October Blog Hop ...

Hello friends!  I am so excited to finally share my news ... I have been asked to join in the October Blog Hop as a Guest Designer over at Polkadot Door Designs!  I feel extremely honored to be part of this talented team of artists.  Their monthly inspiration challenge is always incredible...and there are a number of different opportunities to win fabulous prizes!

If you'd like to play along ... please do.  A prize will be given to the October Challenge winner, just create your project from the inspiration photo and link it up.

Plus, one Blog Hop participant will be named the "Featured Designer" ... the project with the most votes wins!  There's only one way to vote ... simply visit all the blogs on the Hop then finish by leaving a comment on the Polkadot Door Designs blog letting them know your favorite.

While you hop, leave a little love at each blog for the chance to win a prize from one of our sponsors!

Finally, three to five artists with the most impressive creations will be chosen to join next months Design Team and Blog Hop, and compete for the Feature Designer prize in November. 

My project this month includes all the wonderful elements of our inspiration photo.  Shades of green, clouds in a blue sky, an adorable tricycle, a splash of red, and I couldn't resist just a touch of chunky glitter sparkle.

The quote, if you don't recognize it, is from Through the Looking Glass.  Do you know who said it?

"That’s the way it’s done," the Queen said with great decision: "nobody can do two things at once, you know. Let’s consider your age to begin with – how old are you?"
"I’m seven and a half exactly."
"You needn’t say ‘exactly’," the Queen remarked. "I can believe it without that. Now I’ll give you something to believe. I’m just one hundred and one, five months and a day."
"I can't believe that!" said Alice.
"Can't you?" the queen said in a pitying tone. "Try again, draw a long breath, and shut your eyes."
"Alice laughed: "There's no use trying," she said; "one can't believe impossible things."
"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

Oh my, that brings back memories. 

My husband keeps my supply box full of wood house forms - he knows how I adore them.  The flower is handmade ... a sweet pearl for the center.  All the print papers are from the many scraps I hoard and the tricycle is a treasure from a retired SU stamp set.

The inspiration photo couldn't be cuter ...

Here are all the October Blog Hop participants and links to their amazing projects ..... be sure visit each,  leave some love, then comment on Polkadot Door Designs with your vote!

Lindsay

DeeDee

Amanda

Debby 

Aki

Nicole

Smitha

Sabrina 

Joanne (that's me!)

Marivic

Tammy

Diana

Mazlina

Polkadot Door Designs

Happy October and thanks so much for stopping by!

Happy Autumn

Hello everyone!  Are the leaves showing their fall colors where you are?  We are beginning to see some beautiful shades of red, yellow, and orange here in Michigan.  Although my state can be bitterly cold and very snowy, I do so love the changing seasons we have.  Every one a bearing different gifts.

I've been away for a week, but having lots of fun playing with this and that.  Crocheting sweet flower shaped face scrubbies for my daughter with the softest of organic cotton ... so wonderful to work with.  Stocking up on doilies too ... you can never have too many.  I have more to tell but I don't want to ruin my surprises.  I'll share more as the days go by.  I thank you for your patience as I visit all your blogs.  I'm sure it will take me a while to catch up.

For today's post, I began with Very Vanilla cardstock then layered it with musical notes and an adorable orange polka dot print from Just Add Cake.  I can't tell you how thrilled I am with the new Side Notes.  They are heavy weight, pre-cut and absolutely wonderful to work with.  Here I added a simple line of pearls to one of the many "Side Notes" I received. 

My flower is created from a variety of materials including burlap, linen, different laces, and even a crocheted doily I made layered in amongst the shabby goodness.  The yellow flower was a surprise found while I was hunting yellow beads for my pins.  Amazing things can be found when you reach way, way, way baaaack in your cupboards!  The leaves you may recognize as corrugated cardboard ... re-purposed with a leaves die and a bit of acrylic paint.

Mona and her design team over at CR84FN Color Challenge have a lovely autumn color scheme to play with.  These gorgeous photos have me thinking of cornstalks, cattails, and pampus grasses for the front porch.  I love that the quote is about friendship ... wonderful words.

