Dreams do come true!

Beautiful woman photograph found HERE
Can be used in your artwork too!
They ask that you do not sell the image itself

Marji of Untethered has some wonderful news!!!
She has opened her very own brick and mortar store!!!!!
Plus, Marji is celebrating by having a giveaway on her blog .....

Just click here to comment to win!!

Wishing you much success sweet friend!!!!

Make your own magic ~

Sometimes it's easy to get caught up it what the "big" blogs are doing,
where these bloggers are going,
and even how many comments they receive.
And don't get me wrong, these blogs are AMAZINGLY inspirational....
but my point is, try not compare yourself to them.
Chances are they've been blogging a very long time
and that affords them many opportunities.
I've been blogging almost three years and feel so humbled by other blogs.

It's so easy to feel insecure this day and time in ANY genre....
even blogging. But what I wanted to stress in this post
is to make your own magic!!

Do what you love doing, take pictures of what your up to,
blog about it and ENJOY every minute of it!!!

Visit other bloggers, read their posts and
genuinely take an interest in their lives....
and they, in turn, will visit you as well.

It's such a give and take place, this land of blog......
the more you give.....it seems the more you receive.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I have a little giveaway to tell you about!!!
Myrna of More Than Heirlooms is having a giveaway
to celebrate the grand opening of her Etsy shop!!

~ Just click HERE to visit and comment to win ~

Another sweet friend has started her own personal blog ~
Sandy of Unbridled Joy has written the first post
on her new blog and I'd love for you to pay her a visit when you can.....
I'm so glad you're blogging Sandy, welcome to the wonderful land of Blog!!!

And on a more serious note, a precious blogger
Terri of Primtiques lost her dear husband just a few weeks ago ~
if you feel so inclined, please stop by give her a hug and keep her in your prayers.


Thank you so much for stopping by to see me!
Have a wonderful Wednesday ~
hugs and love,
Dawn

Simple tags ~

I finished them....I wanted to make Tina more than one ~
and as always, adding just a tiny message on each.
They're so very simple, a little layering of papers and a little sparkle ~

If you'd like to send Jan a tag or two for the tag gate
that she's making for Tina
(you can read about it HERE)
to show your encouragement through
her battle with colon cancer, just mail them to:

Jan Thomason
Team Tina
5720 Hwy. 27
Center Point, Texas 78010

I found these wonderful treasures in Mary of Green Paper's Etsy store!!!
Don't you love it all?? Thank you Mary, I always love your taste ~

And a gift, of beautiful images because she knew I'd love them
from Susie of From My Home to Yours...
I DO love them Susie and I'll be sure to scan and share them too!
Thank you so very much, they are all beautiful ~

Wishing you an amazing Tuesday sweet friends!
hugs and love,
Dawn

Some beauty for your Monday ~

Beautiful things always make me smile. I think women crave beauty...and to be surrounded by beauty. It soothes our souls, don't you think? That's why we hunt, gather, fluff and decorate ~ so our homes will reflect what we love and ultimately, make us smile. Plus, our families know we love feathering our nests...their nest....to make it a place we will all love coming home to.

I have to show you the new issue of Jeanne d' Arc Living ~ this issue is in English too!!! This is one of those magazines that make you want to study it. Each and every page has beautiful vignettes, ideas and recipes. With so many magazines being a disappointment these days, this one my friends, is like a breath of fresh air!!!

Please click on the photos to enlarge to get a little glimpse of what's inside this first English issue:

If you'd like to order your own copy, Carol of Raised in Cotton sells them in her online store and has recently sold out! ~ I think she's expecting her second shipment any day though....
Here's where they'll be when they arrive!!

I hope you have a wonderful Monday sweet friends!
hugs and love,
Dawn

And the winner .....

of my Love tray assemblage is.......

Angela of Miss Molly Cottage!!!!!

Congratulations Angela!!! I do hope that you like my artwork sweetie!!!!

Thank you all so very much for entering my celebration giveaway.....
your comments have filled my heart ~
you all are the most precious friends EVER!!!!

