Little House Book!

Seaside Book Making from Two Crazy Crafters!

Seaside Book Making Materials!

I can't believe I was lucky enough to win this awesome giveaway gift from two of my favorite bloggers: Twyla and Lindsey, Two Crazy Crafters, a wonderful mother and daughter creative team. Check out the gorgeous new craft room they have recently completed decorating for projects and memory making!

Thank you so much, Twyla and Lindsey! I love my gifts!

A Card Predicting the Future!

For more WORDLESS WEDNESDAY POSTS, click HERE!

Sharing Design Fragments for Collage Projects!

Sharing: design fragments for your next collage project! Enjoy!

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If you haven't already done so, be sure to visit my other blog CHARMING VINTAGE RECIPES for free mid-century recipes every single day! Collect as many or as few as you'd like!
All FREE! All the time!

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Click HERE to see more RUBY TUESDAY participants hosted by

WORK OF THE POET.

Memories You Can Hold In The Palms Of Your Hands!

"Over the weekend, I picked up sweaters for "Memory Mitten" orders from persons who had recently lost loved ones...I walked away from each meeting with the "chills." After listening to each of their heartfelt stories, I felt completely overcome with God's hands on my work!"

(Kathleen King, Gladstone, Michigan)

I have never met Kathleen personally but I learned of her labors of love through my son Paul who with his family has known Kathleen for many years. I was so stirred by her inspiring work that I wanted to share it with all of you!

This is Kathleen's story, in her own words:

"One day while at work, I overheard a co-worker talking about how her mother-in-law was busy making mittens out of old sweaters. My mother and I had just talked about what she should do with a box of my father's sweaters...he had passed away five years earlier and I had suggested she donate them to St. Vincent de Paul...winter was coming and someone in need could use them.

I was in an instant panic! Hopefully my mother still had the sweaters and had not followed my advice! I called her right away and, to my relief, she still had them!

Over the next month, I went on an emotional, heartfelt mitten-making journey. Everyone was coming to my house for Christmas and I was going to give them each a memorable gift of mittens made from our loving father's sweaters. The thought brought tears to my eyes. It would be a gift that I would put my heart into.

On Christmas day after a huge holiday feast and lots of goodies, we sat relaxing by the beautifully lit Christmas tree, music playing in the background and a feeling of contentment of being together. It was the perfect time to retrieve the basket full of wrapped gifts.

They slowly opened their gifts and, although I was tearful, I was also very excited! Tears, laughter, and awe were just some of the emotions I saw around the room. My mom put her mittens on and cupped her face with them—tears in her eyes, yet joy, too. I will never forget that look!

The making of Memory Mittens for my family sparked a passion in me to create custom mittens for others. If I could bring joy to someone else by creating Memory Mittens out of their loved one's sweaters, as I did for my family, what could be better?

I take creating these mittens very seriously. People are entrusting me with a prized possession from someone they have dearly loved. Each pair of mittens is made with tender love and care in hopes of giving them a heart and hand-warming keepsake."

(Please take time to visit Kathleen's Memory Mittens website! You can also click HERE to see more of her completed mittens!)

UPDATE 11/4/09:

Kathleen's website is currently under reconstruction but will be ready for viewing soon. In the meantime, you can contact her directly at email: memorymittens@gmail.com.

Welcome to My World Where I Work & Play!

Thank you, Karen of My Desert Cottage for putting together this exciting event!

I'm delighted to participate in this fun-filled day of
sharing studios, work spaces, rooms where we bloggers create.

Thanks for visiting me today! I'd love if you'd leave me a comment!
Then, be sure to dash off and see all the other studios at My Desert Cottage.
HAVE FUN!!!

It Was Like Opening Pandora's Box!

It was like opening Pandora's Box but in a good way! I hadn't visited the interior of my vintage cedar chest for some time. It had been languishing in an upstairs corner—out of sight and out of mind—until yesterday when I suddenly had a notion to take a look inside. (Was it calling me?)

One look inside and I was lost! Having unearthed the remains of many years of memories held together in books of love created long ago, I spent the entire day going through cards, clippings, and pictures of my life and the lives of my parents (long gone now) and my siblings as we grew up together in the family home. We've all gone our separate ways now as happens with life, but there was a time when even the smallest thing that happened to one of us, affected all of us deeply.

It was quite an amazing journey, traveling through the events of our lives from birth through teens. I have to tell you that, as the memories flowed, the joyful remembrance of those wonderful days spent together brought along with it a few tears of nostalgia.

Here are a few pictures of the scrapbooks I made along with my mother who taught us all the joys of keeping memories alive and cherished.

Crazy for Boxes!

Crazy for boxes? Oh yes! Especially vintage greeting card boxes! A few recent thrifty finds have brought me back to my crafting basics and my love for paper! 

The cover of this vintage Easter box must have been damaged at some time way back when. So when I found it at an antique shop, it had the old makeshift yellow cellophane cover you see (removed) in the first picture. 

I then took a sheet of gold/pink scrapbook paper, covered the box top, glued the vintage bunny to the center and ended up with a pretty Easter box to fill with vintage Easter cards and add to my vintage box collection!