Madai's Magic~

Oh Madai, what a wonderful swap this was for me! I am still in awe at everything ...it was truly as if a magic wand had touched everything you sent!...I met Madai http://cottageoflostplay.blogspot.com/ several years ago when she made the most gorgeous banner for me...I've posted it before..it's in my studio and is the focal point of the room...the magic~ well, I met Madai again on Flickr and we decided to do a swap...what a swap it was!!!... notice above.... the gorgeous doorplate?...I love it...I had been wanting one forever and this one is so pretty!

I oohed and aaahed as I opened this wonderful basket, a bee skep!!! Inside, oh my...It totally took my breath away! As I lifted each beautifully wrapped package another appeared...glittered stars,hearts, and trinkets of every kind...all wrapped and adorned with sweet little notes,poems and quotes, all heavenly smelling....the most beautiful music ever all captured on a CD....I play it everyday Madai~

Look at these sweet glittered hearts...I absolutely love them....so Madai~ lovely packages of seeds that are now planted in my garden so maybe a little of hers will live here at The Tin Rabbit....have you seen her garden??? It's out of this world beautiful~

Next, out of the basket came this precious doll...is she not the cutest? I love her and her pretty little glittered cone~ her tag reads..."shall we take a turn in the garden?" Don't you love her?

The sweetest glittered BLESSED banner....

More beautiful hearts......

love the pretty blue ribbon on this one!

and yet another banner! This one for the shop,

How pretty it looks over the counter AND also the

sweet girl tucked in another DREAM banner ...I'm going

to hang it in the shop as well .....

I'll be sure to take a picture of it.....

Madai, thank you from the bottom of my heart....I loved playing swap with you~ It was so much fun!!!

Thank you all for stopping by to visit~

Spring at The Tin Rabbit~

A few spring pictures of spring at The Tin Rabbit...

Everything is so green and pretty, I love this time of year~

I wanted a picture of the koi but they are staying in the deep cooler part of the pond now that it's warmer

a ball of stone........

Post an angel at your door,

Fear the darkness nevermore.....

I'm not sure who wrote this but I love this saying.....

Oh and I know Easter is over but I saw this on someones blog ( I can't remember where, sorry) but I'm loving it...I guess being an "artist" and a Christian..I really enjoyed it...check it out!

I

http://www.cbn.com/special/discovereaster/?cpid=DE100330l

Have a Great Week Everyone and I'll post pictures of my final swap with the precious Madai this week!

Grandma's Button Can~

What is it about buttons that make us want to hang on to them...store them in tins like a keepsake or something? When I was a little girl, I loved it when my grandma would take her button "can" off the shelf in her closet and let me go through it. It was like a prized possession, she'd hold up different buttons and tell where they came from.. ~ it was so exciting going through the tin and finding all her little treasures...a ring with the stone missing~grandpa gave her that, and how she cried when she lost the stone~ a baby bracelet~ a watch missing the hands..... grandpa gave her that too when they were "dating"....

a seed package with a pretty flower on it and no seeds....

and her mama's thimble....

I never tired of hearing those stories or running my fingers through

those buttons......

grandma's button can

A new tiny cone I finished~ Thank you all for stopping by~

Friendship Swap With Carola~Boxwood Cottage~~

Hello Everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful Easter?....Today, as promised...I'm going to show you my very special swap with Carola...http://carolsgarden.blogspot.com/...I know everyone knows this sweetheart from Germany! She is sooo talented and what an honor to have her as my FIRST swap partner! We met over at Flickr and decided to do this little Friendship Swap...well, it certainly was not little by any means...just look at ALL these treasures!!! Carola knew I loved the old china head dolls and that I had been searching for a frozen Charotte doll...look at these little darlings! The little Charotte doll has tiny wings that Carola attached to her but they came off during her long flight over here... now,they are back on...the sweetest little angel! The precious doll head came from Carola own collection! I will cherish her forever! I just love her Carola!!! There was the cutest little old,old book with beautiful, beautiful pictures...love it! And look at the beautiful hand-crafted soldered necklace with "The Secret Garden"...she makes these!!! I am just blown away by her talent! And each item is signed so sweetly making it even more special!

