Quill Cottage

GRAND OPENING: QUILL COTTAGE CURIOSITY SHOPPE...

2009-12-07T03:17:00.008-06:00

(Banner design by Kris Hurst of Blissful Elements)

I finally got a few things finished up and listed in my new shop, Quill Cottage Curiosity Shoppe, where you will find original design handmade art pieces as well as an assortment of unique odds and ends for your crafting needs.(Cinderella's Slipper Altered Shoe Art Kit)

A curio is an object that arouse interest because it is something unusual ~ perhaps something worthy of collecting. I hope that is what you will find in my new shoppe. Feel free to browse through my few meager offerings.(Snow Bird Winter Collage)

Should you have any questions, you can contact the proprietress of this establishment, Miss Sandy, through leaving a comment or via email. My email link is on my upper side bar. Thank you all for your loving encouragement and support of my blog and my art.(3D Collage Nature Inspired Christmas Star)

Since I am new to online selling, I hope I set everything up right. I have payments set up through PayPal, which is very secure. I had to wing it a bit on shipping prices so if an item ordered is less shipping than I quoted, I will refund the difference back to your account. If it is more, I will absorb the cost.(Stella's Sepia Slipper Altered Shoe Art Kit)

I would sincerely love to have some feedback on the set up of the site, the items listed, and even the pricing. This is vastly different from selling at shows or in a booth and there are extra costs to factor in. I am starting with a small inventory and will add to it a little at a time. I had a grand plan of working up a whole bunch of inventory but that did not work out so well.(Carmen's Cameo Slipper Altered Shoe Art Kit)

Mostly I will be selling one~of~a~kind pieces but to get myself started I did do a few duplicates. I have several items almost finished on the work table and hope to have them listed by the end of the week as well. I'll be listing some supplies in the near future also.(Brier Rose's Dancing Slipper Altered Shoe Art Kit)

Thank you for visiting.

Blessings,

Miss Sandy

Glitter, Glue, and an Announcement or Two...

2009-12-04T07:25:00.006-06:00

A flock of glittery birds came flying by...Vintage paper collage stars are falling from the sky...Snow birds perch on frosty limbs...And MONDAY, Quill Cottage Curiosity Shoppe begins...Tongue In Cheek has gone antique...Corey has opened an online French Brocante where she will be listing small items and delicious French ephemera!

Have a great weekend!

Blessings,

Miss Sandy

Come Away (and play) With Me...

2009-12-02T06:25:00.012-06:00

"Come Away With Me."

~Nora Jones ~

I woke up this morning to the sound of rain dancing on the roof. Snuggling deeper under the covers in the inky darkness I listened to the rat~a~tat~tat harmonic rhythm of rain mixed with the soft breathing of the one I love, enveloped in sleep and lying next to me. Nora Jones began to sing in my head, "Come away with me...I want to wake up with the rain falling on a tin roof...Come away with me." I pondered over all the delicious possibilities that the invitation of those four little words, "Come away with me.", held.

Perhaps they could be an invitation to spend some time away from hustle and bustle of real life with the one who is next to me. They could also be an invitation from the One from whom I seek daily guidance, to sit at His feet and learn from Him. They remind me of a Bible passage in Song of Solomon, "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come (away) with me..." Who could resist either invitation? Only the latter is possible today, I'll accept.I think those words could also be my studio beckoning to me, "Come away (and play) with me..." I think over my short "to do" list for today. A short list, a rarity in my world, but, today it held an open invitation at its end. I'll accept. This is a perfect day for crafting.

I got a bit of head start last evening, yes, using some of that new paper stash, with two finished ornaments... And a third one in the design phase... I made elements for a fun set of birdcage tags, an idea that has been rattling around in my head for a bit now... and, I did some collage backgrounds for some other ornament designs...

It did not take me long to answer the call. I whooshed back the blankets greeting the chilly air doing a waltz twirl into my robe to the tune of Nora and the rain. I plan to dance through my day with a grateful heart for each ticking second I am given with the one I love, with a listening ear bent towards the One who guides me, and with delightful anticipation of the invitation to "Come away (and play) with me..." from my studio.

Below are a few scans of some of my new papers.
Please feel free to save them and use them in your art.

An 1875 receipt from a bookbinder...An 1898 canceled check...A BINGO checking chart...And I'd like to introduce you to Herbert Patrick Smrek, his real name written of the back of the photo, who looks like he is ready for some winter fun. Either that or he is ready to chunk the rock he is holding in his pocket at whom ever it was that made him wear that hat! Enjoy!

If you were given the invitation to "Come away with me...", who would it be from and what would you be doing?

Praying your day holds glorious things!

Blessings,

Miss Sandy

A Suitcase Full of Paper Wishes...

2009-11-30T06:13:00.010-06:00

"It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan."

~Eleanor Roosevelt~

Have you ever wanted something and then when you got it you did not know what to do with it? Sort of sucks the fun right out of the pleasure of the purchase doesn't it? Well, be careful what you wish for or you might just get it and then not know what to do with it. That is what happened to me recently.I was browsing through a favorite antique store when I came across a very battered suitcase full of vintage ephemera. I nearly swooned at all the paper goodness it contained and I wanted it all. Yes, I am greedy like that at times. Paper projects galore swam before my eyes and I sort of lost my head. I picked out a few pieces and walked away, in body at least, my mind was still fixated on all that paper.A few days later I still thought about it, dreamed of projects to use it for, and wanted it even more.I talked it over with Handy Hubby and I talked it over with my best friend, Pam, hoping one of them would talk some sense into me. I decided to ask if the shop owner would sell the lot of paper to me and how much she would want. No harm in asking is there? I thought for sure the price would be too high and then I could put my paper fantasies to rest once and for all.The price was incredibly low for all that "old paper trash", her words, not mine! I gulped and knew I would soon be the owner of a pile of paper. I had to take the old battered suitcase in the bargain but I considered this a small sacrifice. One suitcase of paper does not look like so much when it is all contained. When it is sorted it is a whole other matter!The sorting was fun, looking over each piece, seeing dates from the early 1800's up to the 1960's. The variety of the contents was pretty amazing too, sheet music, old canceled checks, personal correspondence, vintage photos, handwritten recipes and old recipe books, old book pages, various fine art prints, bird images from an old book, vintage magazine ads, Weekly Readers from the late 60's and early 70's, vintage magazines and covers, old greeting cards, a few cabinet cards, a whole stack of misc. items from old programs for plays to property deeds, old maps and travel tickets, misc. envelopes from banks and church offerings, a few child's book pages and View Master pockets, post cards, old paper photo frames, school tablets and paper packages, even a reproduction of a 1908 Sears catalog!After it was all sorted it stretched wall to wall spilling onto a stool and the floor below. Merciful heavens! I was a little horrified when I realized I need to store it all somewhere and the old battered suitcase it came in was not the answer. One online search and a trip to Target later I was somewhat in business of stowing away my stash. I will never need another piece of paper as long as I live...I think, well, at least I hope, no really, I pray! Do they have a place for paper people like me? I think I need help.I was starting to get a bit overwhelmed at one point as the Mary Poppins paper holding suitcase seemed to be bottomless but my super cute cheering section kept smiling that I could do it. I kept wishing their little elf selves would get up and help but they just grinned cheeky little grins and kept reminding me to work faster because Christmas time would arrive, ready or not on my part, and they wanted to decorate the tree NOT sort paper with me. Elves are kind of like that.So, be careful what you wish for or you might just get it and not know exactly what to do with it. I don't regret the purchase but in the future, I will think ahead to ask myself if I have a place to store it until it can be used. I only wish I had planned better.Today I will finish the very last sort in the studio, well, all except the three boxes of pesky paper scraps I found squirreled away in various places. See, I told you I need some sort of paper therapy. Anyway, I hope you all have some sort of Christmas fun in store for your day. I promised the elves that we would decorate tomorrow...and there might just be a little paper involved!

Blessings,

Miss Sandy

Holiday Crafting Tutorials and Links.....

2009-11-27T09:24:00.007-06:00

"Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles."

~Author Unknown~

I hope you all had a wonderfully blessed Thanksgiving holiday. We spent the day with extended family at my aunt's home up north and immensely enjoyed the day. Now that Thanksgiving is past I am turning my thoughts to some holiday crafting.

Last year I hosted several posts featuring step~by~step tutorials and links for holiday decorations and gift giving ideas. For those who may be new to Quill Cottage, I wanted to let you know that those links can still be accessed by visiting my Tutorial Link blog HERE or by clicking on the little birds nest photo on my lower sidebar. This blog links to all the tutorials shared here at Quill Cottage. You will also find sidebar links for sites that feature free graphics for your art projects. Just scroll down the list, click on any highlighted item of interest, and this will take you to the blog post where the tutorial is. Some posts have links to other blogs and artist to share their work also. Included at the end of each Christmas crafting post are also ideas for crafting with your kids. Enjoy!

Also, I wanted to remind you of the holiday goodness going on over at Joli Paquet. Free holiday craft tutorials began being posted last week. New posts will be up on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There are some super duper cute smalls already posted over there, like this little gift card holder by Lilia...This adorable gift box by Jeanne...And I love this Christmas card by Brandy...Mary Green (Green Paper), hostess of the Artist Class, is also sponsoring a great offer in connection with the Artist Class. Perhaps you were not able to join the class or were only interested in individual tutorials, well Mary is offering individual tutorials for sale. Photo below, courtesy of Mary, show a sample of some of the offerings... The list of individual tutorials as well as the pricing can be found at THIS LINK. Individual tutorials are priced from $10.00 to $15.00. A lot of these projects would make great gift giving ideas.

I hope you enjoy the links provided as well as a wonderful weekend!

Blessings,

Miss Sandy

Happy Thanksgiving...

2009-11-26T06:28:00.004-06:00

"So once in every year we throng
Upon a day apart,
To praise the Lord with feast and song
In thankfulness of heart."

~Arthur Guiterman, The First Thanksgiving~Praying you and yours have a very safe and happy Thanksgiving filled with all the love, laughter, sweet memories, and blessings this day will hold!

Blessings,
Miss Sandy

What's In The Boxes Guessing Game Winners.....

2009-11-25T05:00:00.002-06:00

Oh my goodness what wonderful guesses there were for what was in the boxes on my shelves. I can only wish there were "love letters written in the 1850's, written in spidery script, tied in silky pink ribbon with a faint smell of lavender..." as Kathy guessed.

