Bottle Brush Trees~ A Sneak Peek!

Hi Everyone~

I am sorry I haven't blogged in so long.  Life has been full of ups & downs this year.  The joy of new babies with another grandson born in June and the sorrow of the loss of my Dad in May, but thankful for the many blessings in my life.  I miss blogging and haven't had time to even check in on the many wonderful blogging friends that I have made along the way. 

I decided at the last minute tonight to share with you a snippet of what I am working on in the little bits of free time I get.  I started working on my holiday bottle brush trees this month.  I have also been making lots of jewelry in the past year that I have sold to friends & co~workers.  I do hope to also sell online in my Etsy shop as I get packaging & shipping costs figured out.

I just spent a few hours today working on some trees; this batch has music on the spools bases with bleached trees of 3 different sizes. I decided to make more than usual because I always sell these quickly. Here's a sneak peek so far...  No glitter added yet or any details!  

Hope this finds you all enjoying your summer.  
Let me know what you are up to & I will try to 
post again in the near future.

Blessings,
Cindy

Craft Bazaar Pics & Baby News!

This will be short but sweet...  Lots of pics & little talk!  I was in a craft fair here in Lebanon at the hospital.  Although, it wasn't well attended, I did manage to sell some things to make it worthwhile.  Anyway, I wanted to share pictures of my table with you.  It was 8 ft long x 1 1/2 ft wide; yep, very narrow.  I practiced at home setting up with my thrift store finds as display items on table cloths I had.  My hubby painted the two shelves, which were the old 1940's dark brown stain that I had purchased at the thrift store for $4 each.  I had the shutters & cup holder from prior shows.  I used chalkboards for some of the pricing, instead of tagging every little thing, which worked wonderfully.  I made the earring holders to slip on the upside down shutters.  The white tree is an estate sale find from a few years ago... $5!  The table cloths from our daughter's wedding & the sparkly cover from a piece I got on sale a few years ago.

I got many compliments on my display & I really enjoyed setting it up.  

On other news, our little grandson was born 5 1/2 weeks early on November 19th.  Nolan is doing well & I am a very proud grandma!  He got to come home 2 days before Thanksgiving.   I spend every chance I get with him.  It is especially wonderful that they live 3/10's of a mile from us!  He is now a little over 6 lbs & nearly 19 inches long.  Here he is, all bundled up & cozy...

So that is what I have been doing in the last few weeks!  Pretty exciting, huh??  Hope you are enjoying the holiday season & holding your family close.

Blessings,

Cindy

Sharing with:

Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner

From My Front Porch to Yours~Treasure-Hunt-Thursday-185

New Trees in my Etsy Shop!

I had full intentions of writing a post so many times.  I have had a lot going on and decided not to share as it all unfolded.  I am recovering from surgery; a fusion on my neck.  I am doing well, but computer time was very limited for a few months.  I am back at work now, building my hours back up slowly.  Anyway, the surgery was a success & I am in so much less pain.  I had migraine like headaches daily & they are gone.  I am so thankful to be on this side of the recovery process!  I wore a neck brace for 2 months, day and night.  I feel so free without it!!

I have also had quite a year with my father.  He almost died last December and made it through, even tho the doctors didn't think he would.  He had cancer & radiation, several surgeries, and even recently was not expected to make it through, but he is plugging along. I have made several trips to see him & God has been gracious to give me time I never expected to have to know my Dad in a tender way that was totally unexpected.

Other WONDERFUL news is that we are going to be grandparents to a baby boy due December 26th.  We are beside ourselves with joy & anticipation.  If you have followed my blog for awhile, you know that we lost our 1st twin grand~daughters at the 28th week gestation.  That was the most painful time in my life and of course, our family as a whole.  So this will be our 1st grandchild here on this earth, with our two little darlings in heaven.  I have been very busy getting things ready for his arrival.  We have a baby shower this Saturday that my daughter and I have been preparing for, with help from the other Nana & Auntie.

I have been busy making my bottle brush trees, as well as earrings.  I have enjoyed taking my jewelry makin' supplies on camping trips this summer, just having a great time making about 70 pairs of earrings!!  Once I started, I got hooked!  I had made earrings before, but wire wrapping wasn't coming easy until I saw a video tutorial on Fire Mountain Gems website.  That made all the difference!!  Now I am a pro...well, not really...but my earrings are so much better now than when I started!!

So, in a nutshell, that was a quick update.  Here are my trees to share with you.  I listed many of them on my Etsy shop which has a link on my sidebar.  Thank you so much for the new followers & your patience with me.  Life is busy for all of us & I appreciate your checking in with me from time to time.

Blessings,
Cindy
I'm linked with:
Thursday Favorite Things at Katherine's Corner

New Bottle Brush Trees with Lotsa Sparkle!

I have been busy glittering forests of trees in my studio!  I love experimenting with different colors of dye and glitter.  My search over the summer for vintage ornaments and glass garland was successful, in part, to my wonderful hubby.  He found me lots of vintage goodies at Friday estate sales when I was at work.  I would come home to the pretty little surprises sitting on the dining room table...lovely!  I have all the colors of the rainbow & more...

Here are some pics of some of the trees I have this year so far...

                                      

I also have red ones, purple/lavender, and creamy white ones I am still working on.  I will share them next time.  Don't you love the box the trees are on??  I got it at Goodwill for $2.99, along with a smaller one for the same price.  They are Bethany Lowe designs.  I have some trees already listed on Etsy with more to come...

