Vintage Dragonfly Swap

I joined Danielle Muller of The Vintage Dragonfly 

in her 

A Bird in the Hand swap

These were my pieces I made...

I wish the lighting on the canvas was better...it turned out to be a really pretty buttery color with champagne highlights. I really liked the way it turned out. My nest was made from twigs, shredded bags, sheet music and yarn scraps. I paper mache'd the eggs....

I hope that they will be well liked in their new home!

Petite Inspiration Swap

I participated in Speckled Egg's Petite Inspiration Box, Flea Market Edition. I love Heather's swaps!

My swap partners were

Jody Jara

She sent me this beautiful little box filled with the most adorable petite pieces! I LOVED it!!! Then there was this lovely little package of sheet music and ephemera...with a beautiful dresser scarf.

And

Peace Schuyler

Peace sent me this cute box filled with lots of trinkets...buttons, some trims, a cute little collection of ephemera, etc. It was GREAT!!

NOW...I am working on my next set of boxes for the....

An empty nest

I have entered the first stage of an "empty nest"....

Yesterday I spent the entire day in my craft room/studio. It was really nice, but also a tad bit lonely....I was enjoying the silence when I noticed Lily's little bird next to me at my work table. I realized at that moment that not only was I working nicely in silence, but I was also by myself...this made me sad....

It dawned on me that in 6 short months my baby will be headed off to full day of Kindergarten. I will enter the stage in life that a few short years ago I thought would never happen....all my kids will be in school, all day long! What???

I was lonely...

Today Lily decided that she wanted to stay for a "long" day at preschool, so instead of 2 hours of school she went for 5 1/2....most weeks I can barely get her to go all three days! It was a taste of the future. She will be gone for 7 1/2 hours a day next year!

I have friends who are just starting their families and here mine is growing up so fast! Bree will be 15 in 3 months, and Lily will start Kindergarten in 6...Really, where has the time gone????

When I picked her up from school today I squeezed on her like she was a piece of fruit...she has always fit my hip or my tummy like a perfect puzzle piece when I hold her. I don't know if I will be able to handle the day that she is too big for me to hold! I always say that Lily completed our circle of "love"..she was my final piece. She is perfect to me, and I cherish the moments I have with her like no other.

It is no secret that I have had the baby blues lately, I don't want to have any more, I just don't want my babies to be so grown up....

These cute little birdies left my nest today, and I am not looking forward to any of the "real" birdies to leave for good.....

These are my "birds" for Jennifer's swap...I made a nest out of shredded sheet music, book pages, and sewing patterns then painted, and distressed some little wooden birds. I added some vintage lace as wings and a few flower petals as a crown. I hope my fellow swap partners like them...they were a labor of love!

Playing Catch-up

Wow...I have been going full steam ahead and time has been flying by! I feel like I am missing something, but I am getting so much done!

I have been working on several projects the past few weeks and then we had a bit of the "sickies" over here. That was a tad scary and took up a lot of energy!

I last posted about my winner for my giveaway and didn't have a chance to post about my SUPER-Sweet, talented swap partner for my Valentines Swap! I did a small swap with a few Bella sisters, Stephanie was my partner and BOY did she spoil me for Valentines day!! I have been very blessed to have met Stephanie, and even more blessed that we have been able to get to know each other more since Silver Bella. She is someone I know I will be able to be keep "growing" with....I love the growth of friendships...you just keep learning and loving more about each other! 

It was so awesome to receive such a fun box of goodies!!! I really needed!! Here is a little peak of what she sent me...I didn't take enough pictures...but you can see just from this one that there were SO many little treasures!! Not only did she fill our standard match box size box with goodies, but she included the most adorable little dessert plate, FUN NEW JEWELRY, vintage wallpaper and vintage post cards...the cutest little porcelain birdie..in PINK...my favorite color, and she included beautiful little pieces of vintage jewelry! MAN was I a LUCKY girl!!!!

This is a view from my seat right now...I am working on 3 projects right this second. One for a friend who lost everything in a fire, one for a magazine submission and one for Heather's swap! Fun, Fun!!! I moved some of the goods over a bit so you can't see too much....you will just have to wait a little bit longer... but I am pretty excited to show you so it won't be long!

Can't wait to get started on my next swap project.....a Tussie Mussie!!!

Jennifer has been having a Swap every month...so much fun!

Wednesday Whimsy

..30 Minutes early

OK, technically it is still Tuesday for another 30 minutes but I need to get to bed! ;)

I am using my recent swap boxes as my Whimsy for this Wednesday!

They were all soooo great and full of whimsical and awesome Halloween goodies!

I loved them!

First let me show you the ones I made....

This was for LuLu....she likes her Halloween a little scarier than me..so I used a skull that was a little creepy to decorate her box.

Now these boxes started off as cardboard cigar boxes, available VERY inexpensive at a local smoke shop!

I painted, distressed and then dressed it all up!

My second box was done for Tabitha...she likes her Halloween a little Diva-licous!...just like me!

I had fun decorating her box with a blingy skull.

Sadly....her cute little crown came off before she made it to Tabitha!

Their boxes were so stuffed I could barely get them to shut!

I got the BEST swap boxes in return!! I will show you tomorrow...

Halloween Swap box...Update 2

Here is a little picture (button) I fixed up for our swap! Please grab it if you would like!!

Trick or Treat!!

Halloween Swap Box

Halloween is one of my FAVORITE holidays!

I just love to decorate and get started on my decorations as soon as I feel the bite in the air! And every year I have "Witches" dinner party - an all girls dinner party that is held outside under the stars...it is pretty awesome!

I have decided that I am going to host a Halloween Swap Box - and I would love for you to join me!! I am feeling black and orange glitter, Vintage ephemera, black lace, stamps, etc.

Here are the details!

This will be a One-on-One box swap, Cigar box size...you don't have to use a cigar box but that is a good size to work with. Think...10x5x2 size...

Candy can be included, but kept to a minimum...I mean, come on...we need to keep up our girlish figures!!

MAX of 3 "destash" items....and please make those quality pieces! For example, I have a beautiful collection of vintage Black glass beads...

If you are interested, please email me at cr8nglife@yahoo.com and include your name & address. Please also answer the following questions in your email..that way we can get this ball rolling!

1. What type of Halloween girl are you? Are you a Diva-licious Witch...Using the glitz and glamour. Are you a Warty-Wanda... more of the classic witch style? Are you Spook-alicious...little more on the "dark side" or are you an All American Halloween kinda girl...vintage/Americana style

2. Do you have a Blog? Please include the address...

3. Is there a key element to your decorating style??

The deadline for joining me is going to be the 27th of August - and swap partners will be announced by the 30th!! Boxes should be in the mail no later than September 24th....want to enjoy them for the entire MONTH of Halloween!!!

Petite Inspirations...

!!!!!WARNING!!!!!
BIG GIANT SPOILER if you are my Swap Partner!!!

I am finished with my very first set of swap boxes!!!

Petite Inspiration Swap Boxes, Paris Edition

I had SO much fun putting these together!!!!


They are just jammed full of tiny treasures - At first they wouldn't shut, so I had to make sacrifices!! I had such a difficult time deciding what to take out!



I tried to gear the boxes towards my swap partners while keeping in mind what the "Inspiration" for the boxes were...


My Swap Partners were...

Connie

&

Pam

Decisions...Decisions...

This is the box I put together for Connie...

And for Pam...

My very Own Petite Inspiration enjoyed watching me and "helping" me work on these beautiful treasure boxes as well. For me that is one of the best parts of creating....watching my kids as they create right along side of me!!

See her back there??? She was peaking through on all the pictures...