What fun it would be to find Grandmother's "elastics" for holding up her stockings like Mildred guessed.

Myrnie tickled my funny bone with guessing that there were pieces of wrought iron fences in one because they are beautiful and her aunt collects them.

Lala (sorry, no blog link) shared a precious memory of a cigar box filled with little plastic purses that held a rainbow of plastic rain caps.

LDH guessed precious remnants of babyhood might be tucked into one, "a small envelope with a milk-white tooth collected from beneath a sleepy head by a tiny fairy."

Nancy thought perhaps the rattling was a precious antique baby rattle.

Kathy B. thought there must be interesting buttons, lace, fibers, and trims, all the things needed for creating beautiful things.

Barb T. (sorry, no blog link) wished one held inventive ideas. Her paternal grandfather was an inventor and drawings, idea notebooks, and patents would be a fun find!

I loved each and every answer and the special little thoughts, wishes, and personal stories you shared. In my book, each one of you is a winner for helping to make an unpleasant task more pleasurable. Before I share the winners, I'll show what was really in the boxes. A dapper gentleman bows to a pretty little maid...Inside the box rests tiny crochet dancing slippers and pretty petals, gifts that were made for me by my dear friend Pam. This sweet lady was concealing...A trio of tiny silver plated trays, old tickets, vintage pale yellow velvet leaves, and a ribbon tied box of trinkets...This faded cream and gold beauty holds...Eggs... I wondered where these went. The paper mache ones are all ready to paint a pretty blue now that I found them and the shells were some I cleaned and saved for a project experiment. I must have put them in the box to keep them from getting broken.

A tiny trio of drawers...Tucks away itty bitty beads from broken necklaces...This diva had a fun stash hiding behind her fan...The card Beth gave me, a touch of lace, and a wasp nest...An Etsy purchase that I thought I lost...A card of lace...And lastly this old monogrammed leather mens wallet, I hope P.J.S. does not want this back as I am rather fond of it even if it is empty... A darling duck box shelters...A sweet stash... Of vintage post cards featuring more sweet tweets... Tick~tocks and tea pots... Cuff links, cameos, bobbles, and a mini photo...A baby bottle box...Holds a single wee leather doll shoe...A faded rose greeting card box holds... Nothing and everything, anything the imagination wishes to fill it with, dreams, hopes, desires...This satin handkerchief box hides bits of... Bitter sweetness, a small square of lace, a handful of shell buttons, and a card I found tucked inside my grandmothers Bible, a card given to her by a family I don't remember being in tact, myself, my mother, and my father. Our names are there, written together, a family. A handmade paper box...Filled with small squares of handmade paper, perfect for tiny watercolor paintings...A fancy floral box trimmed in satin ribbon...Spills out wide antique lace, dreamy creamy satin ribbon, and one lone shabby sheer ladies glove... A bonny blue Exquisite box...Houses a barley blue baby gown, a petite portrait, blue suede rose, and two tiny vials of vintage glass beads...A bright blue ribboned box...

Holds broken baby dolls, rescued from a dingy plastic bag, awaiting their turn on the work table to be put back together again.A satin padded glove box...Is full of blackbirds...Tucked in tissue paper...They escaped...And it started to get scary, kind of like the movie, The Birds, perching on the box rim...One poor bird lost his beak. I promised him I'd glue it back on...This one has a secret...He whispered it to me...

See his cheeky grin of glee?He loved each and every guess,

And could not choose one which he liked best,

This is what he suggests,

"Don't just give away prizes one, two, and three,

Include everyone whose name in this post you see!"

I wholeheartedly agree!

LDH wins the Mint Chocolate Dreams Paper and Ephemera Kit with added surprise goodies tossed in for her precious guess of babyhood memories!Myrnie wins the Anna Griffin Card Kit with added surprise goodies tossed in for tickling my funny bone with her wrought iron fence pieces guess.Kathy wins the Black and White Collage Kit with added surprise goodies tossed in for her romantic guess of love letters as well as her dreamy list of lovelies!Now, the rest of you listed will receive a little surprise handmade goodie from me too for your wonderful guesses.

If you will all kindly email me your mailing address, my email link is on my upper sidebar, and I will get your packgaes in the mail on Monday of next week. I will be taking a little holiday blog break to visit with family and will mail them as soon as I return. Thank you all for playing and a hearty congratulations!

I slipped one other box up on the shelf, a little gold foil one...It holds, JOY...Which is what I wish each of your holiday's holds too! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

Blessings,

Miss Sandy

Let's Play A Game Give Away.....

2009-11-23T07:36:00.014-06:00

Put on your thinking cap and come play a guessing game with me...In my last post I mentioned playing a guessing game. I also mentioned in an earlier post that I have a habit of buying interesting boxes or containers and filling them with smalls as I shop in flea markets. I try to unpack them as soon as I get home but sometimes I get busy and forget. These are the boxes I shoved up on the shelf last week to get them off the floor while I am in the process of the last push to get the studio in order.

I heard something rattle in one and took a peek, delighted at what I found. I shook a few more and heard them same intriguing rattle. I didn't have time to explore them at the moment so I thought we could do that together through a little guessing game.It has been anything but fun sorting through all the stuff that my daughter left for me plus reorganizing my own stuff, so, I need a little entertainment. The rules are simple, guess what is in the boxes pictured in the photos of this post. You can pick a particular box or set of boxes or all the boxes if you wish, then tell me in your wildest dreams what you think that box or boxes hold. Use your imagination, make up a story about the box, or just guess what you think it actually holds, just please entertain me while I finish the drudgery of sorting!In case you are wondering, yes, there will be prizes! Remember all that cool stuff my daughter left? I have sorted and set some aside to share a prizes. How many prizes you ask, there will be three wonderful art kits for your creative pleasure by days end. Anyone is welcome to play along, no requirements to have a blog and I will ship internationally. I will select three winners and post the results on Wednesday morning as well as the real contents of the boxes. Comments will close at 10:00 PM CST.
GIVE AWAY PRIZES:

Chocolate Mint Dreams Paper and Embellishment Kit...Anna Griffin Card Making Kit...Black and White Collage Paper Kit...I'll be adding some other goodies to these basic kits!

Have fun guessing and have a great day!

Blessings,

Sandy

Coming Unglued, In a Good Way...(3 mini tutorials included)

2009-11-20T07:30:00.019-06:00

"When you give someone a book, you don't give him just paper, ink, and glue. You give him the possibility of a whole new life."

~Christopher Morely~

I know you are going to be as tired of this project as I am before it is finished. I am about to come unglued, in a good way, as I am nearing the end of the gluing process on the second project, the trunk, for studio storage.

Here is the finished bookcase! The old book pages gave this project new life...The two were married (see previous posts here and here) and the yucky backs were primed and then papered with a variety of old book pages and sheet music. I thought I would show you a quick how~to of doing this as well as the process I am using to revamp the inside of the trunk.YOU WILL NEED:

*Wallpaper paste
*Sponge brush
*Old credit or gift card ~ to use as a smoothing tool
*Variety of old book pages that vary is size
*Old sheet music
*Paint brush
*Non~yellowing clear sealer

INSTRUCTIONS:

NOTE: If the surface you are covering is soiled you may want to prime it so that any stains will not bleed through your book pages once they are adhered.

*Lay book page face down on a protected surface, using sponge brush, brush a thin layer of glue over the whole page, making sure to get the edges.

*Place book page on surface and use old credit card or gift card to smooth out the paper, being careful no to put too much pressure or the paper will tear. You want to get out any air bubbles or wrinkles.

*Repeat this process with randomly placed pages mixed with sheet music until you cover your entire surface. Turn some pages sideways or upside down to get a more interesting look. You want to avoid to many straight edges lined up. If this occurs, just layer another page over the surface. You can even place some pages on an angle, there is no right or wrong way to do this. I even cut some pages in half and added them to the some of the edges.

*Allow to dry overnight

*Brush on a coat or two of non~yellowing clear sealer to protect your book pages, allowing to dry between applications.

Below are step~by~step progression photos of the process I used on my bookcase. I tend to do things the hard way, I didn't think of taking photos until I got the last shelf, yep, the one on the bottom. If the photo angles are a little strange or the lighting bad it is because I had to lay flat on my stomach on the floor to take them. Oh the things we will do in the name of blogging!This technique can also be used on flat surfaces, like a desk top. If you apply this to a surface that will be used a lot I recommend using a durable polyurethane of at least three coats. This could be a great idea for a child's bookcase as well, brightly colored storybook pages would make for fun fanciful storage. For a sewing room, why not use old pattern fronts? Why not substitute colorful scrapbook papers, magazine pages, old letters, or even a variety of vintage ephemera?

The trunk got gussied up with a few book pages on the exterior using the same process as described above.I wanted to restore the inside of the trunk as close to the original which was papered in a brown paper. The interior paper was so old, crumbling, and stinky that I stripped it out, all except the original little graphic, that I left in tact. After removing the paper, sanding, and priming the surface I chose to do another paper finish that resembles leather when completed.For this technique you will need the same basic supplies as in the previous project minus the book pages, instead, you will need a roll of brown wrapping paper, the kind you use to wrap and mail packages in.

Again, if your surface is stained, you will want to prime out your project or the stains will leach through your finish project. I primed all the interior surfaces not only due to stains but stink as well. I tried every remedy known to man and could not get the smell out of this trunk so I got a stain and odor blocking primer to treat the surface.

*To begin the project, tear the brown wrapping paper into pieces. You want a variety of sizes from a small, medium, to large range, the largest being no more than approx. 4 in. in size. Tear randomly not in straight pieces.

*Using the same gluing method as above, begin to randomly place the glued paper pieces on the surface of your project, over lapping the edges and smoothing out air bubbles as you go. You want to avoid any of the straight edges of the paper showing so always cover them up with a jagged edge overlapping them.

*Once your surface is covered, allow to dry overnight.

*Seal surface with one or two coats of sealer.

OPTIONAL: If you want a deep rich antique leather look, use and antiquing gel in a brown tone, found at most craft and hobby stores, before sealing. Apply the gel with a soft rag rubbing until you get the look you want. Allow to dry overnight before sealing. This technique looks fantastic on a wall or a tabletop for a leather looking surface.

