Cottage of Memories

swaps, sale and sleep

wow - what a whirlwind week that was. and the week before as well ! hopefully with this post, i'll catch you up on the happenings in our household. (btw - can i just say here that i love my husband, and how he allows me to tinker in my garage and in my studio and do what i do until 1 am - and come to bed with glitter and glue on my face. i love you mark!)

SWAPS ~ two amazing and wonderful swaps.

the first was was a halloween swap hosted by joli paquet. i know i already mentioned it in October, but i have better photos now of the items i made and sent off to ann, as well as the items i received.

first, here is the BOO banner i made for her. i finally found a dictionary with big enough pages to fit through my printer for the letters and followed up with cardstock, rick rack, and some fun rounded items for the ends. i love pam garrisons coffee filter garlands, and these fall in that category.

second, other pictures of the blocks i made. i love the people on them - kind of creepy - just right for halloween.

and here is what dear ann sent me. a wonderful bag of goodies. towels, candles, cookie cutters, candy and the most lovely tags that she made. all of these items found a way in my halloween decor and i can't wait to bring them out again next year.

the second swap i found by accident, and i am so glad i did. it was hosted by Danielle of the Vintage Dragonfly and the theme was 'angels we have heard on high' paper doll swap. i love angels. and i love anything glittery, vintage, creamy and sparkly.

here is a picture of the sweet angels i made. it was quite the process, but love how she turned out. 

 i have a vintage paper doll - about 7 inches tall- that i had color copied.  i then hand drew a pattern for a dress and cut it out of cream vintage wallpaper. then i glued and glittered it with martha stewart snow glitter. (it's kind of like mica flakes). once i glued on the dress, you could still see her body in the back, so i then covered the back with vintage music. i added some lace and seam binding to her waist and added a flower (the photo shows a button, but i addes a flower instead). her head band was originally blue, so i covered it with flowers as well.  for her wings, i tied two pieces of tulle together and attached it to the back with more seam binding. this also served as the hanger. i certainly hope that all who receive her enjoy her as much as i enjoyed making them.  i think we're set to get our packages in the mail this week-i'll be sure to share photos when i get them.

SALE ~

as you know, we had our second holiday 'Crafty Christmas Boutique Sale' here at the house on Saturday. in addition, emily, sarah and i each taught a class. Man, was it COLD ! i love the idea of transforming my garage into a little boutique, but it killed us.  emily finally brought over a propane tank and big heater. sarah had also made some hand warmers / body relaxers out of flax seed. she was handing them out as people came to shop. now that's entrepenurial spirit ! all aspects of the weekend went really well, and we love what we do. here are a few photos snapped from the inside of the garage. Amazing how you can transform a garage !

 

SLEEP ~

i need to re-introduce myself to what this is. i am so thankful that during the last week i didn't come down with a cold or pneumonia. being out in that cold was hard, but i knew it had to be done. in fact, after i type this, i'm headed to bed. a whole 2 hours before i've made it there all week !

thank you all for visiting today. i plan on posting some pictures tomorrow of how i decorate for Christmas. it's a bit over the top, but i love it.

many blessings to you all my friends ! jill

come play. . .we three blings

It's time once again to come play at jill's house with the theme of  'We Three Blings'.

That's right - 3 projects from three teachers. Head on over to the Come Play Blog for more information on how to sign up. The sample of my project can be found in a post below.  (Note that we've cancelled the second session, so the only session offered is from 2 - 5.)

 
The Creative Boutique will also be open, so even if you don't want to take the class, come on by for some shopping. The boutique is coming along and will be FULL of vintage goodness. Creams and pinks and soft yellows. A vintage girls dream. Other treasures include ephemera, jewelry boxes, a childs desk, pictures, vintage games, and many, many, handmade treasures to help with your Christmas List.   Please stop by and say hello.

Off to finish some projects for this weekend. I really should start these in June. It would make my life so much less hectic !

Blessings, Jill

happy thanksgiving my friends

 
(my kitchen window sill display at Thanksgiving)  

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness!

Come into God's presence with singing!
Know that the Lord is God!

It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise !

Give thanks to him, bless his name !

 

for the Lord is good;

his steadfast love endures forever

and his faithfulness to all generations.

 

Psalm 100

 

 

 

come play - portland

as promised, i'll post about our first 'come play portland' event tonight -

but i have to be honest. i don't even know where to start. it was so amazing.

