Guinea Fowls and flowers

I took my kids to our local nature reserve. It was quite hot, but very windy. We spread a blanket under the shade of a big old oak tree and painted with water colors! It was so relaxing. We each painted guinea fowl that we saw walking around and then got some oak leaves, painted those and pressed them onto the paper.
Here is mine...hee hee, had fun doing this.
my daughters

My sonsSome guinea fowl with their chicks
You know it's spring when you see this happening everywhere!! Ha ha. My kids wanted to know what they were doing... *blush* the sounds emanating from the male were hilarious. My daughter thought it was "cute" and started coping the sounds!! I was almost in hysterics with the questions and remarks my kids were making! It was all just too much!!





So a lovely day spent outside...alas I had bad hay fever the rest of the day from all the wind and grasses!

Mysteries of Me

I am taking a online class with Liz.
It is brilliant and I am enjoying it so much! It is called Mysteries of me. basically you alter a vintage book-cut out the middle and it is your secret place for your mini album!
I wanted to share my book.



It's a beautiful day and I will be out with the kids today! Have a good day wherever you are!

The long-lost photos!

I had some photos that didn't come out on my discs when I got back from England in June this year, and finally about two weeks I got them from my friend. I wanted to share some of them because these two places where two of the best places (besides Paris!) I visited during my trip in May/June earlier this year.

The first one is Ashby Castle.










Isn't it beautiful? The other place we went to was
Coton Manor English Country Garden





I hope you enjoyed that! Don't forget that there is only 4 days left to get the ATC pre-made up pack if you want to sign up for the ATC class. If you don't want the pack, you still have until the 2 November to purchase the class.

Cupcakes and cherrys.

This past Saturday was my 11th Wedding anniversary. We celebrated in style and stayed at the Lanzerac Hotel.

We stayed over Friday night, had dinner there and breakfast the next morning and then walked around my favorite town and had some lunch before heading home.

As a surprise I got my family some cupcakes from the lovely TutaBella. Thanks Kim and Michelle, they all loved them! (yumyum!!)
This was my hubbys one....hearts and the black number 11

my one....
I had three made like this...one for each who babysat for me. (my inlaws and sister in law all helped out)
For my son...it had a checkered flag which unfortunately fell off!
my daughter's....
And I wanted to share the wall motif I hand painted on my wall...I love it....something new and different!


Don't forget about my ETSY sale...and also the ATC class sign up and registration.any questions about it, feel free to email me!

The cherry part comes now...I found this gorgeous vintage postcard while rummaging for supplies for a online class I am taking with Liz Kartchner...

Please feel free to right click and open large to save as to your pc. You are welcome to use her in any personal and commercial use work. enjoy!

Sign up for ATC online class

I am very excited to announce that I will be hosting my very own ATC (Artist trading card) online class!! I have been doing ATC's for 3 years now and have traded many, many cards. I have used a number of different techniques to create these cards.

ATC's are a wonderful way to express your creativity when you only have small amounts of time and limited resources. They are inexpensive, fun, quick and the wonderful part is that you get to trade with people from all over the world. I treasure each of my ATC's I have traded as they are each a miniature piece of artwork.

The great thing about ATC's is that there is no wrong or right way, each person creates them according to their tastes and personality and that is why they are so unique and special.

what you get in the class:
*You will receive a basic introduction to ATC's-history and explanation, sizing etc
*Techniques and methods include:
decoupage
drawing
painting
inking and stamping
wording
*Trading-an in depth look, such as how to trade, where to trade, etiquette on trading etc
*step by step projects on a ATC cards-including:
Classic Parisian ATC card
Decoupaged and hand painted card

Materials needed:
*old playing cards or card stock pieces measuring 2.5 inches x 3.5 inches (6cm x 9 cm or 64mm x 89mm)
*Glue, craft or clear glue
*scissors, ruler, craft knife, cutting mat, pencil
*Inks, chalks (whatever you have is fine)
*craft paints (whatever you have, if you don't have, go get two of your favorite colors)
*Vintage images you like (or get them from me)
*assorted pieces of paper, music sheeting, wording, (scraps are best)
*Paintbrushes (size 5, 3 and 2-(small heads) are best
*napkin podge
*various napkins you like
*Parisian images (if you don't have any vintage images, I will supply you with some)
*rubber or mounted wooden stamps (whatever you have)
*trimmings of ribbon, lace, little buttons, charms .
*free ATC backgrounds from me, ATC info sheet to paste on the back.

