EVERYBODY NEEDS A LITTLE TIME AWAY

Don't forget me....XO.

Ciao Bella

Creative Carmelina

JANE AUSTEN PAPER FLOWERS

I'm sure you all must have seen this coming. It was high time I started playing around with my stock of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice novel pages. I thought I'd make some paper flowers for scrapbooking embellishments...to add to my shop. You can see I was really busy this afternoon, punching and glueing....my desk was over-run with the little florets! It's all cleaned up now, and everything has been listed here.

My daughter has one more review section in her Math book to complete this entire seventh year of Mathematics! I'm so happy with our progress. The entire time I was punching flowers, I was helping her along any areas where she needed...it was a perfect blend of teaching and creating!

It's time to put away the books and the scrappy bits of paper for the long weekend ahead! It's time to think about what to make for dinner, yet again....I'm so hungry right now! Ciao.

HOMEMAKING IN THE KITCHEN

My homemade whole wheat buns just came out of the oven. You can imagine my whole house smells like a bakery right now. I'll be making vegetarian bean and rice patties tonight to go with the buns. I love treating my family to special meals. They are all so good to me, so kind and thoughtful, it's the least I can do for them in return. Hope you're hungry guys! xo

I don't work from recipes, only by eye, the way my mother does!

HOMESCHOOL PROJECT - LEARNING THROUGH LIFE JOURNALING

On the homeschool side of life, things are going very well. This post features my daughter's current project, a study of butterflies through journaling. She's hard at work right now, finishing off a series of pages. You can have a good peek at her work, my jaw has hit the floor a few times! She's an amazingly talented girl for 12 years old!

There are sketches of various species of butterflies on her title page, a work in progress - but it already looks great. 

She'll bring these sketches to full colour with her Prismacolor Pencil Crayons...I can't wait to see the end result.

The next page below illustrates the Four Stages of Growth in a butterfly's life. She drew a large butterfly and coloured it, then cut it out and glued it to her page so that the wings are free to flip up! The effect is amazing! All of the butterfly parts are labeled as well. 

It has been more of a pleasure than I hoped it would be to teach my daughter from home. Being creative in the way we teach as mothers is such a fulfilling aspect of my artful life. 

Below you can see a glimpse of the written work about butterflies. This was a creative writing assignment and also a science factual research project. There are so many interesting points that I myself never knew about these amazing little creatures. Did you know they smell with their feet and hear with their wings through the vibrations around them? We are BOTH learning so much. I want to start my own Life Journal right along side her...but with running my Etsy shop, I'm finding it hard to manage that.

 I assigned one major art piece as a part of the project, even though all the pages are supposed to be 'artsy' and 'really pretty'. She chose to do a free motion sewing sketch of the butterfly on bristol paper using black thread. Then using her watercolour paints, she matched the colours perfectly to the Monarch Butterfly. I was so impressed....do you love it as much as I do?

You will allow me to brag, as a mother and a teacher, I couldn't be happier with her accomplishments. Keep up the great work honey!

For anyone contemplating pulling their child out of school to teach them from home, my advice would be to consider it carefully. It really does bring rich rewards, but it is an extremely large sacrifice of your time. Your life will change, it might even be flipped upside down, but it's worth it in the end.

BRAG MONDAY - GRAPHICS FAIRY

I'll be joining up with Brag Monday today...to showcase a few new crochet tag creations I've made using Karen's beautiful vintage images. I've layered a pretty pink rose overtop of a postcard photo. The combination of old ephemera mixed with crochet laces is really sweet and pretty, even a trifle romantic!

I always love the look of stitching right on paper. There's just something so visually pleasing about it...you know what I mean? I changed the images above over to a beautiful sepia tone and printed them out in a miniature size, perfect for my hand punched tags. Simple sometimes does it best.

Next on my desk today are a couple of mini rose garlands. They are a delight to make, and they look so darling that sometimes I can't bring myself to part with them...but I have everything listed in my shop because I'm a good girl after all.

There's one in English....LOVE.

And of course there had to be one in French....AMOUR. I have an Italian one ready and waiting for me to add my crochet border...and I'll have that listed soon. But first, there are custom orders to tend to and some homeschooling Math on the side! We are on a review and things are going well. Ciao.

PARIS THEMED SCRAPBOOKING KIT

From pastel spring colours to vintage neutrals...I'm always doing something around here. Crocheting on paper, stamping....the fun just never ends.

This is my newest craft supply kit, just listed in my shop. It is made up of handmade embellished tags and crochet patches....all encased in a Fleur de Lis pencil case. The items could be used as scrapbooking embellishments...or as materials for decorative card making. 

I'm always relaxing my evenings away, with something interesting to watch on the television. My crochet hook and threads are faithfully by my side. Piles of these florets are growing and I'll have to get them into my shop sometime soon. I have them made in pretty pinks and purples....and they are oh so very sweet.

My daughter is working on a butterfly themed project for her homeschooling assignment during the Spring break this week. Creativity is alive and well here in the studio/classroom. Hope you are keeping your hands busy as well. Making things keeps a smile on my face and a song in my heart! xo

www.creativecarmelina.com

ON MY DESK THIS MORNING

I worked late last night to get a few more of these crafting circles done. By the end of the night, I was too tired to put things away...so this is what I woke up to this morning....but I don't mind one bit because it's so inspirational to look at, it makes me want to keep making them! I thought I'd share a couple of photos with you...perhaps to spark a bit of creativity, or just to make you smile. 

I just love it when I come into the studio/living room and open the blinds first thing in the morning. Letting in all of that gorgeous sunshine that was patiently waiting to flood my home.....ahhh....refreshing, inspiring, happy inducing sunny sunshine! Who can live without it? Hope it's cheery wherever you are. Spring is waiting to bloom!

CREATIVE PLAY

I'm in the middle of creative play here in the studio. Pulling out my watercolour palette and painting inspirational words circles. They will become crochet embellishments when all is said and done.

What are your favourite inspirational words? 

INSPIRATIONAL BLOGS

Blogs... and the people who maintain them are...friendly, creative, and definitely inspirational. Let's keep sharing our brilliant ideas, our wonderful collections, and snippets of our lives. Ciao Bella!

HOMEMADE WHEAT BREAD

What a great way to spend Family Day. Hubby and I made fresh bread this past weekend. Whole wheat mini buns and personal vegetarian pizzas. I do love to get my hands dirty...if it's not with ink stains or paint in my studio....then it's flour in the kitchen (among other things). I hope you take the time today to enjoy the simple things life has to offer.