My Puppy Love Tag Book

I recently participated in the Puppy Love Tag Swap hosted by Karla Nathan. Sugar Wings must really be happy to have such a neat Grandmother, because these books she put together are too cute! I know that a lot of girls out in blog land are sad that they didn't participate. I know that I am really happy that I did. This was the first swap, other than ones at Silver Bella that I participated in and it was so much fun. If you haven't participated in one, I highly recommend it, it forced me to do things creatively that I wouldn't have done otherwise. I used craft supplies that I was hoarding for a 'rainy day' and that made me come out of my bubble. It made me ask 'Why are you hoarding this....it is too special to save....use it...and make someone happy.' I no longer just save the good stuff for a rainy day. Are you still saving the good stuff or are you making someone happy with your bits & baubles??

Love Letters

I finally got to sleep last night after thinking about what I wanted to create when I woke up this morning. I thought this would be a great day to create. Lindsey & Lincoln were both on sleep overs and I thought this would be a fun way to celebrate President's Day. I pulled out all my favorite papers, old French checks, inks and old flocked letters and this is what I came up with. I hope you like them. What creative & fun things did you accomplish today?

Max & Ruby for Hadley

My sweet niece Hadley turned 5 years old. I am just smitten with her....she is so special and so much fun to be around. Hadley is like a good girlfriend. She calls me up with her sweet & adorable voice and invites me to lunch....and if anyone knows me...they know I love to do lunch! When my sister, her mother, told me Hadley's birthday was going to be Max & Ruby, she asked if I could make her something with the characters. I knew Hadley needed some more Aunt Hope bling and set out to make her a silver soldered Max & Ruby necklace. Beauty might come in the form of a niece or possibly a nice plate of truffles, but my photos of my jewelry creations really lack something to be desired. Below is the picture of Hadley's birthday necklace. I know she will really like it and I will be thrilled watching her love it.

The blurry but oh so specail Max & Ruby necklace. I hope you are able to create special pieces for loved ones in your family. The joy that comes from giving is such a wonderful feeling. I hope you have a wonderful Sunday afternoon.

I'm Cocoa For You!

When I asked Lincoln in January when he wanted to start making his Valentine's he said "I'm not doing Valentine's this year". Well I was heart broken, but he said "I'm too old to do that". So I thought we had come to another milestone. Lincoln is 12, and he has assured me, even very recently, that I will always be able to hug, hold, & kiss him, even when he is married! I think that is sweet, but I know that my days are numbered in that area too. So I was very happy when he came home Wednesday night and said "I want to make Valentine's" and I asked him if he wanted to go to the store and pick some out with the little envelopes and he said "Mom, we have never bought store bought Valentine's" so we set out to make some. I went to the store and bought some brown polka dot Martha Stewart party cups, used some pink card stock, some pink & brown ribbon, and purchased some Swiss Miss hot chocolate mix with marshmallows. This is what we came up with, in a huge hurry! I love how they turned out, and even the boys in his class loved them!!! Way to go Lincoln. Do any of you have sweet boy stories, I just gush when I hear them?!

Lindsey's Valentine's weren't so cute, but then again, she hadn't even mentioned Valentine's Day. She is a sophomore, and I wasn't sure if she would even want to, but I was prepared, just in case. When I saw these little candy boxes that you could fill with pre-packaged conversation hearts, I was all over that. And you couldn't beat the price. Twenty-two Valentine's for $4.88. I just love Wal-Mart!! She took these and passed them out at school and you can't tell me that the Sophomore's weren't tickled pink to get a little treat!!! I am glad that my children are gift givers. I hope that your little gift givers bless you with many Valentine treats today!!! Have a wonderful day filled with many blessings.

Scripture Rings

I am taking the Beth Moore Study on Ester. I have been making these tags with scripture for the past 2 weeks & passing them out to the ladies at my table. I think they have enjoyed them & are being inspired as well. My friend Stephanie Oyler got me back into the practice. We used to do this years ago in a bible study some friends & I used to do in our homes. The little booklet is very dear to me and it proves that the bible is the living word. It is nice to see the compilation of many of the ladies in the study. It depicts what was going on at the time in their lives. Many of the tags from me were about family & being a healthy person...mind & body. Yes...I am still struggling...but aren't we all trying to be the best person we can be in God's eyes?

Above is the tag book that we made years ago I think some of the tags were made almost 8 years ago. It is a dear book, and I am glad that in the last few weeks I have re-visited it. When Stephanie gave us our new tag book a few weeks ago, I knew that I wanted the ladies to have an idea of what it was like giving tags & then adding them to our tag books. It really is fun. I like decorating my tags with inks, millinery, & special papers & changing them up. Making them a little special like Stephanie did adding her cute red ribbon. Below...you can see the cute tag book that Stephanie started for us. I hope to add several tags to it over the remainder of our class. Maybe some of the other ladies at my table will be inspired as well.

