Joy to the World

Jeremiah was a bull frog. Was a good friend of mine.
Never understood a single word he said,
but he always had some mighty fine wine.

I really love that song. Makes me want to relive the 1970’s when I was a swinging 20 year old and had the ability to drink some mighty fine wine while partying the night away.

One of the things that make me love the song is that Jeremiah is/was a bull frog. However, when originally written by Hoyt Axton, Jeremiah was a “prophet.” The 3 Dog Night didn’t care to sing about a prophet so they changed Jeremiah to a frog and recorded the sometimes nonsensical song. It seems that was a good decision as it went on to sell over 5,000,000 singles making it one of the biggest selling songs in history. So much for silly songs. 

Sorry that I went off on a tangent. This post is supposed to be all about wine, not amphibians. Time to show off my Vintage Wine Journals.

 

Lots and lots of rubber stamps



 

All the paper is tea dyed



Plenty of room for recording your mighty fine wine tastings

 

You can see the video HERE. And you can buy on of my fabulous Vintage Wine Journals when I open my Etsy store - Inside The Beehive. Hope to see you over there for the ribbon cutting ceremony. I will be serving some might fine wine!!!

Shake, Rattle and Roll

Until I started scrapping I thought a paper clip was just that, a paper clip. A vehicle that one used when one wanted to temporarily hold together assorted papers. A hundred to a box, made in China, pick them up at the dollar store for a dollar or at the 99 Cent Store for 99 cents. But as we all know now, that is so yesterday.

Today paper clips have been updated and upgraded to become a necessity for all good scrappers. No more boring blah silver, one can easily find paper clips in every color of the rainbow and in such obscure designs as Pac-Man and thumbs up and down.  

Despite their boring silver color, paper clips do have a colorful history. Although the first paper clip patent was awarded to Samuel B. Fay in 1867, its true origins remains a mystery to this day. And unlike other office supplies, paper clips played a role in WW2  when Norwegians wore them on their lapel as a symbol of resistance against the Germans. Inspired by this show of solidarity, the documentary PAPER CLIPS was released in 2004. If you haven’t seen it, please do. It is an incredible film that will restore your faith in the goodness of man.

I personally love the look of vintage paper clips and happened upon an easy way to make them. Ingredients: silver paper clips, alcohol ink and a plastic bag.

 

Pour a few drops of ink in the bag. Add a handful of paper clips, shake until they are coated. I usually let them sit for about a half hour and then remove and let dry. VOILA! Vintage paper clips for pennies.

 

Do you use paper clips in your projects? Have a favorite?

 

Moon Over...

I was born and raised in New Jersey, just 45 minutes outside of the Big Apple. A city gal through and through, when I first moved to California I was instantly drawn to Hollywood because it was the only city I could find in Southern California that resembled New York – bright lights, lots of tourists, constant motion and its fair share of crazy people.

Fast forward 35 years – I now live in the heart of suburbia in the San Fernando Valley. Canoga Park is the complete opposite of Hollywood. Nothing is open at night except 24 Hour Fitness and without anything of interest to see in Canoga Park, finding a tourist wouldn’t be a rarity, it would be a news worthy event.

Having said all that, there are those rare moments when I do encounter someone who acts a bit Hollywood-ish AKA Crazy. Last Saturday I had to mail a package for a swap and went to our local post office. It’s usually a rather mundane task, but this time something  happened that made the experience, shall we say out of the ordinary?

 

 

While waiting on line, I noticed that the guy in front of me, a good-looking dude with long blond hair, surfer shorts and a tee shirt was…barefoot. Yep, he wasn’t wearing shoes! But wait, that wasn’t what made him memorable. Completing his transaction, he bent over and…mooned me!!!  

I immediately felt the need to cover my eyes, but I realized that this would have been a completely normal occurrence if I still lived in Hollywood. And then, for one moment, I was that 20 something, free-spirited, love child who still lived in Hollywood. So I opened my eyes wide and took a good look at surfer dudes tush! As I left the Post Office I realized that I didn’t need Hollywood. Crazy would follow me whenever I lived.