(emily, alicia and i) 

back when emily and i had a vision for events that would be fun, full of laughter, overflowing with creative spirit and a community of friendships, we knew that at some point we'd try to go outside of eugene and 'take the show on the road', so to speak.

can you imagine my delight when em mentioned back in april that she had contacted alicia paulson and she agreed that she would like to come teach? holy cow. i couldn't believe it. another blessing in our dream. then there was amy, who owns a fabulous store in portland (so i've heard - i haven't been there yet, but if it's anything like her amazing talents at her previous store, well. . . .'nuf said) and has an even more fabulous home in portland, who agreed to host the event. again, amazing.  we are blessed.

so through e-mails and communications, we (i should say emily and alicia - i really had nothing to do with it) planned a fun afternoon of embroidering alicias beautiful felt ornaments - just in time for Christmas.

 

(driving to amy's house - wet and wet)

 

(the beautiful rainbow on my way home - taken at a stop light)

so after driving in the horrible downpour of the week (2 - 3 inches of standing water on I-5 is not fun - just sayin'. . . ) we had a fabulous day. meeting new people. hearing fun stories of sewing in our family history and past, and just plain 'hangin' out.'

it is SO what emily and i wanted when we started this 2 1/2 years ago - not so much about finishing a project (although there are those who do finish) but about spending time nurturing our creative spirit and laughing and having a fun time with friends - old and new. forgetting about the piles of laundry, and dishes, and the never-ending to do list. it's about remembering, that as women and creative people, we are worth the time we spend just listening to that little voice inside that say's you're worth it. no comparing. no judging. just being. i loved it.

so as you finish reading this post, i hope you enjoy the photos below. sadly, i can't remember everyones name, so if you're not given credit, pipe up and tell me.

until next time - may your days be full of blessings ~ jill

 

(genevieve, (?) and rachel)
 

(michelle, debbie and val)
  
(Glynis and Anna)

*** stay tuned for more information on our December event !  ***

***mark your calendar now for the 5th - boutique will be open and fun classes - see post below ***

come play in december !

hello my friends !

fast on the heels of our amazing Come Play Portland event with Alicia Paulson of Posy Gets Cozy (i know - can you beleive it ?) emily and i are planning our next event here in eugene. (i know - pictures ! i'll post them tonight - i have to go get my hair cut in a bit and i promised emily i'd have these pictures uploaded before i left !)

i wanted to give you a little glimpse into one of the items we'll be creating that day - a sparkly, wonderful, vintage-y Christmas banner.  have i ever told you how much i love sparkles and vintage and banners ? if you didn't already know that, then now you do ! it's no surprise that you'll be using vintage lace and buttons with some every-day shipping tags and book pages.

(the sample says 'rejoice', but you can pick any word - up to 7 letters - that you want)

i took these photos this morning, since it's raining here in eugene i went on the front porch, turned on the porch light, and was able to capture a few.

 

later on today or tomorrow, head on over to the Come Play Eugene blog to get a peek at the other two projects.  emily is creating another one-of-a-kind calendar and our friend sarah, who is not new to come play, but new to teaching, will be teaching us how to make lovely neckaces from scrabble letters.

hope to see you there !

(and sharon, if you're reading this, it reminds me of our old 'tacky' days of creating - maybe you can join us - i'd love to see you) 

when art happens

hello my friends.

i have a question for you tonight.

does this ever happen to you ?

or is it just me.

project on top of project

papers buried below more paper

scraps and bits littering the table top and floor

can you even see a project in there anywhere ? (don't feel bad - I don't even see them !)

well, there are 3 - yes, 3. three that i was working on almost simultaneously this evening.

paint a book - set aside to dry

glue some trim - set aside to dry

sand and ink blocks -yep, you guessed it - set aside to dry

back to the book. adhere some flowers

back to the swag with trim - sprinkle some glitter

back to the blocks - rough up some edges and ink more

although these photos aren't great, here is a peek  at the two projects IN PROCESS

The swag and blocks for Ann - a new friend through a halloween swap hosted by joli paquet. this has to be in the mail tomorrow !

The altered book is for Lucy - another new friend i met through my altered book exchange.

well, i'd better clean up some of this glitter and glue before heading to bed

May your evening and day be full of blessings !

Jill

52Q update

If you remember, at the beginning of the year I embarked on a journey of answering 52 questions throughout the year - each prompted by emily. i haven't done a very good job of keeping my blog updated with the completed cards because . . . .well. . . .because I haven't done a very good job of actually making the cards and answering the questions.

But, a couple of weeks ago, i sat down and started playing and finished the night with some completed cards.  i must say that , the first two shown below are my favorite so far. probably because they involve my parents, who i love so much and miss even more.

so, in an order that has no order, here are some recent additions to my collection.

