All Things Pretty...

New group, new friends, new beauties...

I was recently invited to join the Marie Antoinette Mail Art Group and quicker than you could say "all things pretty" I accepted!  For a while now, I have admired the gorgeous works of art these ladies have made, gifted and exchanged...  I would practically drool over some their creations!  

Soon after joining, I decided to jump right in with my first swap:  the Paris Wall Pocket Swap.   For this event, we were assigned partners and provided with a "shopping" list of supplies to purchase for our partner to create a magnificent Paris Wall Pocket.   Using our swap partners' likes and favorites, we were to gather the most beautiful materials we could find.  Then... off to package everything up as pretty as can be before shipping to our partner.   Our partner then has to create their wall pocket using the materials we've provided.  

 My swap partner is Wanda, who is also hosting the group.  The minute I saw her beautifully wrapped box, I had a glimpse of the treasures that awaited me...

 

 

 

...it was like Christmas and a Birthday all over again...

 

 

Wanda is known for her gorgeous, handmade silk flowers.  

These are miniature perfection!

 

 

 

Lots and lots of silks... in the most French shades of lavenders and blues...

 

...and the laces!  Oh my!  

 

 

(I was drooling at this point...)

This amazing silk is the base fabric for my wall pocket... ((sigh)) It's so beautiful, that I could just frame it "as is" and be happy.

Wanda even collaged this piece, for me to use as the pocket itself.  

 Merci, Wanda!   J'adore tout!

 

(I'll share my supplies for Wanda in a future post)

I'm linking up to Sally's Blue Monday blog party and sharing all my lovely French supplies.

 

 

Flowers in bed...

If you are having trouble sleeping, you might watch television, read a book...   personally, I prefer to make something with my hands.   

Recently, I brought my needle, threads, ribbons and a bagful of beautiful fabric scraps purchase for nearly nothing (39 to 79 cents)... oh yes, and my "cheaters!"... to bed with me for some late-nite creations.

So with hubby snoring softly at my side, our German-Shepherd puppy snuggled in her bed, I happily cut, twirled and sewed my way into midnight (actually, more like 1:30am).

 

 

There's something magical and peaceful about making beautiful things, late at nite while the entire household is sleeping...   I was having fun with the variety of textures and colors...

 

 

These are all still in their "raw" form;

lots of frays and bits of threads that will need trimming...

 

 

While I love experimenting with different shapes and types of flowers, the roses are always my favorite.

 

 

 

I like making them "scrunched" and inperfect...  

 

 

(the gorgeous cone is a gift from JoAnne)

(the antique box is available for sale here)

 

 

I was working on Spring colors...  the beautiful lavenders, pinks, yellows that we see crop up in the early days of Spring.

 

 

 

 

Next, I will be trimming threads and finishing each flower with pearls, beads and a little bling here and there.  Some will go to swap friends, others are embellishments on upcoming Spring and Easter creations...

 

Happy Saturday!

 

I am sharing my "roses at bedtime" with the pink-loving ladies at How Sweet the Sound.

 

 

Hearts, flowers, love....

As promised, an update with some of my swap gifts and creations!   

JoAnne hosted "Be My Valentine" matchbox swap.  Not just any ole matchbox, but the smaller ones, to be filled with three teensy ATC's (these were a true test of dexterity and vision!)

My swap partner was Kimberly, who created the sweetest confection for me...

 

 

 

 

I absolutely love these teeny ATC's!

She knows me so well!   Thank you, dear Kimberly, I love all my treasures!

This is the matchbox and ATC's I made for her.  Lots of pink-upon-pink ribbon roses in all shapes and sizes...

 

 

 

 

 

I also joined Wendy's "Heart and Flower" Valentine tin swap.  My wonderful partner, Michele, awed me with her magnificent altered tin...

 

 

She has a gift for mixing the unexpected... like these pink girly flowers with the touches of nature, rustic.   Don't you just love it?!?

 

 

At first glance, you can't even tell there's a tin in there somewhere... even the back has a pocket, which held a vintage card and sweet tag.

Thank you so much, Michele,  I love it!

 

I went a bit "out on a limb" for her tin and made a Valentine's garland using vintage tins.

 

 

 

I also included a few little Valentine's trinkets;

like this teeny tussie mussie made out of paper mache...

Another fun swap I joined was Tee's  "Tag a Month" Swap; here's the tag I made for my swap partner, Marcia.  Hope she likes it!

 

I'm sharing all my Valentine's lovelies with Beverly and her Pink Saturday party... don't forget to stop on by for the most beautiful pink eye candy ever!

 

 

Romantic notions...

Don't you love it when you are browsing Blogland, hopping from place to place, enjoying all the beauty and creativity... when, all of a sudden, you <click> on a link to some unknown site (because it looks interesting) and then...  

quite by accident, really...

 

 

You discover a new favorite.

 

 

This is my new "favorite" of the week.  Full of the most beautiful and diverse supplies a girl could ask for...  and the prices are reasonable; shipping is ultra fast, customer service is amazing!

 

 

When I received my order just 5 days after placing it and saw how gorgeous everything was, I immediately went to my computer and placed another order!

(I ask:  is that considered impulsive buying????)

 

So what exactly is this "new" discovery?

It's called FrostItPink and you can find it here.

* * *

In between all the blog hopping, drooling and shopping, I did manage to finish a few of my Valentines swaps and other projects.

Everything was prettily packaged and is on its way to its recipient.

 

 

* * *

Hope you are enjoying your week!

