I have started a new blog. Not because I am going to abandon this one, but I do not want to use this blog for my very personal rumblings but I also wanted you to know kind of where I stand now.

I hope to return here soon though. Here is my other blog link: http://soniasotherblog.blogspot.com/

Sorry if you read the post on my other blog I am sure you will understand why this post isnt as colorful as all ther others here.

Love to all.

PS. I would cherrish and appreciate any support and comments from any of you, but keep it on my other blog. I would like to save this one for my better and creative days.

Thank you

Happy Birthday Debi and Elyse!!

Two precious and talented bloggers have their Birthday today. Debi from Life in My Studio and Elyse from Cottage. They are both sweethearts and I love visiting with them.

So here it goes,

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday tooo you,

Happyy Biirthday Debi and Elyse,

Haapppyyy Biirthdaay toooo yoouuuu.

Go on visit them too. I can assure you, its worth your while.

And while youre at Debi's, sign up for her faboulous Giveaway. She has 5 gifts going to five winners. And I'm talking oh bundle of prettiness, like the cake you see below.

Make sure you mention that I sent you ;) when you sign up.

To do looo

I'm still here!!

Oh, I sure am, still here!!

First off, I want to thank everyone who still came by in my absence and thought of me. Thank you for your well wishes and thoughts. It feels so good to hear from you all. Blogger friends are truly a blessing.

Company is now gone, but my house is still topsy turvy. My studio is still /futon :( but hopefully this weekend that will be fixed. It was very nice to visit with my parents and they sure helped a lot to be around while I am still dealing with morning sickness. I did land myself in the hospital one night because of an ear infection on my left ear, it also started a migraine, that also contributing to me not holding anything in my stomach, not even a sip of water. So by the end of the day I was in so much head pain and dehydrated. They hooked up an IV with fluids and some pain medication and that straightened me out. Anyway, ear still trying to get better but at least I got rid of the migraine. I do get migraines a lot but usually not when I am pregnant so that was a first.

Enough with that!! I missed blogging a lot and I am oh so ready now that I have my life and house back and soon my studio, to jump right back in. I am sure I missed out on some fun swaps out there. I am out of time for any ghoulish or mysterious fun but honestly I am already in the Christmas mood. It is after all my most favorite time of year. So, anything fun out there going on??

I have worked on some light projects recently. Some tags I created and put up on Etsy, sold almost immediately.

I am hooked on stamping. It is so much fun. I have been on the lookout for some new ones for my stash. I really need to take a trip to the city soon and hit the craft stores.

What about you? Are you having fun creating anything??

A pretty package all for me

First I have to ask, what happened to the followers' thingimabob?? Mine disappeared and even from my dashboard I cannot access it. Is there someway I could fix that or is that google fault??

Last week just before I left town I received a package from Sarah of My So Called Junky Life. Yayyy!! It was my Fan from The Rococo Fan Swap. She did a wonderful job. I love, love, love it. She made me a MARIE fan in silver glitters and the colors she picked are so me and oh, the millinery flowers and the jewelry and the bird... WOW!!

She even added some extras to the package. The lace is so pretty and PINK (squeal) and millinery flower and vintage hanky!!

Thank you so much Sarah. I love my fan and it also matches her Marie Antoinette tag she had mailed me from a previous swap. And thank you for the extras.

You can see the fan I mailed her here.

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While I was gone, I also received a book I have been so curious about and been wanted to buy. I got my copy of Foof-A-Life. I have seen this book around in blogland and magazines and even the name, peeks my curiosity. I bought this from amazon and to be honest it doesn't have good reviews. Well, I am going to speak as a beginner in this sort of art.

The book is wonderful to me. Maybe yes, a bit overpriced but still got my inspiration, cute ideas, lovely pictures and a base to start mixed media and creative decor and all. I would certainly not recommend it to those who have been scrap booking and doing mixed media for years, because then, its just a nice coffee table book with (still!!) very pretty pictures.

It shows work from 10 artists and it has 3 main chapters, 1st chapter focuses on gifts, 2nd creating memories and 3rd on just being creative and dazzling. All projects shown include list of supplies and a brief tutorial.

