Winter Wonderland

Well, I'm at it again! Paper mania around my house today! I have the front doorway decorated, but have now moved indoors. The paper cone wreaths I've been making are so pretty, but I have started to think outside the box. What other type of paper wreaths can one make? I thought something pretty and lacy would be just right for a winter wonderland theme with birds. So sitting in front of my stack of book pages, I had a revelation. The edger from Martha Stewart that I bought this spring would be the perfect edge! So I started edging sheets of book pages and then quartering them. Rolling them and folding a small amount over on the plain edge allowed me to secure them to my cardboard circle easily. I just worked my way out till I had a full wreath! Sounds easy and it is, but ohhhh so time consuming! This is definitely a Sense and Sensibility AND Emma project! It took hours and three burnt fingers, but it looked nice when filled.

What to do to spruce it up? Well, You KNOW I love Graphics Fairy and I have a couple of birds from  her blog. I printed them out a long time ago! I have a stash of tid bits I sit and cut so I'm ready when I need something. Her site is packed with all types of wonderful images. I have placed a link here to her site and it will take you to Bird and Eggs. Just browse and find what strikes your fancy: Click here for a world of wonderful!

Some birds, some twigs and a print out of Winter Wonderland in "Christmas" font. Voila! Beautiful!

I so hope you are enjoying the paper items and I will keep them coming...make a comment if you are visiting this blog...PRETTY PLEASE?

Until next time Dear Reader,

Chatty Cathy

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Fall, my favorite season!

I was super busy this Fall, so busy I started a post and then never published. Yes, I know you are all much better bloggers (I really do agree). I am not going to write about the beauty this Fall, since it was already Thanksgiving and my Christmas decos are coming out! I will not give tutorials on how to make fabulous things, because that train came and went while I was soothing my burnt glue gun fingertips in water. I won't even indulge in telling you what I'm Thankful for, although if I was it would be family, friends, my faith and an ability to laugh at myself often and hardily. I will instead Dear Reader, show off a couple of pictures of just a little bit of what I did in the way of trying to make my "builders house" look like a home. Hope you enjoy the pictures and I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving!

Free bittersweet from an obliging vine in Ct. while on a road trip! Score!

Paper book page wreath with burlap center, I made this year.

Plain willow wreath I decked out with cheap plastic pumpkins and gourds,,,thrifty!

Nothing exciting here, but I finally finished my dining room! Valspar Tibetan Red! So love it!

Doorway embellished with grapevine, white lights and faux pumpkins that were fluorescent green at the tune of $5 at Hobby Lobby after Halloween! I painted them out and they looked fab!

Entry with dollar store vase, some faux branches and a little burlap and paper wreath I made out of scraps.

My awesome $5 bright green pumpkins from HL at an after Halloween sale!

Pumpkins after my awesome painting, they looked almost real and the ugly green was gone forever!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and check back again for more pictures of what Chatty Cathy is up to!

Until next time Dear Reader,

Chatty Cathy

Paper Wreaths

I love paper! I've said it before...I'll keep saying it!

Paper is fascinating, whimsical, full of possibilities and for the most part cheap! My second love...well I was going to say cheap stuff, but really it's hand sewing. Okay, I am sharing a couple of photos today of the paper wreaths I've been making for a couple of years now. I first made some 3 years ago for a friend and then my mom did some the next year with old music paper sheets. I really loved those, but they are a little looser in style than my more symmetrical and neat style. I may sound a bit boring, but there you have it. I will agonize an hour over the placement of an embellishment on a handmade card. I have a loose and easy side too, but only on some projects. For the most part I exercise control over making my projects neat. Luckily in the crafting world there is a style for everyone! SO, if you like a more symmetrical style wreath take a peak at the pictures I've placed here and if you are loosey goosey in your wreath style check out my mother's fabulous wreaths here...you'll drool!

My community Thrift store sells old books for $1.25...my husband was near Goodwill and so that's where I ended up with books at a whopping $1.50. I decided I could come to terms with the extra .50 and still be a "happy chappy" (as my grandmother-Mama- says) 

Detail of the center medallion on wreath.

My hubby, ever excited to see what my glue gun (my trusty sidekick) and I will create next, asked how many books my project took. I dearly love this man, as if I know? I mean my theory is, no woman can ever have enough paper! I covet my paper (yes, yes I know it's a sin...God and I are good on this one)and rarely share. It's sad but true, my cabinet is full of future projects in the form of flat, colorful, patterned, beautifully textured sheets of paper. Some people horde canned goods, clothes, shoes, I don't know what! I horde paper...I'm seeking a rehab program for this, but as no one thinks it's worthy of one, I have happily decided it's okay!

Flower wreath with jute center.

Well, I kind of started on a paper wreath making spree and now some of my dear neighbor girlfriends have pretty wreaths in their homes. I'm making each one a wreath as a token of friendship. I plan on making tons more paper items for Christmas and hope you will pop on over here to my Little paper factory and see what I'm up to!

Until next time Dear Reader,

Chatty Cathy