WIN A FREE COPY OF "HELLO CUPCAKE!"

Greetings, dear readers!

Just wanted to let you in on the fun contest at Creme Hurray Bakery! Visit their facebook page at this link:

Creme Hurray!

Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing to win a copy of the book, "Hello Cupcake!"



YAY for cupcakes!

More soon!
Hugs,
Paula Clare

AND THE WINNER IS...

Sherry/Cherie! Ler's hear it for Sherry! 3 cheers for Cherie: HIP HIP HOORAY! HIP HIP HOORAY! HIP HIP HOORAY!

I will be sending you your birdie banner and surprise gift right away!

As for the rest who entered, I will be sending you all "consolation prizes" (smile) very soon as well. EVERYBODY'S A WINNER at Paula's Palace of AltAred Art! WOOHOO!

Thanks for stopping by my blog! Visit again soon...you never know what you might find!

More Soon!

Paula

YOUR HEROES...AND AN RAK!

Greetings, gentle reader! I am wondering after the long (I admit) and rather rambling (I confess) post about my heroes, I was wondering if per chance YOU might have heroes who help to inspire YOU? You don't need to list 10 (unless you want to) but list a few of them and I will put all the names of those who comment into a hat and draw a winner for a Paula's Palace of AltAred Art T-shirt! The T-shirts were a great hit in the Spring Giveaway, and so here's another chance for you to win this FABulous T-shirt (again being modeled by our uh-hmm "Merchandise Model.") Again, it's a size XL and is made of wonderfully soft brushed t-shirt knit.

Your heroes can be living or dead, real or fictional. The main thing is that they have lived lives that inspire you!

Oh LOOK! I purchased these FABulous Love, Elsie embroidery designs. This is the collection entitled "Neverland." She loaded her Etsy shop the other night at midnight, and I stayed up to see what was going in...I'm so glad I did! The tree and the Native Girl are my faves...

I also got this gorgeous little treasure from Artsy Mama's Etsy Shop:

Isn't it yummy? I haven't used it yet because I keep staring at it thinking, how adorable it looks in the little seed containers! The little vintage mushrooms "sealed the deal..." aren't they the sweetest?

By the way, if you think of it, please say a prayer for me this Sunday. As you know it's mother's day and I am (5 years) without MY mom and we just lost my husband's mother recently, Also I won't get to spend the day with either (any) of MY babies...I don't expect it to be an easy day...

Thanks so much,

More soon!



Paula

COME ON'A MY HOUSE, MY HOUSE'A COME ON!

Greetings, dear reader! I have been waxing (literally) creative lately and haven't had much time to blog about all of the activity...(if you saw my scrapbook room, you'd KNOW I've been in the throes of some kind of creative friendzy...)

Anyway, I'll bet you're wondering, "What's up with all this "my house" stuff? Well I am glad you asked! I have joined the ezine Casa Bella and have been creating like a mad hatter ever since! Behold, the goods:

Here's my cottage-y version of the little house project. Our real home has only a few more square feet than this one (750) so we have always decorated in a cottage/flea market/vintage fashion. I wanted the house to reflect the same kinds of colors and styles we have in our home. I LOVED using the beeswax, and have only a few slices in my fingers from the German glass shards I sprinkled in while the beeswax was "curing."

This is a view of the windows. I used 7 Gypsies ATC Overlays for the windows, and then used vintage lace for curtains and old millinery flowers for the window boxes! It's really starting to look like home!

Here's a shot of the roofline, a German diecut, another ATC Overlay (the clock) and a blue feather. The clock symbolizes the time we spend together as family that makes a house a home. :-) (Aren't I the sappy one?)

This is my favorite part of the "Clouse House"...I wanted to add some charm (s) and thought of the quote "Home is where you hang your heart." SO I hung a heart, a flowr, and a little turquoise charm from the eaves of the house...like a little earring for the lady!

This is a vintage earbob I found in a resale shop. The other one will become a "party" for my finger! For some reason when I saw the colors I thought..."Hanging planter!" I just added the hanger and the vines!

Here is the detail of part of the roof. EVERY cottage must have a "Home Sweet Home" SOMEWHERE...oh! And a bluebird of happiness as well!

