Get Your Spook On...this weekend!

Starting this Friday October 2nd, Art Freckles will be celebrating their 1st Anniversary they will be holding a crop with manufacture sponsors. The products that are up for grabs in simply participating in this crop from Friday until Sunday (you have until Monday to post your creations)...

Elle's Studio
Upsy Daisy Designs
Rose Moka Designs (Grand Prize)

So, take some time to yourself this coming weekend and celebrate Art Freckles Anniversary and National Card Making Day with inspiration, challenges, games, RAK's, and prizes from the sponsors. Simply come by Art Freckles and sign up for the message board and head to the gallery and sign up for your gallery as well. We hope to see you there. At least stop by and gather some inspiration and chat a bit.
I hope we see you there...be sure to tell me hello and I hope you come and

Pearls and Pirates....a Wedding.

I know, I know...I have not updated in over a week. It is not like I have had things to blog about but I have been busy with planning a party, painting, and of course...shopping! I will hit you with some highlights. 2 weekends ago my friend Robin and I spent the day checking out a festival and hitting the consignment shops here in BG. I made some great purchases. The greatest purchase I made was a set of of fresh water pearls. It is a long strand that you can double. They were mixed in with cheaper brands of costume jewelry. I took them off the rack and held them and they were heavy. Now here is the gross part, yes...even with the flu looming about, I put them to my teeth and I new they were real by their weight, color, double knots, and of course...the teeth test. I brought it to the salesperson's attention and it did not seem to phase her at all. She just looked at me with a "blank" stare. The price was $13.99! I thought, ummmmmmm in the case you have higher priced costume jewelry and these are real. I asked, "is this a mistake?" She simply said, "no." I said, "they are real." She said, "do you want them?" Well, DUH! No brainer there. So, last Tuesday I took them to a local jeweler that appraises jewelry and asked his opinion about them and shared my story. He said I hit the jackpot. He said they are at least 15 to 20 years old in perfect condition. There are 300 pearls and they are large. Not the small ones mind you...then he told me on a piece of paper (because people were standing around) and wrote out the figure ($600.00 retail)! Yes, the MOTHA load of course. I did not sell them because they will be worth double that in 5 years. He said it is rare to see a strand of fresh water pearls in this condition and size. He said he would purchase them. I said, "I will keep them for now!" Sometimes, these consignment shops are so busy getting out their goods they really do not pay attention.
Their loss...my HUGE GAIN!Here are the pearls by request of Stephanie Howell (oh yeah, that little bodice that they are displayed on...I got it the same day for $4.50!)

On another note: My cousin who lives in Pensacola (Perdido Key, Fl) attended a themed wedding of our friend Steve. The theme was PIRATES! It was a second wedding for the bride as she lost her husband several years ago to a terminal illness. They had this wonderful event on a yacht and I must share a few of the photos with you. They sent them to me in color and I prefer the black and white as I converted them and cropped them. I have over 200 photos but thought I would share a few with you here. So, we missed out on the fun as we have moved and we really did not want to tackle a 12 hour drive. I am now sorry I missed the event.The Wedding Party


Steve is the Captain (Groom) and Mike, my cousin is his first mate...or I am thinking...Shirley is now his first mate! You know they had fun!My Cousin Mike and his daughter, Teresa (graduates college this coming December)
Mike and May

Well, that is all for today...I have lots more to post and will do it each day...a little at a time.
Thanks for stopping by!
Have a PERFECT Fall Day...sweatshirt weather for us today.

The Wall is coming to Bowling Green, KY!

