Sometimes I get so eager to add items to the shop that I forget to photograph them. Here is a little notebook/journal. I used a copy of an old print, lace, scrapbook paper, sheer ribbon and an old rhinestone slide buckle. I don't remember the scripture I put inside but it was around Mother's Day when I took this one in. Sales are a little low on the journals lately, however, sales are low in all my shops. I've been busy this week but not in art projects, however, my mind is swirling with ideas for Christmas--yes, you heard me right. If I don't start thinking now, it will be too late to do anything about it. Don't be surprised if I don't come up with jingle bells soon. (Smile) Go make the most of your day.

New Cufflet

A new cufflet rests at S'More Couture and will be having its debut in a fashion show soon. I had been collecting buttons for quite a while and came across these black and white beauties--some are glass and some early plastic. I added them to swatches of embroidered tablecloths, hankies and a feed sack, added snaps and they're ready to wear. Fun, fun stuff.

You know, things are either black or white in this world but some people don't know the difference--and I don't mean race. God made us all the same as far as I'm concerned. But our choices?--good or bad, believe or don't believe, it's up to you.

Joshua 24:15--"...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve....But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

Think Write

I made this little journal using an old feed bag for background and the corner of an old hankie. I added a pretty shell button, sheer ribbons and a leaf shell button. I cut out words, "think" and "write." These little things are fun to make and they sell well at the shop. Out to look for antiques. Have a great day.

Beaded Butterfly Journal

I found a cute little butterfly cut-out notebook at a dollar store the other day and put it away for the future. The future came last week when I sold my heart journal, Moments (see the post a few days ago), and decided to make another beaded piece. The butterfly notebook called to me when I remembered a butterfly embroidered table cloth purchased a long time ago at a yard sale. It fit the book perfectly--and there you have it, or I had it. I typed "Treasured Thoughts" on stained paper and glued it to the corner. This was mega fun and I can't wait to see if some more of those little notebooks are still there;-)
The butterfly doesn't begin as a gorgeous creature. It takes a long period of growth and change for that to happen. The struggle begins and what emerges is a totally new creation.
Ecclesiastes 3:11--"He has made everything beautiful in its time."

All Nature Sings

This is a piece of fiber art on "dirty linen," hand embroidered and beaded with an added eyelet and a key. I cut the word, "nature," from an old dictionary, textured the sides and painted them with gold and silver. You can find it at the shop below, just around the corner.

"This is my Father's world,

And to my list'ning ears,

All nature sings,

and round me rings

The music of the spheres."

--Maltbie D. Babcock, 1858-1901

BE

Don't do, be. If we are all God made us to be, then what we do has significance. If we are doing to be, then forget it! I'm afraid I tend toward the later more times than not. I blame it on my "first child" status but I'm really responsible for me. I was asked my favorite verse in a inquiry for the Yahoo Art In The Word group this week and I stated Matthew 6:33--"But seek first his kingdom and his rightesousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." I truly believe that this is true and actually works and I don't know why I don't quote this first thing everyday.

This is a domino necklace I've free stitched and beaded. I typed the word, "be," on an old typewriter purchased at an auction this year. It's in the shop where I'm selling my artsy stuff, S'More Couture.

Easy To Do

I made four little headbands for my granddaughters and need to make one more. This is just a little wild rose from a floral stem. I pulled the layers apart and re-glued them to the band, added a picture of a flower cut from an old dictionary and glued it under a flat clear marble and then glued that to the flower. Easy as pie.

They liked them and wore them to church. It makes a grandma proud.

Matthew 7:11--"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

Family Tree

Our church secretary resigned and I made her a little going away present--a fiber art domino necklace.

I free-stitched a tree on linen and beaded it--the dark pink is her, the blue is her son and the light pink are her three daughters and I added small green beads for the leaves. Small baguette beads fill in the rest of the flowers. Scrapbook paper is the background and the words are cut from an old dictionary. I added the word, "faith," to the little key.

