I'm still here!

Hello!!! Hello, hello, hello!

Gosh, my poor blog has been so vacated that it seems to have developed an echo. LOL Bet y'all are surprised to see me, huh? Can't believe I haven't blogged in so long. No real reason as to why I haven't. I keep planning posts in my head & I've even taken pictures in anticipation of doing a post...but then I don't follow through. ??? I sometimes take a self-imposed exile from my blog but my recent, extended absence can't be attributed to that. I just haven't gotten around to it. I know, I know....it's been 6 months! But you have no idea what a procrastinator I can be! I've been planning this post for almost 2 months!!! *blushes* Anyway, good to be here again...let's see if I remember how to do it.

I'm sure most of y'all heard about Cassandra Van Curen's Handmade Christmas Ornament swap...some of you even participated. I want to share the ornaments I made & received from the swap. I was fortunate to be paired w/ some mega-talent..so many incredible ornaments! I put them all on this little white tree in my studio & although it was a Christmas swap, most of the ornaments were more wintry than Christmas'y so I've just now taken the ornaments down. So I'm not actually as tardy as I appear. ;)

These first 3 ornaments were crafted by Jeannie Ryan. Jeannie doesn't have a blog but she does have any etsy shop. Sweet, glittery chapel!

Nested bird on a snowflake....

& a glitzy tussie mussie! Complete w/ candy but I ate it before I took the pic.

She included this sweet tag too so I hung it on the tree also.

These next 3 ornaments were crafted by Becky Swartzlander @ Rebecca Rose Designs Lovely soldered ornament!

And this adorable Colleen Moody inspired snowman! Love it!

And this pretty little stocking.

These next 3 ornaments were made by Robin Sanchez @ Once upon a Pink Moon. Isn't this snowman clever???

And this little snowman cup? Too cute!!

LOVE this altered doll!

These next 3 were crafted by Cassandra herself. Loved this sweet "sugar cookie"!

And an adorable paper clay bird.

We kind of had a theme going w/ snowmen & birds....love this nested bird, also by Cassandra.

These next 3 ornaments are the ones I crafted. Didn't do much for this first one....just foof'ed up some vintage birds I bought @ Canton.

I bent little spoons & filled them w/ a nest of tinsel. Mine's a bit different than theirs though as I didn't have 5 spoons the same. I like theirs better but mine's cute too.

I made little hot air balloons out of tiny vintage shiny brites, an old thimble & a frozen charlotte.

Lot of crafty creativeness on that tree, huh? And even though I've taken these ornaments off & packed them away, there still is. Robin, Becky, Jeannie, Cassandra & I were all so thrilled w/ our ornaments that we agreed to do a Valentine ornament swap & my tree is currently bedecked w/ beautiful handmade hearts. And I participated in another Valentine ornament swap also...I promise I'll be back w/ pics of those before Valentine's!

I've enjoyed my little tree in my studio so much that I have decided that it will be up year-round. Wonder if the girls will be game for swapping through all seasons? We've already agreed to do a Spring swap so maybe so!

The Easter bunny came!

And he has a new partner! *grins* Aren't these the cutest little "bunnies" you ever saw?

It's a good thing the Easter Bunny has help this year 'cause look at all these baskets I made for my "grown up" family. I wanted to put a specialty chocolate in them but all the chocolate stores in my area are out of business now. :( So I just put a Lindt bunny & lamb in them & added a handful of peanut butter cups. You can't go wrong w/ peanut butter cups. ;) The pink ones are for the girls in the family & the green & blues are for the boys.

Since the Easter bunny brings plenty of candy for the grands, I made them so jello eggs. They love the jeweled jello squares I make, w/ different colors of jello & sweetened condensed milk, so I know they'll love these.


RAINBOW FINGER JELLO

1 (3 oz.) pkg. lime Jello
1 (3 oz.) pkg. lemon Jello
1 (3 oz.) pkg. orange Jello
1 (3 oz.) pkg. strawberry Jello
6 pkgs. Knox plain gelatin
1 c. sweetened condensed milk
6 c. boiling water
WHITE LAYER: Mix 2 cups boiling water with 2 packages gelatin until dissolved (I allow my gelatin to "bloom" first in just a bit of cold water). Add sweetened condensed milk. Cool.

JELLO LAYER: Mix 1 package Jello with 1 package gelatin. Add 1 cup boiling water. Stir until dissolved. Pour into 9x13 inch pan ( I used jello egg molds instead), wiped with mayonnaise. Freeze for about 10 minutes or until a finger touched to it leaves an imprint. Pour 1 cup milk mixture over Jello layer and freeze for 10 minutes. Every 10 minutes, add another layer and freeze ending with strawberry Jello. (do not leave the layers in the freezer for longer than 15 minutes @ a time or they will separate.)

I'll have my entire family here w/ me for Easter this year. Life is good! I hope the season blesses you as generously!

My first altered doll!

Are you one of those people who get the "doll parts" craze going on right now? Or does it leave you shaking your head & thinking "Holy shih tzu...what's up w/ that?" *grins*

When I first saw an old doll head, under glass, somewhere, I was instantly smitten. I just fell in love instantly & started collecting "parts" (although I have been known to dismember whole dolls LOL) before I even discovered altered dolls. But I did discover altered dolls (love the Somerset publication!) & I'm very proud to introduce my first (of many!) altered dolls.....Hunee Bunny. (I named her after me.)

I ripped the ratted, tangled hair off an old doll head & paper clayed ears & a fur coat onto her....

kissing it in spots w/ crackled paint (heavy in some spots & lighter in others) & then hit it w/coarse glitter where I didn't use crackle paint. The glitter doesn't show up very well in the pic above but you can see it better in this close-up.

I blinged her up some w/ rhinestone "buttons".....

and glittery pink "shoes"....

and used wired pearl strands for "arms".

Doesn't she have the sweetest expression? Her eyes even open & close!

*sigh* I just love her! Even though I know she leaves many of you thinking, "Holy shih tzu...what's up w/ that?" *grins*

Also, I was asked to share the image I used in creating the chenille bunny, in my shadow box egg, in a previous post but I am late in doing so...sorry Leann! Hope you can still use it! I flipped the image before printing cause I wanted him facing the other way, you can do it in paint program.

Can you believe I've already posted my Easter decor & Easter projects & it's not even Easter? I know! Me neither!!!!

Here comes Peter Cottontail....

Hi y'all! Can you believe Easter is next week? Where does the time go? I had a lot of big crafting plans for Easter but of course didn't accomplish half of it. I only completed one project & I can't wait to share it w/ you! But that's not what this post is about *grins*...today I want to share my Easter decor. It's been up for awhile...just haven't had a chance to take pics & post. I've told y'all before that I collect vintage sheet music covers & I've shared many of them with you but I don't think this one has ever made an appearance on my blog so I'm sharing it now. Here comes Peter Cottontail! My faux mantel.....not much changes about this from season to season & I like it that way. I keep a "base'scape" of the apothecary jars on the left, the frame, mirror & glittered wish in the middle & the brass mini-curio on the right. I just add seasonal touches & in less than 10 minutes, I can have a whole new look. inside one of the apothecary jars is a sweet box & a tiny leather bound book titled Dreams. So sweet! I never can get a shot of the min-curio w/out glare. I've stashed a couple of carrots inside.

This chick looks vintage but it's not. I bought it @ Tuesday morning several years ago. I paired it w/ a treasured old Easter photo of my kids....still in it's original 80's frame.

This candy dish isn't vintage either...it's another Tuesday Morning buy. They have great reproductions @ great prices!

I covered a styrofoam egg w/ fabric from an old pillowcase & embellished it (it was a tut Casandra Van Curen had last year but it's still available I think). Here it is under the magnifying glass I use for display.

Now this porcelain bunny peeking out of an egg is vintage...love it!

This "pulltoy" is another reproduction, but one I love!

Sometime soon, this dark wood piece is getting a nice, light coat of white & then it won't suck every ounce of light out of the room.

Vintage flocked Easter card.

For my centerpiece this year, I stacked egg cups on a tiered cake stand & paired it w/ my collection of sugar eggs & a playful bunny.

I didn't get a closeup of the chocolate bunnies on my hutch but you can click & enlarge. And I neglected getting pics of the wonderful sheet music cover you see on the wall...it's titled My Choc'late Rabbit & is from the 50's. It's one of my favorites in my collection!

My shoulder was well enough to hang my crocheted carrots from my chandelier. YEAH! It's been a year & a half since I could strech my left arm out high.

I'll be back later to share my one & only Easter 2011 art project...I'm so proud of it!