Here's a detail of the door...I wanted to use this gorgeous little silver frame every since I found it in the altered art store...I've been saving it for just such an occasion. The "C" is a rub on and stands for "Clouse" "Creativity" "Cottage", pick one! The little picket fence is actually made from "Wallies" (diecuts for your walls...they are applied like wallpaper) I used rub on flowers and made a little welcome sign on the "WORKING" gate. My husband said I could have actually BUILT a real fence in the time it took me to put this one together!

THEN, I made this project:

Here's my version of the project. I painted the wooden balls robins egg blue, and then used larger, white rubons because I think the bigger letters invites visitors to pick them up, read and investigate. (I'm VERY into tactile kinds of decorating!) Anyway, I used the Making Memories "Simply Stated" alphabet rubons...entitled "rummage". The balls say "peace, love, hope, faith, joy, grace"

Here is the little vignette I put together for the casa bella project....the crown on the dollhead came from the Bellatoria Ezine!

There are 5 more projects I must catch up on...I'll keep you posted! Meanwhile, why not check out the ezine offer? You can still subscribe!

Only 2 days til the spring drawing! Woohoo! Good luck to all!

More soon!



Paula

PS Now the song's stuck in your head, isn't it?

"SPRING HAS SPRUNG" GIVEAWAY/CONTEST

Hello once again, dear reader!

I don't know what the weather is like in your neck of the woods, but here in Southern Illinois it seems spring has FINALLY sprung! The lilac and forsythia bushes are abloom, the tulip and dogwood trees are beautiful clouds of pink and white. My husband (much to his chagrin) dragged out the lawnmower for its maiden lawn voyage. Neither he nor the mower were very excited about the experience.

Now, weather report aside...here are the "rules" for the contest and the big T-Shirt and RAK GIVEAWAY:

1. Leave a comment on THIS post
2. Answer this question with your comment: "What is your favorite spring 'thing'?"
3. The contest ends at midnight on April 30th.
4. I will assign a number to all comments, and then run them in a random number generator.
5. I will select 4 winners!
a. 2 lucky winners will get a Paula's Palace of AltAred Art T-Shirt
b. 2 will receive a goodie box filled with a scrapbooking kit (papers from Bazzill Basics, Boxer Scrapbook, SEI and Ellison)(everything you need to create your own photo album), vintage fabric & trims, a few FAB altered art embellishments
c. each winner will also receive an original ATC created by ME!

WOOHOO! Go here if you want to see the T-shirts you may win!

"SPRING HAS SPRUNG GIVEAWAY" or RAK MADNESS!

HAS SHE LOST HER MIND?!?!?! You ask...

Well, maybe.

Greetings, dear reader! I have some EXCITING news for you!

I'm doing another giveaway! It has been quite a while since my last one and so I feel compelled to "share the love" once again and treat a few lucky winners (yes, that's WINNERS plural!) to some totally groovy vintage goods, altAred art supplies, and scrapbooking goodies. PLUS two lucky winners will take home a lovely Paula's Palace of AltAred Art T-Shirt. Behold the lovely merchandise model:

"WAIT A MINUTE!" you say, "That is NOT a merchandise model." Well, you're right. In the middle of the afternoon on a Friday, merchandise models are tough to come by. So it's moi. Me. Myself. Deal wit it. teehee

I digress...here's a close up of said merchandise...both XL, both 100% washable. Be the envy of your friends! Be the FIRST to sport a Paula's Palace of AltAred Art Spring Edition T-Shirt! (To quote Ned Flanders, "WOOHOODLYHOO!")

Stay tuned this weekend for details about how to enter! YAY!

VINTAGE VALENTINE FREEBIE #4

Greetings, dear friends and readers! It's another week and time for the next Vintage Valentine Freebie! This one is truly a unique treat...I've never seen one like it before! I've even included the "lid" of the "flower box" because that's where the valentine "sentiment" is written. This particular variety a "modern" version of the valentine, circa 1949-50.

And, oh! If anyone wants instructions on how to make any of the little Valentines I display here, feel free to comment and/or email and ask! I'll be glad to direct you to Wilna's FABUlous Valentine class (I hear there are STILL openings! Only $17.00! WELL WORTH every dime!)

