love letters...CPS152

It has been such a beautiful, lazy weekend here in Southern Calfornia.  We are having the kind of winter weather that makes people want to move here and I am enjoying every minute of it.

Fortunately, I took care of my housework early yesterday so I've had plenty of time to play.  I didn't quite get to cleaning up my gardens but I did make note of what needs to be cut down...pulled out...rearranged cuz it's not doing well where it is...and what areas just need an overhaul.  My dreams and wish list are ready to go.

I've also been watching my 21 month old grandson most of the day and trying to finish off a project at the same time.  I have new respect for you young mothers who juggle it all.  I wish you could see my craftroom right now...on second thought...I'm glad you can't see my craftroom right now.  They only clear space is the area from my elbows to the keyboard as I type. There are cars and toy golf clubs, books and spatulas (to use as drum sticks, of course), balls and books along with assorted craft supplies all heaped in a pile. 

In between playtime and mostly during naptime...I had a chance to join Melissa Phillips again this week in her beautiful Inspiration Challenge.

This is the last of the heart pillows I've been working on...I actually had it started before I discovered the challenge and couldn't help but see how perfectly it suited the Inspiration piece.

I made this card based on the CPS152 challenge sketch. I used all the same elements as on the pillow...the antique buttons...the pink, cream and white color combination...some pinking sheered felt strips...a sweet heart I glittered up with Martha Stewart Rose Quartz glitter and her heart border punch...

The clear stamp sticker is from Pink Paislee as is the background paper...the pretty image in the center is actually the reverse side of the paper I used for the triangle flaps, from K & Company.  I first inked all the papers with Rose Coral chalk box ink and then went over it all with Distressing Ink in Antique Linen.  I am really happy with the way it turned out.

Sorry this turned into such a long post...it's getting late and it's back to work tomorrow.  Have a wonderful week.

Many blessings, Patty

sweet dreams...

My daughter says my crafts have ceased being a hobby and are now a full blown obsession...I don't know what it is lately but I am just having so much darn fun.  Once I get an idea in my head I have to get into my craftroom and work the thing out...maybe it's just old age but I don't want to forget it.  Take these delightful little heart shaped pillows...I knew what I wanted to do and as I started to plan them out, I got so excited...the thrill of the hunt was on.  I discovered the most wonderful product called "Sew In".  It's a computer printer fabric that allows you to print an image directly onto fabric...then you can use that fabric image however your heart desires.  For all I know it's been out there for years but it's new to me and boy, do I love it.  Okay enough of my ramblings, let me show you what I came up with...

I used basic felt I already had on hand for the heart shape and found a free download with the Victorian Couple image.

From the scraps of felt I cut out a smaller heart and used a simple blanket stitch to attach it to an old piece of brown burlap.

Same process for this one...downloaded a free image...added some lace, a flower and a button. 

 

I made one more but I will save it to post tomorrow...I think it's my favorite so far...

Don't you just love the romance of it all?

Sweet dreams,

Patty

Friends with Flair Friday...mushroom love

I've just spent the last half hour or so...okay, maybe it was a squish over that...browsing the most glorious, inspirational blog sites.  It's hard to believe that less than a year ago I didn't even know this world existed.  If you had told me there was a host of women who loved the same things I did, I would have thought you lost your mind or at least were living in the wrong era.

  But they're out there...doing what they love...dancing to the beat of their own drum, inspite of what pop-culture dictates.  I am thrilled to have joined their ranks...

With that said...I just received my January KOM from Unity...it was hard to choose which image to start with but when I saw the mushrooms and remembered my Cosmo Cricket Earth Love paper...the decision was made for me.

Aren't these the most adorable mushrooms?  I colored them with my Copics...did some fussy cutting of the sweet little birds from the Earth Love paper and added a pop dot to the snail back to add some dimension.

The stitched heart (minus the wings) is from Unity's August KOM...the buttons and ric rac are from my stash.

Thanks for stopping by...

Blessings,

Patty

vintage valentine...

I guess I've had romance on my mind.  It seems everything I create lately has to do with hearts...and ribbon..and glitter...and lace.  I guess it's just that time of year.  I used to think of Valentines Day as a holiday about expressing love only to my husband,  but now I think it's a great time to express love to all those we are blessed to have in our lives.  Sure we can and should show love and appreciation through everyday kindness and gentleness but every once in a while it's nice to receive a little token of appreciation or actually hear the words, "I love you".

