Christmas Decorating

What a wonderful, challenging, and busy year it has been. I am now five units away from a second degree, and because I believe you can't turn down opportunities when they come, I took on a new student, a new design team, and recently auditioned to be guest artist for a magazine. In September our plumbing pretty much exploded, and we had an expensive, messy, and time-consuming repipe. Then in October, my 93-year-old mother-in-law took a turn for the worse and passed on Oct 29, which necessitated two quick trips from California to Mississippi. I haven't started decorating this year! I like to enjoy Fall and then begin celebrating Christmas near December 24 and continuing through January 6 - Epiphany. I also take off two+ weeks of work starting around the 19th, and that's when I really get into the Christmas spirit.

So for Cousin Cathy, who has asked about my Christmas crafting and decorating, I am reposting last year's decorating.  Hopefully I will find the energy and desire to do it again this year!

It's filled with santas that my dear mother and I collected through 

the years. I celebrated her with each piece I unboxed and placed. 

These great vintage lights and boxes were a surprising find from 

weekend thrifting with my friends Christel and Heidi. 

The centerpiece for my kitchen table with vintage  ornaments and 

beaded garland and  Tom and Jerry cups.

A display of my cards and decorations I put together with thrift shop finds:

 A few years ago I discovered Tom and Jerry punch bowls, and 
it has been a love thing ever since:

You might say that I'm quite addicted. Christel found this chocolate brown

 set for me at the the thrift shop last weekend.  I LOVE it, especially against 
the light oak of my mother's favorite piece of furniture. (I have 
more Tom and Jerry pieces, but that will have to be for another day, lol!)

Here's a creche that I created from a TJ Maxx find and an image from an 

angel calendar. The figures are hand-carved from Austria--a gift throughout 

many years from my dear sister-in-law:

 I did my Christmas tree in red and gold with a few House of Hatten ornaments:

 House of Hatten was around 15 or more years ago. My mom and I 

collected these together--another reminder of the fun we used to 

have with our after Christmas shopping.

Not House of Hatten, but I just love these snowballs!

Another view of the tree:

 Christmas in the City. What haven't I collected? Lol!

One of the sideboards in my family room. I have a lot of these! lol! 

The decorations are minimal as the hand carving and stained 
glass stand on their own as a testament to the artistry and 
craftsmenship of the past. My paternal grandmother's clock is a focal point:

I guess I should have started with the entry first,but I spend 
most of my time in the kitchen!

The chalkboard door hides a closet that used to house our furnace, 
which now resides in the attic.  This little closet makes a nice pantry. 
I really do have to improve my chalkboard lettering!

These vintage silverplate pieces are thrift shop finds that I painted with 
chalkboard paint. I am still getting up my nerve or the patience to 
trace lettering and go over it with a chalk pen.

 The tree in my craft/tutoring room full of vintage ornaments and 
some of my handmade things. 

What a great way to celebrate a good and busy year! 
Wishing you peace and joy throughout the holidays and all through the new year!

Laura

Time for Some Halloween Art

For me, Halloween is about laughter and playfulness on a crisp fall evening. I love the excitement of the little pirates, princesses, nerds, bumble bees, and skeletons rushing to my door for a handful of sweet treats. And later come the older kids who are so happy to be appreciated and recognized for their costume's cleverness and creativity.

My way of celebrating my favorite season and holiday is to create. I made a variety of pieces around the theme of vintage Halloween games that was recently published in the Summer 2015 issue of The Stamper's Sampler. I hope that you enjoy these pieces and that they will inspire your vintage and Halloween muse!


These cards were made with two of my favorite Character Constructions sets from the Bird and Bee Paperie collection:

I made this little ball game using stamps from Oxford Impressions with a special bonus pearl for extra points. Are you old enough to remember these? I am (but just barely)!

 

To complete the theme of Halloween fun and games, 

I made a noisemaker using stamps from Oxford Impressions:

 

Thank you for stopping by to visit. Wishing you and yours a happy time of 

     fun and games this Fall!                                                                         Laura

Autumn Art Doll with Character Constructions

What a crazy time I've been having since I last posted! With major plumbing repairs and too many other things I won't bother to bore you with, I have been in a slight creative slump. So I felt very rejuvenated yesterday to receive the Autumn 2015 issue of The Stamper's Sampler featuring my art work on a couple of pages. For this issue, I took the challenge of using one stamp in a variety of ways. My stamp of choice was The Beekeeper's Tea Plate 6 from Character Constructions. (The dress is from plate 4 and the sentiment is from Bird and Bee Paperie plate 3. I hope you enjoy!

 Thank you for stopping in!

                                                        Laura

Fourth of July with Character Constructions

Thank you for stopping by. I finally finished this doll after working on it in bits every evening for the last little while. Who knew that a cheap plastic trophy cup would turn into this??? The stamps are from Character Constructions Cirque and Bee Keeper's Tea collections. 

What about you? Do you craft or decorate for Independence Day?

Laura

Fourth of July Decor with Character Constructions

Thanks for stopping by. I took time out of my crazy schedule to honor my design team commitment for Character Constructions stamps. And I must say that, oh, I just LOVE Character Constructions Stamps!!! I start with a slight idea, and the stamps seem to just morph into a project. They take me on a journey more than I plan how to use them. For the debutante below, I used a plate from the Cirque Collection and mounted her on a box that I covered with a Revolutionary War letter I found and modified from Google image search.

 The rhinestone embellishments are bits of vintage Czech glass that I purchased in Port Costa (near San Francisco) last weekend at Wendy Addison's Theatre of Dreams.

  This next piece was inspired by a turn of the century award medal and ribbon that

 I admired in an antiques mall in the quaint old town of Petaluma.

I used Character Constructions Bird and 

Bee Paperie Plate #2 for the image:

I am delighted that these pieces have such an authentic vintage look. 

I can't wait to see what other stamps I can use for Fourth of July!

I'm joining these fine blog parties:

What's It Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants

Share Your Cup Thursday - Mrs. Olson

 Laura

Feeling Like the Queen Bee!

Wowwee!!! We have had the craziest bout of illness around my office since January!!! Every other week we were passing around some new virus, ugh! The recycled air must be like working in an airplane. I was just about to buy a diffuser and some essential oils, which I probably still will do, but I think the round of illnesses has ceased. I feel fantastic--better than I've felt in months!!!!! HURRAY!!! I am feeling like the Queen Bee!!! :-)

                  Another project made with the new "Bee Happy" stamps from Oxford Impressions.

I hope you are having a wonderful and healthy weekend and feeling like the Queen Bee yourself!

Laura

Bee Happy!

Just in time for Spring is the wonderful new collection of Bee Happy stamps from 

Oxford Impressions, Austen Gallery! 

I just love them all.  Between work, my student, getting sick, and having to study, 

I managed to put together this card.  I can't wait to make more. 

Here's another little piece I made using a tin can. I love upcycling cans this way. Perhaps I will give a gift in it. Hmm....

Oxford Impressions stamps come as a solid sheet of red rubber that you cut and 

assemble. You get so many stamps at a great price when you do it yourself. 

For my tutorial to mount the stamps, click here.

I am linking up with parties from these great blogs:

The Charm of Home

Ivy and Elephants

Rooted In Time

Washi-Covered Easter Eggs

I wanted to "color" eggs this year in a nontraditional way, so I pulled out 

my favorite washi from Tim Holtz, tore it into small strips, and covered some 

wooden eggs. I also painted a few with blush-colored acrylic paint and flecked 

dots on them. I plan to do a tutorial on the weekend for this quick "decoupage" project.
Do you have a favorite technique for "coloring" Easter eggs?

Laura