HaPpY FaThEr'S DaY!

I am so blessed with my wonderful family!

We were able to be together for Father's Day yesterday.

This is the first time my brothers and my sister and I

 have been able be together in over 5 years.

 

 

That's my Daddy right there center-stage.

He is so proud of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren!

 

x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x

 

Here are two cards I made using Graphic 45 and Tim Holtz products ---

 

For my most awesome big brother...

 



...and for my wonderful father...

 



 

blessing on this Father's Day 2013,

denise  :D

Art Charms Swaps...and Give-Away

I've been in a few art charms swaps lately and wanted to share what I made...

 

 

This one was for the "It's All In The Numbers" Charm Swap

with the Art Charms Yahoo Group.

 

I also made this one as part of that swap.

 

And this one is another charm I made

since I was in two different groups in this swap.

 

This charm is from another charm from a swap I hosted -

"Variety Is The Spice Of Life"

on the All Things Tim Yahoo Group.

 

Here's the other side of it.

 

And here's another charm from that swap.

 

So now for a GIvEaWaY...

 

Just leave a comment for a chance to win this little charm.

 

Thanks for visiting my blog.

blessings, denise  :D

Tim Holtz and Wendy Vecchi --- Oh, My!

 

 

This past weekend I flew to Dallas to visit my sister ---

and attend The Great American Scrapbook Convention.

 

My main focus was to visit the Stampers Anonymous booth...

 

 

...where I got to see Wendy Vecchi.

I was privileged enough to have Wendy personally help me -

With picking out lots of Art Parts and Stamp Sets

as well as demonstrate her new embossing paste and stencils.

 

It is absolutely awesome - lots of possibilities.  :)

 

Then when I got ready to check-out (I spend way too much $$$!),

what a pleasant surprise...

Mario's son (left) and Mr. Stamper's Anonymous (middle) 

were there with the amazing Mario (right).

 

I was disappointed I didn't get a picture with Tim.

Every time I went by their booth, he was always demoing.

 

 

I learned lots about using his products and techniques.

 

If you haven't checked out their blogs - you oughta get on over there!

 

Wendy can be found at:

http://studio490art.blogspot.com/ 

 

Tim can be found at:

http://timholtz.com/blog/

 

Have a great stamping and inking week!

blessings, denise  :D

 

Quilt Round Robin

 

I'm so ExCiTeD!

 

I am participating in a Quilt Round Robin

with the Sylvia's Bridal Quilt Yahoo Group

officially beginning May 1st.

 

We are in groups of 5 quilters.  I'm in the Sarah Group. 

We send our center blocks to the person after us on the list.

We wait patiently until another person's block comes to us.

We add a border - then send the quilt top on its way.

We wait for our beautiful quilt top to find its way back home.

 

Here's my center block...

 

 

...I am using a Civil War fabrics theme.

My center block incorporates several makers of fabrics:

Kansas Troubles, Primitive Gatherings, and Thimbleberries.

Such yummy fabrics!

 

Here are all my fabrics bundles up and ready to go!

The participants will use some of my fabrics plus

their own fabrics that "play well together" with these.

 

I am also including journaling pages - from 7 Gypsies.

Each quilter will write a bit on the page of her choice.

When they all come back home to me

I plan to make a little journal of my quilt top's journey.

 

Oh, such FuN! ---

Can't wait to get started on this new adventure!

 

blessings to each and every one of you,

denise  :D

Buttons and Beads Bracelets

I've been doing a bit of Spring Cleaning lately 

in my mixed media workroom/playroom/studio.

 

I have found all kinds of wonderful treasures...

buried in the bottom of boxes...

and the depth of drawers!

 

It's been like Christmas finding so many fabulous things!

(Though I have to admit I feel quite guilty about my

compulsive gathering...and then gathering some more.)   :}

 

 

I made this little bracelet out of some faux vintage buttons.

