...November's Tag and a little stocking...

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving.  I certainly did.  I treasure every minute we get to spend together, and do everything I can to create long lasting memories for my three girls because family is so important to me.  I have many fond memories of our very large family gathered around the dining room table that had been added onto to accommodate everyone and it extended into the living room at my Grandparent's home.  We also had the infamous kids table set up in the kitchen!

Now, we're preparing for Christmas, and I've been so busy trying to keep up with shop orders that I've neglected my blog responsibilities and am now just getting around to posting November's tag.

Materials used:  standard shipping tag, ART copper glitter mist, Tsukineko Walnut ink,  real leaf, Prima paper (Botanicals), Tim Holtz distressing ink in Tea Dye, gold glitter glue, stamped image, miscellaneous glittered leaves, vintage printed image, fiber trim, petite pine cones, vintage button, grosgrain ribbon and beads.

Nothing too fancy or out of my comfort zone since I haven't had much time as of late, but I love all the fiber trim and the vintage image.  The stamp is a new one from EK Success that I purchased on Etsy.  At this time of year, I always try to 'pay it forward' so-to-speak by making purchases from other shops.

Getting back to holiday preparations, I've just recently created these cute little burlap stocking ornaments and listed them for sale in my shop:

I used the old coffee sacks that I purchase a couple of years ago at a steal.

I've stuffed them with tissue paper to hold their shape on the tree, but they can also be filled with small candy canes and attached to a gift.  

Materials used:  vintage coffee sack burlap, vintage doilies, plaid ribbon, glittered berries, petite pine cones, gaffer tape, 26g black wire, gold mesh leaves and glittered chipboard snowflakes. 

What I absolutely love about these is that they've been created using scraps...not to mention how cute they are!

Well, I should get back to the studio to finish up on this week's orders, but I hope you all have a wonderful day.  I appreciate you stopping by!

...Vintage Holiday Decorating...

I love nothing more than an old time vintage feel when it comes to holiday decorating.  I especially love the ornaments handmade from old pieces of muslin or your grandmother's stained doilies....even vintage sheet music and book pages make a wonderful medium.  A beautiful way to re-purpose those cherished items (usually sitting in a draw or in the attic) so they can be enjoyed year after year.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I've started creating for the holidays.  Honestly, crafting unique holiday items is one of my favorite things to do, and since I'm not participating in any craft fairs this year, I have plenty of items for sale in my Etsy shop.  

Crafted from vintage sheet music, silver buttons and mica flakes, these medallion ornaments are simple and stunning.  

Postcard images can be framed and embellished for a vintage feel. 

Clothes pin angels...

I created angels from vintage clothes pins, lace and my grandmother's old doilies.  I added tulle underneath for a fuller look.

I also added some ribbon, a floral pin and buttons. The wings were hand cut out of card stock and Prima paper then glittered, and the wire was attached behind the wings for hanging.  My daughter says it looks like a halo. :)

I also love to create gift tags and treat bags.  Even something as simple as a handmade gift tag adds charm to any gift.

These ticket tags are much more simple in style but still add that unique handmade charm...

And who doesn't like to get goodies for the holidays?  I created these treat bags out of old burlap coffee sacks and thought they would make a perfect presentation of those handmade cookies.  I can't take credit for the design though...this is just my take on it.  The original design is by Melissa Phillips.

I've created vintage paper wreaths and garland, mitten banners and tussies out of vintage items, and they can all be found at Reverie Creations.  Stop by, I'm sure you'll find something for your holiday decorating,  and if you leave a comment here and mention this blog post upon checkout, then you'll get 10% off your order (minus shipping costs).

Have a wonderful week, my friends!

Happy crafting!!

...Halloween and happiness...

There goes October and we're already looking at 6 inches of snow on the ground just 3 days into November.  I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that the girls and I went trick-or-treating in snow.  I can honestly say that although it's been cold on Halloween we've NEVER had to deal with the white stuff before.

Such is life. 

We still had a great time, though my oldest refused to wear her original costume because of all the layering underneath.  She said it was too tight...aaahhh...tweens!  She went as herself.

Here is Kenzie as a beautiful bride.

Madison as a not-so-scary witch.  She always has a smile on her face no matter what is thrown at her...like a fleece and two pair of socks. ;)

My nephew, Kolby, as a ninja.  It fits his personality perfectly.

Kade as a "Katie".  He made me laugh so much!

We were cold and tired by the end of the night, but we came home with bags full of treats and a lot of wonderful memories.  Happiness is what you make of the situation you find yourself in.

In the spirit of happiness, I created a card based on Washington Irving's quote...

"Happiness is reflective, like the light of heaven."

Materials used:  card stock, handcut frame, Tim Holtz Distress Cracke paint in Picket Fence, K&Company Curio paper, Webster's Pages Ladies & Gents paper, Tim Holtz Distress ink in Tattered Rose, glitter, Cloud 9 Design clear Laughter stamp, Decorator's Choice petite roses, OTC canvas blossoms, Heidi Grace blossoms, vintage button, Jolee's pearl bling, K&Company The Kiss brads, rose dangle snap charm, and Colorbok adhesive gem flourishes.

The colors were inspired by Moxie Fab World's Tuesday Trigger:

Absolutely love this bracelet...the colors and textures make me want to own it!

I hope you too had a wonderful Halloween.  I'll be posting November's tag sometime over the next few days, so please stop back.

Thanks for spending some time with me.

...Newsprint destiny...

Progression is a natural occurrence in every aspect of our lives.  From how we communicate to how we live to the way we age.  We don't have to like everything about it, but we do have to bend and sway with the changes or we'll wind up like the infamous cat lady...living out of touch with reality and depending on the obsolete for our day-to day decisions.

Take for example, newsprint.  It used to be that young boys would run up and down the streets screaming the headlines to peddle the daily newspaper, then progression took over and today newsprint is practically non-existence.  With downloads and online news blogs, you can educate yourself with what's going on in your backyard and across the world just by turning on your phone. 

Honestly, I'm sad.  I love newsprint...any type of paper, really.  Book stores are closing at every turn and magazine subscriptions are becoming so expensive that those with less of a disposable income (because of the economy) are opting to sacrifice the tradition of the Sunday morning 'read'.  I admit I've canceled my tangible news and interest/hobby articles for the on-line versions...the expense is far easier to manage, and the impact to my coffee table is less intrusive.

With that said, there are those of us who mourn the dwindling supply of newsprint (paper in general), and are trying with a sense of urgency to pay homage and preserve it by utilizing/recycling it in every imaginable way...



 from home and holiday decor...



Paper mache bird



Newsprint holiday trees

Newsprint decoupaged pumpkins

to gift wrapping...

Newsprint goodie bags

Newsprint wrapping paper with stamped tags

to crafting...

Newsprint used as a transfer

Newsprint roses

to canvas' for any form of medium...

Newsprint used as a canvas

Newsprint prints

to attire...

Newsprint dress

Newsprint purse

I could go on and on with examples of how versatile newsprint is to the crafting/artistic world, but the point is mute because progression has taken hold and isn't letting go.  The day is fast approaching when we will be virtually paperless, and I don't know about you, but I don't like it.  

Recycle that precious newsprint into something to cherish.  It might be worth money some day. :)

**Please note:  all photos are from Pinterest**