Spring Sugar Plum Bazaar

I am happy to share that I will be one of the vendors at the Spring Sugar Plum Bazaar on March 9th and 10, 2013 at the Parkside Masion.  I love this show and I am grateful I will once again be a part of it especially when more and more vendors apply each time.    Save the Date!  Details are below:

New Listing...Isa Creations Vintage Etsy Shop

This week has truly been about multi-tasking.  One of my goals for this week was to add new listings to my Etsy shop, Isa Creations Vintage.   I have to admit, this is a process I don't really enjoy.  Taking pictures, editing pictures, posting listing....

I really need to improve my attitude on this.  It's really not that bad, especially with Etsy making it easier to list items.  Anyway, today (actually yesterday since it's now Thursday!) I made a point to take the time to do all of the above.  Here is a snapshot of my new listings, including my new heart shaped vintage linen pin cushions.

My next goal is to add listing of my vintage embroidered linen birds.  I want to take pictures using a beautiful antique bird house my husband purchased for me at an Auction.  Problem is I want to take the pictures outside but it has been frigid cold.  Thankfully, the forecast is for warmer weather.

More Heart Shape Vintage Linen Pin Cushions...

I am definitely a night owl!  I can stay up very late, sometimes as late at 2 a.m.  Problem is, the mornings!  I have to get up by 6:45 to get Alex (my 8 year old son) to school.  Getting up is difficult, but once I am up I am fine.  I can usually function with little sleep.

Today my daughter Laura (age 15) is on her first major school trip.  The Columbine High School Orchestra and Band are traveling to Orlando Florida to spend the next 5 days in Disney World and Universal Studios.  They will be performing at Disney.  This morning, she needed to be at school by 4:15 a.m. so they can then be transported to the airport for a very early flight.   So last night I was not tired and knew I would stay up late...1 a.m. came and I am still wide awake.  Around 2 a.m. I knew I would just stay up because if I went to bed I would have a very difficult time waking up at 3:30 to make sure Laura was up.   I took Laura to school at 4:15 a.m....it was so cold!  The truck temperature stated it was -1.   When I returned home, I was not sleepy....probably because of the bitter cold.

So I decided to just stay up and not go to bed.  I am awake and blogging.  I created more vintage linen heart shaped pin cushions....Valentine's day!

I loved creating the pin cushions with the crochet edge.  It reminds me of a cupcake with layers of ruffled icing.

The house will be very quiet this week without Laura.  I know Laura will have a great time with her friends.  She plays the violin, just like I did when I was in High School.  As a matter of fact, she plays what was once my violin.  My little girl  is spreading her wings...like a butterfly.  I look forward to Sunday, when my little girl returns home.

Purple and Butterflies...my favorites in one pin cushion!

Small Vintage Oval Tart tins, they almost look like little candies...

More Heart Shaped Vintage Linen Pin Cushions

Heart Shaped Vintage Linen Pin Cushions...

I have been juggling several things.  I have been working for at least a few hours a day on my Isa Creations business books as tax time will be upon us before you know it.  I have most of the Income worksheets completed, next will be the expenses.  Not fun but necessary and by spending a few hours most days, I can see progress and don't feel so overwhelmed.  After I entered all my Etsy sales on a worksheet, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I actually sold during 2012 on my Etsy shop, Isa Creations Vintage.

I love the few hours I spent watching the videos for Christy Tomlinson's class, She Had Three Hearts Art Journaling on-line workshop.  I have learned so much about various painting mediums that I can't wait to put them to use.  However, before I create several mix media projects, I needed to take some time to create some vintage linen pin cushions for Valentine's day.

I hope to add them to my Etsy shop by the end of the week.  I have acquired a nice collection of heart shaped tins.  With Valentine's day approaching, I realized they would be perfect pin cushions.  I also decided to experiment with crochet lace from a pillowcase I purchased last week at an estate sale.  It had a beautiful pink crochet edge...now it's part of a heart shape pin cushions.

Here is my latest creations:

This took some time to create because I attached the lace by hand-stitching.   I can't use any type of glue to attach the lace to pin cushions because the glue hardens...making it difficult to use pins.  I loved how this turned out that I will  keep this one for me...this will not be for sale.

Hand-stitched the crochet flowers onto the pin cushion base.

It reminds me of a cupcake with ruffled layers of icing!

She Had Three Hearts: Art Journal Workshop by Christy Tomlinson

After working very hard for the last few months to create plenty of inventory for my craft shows and Etsy shop, Isa Creations Vintage, I am finally able to take some time to just feed my creative mind.  How do I do that?

