When Women Craft...

When Women Craft...what is it about the self~satisfaction that some women get when they complete a hand~made project...Pride, Ownership, Nostalgia, Relief, & the list can go on & on depending on that particular woman!  I know that some people "just don't get it"...but for those of us who do, well it is just plain inspirational!  OR that is the way The Cranky Queen feels when she completes something & IT actually turns out just like she had envisioned...A Masterpiece~Okay, I often "toot my horn !"

The adorable piece shown above was a gift from my gal pal, Dutchess Melanie.  She started with a thrift store silver-plated tray; modge podges vintage sheet music; & affixes a Graphics Fairy image of a little boy (she knows that I loved vintage little boy lithographs)...then she adorns the tray with a key, old button & a lovely vintage bell from an old Christmas ornament. What a touching & personal gift. A gift fit for a Queen!

Wanda & I posing with our Christmas Creations~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Cranky Queen created this pin cushion when participating in the Secret Santa Soiree.  I started with a thrift store mint julep cup; then made the cushion from scrap fabric used in our master bedroom's coverlet; gathered teal~colored binding for the edges & adorned with flowers made from vintage doilies and lace.  Stick pin with teal beads finished it off.

  
I had fun creating this little floret made with a leaf from a wedding fountain pen & some pillow trim.

...and the finished product was "inspirational!"  OR at least for  

The Cranky Queen!

KEEP CALM & CRAFT LIKE A WOMAN!

Tiffany

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

 

One of the Cranky Queen's favorite Holiday Songs is "Oh Christmas Tree"...So she decided that you must see some of her Christmas trees that she has created...TrEeS wItH a TwIsT from the traditional ones!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The one on your left is created from broken china & the other is made from an old bedspread, vintage buttons & trim mounted on a glass candlestick.

 I made this one using an old quilt that had been discarded by its owner...shame on them!  It was in pretty rough shape, but I salvaged enough to get 2 trees made.  The base is an old lamp-base part.

My gal pal, Dutchess Melanie, made all of her junkin' buddies this tree last Christmas.  She used the back of an old cutter quilt, tiny pearls, & a wooden candlestick as the trunk...she shopped every Thrift Store for an entire year to find enough wooden candlesticks~I'm glad that she did~

 This is the tree that I made as Secret Santa for Susan at Desert Sky Quilts

 The base is a mint julep cup that I distressed then decoupaged a vintage Santa from Graphics Fairy site. It was created from the same old quilt...

This is a pillow that I also made as Secret Santa using yo yo's that my Mother taught me how to make.  Visit Suzanne at Colorado Lady for all that participated in the most fun Secret Santa Swap

 

 If you have visited The Cranky Queen's blog in the past, you have probably read about her collection of "Little Logan's"...that is what she & her pals refer to as any little boy that resembles her son, Prince Logan.

Look at their little "O" mouths singing a hymn of praise!

Looking toward Heaven!

He is one my fav Little Logan's

This is an old advertisement from a Furniture Store that closed years ago in our town...Look at all the Little Logan's!

 Little Logan when he was only about 6 weeks old...his first Christmas

Prince Logan now at 17 years old!

STAY CALM & SING "OH CHRISTMAS TREE"!

Tiffany

Another Angel Got His Wings

Another angel got his wings on Friday, Dec. 9th, 2011.  This is the day that my Daddy was welcomed into the gates of Heaven.  My Mother and I were by his side in their home, when God called him home. He was 77. Daddy went peacefully in his sleep.  No more battling cancer, no more sickness...just pure joy of being healed and walking with our LORD. 

Daddy and I when I turned 1 year old on Jan. 15, 1967

Daddy & I when I was a flower girl in my cousin's wedding in 1968.

I love this photo. We were on vacation. Daddy in his shorts & socks with loafers~

Summer of 1971 in Panama City, FL~Daddy did not like the beach, but took Mom & I because he knew that I loved to play in the waves & sand!

                                                                

Dad knew how to laugh!  From a young man to a grandfather.  Although we called him "grumpy" often, he still knew how to laugh out loud!

         

He served his country in the Army as a Ranger.

Daddy & Mamma on their honeymoon in January 1963.

Our last Christmas together Dec. 2010

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So to all of my blog friends, say a little prayer for my Mother, Brother and myself as we learn to live without our Father...he will be missed, yet I feel vast comfort knowing he is in Heaven with our Lord & all those love ones that went before him.  I am a Daddy's girl...even at 46 years old...

