Paula's Palace of AltAred Art

HOLY CRAFT BOX, BATMAN!

2012-03-10T00:31:00.002-06:00

Greetings, dear readers!

I have (yet again) been delivered a box of happiness;(I've discovered via my under cover work with the Crafters Anonymous that this box did NOT come from Sandy...although there was a letter. And I THOUGHT the letter said "Sandy M" however, the writing is a bit like a pharmacist's and I can't say FOR CERTAIN that's what it says...if YOU (dear generous soul) WHOEVER you are, would like to "out" yourself and confess to this gift of glorious craft mania, please do so. I'd love to say thank you properly!)

Sandy at 521 Lake Street. (I think she must be on a cleaning spree...still (?) lol ) but I benefited from said spree with a box of assorted crafty goodness: papers, embellies, trims of all sorts, lots of borders and red and aqua...Sandy dear friend, you know JUST what I like! THANK YOU

As you may have heard, my cooking skills are...well...unique. One recipe (other than Thanksgiving meal with all the trim) has given me fits for as long as I can remember: the elusive No Bake Cookies. (You know, the oat and peanutbutter variety?) Do NOT MOCK ME! I have never made them with any success, and, like my pumpkin pie (and fudge) you have had to eat them with a spoon! However, feeling a bit more confident in the kitchen, and wielding my best kitchen PROWESS, I decided to tackle them. Behold, the results:

When these little morsels actually "set up" (or whatever it is they do when they become cookies and not blobs on a sheet) I HAD to celebrate! I made some little flags out of this fab new goodie purchased from Etsy:

27 fab little playing card size stickers...each has precut stickers on each sheet, circles, and rectangles. I got the brill idea from this woman and her amazing blog...Attic 24

she SOOOOOO inspires me...with her colorful crochet...oh how I'd love to be so talented!

I went a little crazy "pinning" her stuff on my Pinterest Boards...I just LOVE ALL OF IT! Anyway, SHE is the one who found the little Etsy shope that sells the Masking Sticker Sets. And she made wee flags for some of her sweets, and I thought they were the most adorable things I'd ever seen...so I did likewise.

And I made a mini-bunting as well...for my beloved Irmi pincushion (via Elizabeth of Creative Breathing) girl and her little dog...YAY! Let's celebrate! Edible cookies you DON'T have to eat with a spoon! HUZZAH!

And the sticker sheets make the buntings and flags easy peasy...they are precut with circles and rectangles...

So you simply peel, fold, snip...peel, fold, snip...it is truly therapeutic...and just the thing when you're not "up to" a major creative event. Sometimes, I just like to do mindless crafting, you know? Something that doesn't take a great deal of creative thought, but keeps my hands busy while the hubs and I are watching TV...

Anyway, another successful cooking adventure...(I'm trying to remove the thought from my head, "It's about time for a cooking disaster...") Perhaps I'm on a roll?!

Be sure to check out my other posts to stay up to date on the "state of the kitchen" address...lol

More soon!

A VERY BELATED CHRISTMAS GIFT...

2012-02-05T21:20:00.000-06:00

Greetings, dear reader!

I have a confession to make...I have been feverishly in the throes of trying to create/complete Christmas presents for my nieces...due to the financial nightmare that was our late 2011 situation, I hadn't the funds to purchase the gift I initially wanted to get darling niece Emileigh:

Behold the amazing book offered by Anthropologie:

It was $40...and while I LOVED it, I couldn't afford it. So I decided to create one for her myself...

I started out with a 9.99 black cloth bound sketchbook, various washi tapes and stickers, papers, and fabric odds and ends...The image on the front and back cover are Graphic 45 Steampunk papers...aren't they fabulous? The letters are from Michael's $1.00 bin...I should have gotten 40 packages of these letters...I LOVE them!

I incorporated hand painted papers and original brown paper bag collages...images from a clearance rack kids book (written by Madonna...the illustrations are fabulous...The English Roses)

Do you remember my niece Emileigh is the one with the Etsy shoppe? I created a headband much like the ones Em makes for the sketch of this particular English Rose...I love how the page turned out...I just cut and organically began to assemble the book as ideas came to me...(as many of you know, I don't do too well with a "pattern" or a detailed 'plan') lol!

And then created pages where she can cut, paste or sew designs and/or photos to the page...

Again incorporating my own personal art in several of the layouts...

And hand drawing frames, and borders on the pages...

I actually sewed the fabric to this page...and stapled ribbons at the bottom...I love how it turned out...

Funny how many of my creations "take on" the aqua and red theme...although I had no intention of incorporating that into her book necessarily...

Here I used stickers and a measurment card from a tape measure/washi tape package...and button stickers!

Emileigh's friends are as talented and adorable as she...I'm sure she'll want to add photos of her friends in their fashion/trendsetting ensembles!

And SHOES! OH MY GOODNESS! DOES THIS GIRL LOVE SHOES? Stilettos no less...

so space for those pics was a MUST...(lots of blank pages before and after for additional drawings/photos...

And this is my favorite page...a page that pays homage to patterns...chevron, stripes and dots...

