The Little Things

New Kit on Altered Pages

2012-01-23T11:42:00.000-08:00

A new kit has been added to Altered Pages that I created! So if you get a chance go check it out & while you are there check out all of the other treasures available ! I love all of the new Glitz papers that have been added with matching embellishments ! The photo is of the can with all the supplies and instructions needed , with several little tiny details for making a one of a kind treasure ! This is the link for the kit ! It is a lot of fun to create !! There are a lot of other kits available for your creativity from some of the other designers !!

Have a wonderful & creative day !

100 years old !!

2012-01-19T18:54:00.000-08:00

I made this card today , it is for my dad ! This coming week he will be 100 years old ! It is so hard to believe that he is 100 ! My parents live in their home still and have a live in caregiver. My dad was a farmer and he loved every aspect of farming . He also loved working with wood and creating furniture ,frames and all kinds of wood treasures !

I made this card with Glitz Paper from Altered Pages . Love the paper and all of the designs ! Be sure to check out the web site for all kinds of paper craft goodies. There are kits ,stamps,collage sheets,tools and embellishments !

The card has die cut frames for the center , I stamped & embossed on the top one. The numbers are also grunge paper die cuts and sprayed with Glimmer Mist !

Have a fabulous day everyone & thanks for stopping by ! I love comments !!

Vintage Repurposed

2012-01-11T11:04:00.000-08:00

Thought I would share with you a little treasure I repurposed ! I have had this vintage wood silverware holder for quite awhile , it actually was one my mom used ......many years ago ! I kept it because I knew some day I would have to repurpose it into something ! So here it is !

Some of my favorite things , love vintage silverware ,wood spools and birdhouse's ! I created a little banner at the top with the word "FAITH" .

You may be able to see a close up of the lace above the vintage spoon , love that piece ! I made a simple yet rustic cross and placed in an old wood spool ! The edges are covered with tape from Tim Holtz , love using that stuff !

The verse for the inspiration :

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for ,

the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews1:11

Have a fabulous & creative day !

New Year & New Projects !

2012-01-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

I survived Christmas and all that goes with the whole holiday experience ! I am now ready to get back to creating and spending more time in my studio ! I have been working on some projects for Altered Pages !

This tag was made using one of the rubber stamps from Altered Pages for the background !Some more projects I just finished :

Taking a photo of something long is just not for me ! Never looks good !But you get the idea ?!

A wall banner , HOPE using some clock images from Altered Pages , chip board,papers and embellishments !

Another Tag , with more time theme !

Just before Christmas I made a quick trip to visit my sister & get an eye check up ! Got some new funky glasses ! While I was there we were doing some shopping , had just finished up for the day actually , so we went to a coffee shop , sit for a bit & then on our way to go home , well I had to find the six inch patch of ice that I didn't see because we to busy talking , and down I went ! Bam , hard ouch , and hit my head on the side of a giant cement planter ! Ugh , needless to say I had to get staples in my head and it is taking me awhile to heal ! But getting there !!!

My funky glasses !!

Have a fabulous and creative day !!

Hello, it has been forever !!

2011-11-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

Oh my , it has been forever since I have posted ! Where do the days go , I have had too many projects to finish up ! Fall is here & winter on the way ! Tonight is the time change , we fall back an hour ! I created a Treasury List on Etsy of some wonderful clocks in honor of the time change !! I tried to post the whole thing , but couldn't do it ! I have done it in the past , but Iam on my laptop which has google chrome which I hate ! Maby I will figure it out on my desktop when I get back home !So here is a link instead !
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NDkwNDB8MTAzNjU5NjMwNA/time-change
One of my grandson's just graduated from basic training with the Marines, so I will leave you with a photo of my oldest son and my grandson on his graduation day !! There were over 500 in his unit and he was one of the top 12 !! We are all so proud of him !

I hope to be better at posting more often !! Have a wonderful weekend everyone !

Share the Love

2011-08-31T07:19:00.000-07:00

Posting today for the Share the Love on Wed at Very Merry Vintage Style blog party !!! I am posting some photos of some of the projects I have been working on , still making things for the up-coming Junk Fest I will be attending in Sept ! Check out the link to there site , it is awesome !!

I have been creating a lot of altered jewelry , displayed on a wire dress form ! Not the best photo !! Also some pin's I created using vintage keys , vintage earing's and rhinestones !

Working on a lot of assemblage's , in boxes or on old vintage book covers !

I have created a lot of various collages on canvas, one example:

And Tags....need I say more , I could make tags forever ! I don't know what it is about tags , but I always love creating them . Guess they seem like little tiny forms of art !!

Flowers , embellishments...yummy .... okay , I am addicted to flowers also ! I have been making paper rose's out of coffee filters, are the colors not yummy ?

That is more paper filters awaiting to become pretty little flowers !!! I am loving the colors ! Last I want to leave you with a photo of birthday cake for my grand daughter Haddie , she turned four last week , her wonderful mom ( my daughter ) made this adorable cake for her garden theme party ! A layer cake covered in fondant and embellished with the most adorable little marzipan rose's and creatures !! Is that not adorable ?

Now I am off to check out all of the other wonderful links at Very Merry Vintage Style party , hope you check them all out , and if you stop by leave a comment , I love comments !! Have a fabulous & blessed day !

The Lazy Days of Summer .....NOT

2011-08-10T05:23:00.000-07:00

It has not been the lazy days of summer here ! Seems like so many projects to do and get done , there is no time for being lazy !! Still trying very hard on getting a lot of things made for Junk Fest sale coming up in September, and it will be here before we know it !!

Some tags I made , using several techniques to create , ran them through the cuttlebug, embossed , distressed ect !

One of the many necklace's I have finished also for the sale !

This last week I got new shingles put on my roof , not exactly exciting but something needed ! But I did have them install a skylight in my bathroom also , decided it was a good time to have done while doing the roof !! No photo of that right now , still more to do in that room !! I got a new phone this week , a Droid ! A lot of fun getting use to a new phone , but will be nice to have Internet all the time !!! I have kept putting it off and finally took the plunge !

Thanks for dropping by , leave a comment so I know you were here ! Have a wonderful & blessed week !

I am in Love !!

2011-07-31T20:21:00.000-07:00

Yup , I am in love !!! With a new favorite site that is ! Pinterest , I am a visual person , so it is easy for me to get lost and waste... I mean ...use my time wisely, checking out all of the wonderful photos ! If you have not discovered it yet , you need to check it out , it is a social catalog where you can find all kinds of inspiration and beautiful things, helping you organize, classify and share anything you find on the internet. You can click on the logo on the right and follow me ( the large red P ) !!

I have also been crazy busy still making things! I made up some altered dominoes to use in some pendants and magnets, also have small tiny one's ( they were hiding in another place ) ! I love my little wooden display holder , holds them perfectly !

A good friend of mine went to an auction sale that I was unable to attend & she was so kind to purchase several wonderful finds for me ( she knows what I love ) ! The little wooden display was one purchase and the brass letters . You should take the time to check out her Etsy shop , FoundOnThe Prairie great vintage treasures.We sometimes love the same things so it's best were not at a sale together !! Just kidding Melissa ! These are the brass letters that were used for printing , I will use them for jewelry !

Also been working on some book markers , using vintage velvet ribbon and lace then adding vintage beads & treasures. Makes for an elegant book marker !!

Made two entries for a challenge on our Yahoo group for Altered Pages , was anything metal!! One is an ATC with a "metal" key that I made from the "metal" tape from hardware stores, just ran it through my cuttlebuf with a Tim Holtz die. Also an altered tin, was from a tin I had in my "pile" for a long time.

I hand dyed the lace and added handmade flowers that are grunged up !!

Have a wonderful week & I hope you enjoy the little things !!

What's Been On My Table This past Week !

2011-07-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to keep going in the creating things and getting projects done ! I have been doing a lot of re-purposing of old books , folding page's , ect to create unique designs . The collage above was created using various papers and image from Altered Pages , as well as the vintage look photo frame ! Take some time to go check out there site for some wonderful products to create with ! You will not be disappointed and Jean provides great service too !

I also have a lot of treasures to re-purpose for my Etsy shop SecondTreasures this morning I listed these great vintage ornate wall plaques !

I love the color and how they turned out !

Hope you are all enjoying your summer ! Have a blessed & creative day !

Some glass prisms that are waiting to be finished into dangles !!

Art Saves and Ice Resin !

2011-07-02T07:05:00.000-07:00

What a title !!! Hope it does not cause confusion !! I have been busy creating with Ice Resin , I really like working with it , comes out so clear ...love love the look ! Have been working still on a lot of jewelry the past week .

Some of the pieces I have been making !

I also wanted to share with you a book I purchased ! Art Saves by Jenny Doh, an amazing book and have enjoyed it so much ! Click on this link to go to her site . What I also loved is that a portion of the book price goes to a wonderful project water.org , you can read all about it on the link !

I have to say for myself that being able to create has many times helped me through so many hard and rough times in my life , like a healing therapy for me . The past week has been an enormous struggle for me , but I will get through it & thankful I can go to my studio and listen to some up- lifting music and create away & allow God to speak to me in my thoughts !

Hope your having a wonderful weekend !

On My Table !

2011-06-28T07:42:00.000-07:00

This is some of what I have been working on for the last week ! I have been creating some jewelry pieces for an up coming event ! I am using new and old treasures together , I have also been making some Ice Resin piece's ( will post some of those another day ) .

