The beginnings of Christmas ~

I've discovered as I get older that I just don't have what it takes

to put up a big ol' Christmas tree and all of the decorations anymore.

Simple and small is perfect for now...and this little tree was just the ticket!!

I found this 3 ft. tree at w-mart and saw it in the display section, just 25 bucks!

It has red berries and tiny little pine cones wired onto the branches.

PLUS it was pre-lit too!!!

There weren't any in boxes so they let me purchase the floor display.

I loved that!!! It was already assembled and I just plopped it in my car

and then put it right onto my buffet in our living room!!!!

I've added a few bird's nests, burr oak acorns and some beautiful feathers...

I'm gathering a few things from the studio to add to it.

It's definitely a work in progress but I just love it!

ALSO in other news...OK now, don't faint.

I actually went junking a few weeks ago and I just have to share

the sweet things that I brought home!

This precious frame was priced so reasonably I just had to buy it!!

I haven't figured out what I'm going to put inside but no worries,

I'm sure I will!

The rest of my treasures?

A couple of beautiful antique photos and vintage buttons.

It was such a wonderful day spent with a precious friend.

Can you believe that I'm finally getting back to my organizer???

It has already been purchased by a dear friend and customer but

my mom and dad came into town for a week for Thanksgiving and

delayed my finishing it up. I'll be sure to share photos of the finished piece

in my next post!

Something else I've worked on recently....these little nested egg soaps!

I made these for my friend Lisa of Tarnished and Tattered,

she's having an antique sale and wanted to have some of our soap!!!

And this photo below is a recipe I saw on Facebook....they. sound....DELICIOUS!!!

One last photo to share ~

Our sweet granddaughter Clara with her cousin Brant at Thanksgiving.

They both had the best time playing together!

I scanned the wonderful antique photographs I found, just for you...

Just click to enlarge them and right click to save them to your own computer!!!

Thank you always, always for stopping by to see what I'm doing!!!

Wishing you a beautiful December weekend precious friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

A few little goodies in the works!

I promise, I have been busy...just not very busy blogging!

It seems that about this time every year I end up making some of these little guys,

my sweet snowman ornaments.

I just love them, they make me smile ~

I should have several finished and in my Etsy shop by the first of the week.

If you want to make one of your own,

I sell the tutorial with photographed instructions in the shop too!!

The above photo is just the first stage...they'll eventually look like this:

PLUS...I've created a pattern for a long, skinny stocking and have tested it out!

I'm going to add some wonderful antique laces and buttons to adorn the front.

So far, I'm really liking the shape of it....I just used muslin on the outside and the lining.

I would love for it to have an aged look when I'm finished ~ we'll see!!

I know it isn't even Halloween yet but I always start making these things

about this time of year because you and I both know,

we will blink and it will be Christmas!!!!

I'll be sure to share more photos as my projects develop too!

Thank you always for stopping by here to see what I'm up to ~

Wishing you a beautiful fall weekend dear friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

It's just the way it is ~

Stress...worry...and angst can totally suck everything good and wonderful from you.

I simply freeze up for some reason.

I do nothing. I don't know why...

But as a creative soul I just can't continue in that pattern.

I want to share, I want to make and create pretty things!

While I pause to return to my art doll,

I've started digging in my wonderful fabric stash!!

I have several pounds of lavender buds that are begging

to be added to a beautiful sachet....

My simple thought for this day dear friends:

Happy Monday precious friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

Seeing beyond the obvious ~

I buy the strangest things at thrift stores.

I guess because I can see beyond the obvious ~

what something could become or

it's potential for beauty.

This blouse was already beautiful though.

Pure linen with exquisite embroidery and frog closures...

Totally not my size but that didn't matter.

I simply saw what it could become.

I've just started transforming it into a purse!

What do you think??

Can you see it in your mind's eye?

So stay tuned sweet friends....we'll see how it turns out!!

I just happened to have this beautiful Waverly fabric that coordinates perfectly

with the linen....for the lining, bottom and strap!

Little Murray thinks it's going to turn out great!!! xxoo

Happy Wednesday angels!

Thank you always for stopping by to see me ~

hugs and love,

Dawn

A few new goodies in progress and a wonderful link!

Well, I've finally gotten off my behind and

started on a few more journal slipcovers!!!

I've had a request from a dear friend for one so...

of course I thought, why not grab a few more pretty fabrics and make some extras???

Hopefully they will be in my Etsy in a day or so ~

Do you like the fabrics?

On the far left is a gorgeous pink vintage roses fabric cut from a curtain!

Next a wonderful tan and cream ticking....

Next, one of my fav fabrics EVER! I use it all the time,

Waverly Country Life cream and tan toile.

and lastly, at the request of my sweet friend Dottie,

another one like my last one,

Waverly Norfolk Rose fabric ~

And I just HAVE to share this wonderful idea with you.

This is such a precious idea to me...

You could use a box you adorned, a jar, whatever!!!!

She provides printables as well that you can write on ~

Just go look. It made me cry!!!

Here's the LINK from A Holy Experience.

(photo from aholyexperience.com)

I hope you are doing so good...

