More Spooled Rotten Necklaces!

I'm on a roll!  Here are more of my Spooled Rotten necklaces!

I'm having so much fun with these little spools!  Visit www.madebyjimmisdaughter.etsy.com for information!  They make great Christmas gifts!

Spooled Rotten!

Hello, friends!  Well, I'm at it again - making spool necklaces this time.  They are absolutely lovely and I just can't get enough of them!  This one is one of my favorites - it has a nice vintage feel to it - and it seems to look good with no matter what I'm wearing.  I have made about six other types of spool necklaces that I'll share with you soon.  I hope you're all doing okay.  I've been busy like a little bee making my Scissor Babies, which has become quite a popular item!  I'm glad to see it.  They are so cute and fun to make - and they make wonderful Christmas presents for your crafting and scrapbooking friends!  All is well on the homefront - just busy, busy, busy making jewelry. 

Our Second Annual Crafting Getaway Weekend is coming up soon and I'm hoping to get my Christmas cards made.  I'll share them with you when they're finished.  I'm really looking forward to that three-and-a-half-day weekend with my crafting buddies.  It's nice to catch up with all of them and just enjoy the time - uninterrupted - crafting!  Have a good day - and onward through the fog!!!  My Etsy Shop will give you the details - www.madebyjimmisdaughter.etsy.com - about my spool necklaces and my Scissor Babies!

Falling for Fall

Yep, I'm definitely in the mood for fall!  I want some hot apple cider and a great big caramel apple.  So why, then, is the temperature still in the 90s here?  That's not fall, that's summer.  I've had enough!  I'm in the spirit, though.  Here's a fall necklace that I just put in my Etsy Shop.  www.madebyjimmisdaughter.etsy.com.  Tell me what you think!

If you look closely at this black patina connector, you can see acorns throughout it.  I'm in love with this!  It looks so pretty on.  Would someone be so kind as to pin this to Pinterest?  I pin it, but it just goes somewhere that's NOT on the main feed for everyone to see.  I'm not good with computers.....so sad!  Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong?

Have a luscious day - I'm off to Wal-Mart to purchase a big white pumpkin!

My Long Window

Greetings!  I recently purchased an old window - it's over 100 years old - to hang above the fireplace.  I had originally wanted a door, but my husband wanted a window.  We were lucky enough to find a long window that was sort of like a door - with glass - so we were both happy!  I posted a picture of the window on Facebook right after we purchased it and some of you have asked what the final outcome was, so here it is!  I'm very happy with it.  For 16 years, there was a birdhouse quilt up there that my mom made - and it was beautiful and I absolutely love that quilt, but after 16 years, I was ready for a change.  I'm going to have fun changing out the wreath for all of the seasons and holidays with this window!

Lizette, you were asking about the birdcage.  I've got pumpkins in it right now!

Boo With Bling!

Hello!  I'm so excited that fall is almost here - it's only two more days to be officially considered "fall."  That means Halloween is just around the corner.  You know that I absolutely adore Halloween.  The candy, the costumes, the crazy decorations - and the fact that it kicks off the upcoming holiday season.  I've been wanting to make a nice Halloween necklace and earrings - and here it is.  I'm in love with the little guy dangling from the bottom - and this necklace is full of bling, another of my favorite things!  If you'd like to see more of this little guy, he's in my Etsy Shop at www.madebyjimmisdaughter.etsy.com.  You'll be the envy of all of your friends.  He's spooky, blingy........and classy! 

Framed Leaf for Fall

Hello!  I got to do a little bit of stamping yesterday!  This is probably what I love most about stamping - when you need a little accent piece somewhere, you can easily add one by stamping something and then framing it!  I wanted to hang something fall-ish from the big clock in our den, so I stamped a beautiful leaf from Papertrey's Leaf Prints stamp set, added some sequins and beads (which I've really gotten into lately!), put it in a gorgeous frame, and it looks perfect!  The room just feels warmer and cozier with a fall leaf dressing it up!  This inspired me and I'm ready to do more stamping..........now, to find the time to do that!  Have a great day everyone!

