up in the attic

words to live by...

2012-01-31T08:27:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year...

Thought I'd squeeze in a little post before this month leaves us. It's still ok to wish you a Happy New Year if it's still technically January, right?

I decided on my Word of the Year.

Last year I chose the word "open".

Boy, did I pick the right word.

I wanted to be open to anything God had in mind for me...

I now work a 40 hour week in a job I am passionate about and you have to believe me, never saw coming.

So this year?

I need DISCIPLINE.

With so little free time now, I need to discipline myself in every area...

How I exercise.

How I sleep.

Who I spend time with.

Creating.

What I put in my mouth.

What comes out of my ~~heart~~ mouth.

What I watch.

What I read.

How I pray.

Forget the fact that I downed an entire brick of cheese immediately after deciding on this word.

I'm a work in process....

I just received an order from a customer who had a group of her friends and family name their year.

She added scriptures to the back...

Do YOU have a word or scripture that you want to 'become' this year???

Stay warm,

I HEART Susan Branch...

2012-01-11T12:12:00.000-08:00

Well here it is...

A heart with a little one in it...original artwork by Susan Branch...

And a sweet poem on the back by Nancy Luce in Susan's own lovely handwriting you've come to love...

All sandwiched between beautiful, puffy glass and soldered by me!

Sweet.

You can only get them on Susan Branch's website here.

So go on over and check them out -

Love,

Happy New Year....what's new?!!!

2012-01-07T16:26:00.000-08:00

Shocking though it may be, I am finally blogging again! The reason I haven't been posting more in the past several months, is not only that I have been working a 40 hour/week job (that I love...) but I haven't had much to share. I spend hardly any time in the attic any more - which does NOT mean I am not creating. I have been immersed in the world of set design, which is something I am passionate about. (The minute I get some good pictures, I will share what I worked on for Christmas Eve services. It was definitely 'smoke 'n mirrors' on steroids!)

But today I have something pretty sweet to tell you about...I have been in the attic the past week or so working on a lovely little design for my friend Susan Branch.....

This week she unveils her latest offering for Valentine's Day....

Interested????

Stay tuned.....

Hugs,

missed me?

2011-09-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

I think the last time I posted (FOUR MONTHS AGO!!!) I told you that I'd recently started working again. Full time.

I naively thought I would just keep chugging right along, posting here, soldering there.

Silly me.

But I have resurfaced to tell you that I am indeed still designing my jewelry and in fact, I am preparing to leave for California and the wonderful Remnants of the Past Vintage Show.

Here is a small sample of what you will see in Space #20 - Pammy's Attic...

I really hope you are planning on coming to this show - it is on Rachael Ashwell's Top Flea Market lists, and because of the mass of humanity that came last spring, it has moved to the Madonna Expo Center.

By the way, Farm Chicks was amazing.

A record breaker for us.

Oh yeah, and....

I LOVE my job!

I am hoping to share more about that soon.

Until then, thanks for hanging in there while I learn how to spin several plates at once.

Take care - hope to see you soon!

FARM CHICKS!

2011-06-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

Where have I been?

I GOT A JOB!

Yep, I real job.

More on that later, because it's a really cool opportunity and I don't want to gloss over ANY of it.

But I have also been busy getting ready for Farm Chicks!

THREE DAYS AWAY!!!!!

Here's a sneak peek on one of the new designs I am very excited about....

BOOK MARKS!!!!!

10 different sentiments....the PERFECT gift for teachers and grads!

Interested???

Make sure you come by my booth here...

...to say hi!

Gotta go!

xoxo

omg.

2011-05-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

Remnants of the Past Vintage Show (ROTP) was yesterday, and I am usually pretty good about getting around to all my favorite vendors to take photos of their fabulous booths filled with all of their treasures..

However, this time around it was a little different.

You see, Country Living magazine did a great story on ROTP in their April issue, and apparently people actually paid attention to it.

Because immediately after this was taken:

the only picture I got.

....the gate was opened and THIS happened:

And unfortunately this did too:

These were all taken by my husband who braved the traffic snarls and found a place to park.

Attendance tripled from the last show.

Thank you to everyone who came out to see me ~ I loved seeing dear old friends and so enjoyed meeting many new ones.

Thank you Kriste for being such a wonderful support and partner to me...

(I needed you more than ever!)

My deepest gratitude goes to my friend Judy Watkins, who has worked so hard to grow this show into

the beautiful show it is today.

And I would be remiss if I didn't thank dear friends Judi and Ed who own the property and are the hardest working couple I have ever known.

See you in October at the next show!

Next stop....

xoxo

Easter Bliss 2011

2011-04-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

Every year, for more years than I can count, our family has celebrated Easter Sunday at the home of our dear friends Judi and Ed.

This is the Dana-Powers house ~ Judi's grandparents built this beautiful home and it has been a vintage wedding venue on the central Coast of California in Nipomo for many years.

But on Easter, Judi and Ed host a buffet and Easter egg hunt that has been a family tradition for generations of family and friends - our family included!

And every year I plan on taking pictures and sharing with you, but as soon as I get there I am overwhelmed with friends and family and FUN, and I forget!

But this year, between Dennis, me, Aleah and some of Judi's own photos, I am able to show you why we make the trek down from Idaho every year....

First, the setting....

C'mon now...is this cute or what?

Free range chickens!

Everywhere you look, around every corner, there is a feast for the eyes.

two of my wee grand-munchkins

Brand new outdoor fireplace in the Secret Garden.

As you've probably guess so far, Judi is a gifted gardener and display artist.

And only she can combine her two passions so beautifully....

roses from a garden her grandfather planted years and years ago....under glass.

Second, the Hunt!

All of the children are sent on a walk down the lane while the adults hide the eggs.

Little ones go first...

my adorable grandson Corban's first hunt.

It is as much fun for the adults as it is for the kids!

My beautiful Karise...

...and her brother, Dresden. I could just eat him up.

Corban finding a treasure. SO cute!

Next, the FOOD!

Judi and Ed provide the turkey and ham and rolls and appetizers and wine and beer and lemonade and...and....and, but everyone brings a dish to share.

Desserts galore!

The buffet.

our hosts Judi and Ed

From the bottom of my heart I say THANK YOU to the most gracious hosts, and hardest working couple I have ever known...

Last, I wanted to share Judi's latest bathroom re-do with you....just because I love it so much!

Who would have thought of painting a bathroom black?

Judi.

She's amAZing.

OK, I took Karise to powder her nose, and she looked so darn cute in the room, I had to snap a picture.

Indulge me.

And while we're at it....

Who has the most wonderful family in the entire world????

I do.

Come on everybody....look at the camera!

This will be the last family shot for a long, long time. This Easter was especially meaningful for our family because son Dusty and his wife Aleah and the wee Karise and Dresden are moving to London where they will be stationed for the next four years.

:-(

By the way, Remnants of the Past is held in the Barn on Judi and Ed's property.

That's this Saturday, in case you hadn't heard.

These photos should compell you to come.

How could you not?

Til next time....

xoxo

nesting update!

2011-04-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about these: here...

Last weekend was the nest-themed baby shower, and I wanted to write an update on how Aleah presented these wee nests....

Since I couldn't be there, I had her take pictures and send them to me ~ enJOY!

The presentation was adorable - a nest-within-a-nest!

And here are some photos of the recipients....

That's my pretty Aleah under the umbrella...

(had to include this photo of my grandaughter Karise on the left with her BFF Sienna!)