Hebrews 11:1--"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

The Last of the Lace

One of the consignees at Amy's shop, S'More Couture, asked me to make a journal for her mother's birthday. She requested pink, roses, birds and gardens as theme material--some of my very favorite things! So, I got busy and created this journal, similar to one she chose in the shop as a prototype. (Thank you, Dawn Edmonson from The Feathered Nest for the digital collage.) This was so fun to make but I've had to part with my very favorite of all time lace that I bought many years ago at a yard sale. I've been very stingy with it but this piece kept calling for it. It's so beautiful, coming stained like it is from many years of storage and non-use. It's interesting to me that something so small and temporal can grasp me so strongly. I have many beauties and baubles that I have to "live with" before I let them go and if you saw my house, you'd understand of what I speak. The Lord considers us to be his precious possession; when I relate that thought to my feelings about my "precious things" and "precious ones," I feel so honored.

Psalm 147:11--"The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love."

Memories Journal

I love Rebecca Sower's works and I got this idea from one of them. I chose an embroidered duck fabric where the right side curved which made it perfect for the heart shape. The base journal I used had a metal label holder attached that could not be moved so I worked around it and incorporated it into the heart design. Yes, I used her title as well but what better title for a journal? My book already had a burgundy binding edge so I added lace to soften it and a ribbon, trim and lace for pretty. It seemed a little right-edge lop-sided so I added some button lace. I think it turned out very cute. This went into S'More Couture around the corner--hope, hope.

I'm not a journal-er. I do well to keep up with one blog and have never been a good letter-writer so making journals is what I do. I do take pictures and have many of our children and grandchildren--some of which I share on Facebook--all wonderful memories of our visits.

Philippians 1:3--"I thank my God every time I remember you."

Here Today Gone Tomorrow

Some call them weeds but I call them flowers. As I was walking today (getting back in the groove from my vacation), I observed the lovely grass heads and Queen Anne's Lace and thought what a beautiful bouquet they would be. So, I headed for my backyard and picked a few lovelies and put them in an old prune juice bottle I bought at a flea market. Bet you can't tell the lip is cracked. You know, we only have so much time on this earth so we have to make the most of it even if we have to make do with weeds. grass and broken bottles.

Isaiah 40:8--"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever."

Book of Ephemera GATHERING

This is what I was working on the yesterday. I put this book of vintage papers together quite a while ago and decided to add to it to sell in my sallylsmith Etsy shop. It's incomplete as it stands but I'll show you a few pages. (Click on the photos to enlarge.) This book is the third I've made and it is fun to "gather" pages from all the examples I have collected and hopefully have it be useful to someone else. I call this journal "Gathering."

Here is a strip of scrapbook paper, a couple of stickers, a vintage image and a velvet flower on an old calender page and a page from a vintage book.

A little girl named Marcy of long ago contributed this spelling test and it looks like she made a B. I changed the sepia-colored image to pink and added a sticker. Across from it is the last page of a book--Peg-O-My Heart.

I've included one of my ATCs with gold thread and a piece of brocade (hope the blue glue dries clear :( Beside it is a piece of fly leaf from an old school dictionary.

I'll have more I'll share after a short hiatus.

Leviticus 19:9-10-"9 "When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God."

Hats, Hats and More Hats

Do you find yourself the Wearer Of Many Hats? I've been making these to put in the shop. I made a couple and the shop owner wasn't too pleased to see more hats since she already has a hat maker there. Mine were different and I thought they might sell. She reluctantly agreed and I sold the two I took there last week. She called while I was away and requested 3 or 4 more since she had someone interested. Who knew? She's out of town now and her substitute gladly accepted these and asked for more. People are wanting them to take on their vacations. Of course, I think they are sweet and I guess otheres to too. I made a few more yesterday but that's about all. I have a relapse of a bad cold I thought I'd knocked and felt puny yesterday and not much better today and I have to prepare the Wed. meal for church tonight. Yikes!

Ok, I just talked to my daughter and she suggested I stay home and order supper out for the church for tonight and I think she's right. Sigh.....I'm relieved. One more hat I don't have to wear tonight. I'll be happy to make it to choir practice (I play the piano). I'll just "be still" today.

Psalm 46:10--"Be still and know that I am God."