And here is the back of the book...there are lots more pages, some blank, some with other surprises on them, but I wanted to share with you some of them so you could get a feel for the book...not a Hywel Davies sketchbook to be sure...but something I hope she'll like just the same...

Next? Working on amazing niece Aria's photography sketchbook! FUN! More soon!

Paula Clare

INSTALLMENT 2 OF: OH MY GOODNESS!

2012-01-27T06:18:00.000-06:00

Greetings, dear readers!

After only a few days to recover from the first "Random Act of Kindness" that landed on my doorstep, I awakened to even more goodies arriving at my mailbox! Behold the Valentine-y goodness:

What wonderfully, quirky and inventive things to send! See the vintage "Cootie" and the bag of little Sherriff's Stars? LOVE! And the heart-shaped measuring cups and spoons are just utterly adorable!

There are candy hearts (and a tube of Valentines M&Ms which have mysteriously "evaporated" (so says the guilty hubs) and darling cupcake liners...and rubber stamps and vintage valentines and...and...

Wait a minute...did I say CUPCAKE LINERS? (Several were Mary Engelbreit) hmmmmm....I'm starting to think this has the earmarks of a certain someone...I shall continue to ponder that notion. Meanwhile, back to the goodies...

And crepe paper and ribbon and twine and cupcake toppers! (See my darling little Owl? A creation from Elizabeth at Creative Breathing) OH! And look at the Hello Kitty book (HOW IN THE WORLD DID THEY KNOW I'm a "closet" HELLO KITTY fan? SPOOKY?!?!) And see the mousepad UNDER the Hello Kitty book? A vintage Shasta...a "for no reason" gift from my dear friend Sandy McClay at 521 Lake Street. (In fact....I'm starting to think MANY of these goodies have Sandy written all over them....confessions?)

See this fab little travel cup? I got it at a dollar store a thousand years ago...but here's the GREAT thing...not only does it keep your Earl Grey piping hot, but it has a clear insulating cup so you can change the look of it! It was just Christmas sweater paper, but NOW, I used the darling little sack some of my treats were in to make an adorable, vintagey Valentines Day travel cup! I just LOVE the little skunk! Isn't he sweet? This vintage pattern is one of my faves.

I can't wait to get started...I think I shall make celebratory cupcakes first! Isn't blogdom an amazing place? So many incredibly generous, kind and wonderful women...

ALL THAT TO SAY, WOW! Thank you dear friends (both known and unknown) for making me feel special and loved!

Love and hugs to you all!

Paula Clare

OH MY GOODNESS...DID I MISS SOMETHING?!?!

2012-01-20T14:02:00.001-06:00

Greetings friends in blogdom!

I am writing to you in a state of ... of... shock and awe!

(Okay, that's not my best "shocked" and "awed" face, but it's one that lets you know how much I'm smiling!)

In the past two days, I have received some of the most amazing things in the mail...is it my birthday? No....Christmas? No....whatever could it be? Just friends in blogdom being their amazing selves? YES!!!!

Look at the goodies that have come my way! Some from Renee at My Vintage Mending (THANK YOU, Renee!) and another "friendly sender" from "Friendship Lane in the Heart of Ohio". I cannot get over how sneaky this sender was...there wasn't even a postmark on the package! HOW do you do THAT? Must be a friend with a secret-weapon friendship with the postal carrier...or ... or ????:

October Afternoon papers...MY FAVORITE of all papers! Christmas Style (oh so retro!) and Campfire and 5 and Dime! The very papers I've been secretly coveting for weeks!

Darling vintage storybooks and (SWOON) a vintage coloring book...10 Little Indians...no doubt to go with all my vintage cowboys! LOVE! And more vintage images on storybook cards! So SWEET!

And doilies and pipe cleaners and vintage papers and craft supplies and little tiny, Eastery goodies just SCREAMING for an altered art ... SOMETHING! (Tiny shadowboxes inside easter eggs? Little book/turned shadowbox)?

And a valentine fabric "tussie mussie" (what is it Jenny B. of Allsorts calls these?) Anyway, one of my very own! LOVE! And the little cowgirl hankie shall have a revered place in the canned ham...I'm framing her in a barnwood frame! And buttons and trims and all the "matching" goodies that go with October Afternoon papers...OH HOW I LOVE THEM! This color scheme is so very ME, don't you think so? And vintage valentines and Christmas, and... and...

It's just all so kind, you know? I mean, my husband is always taken aback by the generosity and friendship of "virtual strangers" ... but *I* know better! I know there is nothing "virtual" about our friendships...blogdom is a REAL place where REAL kindred spirits meet and inspire and create and share with one another! I am feeling like Queen for a Day...especially when I cannot think of a single event or "reason" for such amazing kindnesses.

LOVE the Lipstick hankies...a fish and a pig...with lipstick! SO kitschy! I LOVE them! I'm beginning to wonder if this was part of a well devised conspiracy????? Anyone going to "fess up?" Or is this all just incredible random kindnesses finding the same doorstep?

