Happy St. Patrick's Day and Swaps!

Top O' the Mornin To You

dear friends. This beautiful little image is courtesy of this lovely lady, Lulu at home on Flickr. One visit to her phototstream and you'll be hooked. She has great images and a huge collection of children's books.

I participated in the Winning Hand swap hosted by the Sweet Goodness girls. In preparing our swap items, we had to include one vintage item, one handcrafted item and a sweet treat. The color scheme was black, white and red and you had to work a diamond, club, heart and spade into your swap goodies. I signed up for this swap because I had been in the summer swap last year and it was a lot of fun. This swap was fun, too, but much more of a challenge. These are the things I sent to my partner...

An altered composition book using vintage Russian playing card images, a diamond patterned Cuttlebug embossed square, some buttons and a monogram.A garden "spade" decorated with more images (see how I stretched here?)A jar filled with vintage buttons, decorated with a multi-layered flower cut from a dress pattern with a "diamond" brad in the center. The label is a copy of a vintage apothecary label and you can have this image if you click on my Flickr link and visit my photostream. I included one of my little matchbook notepads (which you can see in the group shot) and this Special Dates perpetual calendar.Isn't the cover paper wild? To round out the package I included a vintage handkerchief with a crocheted edging and the sweets........this was easy! Andrea and I both love dark chocolate and licorice so I sent her some of both. The tags on the wrapped packages (which I forgot to photograph) were "hearts".

My gifts from Andrea included these 4 pot holders knitted using the four suit designs. They are nice and heavy and the opposite side of each pot holder is the reverse color scheme. Very clever and useful.

Isn't this candy dish beautiful? It is the vintage piece and I love the size of it. I know I'll get a lot of use from it.

Sweets? Fours different flavors of licorice. The traditional black and red and then there is green apple and watermelon. The company is in Minnesota so I think Andrea had a direct link. An adventure for my taste buds!

Thank you Andrea! You made this swap fun and I enjoyed being your partner.

Now on to the next swap......I'll have a sneak peek later today. I can't show too much because Kana, my talented and nice partner, checks in on me from time to time.....

Yay Marie!

My friend Marie is celebrating her 200th post with a giveaway...lots of really nice things. If you have a blog, post a comment on Marie's blog here and tell her I sent you.

Marie is a real sweetie and we've been blogging buddies for a long time. Her random Monday memories are the best! Now go...run right over.

I think I'm in love!

Some time ago I wrote about my collection of dressform stamps. I don't sew anymore but I love the look and the lines of the dressmaker's mannequins. Maybe it's because I have always longed for a small waist.....or any waist for that matter!
I was tipped off by my friend (thanks Mimi) the other day, that Marshall's had a large assortment of wire dressforms in the store. I scooted right over and found many different forms of different sizes in black or shabby off-white. It was hard to make a choice but this is the girl who came home with me. Her name is Tilly, named for the dressmaker on the English series, The House of Elliot. I love the way her skirt is on the bias.
My plan is to embellish her a bit and display her in my craft room. I will take pictures when I've finished so you can see how she looks.
She's 22-inches tall and was priced right, don't you think?
Also on my doorstop this week arrived this new toy......I can't wait to try it out.

This week I had two basket gifts to put together for my boss. They will be used in silent auctions for local charities.


This arrangement included silk roses in a ceramic container, a decorated candle and the Dr.'s gift of a certificate redeemable for orthodontic treatment. I love these projects because they are different from the kind of crafting I usually do. After the arrangements are put together, they are wrapped in cellophane, tied with a bow and a tag is attached. I photographed these before they were wrapped up to be delivered.I love gerbera daisies. This arrangement included 1 dozen pale yellow gerberas bunched and tied with black and white polka dotted ribbon and Dr. Dahar's donation of a Sonicare electronic toothbrush. The box is fabric covered and is the same pale yellow with black swirls.
We are finally getting a break in the weather here in Pittsburgh. It has been one of the coldest winters I can remember in a long while but the temperature is supposed to climb to 60-degrees tomorrow and Saturday which will be a welcome change.
While we're on the subject of LOVE, I have to include a picture of Charlie that Jane kindly sent this week. Charlie's little class at daycare had a Valentine party and from the looks of this picture, I think he enjoyed it immensely! He looks so adorable in chocolate!

I seem to be in a groove

I have been busy working in my scraproom this week. I'm happy there amongst (amongst...really Joyce!) all of the stamps, papers, dies and inkpads everywhere!

First a banner for baby Ava (I really have to work on my picture-taking)

and a small journal for me. I have been wanting to use this dressform stamp for some time and I thought it worked well with the paper I chose (old K&CO) to cover the front of the journal. And, of course, always a paper flower. The pages are unlined so I think I will use this book to keep track of my many markers, inks, punches, dies and art pencils I have so I don't buy the same thing twice...not that I ever do that, do you? It is not uncommon for me to be shopping with my friend Mimi, and exclaim over some wonderful thing I see, and she says to me "You have that!" (That's why most of my friends are younger than me, I need all the help I can get!)

Two weeks ago, before the Valentine madness, my work table looked like this......but now, you can hardly see the top of it. (No picture supplied!)

