Over the Rainebeau

Valentine Pink Saturday, Altered Tins and Freebies!

2012-02-10T03:30:00.000-08:00

The dog ate my homework!
Well, actually, Blogger ate my blog post!
Last Pink Saturday, I posted about my altered tins,
Friday it was there on my blog...
and Saturday it wasn't! Gone!
In truth, it ~~was probably something I did~~ wasn't me!

So, I will do a quick recap, plus more Valentine goodies!
I made this tin for Wendy for her
Hearts and Flowers Valentine Tin Swap.

Pin It

The heart is the bottom half of an Altoid tin.
Yes! I knew they made special heart-shaped tins for Valentine's Day,
and I searched for weeks trying to locate them!
I lined the inside rim with Tim Holtz tissue tape.
I then glued on some pretty background paper and onto that
a crepe paper yoyo edged with vintage silver glass glitter.
Also glass glittered the rim of the tin.
Adorable image from Debrina Pratt and butterfly wings from Paper Whimsy.
Made a cupcake with chipboard from Maya Road.
Glued on a glitter heart and xoxoxo.
Outside rim edged with Tim Holtz tissue tape,
then I glued red ruffled satin ribbon on top of that.

And voila the very lovely tin that Wendy made for me!

Doesn't it look cute hanging on the Eiffel Tower?
Thank you, Wendy, I ♥love♥ it!!

I was having so much fun making valentines
that I found it hard to stop! I made this LOVE banner

for a special little 5 year old, my niece!
The banner fits inside the box,
which is an altered Russell Stover candy box.
My friend Marti had the idea for her altered tin,
and I wanted to put a "juvenile" spin on it.

And since I was into the kiddie valentine thing,
I made this altered Altoid tin:

And inside I tucked in some bon bons made of buttons:

I was just loving working with all that RED!

Here's a couple of kiddie valentine freebies for you...

Click to enlarge, right click and save!

Thanks for stopping by...
You may like to stop by Pink Saturday
for more pink and red inspiration!

Have a great weekend!

White Wednesday and Altered Journal

2012-02-07T13:17:00.000-08:00

Welcome White Wednesday-ers!

I have another altered journal I'd like to share with you,
this one with a creamy vintage felt heart on the cover!

This is the second of three sewing themed journals I created recently.
If you'd like to see the first one, scroll down to the previous post.
And if you'd like to see the third one, stay tuned! :)

Here are some of my favorite layouts from inside the journal:

This journal went to one of my partners in Speckled Egg's Altered Journal Swap.

And a couple of freebies, sewing themed of course!

Click to enlarge, right click and save!

Thanks for stopping by, have a great week!
And you may like to pop in to White Wednesday
for all sorts of white loveliness!.

White Wednesday, Altered Journal and Freebies!

2012-01-31T15:35:00.000-08:00

I have been working on altered journals for a swap at Speckled Egg,
so I thought I'd share with you this altered journal I made a couple of months ago
for a swap with my Art Party group.
I decided to do a seamstress theme, here is the front cover:

And these are a few of my favorite layouts from inside the journal:

I just have sooo many vintage buttons, lace, sewing patterns and notions
so it was great to be able to put them all together in this journal.

But my favorite resource for pictures and text was a 1927 Butterick sewing book!

The big fabric flowers I picked up at a thrift shop, someone must have meant them for appliques because they were ALREADY CUT OUT!!
My hands were so happy about that!

But the best thing is that my friend Marti was the recipient of the book!

Thanks for stopping by, you may like to pop in at
White Wednesday for links to more pretty whites!

Here's a couple of sewing themed freebies for you:

Click to enlarge, right click and save!

Pinks, Thrifting, Valentines and Freebies!

2012-01-27T08:57:00.000-08:00

I have been ~~having so much fun~~ working day and night : )
creating for the various swaps for which I just couldn't resist signing up.
♥♥♥ Love, love a Valentines theme! ♥♥♥

Here is the finished matchbox I made for my partner in
Vintage Dragonfly's Altered Matchbox Swap:

I sandwiched a small matchbox between
two graduated-sized chipboard hearts (Maya Road),
which I covered in pretty papers...
a larger scalloped-edged heart on the bottom and a smaller heart on the top,
so that you can see both hearts. Except it's a bit hard to see in this picture!
Gessoed the edges, added some glittery scrolls, tulle, cupid,
forget-me-nots, and made a little banner.
We were also to includes some mini-sized ATCs to fit in the box:

AND, I finally got myself to the thrift stores, and did pretty well.
I got this hand crocheted table scarf, the silver plated dishes
(one of which is a two piece serving dish),
the two plates and adorable valentines for $20!!
How cute will those plates be for Valentine's Day with my Valentine?

They're probably not terribly vintage,
but they are Spode, made in England.

Love these true vintage valentines:

And here's a couple of freebies to use in your own Valentines crafting:

Click to enlarge, right click and save!
Thanks for stopping by,
and visit Pink Saturday for more Valentine Pinks!

Pink Saturday and Valentines and Valentines!!

2012-01-20T09:48:00.000-08:00

Happy Pink Saturday!!
And welcome new followers...
and everyone!

I am in a very fun swap at Paper Whimsy,
yes, you guessed it, VALENTINES!!
Eleven of them!

Soooo, here is a little peekie:

I feel I must explain the soft focus on this photo:

I ~~half-wittedly~~ accidentally left my camera outside in the rain.
Well it wasn't actually raining when I left it outside.
In my defense, I live in San Diego, and we don't have much experience with rain here.
Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Oh! I can't let you leave without a freebie:

or two:

Click to enlarge, right click and save!

After all, I'm sure you have valentines to make also!

Visit Pink Saturday for more pink romance!

White Wednesday Valentines!!

2012-01-17T16:38:00.000-08:00

Welcome and Happy White Wednesday to you all!

I just love vintage valentines,
and thought I'd share these very vintage,
over the top hearts and flowers valentines with you:

Click to enlarge, right click and save!

Perhaps they will inspire you to create your own romantic valentines.
Or you could copy and print, add some glitter and a paper doily, et voila! :)
Thanks for stopping by, and visit White Wednesday for more white loveliness.
Have a great week!

Pink Saturday and Valentine Freebies!

2012-01-14T00:17:00.000-08:00

Happy Pink Saturday!!
How have you been artfully kickstarting the new year?

I have been working on swaps, like
Paper Whimsy's Valentine Swap
Vintage Dragonfly's Altered Matchbox Swap
and Speckled Egg's Altered Composition Book swap.
But I can't post anything yet!!
Til my swap partners receive their goodies...
I don't know if I can wait that long...we'll see...

Here are some lovely pink vintage images to
use in your Valentine crafting:

Click to enlarge, right click and save!

And head on over to Pink Saturday for more pink inspiration!

Anthropologie NYC

2012-01-03T16:00:00.000-08:00

And what's a trip to NYC without a visit to Anthropologie?
I just love their ever-changing window decorations and in-store decor.This year's theme seemed to be an icy/frosty one...Fairly minimal for Anthro...Love this outfit, though...Ah, this is more like it...And inside the store,
paper discs edged with glitter,
stacked and hung from the ceiling...I probably won't be trying this at home, though ;)

Further down the block I spied this cute little coat made from "newsprint":

And this fabulous shoe wreath!!

I probably won't be trying that at home either! LOL

Here's a couple of wintery white freebies for you:

Click to enlarge, right click and save!

Is it winter white where you are?
It's 80 degrees here...

Visit White Wednesday for more winter whites!And Pink Saturday for lovely pinks!

Christmas in NYC and Tinsel Trading Company!

2011-12-30T08:51:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful time in NYC!! Short but oh so sweet!

