may all your Christmases be white...

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas... it makes the day seem more cozy and special. Almost like you are in a snow globe. I just love that feeling. Every year I put up the handmade snowflakes my sister makes me. She is super talented. Even if there is no snow falling, every time I look at the window I see beautiful snowflakes.

These were the inspiration for one of my favourite cards this year. I found all sorts of pretty wooden snowflakes at the craft store and couldn't resist painting them and glittering them up in a shower of sparky goodness...

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write.
May your days be merry and bright,
And may all your Christmases be white...

~Becks

Supplies used:
Curtsey Boutique Doily
Curtsey Boutique Snowflakes

candy cane christmas...

Another month has come and gone and we're having another Linky Party over at the Crafty Secrets blog. I hope you all will join in for your chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Crafty Vintage Girl store and every one who enters gets a $6 gift certificate just for playing along. All you have to do is create something magical using fabulous Crafty Secrets products!

Today I'm gearing up for my Christmas dinner and one of my favourite things is the table setting. I think it's the best part of the meal. This year I've made candy cane place settings. I've seen these all over Pinterest, from simple to fancy and I've decided to try it out today.

Start by gathering all of your supplies:

Gather the three candy canes and form a tripod. I used washi tape to keep them together. You could use glue, but if you plan on eating the candy canes after it's easy to peel them apart if using washi.

 Wrap the doily around the journal card and add a snowflake with 3D tape. Add a chalkboard label on top with more 3D tape. Decorate with wooden snowflakes.

Tie a ribbon around the top of the candy canes and add some tinsel twine.

All ready to be labelled with some chalk and set on the table. I can't wait! It's so easy to do any theme for your table.

Be sure to check out the rest of the team:)
Vicki Chrisman (Team Leader)

Michele Kovack

Darlene Pavlick

Melissa Bove

Sheila Rumney

Kathy Clement

Elizabeth Lincoln  

Cherry Nelson


Happy Holidays!
~Becks

 Supplies used:
CS Christmas Image and Journal Notes
Ivory and Black Christmas Paper from CD 6

pocket full of love...

I finally got around to sending out my wedding thank-you cards. It always seems to take twice as long when you make your own by hand. It was the last DIY touch to our wedding, and I love how they turned out.

Since our day was full of love and family, I wanted our thank-you cards to reflect the feelings of the day. The hearts burst out of the envelope and seem to float away; our way of spreading the love to all who were there and who couldn't be there, but had us in their thoughts.

I used the same muted colours we had for our wedding. I just love creams and soft pink together.The doily theme stayed with me, (I used large french doilies to wrap our invitations and then tied with some rustic twine) as well as a little lace- to remind me of the pretty, vintage tablecloths my mama found and let me borrow. So many great memories wrapped up in these little cards.

I hope everyone loves receiving them as much as I did making them.

~Becks

Supplies used:
Curtsey Boutique Silhouettes
Curtsey Boutique Doilies

prepping for the season...

It's the time of the year I love... Christmas is approaching and I always seem to have a crafty list as long as my arms. So many great ideas to put into play. Maybe one of these years I'll get a good jump start on the season and complete all of my lists.

On the top of my last few lists has been doing a December Daily. I love the whole idea, yet I'm never on top of things enough. This year I've tried to get started and am making progress. I envision a shabby chic, pages of all sizes and shapes, envelopes decorated and stuffed with journal and great embellishments.

To get started I've used some bits and bobs I had left over from my Crafty Secrets Christmas Cd's 5(Retro) and 6(Vintage) Christmas,  and created some journal tags to put into clear pockets. They were so much fun to create using all my leftover scraps. I hardly throw anything away, and it's paid off here:)

Using some dies, twine and buttons along with half pearls and some stickers its easy to create oodles of these. Pennants of all shapes, sizes and colours are seperated by some 3D tape and layered on top of one another.

For these I chose to repeat colours, patterns and shapes so they all have some uniformity throughout my journal. I hope to pop back soon with some other pages of my December Daily album.

Until then my friends!
~Becks.

thank-you teacher...

As kids my sister, best friend and I would often play school. There was something about writing on the chalkboard with different coloured chalks, marking papers and keeping attendance that fascinated me. We would set up our classrooms all over and take turns 'teaching'. We had lined books which we made up to be like the attendance books... marks books to record our students test scores. I loved those days we would play school. I enjoyed going to school as a kid, maybe more so for the social aspect than the academic.

