A Swap for All Seasons

 The November swap theme at A Swap for All Seasons was Birthday and the color was Brown. Along with one card and one tag we were to send one brown de-stash item to our swap partners. I've always loved Holly Hobbie so I chose these "Holly inspired" images to use for my card and tag. There's something simple and whimsical about these images that always make me smile. Inspired by the colorful pinafores often worn by the Holly Hobbie girls, my de-stash item is one of my yo-yo brooches made from vintage calico.  Sign-ups for the December swap begin today...if you'd like to join in the fun go take a look!

 

A Swap for All Sesaons

My old swapping buddy Linda Smith recently resurrected one of my favorite swaps of all times...her wonderful A Swap for All Seasons. This time around she's holding a monthly swap featuring three things...a handmade tag, a handmade card and one de-stash item. With a different theme for each month it's bound to be a year of great swapping! During the month Linda shares ideas related to each theme, examples of cards and tags and even holds a giveaway.  Lucky me...I was the winner of the giveaway this month! 

 

 November's Brown Giveaway

It's too late to join in the November swap but sign ups for the December swap begin on November 1st so be sure to stop by and take a look.

Admit One

I was recently invited to join an ATC swap with the theme "Put a Heart on It."  It's been a long time since I made an ATC so I wasn't sure I'd even remember how to do it! Silly me! I had packed up most of my crafty paper supplies so I had to look around and use what I could find. A page from an old book, a bit of paper napkin, an old ticket, a button from my sewing basket and some cardboard off a box that came in the mail. Pretty simple but so fun to do. Now I remember why I love playing with paper!

Some days

Finding out that my job has been eliminated, looking for a new job and trying to decide if I even want another job has me feeling a bit "lifted by the ribs" these days. Some days I feel fine about what's happening, some days I feel angry and some days just helpless.

Some Days

Some days I put the people in their places at the table,
bend their legs at the knees,
if they come with that feature,
and fix them into the tiny wooden chairs.

All afternoon, they face one another,
the man in the brown suit,
the woman in the blue dress,
perfectly motionless, perfectly behaved.

But other days,
I am the one who is lifted up by the ribs,
then lowered into the dining room of a dollhouse
to sit with the others at the long table.

Very funny,
but how would you like it
if you never knew from one day to the next
if you were going to spend it

striding around like a vivid god,
your shoulders in the clouds,
or sitting down there amidst the wallpaper,
staring straight ahead with your little plastic face?

Billy Collins

Some lovely day....

....you might decide to start off on a trail

 

that leads into the woods.

Perhaps you'll follow signs

 

that take you across a bridge

or beside a creek.

You may have to sit and catch your breath

             
                                                          or enjoy a little hiking humor.

You might muse on nature's beauty

or maybe ponder the speed of your trail mates.

BUT, you'll definitely feel refreshed, inspired and full of possibilities. You might even find yourself humming a little hum. And you'll feel thankful. Thankful for this day and the memory that you'll keep in your pocket to pull out and look at until you can find yourself setting off on another trail on another lovely day.

Oh Yeah!

I saw this today on Poppytalk and had to share it because it makes me so happy watching it! I love old retro patterns and this is just too funny. My favorite part is the little head nod from the girl in the back...oh yeah!

Love Notes

I'm participating in a sweet little project called Love Notes Postcard Project. It was dreamed up by Jennifer Belthoff and you can read all about it on the Love Notes site. Who wouldn't wanted to receive some love in the mail?  If you'd like to...go take a look!

Essentials

At work we throw away several small operator's manuals each day...they're included in every box of kits we open. I was looking at one the other day and decided it would be the perfect size for a small journal. So, I took one home, glued every other page together, gessoed the pages, added a light wash of paint to each spread and a cover and here it is...a handy little junk journal! For the cover I used a page out of a 1906 book called Health and Home. Reading it I realized that the "essential" things haven't changed much in the past 107 years!  Here's a copy of the image I used...feel free to use it in your own journal.

Happy Thanksgiving

Journal

Cemetery Angels

One of the highlights of my visit with my sister in Brooklyn was our trip to Greenwood Cemetery.  What we thought was going to be a quick trip for her to show me the famous Monk Parrots turned into a four hour tromp through one of the most beautiful, serene places I've ever seen. The cool, tree shaded lawns and quiet groves of gorgeous statuary kept us looking for hours. We took tons of photos and didn't see even half of it. If you're ever in Brooklyn be sure to stop in and take a walk. Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!