Travel was a breeze. And the weather, well...

just look at that beautiful sky!

A few sights around the city...

Oh, yes, a trip to Tinsel Trading Company...

As if there aren't enough reasons to love Tinsel Trading Company,
they had Christmas items on sale before Christmas!
I snagged this little guy:

Wishing you all happy, healthy, blessed New Year!

Click to enlarge, right click and save!

Visit Pink Saturday for some pink holiday loveliness!

December Countdown!

2011-12-21T10:06:00.000-08:00

Just a quick little post and freebie.
NYC trip delayed a couple of days due to

Oh, sure, she looks all cute and innocent,
but she started acting up and gave us a worry.
It was quite effective,
so now we won't be staying there as long.

I wanted to share this beautiful little box
that my wonderful friend Marti made for me:

I LOVE it!!

Also, I made this illuminated altered matchbox
for my Secret Santa in my Art Party group:

And lastly, some favorite freebies for you:

Click to enlarge, right click and save!

I will most likely not post again until after Christmas,
so I would like to wish you all
a merry and blessed Christmas!!

Blossoming Box and Christmas Freebies!

2011-12-16T08:27:00.000-08:00

My packages to my friends and family are
IN THE MAIL!
That is a huge hurdle!
But now there are not so many presents under the tree : (

I am so enjoying my daily gifties from my my Secret Santa
in JoAnne's Secret Santa Advent Swap:

Unopened:

Opened!

So sweet!

I have also been having fun making these "exploding boxes":

This pic is of the top:

When you lift the top from the box, it falls open to reveal 20 "pages"
where you can put photos, etc.

I will paste pictures of Christmases past in this one,
which is for my sister. Aw...
I think I will rename them blossoming boxes : )

Here are a couple of Christmas freebies for you:

Don't these birds make you feel peaceful inside?

Click to enlarge, right click and save!

Happy Pink Saturday!

December Countdown

2011-12-13T23:16:00.000-08:00

As promised here are a couple of Christmas lovelies for you:

Click to enlarge, right click and save!

Also thought I would show a few pix from my New York Christmas last year.
We will be spending Christmas in NYC again this year...
can't wait, but so much to do still!!

So far this year, no snow in NYC yet...so we'll see...

Visit White Wednesday for more winter whites!

Christmas Tin Swap and Freebies!

2011-12-12T12:22:00.001-08:00

Well, I am so loving the Secret Santa Advent Swap
that JoAnne of Vintage Dragonfly has organized.
Every day I get a sweet crafty treat from my Secret Santa!

I wanted to post some pics of the
Christmas Cheer Tin Swap that Wendy of BlissAngels hosted--
Here is my tin for my partner Michele...
she said she likes a woodsy, natural look:

Here it is open:

And here is the lovely tin she sent to me:

Thanks Michele and Wendy!

I'm falling behind again with the freebies,
so here are some Christmas favorites that you
might like to use in your holiday crafting:

And here's a little birdie tag from one of my etsy collage sheets:
Click to enlarge, right click and save!

Thanks for stopping by!
I'll be posting freebies every day this week!

Happy December and Friday Freebies!!

2011-12-01T19:25:00.000-08:00

Love, love, love December!!
I got to open my very first giftie of JoAnne's Secret Santa Advent Swap!
So sweet! And I get to open another giftie tomorrow!!
Every day til Christmas!!
The rules were to alter two large matchboxes and stuff with 25 little gifties
and number them from 1 to 25 to be opened one each day til Christmas.
I love my Secret Santa aready
because she made this beautiful matchbox for me:

Oh, yes, you had me at velvet leaves and berries! :)

I am Secret Santa to our lovely hostess, JoAnne.
Because she did the Santa assigning,
there was really no way for me to be secret.
Soooo....here is the matchbox I made for her:

The "house" lifts up and you can insert a flickering tealight within,
so that it looks aglow.
The vintage looking tree is actually a newish tree which I bleached,
then sprayed with glimmermist.

Here are her goodies:

I wanted to wrap them in a variety of wrapping,
the way gifts under the tree look.
I used some Christmas napkins for wrapping,
so that she could reuse them in her artwork.

Okay, okay, here are a couple of cute freebies
for your Christmas crafting:

Click to enlarge, right click and save!
Have a great weekend!

And pop over to Pink Saturday for some pink holiday loveliness!

Happy Thanksgiving and Freebies!

2011-11-23T13:32:00.000-08:00

I just want to do a quick post to wish everyone a
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Also wanted to show you, before we head into
"All Christmas All the Time",
a pic of the Fall Fairy Pocket that I made for my
Art Party's November swap:

A grateful heart. And I truly am grateful for all the blessings in my life.

Here's a sweet little Thanksgiving image,
you have just enough time to print and use as a tag for
your Thanksgiving goodies!!

And another!
Click to enlarge, right click and save!

Have a happy and safe weekend!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!!

How cute is my little niece?!! :)

I have been having fun creating and swapping Halloween tins,
matchboxes and more.
What I haven't been doing is downloading my pictures and posting on my blog :(
Sooo, before Halloween is over,
I wanted to share my goodies with you!

I took part in a very fun "Curiosities" matchbox swap hosted by
Heather of The Speckled Egg.
The theme could be Halloween or Curious.
I received this lovely matchbox from Connie:

With these lovelies inside:

We had two partners in this swap; Nancy sent me this gorgeous box:

And inside:

I love them both, it was a great swap! Thank you Connie and Nancy,
and thank you Heather for hosting!

The boxes I made for them can be seen here.

I also swapped matchboxes with Terry
in Vintage Dragonfly's Halloween Swap.
JoAnne suggested spoiling our partner, and that's just what we did!
I just love this matchbox Terri made:

Look at my Halloween booty:

My matchbox for her:

My goodies to her:

I love it all, thanks Terri, and thank you JoAnne for hosting!

And lastly, Karen and I did our own little Halloween swap!
Her goodies to me:

I love it all, especially the yoyo garland
and I love how she embellished that votive!
There's two supercute pins in there too! Thank you Karen!!

My goodies to her:

My best wishes for a happy and safe Halloween to all!

White Wednesday, Altered Tins and Freebies!

2011-10-11T15:25:00.000-07:00

White Wednesday! Well, yes, I know it's Thursday :)

I have been having a blast lately playing in a number of swaps for Halloween!

This beautiful altered tin from Jill
is perfect for my White Wednesday post!

This is an altoid tin that Jill papered inside and out
and mounted on a chipboard stand. So clever!
Inside she created a diptych with a magic and moonbeams theme.
It's just beautifully embellished, I LOVE it, thank you Jill!
And thank you Wendy for hosting this very fun swap!

And now...my tin for Jill!

The image and rusty bits are from Paper Whimsy, the watchface is vintage,
the wings were die cut from the foil from a wine bottle ;) and embossed.
Some vintage lace and a handmade rose from vintage music paper.
My new favorite technique for Halloween crafting
is to rip up pieces of netting and heat with a heat gun,
gently twisting and turning.
It curls in different places and lends a bit of quirky randomness to the project.

Inside is my little vignette...
a potion brewed from magic mushrooms, butterfly wings
and who knows what else,
served up by an evil queen...is it a treat or a trick?

Here's a couple of images for your Halloween crafting:

Click to enlarge, right click and save!

Thanks for stopping by, and please visit Faded Charm Cottage
for some lovely White inspiration.

Pink Saturday and Halloween Friday Freebies!!

2011-10-07T13:20:00.000-07:00

I am woefully behind again in my Friday Freebies!
Life, vacation, houseguests and sick kitty issues have kept me busy!

Here's a sweet Halloween image with PINK in it!

I think you'll like these art deco Halloween images.:

Click to enlarge, right click and save!