Just added the locket and key toggle and ---

Voila!  A new piece of pretty jewelry to wear.

 

And this lovely sapphire blue - lime green - ocean turquoise

bracelet is made from some beautiful beading components

I found at JoAnn's Fabrics the other day.

This is the name of the company.  Check it out!

If you don't have a JoAnn's Fabrics in your neck of the woods,

they have a website, too - JesseJamesBeads.com

 

Isn't Spring Cleaning just the best thing?

Think I'll do some more tomorrow...

and see what other goodies I can discover!

 

Leave a comment and I will draw one lucky winner's name

on Tuesday, April 30th to win a custom-made bracelet

created from some of the treasures I've found on my adventures!

 

blessings, denise  :D



Vintage Charm and Matchbox

I wanted to share the charms and matchboxes

that I made for a swap on the All Things Tim Yahoo Groups.

 

 

Here they are all lined up ready to go into their little bags for shipping.

 

The tulle is from a bridal headpiece I made for my daughter's wedding.

The ribbon, black beads, little pearls, and rhinestone sprigs

were used in the bride's bouquet and bridemaid's flowers.

I made them, too...as well as her wedding dress.

Her wedding had a WW II theme - very vintage and elegant.

 

When the matchbox is opened a little charm is tucked inside.

The pearl is from a pearl necklace that belonged to my late mother.

And there's that tulle again...from my daughter's wedding accessories.

 



 

Here's a close up of the lady's portrait on the top of the matchbox.

I just love her!  :)

She's got sprigs and branches of some sort

draped around her neck and as part of her hat.

Isn't she lovely?...Oh, so lovely!

 

 

And here is my beautiful daughter on her wedding day!

 

blessings, blogland friends.  denise  :D

Happy Hippity-Hoppity Easter!

Wanted to share some Easter cards that I recently made

using a Tim Holtz stamp and papers by My Mind's Eye...

 

 

Just love Tim's latest blueprint stamps -

designed by Mario Rossi's son.

 

 

All the materials - mini-stamps, paper pack, card stock, and twine

were part of this Archiver's exclusive kit.  Just so cute!

 

There's a bunny - an egg - a nest - a butterfly

to use for all sorts of stamping projects.

 

My favorite, of course, is the bird's nest.

I love all things 'birdie'!

 

Another version...

 

...and another.

 

Here is the purty papers from My Mind's Eye.

I love their various collections of papers and embellishments.

 

 

Happy Easter to you all.

Wishing you a blessed day with family and friends.

denise  :D

"Stitch Me Up" Blog Hop

I feel like Lucy in "I Love Lucy" when her husband, Ricky, says...

"Lucy, you got some explaining to do."  :}

 

 

You see...I thought my day for the

"Stitch Me Up" Blog Hop

was tomorrow...

 

...Turns out it was yesterday...

so I got counted as a no-show.  :(

 

I am so sad...I am such a dork!

 

But I contacted our illustrious leader

Madame Samm from Sew We Quilt

and explained my predicament.

I do hope she understands.  :)

 

So...

a BiG thank you to our cheerleader

Jane from Jane's Fabrics and Quilts.

 

 

Here is what I created from the patterns we were given -----

 

--- a Mug Rug for my morning cup of Lemon Lift tea.

 

Inspired by the wonderful work of Sue Spargo,

I created my piece using a variety of stitches

and some beads and buttons.

 



 

Makes waking up a warm, cozy feeling.  :)

 

Here are some close-up shots of the details.

 

Please be sure to visit the rest of the blogs

for today, tomorrow, and Friday.

For a complete list you can visit

Jane's or Madame Samm's blogs.