I was out pulling weeds in my garden last evening , it is my therapy time whenever I work in my garden . Something about the quietness and watching all the wonderful things growing and as they begin to bring forth fruit is so rewarding . I am reminded of the old timey song , I remember my mom singing it many times!

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses
And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known
He speaks and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing
And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known
I'd stay in the garden with Him
'Tho the night around me be falling
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling
And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

Hope you have a blessed day ! Now I am off to get a lot more projects done !!

What's Been Goin On !!!

2011-06-06T06:41:00.000-07:00

The past month has been crazy busy !!! Just when you think you may have a heads up on things , stuff happens and bam.... your behind ! My parents basement flooded this spring as we had record snowfall in over 100 years and what a mess , all there carpet had to be taken out , sheetrock cut out up to 30 inches all the way around in every room , ugh ! So it is a big tore up mess and I got to deal with all the stuff , when your 91 and 99 believe me there is STUFF !!! My mom is an artist , she has not done anything for quite a few years , so I decided to bring her stash of paint brushes to my home, still in the jars that she kept them in !!
Two of my boys have moved to Colorado , so they each had homes here to sell so I got the lucky task of doing that !!! We are in a major boom , so selling a house takes one or two weeks at the max !! It's all the other things that take time , clean up , paper work and the list goes on ! But now they are all in the hands of the new owners , so glad !!

I have been working on an Etsy order for 60 of these paper flowers that have ties on them , they are for a bridal shower and will tie on the napkins ! They are time consuming !! Layers of various papers and have glimmer mist for a touch of sparkle !

Because we had a late spring , everyone is behind on yard work and getting the garden in , including me ! My garden does not have much of anything pretty to take a photo of yet ! This is a planter on my deck !

New Web Site

2011-05-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone is having a great week ! My heart goes out to all of those that are in the "flood trail " ! How devastating that is. And to those in Texas suffering from the drought . We are all faced with challenges, praying that we all have the wisdom and strength to endure and overcome all !!

I wanted to also announce a new web site , not new but remodeled and updated ! Check it all out and all that is offered on Altered Pages and sign up for the mailing list , check out all of the design team members , I am proud to say I am one , the Patriotic Banner is one of the kits you can order ! Have fun looking and get your creativity going !!

May day gone bad

2011-05-02T06:43:00.000-07:00

Many times when we think May day we think flowers , candy...ect....! Well not here, we have had a major winter storm Friday eve with high winds and tons of snow ,but the worst was no electric . We are still out of electricity and this is Monday. I am using my daughters I pad to check my blog...yeah I pad ! Big lesson learned through it all, know how to really be prepared. So glad it will be in the 60's today ,but I am praying they get the lights on ! My Jeep covered with snow , didnt park in the garage as it "was" a nice day !!!

Easter Blessings

2011-04-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

Hope you all have a very Blessed Easter !

This is a little vintage paper cross I have had for many years, I always like to display it at Easter time.

The scripture at the bottom is from Is 43:1

Fear not for I have redeemed thee...

Altered Pages

2011-04-07T16:31:00.000-07:00

I am happy to announce that I was invited to be a part of the Design Team at Altered Pages ! Jean found me via Facebook , the rest is history I guess !! Will be looking forward to doing upcoming projects !! Be sure and check out the site and all that is available !
Photo is of an altered birdie nest I created using some tags from Altered Pages !!

Have a wonderful & creative day !

On My Table

2011-03-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

I have been busy with creating , or should I call it playing ? Created a collage using dress form die from Tim Holtz, various papers and embellishments later this is what I ended up with !

For some up-coming projects I also made some paper clay "beads" . They have words on them such as HOPE , DREAM , WISH .

Another paper collage , using bird cage die cut from Tim Holtz also.

A little bird that I created using some adorable text fabric , sitting in a silver stem cup.

Love the little added bling on the cup ( from my vintage jewelry stash ) ! The tags NEST were from the Altered Pages . Well I better get back to my craft table ! Have a wonderful & creative day !
I am linking to very merry vintage style link party , so stop over and check out all of the love !

Happy St Patrick's Day & New Stuff !!

2011-03-17T05:56:00.000-07:00

Happy St Patrick's Day ! Sweet little tea cup with some of my vintage jewelry beside it , the shamrock is actually velvet, it is so sweet !!

I have been trying to create this past week whenever possible ! I am listing these vintage spool note holders in my Etsy shop .
Also have been doing some collage on canvas. This is one that I did yesterday , not sure if I am done with it !

I also used some paint with a shimmer to it , not sure if it really shows up. Gotta get movin , have a hair apt this AM & I so need it !! Have a wonderful day !

Will it Arrive?

2011-03-11T08:40:00.000-08:00

Will it arrive ? Spring that is !! This has been a brutal winter and it seems as though it just goes on and on !! Yesterday was so nice out with snow melting, how wonderful that was ! This AM though , we had "icey" rain , now turning into snow! Fortunately it is not suppose to last long ! With the weather keeping a lot of folks a little blue , I have been creating some paper flowers , creating my own spring I guess ! Parer flowers that I will use in some projects I am working on ! Love working with paper ! These are some quilled flowers, paper swirls and the fans from a die .

Have a wonderful weekend

Cards & More

2011-03-05T08:11:00.000-08:00

I have been busy creating a lot of cards this past week. Will post some pic's of some of them !

Paris birthday card

I could get lost in creating cards, my studio is a giant mess from it all !! A little late , but this is one of the Valentines day cards I created. I love flowers , so I guess you will always see a lot of flowers on my cards !

More flowers , added to a vintage wood hanger , holding vintage papers & such ! I have this listed in my Etsy shop

Notice the sweetest ever little hand crochet bag , actually my mom made that quite a few years ago when I had her make up a bunch of them for a project ! Can hold a little treasure !

My sister lives where you can actually go into a store & buy something !! Yes I do have stores where I live , but not very many and not filled with the things I love ! I had her pick up some fabric for me for some upcoming projects! Is there nothing better to look at then an adorable "pile" of fabric ! So a big thanks to my sister for getting this for me !

Hope everyone is having a great weekend ! A little up-date on my last post ... the little doggie my son-in-law rescued from the cold is doing great and is now there new addition to the family. The kids love him !

Who Could Do This ?

2011-03-02T08:45:00.000-08:00

Is that an adorable face ? My son in law was driving out of town the other evening and found this adorable dog on the side of the road. Mind you we have been having very cold weather STILL , like -20 below ( yes , that is really really cold !) He brought him home ( he had ice chunks stuck to the bottom & a hurt leg) he would not of lasted the night outside. It is such a good little dog , trained and good with my grand children ( he tries to sneek in their room when it's nap time ) ! He has a vet apointment today.So I would have to just ask , why would someone just dump a sweet little dog off on the road to just freeze to death ? If people want a pet , remember it's forever or if a situation does arise please find it a home or if nothing else take it to the pound, better than letting it have a slow death. Not the best photo , he moves to much to get a good shot , laying on a pile of blankets ! Warm again & lots of food and love !
I will try to post some projects I have been working on. I have been busy with life , so I have not had much time to post much!!! Just surviving winter , yesterday I was driving very slow on a side street because they all have ice and ruts and chunks on them and I just started to slide ...sideways , yikes and hit a large pile of snow that is really a big chunk of ice , so I damaged the front bumper on my Jeep! Oh crumb , dislike that a lot ! So ready for spring !
Have a wonderful & blessed day !!

Delight

2011-01-13T09:04:00.000-08:00

I have been busy doing a lot of paper crafting , this banner is a distressed look with vintage book pages for the folded flowers. Spelling out DELIGHT , I love that word ! Hanging it would be a wonderful reminder of what a delight it is to have such a blessed life, or as a reminder we should be a delight in others lives! I will be listing this banner in my Etsy shop hopefully this evening when I get time !

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalms 37:4

I have been gathering up some books to read and study . I have already started on Psalms 91 , an awesome book for anyone to read ! I do have to admit that I am a "bookaholic" . But these I hope to get through in Jan and Feb .

And in my quest to eat better I also have some "food" books to pour over ! Last year I tried my hardest to buy organic foods & I also had a garden, in order to eat healthy.... I said .... I tried. I still have room for improvement , but I am determined to be more responsible even when I purchase things to think twice as to where it came from , I would rather buy handmade and support someone in there efforts than a big corporation or shipped here from who knows where . Hope your week is fabulous and blessed ! Leave you with some cards I also created.

Altered Art Dolls

2010-12-21T06:18:00.000-08:00

We will be having a very white Christmas !! We got a ton more of snow , ten inches !! So we now have piles of the white stuff ! I managed to check my mail , didn't think the mail man would of been able to even deliver mail , but he did ! Guess it's true the rain , snow , sleet thing !!! I was pleasantly surprised that my issue of Somerset Studio Gallery ( winter 2011 ) arrived ! Mine was a little late as the first one they mailed out never arrived ........someone else must be enjoying that issue !! So I paged through it and there were my little Altered Art Dolls I had created ! I had used copies of some vintage photo's I had of my dad , aunt and uncle so it was very special for me to see them in the magazine !

Well , I am off to shovel a path so I can get out and about for the day ! Thank you for stopping by ! I still have some things I still need to take care of for Christmas yet too, I always do and I still have not learned my lesson on doing things ahead !

Holiday !

2010-12-06T08:53:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to get some of my Christmas decorations up ! I am scaling back from what I use to do , and this year my hope is to focus even more on what Christmas is really about ...the birth of our Lord & Savior ! This is from TruthMedia , a women's daily devotional , "Many are unfamiliar with the fact that our word "holiday" comes from an old English word whose original meaning was Holy Day . Though our secular society seeks to drain all that is holy from Christmas leaving little more than tinsel and toys, eggnog and elves, we can bring back a sense of sacredness to the holiday. You can click here to read the devotional entirely !