I have also been busy crafting for the many Halloweeen swaps I am in.

Since I know these have already been received,
here are the two altered matchboxes I made for
Heather's Speckled Egg Curiosities Swap:

The top window and scattered holes in the house are illuminated by tucking one of those flickering tealights inside...
very cute and spooky effect!

And some of the goodies contained within:

I received two fabulous matchboxes from my swap partners, and will try to post those tomorrow!

Please visit Pink Saturday for a lovely pink eyecandy!

Have a great weekend!!

Pink Saturday and Vintage Marketplace!

2011-09-12T17:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the Vintage Marketplace at Rainbow CA.
This is a wonderful market held four times a year,
lovely vendors, beautiful things...
a great place to find inspiration, flea market finds,
handcrafted lovelies,
and vintage goodies with which to craft.

Remember these little pink kitchen appliances? Soooo cute...

All grown up now...

Dreamy delicates...

And I got to meet up with my friend Karen,
who was my swap partner in Kari's May Basket Swap.
We're going to do a Halloween swap!

I have lots more pictures that I'll post for White Wednesday.

I'll leave you with a couple of sweet little girls:

Click to enlarge, right click and save!

And I will have Halloween freebies all month long in October!

Take a look at Pink Saturday for
more pink loveliness!

Pink Saturday, Sunsets and Blackout and Freebies

2011-09-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Pink Saturday and Welcome new followers! And everyone :)

Strange goings on in Southern California...
First, there was RAIN on Labor Day :O
Followed by a week of 100 degree temperatures and 90 degree humidity!
It did make for some lovely warm Summer evenings
and for beautiful sunsets like this:

Oh yes, and then the Blackout!

I felt so cut off from the rest of the world...the radio in my car didn't work because the radio stations didn't have power...my cell phone didn't work even though it's WiFi...our phones are on electric chargers, and because they were out of juice we couldn't use those...so we really had no idea as to the extent of the outage or when it would be fixed...

We still can't use water from the faucet without boilng it for one minute.

Here's a couple of images to get you started on your Halloween crafting:

Click, right click and save!

Have a great weekend, and visit Pink Saturday to view some lovely pinkness.

Happy Pink Saturday and Back to School Freebies!

2011-09-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

It's the waning hours of Pink Saturday,
but I am going to get this post in today or bust!

My monthly *aRt*pArTy!! swap last month was to alter a cigar/pencil box.
Due to summer vacations, we were but a small group,
but had so much fun swapping boxes, sipping Skinny Margaritas
and eating Mexican fare at our potluck!

I made this little box:

I used Tim Holtz's "Ornamental" die with a 4x6" patterned cardstock to make the frame. Then glued butterflies upon butterflies to give it more dimension.

The side view:

I received this lovely box from Rosa:

These are all the boxes. Oddly enough, they are all the same size,
but you'd never know it from this picture!

Some kind of trompe l'oeil with perspective. :/?
I love the embellishments Vicki made for the turquoise box.
And Ginger's Wizard of OZ theme was just so fun and cute!

Since next week marks the end of summer with a return to school,
I tought I'd share a couple of my favorite vintage School pix:

Happy Pink Saturday and Freebies!!

2011-08-18T14:04:00.000-07:00

Whew! Well, I have a lot of catching up to do here!!

If you've visited me before, you know that I LOVE Swaps!!
My most recent was a Grandma's Attic Swap
hosted by JoAnne at Vintage Dragonfly.
For this swap we were to embellish a matchbox
and fill it with vintage treasures such as one might find in Grandma's attic.

JoAnne was my partner in this swap, this is the matchbox I made for her:

I diecut the flowers from some soft, creamy felt from an estate sale
and used Tim Holtz's Tattered Florals die.
The middle of the flower is also vintage fabric.

And I filled it with these goodies:

Laurie sent to me this adorable matchbox which she cleverly constructed
to make it look like an actual trunk from Grandma's Attic!
How cute is that!

And inside were:

That was just a small sample of the goodies she sent,
she spoiled me with bunches of vintage lovelies!
Here's another view of her darling box:

Thanks so much, Laurie, I loved everything!!

OK, now see...while I was making this blog post and waiting on the computer,
I surfed around and found ANOTHER SWAP!!
See how I am?!! ;)
If you're interested, all the details are here:

I'm also behind on sharing pics from my monthly *aRt*PaRty!! club,
and I promise to post those in the next few days.
But right now I have some Friday Freebies to catch up on,
just some late summer images to play with:

I hope you have a lovely weekend,
and my thoughts go out to those of you in Irene's path.
My daughter and son-in-law live in New York City
and so far have not been ordered to evacuate.
We'll see what happens tomorrow. :/

Pink Saturday, Faerie Slippers and Freebies!

2011-08-05T12:34:00.000-07:00

I recently participated in a wonderfully whimsical swap of faerie slippers
hosted by Wendy at BlissAngels.
I was oh-so-lucky to be paired with Anna of Frosted Petunias.

I made this little slipper for Anna:

And here is the enchanting slipper she made for me:

I love the bold, earthy colors:

And I love that she put a faerie quote on the sole of the slipper:

Thank you Anna, I just love it!!!

And here's a couple of fairy cuties for you:

Click, right click and save.

And please visit Pink Saturday, you will find links to all sorts of pinkness!

Have a wonderful, whimsical weekend!

Pink Saturday, Cake and Freebies!

2011-07-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

I have regretfully been absent the past two weeks or so
because my computer is out on the front lawn smashed to little bits.
Well, not really, although I would have enjoyed the smashing to bits part.
It has been all but worthless, won't let me upload,
taking off for lala-land whenever I click on something...
OK, OK, enough kvetching!!

I have been busy crafting, though:
I made this pretty little crown for my friend Brenda's birthday:

And this little piece of cake:

And inside I tucked a pretty little bracelet:

And I have fallen behind on my Friday freebies,
so here's a couple of cuties for you:

Please visit Pink Saturday for more lovely pinkness!

Have a great weekend!

White Wednesday and a Fairy Freebie

2011-06-29T16:44:00.000-07:00

I am sharing some photos
from a trip to one of my fave places, Urban Barn.
This place is a must visit if you're in San Diego County.

I LOVE seashell art:

And I love the huge white paper roses on the wall:

I love all the hues and textures in this photo:

Love the seashell crown!
And...the way to make something cute--stick a baby doll head on it! :)

I wanted to leave you with another fairy image...

Isn't she sweet? Click, right click and save!

Take in all the loveliness of White Wednesday at Faded Charm.

Pink Saturday!

2011-06-24T15:28:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share this last little group of pictures
from my wonderful day at the Vintage Marketplace.
With a bit of a Gypsy homemaker theme!

Choose a pretty little apron:

From all of these:

And whip up a little omelet
in your tiny kitchen in your very own
tiny romantic Gypsy trailer:

Who wouldn't want a wall papered with vintage greeting cards?!

This is actually the kitchen in another Gypsy trailer
with more of a boho theme:

Snuggle up here with a snack and a good book:

Or relax outside in the garden:

Ah, the gypsy life!

More pink fun can be found at Pink Saturday!

Friday Fairy Freebie!

2011-06-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

Summer is here and June is drawing to a close.
Since June is peak season for roses,
here are a couple of rose fairies for you:

Click, right click and save!

Have a great weekend,
and stop in later today or tomorrow for my Pink Saturday post!

Fairy Freebie Friday!

2011-06-17T11:56:00.001-07:00

And it's time again for a new little fairy image:

So sweet!
Click, right click and save.

Scroll down for this week's White Wednesday and Pink Saturday posts!

