fairies~ Kathy! :) There were some with just tiny insects inside and we even had a "knome home" with two sweet cuddling knomes that are definately in love! :) LOTS of glitter, greenery, and love went into these jars. We hope that the fairies will be content in their new habitats and won't ever, ever try to escape! Don't take that lid off! :) Love and hugs to all who shared their evening with us! It was so nice to meet so many new friends...
Awwww, you know me too well! Thanks so much for this cutie... along with all of the other oldies but goodies that were dropped off next to my front door! :) It's just too bad that this postcard isn't edible. *teehee* I believe, that I have a new avatar! :) Love ya' and we'll see you tomorrow night!
Okay, I ran across this lazy-susan type spice rack thingy at the thrift shop several months ago. It came with only two bottles and it was a dingy brown- colored spinning rack. I guess I really should have taken before and after pictures!! Why did I buy this? I picked it up strictly for the use of the jars. Originally, they were going to be "faireum" jars, but ended up being just too small for me to use in the class. Hmmmm, whatever did I do today??? Here are 3 silly photos of the semi-finished product. For the last few weeks, I've been thinking of a way to re-use this... I'm not really sure what to make of this yet... I stamped a phrase around the top of the "wheel" that says~ "Why, yes!!! i DO Collect Fairies!!! Don't YOU????" Inside of the jars - my collection of itty-bitty fairies (so far). I made one of the jars the keeper of a fairy flamingo, another has a tiny clown fairy with wings and it's sporting a crown (of course). The other~~ a fairy that's trying to escape out of it's hole in the top of the jar! (this jar was an extra one that I found to fit the rack~ minus a lid.) Eeek! I left the lid off!! How ever will I catch her again? I'm hoping to add to my collection as I find more bottles of similar sizes. Oh, and did I mention that my spice rack was a steal for $.50?? Be back soon! :)
My china cabinet... filled with treasured finds from all over, the vintage lace vest hanging on the door, $.50- I've had this for years, my milkglass bowl/cakestand was $1.50 and the beaded iris flower resting at it's base was $.10! My antique chalkboard was $1.00 then I added the word "love" hung from vintage Christmas candle holder clip-ons! I made the paper party hat in front of the chalkboard and also, the framed flowers... I found this cute little frame and just glued artifical roses inside. I couldn't resist including my waterglobe collection! I really don't think I've paid more than one dollar for any of these! I can usually pick them up for a dime a dozen! :) Shall I post some more?
... :)
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Can you believe it? :)))))
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