Hope everyone is having a creative and warm day !!!

Vintage glass Christmas balls , bell shaped ! Are they not adorable ? Blessings to you !!

My Town

2010-11-28T11:35:00.000-08:00

Just thought I would post this little news clip from CNN News , about my town , Williston, North Dakota ! Yes it has been crazy here for awhile ! It can be a good thing or a bad thing , depending on how you look at it !! I have to say it's been a benefit for my family, so has been good. I feel bad for those that do have trouble with finding a place to live or stay , has to be very hard , especially families . But I am also thankful for the jobs it has provided for many that have also moved here !
I am not able to post the actual movie on my blog...bummer , I have no idea how to embed something , tried several things & to no avail , nothing worked ! So if you want you can click here and it will take you to it ! Sorry !

And yes ... I do live in a small town with nothing in it ! As far as shopping goes all I can say I am so glad for the Internet !

Taste and See

2010-11-23T09:14:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving week is here .... I have been super busy getting things ready for guests to come , but now because of our weather , it's not going to happen ! So now on with plan B ! Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving , we have many things to be thankful for ! Today I am thankful to have a warm home , and simple things in life such as food , family and friends and lots of craft supplies :) !!

Will close with this:

O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.

Psalms 34:8

KJV

Just A Reminder !!

2010-11-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

Just a little reminder for anyone who forgot !! Just in a bling style !!!!

Little Night Owl

2010-10-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

My sister mailed me an adorable punch ! She loves to quilt and paper crafts also , she got this punch & loved it so much she sent one to me !!! So I had to make a family of them !! Some are a bit off , but I was just "playing" !! Punch is by Stampin Up , and so easy to use !

On another note ................................ woke up this morning to a whole new world ! Winter Wonderland ! Opened my garage door , big big giant drift ! And I still have all of my pots outside yet to put away and my patio furniture is still out ! I guess I was living in denial , thinking if I left everything as is the bad weather wouldn't come !! ha ha , was I wrong ! Super windy also , so that is why there are fall leaves intermingled with the snow ! This is really early for us to get snow , just hope it is not a preview of the up-coming winter !!!

I know what I will be doing today !!! Shoveling !!!

Sweet Package !!

2010-10-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

Ever go to your mail box and to your surprise there is a parcel waiting for you that is nothing but fun !!! I was on Facebook a few days ago and I saw one of my sisters "friends" and the post had a photo of Amy Butler fabric , well anyone that likes Amy Butler fabric has got to be a friend of mine too , so I clicked on like for Four Winds Quilting , a great little quilt shop in Billings , Montana !!! So if you are ever going through you will need to stop or visit there web site !!! Little did I know , when I "liked" there shop on Facebook I was also there 100 th "like" , so I was the super lucky one to get this adorable bundle of Amy Butler fabrics !!! How fun is that ?

I have been adding more things to my Etsy shop , this morning I posted a pillow that has DREAM spelled out in vintage white / cream buttons. A smaller size pillow to tuck into a nook or in with some other little treasures to add interest or softness !!

Book Addiction!

2010-10-19T11:08:00.001-07:00

Need I say more ? Yes , I have a book addiction and I realized the other day the I really need to do something about it ! I love fabric , paper and books ( magazines to , are they considered in the book category?) !! I am sure some of you can relate , being able to have that adorable piece of fabric to have on hand to enjoy or that new line of paper that just came out !!! Anyone else ??? Or am I the only one?

I decided that I need to part with some books so I will list some on Etsy , and if any one out there & you see a book you would love to have just email me !! There is a link on my sidebar . Contact me through my blog and they are $5.00 each plus shipping. Will do book rate if you would like to keep costs down or if they can fit in a flat rate box for several , will do that !!

Have a fabulous and creative day !!

Garden Goodness !!

2010-09-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

Days go by so fast , or is it me ? Trying to accomplish way too many things !! My youngest daughter & I made some salsa .... we may have to make more , it is just toooo good ! I am sad that we did get a frost a few days ago , and most of my garden froze , yes I live way up north , and I was hoping my buttercup squash would have a chance to grow, guess not ! I covered everything with sheets , but to no avail it all got bit ! It got down to 23 degrees ! So we are going to make chow chow with the green tomatoes ( you add to pinto beans , very yummy ) !!

Have been also trying to get things listed on Lollishops and Etsy ! Listed one of my altered wire dress forms , the one that was in SomersetHome .

Trying to finish up a dresser that I have had stored in my garage for awhile !! So I better get back to projects...... have a wonderful weekend !

Back Home !

2010-09-12T06:57:00.000-07:00

Back home again from the Junk Fest ! Was a lot of fun and sold lots of things , saw tons of fun things , met some wonderful vendors ! So glad the weather was great ! Above photos are from my booth! If you wee looking for some junk.... there was a lot to be had !! Just a few photos of some of the vendors , I didn't even get a chance to get photos of all of the places! A definite JUNK bonanza !

Now I am off to get my house back in order !! Have a fabulous day !

Creative Girl

2010-09-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

Just checked out the blog party over at Creative Girl.... a lot of blogs to check out !!!!! Click here!

This could take some time ! But is always fun to come across some great blogs out there !!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend ! Flowers above is what I was working on today !

Distress and Grunge

2010-08-31T19:29:00.000-07:00

In one of my recent posts several comments were wondering about the Zutter Distressing tool and also grunge board. So I thought I would answer those inquires . I purchased the Zutter Distressing tool ( Distrezzer ) a few months ago, make distressing things go a lot faster when you are making a lot of things . They cost around $35 to $40. Has a little button on the side , hold it in and away it goes as you slide your papers through. Mine has little black scuffs on the top , it was like that when it arrived, made me sad , but I didn't want to send it back and wait ! I guess I am impatient !

I have to apologize for the really really bad example for distressed tags, just could not get a good photo, but has a tag before and after , it does a great job in distressing edges on any kind of paper. Makes it look thicker ! Grunge board has been around for quite awhile , by Tim Holtz. You can buy pre- cut shapes or cut your own , I cut a lot of mine in my cuttlebug. A package is usually around $8.00 if I remember right !!!

It is very flexible and you can do just about anything to it, sand it ,paint it & whatever your little heart desires, it can take it ! A great embellishment on so many projects.So it is a lot of fun to work with ! I cut out some flower shapes from the Tim Holtz Alterations die , I then stamped each flower with a french text stamp,

To add color I just used a stamp pad ( I used Tim Holtz stamp pad) , your fingers will get messy , but that's half of the fun !

When done with that I also used a little glimmer mist for some sparkle ! When done you just curl the edges with a pencil or dowel to give them some shape. Just have fun creating !!

Joining Paperie Party !

2010-08-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

Paper .... love it ! So many things to create from it ! I am joining in on the Paperie Party over at The French Cupboard. This past week I have created some altered cans using some vintage French postcards from The Graphics Fairy !Also working on some tags, photo is at the top , this is a larger one ! Has a birdcage die cut from Tim Holtz .

made paper flowers for some other projects :

And I made some tags for my youngest daughter's birthday ( was yesterday) she turned 25 !
Off to check out all of the other blogs that have joined in on the Paperie Party ! Thanks to The French Cupboard for hosting this !
Have a fabulous & creative weekend everyone !

Vintage Postcards !!

2010-08-23T05:39:00.000-07:00

Stopped over at the Graphics Fairy the other day and saw this post ... Swoon is right ! I love old postcards ( found here), thanks so much Graphics Fairy for posting them !! So of course I had to print them off !! I printed two sizes on cardstock. I already had some tin cans waiting to be altered into something much better !! So I got various papers and treasures to embellish with. I distressed the edges of each postcard with my Zutter , makes it so quick & easy !

I like how it gives a distressed look on the edges , I also used some chalk on the edges before I put the postcard on the can . I added different little embellishments , some were little rolled edge flora , very easy and quick to do

When I was all done with my cans I used a hammer and my trusty little awl to make clean holes on the sides and attached wire for handles. I also used some grungeboard on some of the tins , vintage papers, and various brads.

So I am linking with The Graphics Fairy today on brag Monday ! Hope you have a fabulous & creative day !!

Somerset Home

2010-08-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

Went to my mail box today and waiting for me was the new Somerset Home magazine !

It is full of so many wonderful and creative art works ! And was so thrilled to have two of my things featured ! One was a repurposed ( it seems like everything I do is repurposed ) wood container done in vintage sheet music papers .

And also one of my Altered Wire Dress Forms in the gallery.

I have been working and working on trying to get inventory made for the up coming Junk Fest ! I am so thankful , my sister in law is taking my place tomorrow so I can have the whole day off to work on things ! Everyday I go over to my parents to help care for them , we also have a live in caretaker for them but I go for the afternoons and also make them there dinner every evening . They are 90 and 98 , so they are doing good considering there age !

The posted photos are of some magnets I made out of buttons ! I have lots and lots of buttons , I think they look like candy ! In the Somerset Home there is an article by Roni Berg with button magnets too ! BonBons , a great term for the little delights !

I Have Been So Very Bad !

2010-07-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

Where are the days going? I have been so bad about posting ! Seems like I no more start the day and poof , didn't get half of what I needed to get done accomplished ! So I am hoping to be better at posting !

This is a little treasure I just listed in my Etsy shop and Lollishop stores ! A banner to hang in your studio to inspire you ! Made using a vintage wood hanger!

