Wednesday, January 11

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
 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!

18 comments:

Rhonda said...

Amazing post - my jaw dropped at all of it! I'm so sorry about your computer, Lisa. You've reminded me to back-up mine right now.

Happy New Year and wow, what a fabulous swap. So dreamy, every single bit.

Mouse Droppings Folk Art said...

Talk about spoiled...lucky gal to have such caring and thoughtful friends. Cheers, Susan

Ana Márquez said...

What a wonderful "vintage" blog!! :-D Kiss to you and your lovely "crazy" kids haha ^-^

Rebecca said...

Hello
Carola is a sweetheart... that top hat is a winner! Very Cool.
So glad you liked your stuff, I was so worried you wouldn't get it before Christmas... the minute I got done with the star and heart, I through some stuff in a box - can't even remember what it was...
Sorry about your hard drive, I had the same problem and lost everything-including all my pictures that I didn't have backed up. They retrieved most of them but every now and then I look for a picture and can't find it.
Those metal books look amazing! I am going to have to check them out.
Blessings my friend
RE

Laura @ 52 FLEA said...

What a wonderful swap! That Carola is a dear girl! I bet you were thrilled with all these exciting and beautiful treasures! Have fun! :)

Cindy said...

Lovely goodies from lovely friends. Oh man, that top hat is FAB! And yes, way excited about March here too! Good things to come! :)

suziqu's thread works said...

Dear Lisa
OMG! to lose all that work on your hard drive but as I believe we always, always have something to be thankful for you have received some of the most beautiful gifts from dear friends and that swap is truly incredible - to have all of your wishes met by Carola is one of your dreams come true!
Life has many precious moments too!
Hugs and warm wishes to you,
Suzy

Julia @ Vintage with Laces said...

Hi Lia, You've received such beautiful Christmas and swap gifts from your dear friends. I knew about the top hat, Carola had found for you but of course I couldn't tell :-). It's wonderful that she had fullfilled your wish list so perfectly. Enjoy all the lovely gifts!
I'm so sorry to hear about your hard drive crash. Hopefully you haven't lost all your personal family pictures.
Hugs to you,
Julia

Dorthe said...

Lisa, dearest-
you are so treasured by us all,and Carola really gifted you with fabolous finds-the hat is naturally the WOW thing, but I also love the old school books, how sweet to send you one of her own.
And that santa found just the greatest things for you ----and omg ,the bowl from Sandy is a fabolous art piece, Lisa.
I also so love Rebecca`s beautiful stars, and this with the photo of you is the sweetest ever.
What a loved and lucky lady you are my dear friend.
Love and hugs, Dorthe

Boxwood Cottage said...

Oh my I simply love Rebecca's lace stars with the tinsel around they are so awesome and how sweet that she used your family photos, I sure would have shed some tears too! Such great gifts you got dear Lisa, I love that old ledger especially and I'm sure that you'll make awesome metal art with that torch soon! I'm so glad that you love everything that I sent you in our friendship swap dear Lisa, thank you for sharing all the pictures! You know what that small cabinet card with the lady and her son actually belongs into the lace net of the tinsel heart,it must have fallen out during the long voyage over the big ocean. Good Phillip got his magic hat back now you have your own real top hat he he. I was so excited when I found it for you, I just had to share it with our dear mutual friend Julia. Still can't believe the Santa chocolate melted on my old school book, oh and I was wrong, it was from my second year at school as it is written on it. Wish I would still write as beautiful lol but that takes much too long.
That's really a bummer about your heard drive and all the lost pictures, but at least you still have all the pictures here on your blog and on flickr!
Have a wonderful weekend my friend!
xoxo~ Carola

Sandi~A Cottage Muse said...

What beautiful new treasures ~ thanks for sharing them with us!
Can't wait to see what you sent her!

Vicki said...

I don't know where to start...this post is amazing. Love that star Rebecca made. Have admired hers for years. Beautiful swap items with so much history...I know you will make something wonderful from all that loot! I'm so sorry about the computer. Get a $99 external hard drive so that doesn't happen again. Yikes. Have a wonderful weekend

Sugar Lump Studios said...

Hi Lisa
what gorgeous things you have to share on this post. Congratulations on the upcoming classes too! Sorry about your computer...I lost files on an external hard drive (it was dropped and they don't recover well) and while I am using one again - it is best to back up and double back up (which is a real PITA)! thanks for all the inspiration here on your blog! :)

Anonymous said...

I wondered where you were! Well, in spite of computer glitches and challenges, you haven't let any grass grow under those Texan tootsies!
Good to see you back online!
Hugs!!
Diane

Lori @ Katies Rose Cottage Designs said...

Oh my gosh Lisa girl you got some pretty much amazing things!!!
You totally make me smile!

Vicki Boster said...

Lisa- I hardly know where to start! Your computer woes are MY biggest fear! I would be devistated-- I can only imagine how you felt-- are you considering an online back up source for the future?

All of your gifts are amazing-- sweet Dorthe is so talented-- her gift is beyond beautiful-- as are all of your treasures. Each one so unique and perfectly suited for you.

I'm so happy that your classes are so popular- that is such a great venue for you. I'd love to be a part of one of your classes sometime!

I hope you soon get your computer issues resolved- I just know you are heartsick over it all. It's a New Year- move on-- I know you will be fine. You are an amazing person--

Sending love-
Vicki

June said...

Hi My dear Lisa, I don't know if you remember me or not....:)
I am sitting here with my mouth open over all the wonderful treasures you got in that swap with Carola!!!!! She is way too cool to send you her own little workbook from school, not to mention everything else.
I also love the gifts you got from Rebecca and Dorthe. I love their artwork so much. Rebecca had sent me a beautiful star with Landon on it a couple of years ago and I still cry when I see it. I LOVE the star she made you and the beautiful heart. Didn't you just love her house in RC???? Just as beautiful as she is.
I hope someday I get to take a class from you Lisa. I can't think of anyone's class I would rather take than one from you! You know how I love you, right? Have a wonderful time at these retreats, they are so lucky to have you.

You asked if I press my flowers too. I used to, but haven't in a long time. I just started doing some canvases decorated with drieds and I think they will be pretty when done.
I want to wish you a great week Lisa.
hugs from here.....

Anonymous said...

I so feel the loss of your computer. Mine was stolen from my family room while we were sleeping upstairs! Photos are the biggest loss. I replaced my computer and also bought a small external hard drive and back up on the 1st of each month. I also don't delete the photos off my camera until I am sure they have been backed up also. This is the price we pay for digital (not printed) photos!