 

This adorable little image is from Crafty Secrets, the vintagey paper is from K & Company, the chipboard flower is from Maya Road, the trims and doo-dads are from my stash.

This was a fun card to make...I zig-zagged the two papers together and added a little white paint to the edges to "vintage" it up a bit more.

For this one I used some vintage sheet music and some more Crafty Secret cut outs from the Altered Fairies collection.

It's almost Valentines Day...I challenge you to buy a box of children's Valentine's cards...make a list of the people in your life that you have been meaning to acknowledge and write them a quick note...maybe tuck in a candy kiss and show them that they are an important part of your world...I know I wouldn't mind hearing it ...I know you wouldn't either.

Hugs & Kisses...XXOO,
Patty

wishing...

One of my most favorite ways to spend a lazy afternoon is perusing Melissa Phillips beautiful blog.  She issued an inspirational challenge this weekend that I couldn't resist giving a whirl...She offered this beautiful photo from A Creative Mint as the starting point in creating a card to share.

What a breathtaking, dreamlike photo.  The beautiful slippers seem to be floating on a cloud of dainty flowers.

Here is my take...I was inspired by the lavenderish tones and the open white spaces and of course, the beautiful hydrangeas.

The sweet birthday sentiment is a new one for me from Crafty Secrets that I picked up on Friday along with the Prima flowers and the pearl flourish.  The paper is Basic Grey's Wisteria...it's one I've had in my stash for a while...so you see, I am still using what I already have on hand, too.

Wishing you blessings,

Patty

goodness...

Friday I headed out to Anaheim for the CHA craft show.  I'm fortunate to only live about 3o miles away and even though it was still raining, I hopped on the freeway with my SIL, who graciously came along for the ride.  As  you know I am really trying hard not to make any new purchases this year unless I really need it to complete a project.  (Just a side note...need is such a subjective word).  Anyway, I was careful to only take in what cash I was planning on spending and didn't take in a credit card or even my ATM.  I don't think I made it past the first vendor without seeing something I needed...there's that word again.   What a fun and inspiring time we had.  My SIL doesn't even consider herself a crafter and her bags were full as well.  I just thought I'd show a sample of the crafty goodness I found...

The cherry stamp set is from Taylored Expressions and it was one of the things on my wish list so I was quick to snag it.  The 6x6 paper pads are not particularly new but I love Basic Grey and Cosmo Cricket so I just had to grab them, too.

All the little loose goodies in the middle were from the same vendor...he had all his ribbons and doo-dads placed in plastic cups on shelves.  His prices were some of the best I found.

Of course I had to make a stop at the Crafty Secrets booth...It was our last stop and definitely where I did the most damage.  Even my SIL dropped a bundle there...she is way into vintage and you can't beat Crafty Secrets to have it available in all it's shabby, cuteness.  Not to name drop...but I got a chance to meet Sandy the owner and Vicki Chrisman who has been such an encouragement to me.  What sweet ladies...definitely the highlight of my day.

The flowers and leaves in front are from Prima and we found them at a really good clearance price, too.  I also purchased some Copic Markers for under $4.00 a piece.  I didn't have my color chart so I had to be careful not to purchase what I already own so I only bought four.  On second thought, maybe it's a good thing I didn't have my chart...

Mind you this was only the public version of the Craft show...I can only imagine what the Vendor show is like.  All the never seen before goodness...maybe next year.

Excited to play with my new stuff,

Patty

Unity FWF...always in my heart

What a joy and a blessing the creative process is.  Searching through my paper and stamps and finding inspiration...pulling out my boxes of embellishments and buttons...seeing a sketch come to life.

If you're visiting for the first time...welcome.  I love adding Unity stamps to my style of card making.  For me less is definitely not more.  This layered card was created with some great Webster's Pages paper and the oh so versatile September KOM from Unity. 

I double stamped the the heart pins and layered the heart portion to give them some dimension.

All the paper was distressed with Chalk ink in dark brown...the hearts were stamped with dew drops in lilac posies, pumpkin spice and ocean depth...the ribbon is tea stained twill and the brown button is from PTI.

Thanks for stopping by...enjoy the rest of the FWF stops.

Blessings,

Patty

sweet nothin's...

Another rainy, rainy day here in Southern California. The politically correct response to that is, "We need it." The truth to most native Californians is..."Enough already!" We have been socked in here for a whole week and I have to admit after the first 48 hours of being happy to be stuck inside, now I wanna go out and play. But I know...we've had years of drought and we need the rain.

Just wanted to share a sweet little card I made for the Card Positioning System's (CPS150) challenge this week sponsored by October Afternoon.