Week 36:  What do I never want to forget?

 
answer: (tucked away in a little envelope on the back) 

 
"i will never (ever) forget the night that daddy showed his love for mom when she was so very sick.  although they'd been divorced for 20 or so years, daddy still came over to celebrate her birthday. when it was time to go, he bent over her bed, kissed her on the forehead and said 'Claire, I'm so sorry you're sick.  I've always loved you'.  for a girl who was just 15 or so when her parents separated, this was a gift given to me by God.  proving to me that they really did love each other and that they were the loves of each others lives. . at least at one time.  I cherish that moment.  Mom passed just one short month later, and daddy one year after.  I love you mom and dad."

and isn't this the best picture ? i cherish their wedding photo from 1948.

Week #24:  something I don't understand, but want to:

 
answer:  (so, this is the bottom part of the photo from above (just a copy) that I couldn't bear to toss, and as i was reading over the questions, this answer came to mind)

 
'why didn't mom save her wedding dress ? that is one heirloom i would have loved to see pass down to generations'.

Week #20 :  What is my latest obsession ?

answer:  (on the back of a lace covered tag)

 

'without a doubt - lace - i can't get enough of it. i've found quite a bit lately at the oregon antique mall. . .penny gives me a great deal every time. (although i have to dig for it - but i don't mind !)

I'll try and post more over the weekend !

Have a blessed day.  Jill

yesterday and today

i am so very excited to be taking the online class through Big Picture Scrapbooking called Yesterday and Today - and it's being taught by my friend ali.

the first week, we spent some time focusing on what we'd like to accomplish in these 12 weeks of class.  some very powerful lists were made of events / memories  / thoughts we wanted to include as well as taking some time to establishing our attitude and saying goodbye to some of the obstacles that hold us back from telling our stories.  out of the 30 or so reasons, i definately identified with a few of them.

 
(being sassy in my sunglasses - the sassyness started early !)

then the second week, we looked at the process of scanning, printing and saving those photos we have that are not already saved digitally (ie - the boxes of pictures we all have in almost every corner of the house)  this week especially thrilled me, because after having an amazing color photo printer for over 2 years that my lovely husband purchased for me - i finally used it ! i know, crazy. but i'm intimidated by things i don't know how to use.  but once i use it - watch out ! i think it's because i'm a visual learner and i'd rather watch it work rather than read how to use it.

(my sisters jackie, julie and me at aunt elsies house - and you can't see it here, but one thing that i vividly remember about this house was the red velvet walpaper in the entry way.)

there are so many things i am looked forward to in this class - and one of them is visiting these photos and putting my emotions to pen and paper and sharing them. there are so many things to remember and wonder about. and if you're reading this jackie and julie - watch out for the questions that just might come along with the journey -

 
(my mom and dad - I'm told mom is pregnant here with me- late '64 or early '65)

blessings, jill

inspired

My friend Ali did it again. Although it really isn't hard to do.

With her post from Monday, she's inspired me to take a moment to pause, and reflect on 10 things that are capturing me right now.

1.  I have way too many boxes/piles in the garage of 'treasures' that need unpacking and sorting and putting away. They contain things such as yard sale finds, lace, family photos, empty plastic bags to recycle, vintage items to make journals out of, a scrapbooking tote containing class supplies from August, more lace, and other things I just can't remember right now. My goal is to unpack and put away at least 2 boxes a week until it's done.

2.  I really can go 7 days and not write a check or spend money (Unless you cound the starch I purchased to iron Marks shirts with so we didn't have to spend $ at the dry-cleaner. All of 99 cents)

3. Relating to #2 - I like having a nest egg in my register.

4. After having lost 16 pounds since March, I really need to do more to lose more weight.  It's not the eating part that I have trouble with, it's the exercising. I don't do mornings and the gym just doesn't appeal to me. I should figure something out.

5.  I have a wonderful family.  I'm the mother of a 20 year old. He's in college, and doing great. Really ?  20 ? How can that be ? I remember when I first met him the night i met his dad (Mark) on a blind date 18 years ago. In his little yellow-footed pajamas. I love that young man ! and I am the mother of a 13 year old. And she's wonderful too. A leader in school, helping and mentoring the 6th graders. Becoming a young lady. I am so proud and blessed. And Mark ? he's the best and I hardly deserve him. But after 17 years of being married, i love him more and more each day.

6. I am excited to begin the Big Picture Scrapbooking class taught by Ali. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.  More on this in a later post, but you should check it out.

