JUST FOR YOU: ADORABLE DESKTOP CALENDAR!

Greetings, friends!

I am so excited to give you this adorable desktop calendar for the month of November. I made it with the sweet images from Primsy Doodle Designs...

Hope you like it! Use it in good health!

Blessings,
Paula Clare

GNOME TAG PATTERN & SHADOW BOX

As promised, here is the compilation of cricut cartridge pieces used to create this darling little gnome tag:

This is the basic body for the gnome...it was made with the paper doll dress up cartridge. (Click on the image, then right click to save)

The beard definitely gave us fits...after perusing HUNDREDS of images, we found a little apron with a scalloped edge...a bit of a trim after cutting, and voila! A beard! 

 The hat was equally difficult...it had to have the right "whimsy" as well as the classic gnome hat shape. We found a sorcerers hat on the Mickey Mouse cartridge (the sorcerers apprentice)

And then the tunic...couldn't look like a dress...nor did we want it to look like an oversized t-shirt...so the biblical tunic on the "nativity/bible characters" cartridge did the trick!

The last thing is to assemble and make a simply face using two dots and a slightly curved dash for the mischievous exression of a wise old gnome! 

A great way to add dimension either to the tag or shadow box is to trace around the gnome with a charcoal pencil...smudge and then use pop dots to raise the image off the "shadow". You can either color in the entire shadow image, or just leave it as an outline. Either way, it gives the little guy depth and dimension! Try it, you'll like it! 

The finishing touch is to add whimsical papers, ribbons and embellies.

Be sure to check out Elizabeth's blog and Nan's Retired in Alaska to see their take on the little shadowbox! ADORABLE! More coming right up!

FUN THANKSGIVING TABLE IDEAS

Greetings, dear reader!

As promised, I am back with some fun ideas for your thanksgiving table! 

 First, however, I would like to say how thankful I am for all the artists (of every stripe) in the world. Artists like Mary Engelbrieit who share their love and passion via their incredible artwork makes my heart soar! Thank you! You make the world a more beautiful place and I for one do NOT take that for granted!

I recently purchased some old editions of Home Companion magazine...I just love how Mary shares her artwork in each edition! Here is a sweet image that I absolutely adore:

I just love the sweetness of this image...so I started thinking about ways I could use it on my table...first, I did a little photoshop magic...

I moved the "Thank God" sentiment to the bottom of the stack of leaves, and then expanded the "leaf pile" outward. Trim around the image and voila! Napkin rings! (cut additional rectangles of white paper and glue to the edges of the images if you need to make the napkin rings a bit larger!) Be sure to click on the images twice to get the full sheet size to open.

Print one image per page and make "thankful crowns" for each guest and family member...

 

Again cut to size a strip of white paper and glue to the edges of the image to create a paper crown!

I hope you have fun with these adorable images! More soon!

Hugs,
Paula Clare

CATH KIDSTON...ON A SHOESTRING!

Greetings, dear reader!

I have been happily "nesting" in an effort to get my kitchen "switchover" ready for the finishing touches, my aluminum blinds and vintage toweling valances.  One of the things I love to do around the house (all 750 sq. ft. of it) is create little happy vignettes that are photo worthy (or, at least seem so in my opinion!) As I've shared with you, I've been gathering goodies to make the formerly Tuscan now 1940s(ish) retro. So I decided to set the table:

I found the cool plastic plates in the "dinnerware" section of The Country Door..and the aqua melmac is genuine and discovered in an 8 place setting at a flea market!

I am attempting to create something akin to Cath Kidston's remarkable patterns...however, I had to do it all on an extreme budget:

Which made me search and scour all the harder for wonderful vintage glasses like these! I love the happy colors and the floral pattern...AND they are plastic! Found at a wonderful shop on Etsy called Kitsch Cafe.  And I have added a sweet couple to my fawn collection:

Aren't they darling?! I don't think I'll be collecting any more because I don't believe I will ever find anything sweeter!

And of course a place for my mushroom salt and pepper shakers, my vintage tray holding goodies dear to my heart: My vintage wood girl and dog, rescued from a used (ugly) lamp base, my red and aqua cupcake and pedestal, and one of my 10 party magpies from Magpie Ethel's!

These are a pair of retro canisters I picked up for only a few dollars...I just love their happy colors! Again, my hope is that mixing the dots with flowers and checks, that I will create a cottage-y look without looking like I've tried too hard. :-)

Remember the fab AltAred Art package I got with all the wonderful vintage linens and such?

I will be using said goodies to make an altared art creation for my kitchen...stay tuned!

And now I'm off to finish painting the picture frames for my cookie jar prints...talk again soon!

Hugs,

Paula Clare

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Hugs,
Paula Clare