Made with various papers , some vintage . In the center of the hanger a posey made from vintage fabrics and more ! Love the vintage rhinestone button in the center , just enough bling ! Have a wonderful weekend everyone !!

Funky and Fabulous Finds

2010-06-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

Have come across some fabulous finds , thought I would share some of them with you ! I came across this wonderful old box ....lifted it and ...wow inside it is full of metal letters for a sign. These would be great in altered art , or even in home decor ! A lot of letters all in various sizes!

Found these vintage science lab flasks ! Love the tallest one , has an adorable little glass stopper also , the design of these is so simple , yet has the potential to make a great statement on a shelf or table scape !

Do you love wine?? A wicker wine case , ready to carry on an afternoon outing ! How cute is that?

Old buttons !! My eyes seem to search these out all the time , What is it about old buttons , seems like they can tell a story all of there own ! Love the carved buttons in this tin I got full of a bunch of "stuff" !

Vintage ( well somewhat vintage) aviation log book , I love the images , great for altered art projects !! Fabulous colors !

Have a wonderful week ! Summer has been so busy that my posting is now & then whenever I can fit one it , hope you are having a fabulous summer !!

Flying By !!!

2010-06-13T06:39:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or anyone else seems as though the days just fly by & poof, only so many hours in a day & only so much accomplished !! With summer here it is always more time needed for yard work , which I could be outside in my yard all day doing some project if I had the time ! One of my son's moved out of town so that was a lot of work to pack up his house , sad to have him move but he travels so much with his job that this was a good move for him to make his life a little easier! As mom's we have to learn to let go all the time , and I will admit , Iam a big baby when it comes to that ! So with all that life dishes out I would like to order up some extra energy & a few more hours I guess ! Love my little dish I purchased at a yard sale , the little birdies are just too sweet ! Sorry for the bad photo !

I also wanted to share some pic's of my wonderful goodies I received from Starrydeborah ! Be sure to visit her blog here and she also has two shops on Etsy , her French & Shabby Chic shop and her other shop with tussie mussies , eclectic creations and wedding treasures ! She had a giveaway awhile back & I was lucky enough to be a winner of one of her boxes of treasures !

The sweetest little frame to use in a project , and my all time favorite, buttons ! Never can have too many of those !! and look at those tins, just too adorable ! The little bottle will definitely get altered ! And poker chips , what fun they will be to work with !! A vintage wood "basket" that will hold some treasures !Gotta make some time now to go play !

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend !

Nifty Thrifty Tue !!!

2010-05-25T06:57:00.000-07:00

Joining in on Coastal Charm's Nifty Thrifty no. 13 !! A few of my finds from over the weekend ! One yard sale had this adorable tarnished silver tray , was $1.00 ! I love it ! I also have a weakness for glass jars and containers , so I found my share of them , this vintage jar with bees on it , is that just too adorable ?

In the background is an unusual looking container , have no plan for it , but I am sure it will hold supplies of some kind ! The tarnished silver candlestick is also so charming!And the tarnished silver necklace , is this a them goin' on here ? Guess my eyes just fall on certain things first ! Love the well worn look of them !!

Also found a cute ceramic container in white ... my favorite color! Perfect size to hold tea in! Love the shape & design of it !

So simple and clean looking !!

And then again ... my love for bottles and glass containers , I found this vintage bottle with a glass cap , will use as an altered bottle ! And this vintage glass mushroom container , it tells me it should be a terrarium ! Don't you think it would be perfect for that ?

Thanks for stopping by , leave a comment if you have time & now I am off to visit all of the other posts ! Have a fabulous & blessed day !

yard work...gardening..plants !

2010-05-21T08:05:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy the last week , doing much needed yard work and gardening ! Now that our weather has cooperated and spring is finally here ! We had a lot of rain and it put a lot of yard work behind ! So it is full force yard work now & because I am the only chief cook and bottle washer here it is only me who gets the yard work done too ! But I do enjoy it , planting and watching everything grow , it is a wonderful thing ! I have all along the front of my house the "white" rocks from when I moved into this home over 15 years ago ! Now it is all crummy and the weeds pop through and is looking bad , so I decided I have to quit putting it off and remove all of the rocks !! This may be an on-going summer project ! It is a lot of work getting all of those little rocks up ! I have been using plastic tubs to put all of them in ! I am planting some different ferns as it faces north and they do well there , my most favorite fern is this one ... the tube fern !When they get bigger , they are impressive! I also planted an adorable Juncus "Twister" in a pot , I love all of the twisted and varied greens in this one plant !

I also made a three tiered planter that I had seen on Positively Splendid , you can click here for her tutorial ! Her planter was painted in wonderful bright colors ! I did mine in hammered finish tones and then stenciled my house numbers on also ! This will also be in the area where I am removing all of the "rocks" so it looks a little tacky right now !

I also planted some more perennial plants , one is for kitties , and yes I have caught my kitty tasting it ! I can not remember the name of the plant though !

I also have a lot of thinning out to do , I have some Lily of the Valley ( I love these plants ) but they are growing out of there space and need to get back into control ! They are in the top photo of this post !! I have also been working on my garden , about 90 % done and hope it all grows !

I know that the stakes are not really very "cute" but do the job well .They are from a local company Stringliner , I have known them most of my life , you may have seen some of there products in your local stores !
Last photo is of an adorable squirrel ! Our neighbor had caught it and brought it over so we could all see it , my daughter & her family were here so the grand kids got to "touch" it ! The squirrel and family had been creating some problems on there patio roof , so they were repairing it and caught the squirrel , but let it go back in the same spot ! Super adorable , at least I think so !

Have a fabulous weekend ... I have got to get back to creating soon !

Junk Fest

2010-05-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

I know this is a little early for some of you , but ................... this way you can PLAN ! I will be a vendor at the upcoming Junk Fest this fall , check out there blog also for the details & more inspiration ! Save the date , Sept 11 th !

The above photo is just one of the many types of items I will be bringing ! Now I am off to get busy creating !!

Happy Mother's Day !

2010-05-09T04:28:00.000-07:00

I would like to say a great big happy mother's day to each of you mom's ! I will be over at my mom's today also ..... she is 90 years old , but doing well ! My mom was very artistic and I would have to say that is what inspired me also . When I was young I remember how she made lovely decorated wedding cakes , she would sew most of our clothes ,and taught me how to crochet and knit! She also created jewelry ( I still have some of the components today ) and she loved painting with oils on canvas ! She also had a love of gardening and I remember all the time we spent in the garden's ( she had two , one close to the house and another a little further out) , and I would have to say it sparked my love of gardening also ! I have had lots of gardens and flowers and it always reminds me of the weed pulling I did when I was young! The photo above is of my mom when she was in college!I would also like to thank Amy over at Mod Podge Rocks for featuring one of my burlap covered vintage bottles on her blog ! There is always a lot of wonderful inspiration over at that blog !Have a wonderful day everyone !!

What's Up With This ?

2010-05-02T05:25:00.001-07:00

What is up with this? This is what I woke up to ..... is it really May 2 ? This is a watering can I have sitting on a little wood bench my dad made for me many years ago ,all dusted with snow ! We have been teased with a few nice spring days and now it has been cold and rainy , mixed with snow . Brrrrr , I am so ready for spring ! It's coming I know !

Yesterday there were a few yard sales , most were cancelled because of the cold , but I did hit one that had fabulous things! Was an estate sale, an elderly woman's family was having a sale of everything in her home . She had wonderful things , I just wished I wouldn't of been two hours late getting there! I was busy taking care of some other things before I made it to check out all of the yard sales! Beautiful Bleko glassware, adorable bird cage, and that silver teapot ... the lid is broken but I already know what Iam going to do with it so it doesn't matter. That super tall white milk glass vase is beautiful !

Just a few of the treasures I got , don't you love it when you find great things? Have a blessed Sunday !

Yikes ....it's Thursday Already !

2010-04-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

I don't know if this is how you feel , but some weeks I have a mental list of all the things I hope to get done ! Well this week it has not been happening ! I love getting up early , 5:30 A.M. to be exact ! Could be an age thing , I do not know ! But I have so many things I want to get done in a day ! I like to start my day out with devotions first and lots of coffee!

My favorite coffee right now is this Kirkland Colombian from Costco ... no I don't live by a Costco but my daughter sent me six packages in the mail , she is a sweetheart!

I have been making a LOT of fabric flowers this week and that is a photo of some of them at the top ! It can be addicting making them... just one more , or this fabric would be perfect ... and it goes on .. !!!I also have been going through a lot of my stash of treasures , and I hope to list some of these vintage handkerchief's soon in my SecondTreasures Etsy shop ! That is my shop that I list all of my vintage , re- purposed treasures and supplies in !

I also have a question for all of you bloggers! I have been getting a LOT of comments posted that I have to reject ( Iam so glad that they don't post automatically because they are bad, bad from spamers ) so any idea what a person can do about them? To block them somehow or report them? I am at a loss as to what to do !! So email me ( link in my side bar) or leave a comment!
I am off to get more things done ! I hope you have a blessed & creative day !!

Sorting Buttons

2010-04-20T10:51:00.001-07:00

I have been organizing some of my buttons ! I hate to admit it but I am not done ! So far this is part of my buttons . I have more jars like the top ones but they wouldn't all fit ! Do you have any idea how long it takes to sort through that many buttons? A little snap shot of a corner in my sewing room!

