Well, journals seem to be on a lot of people's minds lately, because that is what I'm selling a lot of in my shop.
This sweet little girl graces the front of my favorite journal yet, just listed in my Etsy shop a few minutes ago. I just love that brown velvet flower on the front and it's the only one I had, but it seemed to go so well with her.
We're off to a football game tomorrow and a busy weekend.
Hope you all get some time to create something pretty!

Do you have a favorite, treasured piece of art in your home?

This is my favorite piece of art that I own......I've had her about 12 years.
I spotted her in a store (that sadly is no more) right before Christmas and told my dh that's what I wanted for Christmas, just this print. When I opened my present on Christmas morning I almost cried...he had gotten the wrong print! Thank goodness it was still there.

I don't know what it is about this picture that captures my heart so much, is it the pensive look on the young mademoiselle's face? The fact that she's probably writing a love letter in some small french cafe with her glass of red wine and her fountain pen? Notice her sweet black purse?

And the waiter behind her? This picture just speaks volumes to me! The funny thing is that I had  it a short time and then watched the movie "The Way We Were" and in one of the last scenes of the movie I spied this in the background....almost died! What are the odds?
Wish I had that leather banquette she's sitting at though....

Vintage scripture cards.......

So I found these scripture cards on ebay a short while ago and when I opened the box I gasped!

Aren't they lovely? The colors are stunning to me..muted greys, blues, pinks, reds, sepia.

The box they came is isn't too pretty so I may need to fix it up a bit.

I've had newer scripture cards that have come in plastic containers but these put those to shame.
They've obviously been very heavily used, which I just love. I haven't decided where I'll display these yet, maybe just in a pretty basket in my foyer...where would you put them?

Also, the wallpaper journal and CREATE banner that I listed in my last post have sold in my Etsy shop, I'll be adding more of each of those items soon.
Have a great week friends!

Some new Etsy listings......

So it's getting to be holiday time! Yay! My goal this year is to buy all hand-made, how about you? Today I listed the wallpaper journal above (it's huge, about 400 blank pages).

This album was also added, made with old ledger pages.....

I also added this logomachy glittered banner for your studio....happy creating!

I ~heart~ Fall.........

The weather today could not have been more perfect! Sunshine, no wind to speak of, and around 70 degrees? What? This is Oregon in November? OK, I can live with it...

This pumpkin was inspired after I read Elizabeth Maxon's blog and she showed a pumpkin that a friend had made for her. I love using my old ledger pages for decorative items around my home...it's a way of being able to preserve and enjoy them. So I took one of my faux pumpkins (black but the color doesn't matter) and then just used some mod podge to help me cover my pumpkin...the "leaves" are some old velvet millinery that I bought on Etsy a while ago.

This lamp needed some dressing up so I strung my felt garland around it's shade. World Market carries these felt leaves every Fall, last year I missed out on them...not this year. They're simple and pretty.

These are real leaves that are still left on my redbud tree in my courtyard..it's such a pretty tree. The leaves are heart-shaped and they turn these luscious colors every Fall.

Pretty, right? I hope you take some time to look around your home and make some simple changes to go with this gorgeous season. We're hosting Thanksgiving this year and I'm so looking forward to it...get to use my new brown transferware!

One of my favorite things........!

Well, while talking with my bestie the other day she had a question about a picture in my Etsy shop...I sell ribbons and she was wondering about this stamp set that was pictured. I stamped some ribbon then wrapped it around an old tag, then stamped the tag with the word that corresponded.

And I was able to do that because of this fantastic stamp set...it was a gift from a friend...and if you ever see one of these sets my advice is to grab it quickly.  If it's affordable that is, because I've seen these go for quite a bit.

It was produced in 1932...for classrooms. Let me tell you, you could have hours of fun with this set.....making up silly sentences etc.

The stamps above have actual pictures of all of those items on them, yes, even a picture of George Washington! I've seen many of these little stamps being sold separately which is kind of sad that somewhere along the way the set got broken up.....

But that's what happens with a lot of our beloved vintage items, right?

In other news I'm happy to report that all my Halloween has been taken down and that was quite a job....I'm thinking a pared down next couple of months are on my agenda. Not so much "stuff" everywhere. After all, I think the eye needs a place to rest somewhere. Plus it makes your items that you do put out stand out more, right?

