Dreaming of Vintage

Finally!

2012-02-08T20:47:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! I'm finally back to blogging after a too long of a hiatus. The good news is that I started a new job! More money and more duties that are more suited toward my degree. I finally feel like a have a "career" now! I'm a job coach/job developer for special education students. I loved my old job as a special education assistant, but unfortunately the school districts around here just don't want to pay aides and assistants the money they deserve! My husband and I have also been working on the house. We want to sell in the next two years, so we've been painting and putting new floors upstairs. My "craft" room has a new floor, paint, shelves, sheers, and shades. It looks so pretty now! I'll post pictures later.

I started a garden journal a few months back and my first "to do" in my new room is to get caught up with projects and get my swaps done. This garden journal has my thinking about spring already! How many are sooooooo ready for spring?

More Christmas Images!

2011-12-13T17:18:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! How is everyone doing? I don't know about everyone else, but I'm super busy right now! Where did the time go? It feels like I was passing out Halloween candy yesterday! Anyway, here is some more Christmas images to use with your artwork. Enjoy!

Christmas ATC Swap #1

2011-12-04T14:37:00.000-06:00

Hi there! Just wanted to show the gorgeous ATC and tag I received from Kimberly (ArtJoyStuff) and the card I made for her. Please go check out her beautiful blog and her beautiful art. You won't be disappointed!

What Kimberly Made For Me

What I Made For Kimberly

Etsy Christmas!

2011-11-28T21:54:00.002-06:00

I wasn't sure if I wanted to show what I listed in my Etsy shop, but I'm so proud of what I created thanks to the kind words and encouragement I received from friends, family and fellow bloggers. My favorite thing to create are the altered bottles. For some reason I just love to pick out what I'm going to put on top of the bottle. There are so many things out there you can use like old and new ornaments, bird houses and bird nests. The list can go on and on. What are some of your favorite things to create on the holidays?

Pink Poinsettia Wall Hanging

French Inspired Heart (Kit from Little Pink Studio)

French Snowman Ornament

French Inspired Lace Tree

Vintage Christmas Botanicals

2011-11-21T20:12:00.000-06:00

Hello! I just love these Christmas botanical's and I just wanted to share them with everyone. My favorite, of course is the Christmas tree. Do something crafty with them or frame them! enjoy!

Attacking the Project Box!

2011-11-14T15:47:00.000-06:00

Hello! I wanted to show everyone my first chair project with burlap and my grapevine wreath. I bought this huge coffee burlap bag in the summer and I've finally put my brave face on and "reupholstered" the seat. I really like how the seat turned out! Sometimes it take me awhile to try something new, because of my long-standing confidence issues. How many other bloggers out there struggle with confidence???? The grapevine wreath has been sitting in the basement forever! All I did was add some burlap, handmade flowers, ribbon and some butterfly's. What do you fellow bloggers think? I would love your opinions! Hugs to all and have a wonderful week!

Shadow Box Done!

2011-11-04T22:04:00.000-05:00

Yea! Another project is done! I only bought this shadow box from Red Lead Paper Works hmmm two years ago! I should be working on Christmas projects for my etsy shop, but I'm on a roll of finishing up old projects. I originally painted the box yellow, but I repainted it with vintage white and added some Tim Holtz stain and a little green paint to it. The fern in the middle is a Martha Stewart sticker, but the other two ferns are real and sealed with wax. The fern on the left turned an interesting color when the wax was used. The only things that were added was the little bird, a butterfly and some flowers. I love it! Thanks for looking!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T15:11:00.000-05:00

Have a happy and safe Halloween everyone!

Done at Last! Nature Album!

2011-10-23T16:31:00.000-05:00

Check another project of the list! I started this nature paper bag album two years ago on a stormy August night and I finally finished it! I know this post has nothing to do with Halloween, but I just wanted to share. I would probably do a few of the earlier pages differently, but I do like the finally result. I love to add lots of "stuff" to my projects! What do you guys think? Anyone else working on non-holiday projects right now?

Halloween Swap

2011-10-17T19:47:00.000-05:00

Hello friends! I just participated in a really cool Halloween bag swap over at The Bloggerette Sorority. My partner was Karen at Karen's Monday Musings . She sent me an awesome bag filled with some wonderful crafty and candy goodies. Thanks again Karen! The second bag was what I made for Kimberly at ArtJoyStuff . Go and check all three blogs out! Have a great week fellow bloggers!

Na - Da Farm Event

2011-10-11T14:40:00.000-05:00

I had such an amazing time at Na - Da Farm this past weekend. This was the first time I have ever took an overnight road trip by myself and it was a lot of fun. Catching up with an awesome Dean Koontz book, eating peanut M & M's, and watching Ghost Adventures without the hubby's skeptic comments, who could ask for more! I also met some really cool ladies and I finally got to meet the ever most sophisticated Alison from The Polo House . I registered for three classes during my time at the farm. Friday night was the first class. It was called Avenues to an Artful Business, hosted by two amazing and creative women, Jeanne Oliver and Jennifer Rizzo. The class was very inspiring and they both offered great tips on how to start your own etsy store, web business, and blog. Saturday was my creative day. The two classes I took were Vintage Art Journal and Mixed Media Art, both taught by Jeanne Oliver. Both classes were absolutely wonderful! Thank you so much for your encouragement and kind words Jeanne!

