In The Deep Freeze And A Package To Warm My Heart

I know that the calendar says that it is still officially fall but let me tell you that Winter has arrived here in B.C.  We got about 9 inches of snow during the night of December 1st and I woke up to this winter wonderland on Monday morning.  Most of the snow that had fallen earlier in November had melted away so it was a shock to wake up to this much white stuff!  And while I do love the snow, the cold is another matter entirely and baby, it's cold outside!  The thermometer reached a balmy high of -10 C (14 F) today and it is dropping down to near -20 C (-4 F) at night with no break in sight for the next week or so.  They are actually forecasting that it is going to be getting colder, oh joy!  The only up side to the cold temperatures are the beautiful blue skies that usually accompany them.  It was fogged in earlier today but now the sun is peeking out between the clouds and the trees and while it doesn't do much to warm things up, it is lovely to see.

What did warm my heart today was the wonderful package that I received from my Mixed Media Studio swap partner, Helen.  You can find her on her blog here.  Helen is an amazingly talented artist and the package she sent me was stuffed full of treasures.  First, here is her 'Too Sweet' ATC that she sent me for our swap:

Love the teacup and the cupcake!  Along with the ATC, she enclosed this beautiful handpainted card:

and this cute Santa charm, perfect for the season!

There is another equally cute vintage Santa image on the other side too :O)

But wait, there's more!  She sent me this whimsical tag she created using a digi stamp by Sherry Badley:

I love how all the wonderful fibers she added echo the wild hairdo of this cute little digi stamp!  And finally, last but certainly not least, she sent me this amazing portrait that she created, it is absolutely stunning!

The picture does not even begin to do this beautiful piece of art justice, the subtlety of the coloration and detail is so beautiful.  Thank you very much Helen for your amazing generosity and for sharing your wonderful artwork with me, I will treasure them all!

Hope that you all are having a lovely week, stay warm and happy creating,

Deb

A Bowl Full Of Christmas

Happy December everyone!  I am finding it difficult to believe that it is indeed December once again, but the calendar says that it is true.  I can hear the jingle bells ringing, can you?  Only 24 sleeps until the big day, let the panic begin!

As it is the first of the month, I made two new items to list in my Prim Nest shop and with visions of sugar plums dancing through my head they both have a Christmas theme.  First, I made some Christmas tree bowl fillers with some sparkly swirled ornaments and rusty jingle bells.

The sparkle is hard to see in the picture, but I sprinkled some 'Glamor Dust' onto the ornaments while the paint was still wet so they have a lovely subtle twinkle.

And next, I made a Choir Of Angels to fill the house with carols throughout the holiday season.

I first made these little angels as a gift for my Mom & Dad last year but had never made them to sell.  And I also never took a picture of them last year so I think this is what Mom & Dad's look like, but I'm not real sure LOL!  I used vintage Christmas sheet music for their wings and they have needle sculpted noses, embroidered eyes and gold cord halos plus sprinkles of mica flakes for a little sparkle.  Both the Christmas trees and the choir of angels are available in my Prim Nest shop if you are interested.

We are about to head into the deep freeze again here, they are forecasting temperatures down near -20 C (4 F) starting tomorrow and I am hoping that they are going to be wrong!  We've already had one bought of cold weather and that was more than enough, thanks all the same.  Hopefully the Arctic outbreak will be short lived and we'll get back to more normal temperatures for this time of year soon.  Until then, it will be time to hunker down, turn on the Christmas carols and stoke the wood fire!  Hope it is lovely and warm in your neck of the woods, have a wonderful week and happy creating!

Deb

Hot Air Balloon Challenge - Done!

Good evening everyone, hope this finds you all stuffed full of turkey and soaking your feet after a day of shopping till you drop! A belated Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends, hope you had a wonderful day with family and friends.  We celebrated Thanksgiving in Canada back in October, so no turkey hangovers here today and shopping is something I hate to do at the best of times, so heading out to the stores on 'Black Friday' is the last thing I'd ever do!  Instead, I worked on my hot air balloon for my Mixed Media Studio group challenge and finally got it completed (the deadline is tomorrow so I got it finished in the nick of time, or is that the Saint Nick of time?!).

I'm calling my hot air balloon 'Santa's Flight', Santa has found a new mode of transportation! 

The challenge was to make a hot air balloon using Laura Carson's template but to make it without buying anything to complete it.  We could use found objects or items already in our stash or things we found online for free, but no new purchases.  With Christmas on the horizon, I decided to make a hot air balloon with a Christmas theme and when I found this wonderful Santa paper puppet:

at The Sum of All Crafts blog and the Santa sleigh tutorial and template by Lesley Shepherd on About.com I knew I was going to make a Santa's sleigh hot air balloon.

I used Christmas sheet music for each of the balloon panels and then added some angel wing images that I found online, just in case Santa needed a little more lift!  The Christmas vignettes on each panel are from images provided by The Graphics Fairy and my Dee Duncan Folk Art and I colored some pop can tabs with alcohol inks to attach the guy wires to.