Ros provided the beautiful images this week at The City Crafter inspiring us with the universal language of music.  I love the vintage music sheets my SIL sent me - it's almost a shame to cut them up but they do bring such joy to re-use them in a new delightful way.

Thank you taking the time to stop by ... good night!

September Treats Winner!

I am late in sharing with you our Holiday Mini Catalog.  It's full of fabulous new product and accessories - perfect for upcoming celebrations.  I just received my box of new supplies so you're sure to see more in the coming days!  The catalog can be viewed on-line by selecting the image on the left or below.  If you'd like your own copy in hand to browse, contact me ... I'm happy to send one to you.

Holiday Mini Catalog

Congratulations Leigh!  The Random Number Generator selected lucky number "8" ... and that's you!

Leigh said...

Oh look at all that yummy stash. Beautiful colours. I do enjoy reading your blog and looking at all your creations. Thank you.

September 13, 2011 9:52 PM

Contact me with your address and I will send your goodies on their way ... I can't wait to see what lovelies you create.  Thank you, everyone, for your kind words and amazing inspiration - I'll be back soon with a new post to share!

Nature's beauty ...

Hello friends.  I've been playing with thread again, this time in black.  With Halloween right around the corner, I thought I'd make a few spider webs.  Of course they aren't as beautiful as those amazing works of art we see in nature.  A wisp of gossamer ... gorgeous anytime but especially in the morning with drops of dew.

Digging through my scraps, I found some Halloween prints.  Black, white and some olive green.  The ruffles are black waffle paper ... added along with black buttons to dress up the candelabra sign.  I had such fun making the fabric flower on my earlier post that I created this one with Black and White striped ribbon.  Three little pearls were sewn on for the flower center.  Geri has a fabulous tutorial for you with a link on her blog.  My crocheted spider web lies beneath the flower.

Dark and Dreary provided the spider stamp ... I hope it doesn't make you uncomfortable.  I used the Postage Stamp Punch to make it a tag and tied it to the bow which was created with tulle and beautiful black satin ribbon.

It was so nice to see you here again!  Don't forget to put your name in for the drawing on Sunday ... you can do that here.

September treats ...

Hello friends.  It will get cooler here by the end of the week...crisp temperatures are in the forecast.  Soon we'll be enjoying apple cider, marveling at the colors of autumn and getting out our warmest of sweaters.  I can't wait to see the pumpkins and mums decorating front porches.  It's my favorite time of year.  

I want to thank you all for the support you've given this little blog of mine.  You never cease to amaze me with your talents.  I am inspired by your art, your words, and your passion for creating and finding the beauty in the world.  Had I not ventured outside of my comfort zone, stepped away from my craft room, and opened my eyes to all you had to teach me ... I would still be doing the same thing ... over and over again.  I appreciate your selfless sharing of ideas and inspiration.  I sincerely hope I have offered you the same.  Perhaps through your visits here you have found some small tidbit of value...something you can use or share with others.  For today's post, I'd like to share some goodies with you.  I have put together a sampling of embellishments in beautiful shades of orange and purple ... just in time for Halloween.  Included are lengths of lace, dyed seam binding, and a wooden house form.

I also tossed in some buttons, mini clothes pins, and some pom-pom trims.

You'll see four crocheted doilies (I've been obsessed with making them lately) and glassine bags.

Of course I couldn't leave out some handmade flowers too .... how about a vanilla trio with rhinestones?

I won't ask you to do anything more than leave a comment on this post.  No need to "place an order" ... no requirement to "become a follower".  This post isn't about me ...it's about you.

I'll randomly draw a name on Sunday and post the winner here.  As always, thanks for stopping by.

Comfort ...

School is back in session and everyone is settling into the new schedule.  Drop off, pick up, clubs, homework ... it feels good to have everything "click".  My children are soooo happy and naturally that makes me happy too.   I find comfort in "schedules and plans"...some of you may find that crazy thinking "where's the fun in that?".  But to me life is good when I have purpose and structure...I guess that's just me.


