Half Birthdays

The Farmboy and I decided last year that we were going to start celebrating our birthdays not on the actual date of our birth, but at our half birthdays.

It just made a lot more sense, since both of our birthdays fall within a week before and after Christmas.

 

Well it turns out, celebrating half birthdays is a whole lot of fun.

So when we found out a wee family member would soon be visiting us, along with her parents, we realized it was the perfect opportunity to celebrate her half birthday.

(Especially since we weren't able to celebrate with her on her actual birthday.)

 

I immediately started brainstorming and remembered that I had recently unearthed a little cake project kit and I knew it would be both the perfect box to put her gift in, as well as, a perfect party decoration.

 

This cute little kit was from a make-n-take during the Marie's Danse des Fleurs Art Event hosted by Cassandra VanCuren way back in 2011.

I was supposed to have gone to this event; however, a couple of months prior my mother-in-law had not only started chemo and radiation treatments, but ended up having two heart attacks as well.

I decided it was best that I not leave town for awhile.

Cassandra was kind enough to send a big box full of all of the class kits to me.

 

I had such a fun time making this.

After purchasing the numbers at my local craft store I came home and spent the afternoon cake decorating.

 

Unfortunately the wee one's parents had to cancel the trip at the last minute.

So now I'll be popping her half birthday gift inside the cake, wrapping it up and sending it off to her.
Does anyone else celebrate half birthdays?

 

 

Scraps

I think, through the years of writing this blog , I have shared the true colors of my character

and have made it quite clear that yes,

 I am a paper hoarder.

I say that with my chin held high and, quite frankly,

without any shame.

I like paper.

I love pretty paper.

I own an abundance of paper.

And paper scraps.

With the making of the last half dozen or so of journals, I have bagged the leftover scrapbook paper.

So now I have half a dozen or so of bags of scrap scrapbook paper.

I also have large scraps of watercolor paper from said journals.

Last week I decided it was time to utilize one of these bags o' scraps and I made cards.

Because....

This past month I have been in need of a card, on several occasions, yet have not had any on hand nor the time to sit and make one. 

So last week, when I did have time, I pulled out a bag of scraps {from this journal} and made some.

I kept them super simple, which made making them super fast, with as little cutting as possible.

I had a little stack of scalloped circles, tucked away in a drawer, that I pulled out and used for a simple embellishment.

Now when the need arises for a card I can grab one, stamp or write an appropriate sentiment on the front

{or not and leave as is}

say what I have to say on the inside and send it off.

I know it's not a WIP, but I'm thinking I can group this project within that category and give myself a pat on the back.

I did use up a whole bag of scraps you know.

Finish

I was talking to a friend last week about my word for the year.

She jokingly commented on how maybe I should have picked the word

FINISH.

Heh, heh... seriously though, she may have something there.

I do have a tendency to start a project and then get sidetracked from it, only to then let it sit there and collect dust.  All the while thinking how I should really finish that, because I really like it or it's a really cool idea.

Then a few days later as I was standing in the studio doorway looking at all of those unfinished projects, I thought of another friend and how she stated on her blog last year that it would be her year to finish all of the unfinished projects she had sitting around.

So I thought maybe, just maybe, if I stated it here for all the world to see,

{regardless of the fact that the whole world doesn't read my gibberish}

I will finish 12 unfinished projects this year.

There.  Stated.

PS.  Even though I unofficially thought I might maybe give a 365 photo project a go, again this year, I have  actually, unofficially, so far done it and have taken a photo a day.

I hope I didn't just jinx it.

She's Back Again

and with her comes a sigh of relief.

My naughty little muse is whom I speak of.

She did the same thing around this time last year.

Only this year, she wasn't gone for just a couple of weeks.  She took off for an entire month.

She and I rocked January.

It was non-stop creating... mainly in art journals.

It was so nice.

And then when February rolled in, she was off like a flash.

Not hide nor hair to be found.

But it's all good... I understand.

The well is full now and our hands are messy again.

Have a beautiful Monday.

Spontaneous Hearts

The Farmboy says I'm not spontaneous like I used to be.

He might be right.



Around midnight last night I woke up and noticed it had begun to snow.

My exclamation of "OH!" woke the Farmboy.

We both ended up with our noses pressed to the window watching the big, white flakes come down.

It was very nice to see after three days of hard, cold ice everywhere.

When we woke up this morning it was still snowing and everything was blanketed in soft, fluffy white.

The Farmboy doesn't think I'm spontaneous anymore.

But he might be wrong.

