Swap Goodies

Some pictures of some recent swaps I was in...the following blue/brown/cream goodies went to Lisa from Lisa Michelle Design, my partner for the Tussie Mussie swap hosted by A Swap For All Seasons. Lisa loves the colors blue, brown, and cream and loves all things Jane Austen. I put together a lot of trims, flowers, sheet music, and goodies that were themed around the things she liked. I made her a journal with the cover sewn from old laces and a muslin printed picture of Jane. Her tussie mussie had the same image on it with all the brown and blue trimmings. She also loves old chairs so I found an image of one and made her a soldered charm with it. Here are the pretties all packaged and ready to go...

The other swap I was in was Artsy Mama's May Basket swap. My partner was Wanda from Rat's Pajamas and all she requested was that it be very girly. So....girly it was with a foofed up pink basket with all the frilly trims I could find. Of course it had to have delicate flowers on it as well as it's own little birdie! I filled it to the rim with lots of things she could craft with as well as a tussie mussie I made with pink pom poms and a bracelet I made with of course, pink beads! Here is the basket before it was packaged up in the box...

Another Giveaway from the Amazing Roxanne

Head on over here for another great giveaway from Roxanne the Artist - but, if you win the giveaway I will have to track you down and take what is rightfully mine for telling you about it!

The Birthday Girl

The house was getting "dressed" for the special birthday party...

the pom poms courtesy of Miss Martha herself and one of her tutorials...

Loving the burst of red color and how it "livens" the place up!

The birthday girl and her closest buddies...

The mama and her 19-year-old baby girl...

Score!

While perusing our Vancouver Craigs list I found this beauty...for FREE!

I have the perfect spot for her on our outdoor front porch...

Can't wait to pick her up on Sunday and start with the staging of the porch - 

just the jump off point I needed to get started on working outdoors instead of indoors!

Stay tuned for the reveal....

From Dreary to Cheery and a Growing Mama

Today while I was watching the rain fall down outside (as if there is any day that it is NOT 

raining here) I was thinking that my kitchen needed some "cheering" up on this dreary day. So, out 

came my fabric box full of some vintage fabrics, tablecloths, and trims. We all know that it had to be RED and it was a given that there would be pom pom fringe on it! 

So...this is what I sewed up today...a table full of red happiness just for me!

I just love these red polka dots!

And, once I tire of looking at red spots I can turn it over for a different look - 

a vintage tablecloth fabric with red poppy's and some white daisies. 

It's amazing what makes me happy these days - simple things - the color red - and polka dots!

And an update on the mama of the house - she is definitely getting bigger by the day...she is even more tired than she normally is...and now has to be carried upstairs or lifted up onto one's lap...

I can hardly wait until she delivers her pups - and I'm sure she can't wait either!

Poor little (big) Lola!

New Linen Aprons

In need of an apron? Hop on over to "Whatever Lola Wants Lola Gets" 

and get yourself one of these lovelies...

Contemplating Motherhood

Poor Lola...these days it takes all she's got to jump up onto a sofa, a bed, or someone's lap 

due to the shape she's in. She is in the "mothering" way right now and still has another two weeks 

before delivering her puppy brood. 

Poor girl...do I dare tell her that this is the "easy" part of motherhood? 

The time that she has to just lay around and relax? 

The time in her life where she can just eat and eat and eat and not be bothered by it - because 

as we all know the pounds are much harder to get off "after" the baby arrives! 

Should I also let her know that all this free time she is enjoying now will no longer

 be a part of her life once the puppies arrive? 

That all her attention will be not on herself but on her babies...for...the...rest...of...her...LIFE??

No...I don't think I'll tell her - it will spoil her day!

mmmmm.......lilacs

Yesterday when I went to retrieve the mail from the front porch, I could not help but notice the fragrant smell of spring time flowers in the air...the scent of lilacs came wafting through the breeze and as I looked up I saw these...wonderful new lilac blooms... 

I had to then pick some and bring them inside so that my home could smell as good as the outdoors smelled on this most perfect spring day...

Now I am enjoying the most beautiful smell INSIDE...as well as appreciating the beauty of these wondrous blooms...

Happy Spring to YOU!

For the Bride to Be

My daughter has a friend who is getting married in a few weeks...they went to high school together, played on the same basketball team and go to the same university. This friends' nickname was Barbie so it was appropriate to gift her with a special Barbie bride necklace. And, since I have been learning the art of soldering, from this lady, I took a chance at my skills and came up with this for her...

I just love the Barbie bride - so vintage looking...

And this will be her "new" last name...

All in all, I am pleased with the way it turned out and hope that she likes it too!

Congratulations Brooke and Derek!

Sneak Peeks

I have been busy these past couple of weeks...in my studio...with ALL my supplies...conjuring up these pretties...for two blog swaps I participated in...

This one is for Artsy Mama's May Basket Swap. My partner is Wanda from The Rat's Pajamas blog and she just wanted something very frilly, and pink, and girly - she is so over the camoflauge that is taking over her home (hubby is an active duty soldier (currently deployed to Iraq) and she has two boys)...so, I hope that what I came up with will "take her away" to her girly roots and make her feel feminine once again in the land of P*I*N*K*!

And this one is for "A May Day Tussie Mussie Swap" over at the blog A Swap For All Seasons. My partner is Lisa from Lisa Michelle Designs and she loves everything romantic and Jane Austen. Here's hoping that she is going to L*O*V*E* her gifties made by my little ol' hands.

They will have to only see these "sneek peeks" of their goodies until they get their packages in the mail. I will post all the photos of their sweet gifts once I know that they have received them.

I have also been playing with my soldering iron...a lot. I am loving all the possibilities that are out there for this tool and all the things one can create! I thank this lady for opening up my world of imagination in the land of solder...thanks Terri! Time gets away on me in my little room upstairs and I have been known to spend 3+ hours up there without knowing that time has gone by...so fast! I have been working on a special bridal shower gift for one of my daughter's friends getting married and I will post the picture of it tomorrow after her shower has gotten started...

I hope all of you are enjoying some "creative time" to yourselves...

A Lovely Giveaway

My blog friend Roxanne of Roxanne the Artist is having a lovely giveaway - one of her wonderful paintings!! This painting says "SPRING" doesn't it? Roxanne is a wonderful blogger and as you can see a gifted artist and painter....

So, hop on over HERE to be entered in her giveaway!!

Happy Easter

Fab Day Ahead

On my way HERE today.....can't wait to see what we make! It's gonna be a F*A*B* weekend in the state of Washington!

Beauties

You can find all these beauties HERE...

46167 Cupcake Lane

At 46167 Cupcake Lane is where you'll find this cupcake subdivision ready to "ring spring in"...so many wonderful spring colors and cute little critters to boot!

If you love the colors lilac and purple then this little house is for you...ready to move right in!

And of course if you are a pastel sort of gal then this pink and lemony yellow one is for you...

Then for the "sassy" type of gal there is this hot pink cutie with turquoise frosting and glitter...

Another pastel beauty in lemony yellow and lilac purple...

And for the lover of turquoise this one is right up your alley topped with a lemony yellow frosting...

So if you are in the market for a new home, hop right on over to my ETSY STORE and be the first to own your very own cupcake real estate!