Okay, without making you wait another minute, here's Valentine Freebie #4:

Stay tuned at the end of the week for a BONUS valentine! WOOHOO!

More soon!

Paula

VINTAGE VALENTINES! FREEBIE #3!

Greetings Dear Readers!

Up for your perusal today is the third Vintage Valentine Freebie...

This is from the Art Deco Era (1910-1940). A very different look to it than the Victorian Valentine posted last time! (Freebie #2) Upon my research, discovered this one is dated 1918. I just love the "tomboyish" looking girl and the vibrant colors. And, par for the Art Deco style, the lines are much cleaner and somewhat whimsical. I hope you like it! Again, just right click and you can have the image to use as you wish! Don't forget to download the other Valentine Freebies...I have them linked in the upper right hand corner of the blog. Remember I will be giving away a full page of Vintage Valentines on "Valentines Day Eve". Please leave a comment on any of these Valentines Day posts and I will enter you into the contest. I also have for purchase digital, high resolution .png compilation sheets of the 50+ acquired in this Valentines estate sale. Just email for more info! Meanwhile, enjoy the Art Deco Goodie!

More soon!

Paula

PROMISES, PROMISES, PROMISES...

Greetings, dear readers! Here I am on the threshold of another year gone by and feeling quite...well...UNCERTAIN of what it might bring forth. I am not much one for New Years Resolutions because I am really lousy at keeping them. Truly. I mean REALLY lousy. It's like the minute my body "HEARS" the mutterings of diet...weight loss, etc. it goes into IMMEDIATE rebellion.

However, my hubby is insistent that we do SOMETHING, so I've signed up for eDiet (mostly because it will allow me to kick out menus and shopping lists...the part of DIETING that I detest and despise). And now comes the challenge of finding foods that a)we both like and b)that our local market carries. One accomplishment (whether or not to be proud I have not yet discerned) of 2007 was that I won the title "Food Diva" by my sisters. Truly I didn't MEAN to be a food diva, and Lord knows I am not terribly picky when it comes to the WHAT of my eating...but apparently I'm a bit more of a stickler on the "HOW". Textures are a big deal (I can not eat shrimp because of the "chewy" textures of the wretched things) and temperatures are a big deal (for example, I find I am more likely to drink my drinks in their entirety if they are REEEEEEEALLY cold...thus, I order drinks with extra ice. Yes, it may be a bit of a PAIN at the drive thru, but isn't the "customer always right" anyway???) AND then there's the aesthetic of food...it HAS to look good. It has to look PRETTY. If I learned nothing else in home ec cooking class it was that there needed to be a variety of COLOR and TEXTURES in a meal. I heartily concur. Maybe it's the artist in me...maybe I AM a food diva. All I know is that I have had near "spiritual experiences" when food is done right ...
I REFUSE, however, to make the new year all about food...and weight...and...well, my BODY. (OH MY GOSH...I watched with HORROR as I saw the previews for a new reality show on television about "plus size women" learning to "love their bodies". Their first exercise is to look at themselves in a full length mirror in only their underwear. Yikes. Double yikes. I will be the first to admit I am unhappy with my body...however, looking at myself in a mirror in my home and looking at myself on national television are two ENTIRELY DIFFERENT things. At the tender age of 50 (THANKS TO EVERYONE for all the well wishes, by the way!) I would have hoped to have made PEACE with this body-o-mine. It DOES, after all, for the most part, function well. BUT peace or not, I am going to appreciate this body and NOT obsess about it. Really.

SOOOOOOOO, rather than make resolutions I will never in a million years keep, how about this...how about I agree before YOU, my readers, that I will embrace the GOOD in both myself and the world, and will seek to bring Love, Light and Creativity wherever and with whomever I come in contact! (I realize these are not "measurable and obtainable" and therefore are not goals in the "official sense", however, in my abstract world and abstract mind they are as close as I am going to come)

So what say you? What are YOUR goals, dreams and ambitions? Leave comments HERE and I will pick two souls at random and send an amazing FREE goodie box of AltAred Art materials! Woohoo!

