Vintage Patterns Make a Pretty Package

Hello and a beautiful Monday to you! 

It was a gorgeous weekend here

although at one point it would snow..

then the sun would shine!

It was cool and breezy and perfect for

working long hours outside

raking, hauling rocks, planting and planning..

and trimming back a very large poplar tree.

I hope you had a good weekend.

Do you have spring fever?

And all of the hopes of dreams that

come with pouring over the seed catalogues...

and taking walk-abouts around the yards and gardens to

see what's coming up!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today I wanted to share a little something that

I do with vintage patterns that I find 

at the thrift shops. 

I really like the warm color of the paper and 

it just has that vintage look to it.

The pictures are so charming. If you like to

draw vintage clothing, these are perfect for

 reference pictures to practice from. 

You could even cut the pictures out 

and make sweet vintage tags for gifts!

 I  think I might want to try that.

The patterns can also be used for mixed media 

art for texture and filling for mailing packages.

I have used them in gift baskets and in place of

 tissue paper in gift bags.

Do you like using them for something?

Here I used one for a simple, victorian-style gift wrap.

I tied it with some seam binding, thin ribbon and lace. And then I added a little angel charm with a tag that I had made.

You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving.

Amy Carmichael

Are you a gift-giver? I am.

There are many kinds of gifts.

Kindness

Understanding

A listening ear

Compassion

Time

And then there are the ones that come in a package.

It's something that I can do to make someone 

feel really special. They're a wonderful way

to express appreciation or to say I love you or

I'm thinking of you.

 And I really enjoy dressing up the packages.

It seems to make them a little more personal.

Sometimes it can be simple.

Sometimes very fancy.

It depends on how much time I have.

Thank you so much for coming by.

Wishing you many good things for your week!

 Blessings,

Tamara 

Crepe Paper Streamer Medallions or Rosettes

I hope you're having a wonderful week.

Can you believe that today is the last day of September?

first day of October? 

I tried really hard to get this done 

yesterday but was a little overwhelmed with catch ups 

after being at my daughter's for a week.

As you can see, I didn't get very far.

Anyway..

Happy, Happy October!

Listen, the wind is rising

And the air is wild with leaves!

We've had our Summer evenings,

now for October eves.

~Humbert Wolfe~

More lovely weather to walk in

and fires to have in the evening.

Playing guitar and sipping 

tea or a glass of wine...

Simply Lovely

*********

I love to create with paper and any thing else that

 can be worked into my projects.

Here are some medallions or rosettes that I made

from crepe paper streamer and other bits of what I have.

You can start with a piece of heavy 

card stock or poster board and just cut it 

about 3/4 the size as you want your finished 

medallion to be.

Besides your paper and embellishments,

you will need a glue gun.

Begin by gathering a little of your 

streamer paper to make it look ruffled.

And beginning close to

the outer edge, use your glue gun to attach it

to your cut circle. Just work your way

to the center of the circle by layering

circles of whatever material you're using.

It's very easy. 

You could also use fabric, regular crepe paper

and even tissue paper. Tissue paper

comes in so many cute prints.

That would be fun. You could make

small or very large ones for decorating

bags, gifts for any occasion.

They could also be used as co-ordinated

wall decorations for a themed party!

They would also be fun and frilly to decorate a

girls room, make them out of more neutral or masculine

colors for boys and to give to children as awards.

The center of this one was made out of paper ribbon

and the tattered flower die from Tim Holtz.

I laid eyelash yarn between the flower

 layers as I glued the layers together.

I really like to use glitter whenever it fits the project.

To do edges and other small areas, I find that

the Ice Stickles from Ranger work wonderfully.

The glitter infused liquid flows nicely and evenly 

without clogging, like some of the lesser

 quality glitter glues do.

I had so much fun making these!

I want to make some 

more of all different colors for 

bags and maybe some to sell.

The options for embellishing are endless.

I glued a yo-yo that I had made in the center of this 

one and then built off of the colors.

Just plain fun! 

As always, thank you so much for stopping by!

My blogger friends are one of the greatest 

blessings that gather here.

The weather is cooling quickly this week. 
The sun now disappears behind our mountain
by 5:15 and I can smell the roast and onions
that are cooking in the crockpot.

It all brings to mind long, cozy evenings
by the wood stove and playing music or games
as a family.  
Give me AUTUMN~

Hmmmm..
(I just noticed that my picture corners are not
edited the same. I have had that problem before! :(
And I tried to be so careful.. 
I wonder what happened. 
Anyway..I'm sorry about that. It's not very
professional looking! )

Anyway...

Have a wonderful, peaceful and 

creative weekend, Dear Friends. 

Tamara xoxo

A Vintage Gift Wrapping For Mother's Day

Don't you just love making someone feel special

 with a little thank you gift?

And if you're like me, the wrapping is just another

opportunity to add

a little extra-special touch

to express my love

and gratitude~

With Mother's Day coming up,

I thought that this would be a lovely, soft,

feminine way to wrap up a special

token of our affections.



 I have always believed that the role of a

Mother is sacred. There's a special place in

our heart of hearts reserved just for

the one who nurtured us and taught

us so many things about love and life.

(even in her imperfections)

 My own Mother was very

troubled and suffered from mental illness

and we had not the deepest of relationship.

I regret to say that I didn't

always value her and honor her with

the love and respect that I should have.

My lovely mother is no longer within reach.

She passed away many years ago.

But if I could only....

 

If I could only

give my Mother a gift today,

that's what it would be.

To honor her.

With love.. With respect.

 

Not only with a gift

wrapped in the vintage pattern

tied with laces and ribbon

and adorned with a stamped tag

and an angel charm.

 

But..

 

I would hug her and tell her thank you for:

 

all the dinners that she cooked with love..

 

the life-lessons that I never forgot

 

how to carry myself with dignity

 

how to honor God

 

drawing and coloring with me

 

making the sacrifices to make sure I had

 what I needed.

 

I would tell her that I

loved her.

 

I would celebrate her.

 

And so much more...

 

When I was growing up,

I remember a plate hanging

 on the dining room wall.

It had this poem printed on it.

And all around the words were

pretty pink roses

I thought it was so special.

 

Mother

“To one who bears the sweetest name

And adds luster to the same

Long life to her for there’s no other

Who takes the place of my dear mother.”

 

 

Wishes for a blessed Mother's Day.

 

 Tamara xo

 

 

(new scanner training in process!)

 

My Mother and I ..1961

 

I treasure this photo.