Merry Christmas to you!!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend with your families.  This is truly a season to be thankful for all our blessings and give the glory to God.

Be careful in your travels and I’ll chit chat with you all after the time spent with family.

Christmas Village Views

Many, many moons ago……I began to collect these little house ornaments.  I started the series and here it is 27 years later and the collection is still building.

This little house is the first one to create this monster of a collection.

I love all the little details.

Along the way I have added a few items that weren’t part of the official collection but lent a special touch to the village.  The green tree is actually a pinecone painted green and brushed with white for a snowy effect.

These three little figures are about an inch tall, if even that much.  I painted them one year and they have hung out here every year since.

A glimpse of the jolly St. Nick himself as he flies in over the village to deliver his gifts.

The beauty of collecting this village as ornaments is the size.  I am not overrun with large boxes that require a complete storage building for the houses alone.  These guys have their own plastic storage tub and still fit within it’s confines.  Although, I do think I may need to keep an eye out for another one soon with just a bit more space.  I’d love to see what villages y’all have in your homes.  Just leave a comment and we’ll just stop in for a tour.

I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and to all a good night!

Sweat Shop Specials

I have been especially blessed this past month to create window treatments for friends and therefore less time to piddle on the pc.  It’s catch up time here and I’ll give you a little sneak peek into my projects.

This  one was an oriental theme.  The obi idea took shape and there was the most luscious silk chinese toile and red silk to work with ……. yummy stuff!

My friend has a tassel fetish that we often joke about, but her tassels were perfect to finish off these panels and the rod.

Then there is the guest room.  I love these inverted pleats to give fullness without gathers and ruffles.

These panels were hung from amber glass knobs and were perfect for this room full of antiques.  A few more adjustments to flatten the rod of sheers will be the final touch.

There are two more windows to take pics of and I’ll get them posted soon.  The Sweet One will get a new room ensemble and redo in her little room right after Christmas.  WooHoo, another sewing project!

Today, I’ll take some pics of the Christmas décor around the house and share AsAp. 

Spread some smiles around this HOLYday season. 

Small Tokens of Art

It’s been all a tizzy around here and I am starting to catch up to myself finally.  I must share my latest ATC trades with you all.  If you enjoy creating ATC’s, go check out Blissful Art Swap.  It is a great venue to get your creativity on.

This one was a November gift.  The theme was our choice and I love the mom cooking up goodies. It was created by Sonya.

The month of December is all about angels.  This is my adorable angel sent by Courtney. 

I finally got around to sending Courtney her card.

I find it hard to stay in the ATC parameters.  It seems I am always outside the boundaries so often and I was always the one to color INSIDE the lines as a child….go figur!  I just couldn’t find it in myself to clip her little wings at all.

I also have a wonderful group of ladies that I gifted with these little tokens of appreciation.  Using my grandmother’s and great-grandmother’s ‘ear bobs’,  I created refrigerator magnets.  I removed the clips and used E-6000 to bond them with the magnet disc.  I used some of my vintage buttons with a few of them to give them a better look.

Here is a sample of one of them in the finished presentation.  I actually became a little obsessed over the packaging presentation.  I was able to tuck in a little mint also. 

Here is a side view of the little package.  I used a 3/4” hole punch and it held the magnet portion perfectly.  It took a little cyphering to get the measurements to work out, but it wasn’t brainiac stuff.

They turned out to be the perfect size to put on the place setting.

I have photos of more draperies installed to come soon.  I am just really trying to get caught up on LIFE around here.  Christmas is around the corner and the blessed children and Sweet One arrive in a couple of days.  Then the Fun begins!!

When the Grinch's are out and about, just spoil their meanness with a smile and a kind word….even if you are really just gritting your teeth really tight.

Take care Y’all.

Happy Turkey Day

I’ve been absent again from my own blog and I have been missing y’all.  This week I’m sending out Thanks to all my followers, friends and lurkers.  Time for reflection and appreciation for all the gifts our LORD has given us and the opportunity to pursue them.

I hope to be caught up from doing this….

I love the textured fabric we used for the panels.  I’m thinking this would work up into a really cute jacket.  I just get all sorts of Scarlett O’Hara ideas with some of the great home dec fabrics I work with!

Then  I am loving this window treatment….

I dismantled a king size quilt and reworked it for this adorable window treatment.  The final look has tie backs and has a totally romantic look to it.

I will install the next 2 pairs soon for another client and will post those pics.  Another pair will be shipped and I’ll badger her to send me a photo of that décor moment.

I’m looking at these photos with the crazy lighting and blurriness and thinking a new digital mega camera with bells and whistles would sure be nice SANTA!!  hint, hint. 

But I’m still thankful for the trusty point and shoot that is always ready at a moments notice.

Everyone…Have a Terrific Turkey Day and get Stuffed!

Technorati Tags: Thanksgiving,Sewing Projects,Draperies,Window Treatments,Vintage Postcard

BwaaHaaHaa

Happy Halloween to all the little (and BIG) tricksters.  All the porch decorations are prepped and the lights are on waiting on our 6 little goblins.  That seems to be our average over the years out here in the sticks.  But, I am happy to see all their little painted faces and adorable costumes.