I printed out some banners from PicMonkey, that I added Christmas phrases to, and attached the wires from the balloon to a grapevine wreath embellished with pip berries.  The little light bulb ornaments on the lines heading down to Santa's sleigh have been in my stash forever, have no idea where I got them from, but I finally found a use for them!

Donner and Blitzen have come along for the ride with Santa, inside the sleigh, and they're enjoying just floating along!  I sprinkled the reindeer (from an image found on The Graphics Fairy) and the sleigh with Glamor Dust and then added some copper glitter glue to the sleigh runners and edges.  I cut some holly leaves and berries off one of those wire Christmas garlands and glued them onto the sleigh and then added some foil wrapped presents into the back seat along with a chenille candy cane, everything from my stash.

It's finished on all sides, so it is going to make a great decoration for our tree this year.  We always cut down our own Christmas tree in the woods around us here and there is always one glaring bare spot that needs something long to fill it in (no perfectly sculpted tree's in this house!). This 'Santa's Flight Hot Air Balloon' will be the perfect solution to the problem :O)  I had a ball making this, thanks to everyone who provided all the wonderful free templates and images and thanks to the Mixed Media Studio for the inspirational spark!

Must run as I have some new items to get finished for my Prim Nest shop and I also have to get to work on my next Mixed Media Studio challenge, a photo album made from brown paper bags.  Since I'm in full Christmas mode now, I'm thinking it will be a Christmas album to give as a gift this year to someone special ... I wonder who?  Thanks for stopping by and happy creating,

Deb

Too Sweet ATC

Good morning, it's another frosty day here in B.C.  Our temperatures have been dropping down to -20 C (about 4 F) at night and while we are having beautiful blue sky days, it's not warming up a whole bunch!  The snow squeak crunches under foot when we are out walking and the pups can't be out too long before they are holding up cold paws and heading for the door to get back in.  It is supposed to warm up over the next couple of days thank goodness, both for the pup's sake and ours!  I still have to get the Christmas lights up outside and the thought of doing it in -20 C weather is too much to bear.

I just finished up an ATC for a swap I am doing with our Mixed Media Studio group.  The theme for this month was 'Too Sweet'.  Perhaps because Christmas is on the horizon, my thoughts immediately flew to sugar plums as referenced in the wonderful book "Twas The Night Before Christmas" by Clement Moore:

"'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads....."

So here's my Too Sweet ATC I'm calling 'Sugar Plums Dancing':

I used lots of German glass glitter to imitate sugar crystals and images of candy, Sugar Plum fairies dancing and even the front cover of a vintage "The Night Before Christmas" book.  And don't you love the vintage 'Santa Claus Sugar Plums' label?  Hope my swap partner likes it, I sent it off yesterday so she should get it in a week or so (Canada Post and USPS willing!).

 My next mixed media project I have to complete is a hot air balloon using Laura Carson's template from her blog Artfully Musing, the kicker being it has to be made with 'found' objects rather than buying all your supplies to make it.  So I've been collecting bits and bobs and scouring my stashes and think I am going to do a Christmas hot air balloon.  It's still a WIP but I'll post some pictures when it actually starts to look like a hot air balloon!   And hot on the heels of that, I have to get working on a paper bag album for our November Paper Studio Challenge.  I have one I've been working on so I can show folks what I make (I blogged about it here), but in the interest of fair play I will make up a new one for the challenge.  And THEN, last but not least for this year's challenges and swaps, I have to get working on a shrine for our Mixed Media 4th quarter challenge.  I have a pretty good idea what I am going to make; I have a wee, tiny little shrine kit that I bought from Paper Whimsy a while back and I am planning on using it.  The details shall have to remain secret for now as it is going to be a gift for someone who may (or may not?!) be reading this blog :O)

Just wanted to remind you all as well about our Old Farmhouse Gathering team's "Trim The Tree With OFG" treasury contest that is open until November 24th.

 

Click here to enter by commenting on the Etsy treasury or click on the button at the top left corner of my blog.  If you are the lucky winner, you will get each and every ornament included in this treasury to decorate your tree, a very generous giveaway from the folks at the Farmhouse!  I should have mentioned this the first time I told you about it (and my apologies for not doing so) but this giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only.

So that is it for now, hope you are staying warm and being creative.  We'll talk again soon,

Deb

Walkin' In A Winter Wonderland

"Sleigh bells ring, are you listening .... In the lane, snow is glistening .... A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight today .... walking in a winter wonderland"

'Winter Wonderland' Music by Felix Bernard,  Lyrics by Richard B. Smith

We went for a stroll with the pups yesterday up in the hills above us.  While the snow down here at the house is mostly melted, up just a couple of hundred feet it is truly a winter wonderland.  It was a perfect day, temperatures just above freezing, bright and beautiful sunshine and we had the whole mountain to ourselves.

