Re-Usable Tags/Cloth Bags & Altered Scrapbook Cover

I'm so excited to share that I am Diva of The Month for the Creative Scrapbooking Divas!!!
This means I provide The Challenge for December. There are many challenges going on throughout the site and wonderful ideas for inspiration so it is helps motivate me to get more pages done.

There will be a random winner at the end of the challenge that will be provided with a RAK (random act of kindness)...a special suprise in the mail within the week of picking a winner. Here is a hint...it will include handmade embellishments. You all seem to enjoy the glass-like tags!!

For Sale On Etsy

I am sharing my pictures of my re-usable tags and cloth giftbags. The tags have several yards of fiber and/or lace for the reciever to use in their crafts or gift boxes.
Wouldn't they look lovely adorning a gift bag or package. Stay tuned, I have others with sparkly snowflakes and one with a pink glass glitter bird. The idea of having ribbon and trim wrapped around tags for gifts were inspired by one of my favorite bloggers, Kids Napping? I'm Scrapping!'


Below are my re-usable cloth gift bags. I altered my paper design which is used for adding extra pictures to scrapbook pages, to a cloth design. I had fun adding trim and a big flower.

For Sale On Etsy

This is the cover of 10x10 I altered for our Family Traditions to include all the holidays of the year. There are 5 layers of paper, the word "family" was raised already so I inked it as well as the strip of words at the bottom. There are 2 strips of lace. The heart is two layers of clay which are stamped with words, inked, then I pulled wire through the holes (made before baking). The star and wings are also clay. The wings are colored with perfect pearls. I made the bottlecap by placing a picture on top and heat embossing with UTEE. My favorite element is the cabinet pull that came out of my mom's old kitchen. I wish I had kept the whole bag she had!

Inside Cover, Santa needs to protect the first page from the hardware. He is covering a piece of foam covering the hardware.

My favorite tradition is making peanut butter balls. I have been doing it for years with my mom and cousin for Christmas. Now my girls help and we are hoping to include our friends this year. This book is to hold all the year's family traditions but these pictures show the front of the book and the inside cover along with the p.b.ball recipe handwritten by my mom. It's really old. She thought it was funny when I told her I wanted the original recipe and she had to re-write it for herself. I finally took it out of the bag and made the first page of this book.

It will also hold pockets throughout the book for our Christmas Advent devotions, Bible readings, the Epiphany, holiday journaling, favorite holiday crafts (pictures of all those graham cracker gingerbread houses) gift making ideas, Holy week activities for Easter and one special picture each Christmas.


I had to show you pictures of our peanut butter balls in the making. This will be the next lay-out in the book as it's the first year we had both girls helping Nana.

Christmas Jars

This 1912 postcard has a 1 cent stamp and is made with a very thick board. It is one of several I collected from the same farmhouse as my teacups and depression glass. These were all used by my husband's family in Maine. I am so glad I found these, they were in the pile to go to the dump!!



As I was creating this first jar with my dad's old sheet music, rusted snowflake, cardinal and the music note, the more it reminded me of my dad. So this now it adorns my craft room shelf. Instead of craft supplies, I may fill it with his old stamps that never made it into an organized stamp collector book.



For two of the jars, I cut out the word "Joy" from an old board book. I painted it then after spreading a bit of Ranger Glossy Accents just to the top of the word, I dipped it into clear twinklets for the droplets of ice effect.

I will have a few different styles on my Etsy (see my sidebar) by the end of the day.

Enjoy your shopping for the crafters in your life!!

TeaCup Tuesday/Autumn Rose

Wedding Anniversary

is written along the inside of this

"Autumn Rose" Queen Anne Bone China England teacup.

This is one of many beautiful teacups within the family. This isn't one from my personal collection but one day it may be. As all my teacups shown so far, this one is also from the West farmhouse, the house that raised 5 generations, many collectables and antiques, but now rests at my mother-in-laws.

J & G Meakin

Hanley England
Iron Stone China

This creamy white pitcher has a story and from what I understand it was held by one of my husband's relatives, possibly great,great grandmother, protectively wrapped as she sailed to the free world. I love to believe this is true... it is in beautiful condition as it sits up high to adorn my mother-in-laws cabinets. She has many of the collectables from the farm as no one dwells in the old lonely farmhouse at this time.