Now a days some of my good friends are teachers, and the hard work they put in day in and day out astounds me. Shaping young minds, teaching the next generation... Since I love all things school themed lately I decided to create a simple thank you card fit for anyone's favourite teacher. I've had a few in my life that had a remarkable impact on my life today. My sweet and talented blog friend Joanne made me some of these cute apples, after I saw one of her gorgeous creations using them. Aren't they darling!?

I'm loving the turquoise, red and white color combo!Some more of my Curtsey Boutique supplies: lovely doilies and bakers twine. Yum!
What teacher inspired you as a child?
Thanks for visiting!
~Becks

rustic Christmas... Crafty Secrets Linky Party

I love decorating for Christmas. This year I'm continuing with a rustic theme and so this month for the Crafty Secrets Linky Party I decided to make a hanging mobile for the door. I've used the ivory and black music paper from CD #1

Start by cutting out one large and four small stars. Score each point to opposite valley to create a 3D effect. Distress each of the peaks and around the edge of the star. Put some hot glue on the back of the star in the centre to keep the star from flattening out.

 Punch a hole in all but the top point of the star and one hole in the top of each of the smaller stars. Tie a knot in three pieces embroidery floss or twine and loop through each of the holes on the large star, with the knot hidden on the back side of the star.

 Add jingle bells, snowflakes and small stars to each of the thread and secure with a knot on the bottom.

Add mini bows, pine cones and embellish how you like. Hang and admire your handiwork:)

Be sure to link up your creations using Crafty Secrets products to the blog for your chance to win a gift certificate to CraftyVintageGirl shop. And be sure to visit our new DT member Cherry Nelson and welcome her to the team!

Vicki Chrisman (Team Leader)

Michele Kovack

Darlene Pavlick

Melissa Bove

Sheila Rumney

Kathy Clement

Elizabeth Lincoln  

Cherry Nelson 

Cheers!
~Becks

she comes by night...

 

She comes by night, in fearsome flight

in garments black as pitch,

the queen of doom upon her broom,

the wild and wicked witch, 
a cackling crone with brittle bones 

and desiccated limbs,

two evil eyes with warts and sties

and bags about the rims,

a dangling nose, ten twisted toes

and folds of shrivelled skin,

cracked and chipped and crackled lips

that frame a toothless grin.
She hurtles by, she sweeps the sky

and hurls a piercing screech.

As she swoops past, a spell is cast

on all her curses reach.

Take care to hide when the wild witch rides

to shriek her evil spell.

What she may do with a word or two

is much too grim to tell.
-Jack Prelutzky 

Inspired by Halloween crafts and poems... using some Crafty Secrets papers and stamps to create a creepy treat bag. Some Curtsey Boutique goodies used here today as well. 

On the countdown to All Hallow's Eve!
~Becks

Supplies:
Paper-Crafty Secrets CD4- Creating with Vintage Halloween
Stamp-Crafty Secrets- Halloween Postcard stamp set
Curtsey Boutique: Paper bags
Curtsey Boutique: Halloween Doilies
Curtsey Boutique: twine

terrific treats...

It's Halloween! It's Halloween!

The moon is full and bright.

And we shall see what can't be seen

On any other night. 

Skeletons and ghosts and ghouls

Grinning goblins fighting duels,

Werewolves rising from their tombs

Witches on their magic brooms.

In masks and gowns

we haunt the street

And knock on doors

for trick or treat.

 Tonight we are the king and queen

For oh tonight, its Halloween!

-Jack Prelutsky.

Some sweet treat bags using fun Curtsey Boutique bits and bobs.. Great sugary glittered bat and crow cutouts... embossed bags(how cute) and terrific twine in Halloween-y colours.. it's love I tell ya!

Happy Haunting!!
~Becks

fire burn and cauldron bubble...

 Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and caldron bubble.

Fillet of a fenny snake,

In the caldron boil and bake;

Eye of newt and toe of frog,

Wool of bat and tongue of dog,

Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,

Lizard's leg and howlet's wing,

For a charm of powerful trouble,

Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and caldron bubble.

Cool it with a baboon's blood,

Then the charm is firm and good.

