Time Continues to Fly

New ATC listed on eBay this evening. Second in a series of flying clocks. I love, love, love the background. Sometimes I use reprints, but this is the real deal. I got to play around with projects all day today, and that always makes me happy.

A New Look for the Web Store

After much effort, and several marital time-outs, our web site has been redesigned and is now up and running. Still lots of minor tweaking to do, but I give all the credit to my husband. His computer skills (and incredible patience) give life to the ideas bouncing around (like BB's don't you know) in my head.

I am currently offering free shipping on the web site with a $50.00 minimum purchase, and 99% of what you see on eBay is available on our site. Hope you can take a moment to check it out. Suggestions are always welcome.

http://www.mrsmorris.net/

New Cards For Sale

I listed two more cards yesterday. The mermaid card features one of the pieces from the "birthday jewels" I blogged about earlier.

I have so much fun making these cards - wish I could do it all day long...know what I mean, jelly bean?

Life....is like a box of eBay

If you got a group of eBay sellers together, their #1 complaint would be buyers who don't read, followed by buyers who don't read and blame us because they don't read. RIF - Reading Is Fundamental. I take the neutrals (got one today, can ya tell?) and negatives SO personally, even though I tell others you never see them coming and the person you most expect to neg you, never does. To add insult to injury these blind people cannot be bothered to send an email and ask for clarification, or to say - hey, I'm not happy. Nope...just straight to feedback.

But God is good, and the universe is fair! It never fails when I have a bad experience, I get an email from a nice person, who is happy with their purchase, the quality of their purchase, and the service they received. Actually, I get 99 of those to every 1 of the bad ones. So there.

Little Pretties

I listed this lot of 15 bits 'n pieces tonight on eBay. I have SO many of them, and I must confess I love to look at them. Not in a fiendish, hoardish type of way, but in a I wonder who used to own this kind of way. These are all vintage, and so sparkly. My mind just spins at all the pretty things a person could make. I would actually like to do some small photo frames, but have yet to find any older ones which are suitable.

New Cards

Finally got some new cards listed on eBay, under my "art stuff only" account, as opposed to the main account where all the ceramic knobs reside.

These three cards can be found here.

The Return of Peter Cottontail

Here is what Samantha sent me! To say I was overwhelmed would be an understatement. To begin with we have this gorgeous case with faux leather handle. Not just any old wimpy case either, it measures 15 inches across and 10 inches high (too many years of selling online, I always have to measure everything). Actually, the measurements were to give you an idea of how substantial this is. Note the pearl initial ~ a perfect touch.

There was a ton of pink grass inside, and many pastel eggs to hold all the tiny treasures.

Vintage sheet music, BINGO cards (I was all out), a copy of her cupcake recipe from a different swap, the sweestest old playing cards with animals, text from an old book, a pretty doily and mint green polka dot ribbon to tie everything together.

The flash washed out the beautiful colors in this hanging plaque she made. Sam's attention to detail is incredible. Every line perfect, edges glittered - even the back was decorated!

A sweet cone made with vintage flocked wallpaper. She also sent me some, and I did not photograph it. But I love it and have never owned any before.



Yummy pastel papers and look at all the girly stickers. Sam knows how much I love K&Company. I will be able to make so many pretty things with these! I am all jazzed about the glitter as I have never used liquid glitter before. Never had a beer or a cup of coffee either, but I digress. I was arriving at Glitter Avenue by way of mixing dry glitter with a bit of Modge Podge, and carefully painting it on. I do drink diet Coke in excess, and get tipsy after three sips of wine, so I'm not prim and proper - coffee and beer just never appealed to me.

Clear stamps, note cards, vintage lace, rosebud trim, metal embellishments (the one at the top left says Mother). Everything presented so perfectly.



Vintage daisies and spools of thread, and she crocheted the little flowers herself.

She sent two pieces of chenille and I want to say cabin craft, or something similar to that, is the style. Lots of neat charms (I think we shop at the same place, but I didn't have any of these), buttons, bingo markers, a pretty heart....

She made this stand and I love the colors and the style. The candy bar you see is all that remains of the candy. There was a large chocolate covered marshmallow egg, a candy stick, and a package of six eggs with assorted centers, from See's no less.

What wonderful gifts to receive, from a very special lady and a new friend :). Thank you Sam!

Priceless

My son is in 7th grade. Each week they allocate a portion of the newsletter to things students have written. This poem was written by a classmate of my son's:

Humility

Humility is an action

A missing piece of the fraction

Boasting and bragging when the day is through

It just won't do

Help me Lord to keep my eyes on you.

Tuition at Christian middle school....$4800 per year

Cost to register for Fall 2008.....$225

Gas to and from school twice per day....constantly rising

Knowing your child is receiving an excellent education in an environment where God's word is the first, last and only word....PRICELESS.

Here Comes Peter Cottontail....