Below are some photos of the steps in the process. If you see any shiny or white areas, this is the paste, I took these before it was dry.In the midst of all this trunk junk, my friend, Pam, stopped by and we headed to the kitchen to do some dying of tags, paper, lace and trims. We did up a big batch of grunge tags using QueenBe's recipe, found here. After we got tired of dunking tags, we started dipping papers and then moved on to trims, laces, and ribbons. Let me tell you, QueenBe's recipe works great for all of them and they smell so good!Then we invented our own recipe for making some pretty pink strawberry scented tags and trims. To make your own pretty pink strawberry scented tags and trims, you will need:

*Standard shipping tags ~ We used medium and small tags in a cream color, white will work too
*1 1/2 cups boiling water
*2 Moroccan Pomegranate Red tea bags ~ Celestial Seasonings is the brand we used
*6 drops red food coloring
*3 Tablespoons strawberry flavoring ~ found in the baking section of the grocery store
*Cookie cooling racks
*Shallow container ~ I use and old casserole dish
*Old Cookie sheet ~ be sure it is not rusty, if it is, cover it with aluminum foil
*250 degree preheated oven

TO MAKE TAGS:

*Pour boiling water into shallow dish and steep tea bags in boiling water for several minutes, stirring occasionally to distribute colored tea.

*Add food coloring and strawberry flavoring, stir.

*Place tags in liquid mixture and allow to soak for 20 seconds or so until they reach the desired depth of color of your choice.

*Remove tags from liquid and place on old baking pan in a single layer, make sure pan is not rusty or the rust will transfer to the tag and stain it.

*Place baking sheet in preheated oven and bake for 3 minutes, remove from oven, turn over tags, replace in oven for 3 more minutes. Tags are dry when they begin to curl. DO NOT LEAVE TAGS UNATTENDED!

*Cool tags on cookie cooling racks.

*Once completely dry and cool, store tags in a sealed container or zip storage bag until use. This will preserve the scent of the tag.

*Remove tags from storage and embellish any way you wish and enjoy!

*For trims, soak in liquid mixture until desired color is reached. Gently squeeze out excess liquid. Lay trim out on a flat surface covered with waxed paper and paper towels and allow to dry. I put some paper under some of mine instead of paper towels and it left the dye residue on the paper staining it, which will make a really cool background paper.

I am working on some other scented tag experiments, I'll let you know how they turn out. I am thinking peppermint for Christmas!

Well, I have not quite come unglued yet, I still have to tackle the inside of the trunk bottom before I can get to the old door project. Aren't the possibilities of a whole new life by the addition of a little paper and glue delicious? In the meantime, I hope you all have a very wonderful weekend. In the next post we will play the guessing game I mentioned and yes, there will be prizes!

Blessings,
Sandy

Work In Progress...

2009-11-18T11:11:00.007-06:00

I know, not such a pretty photo to head a post with but hey, gluing is just not that glamorous and that is mostly what I am doing today.

I thought I would pop in while I am taking a break and post on the studio spruce up work in progress. I got all the pieces cleaned up, sanded, primed, and painted. Some of you asked where I got these items. Actually, they were all pieces I already owned that were no longer in use and in storage. My challenge to myself was to try and come up with replacement storage without spending any or at least very little money. That meant I had to scout out the storage building and the loft of the barn for potential pieces.

The bookcase with the spindles was a flea market find and the other one Handy Hubby built. The one was stacked on the other to make one large unit that I used as a display in a flea market booth I used to have. At one point I added fabric to the back it held all our home school materials and it also served as guest room storage for fluffy towels, extra blankets, etc. at another time. When it was no longer needed it went to storage and held tubs of Christmas ornaments. The Christmas ornament tubs stack just fine on the floor so I snitched it for the studio.The little door is one of a pair of closet doors that I salvaged from my grandmothers homestead before it gave way. The other door resides on an antique wardrobe that a friend gave me. All the drawers were in tact but it did not have a door. This little door was a perfect fit. My son is currently using the piece in his home.The child's trunk was a gift from my mother to my daughter but my daughter never liked the trunk and it was never used because there was no room for it in her room. It has been sitting in the loft of the barn for many years.Today I am papering the back of the shelf unit with old book pages and sheet music. The back has holes drilled in it where I had cords for lighting when it was a booth display. Not wanting to go to the hassle of replacing it I am just papering over them. Tonight I should be able to seal the pages with a non~yellowing sealer.I wanted this to match the previous build we did so I am keeping it simple with white paint and book pages. I'll tackle the door and trunk this afternoon. I am not sure I want to paint the outside of the trunk now that it is clean, I rather like the patina. What do you think?Hopefully I can get all the work done so that it can all be sealed today, that way it can dry the rest of the week and be ready to load up this weekend.

While visiting Dawn I followed this link and found this storage idea...and I want to make one for my studio. I love this! I even have some of my grandmothers canning jars with date stamps from the early 1900's that I could use. I also have some salvaged wood pieces that would work well and I can raid Handy Hubby's stash for the clamps.

Have you seen any clever storage ideas lately or do you have any you would like to share? I'd love a link! Break time is over and I have to go glue. Have a great day!

Blessings,
Miss Sandy

Sprucing Up the Studio.....

2009-11-16T07:25:00.012-06:00

"One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries."

~A. A. Milne~

I think I mentioned in an earlier post that now that Darling Daughter had moved out that all things not studio related have moved into her recently vacated closet. So, that left me with more space to reorganize supplies. Formerly, the closet looked like this...If you want a full glimpse of the former space you can visit this post.

We installed shelving all the way across the space and I am still in the progress of figuring out exactly how I want it all arranged. This might have been simpler to do if I would have had time to plan it all out before the move.

Darling Daughter needed one of my cupboards for her art supplies in her new home and I had promised her any or all of the cupboards if she wanted them. I had to quickly empty this one...

for her to take with her, so all the stuff from it got shoved in a box or in the closet. Then this one and the one in the closet needed to be emptied...to be taken up to my grandmothers for a laundry room project, so all their contents also got shoved into the closet. That is why the closet looks like a some what of a messy jumble, just a small peek mind you of the part that looks pretty good...

I did not like looking at the empty space evacuated by darling daughter so I shoved some of the stuff up on the shelves like this...I probably won't leave it this way but at least the stuff is off of the floor! It is mostly books and boxes that need to find a home, possibly not mine. I have a crazy habit of buying interesting boxes and filling them with smalls when I flea market. I sometimes forget what is inside each one and it is like a treasure hunt to open them. I will honestly tell you that I don't have a clue whats in some of these. Maybe later this week we will play a game of guessing what's inside.

I still have to sift through the stuff Darling Daughter left behind. Shall we take a peek and see if there is any good stuff? In drawer number 1... just junk!In drawer number 2...JACKPOT! Yummy rubber stamps!She knows how much I love and used her feather so she left it for me, so sweet.In drawer number 3...pretty papers left over from her projects! Underneath, more paper and card kits, and beneath that decorative scissors and other fun stuff!

Cabinet number 1...a container full of cards, a lot them handmade by her!Also, this container full of fabulous papers, stickers, and embellishments that she says are no longer her style, lucky me!And this one...full of stickers and embellishments!And yet another container full of paper kits and embellishments she has assembled!A drawer full of ...bright cheery Christmas goodness! That solves this years card making idea, I'm using this stuff! I love hand~me~downs and leftovers like this don't you? I asked her a thousand times if she was sure she wanted to leave this stuff. She got very exasperate with me and said, "Yes, I am sure! Now go play and have fun with it all."

Underneath I found two scrapbooks that were nearly finished that she says she has outgrown, girlhood stuff. I'll finish them, save them, and give them to her in ten years when her twenties have slipped into her thirties and she will once again be sentimental about such stuff.Lastly, I found this...an album almost complete of precious girlhood memories with more finished pages yet to be added. I'll finish it too and save it for her.Now I have to sort through her stuff and my stuff and combine all our stuff but first I have to have a place to put all this stuff now that my cabinets are gone. So, that is where this stuff I dragged out of storage comes in, two tatty old book cases...An old door...

A very dirty stinky antique child's trunk...

Add to the mixture some primer and white paint, a few brackets and old book pages, boards, some scissors and glue, plus a paint brush and I will be sprucing up the studio for the next day or two! All this disorder really did bring about some exciting discoveries. Hmmm, maybe I won't clean it up after all, exploring is rather fun. I hope you all have some lovely plans for this week.

Blessings,

Miss Sandy

Sweet Stuff and Sassy Shoes...

2009-11-13T11:52:00.012-06:00

"Celebrate we will for life is short but sweet for certain."

~Dave Matthews Band~

(Can you guess who this shoe belongs to?)

I wanted to share some sweet stuff with you that I have come across recently as I have roamed about the enchanted land of blog. I hope you enjoy these links!

What can be sweeter than all things baby related? Well, you are going to flip when you see the preciousness of these sweet baby items at Diane's Unique Creations made by Crafty Diane. I purchased these darling little Mint Julep slippers for my sweet little southern belle granddaughter.

(Images courtesy of Diane) Just look at this pretty in pink set of Little Lady Slippers...And how cute are these Mary Jane's?Diane also takes custom orders. I am hoping she might add some little sweaters to her line. Love your work Diane!

You know how we all love tag art and what could be better than sweet smelling antiqued tags to enhance our gift giving? QueenBe shares her recipe for what she calls grunge tags.

(Tag images courtesy of QueenBe) Let me tell you, they are anything but grungy. I made some the other day and I love the antique look of them AND they made my house smell like a big yummy cookie! Kind of fooled poor Handy Hubby when he came in a found the only thing to munch on were little bits of dyed tag deliciousness.

QueenBe shows you step by step how to create the yummilicous background of these tags and leaves the embellishment up to the imagination. The exact measurements for her recipe are at the end of her post. I have bags of these sealed and ready for use on Christmas gifts. Thank you sweet QueenBe for letting me share you recipe!

If you just want to browse and relax in some of the most inspiring imagery of sweet art and decor then you must skip on over to Stipje!

(Images courtesy of Stipje) Honestly, I cannot read a word of this blog but trust me when I tell you it needs no words. It is like scrolling through the pages of your favorite magazine. So sweet and dreamy!

Oh, and how sweet are these little nature gardens? These are as close as your next stroll through nature. Flower shows how to make these delightful miniature gardens that could grace any space in your home.
Who knew you could transplant even these tiny darling mushrooms?I adore this idea! Thank you, Flower, for sharing your beautiful gardens! Christmas time is just around the corner and tons of sweet preparations are being made over at Joli Paquet for another round of free holiday tutorials! The tutorials will be posted starting on November 17th on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Art kit previews will be posted on November 30th and kit sales will begin on December 3rd. I found some really great ideas over there last year and can't wait to see what that talented group of gals comes up with for this year!