J. & G. Meakin was an English pottery manufacturing company founded in 1851 and based in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. There are no signs of this being made in the 19th century such as "permanant colors or dishwasher proof" :)

Fall Whimsical Jars

I have really enjoyed making some of these jar toppers. I have a collection of 20 now. Most of them are decorated with winter or Christmas scenes. Stay tuned for those pictures soon to come. If anyone is interested in getting a sneak peak before they hit my Etsy, let me know. They are great for filling with homemade fudge, candy, or filling with crafts as a gift.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Give us this day our daily bread, O Father in heaven, and grant that we who are filled with good things from Your open hand, may never close our hearts to the hungry, the homeless, and the poor; in the name of the Father, and of the Sone, and of the Holy Spirit.
- from the abbey of New Clairvaux, Viña, California

Please visit Martha's Favorites for the last November Teacup Tuesday. Such beautiful rich fall colors!

TeaCup Tuesday/Tags/Leaves

I am really lovin' the display factor with Teacup Tuesday. Going through my big steamer trunk is so fun as I am finding some great treasures to display my homemade goodies with. This Crownford "fine bone china" was made in England and was displayed in my Gram-in-law's :) old farmhouse for a very long time. I am unsure of it's year but this yellow tinted glass plate and sugar bowl (below) came from her home as well. I am assuming from the 1920's to the 1950's time-frame just as the blue sugar and creamer from my last post.

Displayed here are some beautiful leaves my girls and collected in our Maine yard last month. A great way to preserve them is to soak them in 1part glycerin and 2parts water. They can be layered but covered completely by the mixture. I covered them with heavy bowls for 2 days. Then just pat dry and lay out to completely dry. They are now flexible and the colors are beautiful.

Also in perfect condition is my yellow tinted glass sugarbowl without a partner.

Excitingly, CatLady Kate's left me a comment letting me know that my blue tinted creamer and sugar bowl from my last post are the Fairfax pattern by Fostoria Glass. This is so cool to know!! Check out this very fun web-site with so many pieces and a guide to many types of glass.
Also visit Martha's Favorites and Terri to see the best teacup collections as these two ladies host TeaCup Tuesday.

I haven't made these layered tags for a long time. I went a little crazy with the details this time. They swing open to allow for a written personal message.
Below I had to show the details of each one and the secret little suprise that slides out of the bottom. These were very fun to make. I may put them for sale on my Etsy...if I can part with them!!

Featuring "Need to Own" Books

I would love to share my friend, Autumn's "15 Minute Scrapbooker" blog with you. She has over a dozen years of scrapbooking experience and is so motivated to be a innovative informational source.

"Autumn Ayla Craig is the author of "Entitled Scrapbooking", a Resource for Page Title Ideas and creator and lead designer for the Scrapbooking ideas website Love-My-Scrapbooking-Ideas.com. As a busy working mom who is caught up in her scrapbooking, she wanted to share the secrets of her success with all scrapbookers. This powerful book was created just for you".

"Scrap in a Snap"

Check out the full description of Autumn's e-book, Scrap in a Snap : "Proven 15 Minute Solutions for the Busy Scrapbooker is an essential tool for all scrapbookers. You’ll discover the ‘Insider Secrets’ to being able to create more layouts in less time and finally get caught up".

"Digital Expressions"

I also want to share this project guide Digital Expressions created by my friend and neighbor Susan. "Susan Tuttle guides the mixed-media artist through 25 stepped-out digital projects created with Adobe Photoshop Elements". This also includes a CD with more than 20 digital design elements for you to use in your own projects!

This is her second published book. She puts her heart and soul into everything she does and the end result is always fabulous. She has been in numerous magazines, I need to own them all!!

"A Taste of Heaven"

MOPS Mother's of Pre-Schoolers "is a place to find friendship, community, resources and support for you as a woman and mother so you're not alone. Moms have found community through MOPS for almost 40 years - we're your mothering authority. MOPS holds and shares the collected wisdom of mothers and experts (usually one and the same!)"
Find your local MOPS group and/or become a MOPS member and check out their events and forums on the above web-site.

"A Taste of Heaven" is cookbook put together by my local group. It's not only full of favorite recipes including vegetarian but also inspiring poems, quotes and heartfelt thoughts about the joys and struggles of raising children.

This is now for sale on my Etsy but the money goes directly to MOPS. A great Christmas gift or anytime!

A quote from the cookbook:

Hearts Entrusted

These tiny hearts to me entrusted,

Soft and tender,

Pockets of soil moist with innocence,

Laden with surprises,

Giggles,

Questions,

Love.

With one blast of anger,

One word unkindly spoken,

One glare of intolerance,

I can cause these tiny hearts to

Fear,

Cower,

Or-God forbid-

Hate.

Julie Ann Barnhill "She's Gonna BLOW!"