artful thursday - swap fun!

hi girls!
on my way to set up for a garage sale...so not much time for anything but some photos. (we've got to get this sale over with so my summer can start!) these ornaments are for a spring swap hosted by alanna george! i will share more when my package comes in a couple of weeks.



my grandma used to decorate with sugar coated Easter egg pretties every spring. you know the ones with hard frosting that looked delicious but you couldn't eat! those were my inspiration.



they looked so cute all bunched together in a basket!



happy day!

artful thursday - earth laughs in flowers

i've been inspired by all this "up-cycling" business that's been going on around the blog world. i've also really enjoyed the greencraft edition recently published by stampington. so when i saw this empty little debbie box on the counter, i wanted to give it a shot.



here's what emerged...



the flowers are pages from vintage books, cash registries, and hymn books.



i spotted them on charolotte lyons' or rebecca sower's blog sometime last year. (i'm so sorry, i totally can't remember which one!)

i can't believe i am really posting these words, but - tomorrow is the last day of school!!!!!! yipppeee!

happy day!

for those little grown up boys..

being a mamma has got to be one of the most rewarding, completely joyful, and overwhelmingly painful experiences life has to offer. mr. elliott is going into fourth grade next year, the grade i have taught for 15 years...this blows my mind. i am sure we JUST brought him home from the hospital, a little scrawny baby who was too busy to eat and snuggle.

today, i will attend a few graduation receptions for little boys that i taught. here are the "boy" cards that i came up with. their mammas are wonderful women that i admire. my heart breaks a bit for them.



oh, i know they'll continue to grow into these amazing men. but...it's a new chapter.

happy day!

artful thursday - pretty and pink

this is a crazy busy time of year. we are totally wrapping up the end of the school year, which has been just wonderful. graduations, sporting events, (i think we might have signed our lives away to soccer) field trips, the weather is FINALLY getting nice, so who wants to be inside acting responsible? anyway. i have some former fourth graders who are graduating and i can't exactly give each of them a monetary gift, so i like to give them something from my (this sounds so cheesy) heart.

years ago, i purchased an incredibly cool book at a garage sale for a quarter. it is called roses of the world in color. look at the cool cover. it was first published in 1936. and yes. i cut it up.



i love these roses, and think they are perfect to use for card making or collage.







i used a couple of sheets of oh so pretty pink vellum, machine stitched up the sides with silver thread, embellished, and ta-da...



now. this particular lovely will be presented to a girl.
: )
i have other ideas for my young men...but they are not finished, yet, so i will have to share later!

happy day!

artful thursday - honoring mom

mother's day is sunday! i have been blessed with a wonderful mother. susie. it is almost impossible to know how much your momma loves you, until you become a momma...i, of course, didn't know this and am embarrassed at the way i treated her in those yucky smart alecky teenage years. thankfully, she loves like a momma loves, and we are grown up mommas...friends. i love you, mom. (i know she doesn't read my blog so i can show you her card.)



start with a piece of card stock. i have a stack of file folders ready to be recycled into something pretty.



cut into 3 and a half by 12 inch strips. fold into thirds, glue into one long strip with 5 squares, and cover with pretty papers.



i like the look of machine stitching around the edge of each square.



i bought an inspiration book at a garage sale. (cheap.) it is full of beautiful artwork and sweet sayings - all honoring mothers. i don't mind cutting up these kinds of books when i know i am going to use them for pretty.



after selecting the artwork i wanted to use, i cut each piece down to 3 by 3 squares and embellished.













i sewed seam binding to the back of one of the folds so that the book could be tied together and presented to my mom in a neat little package. there is plenty of room on the back of the card to write a message to mom. xoxoxo



happy mother's day to all of you mommas, and blessings to all of you women who have mothered precious souls without birthing them.



happy day!

soar: more happy mail!

like most of you, i love any publication produced by stampington. they are jam packed with beautiful pieces created by women from all over. as i pore over each magazine cover to cover, including any and all ads, i am inspired. the artists are always given credit, and over the years, i have noticed that i am regularly drawn to artwork created by certain artists. one of those talented girls is becky shander.



i am the LUCKY winner of a giveaway, hosted by this lovely woman...and let me just say, i was THRILLED! this gorgeous necklace arrived at my door step and made my heart dance! i cannot tell you how blessed i feel to actually own a piece of art created by this creative soul. thank you, becky.

happy day!

happy may day!

beatrice and i made our may day baskets together...sooo much fun. i loooove playing silver bella with my girl. have i ever told you that when i was pregnant with beatrice, i had absolutely zilcho creative energy? i mean none. that was the only year i ever sent out store bought Christmas cards. i swear she was absorbing every ounce of creativity i had...and now i am so glad!
ok, back to may day...



those toilet paper rolls came in handy once again! she designed a flower pattern and it was my job to cut them out of old books.



mr. elliott helped with the delivery part.



no kisses. no pinches. lots of smiles!
happy day!