Happy New Year 2011

As I write this post,  my thoughts are filled with  anticipation for the coming year.  How excited I feel to embrace the challenge of filling this year with blessings for my family and friends.  The old year will pass this evening into the history books as a smoke stream fading into the wind.  The experiences will remain with us to be reflected upon from time to time, a gift that we can learn and grow from.  We have a chance once again, to create remarkable lives, to persue what are now only dreams and to continue to enjoy this journey we call life.   As the pages turn, we find a new page waiting to be written upon. Fresh new ideas to create, new friends to meet, new challenges to overcome. The sun is going down the scene outside is slowly darkening, much like the drawing curtain on a scene from a theater stage.  The closing of the final act. I watch from time to time, the hands on the clock  ticking away at the last few hours of this year.  Be of good cheer my friends, tis only the passing of time. The order of life demands that to be able to experience the new, we have let go of the old.  Life is a beautiful gift that we each  have been given.  Take time to reflect on yesterday and prepare to greet tomorrow.

As the snow settles around me this evening, I am going to read a good book, snuggle into my new quilt and sip some hot chocolate, letting the New Year settle in as gently as the falling snowflakes outside. Thank you my wonderful blog friends for your visits and notes of encouragment.    Happy New Year to Everyone!  I look forward to spending  2011 with you..

Vintage Halloween

Halloween will always be one of my favorite holidays.  I love all of the anticipation that comes with deciding which pumpkin to pick or which costume to wear.  There is nothing like hot donuts and cold apple cider.  Crafting during this holiday is always so fun.  I like to share what I do and where to find great values.

I thought that some of you may enjoy this link http://vintageholidaycrafts.com/category/halloween/  Be sure to read the terms of use before using the images.  I really enjoy this website.

Cottage Decorating

Home Decorating

Home decorating can be a lot of fun.  Here are a few of the items that I have been selling over the last few months.  I love decorating with birds, they are one of my all time favorite items to use in my home.

The Home Show

Wish me luck. Tomorrow is a leap of faith for me.  I am starting a bit of a new business adventure.  I am doing something I have not done in years and I feel so unprepared.  I am going to put myself out publicly to invite new readers to visit Cottage in the Country.  I have spent the last few weeks putting together a new strategy and now I am finally able to move forward.  This was a last minute decision so I hope I can pull my booth together with a bit of cottage flair.  I will be posting more about this new venture as soon as I finish The Home Show Salt Lake City, Utah .  Keep me in your thoughts, make them good and send them my way.

Vintage Inspired Spring Necklace

When Artbeads.com asked if I would like to participate in their Beading for Bloggers program. I was very excited to accept their invitation. For a designer it is always fun to get new products to work with, it is even more fun when the products are absolutely beautiful. I have loved everything that I have ever recieved from their company. I have especially liked the products in the last order that I recieved. The base metal items, brass bird, the open heart charm, the flower connectors, the filigree beads, the brass leaf and of course the amazing Padparadscha and Light Colorado  swarvoski crystal beads, they are all so beautiful.

Disclosure...As a reviewer of products at Artbeads.com, I received the Swarvoski crystal beads as well as the brass filigree beads and components used in the project above free of charge. I have been asked to review these products and give my honest opinion of the products...positive or negative. I am not being compensated by Artbeads.com for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed.

If any of you are interested in my supply list, you can leave me a note in my comments and I will get back to you with the supplies that I used to make this fun vintage inspired necklace.

Vintage Inspired Spring Necklace

Last Minute Free Valentine's Day Cards

Are you still wondering what to do for Valentine's Day cards or decorations?  I may have an idea to help you out.  I love to share good ideas and information this website for freeValentine's Day Cards  Check out their site for many wonderful vintage cards free.

How Do I Say "I Love You"?

For me, Valentine's Day always means a stop at the antique store. As a child I kept a scrapbook of my cards that I had received from friends. The scrapbook was lost somewhere along the line, but the memories of how those little cards made me feel remains. I remember how carefully I chose each little card to say just the right thing to the person I was giving it to.  Such a sweet memory. The Valentine's Day cards were purchased in the antique shop in Spanish Fork, Utah. However you say it, always remember to say "I love you".

Free Valentine's Day Patterns for Sharing

Free Patterns from Cottage in the Country . Click Here for more ideas!.  Make sure that you sign up using the form on the left sidebar.

Make sure that you click on the left sidebar link to sign up for free patterns to make fun Valentine's Day decorations and party favors.  The patterns can be used to create cards and scrapbook pages.  Just make sure you sign up so I can send them to you.

Create a Valentine Charm Bracelet

Bright red glass heart beads and romantic silver toned charms make up a sweet heart bracelet. This is a fun and easy gift to make Valentine's Day. For a detailed supply list please leave me a request in my comment box.