And how about a little homegrown sweetness from right here at the Quill? Remember those Art Shoe kits I keep teasing you with? Well, they are foofed and ready to fill! I am only giving you a little peek at each toe but promise to unveil the whole shoe very very soon!

Cinderella's Slipper...Brier Rose's Dancing Shoe...
Stella's Sepia Slipper...
Carmen's Cameo Slipper...
I hope you each of you have a little sweetness and celebration to fill your weekend! I'll see you next week.

Blessings, Miss Sandy

Exploring the Art of Paper Shoe Making...

2009-11-10T10:13:00.016-06:00

"Now for good luck, cast an old shoe after me."

~Proverb~

For the past few days I have been about the business of a cordwainer exploring the art of shoe making. Some refer to this art form as cobbling, although historically, cobblers were those who repaired shoes, irregardless of the technical term you use, I have been making paper shoes.

In exploring the technical terms of shoe making I stumbled across some interesting tid bits of information. Did you know that there are patron saints of shoemakers? St. Crispin and Saint Crispinian, are the Christian patron saints of cobblers, tanners, and leather workers.

(Vintage Shoe Images from Karen's Whimsy)

Born to a noble Roman family, in the 3rd century AD, Saints Crispin and Crispinian, twin brothers, fled persecution for their faith, winding up in Soissions, where they preached Christianity to the Gauls and made shoes by night. Their success attracted the ire of Rictus Varus, the governor of Belqui Gaul, who had them tortured and beheaded c. 286. In the 6th century, a church was built in their honor in Soissions.

The history of footwear and shoe making is quite interesting. Centuries ago experimentation with various types of materials such as bark, leaves, and rawhide resulted in early forms of foot coverings such as sandals and moccasins. From there new materials and styles were introduced and continue to evolve, only to be limited by the imagination.
My imagination was sparked by a pair of little boy's shoes that I purchased in a flea market several months ago. The itch to experiment with various techniques, materials, and styles pushed itself to the forefront of my mind and so began my hands on journey in the art of art shoe making.

My chosen medium was paper. I sat studying the little leather shoe resting in the palm of my hand and was overcome with the urge to recreate it to the best of my artist ability. I have never made a paper shoe before, had no pattern, and yet I knew this shoe would come into being. First I had to sketch a pattern and then develop a technique that would make paper look like leather. One shoe and a few hours later I was hooked.

From heel to toe this shoe measures 5 in. long and is 3 in. high. A real little toddler foot could slip right in it.What I would change about this shoe is the stitching, I should have done it by hand with waxed twine and went one step further with the paper technique to get a more aged look.Next I search online for paper shoe patterns, after all, wouldn't it be better to at least have a pattern and instructions to follow? I came across this design by Ellen Huston, shoe template and lining template, a cute peep toe party favor shoe. I modified the pattern to suit my tastes, had an experience in major frustration as the vintage wallpaper I used did not want to glue, and after much effort gave birth to my version, the Lady Bird paper shoe...The Lady Bird shoe is 6 1/2 in. from heel to toe and stands 4 in. high at its tallest point.Then I found these adorable patterns for tiny doll size shoes. I made a few changes to the construction of these as well. The results were this adorable little doll shoe where I experimented with paper printing techniques...This wee little dolly shoe is a mere 3 in. long and 1 3/4 in. to the arch of its buckle.And this tiny baby boy oxford, where I wish I had used real stitching before assembling the shoe...This sweet little boy's shoe is 3 in. long and a fraction over 1 in. high. If you try this one, lace the shoe before you construct it. Trust me on this one.While I found following these patterns quite pleasurable, it did not compare to the process of designing and executing the shoe myself. So, I returned to the sketch pad and came up with a baby bootie pattern that is made from handmade duplex and vintage wrapping paper. I goofed on the toe of this one, turning the wrong side of the duplex out but, it was a happy accident. I ended up liking the two tone effect of the shoe.This over sized bootie is 5 in. long and 2 in. high.I then moved on to making a fanciful Autumn Fairy shoe, once again experimenting with paper printing techniques and adding natural materials as design features and embellishments.This sweet confection of nature is 3 in. long and 1 in. high.Dried naturals from the woods around the Quill adorn this shoe both inside and out. It came out better than I expected.Three more shoes are sketched, patterns are cut, materials chosen, and they await the hands on touch of the cordwainer.

Also on the work tables are four Fou~Fou Art Shoe Kits ready to be embellished and filled...Stay tuned, the shoppe really is coming soon!

My shoes do not have the charm, grace, or elegance of Nancy's nor the magical quality of Dawn's but they were created with the same kindred artist spirit that makes one want to apply the hands on touch of an idea bringing it into being by the fingers. Cobbling is indeed noble profession and I am honored to work alongside other shoe makers and be inspired by this century old art form.

Blessings,
Miss Sandy

An Altered Tobacco Tin Tale...

2009-11-06T19:00:00.000-06:00

"Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love , the things you are, the things you never want to lose."

~From the television show The Wonder Years~

Atop her desk among her most precious of things sat a little tobacco tin decorated with memories of the past. The tin itself was a teasing gift from her papa. One day he tossed it to her in jest in place of the usual piece of peppermint he kept hidden in his vest pocket. Not wanting him to get the last laugh, she made over the tin as if it were the best present she had ever received. Her papa ruffled her hair and said she may not only keep the tin but being such a good sport had earned her not one but two sweet treats. She smiled as she fingered the tin and remembered.She did not set out with intention to decorate the tin only to scuff off the rust so that anything she placed inside would not be soiled. In the removing of the rust, the surface was marred so she set out to pretty it up a bit with a pot of paint left over from the refurbishing of the old front gate.The tin then served as a keeper of girlhood fun. It once housed a set of silver jacks, a red bouncy ball, and a half stick of chalk for keeping score. Its contents changed from time to time as the girl grew. As girlhood faded quietly away and young womanhood approached a battered tobacco tin no longer seemed as attractive a companion as it had in the past.

Not wanting to part with the tin that so reminded her of her papa, she decided to embellish it a bit to make it a more fit companion. Snitched bits of the paper mama was hanging in the dinning room and swipes of paste, as well as grandma's discarded broken broach covered up the nicked paint. A hair ribbon or two replaced the previous contents as the tin took its place on her dresser.One day she sat twiddling and twirling the tin and a host of fancy trims mama had placed in front of her to decide which would be stitched upon her traveling frock. She liked the brown velvet ribbon with the sheer ruffling the best. Seeing that mama was not looking, she snipped a slip of trim for her tobacco tin, stowing it out of sight.One year later she came swirling into the room with dainty ribbons fluttering from the stem of a tiny button of a rose. She held the rose up to catch its barely there fragrance, smiling, and remembering the one who slipped it into her palm as they danced. She and her friends giggled over the romantic gesture, one of them removed a pin from her headdress to tack the tiny token to the waistband of the young woman's costume.From her silk bag she removed her dance cards of the evening. There were four of them in total, all given to her by the same flirtatious young man who gave her the rose. With each one he signed and handed her, a teasing banter took place. He wanted the dance of grace for what was surely her unmerited favor in partnering with him.The dance of beauty would give unparalleled pleasure to his senses as he gazed upon her.The dance of charm would further cast its magical spell over the evening as her feet moved like poetry and her smile a song.The dance of elegance would round out the evening in a refined manner as her gracefulness and gentility would unfold itself in the last waltz. This was the dance in which the tiny rose materialized in the palm of her hand.Wanting to savor the treasures of the evening but keeping them from prying eyes, her gaze lit upon the old tobacco tin. What better way to honor the sweet memories of the two men who had so completely captured her heart than to combine them as adornment for her tiny treasure box.Emptying the tin of its tangle of forgotten trim and no longer worn hair ribbons, she lovingly tucked each dance card inside, closing the lid tightly against inquisitive glances but opening her heart to new possibilities. Tacking the trim and rose bud tied ribbon in place with her friends borrowed pin was a perfect adornment for her memory tin.Many years later she unearthed the tin from a box of old trinkets. Its once bright paper had faded with age, the ribbon crinkled and sagged, the rose bud was dried and no longer fragrant. The lid was stubborn and unyielding to give up its secret contents as her aged fingers worked at loosening it. A metallic pop issued forth as it gave way, a smile spread across her lips as a single button tumbled out into the palm of her hand.She ran her thumb around the edges as she sat remembering. This was a button from her papa's vest, the one he always wore. The one that held peppermint candy, a big shiny gold pocket watch, and an old tobacco tin. She remembered the day she got it, another gift given in jest and meaningfulness.It was the day her mysterious young man from the dance made his intentions known. It was the day he nervously stood before her papa to ask for her hand in marriage as she waited anxiously in the garden, pacing past mama tending her pansy's and hoping her face would shine as happily as their little flower faces did in the next few moments. It did.Papa and her young man both walked towards her with sober expressions and her heart sank until she noted the twinkle in her papa's eye and the twitching corners of her intendeds mouth. Her papa scooped her up in a big bear~like hug while mama fluttered nearby in excitement. As he released her the middle button on his vest popped right off.

With a hearty laugh he scooped it from the ground and placed it in her palm telling her it was her grown up treat from him to her. A treat not unlike the peppermints of the past, sweet remembrances, this button was to be a reminder of the pride and joy he took in having her as his daughter. He was so proud that he did indeed burst his buttons over that fact, not due to his spreading middle he joked. She offered to sew it back on for him but he refused. He held her hands in his and gently closed her fingers over the button telling her to keep it to remember her old papa by. As if she could ever forget.Someone someday would find these tiny treasures among her possessions and fail to see their significance. Her fingers played across each embellishment as she sat lost in thought. They would not know the sweet treats and tobacco tin that were hidden in a vest pocket, so freely shared.

They would not see grandmothers fresh lace collar always pinned with her cameo broach and the sweet smile that ever hung just above it. They would not remember the taste nor smell of the delights of food or conversation that were held in the papered walls of mama's dinning room. They would not remember the traveling frock that kept her warm on the way to an autumn dance where she met a special young man who became her life companion.They would not know the history of the ribbon and the rose. They would not remember the charm, beauty, elegance, or grace that each dance card and memory held. They would not know that each of these memories were buttoned up with love that lasted a lifetime. But she knew by heart the tale of the old tobacco tin...

