Theme Thursday~

This weeks theme is: bordersI curved my border around the circle in this door hanger. I love to use this particular "border" which is made out of vintage book pages then just painted white around the edge. I am such a creature of habit~ I made 4 of these... You can see more borders here.

Cauute!

I've made a little banner with my grandaughter's name on it... caute! (she'll be born in February) I love how the flowers turned out on this piece. Very time consuming to make them...but well worth it~

Boutiques~

I always buy super things when I go to the boutiques (thrift stores) most of the time I rush to put things away-- not today! Alright, I put away about half of it.... lol

Here are some photos of the things I got today~

8 yards of pink chenille fabric -12 bucks

an old pillow doll wearing a red velvet outfit -1 buck

Vintage lighted/musical church -6 bucks

3 brass horns -3bucks

huge bag of Christmas ornaments -4 bucks

2 angels with pink flocked capes -50cents

a small Christmas tree in a black pot -4 bucks

and finally the "best buy" of the day taaaaaaaaaadaaaaaaaaaaa an ostrich egg nativity/musical thingy-ma-jigger!!

Here is the egg with the doors open showing the nativity. The music box is inside the bottom of the egg...pretty cool. It cost 8 bucks~
(Several photos above is a photo of the back of it...)

Altered tins~

I've started working on my altered tin for the "Altered tin Swap" I joined. I have no idea when I've to mail it out. The devil is in the details right? Well.... lets just say, I don't believe in the devil lol

Here are my two tins I've been working on:

I've never made an altered tin.... so my partner is in for it lol. I've made two, one was to practice on. However-- I worked on them both at the same time, and I could never remember which one was the "practice one" I think they both are turning out kinda cute if I do say so myself. All of the altered tins I've seen are rectangle.... so of course I had to do a round one.

One tin has a woven nest with eggs.... I think this one I'll mail to my partner. The papers...not that you can see them are from an old school text book from 1818.

The other tin is smaller...

Being that I firmly believe in "more is better"... I am about half way finished with these.

Treasures!

Since I had my grandson this past weekend, I didn't get to go out & about and visit as many yard sales & thrift stores as I would have liked this past weekend. I did go to a few yard sales with him.... and it was a chore! Anywho, my hubby was home today so he chauffeured me (and my grandson, I had him today for a few hours as well!) to two thrift stores. I come across some major cute stuff, you just have no idea!

I spotted this silver 4 tiered number from a distance and squealed with delight all the while thinking it was going to be big-bucks. Hmmmmm $24.95.... eek. (I am so cheap lol) My husband said, "Ah, your worth it.... lets just say Happy Christmas" I chuckled and said, "Sweetie, this isn't Happy Christmas, this is just plain ol' happy Monday." I had visions of this holding ooodles of crafting stuff, my husband had/has visions of this holding candy LOL. Soooooo I hummed/hawed and looked over at the check out girl...hmmmmm I can surely get a discount from her lol. I took up the rest of my loot, did what I like to call my "razzle-dazzle" (seriously, I've got this down to a science) and got it for $20 bucks lol I could have gotten it cheaper, probably around $15, but hey, the money is for veterans and I don't want to take from them--- to much lol

The wicker two tiered number-- $2 bucks (has a tag on it from an antique store reading "Swedish Srensk B. Soljd" serving tray $25) The gold metal house--$1 buck (soon to be pink & glittery)

I got a lot of flowers & Christmas trees for $2 bucks

A lot of other things as well, all put away and forgotten already lol

Lastly, another photo of something that made me squeal~

A mouse outside my house--

in my bird feeder that I made awhile back. Look at how chubby he/she is! I think its getting fat off of the sunflower seeds! The photo is not that clear because I shot it through the sheer curtain & screen door... its cute, but... you know... eeeeeeeek!!