I take on-line classes from some of my favorite artists.  One of them is Christy Tomlinson, who truly inspires the artist in me.  I love mix media!  I create the mix media projects for me, I don't sell those.  This experience  feeds my creative soul, which is why I look forward to these on-line classes.  My first class with Christy was She Art Workshop last year.  I loved it!

This year, I have signed up for several of  Christy Tomlinson's workshops.  It's difficult to chose which one to start with this year... I decided to start with She had Three Hearts: Art Journaling Workshop:

Christy's workshop description included these words:

an old Chinese Proverb reads, " a woman has three hearts... one she shares with the world... one she shares family..  and one she shares only with herself.

I realized how true this Chinese Proverb is for me.  I do share different parts of me with different people and realized I need to work on sharing the best part of me with my family, which I don't always do.    I want to explore this creatively.  I am just on week 1 of the workshop, I can't wait for week 2 and 3.  

While estate sale shopping, I am always on the lookout for materials I can use on mix media projects.  Especially vintage ephemera and anything I can use as a stencil/mask. Friday, I found a fantastic vintage plastic tablecloth (2 of them, identical) with great crochet style details.  It was a true bargain, $1 each!  

I think it will make a great stencil/mask for future mix media projects:

Another year ends...

It seems that as I get older, time just goes by faster.  This past year had it share of ups and downs.  Like the year before (2011) we lost another dear member of our family....my father in law.  During the holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas their absence if felt even more.  I know we all think of them often, even though we may not always tell each other.

Laura is currently 15 and learning how to drive.  That is a major change, I am simply not ready for that but it doesn't matter if I am ready or not, it will happen.  A few months ago, David returned to Austin, TX to visit his mom and drive his dad's car back to Colorado.  His mom does not drive and has no need for the car;  we now needed another car.  When I drive the car, I always think of my father in law.  I still think of it as his car and will tell David, "I am driving your dad's car today." 

This holiday season I have felt really, really tired.  This past year I worked extra hard preparing inventory for all my craft shows and my booth at Alamo Antiques, Boutique and Art Gallery.  Craft show season is over and Alamo Antiques closed it's door yesterday.  So why am I still so tired?  Perhaps I am just getting old.  Anyway, I am hoping to get that energy back....soon!

Our Christmas traditions continue to endure.  On Saturday, December 22nd we all, including Sophie, decorated sugar cookies.  On Christmas Eve, we decorated our annual gingerbread house.

Alex, age 8, decorating sugar cookies...he loves to work with M & Ms.

Cookies decorated by Alex and his dad, David.

Cookies decorated by Laura...every year her skills improve.  I thought she did a great job!

Cookies decorated by Sophie.  Sophie(age 16) is Laura's friend who we don't see nearly
as often as we did.  Sophie is a POMS at Columbine HS so she stays very busy but thankfully
 she was able to join us to decorate sugar cookies.
 This is Sophie's third year joining us...I have to say, I am very proud of
 her work.  Sophie always declared herself as craft challenged but she rolled out those
 cookies and decorated them like a pro!

Laura's snowman cookie

Alex's Pirate cookie

My snowgirl!

David's cookie ...like me, he likes to decorate houses!

 Our 15th annual family Gingerbread House:

Decorating a house on Christmas Eve is a family tradition we all  cherish.

Back of the house, decorated mostly by Laura.

Side of the house, a joint effort.  Trees done by me, snowman by Alex and side window by Laura.
 Our gingerbread house surrounded by several miniature
 trees (decorated with miniature Hallmark ornaments)

Font of the house decorated by me.  Side of the house is Alex's and David's work.  Alex
 created a ski school on the side.
 He said dad was the ski instructor and he is the student.
 Alex used candy canes to create skis for the gingerbread boys.

A  better view of Alex's ski school.  On the left is Alex (student) and
on the right is Dad (the teacher).

Laura

Alex on skis

 I also had to include some pictures of our kitchen table Christmas Decor, mostly handmade by me:

We had a great Christmas Day.  It was a white Christmas...the snow just makes it more beautiful and festive.  Alex was thrilled with his scooter and huge pile of new Lego's.  Laura was a very happy teenage girl with all her new makeup, clothes and a Vera Bradley handbag.  David was happy with his metal moose wall hanging & binoculars.  I was very happy with a new felting sewing machine (can't wait to try it out).  We are all very blessed!

I wish everyone who reads this a very Happy New Year!

Vintage Christmas 4 - Family Heirlooms

These Vintage Christmas items are special to my family.  They all belonged to David's family, they have been passed on several generations.  David and his brother split the "collection" this past summer after his dad passed away and his mom no longer wanted to keep them.  There is also a collection of very old trains, putz houses and more bottle brush trees but those have not been unpacked yet.