I hope you enjoyed my version of Beth's Artist Class Tutorial of an altered tin. Beth is one of the contributing artists who provided not only step~by~step illustrated instructions and beautiful vintage wallpaper downloads, but also gorgeous images in a few themes to make the tins in a variety of ways and uses. Thanks Beth, for a sweet project that fired the imagination for my tobacco tin tale.

Blessings,
Miss Sandy

A Crushed Red Chili Pepper Kind of Day...

2009-11-04T07:14:00.009-06:00

"The soul should stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience."

~Emily Dickinson~

The last couple of days have been crazy busy here at the Quill with not a spare moment to post. I have been painting up a storm. We had an unseasonable warm snap in the weather and Handy Hubby insisted that we get the exterior doors painted before cooler weather returned. I had procrastinated about getting this done because I could not decide on a specific shade of the color I chose.

We headed off to the paint store and miracle of miracles, we both liked the same shade! Our shopping excursions together are never this easy. Feeling quite confident, we headed home to prime the new front and back doors as well as those of the writing cottage and storage shed.We decided to experiment on the storage shed door before actually applying the paint to the doors on the house, just in case. While I happily slapped paint on the door resting on saw horses, Handy Hubby painted the shed the same color as the new siding on the house, trimming it out in white. I kept ooohing and ahhhing over the color saying how much I really liked it.

After the door was dry, it was ready to hang. New hinges and hardware stood at the ready. The door was hoisted into place. Anxious to see the results, we skipped putting the handle on to close it and stand back to admire the new bold color.

By the time we were finished, it was late afternoon and the sun was beginning to set and shining on the newly painted shed. We both gasp in horror at the garish color, it did not look like Crushed Red Chili Pepper but more like Burnt Orange! Orange doors! The doors looked orange! Orange!I nervously dialed Darling Daughter and asked her could she come over and take a look. The Young Man Who Comes To Call On Her came too. They pronounced the doors orange too. I am not sure if it was the afternoon sun beaming directly on them or the shock of seeing such a bright color after having had dark green doors for so many years but I was ready to have a stroke.Bright and early the next morning I rushed to the paint store and snatched up another paint chip nervously sliding it across the counter to the clerk. This one was red, Oriental Red, at least I hoped it was red. As soon as I got home I painted a spot on the door and let it dry. I painted over the spot and let it dry. Yes, it was red, but sitting next to the bright, cheerful, and vibrant rusty orange it was totally drab and not fab.

I spent the day anxiously peering out the window at the contrast between the two colors. Both looked equally great with the siding and trim colors but one was a more jolly color while the other felt bold and aggressive. One exuded happiness and joy, it was inviting, stimulating, and spoke of a spark of creativity. Mmm, I think the tide was turning in favor of one over the other.After Handy Hubby came home and we stood side by side studying the colors. It was definitely decided that we were indeed Crushed Red Chili Pepper people after all. The initial shock of the vibrant color had worn off and it had grown on us, plus, the indirect light of day makes it look like a totally different color. Never mind what anyone else thinks, we wanted happy welcoming doors. After all, its just paint! Our souls stood ajar for a moment, ready, and welcoming the ecstatic experience of spicy color to flavor our lives. It was and is a delicious experience, testing something new and embracing it so freely.

I will finish the touch ups today and this evening new hardware will be fitted into place. I am free to pursue other things, like altering this tiny vintage tobacco tin. I am popping over to the Artist Class to do Beth's tutorial today. New projects and downloads are being added daily, Lesley Venable's Christmas Altered Book Cover is just adorable! You can visit Lesley's blog Flatwoods Folk Art HERE.Did you know that it is not too late to sign up even though classes have begun? The classes will be open through February so there is plenty of time to work on the projects at your own pace. If you are interested, you can use my discount code, quillcottage, to save $10.00 off the class tuition price.

Mmm, this is deifintely feeling like a Crushed Red Chili Pepper kind of day, vibrant and inspiring! I hope you have a little spice and a spark of color in your day as well.

Blessings,
Miss Sandy

P.S. I am sorry that I have had to turn on the comment verification on my blog. Up to this point I have had no problems until the past few days. I have received some vile links as well as some comments made to look like other bloggers leaving them but they are business links that I do not wish to have my blog linked to. I know this makes commenting a pain. I have reported the offenders and hopefully this issue will be resolved. Thanks for understanding.

Autumnal Banner Winner and Free Autumnal Tag Tutorial...

2009-10-31T02:00:00.005-05:00

"Every leaf speaks bliss to me,

fluttering from the autumn tree."

~Emily Bronte~

Thank you to all who entered the banner give away. It was awesome to see so many familiar names as well as so many new ones. Thanks for giving me some great places to visit. I really and truly do appreciate the snippets of time you spend here and cherish each friendship. Thank you so much for your love and support. I wish I had a thousand banners to give away, one for each of you. To show my appreciation, I have posted a fun free Autumnal Tag Tutorial. I have included some fun techniques that I think you will enjoy.

Now, without further delay, the winner of the Autumnal Banner is...
Nita Jo of Little Grey Gardens! Congratulations Nita Jo, you will find my email link on my upper side bar, please email me your mailing address and I will get your banner in the post on Monday!

AUTUMNAL TAG TUTORIAL:

MATERIALS:

Corn husk ~ can purchase in the international foods section of grocery store, for making tamales
Acrylic paints ~ autumn colors of your choice in primary or metallic. I used Delta Ceramcoat brand in Pumpkin, Tomato Spice, Burn Umber, Straw, Hunter Green and Apple Barrel brand Cinnamon Apple
Paint brush ~ I used a 3/4 inch flat wash brush
Old toothbrush
Small leaf punch ~ I used a small maple leaf punch by Family Treasures
Standard size manila shipping tag
Resting Child Image ~ wallet size
White card stock
Piece of wax paper
Brown Ink pad
Twig
Pinch of moss
Scrap of textured paper of your choice
Scrap of paper for back of tag
Hole Punch
Scrap of lace
8 inches of ribbon
Scrap of trim
12 inches of crepe paper streamer
Sewing needle
Scissor
Thread
Button or other embellishment of your choice
Glues ~ hot glue, matte gel medium or craft glue of your choice

INSTRUCTIONS:

*Print out the wallet size image below on white card stock and cut out.NOTE: To save the image to your computer, right click on image below to enlarge. Left click on the enlarged image and select "save image as", name your file and click save. Move image to printing program of your choice to print.*Place your shipping tag and one corn husk on a piece of wax paper to protect your work surface.*Using your flat wash brush dipped in water then in paint to water it down a bit, randomly brush bits of color onto the corn husk, brushing with the grain of the husk. (I used four colors, Pumpkin, Straw, Tomato Spice, and Burnt Umber)

*Rinse brush, dip in clean water, pick up a second color in the same manner and repeat process.*Repeat this step with as many colors as you wish to use. Your husk will look very random and streaky.Your corn husk should look like this:*Dip the tip of the bristles of an old toothbrush into clean water and blot out excess.*Dip toothbrush into burnt umber paint and swirl around to coat tips of bristles.*Flick your thumb across the brush to spatter brown flecks of paint across the entire corn husk.*Set aside husk to dry.*Dip dry paint brush into edge of puddle of Cinnamon Apple paint, barely getting paint on the tip, and blend in a little. Carefully pull the dry brush loaded with paint down the tag using a very light touch. Paint will look streaky.*Rinse brush, dry well, and repeat step using Straw paint.*Rinse brush, dry well, and repeat step using Hunter Green paint. Shade a little heavier around the edges of the tag with the Hunter Green paint. Set tag aside to dry.*Trim off printed image just below the little girls feet.*Cut a scrap of textured paper to the width of your tag and slightly larger than the height of the trimmed image to mat image.*Using brown ink pad, ink the edges of the image cutout, the textured paper, and the tag by rubbing the ink pad lightly over them.*Using your choice of craft glue, adhere textured paper to tag, leaving about 1/4 inch of the tag bottom showing. Adhere the image to the textured paper.* Cut scrap of your choice of paper the same size as the tag.*Using your choice of craft glue, adhere scrap paper to back of tag and punch out hole with hole punch.*Using needle and thread, gather one long side of 12 inch crepe paper streamer making a ruffle. Adjust ruffle to bottom of tag and glue in place, smoothing down ruffle and trimming if needed.*Glue scrap of trim around the top of the crepe paper ruffle going all the way around the tag. I left a little frayed edge on mine.*Embellish trim with a button or adornment of your choice.*Glue snippets of lace to tag as shown in photo below.*Embellish space between lace with a paper of your choice by gluing in place. I used the word "autumn" and its meaning from an old child's dictionary.*Glue twig to side of tag as shown and cover twig end with a pinch of moss glued in place.*Cut off jagged bottom edge of your painted corn husk.*Insert straight edge of corn husk into punch and punch out several leaves.*Arrange and glue clusters or single leaves to twig.

*Angle cut ends of 8 inch ribbon, pull both ends up through the hole in the tag from the back of the tag, slipping ends of ribbon through loop on back, and gently pulling tight.YOUR AUTUMNAL TAG IS COMPLETE!

TIP: You could scatter the small husk leaves on your holiday table like confetti. If you are going to make confetti, paint one side of the husk, allow to dry, then paint other side and dry before punching (OR) You can trace a life size leaves on the back, cutting them out, inking the edges with a brown ink pad, (optional)paint on vein lines with brown paint, and use them in your holiday decor. If the larger husk leaves want to curl, use spray glue and adhere them to card stock then cut out and place on table. I think I have a few more leaves up my sleeves so stay tuned! Enjoy!

Many Blessings,
Miss Sandy

Give Away Reminder...

2009-10-29T07:39:00.004-05:00

"October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came -
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
and the leaves of every name.
The sunshine spread the carpet,
and everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band."

~George Cooper - "October's Party"~

Just a little reminder that there are still a couple of days left to sign up for the Autumnal Banner Give Away. To sign up visit this post link and leave a comment. You do not have to have a blog to enter and there are no shipping restrictions. A winner will be announced on Saturday, October 31, 2009.

This was my project for the Artist Class and today my tutorial is up! This project was inspired by our recent trip to the Great Smoky Mountains...A land of utter enchantment...Where you can view nature at its finest...Where woodland creatures abound...And breath taking scenery surrounds... Where a magical mist hangs over the mountains and an air of enchantment casts its spell of bewitching beauty. I'll be putting up another travel post in the next few days for those of you who have been following along. The Great Smoky Mountains in autumn will remain one of my favorite fall memories.

