"winter's garden" table...

I found this treasure at a local antique shop, and on a very snowy Saturday afternoon, I played & played until my own little dreamy winter garden appeared. I'm absolutely in love with this table, and the answer to my almost-eight-year-old boy's question is YES. I would marry it. I used blue & green (very subtle difference) latex paint, timber brown StazOn ink, eucalyptus Walnut Ink spray, platinum colored utee, and Ranger's glossy accents. LOTS of stamps from Club Scrap, as well as a few from Lost Coast Designs, and Inkadinkadoo. And a few glass pebbles here & there, too, just for a little extra dreaminess...

Stanley, forever in our hearts...

We, very sadly, had to say goodbye to our sweet, 15-year-old Stanley this summer, and of course, we miss him dearly. Now that it's Christmastime, we fondly remember singing, "Here comes Stanley Claus" as he begrudingly wore his Santa outfit. I've always liked those Christmas ornaments of pets wearing angel wings, but it's nearly impossible to find any of mixed breeds, and we all know that handmade is better anyway. So I grabbed some grungeboard, a couple microslides, & a photo of Stanley, and made our own. The grungeboard has multiple layers of acrylic paints, gesso, walnut ink, & various metallic embossing powders. The wings curled naturally as I heat set it ~ very cool property of that grungeboard! Right now it's on our tree, but I don't think it will be packed away in any box come January...

my first microslides...

It feels like I'm the last person to try these, and I'm generally not at all handy with household tools like soldering irons, but I'm absolutely loving it, so I thought I would share some of my first attempts... (by the way, Gillian has fabulous directions, tips, samples & links over at art-e-zine ~ be sure & check it out!!)

These are made with digital images from art-e-zine; stamps from Lost Coast Designs & Stamper's Anonymous; some lace, stickles, Prima flowers, beads & wire...

These are made with stamps from Club Scrap; distress inks, stickles & alcohol inks from Ranger. All the smudges & splotches are intentional ~ I did these on a cold, dark day & was in a rainy-day-in-Paris kind of mood...

Here's a Christmas ornament, front & back, made with two of my favorite Club Scrap stamps; Quickutz acrylic alpha stamps; Ranger distress inks, colorwash, stickles & alcohol inks...

A couple more Christmas ornaments ~ the tall one is made with french paper doll images from art-e-zine; bolo stamp from Judi-kins; gold embossing powder; and Ranger stickles. The square one is made with the packaging from some vintage Christmas lights (the box was REALLY old & delicate ~ very fun to play with!). I also attached a couple vintage bells to these just for a little extra festive touch...

my Bistro table...

Even though it's still technically Autumn, our six inches of snow cover is making me long for the delights of summer. My little bistro table is altered with, of course, the stamps from Club Scrap's Bistro kit and that big old coffee stain stamp from Club Scrap's Mocha Java remix kit...

Did you put your boot out?

Tomorrow is St. Nicholas's feast day, which of course means that tonight he will visit the homes of children of all ages, to leave a treat in or near any boots or shoes that have been carefully placed in his honor. This wonderful patron saint of children was a bishop in the fourth century who kindly, generously, and anonymously tossed a bag full of gold through an open window at the home of a family in need of a dowry for their daughter, who was unable to marry without one. Upon flight, the bag opened and some of the gold landed in some socks that were hanging by the fireplace to dry. Legend took it from there. And as I see that vaguely skeptical look grow in my beautiful fourth-grade daughter's blue eyes whenever she sees a man in a big red suit, gratitude fills my heart that her faith in the true meaning of Christmas is so strong and real. Thank you, St. Nicholas, for looking after all our children...