Monday, November 22, 2010

silver bella - ooh-la-la!

okay, friends. here's what i have to say about silver bella.
LOOOOOVVVVVEEEEEEEEDDDD IT!

here are a few snapshots from -seriously- a wonderful weekend! i threw together some photo collages to try to save on the length of this post! (i don't think it really helped!!!)

karla and meleen - they hit it off last year, and were thrilled to spend some time together! meleen is just wonderful. so much fun!
me - right before the finale dinner
karla at vendor nite - "hats on parade" was the theme! she looked so stinking cute in her totally vintage hat.


these are just a few of the tables from vendor nite - fabulous shopping. fab.u.lous! karla and i had a table this year. it was a ton of fun, but way hard work, too. we sold lots of supplies and cutie patootie baby bootie kits! check out our etsy shop if you missed something!

peacoats and partyhats - candace and suzanne - ooooh, i was swooning over this booth. i felt like a kid in a candy store!

the best part of silver bella? the friends! danielle, sissy, amy!


suzanne - oh, it was so much fun to get to know her a bit! check out her blog, if you haven't! her home is covered in shabby chic glory, i am totally inspired by her decorating. beeeaaauuutttiful! and cherie - oh my goodness! what a sweet-sweet soul, she is precious.

these are our western nebraska bellas! last year, it was just karla and i...look at us now! lora, janet, clara, lisa, and chris! so much fun!!! we are hoping for some future crafting and shopping with these gals!


okay - jamieson on the left - is for sure a new friend! i can't wait for her to get her blog going!


valerie, suzanne, and candace - all 9 of us (from the two previous photos) sat together at opening night! oh the thrill!


michelle - our swap hostess for the incredible bella souvenir journal. she is way cool. let me say it again. way. cool.

this brings me to the swaps!

karlatta and i hosted "the love chapter" swap. this was designed by splitting the scripture 1 corinthinians 13:4-8 into 16 parts and giving each phrase to one girl. she then created 16 ornaments of her phrase to be swapped. they can then be displayed together, making lovely valentine's day pretties! (or anytime, really!)

here are the finished ornaments...feast your eyes on these gorgeous creations!




i am going to list the participants, but please forgive me, girls, for not getting your blogs linked up here! (this post is taking forever!) lisa hajda, kris malone, marsi bennet, lisa super, merry gray, cherie wilson, hope ellington, stephanie oyler, colleen moody, lisa orme, shannon johnson, jennifer hilliard, heather ales, julie baxley, karla steele, and me! thank you, girls for joining us! we just love the finished product!

i also participated in the 3x3 inchy stitch swap. oh my gosh! so totally addicting! i really enjoyed this and plan to keep making more! the size is perfect, doesn't take any thought at all, and the result is adorable! i am planning to create one large banner with these little sweet things! hostesses for this swap were kris and tami. thanks, ladies!





this is just a tiny taste of the silver bella souvenir journal! holy stink! i am telling you...this is a beautiful piece of work! so much PAPER!!! (i so love paper!)





okay, the girls who played along with the journal were: kim caldwell, meleen dupre, michelle geller, mollie mccabe, karla nathan, kathi pilar, karla steele, cheryl stoneham, suzanne duda, lisa thompson, rachel velder, susie vergenz, cherie wilson, and me. thank you, bella friends, for this wonderful keepsake! it is a total treasure.

okay. my classes. there are no photos because i was too busy creating!
josephines jewels with kari meng. excellent. she is a superb teacher.
nana's basket with charlotte lyons. soooo fabulous. i could do this kind of crafting all day!
around the elipse with sally jean. hard. hate soldering. she's a hoot, tho!
project runway with colette copeland. LOVE! ooohhhh! so loved this one!
oh tannenbaum with kerry lynn yeary. soooo much happy fun! meleen and laura were great tablemates! : )

i've got to wrap this up! jenny doh totally moved us with her wise words. read them here. really. read them.

this photo of karla and i was swiped from teresa - the queen bella! thank you!!!!

happy - happy day, friends! and thanks to those of you who read this ridiculously long post!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

artful thursday - i haven't forgotten!!!



okay friends. my art heart is a pitter pattering with some crazy creating desires!!! i am so refreshed and energized after my fab.u.lous weekend at silver bella. it was just stinking wonderful!

totally more on that later.



oh, i so love*love*LOVE Christmas! beatrice and i have already started decorating our little cottage. she is just nuts about the nativity sets and can "play" for hours.

speaking of nativity sets, i must to admit to the world: i think i have an addiction. i cannot stop myself. i love them all. plastic, ceramic, chippy, complete, with animals, without animals. does not matter. love.




anyway. we were making our way through the totes that have been storing our precious Christmas pretties, when it hit me that today is thursday! so. it became very important that i create a little lovely for this antique frame.

supplies:
a sheet of music
a gorgeous image - from a calendar that i bought at a garage sale for a quarter
some scripture torn from an old bible
a bit of lace
a sewing machine



glue the image on the music, stitch around the part that speaks to you, add the scripture, some lace, put in the frame, and ooooh-la-la!



happy day to you, girlies!
xoxoxo

Monday, November 8, 2010

and we're off!!!!



karla and i will leave wednesday nite right after school for silver bella! i can NOT even believe it is finally here!!! we registered in april, signed up for swaps in june, applied to be vendors in july, tinkered and created all summer, and now it's HERE!!! yipppeeee!

i will do my best to share the weekend with all of you who won't be there, and can't wait to see those of you who are!

happy day, friends!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

can't stop smiling!!!!!

well. i am just ridiculously giddy!!!!! miss amy has done it again - actually she has totally outdone herself this time!!!!



she has put together an awe inspiring Christmas edition of inspired ideas...and let me just tell you...I AM INSPIRED!!!! you seriously will not believe the artists and projects featured in this edition.



i am also so-so-SO happy, and so very honored, and thankful to share with you, that i have a project in her magazine!!!! this is so my first time to be "published"!! i am just so totally beside myself i can hardly take it!

thank you, amy!!!!

happy day!