Posting a photo of a cute little find ! Four little spice bottles , sitting in a little metal holder ! They are Watkins products I think , so I am now on the look for a matching lid for the set . I think they are just adorable ! I may have to keep this!
Have a fabulous Tuesday ! Our weather today is wonderful , no wind and in the 70's ! That's what I call perfect !

Projects & More !

2010-04-19T11:01:00.001-07:00

Spring is here & that also brings yard work ! Which I don't mind , but I have a backyard dilemma I am trying to figure out ! I have a spot in my back by my driveway that use to be grass , until everyone has had to park there when there was no more room . Well it has created an eyesore now ! If I had the funds I would cement it , but I don't ! So it will be a plan B thing !! I would rather be working on flowers and pretty things !

Went to some yard sales on Sat. and picked up some lovely things to re-purpose ! A sample of some of the treasures I found ! There was also a community sale that benefits our hospital , so I checked it out and came home with this vintage typewriter and some other little trinkets ! The top photo is of my son's kitty !!! He has been out of town working and I have been taking care of her , she is a sweety !!!

Have a fabulous day everyone !! Off to work on projects !!

April 15

2010-04-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

The date April 15 th .... deadline, taxes due ! Not the most fun day in America for some ! Had my taxes prepared and mailed off the other day , always feels good to have them done with for another year !

Posting a photo of my lovely Hyacinth that I have in my kitchen Hope you will have a cheery day ! I have been once again doing a major destashing and cleaning of my studio ! So Iam off to clean some more !!

A Coastal Giveaway & a sneak peek !

2010-04-10T06:01:00.000-07:00

Wanted to post about Coastal Charm's giveaway she is having !! She has a fabulous blog that you should follow , lots of inspiration !!! Not to mention a chance to win this personalized friendship vase ! I love it !

The top photo is a sneak peek into my latest project ! For my yard !! Garden Sticks !! Made from glassware from yard sales and thrift shops !!! Adding bling to your yard at thrift store prices..cant get much better than that !!When I get them in my flower garden I will post more, we are just in the first stages of spring here .... but Iam sooooooo ready for spring and nice weather !!!

Have a fabulous weekend !

Lollishops !

2010-04-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

How sweet ! I am the featured seller on Lollishops today !! If you have time ... wait .... make time ! Visit Lollishops today & check out all of the great finds on there ! Thanks Sadie !

I have a LOT of vintage and repurposed treasures that I have listed on my SecondTreasures shop on Etsy ! This adorable vintage runner with an embroidered bird on a branch design is just one of the things I just listed !! How adorable is that ?

Here is a very shabby chic metal shelf also in my shop ! Love it , I was going to paint it , but I like it the way it is , more character !

Have a fabulous & creative day everyone !!

Spring Cloche Party !!

2010-04-02T06:23:00.000-07:00

Spring................ love spring , after a long winter there is nothing more wonderful than the new little life that springs forth !! Marty at A Stroll Through Life is hosting a Spring Cloche Party , so be sure and check out all of the other amazing spring cloche's !

A little tour of some of my spring cloche's ! The first one is a very tall cloche , which has a vintage silver goblet with a bird nesting in it and a crystal hanging from it with vintage sheet music paper on the back, and a vintage paper cross in a vintage frog... the real reason for Easter! It is because Jesus died on the cross we may have eternal life !!!

This cloche holds a egg I made a few years ago , made with felted fabric and has vintage florals attached and three little tiny grubby tags that have faith,hope & love on them! Sitting in a very old silver creamer!

This cloche is holding a collection of very old glass containers, bottles ( I have an obsession for old bottles) the tiny little glass mug is holding some silver tiny spoons !

Little birdhouse with a ceramic birdie !!

This cloche holds two little bunnies sitting in a bed of flowers , they are old , they were a set of three and the third one is gone !!

The last one is of a spring chick in a cloche with creamy flowers at his feet !

My photos are not the best , didn't have time to really edit them or make them "better" ! I am now off to visit all of the other Spring Cloche Party blogs !! Thanks Marty !!!
Hope everyone has a Blessed Easter Weekend !!

What's New

2010-03-31T10:02:00.000-07:00

I have been busy working on lots of projects! This is a quick little post ! I have a burlap covered Bottle with a soldered charm dangle , the burlap has been stamped with some text and a Flur de Lis design, the "lid" is an old vintage glass knob! Just a little perfect natural accessory !

Photo above is of a little collage I created using a vintage style postcard, vintage key and a handcrafted resin "charm" of a sweet little girl !

These will be in my Etsy shop The Little Things and Lollishop !

Spring Eggs

2010-03-19T06:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was so inspired by Cottage Charm and Family Inspiration' s post that I had to create my own little spring eggs ! Their blog is always filled with INSPIRATION , I love checking it out for a dose of creativity !! They were inspired by Anything Goes Here blog , another blog that will get your creativity going !These are my little eggs !

I used old dictionary papers , and tied with some batten burg tape ( I have a lot , as my aunt was one of the few licenced batten burg instructors in the nation .. she taught me , will have to be another post some day ! ) and a little tulle and some vintage florals from a hat that I dis- assembled because it was not in the best condition. I also dusted each egg with Pearl-x to give a little glimmer , it does not show up in the photos though !Happy Spring everyone .... so ready for it !!

Not Lost !!

2010-03-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

I am not lost , or gone , or on vacation .... I have been just busy with getting so many projects done !! So it has been awhile since I posted ! I have been working on some more things for The Little Things and SecondTreasures ( I have a lot of great things that Iam re-purposing) ! My daughter & I have also been planting all of our seeds , so hopefully they will all sprout into a lush little garden of fabulous veggies !! This is a terrarium I have sitting on my table ( a very small portion of our seeds we have planted )

I also re-purposed a wonderful little find from the thrift store , a little wood storage unit ...was begging to get repainted and used ! I painted it white and spray painted the metal part black ! I am loving it because it has a somewhat well loved appeal !

And I also will share a wonderful find at the thrift store ... this organizer ...just sitting there and also wanting to come home , for $4.00 it was a great little find ! I don't know about you but I can always use any kind of organizing !!Love it because it can actually hold a lot of stuff in one area! Well I am off to finish working on my taxes , yes , I probably am one of the last that wait , but I would rather be creating than doing taxes !! Have a wonderful & blessed day !!

Waiting for Spring

2010-03-07T11:21:00.000-08:00

I saw this "Pot Maker" in one of Better Homes and Gardens publications , so I found one online and yesterday my daughter & I started creating our own little pots to start our seedlings in !!

You use old newspapers and roll them up basically !! So I think it is a great way to recycle also !!

We will start our little planting shortly , living in a colder climate , our growing season is shorter so it is nice to get a head start on some plants. I know many of you have already started on your gardens ..... how fun !! I still have a giant pile of snow that is going to have to melt ! So happy that it has started to melt already!!

We bought all organic seeds for our garden . My daughter is going to be the seed savor , a job all in it's own !!

Altered Art Dolls

2010-02-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

Good Friday to all & I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend ! I have been busy creating , so I thought today I would share a photo of some of the things I have been working on !

Altered Art Dolls ! I used a copy of a vintage family photo , I have put names above them , but one is of my dad ... who is 98 now !!! How is that for longevity ! I love taking little pieces of lace,junk, wire and photos and creating something !

Table Tops !

2010-02-23T07:36:00.000-08:00

A quick little post to join in on A Stroll Through Life for table Top Tuesday !

This is a table in my living room that I have placed a few treasures on ,one is a tile that has "with God all things are possible " also sitting beside it is a family photo from when I was small ! I was the youngest , so that is me ...the smallest one !

Sorry for the glare & reflections.... so I am sure this will "date" me !!!
I also took a snap shot of a shelf I have in my office, holds some family photos and more treasures! Photos of some of my children and also the smallest one is of my niece Laura who is no longer with us but is dancing & singing in heaven with her dad! You can read this post from awhile ago about her also ! The little tea cup was one of the last things she had purchased and is a treasure now !

Have a fabulous Tuesday ! Thanks for stopping by & check out all of the other table tops !

Winter Cloche Party !

2010-02-19T06:43:00.001-08:00

What can be better than a party for a Cloche ? One of my most favorite things ! After Valentines Day I took anything to do with winter & put it away ... I am hoping it will make spring arrive a little early, do you think it will work ?

Just a few of my cloche's I have around my home ... my family knows that I am addicted to anything under glass and on a pedestal !

A sweet little wire chair under glass , with the most adorable vintage handcrafted chair out of beads attached to the side !

Sitting on a table is a cloche ( re-purposed cheese dome one) a little angel figurine that was my mom's sitting in a bed of moss.

A vintage porcelain shoe , I have had this for many years , this also was my mothers. It is another re-purposed cheese holder that I painted and added a mosaic to the bottom.

Sitting on a shelf in my kitchen is another re-purposed cloche from various parts ! I added some vintage buttons and some silver vintage doll spoons to make the nest for the little birds ! The full view is the top photo!

On my kitchen table is a spring theme cloche !

On a shelf in my bathroom , small but filled with some vintage jewelry !

Another spring cloche that is on top of a vintage cupboard !

I hope you enjoyed the "tour" This is linked to A Stroll Thru Life blog winter cloche party ! Check out all of the wonderful cloche's ! Amazing !

Simply Delicious !

2010-02-17T09:27:00.001-08:00

I wanted to share with you a quick post on my most ever favorite way to prepare fresh cauliflower !

Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients:

* 1 head of cauliflower

* 2-3 gloves of garlic minced

* Lemon juice ( fresh is the best )

* Olive Oil

* Course salt ( I use sea salt)

* Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut cauliflower into florets and place in a single layer in an oven proof baking dish. Toss in the garlic ( I use organic minced garlic in the jar...convenience) .Squeeze the lemon over the cauliflower and drizzle each piece with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.