My Art

Scenes From the Farm

I love these big paper flowers!

Jeanne and I (I know, bad picture)

Halloween Images

2011-10-03T22:36:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I thought I would share some great Halloween images for you to use for your Halloween artwork! I just love Halloween photos from long ago. There is a creepiness to old Halloween pics that is really cool. Enjoy!

More Little Frames

2011-09-25T16:54:00.000-05:00

I bought these cute, little frames in the Christmas section at Hobby Lobby last year and I'm FINALLY doing something with them. My vow right now is start and finish projects that have been sitting in my project box. Too much money is being spent on various supplies and such. This is such a waste of money! Do you have a box of projects waiting to be tackled? Anyway, back to the frames. I distressed the frames with vintage white and basil green paint, attached vintage French ads from a collage sheet that I bought from etsy, and tied on some pretty satin ribbon. The frames look so pretty don't they? Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Altered Bottle Swap

2011-09-19T20:31:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I participated in a really fun altered bottle swap at The Altered Paper . My swap partner was Mercedes . The first bottle is what I made. I tried to use as much vintage as I could. The lace, doily, ribbon, and key are true vintage. As you can see I used one of my favorite mediums, wax! It's fun to heat up that melting pot and go! I also tried my hand at soldering at the top of the bottle. The 2nd bottle is what Mercedes made for me. Isn't it gorgeous? I just love everything about it! The colors, do-dads, ribbon, and Marie image! The beautiful bottle now stands proud next to my other Marie bottle! Thanks for looking!

Tussie Swap

2011-09-14T23:03:00.000-05:00

Hi! I love Tussies. They are such fun to make! I participated in a tussie swap in the Marie Antoinette Style Trade Group I belong to. I decided that I would tag a stab at making a fabric tussie. My sewing skills are basic at the least, but I tried the best I could and I'm pretty proud of how it turned out. My inspiration was Mandy's Dior-like cone on her blog, a la parisienne. The next tussie is what I received from Marie. Isn't it gorgeous? I just love the sweet birdcage with the adorable bird and the toile paper she used. Thanks for taking a peek!

Flowers and Frames

2011-09-09T23:05:00.000-05:00

Happy weekend everyone! On a recent trip to Michael's and Joann's I found some great stuff in the bargain bins. I made some fabric flowers with all of the pretty silk I bought on clearance. All I did was cut a bunch of circles, fold in fours, cut in the middle of the folds, crumple the circles, and burn the edges. Finally I hot glued all of the layers together and sewed a button in the middle. Kind of cute for my first attempt. What do you ladies think? After I made the flowers, I was still in a crafty mood so I decided I was going to do something with the cute $1.99 frames I bought at Michael's. All I did was glue some patterned paper to the back and hot glued the Tim Holtz figurine and applique to each frame. Nice, easy and cute! Thanks for looking!

Late Summer Flowers

2011-09-02T16:15:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! I feel like I haven't blogged in forever. The last couple of weeks have been horrendous! Of course when my husband and I went to my in-laws little place in Pennsylvania, I suddenly came down with the flu and now I have bronchitis that's giving me asthma attacks. Ugh! School also started so I'm trying to get into the swing of things. Well enough of that...............The only crafts I've been working are swap related, an altered bottle for the Altered Paper group and a tussie for the Marie Antoinette Style Trade Group. So what I'm posting are some photos of some flowers from my garden. My dear neighbor watered my flowers while I was in Pennsylvania and to my surprise everything looked so lush and pretty when we came back. Thanks for taking a peak and I hope everyone has a nice, long weekend!

These are all of my broken garden pieces that I don't have the heart to throw away. Don't they kind of look like archaeological pieces?

Lady in a Hat ATC Swap

2011-08-21T10:01:00.000-05:00

Hi! Just wanted to share the ATC that I created for the Lady in a Hat ATC swap at Tee's blog. I also wanted to share the ATC and tag that I received from the ever-so-talented Tee, who was also my swap partner. Thanks for taking a peak!

My ATC

Tee's Creations

Configurations Box

2011-08-10T13:49:00.000-05:00

Happy Hump Day! I just wanted to share my Tim Holtz configurations box. My dear sister decoupaged the paper on for me and I just added all of the little do-dads that were pieces that broke off from something or I just didn't know what to do with. I just love the little tin bird house and the cloches. Thanks for looking!

French Inspiration Thursday!