Happy Thursday angels ~

hugs and love,

Dawn

Sometimes all you need to do, is simply begin ~

Lately, I've been missing creating artwork...

By artwork

I mean assemblages, collages

and things like that.

Seems I got so caught up with sewing so many goodies

since the first of the year

which has been wonderful, don't get me wrong.

But I'm a weirdo in the fact that I love creating

something different all the time.

Well, the longer you go without doing a certain thing,

you begin to doubt yourself!

Or at least I do anyway.

I've been glancing through some of my photos of  past artwork

and have been slowing building my confidence to get back

into assemblage artwork.

I do love it so much!

So, my friends ~ the lesson for today is to:

simply begin.

The minute I started working on this beautiful clock case,

transforming the interior and getting ready

for the new treasures that I'll tuck inside...

I could feel that feeling again!!!
The interior has now been lined
with gorgeous old sheet music.

What treasures will it hold?

I'm not quite sure yet...we'll see!

Wishing you a wonderful, creative Wednesday dear friends!

hugs and love,

Dawn

Work in progress...

Today I HAD to take a little time to clean up my very messy studio!

I don't know what it is about this room

but it is a gathering place for all kinds of stuff...

But the good thing is, after I finished putting things away,

I finally got around to playing with

the artwork I started last week.

I usually start and finish projects relatively quickly but

I just couldn't decide which direction to take this canvas.

I'd been thinking about this for a long time and decided to create

my very own luggage pocket!

I have a thing for them you know and love adding them to my pieces.

So with a little elastic and canvas, I did it!

I'm really pleased with how it turned out ~

Now to decide which nature elements to place inside...

Hopefully I can show you the finished piece very soon!!!

Have a wonderful Tuesday dear friends....

and my wish for you?

To create something that makes you smile!

hugs and love,

Dawn

Sweet things ~

This past weekend I went nuts.

Cutting out sachets and needle books!

I have a few folks wanting them so I thought,

why not make a few extra, right?

I thought for sure I'd have a couple of finished goodies to show you,

but not quite yet :)

Can you get an idea of what I'm up to though?

I had this sweet old linen that had an embroidered owl on it...leaves, acorns...

It was pretty stained up so I picked the best parts to make sachets ~

The birds are from an old pillowcase. The center of the case was quite stained ~

so why not use the beautiful birds for a pincushion??

I play with hankies and other linens to see how pieces of them

will look on my needle book covers, do you like this corner?

I've been wanting to do this FOREVER!

I made my own covered button for this sachet out of a old embroidered linen....

saving a sweet flower to place in the center.

More dropcloth fabric sachets ready to be made :)

Doesn't this fabric have that French grain sack look??

A precious embroidered corner of an old hankie to adorn this barkcloth sachet ~

THEN....

we took off on a little jaunt Sunday afternoon

and I had a 50% OFF COUPON for Michaels

that I just had to use ~

(you can get it online and it's good for today too!)

Here are the goodies I walked away with:

Another button I covered...a sweet embroidered acorn ~ I just love this one....

A closeup of a tiny embroidered flower button I made ~

One of the needle books...in progress :)

A few more sachets in the making...and the one on top?

A teeny pocket sachet!

What shall I place inside?

Thank you so much for stopping by to see me...

for your precious comments and for caring about what I'm up to ~

You inspire me so!!!

Wishing you a wonderful Monday dear friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

Crazy stuff, yeah, that's me ~

That's right....crazy stuff!

That's really what my life consists of

but I try to act like it doesn't!

I don't have everything under control.

Can you believe it?

But our blogs are our way of expressing what we love ~
that's what I do here dear friends.

I just listed a faucet in my Etsy shop.

Yes, a faucet!

But isn't it wonderful???

I love laying it on a shelf and just wondering a little.

Just about what it's history is.

Where has it been?

I would so love to know ~

How about a great ol' whisk broom?

You know you'd love to add it to your collection, right? xxoo

Today I've been working on a special piece of artwork.

This piece will be mailed to sweet Lisa and

is to be offered up as a door prize at the upcoming

Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat!!!!

I so wish I could be there with so many friends,

but at least my work will be there, right?

The pic below is my work in progress ~

Yes. I always love to finally see the completed art piece....

but you just have to enjoy the process!!!

Have a wonderful Wednesday precious friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

Making a little time....

We had a wonderful weekend!!!

The weather in Georgia was absolutely gorgeous....

yard work was done and cleaning the house too!

We celebrated our fourth son, Chase's birthday and had

the best time together.

My husband made the most wonderful lasagna from scratch....

a salad and garlic bread too.

Then instead of birthday cake,

we had s'mores by the firepit in the back yard!

I've been trying to get myself into the studio

without much success ~

A gorgeous label for you...

I'm sorry, I can't even remember where I got it!

Maybe Karen of The Graphics Fairy?

I did manage to start on my little treasure chest makeover ~

so I snapped a photo of the very beginning....

Why do I love boxes so much?

I guess because they can hold treasured keepsakes....

Sometimes just taking the first step can get you going on a new project!

Wishing you an amazing Monday precious friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn