Joyful Art!

Yesterday my sis Heidi sent me an email with the link to the Joyful Art Challenge at "Playing With Brushes"' Flickr site. A challenge, you say? Oh dear. I just had to participate. The idea was to use the photo of this darling little girl in some altered art project! (My first 3 pictures showed what I made.) I had just learned to make pin-wheel looking fans, so chose that idea for one picture. I gave it to my daughter last night, and she was so surprised! Oh, I'm still kind of in the paper bag mood, too, so began another paper bag album with the other! This album, once I finish it, will be a very special album for a special person! I challenge YOU, to enter this Joyful Art dare!

Also, this sure has been a great mail week! Everyone knows some of the more rewarding things to do online include not only blogging and email, but also ordering from Ebay and Etsy, and participating in swaps! Because then, you get REAL mail!!! I've recently ordered 7 different items from Etsy, the handmade store, and just love all of them! First, I needed a special baby gift for the daughter of a close friend. So I ordered one of Heidi's gorgeous signs "Always Kiss Me Goodnight" from her Etsy shop. It's such a sweet and sentimental saying for a new little girl, and Heidi somehow puts such caring and love into each sign! Truthfully, when the sign arrived already gift wrapped and ready to go, I didn't open it before I gave it to baby Ava. So I'm just showing a picture Heidi has listed. I was happy and proud to give this special sign as a gift. And I know the new mother loved it, because not only did she send her warmest and sincere thanks, she did it within 2 days of receiving the gift!!! That's pretty thankful for a sleep-deprived new mother!

I also ordered some tags from Mary Ann's Etsy shop. Some? How about about 55 of them (for only $3.50!) I just feel like she practically gave me her own dear collection! I love the variety in this group, many vintage, and all different and so interesting. I tried to picture some of my favorites. What a fun box she sent them in, too. It was an old, old game box from "Lotto". Has anyone played that, let's say in the 50s or 60s?

Just yesterday, I received my Paper Bag Album Swap from my sweet Swap-Bot partner! Hurray, more great mail! Her name is Kathleen (aka "Angel Faery") and she lives in New Zealand. She made me this super charming scrapbook, full of fabulous vintage pictures! She included pictures that matched my family and pets! Oh, this is so delightful! She actually used white paper bags, so it has a lighter look to it. I really do treasure this amazing album, and look forward to picking out special pictures to put in it.