What is your favorite fall memory?

Blessings,
Miss Sandy

Delicious, Delectable Books...

2009-10-28T08:24:00.013-05:00

"Let books be your dining table,

and you shall be full of delights,
Let them be your mattress,
and you shall sleep restful night."

~Author Unknown~

(Aren't these yummy? I ordered them on Etsy, can't wait til they arrive!)

Hi Sweet friends,

This morning I got up before the chickens, well, at least I was up before the neighbors rooster crowed. In general I am not a morning person but I was excited to get up and get things done so I could share some fun finds with you and get busy resettling the studio so I have two full days of play in there! This is a very good thing since the Artist Class is in full swing and I can't wait to try out some of the tutorials over there.

While I was was rearranging my art supplies on the new closet shelving I came across a painting my daughter did several years ago, it was tucked in between some of my canvas'. Don't tell, but I am going to keep it! Hard to believe that was six years ago, we were homeschooling, and I was giving her and a neighbor girl painting lessons. Big sigh, how time flies!Today when I run errands I want to find some velvet ribbon to glue around the outside of the canvas and to use for hanging. I think the colors are perfect for decorating for autumn. I will hang it in the dinning nook. Possession is 9/10 of the law, she cannot steal it back can she? I'd better practice my puppy dog look and play the "But it reminds me of you and I miss you so much since you moved out." card, then she might let me keep it. I am going to remind her that She didn't like the way it turned out but I do!Last evening when Handy Hubby came home from work, he made me an offer I could not refuse. He suggested driving into the city for dinner and maybe I would want to go to the books store. Are you kidding, I would never ever in a million years pass up an offer to go to the bookstore. Forget dinner when there are books to satisfy my appetite!

I was quite the greedy girl and chose the two course meal. Would you like to see what I feasted on? Well, at least my eyes did. We made a stop in Tuesday Morning looking for a box to match some that I had previously bought, I found a small one but I wanted a larger one too, no luck. I did find this book by Rachel Ashwell, Sumptuous Settings & Other Lovely Things. It is dreamy and I did not have this one. Love those Tuesday Morning bargains, a $34.99 hardcover book for $9.99. How sweet is this shower gift idea? Sorry the scans have a shadow on them, I didn't want to bend my new book. A pretty party idea...How is this for framed art?I also got a set of K&Co. rubber stamps, a $12.99 value for $1.99! That was a great appetizer.We stopped and ate dinner, sneaky me, I chose a restaurant right next door to the book store ;c) I was getting kind of impatient that they were so busy because I knew what awaited just on the other side of the wall. In spite of my anticipation, we had a leisurely dinner. Now for the real main course, delectable books, a whole store full of them.

I feasted my eyes on some magazines, but they were not very palatable so I moved on the the bargain section but found that unsatisfying as well. I tasted tid bits of fine art books but no, that didn't hit the spot either. Perhaps my taste buds would be tempted by something in the crafts and hobbies section. Not so much. I sampled gardening, cooking, photography, nature, writing resources, and then made one last swing by home decor.

There before me lay the most tasty treat, Merry & Bright, a Country Living publication. Ah, my appetite was sated with all the festive ideas AND the special bonus. If you buy the book, you get a one year subscription to the magazine for free! Cool huh? Too good of a buffet to pass up!I don't usually buy holiday books because looks and styles change so much that they can look dated. Our local library has tons of holiday books and I usually check out some of those for inspiration. This one was my exception to the rule. The ideas in here are so simple, so timeless, and so easy to create that I just fell in love with it. The book includes a few recipes and crafting idea as well as page after page chock full of gorgeous color photos. Yes indeed, I was filled with these delicious delights.I'm off the shove, er, organize my supplies in the closet, the faster it is done, the faster I get to play. Kind of makes me feel like a kid with chores again. Man, I thought I'd out grown that!

So, what are you going to do today?

Blessings
Miss Sandy

Autumnal Glory.....

2009-10-26T14:00:00.000-05:00

"I love to wander through the woodlands hoary

In the soft light of an autumnal day"

~Sarah Helen Whitman - Still Days in Autumn~

I seem to be all caught up in the glory of autumn. I am trying to cloak myself in the warmth and richness of all that this season has to offer before the bare threads of winter are woven my way. Sunny days with crisp blue skies have been scant. We are experiencing a soggy autumn. However, yesterday was bright and cheery, with a hint of warmth in the winds. I took advantage of the opportunity late in the afternoon to crunch about the new carpeting of leaves here at the Quill.

Everything beyond my door stoop is cloaked in autumnal glory. The trees were in a talkative mood and offered up their sacred story. They invited me to sit awhile... to observe, listen, and learn from their sage advice. Clearing their throats with a rattling clatter they whispered on the wind, excitedly gesturing as they swayed, quivering with emphasis, showering me with leaflets speaking of their seasoned lives.

A few brave trees were trying to hang onto their vestiges of summer greenery like some try and hang on to their youth, clinging, yet painfully aware of the passing time and seasons with the inability to stop the inevitable... Others were giving up the bounty of their beauty most freely, accepting their fading and imperfections as badges of honor, sharing the wisdom of their ages, offering up the fruit of their experience, emptying themselves effortlessly to embrace the seasons yet to come...Some embraced their scars earned through the ages by flinging their arms wide open to cradle and nurture others, housing them in the shelter of their bosom... These delight in handing out little nuggets of truth to the fledglings that fly their way, assuring them that all is not what it seems... They were young once too with hopes and dreams and wishes...The path to maturity did indeed get murky at times...There were days when they felt a mere shadow of their former selves... Where their usefulness felt spent, crisp, brown, dried up, barren and exposed for all to trample upon... They stood stoically around me, deeply rooted in thought, as I listened to them breathe... Remembering when unwanted things crept up on them... Joints that began to creak and bend in unwelcome ways... Oh, how some of them longed for those golden halcyon days... Those with a brighter countenance lifted up their arms in praise for each and every one of those golden weeks...crimson months...apricot years...saffron seasons...and dappled days... They dropped at my feet a little nugget of truth... True beauty is not found in youth, where skin is flawless and bodies show no effects of aging. True beauty is found in the taking of joy in living. It is mirrored in the eyes, a reflection of what is in the heart. True beauty is a beauty of the soul and it far outshines the exterior of the package it comes in. Every season has its pleasures, spring may boast of its flowery prime, yet the ruby treasures that brighten autumn, what fruitfulness is on the vine of time. The dear season of autumn with its blessings take not away but add to depth and hue of beauty, "it fills the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape lays as if new, created in all freshness of childhood"(Longfellow ~ Evangeline), that beautiful still useful season of life.

These are things the trees whispered to me, that, "Sweet and smiling are thy ways, Beauteous, golden Autumn days." (Will Carleton ~ Autumn Days)

Blessings,
Miss Sandy

P.S. Don't forget the sign up for the Autumnal Banner give away, just visit this post link to leave a comment for a chance to win.

A Few Goodies and A Give Away......

2009-10-24T11:41:00.010-05:00

(FREE IMAGE)

So sorry to have gone MIA again but I have been one busy beaver getting everything perfect for my Artist Class tutorial. Let me tell you it has been a huge undertaking, not putting together the class instructions, BUT the technical side has been a challenge to say the least. I think I need an Everything Dummies Need to Know About Technical Stuff guide! I am every bit as tuckered out as the sweet little gal in the image above. Feel free to save her and use her in your art.

I won't bore you with the details, let's just say I have about snatched myself bald. Luckily I have a computer guru son who bailed me out and this afternoon Mary will have my contribution in her hot little hands and I will swoon with relief.

Talk about coming in under the wire, the Artist Class starts tomorrow! I wanted to share a few more goodies from the class with you. What can get better than books and cake? How about a cake made out of books? Look at this yummy project by Martha! Martha once made a Christmas tree from book pages that is to die for, you must visit her fantastic blog, Vintage Trifles.

Also, Joy is going to show us some tips and tricks with digital art to make ATC's. She will be using elements and backgrounds from Mary's French Dictionary collection and is including a mini digital kit you can use. Obviously I need all the digi help I can get and I will be so happy to learn some simple skills in this area. I can't wait! It is not too late to sign up. If you use my discount code, quillcottage, you will save $10.00 off the tuition price.

Now, I'd like to offer a little goodie of my own to one of my blog readers. It's time for a give away! My project for the class is an Autumnal Banner. I will be giving away the sample banner I made for the class! To sign up just leave a comment on this post. You do not have to have a blog to enter. There are no shipping restrictions. I'll leave the sign up open all week, posting a winner on Saturday, October 31, 2009.

Now, I am off to continue to sort through all my own goodies and get them organized on the new closet shelving, making room for more fun stuff in the room! I'll see you on the flip side of the weekend. I hope you all have a happy Saturday!

Blessings,
Miss Sandy

Closet Dreams.....

2009-10-21T08:00:00.002-05:00

"The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau..."