Regardless, I am feeling amazingly blessed and very, very fortunate to have such awe-inspiring bloggy friends. Kisses and hugs to all...I'm off to play!

Hugs,

Paula Clare

STILL INSPIRATIONAL...

2012-01-16T08:56:00.000-06:00

Martin Luther King Junior

WHAT I FIND INSPIRING RIGHT NOW...

2012-01-14T06:07:00.000-06:00

Greetings dear reader!

I have been away due to a horrific dental issue...I'll not sicken you with the gorey details, but suffice to say I have been in too much pain to do ANYTHING but medicate myself and pray for relief. My face is swollen and I believe I resemble Magilla Gorilla...(who remembers HIM, hmmmm?) Anyway, many THOUSANDS of milligrams of antibiotics later, I am feeling some relief...and so I thought I'd let you know what I've found to keep me busy and inspired during these weeks...

As you know, taking my little vintage Camper Mary Lou is a great joy in my life. I have dreamed of our retirement when we will be on the road more than we're not!

Anyway, I have such a love for these tiny spaces...and just SWOON over them being used in photoshoots and such. Have you EVER seen a more beautifully sweet engagement shoot? I LOVE these photos by Shannon Boettcher of fotoNovella

You can see the entire photo story here: Hippies and Hearts . I may try to get something like this together for my youngest son and daughter in love when they come to visit us this summer...

Also, I've been perusing shops that are contained within little campers...SO vintage, SO tiny, SO inspiring! Like the sweet peach Oh So Lovely Shop:

Just look at that little camper! Their shop is wonderful too! Another great find was this:

Haberdash Vintage...a great little Etsy shop housed in a little vintage trailer! Sweet! I am just so inspired by women (mostly) who find their passion and then create a way to make money doing what they love! My love of travel and all things vintage allow me to live vicariously through these and others (on my sidebar) until we can afford to do the same ourselves! 2.5 years to retirement and counting! WOOT! Check them out when you have time...be prepared tho. It may be HOURS before you come back!

More soon!

Paula Clare

CRAFTY GOALS FOR 2012

2012-01-06T07:42:00.005-06:00

Greetings, dear readers!

Well, as many of you know my New Years Eve Craft-A-Long was a bit of a bust....couple the fact of lots of folks not having the time/ambition/money to craft all evening, and the fact that my computer crashed MID Craft-A-Long (ARGH) and you've got an uneventful, crafting fiasco of epic (ok, less than epic) proportions.

SOOOOOOOo, moving on....

This year, I want to be more intentional about my crafting...since I am still in recovery mode from the economic meltdown of 2011 (which shall hencetofore be known as "The Year From Hades") I have to be very selective in what I choose to purchase or create. However, because I want to make more GREEN crafts, I have no excuse when I can repurpose, upcycle and reuse. So, THAT being said, ON TO THE LIST:

1. As many of you know, I have a niece (actually I have several nieces) but one in particular who likes to create for UTILITY. She sews her own clothes, and is something of a lean, mean (not very) green fashion making machine.

She has an Etsy shoppe: Emileigh's Shoppe, where she creates hair accessories that are made from thrifted, and upcycled goodies. But these lovelies, as great as they are, do not accurately reflect her level of creativity when it comes to making things that are USEFUL.

I have exactly the OPPOSITE problem...the things I tend to create as art are, as my dear friend Deb used to say, "Ars Gratia Artis" Art for Art's Sake...no purpose really...just ... PRETTY. Well, THIS year,

1. I want to make some things that are USEFUL as well as decorative. One thing I'd like to make is some version of a crazy quilt. I'm envisioning something like this...that includes SOME embroidery also, because another thing on my list is...

2. Improve my embroidery skills. I absolutely LOVE samplers...but I either do not have the patience or the nimble-fingered ability to create such lovelieness: How great is THIS?! A "crazy quiltesque" kind of pattern, in the shape of a deer head! Oh how I love it! I cannot fathom my being able to pull it off, tho. Ngaire Bartlam has been a long time Aussie inspiration...her new blog, "Fox and Deer" is chock full of amazing, drool worthy pieces...

Le sigh...if only she lived in the states! I could show up on her doorstep and plead with her to mentor me! (I know, I know, you're thinking, "Those things aren't very USEFUL...." well they WOULD be if I'd put them on a cushion or pillow or in the middle of a quilt or tablecloth, right?) I'd love to have the crazy-quilt deer head on pillow cases.Wouldn't you HAVE to have lovely dreams?

3. I want to make some type of mason jar lighting for my home:

Maybe for the patio/hot tub area? I even like the ones with "faux fireflies!"

4. I want to create some meaningful wordart for my sisters...LOVE this...

What are YOUR craft aspirations for the new year? Hmmmmmmm?

CRAFT ALONG PROJECT 2: COWGIRL GLAM JUNK JEWELRY!

2012-01-01T01:08:00.000-06:00

Okay, Happy New Year to you all! I hope you enjoyed our first little project? This one is equally fun and can be customized to your personal liking...here are a few images to get you started:

This is my favorite...I just love the way the gals have been colorized...