Scissor Babies

How cute is this????  I LOVE IT!  This is scissor bling!  I call them Scissor Babies.  When you attend a crop or a stamping event, everyone has Stampin' Up!'s Paper Snips, so it's hard to distinguish yours from everyone else's.  Not anymore!  With my Scissor Baby attached to your Paper Snips, you'll know exactly which scissors are yours!  They make great gifts for your scrapbooking buddies or your stamping pals!  For more information, visit www.madebyjimmisdaughter.etsy.com. 

Well, hello!  Yes, it's me.  I'm still here!  It's been quite a while since I've posted anything on my blog....and I was just about to let my blog go when I received an email from someone asking if I was okay and that she missed my posts!  I was shocked and surprised that someone would still be checking my blog for posts, so I figured I'd keep penguinstamper going - even if it's just for my own scrapbooking.  My blog IS my form of scrapbooking.

I have been in the process of cleaning out all of the "stuff" I had as a demonstrator.  It has taken me a good bit of time to do this.  When you have a stamping business, you need multiples, and sometimes triples or more, of things to use in your workshops.  I have pared my supplies down, and now my office is in a good state and I am actually starting to do some stamping again.  THAT MAKES ME HAPPY! 

Another thing that I've become involved in is making jewelry.  Yes, I know, it does sound kind of weird......especially to me because I had no idea that I could fall so completely in love with making jewelry.  It happened quite by accident when my mom asked me to repair two of her necklaces that had broken.  I gave her a blank look like, "How in the world can I fix this?  I don't know the first thing about jewelry."  Her necklaces were beaded, so to fix them, it required a small amount of design to make the beads look pretty.....and that's where it happened.....I was hooked like a charm in lace!  I thought I would take a beginner beading class at Michael's, which I did, and that set me on fire for making jewelry.  I have now ventured into creating vintage-looking jewelry, and I must say I'm one VERY happy gal making jewelry AND stamping.  It reminds me of that saying, "So many crafts, so little time."  That's how I feel.  There aren't enough hours in the day to do all of the things I'd like to do, but since I'm retired now, there's tomorrow, and the day after that, and then the day after that, and so on! 

My daughter talked me into opening up an Etsy Shop for my jewelry, so I'm dabbling in that to see how well it goes.  I'll eventually add some of my hand-stamped items in my shop, as well.  My Etsy Shop address is www.madebyjimmisdaughter.etsy.com, if you'd like to see what I've been making lately.  Here's my latest, an antique brass vintage snowman necklace and earrings.  I've already sold three of them, so I guess I'd have to call him my best-seller so far!  Ha!

Isn't he cute?  I love how all of the components look like snow and ice - even the clasp is a rhinestone snowflake.  I'm in love with him - and he loves me, too.  Here's my "Cotton Candy" necklace and earrings.  The different shades of pink are lovely.  The rhinestone pendant was part of a clasp, which I repurposed into the focal point of this necklace.  I love the antique silveryness of this set!

Here's another one of my favorites:

This necklace has a metal latch that has been repurposed into a focal point pendant.  The aqua-blue chalcedony gemstone looks beautiful with the metal.  I create the chains by forming simple loops with wire and beading whatever elements I want onto the wire, and then simply attach the simple loops together.  I'm in love!

So, there you have it!  All is well.  I'm making jewelry AND stamping, so life is good!  Thanks for inspiring me to keep up my blog!  I appreciate you - and you know who you are, Ms. Frona!

A Road Trip to Navasota!

Today was such a gorgeous day!  My friends Lily and Genice and I went to Bloomer's in Navasota to enjoy their tea room for lunch and to do a little shopping.  We were hoping to see lots of bluebonnets along the way, but didn't see any.  We did get to see some Indian Paintbrushes, though.  I love Texas in the spring!  The green rolling hills and farmland were so beautiful and peaceful.  It's a very nice drive to Navasota.  We had a lovely lunch and purchased a few things.  I had to have this huge bird cage, and I'm so glad I got it.  It has a beautiful vintage feel to it, and of course I love the bird perched on top!  Lily suggested I put it by my fireplace, which I did, and it looks pretty good there.  I mean, really, this thing is pretty big.  It stands about three feet tall!  What should I put in it?  Greenery, perhaps?  I'm not sure.  Of course I'll fill it with red Christmas ornaments for Christmas, with pumpkins for Thanksgiving, and pastel eggs for Easter, but what do I put in it during just "regular" times?  Give me your suggestions.  I'm all ears.  Now, I'm awaiting my husband's response to it when he comes home from work!  Hee hee hee.  I'll let you know!