2011-08-04T17:00:00.003-05:00

Hi! In March I purchased this beautiful French print from a vendor at Kane County Flea Market. She was selling all kinds of gorgeous prints at 3 for $10.00! I knew exactly what I wanted to do and colors I wanted to use (purples are really catching my eye right now) when I bought this French dressmaker print. I love everything about it, the time period, the two women, the lovely dresses they are creating and their shop! The whole scene is kind of dreamy isn't it? I'm linking up to the French Cupboard for French Inspiration Thursday.

I Just Wanted To Share!

2011-07-28T18:29:00.001-05:00

Hello all! I just wanted to share this beautiful Marie Antoinette inspired fabric journal I received from the very talented Wanda. Her blog is Roses in Winter . Please go and check out her blog. She is a super-talented lady! Wanda and I decided to do a Marie journal swap. If anyone is interested in joining a Marie Antoinette Style Trade Group please check it out here .

An American Picker at Goodwill!

2011-07-25T15:22:00.000-05:00

My sister, husband and I were lucky enough to meet MikeWolfe from the History Channel's American Pickers on Saturday! The local Goodwill was hosting a meet and greet, so the 3 of us decided to go. Mike was very nice. He signed autographs and posed for pictures. I also found some great things. I purchased an adorable Woodstock which is now living in my craft room and I also purchased some vintage doilies and 100 yards of vintage lace, all for a few bucks! Have a great week everyone!

Swaps

2011-07-18T12:04:00.000-05:00

Hello there! I just wanted to share some of my creations for 2 swaps I just participated in. The first swap was Karla Nathan's Birdsong Tag Book Swap. Participants had to create 7 bird tags for this swap. Go here to check out everyone else's beautiful tags! Creating anything that involves birds and nature is right up my alley! The 2nd swap was with Wanda Buxton. We both love Marie Antoinette, so we both decided to do a book swap. I had so much fun creating this book! Lots of flowers and ribbons oh my!

Susies and Cones - Outdoor Wednesday

2011-07-12T19:30:00.001-05:00

I've always loved Black Eyed Susan and Coneflowers. I planted all of these last year and they're all coming up like gangbusters! I know that these are full sun perennials, but the ones I planted in my backyard in the full sun are slow to grow. I planted these beauties in the front in partial sun and they've done so well. I'm hooking up to Susan's blog A Southern Dreamer for Outdoor Wednesday. Go check out all of the other participants and their beautiful pictures!

Altered Spoon Swap

2011-07-05T21:34:00.000-05:00

Good evening everyone! I participated in a really fun altered spoon swap that was hosted by Tee at The Altered Paper. My partner was Tiffany, the super talented Cranky Queen! She sent me this beautiful French inspired creation that is perfect for my kitchen!

The Queen also sent me this super cute creation that is also perfect for my kitchen!

This is what I created for Tiffany. I hope she likes it! It was a lot of fun being Tiffany's swap partner. I hope we could swap more in the future!

Some New Projects

2011-06-24T18:15:00.000-05:00

HI everyone! I wanted to share two projects that I just finished. I love creating these ephemera holders (I don't know what else to call them)! I just Modge Podged some papers/vintage bird images and hot glued a nest, butterfly, laundry clips, flower, and buttons to a piece of painted wood. I added some ephemera and a vintage flower to the laundry clips. So easy and a lot of fun! The second project is an old, decorated ladder. The pieces of wood were done just like the ephemera holder. I just added the 7 gypsies clips to the top of the wood plaques and hung them from cup hooks. I had the ladder in the basement for a year and I finally got around to making something with it. I saw this a version of this ladder somewhere, but I don't remember where?????? Thank you for looking and have a great weekend!

Altered Flea Market Finds

2011-06-15T16:35:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! On a recent shipping trip to Morris, IL, I found a few things that I decided to alter. When I found this super cute match holder, I immediately knew I wanted to do with it. I love the pink color, so I decided not to paint it. I then decided on Marie Antoinette theme. I used a pretty paper image glued on top of some vintage French paper and a painted wood tag. I added Prima flowers, Cavallini stickers, pom pom trim, moss, tiny bird nest w/eggs, two bird magnets from Paper Source, and pretty vintage ribbon. I then altered an old door knob. I first glued some moss on top of the knob and glued the adorable, rusted bird house from Whimsy on top of the moss. I added a Prima flower and a bird magnet from Paper Source. I love how both my latest projects turned out! As always, thanks for looking!

Bird Mini Canvases

2011-06-04T12:40:00.000-05:00

Here are two more canvases I created. I had these two neglected bird images sitting on my table forever waiting to be used. They fit perfectly on the canvases. For the background I used some paper scraps and two Martha Stewart fern stickers. Thank you for looking!

The Altered Paper Pocket Swap

2011-05-28T11:55:00.000-05:00

I participated in a really fun pocket swap at Tee's blog The Altered Paper. My swap partner was Wanda from Shop Just Vintage. Wanda created the gorgeous cream and brown pocket. I love all of the pretty details! I have the pocket hanging in my nature/botanical area. She also included some really awesome trinkets in the pocket that I can't wait to play with! Thanks again Wanda!