WE INTERRUPT THIS CRAFT-ALONG FOR A LONG-WINDED EXPLANATION:

My computer died! Right in the middle of the craft along...it died! Just went BLACK! No power, no warning...NOTHING! I was hysterical at about 2 a.m. and awakened the hubs to see if he had any bright ideas as to what happened. We feared the worst...a dead motherboard. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! I was in the middle of creating JEWELRY for the Craft-Along for crying out loud!? Is there no unwritten law that forbids technological disasters in the midst of CREATING?!?!

We went immediately (Monday, January 2) to the "computer guy" who (like banks, the mail and many MANY other businesses) was CLOSED. NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! I had family come in on Tuesday, so the computer sat DEAD and unattended...but today, the hubs took it to the computer and....glory of all glories, IT"S ALIIIIIIIIIVE once more! It was a bad (dead) power "brick" or some such. Not a dead motherboard as we feared! HUZZAH! SOooooooooo, here I am, to complete this project instructions and the rest...albeit several days later than anticipated. :-( SO SORRY about that! But now, back to the cowgirl jewelry!

SOOOO after you have printed out your image(s), use mod podge, or any craft glue to adhere the image to the inside of the jewelery...thusly:

The top is just a two sided pre-made metal jewelry "case". The Bottom are Scrabble tiles, painted black and then crystals and french hooks are added. Easy peasy and FUN!

I have a pocket watch somewhere...I want to use the colorful cowgirls in the first image on it...I just can't seem to lay hands on it at this moment...I've torn the craft room apart looking for it :-( . Ah well, perhaps you have an idea for jewelry ? I'd love to hear about it...

COWGIRL ART CANVAS

2011-12-31T21:39:00.000-06:00

Greetings cowgirls!

Here's a few free vintage images for our first project. These are actually family photos from a book I've recently published "A Sharecropper's Daughter" Feel free to use them in your projects tonight or whenever!:

You will need a vintage image like these for the main part of your cowgirl canvas. None of these photos are "cowgirl" specifically, but the vintage-y look of them can easily be translated as cowgirl glam!

You will also need waxed paper and an 8.5x 11 piece of muslin, canvas or (light) solid color fabric. Cut a piece of fabric and waxed paper to about 8.5 x 11 (or smaller depending on your canvas size) Also a blank canvas or sturdy piece of chipboard the size of your project (9x12 for this one)

Then, with the shiny side of the waxed paper face down, iron onto the fabric. (The reason for this is to make the fabric stiff enough to run through your ink jet printer, where you can print out the vintage image)

Right click and save any of the above images, then print to size. Make sure your printer is set to QUALITY or PHOTO print settings (extra ink is needed because the fabric tends to absorb).

Feed the fabric "page" through your printer, and when it's done printing, cut to size. Leave the edges ragged and stringy...it adds to the charm! Set aside.

Now to make the background of your canvas. (This was my favorite part!) Using snippets of fabric, trim and old buttons, lace or whatever else you can find, glue, stitch, or even pin a collage of fabric pieces to your canvas as background for the image. As you can see, I used bits of cardboard, mattress ticking, old ric rac, paper, lace and old milinery flowers on mine.

Here are a few photos (not very good ones mind you) of the details of my piece:

One of my favorite details (besides the quote by Annie herself) is the silk strips tied on at the bottom of the canvas. I just used my handy dandy crop-o-dile (if you do not have one, I cannot believe you have lived in the altAred art world this long without...beg, borrow, steal or BUY one...STAT! Handiest tool I own!) Anyway, just punch a line of holes in the bottom of your canvas (mine was one of the cheapy flat canvases, no sides or depth to it) and tie the strips to the bottom. OR if you don't have a crop-o-dile or something that will cut holes easily, just tie the pieces of fabric and hot glue them to the bottom! It's a great trick that adds a unique elegance to the piece...don't you think?

Add vintage buttons, stitch lines (or the real thing if you're ambitious) and voila! Done! A FABulous art canvas made out of leftover supplies. DO share a link and post your creations won't you?

ON TO THE NEXT PROJECT: COWGIRL GLAM JUNK JEWELERY!

NEW YEARS EVE ALL NIGHT CRAFT-A-LONG

2011-12-31T18:00:00.001-06:00

Howdy Cowgirls! We are about ready to roll on our New Year's Eve craft along! Here's the list of materials you'll need for our projects...scramble! Times a wastin!

A blank canvas (any size really)
Vintage buttons
solid color fabric (for printing on)
garden variety wax paper
vintage trims (lace, flowers, binding ribbon, whatever!)
junk jewelry pieces (pins, brooches, watches)
glue stick
beacons glue or tacky glue
fabric strips
favorite scrapbook papers
scissors
pens, markers, stamps, ink pads

There are a few more odds and ends...but have these at the ready and you can get started! Will be back at 7:00 to begin our first project! WOOT!

CHAT PASSWORD: COWGIRL

A LITTLE VINTAGE TRAILER FUN...

2011-12-31T17:38:00.000-06:00

GO here to see how to win this DARLING little camper original! EEP! I LOVE IT!