Aleah's sister Evelyn, the beautiful guest of honor...

Isn't this cake beautiful?

Aleah wanted me to make sure I told you how much her guests loved their nests....

We're still enjoying fun in the California sun ~ wish you were here!
xoxo

p.s.: check out the recent buzz about yours truly, from Remnants of the Past!

need I say more...???

2011-04-08T07:59:00.000-07:00

22 more days....

Have you made your plans?

xoxo

nesting while on vacation...

2011-03-29T18:14:00.000-07:00

So, here I sit outside our sweet RV in lovely Palm Desert, Ca.

My daughter-in-law Aleah contacted me and asked if I had any of my nest shadowbox necklaces with me ~ she is throwing a nest themed baby shower for her sister next month and wanted to give the necklaces as party favors.

I said I only had enough for next month's Remnants of the Past show, but I had wire and pearls with me and I offered to experiment a little with them. I told her I would do my best to help out in any way I could.

She needed 15.

I had so much fun making 2 or 3 each day as I had my morning coffee....

I am now thinking that these might sell like hotcakes at a few of the shows....just add a dainty chain or ribbon.

Thank you Aleah for inspiring me!

Now it's back to the pool for me....

xoxo

just checking in while I'm on the road...

2011-03-09T09:43:00.000-08:00

As I sit here in sunny Las Vegas, enjoying my family and the warm weather, I can't help but get excited about this:

Mark your calenders....

....is right around the corner!!!!

Now I'm off to the pool!

xoxo

counting the days...

2011-02-25T16:29:00.000-08:00

The RV is parked out in the driveway....

We are leaving in a few days to go on an extended road trip.

Most of our trip involves visiting family and friends, but we are mixing a little work with pleasure at the very end.

Our last weekend in California I am participating once more in the fabulous Remnants of the Past Vintage Show.

Here's a sneak peek at just one of the new designs I will be unveiling at the show...

These ornaments are a beefy 2 inches across.

I have about six different designs.

If you love that silly old bear like I do....

...you will love these in all their bubbly splendor.

And if you love walking through lemon orchards and browsing through booth after booth filled with one-of-a-kind treasures from days gone by...

Save the date.

April 30.

Nipomo, Ca.

Be there.

Stay tuned for more stories from the road....

xoxo

a room with a view...

2011-02-22T08:05:00.000-08:00

We built our home three years ago and thought we had designed the perfect kitchen.

After living in it for the past few years however, we came to realize that it was way too closed off from the family room.(actually my darling husband did - I had to be dragged to this party)

Not only did I worry about the mess and the hassle and the final outcome, but the wall that had to be removed was THIS wall:

The Great Wall. (more about that HERE)

But after a little coaxing, and knowing what my brilliant husband was capable of, I relented.

I will let the following photos speak for themselves.....

The Process:

I forgot to take pictures of the cabinets before they were taken down - here they are with the doors removed, resting on the counter, getting ready to be moved to their new location.

(ate lots of meals from that old crock pot during the remodel!)

That is a load bearing wall, so Dennis had to carefully remove some drywall, install a huge laminated beam, and then patch the drywall back in place.

In this picture you can see a corner of the granite that was on the huge island - we had that removed and re-cut for the new bar countertop.

Here it is in it's new home!

Dennis did all of the electrical and plumbing re-routing, but decided to call on the same folks who built our cabinets to do the finish carpentry - we wanted it to look like it had been here from the beginning.

The Result:

In place of the island granite we went with a beautiful maple butcher block - really warmed the place up!

The Great wall was moved to the other side of the room, where I can see it from the kitchen and actually enjoy it more.

And the view of the fireplace.......PRICELESS!

We found the perfect place to hang Mara's watercolors...

...as well as the perfect location for the cabinets that came down!

Once again, Mr. Johnson was right.

I LOVE my new room with a view....

xoxo

inspired by a friend from Blogland!

2011-02-18T08:07:00.000-08:00

I love to blog hop.

Several days ago I popped on over to one of my favorites, Mammabellarte.

Rita, who is the artist extraordinaire behind Mammabellarte, teaches soldering (as well as many other skills).

She lives in California and I live in Idaho, which means that sadly, I cannot participate in one of her classes.

However, a few days ago she shared on her blog about a recent workshop she taught that combined wonderful collage ideas with her soldering.

She used a ~~cheap~~ simple chipboard jewelry box, some glitter, royalty free images, and her soldering skills to create the sweetest little shadowboxes!

Simply brilliant.

This was hers:

and here is my interpretation:

I never thought cardboard would hold up to the messy soldering process....

It was fine!

One thing you don't know about me is, one of my favorite things to do is to cut glass.

I know, weird, huh?

I love the sound of a great score.

So this is very satisfying for me.

On many levels!

Linking to Inspiration Friday over at Common Ground...

Stay warm and keep learning!

xoxo

more smoke 'n mirrors from the attic....

2011-02-12T08:32:00.000-08:00

I have been happily working on a little set design again....

Remember THIS?

Smoke and Mirrors Part 1

...and THIS?

Smoke and Mirrors Part 2

Pastor Mike is doing an 11 week series on JOY.

He is referencing the book of Philippians, which is known as Paul's book of Joy.

But how do you illustrate JOY without being too literal....?

#1: THE INSPIRATION

I had just seen this and it got me to thinkin'...

(You're welcome.)

#2: THE EXECUTION

Ever made one of these?

But what material was used in that video?

At a local sign shop I found 4' x 8' sheets of this:

I had to fill a huge space, so I needed a minimum 4 foot circle to start with. Each 4' x 8' sheet provided two 4 foot discs.

Here are eight 4' x 8' sheets ready to go....

cut into 4' squares...

I made an old fashioned compass using string, pencil and nail...

freehanded a spiral...

cut it out with my good sewing shears...

hardly any waste - me likey that.

The only thing that worried me about these was tearing - since it was so easy to cut, would it hold up to hanging for 11 weeks?

So I cut some smaller discs from the waste.....

and glued them top and bottom at the center stress point.

Using an eye screw, washer and bolt and some heavy duty fishing line, we hung them from the 'rafters'....

#3: THE RESULT

This...

became......

THIS!

Joyful?

I think so.

And here's the bonus: when the air kicks on in the building, THEY SPIN!

(Notice the way the power point screens tie in? Thanks to the talented Linda on the creative team for that attention to detail)
I would be remiss if I didn't tell you how important the lighting crew was/is on this project

Without these guys:

...it would just have been a bunch of gigantic rotelle pasta hanging in space. (not to mention these guys also hung these things while I pointed and said, "a little to the left....no right....no wait, left.")

Thanks guys.

Joyfully yours,

I am one lucky girl!

2011-02-10T10:27:00.000-08:00

I never win anything.

Even when I was on Wheel of Fortune (30+ years ago)....can you say bankrupt?

I enter everything.

Zip, nada, nothing.

Until last week.....

Deb Kennedy over at Hummadeedledee had a little contest.

Side note: Deb is just about the most creative and gifted person on the the planet. Just hang out awhile in Retreat and bask in the creative-ness that IS Deb Kennedy. (not to mention her adorable husband, Bob)

Before I even "knew" her, I posted THIS about this:

But I digress......

Deb was giving away a lavish collection of vintage music and various ephemera.

Since all of this wonderful material had a love theme, all we needed to do to enter was to tell her what our favorite term of endearment was, and Deb would choose her fave.

