Christmas is in the air...;D

Well, today is Black Friday and of course I had to go out and get a few Christmas gifts, while the prices were so good. Only hit 3 shops, as I cannot take the crowds and traffic. Did you ever notice how everything that you need is on sale this time of year and yet you cannot buy for yourself because you have others to buy for. I do. But we really did need some smaller dishes. Our new dishwasher's top rack hangs down too low for my Pier 1 Import plates to stand upright. Soooo, I got a setting for 8 that was regularly 99.00 for 39.88. Whoot! Gotta love that!

I absolutely love this time of year. The bells, the lights, the smell of fresh cut pine trees and the spicy candles that scent our home. As soon as we get back from South Carolina I am going to try to convince my husband to go cut a Christmas tree. He likes to wait until at least 2 weeks before Christmas before getting the tree but then it seems like the holiday zooms by too fast. I really want to savor it this year.
I found some tasty recipes last year in this book called Christmas all through the house by Gooseberry Patch. I will try to scan some in and share them with you in the coming weeks.
Click here to find a list of gifts under $30. that I compiled last year. Have a lovely weekend! 

Happy Thanksgiving ~ FREE Vintage Image

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Wishing you all something special to be thankful for.  The second image is my gift to you. You can sell the art you create with it, but please do not sell the image, itself. This is Sidney Sprinkle (my husband's grandfather) age 3 in 1897. I just love his little outfit and that adorable expression on his face. Too cute! 

PInk Glove Dance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEdVfyt-mLw

You have to watch this video. If it doesn't make you smile, chuckle and wiggle in your chair, then I don't know what will.  I loved it!

Journals...keeping my muse busy

The above journal was a gift from one sister to another.

This next one is another Art Journal I made over the weekend. It has vintage laces and all sorts of fun embellishments to stimulate the imagination. 

40 blank heavy cardstock pages just waiting to be embellished. These are so much fun to make. I think I will be adding a few more to my shop.  I think the next one will be masculine for those creative men in our lives.

"Romance" Art Journal for Weekly Art Challenge

Romance was our challenge this week on Inspiration Avenue's Weekly Art Challenge.

I made an art journal. The cover is decorated with inspirational embellishments. What place is supposed to be the most romantic place on earth? Paris! Yes, the city of lights. One day I may get there.

I used some vintage lace and beautiful antiqued papers on the cover. I love all of these pretty fancy yarns.

 

Inside more vintage laces and a pretty Eiffel tower pendant.

Dream has been added because what is art made of but dreams. This Art Journal will be listed in my etsy shop today. 

1915 Holmes School Athletic Club~ Free VIntage Image~ Giveaway

I had to laugh, well the whole family did when we saw this fantastic photo of my husband's grandmother. This is the athletic club in  1915. She is the one in the center row, near center with the gigantic bow on her head. Can you imagine running anywhere in that thing? It looks like it would keep your head back, doesn't it? Too funny. Look at the girl in the very back, near center's last or nickname. Poor dear. Pillow, really? This image has been written over pretty good and is dingy but if you'd like to have it for your artwork, just click on it  and it will appear larger then right click and save. All that I ask is that you not sell the image alone, you are free to use it at will in all of your art work for sale or not. Hope you had a good laugh. Enjoy your Saturday!
Oh and there is a WONDERFUL giveaway going on here. Go have a look. Her blog is gorgeous, full of lots of vintage eye candy. 

FREE Vintage Image Thursday

This is Edna and Margaret Jones in Atlantic City. This image is free for you to use in your artwork for sale or not, just please do not sell it on it's own. Have fun and if you make something special can you share it with us, so we can ooh and aw over it. :D Have a lovely Thursday!

I'm a winner... off to Norway we go...

Well, today I found out that I have won a video featuring my handmade items from Glamour Bomb Whoot! Her prices for the videos are very reasonable. You can see what one looks like by visiting her blog. She does a fabulous job and you can add it to your blog. Perfect way to showcase your works.

I just shipped this journal/album off to Norway. A young lady had me create this as a gift for her boyfriend. She wanted maps, and an ocean theme. I hope she likes it. I was please with the turnout.

Oh, I cleaned my art room and I can see the floor and my table top. Woohoo!! It was to the point that I could not go in there and create, because I had to step over things and I couldn't open cabinets or drawers because they were blocked by more supplies. My room is teeny tiny. Maybe 4x8 with floor to ceiling shelves on one side, an armoire, a cabinet and a worktable and chair. Well I turned on the radio and went to work. Everything is labeled and has a place, now. It's a breath of fresh air to create in there. You should try it if you need it. It was like removing a wet blanket. Bad Feng Shui. Now I have balance and harmony. Yay!

Have a lovely Tuesday.

The little things...