NEW YEAR'S EVE CRAFT ALONG GOES VIRTUAL!

2011-12-29T21:24:00.001-06:00

Greetings friends!

I wanted to give you a few days to test the chat function so you can all be a bit familiar with the way it will work New Year's Eve. Please sign in and say hello, and let me know if you're planning to be here, even for a while. (I know there will only be a few night owls who are up all night, but that's okay!)

See you at 7 New Years Eve, Cowgirls!

COUNTDOWN TO NEW YEARS EVE!

2011-12-27T20:03:00.000-06:00

Greetings, dear friends!

Only 4 nights until the New Years Eve all night Craft Along! WOOT! Just a few questions:

1. Have you committed to craft along with me?

2. Have you installed my button on your blog? Have you invited at least 3 friends to join us?

3. Have you learned the ins and outs of simple chat forums?

4. Do you like my son Paul and Daughter-In-Love Leah's Christmas Tree? They were in the middle of moving and ended up burying their tree in the shed...SO they were painting anyway...voila! TANNENLADDER was born! I think it's BRILL! (short for Brilliant...my niece Aria who is in high school in Kenya Africa is determined this expression (which she herself has coined) will 'catch on' and become the newest catch phrase. I like it. I promised her I'd use it in a sentence. teehee)

Tomorrow is another auspicious occasion...my birthday. The big 5-4. Yawn. I think 54 is probably the most boring birthday yet...we shall see! YAY!

More soon,
Paula Clare

2011-12-23T02:11:00.000-06:00

A very merry Christmas to you, dear friends!

See you New Year's Eve!

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT THUMBPRINT COOKIES!

2011-12-20T15:09:00.004-06:00

Greetings, dear readers!

I am back at the baking experiments again! Those of you who have been following me for awhile know my favorite Starbucks drink is Peppermint Mocha (which I realize I CAN purchase any TIME, but choose to only have it during the holidays to make it a seasonal specialty!) Imagine my delight when I ran across THIS cute cookie recipe!

Instead of the chocolate ganache (I'm sorry daughter-in-love Leah, some things are just NOT meant to come forth from MY kitchen!) I used vanilla buttercream frosting (which I just figured out how to make) and sprinkled candy cane crumbles on top. A WAAAAAAAAAY more doable and festive looking treat!

I'm really enjoying spending my days and evenings (when I'm not working) baking, preparing Christmas cards and leisurely wrapping the few presents we've managed to purchase this year. It's a MUCH slower, more intentional way of getting through the holidays. I'm also reading a WONDERFUL book, "Following Atticus" (I've saved it for this week in particular!)

EVERYONE is reading it! lol (Pic from a friend...isn't it CUTE?) Since I have my own little schnauzer I thought a book about an overweight guy who hikes the mountains of the Eastern U.S. and his little companion would be great reading. I wasn't disappointed...it is a truly inspiring and well written book. I SO LOVE Tom Ryan's writing style...very friendly and readable. I ordered my copy from the good folks at White Birch Books for a personally autographed and "pawtographed" book. It's a great book for winter reading...curling up with a cup of tea and going along with Tom and Atticus on their adventures from the comfort and warmth of your own home...

Tom mentioned something my youngest son and I always said about reading books...we hate to finish them because we feel like we've lost a friend at the end of the story. I am only halfway through the book and already feel I'm going to HATE getting to the end of the book...I don't WANT to lose Tom and Atticus's friendships! There are few books I've read where I feel I am better for having known the author(s)...Brennan Manning and Donald Miller are two...but Tom Ryan's name is going on that list as well.

Anyway, back to the Christmas festivities...finishing up a Collaborative Art Project at Church...also inciting a "flash mob" at a local mall tomorrow night! We are all going to burst into song: Let There Be Peace On Earth at 6:30 tomorrow night...sing along with us if you'd like! I'll let you know how it goes!

Blessings,

Paula Clare

SNOWFLAKE CUPCAKES!

2011-12-17T23:02:00.000-06:00

Greetings dear readers! I bet you are all up to your eyeballs in holiday preparations and such? I'm sure all is madness ... however,

This year, I decided to take a bit of a different approach to Christmas. Since I'm going to visit the grandbabies in Springfield, and won't be home over Christmas holiday, and #2 son and daughter in love are otherwise occupied with moving to their new home (WOOT!), I decided to forego decorations and focus on the anticipation of Christmas and the birth of the Christ Child. I am taking a more meditative, thoughtful approach to the things I engage in and the time spent doing holiday related preparations. For example, today I made these: Snowflake Cupcakes:

Found these cute-as-can-be cupcake kit at World Market...the kit included the mixes,frosting, coconut and the cupcake aprons and snowflake picks. They are beyond delicious! Hubby said they are the best cupcakes he's ever eaten! High praise from a man who never passed up a cupcake in his life!

Note how the icing looks like melting snow! A happy accident...apparently there is a bit of a "trick" and/or science to creating "stiff" buttercream frosting. I didn't successfully manage it, but the cupcakes still turned out cute and tasty anyway.

