Happy Valentine's Day

Whether it is your Sweetheart, Family or Friend...

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller

(Thank you Graphics Fairy for this lovely Heart image)

Valentine's Day Tag Swap

 

These are the Valentine's Day tags I created for a recent swap 

Don't forget tomorrow is 

St. Valentine's Day! 

2012 Valentine Day Ornament Swap

Laurie from Indulge Your Shelf recently hosted a Valentine's Day Ornament swap!

Thanks Laurie for a great swap!

Please click on her link to see all the incredible ornaments. 

Each swapper was to create four ornaments and one Valentine's Day greeting card - each swapper would also receive four different ornaments and one card.

I had a difficult time deciding on which ornament I wanted to create... this is what I finally created

Here's the greeting card I made.  

The white heart-lace trim was a bit stark, so I sewed on the red glass beads.  I think it united all the colors nicely. 

Participating in swaps is a lot of fun.  If you haven't participated in a swap, I encourage you to try one. 

Your first swap reward is taking an idea from within your soul and working it into a piece of art. 

The second part of the swap is when you anxiously await for a package... then one day there it is in your mailbox... you can hardly wait to open it...it's opened and your heart is filled with joy from the awesome creativity by other swappers... kindred spirit reward!

Here are the incredible ornaments I received

Lisa from A Peaceful Place To Be 

is the awesome artist behind this ADORABLE bird sweetly nestled inside its heart-shaped home.  It is so cute, it just makes me smile!

Lorraine from Paper Vernissage is our next awesome artist.  I ADORE her embossed-foil bird, her self-turned wire heart & all the great details.  She also created the hand-stitched heart envelope shown behind to hold her ornament... I love attention to details!

I was fortunate to receive Lorraine's Valentine's Day greeting card too.  OMG, the details... I LOVE THEM!  This card is amazing, don't you think?

Our third awesome artist is Michaele from Twigs and Tulle - Ooh, you just gotta LOVE it with its shades of pink, highlights of silver, and glitter!   One cannot have enough glitter!

My four swap was by another awesome artist Karen from Karen's Monday Musings.

Karen created this DARLING cherub bottle cap ornament... that I can also wear as a pendant!  I have the perfect silver necklace it will slip on to.  Just behind her ornament is the sweet envelope it arrived in.      

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

Empty Nest

Today has been filled with bittersweet emotions for me.  Our last child to move out and

'fly the nest' did so today.

 

My heart is a bit overwhelmed, my emotions are raw... Both my parents are gone and I can no longer reach out to them... Our sons are wonderfully grown and now living on their own... My husband retires in 17 work days after 32 years of service... Whether I feel it or not, all these events in my life tell me I am growing older... Where did the time go?

I am thankful of the blessings and trials God has allowed me to experience in my life.  

Like a good novel, each chapter is good to the very end, so I joyfully await the next chapter in my life.

Hum, I wonder what is in the next chapter?

   

Vintage Connections - a new look to my blog... Take a peek

Most of us make changes of some kind as we enter each new year.  

With my list of changes, one was to change the look of my blog.

I started my blog in 2011 and have learned so much since then...

And I am one to constantly move things around for new ideas.

Let me know your thoughts on the new look of my blog. 

Your comments are always appreciated!