2. Place casserole dish in oven uncovered for about 30 min. Test with fork for doneness, should be able to pierce.Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Sooooo very good ! Hope you enjoy preparing this !

LOVE

2010-02-14T06:57:00.000-08:00

Give thanks to the Lord,for He is good,

for His steadfast love endures forever.

Psalms 136: 1

I hope each of you has a very blessed Valentines Day !

Repurposed Treasure Keeper Tutorial

2010-02-11T07:50:00.000-08:00

Tutorial on how to create a treasure keeper from tin can !

Supplies:

Tin can

Can opener

Spray paint ( Ivory)

Vintage papers

Designer papers ( your choice)

Candle stick ( can be glass or metal)

Vintage glass knob

Glitter

Charms, buttons beads or glass prisms

Silk floral's

Pen ( permanent)

Vintage book for text

Awl or nail to create hole in tin

Alcohol paint's or other paints of your choice

E 6000 glue or Gorilla glue

Fabric for the lining
First thing you will need is to prepare your can, I use a can that is about two inches tall and four inches across ( mine had chunk chicken in it ) ! The secret for being able to use a can without getting cut is to use a can opener that does not leave a sharp edge ! So you need to have a can opener that leaves a smooth edge.
Next to create the unique pedestal for your treasure keeper you will need to choose a candle holder of your choice depending on how tall you want yours.
Those trips to the thrift store have paid off now with your little stash of candle holders available !

Next you need to paint the tin can and candle holder. I used Krylon Satin Ivory spray paint , so easy to paint things with ! I used several coats till I felt it was covered good.

After everything has had a chance to dry well I used a punch or awl to make a hole in the center of the lid so I can attach my vintage glass knob. I place a wood piece under the lid and punch away.Don't worry if it gets scratched because it will be covered with paper.

Next you can prepare your flowers to use on the top , I used some silk floral's I had on hand and "painted" them with chalks to age them a bit and added some silver glitter to the edges for sparkle! I also took a vintage book that had seen better days and cut various text , these will also be added into the flowers for a dash of interest.

You can age them if you want with some chalks or however you like best aging papers!The fun part begins with choosing any kind of papers you would like and using Mod Podge or adhesive of your choice , cover the lid and sides. After your papers have dried you can also age the can and candle with paint or in this one I used Alcohol inks . I also cut a little fluffy circle for in the inside of the container.

Layer all of your flowers and attach to the lid with your glass knob or you can use a large bead, layer some buttons ect.

If you want to also embellish your tin with glitter or pens to add more interest you can also do that at this time ! You can glue the candle stick to the tin at this time , I used E 6000 , you can also use Gorilla glue , let dry till secure! Your Treasure Keeper is done , ready to hide a special treasure in or give as a gift!
I added some ribbons and a vintage glass prism to the candle stick part for a little added bling. You could also use charms,buttons or even a tag ! I hope you enjoyed this & will have fun creating your own ! So appreciate your comments!
Iam adding this to The Thrifty Home , check out her blog & more wonderful ideas !

Button Love

2010-02-06T21:09:00.000-08:00

Was going through some of my mass collection of vintage buttons today & thought I would snap a few photos to share a few little glimpses of some fun buttons ! Hope you are having a wonderful weekend !

Thrifty Find

2010-02-05T09:40:00.000-08:00

I know many of you love to go thrift shopping , yesterday I made a stop at one of our local thrift shops , I was about to leave & I happened to look down and ......ahhhhhhhh...... there sat this vase just waiting for me to pick it up and bring it home !! I love it , it is big and white ( love white and cream ) So I plopped it on a side table , took a quick photo & thought I would just share my new little find. It is a Haeger also , so makes it more special as I have several other Haeger vases !

It is snowing today ....... so more white outside too ! Have awarm & wonderful weekend !

Vintage White Treasury List

2010-02-01T04:16:00.001-08:00

This morning I got up & as I usually do I was going to check on my Etsy shop & could not believe it .... I was on the front page ! CottageInTheSun had created a lovely treasury list of vintage white treasures ! Not very often we see cottage style treasures on the front page so I was delighted !!

Can You Imagine !

2010-01-27T05:52:00.001-08:00

Has been busy around here , the weather has been somewhat horrid ....but I have to say I am thankful we didn't get a ton of snow , just enough to do some snow removal ! On Monday it was my dad's birthday , he turned 98 ! Hard to imagine ! My parents still live in their own home ( my mom is 90 ) they have been sweethearts since they were young and still continue to hold hands ! It is so sweet to see two people still loving each other after all those years. My dad was a farmer all his life , he so enjoyed it! I am very fortunate to have has a father that was always kind and giving.

I am off to work on projects! Have a blessed day everyone !

Organize !

2010-01-15T11:09:00.001-08:00

The past few days I have been on a mission !!! I have been going through closets , what a challenge ! I get nothing else accomplished while doing this .You ask yourself why do I have this or what was I thinking !!! I have one closet in particular that is under my steps ( I live in a bi-level house) and it has been the collector of many items !! But I have it all cleaned out & none of it is going back in ! So a lot of it I will be listing on Etsy and Lollishops ! Yeah , I love cleaning out , why do I wait so long !! Here is a sweet little vase that I just listed & check my shop out as I continue to add more !

The vintage keys is just a shot of some keys I have tied on a sheer panel that hangs off of one of my vintage cupboards!
Hope you had a wonderful week ! Bless you !

My Overweight Friends !

2010-01-07T07:45:00.001-08:00

I have two overweight friends ! Ha.... bet you thought I was really going to have some human friends I was going to post about !!! Nope , these are my two "little" furry friends that do nothing but lay around all day and expect to have attention when they want it and food when ever they want it ! My grey kitty "Fluffy" ( bottom photo's )who is not fluffy at all so where did the name come from I do not know , she was soooo adorable when she was a baby, had the softest fur ever, but after she had surgery so she couldn't have kitties she put on the weight ! My black kitty ( top photo)was a stray my children brought home ( now that they are all gone ... guess who still gets the cat? ) long black fur and ever so hard to get a photo of, every spring Bear goes to get his fur shaved off, otherwise it turns into a big bad mess! Bear is huge and I have no idea how much he weighs but it is alot ! I just know that having a pet or pets to come home to is grand, even if they are work sometimes, get fur on things and sometimes scratch on things they are not suppose to !! Sorry for the bad photo's but I have an awful time getting great photo's of my kitties !

I also wanted to post about Facebook, after taking forever to get a Facebook page I finally took the time , so if you have a moment & you are on Facebook add me as a friend and also follow my blog link ( it is on the right side , scroll down a little ) ... thanks so much ! I am trying to figure out different applications for Facebook and is taking me awhile !

Happy New Year and a Big Thank You !

2009-12-31T06:15:00.000-08:00

I would like to wish each one of you a Blessed New Year ahead ! It is always exciting to look ahead and wonder what is in store for the upcoming year ! So here's to you a little "toast" to your New Year!

I would also like to thank Beth from Somerset Studio at Couture Over Coffee for this post about my creations ! So very sweet and I thank you so much !! Click here for the post!

Have a safe and wonderful New Year ! I pray that it will be full of many of God's blessings !

Cherished Treasures !

2009-12-28T06:23:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share one of my cherished treasures that I have had for many years ! This sweet little pocket watch ! At the age of 16 my grandmother came over from Norway by herself , hard to believe isn't it , can you imagine letting one of our children leave home at that age let alone to another country! But it was one of the possessions that she brought with and had her initials EH on it ! When I turned 16 ( few years ago ... ha ha ) she gave it to me because at that time my initials also were EH ! Not long after that she passed away.So it is a little treasure that I will always cherish !

A Very Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T06:58:00.000-08:00

A Very Merry Christmas to everyone in blogland !! I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas , we are in the middle of a blizzard, so I guess we have a white Christmas !! Take time to remember why we have Christmas , because of Jesus we have the true gift of eternal life ! I pray that each of you will know His peace and joy in your own life Have a blessed day !

The photo's are of a gift a friend gave me for Christmas. She knows I love kitties , so she had found this vintage kitty on one of her many treasure hunts , also it is sitting in a vintage basket that is a fabulous green and she also had it sitting in among the greens with candy canes . Just adorable !!! Thanks Jan !!

Night At The Movies

2009-12-19T12:35:00.000-08:00

Last night I had a date ...... well actually three of my son's took me to a movie ! They came and picked me up which was fabulous, curb side service !! We went to see Avatar , a 3D movie , I have to say I really enjoyed the movie , was an all around fabulous evening !!

Back to getting things done today , hope everyone is having a great weekend before the holiday's !

Baby it's Cold Out There!

2009-12-15T03:37:00.000-08:00

I knew it was coming ..... but I am never prepared! The temp outside this AM is -28 below ! Yes , it does even get a lot colder than that around here , but this is the first very low temp for this winter. At least we don't have but a dusting of snow yet ! A short post today , I leave you with a little snowman that went up on Etsy & Lollishops yesterday !!! Fitting for the weather !

Off to finish some Christmas lists ! Have a wonderful day !

Oh Christmas Tree

2009-12-12T04:32:00.000-08:00

Just got my tree up ! It is always the last thing I put up for the holidays , for starters I don't like the tree I have ( takes up too much room in my living room) I would like to get a different one , but I didn't get that accomplished yet , so .... it is still the same tree from the past years ! I have used the same ornaments also from the past years , some of them I will share. My children , even if they don't live at home anymore all prefer when I use the same ornaments from the past years , I guess it is a trip down memory lane instead of having a beautiful tree where everything matches and is updated !This is a little angel one of my children made many years ago , it gets put on the tree still every year !

