Happy Halloween with Ivins and Prima

Happy Hallloween!

Only one day until the big Craft Show...I'm trying to get everything finished up today so that we can just enjoy seeing all of the kids tonight as they come around for Trick or Treat!

I wanted to show you the special Halloween card I made for my sister.

When we were little, we always looked forward to the Fall because that is when Ivins Spiced Wafers would appear in the grocery stores.

 Oh how we loved them with a cold glass of milk!

They are almost impossible to find anymore, unless you want to spend $18.95 for 2 boxes on Amazon!

Well, lucky us...every year my sister and brother-in-law take a jaunt to the New Jersey shore to visit friends and there is a grocery store there that carries Ivins!!! Barb always gets us each a few boxes and I bring mine home after we're together at Thanksgiving. David isn't so crazy about them so I don't even have to share! Ivins are one of those things that immediately take me back to my childhood.

In honor of my loving sis who always remembers, I decided to make her an extra special treat this year!

A Julie Nutting for Prima Paper Doll and Ivins Spiced Wafer Halloween card! Yup, I used the box front and built from there...

You know that I'm a "cute" Halloween person and not so much a "scary" fan. Of course, I had to add a little bling to my witch!

I hope you have a treat filled day..

.

I will be back after the Craft Show is over with pictures and 

Swap goodies! I may even have a give-away!

Happy Halloween!!!

xoxo

Joyce

Some Craft Show Peeks

I have been busy for the past month or so, working on projects for the annual Craft Show I participate with every year. The house is strewn with banners and art boards, waiting for ribbon or twine. My craft room is indescribable.....kind of a happy train wreck! Lots of things going on at the same time!

The show is next Friday and Saturday, November 1 & 2.

I haven't been spending as much time as I'd like visiting blogs and websites and David said our life is divided into two sections, BC....before Craft Show and AC...after Craft Show. Most things have been put off until  "AC". Then, I will have time to clean out closets and switch out short sleeved shirts for turtlenecks and light-weight PJ's for the flannel kind I love in the cold weather. For now, I can be found going back and forth between 2 bedrooms as I search for the warm layers we are suddenly needing. OK, enough whining!
 I do want to express my appreciation to my wonderful husband...he has cheerfully volunteered to be the chief cook for the next week. Right now there is a huge vat of his  Vegetable Beef Barley Soup cooking on the stove and the aroma is heavenly! I will return to the kitchen... AC. 

I will share with you some peeks of some of the things I have been working on for the show.
I have been working on some Thanksgiving and Christmas themed collages...these are lots of fun to do!

Banners...these are 2 snowman banners I've most recently been putting together...

(This one is actually 5 panels...Pinterest has been invaluable for the vintage images I love to use!)

(The "joy" die cut is from Dear Lillie, here)
Small art boards...

(This is 5X7 and the image was cut twice and layered.)

David helped with the fork project...

Bending the forks so that they stand level is a little tricky, but he did a great job!
Perfect as stands for the art boards!

OK...just some peeks for now! Hope you enjoy!

xoxo
Joyce

Spoolie Swap Finale and Around Here!

(super cute owl made for me by my dear Goddaughter, Wendi, of Enchanted Forest Crafts.  click on the shop name to go there)

I haven't had much time to post or visit these days. I'm getting ready for a big Craft Fair on November 1 and 2 and like all crafters....I'm working my fingers to the bone in a frenzy! I've completed a slew of Fall/Thanksgiving themed items and now it's on to Christmas! I like to add some new things every year so that folks don't get bored but the planning of new things is a trial and error process for me. I will be showing you some of what I've made in future posts.

For today, I want to share with you the wonderful gifts sent to me by Erica, of Golden Egg Vintage. She was my sweet partner in Deb and Sandy's Fall Spoolie Swap!

First, let me say that the spoolie is amazing!! Erica made it herself from paper clay...don't know how she did it but the detail is great...pictures do not do this piece justice!

I tried to capture the details in this piece for you to see. It's really nifty!

Erica also sent some Halloween scrapbook papers, Washi tape, chocolate and shortbread cookies (long gone!) and the most wonderful vintage Christmas scrap!!!

Love the Santas!! Erica, thank you for being a superb swap partner! Your talent is awesome and I am so lucky to have a piece of your art for my own! xoxo

You know how I agonize over my mantel decorating. It didn't used to be a problem for me (I think I was really bad at it but didn't know any better) but since the dawn of Pinterest, I suddenly want to be a Better Homes and Gardens quality stager...it's never going to happen! Last month I decided that I wanted to do the majority of my Fall decorating focusing on white pumpkins. I am smitten with the many and varied shades of white and cream. I threw some things on the mantel....way too spread out!

Following the trend-setters, I started to move everything inward. What a difference!

I will let the other pictures speak for themselves...

and the dining room...

(Wendi also made the felt leaves hanging on my twigs (the best $7.99 I ever spent at Whole Foods in the Spring) but she doesn't have any of these in her Etsy shop right now.)

(I had a gift card from Pottery Barn and I used it for the white pumpkins in this bowl...they are very realistic. Not available in the store, only online. The orange pumpkin was made by me last year from a spool of crochet cotton and a branch piece)

Do you remember my two-sided pumpkin I decorated several years ago? I was asked, by Deb Damboise, to be a guest designer for her company Say It With Letters. They cut really great shapes from MDF board to decorate as your heart desires. Her shop can be found here...and right now they are offering free shipping over $35 until December 31!! You can see my tutorial for the pumpkin here.

OK...I've gotten kind of caught up for now...

I'll be back soon with some Craft show Peeks!

xoxo

Joyce

Deb and Sandy's Halloween/Fall Spoolie Swap

Wow! I haven't done any swapping for a long time and this month I have been in 2 swaps....very different but equally fun.Deb of Garage Sale Gal, (yes, the same Deb who I just sent cards to in the Swap For All Seasons swap) along with Sandy of 512 Lake Street, suggested this swap a few months ago.

For the Spoolie swap, my partner was Erica of Golden Egg Vintage.

Erica is a collector of vintage things and her favorite is Christmas....I'm telling you this to help you understand my swap package for Erica. I followed the guidelines for the Spoolie and Erica said she loved Halloween. I hope she likes the sweet side of Halloween...

I love all of the sweet Mary Engelbreit Halloween images and chose this one of Ann Estelle (my all-time favorite) to create Erica's Spoolie.

Too cute to spook is what the little tag says. Do you like the flying bat??? LOL!

I could never come close to finding the kind of vintage treasures that Erica does at the many Estate Sales she visits so I decided to make something using vintage images and an old Bingo card. I included the vintage look mug (and some other things I forgot to photograph) and some yummy local chocolate!

Erica has been struggling with her RA lately and her package to me has been delayed a bit. Please hop over and wish her well.

I t was a pleasure to be your partner in this swap, Erica!

Thank you to Deb for all of her juggling in getting everyone matched up.

Thanks for visiting....I love it when you let me know you've been here!

xoxo

Joyce

Today is World Card Making Day

I thought I would share a few cards today in honor of the occasion...

I saw this Christmas card on Pinterest and fell in love...

(source)

Jenny has a most beautiful blog and her cards are amazing and gorgeous!

I loved the elegance and the roughness at the same time.

I already had the Memory Box grapevine wreath die and the corrugated cardboard so I decided to make a variation of this card.

Instead of stars, I used red Stickles as berries on my wreath. It has a bit more primitive look but I like it and will make more of these.

If you are a Downton Abbey fan, you will understand this card I made for my friend Anne for her Birthday...we love Mr.Bates!

I love funny!

I just made and sent this Birthday tag to a long-time friend, Elizabeth, of Creative Breathing.

She has stepped back from blogging but is an incredibly talented woman and an inspiration to me and many others. I hope you had a wonderful Birthday, my friend.

Always loving the Julie Nutting for Prima paper doll stamps, I created this in Elizabeth's favorite color palette.

I hope you can find time today to create something...

xoxo

Joyce 

A Swap For All Seasons-Friendship-Part II

Deb has received her package so I can show you what I made and sent...
For the Friendship Swap, I made a card and tag for Deb of Garage Sale Gal,

I have "known" Deb for several years, although I can't remember how we "met". I know she won a birthday giveaway I had so that may have been the start of our blogging friendship. Anyway, she's a sweet lady and she frequents Estate and Yard sales and then sells what she doesn't keep.

I have purchased a few things from Deb through her blog (OK, I have contacted her and begged her to sell me a few things)

I was very happy to learn that I would be creating for her! She has sent me several handmade notes and cards which I will keep forever because I never throw away a handmade card!!

Here is the card I made for Deb...

I used a digital image purchased from Miss Ali's Emporium on Etsy. Miss Ali has beautiful images and I love the subtle coloring she does on some of them. I seemed to feel a great affection between these 2 women.

Some vintage seam binding and lace and a little vintage-look embellishment were required

I went for a more modern feel with the tag...

using one of my Julie Nutting for Prima, paper doll stamps.

Every girl wants a little fancy!

and for the destash....

I hope you have lots of fun with this assortment, Deb!

This first swap with A Swap For All Seasons was great and you can look at everyone's offerings HERE.

Next up is the Fall Spoolie Swap I participated in.

See you soon!

xoxo

Joyce