Pool Party  is such a lovely shade of blue.  It goes perfectly with my new favorite papers from the Domestic Goddess collection.  I've added a few of these gorgeous prints to my new Bingo Card background stamp.  Now I can create this vintage game look in any color - just add ink!

Some cardboard cut with pinking shears and brushed lightly with paint came next.  Three butterflies all cut from the same paper collection are layered with a sweet little button on top.  I used both the Butterfly Punch and Beautiful Wings.

The ribbon is dyed seam binding and I've added a decorative pin.  The tag is created with the Jewelry Tag Punch and again the little words in Pennant Parade came in handy.

Be sure to visit the ladies at The City Crafter.  Their challenge this week was to use 1 ribbon, 2 or more words, and 3 or more butterflies.   Every week there's something inspiring from Kirsty and the Design Team ... they never cease to amaze me with the challenge ideas they dream up and the projects they post.  Thanks ladies for sharing your creative talents!

And thank you too - for stopping by ...

Vanilla soft ...

Happy Labor Day my friends!  I plan to do NO laboring today.  A few errands, a bit of sewing, and time spent with family is on my "to do" list.  The crisp Autumn temps have arrived with a high of only 63 degrees today.  It's my favorite season ... looking forward to the beautiful colors.

Seeing so many wonderful blooms created with everything from silk to printed cottons, I've wanted to try a rolled flower for a long time.  Mine is an off-white muslin...a length of left over drapery lining.  Next time I'll rip it rather than cut it ... hoping for something shabbier.  The leaves are velvet and there is a bit of crocheted doily tucked in for good measure.  I dyed the seam binding a light shade of blue and created some decorative pins by adding turquoise beads and pearls.  My greeting is stamped in Soft Suede ink.  The striped paper is from the scrap drawer but the damask print is new in the Beau Chateau collection (every sheet in this package is gorgeous).  The lace and button is from Shirley who collects and sends me "this and that" ... thank you!

The inspiration for this post comes from Mona and the Design Team over at CR84FN.  The color collage is nothing short of fabulous ... love the quote.  Thanks ladies for providing such amazing samples and creative ideas!

I appreciate you taking the time to stop by ... you always make my day brighter!

Nice and Neutral

These past days have been wonderful.  First, a visit to the zoo brought us up close to our feathered friends when we stepped inside the new parakeet house.  Having budgies as pets at home, it was exhilarating to enter their world.  Beautiful colors flying everywhere with songs of joy filling the air ... it was magical.  Next, my daughter presented her crocheted apple sweaters (each with a bright red apple tucked inside) to her teachers ... sharing the moment with her younger brother who stepped in to give them to his teachers too.  I was so proud of her knowing how much work she put into each project.  Later, a quick visit to the bookstore to pick up the latest Somerset turned out to be more than expected.  I found a new publication "Crochet Traditions" - filled with motifs, projects, patterns, and so much more ... including a bit of history.  I read it cover to cover, staying up late ... enchanted by every page.  I hope to share some new projects and patterns with you soon.

Today's post is inspired by this week's Tuesday Trigger at Moxie Fab World.  It's all natural, neutral in color, and sooo romantic.  I love it.  I began with Sahara Sand cardstock and layered on neutral printed papers.  I've always wanted to try stamping on muslin and creating ribbon, this was my opportunity to try and I think it fits in beautifully.

Some brown and white baker's twine is tucked beneath my handmade vanilla flower along with a sweet tag created with Pennant Parade.  My obsession for creating doilies continues - still loving their delicate texture.

Each pennant is a combination of linen and lace made to hang on a string of hemp held in place with two sweet miniature clothespins.    

Back to the inspiration image.  Nice and neutral .... and gorgeous.

And for some more fun - For the second year in a row, Simon Says Stamp and Show & The Simon Says Stamp Challenge teams (click here) are joining forces to bring you a SUPER blog hop and treasure hunt to celebrate STAMPtember! 

Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope you enjoyed your visit ...