I thought you'd like to see a recent picture of our Grandson, Charlie. He is 15 months old now and learning so many new skills. Both we and his parents have web cams so we're able to see him often...on line. It's cool to be able to do this but not the same as "in person" with big hugs, high fives and wet kisses! We hope to go visit him soon!

I'm off to babysit with a 3-month old sweet girl today. Such fun!

Have a fun Friday!

Great Give-away

No, not mine. I was reading Dawn's blog, The Feathered Nest, and she featured this wonderful blog, Theresa's Time-Worn Interiors and her 100th post giveaway. Go and take a look at her blog-it's lovely and she has some great links to other beautiful blogs as well. I love finding new and interesting blogs to read, don't you? And the prize gifts are terrific!

Happy Valentine's Day

To my family and friends, locally and in blogland.....

Happy Valentine's Day

I love Valentine's Day. It ranks right up there with Christmas and Thanksgiving in terms of decorations and food. I love making and sending Valentine cards to family and friends, decorating the house and the table with Valentine reminders and having dinner at home. The tradition in our family, and I'm not sure when this started, is to have "red" food for Valentine's Day. For David and me, this will mean dinner at home tonight, consisting of whole wheat raviolis in a tomato and mushroom sauce, Spring greens salad with dried cranberries and toasted pecans and garlic bread. (It's Ok-we'll both be eating it!) For dessert, chocolate mousse cheesecake.
Do you have any special Valentine traditions?
Some of the cards I sent....I have to give some explanation of this card (above) It is for my darling daughter, Michelle, who hates pink. Her favorite color is orange....so an orange Valentine for her! (You Are My Sunshine was her favorite song as a small girl)This card was for Michelle's BFF, Coutney. The little image is from Lulu at Home on Flickr. Lulu is the dearest person and her Flickr pictures are the best! Go take a look!





In addition to their Valentine cards, I sent Michelle and Courtney each a "Grow Your Own Man" kit. One got Mr. Right and the other, Mr. Perfect. I always remind my daughter, when you think you've found Mr. Right, make sure his first name isn't ALWAYS!


Did anyone guess who this was for?I have always been a card sender, even before I was a card maker. Even now, I make a fair number of cards but I am also a Hallmark Gold Crown member and help to keep them afloat. I have noticed that since I have been making cards, even my husband has been choosing cards for me (from the store) that look handmade. I told him that he's welcome to play with my supplies and create something if he'd like to.
My cards for David were funny.........(I made this one)
and sweet......This sweet card came from this wonderful artist, Sarah Jane, whose Etsy shop can be found here. She sells prints and cards and is very talented and a joy to work with. If my kiddles were still small, I know her artwork would be on their walls.
I hope your Valentine's Day is a happy day. If you don't have a special someone to spend the day with, then buy yourself some flowers and chocolate, watch a movie that you love or take yourself out for red food.
Kisses and hugs to you!
Joyce
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXXOXOXOXOXO

February is a busy month!

Between Birthdays and Valentines Day...there are a lot of card giving occasions. I have discovered that once you make a card for someone, the expectation to always make cards for that person is high! Even though I have 100's of rubber stamps (and I love them) my favorite cards are made using vintage images and funny sayings. This month I have had fun making both kinds.

First was Mimi's birthday. Her card had to be girly and "vintagy". The image is from Flickr I think but I can't find the link...I'll keep looking.

Bev celebrated her birthday on the 11th and I sent this card

The images were from the CD that came with this book by this amazing woman, Sandra Evertson.

I have had the book for a while and pulled it out to play with it. Amazing artwork and so much fun to use the images!

Then it was Margie's birthday, too. Margie is the owner of Stamp Fanci. There was no way I was going to stamp a card for the Mistress of Rubber Stamps, and Margie likes my vintage cards so I made this card

The little girl image is from Lisa's Altered Art. Her images her so much fun to use. She sells her art through her website and through Etsy. Some close up pictures...

There was also a baby card to be made. (This will be given with the frame I posted about on Monday. The Mary Jane shoes were made using a Quickutx Revolution (4X4) die. I love them!)
This card was made because I bought the cakestand stamp, by Memory Box, at Stamp Fanci and had to try it out! The large scalloped border on this card was made using a Martha Stewart border punch...of course!
I will be back with some Valentine cards......and I haven't forgotten to post about my own Birthday.
My blog posts are either few and far between or so long they put you right to sleep. If you've read this far-thank you.

3 Friends-3 Frames-3 Different Looks

Three friends happened on some very cute bargain frames last week. Plain white, 5X7-inches, interesting MDF (particle board) mat. The mat was very easy to cover with paper. One frame (Bethanie's) will be a wedding gift,

One frame (mine) will be a baby gift, (The little girl in the frame is me....when I was a natural blonde)

Mimi decorated 2 frames that are available for sale in her Etsy shop here.

We all had fun with our frames....now that I've seen the others, I think I need to run and get more!

I am hoping my heart will continue beating in a regular pattern today...

WHAT AN UNBELIEVABLE GAME....THANKS GUYS!

YOUR CITY IS SO PROUD OF YOU!