Boo to you!
~Becks

Supplies:
Frame: Crafty Secrets Halloween Printables
Witch image: Crafty Secrets Halloween Image and Journal Notes

my Thanksgiving table...

One of my most favourite times of the year... and my favourite place to be.


Thankful for another year...

The table set for many friends...

Candles gleaming in lanterns...

Fall inspired flowers in jars...

Pumpkin and apple pies sit waiting...

Fabric pumpkins sit atop the place settings...

These pretty place cards for each special guest...

Good food, good wine, and great converstaions...

Soaking up the atmosphere... enjoying the day...

Thankful for the many blessings in our lives, big and small... missing family far away. Thankful for the friends who have become like family... for all of the sweet comments here on the blog.. for each of you!

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians!
~Becks

Supplies:
Crafty Secrets CD 4- Creating with Vintage Halloween

it's a sign... Crafty Secrets Linky Party.

Hello there!
Another new month is upon us and over at the Crafty Secrets Blog we're inviting you once again to join our linky party. All you have to do is link up a project using CS products for you chance to win. every entrant will get a $6 gift certificate to use at the Crafty Vintage Girl store and the winner will get a $50 GC!!

This month I'm using a digital stamp to make a sign for my pantry. I've used the Sweet Stuff stamp set today. I started out with a old, weathered piece of board and sanded it down then painted it white.. I used more of a whitewash to let the wood show through.

After my board was painted white I used freeze paper to print the digital stamp. I used the mirror image and instead of playing around with resizing I just used the  settings in my printer window. You can print the image to fit 3 pages which made mine just the right size for my board.

 Just a note regarding the freezer paper printing. Don't use econo or fast print. The ink will dry too fast. Be careful taking it from the printer as well. As soon as it's done printing position it above your board *without* touching the paper to the board. Once you are satisfied place it down gently and using a flat edge(I used the side of my bone folder) rub the ink onto the board. Essentially you are making a giant rub on. To give myself more time I only added one sheet of paper to the printer at a time so it would prompt for more paper.

 This is what it will look like after rubbing the ink off the paper. I then used a sharpie to darken lines before painting.

Black sharpies can be your best friend.. used black acrylic paint to go over the letters and fill in the shadows. After painting I sanded over the letters to give a more aged look... my sign went a little wonky but I love the overall look over my pantry door:

 Be sure to link up your creations and check out the rest of the CS ladies:

Vicki Chrisman (Team Leader)

Michele Kovack

Darlene Pavlick

Melissa Bove

Sheila Rumney

Kathy Clement

Elizabeth Lincoln  

Happy Fall Y'all!
~Becks

when one door closes...

another opens...

This week marked my last week as part of TSTR design team. I was super sad to say goodbye, but super excited that I get to say HELLO to embarking on a new exciting journey as a part of a fab new team. I'm delighted to announce I've joined the Curtsey Boutique Design Team.
I was so surprised and tickled pink to see an email inviting me to the team by Carrie Ann... the super talented lady behind the store and the blog...
Handmade embellies soooo beautiful, packaging and lots of other goodies, take a peek around the shop and drink it all in and let it inspire you! I'll be sharing my creations with you all starting in October, so watch this space:)

Be sure to check out the announcement *here*

Happy dancing,
~Becks

october...

 

If you've been hanging around here for a while, you'll know how much I love Fall, Thanksgiving and Halloween. Generally this time of year puts me in the best moods... its the sunshine, the gentle breezes, that crispness...Today is no exception... the weather is perfect. I wish I could bottle this feeling... the ambiance... just freeze time and savour this day...

 

 Halloween has to be my most favourite holiday other than Christmas. Scary movies, creepy decor... trick-or-treaters... I love it all. Halloween crafts put me in just as good a mood as the weather... I often wonder why Halloween cards aren't as popular. They are a dream to make, and a perfect reason to get to use black paper and orange. Something I rarely do except for this time of year. Skull and cross bones, witches and black cats, pumpkins and bats... add some pretty bows and glitter and sky's the limit for creating...

 

Another card from my Halloween house box... holding my Halloween treats and what not... Crafty Secrets papers used here again from the Creating with Vintage Halloween CD and the 2013 free printable calendar... I'm loving the orange and blacks..

And before I go:

I couldn't have said it better...

~Becks