Because I spontaneously decided we needed to have a family photo shoot today in the snow.

 

Then I decided it needed to be a Valentine photo shoot.

And you can't have a Valentine photo shoot without hearts.

So I quickly whipped some up.

And now that they are done being used as props,

 they are hanging in the dining room windows.

Where they used to hang...

when they were curtains.

I hope you have a beautiful {and warm} weekend!

My Crowning Glory

Do you remember that one kid in school
who was ALWAYS the last to finish
and the class ALWAYS had to wait on that person before the teacher could move on the the next subject?

Well, that kid is me.
Always, it's me.

It was especially me, during the Gilded Life's crown class.
Although nobody had to wait this time, since I just tucked it away knowing I could finish it at home.
But I am the one person in the class picture with an unfinished crown.

However I'm okay with being the only one who didn't finish their crown in class,
because I really wanted to change mine up from the example and use these hydrangea blossoms on it.

They are left over blossoms that adorned the arbor and center pieces at my wedding 8 1/2 years ago.

And I couldn't be more please with the results.

*********

I want to give a BIG thank you to all of you who took the time to vote on our pumpkin carving contest!
We tallied votes from four facebook profiles and this blog and it was a very close race for awhile there.
But, Jack came out ahead 33 to 25.
We drew numbers to see who would be teamed with who and this was the first year it was parents against boys.
The boys had a great plan with their subject choice, thinking to pull in votes from all age groups with such a nostalgic childhood character, and they ruled the contest for quite awhile, but in the end The Count just couldn't count high enough.
Sorry boys.
Maybe next year.
;)

The Nut Cup

Well, my version of the nut cup.

Inspired by Julie's nut cups, I decided to give it a try. Yep, I have never made nut cups before now. And, I'm probably the only one in blogland who hasn't. And, mine are not exactly traditional nut cups.

When I went into my local craft store to get the cups, they were out. So I improvised.

I found these darling little tea light votives and thought they would make cute cups.

*Sigh*
I love Spring.

Wednesday

It was a beautiful Spring day, Wednesday was.
And unfortunately my muse had decided she wanted to be a gypsy and had taken off about a week prior. So when Wednesday rolled in, she was still off somewhere gallivanting around... more than likely in a meadow dotted with wildflowers and a bubbling brook near by.

Luckily for me, however, I had plans for a couple of the most wonderful friends to come over for lunch that day.
And eventhough I was struggling, and I mean really struggling, to function properly without my gypsy muse, the day turned out beautifully.
There was gift giving...

and soothing stitching...

and some pretty darn good food (if I say so myself).

That gypsy muse of mine must have sensed she was missing out, because later that evening she came tiptoeing up to me, head hanging down, with a whispered apology on her lips.
I told her it was all okay, but to remember next time, that I love meadows dotted with wildflowers too.

Have a beautiful weekend!

An Apology

Dear Dip Pen,
Please forgive me. I know that we have not seen eye to eye in the past and that I have said some very ugly things to you. It has recently been brought to my attention, that you were never at fault for any of our disagreements. I do so hope, that you can forgive me of both my cruelness and my ignorance.
I promise you, that from this point on, our relationship will be one of friendship only.
Most sincerely,
Alisa

Heart Sessions

Last week, the warm hearted Rebecca Sower asked if anyone wanted to play with her and spread some heart-love across cyber space. I'm a little late, but I was motivated to finally create a heart that had been floating around my head for a month now.


This was so simple to make. All it takes is a coat hanger and some fabric (twice as long as your coat hanger)sewn into a tube.


Love has no desire but to fulfill itself. To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving. ~Kahlil Gibran

Pretty = Productive

The other day, I was reading Knitterbeader's Place and she mentioned storage for WIPs. Well, that reminded me of two things...

1. I am hoping that part of my "balance" includes finishing some of those works in progress

and

2. I had purchased some project folders last October.


Originally, I purchased them to hold my class specific, bits and bobs for Silver Bella. As I was packing my pretties for SB, I thought that these would also be great to hold all the bits and bobs for WIPs. Oh, and that they should be prettified to boot.


So yesterday, that's what I worked on.

I recently purchased this kit from Paperhill and LOVE how easy and fast these rosettes are to make! I've been experimenting with all different types of fabrics, ribbons and lace and thought they would work well to spiff up the folders.


Now that my Wips and their supplies are each contained in their own pretty place, maybe I will be more likely to grab a folder and finish something!

Have a beautiful day!

She Just Can't Stop

...crafting Christmas decorations, that is! And I still need to get my Christmas cards made and mailed... ack!

Here is another project from Teresa's 12 Days e-zine.

A front door hanging, but I have put mine just inside my front door. I didn't really vary too far from her original design. But I did use different materials than she did... fabric, fringe and left over bits of this and that.

Like I said, I still need to get my Christmas cards done, but I SO want to make one of these! Oh my word! I think it's just gorgeous and would look so lovely hanging on the mirror above my dining room sideboard.
And also, I want to finish my Lineage of Love garland that I started in Pam Garrison's class, so I can hang it up too.

But, alas... I'm off to get those cards started! Have a beautiful day!

I've Been Framed!

Okay, well not actually me. It's my dining room wall.

About six months ago, I decided it was time to retire the wrought iron adornments that were previously hanging here. Coincidentally, I made that decision the moment I found the gorgeous antique oval frame. From that point on, I was on the hunt! They had to be the right patina of weathered gold, made of wood and not 65 dollars. That last one has been tricky to find around here. Which is why at the moment there are only three. But, I'll be back on the hunt full force, after the New Year.

As you can see, I've spent the last couple of days dressing them up.

This first one, is my take on one of Teresa's latest e-zine projects. Hers was actually a wreath, but I decided on a garland instead.

I was going to glitter a few of the leaves with some silver glass glitter, but really just didn't have the time, so added the jingle bells instead.


For this one, I took the vintage image plaque, that I already had, and just glued some gold foliage to the back. I had a few extra paper holly leaves left over from the garland so I tucked those in too.

And this one, will no longer make the dogs bark at the front door.

What?
Let me explain...
The big jingle bells used to be attached to a thong of gold vinyl, that was made to hang on a door knob. It was ugly. But I used to hang it on the front door anyway. And the dogs learned, a long time ago, that at this time of year if they heard loud jingle bells, then someone was opening the front door. Which of course means, if you are one of my crazy dogs, that you must run as fast as you can, while barking as loud as you can, to the front door to either greet or eat whomever it may be. But unfortunately for them, we got a beautiful, new front door this year and I wasn't about to mar it with that ugly jingle bell thing. So this is what I did with it instead. And as you can probably guess, there was A LOT of barking and running and confusion during the alteration.
Funny dogs.

Till next time, have a beautiful day!

Peace and Joy

Happy Sunday!

I spent the entire day, yesterday, partying. I had two Holiday parties to attend and we played White Elephant games at each.

Here is what I made for them...


The first party was with some scrapbooking friends.

Amongst other fun festivities, we had a pop quiz.... Christmas Trivia. Out of 20 (I think) questions, plus a bonus, I only got 8 right! Pathetic isn't it? Can you name all the of the children from the Sound of Music?! I couldn't.


The second was with the Texas Bellas. Shea and Debbie hosted in their amazing, renovated church. Seriously AMAZING!

They had an ornament project for us to do. Lots of fun! And it was so lovely to get to see so many Bella friends again.


Have a beautiful day!

The Two That I Finished

Here are the two class projects that I managed to finish.

This first one is actually the last class I took... Vintage Charm Bracelet with Kaari Meng of French General. I really enjoyed this class. Kaari was a fabulous instructor and I learned some great little tricks to make attaching charms, and basic jewelry making, easier.

After class I put it on and wore it for a while, but it's so chunky, that it drove me nuts. The next morning I saw Mendy wearing hers, but not on her wrist. She had added some extra chain to it, to make it into a necklace. I thought it was such a great idea, that it was the first thing I did when I got home. Now I know I'll wear it.

This is my favorite charm on it. In our kit there was this brass oval ring. Kaari showed how to take the head pins and these tiny beads and attach them to the ring. I love the way this looks and feels.


The other project that I finished, was Rebecca Sowers' Hodge Podge Journal. Can I just take a moment to tell you how much I admire this woman and her work?! I truly do.

Unfortunately during this class, I had a horrible sinus headache and was unable to really enjoy the creating process to its fullest. But, I am mostly happy with the completed journal. The image in the window is one that was provided in the kit. Although it's a nice image, it isn't exactly the one I think I want in there. So I'm going to attempt to peel it out and replace it with another.

I decided, while making it, that I would use it as an art journal for the new year. I'm really looking forward to creating on all of the different types and sizes of ephemera in it.


And I have news on the "healing" front. I went to see the doctor today for my post op. She was totally surprised at how fast I'm healing and how well I'm doing. Evidently I'm ahead of the healing schedule. I chalk that up to my Irish blood.

Hope everyone has a beautiful weekend!