Back in the Saddle

I'm feeling much better after taking a little break and am looking forward to getting back into the blogging groove. Made a quick pop-in to a local antique store and scored a few fun finds. A spool of vintage twill, vintage doll clothes, a Victorian ornament made with cotton batting, 1950's birthday candle holders, vintage gold sequins, and a bit of eyelet trim.

The husband and I are beginning to house hunt, so that has been an exciting adventure. We've been taking long walks in different neighborhoods trying to get a feel for where we might like to live. After we married, he moved into my single girl house and it's been a bit cramped, so it will be nice to have a new place we can share as a couple. Because I married late in life, I wasn't prepared to give up half of my closet space. Poor guy...he's been using the hall coat closet as his primary closet. But you know how guys are...they're so easy going.

I'll leave you with a little sneak peak of what I've been working on lately.

Gifts From Jessi

Jessi has officially paid me back. Good grief girl...do ya think ya sent me enough stuff?! I knew that Jessi made these cute miniature sugar coated houses...and yippee.....I got one! Just love it!! It will be so fun to create a festive Christmas scene around this sweet little house. And, would you look at all the other goodies she sent: vintage glass angel hair, vintage shiny red ornaments (so fun), a mini vintage Christmas book, stamp sets, ink, a JOY garland to decorate, all kind of ribbons, buttons, paper elements, stickers, patterned papers, and a vintage New York postcard just to name a few.
She also included some of her own handmade tags and some custom tags created by Kris Hurst. They really came out beautiful and I love how she incorporated the Silver Bella theme. A wonderful and thoughtful idea! Thank you, Jessi! You did way too much.

More Holiday Frames

I made a few more holiday frames last week. Kind of obsessed with these now. I think I'm kind of like my Italian grandmother - she would get interested in one thing or another like gardening or cooking and just sort of obsess over that one thing until she got tired of it and moved on to something else. I seem to have a lot going on in my life right now and am feeling like I'm not staying on top of things. So, I'm going to take a little blog break for a week or two. Time to turn my full attention on finishing a swap for a super special cupcake of a girl. Happy week to all and be back soon!

Nice Matters

The fabulously creative, Princess of All Things Pretty - Jenny Heid nominated me for the Nice Matters Award. Wow! She sure knows how to make a girl glow on the inside. I am very honored to even be on her radar much less be noticed for something! I have often read that this particular community of artists is giving, supportive, and just plain fun...the kind of girls you want to hang out with during recess and have over for a slumber party. Although we are all unique, we share a common love of creative expression and we sort of just get each other. We don't question each other's bizarre collections of vintage items, the compulsion to stay up and create late into the night, the excitement we get when a new magazine or book hits the stand, the sheer delight in acquiring new art supplies, or the vicarious thrill when one of our blog sisters hits the estate sale jackpot. We are each on our own path, making our own artistic mark on the world, but our shared interests, support, friendships, and love for this journey are the glue that bonds us together. And, that is really nice.

A Gift from Natalea

Natalea Kandefer of Kandeland recently had a give-away on her blog and I was one of the lucky recipients. A box loaded with all sorts of treasures arrived. Take a look at this haul. Vintage rose print fabric, pink and cream ribbons, a puffy metal heart (that's so cool), tulle with pink flocked hearts, a cute tag that she made, Victorian notecards, sparkly jewels, tiny pink show ribbon buttons (love those!), an alphabet stamp set (will be put to immediate use), yards of vintage lace and beaded trim, pretty pink ribbon, a yellow rose (for Texas?), vintage buttons in creme, white, and beige, and a cute white basket to hold it all. Thank you, Natalea!! What a nice treat this was.
You really made my day!

Christmas Frame

Made this kitschy Christmas frame with vintage ornaments last night. These are fun to make. I just wish I had more vintage ornaments to work with! Anyway, this one will be shipped off to its new home soon. We had a high of 105 today so it certainly doesn't feel like Christmas or even fall around here. I think I'm subconsciously trying to cool off by making these frames. Hope everyone is having a good week.