I always called my kids punkin', so that's what I suggested.

Apparently her grandpa used to call her, "His little punkin eater" and that struck a chord with her.

So I won!!!!!!

this arrived in the mail a couple of days ago ~ yipeeeee!!!!!

What did I win, you may ask?

THIS!

my favorite...gotta think of something special for this one:

Along with this fabulous stash came a sweeeet handmade Valentine from Deb:

As a bonus, Deb sent me this gift:

Deb's talking my LOVE language here.....

I cannot believe how generous a prize this was.

I am already thinking of fun projects using this aMAZing gift....

THANK YOU Deb Kennedy.

You are just one of the many reasons I love my little blogging life.

The Winner,

The Year of the Rabbit (or....the year I THOUGHT I would be rich and famous) ~ Part One.

2011-02-08T11:42:00.000-08:00

I have been a carnie a very long time.

Long before I ever picked up a soldering iron.

I went from show to show making these...

Ever heard of Wee Be Bunnies?

Wee Be Bunnies were what I was known for back in the day.

the original artwork for my hang tag

Back in the '80s when we were all going crazy for the Cabbage Patch Doll.

Back when soft sculpture was what everyone was interested in.

I even had a bit of a following....before Facebook.

One day, I woman named Debbie Linker approached me about teaching folks how to make my beloved bunnies - she wanted me to design a series of patterns that she would distribute. (she owned a very popular fabric/quilting store in Morro Bay, Ca. called The Cotton Ball)

Me: "Give away all my secrets???!!"

Debbie: "There are two markets out there - the ones who will steal your idea and try to make it themselves without your permission, and the ones who wouldn't dream of making it and have the money to buy your original work - this way you hit both groups - it's a win-win!"

Having shooed away many camera - toting ~~bootleggers~~ crafters from my booth, I knew she was right.

So I got down to it.....

I had the patterns printed and my entire family spent many an evening in front of the television stuffing patterns into plastic bags.

My attempt at a kitty.

We were a hit.

One day Debbie called to say that the megachain House of Fabrics was interested in picking us up.

And do you think you could design a line of nursery fabrics to go with the patterns?

You betcha!(they don't call me "anything-for-a-buck" for nothin'...)

I started with this....

Which became....this:

my 'story board' presentation:

I actually hand painted a crib sized quilt top.

After several trips to Los Angeles, we were told that the only guy standing in the way of fame and fortune was the CEO, who wasn't sure if he wanted to invest in a young mother from Smalltown, USA.

We waited....

And waited.....

I guess you know where I'm going with this.

It didn't happen, and all I have to show for it are some yellowing, old sketches...

a few patterns....
(you can even find one from time to time on eBay...!)

and this....

The last of a dying breed.

I invite you to come back for Part Two when I will show you more of my life with soft sculpture.
(I was even featured on the news and have the video to prove it!)

xoxo

what on EARTH am I up to these days...?

2011-02-03T10:59:00.000-08:00

I recently came across a picture of planet earth that had been photoshopped into the shape of a heart.

It gave me an idea.....

I thought I should offer a couple of choices...

this....

and this...

You like?

Me likey.

A lot.

See ya later world....

xoxo

sweeeeeeeeet hearts.....

2011-02-02T08:31:00.000-08:00

During these dreary winter days, as we approach Valentine's Day.....

I have been asked to bring a wee bit of color into my line.

What do you think?

xoxo

the joys of bartering.....and of knowing my friend Mara Parent...

2011-01-30T21:19:00.000-08:00

I would like to introduce you to my friend Mara Parent. She is an incredible water color artist and teacher.

We met when Mara and her lovely daughter Marcia sat behind us in church - during the 'meet-'n-greet' I turned around and saw two beautiful women dressed in the coolest style - I knew she had to be an artist.

Later on, when I was involved in spearheading an art gallery there at the church, I discovered that she was indeed a gifted artist. I sought her out to see if she would consider contributing to our little venture, and she submitted a beautiful water color of sheep grazing.

"The Lost Sheep"

I later found out that we were SO fortunate to have her work in our little fledgling gallery - she was a very busy and popular artist in the San Luis Obispo, Ca. area.

Mara started her studies at Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles. She has also studied at U.C.L.A., the Academy of Color in Los Angeles and has had many teachers in watercolor, I.E. Tony Couch, Margarite Lyons, Milford Zornes, Don Andrews, Etc.

She taught painting on silk fabric with liquid dyes for many years but her love of watercolor always prevailed.

Many teachers have rigid rules and Mara finally decided to forget all the rules and create in her loose, impressionistic style. Now her paintings reflect the mystery that she prays for. She always asks God to guide her hand.

Her work is in collections nationally. She continues to gather pictures in her mind of God's beautiful creations and tries to encourage her students with the belief that if they have the desire to paint, they can learn. She loves to teach people who have that passion.

Fast forward 10+ years.....

Mara, Marcia and Marcia's husband Thor have relocated up to Coeur d'Alene where I live!

We have had lots of fun reconnecting, and we've spent many lovely evenings together.

Mara, Marcia, Dennis, moi with friends Fred and Michele celebrating in downtown Coeur d'Alene!

Mara has become a huge fan of Dennis's furniture, and it is mutual admiration, because Dennis is totally taken by Mara's work.

So they worked out a deal.

Mara drew up a side buffet table she wanted, and Dennis spotted a couple of pieces of Mara's he loved of wine bottles.

The die was cast and the work began.

This....

flanking the cabinet Dennis made - that's Mara on the right and Marcia on the left!

for these....

Here are some of my favorites from Mara's archives:

one of my favorite places on earth...

"Cambria Pines"

from her sketchbook....

of course this...

love the labels from familiar Central Coast wines!(notice the 2 Buck Chuck on the right?)

I just love these kitties......

Makes me think.

I wonder if Mara would be interested in another barter.....

Don't you think Monkey would be a fabulous model????

Please go on over to Mara's website and take a self-guided tour of her gallery.

Tell her Pammy sent you!

xoxo

turn out the lights, the party's over......

2011-01-25T08:48:00.000-08:00

Yep, my little giveaway is now officially closed and I have chosen a winner!

And the winner is.....

Congratulations Vintage Sandy!!!

Please email me with your choice from my new Words From the Heart collection and I will send your new bling off to you!

(oh yes...and your address too!)

Just in time for V-Day!

Thanks to all of you who took the time to enter....this was so much fun I may have to do it again!

Stay tuned....

xoxo

have a heart.

2011-01-23T08:40:00.000-08:00

Just a quick reminder to all of you in blog-land....

You have only a couple of days left to enter my little giveaway.

Have you entered?

YOU HAVEN'T??????

This is what you could win:

So if you want to be wearing one of these sweet pendants on Valentine's Day (and beyond...) or if you know someone who could use a little encouragement...

...jump on over HERE and tell me which of them speaks to you.

You will NOT be sorry.

I guarantee it.

xoxo

a brand new heart-felt giveaway!

2011-01-18T08:32:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for your encouraging responses to my last posting!

Today I am excited to announce that I have added my Words From the Heart pendants to my What's New page on my website here:

In fact I'm SO excited that I want to give one away!

Just leave a comment here telling me exactly which one you want and you are entered to win.

(you'll have to go to Pammy's Attic to see what you have to choose from!)

Yup. It's that easy.

I will give you one week to make up your mind.

Next Tuesday I will randomly pick one name and announce it here.

