Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #25 ~ Sew Special

I shared in the last post that I participated in an ATC swap. The theme was "Sew Special." I enjoyed finding vintage ephemera and free printables to make my little cards. Each one has a different feel or style, and that's OK. Each ATC is as unique as the recipient! I sent them off in Friday's mail in decorated envies, which I shared last time. Now for the reveal!

Sew Special - ATC

Sew Creative - ATC

Blending the Old with the New - ATC

Blooming with Ideas - ATC

I took some of these while the glue was still wet. The "Sew Creative" card is dedicated to my mother, who passed away last March. She instilled a love of creativity in me, and she was an excellent seamstress. 

The last one shows a reprint of an antique French postcard. Isn't she lovely? The candy-colored palette and the bluebird of happiness fill my heart with joy. It also hints of an upcoming event...the re-opening of my Etsy shop, Bluebird Song Cottage! I will be sharing more details soon. 

I hope this week finds you blooming with ideas. :-)

Take care, my creative friends. 

Sandra Lee

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #24 ~ Decorated Envies

Recently I was invited to participate in an ATC swap via Artful Mail Groupies on Facebook. It's a warm, chatty group of women who love making and receiving mail art in many forms, and the occasional box or envelope of "Happy Mail" (goodies from the sender's stash of crafty stuff). I broke out the colored pencils and some Easter stickers I had on hand and added a quote on each one. (Names and addresses of recipients covered with some of my colorful stamps for privacy)

The quotes transcribed, from left to right:

Spring is God's way of saying, 'one more time!' ~ Robert Orben

Spring is Nature's way of saying, 'Let's Party!' ~ Robin Williams

Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows Poems. ~ Rainier Maria Rilke

Happiness? The color of it must be spring green... ~ Frances Mayes

Blessings,
Sandra Lee

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #23 ~ Happiness is Spring Green

Spring is here! Yay! Things are buzzing in the studio, and I've been busy working on some new projects and doing some spring cleaning. Here's a little impromptu vignette I made after finishing a project this morning. 

For those of you who may not know, Frances Mayes is the author of Under the Tuscan Sun. I found this quote in a Better Homes and Garden magazine, I believe. The stamp is from New Zealand, part of a lot I picked up on Etsy. I'm using them for collages and mail swaps. I added pink and green tints to the stamp using highlighters. I'll be sharing more about mail swaps next time. 

Have a Happy Weekend! 

Sandra Lee

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #22 ~ Birthday Throwback

It's been a while since I updated my blog. Wanted to get back in the groove and share my latest creation.

 Here's the full spread above. I spent time cleaning my studio and went through a box of keepsakes. Lots of smiles...and tears. I loved this picture from my 2nd birthday. I've been so wrapped up in business research lately that I haven't had time to really sit down and create. 

It felt so good to work on this little mixed media project. It's not meant to look like a picture perfect scrapbook...more like art journaling...just for me. I blasted the Gospel music and was jammin'. Rocking my head, clapping my hands, tapping my feet. 

 Not sure if I liked my hat or I was trying to take it off! I also adored that Snow White cake topper. My dad kept it in a cabinet of treasures for many years. I would see it during my visits with him in the summer.

 I hung on to some foil wrappers from Dove chocolates (mmmm) that hubby bought around Valentine's Day. They had cute messages on them. This one resonated with me...."Smile more." I thought it went well with my party hat in the picture. So I cut the blue foil into fringes to mimic the super cool sparkly stuff on my retro hat. 

 I found a large number two in a magazine which I carefully used as a stencil. I actually preferred the pattern on the back of the two, so after tracing, I flipped it over and glued it down to the left, creating a mirror image. It's kind of funny that this project ended up being #22 for Happy Thoughts. I guess I'm right on time after all! (Just another little moment of serendipity).

Here's a closeup. I used a combination of stickers, scrapbook paper, markers, and colored pencils on these journal pages. 

Here's another shot from the same party. I added a funny crown on a photo app. 

Bye for now! Have a super day. 

~Sandra Lee

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #21 ~ It's Only a Paper Moon

I shared in the last post about my video experiments via Animoto. Today I'm sharing another montage featuring "It's Only a Paper Moon" by Ella Fitzgerald and the Delta Rhythm Boys. I have a great love of vintage photos, and the funny paper moon pictures are no exception. I first learned about them through a video I watched with my Dad called Paper Moon (1973) starring Ryan and Tatum O'Neal. The quirky photo postcards were popular souvenirs at carnivals, fairs, and picnics around the early 1900's. Some scholars speculate that this motif became popular due to the popular silent French film, A Trip to the Moon (1902). The memorable ending shows the man in the moon with a rocket landing in his eye.

Bullseye!

Putting this together put me in such a good mood. I don't know if it was Ella Fitzgerald's catchy tune, or just the whimsical images themselves, but I proudly present Happy Thought #21. On a side note, I discovered that paper moons may be making a comeback. I hope so! I'd much rather see people posing with the paper moon than those awful mustaches that somehow still infest weddings and parties of every kind. It was cute for a minute, but pul-lease stop the insanity. (I think my breaking point was when I saw mustache invitations for a 1 year old's birthday party). OK, rant over.

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #20 ~ Growing Old Gracefully

It's been a while since I've updated my Happy Thoughts project. I've still been behind-the-scenes creating and learning some new skills.

Since I love to dabble in different media, once in a while I try to create little films or video montages. I don't yet possess the editing skills to start from scratch, but I recently fell in love with the templates provided by Animoto. I have several projects in the works including short portfolio videos and memory montages of family, travel, etc.

I'm also having fun pairing the Animoto templates with my other great love, Pinterest.  I have tons of boards on, well, everything. Lately I'm obsessed with organizing by colors which evoke certain moods and emotions. 

So....as part of my Happy Thoughts project, I will share some of the videos here. Today's happy thought is a montage of beautiful souls from around the world. It celebrates the wisdom of the aged and elderly, and the stories written in every line of their faces.


Since it's close to Valentine's Day, I've also added a few photos of older couples who are growing old together, and still enjoying life and each other. The song I selected is You Are so Beautiful by the legendary Joe Cocker. I also added this to my YouTube Channel, which I also hope to update with fresh content soon.

Happy Thoughts 365 ~ #20 ~ Heartfelt Helen Keller

Blue Tulips by Sandra Martin ~ #HappyThoughts365

"The best and most beautiful things

in the world cannot be seen or even touched,

 but must be felt with the heart." 

~ Helen Keller

I created this graphic using one of my photographs of tulips. I manipulated the color in Photoshop. I also added a water ripple to the image, which looks like a pool of water. By using unexpected colors, I think it captures that feeling Helen is talking about in the quote...that we need to learn to see things with our heart.