Starting off the year with a fun party over at Embracing Cottage Style blog

 I am going to share some of my favorite graphics that fit the theme for this months party. These are all vintage copyright free, so you are welcome to save for your art projects.

"A" for Apple blossom

 "B" for Birthday 

 "C" for chair

Join us over at Embracing Cottage Style blog to share your vintage or art creations with one, two or all three of this months alphabet letters--it's a great challenge and soooo much fun!

Summer swaps

I always love a good swap, but there is always a chance that one will end up with a flaky partner who either is very late completing the swap or never comes thru at all. But for me, it is all about the thrill of stepping up to the challenge and creating something wonderful for my partner.

This summer I joined a private facebook group of less than 30 lovely artists and crafters. Our leader, who calls herself "Shabby Jen" presented us with a challenge of decorating a baby shoe. There was 10 of us who participated in this swap.  It was amazing what everyone came up with.
I was lucky to have Shirley Hubbs as a partner. Below is the shoe she created for me. This is the most itsy bitsy shoe I have ever seen, it must be a newborn or even a preemie shoe! So very delicate with the most beautiful tiny details.

 

Below is the shoe i decorated. I had some little baby black patents. I asked Shirley to choose from 4 words. She choose "Bliss".

I lined the soles with vintage sheet music and decorated with vintage crochet, a handmade rose, ribbons, beads and lace. I included a little gift tag and a fragrant rose sachet that used my dried rose petals from my cottage garden.

Below I am including some of the other shoe creations that were included in this swap--so much fun!

I will be back next week to share another swap we just completed, I am waiting on one more piece. It was a pennant swap!

Ladies in green

Sharing a few from my collection of vintage postcard images celebrating St Patrick's Day. I found some really pretty ladies in green!

You are welcome to grab these for your personal use to celebrate old Ireland and St Patrick's day this Thrusday March 17th. 

Right Click to save to your PC, and leave me a comment!

Free Valentine images to share

I have been so busy with projects lately, no time for posting here! But I love to share my vintage postcard collection, so here are a few that you can use in your crafts...right click to save.

Enjoy~

Pumpkin decorating

You know, pumpkin decorating is really not my thing, but I sure like to see some of the creativity that comes out when a group is challenged. When I was a teenager, it was an annual tradition at the bank my mom worked at to decorated a pumpkin and submit it for the customers to judge. She spent hours planning and detailing those pumpkins. I think she did win one year. Anyway, I wanted to share with you another pumpkin decorating contest going on right now~pop over and vote for your favorite! Click on the phrase below.

Pumpkin Decorating Contest

Rushing of the Bloggerette Sorority

A new sorority has been born, and June 25th is "rushing" day~I am pleased to part of this wonderful group.

We were all instructed to take this photo below

and create something with it

And since one of the requirements is that I be in the picture with my creation--here I am (yikes)

.

 Usually with these challenges, I try to do something with textile art, which is my most loved media. But thought I would play with some mixed media art using vintage elements

 Victorian Secrets Box

 Constructed with an old greeting card box, I covered with vintage wall papers. I overlaid the image and trimmed it with vintage hand made tatting

Lots of vintage buttons, rhinestones, bouquet brooch, even a little string of pearls and a key to unlock the secrets saved

a soft handmade doily graces the corner with a gold foil lining.

I hope you enjoyed, I had fun stepping outside the box--literally!

my latest fun projects

 

 Tussie Mussie cones covered with vintage sheet music

vintage buttons, crochet and lace for Valentines Day!

  

I am going to fill them with creamy chocolates!

  I also did some did some mixed media under glass in these

gorgeous Victorian frames....

 

I am going to list them on my website Sunday afternoon!

Tell me what you think!!

my latest finds and art projects

Some of you may not have popped over to my biz blog yet, but it is all about the web business I have with my textile art. Well, I do a little vintage collecting and a tiny bit of mixed media too. I been doing some Valentine projects which are some of my faves~I entered a challenge with an English cottage pillow I made. You can read about it over there too.
Here are some of the fun finds and creations~its all pink!

 

 

 

Marionberry Cottage, the blog

French Cottage with a tropical twist...

I recently redecorated our master bedroom. Now this room is especially challenging. My other half in our home~Jim~ knows I love pink, but draws the line on lots of flowers in my decorating. So we compromise. I live with most of my pink roses in my studio, my garden and my dreams! His guns and hunting things are in his shop. It works.

We have this beautiful bedroom set~made by Stanley~a Victorian reproduction that we have owned for about 15 years. Victorian style screams to have lots of lace and roses, but I had to find a balance where I could love it and so could Jim.


As you can see there are still some flowers*chuckle* but subtle. I call this Victorian French cottage with a tropical twist style! And I literally did this redo on a shoestring budget! Most of the fabric I used was fabric I already had. The art on the walls was on clearance or I picked up at a off price store. The quilt was on clearance too! The lamps from TJ Maxx, The green toile side drapes were from Ross, the center drapes from a piece of fabric called Waverly Malibu Palm (hence the tropical twist) I stitched all the pillows and pillow shams except for one which was almost an exact match to the lamps. The total redo was less than 200 bucks!

I hope you enjoyed~sorry my pics are not that great. It was hard to get the coloring right. The first pic is probably the most accurate of coloring.

...an now on to the master bath....