My Pocket

Wanda's Pocket

Bloggerette Sorority Rush Project

2011-05-22T14:46:00.001-05:00

Happy Sunday! How is everyone on this beautiful day? Today I'm posting my project for the Bloggerette Sorority Rush. Everyone that is a member had the opportunity to create a project using the photo of those 5 beautiful women that is part of the Bloggerette Sorority logo. You can see everyone else's projects HERE. Becoming a Bloggerette Sister is easy and anyone can join! Just sign up on the Bloggerette Sorority blog! I sort of made a scrapbook layout. I used my imagination and pretended that these 5 girls were models that traveled to and from Paris and London. I used a giant Bazzill tag as the base and went from there. I added the laundry clips at the bottom and attached some pretty things to them. I love how it turned out! Thank you so much for taking a look! Oh I forgot that I had to mention a few things about myself! I live in Plainfield, IL with my husband Ed and my two fur babies Annie and Dexter. I have a Master's Degree in School Counseling, but unfortunately there is no school counseling jobs out there. I work as a special education assistant at a high school and I do love my job! I'm fortunate to work with a bunch of great kids and staff. In my spare time I like to garden, crafting, read, photography, and hike with the husband.

My First Cottage Charm Giveaway!

2011-05-10T21:42:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited to do one of my first giveaways! I will be participating in the 5th annual Cottage Charm Giveaway! What is the Cottage Charm Giveaway?: This is a multi-blog, month long event beginning Saturday, May 1st where bloggers give away on their blogs items they feel exhibit "Cottage Charm".Anyone can join at any point in May before the 29th. On May 29th, all participating bloggers will announce their winners and post it to their blogs. An ongoing list of ALL the giveaways and participating bloggers is maintained at Twice Remembered during the entire month of May. The list grows and grows the whole month of May as bloggers add their Cottage Charm Giveaway to their blogs.

To enter to win my giveaway all you have to do is become a follower and leave a comment on my blog. If you already are a follower, just let me know. You do not need to have a blog to enter. Just remember to leave your email address in your comment. I will announce the winner on May 29th. Good luck and thank you to each one of you! Make sure to visit Twice Remembered to check out everyone else's giveaways!

The winner will receive these 3 pretties!

Framed Marie surrounded by pretty flowers

Nature Bottle

Sea Bottle

Glass Ornaments

2011-05-04T22:00:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! As soon as I saw these heavy, glass ornaments on clearance at Z Gallerie and Hobby Lobby after Christmas, I knew I wanted to alter them in some way. All I did was Modge Podge the back of the ornaments with some bird paper and a photo copy of Marie Antoinette, ta-da! Thanks for coming over!

Just A Few Things!

2011-04-25T07:47:00.000-05:00

Good morning everyone! I hope all of you had a nice Easter! I just wanted to share a few things that I worked on this weekend, between painting the bedroom and pulling weeds! I made another mini canvas. I'm calling this one "Bride to Be." My sister gave me this microscope slide with a sweet image of a blushing bride. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with the slide so I decided to put her on a mini canvas with some pretty paper and flowers. I also made these cute fluttering butterfly with an old oil funnel that I bought at the flea market. This was a lot fun to make and so easy! All you need is some wire, a paper butterfly, vintage paper, and my favorite, HOT GLUE! Thanks for looking!

Blog Giveaways!

2011-04-16T12:11:00.002-05:00

How is everyone on this dreary and wet Saturday? Just a quick post regarding two awesome and generous giveaways that are happening at Becky's blog Junk to Joy and Kimberly's blog ArtJoyStuff Please go and check it out and follow their drool worthy blogs and leave a comment!

A Bird in the Hand Swap

2011-04-10T17:25:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday all! I just wanted to share my creations for Danielle's a bird in the hand 5 x 5 collage & nest swap. This was so much fun! We had to make a bird collage using some vintage materials so I used vintage wallpaper, French lace, an old button, vintage beads, and a bird illustration that is from the 1930's. My guess it was free when you bought a gallon of Clorox Bleach, like those little bird cards that came free when you bought a pack of cigarettes back in the day. For my bird nest I glued some moss and lace to the outside and stuffed the inside of the nest with shredded paper. I then glued three, little plastic eggs to the paper and attached a little bird, flowers, and leaves to the top of the nest. When I was ready to ship, I forgot that I had to attach the nest to something sturdy so I was kind of scrambling to find something cute to attach the nest to. What I came up with was this cute, little jar that I stuffed with paper and more eggs. I hope who ever receives my swap loves it just as much as I do!

French Inspired Trees

2011-04-07T07:48:00.000-05:00

It's time again for French Inspiration Thursday! I love the fabric trees that I have seen all over blogland so I thought I would give if it a try. I wanted a French like look so I used lace, doilies, fabric, flowers, pearls, bows, a fleur de lis, and yes, cupcake liners! The Anthropologie near me displayed a tabletop tree made from silver cupcake liners. I thought it was cool, so I thought I would make one.

