Will you be my Valentine?

Last year I did a one on one Valentine's Day swap and am doing it again this year (meaning you send me a Valentine and I send you a Valentine). It was really fun and I look forward to doing it again this year.

I've decided this year that the Valentine's need to be handmade. Other than that, you can do whatever you want. You can do it collage style, with fabric, paint it, make it out of paper- the skies the limit!

update- FULL!

Our cards need to be in the mail by Monday, February 7th. So if you are interesting in swapping a Valentine's Day card with me, please leave a comment here (to help me keep track) and drop me an email to me: keeshagirl4@aol.com. When you email me, be sure to include your address!

so much to blog about!

So last night around 11:30 when i finally closed up shop for the night, i went to bed and started opening my Valentine's day cards from my one on one card swap. i have to tell you, it was so fun! however, i quickly became overwhelmed with emotion and actually burst out in tears, because i think everyone really went beyond the call of duty. i just sent out these tiny little (although cute) vintage Valentine's Day cards and what i got in return was in no comparison. i got beautiful handmade cards, gifts, handmade earrings, a sewn card hanging, a beautifully heart shaped box filled with goodies, a Charlotte doll/spoon pendant and more. i am used to be the one who goes the extra mile and i just didn't see this coming; so from the bottom of my heart, i want to thank you for thinking of me- i truly am so grateful.

I also want to add that a few of the cards that i sent out were returned to me because of the tiny envelope i used. those cards are being resent tomorrow. however, if in a few days you haven't received a card from me (and you were suppose to), would you please contact me? i'd rather send another out belated then you not ever get one! that would upset me.
-----------------------------
also, don't forget about the "ice resin" blog hop that started today brought to you by Objects and Elements. (it's perfect timing with all this frozen ice and snow all over the ground!) i spent my morning going to each blog to see how the other participants use ice resin in their artwork. so many creative ideas and brillant art! and how fun is this? one of the participants, Marie Dodd, lives not 10 minutes from me; so that was fun to meet her! you can see my ice resin piece here.
---------------------------------
So OWOH ended yesterday and today through random number generator, i was able to pick my winner. congratulations to Kathy of Artful Musings! this was OWOH's biggest year yet, with 1,088 participants representing 40 different countries!

i also had a second "secret" drawing for a very special blogger. she goes by the name of pixie. i made something special for her, so she is the 2nd winner of my OWOH giveaway. (but i'm not going to post a picture of what she won yet because i don't want her to see it!) Pixie is the daughter of a friend of mine and she is only 10! she wanted to start blogging and i have to say, i think that is quite cool. if you have a minute, stop by and say hello to Pixie; tell her Kecia told you all about her blog (just so mom knows where the traffic is coming from)
---------------------------------
and just for fun, enjoy this picture of dillon and his girlfriend from yesterday. he called me down to take their picture and this is what i saw!



----------------------------------------------------------

ok, lastly (this post just goes on and on!) i'm leaving on wednesday for las vegas! i am attending artnsoul and getting to see some good friends and my dad, who is driving in from Fallon, Nevada (near Reno) 2 days beforehand just to see me! looking forward to the camaraderie, soaking with Leighanna and Katie and some good old fashion silly fun. Once Artnsoul is over, i will be leaving for California where i will be teaching 2 classes at Gilding the Lily before returning home on March 1st! i'll do my best to stay in touch, but i'm not taking my laptop with me!

aww, young love.....

First of all, Happy Valentine's Day! i realized that i had almost forgotten it in my stupor of getting ready to leave on Wednesday, getting projects finished, travel details finalized and of course, still being in a bit of a fog about kirby. i have been working all day, but tonight when i finally get to lay down on my bed, i will be opening up all the Valentine's Day cards that i received from my one on one card swap. some of you tricked me and sent packages with goodies in it! had i known that, i would have done the same thing for you - but always appreciated that you went the extra mile for me; especially right now when i need that extra little bit of love. a few of my cards (sent out in a timely manner!) were returned to me. apparently the tiny envelope (i set out vintage little cards that you would have given out in elementary school) was a bit of a nuisance for the sorting machine at the post office. they have been placed in new envelopes and will be mailed out on tuesday. sorry about that!




(in case you missed the post before about this heart shaped rock, i found it recently when i was out in California when my sister, niece and i went for a walk on the beach in Camarillo. isn't it beautiful? love that it has holes in it.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

For Valentine's Day, Dillon and I decided it would be fun for me to show him some basic metal smithing techniques so that he could make a handmade pendant for his girlfriend, Alana. it was fun getting to teach my son some of what i do. when i asked him how he liked it, he said that he found the lettering a bit stressful! but otherwise, he enjoyed it. isn't he sweet?

Would you be my Valentine?

i'm kind of tired of getting really lame snail mail. it usually consists of bills and junk mail; occasionally a magazine. not very exciting. recently i found 2 boxes of vintage Valentine's Day cards at the flea market. they really took me back to the day in elementary school on Valentine's day when all the cards were collected and put into the special container we had made to hold our cards. i loved reading all of them and honestly, felt very special by them! As an adult, it is very rare that we get many Valentine's cards. Our husband, our child, sometimes a friend, might give us one - but not like when we were young! so i was thinking about how could i do something fun with these cards and i decided that i want to exchange Valentine's cards with you! this isn't a swap, there is only one rule: please only participate in this if you will truly follow through. i don't think that is asking too much! your card does not have to be vintage or handmade (both would be preferred, but not required), just send it with love. Cards should be sent out no later than Monday, February 8th so that we receive them on time!

if you would like for me to send you a Valentine day card and you send one back to me, then email me at keeshagirl4@aol.com and we can exchange addresses.

Valentine's Charm swap necklace

Remember that Valentine's Day charm swap i hosted for "The Charmsters group"? Well, a very sweet lady, name Sammy (http://sammystuff.blogspot.com/) took all my charms and made a necklace for me so i didn' t have to do it. Wasn't that so nice? And she hustled to get it done to mail them back out to me to arrive perfectly on time, yesterday, Valentine's day! i wore it to dinner. i love the clanky sound the charms.