Shabby bird

We are a family of bird lovers.  My husband and son keep the feeders filled with sunflower, safflower, and thistle while devising ways to keep the squirrels and raccoons at bay.  We are members of the Audubon Society and care for two parakeets.  So naturally, I've been admiring the shabby chipboard birds that are popping up on my favorite blogs.  I'm sure you love them too.  With my son's help finding just the right size chipboard bird from my stack of supplies, we created this ...

My sister-in-law, Shirley, recently sent me a box full of good things.  One of those was a spool of antique gold crochet thread.  I made a doily and used half on this project.  (My son had to encourage me to cut my newly finished crocheted doily in two ... it was difficult.)  Another piece of lace sewn over top softens the edge.  The print papers are from my scraps.  The bird is painted chipboard stitched around the edges and distressed.  Delicate Doilies make a lovely background for the French script and postal images from French Foliage.  A pearl is added so my little bird can see.

The flower is a lovely coral silk and the bow is seam binding hand dyed in a light shade of pink.  A posy is tucked into the bow and a beautiful pin from Vio tops it off.

The ladies over at the Play Date Cafe  provided the color inspiration.  The Design Team has some wonderful projects for you to see.  Be sure to take the time to visit them ...

Enjoy your day and thanks for stopping by!

Home

Hello friends.  My husband cut some more wood house forms for me today so I got busy turning these little houses into homes.  Choosing a group of four different shapes, some scraps from the drawer and a few embellishments ... I tried to make each letter feel special.  The chipboard letters are painted, distressed and "glitterfied" with Dazzling Diamonds.  The roofs also sparkle ... but with larger chunky flakes of glitter.

I just had to make a flower for the "o" - it seemed the right thing to do, I hope you don't mind my infatuation with making them.  Some lace was added to soften the look.  You'll see rhinestones on two of the homes and buttons, dyed seam binding, and heavy twine scattered here and there.

My inspiration for the color combination is complements of Embellish Magazine.  The challenge blog has posted a fabulous image in warm shades of brown paired with a deep blue.  The design team has some wonderful inspiration to share too ... be sure to pay them a visit and leave some love!

Thanks for stopping by this evening .. good night!

Tall ships

Hello friends!  Have you noticed the nautical themes lately?  I adore them and the challenge over at The City Crafter is a play on words ... "It's a Shore Thing".  How cute is that?  I'm thinking warm sand in shades of brown and tan, seashells everywhere as you wade through the waves of clear blue water, and tall ships in the distance on the horizon.

Baja Breeze cardstock is the perfect shade of aqua for this card.  Layered with print papers from a Clearance Rack Find ... Autumn Meadows (on the left) and a scrap from my drawer (on the right).  Inks are shades of Cherry Cobbler and Marina Mist.  The stamp set you'll recognize as The Open Sea .. I've used it before here.  A translucent envelope creates a different look while the ship is bordered with a decorative punch.  Pins and Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine peek out from behind shabby seam binding dyed in blue and soft yellow.

My handmade burlap flower rests on white velvet leaves.  I'm not sure I've ever made a "brown" flower before, but here the color works.  A bit of lace, a black button, and a sweet little seashell (thank you Shirley) sits on top.  My sentiment asks you to remember Our Journey ... a word within a word and so fun.

The inspiration piece is fabulous as are the projects posted by the Design Team!  Be sure you pay a visit to see all the wonderful "sea-nery" over at The City Crafter.  Sorry, I just had to do that.

Thanks again for stopping by.

Timeless Treasures

Hello friends.  Goodness, it's been a few days since we've visited!  I hope you've been busy enjoying the summer while staying cool with this heat wave (for those of you here in the US).  The temperatures drove us inside this past week.  It's been the perfect time to read, crochet some doilies (replenishing my supplies), and catch up on a few home improvement projects.

I love the look of a handmade doily layered with embellishments ... it's like icing on a fancy cake.  This pattern is from a book I picked up called "A Year of Doilies" filled with one for each month.  All are too big for my purposes (meant for table tops) so I just stop when it's the size I want.  This pink doily is paired with a flower print, a splash of yellow and black polka dots.  My seam binding is dyed with So Saffron Classic Ink and topped with a pretty pink button from the Designer Button Subtles collection.

