Christmas anyone?

I ran across this picture tonight and thought it is so sweet. So I wanted to share it with you.  I don't know where I got it but I have had it for several years.

Isn't he adorable?

I am starting Christmas presents already 

because 

I will be traveling back to my home town to see my precious son & his family.  It will be the first time I have been back to Iowa for three years.  I miss my grandson, son, daughter-in-love & my sister.  They live within 35 miles of each other so it will be a great time to catch up & fall in love with them all over again. 

(I, however, am not looking forward to the cold!)

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday.

How about you?

Are you thinking....Christmas yet?

I have entered an ornament exchange so my mind is going in all directions.

I hope you enjoy the Santa.

I think he is adorable.

Blessings to all & try to take the time to let me know what you Christmas plans will be for this year.

Sharon

BEADING AT LAST!!!

I am finally back at it!

I have been so busy with the Journals of Love, A Beautiful Life, & my Christmas albums that I have not been beading lately. (Way too many irons in the fire!) This week I have been beading once again. It feels so wonderful to be back creating my passion again. The above picture is a necklace that Jimmie Boatwright created. (She is a friend that I met at Hobby Lobby then again at the Atlanta Bead Company. We became fast friends and continue to keep in contact through beading.)

Jimmie has become a teacher and is creating way above my level already. She designed this lovely "Cleo". I am in love! I just had to make it! The necklace I am working on is three fourths done. Guess what happened.... I ran out of the size 15 bead. I did not know that it takes three tubes of the tiniest beads to complete this project. Well, I got all the the center and one half of the tassel part completed. I used every bead I had in a wonderful soft gold. Now what do I do??? I usually get my beads from Artbeads but this particular size and color came from a friend that I bead with, Deb. (I have written an email to her promising her anything I have in trade for just enough beads to finish.) I am such an impatient person. I wanted to complete it NOW! But once I get it finished I will have to show you what a stunning design piece.

I usually get together with my first bead teacher, BJ Kahn. She does such stunning pieces and has patiently guided me through each piece. I have learned brick, peyote, ladder, Russian Spiral, and numerous other stitches from BJ.

This week I just could not pass up the class that Jimmie was teaching. She developed this pattern all by herself. Isn't it Divine? For some it may be a wee bit much, but for me.....I think it is fabulous!

I have been working on more Christmas ornaments. I finished one this evening but I have a feeling my tree will have a very limited amount of my hand beaded ornaments this year. They are a lot of work (several hours and alot of beads are involved) but they are turning out beautifully.

We are having company this weekend so I just wanted to stop in and tell you that I am still around. Beading, around and around....lol

Have a wonderful week of creating beautiful works of art!

I would love to hear what you personally think of the necklace that I am working on....

Blessings to you, dear blogger buddies.

Sharon

It is all about me......selfish? No, FUN!!!

Natasha Burns challenged us to make

"something for ourselves".

I am feeling kinda' stingy right now.

(My Mother always taught us that

"it is better to give than to receive"

or

"Now, don't be selfish, Sharon, you must learn to share".)

I can hear her right now.

I have just finished Heathers class on making a journal for myself. I had such a wonderful time with that class that I decided I would make another one just around the Victorian Christmas. This is what I came up with. What do you think? Do you have any idea how hard it is to find graphics around the "Real Reason for the Season"? I just did not have any. I looked for two days, to no avail and decided that this book would be centered around the Victorian Christmas theme.

First, the box that holds the "A Beautiful Life" journal. (I just borrowed the idea from Heather)

The box that holds the book. It is simple yet says there is "something" inside.
The cover is another wallpaper book cover that I loved the graphic of the boys singing. You can not tell but I have used dimensional glue to "pop" the bells off the page and I added a piece of jewelry at the bottom that I dearly love.My first full page is a takeoff of "A Beautiful Life with a postcard, antique broach and two sweet little ones praying. Across the page I added an antique key, watch face and some beaded gold chain. (If you enlarge it you can see the snow sparkling and the moon in 3D)

Page 2

I really liked the way the Victorian ladies dressed. (I would have loved living back then but if I did then you wouldn't have known me...lol) The BIG red button was one of my Mommas & I could not pass up making it look like a wreath.

Page 3

This is one of my favorite pages because if you notice there is an angel that sets on top of the famous Santa & child picture. That little angel is a plaster placket that I have had for 39 years. I scanned it last year and have used the graphic for many cards and tags at Christmas time.