Ever have something funny happen at the Post Office? Ever been mooned? If so, please do share.

 

Goal - Open an Etsy Store by October 1, 2013

My Etsy Store To-Do List

     1. Come up with a name – Inside the Beehive   

     2. Design banner - Done!

  

    

  

 

 

     3. Make 100  UNIQUE  items

New Goal – Open store by December 1st

4. Write 100 OUTSTANDING descriptions

            New Goal – Open store by February 1, 2014

 

     5. Take 5  FABULOUS photos of each item = 500 photos

 

           New Goal - Open store by April 1, 2014

 

     6. Create 13  WONDERFUL tags for each item = 1300 tags

 

          New Goal – Open store by June 1, 2014

     7.  Join several Teams on Etsy and participate daily on the Forums

8. Write short DELIGHTFUL “About me” for store
9. Write EASY TO UNDERSTAND shipping policies
10. Activate Facebook Account
11. Find Facebook Password

           New Goal – Open store by July 1, 2014

12. Start posting about Inside the Beehive
13. Activate Pinterest Account
14. Find Pinterest Password

           New Goal – Open store August 1, 2014

15. Start posting photos from Inside the Beehive
16. Design AWESOME Business Cards
17. Buy envelopes & packing materials
18. Buy scale for weighing packages

          New Goal – Open store November 1, 2014

19. Get California tax license
20. Set realistic goal of opening store – 2015
21. File this list under “Things to do when I retire”

Benjamin Buttons

I think I have to add buttons to my list of obsessions. Let me start off by stating that I rarely use buttons on my projects. That wasn’t entirely true. I NEVER use buttons on my projects. Bottom line is that I don’t need buttons. However, for some odd reason I love the way buttons look in bowls and glass jars. I’m embarrassed to tell you how much I paid for these two P-nut Butter/Peanut jars. Shall we say – too much? But in their defense, don’t they look adorable filled with buttons?
 

Of course nothing really matters or explains my need to fill jars with buttons that I never use. So, I have decided to add something to my Bucket List – I have to make at least one project using buttons before I can buy anymore buttons…or before I die – whichever comes first.

 

I want to be inspired so please share a link to your favorite button project. Do you also collect buttons? Who has more? You or me?

The first items for my Etsy Store

“B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O and Bingo was his name!” Do you remember that song from your childhood? While making these adorable Bingo Minis I couldn’t get the song out of my head. Each mini has a real Bingo Card on the front and back. The inside is stuffed with 50 single pages - that’s 100 pages - plus pockets, tags, stamping and assorted bits and pieces to make each mini truly a one-of-a kind sweetie! 

 

 Ready to give as a gift in their own little blue bag.

 

 

Front

 

 

Inside

 

Back

 

Okay ladies, here's where I need your help! How much do you think I should charge? Bee honest, the mini is 4"x4" and I made three - vintage, red/black and turquoise and red. I haven't seen anything like it on Etsy and I think I'd label it as a small scrapbook/smash/journal. Do you have an Etsy store? If so, have any advice?

Bucket List Mini-Mini Swap

Hope you gals are ready for an easy peasy one-on-one swap that I promise you can be completed in an afternoon! And it’s fun! And it’s cheap! Hope I have whetted your  appetite for the EllenBee’s Bucket List Swap over at Your Paper Pantry HERE. Link to join will be up soon!!

No big, fat, fabulous journal this time ladies, just a teeny-tiny meandering album. Don’t know what that is? Roxy made the absolutely best video tutorial so head over HERE for a look. It’s basically just one sheet of double sided 12” x 12” patterned paper folded and folded and folded again until you have this absolutely darling mini-mini.

Your task will be to make one of these cuties for your partner and then create a page for each of her top 5 Bucket List items. The rest of the mini will be left blank so that she can add to her list at her leisure. You will have total creative freedom to choose the paper and to embellish to your hearts desire. The only thing the two of you will exchange will be your 5 top Bucket List items and each
others address.

I did one for the husband so that you can SEE how simply adorable this project is!

 

Backpack at 70  

 

Learn how to play the guitar

 

 

Visit every single Baseball Stadium

 

Go to Italy

Check out the video HERE!!!

