One Little (but it's really BIG) Word and The Planners

OK-it's time to develop a new routine.

I want to get a bunch of things completed around the house (like cleaning-hahaha) but I also want to be diligent about my blog. Let's start with my

One Little Word for 2013

I went back and looked at previous posts about the words I've chosen over the years...

Focus

Simplify

 (that was a real failure)

Manage

Celebrate

(this one was easy..so much to celebrate and be grateful for this past year)

My word for 2013 came to me very easily

LEARN

Now that I'm fully retired, I want to work on keeping my mind sharp and my health in check.

There is a lot I can and should LEARN to accomplish these goals.

Plus, there are tons of fun things I want to learn, too.

First of all, for the first time, I am actually doing Ali Edward's on-line class entitled

One Little Word.

(read her blog post about this activity here, and know that you don't have to take the class to participate in this challenge...it's just an interesting goal)

The class goes on for the whole year and at the beginning of each month, you're given prompts to get you thinking about how your word is impacting your life and you keep a journal/photo book.

The class is available through Big Picture Classes

I will write more about my "bucket" learning list as time goes on.

Now, I can never start a new year without some kind of planner. Last year I used this one...

which featured my word for 2012...Celebrate

I found some really nice planners at Target this year and actually decorated 2 of them for friends for Christmas. Both of these friends are experiencing some difficult challenges in their lives right now and I wanted to give them a place to write important appointments and also a place to journal. The planners  have a very sturdy outer acrylic cover and then the cover of the journal is patterned but there is no writing on it. They were a dream to alter.

Mary Ellen's planner...

(the paper label just rips off)

and Jacqueline's...

and my planner...

A work in progress!

This is what the planners look like inside...

Plenty of places to write

OK-off to do some cleaning and organizing and  Planner cover planning...:D

Have a warm and toasty day!

xoxo

Joyce

Two More Sleeps

When I first started to get to know my husband David, we would share stories about our children when they were growing up and the funny things they said and did. One of the things he told me about Eric was that whenever there was an exciting event coming up (Christmas, vacation, weekend) Eric would want to know "how many sleeps?" until that event arrived. I must confess that both David and I...in our 60's...still talk in terms of "how many sleeps?" OK-I'm not sharing any more of our quirkiness at this time. But, with that being said, I just want to tell you that there are 2 more sleeps until this guys comes for a visit....

This picture was taken at the Outer Banks in September. That was the last time we saw Charlie up close and personal. We do have Skype (a free web service that enables you to talk and see the other person using a webcam) but it's not the same as real-time hugging and snuggling. Please click on the photo to enlarge so you can read Charlie's sweatshirt. I think he already is! LOL!

Because of the wicked winter we have had, this visit has been postponed several times which I think made Charlie very unhappy...

We're supposed to have a beautiful weekend here in the 'Burgh so we're planning on a fun time!

Papa and Daddy (Eric) are even going to go to the Penguins game on Saturday afternoon.

I also wanted to share with you, two boxes I recently altered and decoupaged for two very wonderful friends! I think I love decorating and decoupaging boxes more than just about any other paper art work I do.

Box 1

Box 2

Some people would never put a photo on their blog that was less than flattering. Hair, make-up and clothing need to be just right. After posting the picture of my sister and me on my last post (siblings always make silly, goobery faces when photographed together, don't they?) I thought I would just let it all hang out and show you  this picture of Charlie and me taken in September. He was sitting on my lap and I made a face that made him belly laugh...then he made the same face at me and I belly laughed and it just went on and on  from there! We carried on for a long time and my DIL snapped this picture. You may think it crazy but it's one of my favorites...ever! You can count on Gram being very silly this weekend...it's what I do best!

Swap Treasures!

I  promised to show you some beautious things I have recently received in the mail.
First up is the treaury of goodies I received from Linda Freeman in the Swap for All Seasons Altered Tin Swap. Linda is a teriffic artist and I just loved the things she included in this swap! The tin itself is an Altoid tin. I believe Linda used alcohol inks to paint the outside. (The photo does not do justice to the mottling of the colors) She then added an image of a lovely Victorian lady in a frame.

It's amazing what you can fit into an Altoid tin! Here are some of the tiny treasures I discovered...

buttons,charms,a sweet little doily, lace, a bird pin, small vial, a Currier & Ives butter pat and milk bottle caps! (I've been looking all over for these!)

Scrabble tiles....notice the beautiful way Linda finished the inside of the tin and lined it with sheet music.

The inside bottom of the tin displays another vintage lady's image and the words...kindred spirits.

Linda included an additional package of treats...some adopted relatives, a neat button, a silk scarf, foil leaves, a tiny spool of thread and a beautifully packaged tag packet. I love the label!

Wasn't I lucky to have Linda as my swap partner? I sure think so!

Here are the pictures of the package I sent to Linda. I chose black, red and cream as my palette and Fashionista as my theme. The flower on the lid is made from pattern tissue...so much fun to make!