Vintage Marketplace

2011-06-14T11:07:00.001-07:00

My theme for this week is Summer whites...
here are more lovely pictures of the fabulous
Vintage Marketplace I visited last week:

You had me at white starfish:

Some wonderful altered couture in here:

I love this little mini-gazebo:

Vintage glass glittered paper roses:

Best for last...what a charming way to display pendants:

Mmmmm...Summer whites...
it's almost like you can smell the fragance of fresh line-dried linens!
I will have more pictures next week!

I'm linking to
White Wednesday
Pink Saturday

Visit also the lovely giveaway by Wayside Treasures.

Thanks for stopping by--Have a great week!

Fairy Freebie Time!

2011-06-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!
I think it's time for a new little fairy!
This one is a favorite of mine:

Click, right click and save.
Now go make something cute!
Have a great week!

Pink Saturday at Vintage Marketplace!

2011-06-10T17:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Marti and I went to the fabulous
Vintage Marketplace in Rainbow, CA just north of San Diego.
It was a beautiful day to begin with,
and there was more beauty to be found at the market.
I'm going to reveal my pictures in themes, bit by bit,
because there are some gorgeous pics
that will make for some lovely future Pink Saturday posts!

This week will be my romantic theme:

A dreamy, sun dappled sofa to just fall into:

I love the vignettes that everyone stages,
it just adds so much to the romantic ambience.

It was a wonderful day,
and I will have more pics to share with you.

Thanks for visiting and for your comments,
have a wonderful weekend!

Visit How Sweet the Sound for more lovely pink posts!

Fairy Freebie Friday!

2011-06-10T09:28:00.001-07:00

Here's a sweet little fairy for you...

She even matches my blog background! :)

Click, right click and save!

Stop by later today or tomorrow for my Pink Saturday post!

Fairy Freebie!

2011-06-08T10:26:00.000-07:00

As promised a fairy freebie for you!

Click, right click and save.
Another freebie on Friday!

Treasures of the Sea Matchbox Swap

2011-06-07T15:43:00.000-07:00

I recently participated in Vintage Dragonfly's
Treasures of the Sea Matchbox Swap,
and what a fun swap it was!
I loved the theme, and knew just what I wanted to do.

I made this little matchbox for Jennifer:

and stuffed it with shells and pearls,
a tiny bottle of aqua glass glitter
(with a teeny tiny starfish, seashell and pearl inside),
glass seahorse and silver mermaid charm:

and in return, I received this beautiful matchbox from Michele:

stuffed with shells, pearls, carved fish,
starfish button and coral pendant:

Thanks so much, Michele!
I am a big fan of matchbox swaps, as you may have guessed ; )
Can't wait til the next one!

Spring Inspiration Matchbox Swap

2011-06-03T16:50:00.000-07:00

Hmmph! I scheduled this post way back,
as you can tell from the Mother's Day reference.

For some reason it did not post as scheduled,
and I didn't catch it.

But I'm still lovin' the matchboxes!!
And a they make for a lovely post for Pink Saturday!

What a Mother's Day treat it was, as I received BOTH of my matchboxes from Heather's Spring Inspiration Matchbox Swap this weekend! On the same day!

I received this box from Tabitha:

How cute is that little shoe?!

And this lovely box from Heather:

Look at that adorable china doll head and the little cherub:

Thank you Heather and Tabitha so much, I love everything!
Can't wait til the next swap, I am hooked on trading matchboxes!

Head on over to Pink Saturday
for more pink loveliness!

Freebie Faerie Friday!

2011-06-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

Summer is almost here,
the days are getting warmer,
and faeries are out and about in the garden!

Wendy at BLISSangels is having a faerie shoe swap,

so I thought I'd tempt you into joining the fun
with a quad of faerie tags:

In fact, let's have faerie freebies all month long!
And let's not have them only on Friday.
Check back often, because during the month of JUNE,
I will be posting faerie pics during the week as well!

I am also excited about winning this adorable faerie pocket

in Wendy's blog giveaway!
Thank you Wendy, you are so sweet!

Check back later today for my Pink Saturday post!

Asheville!

2011-06-01T05:25:00.000-07:00

A long time ago, I lived in North Carolina--
how did I never make it to Asheville?!
Coming now from California,
where we have had a wet Winter and Spring,
and we think everything's nice and green here...
Ha! I now see how green Spring can really be!
Most of North Carolina looks like this:

But in Asheville, NC, there is a thriving, artsy little haven,
with lots of arts and crafts galleries, unique shops,
where the food in restaurants is grown locally...and organically,
and many of the items in stores are handcrafted,
and even some of the clothes in the little boutiques are handmade!

Let's take a little stroll:

Cute outdoor cafes:

Cute alleyways:

Library:

My daughter and son-in-law, the lovebirds,
and some of many public works of art:

Let's windowshop:

Paper flowers!

Chocolate stilettos!

Butterfly dress!

Let's go inside:

Paper dress!

How cute is this:

And the food was wonderful!

Breakfast, southern style, at Tupelo Honey:

Yes. Grits. But these were goat cheese grits, and so yummy!

And some random pics around town:

We loved our stay in Asheville...it wasn't long enough,
we didn't get to do everything we wanted...
but we'll be back!!!

Happy Birthday Pink Saturday!

2011-05-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Third Birthday Pink Saturday!!!
And thank you Beverly for
conceiving of and hosting
this very fun blog party
where we can get our pink on with like-minded individuals!
Here is a little cupcake I made, non-edible:

with some cute little handcrafted birdies perched atop.

Join the birthday party at Pink Saturday for more lovely pinkness!

Happy Birthday
and Happy Memorial Day to all!

Freebie Friday!!

2011-05-27T09:53:00.001-07:00

Freebie Friday!!

Remember to remember.

Click to enlarge, right click and save!

Have a happy Memorial Day weekend!
Please stop by later today or tomorrow for my Pink Saturday post!

Pink Saturday!

2011-05-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

Yay! I love Pink Saturday!

Our monthly meeting of *ArT*PaRtY*!! was this past week,
and the theme was "Winged Things".
Our swap was to make "something with wings on a stick".
Here is my little angel on a stick:

And closer:

Actually this is not the actual angel I traded,
I forgot to take a picture of it before the meeting.
It was so fun to make:
the body is a bathroom tissue tube,
flattened and collaged and gessoed.
A cute little Paper Whimsy face,
some vintage lace, crepe paper, yoyo and paper rose.
Seam binding, rick rack and lace streamers
hanging from a dowel inserted into the tube.
The wings are made from a Tim Holtz die cut.

My swap partner was Marti, who made this (not so little) cutie:

She started out making it as a joke,
with silly things from the Dollar Store,
then it turned out so cute she decided to use it for her swap!

Look at Rosa's fabulous entry:

This is Ginger, our hostess of the month, wings and all:

She made us a lovely pasta and vegetable dinner,
and true to our theme, we also munched on buffalo chicken wings,
palmiers and angel food cake.
A lovely time was had by all,
and I'm so excited to share our next month's project with you!
But not yet!

Happy Pink Saturday, and have a wonderful weekend!!
Visit How Sweet the Sound for more pinkness!

Freebie Friday!

2011-05-20T11:39:00.000-07:00

Here you go, your Friday freebie:

Click, right click and save!

Stop in later today for my Pink Saturday post!
Have a great weekend!

Pink Saturday!

2011-05-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

Well, I think this might be my pinkest Pink Saturday post to date!
I made this petite theatre for my grandniece,
who just recently became a big sister to baby Liam.
I can finally post this, as by the time you are reading this
she will have received it.

She really is a cutie pie!

I am meeting her for the very first time this week...
unfortunately she lives on the other coast
and I do not get to see that branch of the family
nearly as much as I'd like.
So, I'm pretty excited!