Another book in my Wish List is Crowns and Tiaras by Kerri Judd. Do any of you have this book? I think I will get that next time. What do you say about it?

And that's the way the cookie crumbles!!! (LOL)

I hope you like my short review here. I am off to hopefully sleep and be rested. I have started those awful sick and nauseated days and bahhh!! It is NOT fun. I was sick with both my boys and it got worse second time around. I pray its not going to be like that this time. And at night I am so uncomfortable already I just toss and turn most of the night. I have my first doctors appt. next week and I look forward to get a due date. So exciting!!!

New Pillow Set in store!!

Thank you all for your best wishes and comments from my previous announcement. Everyone I told, all said the same thing....about maybe finally having a girl. Well, even after two boys, this house doesn't lack pink but I try to keep it low and spread...:) Except for my studio of course. And if a girl does join us, then an even better excuse and partner in crime for more pink!! teheee. And if it is a boy, then I just keep the pink in my studio. Boys are wonderful too.

I managed to finish a pillow set this week that I posted on etsy today. I have to say these pillows are the favorites of all pillows I made. I love the large bouquet of pink roses.

Don't you?

Hope you all are having a wonderful week. We will be leaving town Thursday to West Virginia and plan on taking my parents to Washington DC. Yayy!! A break I so desperately need.

An announcement....surprise!!!

Yes, I am sure you will be as surprised as I was. Now that I landed back on earth after the shock from the news, I want to share it with you. See those raskals above.... cute aren't they? They are my boys, one is 7 and the other is a year and a half.

Well, guess what????

.......

..........

I have another precious cherub on the way.....

I just found out this week that I am a few weeks pregnant and I cannot explain the roller coaster of emotions, happy, shocked, scared.... Gosh. Me and hubby thought after the second was born.... OK, two is a good number we are done. I was so convinced I gave all my maternity clothes away. But truth is, neighter one of us did anything to prevent it. So wow!! I am fixing to have another munchkin around. Well, today, a few days since I found out and the news sunk in and the shock and daze replaced by excitement I thought I share the news.

The boys had just started sharing their room so I can have a studio, but before I even thought I am going to have to bid farewell to my studio once again... My hubby gave up his office for the nursery. Owh!! I am so blessed. Now, I just pray all goes well!!!

Geez, I read my own post and still am surprised I am posting this......

Long time coming - More of our sweet Marie A.

I should have shown these a long time ago when I received them. These are Marie Antoinette Tag art I received about 2 months ago I think. When I played along with so many creative ladies in Le Vintage's Marie Antoinette Tag Swap. It was a blast and oh, I cherish these tags a lot. I love them. The swap itself was the first swap I got so much into, excited and creative and I was even very very happy to receive in my mail these pretty pieces. From then on, swapping got more exciting. Maybe because I was trying something new, something I'm really enjoying, something so me!!

Well, enough chit chat....here they are:

There are some other really fun swaps going on right now. None that I am participating in though. The Rococo Fan Swap is wrapping up and very nicely too. You have got to check out our Flickr Gallery for some newly added gorgeous fans!! Everyone truly outdid themselves. I love everyone's work.

I have to apologize to you all for the lack of blogging and visiting. Please know, I have not forgotten about you AT ALL!! I look forward to when I can get back into blogging and swapping fun!! Right now, I so want to get creative but I am all wrapped up with my parents here visiting. My studio, if you remember the playing table (it is a playing table really, can't call it work table) it is a folding table. Since we do not have a guest room, the playing table gets folded and make way for a temp. bed. I did sew a little last week, pillows that hardly made it to etsy, they sold right away. I really need to work on some new stuff. Ahhhhh!! Please be patient with me, while I try hold myself together and enjoy my parents at the same time. I think I'll organize or take part in a swap in October, to get back into the swing of things/blogging. That's when I'll have my studio again, mid October.

