Indulge Your Shelf

Here are some cheery photos of my last trip to A Paris Street Market two weeks ago:  Doily banner heaven!  Now that I've made my own fabric strip banners, I can appreciate the time it took to make these lacy ones; they appeared to be made from inexpensive lace tablecloths! I really liked these lampshades made from strips of  fabric. I so would have bought some of those vintage birds Rebecca was holding if I wasn't working so hard on downsizing my clutter horde craft supplies.  This sign made me laugh out loud!  As soon as I saw this dilapitdated old doll I knew I had to photograph it because I know so many people who would love it!    Runners made from hankies and doilies! Someone was selling their button collection! After the market and lunch, we went to another favorite store, The Barn in nearby Castle Rock.  We have so little color in my own yard that I had to snap a photo of me with the b...

I hope you have a lovely day today, celebrating mothers and being spoiled.  I was spoiled last night -- Dennis cooked his famous fried chicken and fixing and I had a chance to sit down to a dinner with both my guys.  Plus I got some flowers, chocolates and a new book!  The family photos we took last month were my BIG gift this year;  that was a fun day and a happy memory forever. It's so hard to believe 18 years have passed since I finally had the chance to be a mom! We are in the middle of a transition with Ben getting ready to graduate from high school and go off to college -- a day we have always known was coming -- but how can it be here so soon? If you haven't ready my blog long and are interested, I wrote a little about my journey to motherhood here . I will be working today, because it's a BIG day for phone calls! Happy Mother's Day to all my wonderful friends!

Some time ago I assembled a packet of like-colored vintage fabric scraps for a future project. The other day I took it out and started to "doodle."  I just laid the fabrics out haphazardly on top of a linen napkin, and kept moving them around until I was happy with how they looked. When I was satisfied, I stitched them all together and this was the result. It was so relaxing and fun to do this project and I love how it turned out. The thing is, I don't know what I will do with it.  And it's probably not finished yet -- although all the pieces have been sewn down.  Sewing it and seeing it all come together harmoniously was such a joy.  And to think: I almost didn't make it because I didn't know what it would become!  I am so glad I listened to my muse and just sewed. Maybe I'll edge it with trims and add some fancy stitches on the fabric's borders.  What would you do with it? Other things I've made lately: another simple cuff; t...

For my birthday last year, Karla gifted me with a blank Natures Blessing Journal to create with. I've been saving it and just began some work in it.  Wanna see? Included with the ;journal were some pages to color; I used watercolor pencils and had the most relaxing afternoon at work coloring in between phone calls!   It is therapeutic. On these pages I made a simple background and glued on some lovely postcards I've collected. This one of Paris... and this one by the wonderful Hope from Paper Relics . Another layout... with the second doodle page I colored... and this simple page with embellishments of ribbon, buttons, a feather, and some birds, of course.   I was inspired to write the title of a song I was listening to one one side. This page is a collage I made years ago -- I glued it into the book's last page. I love the little calling card's sentiment: May your life be peace. Thinking of Spring and nature's blessings t...