100 more posts to go now till the next giveaway!
hugs and love,
Dawn

An easy tag tutorial ~

You don't have to be an amazing artist to create a thoughtful tag.
Simplicity can speak volumes with a beautiful image
printed from you computer and then pasted on a standard shipping tag.
Here's a simple tutorial that I posted awhile back:

~ Click here to see my tag tutorial ~

And what if you don't have shipping tags??
Use the side of a discarded cereal box or other food packaging box.

Cut a rectangular shape (or whatever shape you desire) from the side of the box. Apply spray glue to one side (or any other kind of glue, thinned and brushed on) then lay it glue side down onto the back of a piece of scrapbooking paper, wrapping paper, or even a piece of old music.

Using a exact-o knife or craft knife, using the cardboard as your guide, trim around the cardboard, removing the excess paper. Repeat for the other side of the cardboard as well (apply glue, press glue side down onto paper then trim)

Now you have a pretty covered cardboard tag!! Now you can print any of the images that I've given you (Be sure to scroll to the bottom of my blog and click on FREE VINTAGE IMAGES and all of the posts that I've given away images will come up) OR you can use a pretty photo from an old magazine or catalog.

I open images in my photo editing software and when I click to print, I can choose several different sizes to print the image.....then you can print it to fit your tag!

Print out a verse or word that means a lot to you....something simple can say so much!

Cut the image and word or verse out. You can use decorative edged scissors but if you don't have any, regular scissors are fine!

Glue the image onto the tag as well as the verse or word, use any type of glue you have on hand, I love using a cheap glue stick.

You can add a few buttons, snippets of lace and any other embellishments at this time.

Lastly, punch a hole in the center top of the cardboard and tie ribbon, twine, yarn or what you have on hand through the hole to finish your tag!!!

I hope this little tutorial helped if you've never made a tag before and if you should have any questions, please email me at sewmanyroses@yahoo.com!!

I hope you are having a restful and relaxing Sunday dear friends and if you've not entered my 1100 post giveaway, just a few more hours left!!!!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!!!

hugs and love,
Dawn

A special request dear friends ~

A dear blog friend, Jann of A Vintage Heart has emailed me
to let me know about Tina of Glue on My Fingers Paint in My Hair.
Tina has recently been diagnosed with colon cancer....
you can read Tina's post about it HERE.

Another sweet blogger and friend of Tina's, Jan of The Polka Dot Barn is creating a "tag gate" featuring beautiful, handmade tags of encouragement and beauty to give to Tina.

If you can, would you make a tag to encourage
and lift Tina up during this difficult time in her life?

Here is an excerpt from Jan's blog:

If you want to be a part of the Team Tina project, make a tag, any size, any design, with your name and email address on the back and send it to me NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 2ND.

Jan Thomason
Team Tina
5720 Hwy. 27
Center Point, Texas 78010

Thanks for your support and your willingness to bring joy into the life of Tina, one amazing woman!

Tina ~

Please keep Tina and her family in your thoughts and prayers
as she begins her vigorous battle against this awful disease!!!!

Thank you so much my precious friends ~
hugs and love,
Dawn

A giveaway and a gift ~

Lesley of Flatwoods Folk Art is having an amazing giveaway
and I have to share it with you.....
Her artwork is just beautiful to me and
she's offering an original Bound Reliquaries book
as the giveaway gift!!!!

First, I want to tell you about the class
that she's teaching at KC Willis' new studio in Colorado ~
She will teach an altered book class,
Bound Reliquaries,
which will be held in KC's studio February 4 - 6, 2010

Second, the class is limited to 10 people.
When the first 5 sign up there will be a drawing and
one of those lucky artists will receive the class
at 50% off the class price!!
And then, when the next and final 5 sign up
another drawing will be held and one of those lucky artists
will receive the same 50% off discount off of the class!

How cool is that????

HERE IS THE LINK TO READ MORE ABOUT IT,
AND IF YOU SIGN UP...
YOU MAY GET HALF OFF!!!!

