It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

The stockings are hung NEXT to the chimney with care....(no mantle!)

and so much more has come to our home since my last post.

All it takes is one good social event to light a fire under my decorating muse.  

That event took place on Tuesday for the Tucson Swap Queens and our Altered Cigar Box Swap!
What a fun night...13 Queens swapped the most amazing altered boxes ~ shared our favorite appetizers ~ indulged in Nadine's famous Christmas cookies and peppermint ice cream with fudge sauce...does it get any better???  Yes it does, Virginia....Marfi's uber talented daughter, Gabriella, sang "O Holy Night" and "Ave Maria" for us.  She is an aspiring opera diva and we will one day see her performing on stage at the Met.  I'm sure of that!

from me to Shann

inside ~ Shann's a country girl

from Karina for Alex

from Laura for Karina

from Marfi for Geri

from Sandra for Kiera

from Shann for Marfi

from Katie for Debbie

from Geri for Sandra

from Kathleen for Katie

from Karey-Ann for Kathleen

from Kiera for me

from Debbie for Kiera

from Alex for Laura

The Queens!

I promised to catch up on swaps and I'm keeping my promise....so, I will apologize in advance for the length of this post...good time now for a "station break!"

I swapped inchie fabric art for the 12 days of Christmas with a talented group of ladies, organized by Jeanelle Ricca.  I'm showing the banner-in-the-making which hangs in our breakfast room, keeping our Christmas angels company.

Here are the close-ups and artists:

Partridge in a Pear Tree - Jami Miller ~ 2 Turtle Doves - Tamatha Kaplan ~ 3 French Hens - Hope Ellington

4 Calling Birds - Laurie Jackson ~ 5 Golden Rings - Mollie Morrison ~ 6 Geese a Laying - Karen Hess

7 Swans a Swimming - Nora Neely ~ 8 Maids a Milking - Mary Kahler ~ 9 Ladies Dancing - Lisa Hadja

10 Lords a Leaping - Sheila Rumney ~ 11 Pipers Piping - Robin Weins ~ 12 Drummers Drumming - Jeanelle Ricca

These were all individually wrapped and packaged in the most amazing and creative ways!

The Button Floozies exchanged ornaments with 3 different people,  so that made for a lot of buttons and gorgeous creations.

lovely tussy mussy from the talented Laurie Jackson at indulgeyourshelf.blogspot.com

And Laurie also included this sweet inchie

The second to arrive was from the amazing Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart at http://maryhelenfernandezstewart.blogspot.com

Next came this gorgeous package with the prettiest vintage button! The artist is Linda Olstad at http://www.fancylinda.com/

the sweetest felt ornie deer with the teeniest MOP buttons I've ever seen!

Here's what I created and sent to these lovely ladies...

a spoonful of sugar

wrapped and ready to post

There are a couple of other swaps I've received, but I'm waiting for some final ones to arrive and I will share all that with you next Monday.  In the meantime....

1. Blessings for your visit and bloglove
2. Blessings for your friendship
3. Peace and calm for you and your family
4. 9 Days till Hanukkah and 
5. 13 Days till Christmas, so hang in there...it's all good!
6. Have a beautiful week!

xoxo

Karen

Swap Catch-Up Time

I think it's about time I caught up on the marvelous swaps I've participated in this Fall/Holiday season.  I'm so blessed to have so many creative people in my life, who continue to inspire me.  Here's what I'm talking about...
These treasures came from Victoria at Things I Learn from Bear for the Autumn Matchbox Swap hosted by dear friend Tee at creationsbytee.blogspot.com

And here's what I sent to Victoria...

Tee also hosted a stick pin swap and I had the good fortune to swap with Pearl at http://pearlsalteredarttreasures.blogspot.com  Here's what Pearl created for me...

amazing pin holders and checkout the rusted lace!!

 Here's what I created for Pearl

a pin box

and a pin cushion!

The Fall Swaps ended with a "Thankful" ATC swap hosted by the lovely Wendy at blissfullatcswap.blogspot.com  My partner was Karen from NYC...a new friend!  Here's what Karen created for me.  It's from a vintage German postcard, and as Karen said in her note.."He's thankful for having cabbages (which resemble his face!)  I have to giggle every time I look at this charming card!
She also sent some wonderful images for me to use in my art....AND the most delicious chocolate from a NYC chocolatier..but that's lonnnnnng gone!!

 Here's what I created for Karen...

My friend Karey-Ann, who is also a member of our Tucson Swap Queens group, reminded me that I didn't post a pic of the altered spoon I created for her....I did post the fabulous "skeleton in a coffin spoon" that she created for me.  That was back on the October 17th post.  So, here's what I created for Karey-Ann...

spoon in holder

spoon with ATC card

some goodies to go with since Karey-Ann couldn't be at our potluck exchange at Sandra's = (

a spoon close-up

I had hoped to begin posting some of the Christmas swaps, but this blog has probably put you to sleep by now, so I'll save that for next week.

We spent the weekend busy as little elves, decorating home sweet home...I'll be posting more pix each week, but I'll leave you with my FABULOUS Junk Drawer Calendar ~ inspired by the most creative souls, Deb and Paula, at http://www.2gypsygirls.com/  Last November they offered this amazing class, but alas I was off to Las Vegas with dh to celebrate our 40th anniversary, so I missed it.  But, I bought the tutorial and scavenged the materials and put it together and I'm pretty proud of the results...so much fabulous JUNK!! (Be sure to click on the pic to see the details).  Thank you so much for visiting with me today.
Have a beautiful, peace-filled week!
xoxo
Karen

tag 4 has a pix of my engaged parents ice skating
and tag 19 is my sweet mother-in-law in her  First Holy Communion dress