DING! DING! DING! NEW INFO! Included in the AltAred Art Goodie Box will be:

An Art Journal
A Blank Wooden Box to AltAr any way you wish!
A Groovy Felt Magnet...bird, dog or mushroom
Lots of cool-ish papers, rub ons, ephemera, stickers, and "weird stuff"

I look forward to hearing from you! Peace, Light and Joy in the New Year!


xoxoxo

WIN A FREE SCRAP STASH

Merry Thursday everyone!

Those of you who are everyday readers of my blog (THANK YOU and you KNOW who you are!) will recall after my last giveaway I promised another FREE GIVEAWAY just in time for Christmas...

Leave a comment here (with your name and city, and/or country) to enter! I will be giving away a Christmas goodie box which includes some of the handmade items previously mentioned on my blog, as well as some cute scrapbook goodies (including Daisy Ds, Heidi Swapp, Love, Elsie, Bampop, vintage book pages, hardware, stickers and more!) AND another FAB AltAred Art journal!

I'll post a few pictures later...but believe me, this is a cute, delightful potpourri of fun scrapbook and altAred art goodies! AND (as a thank you to ALL of my readers) I will be giving away BOTH a national AND an international prize! WOOHOO! What better way to say Merry Christmas...in ANY language?!?! (Please leave your comments in English..I am sorry to say the only other language I speak is my Love Language: GIFTS!)

I will choose one winner from the U.S. and one from an "out of the country" entry! I will mail both goodie boxes prior to Christmas, however, given the "late hour" and the US Postal Service typical holiday traffic, said boxes may not reach their destinations until after the Christmas holiday...just in time for some post-holiday stress-relieving creativity!

You have 24 hours...GOOD LUCK!

FREE GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCED!

Greetings, my Sweeties! Well, today is the day! The announcement for the FREE Giveaway is at hand...

DRUMROLL PLEASE...And the winner is...

TERESA DAHM!!! Congrats, Teresa!

Be sure to let me know your snail mail address so I can get your FAAAAAAAAAABULOUS journal and compact winging its way to you post haste!

Thanks to all who entered! Stay tuned for another FREE GIVEAWAY around Christmas time!

CREATIVITY RUN AMUCK

Well, here we are...a couple of days away from the big announcement, and already I've had folks from all over the place commenting and entering the giveaway...woohoo!

Remember a couple of posts back I was saying that I was going to begin a project with all those yummy papers, ephemera and altered art stuff? Well, I went a little "ape" and bought all kinds of delicious felt and sewing stuff...not that I've EVER been much of a sewer...however, I've seen all the darling stuff at Etsy and many of my "muses" have created FABulous felt creations...so I decided to jump on the bandwagon. I'll post a creation or two as they happen...

I've also decided to just begin creating without a theme (other than color) in mind. It's MUCH harder to create this way, but I think it forces me to use my imagination a bit more than I would otherwise.

Anyway, here is a look at what I've been up to:

FREE! FREE! FREE! GIVEAWAY!

To show my appreciation for YOU, dear reader, I have decided to do an ABSOLUTELY FREE GIVEAWAY! Prizes are on me...shipping is on me... and all YOU have to do is enter to win!

I am going to giveaway one of the FABULOUS Pre-AltAred Bohemian journals that you all have been drooling over...you know, like the one I posted back on November 4th? Annnnnnnnyhoo, not only have I found another of these yummy journals, but a matching photo frame/compact to boot! It's utterly gorgeous! BEHOLD THE GIVEAWAY...

Ooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

Here's how to enter:

1. Visit Paula's Palace of AltAred Art and leave a comment on THIS post...voila! You've acquired 1 entry into the contest!

2. Be sure to include your email address (if not registered with Blogger already)

3. Tell a friend to visit and comment...for every person who mentions you as a referral, you will get ANOTHER entry, and THEY will get an entry.

4. On November 21, (in honor of Thanksgiving...and my gratitude for YOU!) an entry will be chosen by an internet randomizer. I will contact the winner via email and let you in on the good news! I'll get your snail mail addy, and the FAB journal and compact will be winging its way to your home...absolutely FREE! (International Readers, I WILL ship to you also!)

I am doing this as a THANK YOU and a gesture of gratitude for all of YOU, dear readers. I am so completely grateful for you and for your friendship...and for your blogginess!

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE, and have a great time! Isn't this exciting?!