The chair is stamped in Basic Black  on Very Vanilla cardstock.  I used a floral stamp with a light pink ink to "dress up" the edges.  Of course, everything is antiqued with Distressing Essentials.  The chair is from Timeless Treasures.  I love this stamp set ... it has so much to offer a vintage loving gal.

I'm sure you recognize the flower.  I do hope you don't tire of them ... they are such a joy to make.  A pearl adorns the center of this one while pink velvet leaves add a gentle softness.  The tag stamp is new - I just got them and am smitten with their phrases and the font.  Here's the entire set for you to see ... Occasions Alphabet.

Today's post was inspired by this Tuesday Trigger over at Moxie Fab World.  The photo is wonderful ... I'd love to have this coat for spring!  The print in the background is equally fabulous.  Cath and her team are incredible.  How could you not stop and stare?

Thanks for stopping by today ... I appreciate the time you spend here.  Enjoy the rest of your day!

Let the Sunshine In

Hello friends!  I've had such fun getting together with family this past week.  My brother and his wife have been staying with us.  Days have been filled with dinners, shopping, the new Harry Potter movie, visiting with family ... it's been just wonderful.  Shirley is a fabulous fabric and clay sculpture artist.  Her pieces are fun, whimsical, and make me smile.  Plus she has just started her own shop on ETSY that you can see - HERE!

I know I'm late posting and am just getting in under the wire.  The City Crafter Challenge Blog has an exciting event planned this week.  As usual, the Design Team has once again "out done themselves" and not only is the image gorgeous, but the prize is to be a guest designer on their blog!  Can you image that?!?!  Here's the beauty of their inspiration ...

I started with So Saffron card stock and layered on print paper from my scrap drawer in shades of yellows and orange.  Along the top is another print cut with the Scallop Edge Border Punch.  It brings a bit of interest to an otherwise simple shaped card.  The chipboard board frame (thank you Stella!) and the tag heart were painted with acrylics in shades of burnt orange and red.  Bits of lace made a bed for my handmade flower to rest.  I used the 5 Petal Flower Punch and the Fancy Flower Punch to create the petal shapes - dampened and crinkled each layer then stacked them ... adding a pearl bead on top.  A touch of Dazzling Diamonds Glitter makes this bloom even more special and creates my "shimmery sun".  The sentiment is stamped in Chocolate Chip Classic Ink and is from the Happy Greetings stamp set.

The bow is seam binding dyed with So Saffron Classic Ink and embellished with an adorable orange button from the Designer Buttons Brights Collection along with Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine.  The tag is stamped with Chocolate Chip ink and a cheery "hello" from Pennant Parade.  Very Vanilla card stock edged with the Scallop Trim Border Punch made my little tag more interesting.

Thank you for stopping by ... it's always a pleasure to see you here!

Ahoy matey ...

The days are passing too quickly.  We are celebrating some family birthdays this month - that's when you begin to realize how precious each year is.  Be sure to cherish the moments - I'm trying to remember to do the same.

Embellish Magazine is hosting a fabulous challenge.  Nautical colors and images are the theme.  You should take the time to stop by and view the Design Team inspiration.  The blues are wonderful and with a splash of red against a background of chocolate brown ... can't you hear the waves?

 

As you know, I've been playing with my crochet hooks lately.  I tried my hand at creating lace, but with limited success.  I seem to be better at going around in circles than in a straight line ... I'll save that story for another post.  Loving the look of doilies layered with embellishments,  I used my latest crochet work on this card. Call me crazy for covering so much ... but it was hard to stop!  The Nautical Expedition paper collection provided a "ship shape" background and anchors to match the theme.  The flower is red felt - a strip with a large scallop edge, gathered into a flower with a long running stitch.  There may be more of that flower type in future projects - so easy to create and so many possibilities with different materials.  The leaves are simply cut from burlap and some lace scraps added to the layers softens the overall look and feel.  The Jolly Roger and the sentiment are stamped in Chocolate Chip ink.  A Scallop Edge Border Punch creates a decorative edge.