With Valentine's Day only a few weeks away, why wouldn't you want to enter?

Alrighty then.

On your mark.....

Get set.....

GO!

xoxo

words...from the heart.

2011-01-14T14:37:00.000-08:00

I have been a very busy girl.

During the holidays I did some exploring online.

I came to the realization that there are a ba-ZILLION people out there doing what I do - soldered jewelry.
(All of it quite lovely too, I might add.)

What can I do that is a little different - something I haven't seen yet???

A different shape perhaps?

Nuff said.....

Introducing my very first Words From the Heart....

Two different styles.

Both are made with bits of vintage ephemera.

Some, from antique law books.

Some from old music.

All of them created to encourage.

Uplift.

Inspire.

These are not for sale yet, but stay tuned!

Who knows....I may even decide to give one away!

Linking to Inspiration Friday over at Southern in My Heart
and
Masterpiece Monday over at Boogieboard Cottage

xoxo

a project worthy of an award for...Project Monday #5!

2011-01-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

It's time for another Project Monday!!!

The first Project Monday of 2011.

During the dreary post-Christmas days of January, I thought it would be a great time to share a lovely little project I came up with to finish off my last Project Monday...

Fun.

Easy.

CHEAP.

Here's what you do:

Cut a dozen 2" wide strips from some old sheet music. Cut them length-wise.

and

Cut 8-10 1" strips from the same music, but cut these a couple of inches shorter.

Cut a large circle from cardboard and find the center. Using a pin, poke a hole in the center.

Punch a hole in both ends of each strip.

Bring ends together to form a loop, and poke a brad through the holes.

Keep looping and building onto that same brad until all strips are stacked on the brad - make sure you first use the 1", then the 2".

Insert the brad through the hole in the circle and bend the prongs of the brad back.

Arrange the loops so that they are evenly spaced.

Cut a few more strips for 'streamers' - both 2" and 1" wide - and cut them at staggered lengths.

Cut the ends into a 'V'.

Glue these between the cardboard circle and the loops.

Cut out a couple of smaller circles, (I loved this clock face graphic!) add some glitter and a few words...

Make a pretty hanger out of #19 gauge wire and....

...attach it (with thinner wire) onto the back.

I glued an old book page onto the back of the cardboard circle ~ the back should always be as pretty as the front!

Big Mama looks positively smashing with her award on, don't you think?

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, wouldn't this make a fun and unusual 'prize' to give to that special someone?

I'm linking up with Masterpiece Monday over at Boogie Board Cottage and White Wednesday over at Faded Charm!

Now here's my Linky!

xoxo

2011 is going to be a grrrrrrrrrrrrreat year!

2011-01-01T09:23:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

I am already excited and making plans for some great events coming up in 2011.

Since Christmas I have actually already spent hours and hours in the attic ~~experimenting~~ creating some fun new designs.

I have a busy year ahead, so mark your calenders...

...and come visit me here:

1) Remnants of the Past Vintage Show ~ April 30, 2011 and October 2011
Nipomo, California

2) Farm Chicks!!! ~ June 4-5

Spokane, Washington

right after Christmas I found out I was accepted!

3) Vintage Barn Antique Show ~ July 2011

Rathdrum, Idaho

this is an old ad - I'm so ahead of the game, the newest one isn't even printed yet! (but you get the idea...)

So I'd better get back to work!

I will of course share with you everything I am working on....

You will NOT be disappointed - I promise!

xoxo

time to name your year...again!

2010-12-30T08:54:00.000-08:00

This is not the first time I've shared this subject.

Naming the year.

Resolutions are doomed before they are even attempted - this is why I like to "name" the coming year instead.

A word, or name, that encompasses all I want to change about myself during the next 12 months - or at least a fraction of what I'd like to change.

Last year it was humility.

Kind of an oxymoron to say on my blog that I want to work on the "Me Monster" inside of me.

A blog is everything humility is not.

Oh well.

I did try.

This year?

I thought about the word AVAILABLE.

To be available for whatever God has in mind for me.

But wearing the word "available" around one's neck is not necessarily a brilliant idea.

Especially if one is married...

So another way of putting it is to say I want to be OPEN.

Open to taking chances.

Open to serving.

Open to allowing others to come first.

But I'm a visual kind of gal, and the word open isn't very pleasing to the eye.

Especially if I am to be wearing it.

But how about another language?

French? (ouverte)

Italian? (asperto)

Spanish? (abierta)

Hmmm.

This is what I came up with:

Expositus.

This is what it means in Latin:

"open, accessible, exposed"

Perfect.

That is exactly the kind of year I want 2011 to be.

Open.
Accessible.
Exposed.

How about you?

What do you want the next year to be?

I'd love to know....

Happy New Year!

p.s.: linking this to Southern in My Heart's Inspiration Friday!

O Come Let Us Adore Him.....

2010-12-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

My friend Kassy recently said this:

Come...let us adore Him - every day! Celebrate his birth on the 25th...but find ways to "be" Him to each other this year in simple, kind, practical, loving ways...come...

“How small and gentle his coming was. He came as an infant. The night in which he came was noisy and crowded; it is unlikely that, in the traffic and travelers to Bethlehem, the tiny wail of the newly born could be heard.

God approaches gently, often secretly, always in love, never through violence and fear. He comes to us, as God has told us, in those whom we know in our own lives. Very often we do not recognize God.”

~ Caryll Houselander

Merry Christmas to all....

...and to all a good night.

xoxo

From my home to yours....

2010-12-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas

2010

Another year is almost over, and a lot has happened in our household...

We traveled south (pulling our RV) to ~~warm weather~~ family and friends in late February. First stop was Las Vegas where we enjoyed a week with Dusty, Aleah, Karise and Dresden. We had a delightful visit, swimming, playing a little golf, and just enjoying being with our adorable grandchildren! It was a bittersweet parting - Dusty left a few weeks later for his second deployment to Afghanistan – this time for a 4-5 month tour. We said our good byes, but the one consolation was knowing we would be spending Easter with Aleah, Karise and Dres who were planning on meeting us over in California for several days after Dusty left.

We went on to Escondido (visiting my dad and his wife, Jackie), Huntington Beach (visiting Dennis’s mom) and Palm Desert (vacationing!), finally landing on the Central Coast to spend time with Jaime and Jake – we were excited to be seeing Jaime very pregnant for the first time! We pulled into San Luis Obispo in time for a beautiful baby shower that was given by good friends for Jaime and Jacob and the newest member of our family.

While we were in California, we were also given the opportunity to work again with the Brighten A Corner non-profit. They happened to be doing an extreme home makeover for a family dealing with ALS, so Dennis and I gladly jumped right in and remodeled/decorated one of the rooms in the home. I don’t know who was more blessed – the homeowners or our team!

We enjoyed visiting with lots of friends during our stay, and loved having the family all together (with the exception of Dusty) for our annual Easter celebration at Judi and Ed’s in Nipomo. We also celebrated Aleah’s graduation from Beauty College – after a year of hard work and sacrifice she was finally done! We ended our trip with very successful Remnants of the Past Vintage Show, the bi-annual vintage show I participate in. Then we said our good byes and took off for home.

On May 10, about one week after we returned home, we got the call we had been waiting for...Corban Sebastian Lewis had arrived! We had planned all along that I would come back down to help Jaime and Jacob, so as soon as I could I flew back to California to meet my adorable new grandson – I stayed about 10 days and enjoyed every moment ~~cuddling~~ taking some of the burden off the new parents.

