June Is Bustin' Out All Over!

Or, at least my mailbox is!  I'm sharing some amazing swaps with you this week, as well as the prize I won for my Door Tag Challenge.

Here are the Birthday Boxes which Andra and I swapped and Amy Powers hosted.  Be sure to click on the pictures and choose a larger size to get a closer look!

Andra loves red, so I thought this would be appropriate wrapping for her 

overall view of configurations box

cake topper, birthday candle, and locket which opens up to reveal a special message

birthday girl with crown, glass purse charm and vintage flowers

my grannie's thimble, vintage pins, flower and butterfly clip

What a surprise when I opened the package from Andra...I really felt like it was my birthday!

a special package of fabulous goodies before I even got to the configurations box!

Andra really captured my spirit ~ see if you can identify all the "parts" of me!

Thank you, sweet Andra, for your creativity, thoughtfulness, and generosity!

Here comes the package from Jeanie Callaghan for my prize winning door hanger...have to do this in a couple of pix!

the package arrives

an overall view

 My cup runneth over!  Thank you, sweet Jeanie, this is unbelievable!

I'm sure you're dizzy from looking at all these treasures, so here's a little interlude...
Stopped by MMU on Tuesday and had lunch with designer/friend Kiera ~ Chipotle!

Love these lunches with my buds at the store ~ happy place, happy food!!
Now, you may think that all I did this past week was open packages, meet friends for lunch, and play...but seriously, I was working hard in the studio too!  I say working hard because I'm working on two things I've never done before ~ build a faerie shoe and create a paper clay bug!  Those swaps are at the end of this month and next month, so no pix yet.

I did have lunch with my dear sweet Nancy and her daughter Kay.  Nancy and I taught at Dunham and she retired a few years before me.  She and Kay wanted to see the new studio, so we had a salad luncheon here and a wonderful visit.  Nancy had just returned from Ohio where her other daughter, Leigh, and her family live.  While there, they toured the Amish country.  That sweet friend brought me this amazing vintage chocolate box...

Which just happened to be filled with these amazing doilies and fabric!

Well, the week drew to a close and on Friday I helped celebrate a sweet friend's last days in Tucson before moving home to TX.  Stacy planned for us to gather at MMU's midnight mania so we could all visit before saying "adios."  I met Stacy at my first scrap retreat in 2009.  She's a sweetheart, and will be dearly missed.

Geri, Sandra, Stacy, Rhoda, Sharon, and Amy (in the blue)

I did get a few things finished for the store while I was there (although, there was probably more laughing and visiting than anything else!)  Inspiration is credited to Paper Whimsy, Nancy Maxwell James, and Saturday Finds.

In case you haven't had enough visual stimulation, LOL,  here are a couple of goodies for you to use in your cardmaking or altered art.  They are scans of two of my vintage table cloths.  I've found they print up best on matte photo paper.  I'll be adding more, eventually.  Enjoy!

We had a most beautiful Fathers Day on Sunday.

My One and Only - pre-Daddy days!

Mandy spent the morning with us as Dad opened his gift, then we went up to Firebirds for lunch so Melissa could join us (poor thing was working!)  It was a beautiful day with two beautiful daughters who showed their Dad just how much they love him!  Who could ask for more?
I also want to remember two very special men who blessed my life.

My Dad ~ Ed Kolbell (1917-2006)

My father-in-law ~ Paul Hess (1915-1978)

Have a happy, summery fun-filled week...stay cool and hydrated, and please come back again next Monday!
xoxo
Karen