The ship button is from my drawer ... no recollection of where it's from - perfect for this theme.  Seam binding is kept white while another strip is dyed with a light blue ink refill ... both wrinkled and scrunched before becoming a bow.   Bakers Twine in a red and white stripe holds the bow in place while pins from Viola add another texture.  Pirates and pearls go together ... right?

Thank you, "mates" for stopping by ... I hope you enjoyed your visit!

Pennants and butterflies

It has been a busy week here but I'm so pleased that another room is nearly complete.  A fresh coat of paint is such a big difference and I enjoy the "nesting joy" you feel when working on your home.  The days ahead will be used to hang pictures, mount bookcases, and a bit of sewing for our new room.  More "nesting joy" ...

Thankfully I was able to spend some time with friends yesterday.  Everyone gathered at my house and here is just one of the projects we created.  It's simple, based on classic colors, and fun with pennants and butterflies.

Beginning with Very Vanilla card stock, print papers from the "ever overflowing scrap drawer" were added.  I'm loving those polka dots!  The Large Lace Border Punch made a beautiful cut pattern for the middle.  I'll be featuring that punch in many a future project.  (You can see a more detailed image about this punch via the link.) Basic Black is just one of the many gorgeous colors this 5/8 inch satin ribbon is available in.  It ties wonderfully - here I added a white button with a Natural Linen Thread .

My sentiment is from a sweet new set ... Pennant Parade!  The words fit perfectly on the Jewelry Tag Punch.  The pennants are First Edition paper - a classic newspaper print.  I simply punched them out with the Petite Pennants Builder Punch.  There are two shapes in this punch but here I chose to keep my lines clean and simple.  Butterflies are cut with Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die (which dry embosses the shape while it cuts).  Finally, every butterfly needs a rhinestone, of course.

So happy you could stop by - I'll be back soon with more to share.  I have so much to show you!

Friendship

My heart is bursting with gratitude and I'd like to take a moment to thank and recognize those that made me smile.  There are a few so please bear with me.

This incredibly kind gesture by both Stella and Ros have presented my little ol' blog with the honor of this ...

 

I am to tell you seven things about myself and pass this on to eight bloggers that I would like to recognize.  

1. I get together with friends for a book club discussion group.  It's such fun and pushes me to read subjects I wouldn't have chosen for myself.

2. I play Euchre once a month with a group of ladies, each of us hosting at our homes - a wonderfully fun group.

3. I love to bake really big fat bakery size chewy soft cookies (and eat them too).

4. I've sewn all the drapes in my home - I just can't bear to pay for something I can do myself.

5. I'm painting my daughters room this week (see item #4 above).

6. My favorite drink - Diet Coke!

7. I don't like coffee ... not one little bit!  Ick!

First, let me say that I understand if you don't chose to participate ... I know this may not be for everyone.  Just know that you are appreciated and I enjoy the inspiration you provide.  I look forward to your comments everyday and I try to share some love when I stop by.  The eight blogs I'd like to pass this on to are ...

http://myscrapbasket.blogspot.com/
http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/ginnysplace/blog
http://midnitelullabies.blogspot.com/
http://handmade-little-things.blogspot.com/
http://debsgems.blogspot.com/
http://judymay.typepad.com/just_judy_designs/
http://nikkispencer-mysandbox.blogspot.com/
http://stampingimpressions.blogspot.com/

Now, you may have noticed something new up there at the top of my blog.  Thanks to the ladies over at The City Crafter, I had the opportunity to work with a very talented lady ... Viola!  In addition to fabulous card and crafty projects, plus wonderfully whimsical decorative pins, Viola creates the most gorgeous blog banners.  She was so kind during the process of designing mine.  Caring about color, my preference for flowers, birds, and more.  After a few emails back and forth, we were both pleased with the results ... what do you think?  I LOVE IT!  You can see more of her beautiful designs at her blog - be sure to leave some love while there!

I hope to be back with you tomorrow with a new project to share ... til then, good night.

Dream Catchers ...

Hello friends.  I'm so pleased to share with you tonight my latest project with a sweet handmade doily embellishment.  It was fun crocheting this precious jewel, I'm sure to create more in the future.  My head is swimming with ideas and I'm searching for patterns.  A little overboard? Maybe.  Excited?  Yes, definitely!

