Mini valentine matchbox swap

I just have to post this.  I don't think my partner has hers yet, although it is in the mail.  I just think it was so fun to do this tiny project, and fun to receive one, that I just can't wait!  Above is the one that my partner and host of this swap who is the wonderful Joanne at Vintage Dragonfly, sent to me.

Everyone was suppose to decorate the tiny matchbox and make 3 tiny ATC's to put inside.  Look at these precious little ATC cards.  So sweet.  Thanks so much.  She included a pretty tag too.
Below is the one I sent to her. . . . . .

I added a little loop at the top so that it could also be an ornament!

I also made this thank you/Valentine card for all she does for us in hosting her matchbox swaps in our Flickr group.  

Notice, I used the same heart chipboard cutouts.  (from my Cricut) on many Valentine's that I have made recently.  I used vintage lace and velvet ribbon, which are two of my favorites.  

Handmade and Vintage Valentines Around my house!

This was last years Valentine decoration.  I pulled it out again.

It was a great paper craft!

One of two cards I made with this lovely image, from the graphics fairy.  This one was sent to Indulge yourself's blog for a Valentine's Day swap.  And the other is to be given away in my fab giveaway for Valentine's day.  Be sure to check it out in the post below and get entered in for the drawing!

inside this card.

a vintage card tucked into the teacups.

another vintage card tucked into my shelf of teacups

One of my excellent signs made by Kristin from signssalvage.blogspot.com  We even share the same birthday!

This is the front of four Valentine ornaments I made for the swap also.

The back side of the same ornament

Another one of Kristin's wonderful signs sent to me for last year's birthday.  I just love her vintage signs on recycled boards.

Another quite old Valentine card which I framed.

Just had to throw this in there.  It is a sweet music box from Switzerland which plays Lara's theme.  (I love song from Dr. Zhivago)

and one more. . . . .

My first two grandbabies captured in this adorably sweet double heart frame.  They are both 9 years old now!

Valentine/Birthday GIVEAWAY!

ANNOUNCING a giveaway in celebration of my birthday month and Valentine's Day.  I made this necklace a while back and it has been in my Etsy shop.  I really love it myself, but since it has not sold I will give it away.  It is wonderfully colorful and shabby!  Also the Vintage look Valentine card and the Vintage Doily are included.  Maybe a little bit of chocolate might be included too.

This card is one of two that I made from this using this image I got from the Graphics fairy.  I just love this image of this brunette beauty, and it was an actually Valentine image.

The drawing will be on February 8, 2012.  This way by Valentine's Day the winner will have the prize.  My birthday is on the 13th, so this will be a perfect day to end this drawing.  To be entered into this drawing, just comment on this post, become a follower if you are not already.  Let me know that you are a follower and for an extra chance to win, please put this picture on you sidebar linking it back to this post.    Thanks so much and have a wonderful Valentine Season!

Decoupaging and Painting up a Storm for a very special reason!

Here are all 18 of our grandchildren.  They have become so special in our lives.  I think we will be staring at this wall lots during each day.  How can we help it!
And this morning as I was finishing up this wall,  my husband and I could not stop looking at  all these wonderful faces, and reminiscing about each one of their wonderful little personalities.  These pictures are some of our favorites of them!  Besides the gallery wall check out the other projects I have been working on or should I say decoupaging or painting.

With the neutral changes that have been taking place at my house, and wanting to get new pictures up of my family members.  I have been decoupaging everything that goes in the living room or dining room that had a surface which could be decoupaged! Or I have painted it white!  In the last 4 days I have been working on this grand kid photo gallery wall, and because I needed a little bit of variety even with the neutral look, I have decoupaged frames, a clock, and oh one of my favorites for my studio, the little mannequin dress form I scored at a garage sale for $1.00.
There are lots of pictures in this post, and I have to say that my photo gallery at the end of our grandchildren turned out much better than anticipated!

 First I took these old books, (German hymnbook, and an old dictionary etc.) and rip the pages from them.  (I check out and see if they are worth anything first)  If not I go to work on them. 

I decoupaged some frames.  

This one below was decoupaged with the old dictionary.

I decoupaged this one but left the pretty edge on it!

This clock then became this (below). . . . 

I left part of it green, because it matches my wall in the living room.  

And this little dress form became this after I sprayed the gold part black. . . .

And this became this. . . .

This word just has to be present in my home, because my home reflects so much joy with husband and family.  It is not just for Christmas at our house!  

This was burgundy and gold, but now it is white.   

a look into the dining room where the gallery wall is!

I am not finished with my living room, but the dining room is just how I want it now.  

Moving toward a more "Neutral Shabby Palatte"

After all the Christmas decorations got put away, I wanted to freshen up the look in my house.  I am moving to a more neutral shabby look and have been painting up a storm.  I found this piece above at a yard sale for $1.00 and it was gold so I painted it white and distressed it a bit.  I love how it turned out!  

I love white pitchers, so they are back on my mantel, and in some of my book shelves by the fireplace.  

this was fun to spray paint, because when the white paint hit it, this color started to bleed through and running down, to make a really fascinating affect.   See below the finished product.  It is fun to see what the spray paint will do on different finishes.  

I have been collecting all the small frames around here and painting them too.  Spray painting and just painting with acrylic paint.  I do like the silver frames though with the white so won't be painting them.  I will post my gallery wall with all the new frames in the next post.

Finally some scrapbooking done!

I finally got out the pages I had done while at the Fairview Retreat in November and finished them.  I needed to reprint some photos because of bad color, and finish some journaling.  You can view more of the family pages I did while at Fairview, on my other blog at askmichelespecialpaperprojects.blogspot.com.

 I wanted to put this one here at Something Special, because this is my beautiful grandbaby Claire, and I know I have shown her before with the dress I made for her blessing, but I wanted to show the layout I did for her too because I used pieces from Storytellers Club to embellish, which I designed and had published.  I can't take much credit for her beautiful looks, but I can take credit for what she is wearing and the layout which showcases her sweetness, and the blessing we were celebrating.

She is the sweetest little baby girl!  We all love her very much!