I eat almonds all the time as a snack and when I grabbed some the other day, this one was in my hand. How cool is that? A heart shaped almond. Hmmm...maybe I should list it on Ebay. Make a few bucks. ;D No. lol Anyway, there was a Cinnamon/Rust Art Challenge at Inspiration Avenue's blog and I have been busy with custom orders so I decided to submit my photo of this almond. It works, right?. It is cinnamon and rust in color, after all. I look at little things like this as someone special smiling down on me. It's the little things in life that bring me the greatest joy. I get to celebrate them all the time. So to you I wish for little joys each day. Love ya all!

Free Vintage Image & Blog/Art Auction Question

Okay, so the Etsy team I am involved with would like to do an art auction to benefit Art Therapy around the globe. If you or someone you know has held one of these on their blogs, an auction, that is, can you please leave me a comment or email me at tlsprinkle@yahoo.com? I want to get this rolling asap so we can have it completed mid to late December. I will come back with more details as they come in. Off to research this. I love my blogging friends. You all are awesome!!

FREE Image Thursday. OOOPS!!! So sorry I forgot to get this posted. This is Major Sidney Crockett Painter. A handsome and dignified fellow. You may click on him and right click to save and use in your artwork, for sale or not. Please do nt sell the image on it's own. Thank you and have fun!

Candlelight Cozy and Comfortingand a Thank you

This time of year just says cozy to me. We light candles all year long in our home but during the fall and holiday months we use heavier scented candles, like cinnamon, pumpkin spice, warm vanilla, etc. They smell like "home" to me. I love the mesmerizing flickering flame, the way the light dances on the various surrounding
surfaces. The scent smells like warmth, like fresh baked goods which draws you in. It's sweater weather here, now.
Stay warm and cozy.

A very special Thank you to all men and women whom have served or are serving our country.  
XO, 
Tammy

"Frosty" Submission

This is my submission for Inspiration Avenue's Weekly Challenge "Frosty". He is made of paperclay and mica chips for his snowball look. Frosty is an ornament measuring approximately 3" tall. He hangs from a heavenly piece of off white colored yarn. I just love that yarn. It is so soft.  If you would like to see the other submissions, pop over here. You can join in the weekly fun, too. All art mediums are welcome and it gets you entered into a monthly giveaway.

Swap, Winner, Giveaway

This looks like a really fun swap. It's based on the 12 days of Christmas with each artist creating 12 of one day and getting 12 different days in return. If you would like to find out more, click here.

Drum roll please...and the winner of my 100 followers celebration is Angie of Artangel! Woohoo! The Random Number Generator chose #15. If I knew how to do a screen shot I would but I tried to save the page as is and it did not work. Anyone have a simple tutorial on this? Love to know how to do it for my next giveaway. Angie, I need your address please. Email it to: tlsprinkle@yahoo.com. Congratulations!

**If you would like a chance to win a Christmas themed blog banner for the month of December, click here and follow the directions. Lulu of CoastalSisters is offering it up.**

*New* Free Image Thursday

I thought I would start giving you a free vintage image every Thursday. You can do anything you want with it just not sell the image, alone. This is Mary Margaret in the flower garden. What a sweet little girl, huh? This photo dates back to 1930. Enjoy! Oh and I would love for you to share a photo with us of anything you create using this image. It's so much fun to see others' art work.
If you want  a chance to win a pair of my earrings, click here and leave a comment on that post. 

Glue on my fingers and glitter on my face

This is the way my hands look when I am having some fun. Usually there glue, paint and stain from ink pads, to boot and then a stray string or glitter hanging on. I still don't know why I insist on keeping my nails painted my favorite shade of red. I have to redo them often.  I sometimes find glitter on my face and wonder how long I have been walking around like that. I would understand if it were you walking around like that and you me but does the average stranger understand why we have glitter on our faces and stains on our fingers? ;D

You know I just read a tip on a blog the other day and please forgive me if it was yours, because I can't remember where I saw it. The tip was that she used an old phone book to do small projects on and when the page got sticky or paint on it she just tore it out and tossed it. How clever of an idea. I use pieces of cardboard from shoe boxes, cereal boxes, shipping pkgs, etc and then recycle them if they are not too full of glue. I have a large piece about 3'x2' that I work on over and over again. Keeps the table top clean and I like seeing the colors on it. Silly, huh?

Well, I must go back to work. Stopped home for lunch. Hope you have glue on your fingers and glitter on your faces. Makes for a happy heart!

If you want a chance to win a pair of earrings, click here. Just leave a comment on that post telling me what keeps you going back to a blog.

Autumn has come to stay

Fall is here. We have leaves dancing down the streets and a crunching under foot. Piles are being scattered by happy little people jumping in them. Today was a breezy day, so I knew if I stood still long enough I could capture some falling leaves for you. The colors of the trees have mostly turned brown but there are still a few here and there that have rich colors. You know what that means...time to feather our nests. One of my favorite things to do. What do you do to make your home cozy for autumn/winter? Please share.