A little gratitude and some ramblings

This past week has sped by - so busy! but yesterday I just stayed home and haunted my studio creating up a storm. In fact, I was so engrossed that when Dan came home from golf practice at 2pm, I still hadn't eaten - I admit I was getting a little weak. LOL! I made this gratitude journal yesterday - it came together so serendipitously - earlier in the week I was looking through some boxes of older photos, actually looking for holiday photos, when I opened a photo box and discovered that it was half full of old (2007 and earlier) scrapbooking supplies - what a treasure! and then yesterday morning I was catching up on some blogs and saw the Halloween mini book idea on the Year of Color blog. The creator had altered pages from a vintage photo album - well, I had found a repro of a Victorian album at Goodwill for $1.99 a while back. I dug it out, selected some pages, cut it apart, and then the fun began. I sanded down the pages as they were a heavy heavy stock with printing and gloss, then I painted them with tan acrylic paint dabbing it on with a dry brush to make it look like the discoloration of an old book, then I inked the edges very liberally. I sprayed on a little coffee glimmer mist but it would not hold properly so I wiped it off. I taped the pages together with mailing tape and then covered that with masking tape which I glimmered misted. I selected photos or ephemera (copies of some of my vintage postcards that I got from my grandmother) for each page, piled on the embellishments, stamped some images, added flowers, etc., and finally journaled.

I can't seem to get blogger to take more than 5 photos so the back cover is not here. that's where a lot of the journaling is located. This was a super fun project and I plan to place the journal on my entry table with some candles and other Thanksgiving decorative items. the journal is very heavy card so it will actually stand up.

Yesterday I also finished the next 3 layouts for These are a few of my favorite things challenges but no peeking........and I finished 2 layouts for Harlee-Quinnz Designs which I will post both here and on the HQD website tomorrow. As I said, I was totally obsessed.

I have also been finishing some projects for the holidays, one of which is above. This is a quilted wallhanging that I pieced (I think) for the holidays in 2006 but never finished - but ta da! now it is finally done. I also finished a holiday tablerunner and will show that later this week along with my autumn leaves table runner that I made several years ago. I began cutting out fabric for some Christmas presents yesterday as I suddenly realized that I need to get them finished so I can mail them out early.

A few ramblings - I discovered a new favorite tv show thanks to another blog mentioning it (and I apologize because I cannot remember where I read about it) but the show is called Man Shops Globe, and it is on the Sundance channel (which we get for free from Directv). The guy is a buyer for Anthropologie and he goes to different places around the world selecting items, getting inspiration, and even creating things. Yesterday the show was about India, and next week's show is about London. I can hardly wait!!!!!!!!

I have been reading quite a bit lately and thought I would offer a few comments about books that I liked or disliked -

9 Dragons by Michael Connelly - typical Harry Bosch mystery but super fast paced

Twenties Girl - Sophie Kinsella - I really do try to like her books but her heroines are such idiots that I have a difficult time with them - I loved the Undomestic Goddess but normally I don't read her stuff.

Doomsday Book - an older fantasy/sci fi that is brilliant - I love the idea of time travel

Blogging for Bliss - I read about this book in the summer and recommended it to the library - they just got it, and I am learning so much about blogging and business related to blogging. the author, Tara Frey, has spotlights on many fabulous blogs (some of which are my favs) but there are so many new ones (to me) that I plan to spend several evenings just checking them out.

I have seen the magazine Artful Blogging at Booksamillion, but it is so expensive I haven't bought one (don't you think magazines are expensive any more - and did you notice that Somerset Memories is now semiannual not bimonthly? I saw it last weekend at BAM and realized that I was familiar with quite a few of the scrappers - so creative and such beautiful creations!)

Along the same lines, yesterday I read Dina Wakley's blog where she shows the stencils that she has been using for her art journals (I always wondered where the images came from) - I will definitely be adding that book to my holiday list (Brian asked me for a list yesterday when we talked on the phone. He likes to shop early either where he lives or online, and books are a perfect thing to put on the list - they're easy!)

So, I just realized that I have been rambling for quite a while (did I catch this from Julie, my boss at TAAFOMFT????LOL!) - actually it's the way I think and talk. Sometimes I will be chattering away and Dan looks at me like WT...... - because I move so quickly from subject to subject. Oh well.......

ttfn and have a fabulous Sunday!!!!!!!!!