My Minutia

Wrapping up this year

Before I put 2011 to sleep for good, I just had to share what landed on my door step yesterday. I recently participated in a fun Stocking Swap with several talented ladies, hostessed by Carrie Harney. She went to a lot of work..there was a large group of girls in this swap.

My sweet swap partner had to back out at the last minute, so Carrie stepped in and treated me to all of this. So sweet!

 

She made the journal (so great), and I gotta say I love the goodies she added. Thanks Carrie!! Here is a photo of the stocking I did for my partner, Carrie Harney.

She wanted a white Christmas...so I made her stocking with vintage Irish linens and doilies.

I hope you have a very Happy New Year and enjoy the merriment of the season! I got my Copic fix this morning and lettered then colored this New Year's wish for you...

 

Catching Up

Where did the week go? I feel like I've neglected my blog this week. My only excuse is that I was busy finishing up the 12 Days E-Workshop, and then my daugher came home from school..yay!

I thought I'd post a few art journal pages. I haven't done that in a while. I'm still in love love love with Copics, so I've been using them quite a bit. For me it's all about mixing those colors and creating cool combinations, of course. Had a fun time putting these  colors together. Pretty much my go-to colors I think.

 

Ugh, this one looks a little blurry.  The painted backgrounds were done in a long time ago. I like to paint randomly and then figure out a way to make it work and pull it all together.

 

This page was just started...it's still in the works. It'll be fun to see how it turns out.

I hope you have a great week! Are you ready for Christmas? I'm so not...I am an overachiever, so I will just keep on going until the 25th. Yup, can pretty much count on that. I hope you have a wonderful week!

Advent Calendars

Happy December! December 1st officially launches "Christmas" in my mind. I'm hoping to do some decorating inside today! One thing I'm looking forward to doing is putting out our Advent Calendars.

 

This wooden drawer style Advent calendar was one I got at Target like 3 or 4 years ago...after seeing   Pam's! I started revamping the drawers last year, and finished it last year. So I guess that took me a while!

I liek it cuz I can tuck goodies into those drawers. I add chocolates, a few coins, etc. Wonder what else I can tuck into those little drawers?

I do like it, but I really like the one at Target right now, it's mirrored on the front. That sends my head spinning with ideas! But seriously, I have made soooo many Advent calendars over the years...I don't think I can possible do one more.

This one by Stephanie Lynn is so great. So is this one by Martha Stewart.

Here's  the one I did in 2007. The painted cookie sheet Advent Calendar:

My 12 Days of Comfort & Joy E-Workshop launches today! Happy December!

 

Finished the Tree, Yay!

As you know if you are frequent blog reader, I've been embroidering a sampler for what seems forever. I shared more of the sampler on this blog post.

It seems like I worked a whole month on that tree and it's leaves. Maybe longer! When I finally finished it this week I sat there in the car (in the car pool line) with a huge sense of accomplishment. Whew! Now on to the banner and words...

That cute embroidery project

You know I embroider in small time frames, right? In the car especially. Car pool line, car trips, etc. Here's what I started this Summer sometime.

 

It's one of Pam's embroidery samplers. I thought it would take me forever, and I think I'm right. But it's looking good! She has a couple of new ones out, too. Her new ones are also adorable, and not as big as this one.  They are waiting their turn on my desk. Maybe if I would move the sewing basket to the living room, it'd get finished faster?!

 

I finally finished all of the leaves. If you have this pattern you know how long it takes.  I'll be sure to show you when it's done!

A Bella to Color

There's another doodle girl to create and doodle with!

 

Here is this new Bella PDF:

I added "happy birthday" to this PDF because birthday cards are a favorite to create, right? I just cut that phrase into a rectangle and mount it to a patterned paper slightly larger...like I did with the Today is a Good Day phrase on the card above.

Hey, do you think this Bella looks like anyone I know? Hmmm...

Here is a video tutorial about the coloring process and making of the card.

 

 

Click subscribe to the TMcFab channel, then you will be in the know when new videos are posted.

You can find the new Good Day PDF right here: Good Day.

P.S. That Bella "Good Day" girl is on a plane flying to Cross Country Nationals in Washington right now! Can you beleive it? So proud of her! She is a very nervous flier...hope her teammates can keep her calm!

 

Peppermint Petes

The other day my studio was buzzing with the sounds of Christmas tunes, and the smiles of these fine fellows. 

Last year I created a very similar "Pete" in my 12 Days of Comfort & Joy E-Workshop. I enjoyed having his sweet smile around so much last year, and even kept him close by in my studio all year. Silly I know. Sorta like Christmas all year long, right? Yes, I do stuff like that.

I made 4 sweet Petes with red peppermint tummies and 1 with a pink peppermint tummy. All the tummies are glittered with German Clear Glass Glitter, and so are the stripes on their black as coal hats.

You can see them all and pick up one for your holiday home on my website, here.

If you want to see how they were made, or make one for yourself, I created a tutorial.

 

 

For some reason, I think the video looks better if you click on my channel, right here. The top of the video frame isn't cut off like it is above. Sorry about that...I dunno how to fix that quite yet.

I hope you enjoy it! Make some for yourself or pick up one of the five over here.

 

Holiday Canvases in the Works

There is a big beautiful mess in my studio today. This week I've got the urge to make some holiday stuffs.

Maybe it was the snow we were drizzled with a couple of days ago. Maybe it was seeing the cheery red cups of Gingerbread Lattes at Starbucks? Anyhoo, pop in again soon and see what I've been making. For now, have a great weekend!

 

The Girls

The past week I've been dolly crazed! It's been a growing passion for a while now. It all started with those Copic Markers I've been loving. I wanted something to color, and a lot of what I was seeing around just wasn't my style. At all. So I put pencil to paper and began sketching.

 

I'm really excited to present my girls in PDF style! Maybe you like to color, too? So far there are four styles available. Gotta start somewhere, right?

 

My poor sister, I've emailed and texted her way too much as the sketches and PDF's evolved, and she was the best sis ever with hand holding and offered her advice. Sisters are da best!

 

I think one of my favorite things about the PDF's is they are inexpensive (much cheaper than rubber stamps) and you can print them over and over. The dolls love to be dressed up in different color combos, too! They are on my website right over here!

Journals

The studio table is filled with some journals I've been binding. I'll have some to show and tell soon! Hope you are enjoying this beautiful Fall day!

 

(photo taken with Little Photo...fun Android app)