Strips, poinsettias and tea pockets

Hello friends on this beautiful Autumn day! It's November 1st.... let the holidays begin!  I can't believe my last post was about camping on Labor Day, and now I'm talking about Christmas. 

I've been on a roll making Christmas cards... can you believe it? I started on the weekend of September 28th when my sister came for a visit and we decided to work on Christmas cards. She spent the night and we played both days. We spread out on my dining room table, plus a card table. What fun!

This is while it was still neat and tidy.

My sister is a very fast card maker. She used bits and pieces from my scraps from last year. While she made 15 cards the first day, I maybe made three!  Maybe I was too busy yakking? The second day I did better.  I decided to make some strip cards.... cutting up strips from all of my older Christmas papers, and using the strips in different ways on the cards. I hadn't really planned this, but in seeing my big/huge box of scraps, I decided I just HAD to use them up.

Here are some of the cards I made:

I glued strips on the paper, either diagonally or straight across.

On this one, I glued strips to paper, and then die cut it out into a label for the card.

Here are my scraps and then the strips I cut. Was fun going through all my scraps.. there were papers from 6 years ago!

I probably made about 20 strip cards.  And did I mention poinsettias? I bought a die last year for my Sizzix machine, for a pretty poinsettia, and I went kind of nuts that weekend, making poinsettias. I must have made 20 or 30..... and I cut some wreaths from a cute die I bought awhile ago, and Christmas stockings.

The poinsettia making was all done on our first day. That's probably why I only got 3 cards made!

Many most of my cards have poinsettias on them now. They are SO pretty and they look so real. I used alot of my vintage printables that I've either bought from Etsy, or downloaded for free from various websites that offer them for free. 

I made most of my poinsettias using glitter paper on at least one set of the petals. Pictures don't do them justice.

Glitter glitter everywhere! You just can't see it.

Some of my cards I "distressed" with brown ink so that they look very old and vintage. 

This card is "plain and simple".... hard for me to do.. but I wanted to try one using just red and white. I used an embossing folder from Stampin' Up for the birch trees. I quite like it!

Just about every card has glittered areas on the vintage picture. I used Stickles (glitter glue) in either gold or crystal white. Again, these photos just don't show how really pretty the cards are.

My sister and I also made some paper cone wreaths. I had just watched a YouTube video by MayMayMade It. I love her and she makes wonderful and fun projects. We both made a Christmas wreath, using up more of my scraps. You use 4x4 inch pieces of paper for each cone, and each wreath has 13 cones.

Here is the link to May May's video: Paper Folded Cone Wreath  The cones are actually flat on one side and very easy to make. Since then, I also made an autumn wreath, using 3 inch squares. These are fun and addictive. Our larger wreaths measure about 13 inches across. My smaller autumn wreath is about 9" across.

The little embellishment on the point of each cone is from some digital paper I had.... I fussy cut out each little picture! Glitter added of course!

I have been making cards since the end of September and finally am winding down (from card making anyway). There are other things I want to work on. I actually cleaned up my MESS yesterday and put the card table away. I stubbed my toe once too many times from the leg sticking out and in my way.. so decided it was time.

So... October has been a total crafting month for me and I don't think I'm ready to slow down yet. 

I had made quite a few items for the little shop here in town, but she has moved and her new shop isn't open yet, and it may not be in time for the holidays, so I decided to put the goodies in my Etsy shop.  

I especially had fun making these triangle tea pockets... each one holds two little 3x3 cards and envelopes, and there is room to tuck in a little tea bag and sweet treat.

Etsy link: Triangle pocket with gold bow

Etsy shop link: Triangle pocket

Etsy link: Triangle pocket with pink bow

This is just a few of the sweet little triangle pockets. I love them and loved this vintage looking paper. It matches a couple of photo albums I have in my shop.

Etsy link: Vintage 4x6 accordian album

Etsy link: Vintage 4x6 spiral bound photo album

This little album has many pockets and tags.

And I've also been on a roll making some darling little 3" x 6" brag books. Some are vintage looking, and two are more of a fun, whimsical summer style. 

Etsy link: Brag book vintage with photo mats

Photo mats are tucked inside the pockets.

Etsy link: 3x6 brag book, Treasure the Time

These little brag books are great for holding 3x3 photos and will hold about 24.

Tiny flip book (measures 3" x 4" - holds a tea bag):

Etsy link: Tea themed flip book

I have added many more goodies to my Etsy shop, so if you want to go browse a little, here's a link to my shop: My Pink Paper Cottage. I've added some pretty gift boxes and gift bags, and there also a few Christmas photo albums listed.  I hope to add some more tea themed flipbooks, teabag  holder folders and some teapot Christmas cards (these are SO CUTE!).  I may also add some of my special 5x7 cards to my shop that I just made. They are just hard to showcase online and the beauty of each card doesn't come through.. but I may add a few.

I also have a special shipping offer now... FREE SHIPPING for any orders over $35.00. And during November and December, everything is 10% off.  Great time for purchasing gifts for the special gals in your life.

