My Little Shop

This is just a quick little post to show my little corner in the Branson Craft Mall. Mom and I share a booth there --- she makes comfy-cozy jackets from sweatshirts and decorated T-shirts. The picture is not very good quality --- phone cameras just don't stand up to my Canon, but I forgot to take the Canon with me. Oops! We moved to a different part of the mall and took a whole new approach to the display. Gone are the rotating card racks which just seemed to get in the way. Everything will be on the walls. My photography is there, too. And we have warm and inviting lighting and props.

My antique treasure-hunting was rewarded with the telephone bench seen on the right side. Way back when people had only one phone in the home and it was on a short cord on a little table they sat nearby while they talked. So these tables were often found in a hallway or foyer, a central location. Can you imagine that? Anyway, I just thought it would be a cozy display and goes well with the table built on an old Singer treadle machine base.

This is the slow time of year here, but I need these couple of months to restock. Then I'll pray for a successful reopening in March!

A Treasure of Greeting Cards from 64 Years Ago

There are many antique stores here in the Ozarks and they are full of treasures and trips down memory lane. I often look for, and find, old photographs. Looking at them I wonder who the folks in the pictures were, who did they love, what did they do for a living, and how did these priceless gems end up in an antiques store so many miles from their original home?

On a recent treasure hunt I found a scrapbook that dates back to 1944. It chronicles a soldier's experiences in World War II, apparently in Germany, Africa and Japan. That soldier was PVT Robert Winquist. There are photos, typed reports of battles, hometown newspaper articles of local war heroes, as well as greeting cards and letters he received from his wife and family. I am still reading all the interesting mementos, but I want to share parts of this amazing memoir from one America's true heroes, who fought on foreign soil, who often didn't see his family for as long as two years, and fortunately returned home to enjoy the freedom he risked his life for.
For more of this soldier's scrapbook go to Picture This At Last where I have posted some photos, newspaper clippings, and Army documents from 1944 and 1945.

Greeting cards are ageless and have filled scrapbooks and boxes for generations. More often than not it is the sentimental value that makes them family treasures. Sometimes they are just too pretty to toss out. In any case, they are "Made For Keeps"!

These cards are beautifully preserved in the scrapbook, as are the love and feelings expressed in the verses as well as the handwritten notes. Enjoy this little peek into the lives of a World War II veteran and his loved ones.

I love this dried flower that was tucked between the pages. It looks like a carnation.

Just imagine, all my fellow-cardmakers, who might find our cards in 60 years and what might they think about them. I won't be around, but I hope my love and best wishes will live on in my cards.

A Few More WOJ Cards from the "Assembly Line"

Well, the term "assembly line" isn't really fair to the creative process. About the only thing I do at one sitting is stamping a bunch of images then spending hours coloring to my little ol' heart's content! Then each image is carefully matched to the papers and embellishments. Unless I am following a sketch for a challenge, each card takes on a life of its own. That is the essence of art in any form, don't you think!


So, this precious little Lizzie fit beautifully with the delicate flowers and swirls of the DP, with just a touch of light teal to frame the lovely sentiment I cut from a piece of DP. The hearts and corner swirl are cut from Cuttlebug dies and Nesties and made the perfect cuts for the image and scalloped border. Lizzie is colored with Copic Sketches and accented with simple pearls.


Angel Melinda love to blow heart kisses, and they just get bigger and bigger as they spread around the world. (Heart stickers from Walmart) This card is simple thanks to a portion of a double-sided piece of Daisy D's cardstock. A touch of glitter paper cut with the scalloped rectangle Nestie frames Melinda. A bit of glitter on her wings and outfit and she is ready to spread her love to someone special. (I'm not real happy with the photo quality here. The glitter paper washes out the bright hues of the Copic Ciaos used to color Melinda's flowing hair and red jeans.)



Teenage Lizzie appears again here, but this time colored in pink and lavender Copics. Scraps of DP and glitter CS surround Lizzie with soft hearts and sparkle. Gentle flowers and pearls are perfect embellishments for lovely Lizzie.



Here Angel Melinda likes big pastels to go with the butterfly sketch on the Daisy D's DP. The card is simple and sweet, just like Melinda.

Well, I have more colored images to match up to more beautiful papers. So there will be more cards to come!

Thank you for stopping by! Leave me a note, too. I always visit bloggers who take time to say hello.

What a Wonderful Day This Has Been!

Wow! Two more awards! While I was sending Donna at Popsicle Toes the Marie Antoinette Award she was sending me these beauties:

Aren't they terrific!? I feel so special today! Thanks everyone!

I get to do a couple of fun things now! The "Your Blog is Fabulous" award calls for a listing of five of my addictions (only five?) so here goes, in no particular order:

1. Starbucks coffee, either at home or the coffee shop. I love to sit with a cuppa, listen to the music, and brainstorm!

2. Stamping --- uh, ya think?

3. Photography, as you can see in my other blog Picture This At Last (yes, this is a shameless plug!)

4. Browsing for books at Barnes & Noble, and bringing home a new stack --- oh and enjoying a Starbucks while browsing.

5. Blogging where I meet the nicest and most talented people!

Now for the hard part, picking five more people to award these to.....