7.  No matter how hard I try, I am not a reader. Now, I know HOW to read, but the desire to pick up a book and immerse myself in the story is not appealing to me. I'd much rather look at an issure of Somerset Life, Artful Blogging, Somerset Studio or all of the other magazines that are stacked up on my nightstand.  (on top of 3 books I thought I could get into, but have failed)

8. There is a decorating project I am wanting to accomplish, but no time in the near future to complete.  If you remember, last year I tackled the spare room, and painted it a beautiful, soft blue. There is a bathroom attached that really needs painting. I was inspired tonight by this blog, as i have that EXACT same vanity in this bathroom that I'd like to re-do.

9.  I have about 5 things I'd love to paint, but the weather is turning and i don't know if I'll get to them this weekend. I am always inspired by this blog, and her painting tutorials are wonderful.

10.  I am loving playing in my studio. Painting, gluing, creating, sewing and staying in my pajamas as time allows. This past weekend was spent unloading a few boxes, re-organizing my rik-rack and seam binding (I have a serious addiction), making a few tags for the 52Q that Emily F is hosting, and just plain relaxing. I hadn't done that in a while.

I think I could have listed about 10 more things, but since these are the items that came to mind first, I'll stick with these.

Have a blessed evening, and I promise to post more often. There is so much to share !

details of our event mentioned above

here is information regarding the September event. taken from an e-mail emily sent (the 'come play' blog may not yet be updated, since they've had a tough couple of weeks with the loss of a friend)

 Come Play Eugene - September Vintage

oh my goodness
it is so hot!
so let's think about something cooler, okay?

like how about
september 12 & 13?

here's the scoop:

SATURDAY

sessions
two to choose from
2pm to 5pm
or
6pm to 9pm

kit
ali & tricia put this kit together at cha
so you know it is filled with new, cool products
& it's an ali kit so her signature style will be all over it...
there is no doubt you will love this kit!

class
our super talented friend, michelle geller*
is going to teach us how to make
the coolest little souvenir journal
using the cocoa daisy kit that ali designed plus
some goodies that jill & michelle will provide
(hello, bonus kit!)
you will learn how to create covers & signatures of paper
& a cool binding technique
that you will be able to use over & over in the future...
such a great project!

shop
tricia will have a table
stocked with lots of past & current cocoa daisy kits
(full kits & add ons)
she always has so much great stuff
you will want to bring some spending money for sure!

(note: the full creative boutique will not be open this time
but we will have it fluffed & glowing at our holiday event
so keep an eye out for that :)

treats
as always
we will have goodies to munch on
sweets & seasonal fruit
yummmmm

SUNDAY

vintage field trip!
coburg antique fair
so much fun!
streets filled with booths brimming with vintage goodies
oh! it is so great!
we will meet at 6am
coffee in hand, eager smiling faces
ready to tackle the bargains :)
we all kind-of split up into little two or threes
& then at 9am (or so)
we will meet up for breakfast
& show & tell
this was so fun last year...
i loved seeing what everyone found
& hearing people talking
'should i go back & get _______?'
(yes! get it! :)
can't wait!

SATURDAY NIGHT

*bonus*
sleep over!
thinking about going to the coburg field trip but
not sure if you can drag yourself out
of your warm bed that early sunday morning?
let us do it for you!
spend the night at jill's house
& we will all rise & shine together!
we will get ready, get on the road
& get excited about what we will find!
there are a limited number of beds & then
we will start blowing up air matresses...
& besides having a great sunday morning wake-up call
it's a sleep-over!
super fun, very tame (no toothpaste between the toes, we promise!)
& perfect way to make it a
full girlie, creative, weekend just for you!

cost
saturday sessions cost $85
(includes class, kit, snacks)
if you want to sleep over add $10

if you are all set & ready to sign up
just head on over to the come play blog
comeplayeugene.blogspot.com
& sign up through paypal in the upper right hand corner
you choose which session you want right there..
(if you are going to spend the night
we will assume you want to attend the second session:)
(also the current post isn't about the september vintage event
but the paypay info is current & correct.
i wanted to get the information out to you girlies first
& then later this week i will post for the rest of blogland to see...)

*we are so excited about this event
besides being an incredible artist
michelle is such a wonderfully, sweet person
we know you will love her!
(& if you would like to see & know more about her
check out her beautiful blog:
http://www.michellegeller.typepad.com)

okie doke!
hope you will join us for an unforgettable weekend
of creativity, shopping, vintage, friends & joy!
talk soon...
emily :)

ps (there always has to be a ps!)
let me know of you have any questions!
hooray!