I hope you don't mind my promoting my Etsy shop once in awhile here on my blog. I really don't use social media, like Instagram and Twitter, or have a "business" Facebook page. And I love sharing my creations... so like to share here now and then. If you mind, let me know!

We are still experiencing some nice Fall weather here, but night time temps have dropped into the teens and single digits.  Our fireplace is being well used already!

Bye for now ladies and gents....

~Marilyn~

Camping experience.

Hi all..... just a quick post, since I've been remiss with posting and in pretty much of a fog and funk since my sister's death, and then my husband's cousin's death.

My hubby and I did actually go camping once this summer. It was shortly after my husband's cousin's death and we had already made the reservations and paid, so decided to go.  We had gotten the very last tent site when I called, that was available for the 3 nights my sister and husband were going. It was also right across the road from their site! I think it was fate that we were able to get that spot. You see... we have a new "toy" and wanted to try it out and figured this might be the last time this summer we could do that.

Here's our new old toy.  It's a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 Mark III Van and we found it just by accident. After we got rid of our 5th wheel trailer, we didn't plan to really get anything else, although we had thought how nice a van would be for some short travels, but really weren't going to pursue it!  I saw it for sale on the side of the road, checked it out, it was in very good condition and low miles, and hubby loved it, and voila! we bought it with money we had earmarked for some kitchen remodels! Oh well.... we had to make a choice and decided having a little fun was more important than a kitchen remodel.

Since the van kind of just "fell into our laps", here we go again... hopefully with something we can actually use!  (And we HAVE used it, alot already).

And it worked out just fine.... except for one thing........ THE BED is way too small for two people. I mean.. we knew it was small(ish) but thought we could make it work.. but NO... it did not work! It was the back bench seat that folded down into a bed. The first night camping was so miserable. I didn't get ANY sleep! Hubby did of course, as he was the one hogging the blankets or throwing them all onto me when he was too hot.. or kicking my face with his feet (see.. we/I thought sleeping head to toe in that narrow bed would work better, but no.... not... nadda.)

So we need to put in a new bed that we/someone can build. I think we could do it as I've checked YouTube and there are some very simple ways to build a bed, but we both are so unhandy and lazy when it comes to building things. Sigh......... wish we were both more handy. I have even bought us a jig saw, sander and an electric screwdriver... and we already have a circular saw.... so how hard can it be???? (may never get done if it's left to us!)

But we did, in spite of the bed, have a nice time camping, and it was very good for my soul to get up in the mountains and by the lake and just breathe the fresh air, and renourish myself. Such beauty and peace there.

Nice big campsite with power, so we could use our CPAP machines!

Crane Prairie Lake and Resort.... south of Sisters, Oregon. Gorgeous views!

This is the view from our campsite through the trees. You can just barely see the mountains in the distance. It was wonderful!

2nd morning. I slept in the Van alone so I could lay diagonally across the bed. My hubby slept in my sister's and her husband's RV as there was a queen bed they weren't using. I had  MUCH better sleep!

See how misty this photo looks? It's not my camera, it was COLD the 2nd morning, probably down in the 20's! Bur.r.r.r..r

This cute little chipmunk visited us when we set up on the table. The campground was FULL of chipmunks everywhere. What a home for them, as food and snacks galore! This one managed to get into our cookie bag and drag a whole cookie off to his/her hidey hole.

We spent most of our time walking around, back and forth to the store (or the restrooms that were kind of far away!) and walking a few lake paths...... and EATING of course! That's the best part right? No campfires allowed so we didn't get to have our traditional s'mores.

I did alot of relaxing and sitting by the lake in the sunshine.

My sister went kayaking. I was going to try it, but after almost no sleep the first night, I just didn't have the "want to" or energy to do it. It's still on my bucket list!

I'm very glad we did go camping as it was a nice get-away from the reality of life's recent tragedies. We had been hoping to go camping with my sister long before this, but never have had a trailer to use or camper, etc. With just having bought the Van, it was perfect timing and I'm so glad we took advantage of it. Was a very memorable weekend.

ON ANOTHER NOTE:

Through my grieving and sadness, my yard has been a pure joy for me. I haven't kept my flowers as nice as I usually do, but the lushness for awhile, and my little fountain, have been such a delight for me. Our grass is finally coming in better, and my raspberries and lilacs bushed out so wonderfully.

This is my favorite sitting area.

Here's the progress of our little patch of lawn. This photo was taken in August, and it looks much thicker now.

And thanks to my wonderful blogging friend, Marilyn, of Mountain Top Spice, I am privileged to enjoy one of her beautiful "plate flowers" that she makes  using vintage dishes. You can see it there in my little garden area, on the green post. She was so sweet to mail it to me a few months ago, and I just recently was able to install it in my garden.. and I love it so much! 

Thank you so much Marilyn! If you haven't visited her blog, please do so. She is a wonderful photographer, and her gardens and whimsical delights are such a joy. She lives in northern Idaho, and I hope one day to be able to visit her in person.

I've been finding much solace in crafting and creating lately, and have been pretty much glued to my craft room. And that's another story and another post............

Reflect upon your present blessings,

of which every man has many;

Not on your past misfortune,

of which all men have some.

~Charles Dickens~

~Marilyn~