Opus Gluei Challenge

Yeah, I managed to squeak in another Opus Gluei challenge this weekend! I probably went off the color palette a bit by throwing a blue in there, but when it feels so right, how can it be wrong? :) I pulled from MME, Heidi Swapp, 7 Gypsies, Ranger, Basic Grey and Target $ Spot for this one. It's not too complicated, but it is cute (I hope).

How was everyone's Thanksgiving? Wonderful I hope! Now on to....

Christmas Crazy!

Ok, if you've been here before you know I get totally geeked out over Christmas. I'm insufferable really. To that end, I have put the Christmas playlist back up on the bottom of the blog. If you don't like it, mute it. If you do, turn up the dial and sing along!

And, I'm losing sleep in the name of merriment. As in Making Merry! A couple of friends and I are getting together for a little holiday experiment. If it works out, we may expand it to other holidays as well. As it is, I'm can't wait to share my project with them; a little vintage chic with a bit of a nod towards Steampunk style (Loved that Steampunk storyline on Castle a couple of months ago!)

Time to get back to decking some halls...

Merry Inspiration

I think it's fairly evident by now that Christmas is upon the horizon. I knew it was here the moment I polished off my first bag of Candy Cane Hershey's Kisses (drat you Hershey!). When the Cadbury Mini Balls showed up at Target, I nearly had a happy seizure (Did you know in Canada, they have these all year round? Dude, no fair!)

Just a few links to get you in a merry mood...

Inspired Ideas, The Christmas Issue OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS, this online issue is full of Christmas love. I know at least one idea that I'm tweaking from this and about 10 more ideas that are on my 'must-do' list!

Holiday...with Matthew Mead Seriously, I danced a jig when I opened my mailbox to find this gift in it this evening. A flippin' full on jig, I tell ya! (while holding eggs in one hand too) I haven't even gotten past the first few pages and I'm already salivating at the joy contained in the pages of this lush magazine. Only 'magazine' isn't the right word for it. It's a revelation of Christmas pleasures supported online by links to patterns, recipes and more. You can only get it by ordering online or from a store that specially ordered a box of this goodness.

I have followed Matthew Mead's creative trail for years and he's assembled a fabulous team that has put together "Holiday" so thoughtfully that you won't regret getting a copy of your own.

Joli Paquet Back for another Christmas with free tutorials (and these are GOOD tutorials too) and teasers about their famous kit sales from a group of talented artists, make sure you don't forget to check Joli Paquet often.

One Pretty Thing Here you will find ideas, inspiration and free downloads on a daily basis. If you can't get excited about something on this site, the Whos from Whoville need to grow your Grinchy heart a size or two.

Opus Gluei, the Gratitude Edition

I hope Rosemary and Jana haven't kicked me off the rolls for Opus Gluei. I know I've been a bad artist. Having my entire studio flooded and torn apart for months really threw me into an art funk (in a bad way). It's still not completely put together, but I had to get in there and do what I could to pull a Tim Gunn (make it work). (And I will digress here and say this about Project Runway: Mondo got robbed. Humph.)

Then, to just totally throw me for a loop, my trusty camera went kaput. It began putting out images that looked like negatives from the film reel for the original Excorcist. I don't care what Tim Gunn says, I could not make that work at all. I frittered away for months using only my camera phone to capture shaky images.

When dear hubby and I were about to leave for vacation, I stomped my little feet (or long, wide, plantar fascitis plagued feet) and announced via text message whilst at Costco, that I WAS getting a camera before the trip. Remind me of my behavior next time one of my teens gives me attitude. Who was going to believe I was viewing lava if I didn't have the proof? (Uh and I still don't have proof. They wouldn't let us that close to the lava. But I do have a 'Beach closed. Shark sighting.' photo!)

So folks, I hope this means I'm back in the business of creating and occasionally participating in some Opus Gluei fun!

Their latest challenge was Attitude of Gratitude. Someone recently went above and beyond for me, so I wanted to give her a little somethin' somethin'. She loves herself some good chocolate. That can be had from the store, but it needed some presentation, some panache, a little something extra. I pulled from the gorgeous fall palette for color inspiration and glued a lush Prima flower that I'd been waiting for the perfect project to use it because it was THAT special to a golden organza bag.

For a card, I did several scalloped circles held together by ball chain embellished with a glass leaf charm, a silver letter charm and some vintage seam binding. Then those teensie circle letters from Jenni Bowlin nestled into the little scalloped to spell 'Grateful'. I wrote her a note of thanks upon the circles and will be giving it to her this weekend. Since she never reads blogs, I think I'm safe in showing it here in advance. I hope!

Egg-citement!

So, no comment on the long, uncomfortable silences on this blog. Same story women have told for ages...

Last weekend, the hubby and I were running around doing errands and it occured to me that Maryland at this time of year is wildly beautiful. The colleges deftly schedule their tours to coincide with the perfect scenery. Numerous fall festivals and craft shows abound. Most importantly, our chickens have started laying!

Yes, the previous freeloaders are slowly beginning to come off scholarship and earn their keep. Surprisingly, the first little layer was Peanut, our black silkie and the tiniest of the flock. Peanut is our youngest daughter's personal chicken, so young daughter is especially proud that her chickie is the chickie who could. (We all need to start refering to Peanut as a she since we've previously called Peanut a he. Our apologies Peanut!)
Peanut lays the cutest, half-size bantam pullet eggs.

The next little chickie on the production line is Duckie, our Buff Orpington and acknowledged chicken public relations ambassador. Duckie is the calmest, most inquisitive little lady who enjoys attention, so she is the one to comfort and reaasure those who view chickens negatively.

And most recently, Patches, our pretty Easter Egger with a funny, floppy comb has begun laying a lovely blue-green egg. She sings her quirky egg song beforehand, arranges the nest box just so and then puffs up before dropping off her contribution to the egg carton.

We do have a mystery layer who hasn't figured out that dropping your eggs willy-nilly in the chicken run isn't so wise. We are hopeful she will watch her chickie sisters and follow their lead.

Most of the others show signs of joining the production line soon including one little white silkie who I was quite sure was a rooster and it now most assuredly a little lady with a really odd comb.

So, soon quiche, omelets and angel food cakes will abound! If it begins to get too crazy, we'll resort to tossing eggs in unlocked cars and leaving them anonymously on neighbors porches (must like our practice with zucchini and tomatoes in the summer).

Don't even ask hubby how much that first egg cost!