Oh, Baby!!!

Ahhhh!!! Sunday night...the critters are tucked in...hubby is tucked in his hotel room in Indy for the week (miss you, babe!)...and I am breathing a sigh of relief as a string of 3 busy, busy weeks is finally over. I don't dare wish the time away but, I am sure you know how there are short periods of time here and there that simply have to be taken one day at a time...to look at it any other way would be simply overwhelming! I wouldn't dare bore you with all the details, or as our pastor put it last Sunday...the "distractions"...but there are a couple things pertinent to this post. The first would be that we had to say goodbye to Papa Bill a week ago as he (my husband's father) passed away. The blessing being in that he did not suffer, and that we were allowed time to share, laugh and be comforted by wonderful friends, family and neighbors. Once again I have been reminded of, and amazed by, how good and kind friends and neighbors can be...just when you need them most. It is also a blessing to be reminded of the wonderful circle of life because, the week before we said a special 'goodbye', we were saying a special 'hello' to a brand new, teeny, tiny, beautiful baby girl, Audree...my sister's oldest son's new daughter...and the most adorable answered prayer! So, we stayed busy visiting with family and friends by day, and by night, the wee hours of the night(s), I was working on these...

(Photo's removed for publication in Simply Handmade July/August 2013  Baby Shower edition.)

...table centerpieces for the baby shower!! It was a baby carriage theme and, I don't know about you, but I haven't seen an abundance of decoration ideas for baby carriages. So I made up my own. They stand about a foot tall, I would say, are probably around nine inches long, and 3" wide. Hours and hours went in to them, but they were worth every second, and I enjoyed every minute of doing what I love for such a special occasion. The plaid paper was used on the invitations and on the sweet little paper 'basket' favors that were made to hold some yummy fudge. Pretty colors!!

Had I been making only one, I would have added more details, but making 8, total, I had to keep them somewhat simple. Only one stamp used...the large flourish from PTI's Fancy Flourishes dressed up the side well. A little button on each side held the "handle" on. My Martha Stewart border punch gave the look of eyelet trim on the sides.

The legs/wheels were a bit of a concern but turned out fairly sturdy. I wrapped a rectangle of foam board with the patterned paper, punched a hole in each corner, inserted two separate pieces of wire, then pulled and twisted the pieces together on each side and curled the ends around. After I had that base sitting fairly square, I glued the finished carriage onto it. I just added the fresh flowers after all the carriages were leveled on their tables, just before the shower.

There they all are...minus the one that Mommy kept. The little lace trim at the top is hard to see but was a last minute thought that really finished them off! They were so girly and cheery!! Now...the question is...What in the world do I do with them?!? Oh, well, that's not important, is it!! If anyone has any bright ideas, though, I would love to hear them!

Now...how about a give away!?! Tell a friend...if I have at least 15 comments by the end of the week, I'll randomly pick one to receive a brand new stamp set! Can't say what it will be but, hey, it's free, right!?

Hope you all have a great week with some time to do what you love!

Geri

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Other supplies:

Paper: PTI's Hibiscus Burst, Lemon Tart, and Sweet Blush cardstock, Paper Studio's Sweet Pea Plaid, My Mind's Eye's Tiny Pink Flowers

Ink: PTI's Hibiscus Burst

Other: Silk flowers (taken apart), 14 gauge craft wire, and doilies from JoAnn Fabrics, large pearl embellishment (?) Hobby Lobby, PTI's HB and SB buttons, 1" Paper Studio flower punch, thick clear craft glue for base...forget what it was called and it's all gone!!