French Ephemera is a handy thing to have around.

Craft day was not only fun, but productive, that is just the best.  We had a nice lunch (aren't pitch in meals the most fun?  I enjoy the variety of what everyone brings) then a walk on the Fairy Berry Trail before getting to work.

When I went to Savannah during Jenn's retreat
I found a French magazine from 1901 that I fell in love with, but felt like it was way to expensive to buy. My pal, Tiffany, got one and reminded me that the price averaged out to only $2.50 per page, so I splurged and bought one.  Now that I am doing a swap with these friends from our trip to Georgia, I am so glad I bought the magazine, the cafe au' lait cover was perfect for the center of these medallions I am making with all of their initials.

This side of the swap page is all vintagey goodness.  Old crepe paper, and ribbon, wallpaper, and millinery. And of course, the cool, French ephemera.  The only new thing on this, is the initial.  I cut diamond shapes (thanks for the shape idea, Marilyn!) out of parchment card stock and drew the initials in metallic inks and markers.

I was so enthralled by my new trick of making these, that I used one as a label on this package wrapped up for another Silver Bella swap. (the glue is still wet in this photo)

These medals, or medallions might be cute made into pins too...

Like I don't have anything else to do.  Today, I am mudding the new dry wall for a mini remodeling project and tonight I'll be painting the walls as they dry.   Tomorrow, I am having a group of friends over for breakfast and we are making a few charms.

And of course, it is the hey day of the garden season.  Last night, we picked a couple sinks full of tomatoes, so I made up a LOT of sauce to freeze. 

Its Sugarwing's job to pick the littlest tomatoes and put them in her bucket.  They seem to get dumped in and out a lot, but if a few get stepped on here and there, it doesn't really matter. I'm being over run with tomatoes anyway, I kind of feel like stepping on a few myself. It would be that many less to clean, cook, and freeze.

One of our plans was to make and can salsa.  Somehow, it just is not happening. We have the ingredients, just not the time to learn how to can.

Ah, aren't gardens wonderful? I might complain about how much work it is, but I am loving the results! 

But now, I have something to really complain about, I have to go and do dry wall mud. ugh.

Comments

[DeniseLynn]

just stealing a few moments from my day to peek in and say hello. LOVE what you did with a bit of the french pages! And wow those garden goodies are gorgeous ... love that last photo especially.

[LORRAINE BELL]

Morning Karla..I too love the productiveness (is that a word) of the fall, I`m canning sockeye salmon this morning, how luck I am to live in such a beautifull place with such bounty out side our door cheers Lorraine on Vancouver Island

[Lori]

i love your medallions Karla...they are so pretty...the coloring of the elements is perfect...i hope you at least made some fresh salsa? it is SO good...

[Rachel]

Karla, when do you sleep?!! ;)

Rachel

[lisa]

Karla,
Your veggies look like a picture in a magazine! I wish I could have a garden like that. It is so bloody hot here, everything burns up. Love the french paper, wish you'd sell some in the shop.
Lisa

[Jingle]

OH, I LOVE LOVE LOVE those ribbons!!! Gorgeous! wow!

[Teresa]

I love what you did with the ephemera. Sweet.

- Teresa

[LiLi M.]

Dry wall mud? What is that? What for? How do you do that? Mmm do I really want to know :-}?

[Lee W.- The Way I See It]

did you eat the cheese?

[Zita - Mlle Magpie]

Karla, love what you did with those French magazine pages. I've got a bunch of French magazines printed in Montreal from the early 20's that I think you would appreciate - if you would like one, just send me your address!

[Sandy]

Tres Belle, Karla!
Love your antique French magazine. Wish I had all my old French books..I hated doing the grammar!
I'd give anything for a home grown tomato. I
remember how wonderful they were coming from that great Kansas soil. Here in Texas there is no such thing as dark, rich top soil! at least not in San Antonio!
Did you ever wonder how kids can crouch down like Sugarwings! They are so flexible! As usual she is a doll!
Sandy

[Mary Green]

Those medallions are beautiful, you came up with a great idea and made them so nice - love the edges, the ruffle, everything.

[Heather ~ Pretty Petals]

Your swaps look like so much fun. I love that picture of Sugarwings with her tomatos... it is the cutest!

[Stacy]

I love the title of your post! The medallions are beautiful, you inspire me, as always!

[Laurie]

Oh, gorgeous medallions! Vintagey goodness is right! You totally amaze me with all you're able to get accomplished! And you are certainly not afraid of making commitments! The tomatoes look luscious - I wish I could grow them here!

[jeanie]

Beautiful harvest! (And I might add if I start figuring out ephemera by the page cost, I'll be in bankruptcy court!!!)

[Sheri and Sophee~a]

Hi Karla......saw your cute cupcake toppers on Daisy Cottage blog.

The roosters will look great in my kitchen in a little jar and on some yummy cupcakes. I ordered 2 sets. That is how many it said you had... left but when I checked your website it said 1 was still available.

I paid for 2 sets..a total of 8 :) I believe I ordered the ones with sticks too...can you please confirm my purchase so I know it went through correctly.

Thanks.....hope Sugarwings recovered quickly~Sheri

[Karla Nathan]

TypePad HTML EmailThanks for coming by to shop! yes, I am right now packing up two packages of 4 chickens with sticks for you. I'll get them in today's mail. A lot of people must have seen them at Kim's place because they are selling out. You did get the last ones.

Karla

[angela]

Hi Karla,
I love, love the pages you are making for the swap...I will definitely regret telling Jessi to give mine away, boohoohoo!! Can't wait to see all the goodies y'all create and swap.
I need to come get some of those tomatoes...ooh and homemade salsa, yummy!!

[Wanda]

Oh, the medallions are wonderful! That's a great way to use the pages out of old magazines. Mind if I put them in my Want-To-Do file?

[barb]

just popping in to say hello!!! been crazy busy with halloween ornament swaps and pinkeep swap, and raggedy ann..etc etc...just a little joiner...lol

love the garden pics...we shared ours with the chipmunks...(didn't matter what we used to deter them...they must have developed a stamina against the stuff...) i just go to the farmers mkt...now

[Janis]

Hi Karla,
I love the medallions and the initials
are beautiful!!! Your garden bounty is
great.......love the pic of Sugarwings
and the tomatoes. So sweet.

Hugs,
Janis

[leann]

I love everything you do and that Sugarwings is adorable. Thanks so much for visiting last week!

San't wait to see your next post!

Leann

[Sandy]

You know there was something about the paper behind your french medallions that kept nagging at me. Somewhere I'd seen it before, you know that deja vu feeling. Then it suddenly occurred to me that one of the nun's at school had that covering boxes in her craft closet. (that was in the 50"s) she always had me clean out her cubboards as she said that she could always find things when I did it. She even had me still doing it when I was in high school! Wow! it really jolted me when I got the flashback!!!
That proves how vintage your wallpaper is!
Sandy