The funny thing is I drove all the way to Navasota and ran in to one of my good friends out there!  I haven't seen Susie in almost a year, so it was great to see her!  She's a hoot!  I have to laugh at myself because if I stand under a light to have my picture taken, with my gray hair, it makes me look like I have no hair!  Ha, ha, ha, ha!  I am getting a big kick out of this picture!  I had a lovely day!  Thanks to my friends for all the fun!

An Adorable Birthday Card!

Hello!  My mother has a dear friend who is turning 85 years old this month!  They have known each other since first grade.  Isn't that amazing?  How can you know someone for 80 years!  We are taking her friend, Margie, out to lunch to celebrate her birthday, and we have a couple of gifts for her, too.  I think it will be a nice outing and I made this adorable card for her.  The embossing folder at the bottom of the card is from Anna Griffin's collection.  It adds such an elegance to the card.  I'm also using the stamp set "Your Perfect Day" from Stampin' Up!  It's actually a wedding stamp set, but I just had to use the lovely wreath from that stamp set for Margie's birthday card.  The greeting is from Papertrey's stamp set "Signature Greetings II," which is quickly becoming one of my favorite stamp sets from Papertrey!  On the inside it says, "Age is just a number" from that same stamp set.  I'll try to remember to take pictures of our lunch so I can share them with you.  Margie is adorable and I have fallen in love with her.  She is sweet, funny, and witty - and still drives!  I hope I can be just like her when I turn 85!

 

Sympathy Cards are Tough!

Hello to my stamping friends!  I've been doing a little stamping lately.  Unfortunately, I've needed a couple of sympathy cards, which I always find to be challenging.  You're never sure whether a handmade card holds enough weight to be appropriate for a sympathy card, but I feel if you keep it simple, you can never go wrong.  I love how this sympathy card turned out.  Both stamp sets are from Papertrey and I got the idea for this card from their website.  The flowers are from the set called "Botanical Silhouettes" and the greeting is from the cutest stamp set called "Signature Greetings II."  The ink is Certainly Celery, Black, and Daffodil Delight from Stampin' Up!  This is going to become a "go-to" card for me.  Simple, but elegant - my favorite kind!

Thanks for stopping by!  Tomorrow I'll be posting an adorable birthday card!  Have a great  day!

Easter Card 2015

I've enjoyed making my Easter cards this year.  I love how intricate this Peter Rabbit die is.  I sent the pink cards to my girlfriends and sent the craft-colored ones to the guys in my life!  This card is 4 X 4, so I had to make envelopes to accommodate the card.  LOVE THAT ENVELOPE PUNCH BOARD!  I learned that it costs 70 cents to send one 4 X 4 card!  I love this size so much, so I purchased LOTS of 70-cent stamps!  HAPPY EASTER!  May the Easter bunny bring you lots of chocolate to remind you that He is risen!

Just love that cute little rabbit!

Spring Art

I saw a beautiful picture on Pinterest that inspired me to make this spring art.  I had to adapt and use the supplies I had on hand, so mine is different from the picture I saw, but I still love it!  I always want things to be exactly the way the picture is, but I'm learning that sometimes changing it up a bit is pretty cool, too!  I am going to try other color variations of this when I get a chance, but I wanted to share it with you.  As I pass through the room and see it, it just makes me smile.  Art has a way of doing that for you, doesn't it?

Now that I've finished it, I'd like to try stamping the same black script that's on the butterfly onto the gray background piece, too.  It seems like that would be beautiful and would pull the colors out even more!  Changing the colors of buttons, the style of buttons, and the lace trim would be nice, too.  Lots of possibilities with this one!  I can't wait to try them out, but I've got to go do laundry.  One reaches a point where she has no more clean undies, so one must pull herself away from her crafting to take care of necessities!

I Told You There'd be More Bunnies!

I've gone bunny crazy this Easter!  Here are more bunny pictures that I made.  I hosted a coffee for some of my girlfriends and I made one for each of them.  We had so much fun and I plan to do it more often.  It is wonderful to have the time to get together with friends.  I had a lovely time that day!