We had a busy summer – Dennis did a lot of fishing, still loving long afternoons in his boat on the lake. We went on some fun bike trips and I continued to work on my jewelry. (Kriste, my friend and sales rep extraordinaire still keeps me busy – still schlepping my jewelry from store to store) We did another vintage show (up here in Idaho) where we both sold our wares (we’re still carnies after all these years!) and Dennis connected with a local store who asked him to design and build furniture for them. Dennis has created the most wonderful line of furniture ~ all built from new materials but cleverly “aged” to look like it’s been around for 100 years. (What retirement?) I worked on my new website Pammy’s Attic, getting ready to launch it in the fall.

I also began a new routine of walking – a neighborhood friend, Dorene, who is struggling with breast cancer (that had moved into her lungs) was told she needed to walk every day. I needed to shed a few lbs. so I asked her if I could call her to invite her to walk with me. From June until our recent first snowfall we walked every day, and now that winter has settled in, and it is getting increasingly uncomfortable for her to walk, I realize that Dorene and our walking routine had become a very important part of my daily life. The fight against this wretched disease and the toll it takes on families has become very real to me. In August, I joined three other friends (one of them a survivor herself) to walk in our local Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in honor of our friend. (We named our team “Lady Ta Ta”!) I was overwhelmed by how many folks this cancer has touched.

We continue to enjoy our Sunday night neighborhood bible study. Dorene and her husband Matt have joined us, as well as a couple of other neighbors - we have grown! We enjoy great food and a rich study, as well as a time of devoted prayer for each other. During this year of hardship, illness and loss for so many loved ones, this has become an important part of our week.

Over the summer we decided it was time we got more involved at church. We began serving more regularly on the creative arts team, building sets and props for the weekly services. I was asked to join in the weekly creative team meetings and have really enjoyed being back in the saddle again! We work alongside many amazingly gifted artists, and have really enjoyed being a part of that creative process again. I’m even back singing on the worship team every now and then which I thoroughly enjoy!

In October Dennis decided to join me on my annual trek down to California and the fall Remnants of the Past show – he was chomping at the bit to meet his new grandson! Dusty had recently returned home from his deployment, so he and the family drove over and we were all together for one day! (as you can see in our family picture, Corban decided it was naptime right before the camera came out) Dennis loved getting to know Corban, and our time together was lovely, even if it was brief ~ Karise had just started Kindergarten(!!!) and Aleah had just started a new job at a salon, so Dust and his family needed to get back home . But their big news - Dusty has just informed us that in May 2011 they will be stationed in London for 4 years!!! They are very excited and as much as we will miss having them “close” (in the same time zone anyway...) we are thrilled for this opportunity for them – and we are saving our pennies for a trip to England! Dust will return to working on jets on a base just outside of London.

In the fall my website was launched, (http://www.pammysattic.net/) and besides the California show (which was another record breaker for us!) we took on a huge show in Spokane, Washington – Dennis created the most amazing booth for us – we filled it with both his furniture and my jewelry. It was a smashing success, and we connected with so many fabulous artists and craftsmen (and women) who we hope to see as we travel from show to show – we carnies have to stick together....

Jaime and Jacob are enjoying their new roles as mommy and daddy. Jaime has a great blog where she writes honestly (and beautifully) about the highs and lows of parenting ( http://higherhighslowerlows.com/ ). She is also busy with her freelance writing for the food/wine/travel industry and Jacob is still working with Trust Automation - thankfully not traveling quite as much. Oh yes, and their beloved Murphy was on Animal Planet this fall chosen as one of America’s Cutest Dogs!

As you can see from our card, we have been blessed beyond measure, and we thank God every day for good health, a roof over our heads, food on the table and family and friends like all of you. We know this has been a tough year for many, as loved ones struggle with illness, loss and with finding/losing jobs - yet we celebrate the One who can heal the brokenhearted and give strength to the weary.

We celebrate this season because it is...

Christ, who is our Hope.

Christ, who was born the Son of God.

Christ, who was born a King.

Christ who took on the sin of the world that we may have Life everlasting.

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

~Luke 2:10-11

Merry Christmas to all and a Blessed year to come!

With love,

a little Christmas fun...

2010-12-20T12:27:00.000-08:00

You're welcome.

xoxo

drum roll please.......

2010-12-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

And the winner of a $50 gift certificate from Wallwords is....

Julie Hammett!!!

This is what Jackie at Wallwords had to say:

Hi Pammy,

It was hard to choose, I think they all great. I've decided to go with:

"Julie Hammett said..

FAMILY`FOREVER`FOR ALWAYS`NO MATTER WHAT

This yr my wonderful son and daughter in law adopted my youngest daughter's newborn baby girl...even though they have a 9mo old daughter! What love!"

I felt the love in this one! We will add this one to our website, within the next week or so. Congrats to Julie and her FAMILY!!

Merry Christmas, Pammy! Thanks for the great opportunity to work with you. What shall we do next??

So congratulations Julie Hammett!!!! I hope you enjoy your gift and your new found fame!!! Your gift is on its way...
Please send me pictures of your finished project and I will share them with everyone.

Until next time, have a great pre-holiday weekend....

May all your creative days be merry and bright!

xoxo

who will the winner be?????

2010-12-17T07:51:00.000-08:00

Thanks everyone who participated in my little contest.

Last night I sent off your entries to the good people at Wallwords so that they can choose a winner.

But while we wait, I thought I would pick the random winner of the sweet Wallwords decal I told you about.

The winner is...

Arlene said...

"Precious things are very few, that must be why there's just one you."

Thanks for the opportunity. YEAH!

So Arlene, I will send off your...

today!

Keep checking back with me to find out who wins the $50 gift certificate!

xoxo

Hear Ye Hear Ye!!!!

2010-12-14T08:36:00.000-08:00

Do I have your attention?

Time is running out on a great giveaway!

You only have a couple of days to enter to win a $50 gift certificate from Wallwords.

That's FIFTY BUCKS!

And all you have to do is think of what your favorite quote is and leave it here.

How hard could that be?

Sorry to be so blunt, but I don't want you to miss this opportunity to win something very personal and unique.

For instance, if I were to enter, (which I can't, because that would be cheating), I would choose this:

"It's not what's on the plates that matters....it's what's on the chairs." ~ Susan Branch

I would use it in my dining room as a ~~disclaimer~~ way to welcome my dinner guests.

So what are you waiting for?

I have shared, now it's your turn!

I dare you.

Project MONDAY IV - your grandmother never thought you would want her old sheet music for this.

2010-12-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my 4th Project MONDAY!

I have been so excited to share this project - it is one of my all time favorite designs, and it is really quite easy.

Though it may be a little bit time consuming, the results will knock your socks off.

So let's get going....

On the previous Project Monday I taught you how to make this:

click HERE for the tutorial

So you'd better get crackin' and make a bunch of them.

You are going to need one of these Styrofoam wreaths - I found mine at Michael's.

You need a way to hang it, so now is the time to wind some wire around it - wherever you want the top to be.

Did I mention you are going to need a lot of those roses?

I made mine from this book:

This was very dry and brittle, so a little tricky to work with.

note the pencil notes from lessons long ago...

I made these assembly-line-style and grouped them in piles - that sure did help to speed up the process.

After I had amassed a fair amount I began sticking them into the Styrofoam.

It is very deceiving how many roses it takes to fill in the gaps.