Mixed Media Monday~

This weeks theme is: Ornamental Christmas. I've made 6 of these cones~ They were made using discolored pages from a 1920's newspaper. (don't you just love the color?) I cut the cone shape from a heavy cardstock and glued the newspaper on the inside as well as the outside. I didn't have to do the inside, but it was so white-- it just screamed "cover me!" Once they were dry, I shaped each one into a cone, you should always do this before glueing, just so you know it is going to work! I then used my hot glue and attached it quickly to hold the shape :-) *hugging glue-gun* I lovvvvvvvvve my glue gun! I then added vintage gold tinsel garland around the top and stuffed it with odds & ends. Nothing is glued in place, just stuffed-- just like the holidays! I also added a metal hole thingy on each side, what do you call those? Anywho, I just punched them into place and added a ribbon hanger. Soooooooooo easy-peasy! I'm going to hang these in my living room for some added Christmas decor~

Here is a neat "cone holder" that I picked up for $2 bucks at a thrift store--- it makes it so easy to stuff a cone with this little cutie holding it~

Theme Thursday~

This weeks theme is birds~

I created a nest for a glittered silver bird which I gave baby blue rhinestone eyes to.... the nest was created using two pages from a diary written with blue ink-dated in the 1900's. The egg itself is an ostrich egg that I got at an estate sale for .10cents. (photo at the bottom shows what it looked like before) It was cracked, so I just broke off the top bit and worked with the bottom part of the shell~

The shell was painted white (to hide the previous decoupage) and then completely covered with glitter inside & out! I created the party hat added a baby blue feather and taaaaaaa~daaaaaaa "instant cute"

(before photo) You can see more Theme Thursday art here.

Mixed Media Monday~

This weeks theme is: Autumn colors~My yard is full of leaves this time of the year.... so its only fitting that I showcase some of the fall fairies that love to toss leaves all about. These little cherubs are going to be part of my Thanksgiving decor~ I've created an assembleged piece... nothing like sticking stuff together to make this chick happy :-P These fairies are two sided and are housed in a glass jar with a silver lid that is adorned with vintage pearl necklaces, velvet leaves, fall leaves and bits of old chain & odds and ends of jewelry~I am trying to do more "user friendly" art so I can display it around my house instead of shoving it all in boxes lol--
You can find more Mixed media pieces here~

Bloggy giveaway!

Here is my contribution to the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival... If your name is drawn on my blog as the winner of my "bloggy give away" you will be receiving this little fairy thats made a snow ball her little home. Glitter & vintage flowers adorn her home-sweet-home... while she sits inside atop a thrown of glittery snow with found rhinestones and pearls which lay at her feet. She has been fluttering around my studio picking up odds & ends to furnish her quaint abode.... she is very victorian in her thinking of "More is better" A true girlie-girl!

Here is the opening with the fairy sitting inside-- reminds me of those sugar eggs at Easter time~
Here is a closer look at the top of the snowball...... Please leave a comment with a link to your blog or an e-mail address if you'd like to be entered into my drawing to have a chance at winning this little fairy.

If you want to check out more blog "giveaways" please click here ---> Bloggy Give Aways Coolio huh? One site that lists zillions of giveaways!

If your interested in viewing more of my blog you can click "here" I just posted two yummy pumpkin cookie recipes that are a "must try" for the upcoming holidays!!! Soooooo simple and soooooooo good!

Halloween Party!

Amy over at Living Locurto is hosting a Halloween party... check it out!

Vanessa over at Fanciful Twist is hosting a Halloween party as well!~ Sooooooo grab a handleful of chocolate that you've bought for the trick-or-treaters and go a'browsing to see who is attending the party as well!

(I do not have a large stash of Halloween items, in fact, I had to go out and buy these just so I could participate! --- so just keep that in mind!)

I added a few crows to some of my bird cages...

Gotta have poisoned apples....
Below is what I've got on my kitchen counter next to the stove...Here is my hall table...

A glittery web...

here are some more of those pesky crows....some vintage halloween decorations...here is a little crow picken' a body clean of its flesh....

You can view my entire blog by clicking on this link~

Arrrrrrgh a pirate album...

Well, I finished the pirate photo album...I think it turned out rather nicely :-) This album is going to hold only one photo per year from my grandson's yearly pirate party. I think it will be a wonderful keepsake to see the changes in him from year to year :-)I covered the book itself with faux leather fabric as the base to build upon. I then used some velvet with a stamped pattern to give it an old world feel (I think it is vintage velvet fabric, but I'm not sure) I then attached a wire & bead belt from India that I cut down and wrapped around the front & back of the album which closes with velcro--- (I know, its suppossed to be "old world" but hey, those stupid little snaps where not so easy to sew on so I opted to use velcro :-P) Then.... I created a small banner with my grandson's name on it sewn in gold metallic thread and glued some rhinestones on each letter. Then I stitched it all together and taaaaaaaaaaaa-daaaaaaaaaaaaa instant cute photo album!!! I also painted a small treasure chest that once was painted black with the word "Raiders" on it.... gasp-- now its how it should be.... all piratey! It holds some coins from other countries :-)

