shhh...

I know the girls are too busy packing to look (or at least I think they are) so I am publishing some swap spoilers... If you are attending SB and are looking for a sneak peek, well, here it is! 

I am in so many swaps I cannot even remember them all.  Nine total!  That is right... NiNe!!!  Whew, I am so glad I am all finished.  And early!  Not like me at all, but it is nice for sure!

I hosted the Spooky-ookey Owl Banner pre-bella swap and here are some shots of that:

This isn't the best photo but it is the whole banner strung up in my living room... I love how it came out!

below is my owl

 I am also hosting an ATC swap and a Saint Tag Swap but those pictures will have to come later (I already sent them off to Omaha)

My Miraculous Mary Montage... here is a peek of her:

The swaps I signed up for... you have already gotten a peek of my "under the big top" page and my apron flair swap in a previous post. So that makes 6. 

Let's see... I did the Bee's Knees swap (hosted by Wanda C.)  Here is a picture of the packaging and the goodies inside:

There was also the Felted Ornament Swap (hosted by Rebecca G), I took old thrift store sweaters and washed them in hot water and dried them.  Once they were small enough to fit a kitten, I cut them up, sewed little seed beads on them, stacked them and made trees out of them.  I made 4 different ornaments before I was satisfied to mass produce 16 of them.  Here they are:

And finally, maybe one of my favorites... the embroidery swap (also hosted by Rebecca G). 

Molly and I traded sweatshirts and she said something about liking birds and trees. 

I ran with it and this is what I did:

Hope she likes it!

More about the big Silver Bella trip to come...

~hugs

I love this day!

Today is my birthday. 
October 18. 
I love everything that goes with it. 
The roundness of the O and the 8, the smell of crisp fall leaves, colder days, hot cocoa, pumpkin patches, Halloween... you know what I mean.

Here are the cupcakes my kids and mom made for me while my honey took me out antiquing yesterday. 

Funny thing, we went to some of the most amazing spots to find goodies and didn't buy anything. 
And then it hit me...

I have all I need right here, my family who loves me. 
There really is no better gift than that.

Happy Birthday to me!

~hugs

Jack's back...

a posting quickie...

I was so happy to participate in Pricilla Cerda's Tim Burton Halloween Ornament Swap recently.

Here is a quick look at my little Jacks in progress: 

and completed:

I could not resist making Jack... I just love that movie!

~hugs

charlottas!

I was lucky enough to meet up with some very good friends this weekend. There is a long story behind it and I will not bore you with the details but Sandy Camarda, Lisa Kettel and I have a little Charlotta history. When we all met, I surprised them with one of three "Charlottas" (not really frozen Charlotte but a bisque head instead.) I ordered them on eBay and decorated them all up. They even got a little “tramp stamp” tattoo on their back shoulder of a creepy, yet sassy little spider.

It was a fun project and the best part was the look on my Charlotta’s faces when they opened them up. Now we each have one to remember the others by.

I gave the orange ones to the Charlottas they were much more Halloween-ish and kept "Miss Green" for myself.

And just take a peek at the sweetness I got in return!

The adorable one on the left is a little mouse lion tamer from Lisa and the spooky-ookey one on the right was created by Sandy.  She says "Charlotta was bewitched"

I love them both and they have a special place in my home reserved for the finest of fine homemade art.

 

More soon on last weekend when I was so fortunate to join with creative souls for sweet Kim Caldwell's event:

 An Artistic Affaire L'Automne.

~xo

a little birdie and a clown...

I have been to Solo again and every time I go, I find something wonderful, a treasure of some sort to brighten my home or a gift for someone dear.  here is the little gem I found and could not leave behind... isn't she sweet?

In other endeavors, I have completed my "Under the Big Top" Swap page.  This swap is being hosted by the ever talented Wanda Clark for Silver Bella this fall.  I was not going to sign up because it didn't sound like my style, but it was a fun challenge and as always in art, I learned a few things. 

Here is a sneak-peek at my page.  I used some old Rusty Pickle Circus themed paper, a meri-meri clown that I shrunk waaaaaay down and re-made (fifteen times!!!) because he only came in a huge size, and painted and glittered some hat pins. 

I am really excited to see how this whole thing turns out.  Wanda is making the covers and binding them all together and will deliver them to us in November... oh goodie!

~xo

a local swap, a full gander at some bella crafting, and some wonderful girlfriends...

Last night I met with the girls at the Pink Pineapple for our Summer's Savory Sweets Reveal Party and it was such fun. Everyone in the swap made a recipe page based on their favorite summer treat and I bound them all together on rings. We all brought in samples of our recipes for tasting and it was so nice and relaxing sitting and enjoying time with the other swappers.

What a sweet bunch of gals!

and...

I know I probably am not supposed to do this...

I have been working on swap after swap after swap. Let's see, in the last month I have done 3 swaps for a girlfriends weekend (totally worth it!!!), signed up for NINE for Silver Bella (hosting 4) and one more for Kim's event Artistic Affaire L'Automne (which, by the way, there are only a few spots left and she is closing registration soon so be sure to sign up if you are on the fence, I hear there will not be another for a while and her events are to die for!!!), and of course the one mentioned above.

Anyway, in 2 short months, I have run up a total of 14 swaps!! And since my blog is about my life... and you can only imagine how much of my life is spent adding detail after detail, I just feel that I must share SOMETHING. So if you don't want to see, turn away now. Fair warning...

Here is what I made for our apron flair swap, simple but I love them. I used vintage button covers, and stitched on felt to make leaves. I hope the girls like them!

And finally, I finished my Woodland Faerie Hideaway from the class Christine Rose Elle taught at our girlfriend's weekend at Big Bear.

and while I am on that subject (wow I am all over the place tonight, aren't I??!!)
here are the girls from that sassy little weekend in July...

Big Bear Girls Club: (back row left to right) Jamie, Holly, Joy, Cheryl, Kim H., Jenny, (middle row) Sherry, Jessi, Kim C., (front) Cynthia, Me, Alice and Christine

Talk about a treat! Such kindred spirits.

~xo

freshly sharpened pencils and warm copies...

Today was my official first day of school. Normally the saddest day of summer because I am forced to cut back on the time I get with my family. As the school year wanes I find I spend so much more time with other people's children than my own. HOWEVER... today was special because my not so little boy will be coming to school at my school this year! I look forward to breakfast with him, quiet conversation on our rides to school, homework in my classroom after school and even an occasional pop in at lunch. I love knowing that he will be close, and he loves the idea of it too. Now, if I can remember to not hold his hand while walking into school...

~xo