Thrift Store goodies

Yesterday I visited my favorite thrift store. I hadn't been there for months and months and I was so excited! I found many things that would have been fun to repurpose but I exercised great restraint and only picked up a few things.

A wooden candlestick to be painted a creamy white and used for a plate stand...a rose platter that will be hung on the guest room wall with some others already there. 

That giant jar is great (and only $4.95). I'm not sure what will go inside but the lid and knob will be painted for sure.

There are my finds of the day...what are you searching for that you didn't know you needed until you saw it?

Happy Thursday!

xoxo

Joyce



Busy, busy, busy

I am always wishing I had a stash of cards  made for my own use and yesterday, I decided to make some. Some time ago I purchased tags from my friend Michelle at Wood and Fabric. (Michelle has a great Etsy shoppe but had to close it temporarily until the postal strike is over in Canada...she can't mail anything out right now. I hope it's over soon.)

These are the tags I bought...

I wanted to incorporate them into  thank you notecards and this is what I came up with...a very simple design

Michelle's stamping is so creative and I love how she mixes many different images in one small project...little works of art...every one of them! You can almost always find a red postage stamp in Michelle's work...stamped or a real postage stamp. It's her signature element.

Another friend, Fernanda, sent me a wonderful "Get Well" gift that included several packages of floral embellishments she thought I would enjoy using in my work.

 I decided to take one of those packages and challenge myself to make some cards using the same scrapbook papers on all of them. I've made 4 cards using the yellow/orange flowers and kraft cardstock.

I cut a bunch of circle shapes using Spellbinders Nestabilities dies and arranged and rearranged them to make card layouts. I'm sure that the top card designers can knock these projects out a lot faster than I can. This was an all day project for me....but a fun one!

I will be using some of the pink flowers and maybe some of the butterflies on my next batch.

The last thing I want to show you is a gift bag I decorated for David's Father's Day gift.

I usually make him a card as seen in these from past years...

but this year I was running short on time and Hallmark has been missing me so I bought cards (SHOCK!)

I did, however, decorate a plain kraft colored bag....

I love button cards and button card images and I used this one...made larger...for this arrangement. I also glued on real buttons. The backing is a page ripped from a Thesaurus, and I chose strips of scrapbook papers that reminded me of men's clothing.

David will see this bag again.....and again. We don't throw hand-decorated gift bags away around here.

The image came from Cathe Holden of Just Something I Made. Her website is amazing and she has tons of freebies to copy and use in your art projects....find some here.

Hope you have a fun weekend. I will be in my workroom creating away!

xoxo

Joyce

A Belated Easter Tag Swap...without an Easter Tag

In the Winter, I signed up to participate in an Easter Tag Swap hosted by my pal Sandy of 521 Lake St. I got my swap partner's name and blog address; Janelle of Sweet Bee Cottage. I was so excited because I had been following Janelle's blog for a while and I liked her style. Then I got sick and I was out of commission for 2 months. Janelle and I wrote back and forth and decided to do a delayed swap. I have never backed out on a commitment and wasn't about to start. In the last several weeks I have working on some things and our swap was one of them. I had gathered and put aside some cute items to send to Janelle before I got sick, but had never actually made the Easter tag. Since it was now June it didn't make much sense to me to create something that would be packed away for a year and I chose to make a summer themed item......a banner proclaiming it...

Summertime

I couldn't get the whole word in one picture!

Janelle collects Bee related things...

I was glad that I had some paper with tiny bees buzzing around. The other papers I used (mostly October Afternoon) just looked so fresh and...uh, well...summery!
I love making banners and I hope that Janelle enjoys this one. I hung it on yellow gorsgrain ribbon with small clothespins. I think by now Janelle should have received her package..if not, don't tell her what's in it.

Summertime.....after the cold and wet Winter we had and not much Spring,

I think we're all ready for some sunny, warm Summertime!





Free Vintage Images (Two Posts in One Day? I must be Feeling Good!)

I almost forgot!! For those of you who use vintage images in your work, I came across two great places yesterday while wandering in Blogland....

Bumble Buttons found here

and

Little Birdie Blessings found here

Both places offer free images that are beautiful.

Ok....enough randomness for one day!
Don't forget to scroll down for the second post...this doesn't happen often folks.

xoxo

Joyce



Thursdays Must Be For Random Posts

Just a few things today...

I recently received 2 books in the mail that I'm really enjoying. (If you don't know this already, I am a magazine and book junkie...mostly decorating and crafting kinds...well, or cooking)

First up....

This book is filled with great ideas for repurposing...like sconces made from baking pans

pillows using crocheted pot holders....

and even lamps made from aluminum thermos bottles...

more cleverness...

The other book is Romantic Style...a book filled with lots of dreamy room settings.

When I saw this picture...

it made me look at my own sofa in the family room...all dressed for summer...

and my mantle birdies...

The little guy on the far right was made by my dear friend MaryLou and can be found in her Etsy shop right here...her things are so cute and I couldn't resist him!

another birdie with writing purchased at a local shop

I'm not thrilled with my mantle arrangement right now...any suggestions?

 I think I need a mirror or tall painting behind everything....it's all too "even".

Birds everywhere!

Have a lovely Thursday....random or not!

xoxo

Joyce

Back in the saddle....sort of

I have lots to show and share over the next days but I wanted to show you some cards that we made in a stamping class I attended at one of my favorite places...Stamp Fanci, a wonderful rubber stamp and scrapbook supply store close to my home. The class was taught by Carolyn Dewey who is a very gifted paper artist and friend. While I was recovering, Carolyn sent me this beautiful card..

The class she taught was variations of this card design. These are the 3 cards we made.

I really enjoyed this class and knew that if I didn't make a card on my own as soon as I got home, I would forget the steps involved.

This is the card I created using Carolyn's directions.

The button card and buttons were made with a Paper Trey Ink stamp set found here. It's a great set and one I will use again and again I'm sure.

Now that I'm wielding a pair of scissors and have inky fingers and lots of new supplies....I have some swap commitments to fulfill, and a new swap to plan for with A Swap for all Seasons.

I'll be back soon with more to show!!

Hope your weekend is sunny and fun!

xoxo

Joyce

PS While I was feeling in a card making mood....I made this one, too. I used my new Tim Holtz, Sizzix dress form die...how could I resist this die?

I just noticed that my followers have flown away...sure hope they come back!