Christmas Wishes & Dreams

2011 went out with a bang!

And I don't mean the bang from the ball dropping in Times Square, but my computer exploding!

It was still under warranty, but sadly I lost my entire hard drive.

I've spent the past couple of weeks searching for lost pictures & files.

(& grieving)

But I'm back with all kinds of things to share with you!

Beginning with some teaching news.

Paper Cowgirl has moved it's big annual event up a couple of months to March.

(thank goodness, I melt in the summer heat)

Then in April I'm heading to Kansas to teach at

Karla's Birdsong. 

 It was such a blast last year, I can't wait to go back to the land of vintage wallpaper & church lady hats!

I'm so proud to be a part of these 2 great art retreats.

Many more details to come!

 

 

Let's back up to Christmas 2011.....

I was blessed with some beautiful gifts from friends around the world.

Starting with my sweet friend Dorthe.

She combined my favorite collections into one precious gift.

An angel on a heart.

Thanks to my friends my heart collection is growing by leaps & bounds!

I fell in love with  Rebecca's Christmas stars years ago when I first laid eyes on them!
They are so unique, she uses the most wonderful antique elements to embellish each one.
This year I just had to have one of my own & Rebecca was kind enough to swap.

 

I was surprised & touched that Rebecca used our Christmas photo as the inspiration for the swap.

I'm always a little weepy around the holidays so the water works began the minute I opened her package.

She included other goodies of course & I had great pictures but alas, they were lost with everything else on my hard drive!

( BTW, did you see her gorgeous home in the current Romantic Country? I recognized it immediately!)

Sandy Babb sent me this very cool altered bowl.

 I call it a mixed media nest!

 It sits on the shelf over my desk & every time I look at it I see something different.

I am so drawn to Miss Sandy's style. The color & tones, her use of nature, just so pretty.

Getting gifts from blogging friends is always good because we know each other so well, but it's really cool when your family begins to get you too!

I have to show you what my awesome niece Chelsea gave me for Christmas.   

She hit the nail right on the head I'd say!

Chelsea lives in Austin & shops at my favorite store .

This book is filled with the most amazing engraved illustrations & a years worth of inspiration!

I have been hunting for a ledger for months.

Antique malls, estate sales & even Canton came up empty.

This one is nice & full, dated back to 1903.

My big present from Santa this year was a butane torch & some sheet metal.

I also got the e-book for Stephanie Lee's online workshop,

Handbook of Elements.

I am so obsessed with these books & can't wait to get started.

Last summer I set up a swap with Carola at Boxwood Cottage.

It would be a winter swap, I knew it would be good but ohmygoodness....

We gave each other a wish list, mine included some of her famous

soldered ornaments.

 

And she came thru not once but 4 times!

They are all beautiful, but I especially love the one that reads 'fly across the ocean'. 

Carola not only filled my stocking, but included some German chocolates for the kids.

Remember I said 'wish list'??

I seem to remember putting coin purses on there.

I think this one is actually a glasses case.

Very nice!

The cigarette tin filled with tiny findings has a great story behind it.

A good friend of Carola's discovered it while doing a dig at an ancient castle in lower Saxony called Stauffenburg.  

The castle has a really interesting history & who knows how old these artifacts are.  Her friend thought one of her US friends would appreciate having such treasures to make art with. 
 I feel honored that Carola gave them to me.  

 

I'm not sure Carola knew that I collect old used lesson books. 

 They are very hard to find & I only have 4.

 

When I unwrapped this package I couldn't believe my eyes.

Look at the students name!

This was Carola's notebook from her first year in school.

Look at that beautiful writing!

This is my favorite page.

 

Another request I made was for a little lamb.

Dang, she is one great personal shopper!

A beautiful heart trimmed out in German scrap.

Yes, another item checked off my wish list.

At this point I was at the bottom of the box & thinking what an incredible swap this was. 
Then I spotted one last package. 
Flat & round like a Frisbee.



Saw this tag.
Flipped it over & read this.

 thought NO she did not..........

Yes she did!
Carola sent me a vintage top hat!

Philip is happy he has his magic hat back.

If you only knew how long & hard I've searched for a top hat.

Seeing this picture only made my hat lust worse.

(photos borrowed from Boxwood Cottage)

My picture of the whole bundle was on the old hard drive but I borrowed this one.

Pretty nice swap, huh?
I love it all friends!

Christmas isn't all about receiving.
 I did some giving too, but this post has gotten completely out of hand.

I don't want to blow this computer up too!

I promise not to wait a month to post again.

I'm off now to catch up on your blogs!