The petite theatre is made from the bottom of a papier mache box
lined inside and out with cute papers, tinsel, glitter,
tulle, music paper rosette, crepe paper valance,
paper roses and some scrapbook embellishments.
Raspberry beads for the "feet".
Actually,
I merged two pictures of her
to get the proper expression with a head to toe image. ;)

I'm hoping she won't notice that!

Think she'll like it?

Happy Pink Saturday to you all!
Thank you Beverly for giving us this opportunity to link up.

Friday Freebie!

2011-05-13T04:04:00.000-07:00

Here it is, your Friday Freebie!

Click, right click and save.

Drop by later today for my Pink Saturday post!

Miscellaneous Monday!

2011-05-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

I have a couple of things to share...

First is the postcard that I made for the
Paper Whimsy Spring Friends Postcard Project.
I mail off mine to one of the participants,
and another person mails hers to me.
It was fun to be in a Paper Whimsy project again,
it's been awhile, and they are such a nice group of people.

Secondly, here is the matchbox I received from my partner, Cassie,
in JoAnn's "Things with Wings" matchbox swap:

Lots of fun things: a nest charm, word charms, tiny bottles of glitter,
cool ribbon, a nest which is not in the picture,
and more...Thanks so much, Cassie!

Lastly, the annual "artwalk" was held in San Diego this past weekend...
it is an annual festival featuring over 300 artists.
And beautiful jewelry!
There was also live music, good food, and a lot of this...

...crowds...

And while I did not get any good pictures of the art,
I did get these lovely pictures of
blossoming jacaranda trees in downtown San Diego...

They usually don't bloom until late May, early June...must be all the rain!

And I wish you could smell the star jasmine everywhere...heavenly!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T03:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to mothers everywhere!
Have a wonderful day!

Pink Saturday!

2011-05-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

Pink Saturday...gotta love it!

I recently participated in a matchbox swap hosted by
Heather of The Speckled Egg,
with a Spring Inspirations theme.
I have wanted to participate in one of Heather's swaps for months,
and always seemed just miss the sign-up date.
So I was so happy to make it into this one!

We embellished a large matchbox
and filled it with artgoodies for two swap partners.

and

I covered the box in a wallpaper print,
and used two of my favorite Pre-Raphaelite images.
The flowers are handmade of delicate glimmer-misted tissue paper,
and I embellished the box with vintage lace
and a little metal tag.

Inside I tucked in some vintage French text, vintage crepe paper,

some embellishments I made, images, a little ballerina,
and a vintage rosette, among others.

Thanks for stopping by!
Treat yourself to more pink loveliness at How Sweet the Sound!

Friday Freebie!

2011-05-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

Here they are, your Friday Freebies!

and...

They're just so cute together!
Click, right click and save.

Drop by later today for my Pink Saturday post!

aRtpArTy*!!

2011-05-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

This post is a bit overdue.
Our art party meeting this month had a "Royal Wedding" theme:
the swap was an embellished bridal shower favor box:

(all of them)

(the one I made)

the food was tea party tidbits:

and the make and take was altered crowns. Sorry no pic :(

It was so much fun...
kind of made up for being left off the royal wedding guest list :P

May Basket Swap!

2011-05-01T03:00:00.000-07:00

Happy May Day!

I finally get to post the pictures of the basket
I received from my partner Karen in the May Basket Swap that Kari hosted.

I posted about the basket I made for her here.

I was very fortunate to be paired up with a kindred spirit who loves the same things I do, who was very generous and gifted me with lovely treasures, gathered and crafted.

Look at this beautiful burlap sachet filled with lavender:

Vintage millinery and a beautiful Marie tag:

A study in blue:

Sooo dreamy...

Vintage lace and I love the felted rose pin:

Thank you so much, Karen, it was soooo much fun!

Pink Saturday!

2011-04-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

Well I do love Pink Saturday!
Today I'd like to share a photo of a beautiful flowering tree

growing in the patio of the El Adobe Restaurant in San Juan Capistrano.
We went up there to meet my daughter and son-in-law

at the beautiful mission church for Easter

and then on to a terrific Mexican brunch buffet on the El Adobe patio.

This has become our Easter tradition,now in it's fourth year.

You might notice that there is not the normal clear blue California sky in these pictures...it actually RAINED on Easter Sunday here!

April showers...May flowers...it's all good!

Treat yourself to more pink loveliness at How Sweet the Sound!

Wedding Friday Freebies!

2011-04-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

It's here!!
The Big Day!!
Although by the time you are reading this, the deed will have been done.
The dress revealed.
The vows vowed.
The kiss from the balcony.

Until then, I, from the west coast, am staying up at least until I see the dress.
I'll tivo the rest.

But there are wedding gifts! Or at least Friday Freebies. :)
Today's freebies are vintage wedding wishes for any couple, royal or not.

Click on each image, right click and save.

Happy Royal Wedding Day!

Royal Wedding Wednesday

2011-04-27T03:00:00.000-07:00

I am a happy camper.
Thanks to The Background Fairy,
who helped me navigate Blogger's new template designs,
and designed this way cute blog background, my blog has a new look...
and more importantly, BIGGER pictures and a CUTE font!
Yes, my name is Lorraine and I am a fontaholic.
I think I need a little more work on my banner, though...

Anyway, I am only posting because I want to join in on the Will and Kate fun.
I found this wonderful blog with a post of pictures of some of the wedding gown designs that were submitted.

Which do you think Kate will choose?
Which would you choose for Kate?

I do think she will stay far away from the frothier confections
and will opt for a more streamlined silhouette...I like the J Mendel for her.

I, myself, am partial to the Nanette LePore:

Whimsical me.

Please visit DecoretoAdore for Royal Wedding Wednesday
and links to more Will and Kate fun!

Spring Matchbox Swap!

2011-04-25T16:52:00.000-07:00

I had the lovely pleasure of participating in Laura's
Decor to Adore Spring Matchbox Swap
and was paired up with a a wonderful partner, Mary!
I blogged about the matchbox and goodies that I sent to her here
...and here is the beautiful box full of sparkly lovelies that she sent to me:
I love the way she created her own decoupaged insert:
And inside:
I loved the way she carefully wrapped all her treasures in pattern tissue...it was so fun to unwrap and savour each and every one.

Thanks so much Mary and Laura, it was a pleasure!

Pink Saturday: California's Flower Fields

2011-04-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter weekend to all!

For this Pink Saturday I have some lovely pictures to share
that I took of The Flower Fields®
that are just north of San Diego,
around the Encinitas/Carlsbad area.

These fields have been a part of the
San Diego landscape for over 85 years.

It all started in the early 1920’s when an early settler began growing ranunculus in his fields in Oceanside.
Originally the flowers were single petal
and ranged in shades of red and yellow.
The beautiful colors and fullness of the flowers you see now are due to careful selection and propagation done over many years.

The site has been a popular, if unofficial, tourist attraction, even gaining the attention of photographers for National Geographic magazine.

The fields were expanded to Carlsbad and overlook the ocean and Highway 101, bringing the field of vibrant color even closer to the
motorists traveling between Los Angeles and San Diego.

Yes, for several weeks in April and May,
you really can see these beautiful fields from the I-5.
And the Pacific Ocean on the other side.

Please visit How Sweet the Sound for more lovely pink blogposts!

Happy Earth Day!
Happy Pink Saturday!
Happy Passover!
Happy Easter!

And Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband of 33 years and me! :)

Have a happy and blessed Easter!

Good Friday

2011-04-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

Good Friday.
A lovely, appropriate image:

Click, right click and save.

Spring Altered Matchbox Swap!