First, I appreciate all who visit and leave me words of encouragement and friendly hellos. All of you deserve this recognition, so I invite you to lift these for your own blogs.

Now to pay special mention to these fine ladies:

Ryann

Trinka

Julie

Mina

Lynette

Have a happy day everyone! Please be sure to visit all the blogs above --- you'll be glad you did!

Marie Antoinette Award!

What fun this morning to open my blog and find this beautiful from Barbara at HunnyBunnyCards in the UK. She is a fabulous designer and artist. Please visit her blog for a real treat!

The above award is called 'The Marie Antoinette' a Real Person, a Real Award. The rules are:
1. Link to the person who gave you the award
2. Nominate 7 more persons
3. Link the nominees and let them know about this award
4. Post the award on your blog

So now I am honored to nominate 7 lovely bloggers which is very difficult because there are so many talented crafters out there in blogland but here goes:

Carolyn

Nancy

Joan

Lauri

Leigh

Marion

Donna

These ladies are not only "real, caring people" but also extremely talented. You'll enjoy visiting them. In fact, all the bloggers I follow are terrific, talented people and deserve this award, too.

Thanks, again, Barbara!

Teenage Lizzie Valentine

This is a portion of another Daisy D's two-sided cardstock. It presented me with a different color scheme than I am used to working with. The aqua and white glitter cardstocks add fun pizzazz and the red glitter stick-on hearts pull the red glitter on Lizzie's candy box and the ribbon together. The aqua and white hearts are Cuttlebug diecuts, as is the lattice trim at the top. Lizzie's furry coat inspired the addition of just a touch of feather for texture. This week is the first time I have used the feathers in the cards and it's a fun embellishment! I am very happy with this finished product.

... and Lizzie's close up!

I still have a few more cards to post this week, then I will be moving on to some new and fabulous stamps I just got in the mail!

More WOJ Challenge #13

The sketch for the Whiff of Joy Challenge was so much fun that I made a couple more cards using it. The background paper for these cards came from the same sheet of Daisy D's. I love the range of colors from pink to red to orange and it worked well in a non-traditional Valentine theme.

The card below came together quickly, but after putting the flowers on it seemed a little lopsided. Solution? A feather! The feather worked well on the card in my last post, so I used it again. I like the soft, whisp --- or is it whiff? --- of joy that a feather brings.

I can't wait to see what the next challenge sketch will be! In the meantime, Whiff of Joy just released a sneak peek of the new spring stamp kit, a chance to pre-order, and, best of all, a chance to WIN A COMPLETE KIT!! Be sure to check it out. I already put in my pre-order!

WOJ Wednesday Challenge #13

This beautiful Lizzie with muff is all dolled up for Valentine's Day. Colored with Copics and adorned with red glitz and white feathers (yes, those are feathers!) she wishes you all a Happy Valentine's Day!

The DP is from a stack of miscellaneous paper I was going to use for Christmas, and the glitter hearts and ribbon are from Walmart.

I have several cards that I assembled from all the coloring I did last week, so you will see more over the next few days. This one is for the WOJ Wednesday Challenge, though I do have more in this sketch. It is such a simple and fun sketch that stimulates the imagination.

Call Out for Copic Vendors!

I have been bitten by the Copic bug! I have found them to been in short supply locally, and have found online suppliers. But I continue to look for good prices, of course, and selection. I am in the US but am also interested in online locations in Canada for a dear friend who is ready to take the plunge.

I have another question: I ordered a couple of sets and when I got them they are the Copic Ciao, not the Sketch. Other than the difference in barrel shape they appear to be the same. But, all you experts out there, can you tell me what the other differences might be?

Reaching out is one of the greatest things about blogging. So thank you in advance, for all your help!

Back to the Assembly Line!

Well, it's about time I get back to cardmaking! After the fun of the holidays then putting away the Christmas card supplies, I am spreading out a whole new batch of supplies. One of my favorite parts of cardmaking is coloring the stamped images. Today I stamped several copies each of a bunch of new stamps, most of them are Whiff of Joy stamps I got just before Christmas. I just love them and now they have released an adorable Party Animal group. Wait! Let me catch up here!

Anyhoo, in the interest of keeping my blog updated and posting something until I have a card or two finished, here are some photos of my progress today:

Everything today was colored with Copics. I have a very limited supply, but expanding it every chance I get!

I love coloring Willow's armchair.

I'll be adding some sparkly stuff to Lizzie's fur trim.

Some glitter will sparkle up the rain drops and umbrella for Willow.

Angel Melinda will get white glitter embossed on her wings.

So, that's what I did today. More of the same tomorrow, but with different stamps, and I've got plenty to do!

Happy New Year!

In many ways the year 2008 will not be remembered fondly, except that I started this blog and met so many wonderful crafters. From those talented papercrafters I learned fun and fantastic techniques, discovered beautiful and whimsical stamps, and expanded my imagination a-hundred-fold.

I welcome 2009 with optimism, by choice (if I listen to the gloom and doomers I get really depressed). I look forward to much more creativity and success with my art, as I look forward to meeting more artists and crafters. Let this be a renaissance year for handmade crafts, innovation and imagination. Success in sales would be a good thing, too!

Happy New Year, everyone!