Some of my favorite things

I decided that I would show a few things at
random every so often amongst the scrapbook
pages and other creative things. Actually this
large wreath is one I did several years ago. I
used to make these and sell them. It has such a
cottage garden feeling. This must be timeless, because
I have had it hanging on my wall now since 1995 and I still get so many compliments on it.


I love mercury glass, and would like to
collect this stuff.


I actually really do like to collect these
type of dishes, with scenes on them.
I am not sure what this
is called, but it might be called toile.
If anyone knows please let me know. I
have many of these plates with scenes
on them. And the clock is a toile design that says
Paris on it. My favorite is french country decor.

*Hey here is an update. The dishes that I love to collect
are called transferware. Thanks to Diane Knotts. She didn't even know she helped me out on that one.

Hey here is an idea. Place a cast iron door mat in the middle
of your table for a great centerpiece mat. These also make the best trivets for hot casseroles.

Creatively Green challenge

Don't know if this would qualify for green, but everything used on the card was either from my paper scrap bin, or taken from something else. I even used leftover doilies from my daughters wedding. I only had a few left. The middle embellishment was cut out of paper also. This was the challenge from Nicole for something with glitter.

Who will swap with me?

Here is a sweet little handmade valentine box that will be filled with dark chocolate bliss! And this handmade Vintage Valentine with envelope. Just a simple little scrumptuous swap!

I would love to find a person from my followers who loves to make handmade vintage cards to swap this week with me. I realize I will not get it by Valentine's Day, but that doesn't matter. I just would love something that someone else crafted, and I have visited so many other wonderful blogs lately That I just have gotten so excited about giveways and swaps.
Update: I will be swapping Valentines with Signs and Salvage. Can't wait to get my valentine sign.

I have been visiting so many great and creative blogs out there in blog land that I wanted to post about some which have really impressed me. Check my link list and click on to visit, Bella Vista, Happy at Home, They call me Jammi, nicnacnook, Cherry's Jubilee and many more.

SWEET SWEET Vintage Giveaway happening here!

I am so excited for the first Vintage giveaway ever from 'Something Special.' These items aren't actually old, just the look of old and Vintage. Hope you will all love it and hope you will try to win it! All you have to do is 1) Become a follower to this blog, and 2) Comment at the end of the next post, and make sure I can get through to your blog if your number is picked. If your number is picked, I will get your mailing address quickly and send it out right away to you. I promise it will be judged very unbiased and fairly, and not by me. This giveaway starts now and will be ending on Monday morning February 8th. Good luck! And be sure to check out my Creative blog and especially the next few posts, as there will be the details on what I am giving away.

Details of the giveaway!

For the Decorating portion of 'Something Special' here is a Country French set of molds for the kitchen, these are faux molds to hang on your wall. They are not antique, and are for decorative use only. (porcelain)

for the scrapbooking portion of 'Something Special' here is a set from Storytellers club, designed by me titled "Believe" with 4 sheets matching paper. Also some sweet vintage valentine stickers and a beautiful Victorian twin frame for your wall.

I put this scrapbooking combination together to usher in the Spring, Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. 6 12 x 12 patterned papers
from DCWV, cutouts from Cricut, borders from Martha Stewart, 2 yards of great taffeta leaf ribbon, and other embellishment elements.

A beautiful Spring Scene in this lovely bone china teacup and saucer from England. Can't you just feel the Spring coming with these daffodils.
And check out the handmade Valentines from 2 posts back. They are part of the giveaway too.

Winter Centerpiece!

Here is a look at my winter centerpiece, this is quite a change from the Christmas one on the dining room table. I am sure it will change again in a couple of months to look so spring like. These flowers are from Jacob and Kelli's wedding last February. I thought I might as well get some more use out of them. And the cloth medallion underneath it all is very old. It was given to me by my Mother-in-law many years ago, and it adorned her dining room table as my husband was growing up. There are things from Robert's, Mikasa, Pfalzgraf and even Argentina. I love the calla lilies in the arrangement. They look so real, but they are plastic ones.

A vintage feel

My Creative Space

Some scenes from my creative spaces
I have a few of them around my house.
This is my scrapbook
room. It sure is great to have
special places for creativity
that you don't need to clean up until you want to.

Some favorite layouts

I think this one is a definite contender for one of my favorite layouts that I have ever done.
Think I like it so much, because Tiffany truly was charmed by Isaac, back in the fall of 2004. This Layout was done at the end of 2005. A Journaling block was hiding behind one of the photos.
Click on the layout for the details. There is so much dimension in this one!

Some Christmas decorations

Our Dining room table centerpiece
Our downstairs tree
(I have an upstairs one also)
This is where we
have our gift exchanging.
I absolutely love this tree!
A new wreath I put together
this year for the front door!
And finally down below, some of
my vintage snowmen post
cards glittered up and on
vintage snowflake stands.
Okay now I can move on
to other posts! yeah!
Sorry family members.
I know you have all seen these pictures, but they needed to get onto my creative blog

I've added more layouts!

Check them all out!
There are plenty, and even more to come. I love this layout of granddaughter
Evelyn in her darling Snow White
costume. She absolutely loved trick-
or-treating with her cousins. Could
there be a cuter Snow White anywhere.
I think Not!
*just click on photos and they will
enlarge to show details.

and more fun layouts.

What a beautiful couple they are. My son and his wife were married last February.

Charming Caleb is just what he is. Just look at those expressions.

More pages

Disneyland trip. The parade of dreams in 2006. I had so much fun with this page, and I was the
photographer with these shots.

I'm getting Married! Part of a two page layout. I just love this picture. She is so EXCITED!

More Bridals, the photographer is my talented daughter Tara
Leavitt. The layout is done by me. I think we work together well

.

newly published for storytellers club

My latest set to be published with Storytellers Club and the paper that they designed to go with it. I love holding in my hand the actual sets that are published. Some of my sets are published in the digital side of the Club. If you want to check that out, just click on the digital express of Storytellersclub.com and then click on
check out our products. From there click on designers and my name will come up and then you will be able to see what designs have been published for the digital side as well.