Look at all this....treasures on top of treasures....wonderful old paper mache containers for me to work with and I've already dressed a couple! The sweetest little handmade cone, more soldered pieces...a fabulous darning tool from France! Oh goodness, am I spoiled or what??? Oh and look at the beautiful spoon...adore this~! It's hanging in my winow now...I smile everytime I see all this pretties Carola!

This is what it looked like as I'm opening this treasure chest~

Everything wrapped so pretty~

More soldered beauties...love this one with the "A" ....

Antique thread.....

A pretty vintage powder box from France~ And another one of her very special handcrafted art pieces...it's so pretty Carola~! It's now hanging on an antique mirror and it looks gorgeous....Thank you~~!

another soldered piece....CUTE!

Choosing a favorite is not possible as I LOVE everything she sent..... but~I adore this tiny little hat she made and embellished ...all my dolls are fighting over who gets to wear it~How sweet is this???

Thank you so much Carola for this wonderful Friendship Swap~It's amazing that you can live sooo far away and yet be so close....I love everything and will cherish it all forever~ Thank you, Thank you, Thank You from the bottom of my heart~ XO....

And, Thank all of you for stopping by to visit!

Have a Wonderful Day!

It's Not About A Bunny~

Happy Easter!

May we all remember what Easter

Is Really all about~

Monday I'll have more on my swap with Carola!

Apple Dumplings~

This past Sunday my youngest son~Lance~ celebrated his twenty-fifth birthday...Stefanie gave him a surprise party Saturday night and then Sunday they came here for lunch. One of his favorite desserts is Apple Dumplings...this is a very easy and yummy recipe! It sounds a bit different but, I promise once you try it...you'll like it! Promise!

Apple Dumplings

4 Granny Smith apples 1 cup sugar (I use about 3/4)
2 cans Crescent Rolls 1 T cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks butter 1 can Mountain Dew

Peel, core and cut apples into 16 slices. Use a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Roll 1 slice
apple in each crescent roll and place in casserole dish. Melt butter in sauce pan
and add sugar and cinnamon. Pour over rolls.


Pour Mountain Dew over mixture. Bake uncovered at 350 for about
45 minutes or until nice and brown...

Serve warm with a little ice cream or whipped topping! I know, this is not

a very healthy dessert, but it's for special occasions~Oh and if by chance

there are any leftovers, stick in the frig~ it's even better the next day! Thank you all sweet friends for stopping by to visit~

Have a Great Week~ God Bless!

Friendship Swap~ Sandra

I received the most beautiful package in the mail from my swap partner and friend~Sandra. Sandra does not have a blog but can be found on Flickr..."SKBlanks" ...She has to be one of the nicest people on there! Well, I received my package from her and.. oh my, it was as sweet as she is!
Everything was sooo gorgeous! The package itself ~ amazing...I didn't want to open it but couldn't wait to either! (I did save the wrapping) First, look at this absolutely gorgeous cuff.

Just beautiful... the lace, the stitching~ everything impeccable! Handmade flower~love! I wear it all the time...

Now, look at this.....Is this not the most beautiful heart you've ever seen??? All handmade...

Look at the details, I wish you could see it in person! So pretty! See her pretty ribbon flowers?She makes those from ribbon...just lovely!

Now, just when you think there cannot be anything else... Look at this!

This was one of the first things I saw that Sandra had made...I fell in love with it! Now, I have one of my very own..Don't you love it too?

Soft~ sweet colors,and again...the details! Love this ribbon and lace....

Sandra tucked in lots of other pretties, beautiful ephemera~cards and the sweetest old book of poems, many of her ribbon flowers

and one of her tiny~tiny little covered boxes in this precious little dish...

too cute!

Sandra, I thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for such a beautiful swap! I will cherish each and everything forever! Love Ya!

Thank you all for visiting on this day, God Bless You All! Next week, I'll show you more pictures of my swaps..... Have a Great Week~