I love my tag book. I hope that Stephanie knows that I am just thrilled that she brought this little tradition back to me. I am sure I will treasure my book, like the other book for years to come.

Joanna's Petite Inspiration Box

I fell in love with this gorgeous box that I received. I participated in the Petite Inspiration Swap hosted by Heather of Speckled Egg. It was so much fun having 3 swap partners and creating and filling their boxes. I thought it was more fun creating....then I started receiving the boxes and then I wasn't so sure. This one came from Joanna Lewis and I think it is just precious. The sentiment posted inside "Always follow your dreams!" is so sweet and inspirational. I guess that was what the swap was all about. Really, to be quite honest I didn't even want to open it....but then I knew that the treasures awaited me.

Just look at all the fun and gorgeous supply goodies! Vintage millinery, vintage seam binding, baubles galore, tickets & keys and old S&H stamps...I remember those from when I was a child...pasting them in their little booklets to redeem at the grocery store for household items such as new silver ware or can openers. Didn't the Brady's earn a new TV set with theirs? I bet they had a lot more booklets filled then we did!

Love is in the air....Happy Valentine's Day

I couldn't resist making these cute tags in the Puppy Love Swap hosted by Karla's Cottage. First off, I just adore her and watching her play with her granddaughter Sugar Wings. That little girl has got to feel the love....her grandma is the best! Secondly, how cute will a little tag book be? Karla requested for her swap to each create 6 tags, then we were to mail them to her where she would bundle them together in little books of six. She is busily bundle-ing these books as we speak and mailing them all over the country & internationally. I can't wait to receive mine, what a way to make new friends & enjoy creativity all at the same time. Here is the sample that I sent, I made mine all the same, but I have seen on other blogs where girls made each one different. I guess you could say I am a creature of habit. Several people have asked me about the tickets that I used in the tag, aren't they great. I fell in love with them and they are really prettier in real life. I got them from Kristin at Retro' Cafe . Also, the velvet rick rack that I used is awesome, so many people have just loved it. I got the velvet from Heather at Speckled Egg . If you made these tags, would you have made them all the same as I did, or would you have made each one differently?

Petite Boxes Oh My!

Never in a million years would I have ever thought that there could be so many fun ways to decorate large kitchen match boxes....but then I never ventured into the wonderful world of blogging. I joined Speckled Egg's Petite Box Swap and I received 3 swap partners. I received Jeanne's box yesterday and you have never seen packaging come off a box in such a hurry. I was like a toddler on Christmas morning. I couldn't even open the box for what seemed like an eternity because it was so creatively & lovely decorated with vintage wallpaper, doilies, vintage velvet & German glass glitter in the most beautiful shades of creams & browns. Then I slid open the 'drawer' and there, lovingly packaged beneath the most adorable dotted swiss tissue paper was oodles of vintage ephemera, old doilies, crepe paper trims, millinery & baubles to de-lite any 'Bella' near or far. I hope the next petite boxes come staggered...because that might be more than I could bare in one day!!

Theta Antiques & Decorative Arts Show

I hope that you might consider attending the Theta Antiques & Decorative Arts Show here in Bloomington. It is a wonderful antique & decorative arts show. If you would like to see more about the show check out their website at http://www.thetaantiqueshow.com/ to find vendors & artists. There is a possibility that I might be displaying my wares there as part of the decorative arts portion of the show. With this prospect, I am very excited. I would be working there with Lisa from Lola Rue & Co. Tickets are $7 & can be purchased online or at the door. For online ticket sales please visit www.tickets@thetaantiqueshow.com . The show will take place on Saturday, February 21, 2009 10:00a.m.-6:00p.m. & Sunday, February 22, 2009 11:00a.m.-4:00p.m. The location for the show is The Bloomington Convention Center, located at 302 S. College Avenue. I hope you can attend this awesome show. See you there.

My Boxes are Completed

Just in time for the special holiday, my Petite Box Swaps are finished. I hope my swap partners like them. I have made a few and given them out to some very special friends and very good critics. They have really liked them. Lisa....my very good friend & owner of Lola Rue & Co. liked them so much she is insisting that I teach it as a class. So....for any interested people near here....the class will be offered on February 11 at 6:00p.m. If you would like to sign up for the class please contact Lisa at Lola Rue & Co. at 812-323-7010 or check out her blog that is listed in my blog section. Happy Valentine's day just a little bit early.