Today I mailed my package to my partner Samantha, in the Easter Basket Swap. During this season of chocolate bunnies and sweet little chicks, I frequently stop to ponder the fact Easter has nothing to do with bunnies or chicks, or jelly beans or baskets. I know Christ died for my sins, so that I may have eternal life in heaven. I know the true meaning of Easter. I feel I need to say that so the world (and my mother especially) knows.....that I know. Whew, I feel better now!

Tonight I will post the goodies I sent to Sam ~ just the neatest lady and so much like me in her style. Tomorrow I will post the contents of her case (yes, not a basket but a CASE), which is over the top gorgeous. The "not really a basket" above was just the most perfect shade of blue, and I could not resist. I decorated both sides, and also made the little butterfly magnet.

An oatmeal and honey bunny (I'm a poet and didn't even know it) in a chocolate color is perched inside a vintage mini jello mold. My dear friend Kay at The Rustic Cottage made this. Of course no basket is complete without a few sticky things.

Speaking of sticky things, I included this glue which was recommended to me by the Queen of Paper Bella herself (thank you Teresa), and a few other blank things for Sam to decorate.

Next came a fat package of handmade papers, playing cards, vintage advertisements, cabinet cards....all that kinda stuff.

Some vintage hand dyed ribbon, lavender candles, mini notebook, a teeny tiny roll of red polka dot trim, and a cool mermaid magnet I just added to inventory.

Gotta have candy, some of it fit in this sweet little bunny take-out container. I only wish I'd gone to See's, like Sam did!

I fell in love with this precious soft lamb, and knew she would too. Add a couple of strands of big gaudy costume pearls, and an egg, which when soaked in water is supposed to produce a chick which hatches by itself (reminds me of sea monkeys).

Lastly, a little box filled with vintage jewelry pieces, and that little bag on the right contains vintage rhinestones ~ each one a tiny treasure just waiting to be reborn.



Absent from my photos are a few little plastic eggs, in which I placed embellishments. One egg (the pink one of course) contained a $5 bill so Sam can have a Starbucks on me. Or, she can buy a gallon of gas....I hope she likes her Easter stuff. I so enjoyed putting this together for her. Her friendship has really been a blessing to me these past weeks.

Mermaids

Don't you just love them? This pretty mermaid magnet is made of resin and is quite substantial at four inches tall. She can be found here .

It's Not Just Me

I went to the local fabric/craft store today. I "needed" a few things, and #1 on my list were microbeads. I received a sample of these amazing beads in the mail, from a lady who I traded an art card with. She runs a company called pennywisearts.com and her site is full of wonderful products and very detailed project instruction sheets.

While browsing I saw another customer who seemed to be a beader, as her cart was filled with all kinds of different beads. I asked if she knew if they sold microbeads here. She told me she did not. I asked if she had heard of microbeads, and she replied, "No, and please don't tell me about them because then they will become another thing I have to have!"

So I don't feel so bad, or so alone anymore. I am on creative overload these days, what with swaps and my ATCs and blogging and trying to get a decent etsy shop going, oh...and keeping my eBay customers happy. But I am content and my wonderful husband and son are happy I'm happy.

Dogs

One tries, obviously in vain, to protect one's furniture. At least in the front room, where company sits. One puts down a rather hideous comforter that hubby and his first wife used, in the hope it will catch at least some of the hair so generously provided by 80 pounds of Alaskan Malamute at the "tail" end of coat blowing season. One tucks it in and tries to make a slip cover of sorts. You can see the final result. His official name is Juneau, but around the house we call him Boogie.

It's a Blog Party

Oh the wonders of the world wide web! I accidentally but happily stumbled across The Ulimate Blog Party 2008 hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom, and dove right in. Hope you will too - the water's fine!

I am supposed to provide my prize wish list:

#122 - Scrapbooking Supplies from Signs, Miracles and Wonders ~ http://signsmiraclesandwonders.blogspot.com/

#91 - Burt's Bees Skin Care ~ http://www.geggieblog.blogspot.com/

#102 - Fortune Cookie Kit ~ http://www.whataboutmomblog.com/

and finally.....

#'s 79 and 117

Quote of the Day

A moment's insight is sometimes worth a life's experience.

....Oliver Wendell Holmes

Happy Birthday to Me

For the most part I limit my eBay purchases to boring things like shipping supplies. But every once in a while...I go a bit crazy. A girl's gotta splurge sometimes, right? I was the high bidder for a lot of over 450 vintage jewelry bits and pieces, some complete, some not. All gorgeous in their own way. I justified this purchase by telling myself it was a present from me, to me. And, I will use a lot of these pieces in future creations.

My mother was kind enough to let me inherit this turn of the century dental cabinet a few years early, and boy am I grateful! It has been in our family since 1967 (my late father was a dentist) and is the perfect place to store altered art supplies, not to mention the Birthday Jewels.

Nest of HOPE

Here is the nest I sent to my partner. I really enjoyed making it and I must say, it was difficult when the time came for my nest to fly away.....

Nest Swap

My very first swap ~ it was so much fun. Heather over at Speckled Egg was the hostess. Here is the nest I received from my partner.

Quote of the Day

A little song
A little dance ~
A little seltzer
Down your pants.

....Chuckles the Clown