 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27th
Judy @That Other Blog

lauraluvsloons and Quilting too

Sew Sharyn

Sewingly Along

Anita's quilts en handwerken

Quilt Doodle Doodles

Val's Simple Passions

Luv2Sew

Busy As Can Be

Paws for Stitching

Quilting & Other Craft Therapy

pieceful life

Live Love Labs

Felt pa Asly

Scrapbook-ChickADoodle

THURSDAY,  MARCH 28th

Kristin @That Other Blog

Robin @That Other Blog

Jane's Fabric and Quilts

Dexterdays The WorldThrough Our Window

Sew Nicely

thistle creek cottage

My Art, My So Called Life

Just Sew Sue

Co mne bavi...

life, quilts and a cat too

TeaTimeCreations

Read, quit, cook, pray

Cate's Linens

Shade Tree Quilting

Ladybug Dreams

 

FRIDAY, MARCH 29th

Patricia @That Other Blog

Blessings From Our Nest

Liberty Threads

Caribou Crossing Chronicles of Quilts, the Weather and other Fun Stuff

Creatin' in the Sticks

Melinda Quilts Etc

Ga's House

Dachsies with Moxie

Hill Valley Quilter

Quilt n Queen

Madame Samm

 

And as Ethel would say...

"It's okay, Lucy.  We all make mistakes!"

 

 

Thank you for visiting my blog.

blessings, denise  :D

"oh, my gracious...sake's alive!"

I am sooo embarrassed!

 

 

 

I can't believe I got the days confused!

I thought Thursday, March 28th was my day for the

"Stitch Me Up" Blog Hop

I was checking out the other lovely projects for today

when I saw my blog name listed for today...

Yikes! 

Please accept my deepest apologies for being such a dork!

Come back on Thursday, March 28th ---

I promise to have my project completed

and a nice little give-away as well.

Thank you for understanding.

blessings, denise  :D

Where, oh, where have I been?

Where, oh, where have I been?

It's been way too long since I posted...

what happened?

 

Well, let's see ---

In February I was one sick lil' puppy.

 

 

With a fever of 101.7, I was in bed

with little to no strength to do anything.

 

Two trips to the doctor for coughing and difficulty breathing.

Diagnosed first time with bronchitis

and the second time with pnemonia and bronchitis.

 

Lots of meds - steroids - breathing treatments -

inhalers - and (best of all) bed rest

and I was finally feeling better.  :)

 

 

So now I am a happy puppy again!

 

Been working on a Mystery Quilt

that I am hosting for a local quilt guild

that I am a member of.

Boy, that has kept me busy!

Am thinking about hosting one here...

What do you think?

Would you participate?

 

Have also been working on a blog hop project -

(More on that later.)

 

Thanks for stopping more. 

Gotta get up off my doggone haunches and get back to work/play!

 

 

 

 

Sending you all puppy lovin'!

denise  :D

 



"Grow Your Blog" Give-Away Winner!

A little late on announcing the winner

of my "Grow Your Blog" Party Give-Away...

 

 

...So here we go!

 

I made this snowflake mini-journal

in memory of my mother who loved snowflakes.

She always contended some of her best friends were flakes!

 

The mini-journal is made from

one 12" x 12" piece of patterned scrapbook paper.

 

Two pieces of covered chipboard were added to make the front and back covers.

 

 

Because of how the 12" x 12" piece of paper is cut and folded

it creates a pocket for a tag on either the top or side of each page.

I then added bits of sparkle with rhinestones...

silver embossing powder...

Rock Candy Stickles...

silver trimmed ribbons...

and coordinating papers.

Here is a pic of each page and its tag ---
 



 

Then it was time for the drawing!

Finally!

 

So I printed all the comments and cut them apart ---

 

That's a lot of comments! 

Thank you all who visited my blog and left a comment.  :)

 

Next I folded them and put them in the official drawing bowl---

(No random drawing selector here!)

 

And look whose name I pulled out!

Denise Bryant!

How ironic that the winner is another Denise - huh?

 

I appreciate each and every one of you and your kind comments.

They make me smile!  :)

 

Stay tuned for another give-away soon.  It's a surprise!

 

blessings, denise  :D