Happy Valentines Day and Cherry Heart Vintage Swap!

What a great swap this has been, and I couldn't have had a better partner. Just take a look at the wonderful goodies I got in the mail and have been enjoying for the past couple of weeks:

To check out the other LOVE baskets that were exchanged go the the Cherry Heart website at:

http://frommycherryheart.blogspot.com/2010/02/vintage-heart-swap-3-blog-hop-party.html

I can't wait to see Dolly comes up with next!

Hope your Valentines Day is filled with LOVE from those important to you.

Busy creating

The last couple of weeks have been free time for me before returning to full time classes at SCCC. It has been a great time of creating for me, something that is of great importance to me. I've participating in two vintage themed Valentine swap. The swaps are fun: the organizer pairs you up with another participant and each partner shares some basic information about likes/dislikes, color preferences, etc. The idea is to create a love package that includes vintage themed decorating items you think the recipient will like. You should try to include hand made items as possible and the cost should be in the $25.00 range. If you're interested in participating in one, try Google-ing swaps, vintage and the upcoming holiday. There are also tea towel and apron swaps if you're so inclined.

I've already received my package from my partner and it is just wonderful! I can't post pictures of the package until Valentine's Day, but it included chocolate (always a favorite), craft supplies, some beautiful vintage themed cards and boxes.

I've just sent my basket to Ginger and I hope she likes it. Notice I said I made 2 baskets? Well, I have a secret swapper and her basket goes out today. I hope she's happy with her basket also.

The swaps are fun to do but can be time consuming, so I try to stick to one or two per holiday season. One thing I like about them is adding something new to my holiday decor.

School starts today and I'll be taking the following classes: Adobe In Design and Illustrator, a basic class in HTML, print production management, the history of graphic design and advertising and package design. Phew! Five studio classes, which usually take more time to do the homework than other classes. BUT I seem to be heading towards the home stretch of my Graphic Design degree. I've decided to also take a certificate program in Web Development which will add about 4 classes and will push out my graduation to next December.

Twice a year the Craft and Hobby Association holds a buyers market to introduce their new products; it was held this past weekend in Anaheim, CA. There is much chatter on other blogs about the new products coming out and it is fun to follow along from a distance and of course to make up a wish list!

Happy New Year!

It has been way too long since I last posted. Life the past few months has been consumed with going to school full time as part of an AA program in Graphic Design. The classes were very challenging but I can't believe how much I have learned. I have the Spring semester plus an internship to do over the summer and then I am done. Hopefully I will be able to get a paying job after that!

My son survived his first semester of college also, attending Penn College of Technology. He's excited to go back to school on Jan 10.

The holidays were a whirlwind. My sister Christine and her DH Denis came for five days of great together time. Then on December 26 my sister Karen and her entire brood came for a brief visit. My nephew and his wife gave birth to a little boy back in April and he was the star of the show! The visit was just too quick. I don't know when was the last time that everyone was together. Good picture taking event. I'll try to post a pic as soon as I download off of the camera.

Now that the New Year is here it is time to think of Valentine's Day. I've joined a vintage themed swap; the link is on this page. It is an open swap to anyone so check it out!

I'll post again soon, I promise!

Fall has arrived!

It is always amazing to me that here in NJ we start the month of September with the hot, humid days of summer and by the end of the month we're in sweaters. The weather is usually unpredictable; hot one day and cold the next. My birthday is the 13th and my mother would NEVER let my birthday go by without reminding me that it was over 100 degrees on the day I was born...this, of course, was before central air conditioning.

The last few days have finally given me some creative time. I've been involved in these two Halloween themed swaps and deadlines have loomed. Well, I got my One Trick and Two Treats off to the hostess (my good 'lil sis, Christine). My swap mate for my Sweet n Sinister swap has said that my package is on its way and I have hers just about ready to go! Now, I've taken pics of everything but have promised not to reveal until later in the month since the recipients of the OTATT swap won't know who-got-what until a blog hop on Oct 30!

No pressure here!

I've successfully avoided starting a blog for a long time. I mean, I figured what did I have to say that would be of interest to anyone? I cruise a number of other blogs and the amount of creative work featured EVERY DAY is very daunting. Having a blog is a full time job, right?



I've put off blogging for a day when: I have more free time, I have more creativity to share, I'm a better digital photographer, I feel more accomplished, etc. So what's changed?



A damned SWAP! All right, maybe it isn't a damned swap because it got me into the game, right?



My sister, who is WAY more talented than I will ever be, organized a Two Treats and One Trick vintage swap for Halloween. She's participated in numerous swaps in the past and I've always oh-ed and ah-ed over the very talented people she has played with. Of course I am as competitive a sibling as anyone else so what she has I want too! When she organized the swap and asked me if I wanted to join I said "Of course!" and then she told me that I would have to have a blog or flickr site so other participants could view my work.

So here I am. I can't promise how often I will post, but in the coming days and weeks I will try to add some photos and commentary of interest.