The online class will take place via a private blog which I will email you the address.



All you have to do is purchase the class below, make sure your email address is included.

Purchase the ATC class
$6.99

this is a self-paced, on-going available class.
Upon receipt of payment, you will receive an invitation to a private blog.

The little mother who sits at home

I got this from someone by email:
Our lives are not determined by what happens to
us but by how we react to what happens, Not by what life brings to us,
but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a
chain - reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a
catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results. Let's change to
make a change!!!



"If you focus on results, you will never change.
If you focus on change, you will get results"

I just love it! The more you change and focus on changing (like the 21 day challenge I just did)
and improving, whether it's in your attitude, your thinking, your habits..it all makes for a better you and that space that surrounds you, the people that fall into your immediate circle, are the ones who benefit from your change and results! It's amazing when we think how powerful that is!

I am reading this AMAZING book "The little mother who sits at home"-written in the early 1900's by a young woman who married at 19 (same as me!) and had a son, her husband died when the baby was just 4 months old. She never remarried. The book is a series of letters written by her to her son, some she posted, some she wrote but never posted to him. They start off when he is just a little boy and continue until he is an adult man. She gives him advice, admonishing, praise-she shares things about his father and the amount of sacrifice and love echoed in these pages is just phenomenal. The book was published in 1915 by a countess and the true identity of both the mother and son remain anonymous to this day. The book is available to read online or to download as a PDF document.
I am so enjoying reading it and I thought it is such a treasure to share with like minded women.
The writing is easy to understand and flows. She has such a charm and sense of humor and while at times you will cry, you will also laugh. Do yourself a favor, and download it (it is only 13MB) and you will so enjoy it!!
DOWNLOAD HERE

Come back and share your thoughts as you read it!

moving on.....
I have a new paper pack out..called The vintage Rose. I know, I am totally into all this vintage stuff lately! The papers are in a pack of 9 and are beautifully textured and patterned. You won't be disappointed



I also have a SALE on at my Etsy store.
Some of my Etsy shop sets have been marked down to $2.40 (from $6)
and my ATC backgrounds from $3.75 to $1.30!





Have a great day!

October anniversary month

On the 10th October will be 11 years since I married my best friend. He is everything I could wish for and more. I met him when I was 16 and we started dating and married when I was 19 and he was 21. two years later we started a family. A young couple with fresh dreams and hopes and you know what? I have no regrets EVER about marrying so young and having kids so young. Now my son is 8 and my daughter is 6 and I am 3o. He is 32. I love my life. I am grateful I have this family and treasure each day with them. I am grateful to be a young mother, with energy to run with them (not AFTER them) I am grateful I have changed, but not apart from my husband, WITH him. I am grateful I won't be too old to still have a bit of life left when my kids grow up and leave the house. (still a while away thank goodness!)

October is always a special month for me because of my anniversary. We make a big deal of it and the kids get spoiled too!

I made a new blog background and header in celebration of my anniversary.

If you like, you can snag it too!
It is for a 3 column blog.
copy and paste the code below into the content box for html/javascript.
To do this, click on layout in your blogger template, then click add a gadget, choose the html/javascript box.




<style type="text/css">body {background-image: url("http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f285/tumtarara/BvanEsch-Anniversaryblogwear23.jpg"); background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; }</style><div id="tag" style="position:absolute; left:10px; top:30px; z-index:50;width:172px; height:51px;">

ATC giveaway winners!!

Congratulations to:

LouCeeCreations
Thescrappywife
Tove
Susie
AndreaA

You have all won one of my little ATC giveaways and they will follow in the post next week! I will email you to get your postal address!

Have a sweet weekend!
Be sure to check back next week for my October giveaway!

New FREE blog wear!!

New blog wear!
I had fun creating this one!
I call it "Create with Passion".

Here is the normal blog background for a standard blog.

Please click on the image to open it full size. Then right click and save as to your computer.
Please click the image again if your cursor shows a zoom with a plus sign, and then save.





Here is the blog background for a 3 column blog:

Here is the header:

And I did a little blog button, blank for you to add your own labels too

I hope you enjoy it! I would LOVE to see your blog sporting this, please contact me and send me a link to your blog! If you snag it, remember I made it-it took time and energy and all I ask is that you kindly give me credit and link to my blog from yours, by means of the blog button or a link on your blog and oh...a comment would make my day!!