The kit made twelve cupcakes...as you can see here, their numbers are dwindling quick! The "melting" icing won't have much of a shelf life around here! Hubby dear will see to that! It was fun baking something festive and EASY. I am going to tackle World Market's chocolate peppermint thumbprint cookies tomorrow! Pictures (and much taste testing) to come!

More soon!

Blessings,
Paula Clare

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT SWAP...SO CUTE!

2011-12-10T13:20:00.000-06:00

Greetings, dear readers!

I am so excited to share with you the ornaments received in Cindy's Ornament swap! Pics in a moment...but first: this, just in!

Isn't it gorgeous? Dear friends Heleen and Cory (aka Dutch Sisters) hand crocheted this Christmas card! It's a Hallmark from the Netherlands...and it's WONDERFULLY red and aqua! Oh how I love it! I will treasure it always...especially since I can't crochet a stitch! They even shared a "how to do it" tutorial on their blog! Thank you SO MUCH dear ladies! It's wonderful and will be a feature on my entry wall each Christmas!

And now...ON TO THE ORNAMENTS! Each ornament was packaged so beautifully and then carefully and festively (YAY Cindy!) boxed and shipped to us:

There were such a talented group of ladies involved in the swap this year...I was so fortunate to be in a group with:

Renee of My Vintage Mending:

Patty of Sweet Cottage Dreams Designs:

Jane Palmer of Aralia Jane:

Janelle from Sweet Bee Cottage:

Debby from A Cozy Blanket:

And of course my own little camper Mary Lou:

Cindy, our hostess, from Rick Rack N Gingham:

It was really a lot of fun! And now I await the sweet tags from Elizabeth at Creative Breathing! More soon!

Candy Cane Kisses,
Paula Clare

A DOLLY DINGLE DESKTOP CALENDAR...JUST FOR YOU!

2011-12-03T02:40:00.000-06:00

Greetings, friends!

One of the things I love to do is create desktop calendars for my laptop..it's so handy to have the dates of the current month right there in front of you...I usually add events and notes to mine after I create the "clean one" for you all to download...but sometimes I get lazy and download a plain one then put sticky notes (yes, the paper variety) on the computer screen. Yes, I really DO those things! LOL!

Anyway, it's bright and cheerful! Hope you like it!

Just click on it, then right click and save as desktop background! Voila! Instant cute on your screen to greet you every day!

Are you gathering your supplies for the All Night Craft-A-Long? I AM!

More soon!

Paula Clare

SECOND ANNUAL NEW YEAR'S EVE CRAFT ALONG!

2011-12-01T08:53:00.001-06:00

Greetings, dear readers!

I am excited to again host a "Crafting All-Nighter!" this New Years Eve from 7 pm CST December 31 to 7 am January 1, 2012! Ring in the new year at the Palace! Here's a little blog button to share on your blog. Here's the link to attach to it: http://pclouse.blogspot.com/2011/12/second-annual-new-years-eve-craft-along.html Please help spread the word!

I will host a live chat on the blog (Will have the chatbox posted a few days prior so you can register and learn your way around) and will be in a crafting frenzy all night long! You'll be up anyway, right? So why not join in the fun? Here are just a few of the projects we'll be doing:

COWBOY TAGS! OF COURSE! We will be using scraps of paper, fabric, stamp images and darling little cowboy images to make western tags. YEEHAW!

We will be using paper, ink, buttons, and fabric image transfer techniques to create a vintage altered canvas!

We will repurpose old watches, necklaces and bottle caps to create unique western jewelry! (Will be sharing some vintage images with you in the next few weeks to save and use for our FABulous creations!)

We'll just use whatever you can "lay your hands on" between now and then. No special supplies...just use whatever you have in your junk jewelry drawer and it'll be great!

More soon!

PHOTO CHALLENGE...FINI!

2011-11-28T22:43:00.004-06:00

Greetings dear readers!

Well, in my typical fashion, I am foregoing the "rules" for the photo challenge and completing it a couple days early. (TRY THO I MAY I SIMPLY SEEM UNABLE (?) TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS!) I guess it's the creative "inner artist" in perpetual rebellion against the perpetual "inner critic" (whom, I have, over the years, finally SILENCED...I think! lol)

I have the New Year's Eve Craft Along to consider...and must get word out about that, SOooooooooo here are the final entries of the November Gratitude Photo Challenge:

Nov. 27: Daily Routine

I often suspect I know how the mailperson feels..."through rain or snow or sleet or hail...." THIS GUY has to have his walks. 3x daily please...

Webster has actually been a great gift in our lives in that it has kept the hubs and I from becoming ... what's that word... SEDENTARY! The stubborn little schnauzer is just determined to walk regardless the weather. AND this little guy (don't know if its his genetic heritage from Austria? Bavaria? SOMEPLACE near Germany) LOVES the snow and cold weather. I've shared with you in another post the climate I am most partial to:

A pic of me and my friend Meleah on the beach at Ft. Meyers, Florida last February. SO WONDERFUL!