Thank You Alison!

2011-04-05T23:03:00.000-05:00

I'm am truly honored to have received this cool award from my sweet, new friend Alison at The Polohouse. Thanks again Alison!

I'm so sorry for the late posting but I just came back from vacation and trying to get back into the swing of things. As to what Alison said on her blog, in order to accept this award the recipients are asked to a do a couple of things.

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself

3. Award 10-15 blogs you feel deserve the award

4. Contact these bloggers and let them know about the award.

Seven Things About Me

1. I LOVE sharks and care deeply about their survival. I often tell people to NEVER eat at a restaurant that has shark fin soup on the menu!

2. I have seen an actually great white shark in person.

3. I wish I could donate to every, single animal charity.

4. I love the ocean.

5. My husband and I hope to move to the South Carolina some day.

6. I love to garden and birdwatch.

7. My favorite color is green.

Blogs to Visit

These are some of the lovely blogs that I follow and I hope that you do too!

1. ArtJoyStuff

2. The Pretty Pekingese

3. The Vintage Dragonfly

4. Stitches from the Bush

5. Sweet Dreams Art Studio

6. Blue Box Babe

7. Pinecone Place

8. Circle of Buttons

9. Dragonflys and Stars

10. Something Special

11. Flowermouse Design

12. Chatelet

13. Moments

14. EAB Designs

15. Janina a la Maison

Sea Nymph Bottles

2011-03-27T19:53:00.000-05:00

I just love making these bottles! Here are two sea inspired bottles that I made for my two best friends, my sister Kris and Stephanie. Inside the bottles I added some South Carolina sand and a few tiny shells. I did some soldering to the top of the bottle and added a the star fish and some other goodies. The cool sea nymph images are from ARTchix Studio. Thanks so much for looking!

French Inspiration Thursdays

2011-03-24T09:07:00.001-05:00

Nothing big or fancy, just a cute, little frame from the dollar bin at Michael's with some harlequin patterned paper and a sweet Marie Antoinette looking silhouette sticker from K & Company. I have been wanting to do something with that adorable sticker! Thanks for looking!

Springtime Tags

2011-03-22T17:13:00.000-05:00

I haven't made any tags in a long time so I thought I would give it a whirl again. I went with a spring theme. I don't know about anyone else, but it's definitely my favorite time of the year. The birds are singing, the grass is starting to turn green, and the little sprouts are starting to pop out of the ground. What are your favorite things about spring?

French Inspiration Thursday

2011-03-17T08:50:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! It's French Inspiration Thursday at The French Cupboard. This week I was inspired by everyones favorite queen (including mine!), Marie Antoinette. I created a sort of hanging ephemera board. I layered all kinds of papers and flowers in place and hot glued a couple of clothes pins to the bottom. I also attached two hooks to the top. I bought the attached tags from Kimberly at ArtJoyStuff and from Jessica at Kids Napping? I'm Scrapping! and I clipped a Versailles postcard with a bit of vintage lace. I had a lot of fun creating this! Thanks so much for looking!

Tuesday Trading Card Swap

2011-03-15T22:51:00.000-05:00

Last week I participated in my first weekly ATC swap over at Kimberly's blog ArtJoyStuff. The theme was Lady in Green. Go and check out Kimberly's beautiful creations and to check out her swap details.

This is my take on last week's theme:

I received Kimberly's card today. Isn't it pretty?

French Inspiration Thursdays

2011-03-10T07:44:00.000-06:00

I made this mini canvas for French Inspiration Thursday. These mini canvases really are addicting to make. Isn't this French couple adorable!

Pay It Forward 2011

2011-03-09T22:54:00.001-06:00

This is really cool! This is my first time playing along with Pay It Forward. I saw this posted on Kimberly's blog Art Joy Stuff and I thought why not! Here are the details:

The first five people who comment on this blog post will receive a handmade gift from me.

In return, you must FIRST write a blog post explaining Pay It Forward 2011.
Then send out a handmade gift to the first 5 visitors who leave a comment.
Take your time you don't need to send them all today or tomorrow.
Gifts from the heart are worth the wait!

This is such a sweet way to make new friends and
share the love of things we create with our hearts and hands.

Framed Silhouettes

2011-03-08T07:36:00.002-06:00

These were so easy and fun to make. I found these pretty frames in the $1.99 spot at Michael's and just added some vintage ledger paper and these really cute silhouette stickers made by Basic Grey. Too bad Michael's didn't carry these frames in every color, because I probably would have bought every single one of them. Just like the mini canvases above, this is a great way to get rid of odds and ends. Thanks for looking!

French Inspiration Thursdays

2011-03-03T07:24:00.004-06:00

I don't have a beautiful French cane settee or an authentic French chandelier or for that matter I have never been to France, but I sooooo want to go and scour those flea markets! I did find this vintage French tin at Kane County Flea Market. You can see some more French inspiration every Thursday at the French Cupboard.

