During my shopping ventures earlier this week, look what I came across! They are a set of vintage blocks and although I certainly don't need them, I couldn't resist as I've been on a block kick of late. So, they will be decorating my studio shelving very shortly. All the blocks have lettering on one side with an object image on the other. So, enough of blocks this week, will be moving onto something different tomorrow.
Finished designing our Christmas card for 2009 digitally and printed up a couple of samples. Bob and I will compose our letter this weekend and will likely have this printed directly on the card - we don't send all that many anymore - seems to be more of a "times gone by" practice. One trend I have noticed is that more and more friends are making their cards and I always look forward to seeing what they come up with.
Am off to two Christmas open houses today at local stores and finishing up some projects I had seen online yesterday - always curious to see how they will turn out!
That's it until tomorrow.......
Since I appear to be on the theme of "blocks", I have included a soldered cube I put together for a potential class last Christmas which didn't go. This could easily be converted to an ornament by soldering an attachment to the top. Digital borders on my photos are by
Sande Krieger.
I spent most of yesterday in the studio working on some projects I had found online. There is an amazing amount of inspiration in blog land! I did come across a site during my travels that offers 25 card videos at
www.kwernerdesign.com - might want to check these out.
I also worked on my
Visual Poetry digital photomanipulation class for a short time. This is an excellent class and I would most definitely recommend it. Susan's videos are clear and concise accompanied by notes for future reference.
Am back in the studio today to get in some more trouble......
This year I have decided to go with a more natural theme in my seasonal decorations. I read an article in the new
Christmas Ideas magazine by BH&G by Benjamin Bradley, an interior designer in New York. He utilized many of his personal collection of books and china for his display, not necessitating purchasing specific Christmas items and sticks to his colour scheme already existing in his home. Don't know why I didn't think of this previously! Our living areas in the house are green hence the reason the blocks were covered in a green print and have chosen copper as my accent colour.
The first photo shows a portion of my mantle as it is not complete - I'll be showing the full mantle later this week or early next as I'm tweaking it. I've used the blocks to raise objects for height variation - some are visible and others are hidden. I've stamped one of the blocks with the word home in the front.
The second photo shows a portion of my santa collection and again have used some of the blocks to raise specific santas. The sitting santa sits on a block which blends well into the vignette - you can hardly tell it is there!
As I worked on this over the weekend, I had more ideas for using blocks (what else is new!?). You guessed it, more blocks are being cut so will be working on these over the next day or so. I'm very pleased DH decided to keep the leftover fence posts!
Christmas preparations are underway here! I've shown the before and after photos here. Yes, they are a bunch of blocks. Actually, they are left over bits of 4x4 fence posts cut in varying heights. I spray painted them a copper colour then covered them with scrapbook paper and spray painted the edges again with paint. What will I use them for - ahhh, you'll have to check back on Monday to find out! You know I have to keep you in suspense.......
Sent off some parcels yesterday from my blog draw, ran errands and printed up some Christmas tags I had been working on. We are in the middle of a severe wind and rain storm outside so I'll keep my post brief today as we have a tendency for power outages during these.
Enjoy your weekend and will chat again Monday...
My thrift store finds have dwindled the last number of weeks except for the above mixed bag of jewelry. Every once and awhile there is a bag of one of's and broken pieces so am never sure what the contents will turn up. Some I keep and the remaining that I know are more contemporary than I want I return. Most of you know by now that I love bees (My Mom's nickname was Bee) and this is part of my logo. I was delighted to find that little brooch - have to figure out where to use it now.....
As we are approaching the festive season, I'll be starting to share Christmas decorations, ideas and projects. Christmas is my favourite holiday of the year hence I start early, the day after Remembrance Day! That means today the decorations come out and I start! Bob gets into the spirit as well - it rubbed off through the years and he indulges me. I decorate my studio too! I started designing digital Christmas cards yesterday - am having lots of fun so will be sharing these as they are completed.
HO HO HO!!!!
Something a bit different today! 
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