I LOVE playing with old paper...

My new paper wreath

I was home all day today and had time to craft a few items, this wreath being one....I've never made a paper wreath before but have admired those made by others.
Unfortunately, I tend to overthink things that I haven't tried before, instead of just jumping in.
But today I took an iron wreath form that I've had for quite some time and just chose a book called "Hearthrobs". It's a book of poems that I bought at a thrift store. I just started layering the paper into a shape that I thought was attractive. When I was finished, it didn't look "done" to me. So I took an old cabinet card and put her in the center.
Don't know what I'll do with her yet....

I have a new lover and his name is Joe........

we meet every Monday morning, and it's all I can do to tear myself away from him....every time I see him there's a new and wonderful surprise waiting for me...you may have even seen Joe in your neighborhood....
he gets around....

and did I mention that he's cheap? Oh yes he is, and I love that about him...no shame whatsoever.
I must have been living under a rock...to imagine he's been right down the street these past few years, yet I've still continued with my stuck-up ways and headed down to Safeway....
well, no more! Joe has me bamboozled! (did I spell that right?)
Please leave me a note and let me know what you just can't live without at Joe's...
pretty please? I need some good suggestions because everything looks dreamy....

A new Etsy listing...........

Good Sunday evening to you all! I've had a bit of time to create in my studio today and am happy to offer these hand-dyed tags in my Etsy shop.....they're simple and there's something about glitter that makes me happy! These are blank on the back so you can use them for gift giving, in your antique booth, or just as decor around your home. I think simple is better, don't you?

I do hope everyone had a restful weekend. Our family has a very busy week ahead, and right now the rain is pouring down....I love the sound!

My Halloween countdown calendar.....

If you have little ones at home this is a fun project....well, I guess it's fun even if you don't have littles at home. I originally found this idea from the very talented Lori at mudpiestudio...do yourself a favor and check out her blog! Like Lori, I got my little square images from lisa's altered art, she always seems to have the perfect images for lots of my projects! Then I went to Michael's to look for a tin sign, some little wood squares, and some little magnets to place on the back of my squares.

Then it was just a matter of cutting out and gluing on each image to a wood square, distressing each one, and gluing a magnet on the back of each one. I already had the orange blank bingo circles which worked perfectly for my days of the week and the numbers. I was lucky with my tin sign because it had the awesome white decor in each corner already...I just had to paint over the goofy "bar" type words that it had on it.

Then I used some copper color stickles to outline my days for some added interest.

The stickers are from crafty secrets, they make tons of really cute vintage images.
But most importantly, my dd loves this calendar! I made it for her because she loves to countdown the days to every holiday.....and it's something that she can pull out every year and enjoy.

I promise this is the last time....really!

I added some old paper pages to my Halloween mantle.....

I also had to add some of my items from storage...

It finally feels finished to me......

I'm not going near it again except to light my candles....yeah  right.
What is up with Blogger anyhoo? Now I see what all the complaints have been about lately.
They should get their stuff together or they'll have a mass exodus.
Happy hump day.....(does anyone ever say that anymore?)

Feeling domestic today......

Do you ever have days when you think you want to get out and do something.....but then once you're out there "doing", it's not as much fun as you thought it would be? That's my day today.
Knew I had to go to Costco, but luckily, until I pick up my dd at school I don't have anything else I HAVE to do. So I googled "pumpkin chocolate chip muffins"
bad, bad me. See the pic? Can't wait to dig in.....I'll be taking one to my dd after school so she can have a snack before her piano lesson
I don't know about you, but I bet if I ate a pumpkin chocolate chip muffin I bet I'd play the piano better :).

WooHoo, it's shipping today!!!!!!

I'm so excited to get this book! I had pre-ordered it and it snuck up on me. This morning I woke up to the email saying my Amazon order has shipped....I had to remember what I had ordered :).
The idea of this book speaks to me in a major way right now. I've been trying to purge on a regular basis without feeling like I'm depriving myself of my favorite treasures.
I'll let you know what I think of it when it gets here..have a fabulous week!

Someone please.....make me stop....

tweaking my mantle! I can't seem to stop, just when I think I've got it where I want it, I change it!
I thought the banner above suited the more black and white theme than the previous one, sooo...