Mini Canvases

2011-02-28T20:34:00.000-06:00

Good evening! OK, I'm totally addicted to these mini canvases. They are so much fun to make and they are a great way to get rid of extra pieces, scrap ribbon, and excess stash. The sizes are 2X2, 3X3, and 4X4. Just think of the possibilities. I bought my blank canvases at Archivers, Hobby Lobby, and Dick Blick Art Supplies. You can trade them like an ATC, give them as gifts, hang them on a wall, or display them in a cute bowl. Thanks for looking!

Pretty Things!

2011-02-26T12:07:00.001-06:00

Hi! In the month of February I participated in a Valentine swap from Swapdex. My partner for the swap was the very talented fiber artist Perri. Her blog is Stitches from the Bush. What she made for me were three beautiful little trinkets: a pin cushion, sweet little wall hanging, and the scissor charm/fob. Thanks again Perri! The other event I participated in was One World One Heart hosted by Lisa at A Whimsical Bohemian. I had loads of fun visiting blogs from all over the world. By Visiting Angie's blog Meriscrapper13's Cottage I won this gorgeous bird charm that is now hanging from a bird collage that I had made. Thank you Angie!

Mini Album

2011-02-20T15:47:00.000-06:00

Happy Sunday everyone! I've been wanting to post this for awhile. I participated in a mini album swap earlier this month and this was the album I made. Bea from California chose Sweet Spring for her theme and this is what I came up with. I used everything from my own stash. I mixed a little new with a little vintage and a touch of whimsy. I love it so much, I think I'm going to make one for myself! Thanks for looking!

One World One Heart Winner!

2011-02-17T23:01:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! The winner of my bottle is #58 Lone (I had random.org pick out the number)! Congratulations! I had so much fun visiting blogs from all over the world and thank you to everyone who came over to my blog to say hi! I hope to make everlasting friendships with each and every one of you!

One World One Heart

2011-02-06T13:57:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone! My name is Kelly and I'm so excited to be participating in my first One World One Heart worldwide event! One World One Heart is a worldwide event for bloggers that was started 5 years ago by Lisa at A Whimsical Bohemian. This is a great opportunity to meet fellow bloggers from all over the world and to win some really great door prizes. To read more about One World One Heart and to participate you can click here. This is a list of fellow bloggers who are participating. I love making a mess in my craft room and at the moment I love altering bottles and getting dirty with hot glue, paint, and glitter! Did I mention that I'm addicted to lace and spending hours at the local antique mall with my sister and brother looking for the next great thing to alter or spending an hour going through boxes of old snapshots and cabinet cards making up our own stories about that particular photo.

At the end of the event on February 17th I will be giving away this beautiful bottle so please leave a comment and make sure your comment links back to you or leave your email address. Thanks for coming by and spending a few minutes at my little blog!

Handmade Valentine Party

2011-01-27T17:28:00.001-06:00

Hi! Here are my creations for the French Cupboard Handmade Valentine Party that is today! I love creating for Valentine's Day! Thanks for looking!

Chipboard Heart on Canvas

Heart Banner

Crepe Paper Rosette

XO Mini Book

Fabric Collage

Wood Heart

Glass Glitter Cherubs

My First Fabric Collage

2011-01-22T13:12:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone! This is dedicated to Rebecca. She has been such an inspiration and she is a sweet and lovely woman! I bought one of her fabric collages last summer and I wanted to try making one myself. I just finished my first fabric collage for a Valentine swap that I'm participating in. I had so much fun doing this!

Wood Heart

2011-01-17T19:30:00.001-06:00

Good evening! Time for Valentines Day crafting! This thick, wood heart was sitting in a box just waiting to be decorated. I just love how the bottle turned out. You can't see it, but I melted some candle gel and poured it into the bottle so it looks like there is water in the bottle. Instead of hanging the heart with wire I'm going to attach a picture hanger to the back.

Finally!

2011-01-10T22:55:00.001-06:00

Hi all! I finally finished the altered window I was supposed to give my sister for Christmas! My sister is re-decorating her bedroom with a French theme, so I found some Moulin Rouge dancers on Etsy and glued them onto the panes of glass. I covered the entire panes of glass with Modge Podge, because it gave the glass that old, wavy look. I painted the frame black and added some decorative wood pieces and pink glitter chipboard letters. I hope she likes it! My second project is of an old door knob. I hot glued a stem of Cody Foster paper flowers onto the middle and added some tinsel and a rhinestone brad. Thanks for looking!

Great Finds!

2011-01-04T21:03:00.001-06:00

I found these cheap, pretty flowers at a clothing/accessory store called Forever 21. $2.50 for a set of 2 barrette's. I'm going to take the backings off of all of the flowers and use them for crafting. Aren't they cute?

I found these cute bib necklace at Sears for $8.50. Last year I was salivating over a bib necklace from Anthropologie that was very similar for $80.00! I try to buy as much hand-made as possible, but I couldn't pass up this bargain from Sears!