 

Our Big Dog loves, no, let's make that LOVES winter.  He is a snow dog and even though he is now 10 years old, he turns into a puppy as soon as the flakes hit his big 'ol nose.

He and The Delinquent run about and dig together, sticking their noses deep into the snow banks for those all elusive moles (don't worry, they never find any!).  The Queen, on the other hand, is not quite as enamored of the white stuff as her brother and sister are.

The Queen's approach to winter is to wear her winter jacket and sit by a roaring fire, hopefully one that is having some lovely sausages cooked over top of it!  So in order to keep everyone happy, that's just what we did.  After a walk in the winter sunshine, we built a big bonfire and roasted some sausages and watched as the sun dipped below the snow covered trees.

A perfect day in our winter wonderland!

Deb

Thank You Handmade Artisan Connection!

Good morning everyone,  hope this finds you all well and staying warm.  It's chilly here today, the snow is gently drifting down and the wood fire is crackling away.  Winter is definitely on her way!

I received some exciting news from Bette and Deena of By Your Hands blog a couple of days ago.  They have started a new directory for handmade artists and were having a giveaway for a six month subscription to their new site, the Handmade Artisan Connection, and guess what, I won!  I am so grateful to them for their generosity and tickled pink to be associated with the talented artisans who are already there.

The Handmade Artisan Connection is a site "devoted to Handmade only".  They send out a newsletter on the 1st and the 15th of each month, letting you know about new items from their handmade artisans and new shops who have joined this great site, so head on over to sign up and check out the shops already listed there.  And if you have a handmade shop of your own online, be sure to head on over and check out their advertising and subscription options, there is something for everyone!

Thank you so much Bette and Deena, I am so excited to be a part of your wonderful new site and to be associated with such a talented group of artisans.  An early and very much appreciated Christmas present, thanks so much!

Deb

A Christmas Present From The Old Farmhouse Gathering Team!

Good morning everyone.  I've got a lovely surprise to share with you today, courtesy of the talented and generous artisans on the Old Farmhouse Gathering team.  How would you like to win this entire Etsy treasury, full of wonderful handmade ornaments to decorate your tree this coming holiday season?

'Trim Your Tree with the Old Farmhouse Gathering Team' by farmersattic

RESERVED LISTING For Trim Yo... PaxtonValleyFo... $15	Santa Belsnickle Gourd Chri... raggedyjan $10
RESERVED Winter Barn, Set of... KathysKountry $14	RESERVED for OFG Embellished... SnowNoseCrafts $10
RESERVED Christmas Ornament.... PaintspotsnSpl... $10.95	RESERVED Angel Snoman lmdickie1 $15
RESERVED LISTING: Primitve H... TheFrenziedFox $12	RESERVED For Lucy Please Che... PrimitiveBlack... $14
RESERVED, Handmade, Vintage ... PatchworkFrien... $10	RESERVED Listing For Trim Yo... thooker $12.5
RESERVED for Old Farmhouse G... barbsheartstro... $15	RESERVED Snowman Ornament, H... shopch2 $14
Reserved -- Handmade Snowma... HandmadeByBett... $12	Reserved Primitive Mouse on ... shweetpotatodo... $15
Set of 3 Santa Ornaments, ... YorkiesPrimiti... $10.95	RESERVED_Mouse Ornament on a... MotherlodeToad $15

Sponsored by send bulk email from excel.

All you have to do to enter, is to visit the 'Trim Your Tree With OFG' treasury on Etsy:

www.etsy.com/treasury/OTQ2ODkwOHwyNzI1MjcyNzky/trim-your-tree-with-the-old-farmhouse

visit each of the shops who are donating an ornament to this great giveaway and then leave a comment on the treasury.  If you'd like a second entry, just add the treasury to your Etsy favourites.  Easy peasy, right?  The winner will be notified on November 25th.

I made a winter wonderland dove ornament for the giveaway:

She is from a pattern by Sassafrass Hill Primitives that I adapted and I used a 'Winter Wonderland' cotton print fabric to make her.  She's got a warm 'n natural quilt batting scarf and she's holding a hand tag in her beak that is sending you 'Warm Winter Wishes'.

Good luck to everyone who enters the giveaway and thanks again to all of my generous Old Farmhouse Gathering team mates who donated their ornaments.  Have a great day and happy creating!

Deb

A Generous Giveaway From Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe

Attention all stitchers!  Just found this wonderful giveaway over at Nancy's blog, Victorian Motto Samplar Shoppe.  A wonderful Sewing Necessaire kit in the color way of your choice, I would be hard pressed to choose between the black and tan kit:

or the olden brown floral:

if I am lucky enough to win.

But these are just two of the choices, click here to head to Nancy's blog post to enter and choose your favourite and please let her know I sent you when you leave your comment.  Good luck to everyone and thank you to Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe for a wonderful giveaway!

Deb