Saying that, I wanted to ask you about what you think about an idea I have for a swap in October. Its not exactly Halloween theme, and I'm sure there are a lot of swaps on that theme going on. But you may have noticed my fascination with The Phantom of The Opera. So what do you think about that theme? Its french, romantic, musical, gothic, mysterious and lots of interesting characters. And what do you suggest we could swap, tags, masks...? what would you like to try this time? Any suggestions? I know a lot of the participants in the fan swap had never done a fan before but everyone had lots of fun.

I'll be waiting for some input....

And the winners are...

The Winners are....... (ddrrrrrrum rolllllllll)

Elyse from Cottage wins the first prize consisting of the book, fabric fats and trim and candle sconces set.

Floss from Troc, Broc and Recup wins the second prize of set of note cards, tags and vintage wallpaper

I will be in touch with you shortly ladies so you can send me your info so I can mail these prizes out to you shortly.

I want to thank all of you who entered in my giveaway and I also want to thank all of my new followers for following me. I would like to welcome you to my blog. I hope to hear from you when you drop in and visit. I appreciate everyones comments. They build part of the drive for my inspiratrion. Thank you all.

TTFN

Rococo Fan Swap, My Fan

As many of you know, we have a Rococo Fan Swap going on right now. I had Sarah from
My So Called Junky Life as a swap partner. I finished her fan and mailed it out last week and she received it today. So I figured it is now safe for me to post some pictures and show off what I came up with.

It has been a thrill working on this and I love the results.

Sarah loves pinks and blues, like I do and I thought the paper in blue with pink roses is just perfect for the fan.

Of course theres millinery flowers and lots of feathers...

Marie Antoinette and pink velvet ribbon.

For the back I used Music sheets and the antique pink lace holds the fan pieces together closed or opened. I am glad I thought of that.

Coming monday is the last mailing date for the fans but some has already been posted on our flickr group. Link is below so take some time and visit to see some of the other participants' masterpieces.

Rococo Fan Swap group on Flickr

Celebrating First Anniversary, 100 Followers with a Giveaway!!

Yes, my first post on this blog is dated 17th August of 2008 It just amazes me what my blog eveloved into since then. I have started blogging about sewing mostly. I still enjoy sewing but thanks to all of you, your comments, support and your inspiring blogs. I discovered other ways to express my creative and artistic self. I had started blogging about 3 years ago when I started a blog named after my retail store that I still run, C. Crafts & Collectibles. Then life got in the way and I didn't blog for months. In those months I started creating and making pillows and sell them on ebay and sometime then is when I started reading blogs again and got inspired to start again. So I decided for a fresh start with new blog and new name and so it went....It has been a year...and what a year has it been. Blogging is a blast and I love it. Made so many new creative friends, creative in their own ways but still very talented. And the inspiration, it is amazing to me.

And to thank you all for being there for me, I am hosting this giveaway for two prizes.

First Prize

I am offering a set of mirrored candle sconces, finished by me in white with pink roses accents.


Hoping to inspire anyone to create I am offering, two fat quarters of fabric, one is a white with pink polka dots, other is the roseblush print by Rachel Ashwell. A yard each of pink ric rac and roses with tulle trim.

And.....

If you need to spark your creativity for fresh decor I am offering this book, Decorating Vintage Style by Christina Strutt from Cabbages and Roses.


As you can see in the following, this book is amazing.

It covers every room in a home, outdoors and different styles, including classic details and period charm.

So that is the first prize.

Second Prize

On the back you see a few sheets of vintage wallpaper and border, in pink stripes and pink roses included in this prize.

A set of four pretty, distressed tags featuring french 18th century fashion plate's ladies illustrasions, tags created by me.

And a set of four Marie Antoinette note cards. Two styles, also created by me. The one on the right, features digital artwork by me.

Well, these two packages will go to two lucky winners. The winners will be picked by my random number generator on the 30th of August. To enter, please leave a comment to this post ONLY. If you are a follower enter a second comment. and you have a second chance.

If you are not a follower, then youre never too late to start following my blog and you enter your second comment for a second chance. Please include which prize are you entering for, one or two or both in your comment. Feel free to spread the word and take the first picture to post on your blog.

Once again, I thank you so much for coming by and supporting what I am and what I do. It means a lot to me....