Bonne Annee!

2011-01-01T12:15:00.000-06:00

I hope that everyone has a happy and healthy 2011!

My Beautiful Stocking

2010-12-30T14:32:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! I'm so embarrassed. With the hustle and bustle of last week, I never posted the pictures I took of my beautiful stocking from the Joli Paquet stocking swap made by Kana. Isn't it beautiful! I love the silky, mauve ruffles at the top and the cute snowman image (I love these vintage snowman images). I'm going to keep my stocking up in my craft room just like Kana. Who says I have to take it down after Christmas right?

Sweet Sister & Cards

2010-12-21T18:59:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! Just a few more days until Christmas! Are you ready? I just finished the Christmas shopping and now I just have to buy the roast! I'm not going to say "I can't wait until it's over", because I do like this time of the year, the decorations, music, family, and food. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want to put away my Christmas craft box, there's still too many things I want to make, but ran out of time! Anyway, isn't the Tim Holtz like shadow box below super cute? My sweet and super talented sister made this for me. I just love it! Thanks Kris! Have a very Merry Christmas everyone!

Cards

Creating and Decorating

2010-12-12T15:44:00.000-06:00

Happy Sunday everyone! It's horrendous here in Northern Illinois. The wind is howling and the snow is blowing. I keep going outside to make sure my birdfeeders are stocked. What we do for our feathered friends! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a snowday tomorrow! Here are a few more things I just finished and some more decorating photos. Enjoy the rest of this cold, snowy day!

I love making these boxes!

I call this Christmas in a jar.

I saw this Bible idea on someone blog. I'm sorry, spent 20 minutes looking for this blog, but I couldn't find. Anyone know whose original idea this was?

Apothecary jar with snow, artichokes, and pine cone

This is my Northwoods Christmas area.

I love this Chickadee match holder I found at Kane County Flea Market

Bedroom Dresser

Hallway

More Christmas Projects

2010-12-04T22:42:00.000-06:00

Here are a few projects I have been working on. I just love creating stuff for Christmas! Now off to bed! My brother and I are going to hit Kane County Flea Market in the morning. Have a great rest of the weekend everyone!

This metal looking plate below was dirty and rusty when I bought it at the flea market. I painted it white and dabbed pink and green to it. I also sprinkled some glass glitter on it. I love the vintage French Santa photo!

Christmas Projects

2010-11-30T22:50:00.000-06:00

Here are a few more projects that I have been working on. I'm not sure where I'm going to hang the Noel sign. It's a great feeling using what's in your stash.

I love glass glitter! I bought these plain chipboard letters from Hobby Lobby. I spray painted the letters silver and added the glass glitter and the metal snowflakes to the bottom of the letters.

Christmas Decorating

2010-11-26T15:50:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I just finished some inside Christmas decorating. Ladies, show some of your favorite Christmas decorating on your blogs! Here are some of my favorites. I also wanted to thank Brenda at Cozy Little House for featuring me on her blog!

I just love my white Christmas tree! When there is no other lights on in my front room, it looks stunning!

My pretty Christmas angels!

I'm obsessed with mercury glass! It looks so pretty with the snow princess.

I love these glittery houses!

Here are some extra ornaments with a small, silver tree.

A canvas that I made last year

Some more Christmas figures

Christmas Bottles

2010-11-12T23:48:00.000-06:00

Good evening ladies! Has anyone started their Christmas crafting yet, or better yet their decorating? The decorating starts Sunday and I have already started my holiday crafting. I started with a few bottles and I'm in the process of making a banner and a vintage looking plaque. I'm not quite sure if I wanted to sell my wares on Etsy yet. I think it's a confidence thing.........................Is there any Etsy sellers that could give a newbie some tips? Have a great weekend!

Altered Mirror

2010-11-05T20:50:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday! I have been putting this project off for so long and I finally finished it! I removed some of the silver from this garbage picked mirror and Modge Podged some pretty papers to the back. I would like to hang it somewhere, but there is no holes for me to wire it. I guess I could drill holes, but knowing me, I would just end up breaking the glass. Any ideas?

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-30T19:47:00.000-05:00

Good evening everyone! Just a few more things for Halloween.

My mom brought over these adorable cakes.

Poison Bottles & Canvas

2010-10-19T18:14:00.000-05:00

Good evening everyone! Yes, I'm still creating Halloween stuff :). I took 3 bottles that I bought for a quarter a piece at Hobby Lobby. I used stuff from my stash and I played around with my soldering iron. I just love creating stuff with canvas. I sprayed the metal numbers with alcohol inks and glued them to pattern paper. Something different. For the last canvas, I think it's fun to think that this family is descendants from one of the first families of Salem, MA. I love old pictures and cabinet cards. When my sister and I are at an antique shop and we come across old photos, we make up are own stories about them. Have a great night ladies!

