MERRY CHRISTMAS..............

...........FROM MY HOUSE TO YOURS!

THE ULTIMATE TREE ORNAMENT

I COULD MAKE, CREATE AND CRAFT TILL THE COWS COME HOME AND I WOULD NEVER EVEN COME CLOSE TO THE TALENTS OF GOD'S CREATURES! I NEVER TIRE OF WAKING EACH MORNING AND SEEING THESE TWO WONDERFUL ORIOLE"S NESTS HANGING FROM THE FICUS TREE NEAR MY BED. ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO, MY STEP-DAD RESCUED ONE FROM A FELLED TREE THAT WAS DESTINED FOR FIREWOOD. ANOTHER WAS FOUND IN THE WINTER ABOUT 5 YEARS LATER, AFTER AN ICE STORM HAS CAUSED MANY BRANCHES TO BREAK AND FALL. SO THESE WERE RESCUED NESTS AND WERE NOT ROBBED FROM THE TREES. I WAS JUST FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PRESERVE THESE BEAUTIES THAT WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN DESTROYED.

ANOTHER USE FOR PARCHMENT

I HAD FUN MAKING THESE CONES OUT OF OLD PARCHMENT PAPER AND TINY SCRAPS OF OLD JOURNAL PAGES AND SHEET MUSIC. (DID I MENTION THAT I THROW VERY LITTLE AWAY?) I HAVE STACKS OF DIE CUTS THAT I BOUGHT IN GERMANY SEVERAL YEARS AGO THAT I USED AS A FOCAL. THEY LOOK GREAT ON TREES WHEN THE LIGHTS SHINE THRU THE SEMI-TRANSPARENT PAPER.

A GOOD SAVE

THAT'S WHAT FRIEND AND FELLOW ANTIQUES DEALER ANITA, (IOWA JUNK GYPSIES) SAID ABOUT THIS CLOCHE. I DIDN'T TAKE ANY BEFORE PICS, BUT THIS GLASS BELL FELL OVER WHILE I WAS SETTING UP MY FLEA MARKET BOOTH AND CRACKED IN SEVERAL PLACES. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS NOT HAPPY. YET I COULD NOT BRING MYSELF TO THROW IT AWAY, SOOOOOOOO,............. I TOOK IT HOME AND GLUED HAND MADE PAPER TO THE BACK OF THE BELL AND TO THE INSIDE WHERE IT WAS CRACKED. I REASONED THAT IF THAT DIDN'T STABILIZE IT , I WOULD THEN THROW IT AWAY. THE NEXT MORNING FOUND IT STABLE AND SAFE TO USE, SO I THEN GLUED AN ANCIENT JOURNAL PAGE OVER THE INSIDE REPAIR, PLACED SOME MOSS, CONES AND A LITTLE TREE INSIDE. I LIKE THE WAY IT TURNED OUT. IT'S
INTERESTING.

A NEW ORNIE USING A FLATTENED TART TIN AND A PHOTO COPY OF A WATCH FACE.

SOLD OUT!

WINTER BOTTLES FOR WHITE WEDNESDAY

I HAVE HAD A BOX OF VINTAGE, PAPER FLOWER PETALS THAT WERE NEVER FINISHED. I LOVE THE AGED, TISSUE LIKE LOOK OF THE OLD FLOWER PAPERS, BUT NEVER REALLY USED ANY OF THEM. WHEN I DECIDED TO MAKE SOME WINTRY TYPE BOTTLES, I THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS I WOULD TRY PUTTING SOME OF THE FLOWERS TOGETHER AND USE THEM TO TOP OFF THE GLITTERY BOTTLES. I LIKE THE WAY THEY TURNED OUT, AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE PUT AWAY WITH THE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS.