Fresh new items added to my Etsy.........

So our big auction is over, it went really well (Thank the Great Lord above!) and now things can get back to normal......I've been working on my somewhat neglected Etsy shop and adding some new items..love these old baby albums, this one looks brand spanking new!
The beautiful tags I purchased in digi form from www.tatteredvintage.etsy.com so I've done all the work and she has the prettiest tags evah!
And again with the circus theme that I seem to love lately, this one was fun to make also.
I do hope you're all carving a bit of time out to create something lovely :).
Melanie is supposed to be coming down this week, can't wait, miss you best friend and sooo need your laughter!
Cheers for now......

Are you in need of inspiration...(and who isn't?)....

Ok, I will admit to being a bookstore stalker, I'm in there on an almost daily basis. What am I looking for? Well, I'm glad you asked! I'm searching for INSPIRATION!!!!!!

It's a longing that just rarely goes away......and it's actually been somewhat of a "dry" spell for moi in that department, for a myriad of reasons...my studio is a mess, dh and I have signed on as auction chairs for dd's school auction for the second year in a row, my studio is a mess (wait, did I already mention that?), lack of any real focus, being negative about my art because I don't (in my little bubble of a world) sell what I think is "enough" of it to even justify making more. And just how dumb is that?  I should be making art just for the joy of making art!
Today while perusing at a bookstore I came across this gem of a new book. My heart started beating faster because it's been exactly what I've been searching for....the direction I'd love to go with my art.
I just can't wait to really be able to sit down with this book and start creating...right after I clean up my studio (did I mention it's a mess?).
Thank you to author Annie Lockhart for writing this book!!! I need it so badly right now :).

What a sweetie pie she is!!!!

I'm talking about my dd of course....she's home with the sniffles today so we're getting ready for her big Valentine's Day party at school tomorrow. Then she wanted to also make Valentines for the Principal, the office staff, etc....she had some help from Mom but she did such a great job.
Is there anything sweeter on this earth than a child's valentine? I think not....I hope you all have a very sweet day!!

Circus fun........

So I've been wanting to make a "circus-themed" shadowbox for awhile now.....I went to altered artifacts on Etsy and she had these fabulous digital graphics for download......there is another image, I just haven't finished the artwork yet!
There's just something so fun about the vintage circus images. So much color and whimsy!
I'll be listing this either later tonight or tomorrow on my Etsy shop....hope you stay tuned:)

Thrifting, creating, and journaling......

So I went thrifting yesterday on a whim, and I guess if you go often enough you will find some items you covet....for me it was these three Ribbonette rolls of paper string.....they're so soft and just make for a great display...I doubt I'll ever use them. I also decided to create a Valentine just for myself! I highly recommend doing that every so often :).

I've also been working on an art journal, something I can use for my favorite ephemera pieces...the poem on the front of it is one of my very favorites. This journal is one that I found thrifting about a year ago and haven't used...it's filled with old accounting paper so I've been putting some gesso and paint down and then just gluing items down. I also want to be able to journal a bit in here so I'm trying to leave some room for that as well.
I hope you're all having a great week so far, I personally can't wait for Spring...these dark winter months can be hard to take at times....but lately we've had so many birds chirping, and my favorite of all, my daphne bush is blooming! If you don't have one, well I highly recommend them! It's my favorite flower fragrance of them all.....

A peek at a long overdue makeover........

So, true to form, this is a makeover without the "before" pictures. Trust me, it was ugly! It had paisley curtains behind the ironwork so that you couldn't see what was inside the cabinet (which is fine I guess, if what's inside the cabinet is ugly!) But I decided I needed to show off my prettier china, crystal, and silver, so I took off the curtains and lined the brown, that's right, brown shelves with old sheet music to lighten the whole thing up.
Why it took me this long (15 years) to do it, only God knows for sure, but I know He forgives me...after all, I've had a few other more pressing priorities to deal with...but now every time I walk by my dining room hutch, I smile......so it was worth the time I put into it.
I LOVE putting my personal, and usually unusual "stamp" on my home.
What have you done lately to personalize your home? I love Pottery Barn, but I also love going into someone's home that shows they've really used their imagination to make it their own, don't you?
Thanks for checking in with me...........:), hope you have a great week!

My new favorite old thing.........

So I fell completely and utterly in love with this old hat pincushion that I found on Etsy, from Kathyssewingroom, a lovely little shop with great old sewing notions...I love everything about it, the faded colors, the velvet flowers, the old tulle netting, the satiny fabric.
Almost swooned when I unwrapped it. It hangs right above my work table in my studio so I can gaze upon it each and every day...
Smitten I am......
What are you smitten with lately?

Oh my goodness! How much fun can two best friends possibly have?

What a time we had! I went to Portland last Wednesday to have my car serviced, but more importantly to see my best friend, Melanie. Of course I had to bring her some goodies, and she said I looked like a bag lady waiting there for her to pick me up...thanks Mel!

All of these items were either purchased or gifted to me by Melanie! I love it all, but more importantly we had such a great time, a leisurely (for us!) lunch, and laughed until our stomachs ached! It's a wonderous thing that happens when two best friends get together, we were even saying the same thing at the same time I tell ya! We just need to do it more often, for both our sakes.
Ladies, I know you treasure your friends, it's so important....it's amazing the things I say to her that I don't tell anyone else! She just "gets" me....and I feel so grateful for her friendship.
My last stop, before picking up my car, was to her shop, "All My Favorite Things", and I just have to say that I've NEVER seen her shop look so inviting, so bright, simply fabulous. I was actually jealous of her shop! I want one too! Do yourself a favor and go check her shop out, you won't regret it...she has so many fabulous items, and everything was so reasonably priced, important in this economy. I know you'd find something to love.
I hope you all have a great week, and go out and support your local shops. We all want a thriving community.....

Let's talk Valentine's Day, shall we??????

Well, friends, these two little items were just added to my Etsy shop today...sure wish I had a bit more time to create as Valentine's Day is one of my very favorite holidays.....oh well, when I do find the time I think I'll make some smaller items, such as tags, etc.
Tomorrow is my trip to Portland to see Melanie, can't wait! I always have the best time with her, hmmm, guess that's why she's my best friend, huh? We all need someone we can just completely cut loose with and laugh until liquids come out your nose, right?
Wonder what it will be tomorrow, coffee or tea....ah, the great mysteries of life!
Will post pics when I get back........ttfn:)

"The Vintage Table"...........

Oh my goodness! Have you seen this book yet? I first saw it advertised in "Romantic Homes" magazine and all I can say is *Wow*!

It's full of beautiful dishes, linens, and ideas for setting a gorgeous and vintage table. Over the years I've collected some really pretty platters and miscellaneous dishes. I don't have much room for storage so I kind of have to reign myself in, but if I had a huge hutch of any sort I'd be a collecting fool I tell ya!

I get weak in the knees for old, chipped, crazed dishes......do you have any you'd like to show off?