Mail has been good to me!

My first Easter swap package came, and boy did I get spoiled from Kristin at Signs and salvage.  Kristin sure knows how to make wood pieces look worn and shabby! I love this recipe box!

                   Then I unwrapped this wonderful hanging hook.

                               Don't you love the knob to hang pretty things on! So wonderfully shabby!

 I was so tickled with my box I could hardly stand it. I love love her signs. I now have two Valentine signs, a Halloween, and now these wonderful Easter signs. The Tea party sign will come in handy when I have the fun tea parties with my granddaughters. (I have 11) 

This shabby little round frame will be perfect for my Easter Centerpiece.

  She added these fun and cozy hand knit slippers. Can't wait to use them.

                   She made this wonderful little shredded book nest and filled it with malted eggs.  Everything came packed in the shredded book pages.  These eggs won't last long!

                        

 I am sorry if some of you are jealous. This was too good to be true.  And if that wasn't enough, on the same day I received this surprise package from Susanne Kalla for the "pay it forward" I was involved with.

 I must get busy and send some things out for pay it forward.  She will be one of my recipients also, as she commented on my blog and I hers.  Thank you so much Suzanne for the lovely button bouquet, and the sweet little heart pillow, and that dragonfly brooch is so so cute!

Bunnies and Eggs!

This bunny was not made by me, but I couldn't resist it's vintage feel. It looks like you could just unwrap the chocolate bunny, but it is just a decoration!

These styrofoam eggs were easily decorated with tiny sequin pins.  I love the stretchy wire trim to give it a true vintage feel!

This bunny was from a 'lot' I bought of bunny seconds. I loved fixing him up, with a sweet little tart tin, spanish moss, painted plastic eggs, and a crepe paper collar.

Lately, I have been crafting away in my craft studio. I have been getting ready for Easter swaps, that I am involved with. Some of the eggs will go to Thimbleprims Easter Egg Swap and the other eggs and bunnies will be for another swap I am doing with three wonderful blogging friends.

This is a pre-painted wooden egg that I decorated. I added big tulle bows to the bottom and a used millinary and paper flowers. Lots of pink rhinestones on this one.

I wanted a nest for the craft studio, so this is what I came up with. Spanish moss over a grapevine wreath, shredded sheet music, vintage lace, millinary flowers and styrofoam eggs. I love it!

Giveaway in honor of Kinley's Birth

Since Easter is coming, and Spring has officially arrived, and most importantly I have that new little darling grandbaby Kinley, I thought I would put together a fun spring inspired giveaway. If you are a card maker, scrapbooker, chocolate lover or fancy fabric collage pockets, then this giveaway is for you!

This giveaway will include a fabric collage pocket done with a lovely vintage Easter image. Embellished with ribbon, laces, trims, vintage buttons, flowers, and varigated thread and stitching.

These pretty spring 12x12 papers from S.E.I. and a new sticker alphabet sheet.

And in the pocket, lots of goodies, from my stash, all spring colors etc. There is rub-ons, punch-outs, paper and stickers.

More embellishments, and two brand new packages of clear stamps.

And finally, this 'peter rabbit' chocolate Easter Bunny. All you have to do is comment on this post, and make sure you are a follower, and for an extra chance, put the button up on your sidebar. (you can use the picture above) Oh and be sure to look at the darling baby girl in the previous post. She is a little doll. And I am not at all prejudice on that one! lol                I forgot to mention that this drawing will be March 31, 2011. 

My latest project

This week my newest grandchild was born, and I guess I am a proud Grammy, cause I just have to show her off! She wieghed in at 6 lbs. 6 oz. and I sure think she is "Something Special." Meet little Kinley Paige, and she is a sweetheart. I have been at my daughter's home since Tuesday. Watching her be born, and helping the wonderful little family with their new little sister.

Born on March 15 just before Midnight. Last night we did a photoshoot with little Kinley. She was only 4 days old. She is sure a sweetheart, and thank goodness I only live 1 hour away from her and her siblings, cause I miss her already. I came back home this afternoon. I miss that wonderful newborn smell and softness. I miss just being with her family. There is nothing better than this!

We aren't professional photographers like my other daughter,
and we sure wished she hadn't been so far away. She could do
so much more with these newborn pics. We had a lot of fun anyway.

More vintage Matchbox swapping

Laurie, of Indulge yourshelf sent me this cute spring vintage decorated matchbox. She was to late to get in on the "Petite matchbox swap-Flea market edition," so I asked her if she wanted to swap one with me. I received it on Friday, and again, had so much fun opening it, as I always do with any matchbox full of goodies.  There was some really fun stuff in there. I love swapping matchboxes! A very cool vintage piece of jewelry adorns the top of the box covered in music sheets.

Vintage buttons, crocheted rose, vintage ephemera and trims lace and millenery flowers etc.

Here is my Spring themed vintage box I sent to Laurie.