2011-04-18T14:51:00.000-07:00

I recently participated in Laura Gunn's (Decor to Adore)
Spring Matchbox Swap.
I created this matchbox for my partner Mary,
who I knew had a penchant for French/Marie style:

I used black and white toile paper to cover the matchbox,
and tore a strip of fabric with French words and wrapped it around the box.
I trimmed both edges with silver german scrap.
I then scrunched up a vintage doily and attached to the box,
topping it with some tulle, velvet leaves
and roses I had made from vintage music paper and glimmer misted.
Then I painted a butterfly with
Tim Holtz's crackle glaze and attached it atop a rose.

Here's another look and a peek at the contents:

Freebie Friday on Sunday!

2011-04-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today's sweet image is one of my Easter favorites...

Click, right click and save.

Have a great week!

Spring Linky Party

2011-04-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

Soooo, two linky parties today!! Party, party, party! :)

Here is the May Day basket I made for Kari's May Basket Swap:
(Click pictures to enlarge.)

My "basket" is actually an embossed tin bucket,
I wanted to do something a little different.
I'm a rebel.

Here's a close up of the little May banner I made...I love it!

And an even closer-up view, just cuz she's so cute:

And packed inside:

Vintage doily, crepe paper, millinery flowers, and postcard.
Everything else was from an estate sale, thrifted,
or handmade except for the journal and rubber stamp.
And the candy. ;)

And just to make it more fun,
once the package was in the mail,
I sent Karen (my swappee?) this picture to pique her interest:

And the next day I sent her this:

Visit Decor to Adore for more adorable Spring crafts.

And hop over to How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday
and more pink delights.

Pink Saturday!

2011-04-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

My second Pink Saturday!
Today I'd like to share some lovely pictures taken at the
Urban Barn:

This bunny reminds me of a Steve Martin quote:
"Today I saw a bunny that looked like a cloud." :D
You know...instead of "That cloud looks like a bunny..." :D

It's such a beautiful shopping experience,
the most gorgeous vignettes everywhere you turn.

Freebie Friday!

2011-04-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Bunnies everywhere!
Especially in my backyard,
where I think they're adorable,
but my husband (aka Mr.McGregor, lol)
chases them away, because they eat the grass.
And leave behind little inapproprietnesses. :(
But here is a sweet little pic
with bunnies whom I'm sure would never do that!

Click, right click and save!

Join me tomorrow for Pink Saturday,
hosted by How Sweet the Sound!

Pink Saturday!

2011-04-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

Pink Saturday!
I have been wanting to get it together to join in on this for awhile--
who doesn't love PINK?
I thought I'd show you another car I made for my circus wagon:

It seems like I am seeing vintage circus stuff everywhere now!
Stampington featured them in their
Creative Impulse newsletter last week.
And have you visited Michaels dollar bin lately?
All manner of supercute vintage circus items:
notecards, journals, stamps, treat bags, etc.
If you want to get in on the circus (band)wagon, check it out!
But grab a coupon first! :)

Here's a little Pierrette
that I pinked up for you:Click, right click and save!
Please visit How Sweet the Sound for more Pink Saturday inspiration!

Have a great weekend!

April Fool Friday Freebie!

2011-04-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Please check back later today,
as I will have my first Pink Saturday post
and another freebie!!
A pink one!!

Is it Friday Already?!

2011-03-25T01:15:00.000-07:00

Here's your Friday freebie:Click, right click ane save!
Happy Weekend!

Freebie Friday!

2011-03-18T17:27:00.000-07:00

Spring is here!
And it's time for a little Friday Freebie:Click, right click and save!
Happy Weekend!

Circus Circus!

2011-03-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

Click, right click and save!
Make a circus wagon, it's *fUn*!! :)

Tonight our *aRt*pArTy*!! meets at Stamping Details for our March meeting, the theme being Vintage Circus,
the inspiration being Lisa Kettell's Altered Art Circus book.

I'm bringing cupcakes

and this is what I made for the swap:
I used a 4x4" paper mache box and lined it inside and out with gay, colorful papers. I backed all my images and cutouts with manila paper for sturdiness. I glued 3 colorful dice together and mounted my image on top. Because of the depth of the box, I brought the image forward, gluing a (cut to size) wine cork to the back of the image and to the (inside) back of the box. I punched circles and brought forward with 3D foam and attached vintage bingo numbers. To fill up the space, I randomly put glue on the (inside) back and bottom of the box and threw confetti on it, shaking off the excess. Tim Holz die cut borders made a perfect marquee, and I layered a couple of half circles and placed on top with a circus banner. Embellished with tinsel, a little yoyo from Tinsel Trading Co. and little red star gems. The box is mounted on two wine corks which are hidden by the paper "wheels" in front and back. You can download the above image and make your own little circus wagon! I loved this project, and have made several, of which I'll post photos later in the week.

Friday Freebie!

2011-03-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

I have some new estate sale goodies to post,
but until I get those pics up,
here's a spring-y freebie for you.

Click, right click and save.

Happy weekend!

Thrift Store Thursday!

2011-03-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

Oh, I have not been doing my rounds at the thrift stores lately, and a day like today makes me wish I had! I scored some lovely goodies...

OK, so it's just rick-rack, but it's ivory and there must be over 100 yards on this roll, and it's aged beautifully, hard to tell in the photo. And I can dye it.

Beautiful, dreamy vintage lots...

Whatever shall I do with this sweet little vintage bank...

Aaahh...ribbon dispenser...

Love this little pincushion...I'll replace the santa with a charm...

Silver....must...have...silver...

This cherub has the sweetest face...cuter than the photo...

Seriously, sooooo cute....

OK, now I have to go make stuff. Tune in tomorrow for Freebie Friday.

Chateau de Fleurs Vintage Market!

2011-03-05T15:32:00.000-08:00

My friend Marti and I spent a wonderful day in Fallbrook, CA
visiting the Chateau de Fleurs Vintage Market!
It was a beautiful day to begin with,
blue skies and temps in the 70s,
and even more beautiful things awaited us at the market.

It is a quarterly affair, and we have been wanting to go for ages.
Finally the timing was right, the stars were aligned,
and we were transported into a vintage world of girly deliciousness!

I want to crawl into this bed,
and read my favorite Jane novel.

Time stood still in this vintage world...

But eventually (hours later, really),
it was time to put on our dancing shoes...

and move on...to the real world. Sigh...

It's Friday!!

2011-03-04T09:41:00.000-08:00

Already! I can't believe it's March!
Here's an adorable children's book cover for you:

Click, right click and save.

I'm going someplace fun ;) today
and will hopefully have some lovely pictures for you next week!

Freebie Friday

2011-02-25T11:27:00.001-08:00

Big storm hitting the west coast this weekend,
bringing cold temps in the 30s (!) and...
rain!!

Click, right click and save!

Keep safe and warm!

February aRtpArTy*!!

2011-02-24T23:00:00.000-08:00

Another Swap!!
We had our monthly club meeting,
now known as *aRt*pArTy*!!, this week.
Marti was hostess, and the theme was
"Paris, je t'aime" (I love Paris),
and we had a little crepes bar...
spinach souffle, sauteed mushrooms, bechamel sauce,
ham, and cheese were the dinner fillings,
and for dessert fillings we had
raspberries, strawberries and chocolate!!

Yum!!

We swapped cones

and I received this gorgeous cone from Ginger,
filled with lovely things.

We also made these beautiful chandelier drops:

Sooo much fun!

Freebie Friday

2011-02-18T13:08:00.000-08:00

I hope to have some pictures of our *aRt*pArTy*!! soon,
until then here is a little freebie for you:
Is it spring yet where you live?

LOVE

2011-02-14T00:24:00.000-08:00

(My adorable daughter and son-in-law
in front of the LOVE sculpture in NYC.)