The Wall. The replica of the U.S. Vietnam Memorial, Wall is coming to Bowling Green, KY next weekend. It will be here for 4 days and the memorial will be open 24 hours a day. Our house is only about 1.8 miles from Aviation Park where it will be erected to come and view. I will be going for sure. I may visit it everyday. My father's name is on that wall. He lost his life in 1968 during a time of free love and protest here in the United States. My mother and I lived in Fort Benning, GA during this time. Always waiting for that phone call or just a letter that would be delivered from a land far away. I often reflect how my life would be different had my father lived and been an integral part of my life. But I know that is not realistic thinking, but in my heart when I think of him, I am still a little girl dreaming of the what if, if we, if he, if I, and of course special events and monumental changes that come with a father being in a child's life. In a strange way, It is as if my father is visiting me. It's morbid I know. Although his name will be amongst 58,000 plus names on that wall...his will be there, too. The wall is coming to Bowling Green, KY and while some may see it as a sad thing, I am looking forward to seeing it here in my new city, new state, and where my life is happening now. My father is a hero to me. He is a hero to his men. I still remember as a teenager that I would catch my mother reading my father's letters and every once in awhile she would receive letters from the men my father served with in Vietnam. So, I am excited to visit The Wall. The Wall where my father's name rests for eternity.

The Dogwood Berry...sign of Fall

Our little Dogwood Tree leaves have been turning hues of red.
The berries are all over the tree. I know this is a sign of Fall.
So, I simply wanted to share on this HUMP DAY!
Autumn is only a few days away...are you ready?

Stepping out of my Scrappy Box...

Well, I must say that I am for once in a very long time enjoying painting and incorporating my scrappy goodies within my canvas art. Mixed-Media painting is so "freeing" for me. My latest venture in this painting I used brads, paint, patterned paper, and Studio Calico's ACEO's that are usually in place of journal spots or however you intend to create with them. I simply adore them and they were perfect for this creation. I stretched a 20" x 20" canvas and layered my paints until I achieved the hues that I wanted. Here is my finished project.

This week is going to be a creative week for me. I am preparing for the Bizarre Bazaar that we be held here on November 7th. I have two stations and I am pretty excited. I just hope that the majority of "on lookers" like what I am creating.
That is always a huge boost to one's ego and a confirmation.

There is a chill in the air today...Autumn is on the cusp...

The Balloon Dissension

I did not go scrapping all day yesterday as originally planned. My daughter had a fever all day. However, there were some bright light toward the end of the day. Here in Bowling Green, there was a Hot Air Balloon Festival and there were many balloons flying over head toward the end of Saturday. The winds had picked up and the balloons left the festival a little early. It was around 6:oo PM and we were getting ready to watch the Georgia Bulldogs on television when out our back windows we saw the conversion of high flying hot air balloons rise from the air port area and head our way. Little did we know we were in for a real treat. The balloons were flying to our subdivision to set down and be packed away. We have fields between our houses that were once going to be a golf course when the original building began. The golf course was never designed and the fields have now become community property. Well, this is the perfect site for the balloons to to land after there short flight. It was a very exciting sight to see them come over our homes and then barely miss roof tops by literally 10 feet and set down in the open fields. I quickly gathered my camera and took over 150 shots of these magnificent man made flying machines. In all we counted 21 in the sky and from what we could tell, there were at least 15 that landed within our neighborhood. This is one event that will get your neighbors out of their homes for sure. We were very lucky that in the back of our house and only 40 feet from our back door, two balloons let down and we watched as the process of the balloon collapsing preparing the balloon for it to be packed away for another day. We were pretty nervous as the balloons continued to come into our neighborhood and relieved that no person or home was hurt in this process. This post is heavy with photos, but I want you to see just a little bit of what we saw as the colors flew into our neighborhood on a Saturday evening.

Well, these are just a small percentage of the photos I took. I have several of the 2 balloons that landed within our backyard. I have shots where the other balloons landed throughout our neighborhood. It was an awesome sight to see and for a small piece of time, neighbors talked with one another and we realized our neighborhood is pretty blessed to have been an active part in witnessing these wonderful colors as they were laid to rest after an event.

Bountiful Blessings

I have been busy with decorating and cleaning the house for the Autumn Season. So, it triggers me to also create within the seasonal theme. I have created 4 simple (blank inside) cards and just listed them in my Etsy store, My Creative Itch. I have created over 50 cards within the past several days and these seem to be my favorite.
The others are very detailed and sometimes...it is the "simple" that means the most to someone when you give it with love.

(click on photo to enlarge)

Well, I must really get on with my Autumn preparations.
Have a great Thursday and I hope I have inspired you to create something, "simple."