Page 4

This is a true Santa page. On the left side is a card that I received last year. I used an old lace collar from Goodwill to soften the page. On the right is a graphic from Heathers book. On top that I scanned an advertisement and then made it into a stamp to put Santa on top of the red piece of core board.

Page 5

I used the inside of a card board box for the right hand corner and added a silver flower broach. I picked up at Goodwill a burgundy beaded dress that had scallops, cut it apart for the trim. The tree on the left is three pieces of jewelry that I glued together to make the tree.

Page 6

I know you can not see it but all of the bulbs on the tree are 3D with dimensional "Glossy Accents".

Last but not the least is the finished product. I did not have a wide red ribbon so I used a deep rose that has a lot of green on the backside.

I had the white tassel that was a light pull.

Well, selfish or not, I enjoyed making this one.

Now I have to get back to working on Christmas presents and gifts for others.

Thank you, Natasha for hosting this challenge! I have enjoyed it very very much.

Be sure to go over to Natasha's post (also known as Artistic Creations)
http://natashaburns.blogspot.com/
to see all of the other creations because
"It is all about me" afterall...

Thank you,Marietta

I received a lovely package in the mail today from

Marietta at Sweet Old Vintage! (http://sweetoldvintage.blogspot.com)

(It is always so fun to get something in the mail besides bills..lol)

Marietta sent me the most lovely Victorian/Vintage ladies to use on

"Journals of Love"

gifts for cancer patients.

I just couldn't wait to use them immediately so the first two are completed and are being taken to North Georgia Cancer Center on Friday. I have made 32 journals so far but I am having difficulty in getting enough hours in a day.

I am working on Christmas gifts for the family to take to Iowa (when I get to go sometime in November or December.) I am also trying to get some things beaded as well as completing my Christmas Journal and numerous other sewing projects.

Life is good and I am so busy. I go for a cat-scan on Thursday then to the hospital to deliver the journals....then life just happens. I can not believe I have not been posting in the last couple of weeks. I have missed everyone and trying to play "catch up" is so time consuming, yet so well worth every minute.
( Below are some of the beautiful ladies that Marietta sent to me)

Marietta, Thank you so very much for your contribution to

"Journals of Love"

They are just the perfect size and the details are so precious. Your work is beautiful and I sincerely appreciate each one!

You will be blessed for your precious love gifts.

Please stop over to see Marietta! She has the most wonderful ideas and beautiful vintage pictures for us to use.

(http://sweetoldvintage.blogspot.com)

I hope everyone is doing great and that you will have time to do

"something just for you".

Which leads up to my next post...

I hope to have time this evening to show you something I made for the

"Something for you"

challenge.

Now it is supper time and I have to find the table so my sweet hubby can eat...lol

Blessings to all,

Sharon

A BEAUTIFUL LIFE!

Inside of this box is MY treasure.

I made it just for ME!

"A Beautiful Life" is finished!

Box & all!

Tucked inside of the box lid is the picture of the lady in a corset that I did not get into the book but loved the print so I had to use it somewhere. On top of the lady is a feather from Sandy B. and the rest of the lovely pink velvet vintage ribbon. (Gosh, I hated to use the last piece.) Also I used the luscious feathers topped with a broach . Carole had sent me a baggie loaded with shoe clips and pins. I glued one broach on top of the other to give it more dimension. (Please keep Carole in your prayers. She needs our love and support at this difficult time.)

This is the top of the outside of the box.

This is the inside top of the lid and the last photo is the inside of bottom of the box.

What a fun project!

Inside this box are a few of my friends, (or a part of them at least). No one will love this box of goodies like I do because I know the meaning behind each and every detail. I thought about each person, each piece as a unit and how well they would blend together. And they DO work together so well!!
I am a happy girl tonight. (It doesn't take alot to impress me but this project does and will continue to do so for a long long time.) Thank you again, Heather and all of you who pleased my creative senses. You are such sweet people.

Blessings to each one tonight,

Sharon

My Beautiful Life!!

I finished my journal "A Beautiful Life"! I have been caught up in working on this night & day. I have enjoyed every single minute of it! Sandy sent me such lovely beauties to work into my book and I just could not quit. I spent hours and hours just digging through my stuff to get just the right things. What a pleasant procedure of just getting lost in a project for no other reason than creating.

Here is the completed Journal front cover, all tied up with a wide rose ribbon.