The gift? Look what I found in my mailbox from Jo Packham ~ a beautiful Where Women Create bracelet that I won!!! I commented on a Facebook question that she asked and was one of the top winners.....Thank you Jo!!!! I just love it ~

I hope you have a wonderful and amazing weekend dear friends!!!

hugs and love,
Dawn

The Honey Maker ~

I don't know why I love for my artwork
to have some sort of message, but I do.
We need little reminders in our day
to keep our thoughts on track...
there's always so much going on around us.

Sometimes it may be just one word,
a simple verse
or even a poem
but encouragement is a wonderful thing to me ~

I finally finished my bee assemblage!!
I've called it "The Honey Maker" ~ fitting, right?
I've used several different elements on this one but it's still simple.
Of course the little skep you've seen!
The bee (which I know is a bumble bee but I like his plumpness!)
is mounted on a handmade spring so it stands away from the background.

Can you see the beautiful backdrop
that is on top of the ledger paper?
It's one of the beautiful images
that Mary of Green Paper has in
her image shop ~

Since I can't hardly stand to use the actual old cabinet cards in my artwork,
I appreciate the images she's put together!

Simple elements, simple words....
to encourage us to remember to be kind to each other when we speak....

SOLD ~ Thank you so much!!!

I wanted to let you know the glue
I love to use so much is Fabric-Tac....
it's holding the glass jar on my metal tray (on the giveaway artwork)
plus it's holding the metal key plate on the tray as well,
believe me, it's not just for fabric!

Thank you all so very much
for the wonderful comments on the giveaway!!!
You are the most precious friends ever!!!!
And see, you made me want to make something again today!

This coming February, I will have been blogging three years now....
which is one of the reasons I have so many posts!
Another reason?
I love it...

Wishing you an amazing Friday sweet friends,
hugs and love,
Dawn

My giveaway gift for you ~

I have to admit....as an artist,
sometimes the creativity just flows out of you...
but sometimes, you have to squeeze it out!

And that's OK, we have many other parts of our daily lives
that can keep us from creating, even our mind can do that.
Our moods especially....but the feeling you get,
when you begin gathering items together,
trying different elements with each other
and when things begin looking the way you love,
THAT is the feeling I love!!

I hope you like this sweet tray assemblage.
I've featured my favorite baby photograph (or one of them)
and simply added wonderful old elements ~

Be sure to CLICK HERE
to enter my giveaway
for a chance to win this assemblage!!

I hope you have a very happy Thursday sweet friends!

hugs and love,
Dawn



PS: I love for you to stop by and welcome Julie of Vintage with Laces ~
she just started blogging YESTERDAY!! xxoo

Another sweet giveaway to share ~

I LOVE these beautiful ladies that Marietta creates! Her blog is Sweet Old Vintage and she loves so many of the same things that I do ~ She's giving away three different sets of these gorgeous paper doll ornaments!

~ JUST CLICK HERE TO COMMENT ON HER GIVEAWAY POST ~

I. love. giveaways.
xxoo, Dawn

I love getting great mail!

Sweet mail arrived today ~ my very favorite Stampington magazine ever....Somerset Life! I still have a hard time calling it a magazine, it's so wonderful. Full of creative ideas that you can refer to over and over. My little bird girl dress and botanical canvas art are inside this issue. I took a few photos to give you an idea of what's inside....

Look at these beautiful pages ~

This issue should hit the newstands October 1st...and will be in major bookstores, Michael's, Joann's and other craft stores. I know you'll love it!!

A glimpse at the finished skep ~

A few tiny dress slips that I'm thinking of transforming....

Remember this old, junky wire?

It's perfect for making tiny hangers!

I hope to show you my giveaway gift soon!!!

Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday dear friends ~

hugs and love, Dawn

ps...It has rained so much here in Georgia. There are many areas that were and still are flooded but fortunately our county hasn't experienced any severe flooding. It has been awful for so many, please keep these families in your thoughts and prayers......