SOLD! In 7 minutes FLAT!!

So, I have ventured onto the Etsy World. So far, I am enjoying it. But yesterday, sent it OVER the TOP! I was trying out some different techniques on canvas. The canvas was not stretched but it was a piece that I really liked and have had it for several weeks. My husband was not crazy about it but what does he know? NADA! It sold in 7 minutes after I uploaded it to my Etsy Store yesterday. My first sale. That is pretty exciting. I have several more items to add to MY CREATIVE ITCH, however, I need to get on the ball and take some photos and upload them. In addition to my success on Etsy yesterday, several weeks ago when I first opened shop I was contacted by our local county extension office for the Bizarre Bazaar that is happening here in November. It is "invitation only" and I am pretty excited to be able to showcase my art and possibly sell a few pieces. How cool is that? So, this is my latest TOOT. Don't worry, I will not be shouting every time I sell something on Etsy. I just hope that I am selling regularly enough to keep me busy. With that said, I need to do some things around the house and get busy stretching some canvas.
Are you creative this week? If not, take the time to play and enjoy the process.

She's Got the Look!

My daughter came out of her room this morning and said, "See Mom, I can dress myself!" The precursor to this is that I usually put her outfits together for her and she gets dressed for her day of learning. But now, she has told me..."I have a special fashion sense, Mom!" So, this is the outfit she put together for school today. I could not resist in my chuckle with those HOT PINK shoes of hers. So, what is a scrappy mom to do? Take a picture of course. She brushed her curly hair and always complaining she wants it straight. She has almost mastered blow drying straight as I do mine. She is quite the character at times and this is when I simply must choose my battles and let her feel that great since of "I did it my way" feeling. The mornings are brisk here but this morning was a little on the humid side. I love that the bus picks her up right in front of our house and this will prove to be wonderful when it is coat weather and staying toasty at the door right as the bus pulls up. Brianna starts cheering this week. She is cheering for a local Upward Football team and she will enjoy meeting new friends and getting connected with kids her age and creating a bond that will last a lifetime. This is something I never had growing up as I was an Army Brat. Constantly moving and learning my way in each school, neighborhood and community we lived in. Brianna seems to be adjusting to our move easily as kids really are resilient in nature. They will always be happy when they feel safe and secure with their family. I just cannot get over that in less than a month she will be 7. So far this year she has been placed into the 2 Grade Math and attends a 2nd grade room for 1 hour a day to learn what the 2nd graders are learning. Last week she was placed in the accelerated reading program and is on the 3rd grade level. She is so smart and I hope she continues to love school as much as she loves it now. She is really in love with her teacher. Her teacher used to cheer for the University of Tennessee Volunteers. Brianna says, her ring tone is ROCKY TOP. Well, that was just too much information for me. ***insert chuckle*** I am a Georgia BullDAWG and I am very loyal to my Alma Mater. One good thing though, Brianna's school mascot is the Bulldogs. So, this we love greatly. I think Brianna has her own special artsy style and I love that she is very confident in her choice of style. She does not worry about what others think too much. I hope she stands strong in her individuality and know that it takes all kinds of wonderful people to make up our world and we all cannot look, dress, or feel the same way. How boring would that be?
Hot Pink and Green are for today and I am thinking that this week will be a grand one indeed!

The Apple Season

You gotta love great apples! There is so much one can make with an apple. A simple and sweet fruit with so many culinary possibilities. Last year we went to a farm that was close to our house and the apples in this cart were for the air gun. Yes, an air gun. Brian and Brianna shot apples out of the air gun into targets out in the field. The apples were actually pretty good, too. I love the Apple Festival in Elijay, Ga. It was the tradition of "us" girls to take the day and leave early and have breakfast on the square and begin our antique shopping and Christmas House gathering. The coolness of the morning where we have to wear sweaters and by mid-day it is much warmer and we shed them. We visit our vehicles intermittently throughout the day filling up the backseats and trunks with our personal finds and a few Christmas gifts as well. The aroma of apples, cinnamon, and hot apple cider fill just about every single store we enter and there is the background noise of the University of Georgia Bulldogs on a television set behind the counter or in front of a love seat, strategically placed so that husbands and boyfriends can take a load off and sit a spell. In their arms is always a bag or two. The square has benches all around the sidewalk areas and those too are filled with testosterone bodies that need that break and somehow bonding with the same as they sit and wait, patiently. The cobblestone sidewalks filled with Fall shoes hurrying about and whispers of "look what I found!" Giggles from ladies that are truly in their Fall element of finding that "one of a kind," even though the store keeper will bring out another item that is the same as soon as the patron leaves the store. It is a day that lives in my memory. These days when we packed our cars full and headed home. On the journey back down from the mountain we always had to stop at the Apple Barn. Purchasing homemade apple pies, apple cider, apple bread, cinnamon bread, rolls, apple sweets, and gathering those yummy sweat potato yams for our holiday cooking that would soon be upon us. Grinning from ear to ear and a red wagon full of our goodies, we sit one by one in the car as the other props our finds in our laps as we have filled every compartment in our car from the days treasure gathering. It is a ride back home that we treasure and cannot wait to show our families the goodies that we have found and only in our little minds we think that "no-one" has the same thing. Our children quickly find the apple goodies and we grab our husbands to help bring in our gifts so that we can stash them away for holiday wrapping. It is late, our feet are tired, our legs like jello, but we are home safe and all is happy in our hearts. This is what festival time is all about. Early rise, good food, conversation, shopping, and savoring the aromas that trigger our senses. Yes, it is always a great tradition to just simply "hang with the girls."

This is a memory I treasure, I will miss it this year...

Traveling Gypsy=Reveal

I love that name! "Traveling Gypsy!" Art Freckles has put together a fabulous kit for September. It is hard to believe it is only $25.00. The September Traveling Gypsy Kit was a great deal of fun to work with...So, without further ado...here are my creations with this wonderful scrapbooking kit!
(click on each image for a closer view)

It's hard to believe that we are on the cusp of Autumn. I am particularly happy today because my Georgia Bulldogs will be playing and we are having a tailgate party!
GOOOOOOOOO Dawgs, Sick 'Em!!

Get Your Spook On!

Come and get your SPOOK ON at Art Freckles in October!

We have lined up several manufacture sponsors and there are lots of fun and prizes to be had by all. Be sure to come and sign up on the boards and grab a gallery to upload your weekend creations. Start the Fall Season by "Getting Your SPOOK ON!"

See YOU there!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot...

Here is a layout that I created about the first day of school for my daughter this year. Hard to believe she is in First Grade! WOW...

Sneak Peek is up!

Well, I was really super busy in "my" studio yesterday morning.
Creating with the Art Freckles September kit.
It is really a great kit.
The papers are wonderful and the embellishments are perfect. The kit will be available for purchase on September 5th. So, be sure to check it out as this is one great kit for the price.
It's storming here. We awoke to lightening and sideways rain. I sure hope it does not continue into the Labor Day Weekend, as we have major plans to go visit Mammoth Cave. I am busy creating the menu for the weekend as well because we must tailgate and watch my GEORGIA BULLDAWGS play on Saturday (televised of course). Hard to believe I am not in DAWG country anymore.
We live in the HILLTOPPER city and they refer to their team as the TOPS.
I do think we will go to a game and probably venture to get season tickets as it will still give us that collegiate football experience that we love so very much.
Have a great Thursday...and if you are out on the roads traveling this weekend to your destination, drive safely.

Altered Antique Shadow Box...

This shadow box (as we have come to call them now), used to house fishing flies in a large chest of drawers. I was lucky enough to snag this goody at our local Flea Market two weeks ago. It has leaned against my wall all of this time and this morning, I decided to go ahead and alter it. I wanted it to be simple and show the wood with all of the great windows. So, I used my Thickers, One design of patterned paper, ribbon, and keys. The Thickers/Alphabet are the initials of our last name and first name of each of our 7 immediate family members. I love it and it is already hanging. Let me know what you think.Before cleaning and altering

AfterClose-Up
I am sure you get the idea. I am pretty proud how it turned out. Such a fun project for a Tuesday Morning.