I want to stop here to tell you what I would have done differently.

I should have painted over the green with an antique white. I should have known better, and I still kick myself every time I see green peeking through.

Oh well, it's too late for me, but not for you - I highly recommend taking the extra time to paint.

Moving on.....

I decided to leave a gap for a fancy ribbon "corsage".

I just cut wide strips from the same music book, "looped" them, and turned them into a ribbon reminiscent of one of those rosette ribbon awards.

Pretty spectacular, yes?

Now it's your turn....what project have you enjoyed making lately???

I am also linking this week to Faded Charm for White Wednesday.

Now make sure you link in here and join my party...

xoxo

the writing is on the wall.....

2010-12-09T10:31:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I showed you how I made this:

Remember?

I had a custom stencil made at Wallwords.

Well the good people at Wallwords caught wind of how much I LOVE their products, so they sent me a $50 gift certificate to give away!!!!

FIFTY BUCKS!

They have wa-a-a-ay more than stencils.

Do you have any idea how cool their stuff is???

You can either buy one of their popular quotes, or have them make you a custom one.

They have loads of fonts and colors to choose from - the sky's the limit!

They can even curve it to fit an arch.

And don't get me started on the graphics...

...the monograms.

...faux windows!

For your inner rocker....

...or cowgirl.

You can apply them anywhere - they're vinyl!

I could go on and on about how much I love Wallwords.

How inspiring they are.

How personalized they are.

How easy they are to apply.

But I think you would rather hear about this giveaway.

Here's what you do:

Simply dream up your own clever idea for a quote, and leave it as a comment here. I will pass it on to the team at Wallwords and have them pick the most original and/or inspiring quote.

You have ONE WEEK to enter.

As a bonus, I am going to pick a random winner who will win a vinyl decal, 8.5" x 4" that says:

Let Heaven and

Nature Sing...

in gold!

So put your thinking caps on and go to Wallwords to get inspired.

Come back next Thursday, December 16 to find out if you won!

And don't forget to join me on Monday for the next

Have fun!

xoxo

(Killer) White Chocolate popcorn for White Wednesday!

2010-12-07T15:28:00.000-08:00

The following easy recipe will make you the most popular kid on the block.

I'm not joking.

Here's all you need...

Pop two bags of your favorite microwave popcorn.

(you can do it the old fashioned way - you'll have to make two batches)

After the popcorn is completely popped, dump it into a large mixing bowl.

Melt one 12 -14 oz. package of vanilla Candy Melts (or Melt 'N Molds or whatever Safeway or Michaels has on sale) in the microwave slowly.

The key here is to melt it in 30-second increments. After each 30-second round, stir - back in for 30 seconds, stir - you get the idea...until every morsel is melted.

After about four 30-second rounds (2 minutes total) it looks like this:

Immediately pour over popcorn and mix together thoroughly.

Cool for at least an hour.

(If you are impatient like me, you can throw it into the fridge)

I bag it up in cellophane bags for gifts...

bowl - $1 Walmart! bags: 16/$4.99 Michaels!

...but the greatest thing about this treat is putting a bowl of it out and watching people's eyes roll back in their head when they first taste it.

looks innocent enough.....

You see, it looks like regular old popcorn, so the look on your friends faces when they eat this stuff is worth the price of admission.

The Eighth Wonder of the World.

Oh yeah, and come prepared with the recipe - you're going to get requests.
(I believe it was my good friend Beth who gave me the recipe)

This stuff is like crack cocaine.

The first one's free....

I'm linking to Faded Charm today for White Wednesday!

If I were you, I'd jump on over there to check out all the pretties!

Bon appetit!

xoxo

smoke and mirrors II ~ or how to stretch your dollar to get the biggest bang for your buck.

2010-12-02T21:08:00.000-08:00

About a year ago at this time, I wrote about a set I designed when I was Visual Arts Director at a church in California.

For those of you new to this blog, you can read more about it HERE.

This year, I am back at it again, but this time in the role of a volunteer. I am now part of the creative team at Lake City Community Church in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. I was asked to design a set for the weeks leading up to Christmas Eve that would be less thematic and more generic. - one that would fit the moderate budget and could be reused throughout the year. The lobby would give everyone their traditional Christmas fix, but when you entered the auditorium, it would be more abstract and theatrical.

So I went fishing around on the Internet and saw many grand designs.

The word "spandex" came up in several conversations....

As cool as it looks, it is a bit pricey.

Then I remembered how cool that faux stained glass looked....

But the printing and paper costs were a little high.

Then this caught my eye:

I bet you can't guess how that was done...

Smoke and mirrors baby.

This is where we started...

...and here is what we did:

Bought a roll of 5' wide Weed Block from Home Depot (about $100)

Cut several 30' lengths from it - I cut it 6' longer than required so it would "puddle" on the floor.

(I love my huge foyer - fondly nicknamed "the bowling alley")

Sewed a casing along the top edge of each panel.

We laid them all out on a lot of painter's plastic.

Using brooms of all kinds and a few gallons of cheap white semi-gloss paint we randomly "broomed" and dribbled the paint onto each panel.

It took five of us and almost no time at all - it requires a person on either end to hold the cloth taught.

Biggest concern ~ the paint seemed to soak into the cloth ~ would the treatment dry "opaque" enough for it to create the effect we wanted???

(To be completely honest, I went to bed that night a little freaked out ~ I had no Plan B...)
Moving on....

Using cheap conduit cut into 5' lengths, we hung them from the catwalk - the biggest decision here was how many to use - five or seven?

(design rule #1: always use odd numbers)

I decided on five.

Now comes the smoke and mirrors part...

The lighting crew!!!!!

All light is absorbed by the black landscape cloth, and only the paint is illuminated.

Cool, yes?

AND...we can change the mood of the room simply by the flick of a switch...

We can also use these panels at other times of the year, in different configurations and placement to create a completely new design.

A huge THANK YOU to Dennis, Tod, Patty, Myrna, David, and Ron for sharing your gifts and working your magic.
See ya in the pew....

xoxo

past, present and future....

2010-11-29T07:09:00.000-08:00

Tying up loose ends in the attic...

The Past:

I mentioned a few new friends that I met while I was at the Custer Show.

They picked up lots of goodies from me for their individual shops, so I just wanted to brag a little about these adorable young women for a moment.

The first is Jenny from Retro Pony. Don't you just LOVE the name of her shop? It's located in Winthrop, Washington, which is a little tourist town in Northern Washington. She came into my booth and we started chatting like two long lost friends! (She actually had a booth at Custer's and was selling her own beautiful handmade jewelry.)

I want that t-shirt: "Chicks dig Hicks".

She went home with lots of my treasures, and then called me two days later to order more!

Thanks Jenny!

My other new BFFs are Holly and Becky of All That Glitter, in Spokane, Washington. We have all been vendors together at the Vintage Barn shows in the past, but this was the first time we actually got to meet.

They always have the cutest booth set-up - filled with all sorts of fun display ideas....

...and lots and lots of pink!

Holly's church is re-vamping their bookstore, so she bought lots of goodies from me to sell there (the proceeds go to outreach programs and I'm a sucker for anything mission related!)

They are also going to put a few items of mine in their shop in Spokane, so if you are in the area, stop by and tell them Pammy sent you!

The Present:

We have a winner! I had lots and lots of you write me with the correct answer to my question last week....

Santa Baby Bubble is going to-o-o-o......

Jane!