November 28: Night Time and November 29: Light

A few scenes from the all night prayer vigil I held a week ago...I love the candle lit sanctuary and the peace that is so tangible during these prayer meetings...

And finally, November 30th: Self Portrait!

It's the pic I took of me with my new camera from the Hubs for Mother's Day. I've gotten rave reviews over the glasses, hair AND the camera! Win/win! lol

Stay tuned tomorrow for details about the New Years Eve Craft Along!

WE INTERRUPT THIS PHOTO CHALLENGE FOR...

2011-11-27T05:44:00.000-06:00

A tag swap post!

Greetings, dear readers! I had spoken to you earlier about perhaps a peek at the tags I've created for Elizabeth's "Creative Breathing" Merry Christmas Tag Swap and for Cindy's "Around the Neighborhood" tag swap. Failing to take pictures of my work (I am SO BAD ABOUT THAT!) I will use the photographs from Elizabeth's blog to show you:

As many of you who have followed me for a while know...I am a cowgirl at heart. I have (over the years) acquired some of the sweetest and dearest little cowboy and cowgirl images...this one in particular, with his red and green outfit and little puppy, make me think of Christmas. I just HAD to find a way to use it on my tags! The tags are a miniscule 2.5 x 3.5 (and, as usual, I made them all the wrong size to begin with, then had to think of a way to recreate those tags on tags cut the right size...) Elizabeth, I don't know HOW I seem to ALWAYS manage to get the instructions wrong, but I always have SO MUCH FUN making the tags the wrong way or using the wrong size or making the wrong amount! One year, I made over 30 tags, thinking that was the proper number...instead, I discovered I had made nearly twenty too many! E and I still laugh over the the Great Valentine Debacle! (as it has come to be known)

One of the great blessings of blogging is the friends you meet along the way...Elizabeth of Creative Breathing is one of those "kindred spirits" who has creativity flowing through her very veins...the woman is a one woman workshop of all things CUTE!

More than that, she is a teller of stories...and a "Nocturnal Nellie" (a friend who is up at all hours of the night, like myself! She even talked me into hosting a New Year's Eve Craft along...since we were up all night anyway! It was SO MUCH FUN I'm doing it again THIS year! YAY!)

Also, I created tags for Cindy of Rick Rack N Gingham's Neighborhood Ornament Tag Swap:

Cindy enticed us with these sweeties:

Inviting us:

"To be in this swap....your ornament needs to be a House or an RV

Decorated "Christmasy"...and it needs to remind each of us

of your BLOG...and have your Name and Blog Name on it.

Front and back need to be decorated!

It can range from 3-6 inches...remember it goes on a tree."

So here's my take on the swap:

It's my little canned ham, Mary Lou! The other side says, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas!" The penants and "lights" were paintstakingly cut and created by hand (the "seed beads" used as lights were handstrung mind you...WITHOUT A NEEDLE! Oh how I need E's organizational skills in my craft room! lol) THANK GOODNESS I had only to make 7 of the little things (however, as is my fashion, I made a few extra...this picture from E's blog). AND, in very ATYPICAL fashion, I kept one for myself! I just thought it would be so cute on my tinsel tree!

I can't wait to receive my tags from the others...this is truly the most wonderful time of the year!

More soon,

Paula Clare

GRATEFUL!

2011-11-26T00:04:00.001-06:00

Greetings, dear reader!

Well today is the highlight of the Photo Challenge...since Gratitude is the theme, Thanksgiving Day is the "Main Event!" However OUR Thanksgiving was very tough this year...we weren't able to go be with our kids and we had no money for the usual Thanksgiving feast. We ate "on the cheap" a thanksgiving dinner at Cracker Barrel ($8.99 got you turkey and all the fixings, free drink and free pie) Still, even with our non-traditional meal we were grateful...do you know that if you live indoors in the United States,

Global Village

If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like this:
There would be:
61 Asians
13 Africans
12 Europeans
8 people from South America, central America (including Mexico), and the Caribbean.
5 people come from North America
1 person from Oceania

70 would be non-white
30 would be white

75 villagers have access to a source of safe drinking water
25 do not, and have to spend a large part of the day just getting safe water.

There is enough food for everyone in the Global Village, but the food is not divided equally. Only 30 people always have enough to eat. 20 are severely malnourished.

76 people in the Global Village have electricity.
24 do not.

20 people have 80% of the Global Village’s wealth. The other 80 villagers have to share the remaining 20%.

Half of the villagers survive on less than 2 US dollars a day. A quarter of the villagers learn less than $1 and are in extreme poverty.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world.

‘Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.’ Nelson Mandela

Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of him/(her)self and his/(her) family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services... Everyone has the right to education. Universal Declaration of Human Rights

All that to say...I'm grateful. And blessed. Very.

More soon,
Paula Clare

PHOTO CHALLENGE: BEHIND...AGAIN!

2011-11-23T00:59:00.000-06:00

Greetings, dear reader!