Chandelier, Scarecrow, & Pumpkins

2010-10-13T21:15:00.000-05:00

Good evening everyone! I bought this chandelier last year and I finally got around to doing something about it. I just dry brushed some black paint on the chandelier and the fake tapers. I love how it turned out! I'm normally not a fan of store bought scarecrows, but I kind of liked the one I found for $6.99 at Ace Hardware. The hanging pumpkin plaque I found at Sid's Garden Center in Bolingbrook, IL. Have a great night all!

More Halloween Projects

2010-10-06T17:21:00.000-05:00

Happy Hump Day! Here are some more Halloween projects. Yes, I love Halloween, but it is also about using what you got in your stash. Thanks for looking everyone!

Crown for my close friend Stephanie

Crown for my sister Kris

Pumpkin

A few things on canvas

Pumpkin and birds on an old spindle

Yard Decorating

2010-10-01T17:12:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday everyone! Last week I worked on the front yard Halloween decorations. I loved how it all turned out! I have a few more ideas running in my head that involve a chandelier, pumpkins, and lanterns. I know, I'm a certifiable Halloween freak!

Poe Pumpkin

2010-09-25T20:50:00.000-05:00

Hi all! This is my version of Carlene Federer's awesome pumpkin from the September/October 2008 issue of Somerset Studio magazine. I had so much fun making it! Thanks Carlene for the inspiration!

Halloween Decorations

2010-09-23T22:37:00.000-05:00

I love Halloween! I always look forward to pulling out the boxes and start decorating. I bought the 6 foot black tree at Walmart after Christmas last year for $12.99! As soon as Halloween is over I plan on putting the tree in my bedroom for Christmas. It is going to be my French themed Christmas tree.

Here are some of the ornaments that are on the tree

Here are some of my other decorations

Halloween Clocks

2010-09-20T21:59:00.000-05:00

Hi there! My mom and I were inspired by Iva Wilcox's Halloween clock from the Autumn 2009 issue of Somerset Life magazine, so we decided to make our own versions. My mom, sister, and brother came over on Friday and we had a blast making these. My mom and I made our clocks, sister was busy making her zombie cross stitch, and my brother watched t.v. It's nice having family over.

My clock

My mom's clock

Halloween Projects

2010-09-12T21:45:00.000-05:00

Hi! Here are a couple of Halloween projects I just completed. I surprised my mom with a Halloween crown and a banner. The orange canvas accordion book is for me!

Buttons

2010-09-02T21:45:00.000-05:00

I thought I would share these cute buttons I made. I used Jenni Bowlin chipboard buttons as a base and layered buttons from my stash on top of the chipboard. Cute!

Winding Down

2010-08-24T21:16:00.000-05:00

I can't believe the summer is winding down and it's time to put the spring/summer craft crate away and bring the Halloween craft box up from the basement. I actually did one last summery type thing when I got home from work. A couple of months ago I bought this architectural type of thing from an antique mall and decided to make it a little plant holder. I tied a ribbon around it and hot glued a flower on top of the ribbon. I glued a small plate and a silver bowel on the top and added a little rhinestone embellishment underneath the plate . I think it's kind of cute.

Canvas and Wood

2010-08-18T17:16:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to do something with these pages I found in an old book about birds. Don't you just love the images?

I just love the image of the bird on top of the lady's hat. This was unfortunately at a time when hats were covered with bird feathers. This lady was ahead of her time. The caption below the picture says " The best way to have a bird on a hat." I wholeheartedly agree.

This image below is so sweet. I just love mama bird and her daughter.

French Market Finds in Morris

2010-08-17T11:37:00.000-05:00

These are some of the pretty things I found at the Three French Hens Market in Morris, IL. It was a little hot on Saturday, but a pretty setting along the I & M Canal. There is also some really great stores in Morris like Whimsy, Ruby Begonia's, and Vintage. Whimsy and Ruby Begonia's also had booths at the market.

A cloche and flower pot from Ruby Begonia's.

A few signs from Primitive Blessings.

These are some really cute jars from Whimsy.

A few cool finds from the market.

Below is a fairy gazing ball and a little shell bird bath from World of Traegonia.

Thrift Store Finds and Crafty Stuff

2010-08-12T17:15:00.000-05:00

I found the following urns at the thrift store for $1.50 each. So cute. The little urn has a crack at the base, but oh well, it seems to be doing fine.

I made the following pot below by painting and distressing, tying a ribbon on the top, layering the buttons, and I modge podged the image and the Heidi Swapp bling frame to the pot. I like how it turned out.

Incredible Creature

2010-08-11T11:33:00.000-05:00

I was sitting outside watching the birds and this Monarch landed in one of the flower beds next to me. It amazes me that these delicate, little creatures make a migration from Canada to Mexico. Mother Nature never ceases to amaze me. I said a little prayer for it hoping it has a safe journey.

Vintage Garden

2010-07-30T22:36:00.000-05:00

I love the look of random vintage "junk" in a garden. This garden is located at a really cool shop called The Bountiful Barn in Glen Ellyn, IL. Isn't it pretty?