thanks to a friend …

a thank you for someone who is always so very thoughtful and generous!

it is extra fun to create a piece for someone that you know will appreciate each and every detail

* * * * *

the bird nest post card image is a freebie from Gaby … the lovely 1900′s lady is from Collagevisions

goodies have landed and more

my cards (below) finally arrived in Poland

thanks to LaWendula for a great swap partner once again … you can see what the lovely Eliza sent me here … be sure and click for a closeup view

we are so fortunate to have great mail service … I never want to take that for granted … where would we be if we could not send and receive mail !

if you would like to play along in the next Paper Swap … you can get the details here … it is a chance to connect with artistic and generous people around the globe

oxoxo

speaking of paper … I was inspired some time ago by my QB5 friend Linda and tried my hand at bleaching crepe paper streamers … this year I decided to try dying white crepe paper … using food coloring and some with red beet water

having the woodstove and ceiling fan on help dry the streamers quickly … next step is to do a running stitch so I can gather the paper and make fancy flat frills like the one I used here

where would we be without paper too !!!

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” ~G.K. Chesterton

Margaret’s 2010 Dress Up Project

the lovely and talented Margaret from Alice and Camilla has issued an invitation to join her in a monthly dress making challenge … you can visit her here to find out more about it

I was looking and looking for the perfect “wardrobe” to alter when I realized I just happen to have an old Mindy doll suitcase that has been patiently waiting for attention

the first dress in the “wardrobe” is a velvet kaftan embroidered with seed beads … it was intended as a Christmas ornament (World Market) … I could not resist it, especially on sale after the holidays … it came with its own beaded hanger

inspiration and ingredients for my first “homemade” dress for the project came from this doll that someone, long ago, decorated with satin ribbon and trims

here is the “winter white” dress I created … snow is falling here in Virginia as I type

lace look scrapbook paper …  recycled ruffle … ribbon and lace …  wait until you see Margaret’s creation … it is absolutely divine !!!

All are welcome …  come and play!

Special Tea on a Thursday

dear friend Lennie and I headed for the country yesterday … not quite a two hour drive each way to meet two special friends for tea …  not as long  a ride as it sounds when you’re chatting the entire way

of all things … I forgot my camera which hardly ever happens

so I can’t show you the beautiful rolling hills in shades of gray and brown and the wonderful trees showing their ‘bones’ against gorgeous white fluffy cloud filled brilliant blue skies …  the fields of glowing green planted with winter wheat (we believe it was) … but I do have a few photos of treats that I brought home and there were lots … our friend and hostess, Judy Post, really outdid herself … her house and table were SO festive and lovely

tasty hot soup … gorgeous tea sandwiches … delicious scones … in special shapes … a wonderful selection of tea cups (Judy collects them) and a choice of piping hot tea … fresh fruit and more … Lennie brought primroses for everyone and fun signs … I got “LOVE”

lots of Love … tea cup favors cleverly filled with soap by our hostess Judy

Pat had wonderful tea cup bird feeders and birdseed for each of us … no two alike

Judy also needle punched snowman pins as favors … she is a master of Russian needle punch

we made time to stop by a great little shoppe in Broadway … full to the brim with lovely items … they hope to serve tea in the future there and have tea classes which sound really interesting

Judy generously shared some of her mother’s vintage lace and fabrics … some from the early 1900′s  …  Judy’s mother was an expert seamstress and dressed dolls in her collection in period costumes that she created … Mrs King also crocheted beautifully … Judy comes by her talents honestly … what a treasure trove of precious pieces!!!

lastly a great quote from a selection that Judy shared with us

“The tea party is a space for the soul.  You leave your cares and work behind.  Busy people forget their business.  Your stress melts away, your senses awaken.” ~unknown

it was one fabulous hen party … thank you dear friends!

five hundred wishes

Wednesday Stamper’s theme this week is “money” … any time I get to travel to a foreign country I always enjoy the beautiful and different look of the bills and coins

I used a copy of a bill from Hungary … if you click/ double click above you will see the closeup view …  not sure where I got it … as I have not been lucky enough to visit Hungary … yet

here are some of the ingredients that went into my postcard

I started  with scrap paper used to catch drips on my table top … one B Line Designs stamp ... the lovely lady is an image that was offered on a past challenge for Art Creations Friday

“They say that nobody is perfect.  Then they tell you practice makes perfect.  I wish they’d make up their minds.” ~Winston Churchill

Hope Ditty Bags for Haitian Children

heard it from a friend who heard from a friend who (with a tutorial on making a bag even) and I just knew I needed to share this with you … here is something you can do even if you don’t sew … you can buy a bag for the goodies

*image from Cat at Baumcat*

Hope Ditty Bags for Haiti Children

Tote bags with essentials

Put inside:
1 toothbrush
1 travel size toothpaste
3 granola bars
1 small toy
***
Then mail to:

Debbie Woodward
1500 Jackson Street NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413

it is requested that you ship by the end of January

Tea Shop or Not

here is a peek at part of a local grocery store’s tea department… it is quite extensive … I was just looking

I cannot tell you the name of the market because as it turns out I was told (nicely) that photos were not permitted in the store … who knew!!! … it certainly had never come up before!