Here I am, yet again, BEHIND on posting what I'm so very grateful for...I will try to catch up by picking and choosing the ones *I* want to post! (It's my blog, I'm 14 and I can do what I want! (inside joke))

SO...beginning on day...oh, I don't know...Day 13: WRITTEN WORDS

Day 14: MOVEMENT:

Day 16: ANIMALS:

Grandkitties Ego (in back) and Amelie (in front). Amelie went to be with Jesus earlier this fall...it was a heart breaker...not sure Ego's over it yet, although he's acting more his old self now...

Day 19: BEST FRIEND:

MY best friend (Peepaw) and our grandson Mason. He told Bud (in a really serious tone) "Peepaw...you're my very best friend." It just melted our hearts!

DAY 22: CLOTHING:

These two "youngsters" are at Silver Dollar City getting a wedding tintype made. We had photos taken in the little chapel also...love the era...doesn't Bud look dashing in his string necktie and circuit rider hat?

and VOILA! There you have it! I'm caught up! Just in case...I'd better post tomorrow's photo:

DAY 23: IN YOUR CLOSET:

My favorite pair of Skechers...got them on a clearance rack for $10! They are so wonderfully comfortable...and the little flowered pieces of patchwork reflect my "inner hippie!" (which doesn't always stay "IN"...another pic for fun:

I've often fancied myself a hippie with dredlocks...I did one of those "choose your hairstyle" things to find out how I might look with both red hair AND dreds...I like it...what do you think? lol

More soon!
Paula Clare

PHOTO CHALLENGE: DAYS 10, 11 & 12

2011-11-13T22:47:00.000-06:00

Greetings, dear reader!

Back to my playing "catch up" with the photo challenge...ah well. I think I like the two or three at a time thing anyway! Works for me!

Challenge 10: NATURE

One of my favorite photos of me and the hubs...on our favorite vacation EVER: Antigua, West Indies!

The whole trip was really a miracle answer to a prayer Bud and I had been praying...it was incredibly beautiful. And THE BEST "working vacation" EVER!

Photo Challenge Day 11: Something Old

For this I have a choice of two photos:

I created this one on Photoshop for Veterans Day. It's my husband's dad "Boots" Edwin Clouse, who served during Korea. It's also my dad, Kenneth Erhart, who served in every theatre of the war during World War 2. (Photos of Japan, Italy, France and Africa...amazing!) Also, my eldest son, Ian, who is currently serving in the Naval Reserves. (Not an old photo but I turned it black and white and then Sepia for the collage)

Or HERE is a more contemporary version of something "old"....ME! I'm 53 here (just taken a week ago) and sporting a "new do". My adoring dog Webster seems to approve. (although his view is of my many "chins"...what is it with old age? I have more chins than a Chinese phonebook! ARGH!)

And finally, the photo challenge for Day 12: Hands:

This is a photo of the sacred rite of laying on of hands at my Ordination service. (The link is to my other blog, The Contemporary Monk, where you can see a short video of the service highlights).

Went to a two day crop this weekend...got my ornaments done for Cindy's Swap at Rick Rack and Gingham, and the ever amazing, always creative Elizabeth at Creative Breathing is again hosting her Annual Christmas Tag Swap. I am happy to report I've finished both and will be getting them off in the mail in the next day or two! HOORAY! I'll not show you the tags until my friends have them in their possession...I hope they are a hit. I'm a bit out of practice since the long, creatively barren Days of the Lost Mojo (as it has come to be called). But because I only had to make seven ornaments and 15 tags, it was very doable and not too overwhelming...(although I fear I've botched the size on Elizabeth's tags...) Ah well...tags are done and there's not much to be done about it now! lol

Will be back in a day or two with more photos...and perhaps a sneak peek or two!

Hugs to all!

Paula Clare

PHOTO CHALLENGE DAY 8: INSPIRING PERSON

2011-11-09T23:05:00.000-06:00

Greetings, dear reader!

In the beginning...I thought the daily discipline of posting would be the toughest part of this...I have come to realize there are much tougher things...like figuring out WHICH of my inspiring friends to feature in this post?!

I guess, when it all boils down to it, I have to pay homage to my mom as my most inspiring person...I've even painstakingly typed a blog taken from notes found in her photo albums. You can read a bit about HER life...I thought it was HER memoirs, but as it turns out, it is more about her mother, Julia. You can read more at "A Sharecropper's Daughter." I will be adding photos to the blog soon...meanwhile, here's my mom in her many forms:

Mom and me at 7 Falls in Colorado...

The last professional picture mom had taken...

This is my mom's HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR PICTURE! Can you believe it? Doesn't she look like she should be in college or something? 18 years old...just about the same time she married this guy:

He was 38 and just finished a tour in the army in World War 2. He served in every theatre (his war photos are amazing!) Dad was always the kinder, gentler, side of love. Mom was the Type A, get it done kind of gal.

Together, they were a dynamic duo that spent over 25 years together when dad passed away in 1988 at the age of 76. Mom died in 2003 at the age of 66. I miss them terribly...

Oh! And I've decided to name my vintage canned ham "Mary Lou" after my mom...All the cute vintage campers have names...and Mary Lou seemed a perfect "retro fit!"

More soon!

Paula Clare