Happy New Year

The table is set for a fun night with family.

I wish with all my mite - that you too are somewhere having the best possible bight ever. Here's to memories of the last year (and what a year it was) and to new adventures ahead for us in 2010.

God Bless you and please know that I treasure each of you that stops by here.

Happy new Year!

xo

tina

2010 Goals journal page

I know it's a couple of days early but I made this journal page a couple of days ago and thought I would share it tonight. Part of the reason I am sharing it is because I am beginning the huge dilemma of cleaning out my studio. Yup! I just know that a clean space will lead my creative muse to start the new year with lots of new ideas.

I am so embarrassed to share photos of my space but it is all about pressure to follow through...so here you go...

I know right??? 1000 lashes with a wet noodle for me...tomorrow begins my adventure...

Hope your new years resolutions are attainable.

love...me

Christmas Blessings collage

Merry Christmas to you and your family may you all be blessed this Holiday season.

I made these fabric collages for my family as memory gifts of my mom. This will be our first Christmas without her. This picture was taken 30 years ago, She was so beautiful.

I used felt for the backing and then layered pieces of her clothing that I cut in different sizes - so these collages were made with things that belonged to her making it more personal.

My family loved them - I gave them their gifts last night.

May you be blessed to have your family all together this Christmas.

XO

Vintage tinsel colored Christmas

I am so in love with this vintage tinsel color I have going in my home this holiday season. We bought a gold tree isn't it pretty? It looks great against our pale yellow walls. My hubby thought it would look like grandmas tree but nope it sparkles...Another small vignette - I love these vintage looking snowman - I have a few and those reproduction houses. Same dirty white and tinsel color going there too. It feel worn and lived in. Love that feeling.

Here is an artist trading card I made and will be listing tonight sometime...

Wishing you a wonderfully cozy Christmas Eve.

XO

Advent calendat re-do

Sorry for the picture layout - trying hard to figure out this new system here on the old blogspot.

Anyway, I bought the plain wooden house to showcase my little vintage Christmas collectibles. However, the small cubbies were too small to showoff much of anything. I counted out the squares and well wouldn't you know 25 spaces. How incredibly perfect to be re-made into an Advent calendar. I used making memories Christmas paper (last years purchase) and cut out the numbers and used some matte medium to glue it inside the cubbies, I did paint the house with cream and yellow paints...in the roof area I added some sheet music and some small vintage christmas bits...and then filled it with candy for the littles. They love it and I do too.

Yeah, I think I just made my first heirloom.

XO

Timmy the mouse

duh I figured out how to post...silly me!

I have had this little guy for awhile now and well guess it was time to use or lose it. I chose really weird colors. Red and gold...I love the shimmer of the gold but not sure that it goes well with red and beige...ugh!!!

But there is just something in Timmy's face that screams "too cute - who cares what colors you choose it's Timmy that makes the card!"

This image is from the Greeting Farm - they have some fantastic images - great for coloring. Not sure if you can see it but I used MS flocking powder. Haven't quite got the hang of it yet. Need to find the right gluw. Any tips? please share. Well hope you have all your shopping under way or close to being done. I start wrapping tomorrow night.

XO

Little bits of Christmas #1

Tis the season, I am feeling proud...I am proud because for the first time in a long time I am super proud of my home.We recently got new carpet put in and bought some new furniture, a new tree and cut back on all the stuff we had. We de-cluttered our home. It's neat, I feel like a grown-up.

You know in a house I can finally live in, forever if I have to.

I wanted to share bits of my Christmas vignettes. Here is the first:

 Above is our mantel - we painted the hearth white - I love the way it came out.

see you tomorrow.

XO

All occasion Cones

I wouldn't call these cones officially they are known as TUSSIE MUSSIE's and they are my version of the Victorian version...These are super simple to make - you can buy the paper machie cones at Micheal's 3 for 4 or 5 bucks - then add what ever cover you want. Here I used vintage flocked wall paper...
Added some fun fringed tissue paper and some ribbon for the dangle - some vintage earrings and flowers for the centers and tah-dah!!!
These make cute gifts for a friend perhaps filled with yummy candies or some things she likes to collect. Or you can use them to hang on your door knobs and fill them with goodies for your "Little's"
They work well with this Holiday season but can work great for Valentines Day or even birthdays. You pick... I am planning this really big commitment for the new year and would love for you to play along...more details to follow.
Sleep Well....
XO

Santas Toy Village

Sweet collectibles are things I love to make. I especially love this cute little Santa's Toy shop atop a vintage jello mold.
I have been living with some turmoil lately and these cute little villages have come forth through my desire for a more happy place where things are fun and childlike and carefree.

Funny how things that are troubling you manage to work their way into your art work or your dreams. Luckily this time they managed to put forth something sweet.

Happy Holiday preparations...

XO

Christmas Tussie Mussie

This is a spin off of the vintage tussie mussie that were used to place on door knobs and filled with treats in the Victorian era. This piece uses mostly vintage pieces and it can be used for treats or for home decor.

I used red vintage flocked wall paper

A vintage Merry Christmas sign, some red fringed crepe paper trim some red satin ribbon for a handle...

I added some berries and some yummy Christmas mints in mine.

Hope you like it I made a few more to add to my etsy site.

Have a great weekend.

XO

Mini vintage Villages

Back to estate sales and such...estate sales are the greatest but the next place I love to look for fun vintage pieces are thrift stores. Now I am the first to admit MOST of the time all you find are used bits but there are times when you hit pay dirt and score with some trinkets inside bags with other useless junk. I love little mini vintage pieces Santa's, snowmen, trees deer, etc.... I had so many laying around that I decided to make some small villages. I have a small collection of those tin jello molds also so I combined the two.

here is the entire piece - I added some clear sugar glitter to the snowman so it wasn't so stark and added the same glitter to the mold - just with glue...To make sure the piece didn't fly off the counter I added a piece of felt to the bottom for stability. I have more to share with you - I just went crazy with villages.

I am adding them to my etsy shop this afternoon.

Hope you like them...

XO

re-vamped VINTAGE ornament

I love estate sale shopping - you know the ones where the person that past collected so many different things from the time they could afford to buy their own things with their own money. The really cool houses that are filled with unopened treasures. The drawers that haven't been opened in years, the boxes that are taped shut, the sharpie marker that is barely legible, the yards and yards of unused fabric. But my most favorite is when I find VINTAGE CHRISTMAS OR HALLOWEEN ORNAMENTS.

Not sure if you can see the ornie up top really well but it is the cutest little reindeer that is encased in a 3-d diamond shape... I took the ornie apart and removed the reindeer and plastic foliage...
Attached it to a red flower then backed it with a piece of felt and added a holly leaf and finally added a pin back...

Cute eh?

Well, here is one revamped vintage ornament and I have some more to share with you. I hope you are able to experience an estate sale that is filled with treasures beyond your wildest dreams. Those are the ones you talk about and remember and compare the not so good sales from then on.
sleep well

XO