 

If you are new to Your Paper Pantry the cost to join is $12 per year. AND for the first few swaps you will be on probation - sort of. Anyone new to YPP will be partnered up with another newbie for this swap. There are a few rules like checking in once a week but like the project, it's all easy-peasy! Hope to see you at YPP!!!

 

Hostess with the Mostess Part 2

If I labeled each blog post, which I don’t because I am too lazy, this post would include – Bucket List, Romance Novel, Acorns and Fairies. Sound intriguing? I hope so because all those labels add up to a new journal I made for Dawn over at Your Paper Pantry.

But, let’s start at the beginning shall we? Roxy from YPP saw the video I made of my Bucket List and asked me if I wanted to host a Bucket List swap on her fabulous site. Of course I agreed since hosting was on "my" Bucket List. Though unfortunately for Roxy, my swap morphed from Bucket List to Favorite Fictional Character. You can read all about it HERE.

Here's the latest update: 26 days, 14 characters that include 2 Scarlett's, 1 Eliza, 1 Bull and a Little Prince  (not Georgie) and, as of last count 9 likes, 175 replies and over 2000 views. Not too shabby for my very first hostess job, right? BTW I refuse to take it personally that only 9 gals like my swap!!

My partner's favorite character(s) were a couple from the Regency period of England from the novel A Matter of Class. Anna and Reggie's love story is filled with all the necessary trappings that any good romance novel requires. Don't want to giveaway too much, but the story has an arranged marriage. I also don't want to spoil it for you, but I promise you the ending will surprise you.   

WARNING: Photos below so Dawn, if you don't want to see, STOP READING NOW!! 

 

The Acorn Fairy lives in the tree where the two lovers meet and fall in love.

Actual oak leaves from the magical tree? 

 

 Dawn, if you now want to see more, HERE's the VIDEO.

To my fellow swappers who have already finished their journals, thank you for inspiring me. And to all of you who are still crafting, I hope my photos and video have inspired you.

Who's YOUR favorite fictional character?

The Power of YouTube. The Power of Love.

It all started with an old plastic basket I found at my favorite thrift shop. Inside was an assortment of miscellaneous threads and sewing supplies, none of which was an exceptional find, but the case was yellow, perfect for the BEEHIVE, so I bought it. Once home, I removed all the spools of threads and discovered that the case actually had a tray, which I lifted it up and discovered a wrapped box.

The box was filled with treasured mementos once owned by Jillian Rose Baily and it revealed a love story, albeit one sided, of Jillian Rose and a carnival performer named Vinni Bombo. After I posted the video, which you can view HERE, I received a message from Sarah T. who wrote that growing up she lived next door to a lovely woman who used to share stories about a relative named Vinni(e), a former carnival performer. She admitted that it probably was just a coincidence and that my Vinni probably wasn’t her Vinni(e) but she just happened to be going home for a week long visit and  promised she would let me know what she could find out.

Fast forward 4 weeks, 12 emails, two phone calls and one very special package.

Vinni and Jillian Rose did exist, not just in my imagination. Sarah T. was able to contact Vinni’s grand-niece who sent me; a framed copy of an old carnival poster, a photo album, three letters and a post card from Paris. Since she was camera shy she asked me to make a VIDEO so that the story of two lovers could be continued.

 

 

I am desperately seeking anyone who knew Jillian Rose Baily. Baily was her maiden name and I don't know if she ever married. I found the box in Los Angeles, California so I assume she lived here until her death. If you have any information please leave a comment. I am desperate to find out how this love story ended.  

The very talented Debbie from Ephemeras Vintage Garden has created a tribute to their love story which you can find HERE. Also, stop on over to her BLOG to receive her free downloads. They are awesome!  

Hostess with the Mostess

Technically, “mostess isn’t really a word. It's what you would call taking literary license for the sake of entertainment. I am using it here to refer to the most indecisive hostess ever – ME! Seriously folks, I drove poor Roxy crazy as I tried to create a simple swap on YourPaperPantry that kept on getting more and more complicated.
 