I joined Blissful Art Swap and each month we have a different theme and partner.  This month I received my atc from my swap partner, Dana Strickland.  The theme was DARK.  Dana created the collage titled Marvelous Night for a MoonWatch.  It is really a cool little art piece and perfect for this hallowed night!

I also participated in a tag swap at The Art of Altering with Lisa Venable.  I received these cuties from:

Judy Bidwell

Darlene Rolls

Monica Davis

These were some really great tags and I loved the Halloween theme.  Click on their names to visit their blogs.

Great Stuff Maynard!!

In anticipation of tonight, I made some Atc’s in the spooky spirit.

I have this cute stamp in my stash and it is so easy to embellish and color.  One of my fav’s.

Another variation on the same stamp.

This one is a darker theme.  I love using cheesecloth as a layer.  It is so easy to manipulate.

This one  is another layered cheesecloth and an ode to Chester the Cat.

How dare us humans wake him from his snooze on the shoes.  Don’t you know goblins are about?!!  I must get my rest!

The Goblins will be arriving soon and I’d hate to miss even ONE! 

Trick or Treat  to YOU!!

Technorati Tags: Halloween,ATC's,Art Tags,Chester

Old Dresser Redo

I have been working on a new project these last 2 days.  I luv, luv, luv repainting old furniture and I haven’t been able to do this in quite a while.   So I have paint on my newly manicured nails and it is NO problem man!!

I always forget to take the ‘before’ picture.  I hate when that happens.  I did nab a pic after I had sanded the drawer fronts and top.

I put on a coat of primer and let it dry well.  Today I started adding the layers of color.  There is creamy pale yellow and two shades of blue.  You can’t ignore the cheetah that I decoupage  onto the surface also. 

Then I have painted over all of the splotchy mess with white paint.  I often use a beeswax candle or even petroleum jelly over some areas that I don’t want the white paint to adhere.  Not this time though because I really want this to be subtle and I’ll be sanding quite a bit and I think the effect will be soft and very nice worn look.

That is what I have in mind anyway.  While this is drying this evening, I am back in the sweat shop and sewing up some draperies for a client.  And who knows what else will happen when I get my energy back in gear. 

Luv ya and hope to hear from ya soon pardner!

Pumpkins in my Punkin Capital

This year I have pulled out all my Pumpkins and I think they have begun to take over.  My DH’s favorites are the ones that hold candy. 

As much as I planned ahead I still missed Spooky Mondays….yet again!  I set this up to post automatically and the goblins take over and keep it from happening!  I hate when that happens.

My entry table with the purple glitter candelabra  that I scored at Target.  Luv that dollar section, it just grabs you in right off the bat every time.

My mantel got a few ghosts thrown in the mix.  And then it hits me as I am looking at it that I have posted the Not-So-Great  pic and I probably won’t change it right now… yeppers.  The hearth is loaded will all my favorites.  I think I am going to add some more white ones when I search the sales later on.  I visualize a predominate black and white theme next year.

Technorati Tags: Halloween,pumpkin,ghosts

Elegant pumpkin

I couldn’t resist transforming one of my forlorn pumpkins when I saw THIS !  I loved the look and I didn’t have the adorable flower, cute stamp, or the gorgeous napkin, but I forged ahead anyway!  I did have a luscious black and white swirly napkin that I had been holding back for the perfect project.  So, that was a GO in my book.

This is my forlorn pumpkin that had seen better days.

He got a couple of coats of Gesso to cover up his uglies.

After the gesso dried, I used matte medium as my adhesive.  You can use Mod Podge or whatever works for you.   I separated the plies of  the napkin and adhered the single decorative layer onto the pumpkin.

I was quite generous in the application of the medium on top.  The gives a very nice protective finish. 

I then used glitter and coated the stem.  I will probably be purchasing another black glitter that may not have such a blueish tint to it.  Another coat of glitter will make it juuuusssttt right!

I luv this one.  I see it may the foundation of a whole family of black and white flourishes for next year decor. 

I see rhinestones, more glitter…..bwaaa haaa haaa…..

Technorati Tags: pumpkin,decoupage,flourishes,glitter,Halloween

Witch Alert

Come in if you dare…the witches moved in today. 

This one has hit one too many trees I think. 

She is hanging out with her other witchy friends.

This gal has collected her eye of newt and feathers of night owls.

This happy witch has no worries with her cauldron nearby.

With all the new occupants flying in, you’ll have to stop in next week to see all the gifts scattered about.

Be sure to stop by Wendy’s Adventure in Wonderland to visit the many wonderful entries this week.

Technorati Tags: Halloween,witches,cauldron

Thanks for the votes and good wishes

I was shamefully begging for votes here.  Well, the votes were counted and it became obvious that Dee Dee stuffed the ballot box and maybe pay offs?  hmm, OH, that was me!  sorry for any incriminations.  Just funning!  She made a really cute box container for her ATC’s.

Congrats to her and her clever idea!

I appreciate my followers and voters.  Y’all are the bestest friends a gal can have.