ButTONS

Yep-yep...I have a TON of buttons :-) I have been visiting a blog called "Button Floozies" and I wanted to join in a long time ago...but I felt I didn't have enough buttons. (not that you need a certain amount, it was just my attempt to justify getting more) Well...I think with this last assortment of buttons I picked up for $15 bucks I am ready to join :-)I have created a mini slide show of some of my buttons.

Saturday treasures~

Here are some things I picked up this past Saturday. I got a box full of brand new items from a scrapbook store that had closed...all this for only $10 bucks. I tallied about half of the items and it came out to over a hundred dollars! The gal had a yard full of stuff and this is allllllllllll I got. I should have just made her an offer on everything lol. (I was trying not to overbuy-- when I do that I tend to need to purge stuff-- so I pre-purged) Ohhhhhhhhhh to understand me would only confuse you!!! This is the second year she has sold some of her stock. I told her I'd see her next year as well :-) Loads of reink bottles, jump rings, ink pads, shadowing pads, paint brushes & rubber stamps :-)The vintage crepe paper streamers & Christmas stockings I picked up for a buck :-)

Finally, a tiara that I picked up for .50cents. It is missing some rhinestones-- but all the faux pearls are in place. I've got a bazillion rhinestones that I picked up for $5 buckeroos about a year ago that will do nicely as replacements :-)

Here is a photo of the tiara on a pile of my rhinestones. I would say about half of the bags had "flat backs" and the other half were jewelry quality faceted beauties :-)
This is my "birthday tiara" :-)

Mixed Media Monday~

This week the theme is stars.... here is my contribution~

You can find other peoples works of art here.

To go...

or not to go...that is the question. I love a good yard sale, but how's a girl to know its a "good" one if you don't go? I have Craigslist bookmarked on my computer and check it several times a day. If you've never seen/heard of Craigslist, you MUST check it out! Just click on the above link then click on your state...then your city (or closest to you) and there you will find a huge listing of different things for sale! (under the "for sale" section of course lol) There is a section that is strictly for yard sales :-) I always jot them down as I come across the ones that sound the best and hit those early on Saturday morning. Sometimes I come across Friday yard sales...anywho, I went to a quicky yard sale this morning and picked up 3 boxes of old greeting cards for $2 bucks :-) I'm glad I went~

A sweet little fairy...

caught in a jar for my friend Jenni~

Getting 'er done~

Well I finally finished sewing the scalloped table cloth for this old piece of furniture. This shot is of the entrance into my den from my living room. Isn't the little vintage book shelf sooooooo darn cute? I got that recently for $5 bucks to house my grandson's ever growing book collection. I of course HAD to paint it white--

Theme Thursday~

This weeks theme is: Torso/MannequinThis torso jewelry stand I purchased for a few bucks many years ago. It was in my daughter's room for years covered in leopard fabric, now it sits in my studio... I covered it with vintage sheet music~

Teddy bear doll~

Here is a little teddy-bear doll that I've made for a doll swap I joined. It is made out of vintage fabric. She can stand all on her own because I fit pieces of illustration board in her feet...smart huh~ She looks cute without her fancy skirt & wings...I just didn't want her to arrive naked! She stands just shy of 9 inches~The fabric was once a little girls top-- before I got ahold of it :-) I am going to make myself a little bear as well seeing how I have half of the shirt left lol... I think it turned out kinda cute. I am also sending my swapping partner Lucy a vintage red-gingham-chicken-scratch apron. Its a cute one!

Theme Thursday~

This week's theme: Letters of the alphabet... all or some~I created a little box with my ol' pal Pete. His impish-mischievous look always cracks me up. Here Pete is sitting on some old wooden blocks... A, B & C of course. I used some pages from an old school book from the late 1800's to cover the top/bottom & sides. I also used some vintage gold (fading in some spots) crepe paper...I love that stuff~
I still cannot get my photos to enlarge when clicked upon.... any words of advice on what to do or try? Thanks in advance :-)