Happy Valentines Day!

My favorite color is purple.  My second favorite color is RED.  Creating a project with lots of red is always fun for me.  Thanks to inspiration and lessons taught by Margie Romney-Aslett  and her class Spark the Event, Love, Love Love

I created one of the many wonderful projects taught in her class.  She creates many of her projects with paper doilies, text papers, music notes papers, vintage elements and of course...Glitter!   All have become a favorite of mine.  This project gave me a good excuse to uncover little treasures I have stashed away in my studio.  Best of all, it is a great home decor project I personalized with items that have special meaning.  I love ladybugs...reminds me of so many painting friends from my years as a member of the Houston Ladybug Chapter of Decorative Painters.  Love butterflies...reminds me of my mom. The red fabric measuring tape also reminds me of my mom (wedding dress seamstress) and my age (46 going on 47).   Our family has 4 members - my family is my world.  Love them all!

 My project grew a little.  Also taught in the Spark the Event, Love, Love, Love class was how to make  large paper flowers.  I found these old "ugly" frames at an estate sale for $1.  I have now re-purposed them by adding the text paper and music notes.

A Healing Scrapbook

I don't know if it's because I have not considered myself an accountant for many, many years or what, but I am having a difficult time focusing on a task that really needs to be done.   It's tax time!  I have a book full of receipts and spreadsheets of Cost of Goods Sold in progress for my little business...Isa Creations.   I really need to just sit down at my computer and enter all this important data into my spreadsheets so I can prepare a Schedule C.  I told myself I was going to start this "project" two weeks ago.  I have not started yet...tomorrow..I will start tomorrow!

So, instead of taking care of some financial business, I have completed an e-course (although the projects I plan to do as a result of the e-course are still in the gathering supplies stage).  I have been working on updating my Etsy store...done.  I have been completing numerous applications for shows this Spring, Summer and even one for September...done.  Perhaps the biggest distraction has been feeling a strong need to scrapbook.

I have many, so many, scrapbooking projects that I want to start but have not.  Focusing on my little business has taken alot of my time.  Although I am a stay at home mom, the kids and the house keep me very busy.  Most evenings in my studio have been for Isa Creations with the exception of the last few weeks.  I have taken several wonderful e-courses that have inspired my creativity in more ways than one.   I have worked on several projects for me. 


I even created a mini paper bag scrapbook!  I can't remember the last time I created a scrapbook of any kind -- big or small.   This scrapbook is very personal to me.  It's about loss and finding a way to move on.   The photos are all from November 2011 -- days before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving 2011.  My sister and her two teenage boys came to our home for Thanksgiving.  My sister lost a husband and her kids a dad at the end of September 2011.  Robert's death was sudden and unexpected.   I think about my sister and nephews every day...and Robert too.  He was a brother to me and his loss continues to ache in my heart.  This scrapbook is about Robert and those he left behind.  It's about his family continuing to honor his memory by doing the things they did as a family.  It's about remembering his sense of humor, his deep love for his family and friends.  It's about living without him, yet keeping him in our hearts.   This book is bittersweet...but it was also important that I create it...for my sister, her kids, my family and me.

New Listings on my Etsy Shop...Isa Creations Vintage

Sometimes I find it hard to find the time to take pictures, edit and write up listing for my Etsy store.  This year, I made a commitment to myself to keep my Etsy shop more up to date and to list a wide variety of items I sell at craft shows.  One  of my goals for this month was to add to my Etsy shop some of my paper magnets, origami folded paper dresses, vintage linen covered buttons and vintage origami technique hankie dresses.   I did it!

I love the digital papers and elements created by Rhonna Designs.  I love her Kiss Me Digital Collection. I also love her blog and looking forwarding to her new paper line with one of my favorite companies -- My Minds Eye.  Her new line is called Follow Your Heart.   I used her digital papers from the Kiss Me Collection to create this digital collage of my most recent Etsy listing. 

              

Snow Day!

Thursday night, the kids and I were hoping for a Snow Day on Friday!  Our wish was granted!  NO SCHOOL!  A day to relax and hang out.  Then, my teenager surprised me.  In the afternoon, my 14 year old teenage daughter, Laura, announced she was going to go outside to shovel the snow on our sidewalk and driveway.  I said, really?  The best surprise is her offer came with no strings attached.  She did not ask for anything...wow!  So proud... here is my little girl shoveling snow.                        

She shoveled snow for over an hour!

                                                                   


 

Sugar Plum Bazaar this Spring

Staci and I are very happy to be a vendor at Sugar Plum's  Spring Bazaar!  Looking forward to it.

 

Alex win's 3rd Place Overall in Pine Wood Derby Race!

Alex is now in his second year in scouting.  Last year as a Bobcat, his PWD car won 2nd place overall (over 70 cars) and 1st place in his Den.  This year, as a Wolf, he won 1st place in his Den and won 3rd place overall (about 70 cars).  Since David helped Alex with his car, this was a happy victory for father and son!  The boys were very proud and happy with the results.  Laura and I were also proud of our boys!       

   

A fun evening for our family

Alex painted his car black with a top layer of gold glitter paint

My contribution...using Photoshop Elements Alex asked me to make him a license plate.  The 7 represents his age.

 

Vintage Hankie Dresses & Vintage Embroidered Linen Birdies

Creating these vintage hankie dresses has been fun.  I just finished about 30 of them, a mix of floral and white embroidered hankies.  Yesterday, I purchased a few floral  hankies at an Estate Sale.   Today, I plan on going to another estate...perhaps I will find more.  Hopefully, next week, I will add a few of these Vintage Hankie Dresses to my Etsy shop.

 I have also accumulated a good batch of vintage embroidered linens during recent estate sales .   I sold most of them at craft shows last year, especially at Sugar Plum Bazaar --  so I need to re-stock.  I look forward to creating more birdies!