What do you think? The cream French ribbon on page two was a gift from Linda K. You will notice that I punched holes in both sides of this page so I ran a pink ribbon to try to cover up my mistake. Whoops!
If you right click on each picture you can see the details much better.

I wanted to show you the completed book and also show you some points of interest.
On the "friends" page I added this key from my Great Grandpa's collection. Then I used one little rose bud, in the eye of the key, from Carole's gift box . The page with the two friends has a wide cream vintage ribbon and a sweet pink feather from Sandy's collection, as well as a small doily under the rose from my collections.

I had recently bought some beautiful reproduction cards from Deborah of http://debsvintagesoul.blogspot.com/. (You must go see all of the sweet cards she has for sale on etsy! They are so beautiful.) At the top of the page is the envelope flap that Sandy B. http://quillcottage.blogspot.com/ put in my box. The next picture is of the lovely vintage velvet ribbon and one of the paper roses.

If you will notice, there is a book mark inside the frame that was sent to me by Dawn http://thefeatherednest.blogspot.com/ . (This bookmark came at a time when I just needed a blogger buddy hug!) The lovely blue lady is holding a tiny bird feather from my grand daughter & has a metal tassel on her wrist.Last, but definitely not the least is the card that Sandy sent! I scanned it and used it as my signature card because it meant so much to me.

Next comes the box to keep this remembrance safely stored away. Then I will be done.

"The Journals of Love" are calling my name so I must end my mini vacation and get back to this treasured ministry. Thank you for taking the time to see my book. (I will bore you with one more post & that will be the box...then on to other things.)

I MUST get back to beading too, I miss it a lot.

I hope you like my version of "A Beautiful Life". I sure do! Blessings to Heather at http://prettypetals.blogspot.com for coming up with this class and for Sandy B's encouragement.

I love all my blogging friends and enjoy getting your comments, if you can spare a minute. YOU are what keeps me creating!

May the Lord Bless your creative spirits,

Sharon

The Late Bloomer Comes to Life

Heather of Pretty Petals is one of the most creative lady's around! I have had such a wonderful time working on the journal class she designed called "A Beautiful Life"!! I took a few days off to make myself a journal. I have been designing Journals of Love and have had a wonderful time with them....(I am going to get back to designing more this week but sometimes one just needs a break from the present. )
I had signed up for Heathers class. (A delightful first for me!) Please go to her sight and see all of the wonderful creations from some very talented artists.

Now what was I going to use for the "stuff" inside? I got a love package, just for me, in the mail from Sandy B. at the Quill Cottage! It was loaded with lots of goodies, like feathers, vintage ribbons, graphics and too much to tell you about. But you will see some of it as I post the various pages I am presently working on. (Everything I have left over I will use for the Journals of Love.) Sandy posted about the class & had signed up the same time that I did. So "we" decided together to do the journal this week. Beings we are late bloomers and late to the project we decided that we would work together, via blogland. (Here is the inside of the front cover and the first page)
Well, I went out last week looking for just the right book to use for "A Beautiful Life" cover. I could not find anything close to the size or the price that I wanted. I was discouraged so I practiced what I preach...."look right around you" and there it was! I had some old wallpaper type covers that fit the bill. This particular one was a VERY hard bound book. I drew out the correct sizes and took it down to my hubby and he cut them on his table saw, in no time. (If you notice mine had a "frame" built right in the middle of the front cover.) I covered the front and back binding with an antique looking cream paper.
("Sorry, Sandy, I just could not wait any longer to use some of the beautiful things.") As I was designing some of the pages I decided to use one piece I recently received from Carole (I used a small pink rose on a later page) and from Linda K. of http://whitelinenlavenderfields.blogspot.com/. I took the piece of french lace with the tag attached. ("Linda, I just did not have the heart to cut away that lovely tag from the beautiful lace so I gave it a place of prominence and beauty on my very first page!")

This journal is my reminder of how wonderful blogging has made my life. My blog buddies have given me "A Beautiful Life" !! I wanted to add just a little bit of your precious gifts to my pages. (All of the rest of the things you sent will go directly on the Journal Of Love, I promise.)

Well, so far, this is as far as I have gotten. But beginning for me is the major step to completion!

"Heather, I am enjoying this so very much and I thank you for my mini vacation as I have gotten lost in this adventure!!! "

"Sandy, welcome back from your family reunion and I look forward to seeing your works of art."

Have a great week and drop me a line.