~Dan Rather~

(Beth ~ Altered Tin)

Today feels like a closet cleaning kind of day. The kind of day where your hands are busy doing the necessary work set before you while the heart and the mind are free to dream. Darling Daughter came and got the last snippets of her life here and packed them in a box, toting them out to her car. With a slam of the trunk, she was gone...almost. The hall closet still houses her special quilts made my her great aunt and her great grandmother. Her warm flannel sheets are tucked in there too as are an assortment of curtains from bedroom decors of the past and I am not sure what else.(Lori ~ Beautiful Box)

Yesterday I spent the afternoon teaching her how to reupholster chair cushions for her antique dining set. They came out great and she has given me permission to photograph her post stamp place and share it with you once she is finished unpacking boxes.(Dawn ~ Fairy Baby Jar)

I also have to tackle the closet in the studio because there will be some major changing going on in there. All my nice clean tall white cupboards that house supplies will be moving out. Handy Hubby is going to install shelving all the way across the current closet and all my supplies from the cupboards will then fit in there. YES!!! That will give me more room for pretty yet practical around the room.(Dawn ~ Paper Clay Snowman Ornament)

Since Darling Daughters Closet is now empty, all the extra storage that was not studio related can can now move into her previously occupied space. I don't have any current plans for the room itself right now, just the closet. I want to plan the space very carefully. You see, I have a dream. A dream that has been kept in the secret closet of my heart for some time now.(Karla ~ Paper Doll)

In that dream I want to host and teach small open studio art classes here at the Quill but, living in a cottage in not very conducive for crowds of any sort. If I had an actual dining room then there would be no problem.(Nerissa ~ Vintage Bling Rings)

I have considered the writing cottage but with no easy access to bathrooms, water, etc. necessary for such a thing makes that not a viable option. So, this new spare room seems to be my solution, but I need to have everyday function as well. It needs to be a room that can easily be converted from grand kid space to studio event space.(Nerissa ~ Vintage Stamped Keys)

I could just reserve a room at the library to hold classes in, which is what a lot of artist in our area do, but it is so impersonal and uninspiring. The first issue I need a solution for is a bed for grands or guests. I am thinking of a Murphy bed. I have done some research and found a kit that lets you make your own and since I am married to a very handy man, I am going to pitch the idea to him. I think this would make a great winter project and that man does so love to build things.(Robin ~ A Pocket Full of Treasures Scrapbook)

This would solve floor space and leave room for a table and chairs to be set up in the center of the room for classes when needed. A couple of cute flea market finds could serve as cupboards for class supplies and flank each side of the window on the short wall with a nice window bench built in between for snuggling up with grand kids to read and a lift top for toy storage underneath. Sounds good so far, now to just get Handy Hubby to sign off on the plan.(Tammy ~ Homage to a Loved One Assemblage)

My biggest obstacle is to convince him to let me get rid of the carpeting and put in a floor better suited for a studio space in both rooms. So, as my hands are busy culling and sorting closet contents, my brain will be brewing up plans to make my closet dream come true.(Tia ~ VooDoo Heart)

Did you notice all the pretty photos in this post? These are a few of the projects for the Artist Class. Aren't they fantastic? There is still time to sign up. Class details can be found HERE. Be sure and use my discount code, quillcottage, if you sign up and you will receive a $10.00 discount off the class tuition price.

(Autumnal Banner taught by me as well as few small bonus projects with an autumnal theme)

Mary is doing such a great job of coordinating this event and she has been seeking out a variety of media and projects to suit all types of interest for the students. Although I don't have photos, Lisa will be demonstrating a Project Sampler Book and Karen will be supplying a bonus Marie Antoinette Collage Sheet for your artful pleasure.

Each of these projects began with a dream, an idea that tugged at the heart and pushed itself to the surface, leading to its creation, and the artist to a new plateau. Dreams are like that. A part of mine is being fulfilled as I join the teaching team of the Artist Class. Now to get down to the nitty gritty of pushing the new idea that tugs at my heart forward and see if it will reach the next plateau.

Blessings,
Miss Sandy

Road Trip: Day 3 - Exploring History, Experiencing True Worship.....

2009-10-19T16:00:00.001-05:00

"The time has come for a revival of public worship as the finest of the fine arts...While there is a call for strong preaching there is even a greater need for uplifting worship."

~Andrew W. Blackwood~

After a luscious moonlit soak in the garden tub under a lavish display of diamonds spilling across the black velvet sky, breathing in fresh mountain air, and a wonderful nights sleep we were ready to explore a little local history. We decided to adventure into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and visit historic Cades Cove.
Being Sunday morning, we wanted to attend a worship service in a tiny country church that is located in the park on the 11 mile one way Cades Cove loop. What we did not count on was the traffic. We were told that October was peak tourist season and to expect heavy traffic, but we were unprepared for bumper to bumper slow crawling stopping to gander at mountain streams and wild turkeys or deer alongside the road traffic. Needless to say the one lane loop does not allow for passing so we missed the service, arriving just as they were letting out. No worries though, an amazing experience of true worship was to present itself.The Cades Cove tour is an auto tour with pull offs at ten historic sites with original buildings used to house and farm the settlement. "Before the first white settles arrived on the scene, Cades Cove had been a part of the Cherokee Indians' domain. Abrams Creek and Abrams Falls are features named for a prominent Cherokee chief named "Old Abram" who at the time lived in a village at Chilhowee on the Little Tennessee River. According to tradition, Old Abrams wife's name was Kate, and Cades (Kate's) Cove was named after her." (source ) Apparently no Cherokees lived in the Cove when the Joshua Jobe family became one of the first to settle there in 1821.

When you enter the Cove you encounter the John Oliver Place, a cabin built in the early 1820's, the oldest log home in Cades Cove. Walking up to the cabin felt like taking steps crossing the barrier of time and history. It gives you a great sense of appreciation for not only the natural beauty of the Cove but of the strength of the people who carved out a life in these rugged mountains. Not much except mules, muscle, simple tools, and neighborly help were used to fell the trees to build homes and clear fields for crops and livestock.The second historic place on the tour is the Primitive Baptist Church that was established by early settlers in 1827. Somehow we missed the sign for this one so we didn't get to experience seeing it.

The next site is the Methodist church. J. C. McCampbell, a blacksmith and carpenter, built this church in 115 days for $115.00. He later served for many years as its minister. The church was originally established in the 1820's in a log building until it was replaced by the current building in 1902. This quaint church sits in a simple setting without any fancy adornment and it was here that I experienced one of the purest forms of worship I have ever encountered.I wondered at the design of the building, having two sets of front doors, later to learn that this usually indicates the church follows the custom of men sitting on one side of the house and women on the other. But this church didn't follow that custom. The two doors are there because the church borrowed the building plans of another church that did divided its congregation by gender.

Wondering which side was proper to enter, I chose the one on the right, later discovering that my guess had been correct. In the early history of the primitive churches, separation of the sexes in the church was required. The men occupied the left of the alter, on the south side of the church, while the women occupied the right, on the north side of the church.

The sun began to shine brilliantly through the tall wavy paned windows as I stepped over the threshold, creating a counterpane across the long unused dusty wooden pews. The shuffle of feet across the aged floor could be heard amid soft murmurs of those who entered the sanctuary.Pews lined both sides of the center aisle leading up to a simple platform with a podium, upon which rested an old Bible. To the left of the platform stood and old upright piano, its finish cracked with age and its ivory keys worn with use. Atop the piano rested a stack of old hymn books, musty with age, dogeared and ragged from much use. The whitewashed walls seemed to hold the hushed sound of holiness.

I am not sure exactly when she entered for I never heard her footfall nor the thump of her cane. I was standing stock still in the back corner by the door envisioning not the people of the present who were milling around, but those of the past. I well imagined the simple costume of homespun or calico, maybe some study denim and a starched white shirt or two. Men and boys with hair slicked into place. Women with hair twisted into buns resting at the nape of their necks, little girls in braids. Sturdy work boots and shoes shined and serviceable for the Lords day.
I thought I could hear the music begin to play on the aged piano, accompanied by hums and snatches of verses being sung. I was drawn back into the present by the cease of activity and the realization that the music was indeed very real. The old church walls began to reverberate with strains of Amazing Grace. It mattered not that the old piano was out of tune if one were to gaze upon the face of the one who played.

Stepping forward to get a closer look I noted her cane resting against the piano side. The once sturdy bench creaked as she gently swayed to the strains floating upward. Her gnarled work worn fingers barely able to uncurl enough to tap out the tune. But it was her face that was most arresting. A halo of soft gray curls, illumined from the wavy windows, framed her upturned face. Her eyes were closed, her mouth drawn into a slight bow of a smile. I knew with one glance that she was not present in the room. She was conducting a concert for an audience of one, her Lord.To her right stood an older gentleman softly humming and near the back left door a young man began to sing in a deep baritone voice, yet another began to whistle. A lady soprano standing near the alter joined in. Not a movement could be detected in the room save that of her gentle sway, of fingers tapping out the tune, and lips lifting up praise.

Tears gathered in my eyes and I thought my soul would rise and fly as the last notes died away. Here stood a room half full of perfect strangers, all out sightseeing, stopping at an impromptu gathering to worship together. I cannot fully express the beauty of the moment, the connection of the people in the room, nor the praise or adoration that filled my heart.
I thought of the camera around my neck but could not bring myself to lift it. I so wanted to capture the rapture on her face, the counterpane across her hands as they rested on the keys, the faces of the voices swirling around me, but the moment was too sacred and too holy. It was a moment to be experienced and savored in heart and nothing more.

The soprano approached the pianist and asked her of her training to which she replied, "Lawd child, I've not got no trainin' to speak of. You see, when I's a girl we only went to school a little ways. I don't read sa' well and I never did learn to read music. I just hear it with my heart and play it out on my fingers." The soprano then gushed about the pianist abilities and said she had been classically trained and wanted to give the old piano a try.She dusted off a hymn book and sat down to give it a go. While the music that issued forth was indeed technically correct, it lacked the heart and soul of the previous player. At her touch upon the keys, the spell was broken. We were no longer in the holiest of holies but in an ordinary old church that no longer held services.

I watched her gather her cane as a gentleman helped to steady her. The distinct thump and scuffle could be heard as she exited the building, taking with her the sweet presence that had filled the room just moments before. I watched her through the window as she toured the old cemetery out back, pointing with her cane at three little babies graves.It was at this moment that my husband came in search of me, having lost me in the crowd. We strolled along the gravel path of the cemetery until we were facing the pianist, just about to pass one another. I reached for her hand and leaned in to gently whisper in her ear, "Your music blessed me. Thank you." She bestowed upon me the most angelic of smiles and I felt doubly blessed.There may have been no formal prayers or official preaching but a joyful spirit of true worship did arise within the walls of that little church. I guess I didn't miss the service after all.

Blessings,
Miss Sandy

P.S. I hope you don't mind that I am breaking up the travel posts with other posts in between. I don't want to be like the neighbors I grew up near who would invite us over after their vacation and show us hundreds of slides of their trip which was wonderful to them but not so much for those of us who were not actually there. In other words, I don't want to bore you!

Fun Stuff.....

2009-10-17T20:30:00.002-05:00

Yesterday while I was out running errands I dropped into the local bookstore and found and special issue of Cloth Paper Scissors...This issue features over 20 inspirational artist studios and you know I love to peek into the lives of other artists. I am always motivated by the creative spaces of others and garner great ideas for storage and display.Wouldn't it be fun to create in a castle~like space with salvaged pieces creating the entry?Here are a few more peeks at some the pages...
I also dropped into one of favorite flea markets, Through The Years, looking for a chest of drawers for Darling Daughter. No such luck BUT, I did find Cinderella's shoes. Well, at least one of her shoes, the other one is going to be a 1800's vintage brides shoe when I get them done.I want to use them as containers for art kits for the new shoppe which I hope to have up an running very soon. Now that things have settled here I am working in earnest to get a bit of an inventory worked up before I list anything.