I also came across some bats and thought they'd look scary against the white brick.
We're looking forward to a relaxing weekend....sleeping in, heading for the pumpkin patch, watching football, more decorating, some late Fall planting.
What are your plans for the weekend?

It's a good thing my Halloween decorations are in storage........:)

Let's face it......if you're a collector and mixed-media artist, things tend to pile up, no? So all of my Halloween decorations are in storage this year for the first time, and we've not had one moment free to go get them.
So what does a girl do? She makes more! These items are all things that I've either made (like the 3 witches piece above) or purchased this past year.....

This garland is new (made by moi) for my mirror....

These cute little galvanized pails were purchased at Value village....just knew they'd come in handy!

Love my scary doll!

Even my lampshade gets some burlap ribbon....

My dd's Halloween village pieces that she's started collecting...Halloween's her favorite! (Don't know where she gets  it from :)

Next time we'll check out the outside, I do hope your decorations are coming along!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A little something for a good friend.......

Tomorrow a good friend and I are going to spend the day together (well, at least part of it!)
She loves Halloween as much as I do, so now that my studio is in much better shape (I'll post pictures soon) I was able to get in there and actually work on something....it felt so good! I hope my friend gets a kick out of this collage, it didn't take me long to make it. But then I start to obsess about the details and don't know when to say when. So I'm leaving it like this, no glitz or glitter because I don't think these look like glitzy, glittery folks....do you?

I do hope you're all having a great week, our weather here is so strange...a perfect day to create something like the above....it's overcast and gloomy..ooooooh.....spooky!

~My Daughter's Hand~

I took my daughter by the hand...we raced to greet the sun...I didn't sweep the steps today, but I remembered how to run.


We traced the fenceline to the pond and watched the polliwogs...now she knows how tadpoles turn into hopping frogs.


She reached her hands up to the sky, a swallow fluttered by...she flapped her tiny wings...so sure that she could fly.


I didn't wash the dishes...my bed it went unmade, but we saw some Easter lilies
And we danced and sang and played.


She watched a pretty butterfly emerge from it's cocoon...my daughter's changing also
And growing all too soon.


You see, she is the butterfly...a vibrant summer rose. Her youth is such a fleeting thing, just like the wind that blows.


I didn't do the laundry...I didn't sweep the floor, because my little girl needs me...to wander..dream..explore.


I didn't clean the house today...I didn't dust the stairs, in twenty years, no one will know or even care.

But I have helped my little girl to a gracious woman grow, in twenty years the whole wide world will turn their heads, and see, and know.


Patsy Gaut

Help me! I've fallen and can't get up!!!!!!!!!!!!

So you may wonder what I'm talking about with the above header about falling.......these pictures will give you a little idea of some of the things I've been up to lately........foofing a table in my living room.

Displaying some of my much loved brown transferware now that it's fall, stacking some thrift store books on top of a platter, I just like that look :)

Adding some piano rolls to a vase, as well as french pages with flowers added...

Finding a new home for this beautiful old frame brought home from the thrift store....

Changing the display on the top of my fridge....that huge round basket with the latch and handles looks so much like one you'd see at PB for mucho dinero, but I found mine at the thrift for very little dinero :).........

And the picture above is where I stall out, become immobile and paralyzed....where to begin with this studio....it's been so long that I just buy some cool item, throw it on top of the counter in there, and sadly walk out....berating myself the whole time. I have been able to make a few things, but usually by removing them from my studio so I can have room to work! Anyone else see the craziness in that?
Wish I had someone to help me, but since I don't it's time to put on my big girl pants and get in there.
Do you think I should get a tetanus shot first? HAHAHAHA!!! She laughs so she won't cry :(
I know this is hardly earth-shattering, and I know it's happened to many of you, but for crying out loud, why can't I be more organized in there? AAACCCkk, so frustrating.
And really, I'm lucky to have this problem, right? After all, it's great to have your own room to create in and I'm so very grateful...now I just need to act grateful by cleaning it up.
Thanks for listening to my pity party, I do appreciate it!
And please say a prayer for me that I don't fall in there, because I probably couldn't get up.....to much stuff in the way.......