Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Blogger has the hiccups again!


But I'm undaunted!
I wanted to share a couple of quotes with you
this morning before I get into my studio.

"The better we feel about ourselves, the fewer times we
have to knock somebody else down to feel tall."
Odetta

(I like that one! It's a good thing to remember when
someone is trying to put you down. They're the
one with the problem. Not you.)

"Learn to enjoy your own company.
You are the one person you can count on living
with for the rest of your life."
Ann Richards

"If I try to be like him,
who willk be like me?"
Yiddish Proverb

(Love that one! Be yourself!
You're unique!)

"We are each gifted in a unique and important way.
It is our privilege and our adventure to discover
our own special light."
Mary Dunbar

(I'd add to that one - that it's our
responsibility to try to discover who we are
and what our talents are and to use them
and even though we find we aren't perfect to
keep trying.)

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Well!!!


You know what I have to say to Google
for messing up my line spacing and for
making the new version of blogger that I
tried and failed at....
** RASPBERRIES**!!

LOL!
There! Now I feel better!
And thanks to all your hugs!
:-)

Yes! I need a hug!

Thank you to those who have just posted
condolences for my computer frustrations!
Twyla, my daughter helps me too!
I'm asking her to put the old method of posting back!
I really dislike this one!
I'm not only computer challenged but...
computer grouchy!
Ha! Can you picture me learning Photoshop!
Well, I'm trying!
And with lots of 4-letter words flying!
Barbara Jean and Diane, hugs back atcha!!
And thanks! I needed one!

Hey! This post looks NORMAL!!!
Holly must have fixed it for me!
FRUSTRATIONS ENDED! YAY!!!
Thank you, daughter! You have endless patience!
I should have been born in 1845, not 100 years later!
I think I'd have gotten along very well with
both Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott!


Studio Stuff - Ingredients

We buy these delicious little mini scones from Wegman's,
a grocery store that is like a whole village in itself!
The containers are perfect for washing out and saving
for keeping all of my spools of ribbons.
I don't like to throw plastic things away and our
recycling here is fussy - they only take 1s and 2s.
I bought the wooden spools on etsy!
Aren't they fun!  I wish they still made wooden ones!

Scraps bought from etsy and from my own
ephemera collection...an old German textbook...

Today's projects all together.
The lower one in the center is an illustration,
well, actually 2 illustrations from the German
book.  My grandfather immigrated from Germany
in the early 1900s when he was only 14 years old
with just his brother.  People were desperate to
get their children out of the country because
they knew war was coming.
My grandfather had a good life here in the US
and might not have lived had his family not
made this tremendous sacrifice.

My father...you'll see his picture with my grandfather
in the posts below...died when he was just 23 in a
plane crash in Kiowa, CO.  He was a lieutenant in
the Army Air Force training to go to England to
help in the invasion in WWII.

I was born 9 months to the day of my parents' wedding.
He died barely 2 months after they were married...
all I have of him are photos and stories told to
me by my uncle, his brother.
I had little contact with my father's family
after my mother remarried -
and that's a long story that I may never
tell here in blogland....

The loss of my father is probably the most
hurtful loss of my life, but fate stepped in and
although my loss is painful and a wound that
will never heal, I met my husband due to
circumstances that would never have
occurred otherwise...
and that is the biggest blessing of my life!
With two daughters who bless my life with
joys untold!



A bit of this and that...

Well...today's paper projects!
But you might not want to read further because this
computer challenged person has had some "issues"
with this new system and I'm grouchy!  LOL!
I have to say I'm not really crazy about the new font spacing
in the new Blogger set-up.
The fonts are either too large or too small and have
too much spacing in between.
Has anyone else tried this yet?
My poor daughter is probably ready to put me in a home!
She fixed this for me and I'm finally figuring out how
to use it.  Call me technologically challenged!
Give me paint, paper, glue and I know what to do with it,
but give me a computer and I could pull out my hair!
Anyone else like me?  LOL!
Why do they have to change what ain't broke!


I guess you could say I'm hooked on paper crafts!

I cherish this photo of my grandfather and father....
Long story...

Monday, February 8, 2010

What I did on Super Bowl Sunday....


No. I didn't watch the Super Bowl.
Neither did Hubby.
We watched the conclusion of "Emma" on PBS.

What do you think...the little keys on the paper and
the tiny brass key tied to the tag?
I know I have some large vintage keys, went looking
for them and have to tear the studio apart because
I can't find them!
I know I put them someplace "organized". Ha ha!

I tied textured yarn to the one on the left and added
wooden beads to the ends - a different touch.

I'm enjoying using feathers on these!
You should see all the little "downy" ones blowing
all over my studio!
The cat hasn't found them...yet! LOL!
I really like this indigo blue on brown craft paper -
very soft and vintage looking.


A departure from my usual color palette - pink.
Why not! I'm girly!
;-)



Dawn at The Feathered Nest is Having A Giveaway.....


And just look at the goodies she's giving away!
If you know what's "good for you" you'll head on over
and enter.
Please tell her Diane sent you!

The Feathered Nest Giveaway

And also.....another fabulous giveaway at:

Tarnished and Tattered!

IT'S NOT TOO LATE FOR MY GIVEAWAY!!!



It's on the next page!
But before you scroll down to the bottom and click on
"older posts"
I hope you'll stay awhile to visit and check out
all of the things I've been making lately!



Sunday, February 7, 2010

One more idea for coin envelopes and tags....


"TAG-VELOPES"

I noticed both the envelopes and my tags sitting
side-by-side on my work area and thought...
hmmmm....glue them together!
They'd make a wonderful tag on a gift that
might also have a few dollars included inside
the envelope...
Or....those tickets to Paris or London or Rome...
Or maybe that diamond ring...
Or a bracelet....
Or any number of sweet and surprising gifts for
someone you love!