 "Doilies are like dream catchers, each knot holding a thought, a memory.

The sum of these make up the history of a place."

This card began with Very Vanilla card stock which was layered with printed papers from my scrap drawer.  I don't think I could ever go through all my scraps ... I love digging through them all - matching colors and patterns.  The assortment of buttons along the bottom are from here and there ... strung together with Early Espresso Bakers Twine.

My doily is layered on die cut paper in the lovely shade of sage.  I added a coral colored fabric flower - picked up along the way somewhere.  The seam binding is dyed with Certainly Celery Classic Ink, a soft yummy green.  A decorative pin adds sparkle and the velvet leaf another texture.

The tag is created with two punches - Eyelet Border and our Large Tag.  It's easy to trim the tag down to the desired width.  My sentiment is a rub-on found currently in the Clearance Rack (yep, on sale).  There are lots of wonderful sayings on two sheets ... it's called Chat Room.  A little more bakers twine holds my tag in place.

Thank you for stopping by ... I hope you enjoyed your visit.  There is a strong possibility that you will be seeing crocheted doilies in the future - I hope you don't mind!

Something new ...

Hello friends.  Is it hot where you are?  Goodness, it's 93 degrees here - and that doesn't take into account the heat index.  My eyes are on the skies, watching and hoping for big grey rain clouds.  They are in the forecast and the flower garden needs some relief (as do we).  My son is fascinated by weather and provides periodic updates - back and forth he runs between me and the Weather Channel.  I cherish these moments.

I mentioned our quick trip to the craft store in yesterday's post.  What I didn't tell you was that I picked up something else while I was there.  Not sure if I could do it, I didn't want to say anything and fail your expectations ... or mine either.  I've always been smitten by the doilies all you talented ladies have been showing on your projects.  I've swooned over many a card, wishing I had some of these embellishments in my box of goodies.  My daughter convinced me to try my hand at making them.  I admit, I was intimidated by the thought.  She picked out crochet thread (a ball of oatmeal and a beautiful soft shade of pink) at the store, then grabbed a couple pattern books.  With her vote of confidence, I had to try.  The patterns are just gorgeous and create circles of goodness - most 12" across.  I stopped making "rounds" when I felt the pattern was complete and the doily large enough for the purpose.

Here are two I made today.  There are certainly mistakes as this is a learning process for me ... so don't look to close.  I enjoyed sitting outside on the garden porch, in the shade, playing with my littlest of crochet hooks.  What's next?  I'm thinking ... LACE!

I'll be back soon ... to show you what has become of these two!  Thanks for stopping by.

So very grateful ...

Hello everyone!  I hope all is well with you.  It's been a wonderful week here ... I am tickled pink to be recognized by both Moxie Fab World and The City Crafter.  I love visiting my favorite blogs to swoon over the never ending visionary projects, photos, colors and sketches.  Each visit is like an awakening - a motivation of creativity.  This week is no different.  Did you see the fabulous sketch over at The City Crafter?  Provided by Ros, I couldn't wait to try it!

While shopping this week for picture frames with my daughter, we found ourselves in JoAnn's.  I don't know how it happens.  Honestly, how do I always end up in a craft store?  While there (yes, we did find some frames), we discovered this delicious shade of raspberry yarn.  It was love at first sight.  Somehow, it came home with us and by the end of the night there were raspberry flowers everywhere.  They were like Tribbles - let's see who remembers those.  One found it's way into today's post.

With Pretty In Pink card stock as my base, I layered prints from the scrap drawer in shades of vanilla and black.  The sentiment and little butterfly is from an old retired SAB set stamped on Very Vanilla card stock with  the Eyelet Border Punch adding a decorative edge.  The chipboard letters are painted then "glitterfied" with Dazzling Diamonds Glitter - love the sparkle it adds.

A black button and half pearl puts the finishing touches on my raspberry flower.  A little spot of lace is always so sweet.

Thank you, once again, for all you do ... for your visits, kind words, continued interest and support.  I am so blessed to have found friends like you!  See you soon!