I have been absent for so long from Enchanted Folk!  Been busy back at school for the last 8 months.  This past Friday was the last day of class!  Yeah!  I really enjoyed school.  I have been studying to become a Medical Assistant.  Next week I start my Externship at a Doctor's office.  I am so nervous and excited.  But I thought I would really enjoy my week off and not stress out about starting a new job.  (I obsessively want to do a good job all the time).

So on this warm spring day I found myself dreaming and browsing through all these soft lovely spring items available on Artfire.com.  I thought I would share a bit of this sunshine with everyone here=}

Have a magical week!

I also sell these cute cell phone holders. Especially nice for all you fellow fairy lovers out there. This works as a cell phone or an mp3 holder.

All you would have to do is use those adhesive-backed velcro tabs and attatch to one of the rungs on the arbor. Then nestle it between some foliage. I have also used these velcro tabs in this same type of way for a small alarm clock.

You could also use one or two of those pot hanging hooks and hang a decorative flower pot to hold things like a water bottle, eye glasses, etc. The pots could be plain and simple like terra cotta. Or painted, decoupaged, or mosaic to match other elements of your own personl design. The ideas are endless.

Another lighting addition could be a string of twinkle lights. They make so many of these with different design elements these days. Like butterflies, light-up flowers, even fairy lanterns, etc. Having a variety of accent lighting is an important and often overlooked element to creating the mood you are looking for when designing a room. Don't forget to add a favorite picture or mural on the wall behind the arbor and over the bed. For safety the arbor can be tied or bolted onto the bed frame from the sides. Be sure to check your measurements. A Twin bed is about 3' wide and a lot of these arbors are about 3-1/2' wide. This gives you the wiggle room with added greenery and a couple inches of ease when making the bed.

I am excited to have finally learned a little bit of how to make my own websites.  I have redesigned my GypsyGDesigns.com and just started a new site called VirtualTreasureHunt.net.  Hop on over and take a FREE Treasure Hunt!  I have completed 2 for right now.  A "Fantasy" Treasure Hunt and a "Pirates" Treasure Hunt.  Once you have scavenged around various websites to get the CODE, you can send it back to me to be entered to win a TREASURE.  It is set up so that you can also send the treasure hunts as part of a gift for your friends and family.  They in turn send the CODE back to you to recieve their "treasure" gift from you.  This works great for giving e-gift certificates and e-gift cards.  If you are looking for suggestions, I offer a couple on the website. 

I have designed an e-gift certificate for Gypsy G Designs that is a mini treasure hunt in itself!  It is a lot of fun, too.

Invite card customized with Smilebox

I gave this Virtual Treasure Hunt to some family members that live in another state.  I've deleted a website at the end to ensure nobody gets to their treasure before them.  The collection of clues along the way end up being a coded "password" to redeem their treasure at the end.

Merry Christmas Masson Family!

 My Christmas present to you is going to be a Virtual Treasure Hunt!  This little adventure will take you to places that I love to visit with wonderful little clues to gather along the way.  Collect all the clues in the specified order, and the treasure at the end of your hunt will be all yours!  I have a list of 11 places you must visit to get your clues.  Take notes as you go along as this info is important in the end.

1.  If I could afford this little beauty, I would buy it in a heartbeat!  Go to faeriemagazine.com  ~Click your way through from Store to Fairy Houses to my favorite one of all, "Enter Twice".  Then click for details.  Here is your treasure gathering question... How wide is this cute little house? (Hint: you only need to write down the number)

2.  To live in such a cute fairy house, you would have to get your fairy wings on!  Go to fancyfairy.com  ~ Click on Wings.  My favorites are the Large Kira Fairy Wings.  How much do they measure from base to tip?

3.  Maybe we should explore our options of a little bigger house.  I remember how Tammy and I used to love to look at these adorable Tom Thumb sized cottage drawings.  Go to storybookhomes.biz  ~ Click on the little red book.  Repeat again to click on this "Truly Tiny Collection".  Turn the pages until you get to one of my favorites here named Gwendolyn.  View the floor plans.  Read carefully in this tiny-sized print.  How many square feet are on the ground level?  (As always, number only)

4.  Now it's time to hunt for a word.  Visit my other blog at thefeatherfactory.blogspot.com  ~ Here is your clue:  Live Today, Cherish Yesterday,            Tomorrow.

5.  Speaking of tomorrow, here is a place I dream of going.  Check out universalorlandoresort.com/harrypotter  ~ Click on Map.  With toggle zoom on find your way to Hogwarts Castle.  What adventure awaits you there?  Harry Potter and  the Forbidden              .

6.  While visiting Harry Potter land go back to the main menu and visit the Gallery.  Then take a peak at Honeydukes.  How many people are in Honeydukes? 

7.  Hogwarts reminds me of another castle that is fun to explore.  Go to hearstcastle.org  ~ Click on Castle Tour and have fun exploring different rooms in the castle.  While visiting the "Doge Suite", how many gothic arched windows do you see?

8.  Find another word clue atGypsyGDesigns.artfire.com   On my studio's front page there is music that plays.  What is the 5th song on my playlist?

9.  I've been to a restaurant that has this same name when I lived in Rhode Island.  Go to  www.gonewport.com/  ~ If you have the time, enjoy the 5 minute Virtual tour of Newport by clicking on the Video button.  To find the restaurant, just enter it's name in the search box at the top.  Once you have found it, is it located on                 Wharf?

