You're not going to believe this....

but I actually MADE something!!!

My goodness...it's been so long ~  

Well, I can't show up empty handed to Lisa's house.....

So I thought I'd make her a little treasure box ~

plus I wanted to make Ann one too!

I had two wooden boxes from the craft store...

spray painted them a pretty ivory color...

added a little sheet music and copies of old photos.

I used my distressed ink brushed corduroy brown to

add an aged patina to all the papers.

A couple of weeks ago I found this rose trim on clearance at Hob Lob....

it's very white so I needed to add a little age to it quickly ~

With a little brown ink and a make up sponge

it ended up having the wonderful old look I love ~

My two boxes!!

Now to fill them both with treasures I think they'll both love :)

 

I'm getting my bags packed to leave Thursday morning....EEEEK!

Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday sweet friends!!!

hugs and love,

Dawn

Miss Mary ~ Sweet Memories of Love

I finally finished my Miss Mary art challenge last night!
Mary of Green Paper gave us three images to work with
and we could create whatever we wanted ~
Here is my art challenge piece....

(Click image twice to see larger)

It's been created on the cover of a large old book ~

Accented with fabrics, antique lace and papers, seam binding, old buttons
and a few jewelry pieces ~

I've just placed this collage in my Feathered Nest Shoppe too!!!
~ CLICK HERE TO SEE ~

Thanks so much for the gorgeous images sweet friend
and for offering this wonderful challenge!!

I had to share with you a sweet gift I received in the mail the other day ~
an amazing abandoned nest from my blog friend Linda!
Can you believe the wonderful detail??
Thank you so very much dear Linda, I just LOVE it!!!

I'm working again today and tomorrow at the soap shop!
We're still preparing fresh product to display
at the Atlanta market show that starts Wednesday ~

I hope you're doing wonderful and staying cool dear friends,
have a great Monday!!!!
hugs and love,
Dawn

Outside the Box Art Challenge reveal!!

My sweet friend Lisa of Tarnished and Tattered
has challenged all of us to create whatever we want to
with these wonderful soap boxes that she came across ~
I just finished mine up last night and got in under the wire...
why do I always wait to the last minute to do things??!!
ANYWAY....
Here's my take on the soap box Lisa!

You know how I love nature ~ it seemed to be the perfect theme!

The front:

The simple closure:

The inside:
(yes, my dear friends, it IS a mini tribute
to the wonderful Carol Hicks Bolton!)

Can you see the aged tulle over the botanical specimen?
OH...and I discovered my heat gun shrivels the stuff up a bit...but
be careful if you try it!!!
I stitched the little ends of the wires to they'd stay in place.

A wonderful old envelope to hold seeds.

And I used my old typewriter for the text!!!
See honey, I WILL use it for my artwork :)

I can't wait to visit everyone else
and see their wonderful soap box creations!!!

Wishing you a great Monday precious friends ~
hugs and love,
Dawn

I love what I do ~

Wife, mama, mimi, artist....I really do love it all!
I love making things and finally finished something new ~
I'm calling this mixed media collage
"The beauty of their dreams"
The quote I featured is my favorite ~
If you're interested, it's been added to the shoppe.

I love new bloggers....well I love most all bloggers
but I love having new friends join our community, don't you?
There's more love, more inspiration and more friendship all around!
And please don't forget, if you are reading this blog....
and you've been toying with the idea of starting your own,
DO IT!!!
Blogger.com is free and it's such a sweet place to be...



I recently met Penny of At Home in English Valley
and would love for you to stop by
when you can to say hello!!!

Another new blogger I've "met" is Laura of Just for Luv....
please stop by and welcome her as well!!

And I discovered Michelle at Michelle's Folly....
I'm so glad you're here blogging too!

Thespa of Vintiquities Workshop a 100 Post Giveaway HERE!!!

Shari of Plays with Paper is celebrating her 101st Post with a giveaway HERE!!!

Barbara of Treasures from the Heart is having a giveaway HERE!!!

And Paula of Castle and Cottage Signs is have a giveaway HERE!

A little artwork, sweet new bloggers and wonderful giveaways...
And last but certainly not least,
a wish for you to have a great Thursday dear friends,
hugs and love,
Dawn

In the nesting mood ~

I just love them.
Bird's nests are beautiful to me....intricate works of art ~
created by such small creatures.


A few glimpses at what I've been up to in the studio:

Plus I've been getting a few things together
for the Southern Belle
gathering Saturday!!!
I can't wait to meet everyone....

I wish you all were going to be there ~
I would love to meet each and every one of you!


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

Abbie of The Vintage Moth has the most gorgeous bookmarks on her blog!!!

Free for you to download too!!!

Just CLICK HERE to visit Abbie ~

Myrna of More Than Heirlooms is having a birthday celebration giveaway HERE!



We're supposed to have a few April showers today!!!
It will be so good to wash some of the pollen away ~

Wishing you a very happy Thursday precious friends,
hugs and love,
Dawn

Tags, treasures and finds ~

I've been working on a few goodies to take
to the Southern Belle Gathering this Saturday ~
If you're coming, I'm so looking forward to meeting you!!

The first thing I finished was my name tag....
It's created with some of the things I love....
buttons, lace, speckled eggs, feathers, seam binding and
of course a sweet nest!

Now maybe everyone will know it's me :)

I forgot to show you a couple more gifts
that my dear friend Merne of Canada gifted me ~
Isn't this the most precious little apron???
And the beautiful monogrammed hanky,
thank you so, so much Merne!!
Such precious gifts you've sent me ~ I love them all....

I wanted to show you the neatest thing that my son Brad found for me!
Don't you love this display rack?
Now what should I hang on it.....

I found this glue the other day at Hobby Lobby
but I think Walmart has it too...
If you love hot glue but hate getting burned all the time,
this is so close to hot glue it's scary!!!
I think it's exactly the same glue as Fabri-Tac just in
a different bottle, it smells exactly the same and performs the same too.
They are both made by Beacon's adhesives.
This bottle has a very fine tip though after snipping and I love that!

EDITED TO ADD:

How neat is this!!!
Mike from Beacon Adhesives commented on this post and said:

Love your projects! From
Mike the Beacon Glue Guy:

Hi 3 in 1 Lover!

Yup 3 in 1 is a great glue. It ‘s also waterproof and acid free!

But alas it’s not exactly the same as Fabri-Tac.

It’s a bit weaker as we don’t have as much resin in it.

Same solvent and resin system, just not the same amount of guts.

But it is a great glue!

Thanks,

Mike the Beacon Glue Guy

Well, Mike, I LOVE THEM BOTH!!!
Thanks so much for making great glue!!

A few wonderful things ~

I have to share with you the most wonderful illustrator,
her blog and her work!!

Annie Patterson creates the most magical artwork....

I'm in love with their simplicity and the softness of her work ~

Visit Annie HERE on her blog to see more!!
 

Vicki of 2 Bags Full is having a wonderful giveaway HERE ~

Sandy of Quill Cottage is having a sweet Spring giveaway HERE ~

Aimee of Garden Adornments is having her first amazing giveaway HERE!

Andrea of Vintage Bella Studio is having a beautiful giveaway HERE ~

There's so much beauty here in the land of blog ~
amazing creativity, sweet words and precious friends....
no wonderful we all love it so ~

I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday dear friends!
hugs and love,
Dawn