Something beautiful and practical

A friend of ours painted this beautiful windmill on a drop leaf table.  The table height makes it perfect for a coffee table or it could also be an accent table under a row of windows or in an entry way.

We love it!  This is one of those items that I constantly weigh - should we sell it or keep it?!

Thank you cards with paper flowers

Over the winter break, I had the chance to work on some handmade cards.  You can tell how busy things have been if I am just now posting about something that happened in December.

I tried out some simple cards using Stampin' Up! paper and a 'Thank you so much!" stamp.  I made the paper flowers using pages from an old book.

The paper flowers were made in two ways.

Flower number one was super easy.  I used a circle punch with scalloped edges.  I roughed up the circles a little bit and smoothed them out to add some depth.  Then, I stacked a few together, punched a circle in the center with a mini hole punch and added a brad.

Flower number two was a little more detailed. I used the circle punch to create a cardstock base and then used the same punch to create circles that would eventually become petals.

This picture gives you an idea about how to fold the circles into the petals.  Double-sided tape is one of my favorite crafting staples and it works perfectly as an adhesive for the petals.  Once you have the petals created, just stick them on, six per base.  Then, I used a mini punch to make a hole in the center for the brad.  Finished!

I think the flowers would also be cute embellishments on a gift or on a picture frame.

Studio update

Today was all about reorganizing, cleaning and fixing things. The cold weather and snow we have been experiencing has taken a toll on our studio and on us!

Thankful for a warmer day and a moment when both of us were home, we set out to get the studio back into shape.  My dad was also in town to help with the repairs.  We had some pipes that froze and broke and my dad's expertise was what we needed to be back in business.

While the guys worked on the plumbing repairs, I reworked the store.  It was fun to finally sort through all of the signs my husband has been making.  He has been trying out some new designs and color combinations and I have several favorites in the bunch.

We look forward to being open again soon to show off all of the latest creations and finds.