I have been receiving the KOM from Unity stamps now for nearly a year and I hate to admit that I have not even begun to ink many of the up. But that is changing cuz I'm lovin their images.
This delicate little cupcake and sweet nothin's sentiment is from the August KOM. I used copic markers on the image but also on the little pearls in the middle of the flowers. What a wonderful way to get a perfect match...the pearls were from a mixed bag of white pearls I picked up at Joanne's for 40% off last year but with the swipe of a copic marker they can become any color my heart desires. I love em! The October Afternoon paper line is Report Card. I just love the retro look of it...kind of looks like your grandma's wallpaper.

I used my sewing machine to underline the sentiment and to zig zag the two papers together. The heart border punch from Martha Stewart is one of my favorites right now...a simple bow and twine tied button finish it off. So simple...so sweet.

Pretending to enjoy another day of rain,

Patty

layers...

Just a quick post...it's late and I just got back from the best time with 10 of my best buddies in the whole world. We laughed until our teeth hurt...divulged childhood secrets...prayed for the people of Haiti...lamented over the economy...encouraged one another...just shared life.

I love these ladies that I meet with once a week for bible study and so much more. I can't quite put my finger on what makes us click, we are so diverse, and yet we have so much in common...each week brings with it another little part of who we are and who we long to be. I guess I just love the layers of our relationship...

layers of making memories papers and embellishments...Unity stamps.

more layers...this time the paper is Collage Press and the stamp is a Verve download.

I pray that each of you has a few relationships with layers. Not just the superficial stuff but the real life can be hard but I know I can trust you with my secrets kind of relationship...It may not be a bible study...it may just be an old and dear girlfriend...if you're blessed it may even be a sister or mother or daughter. I have been doubly blessed with both and I am forever thankful.

Amazingly blessed,

Patty

follow your heart...

Twenty one months ago I gave my heart away and I don't think I'll ever get it back. After nine long months on a roller coaster ride, my youngest daughter gave birth to our first grandchild. A special occasion under any circumstances but the birth of Andrew brought full circle what started out to be one of the most heart wrenching events in our lives. You see my daughter gave birth as a single mom...I wish I could say we handled it well...but that would be a lie. What I can say is that once that little guy came into our lives and home, we never looked back...our hearts were forever changed.

This card reminds me of him...know matter what happens...whether he's living in our house or moves away...my heart will always follow him.

The stamps are from Unity...the paper is Bobunny...the border punch is Martha Stewart.

Here he is with his most favorite thing right now...Thomas the train.

He looks so innocent but he's about to destroy gramma's picture layout...don't touch Andrew...don't touch...

Oh, Andrew...gramma said, "No touch"...

" I couldn't help myself...I just had to touch..."

How can you stay mad at a face like that?

Hopelessly following her heart,

Patty

be mine...

I just finished a couple of Valentine pillows for my front porch and I liked the design of them so much that I decided to make a couple of tags using the same sketch.

Like many of you...I have way more stuff than I will probably ever have time to use so I decided this year to only use what I have on hand before I head out to the craft/fabric store for more. So I pulled out some red, pink and blue fabric that I bought somewhere cause I just had to have it, and I started to sketch a design based on those fabrics.

It was actually kind of fun, so I thought I would do the same and making up some matching tags. I found this great pack of Collage Press papers in my stash that matched the fabric almost perfectly. Of course finding coordinating doo-dads was no problem either.

The hearts were cut out with my Silouette...the bottom border punch is from Martha Stewart and I just love it...the stamp is from TPC studio..the edges were antiqued with tea stain distressing ink.

the pillows...

I wish I could identify the fabric but I've had it a while and it is probably all from different companies but I thought it coordinated well without being too matchy, matchy.

Sticking to my not purchasing anything rule...I found some fiberfill in the attic and made pillow forms. Whoo...hoo...I'm on a roll now.

Did I mention I'm going to CHA (Craft and Hobby Association trade/craft show) this Friday...I will have to cross my fingers when I go in cause there is no way I'm not gonna find something I just gotta have!

Needing willpower,

Patty

why...

After working 8 hours at a job that pays me a fair wage, provides health insurance and a good retirement system, I got into my newer car and drove home to a safe neighborhood where I opened the refrigerator and pulled out enough food to satisfy my family. After dinner my husband, who works nights, returned to our soft bed to get a few more hours sleep before going off to a job that pays him a good wage, provides medical benefits and a good retirement system. I then packed my grandson's diaper bag with plenty of diapers, a snack and a few toys and headed off to bible study where he would be well cared for while I openly studied God's word. On the way I stopped at a well stocked grocery store and purchased some snacks to take with me.

