Happiness is a...

perfume which you cannot pour on someone without getting some on yourself.   What a great analogy from Emerson, don't you think?  I love having a visual image to trigger a concept.

Happiness is so much more than a temporary occurrence brought about by a person, experience, or object.  It is to me, an essence, all encompassing that doesn't drift away when outside circumstances threaten to steal it away.  Sort of like a beloved perfume.  One that has had decades of wear.  Once again, I am reminded of my grandmother who's favorite perfume was Estee Lauder's 'Youth Dew'.  She had dusting powder, bath soap, and the beautiful crystal bottle which housed the perfume.  To say she slathered it on, would be an understatement.  And now even 15 years later,  I can open a box, cookbook, or linens, smell her essence and be instantly transported to her house, her arms, her happy countenance.

I took my inspiration from the Bright and Bold color challenge on Moxie Fab
.  The quote is an Impression Obsession stamp.  And my perfume 
bottles are a cube from B Line Designs.  I stamped them with VersaColor and used UTEE on the 
crystal parts.  The metal atomizers are colored with a Copic in gold.  The papers are Basic Grey.




My favorite perfume is Ralph Laren's 'Romance'.   And while I do not slather it on, my hope is that wherever I go, it could be said that I leave behind happiness.  How about you?   I would love to hear your take...

Beauty is not in the face...

I am really lovin' the color challenges on Moxie Fab World this month...next up for me is the Pretty Pastels.   And I was inspired by the examples that Cath posted, especially Erin Lincoln's adorable 'glad we're friends'.  The dress forms were just so cute.  And an idea
was born!  Isn't this B Line Designs 'MAN'nequin great?  I knew I would find lots of uses for a

MANform.  Today I would use the stamp to create an anniversary card...cause there's nothing better
than being held by my loving husband.

The Khalil Gibran quote:  Beauty is not in the face; Beauty is a light in the heart  seemed to be perfect 

for my headless mannequins and the thought I wanted to convey to my husband.  We will celebrate 24
years of marriage on Valentines' day (yes, I got a true romantic).  In fact, our faces have become a road
map of our journey (read wrinkles here)!  He'll say, 'you're still cute to me'...but I know that it is the
light in our hearts that help our eyes to see the road we've traveled down.

I dressed the Crafty Secrets dress form in a sheer ribbon skirt, vintage German scrap underneath, and
ity bitty vintage lilac buttons on top.   I cut the MANnequins' hand free so I could slip the WOman into
his arms.  They are cut and popped to create depth.  Along the side, I stamped the numbers 24 to record
the years.  The quote is placed between the beautiful paper doilies of My Mind's Eye 'Adore'  paper.  And about that wrinkly seam binding up top...I purposely wanted to use it as a gentle reminder that it is truly about what lives in our hearts.

Thanks kindly for stopping by, I wish you beauty.

pause...

EDITING to add: This card was selected as one of two winners in the Jewel Tones Challenge

This time up is a color challenge over on the Moxie Fab World,  this particular one is Jewel Tones. These colors sing to me in a mid century modern kind of way...I am thinking turquoise appliances and Cadillac DeVilles.  Tweedy furniture in golds and purples.   One got their information in a morning newspaper or the 6pm evening news with Uncle Walter across the airwaves as Dad

adjusted the rabbit ears on the TV.  No such thing as instant connections, no Xfinity, or 500 channels. 

My card celebrates these lush colors and a simpler time.  I am learning the value of pausing, how about
you?

Stamps: Judikins man and geometric 'rug'
             Tim Holtz sentiment
             Rubber Stamps of America window
Ink:       Tim Holtz Antique Linen
             VersaColor Black

Pleasure...

It's a Moxie Fab challenge Gray is the New Black.  I kinda like that since I am finding more and more gray hairs these days!   You might say I am embracing the gray.  This stylish grey paper is none other than Basic Grey's from the Ambrosia group...another one I have hoarded.  My beautiful silver tressed beauty is a B Line Designs stamp called 'Pleasure'.  Isn't she lovely, lost in thought?

I stamped the image onto cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with Copics.  Her dress is a piece of vintage lace.  The jewelry is 'tahitian pearls'.  I colored her hair with a glittered silver pen, just a few streaks.  The remember is from Just Right little stampers...I added the snippet of velvet trim and also stitched around the bottom edge.

I love the elegance and gracefulness of by gone days.  Being raised in the South, I remember my Grandmother, Aunts and Mother always dressing to go out...and that included gloves and hats.  There was a certain theatre to getting ready.  As a young woman, I continued the tradition for many years,
 until I moved out West where the lifestyle was such, it was out of place.  But let me go 'home' to visit and while the gloves and hats are mostly gone,  I always pack my 'dress up' clothes!

Thanks so very kindly for visting.  If you've got a few moments, I'd love to hear your story about dressing up.

Blessings

Winter White...

 

    Be sure to click on the photo to see the duck and the sentiment.

The challenge over on the Moxie Fab World this past Tuesday was Winter White.
The sentiment 'The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination'
    is from Prickly Pear.  I let the papers, inks, German scrap, little girl, and staples carry the hues
    of winter and the vintage glass button (a duck sitting on a nest) gently remind one that spring
    will come again.

    Thanks so much for stopping by, and just a parting duck call to pull for our beloved "O" tonight
    in the National Championship. It is an exciting time in the Pacific Northwest.


    PS:  so sorry for the formatting, I don't have a clue as to how it got so wonky!

  

   

     

oh, boy...

does time fly!  These mittens from the December 21st Tuesday Trigger over on Moxie Fab World sure jostled my memories.  This Christmas season has had our youngest son up in the mountains snowboarding every chance he can get.  It was a trip down memory lane for me as I dug through our winter boxes to find 'cold clothes' for him.  Most of the ski bibs, pants, and gloves were outgrown, though there is a set of O'Neill in fluorescent pink and green I can't bear to upcycle.  We were blessed the boots and gloves still fit from last season!

So it was all the going through and remembering that inspired me to trace Andy's hand as the New Year began and find his handprint drawn when he was three years old.  A dozen years difference...time does fly. I could hardly believe my eyes when I laid the acetate layer over the paper striped hand of my 15 year old!

The papers are various Cosmo Cricket and Basic Grey in the colors of the mitten.  I used Invoke Arts' time flies sentiment and the flying pocket watch.  The letters to spell out Andy's name are  'A B Seas' set of alphas from Authentic Models.  The hand is mounted onto an 8x8 Cosmo Cricket and will go into a scrapbook.

Thanks for much for stopping by.  It's a new year, fresh beginnings...

Be blessed.

peace, imagine that...

Happy New Year, one and all.  Just what would our world be like if peace prevailed?