I've tried so many variations of this bunny that it's gotten ridiculous, but I was hooked and I had fun making them!  I invited a bunch of my friends over for coffee.  Here are some of the things we enjoyed that day.

This little basket actually looked like a basket of carrots.  I saw this cute idea on Pinterest, but I wanted to add a tag to mine.  

I love Easter decorations.  The colors are so pretty and I love having my house decorated in pastel colors.  I found the cutest little bird's nest with blue eggs.  They looked perfect placed inside this bird cage.  Adding moss to the bottom made it look so real.

 We had quite a spread.  These are Cinnamon Cream Cheese Rollups.

Cucumber water has become one of my new favorite things.  It's so easy to make and tastes light and refreshing.  I'm eager to try some different variations I've seen. 

This is a Chex Mix spring mix.  It is incredibly addicting and I love the salty-sweet combo!

I tried my hand at making some brownie bite bird nests.  I'm not sure they looked like a bird's nest, but they tasted good!

This is a breakfast casserole that contains croutons, sausage, milk, cheese, Cream of Mushroom soup, onion, and seasonings.  It was good and I'll definitely repeat it!  Thanks to my sister-in-law for this great recipe!

Thanks to all of you who attended.  It was lovely to see you and I enjoyed having great conversations with you!  LET'S DO IT AGAIN!

Spring Break 2015

Well, Spring Break has come and gone.  We had such a nice time with the kids home from college.  During all of our plans and busy-ness, I didn't take any photos at all.  Here is one that Hunter took while we were enjoying dinner out on the deck.  It was such perfect weather, we couldn't resist eating outside.

 

Near the end of Spring Break, we went to River Ridge to play golf.  Haley and I had never been before, so we were excited about driving the carts.  Unfortunately, it started raining as soon as we arrived at the golf course and we got completely soaked - and it was FREEZING, too!  Although it was absolutely miserable, I never laughed so hard in my life.  We ended up having so much fun and I will never forget that day!  Here is my son, waiting for the rain to stop so he can play golf.  It never did stop!

He looks like a pro golfer, doesn't he?  He doesn't have a bad swing, either!  I can't wait until we can try a repeat of this day when the weather is nice.  I know it would be a wonderful way to spend the day!

Playing Around with Easter!

Happy spring to you!  Both of my kids have been on Spring Break this week and I LOVE having this week with them.  We are enjoying some nice and relaxing downtime and doing some fun "staycation" things.  I've also been doing some Easter stamping with some of my new things.  I saw a bunny like the one below on Babble.com, but changed it to suit my taste, utilizing the supplies I had on hand.  I love him!  I used Stampin' Up! punches to make his body.  His bottom is the 1-3/4" circle punch; his head is the 1" circle punch; and I made his ears with the blossom punch.

This bunny die is from Simon Says.  I love the intricacy of this Peter Rabbit egg!  Displaying it in a vintage frame makes it look so dressy.  It was a piece of cake to simply run it through my Big Shot!

Here he is close up.  Isn't he adorable?  And if you haven't seen enough bunnies, I have a fourth one for you!  Ha!  I did a reverse of my first bunny - and I love how he turned out, too!  Newspaper print paper is absolutely my favorite.  I think I'm going to have Easter bunnies in every room in my house now!  Oh, well, worse things could happen, right?

So glad I hoarded the vanilla flower trim before Stampin' Up! discontinued it.  It's perfect for a vintage bunny tail.  This kind of stuff makes life sweet!

We had a perfect day today - played golf in the rain - and I've never laughed so hard in my life.  I'll be sad when Spring Break is over.  :(   Love having Hunter and Haley home.

My Daughter's Birthday

My youngest has now turned 20.  It feels kind of odd to not have any teenagers anymore.  It really does make me feel older!  My husband and I picked Haley up from U of H and took her out for lunch on her birthday.  Then, the following weekend, she had several friends over and they had a cupcake factory going!  I think I probably ate six cupcakes during all of this but, hey, your youngest only turns 20 once, so I think it was okay!  At least that's what I'm telling myself!  Here are some pictures of her special day and the cupcake factory!

Happy Birthday to you, Haley!  You are a special young lady and my very best friend!