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 Swap For All Seasons....my amazing fabric collage from Michelle

Many times I've written on this blog about the  wonderful women I've met through blogging.

Generous, talented, caring women.

I've written about my (blogging) friend Michelle Rondeau in several posts here, here,

and here. I first "met" Michelle through her Etsy store Wood and Fabric . (please take some time to go and visit her store and blog)

For a long time I nagged  encouraged her about starting a blog and she finally did.

Now you can see all of the inspiring things she creates right here.

We have both participated in several of Linda Smith's, A Swap For All Seasons

 seasonal swaps (gee, that's kind of a tongue twister isn't it?) and for the most recent swap...A Fabric Collage...we were paired! I wasn't sure I was up for the challenge of this swap because I've

not done any sewing for many, many years and I didn't know where to start but Michelle

encouraged me to jump in and give it a try. Last week I received my 5X7-inch fabric collage

from Michelle. As of this post she has not received mine (she lives in Quebec) so I won't

show the pictures of the one I made but I couldn't wait any longer to show you

the one I received from Michelle. Please prepare to be overwhelmed!!

I really laughed when I pulled the package and card out of the envelope (an envelope made by the way, from a cereal box...very sturdy!) The carefully wrapped tissue was sealed with 2 postage stamps which is a trademark of Michelle's...she uses stamps on almost all of her art. And look at the baby on this card....I'm sure it's someone Michelle knows...what a cherub!

On to the collage....

A stamped and sewn fabric collage of extraordinary beauty!

My photographs could never do justice to the details of this piece.

Every little detail is perfectly perfect. Can you see the word kindred spirits right above the pin?

The tiny little chatelaine scissors sweetly tied with a button and attached to a small

cloth bag with a token inside that says joy.

A thin glass vial with the tiniest of pearls inside and a coin attached.

A cloth tape measure sewn around the printed image of a little girl.

The famous postage stamp.

And the back of the collage....

It's a pocket! Edged in lace and fastened with 3 vintage buttons, it opened to reveal...

a cloth wrapped packet of vintage ephemera!!!

It took me a very long time to open and carefully examine every little

detail of all that Michelle sent.....I love this collage and it will

hang in my craft studio as a reminder of a treasured friendship.

Thank you Michelle, for another piece of your amazing art!

xoxo

Joyce

Cherished Gifts

NOTE: So as not to confuse anyone with the giveaway details...that post will go up at midnight tonight.
There is going to be a Giveaway this week right here at Scrap For Joy.
I am turning 62  on Thursday and my favorite way to celebrate is to give things away!
 I have to gather the treats together before I can tell you about it so check back after 12:00 AM EST
Until then...

 I would like to show you some amazing things that have made their way to me in the last month...

First is this amazing santos figure that I have been wanting for a long time.

I first saw one of these beautiful ladies on Mary Lou's (House of Whimsy) blog. (Mary Lou is one of my idols...I only mean that in a good way...and I find her constantly inspiring!)  These next 2 pictures have been lifted from her blog. She uses her santos in very creative ways for the holidays

This particular figure was found at Ballard Designs here, but is no longer available. They do have some similar figures. To make a long story a little shorter (I don't know how to tell a short story), before Christmas, Ballard's had an estate sale and featured this beauty......and the day I saw it they offered an additional 25% off....well, I couldn't resist any longer. When I told my sweetheart I had ordered her, he kindly offered to give her to me for Christmas. {{Sigh!}} She is even more beautiful in person than in a picture and I know I'll have a lot of fun decorating with her.
 Thanks for the inspiration Mary Lou.

I have written about my friendship with Marie (Spun By Me) on several occasions. We have been blogging friends for several years now...we've written to each other and have even spoken on the phone.

Our goal is to meet in person this year and I'm confident that it will happen. Anyway, because we are friends, we know each other's taste pretty well. Marie surprised me at Christmas with two beautiful gifts.

The item on the left is a pin, made from the hollow handle of an old knife. Marie made a little arrangement of greenery to tuck inside, tied it with a bow and added a little metal tag that says "believe". Isn't it sweet? The other item is a magnet, made using a small metal tray and decorated with vintage ephemera. Marie and I both love chubby birds (and squirrels...but that's a whole other story!) so this was fitting from one bird lover to another. Marie is a woman of great faith and exceptional talent and I love these gifts from her.

Another blogging friend that I've talked about many times is Michelle of Wood and Fabric.

Michelle hasn't been blogging for very long and I first "met" her through her Etsy shop. She lives in Quebec and is one of the most amazing stamping paper crafters I have come across. I have bought  many things she has created and she has gifted me with some beautiful things also. For Christmas this year she sent me two cards.

The first one featured a figure she often uses in her crafting...

Beautiful-no? But the next card will completely knock your socks off!

It's called a never-ending card. I had never seen anything like it before...

Michelle lifted pictures from my blog...converted them to black and white and created this...

Do you see the slit in the middle...that creates doors that you open to the next page...

Open the doors again...

and again...

and one last time...

and you end up back at the beginning.

I wish you could hold this card in your hands and see the wonder of it!

It is the most amazing card I have ever received and of course with pictures

of Charlie, Miles and David...it was even more treasured!

If you link to Michelle's post here, you can see one of these cards that she made

 for herself in a 12X12-inch size. I really want to learn how to do this! 

Michelle and I just found out that we are partners in

A Swap For All Seasons, Mini Fabric Collage Swap.

(The button for the swap is on my sidebar)

How lucky is that?

Thank you Michelle...this was the most amazing gift!
I hope you have time to visit Mary Lou, Marie and Michelle today.
Tell them I sent you.

Speaking of handmade things...many of you have written asking me about the

roses on the box and tag I featured in my last post...

I did not make them...my friend did, but here is a link from Stephanie of Under the Table Dreaming

with some simple directions. Another tutorial can be found here.
Aren't they fun?



xoxo
Joyce

Special Cards from Special People!

I know, I know...I'm always bringing up the rear but I wanted to show you some

 Valentine's Day cards that showed up in my mail this week..

My friend, Michele,  is the most faithful card maker and sender I know. She always remembers

and is not up until the wee hours, at the last minute making her cards.

They always come on time. I wish I could be more like her.

This is the cute cupid card she made...

My friend Elizabeth sent this one. I wish you could see the detail and the layers in this card. It is a beauty and one that I will treasure. Thanks sweet friend! (That's little Lizzie standing guard)

This card came from my blog friend, Michelle Rondeau, who lives in Quebec.

Her blog, Wood and Fabric can be found here. We became acquainted through her Etsy store

 (I've bought lots of neat things from her) and now we occasionally

email back and forth and have become friends. She knows how much I love

her fairy ladies and she sent me this large dancing fairy which is so much

more lovely in person. Michelle makes beautiful tags, cards, small memory

books and other art pieces. Please take a look in her shop...you will enjoy the trip.

(click on the piture to enlarge)

The last, and most special Valentine came from a boy I love very much.

you guessed who it was from....Charlie!

(seen here with his Mommy!)