Happy New Year!

I wish you all a wonderful and Happy New Year in 2010!

Fun From Pottery Barn

This new postal cupboard just arrived from Pottery Barn. It has 25 numbered slots so I decided to use it as an advent shadow box for now and add holiday scenes each day. Check back to see more.

Swap Abundance in December!

I love to host and join swaps. It never fails that I over extend myself on the holiday swaps. Everything always sounds so fun and festive that I am afraid to miss out. I hosted three: Holiday songs, Nesting dolls and Christmas house atcs. I participated in Christmas Carols, Christmas inchies, Vintage ornaments, Handmade ornaments, A Year of Color RED atc s and Angel atcs. Sometimes I work all day to get them completed and in the mail. It is all so worth it when all the returned swap packages start to arrive!
My Favorite Holiday songs was a great success with so many gifted artists participating, 24 in all! As the cards stated coming in I was inspired to assemble my new 7 Gypsies atc holder. It gives my cards the perfect home don't you think?

This year I think I participated in every holiday workshop put on by my local and semi-local scrapbook stores. This year the projects were all wonderfully designed and fun to make. What have you been up to this holiday season?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Enjoy the day with your family, friends and loved ones. Let us all be thankful for our many blessings. Let us give thanks and blessings to our soldiers far from home protecting our Freedom, Family and Country. God Bless!

The Holidays are upon us!

I overextended myself a bit this season as swaps go, I know, so what's new!I am hosting four and participating in four. I am especially looking forward to a Vintage Ornament Swap I signed up to do. I mailed them off last week and am excited to see the other participant's creations. Basically I made vintage Christmas imaged inchies, rolled them in star glitter (fun) and mounted them on silver snowflakes. They were very simple in materials and design but elegant, if I do say so myself! My friend Beth spied the atc holder for me, Thanks Again Beth!

New Swap: Christmas atc Houses 2009

I have hosted a Christmas House swap for the last two years and have always been pleased with the results. The houses are the usual atc size 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 cut in the shape of a house. Some are decorated with a snow capped roof, others hold a holiday image or view into the decorated living room of a tiny family. Last year I designed a Victorian house with tiny wreaths and lights. I then put my collection of atc houses on scrabble tile holders on my mantle to decorate my home for the holidays. If you are interested leave a comment or email me at valerieLmyers@yahoo.com. Let's have each participant make 10 houses to start.

Projects, Purchases and Eye Candy!

I am so looking forward to fall. The cooler weather, leaves falling, warm sweaters and cozy fires. Fall signals the beginning of the holiday season.

My daughter has jumped right into it, she is planning for a Halloween party for her belated birthday, long story but #10 must not be forgotten!

I ordered seasonal ephemera and embellies from Flea Market Studio for several of my upcoming Halloween swaps. She has a unique style in her packaging and creation of artistic items. I thought I would share the lovelies with you today. Every time I walk by them on the table I have to stop and rearrange them. I will post her blog address under friends who inspire me in case you are interested.

I also ordered these cute doll tags from the same vendor. Each has a doll image that is covered with tulle and then machine stitched. Every detail was tended to as even the cellophane packaging was stitched closed. It is such a joy to open an item when an artist has paid so much attention to the details of packaging. However, sometimes it makes it so difficult to open because you don't want to disturb the lovely package.

I have also posted a little closet shadow box I made in a class offered by my friend Lisa Super. I am very pleased with the way it came together. I love the way she transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary by changing the way you look at and use an object.