Elegant Pincushions, Altered Journal, Freebies!!

Hello Friends!  

Where have I been...
Well...I was kidnapped for a week or so by Pinterest;
 my husband paid the ransom,
mainly because I was too busy pinning to make dinner,
and
I am now free to blog again : D
At least that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!!

I am hosting a swap, for the first time ever,
on the Marie Antoinette MailArt Group:
Marie's Elegant Pincushions!
Here are a few samples I made up...
these are so fun and addicting!

 


They are so much fun to work with,
using all the stuff we love to collect and embellish with: 
vintage salt cellars, napkin rings, tiny punch cups,
 demi-tasse cups, tiny creamers, cordial glasses, etc.
laces, trims, tassels, fringe, ribbons, etc.
charms, pearls, buttons, etc.
and etc. :D
It will be so much fun to see what these very talented ladies create!

Another venture in the works is trying to establish a local swap group
with my partner in crime, Marti,
at our local favorite store, Paper Tales.
Our first swap will be an altered journal,
and I am hoping to tempt prospective members with:  We are hoping to connect with other arty crafters in the San Diego areawho share a love for vintage, Frenchy, girly arty crafts.I love my online swap groups and have connected with so many lovely people, and I would love to find some local crafters...it would be so much fun to get together in person!


Tomorrow I am going to the fabulousVintage Marketplace in Rainbow, CA. I expect I'll have some gorgeous pics to share with you. ;) I will leave you with a pic of some fabulous hydrangeas I put in this year:
And....your Friday freebies:     Click to enlarge, right click and save! Lots of links to lovely pinks at Pink Saturday. Lovely, cottagey links at Feathered Next Friday! Party on at a very pinteresting party at Tutus and Tea Parties! And for all things lovely and vintage, visit Knick of Time!  Thank you for visiting, and have a great weekend! 

Lucky, Lucky Girl!!

Hello Friends!
Yes, I AM a lucky girl, I won this beautiful mini-bag full of fabulous goodies

in a giveaway hosted by Debi of Life in My Studio!

The bag itself is lovely,

and there are so many beautiful things with which to create.
Thank you, Debi, I love it!!

I also received these lovely bags from my partners Denise, Marti and Thespa

in a French Mini-Market Bag Swap
hosted by the Marie Antoinette group.

We embellished little 3" x 5" muslin bags,
and tucked little goodies inside.

Aren't they gorgeous?
And they are so much fun to make!

But wait...the title of this post is Lucky, lucky girl...
Yes.
I won another giveaway!!

A big THANK YOU, Rhonda of A Little Bit French
for these wonderful goodies!

I have long drooled over the lovelies in Rhonda's shop.
She sewed this little lace pouch and tucked the lovelies inside.
Thank you Rhonda!  It's beautiful! 

Here's some pretty images of bouquet-bearing cuties for you:

Click to enlarge, right click and save!
Lots of links to lovely pinks at Pink Saturday! For links to lovely, shabby, chippy whites, stop by White Wednesday!Lovely, feminine things at Pearls and Lace Thursday! Lovely, cottagey links at Feathered Next Friday! Have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend!

Marie in a Teacup and ATCs!

Hello Friends!

It's another Pink Saturday!!As promised, I am sharing the very lovely teacup that Kris made for me in the Marie's Teacup Garden Party Swap.
It's sooooo beautiful!! And Limoges!!Isn't Marie cute with fairy wings?

I love the color combination, aqua and lavender.

Thank you so so much Kris!  I had so much fun with this swap,searching for the right teacup and creating my little vignette.And then to receive such a lovely teacup garden partyin return is the icing on the cake!! OK.I think I must share the Marie Teacup ATCsI made for our monthly ATC swap at MAMA.They're not atually teacups,but they're pretty cute.I must confess to a flight of whimsy on these :)

and...

Soo much fun to create! And now, since it is May, and lilies-of-the-valley are the flower of the month,I'd love to share some lovely images of this sweet flower with you.Also called muguet in French,they are part of a charming custom in France.Every May 1, one would take a little bouquet of lilies-of-the-valley,available from the many flower peddlers on the street,to all the important ladies in their life--mothers, wives, aunts, girlfriends, grandmothers, etc. I have always loved this flower,my grandmother had a huge bunch growing all along her back fence, where it was shady and moist. So here are some muguets for you, dear readers:

Click, right click and save!

Lots of links to lovely pinks at Pink Saturday.
You will find more lovely teacups at Martha's Favorites and Artful Affirmations!

And, for lovely, shabby, chippy whites, stop by White Wednesday!

Lovely, feminine things at Pearls and Lace Thursday!

Lovely, cottagey links at Feathered Next Friday!

And for all things lovely and vintage, visit Knick of Time!

Have a wonderful May!

Time for tea...