(Jane of Mamie Jane's, who happens to be one of my all time favorite creative bloggers!)

Congratulations - as soon as you give me your contact info, he'll be on his merry old way!

The Future:

Monday, December 13th is the next project Monday!

Remember my *challenge* from the last one?

Here's a hint....

You do not have to work with these roses to participate, but I thought it would be fun to see all the different creative ideas you come up with using this paper rose.

Just sayin'....

Happy creating!

xoxo

Looking back on an almost perfect day.

2010-11-26T07:48:00.000-08:00

The only reason Thanksgiving wasn't perfect was because my children and their families were so far away :-(

However.....

We had a lovely day spent with wonderful friends who are like family.

Here is my photo album...

To welcome our guests...

A warm fire to greet them...

the setting.

the table.

for each guest I stamped a wee tag and attached it to a rustic little wreath.

(if you're interested in that wreath, you might want to come back for the next Project Monday!)

As I reflect on the day, I am filled with gratitude.

For good friends, long-distance holiday telephone chats, great food, a warm fire, laughter...

And a husband who helps with the dishes.

As you venture out today into the world of Black Friday crowds, don't forget to enter for a chance to win this:

For more details, click HERE. (you only have three more days...)

Stay warm!

xoxo

giving thanks.

2010-11-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.

~G.K. Chesterton

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

xoxo

who wants to be a winner?

2010-11-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

It's time for another giveaway!

In honor of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I am giving away this:

Here's all you need to do:

Go to the Pammy's Attic wesite....

(click HERE)

Find this guy:

...and tell me what he is called!

(for those of you who are fans of Pammy's Attic on Facebook, I may or may not have posted a hint yesterday....)

Just leave me a comment telling me what I have named him, and on Cyber Monday, November 29 I will announce the winner.

Easy as pumkin pie!

Happy searching...

xoxo

Why I went to sleep last night grinning from ear to ear.

2010-11-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.

-- Pooh's Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne

I never know what to expect when entering a new show.

Will the masses see in my creations what I see???

Are my designs appealing only to me and will I be laughed at behind my back?
("Who does she think she is, calling herself an artist???")

I go through this before every.single.show.

All I can say after a lo-o-o-ong weekend of smiling muscle cramps and very little sleep is....

"They like me! They really LIKE me!"
(move over Sally Field)

Thank you to everyone who came out and introduced yourself to me (us).

Thank you to all our friends who have encouraged and supported this endeavor.

Thank you to my new BFFs Jenni, Holly and Becky, Laura (and your cute mama), and Chrissy for your enthusiastic support and amazing opportunities...more on all of you later in the week...

Thank you to the Custer folks who were positively the most organized and gracious staff.

Thank you to Dave and Teresa for taking such good care of Monkey - especially in this brutal weather.

But most of all....

Thanks to my helpmate (of 36 years - this week!) Dennis for creating the most incredible space for us - it just would not have been the same any other way....

Until next year...good night!

xoxo

the life of a carnie.

2010-11-18T19:08:00.000-08:00

After months of preparation.

Planning.

Blood, sweat and tears.

Toil.

The 34th Annual Custer Christmas Arts and Crafts Show has arrived.

We are ready.

I think I will let the pictures speak for themselves....

from this....

to this....

(yes that is snow you see coming down....ug)

to this...

to THIS!

If you are within a day's drive of the Spokane Fairgrounds....

DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW!

XOXO

somebody please stop me.

2010-11-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

I have become a raging, tea staining maniac.

After I completed my sign project, I decided to also tea stain some little white lampshades I had for the buffet lamps in our booth - then added a couple of strands of do-dads I got at a wonderful local business here: Christmas At The Lake.

I had designed curtains from cheap muslin for the entrance of the "room" and of course had to stain those as well.

The vat o' tea still sits in my laundry room because I can't bring myself to throw it out.

You never know....

Thursday we load in the show!

The ads are beginning to run on local television and radio...

Will I see you there????

xoxo

ps: make sure you come back for the befores and afters - you won't want to miss it!!!!!

Join me in a cup of tea?

2010-11-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

Think we'll both fit?

Old joke. Sorry.

You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. ~C.S. Lewis

Hmmm. I may not agree with Mr. Lewis.

I have been up to my ears in strong, black tea.

I am creating vintage looking signage for our booth. I want it to be crystal clear and visable from a great distance.

And I definitely want it to match the cool vintage vibe Dennis has already created.

No better way than to use tea to get a really authentic look.

I had a custom stencil made by Wallwords and have been dying to use it.

Here's what I did:

I bought a 6' x 9' painter's drop cloth canvas from Home Depot, folded it in half length-wise and sewed along the bottom edge. It is now 3' x 9'.

Perfect.

On to the vat 'o tea....

Kind of looks gross in the picture, but that's a huge tea bag I made out of loose black tea and cheesecloth. (I also threw in any extra tea bags I had in my cupboard - I wanted this strong!)

I placed the tea bags, hot, (HOT) water, and the canvas into a 5 gallon bucket.

Out to dry after a good long, two day soak.

this stuff' will grow hair on yer palms...

I made some even STRONGER tea to spray here and there as it was drying.

After it was completely dry I laid it out on the floor.

I took my stencil from Wallwords and centered it on the canvas and taped it down.

Then peeled back the paper backing revealing adhesive - no slipping and sliding here.

Peeled off the front paper to expose the voids where paint will go.

Just to make sure there would be no leakage, I sponged on a layer of gesso to seal it.

Now the fun part!

first the brown...

...then a dark, dark metalic bronze around the edges to create age and depth.

Once I was satisfied with the painting, I tore off the vinyl stencil.....

How cool is that?!

I finished sewing on the ties and ironed the entire canvas to "heat set" the paint.

Here it is at the top of my attic stairs.

But....
...next Thursday we set up shop at the Custer Christmas Arts and Crafts show in Spokane, Wa. and I can't wait to see how it looks in place, lit up, and all decked out!

Please keep checking back with me - I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

This is going to be a great show....

xoxo

"Anybody can win unless there happens to be a second entry." ~ George Ade

2010-11-12T06:59:00.000-08:00

Just got an email from the lucky winner of last week's contest.

Click HERE to read what she said.

I think she liked it.

Have a great weekend!

xoxo

guess what I'm up to!

2010-11-11T08:22:00.000-08:00

This is brewing in my laundry room:

Want to know what's in the bucket?????

You'll have to come back next week to see the results...

xoxo

old friends meet at last...

2010-11-09T15:24:00.000-08:00

I know that sounds confusing.

This morning I had the privilege of meeting a couple of wonderful women, one of whom I've been friends with for a while now through the sensation that is Social Networking.

Remember Dorene and the Lady Ta Tas?

Well Dorene's sister Deb and I have become friends though this blog and through Facebook. We had a few common interests:

The first and most important one is that we both love Dorene!
Another bond between us is that we both make jewelry and "own" our own cottage industry. She creates glass beads that are wonderful miniature sculptures. (she also teaches the art of glass lampwork at her studio in Eagle River, Alaska)
We also blog - Deb writes about Dorene's journey through her battle with breast cancer, called Life Updates for Dorene.

Dorene's birthday is this week, so Deb and their mom, Dianne (who also lives in Alaska) decided to come down to help her celebrate. I knew they wanted to meet the Lady Ta Ta friends (so sorry Vicki was gone) as well as a few other neighborhood ladies, so I hosted a little get together so we could all meet.

A couple of highlights were....