After my study I tucked my grandson snugly in bed, made some hot tea and sat down to catch up on my emails. The first thing that caught my attention was a headline that read, "Massive 7.0 earthquake rocks Haiti, destroying the hospital...widespread casualties. "

It's so hard not to ask, "Why?" when you read that. Why Haiti? A country already so scarred by the throws of poverty...a country where work cannot be found...a country where medical care to the majority is not readily available...a country where paid retirement is unheard of...a country where so many mom's and grandma's don't have food to feed their hungry families...a country where babies are put to bed hungry...Why Haiti?

I am not questioning God or his sovereignty. I am certain that He is in control...I know that He has a plan and a purpose...I know some things are not for me to know...I guess my human mind, with my finite thinking, just struggles with the injustice of it all. Until we know what else we can do, please pray for the people of Haiti.

This is such a reminder for us to remember how blessed we are...while our country is far from perfect...we are blessed beyond what we deserve.

This certainly isn't the post that I had planned and sharing my silly cards with all the tragedy in this world doesn't seem worth while. My hope is that what I do will bring some joy and beauty and that we might be reminded of the many ways that God blesses all of us, even those living in a far from perfect world.


The image is from CraftySecrets...

The balloon stamp and sentiment are from Unity Stamps...the card is for the CPS149 challenge.

The paper for both cards is from BoBunny...the ribbons, buttons, charm and glitter are from my stash.

Thanks for listening,

Patty

paradigm... {D}

Our sermon series at church this month is entitled "Paradigm". It has to do with thought shifts...changing how we think things should be and why. Today's paradigm had to do with going from a sense of "Entitlement to Gratitude"...in our natural man, the more we get, the more we expect, the more we feel entitled to...we become harder and harder to satisfy. It's like a child at Christmas that would have been completely happy with just one present but after opening present after present he loses focus on the gift and just starts searching for the next present.

God gives us what we need and desires to give us so much more, but when he gives us more we forget that our needs have been met and we begin to just want more for the sake of wanting more...because we believe that somehow we are now entitled to more.

Pastor gave us this food for thought...do you agree?

"As our enjoyment grows-our demand grows. As our demand grows-our entitlement grows. As our entitlement grows- our appreciation fades."

This one really got to me...It was a reminder to take stock of all of the needs God has met and how he has exceedingly blessed me above and beyond.

Speaking of blessings...I finished the recipe book and I pray it blesses the recipient as much as she has blessed me.

The cover...I love all the bows and doo-dads sticking out...it's kind of a hint of the good stuff to come.



and I love how fat it turned out...



A little peak at one of my favorite pages...I love the little heart postage stamp from TPC studio...

I know it kind of takes the surprise out of it because she reads my blog but what she won't see here are the little notes that I have tucked inside each recipe file. They tell the memories that each of these dishes brings back to me...favorite birthday meals... kneading with hands of love...Christmas morning cookies...that will be for her eyes only.

I want to leave you with one final quote by G.K. Chesterson, I pray you're blessed by it...

"Here ends another day, during which I have had eyes , ears, hands and the great world around me. Tomorrow begins another day. Why am I allowed two?"

In His gratitude,

Patty

thankful...

Emily's surgery to remove the scar tissue and separate the muscle tear was this morning and I am happy to tell you that all went well. There was more scar tissue than originally expected but the surgeon was able to remove all of it with the exception of a small portion attached to the collar bone because it was too close to a large artery. She is not concerned because she says that portion should repair itself. Thank you all for your prayers. The recovery time is minimal because little ones heal at such a fast rate. She should be good as new in a few days. Thank you Lord.

I guess I didn't realize how nervous I was about this procedure until this morning. Even though you hear the words, "minor...outpatient...routine", when it's your little one, you still worry.

With that good news...I have a few more pages of my recipe book to share...

A vintage kitchen fabric swatch and a retro clock...Don't you love the "lace" curtains?

More fabric scraps and some Cosmo Cricket paper...a handmade embellishment of gathered fabric, a couple of flowers and a button.

The cherry stamp from Unity is colored with copic markers...the cute bird is Cosmo Cricket.

More Cosmo Cricket, Early Bird paper and a piece of tea stained twill...

I'm half way through and I think it's going to be tough giving this one away.

With a thankful heart,

Patty