I found this darling little tiny procelain figurine, clothes pins, piece of vintage fabric, vintage clippie, charms etc. The items that we put in that were the same were, an old colored floral hanky, millinery flowers, stamens, vintage buttons, and foil embossed dresdens. We must think alike and that to me is part of the fun of it. It's not like we talk about what we are putting in, but when you swap with someone, who really gets it right on what kinds of things you like. I just love love love swapping.

Flea Market editions arrived!

Diane Bouchard is a mixed media artist, and very talented. She was one of my partners in the "Petite Box Swap Flea Market edition" recently, and sent me this decorated matchbox. Isn't this so clever and so vintage!! I love the way she used the typewriter keys, for my initials. And that little ribbon embellishment is wonderful!

She filled it with all sorts of vintage flea market goodness. It was so fun to open and look through each little thing. There was some old advertising ephemera from way back that was British. I just loved it all. Thankyou to Diane.        

My first to arrive was sent by Erica Hofstetter of Zunky Chic. com. Her style is so similar to mine. She says that we must have the same DNA. I agree we are Kindred Spirits. We put some of the same things in our boxes. She sent an old piece of Chenille, and I am already using that one. I love the way she decorated the box too. She used an old pattern instruction paper. I love adding more buttons to my collection, and well it was just so me. Anyone out there that doesn't think that a matchbox swap isn't fun is fooling themselves. It is amazing the amount of stuff that will fit into one of these standard size matchboxes. Thanks to Heather for hosting this swap, over at The Speckled egg.

Notice how nice and neatly everything was put together.  I am wild about the tape she used.  Would love to find some like it!  Thankyou to both my partners, I love love love it all. I liked it so much I am doing a third one with Laurie of Indulge your Shelf. She expressed a feeling of DARN as she missed Heathers swap, cause it was too full. So I will be getting a new one soon. I will post that exchange later.

Pay it forward 2011

I was visiting a couple of blogs today, and there is something wonderful going on.  check out daniellesserendipity.blogspot.com

It's a challenge.  Really something we should incorporate into our daily lives anyway.  It's about doing something good for someone else.  Not to be repaid.  Not to receive anything back.  Not to receive attention or credit.

 Unselfish love, simple as that.  

I am making this challenge to all who read my blog but

the first five people

who comment on this blog post will receive a handmade gift from me.  

In return, you must FIRST write a blog post explaining Pay It Forward 2011.Then.... send out a handmade gift to the first 5 visitors who leave a comment.

Using the Good stuff

 When I saw Karla's challenge, I looked around my studio, and saw a new very plain black journal lying there.  I have been thinking of coming up with something to help me stay on track with all the blog swaps, giveaways, physical addresses, thoughts about blogging, and ideas that I wanted to keep in mind.

 I used some of my antique lace, some new felt leaf trim, and old beaded necklace, and most importantly a piece of old bling from my hoards of vintage rhinestone jewelry.  If it hadn't been for the challenge, I think it would still be in the pile, because I haven't wanted to use it.  Anyway, I came up with this blogging journal.  I sure had fun creating it on March 5, 2011

 It was dark, and my lighting was not very good either, but in a way, I kind of like the way pictures turn out in my studio after dark.  It usually has an antique ambiance to it.

 I also used old wall paper in the back cover, these paper roses (prima) and these lovely millinary leaves from the Speckled Egg.

An old button and elastic with key attached is the latch for my journal.  I am pleased with how this turned out, and I would like to thank Karla for her wonderful challenge and the link party!  Karla's Cottage  is one of my greatest inspiration blogs.

The back inside cover is done in the vintage wallpaper.  Just love the old flocked papers!

Birds around mean Spring is coming!

        

 Just heard that tomorrow in Southern Nevada, it will get up to 70 degrees.  I am wanting to get out in the yard!  I love birds, and have found some wonderful images, and ideas on blogs.  Below is an idea I got from Karla's Cottage.  I hope she doesn't mind me getting the idea from her blog. (You simply must check out her blog, it is so inspiring for me.)  I just admired it so, that I had to try and make some for myself.  I made two of  them and these are my versions of her idea.

Sorry about the outlet plate in the background.

Please try to ignore it.  I had fun making these and had lots of fun going outside to gather the sticks
and old grapevines.  It was such a fun paper project.  I used vintage buttons and some felt leaf trim,which I purchased from the Speckled Egg. And it is all done onto chipboard cutouts.
                                                  

                                                                                

Here is a chicken egg, believe it or not.  It is in my fridge,  and was given to me by my egg man.  He gives me all the prettiest eggs that his hens lay.  I think this one is very unusual.  Love this image, and I learned that some of this speckled on the eggs is just pigment.  If you get a very speckled splattered pigment egg, it is probably because the hen hasn't laid for a long time. (as they do in winter)  I just love natural colored eggs.

 On one of the swags, it says 'we have a great thing'  I sure feel that way about our 'nest' (our home)

Another lovely victorian bird image.

I used vintage book pages and vintage music sheets.  Wow was this ever fun creating.  Not sure where in my home I will hang it.  I am keeping one and giving the other as a gift.