Barbara's amazing muffins and breads (she sells them to coffee houses around town) - sorry there are no photos - I was all jacked up on muffins and forgot to take pictures!

Deb brought a little gift for each Lady Ta Ta. I will let the pictures speak for themselves...

Thank you Deb for this lovely gift that came from your hands.

And from your heart...

Deb, Dianne, Dorene and moi.

...and for loving your sister like you do.

We, Team Ta Ta, thank you from the bottom of our...

xoxo

p.s.: Vicki yours is on its way!!!!

project MONDAY III

2010-11-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my third project MONDAY!
Today I have two projects to share.
Want to play????

Project #1:

I recently learned how to make these sweet paper roses.

(what is it about me and roses lately???)

The pink was a little too sweet for my taste, so.....
You know how I love sheet music - the older the better.

I did my own Pammy's Attic version of this rose:

I have the hands of a miner. Sorry about the close-up.

Wouldn't they make adorable cupcake toppers?

I used these tools:

if you don't have that punch, you could easily free hand that flower shape and cut it out.

I built them onto a toothpick like this:

I actually have a different project in mind for them that I will share with you very soon.
So click HERE for the tutorial today, and we will revisit this project in the coming days/weeks. In fact, you could do the very next project MONDAY post using this paper flower - how fun would it be to see many different creations based on one simple design?!!!
Love that idea....

Project #2:

Know what this is????

We are re-designing our booth specifically for the Custer Christmas Arts and Crafts Show in nearby Spokane, Washington. We set it up in our garage today to fine tune and tweak, and I am SO excited -it's gorgeous!

My husband Dennis is a talented carpenter and furniture designer - all shelves, hutches, walls, tables, benches, etc. pictured are his work.

Here are some photos of the new booth in various stages of development....

Enjoy!

one of Dennis's shelves made from antique tin crown moulding and cedar.

This is right around the corner:

Come back and see both of these projects - finished!!!!!

And thanks for playing with me today on our 3rd project MONDAY.

Now you know the drill....here's your linky:

xoxo

ps: I am linking to another great party over at Faded Charm ~ White Wednesday!!!

we have a winner!

2010-11-05T07:42:00.000-07:00

First, I want to thank everyone for stopping by to enter - and for your lovely comments. You don't know how much it has meant to me.

Sadly, we can only have one winner.(this time!)

After running the numbers through Random.org I am pleased to announce that the winner is.....

Susanne of ZUEEUZ!

she said this:

Oh my gosh! I figured out how to add your button to my sidebar. It was so easy, I've been doing it wrong all this time. Now to remember what I did for the next time, old dog, new tricks and all.

Susanne.

Here's the amazing part - she was the only one who actually did everything possible to win that sweet nest. You just have to go HERE to read the nice things she had to say about not only this contest, but about the new and improved project Monday as well.

I suppose it pays to learn something new, doesn't it Susanne??!!!

So your new bling will be on its way very soon....

I had so much fun with this contest that I want to do it again ~ so stay tuned!

I hope everyone has a fun and relaxing weekend - make sure you come back here bright and early Monday morning for this:

What will you be sharing?????

xoxo

nag, nag, nag.

2010-11-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

This is your last day to enter this fabulous give-a-way: click HERE for the details.

Some folks said they wanted a gentle reminder before the next Project Monday.

This coming Monday, November 8 - we'll be having all kinds of project fun.

Click HERE for the details:

I know what I'll be sharing.

Do you?

Here's a hint...

Make sure you come back tomorrow ~ that is when I will be announcing the lucky winner of my sweet shadowbox necklace....

See you then!

Why my house is a pig sty and I don't have time for Facebook or blogging (like I should).

2010-11-02T09:25:00.000-07:00

The Custer Christmas Arts and Crafts show is right around the corner - two weeks away, as a matter of fact. I have been up in the attic 24/7 filling orders and preparing for the show, which leaves little time for thoughtful, insightful, inspiring posts or status updates on Facebook.

Or for cleaning my house.

I remember when I started this blog, my friend Judith Claire warned me about this.
That the problem one is faced with, is having enough time to create whilst keeping up with blog posts about said creativity.

Man, was she ever right.

So bear with me friends.....

And don't forget to enter HERE for this fabulous give-a-away!

You only have until midnight on Thursday, Nov. 4 to enter.

Have you told all of your friends????

Twelve ways to win my necklace and be the envy of your friends.

2010-10-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

The day I've been waiting for has finally arrived!!!!!!

My website is up and running!

www.pammysattic.net/

Isn't it wonderful???!!!

I have been sharing my designs with you over the past couple of years, and I have shown you several different venues where I sell them. Many have asked me where they could buy my work, and up until now, you had to come see me at a show.

But that was then and this is now....

I am so proud to announce the Grand Opening of my brand, spankin' new website....
(you may now click on the image above to enter!)

Just in time for your holiday gift-giving!

Live Artfully Productions.

I feel like a new mom!

To celebrate, I am holding a give-a-way.

Who wants to win this?

my ever-so-popular nest pendant - each one completely handmade by yours truly

You will have several chances to enter, so get busy and do one or all of the following:

Comment on this post = one entry
Become a follower of this blog(over yonder on my sidebar) = two entries
Become a fan of Pammy's Attic on Facebook(also over on my sidebar) = two entries
Blog about the all-new www.pammysattic.net and send me a link to your post = three entries
Grab the http://www.pammysattic.net/ button, add it to your blog, and send me a link to it = four entries

That's twelve shots at winning!

I will keep this contest open for one entire week.

It will be closed as of midnite Thursday, November 4th and I will announce the winner the next day.

Thank you in advance for celebrating with me.

See you in a few days....

xoxo

on your mark, get set......

2010-10-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

Thank you everyone who came to my project MONDAY party - I know you all are as busy as I am, so I think I will opt to hold this party once a month.

How about the second Monday of every month????

So your next chance to participate will be November 8(I'll give y'all a heads up the week before.)That gives you two whole weeks to put something together - with the holidays right around the corner, that shouldn't be too difficult!

OK, the real reason I am writing today is to tell you that I will be making a HUGE announcement this week.

It's HUGE.

I'll give you a teensy, weensy hint.

(ok, so I've never been clever at keeping secrets)

So, keep checking in with me....

It could happen any day now.

(and there may or may not be a give-away involved)

Excited?

I am.

xoxo

project MONDAY II ~ Victorian Rose Pin

2010-10-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to project MONDAY II!

I want to share an easy, fun and CHEAP project with you this week.

I created a ribbon rose corsage pin several years ago and taught a class in making them using this handout:

Several months ago I made scads of this updated version and they sold out!

I made it from an ivory grosgrain wired ribbon and dunked it in some strong tea overnight to "age" it. I made the center from a pearl hat pin that I'd dipped in Elmer's glue and silver glitter. (just poke it through the center of your flower and snip off the excess on the back - you might want to add a drop of glue here too)

So easy and they make fabulous gifts.

So what are YOU working on????

You know the drill....
(Click HERE if you're not sure)

Here's the linky:

project MONDAY II

2010-10-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy this week, but not too busy to think about the next project Monday!

So put on your creative thinking caps and join me for another fun week - by the way, I want you to be able to participate not just on Monday, but all week. So I'm leaving the linky tool open through next Sunday - tell all your friends in the blogosphere! Let's see how many fun projects we can share....

Til then, stay warm, stay dry, and keep thinking!

xoxo