More projects are coming in for the Artist Class. If you would like a sneak peek at the blog you can do so by visiting HERE, but it will only be open to the public until October 24th. The blog will only be public until the class starts then it can only be accessed by codes issued upon registration. Check out the sidebar to meet some of the artists and view a few of the project submissions.

Class starts on October 25th and I am getting so excited. Remember that if you sign up using my discount code, quillcottage, you will receive a $10.00 discount, bringing the cost from $59.00 to $49.00. Did you know that if you break down the cost of the class you will pay just $4.00 per class when using the discount code? Pretty great deal for getting a dozen project instructions from some wonderful artists, with a bonus free downloads, supply lists, etc. I will be adding some mini bonus projects to my tutorial there as well as some bonus images for your autumn crafting.

And on the super fun front I got to spend the day with my two grandchildren. Thank heavens my mother was here too, otherwise no one would believe how this day really went. She is my witness and partner in grime. It was like an episodes of I Love Lucy meets The Three Stooges, I kid you not.

I am evidently very rusty at caring for a 6 week old, three year old, and one jealous dog. Throw in dog poo tracked in on a shoe and smashed into the rug, projectile spit up that would have surely won points in the Olympics, a child dripping from head to toe in a spilled Sprite with no change of clothes, potty training, baby bottles, diapers, burping, and a whole host of other mishaps and yes it was fun stuff. Talk about adventures in babysitting!

Thank you for all your sweet comments and insights on my last post. After today I am feeling pretty good about my parenting, now I think my grand parenting skills are in question after today's session. My son just rolled when I told him all that went on a few hours time. My daughter-in-law just smiled a knowing smile. I asked them would they ever want me to keep them both at the same time and they both asked if I would ever want to. You bet I would, will, that is after I quit reeking of regurgitated formula, shampoo up the poo or burn the rug, mop the sticky Sprite up off the kitchen floor, and recuperate enough to laugh about the whole day.

I think I have had enough fun stuff for one day so I am off to crash.

Blessings,
Miss Sandy

An Empty Nest.....

2009-10-16T08:30:00.003-05:00

"The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious. Any why shouldn't it be? It is the same the angels breathe."

~Mark Twain, "Roughing It"~

Today I woke up wondering if I might possibly be THE worst mother in the world. There are a lot of conflicting emotions when ones nest is suddenly empty. Over the years I have read all sorts of things about empty nest syndrome from falling into deep pits of depression to failed marriages. One never knows how one will react until it actually happens.I once read an article by Emilie Barnes where she told of her last child, a daughter, leaving home. She said she stood at the end of her driveway waving until her daughters car was a tiny speck then she turned, let out whoop, jumped into the air, and clicked her heels together. Now would be her time.If you know anything about Emilie and her ministry or her writing you will know that she is an amazing woman who was a totally devoted wife and mother who took her duties very seriously. I am shocked that my initial reaction of "OH NO!" has so quickly turned to "OH BOY!" Now is my time.
I keep asking my two best friends, who have traveled this path before me, if this is a normal reaction. Should I not be missing her desperately? Should I not be worrying more and not less? Shouldn't I be depressed and wanting to stay in bed instead of bounding out each morning with a new found sense of freedom? Is it wrong to love that I now get a hot shower in the mornings instead of a tepid one? Is it selfish that I love not being relegated to her work schedule for meal times? Is it wrong that now that the weight of the daily task of parenting has been lifted off my shoulders that I feel lighter, more free, and ready to embrace this new season of life? OR do these things make me THE worst mother in the world?I am finding empty nest syndrome to be very confusing. I am not depressed and my marriage is not stressed. I thought it would be devastating. I thought I would be roughing it, but it feels like a very natural order of things. By releasing my daughter to spread her wings for her solo flight in life, I am suddenly finding the joy in a little solo flying of my own. We are in a sense sharing this new experience together yet in separate ways. It is a bonding without previous boundaries. The fresh air we are now flying in is indeed very fine, very pure, bracing and delicious. And why shouldn't it be? I feel God's blessing. Now is our time.

Blessings,
Miss Sandy

Road Trip: Day 2 - Stay in the Pink Chalet, NO WAY!

2009-10-15T07:00:00.002-05:00

"A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving."
~Lao Tzu~

<strong><em><span>Day 2: Stay in the Pink Chalet, NO WAY!</span></em></strong><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ju-5cpu90tU/StcXZ-9S8RI/AAAAAAAAMBo/K2UsaPeivrc/s1600-h/chalet.jpg"></a> <strong><em><span>We meandered at a leisurely pace from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Murfreesboro</span>, Tennessee where we lodged for the night, towards the Great Smokey Mountains. </span></em></strong> <div><strong><em><span></span></em></strong></div> <div><strong><em><span>We made a little detour to stroll along a 1.5 mile trail along a beautiful mountain stream that cascaded into a small waterfall. The bridge was out so we took the foot path strewn with sweet spotty leaves where we spied unusual vegetation, and mountain springs. </span></em></strong></div> <div><strong><em><span></span></em></strong></div> <div><strong><em><span>The trail told a lovers tale as names, dates, hearts, and sweet sentiments lettered the trees, carved by sweethearts past and present. As we climbed higher we passed a small cascade of falls. As the top of the trail we stood on an overlook watching a curtain of crystal spilling over the gorge edge creating tiny rainbows as it plunged into the pool below. </span></em></strong></div> <div><strong><em><span></span></em></strong></div> <div><strong><em><span>We arrived in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Gatlinburg</span>, Tennessee late in the afternoon and started the winding climb up the mountain to our chalet. Just as we rounded a hairpin turn we came face to face with a black bear standing in the road. Handy Hubby grabbed the camera, which happened to be around my neck, nearly choking me to death as he snapped a couple of pictures. The bear quickly scampered up the hillside. I was beyond excited to see the bear. One of my fondest wishes was to see a black bear in its natural habitat.</span></em></strong></div> <div><strong><em><span></span></em></strong></div> <div><strong><em><span>Our chalet was at the very top of the mountain at the end of the road. Going up the narrow mountain lane is a little hair raising. On one side you literally hug the mountain and on the other you hug air with sheer drops into deep gorges. Cute little chipmunks play dodge as they run across the road with their little tails straight up in the air. I have yet to get a photo of one.</span></em></strong></div> <div><strong><em><span></span></em></strong></div> <div><strong><em><span>Our anticipation and anxiety mounted as we unlocked the door of our cute pink cottage. Remember when I said cute counts? Well, even more than cute, so does clean!!!!! Stay in that pink chalet, NO WAY! I won't go into detail but needless to say we immediately locked the door headed back down the mountain where we could get a cell signal to call the owner and to check into a hotel. Oh, but I saw a real live black bear!</span></em></strong></div> <div><strong><em><span></span></em></strong></div> <div><strong><em><span>Our journey back down the twisted turning back on itself mountain roads got even more hair raising when we got turned around and got lost with darkness fast approaching. We hear a dreaded ding from the dash and realize with horror that the sheer climb up had used far more fuel that we realized it would. What was a half a tank of fuel was now near vapors. Holding our breaths and praying like crazy we coasted right off the mountain into a service station. Whew, that was close! </span></em></strong></div> <div><strong><em><span></span></em></strong></div> <div><strong><em><span>Long story short, another chalet was available, it was satisfactory so we switched units and are happy mountain dwellers. The views are magnificent. At night we can see the distant lights of the city below. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">All's</span> well that end's well. Did I mention that I saw a real honest to goodness live bear? More to come, stay tuned..... </span></em></strong></div> <div><strong><e

Stay in this Pink Chalet, NO WAY!We meandered at a leisurely pace, having no fixed plans for arrival, from Murfreesboro, Tennessee where we lodged for the night, towards the Great Smokey Mountains. We made a little detour to stroll along a 1.5 mile trail beside a beautiful mountain stream that cascaded into a small waterfall. The bridge was out, so we took the foot path, strewn with sweet spotty leaves, where we spied unusual vegetation, teeny tiny pine cones,

and dripping mountain springs.The trees on the trail told a lovers tale as names, dates, hearts, and sweet sentiments lettered the them, carved by sweethearts past and present.

As we climbed higher, we passed a small cascade of falls.At the top of the trail we stood on an overlook watching a curtain of crystal spilling over the gorge edge creating tiny rainbows as it plunged into the pool below.

After our short reprieve we drove on with the Great Smoky Mountains rising up in the distance.

We arrived in Gatlinburg, Tennessee late in the afternoon and started the winding climb up the mountain to our chalet. Just as we rounded a hairpin turn we came face~to~face with a black bear standing in the road directly in front of our car. Handy Hubby grabbed the camera, which happened to be around my neck, nearly choking me to death as he snapped a few pictures, the first two face~to~face of which were blurry due to me trying to get the strap off my head. The bear quickly scampered up the hillside. I was beyond excited to see the bear. One of my fondest wishes was to see a black bear in its natural habitat.

Our chalet was at the very top of the mountain at the end of the road. Going up the narrow mountain lane was a little hair raising. On one side you literally hug the mountain and on the other you hug air with sheer drops into deep gorges. Cute little chipmunks play dodge as they run across the road with their little tails straight up in the air.

Our anticipation and anxiety mounted as we unlocked the door of our cute pink cottage. Remember when I said cute counts? Well, even more than cute, so does clean!!!!! Stay in that pink chalet, NO WAY! I won't go into detail but needless to say we immediately locked the door and headed back down the mountain where we could get a cell signal to call the owner and to check into a hotel. Oh, but I saw a real live black bear!

Our journey back down the twisted turning back on itself mountain roads got even more hair raising when we got turned around and got lost with darkness fast approaching. We hear the dreaded ding from the dash and realize with horror that the sheer climb up had used far more fuel that we realized it would. What was a half a tank of fuel was now near vapors. Holding our breaths and praying like crazy we coasted right off the mountain into a service station. Whew, that was close!

Long story short, another chalet was available, it was satisfactory so we switched units the next day and were happy mountain dwellers in a cute little yellow and blue chalet. The views were magnificent. At night we could see the distant lights of two neighboring cities below. As they say, all's well that end's well.

Did I mention that I saw a real honest to goodness live in his natural habitat black bear?More adventures to come, stay tuned.....

Blessings,

Miss Sandy