no plug for that store I guess

hoping your T Tuesday is full of fun surprises

won’t you join me for a  cup of my favorite homemade Yogi Tea and have a listen to some Jack Johnson

I so enjoy music where you can actually hear and understand the lyrics

be sure and visit with the other tea folks over at Kimmie’s blog

LaWendula’s Paper Swap: Cards

LaWendula has done it again … Paper Swap #3 is all about cards … I am partnered with the lovely and talented Eliza in Poland

her package arrived in Virginia today … I was very excited about the lovely “real” postage stamps on the envelope

little did I know that she had tucked lots of gorgeous Polish stamps inside along with so many other treasures

Postage stamps have fascinated me ever since I was a girl

*click for closeup view*

Eliza created these lovely cards … each with the nicest details

and just look at the wonderful collage goodies … cards with my initials … gorgeous playing cards … one with my favorite #13 … amazing vintage postcards and some precious Polish text book pages

thank you very much for a wonderful swap Eliza!!!

my envelope is en route to Eliza in Poland and should get there any time now

what a lot of fun!

it is a thrill to be able to connect with people all over the globe … for information about LaWendula’s next Paper Swap, you can visit her here

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

speaking of fun in blogland … I would like to thank Jeanie of The Marmelade Gypsy for presenting me with the Kreativ Blogger Award … thank you dear Jeanie I feel honored to be included in your seven

58 can equal 13 … yes it can

my postcard is for the Mixed Media Monday “games people play” challenge

playing with numbers … I find that numbers prove again and again to be a beautiful connection with a special lost Loved one … it would take a long time to explain just how … each time it occurs I know it is a gift  … a touch of spirit

speaking of gifts … here is a long overdue thank you to Pauline in Malta for sending me some lovely lace doilies … I bravely tea/coffee dyed one and cut it into pieces

*click for a closer look*

the lovely lady is from Collagevisions

pattern tissue … crackle on the left is one of my photographs … parchment cupcake frill … ribbon … number from a dry cleaner tag …  metal rose button with the back snipped off (gel medium is such a wonderful glue)

“We sat side by side in the morning light & looked out at the future together.” ~Storypeople

Time for Love

this week the Sunday Postcard Art challenge is “Time”

the sweet girl is from Collagevisions

the robin red breast is from our garden

I woke up this morning with this beautiful song in my head

charmed from Texas

friends in the Queen Bee 5 (QB5) are having a brooch and charm/dangle swap

the first package to arrive was Linda’s … wrapped in some of my favorite tissue with a goodie tie from Anthropologie

just look at the wonderful dangle Linda created … the bead says “harmony” … one of my favorite words

and the wool felted flower pin is fantastic too … be sure and click/double click for the close up view

thank you so much dear Linda

here is a peek at what I sent to Linda for our swap

touch someone

so very moved by last night’s telethon for Haiti

fabric, paper, book text, pattern tissue, parchment cupcake frill, vintage posies

the word for HOPE in Haitian Creole is LESPWA

one Love

Monica’s fabric, image and sweet little key got me going on this postcard … see my two posts below

*can you see the lady*

I added a torn piece of old punch card, bits of turquoise tissue paper from a Christmas cracker crown (say that 5 times quickly) and a US LOVE postage stamp underneath vintage netting … the tie holding the key is made up of a stray bunch of threads attached to one corner of the fabric and a piece of chenille fiber just the perfect length … I did free flow stitching all around the postcard also stitching a heart shape to the right

yes … I know I should be getting back to cleaning up

waste not … want not

I am a scrap keeper/collector by nature and am in the midst of organizing my “stuff” … had to take a little time out to play

using some of the bits that Monica included as a challenge with her Sew Green Zine (see my blog post from earlier today) I created this postcard … the fabric background was almost too nice to cover up

fun to sit at the sewing machine … the border on the right was from a very old shoe box that I decided to part with, but tore off the decorated portion … I am a box collector … a bag collector … oh I could go on and on … it is past time to bring some order to my supplies and great ingredients … a daunting task

after all girls just wanna have fun

Monica’s Sew Green Zine

toward the end of last year the talented and delightful Monica Magness of Girl Gone Thread Wild made this unique offer to the first 20 people that replied to her blog post …

“SEND ME YOUR ART TRASH, rummage through your art project LEFTOVERS”

it was my lucky day to visit with only a few spots left … in no time I had loaded a little over five pounds of STUFF into a box and shipped it off to Monica

in return Monica sent a copy of her Sew Green Zine No. Uno

included was this note along with a bag of goodies: “Art Trash Challenge”

“Use as little or as much as you want to create an original work of art ~ ATC, Collage, Painting, Journal Page, Art Tag!”

can’t wait to make something

you too can own a copy of Monica’s very cool zine … visit her Etsy shop here … it’s jam packed with inspiration and wonderful ideas

La Gioconda Occhi

“Leonardo da Vinci” is the theme for Wednesday Stamper this week and “Eyes” is the theme over at Sunday Postcard Art

for my postcard I used a favorite image from a book of mine and added “Mona Lisa Eyes” … some magazine bits … peeled and cut napkin swirls (that was painstaking I’ll tell you!) … black German scrap for the base of the ‘crown’ … a bit of text and painted lace trim at the bottom

here is the B Line Designs Ironworks stamp I used along with the paper napkin