10.  Newport is famous for it's Victorian era.  Find gorgeous Victorian dresses at shabbylaneshops.com  ~ As you window shop, visit the store "Shades of Wyldemor".  Click on Victorian Couture and Accessories.  Find the word "Steampunk" and click on those sets of dresses.  How much does the Victorian Blue Satin Brocade Gown cost?  (Just the numbers)

11.  You are getting closer, just a couple more to go!  Find another word clue at www.cafemom.com/home/GypsyGDesigns ... There is a special clue that GLITTERS for you.  Take this clue and fill in the blank at the following website:  www.      ... .com/thefeatherfactory ~   Once you go to this website, find the CARD designed just for you in my shop "The Feather Factory".  It will reveal the secret of all the clues you have collected!    (You don't need to purchase it.  Just read it on the website.  If you hold your curser over the picture it will enlarge it.)

Good Luck!

Virtual Treasure Hunt

Happy Holidays Everyone!

This Christmas my sister and I made a mini Christmas Treasure hunt for my nephew who is away from home this year.  He is serving a mission for our church and is pretty much living out of a suitcase.  So we decided to blend some Christmas decorating with his Christmas present.  It has also been a tradition for me to give him something "treasure" related. 

Being he can't carry much around with him, and his greatest need this year is money.  So in the spirit of making something special or handmade we made him a Christmas tree picture.  We clipped fake pine branches and glued them on to a 2' x 2-1/2' piece of sturdy foam board.  Money is hidden all throughout the busy Christmas tree scene that he gets to hunt for with the help of a Christmas riddle.  I love making riddles and clues plus he gets a kick out of it.

Some hiding places are a bit tricky like the role of quarters covered in paper "bark" for the tree trunk.  Other places are more personal like the T-Rex ornament with a tightly rolled $10 bill in his head.  My nephew loved dinasaurs and had a pet T-Rex when he was young.  A personal touch from me is the mini treasure chest with money hiding it plus the cardinal sitting on a nest of money.  He knows how much I love birds.

It was a lot of fun finding all the many ways we could hide money through out the tree and surrounding design.  Other fun items are a mini penguin mug, tiny keychain calendar, a little snowglobe, a handy little notebook, and even a Santa game he can take off the tree to play with!

His mom hid the largest amount of money in the small Christmas stocking hanging from the tree. Here is a part of the riddle that ended the poem.   

Remember the fun, and the songs we share.

The most loaded of these has a line in the middle

"...All the stockings were hung from the chimney with care."

But for you it's the tree cause a chimney's not little!

We hope you enjoyed this Christmas treasure.

And the greatest of gifts

Is Christ without measure.

This worked out great as a Christmas gift.  But in our fairytale worlds I think this is a great idea as a gift anytime of year.  Just change up the scenery to your favorite fairy or mermaid scene.  A willow tree, forest, garden, or lagoon for example.  Let your imaginations run wild! Money doesn't even need to be the hidden present.  It could be hidden trinkets instead.  I sell a Fairy Treasure Hunt game based on a game I have played dozens of time when I was a child and again when I would babysit as a grown up.  (I don't have any children, so I borrow others!)  Those trinket would make great collectables that could be played with again and again.  Happy creating!

I am having a sale on all my handmade items and feather supplies at my Artfire store.  10% off on everything.  For fun, unique gift items for the holidays check out my Artfire store at GypsyGDesigns.artfire.com.

There is also a link through my gypsygdesigns.com where I have hundreds of items for sale.  Many of them are marked down and have free shipping.  Happy shopping!

I have a new line of "keychain belts" that I have knitted and used keychains featuring fairy artist like Myka Jelina, Hannah Disney, and Emma Marlow.  I still have more to finish up and get posted but I at least got 7 of them done yesterday.  If you would like to check them out they are at my gypsygdesigns.artfire.com or amid my many other products at fuzzb.com/gypsygdesigns .  Have fun! 

Make your home decorating unique. The internet is a great source for finding unusual items at specialty shops. Here is one of my favorite bedding sets, French Mermaid from Wake Up Frankie. They are full of wild and quirky unique designs that help you add more of your own personality to your home decorating. Visit them at wakeupfrankie.com

And remember, I have hundreds of fun decorating items available at Gypsy G Designs fuzzb.com/gypsygdesigns  I ship internationally, too.  (Shipping might just cost a bit extra.)  Happy decorating!

DECORATING GAME FOR COLLECTORS

Here is a fun idea for people who have a collection or two.  Create a decorating game for friends and family to better enjoy your collections that you have on display.  The idea is to pick one room and make a sort of "treasure hunt" or "I spy" kind of a game. 

For example in my bathroom I have all my nautical collectibles displayed from my travels around the country.  I then made a poster of my collection and hung it on the back of the bathroom doors.  You can pick whatever room you like.  Make an accounting of your stuff to list on the poster.  Add a little poetry and drama with the wording.  Then print it on theme coordinating paper, frame, and hang!  Mine goes like this... 

                                In this room I have collected some fun

A collection of treasures from my travels you see

There is a note in a bottle, I have just one

But life saving buoys you should find up to three.

 Two starfish and a little sea horse

And a whole bunch of seashells scattered around, of course.

 Loaded with goodies are four treasure chests

Amid the three mermaids that guard them the best.

Can you spy six anchors just hanging around?

There are also eight lighthouses with fog warning sound.

I have various boats for all kinds of folks,

They add up to twelve, that is not a hoax!

You should find one compass and five compass rose

Plus three seagulls that love to fly free

And last but not least my wish to you goes

May you have fair winds, and a following sea!

~~~