We all had a blast at Paper Tales' Valentine Swap on Friday!
There were about 15 of us,
and it was so fun to see what everyone created.
I received this lovely necklace from Julie,
who coincidentally received my Valentine cone
(we drew numbers).
Take a look at their blog for more pictures.

We had lovely things to eat and drink...
who wouldn't love eating, drinking, swapping and shopping?!!
A good time was had by all...
I hope we can get together
and swap projects on a regular basis.

Happy Valentine's Day to you and your loved ones!

Freebie Friday

2011-02-11T07:47:00.000-08:00

Ah, Valentine's Day weekend...
Just in case you are still working on your valentines, here's a cute little freebie you might like:
Click, right click and save!

I still have a few projects to finish up...here are a couple of gifties I've been working on:

This one is for mon amie, Marti. I made the roses out of the comics pages and glimer mist!

Thrift Store Thursday

2011-02-10T06:55:00.000-08:00

I did a tour of the local thrift shops for the first time in a long while, really since way before Christmas. Actually the pickings were quite slim, but for a very determined shopper like me, there were a few gems:

I just love that little Napco chickie bursting from her egg, and the pieces of handmade lace were bundled together in a plastic bag for 25 cents!! Diamonds in the rough! And some vintage crocheted potholders, always love to find those!

More Hearts! More Flowers!

2011-02-09T08:05:00.000-08:00

As promised, here are some more spreads from my
Valentine Accordian Journal.

I love this project so much I've started a second journal!!

I love the new Tim Holz tissue tapes, they're perfect for this type of journal. And now Hambly has a beautiful new line of washi tapes!

Thanks for visiting! Have a great day!

Hearts and Flowers!!

2011-02-07T23:23:00.000-08:00

I am so looking forward to Friday night,
one of my fave shops, Paper Tales,
is having a Valentine Swap ;
here's what I'm swapping:

A paper cone trimmed with beads and raggedy red rose trim...
Within are tucked some little art goodies of the
red, pink and romantic type :)

Ever since our last *aRt*pArTy*!! meeting,
I have been adding to my Valentine Art Journal,
here are some of the spreads I've been working on.

I just love Valentine's Day, what lovely inspiration!!

I will post more layouts tomorrow...ish...
Hope you are all having fun with your Valentine crafting!!

Friday Freebie!!

2011-02-04T15:49:00.000-08:00

Just a little freebie for you in time for your Valentine's Day crafting!

Click, right click and save!
Have a great weekend!!

The End of My Long Winter's Nap

2011-01-28T17:53:00.001-08:00

Wow, well I have taken quite a long winter's nap, haven't I?
Well, I haven't really been napping...not like someone I know:

For some, napping IS an art form!

I have been busy creating,
now I just need to get busy taking pictures!!

I am excited about some changes.
I have been in a monthly ATC Club for over five years,
and the club is now ready to shake things up a bit.
We're calling it *aRt*pArTy*!!
and are shifting the focus from a monthly ATC swap
(where we made 9 identical ATCs, one for each member
and received 9 assorted ATCs from the other members)
to a format where the swaps are non-ATC, one for one, and optional;
we have a monthly make and take; and refreshments/decorations
all tie in with the monthly theme.
Last month was New Year/New Start and we traded (one for one)
altered journals, made an adorable Valentine journal,
and had a salad buffet.
Next month the theme is Paris je t'aime (Paris, I love you)
and we are trading Parisian themed cones and filling them
with arty/Paris-y items; for our make and take we are making an
embellished chandelier crystal, and having a crepe bar!!
I can't wait!!

I have almost completed my journal
and will publish pictures this week!

Meanwhile, here is a picture of my cone, filled with French goodies:

And, here are a couple of Friday Freebies
to make up for the time that I wasn't napping! ;)

And:

Click, right click and save! Have fun!

Tinsel Trading Company!!

2011-01-12T18:18:00.000-08:00

Ah, well, five extra days in NYC meant that
I got to go to the Tinsel Tradintg Company!

These are the shelves and shelves of heartbreakingly beautiful antique metallique trims as featured in Kaari Meng's "Treasured Notions".

Think you could find something to buy in there? ;)
I certainly did!!
Oh, to have the luxury of wandering through there any time you wanted,
searching for just the right trim for your current project!!

Inside New York City's Shops

2011-01-11T18:00:00.000-08:00

As promised,
here is a little peek inside the fabulous shops of New York City:

It was fantastic!!
If you would like names and details, just leave me a comment.
Tomorrow I'll post pics of my visit to Tinsel Trading Co.!!!

Happy New Year!!

2011-01-09T19:20:00.000-08:00

I trust you all had a nice holiday season.
I know I did...and more. I had hoped for a White Christmas, and had one that will last me for many years, as I was one of the thousands and thousands of people stranded in New York City! We had three flights cancelled, and it was five days before they could get us home. New Year's Eve!
So after two nights at airport hotels, we headed back into the city and really had three more lovely days
with my daughters and sons-in-law.

Here's a little tour of the streets of New York at Christmastime:

\

Tomorrow I will post some pics of the very lovely sights
inside the shops of New York!

Friday Freebie!.

2010-12-17T12:03:00.001-08:00

And here it is, Friday again.
Hope you all have enjoyed the Christmas countdown,
thanks for the nice comments!
I'll leave you with this sweet image:

Click, right click and save!
Have a great weekend!!

Countdown to Christmas Freebie!

2010-12-16T12:11:00.000-08:00

Here you go, it's Thursday's child:

Click, right click and save!

Hope you've got your trees decorated already!! ;)

Wednesday's Countdown to Christmas Freebie!

2010-12-15T10:48:00.000-08:00

A midweek special freebie for you!

Click to enlarge, right click and save!

Christmas Countdown Freebie!

2010-12-14T16:01:00.000-08:00

Hope you're all enjoying the season and still finding time to create!
Here's some pretty little tags for you:

Click, right click and save!

Christmas Countdown Freebie

2010-12-13T16:06:00.000-08:00

A little Christmas cheer for you:

Click, right click and save!

Sunday Freebie!

2010-12-12T14:16:00.001-08:00

Happy Sunday!!
I just love this little angel:

Click, right click and save!!
She's yours!

Countdown to Christmas Freebie

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Here's your Saturday Countdown to Christmas freebie:

Click, right click and save! Enjoy!

Friday Freebie!

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I have a few more yummy pictures of my little shopping excursion last week:

And the best for last!

It's hard to tell from the picture, but the tree is actually pink,
with all vintage ornaments.
It was quite a bit bigger than the other trees pictured,
and priced at $500.
Sigh.
A girl can dream, can't she?

Friday Freebies all week long!!
Yes, folks tune in every day this week
until next Friday for a cute little freebie!

Click, right click and save!
Happy weekend!

Poinsettias!!!

2010-12-06T17:34:00.000-08:00

I was just at Home Depot when I got a blogging inspiration.
Wha?
You see, in Southern California we don't have snow.
Well, actually, it did snow once
for about ten minutes around 25 years ago.
Short-lived flurries.
Pfft.

But what we do have here are fabulously gorgeous poinsettias!!
They are grown in San Diego's North County by a grower
who supplies about 90% of the world's
(yes, the WORLD'S) commercial poinsettias!
So they're everywhere in every variety of red,
and they're big and beautiful and healthy and lush!

Oooooo, pink!

Salmon pink and red!

Candy cane red and white!

Okay, let's talk about this horror.
Spray painting LIVE poinsettias with gold paint and glitter?!

The classic!

These pics were taken with my iphone, I didn't take my camera to Home Depot
because I didn't expect there to be a picture taking opportunity, LOL!

Here's a pretty lady sporting a poinsettia for you:

Click, then right click and save!