Little body from a pompom and the wings are some gold leaves , was made in school ! The little crochet baskets , all are in white in various sizes, my mom made many years ago also ... she is 90 years old now !! I will always keep those as a treasure.

The next little decorations are some icicles that a friend gave me , made using beads.

And this is the tree ! Every year I always plan to change the colors , as I do not like gold , but for some reason it never gets changed !! So maybe next year ! Where my tree is I usually have a chair there next to a vintage hutch that my tv is in !

Last photo is of a distressed basket I have sitting on my kitchen floor ( by my water cooler , you can see it on the left side..not so pretty , but I use it all the time !) filled with various dolls I have made over the years .. lets just say , a long time ago ! The very top photo is of my most favorite Christmas decoration and it always sits on top of a vintage hutch in my living room . It is an old church that lights up with bottle brush trees and mica flakes all over it. I remember this when I was young always peering in the stained glass windows wondering what it would be like inside ! So after my mother downsized a lot of their decorations I claimed it as mine ! I hope you enjoyed the "tour" ! I am linking this to Funky Junk's Myyy Christmas Tree , a lot of wonderful Christmas trees to admire !

White Wednesday photos

2009-12-09T09:25:00.000-08:00

I thought I would post a few of my photos I have taken around my home ! And include them in a White Wednesday! I have a shelf that is above my patio doors and is long , I have a collection of creamy white pottery on it , for winter I have filled them with greens and added some of my vintage silver with some of my favorite snowmen I made many years ago !!

An angel that sits in a grouping that a dear friend gave me.

The glass bottle snowman is a vintage bottle that I took from my parents farm & repurposed into a snowman , which I have some similar here.

And an all white ceramic winter angel under a glass dome that sits in a grouping on top of a cupboard in my kitchen ( don't know if you can see my silver pottery vase in the background with a tree in it.. one of my most favorite finds)

Hope you enjoyed the stroll !

Very Shabby Wreath

2009-12-08T08:41:00.001-08:00

This is a wreath I made several years ago , made from two frames I had ( oh dear , just one of the many things I collect) ! So , I painted the frames in a creamy tone and distressed them slightly. Then I gathered up some various greens I had , and this is a trick I use to make my greens have a "snowy " look !

I use Plastic-Kote Fleck Stone spray paint ( I used Alabaster) and I ever so lightly spray my greens till I get a dusted look on them .

Let your greens dry and then gather together with wire and secure the greens on the frames. I also added a sheer ivory ribbon and a glass prism for some sparkle ... gotta have some sparkle ! I like to have one frame tillted to add interest , but you can position your frames in any order you like then all you need to do is hang ! I am linking this with A Soft Place To Land , and also at Mustard Seed Creation's Furniture Feature Friday ,so check out all of the other links for a lot of ideas for the Holiday's and more !

How Cool is this?

2009-12-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

Okay , I have to confess , because I am single I don't always keep up with things to use in your home. But when I was visiting my oldest daughter over Thanksgiving her husband ( who is an engineer and up most handyman , fix everything and improve it all fabulous guy) had this in there home for all of there Christmas lights , I thought that is the coolest thing ( who does not look for things to make life easy? ) ! Simply plug these in , and you get a remote to turn on all of your lights , mine has three plug in's , I have only one in the photo . I know many of you probably have these , I am just so glad to have my own now !So with three simple clicks I can have the lights on in my living room. Not to mention who wants to crawl behind a tree to plug it in ?

The other photo is on top of one of my antique hutches , with lights ... one's I can simply click on now !!! Have a wonderful weekend !

Thankful

2009-11-23T04:24:00.000-08:00

The week of Thanksgiving ! I could have a list quite long of all the things that I am thankful for , this is just a few !

A loving God

Godly parents

my children

that I am healthy

that I have a home

my ability to create

freedom and all of our soldiers that have fought for it & the one's that still are

All of the bounty in this nation

I know that we can sometimes look at the negative things in life and get bogged down with them , but if we can keep our eyes on the positive and what we do have, we are still a blessed nation! I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving ! Have a blessed week !

A few glimpses in my home!

Christmas is Fast Approaching !

2009-11-20T04:59:00.000-08:00

I have been very busy with getting projects finished and some orders done ! I can not believe it will be Thanksgiving this coming week . But looking forward to it also as all of my children & I will be getting together , which does not happen a lot , with six children getting every one's schedules to work together is not always easy , not to mention the miles in- between ! But everything worked out and we will all be on our way to a great get- together !

Above photo is of some Christmas things I have been working on , or have made ! Have a fabulous weekend !

A final note ! Be sure to go over to Room Remix (the blog) as they are having a giveaway ... a $35.00 gift certificate from Amazon , now can anyone ever have too many books ? So take a few min. and check out the blog , you will be so glad you did !

Junkin Monday !!

2009-11-16T05:57:00.000-08:00

In my area it is too cold now for flea markets and garage sales , makes me sad ! But I thought I would share a photo of my finds from area thrift shops!

I found this adorable tiered metal container, I plan to use this in my studio as I can never have enough "storage" containers ! The clear glass container is large , and heavy ! Was still covered in dust when I purchased it so it had to have a bath when it came home ! I love it & not sure what to do with it yet... still deciding ! And this sweet little glass dome with a wood base , I have already painted it with a base coat and I have plans to use as a display , I love the shape of the glass dome !!

I am linking to Cottage Charm and Family Inspiration's blog for the Junkin Monday , don't you just love looking at every one's "treasures" !?

Tiny Lamp Re-Do

2009-11-12T06:29:00.000-08:00

I have had this lamp forever , my sister gave it to me many years ago because she didn't want it . It has been one of those things always thinking ... need to re-do that lamp ! Well I finally did! It was a gold and I painted it with a Nickle spray paint, had to take the lamp apart to do which is easy. Also covered the shade with a burlap type fabric that I had stamped on . It is on an antique sewing machine, that sits at the bottom of my steps ( I live in a split level home) so is a dark area and hard to take a photo , even if there is a light above it. The sewing machine was my grandmothers, my dad is 96 years old , so that probably tells you that this sewing machine is also old ! Oppps , guess that would include me too !

Hope you enjoyed looking at my little re-do and sorry for the bad photos! Have a fabulous day !

Will be posting this on The Shabby Chic Cottage also !

Vetrans Day

2009-11-11T12:55:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post today , I just want to say a great big thank you , thank you to all of our nation's veteran's ! Because of them and all of their sacrifice's is why we live in a land of freedom still ! Our soldiers and their families who give up so much to serve our country! They are the amazing one's !

Saying thank you seems so small , I honor all of our veteran's and soldier's now serving our country. God Bless you and God Bless the USA !!

Monday's Junk !!

2009-11-09T09:17:00.000-08:00

The Nice and Easy Antiques gal's are having a Junkin Monday , so I thought I would join in , except my junk is of things I recently found and am using in my home !!!

The top photo is of my table in my living room ( the table was a junk find also a long time ago ) I purchased a low clear glass candle holder and a clear glass vase from the thrift store.... glued them together and ...tada, it is holding a "birdie nest " !I also came across this large apothecary jar in a turquoise , blue tone , I knew it would go in my office , so there it is sitting by a stack of white pedestal dishes I have also acquired via garage sales! The walls in my office are a robins egg blue ( on one wall only) the other walls are a brown tone, the sweet little vintage kitty is a gift from a friend !.

Another repurposed little treasure is on a table in my living room, I had found this little dome with a bottom , not sure what they are intended for , may be butter, but I glued it to a candlestick and turned it into a pedestal dish with a dept. 56 kitty inside that a friend gave me many years ago , it is sitting in a bed of white vintage buttons.

I also snapped a shot of some frames I had found at the thrift shop and a silver tray that I am in the middle of repurposing !! So I better get back to my projects !! Have a wonderful day ! And check out the other Junkin Monday Posts !

A Giveaway !!!

2009-11-04T04:33:00.000-08:00

Snowman created using a vintage bottle , head is from paper clay ! Vintge key with rhinestones attached to the side !!! The inside is filled with "snow" and pearls.

Soups On !

2009-11-03T03:52:00.000-08:00

Now that the days are starting to get colder ( I am so not looking forward to winter ) I love making a big pot of soup ! Soup has been one of my most favorite menu choice's ! I had recently purchased a Goose Berry Patch Christmas 2009 book ( because there were several recipe's in it that seemed so yummy ) so last evening I made the Wild Rice Soup ! Mmmmm good !

Wild Rice Soup

1/2 cup wild rice

1 lb. bacon

1 C. onion, chopped

1/3 C. green pepper, chopped

3/4 C. celery, chopped

2 14-oz. cans chicken broth

2 10 oz. cans cream of mushroom soup

4 oz. can sliced mushrooms

1 pt. half and half

Wash wild rice thoroughly ; then, boil for 15 min, drain, rinse and set aside.

Cut bacon into 2 inch pieces and fry until crisp in a large Dutch oven. Remove bacon from pan and discard all but 3 tablespoons of drippings. Saute' onion,celery,green pepper in bacon drippings until onion is transparent. Add rice, broth, soup, mushrooms and bacon. Cover and cook over low heat for one hour. Before serving pour in half and half and heat. Makes 10 cups !

Have a blessed day !!!