Inside were some bits and bobs (ooo that sounds so British!) including gummed tags, buttons, tickets, vintage seam binding, vintage style pins and various tags.

I included a box of chocolate mint Altoids since I had to eat them all from the other tin for Linda's gifts.

That only seems fair, right?

I packaged the tin, the candy and a little notepad I made in a box and then decorated the lid of the box.

Another successful and fun swap! Thanks to Linda Freeman, my swap partner and Linda Smith, the premier swap hostess who has a talent for matching up the greatest partners with me! If you go to her blog, she will be posting the details of her Winter Swap soon. Take a chance and sign up. It will be fun!

I've been wanting to share this...

I have been away from my computer for a long time! We were away for 10 days and now that we're back I have not been feeling real great. Hope it goes away quickly-I leave again next Tuesday for New Jersey to visit my sister and my daughter!
I had very limited computer access while I was away so I'm far, far behind with visiting my favorite blogs! I have lots to show you but first I want to tell you about something I was busy with before we went away. Two months ago I got an email from my blog buddy Deb Damboise of Say it With Letters! asking if I would be a guest designer for a Fall project featuring one of their wood shapes. I have worked with Deb & Steven's products for several years and I love them. The variety of shapes is phenominal and the ease of working with them makes it super fun. I was honored and excited to be asked to create something for their company.
The shape Deb sent me was a pumpkin. Oooo, nice and fat and round!

 I decided to alter it in a vintage style which I love. K&CO scrapbook paper that looked like vintage wallpaper, some stamped text, distressed paper doily and some silk flowers and ribbons.

After I completed the pumpkin, I turned it over to photograph the back. SIWL always puts these great notches in the wood to make them easy to hang and to hang in a balanced way. When I looked at the blank pumpkin back, I decided I wasn't quite finished!

What could this mean?

I covered the back with some Fall striped scrapbook paper, traced a nose and eyes using an eraser and finished him off with some Fall leaves and some flourishes! But he still needed something else. Of course! Braces!

So there you have my pumpkin with two sides! If you go to Deb's blog, you can see the tutorial.

Because the notches on the back are covered with paper, I am displaying this on a plate stand. He looks real cute in my family room! After Halloween, I'll just flip him over.

Thank you Deb, for having confidence in me and asking me to participate in this project! I had a blast!

My next post will feature some amazing things that have come in the mail!!!!!

I've gotten lots done....but there's lots more to do.....

I did something this week I haven't done in a very long time. I worked 3 days instead of my usual 1 day. Doing this reminded me about why I don't still work 3 days on a regular basis....I am tired! Now I know many of you work full-time jobs and I admire you for that. I did it for years too...many as a single Mom. That being said, it did get me moving and out the door and I was more productive at home and in my craft room, too.

I finished making and mailing the invitations to our cookout for the Book Group next week (they always have ants on them somewhere. I have a collection of "ant" stamps. Is that strange? :D).....

Delivered a travel journal to my friend Pam to take to the Sr. Olympics in California where her Mom competed and won the gold medal in shuffleboard at 80+. Way to go Ruth! Almost all of the siblings, from around the country, went to cheer on their Mom. Pam wanted a journal to record the details about the events.... places they visited.... and their thoughts about the trip....with pockets for maps and brochures....

I also had time to alter a small journal to take to a friend's home as a hostess gift.......

Busy, busy, busy.....but loving every minute! I still have a few more projects to complete and then I have to get busy for 2 Craft Fairs in November! (And my swap....don't forget about that! More about that at the beginning of September!)

In my next visit, I'll post some pictures of several new art pieces I've acquired in the past few weeks. I love Etsy and eBay!

Tower of Boxes cake~

My boss is often asked to contribute items to charitable organizations to be included in auctions for fund raising . One of my favorite events every year is a luncheon fashion show benefiting The Lemieux Foundation. The good Dr. always contributes a generous certificate toward orthodontic treatment to be used by the winning bidder. My job is to come up with a novel way to present that certificate, trying to tie-in the theme with his contribution. This year, the 10th Anniversary of the event, the theme was "Cake" and the colors they were using for the event were pink & brown. OK-first of all, pink and brown are one of my very favorite color combos and cake....who doesn't love cake? As soon as this was mentioned to me, I knew exactly what I wanted to do! What else would a paper-crafter create but a cake out of paper....paper mache boxes in this case. I started with 3 nesting boxes, papers, trims, stamps, flowers and lots and lots of adhesive! This is my creation.....


and how it evolved.....

And the icing on the cake....

I have to say that this is one project that I had trouble parting with. I actually think that I may have to recreate at least one of these "layers" for myself.
By the by, my trip to Iowa was wonderful. My sister, cousins and I laughed, talked, ate, shopped and toured non-stop!!!! Thanks Rita and Lois, for making it the most fun 4 days I've had in ages!