An example might be Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff from the book Wuthering Heights. (Check out the VIDEO I MADE HERE of what I might send my partner if she had chosen WH.) 

    

To help you and your partner create something you both will love, I have a questionnaire that I will post on YPP. Here’s mine:

1. Name of your character(s):  Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff

2. Where are your character(s) from? The book Wuthering Heights by Emilie Bronte. 

3. Can you tell me why you love your character(s).  Wuthering Heights is one of my favorite books of all time because of the tragic love story of Heathcliff and Catherine. The fact that it was written by a woman who never knew romantic love makes it all the more extraordinary. 

4. Is there anything you want in the journal? I want lots of blank pages and tags. 

5. Is there anything you don’t want in the journal? Interactive pages.

The ONLY requirement of this swap is that you make a journal that is BIG, FAT and FABULOUS!  

 

I will assign partners on August 5th on YourPaperPantry.  TPP is not an ordinary swap site. You need to become a member but it is easy peasy. There is a cost - $1.00 a month - but that is a small price to pay to have the privilege of swapping with these talented ladies. You will have until the first week of September to complete the swap. QUESTIONS? Just leave them here or on YPP and I will answer them ASAP. No indecision here - I promise you this will be a very fun swap!

No Missing Ingredients

I have never done a tutorial because I am not a teacher at heart. My younger sister taught for 30 years and loves it. Me, although I once taught a 6 week vegetarian cooking class that was so popular it was featured in the local paper, I am actually the kind of gal who flies by the seat of her pants. I hate writing down measurements so rarely do my homemade dishes ever taste the same.

So why did I film a tutorial now you might ask? It’s because of the urban myth of the infamous missing ingredient. According to the legend, a homemaker used to make fabulous pies and everyone wanted her recipe, which she willing gave out to anyone who requested it. Hundreds if not thousands of folks attempted to duplicate her tried and true recipe and yet not one person succeeded in making a pie as delicious as hers. There was always something missing but no one could ever figure it out.

Have you figured out why? It’s because she left out one key ingredient…no, it wasn’t a mistake on her part, it was deliberate.

Here is my tutorial on how to alter a mini composition book, including my key ingredients:

 

Sandpaper and Wax Paper

 

Add 1 mini composition book and sandpaper cover.

 

Slip in wax paper and slap on mod podge. 

Cover with Garden Carnival  digital paper from Ephemera's Vintage Garden.

 

A feather, seam binding, stamp, cabinet card and a pinch of Stickles

 

Mix together well

 

 

Decorate with Circus Journaling Cards and enjoy!!

 

See, I told you I wasn't much of a teacher. To see a slightly better tutorial on how I make my mini composition books, with the secret ingredients, watch my tutorial HERE. Let's talk tutorials. Do you make or watch them on YouTube? Who are your favorite teachers?  

A Circus Love Story - Jillian Rose Bailey and Vinni Bombo

I don’t know the whole story, only what I have been able to piece together through letters, post cards and my imagination.

The year was 1924 and the place was Hargrove Oaks, Ohio. Her name was Jillian Rose Baily and she was  a school girl living at home with her family. His name was Vinni Bombo and he came to town with the circus.

What brought the two together we will never know but it was their destiny to meet and fall in love. Jillian Rose was in the audience every night they performed and Vinni introduced her to all his fellow performers. When the circus left they wrote to each other.

I found this box tucked away in an old sewing box under a tray of threads at the thrift shop.

 

 

The mere fact that Jillian Rose kept his letters means that she never forgot Vinni or her love for him. We'll nver know why she never shared the story with any of her family. But had she done that they never would have given this away.

  

Inside this box is a story of love and loss.

  

Cabinet Card Photos of Vinni's fellow performers.

 



Post Cards from Vinni

 

The locket with a photo of her true love - Vinni Bombo

 

Don't worry Jillian Rose, Vinnie's letters are safe with me. And with Debbie at Ephemera's Vintage Garden.  You can view the entire Garden Carnival Collection HERE. 

 

For more about this 1924 Circus Love Story, including the letters Vinni wrote, check out THE VIDEO HERE.