Teacup Tues

I would like to share with you some beautiful teacups at Martha's Teacup Tuesday. Her last few week's posts have had beautiful teacups. I am hoping to learn more about the collection I am so blessed to have passed down to me. She has several other links attached to her posts as well. These ladies really know their teacups!!!

I chose this as my first cup to post because messsages on cups are Martha's theme today, Sept 28th.(It is keeping my draft date and can't change it). This one says "Love the Giver".

This lovely treasure was made in England. It is an English Castle. If anyone knows more about these cups than I do, I would love to hear from you. I found so many wonderful suprises when I opened my old steamer trunk, which is where I chose to take these pictures today.

Faux Clay Seal Embellishments

This is a close-up of 3 out of the 5 in the next picture.
Plus I love how it coordinates with vintage style paper.

I put more rose clay seals on My Etsy after being so excited that I sold my last batch.
These 5 homemade faux clay seals are a wonderful embellishment for scrapbook pages, minibooks or collage art, and envelopes. The underside is flat. Two of the roses have white perfect pearls powder baked in, two have gold and the leaves have green perfect pearls. After cured they were edged it with pink and sealed with Ranger Glossy Accents. The "white roses" are also edged with walnut ink over the pink for an aged look.

Check this post showing my envelopes for examples of how

to use these seals.

Here is my thought for the week: When we are thankful, we are happy. It's hard to be thankful and angry at the same time. Find something within the chaos to be thankful for. Thank your child for something before correcting whatever it is in need of correcting.

The Golden Rule of Feeding your Family: We eat what is served and we appreciate what we get."

I'm still trying to instill this thankfulness into my kids hearts!

Scrapbook Diva Blog Hop

Join the Creative Scrapbooking Divas Pre-Fall Blog-Hop and tell them Lisa at Letters and Lace sent you!!

There will be tutorials and great ideas to inspire you and the chance to win prizes!!!

You will have until Tuesday 9/23 to submit your entries to be elligible to win...

It's Soccor Season!!





My little darling!!!

Scrapbook Pages/BlogCandy Gifts

Alecia from Creative Scrapbooking Diva's sent me a package of goodies for winning her challenge on the Diva web-site. Check out her home page as she has great scrapbook pictures to inspire you plus some super dicussions and tutorials.
Once you get started on the site, it's hard to stop surfing if you love to scrapbook. They have 150 members so the creativity goes an as well as the monthly challenges.





Have you ever made those little clothespin cuties? (http://www.klutz.com/ and click Chicken Socks) I have been making them with my 6yr old. They are so cute I had to make a little shadowbox for the completes ones and hang it on her wall. I used an unfinished bottom of a box, layered the inside and sides with pink PaperPerfect. It's like spreadable paper in a jar. We used a litte paint and glitter as per 6yr old.
Then I added the paper doily to the back and flowers to each corner. Cute!!! We have room to add 2 more.







These are pages I did months ago and just getting around to sharing them. This is a pretty simple lay-out but I wanted to extend to the outer portion of the pictures the characteristics of the bike. The whispies on the handlebars :) and the strings of pearls holding dangly gems around her seat.






This page includes one of my favorite quotes. I have made a mini-book with 17 quotes and 4 web-sites which is for sale on MY Etsy

Tomato-Basil Simmer Sauce

I tried my first batch of canning!! So I had to share this delicious recipe. I had to research some directions and terms as in non-reactive pot. These are nonmetallic pots used for high acid foods so the natural substances in the foods don't react with the metal. This can contribute to to food becoming black, brown, gray in the jar or giving the sauce a different taste.
The above links will give you the recipe and some great facts. My motivation was when I found an article in the July Better Homes and Gardens along with a few other recipes.

I also wanted to share my excitment in winning the "no pattern paper" contest in my last post. I thought it was a challenge but was happy to hear it was a contest...yay!!

Scrabbook Divas Challenge

I just joined Creative Scrapbooking Divas challenge for July. It's creating a 12x12 lay-out without any pattern paper. This page has ink and UTEE around the edges of the pictures as well as the page. I just joined the fun at this web-site and still getting to know everyone. Check it out for several challenges each month, galleries, ideas and other blogger friends.

This is my other babe. I just love little fingers and toes!

My First Canvas Paintings

I had these wonderful stone leaves that were meant for incense burning but wanted to do something clever with them for my bathroom which is decorated in leaves, stone-like pictures and a hint of dragonflies.
My Brother,Scott has a great technique for getting this tree-like texture on canvas. Check out his blog for his fun designs on a much bigger scale. So I had to try it. I kept layering colors and exposing underlying colors until I was happy with the outcome, which takes me forever!

Here are the 5x7's before attaching the leaves. Thanks for inspiring me Scott! It was fun.

The funny part about the hint of purple...I was touching up colors on the deck table while the kids were painting with their watercolors. My 6yr old splashed her purple over onto my canvas. While trying to wipe it off, I realized it looked great. She was pretty proud to help me out with the final touches.

Glass Tag Embellishment

While I had the epoxy out to attach the leaves, I couldn't let the extra go to waste. I was able to quickly make another glass tag before it started to set. Phew, that was close. If you look closely, you will see some sparkle on the left lower edge and the top portion. For this, I splattered perfect pearls onto the wet epoxy with a small dry brush.
See similiar tags for sale on my ETSY on my sidebar.

More Clay Faux Seals

I love making different textures with objects I just happen to find. Then to see the delightful image and texture in creates within the clay. The small plastic bottle cap pressed into the ball of clay gives the deep impression ready for an object. This bottle cap happened to have a circle of bumps. The impression encircles the brad. The knob makes texture around the outside of the seal.

They are baked without the brad. Makin's Clay is a bit easier to work with in making these seals as it is air dry clay and stays a bit flexible even when cured.

The flowers with the brads were sold on My Etsy