Time and Finds

2009-10-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

I was out and about this week and stopped at a local thrift shop , I came across this .... I love it ! Of course when I got it it had dirt and "stuff" all in the inside on the glass insert. Now I need to decide what I want to put in it ! Any ideas??? Let me know in the comments , would love to hear some ideas !!

It is also that time of the year .... fall back an hour in time tonight !!!! A decorative clock in one of my rooms that a friend gave to me awhile ago because she didn't want it , so there it sits ! It is all decoration and does not even tell time !!

I listed my chandelier painting on Etsy , can be found by clicking here.

Featured Seller

2009-10-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

I was doing my daily check on all the sites I have an interest in , and was surprised to see that I was the featured seller on Lollishops today ! How fun & thanks to Sadie !!! I have been listing some new things in my shops , now that I am done with my craft sale !! I feel like I have been burning the candle at both ends ! I also am listing this adorable little bird plate , that's what I call it , but it is just too sweet ! The colors on it are just perfect for any shabby or cottage style decor ! It is in my SecondTreasures shop ! Click here for a link !

Gotta go... but hope everyone is having a great & creative week !

Crazy !

2009-10-09T21:59:00.000-07:00

That is the only thing I can come up with !!! I woke up this AM to a dusting of snow on the ground , which does not make me happy .... brrrrr , but I was also amazed at how the tree in my front yard had all the leaves on yesterday & today they are all in my yard , they never had a chance to change colors, there all green ! I am hoping we will have some warmer fall days ahead !

I have been working on many projects , I have less than a week to finish everything up for the upcoming sale ! A photo line-up of some of the paintings I have done , not such a great photo ... I just sat them on the floor against my tv cabinet in my studio !

Projects In The Works

2009-09-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a lot of different projects getting ready for up-coming sale in Oct ! Last night I finished these, they will be magnets! In the background ... things waiting to be soldered! My home is surrounded in projects , kitchen table is the snowman project , my counter top I am using to cut large paper board for some books I will bind, and not to mention my studio ! I guess it is a good thing my two kitties dont mind a mess !
Fall is in the air ( I hate to admit it ) because I know what comes after fall .... WINTER ! I am so not ready for winter yet !

Fabulous Etsy Shop!

2009-09-16T04:21:00.000-07:00

Because of my small town location it is sometimes the pits to buy crafting supplies, oh how I envy when my sister will call me and tell me that she just went to her favorite fabric shops or even one of the major chain crafting supply stores! The closest town that has larger shops is two hours away! I am so thankful for the internet because it gives me the freedom to shop online and then my treasures are delivered to my door !! Looking for some items on Etsy I came across a wonderful shop Divine Moments , I ordered a few things and in a few days there was my order! If you love paper and all of the great products that are available now you need to check out Amy's shop and her blog also ! I was looking for a certain item and she ordered it for me , how is that for service ! The photos are of a mask I got from Amy's shop , love those things , they are a lot of fun to work with ! Below are some paper flowers I made using up paper scraps !!

Cookies !

2009-09-13T06:21:00.000-07:00

Just had to post these adorable cookies ! My youngest daughter was hosting a shower for one of her friends who had just been blessed with a new little baby girl ! For the shower she made special cookies for everyone to take home as a favor, I think they turned out soooo adorable ( I had to sneak two away ) she decorated them in pastels and each one stored in a sweet little cellophane bag , easy to take home in.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend !! I am off to creating ... need to get a lot more made for my upcoming craft sale!

Creating

2009-09-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderful long weekend, after this it will be chaining my foot to the studio and making myself stay on task ! I am doing a craft sale in my home town in October( which I have not done in many years ) ! So I need to get a lot of things created! I have way too many things I want to make and it always ends up .... not enough time !

I have created a pile of altered journals , larger ones and mini size.I have used paper, vintage paper,fabrics, and whatever else I find in creating these ! So will share a photo of some of them and get back to creating !

Have a fabulous & blessed weekend !

Re-Do !

2009-09-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Where do the days go? Sorry about not getting back to my little ole' blog for more posts , but it has been crazy busy !I could list it all , but you would get bored! Took a before photo of a chair I have in my living room , was a flea market find many years ago , I painted it and recovered the cushion . Well that was a few years ago & children and kitties , so I "re-did" the chair ! I had a chandelier stencil and painted on some linen fabric and also on the back , had some chocolate brown fabric ( same as my drapes) and made a small pillow. I have so many projects to catch up on and I am also trying to get a lot of things made for an up-coming craft sale, will post some photos at a later time of some of those things !
Have a blessed day !

Organize and Inspire !

2009-07-27T09:11:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy with all the usual things , extra yard work and get together's with family that I have not posted as much ! I have been trying to organize my studio some more , that can be a never ending project! Photo below is some of my ribbons , I have more stored in drawers,all of my wider ribbons, but I love the handy little holders for some ribbons ! I really need to liquidate a lot of things , but that also takes time!

I made some little "signs " from scrabble words , to sit in a special spot to encourage you !I have this one listed in my Etsy shop.

Off to do more errands for the day !

Independance Day !

2009-07-04T06:01:00.001-07:00

Happy Fourth Of July to everyone ! I am so thankful that I live in the USA , and that we have the freedom to do so many things that we take for granted! Some are small things , like the ability to even post a blog ! This past month I did follow some of the election in Iran and the development's after it ! All of the Tweets on Twitter from some of those brave souls touched my heart , I know that many of those that chose to speak their voice are now probably being held , imprisoned and even tortured ( many even killed) for only speaking their opinion ! My heart and prayers go out to all of them and the many others in this world facing hardships because they do not have the freedom we are so fortunate to have ! And we are able to have this freedom because of our soldiers who give and have also paid with their lives that we can enjoy this freedom today . God bless the USA !

I am off to the usual picnic and boating ( oh help , I am a big chicken & no I dont water ski and all that , I love the shore ! ) with my family , just hope the weather cooperates and the bugs dont get us !!!

Vacation Is Over !

2009-06-22T06:51:00.000-07:00

I have not posted for quite some time as I was on vacation ! Oh what fun it was ! It is always great to get away , but vacations always come to an end too ! The main reason I went out to Spokane was to see my oldest grandson graduate ! He is a sweetheart and also handsome !

While I was in Spokane we also spent a few days in Seattle for some shopping and lots of eating ! One of the fun things my daughter and I did was get a makeover at Sephora, at first I was a little hesitant ( I am not much for a ton of makeup and was thinking I may end up looking like a street walker when I was done ) Not so , we had a fabulous color artist and I so enjoyed the whole thing ! One of the products she used was HD High Definition Powder , this is so fabulous , it is a microfinish powder that you put on after your foundation , it feels wonderful and makes your makeup last all day ! Love it & just wanted to share this find to all of you ! We ended up with a lot more than the photo shows... oh dear , but it was a lot of fun !

Vacation Time !

2009-06-04T16:55:00.000-07:00

Vacation Time !!!
Have been planning a vacation for quite some time , headed out to Spokane to my oldest grandson’s graduation !! Oh how fast the years go by & not to mention that it really dates me too ! So right now I am on the train headed on out ! Love taking the train , as it gives me a chance to rest , relax and catch up on a whole lot of reading ! And not to mention the snacks that also are stashed in a bag waiting to be devoured . I am sure they are all healthy and with zero calories! Will wait for the dinning car call for dinner this evening and eat my evening meal , makes for a great break in the trip. In the past I have had pretty good luck with the food on the dinning car . I have also met some interesting people in the past while eating , otherwise I usually try to keep to myself and read, eat, sketch and nap !
While I am on my vacation I will also be celebrating a big ole birthday , so when I return I will also be doing a giveaway in honor of that! My daughter & husband are taking me to Seattle for my birthday to downtown to the art shops, ect ! So I will try to take lots of photos and share some !

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

A Happy Memorial Day to all !

To help celebrate, I am offering a special today ! Purchase any item in my SecondTreasures shop and a purchase also from my other shop The Little Things I will ship for FREE !

My SecondTreasures shop is full of vintage goodies and also some destash items !

Such as this adorable vintage jewelry lot ! My other shop The Little Things has my handcrafted treasures ! This altered art creation , The Keeper ! A one of a kind !
I hope you have a wonderful day and take time to think on why we have this holiday ! I am so thankful for all of those who have made a sacrifice for our country. Many with their own lives.

Furniture

2009-05-08T05:24:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I posted ! How can life get so busy ? I could make a list of all the crazy things that go on , I know in every one's lives sometimes the regular everyday things can consume our time ! I am so glad that spring is here , have done some yard work ( where is that Gardener when you need him? ) !! I love spring and more so this year as we had a very LONG and cold winter , so everyone is so ready to enjoy the weather now ! Last weekend a local furniture store had a sale and I ended up buying two matching chairs, so unlike me to just go in and find some furniture and purchase ! My home is furnished a little eclectic , with older things but yet I love the clean sleek lines of furniture , not ornate or floral ! So this is what the chairs look like , I had my lamp on and made for a nice glare ... but I have chocolate brown sheers covering my window behind the chair ! And the vintage luggage was some that one of my aunts had , I love the handles and they are in fabulous condition ! The basket holds my daily reading , a devotional book , my Bible and journal !!

Have a fabulous weekend !

He Is Risen

2009-04-12T04:30:00.000-07:00

I pray that you will have a blessed Easter !And that you will understand the TRUE meaning of Easter, the most amazing gift available to each one of us, because He died we can live! Iam so thankful for this and pray that you also will know the sacrifice that was made for each one of us!

Some litte "nests" I made !