CHERISH EACH MOMENT WITH YOUR PARENTS!

Tiffany

Secret Santa Visits The Land of Dixie!

The Cranky Queen has experienced one of the most emotional weeks of her life.  I will enclose that story  another time.  Today is about giving and receiving!  And The Queen must have been a very "good girl", or at least that is what her Secret Santa thought~

I participated in the most fun and thrilling blog party ever this holiday season!  Suzanne Melkoski from Colorado Lady hosted the Secret Santa Soiree. Suzanne must have been filled with a lot of "holly jolly" to "wrap up" this enormous undertaking of planning, organizing, emailing, etc.  A Big HO HO HO goes out to her! Visit her fun blog to see what she is up to!

While I was in Louisiana, my Postman Elf left me a package sent all the way from WYOMING!

 My Secret Santa sent me the sweetest note with a bluebird as "her carrier."  She said that she was "out of her element" on choosing gifts for The Queen...but she knew exactly what I adored! The Perfect Elf...

Suzanne emailed all the participants a questionnaire to help give hints to our S.S...kinda like a Santa's wish list...One of the things that I listed was vintage Christmas decorations.  Check out these card board candy dishes from the 1970's (my childhood era) & look at the price stamp on the back~

I giggled with joy when I saw these gift tags and Old Saint Nick On A Reindeer ornament (still in the original packages!)

Made in Japan Tree toy. Can you see SANTA peeking out? AND how cool is this Clown ornament...My  childhood Christmas' memories flashed in my head like they were just yesterday!~

One of my many passions are primitives...& this little fella fits right in! He is perched under my wilderness tree. The wooden bell is perfect hanging in the boughs of my tree...It adds a little Jingle!

 I sang Halleluiah when I carefully opened this package.  Seventeen hand~made angel ornaments from years long forgotten...they were in perfect condition in every color & Ms. Wyoming gave them to me!

 & She kept on giving with this beautiful pocket watch!  The Queen was no longer Cranky!

 This little blue ornament reminds me of those that hung on my Nannie's tree years ago in LA on the bayou! Two other delicate ornaments were sent by my "oh so generous SS", but did not make the mailing journey...

Another wish was my love for Milk Duds & my fav scent "gardenia"

I cannot wait to see who my Secret Santa is...She was so generous...I believe she may be Mrs. Claus herself...A BIG Yee Haw to my Secret Santa!!!!!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I also wanted to show all of my blog friends that the giving continues...I was the winner of a re-purposed piece of jewelry by Debra Oliver from Common Ground

Is this not AWESOME!  I love this necklace incorporating a key with a little "bling", a tiny heart lock charm & a number tag.  So industrial with a little feminine~edge...The Cranky Queen will wear this with her charcoal turtleneck!
Thank you Debra! 



I hope that your Christmas Season has been filled with giving...

STAY CALM & BE A SECRET SANTA! 

                              Tiffany

Nature's Nativity Tree

The Cranky Queen's Garden Club entered the Sylacauga Beautification Council's Christmas Tree Contest. The contest offered cash prizes & we chose to create a Christmas tree focusing on wildlife & nature.

We started with a disassembled tree & bags of ornaments, bird seed bells, berries,grapevine & burlap.

Five of our Camellia Garden Club Members chose to participate in the "trimming of the tree."  We hot- glued  ribbon onto birdseed bells...     

We carefully hung ornaments on the tree...

Grapevine & berries with burlap type ribbon gave the tree that "homemade~comfortable" look...

Don't you just adore the birdseed bells?

 

Redbirds, poinsettias, berries, glittered pinecones & wooden snowflakes adorned the tree.  The hand warmer heater added that vintage look!

The grapevine star honored the Birth of Jesus Christ!

Little Bird's Nest tucked into the branches...

Cardinal ornaments purchased @ Dollar General...Can You Believe???

 

 

 Red & Tan Burlap served as the skirt with pine cones nestled under the tree...

We were very disappointed that we did not place...we felt that our tree was a "winner"!  But in the spirit of Christmas...we did not "pout"...Well, The Queen was a "little cranky"~LOL!

But...a hug & snapshot with Prince Logan before he left for the Star Dust Winter Formal put me right back in the holiday season

STAY CALM & TRIM A TREE!

Tiffany