Great Ideas for Valentine's Day

I love to share good ideas when I come across them. I just found the cutest idea for Valentine's Day.  Twig and Thistle has the cutest idea for printed brownie bags. She has a free download that you can use to make your own set. Her blog is delightful. Make sure you visit her for a lot of very fun ideas.Twigs and Thistle

Here is a link for her Etsy shop: Twigs and Thistle Etsy Shop

Designing with Flea Market Finds

Finding affordable craft supplies, are always on the mind of those who do crafts as a hobby.  Shopping at flea markets can be a fun place to look for your next set of jewels. Buying dated jewelry that can be redesigned is a creative way to not only save money on supplies, it can be a wonderful way to find unique and one of a kind beads or findings. When shopping for used jewelry look for items that still have good working parts as well as beads that can look like new with a little cleaning and polishing.Once again, buy only items that you really love, you will find a use for it. Flea market shopping will yield not only vintage jewelry but also newer jewelry with findings that can give good continued use. Read the following list for a few pointers for buying used jewelry:

• Make sure the jewelry can be cleaned easily
• Buy only pieces that you love
• Buy used jewelry with good competitive pricing. Old isn't necessarily cheap
• Clasps and closures should be in good working condition
• Rosary bead chains are a good component for today's jewelry styling
• Religious symbols are highly sought after items
• Souvenir charms to mix with other charms to create theme jewelry
• Glass beads and pearls in your favorite colors
• Chains and more chains, buy them a variety of colors and weights
• One of a kind earrings can be used for charms or used as pendants on a new necklace
• Mix and match vintage beads with newer beads for an eclectic look

Free Valentine Ideas for Sharing

For those of you visiting this blog for the free Valentine Printable Patterns, please make sure that you sign up to receive them.  I will not share or sell your information. Your information will be used by me to send you your patterns and to notify you when I have others available. These are fun patterns with so many options.  Glitter, ribbons, ruffled crepe paper and old sheet music are just some of the mediums you can use to embellish your patterns. Add your name to my email list and I will send the patterns to you.  They are in pdf format. The photo on the sidebar is a link to more ideas for using the free patterns.

Vintage Romance Bracelet on YouTube

Vintage Romance Bracelet

For those of you who follow my blog, you know how much I love collecting and designing with vintage costume jewelry.  Creating one of a kind fashion accessories from recycled jewelry has become quite popular with many designers. The mix and match styling is a way to add new excitment to your wardrobe, often for prices far below what you would pay in a high end boutique. What was once dated and discarded costume jewelry, can now have new purpose mixed with today's findings, beads and chains. A little time and creativity can have you making jewelry that is as unique as the person wearing it.

When asked what I look for when buying junk or vintage jewelry my answer is always the same.  I look for items that have good elements of design and function. I use only items that can still give good continued wear. Functional items need to be in excellent operating condition.  I buy what I truly love. I know that if I love it, I will find a use for it.

I am proud to be a member of the Artbeads.com blogging team. Supplies for the Vintage Romance Bracelet have been provided by the Artbeads.com company at no charge to me for use in reviewing the Artbeads.com product line. The products used in this bracelet includes firepolished 8 mm Czech glass Opal beads Glass Beads and silver Bali Beads I found these products to be of very fine quality. For more ideas, visit their website. Stop by their learning center for more ideas as well as great tips and techniques.  http://www.artbeads.com/
Disclosure...As a reviewer of products at Artbeads.com, I received the Czech beads as well as the Bali Silver beads and components used in the project above free of charge. I have been asked to review these products and give my honest opinion of the products...positive or negative. I am not being compensated by Artbeads.com for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received and reviewed.

After Holiday Shopping

The holidays are over, the New Year's resolutions have been made, so now it is time to focus on what you want to create this coming year. After holiday sales are a great way to pick up many of the items that you will want to use for upcoming craft projects. Crafting components are sold during the Christmas shopping season with packaging that is designed for holiday marketing. Here is where you can pick up wonderful bargains, because these items are packaged for holiday shopping they need to be clearanced out. Most retailers do not want to carry over inventory so they deeply discount these items. Even though many of the ideas are in holiday packaging they can still be used throughout the year. For instance red, silver, gold and white ribbon can be used year round. So holiday packaged ribbon can be picked up for just a few cents per roll. Metallic colored pipe cleaners have many uses especially if you like making vintage styled paper crafts. Narrow tinsel looks great on Easter projects as well as adding a little sparkle to Fourth of July decorations. If you are into card making, look for beautiful contemporary foiled, embossed or textured papers. Decoupage artists and altered art artists can find lots of interesting papers and trims for their crafting projects. Go shopping with an open mind, you will be surprised at the wonderful bargains you can find this time of year to help you have on hand those items that will be harder to find through out the rest of the year. Artists and designers who sell crafts may want to stock up on seasonal picks as well as this year's ornaments that can be altered and refashioned for craft show projects next fall.

Here is a recap of some of these ideas:

• Ribbons, solid colors and metallic 
• Wrapping Paper, anything that is contemporary enough to be used for other holidays 
• Tinsel 
• Floral Picks 
• Basic Shaped Ornaments such as stars and hearts 
• Pipe Cleaners 
• Glitter 
• Paper Mache boxes that can be recovered
• Boxes of vintage inspired cards for decoupage projects 
• Package embellishments that can be altered
• Look for any item that can be modified to fit your crafting style. 

Hopefully this article has given you a few things to think about. So get out there and go shopping! Let me know what you find, I am always looking for a great bargain.

New Year's Day No.1

HAPPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!  2010, absolutely unbelievable.  Our New Year's Eve party was a blast last night.  Today we are relaxing and contemplating the future.  We are having a peaceful, quiet day. Thank you to everyone who has supported this blog during 2009. Have a nice day and I look forward to having you stop by through the year. Deb