What are your holiday plans?  We will have Thanksgiving at our son & daughter~in~love's home with about 20 family & friends.  I am really looking forward to it.  I am getting my Christmas list figured out so I can send gifts home with family instead of mailing.  I still can't believe how this year has flown by.  Is it just me or do you feel the same way?  Have a wonderful rest of your week.  I do apologize for my lack of keeping up with blog hopping.  I just don't have the time anymore & I do miss visiting.  Pop in and say "hello" & I will stop by your blog!  It keeps me in touch with you & I sooo enjoy your comments.  

Blessings,

Cindy

I'm sharing with:

Katherine's Corner~Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop
Simply Shabbilious & Christmas Linky Party @Shabby Art Boutique

Wedding Banners Part 2

I am busy working on bottle brush trees & my table is covered in them. I need to get them done for my Etsy shop.  Time is not slowing down for me!   I would share a pic of my trees thus far, but our new camera got stolen.  I am a little disgruntled, so say the least.  We went camping a few weeks ago, & it was taken out of our truck.  Since we bought it because our old camera was only taking fuzzy pictures, I don't have a camera.  I am borrowing one from my sis~in~love, but haven't started to use it yet.  

Anyway, on to more banners I made for the wedding.

First is this little one the hung on the mailbox for cards.  Both banners are made from linen fabric on cardboard banner shape and stenciled letters that I filled in with paint (I didn't want the stencil open areas). I did some line work on the edges & around the letters.  A little bling on each.  Both are hung on jute... this pic I took in my dining room...

 Here it is at the wedding...

This is the 2nd banner for today's post.  Obviously for the gift trunk...  It is pretty large...

I hope to make a couple of banners with a new technique I learned about for Thanksgiving/Fall.  If I get the time to make them, I will share them with you.  So back to work on my trees...

Have a wonderful weekend.  Remember to "Fall Back" with your clocks on Sunday.  I can't believe it is time for that already!

Blessings,
Cindy

Burlap, Linen, & Lace Banners...Part One

I have several banners I made for our daughter's wedding.  I will admit that, if I had time, I could get carried away making banners!  LOL!  They are fun to make and worth the effort.  The first one I made was "Mr & Mrs".  Elizabeth didn't know what she wanted to use it for, just that she wanted one.  So, of course, as her Mom, I made one!!  Ultimately, it ended up on the bride & groom's table.  After googling & checking out pinterest, I decided on this design for the banner...not totally like any one I looked at online, but my own version.  (more details below)  

The wind was blowing the table runner but had to let it go... out of my control!  Anyway, the table is an old door found on Craigslist, with a pine frame that was distressed to look like barnwood; made by TJ (the groom) & my hubby.  The letter "B" was cut from plywood after our daughter drew out the pattern.  It is distressed with black, then white paint, which didn't dry...so then it got scraped & sanded to this look. The two heart wreaths are from clearance at Valentine's day made from wood roses.  They were another find that we didn't know what we would do with them, but worked into the theme beautifully. They were 70% off at about $3.50 each.

The banner is made from cardboard banner pieces I got from Craft Warehouse, covered in linen fabric with glue, antique lace across the top with hand~sewn gray pearls on the points of the lace, the letters were large cardboard letters I had & covered in a deep gray paper, edged with a glitter pen design, and then a gray jewel was added to the bottom of each triangle. They were hung with black leather.

Here's a close up...

So that is one banner... There will be more in my next post.  Hope you are having a great week.  I am starting to get some things in my Etsy store.  It isn't a quick process, but nice to get the items listed. There are trees, spools, glitter, and sweet little containers waiting for me on my work table...  Just need some time to work on them.  It is funny how little time I have since I am working full time outside the house!  We are having lots of rain & wind here.  What is it like in your neck of the woods??

Blessings,
Cindy

I'm sharing with:
Katherine's Corner~ Thursday's Favorite Things

Memorable Days & Sneak Peeks...Vintage Canning Jars

Can summer really be over?  I have been so busy that my blog has suffered from lack of posts & that is ok... to a point!  I left you hanging for months & now is the time to jump back in.  Please forgive me for not following up with you sooner.

Five months ago, our youngest, our only daughter, Elizabeth, got engaged to TJ. On September 14, 2013, they wed in a beautiful ceremony in Sisters, Oregon at a venue called Shepherdsfield.  As you can imagine, it has been a whirlwind of activity making things and preparing for the big day.  Since Elizabeth lives in Redmond, about 2 1/2 hours away from Lebanon, we have made many phone calls, texts, and emails getting all the planning done; plus the numerous trips back & forth working on things together.  Of course, I would have it no other way & neither would our daughter.  We work well together & love creating; each of us has our favorite crafting mediums which is a win~win.  So for the next few posts I will be sharing the special touches that we made to make her wedding day unique to her & TJ.  Isn't that what it is all about?  Each wedding should be significant to the couple.

So I will share a sneak peek in this post & hopefully have a little more time to write more in the next. My life has been very busy with the wedding and working.  I got a new job on June 20th which ended up being full~time covering another person on medical leave.  She returns tomorrow & my schedule will adjust.  It ended up being a blessing due to wedding costs, but definitely limited my time creating. I think I have been in OVER~DRIVE!!  LOL!  I have hardly taken time to breath!  But it was all worth it! 

So here is my first pic to share with you...Remember those vintage canning jars??

These were the table centerpieces.  This is a quick photo I took just before the ceremony.  Believe me, I was rushing around to get some photos & didn't get all I wanted but you get the idea.  I fought the urge to primp things...hard to do!  

Have a fantabulous rest of your week & always remember what is important in your life... 
Sometimes you have to let your version of perfection go, so you can see others blossom.

Blessings,
Cindy

Sharing with:
Katherine's Corner~ Thursdays Favorite Things Blog Hop # 106
The Shabby Nest~Frugal Friday
My Romantic Home~ Show & Tell Friday
French Country Cottage~Feathered Nest Friday
The Charm of Home~ Home Sweet Home #137