Have a great week!

Foofy, Freebie Friday

2010-12-03T09:00:00.001-08:00

Well, I have a few things to share with you all...
First, some foofabulous things I spied on a recent shopping trip
to one of my fave places...

I bought a couple of these creamy, handknit stockings...
it really was time for new ones!

Love this:

And this:

And these!
Very inspiring...motivation for me to finish my decorating!

I have been busy with our Etsy shoppe, and added a few new items today,
here's a peek:

And since all your gifts have already been bought and wrapped ;)
here's a pretty little tag for them:

Click, right click and save!
Thanks for stopping by!

Black Friday

2010-11-26T12:16:00.001-08:00

Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving, we certainly did.
I do LOVE Thanksgiving!
But, here comes Christmas! I'm forgoing fighting the crowds at the malls today, and I'm hoping to deck the halls with holly this weekend. Not literally. But at least put the tree up and get started decorating it. I've acquired quite a few new Christmassy items this year, I'm anxious to see how it all goes together.
Here's a Friday Freebie to get you going for Christmas:

Click, then right click and save ;)
Thanks for stopping by!

Talking Turkey

2010-11-23T15:51:00.000-08:00

Yes I am behind on my Friday freebies.
And you're going to get one today.

But if you like my images, you may be pleased to hear that I am offering a Blog Special on my collage sheets! I even have a coupon code!! You can click here to go to my Etsy shoppe, or click on the sidebar, "My Etsy". My shoppe is also called Over the Rainebeau and I have lots of new holiday collage sheets in themes of White Christmas, Blue Santa, O Christmas Tree, Pink Retro Christmas, Shabby Chic Christmas, I'll have a Blue Christmas, and so it goes. If you make a purchase, you must use the coupon code BLOG20 when making your Paypal payment and you will automatically receive a 20% discount!! This offer is only good on collage sheets purchased from
Over the Rainebeau.

And here is a tempting little sample:
(Click, then right click and save)

Wishing you all a happy, safe, peaceful Thanksgiving!!

And I am thankful for ANYONE who stops by and reads my blog!! :)

Friday Freebie

2010-11-12T23:26:00.001-08:00

Time for a new holiday freebie, lots of busy crafting days ahead!! Here you go:

Click, then right click and save and make pretty things with it!!! :)

November Days

2010-11-09T19:30:00.000-08:00

Well, I feel like I'm cheating on Thanksgiving this year. I seem to be going right into Christmas, which is probably just about right, since it takes me days to decorate. But I do love Thanksgiving...OK, I promise to give it at least three days of my undivided attention--two for cooking and one for eating. OK, four days, two for cooking and two for eating! But after that, it's ALL Christmas ALL the time!

I have been diligently listing new collage sheets and fairy slippers in my etsy shoppes, here's a sneak peek:

And here's a little freebie from one of my collage sheets:

Right click, save, and enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!

Goodbye October

2010-11-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

I trust that you all had a happy Halloween. I'm packing the Halloween decs away, although I will miss them, I had a blast creating for Halloween this year. I loved doing Kari's "Best Halloween Ever" and "Sweet and Sinister Swap", if she does it again next year, I highly recommend it!

I wanted to share a picture of the birthday cake composed of flowers my daughter sent me, deliciously flowery and worthy of Marie herself!

Marti and I have been busily creating fairy/Marie Antoinette slippers and were featured in the current issue of Stamper's Sampler. It's a bittersweet affair though, as Marti wasn't credited with the slippers she created. So here is a picture of the spread, with credits for the slippers each of us created:

And we were featured in another Etsy treasury, included with some wonderful Marie delights, which you can view here:

Both slippers and more can be found in our Etsy shoppe, PaperCreationsTwo!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Sweet and Sinister Swap 2

2010-10-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is a pic of the lovely goodies that I received from Pam:
There's a cute, "stuft prim" black cat,
some terrific ephemera for more crafting,
some sinister skull ornaments all glittered up,
some fabulous buttons at least one of which I want to make into a ring,
a really cute altered tin filled with black candies,
and I love how she altered that silver tray!!
Thanks so much, Pam, I love it!

And here's something Sweet and Sinister for you:

Click, then right click and save ;)

Sweet and Sinister Swap

2010-10-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have had so much fun doing Kari's Sweet and Sinister Swap this year! It's a private blog with lots of fun seasonal tutorials and also a swap with a black and white theme. We're to include at least one handmade item, one vintage item, one home decor item, something sinister and something sweet!
All in BLACK AND WHITE!
I just love themes and challenges, it makes you focus on things you may not have picked up on otherwise. I was assigned a sweet :) partner, Pam, and had lots of fun making, collecting and gathering things for her Sweet and Sinister package,
here's a peek at what I sent to her:

Just to be sinister and suspenseful ;),
I'll post the lovely goodies she sent to me...tomorrow!

Halloween Projects

2010-10-18T08:00:00.001-07:00

Thought I'd give you a little peek at some of the things
I've been working on for Halloween:

Here's a little Halloween freebie to use in your artwork:

Click, then right click and save ;)

Over the Rainebeau

Valentine Pink Saturday, Altered Tins and Freebies!

White Wednesday and Altered Journal

White Wednesday, Altered Journal and Freebies!

Pinks, Thrifting, Valentines and Freebies!

Pink Saturday and Valentines and Valentines!!

White Wednesday Valentines!!

Pink Saturday and Valentine Freebies!

Anthropologie NYC

Christmas in NYC and Tinsel Trading Company!

December Countdown!

Blossoming Box and Christmas Freebies!

December Countdown

Christmas Tin Swap and Freebies!

Happy December and Friday Freebies!!

Happy Thanksgiving and Freebies!

Happy Halloween!

White Wednesday, Altered Tins and Freebies!

Pink Saturday and Halloween Friday Freebies!!

Pink Saturday and Vintage Marketplace!

Pink Saturday, Sunsets and Blackout and Freebies

Happy Pink Saturday and Back to School Freebies!

Happy Pink Saturday and Freebies!!

Pink Saturday, Faerie Slippers and Freebies!

Pink Saturday, Cake and Freebies!

White Wednesday and a Fairy Freebie

Pink Saturday!

Friday Fairy Freebie!

Fairy Freebie Friday!

Vintage Marketplace

Fairy Freebie Time!

Pink Saturday at Vintage Marketplace!

Fairy Freebie Friday!

Fairy Freebie!

Treasures of the Sea Matchbox Swap

Spring Inspiration Matchbox Swap

Freebie Faerie Friday!

Asheville!

Happy Birthday Pink Saturday!

Freebie Friday!!

Pink Saturday!

Freebie Friday!

Pink Saturday!

Friday Freebie!

Miscellaneous Monday!

Happy Mother's Day!

Pink Saturday!

Friday Freebie!

*aRt*pArTy*!!

May Basket Swap!

Pink Saturday!

Wedding Friday Freebies!

Royal Wedding Wednesday

Spring Matchbox Swap!

Pink Saturday: California's Flower Fields

Good Friday

Spring Altered Matchbox Swap!

Freebie Friday on Sunday!

Spring Linky Party

Pink Saturday!

Freebie Friday!

Pink Saturday!

April Fool Friday Freebie!

Is it Friday Already?!

Freebie Friday!

Circus Circus!

Friday Freebie!

Thrift Store Thursday!

Chateau de Fleurs Vintage Market!

It's Friday!!

Freebie Friday

February *aRt*pArTy*!!

Freebie Friday

LOVE

Freebie Friday

Thrift Store Thursday

More Hearts! More Flowers!

Hearts and Flowers!!

Friday Freebie!!

The End of My Long Winter's Nap

aRtpArTy*!!

February aRtpArTy*!!