Sharon

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month

Last week I received so many blessings. (This has been a very unusual week for me, to say the least.) Linda K. of White Linen Lavender Field http://whitelinenlavenderfield.blogspot.com/ sent a lovely envelope filled to the brim with sweet Victorian lovelies to be used on "The Journals of Love" for persons dealing with cancer. Pretty pink/blue/cream tiny flowers with Cameo's and ribbons, jewels, French ribbon, a wooden spool laden-ed with trims and a handed stamp muslin banding. There was just so much I can not begin to tell you my favorite pieces. (Best of all was the love that she tucked inside.)

Look at the watch faces, buttons and precious mementos that I am so excited to use these on the "Journals of Love". The journals will be so very beautiful because they truly are filled with love. Carole from California sent me two packages of goodies last week then this week Linda K. sent me another. I have not had a second to make anything from Linda's beauties but they will be coming soon.

Here are a few journals that I made last night from the Carole goodies box. Carole, do you recognize the medallions on the fronts of most of the journals? They came from your generosity.

Cora, do you recognize some of the graphics are from you? http://clearlyvintage.blogspot.com/ Cora just sent me the most gorgeous clear "The Modern Women" stamp set to use wherever I can on the journals as well as the bookmarks that I am enclosing in each journal. Thank you, Cora for such a beautiful gesture. The stamps will get worn out from all of the use I will give them . I have decided to make some Journals of Love based around children. I know there are Mothers who will want to write notes and experiences that she went through waiting for her child to recover from cancer treatments. Here are three that I started working on. This will someday be a treasure for a recovered young person to read and reflect upon the miracles that went into making them well again.

I have a quick story to tell.

I won't go into details but a dear beading friend of mine, Deb, has recently lost her Father to suicide. He had colon cancer and it was flaring back up and he wanted to save her the pain of watching him become so helpless. She was her Daddy's girl and has been crushed by his death. Her Mother is under Hospice care and my friend has a huge cross to bare right now. She has joined a suicide counseling group to help her deal with it as she is healing. Today, I personally had the privilege of handing her a book to help her write out her feelings and thoughts during this time. The look in her eyes were so full of grief and how the overwhelming details are taking their tole. That look of appreciation, without words, made me so humbled and touched my heart so deeply that there are no words to express them. (One little act of love can make all the difference in the world to a hurting soul.)

Most of the journals will go to people I will never meet this side of heaven but if I toil over them, fill them with prayers & honest love then God will get the glory. I thank God for the opportunity to give this one special person a part of my love. That is reward enough for me.

I am blessed! Truly Blessed by this ministry. Therefore I know that I know the ones who have donated from their hearts will be blessed also. Thank you, Carole, Linda K. and Cora for helping with this ministry & may God richly bless you all!!

Your humbled servant,

Sharon

A Penny & A Purse & Christmas

My first Christmas project complete! I had a lawn ornament ball that lost the little bird on top. I just could not leave well enough alone. I unscrewed the pole, glued an electric connector to the top (after drilling a hole through the top of the connector). Can you tell that the top is made from a electical connector? I began by stringing a copper chain through the hole to hang the ball from. Then started adding the smallest size 15 seed beads in a variety of sizes in golds and bronzes. Once I reached the top of the silver ball I started making a nettingof red to go all the way around the ball, in all directions. (I had to make up a pattern as I went along because the ball is 12 inches around.) I then added a ring around the center line with a delica gold herringbone stitch. I added loops in gold size 11 beads, then made the crystal drops with a silk thread and a muted gold bead for the accent dangle. ( I am thinking that I will add a tassel at the very bottom in a variety of golds.) But this is as far as I have gotten, for now.
A Penny & A Purse:

Yesterday, during the heavy storms, my daughter came over to show me a new idea! Do you like my new purse? It is so tiny is won't even hold the Penny laying next to it. Aren't these just the cutest? (The pennies are another project that I got the idea from "Just Something I Made".)I had just gotten in a patten leather look red from Artbeads.com and I had the black delicas in my stash. She got me started and I couldn't quit until I got the pair of earrings completed. (It is simply an octagon folded in half.)

I then hung them on 14K gold ear ring hoops. Now I am all dressed up and ready to go...somewhere.

My photography leaves a lot to be desired but maybe you can get an idea of how sweet these little ones are up close.

I know I will be making many more of these!

Thank you all for your lovely encouraging comments and your sweet emails to me. It is such a blessing to get to know each one of you better. It is so interesting how similar our lives are entwined.

Sharon