I have lots more to share with you... but need to wait a few days until deliveries arrive at their rightful destination so as not to spoil surprises.

 

Beauty in the sunlight....

Many of my favorite little shops around town were visited this weekend. Little things of beauty, both new and old, made their way home with me.

On Sunday morning, I couldn't help but notice the gorgeous sunlight streaming in through the bay window in my living room.  

I grabbed my camera and clicked away to my heart's content.  My newly acquired little treasures were the subjects.

 

The gorgeous "Paris" paper in the background is new and came in a scrumptious shade of peachy pink.

The tiny flowers on the top and the blue ribbon roses were removed from an ugly "mop doll" purchased at the thrift shoppe for 29 cents.

The peachy chenille came from my favorite needleshop....   I resisted the temptation to come home with 3 yds. in every shade (my purchase total would have surpassed $50 just for the chenille!)

The dainty creamer is also a thrift shoppe find.

 

Another precious creamer... this one in white (the visible damage on the inside did not deter me).  I have a weakness for white creamers.

The velvet violets spray is new but has the same look/feel of vintage millinery.  

 

A closer look at the tiny blue ribbon roses...

My heart was craving flowers....  can you tell?  

Most of the purchase I made this weekend were florals.

But then... that always seems to be the case...

 

This is what is left of my anniversary bouquet from last week (24 years).

There were some gorgeous Casablanca lilies (my favorite) which have wilted...what is left now are asters and mums.  Still pretty.

 

I'm sharing my pretties in the sunlight with White Wednesday party over

at the Faded Charm Cottage; stop on by for gorgeous white inspiration.

Doilies...hearts...ribbons....

I'm having a great time in my studio these days!  

My work area has been invaded by heart of all colors, shapes,  and sizes... sweet vintage Valentines.... doilies... laces and more laces....  ribbons... buttons, sequins, pearls, vintage beads, millinery.... (and hundreds of other little things that I have no clue how they got there).

Several of my Valentine swaps are finished and enroute.  Here's a sneak peak at the sweetness...

For art JOY stuff's Valentine Swap, we were to create five Valentine ATCs and send them to our hostess, Kimberly.  

We will receive five ATC's in return; how fun is that?

My ATCs were individually and  lovingly wrapped in a doily envelope...

 

And inside each pretty doily, my swap partner(s) will find any one of these...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And although I may be spoiling the surprise just a bit by revealing them now, I don't know which five participants will receive my ATCs, nor which ATC will go to whom... so still a surprise for the recipient!

For this group of ATCs, I finally broke down and "cut" (gasp!) several of the vintage greeting cards from my stash (I must own hundreds that I've collected over the years).   Thank goodness for scanners, as I will have a digital image of each for future use.  My husband asked me if (maybe) I wasn't going about this backwards...   1. scan the image,  2. use the scanned image (not original)....   Makes sense, right?  

But I really wanted to use the "real" stuff on these; it made them feel all that much more special, that a little piece of a card made in the 1940's, 50's or 60's made its way onto an ATC in 2012.  I bet the American Greetings and Hallmark folks back then would have never, ever guessed that this is how their cards would end up 60+ years later!

*   *   *

Another package on its way to the recipient contains ribbons; yummy ribbons in all sorts of colors, textures and widths...

 

 

 

 

The assignment was to share 6 different ribbons (in 2 ft. lengths) with our partner.  

This clever swap is being hosted by Elysia and is my very first ribbon swap.  

One more pic, but I have to be careful not to spoil the surprise!

 

 

 

 

"The Colors of Spring" ribbon collection

Hope my Canadian partner likes her gifts!

*  *  *

 

linking up to Beverly's Pink Saturday!

 

* * *

h.e.l.p.

ON A SEPARATE NOTE, I RECENTLY PURCHASED ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS AND AM FIDDLING AROUND WITH IT.  HOWEVER, IT IS SLOW GOING AND I'M FEELING A TAD INTIMIDATED BY THE WHOLE 'LAYERS' THING.... SO, PLEASE PLEASE COMMENT OR EMAIL ME IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ON STRAIGHT-FORWARD (AKA "EASY" AND "clear") TUTORIALS YOU KNOW OF!   

 

 

Hats that tell a story...

I confess, I can't pass a pretty vintage hat without touching it, picking it up, looking at the details of the netting, millinery...  Most of the time, I put it right back in its place because the price tag is either (a) overpriced or (b) ridiculously overpriced.

But every once in a while I get lucky and find one that is beautiful and affordable.  Not too long ago, you could find these for under $10... now, even rummage sales want way too much money for them (at least here in Minnesote).

I'm mostly attracted to the pinks...

 

 

(no surprise there~!)

If I happen to find one with berries....  

my heart beats just a tad faster.

 

Next, come the lavenders, pale blues and other "Spring" hues...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those dainty little flowers call out to me... "touch me" they say.. and of course, I always obey.

 

 

 

 

Once in a while I will run across a beautiful large bloom...

 

 

 

 

One time (and only once), I found a very old crushed velvet hat with black plumes - it even had the original hatbox!  Both were found at a local estate sale and I was giddy for two days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(I should have played the lottery that day!)

 

I am always ALWAYS on the search and hunt for these lovelies.

 

My newest acquisitions:

 

 

 

 

Lovely details on both, but alas, they have been put on the chopping block, per se (available thru my Etsy shoppe), since they didn't come in my favorite color(s), or have hundred of tiny little flowers!

Do you have a favorite vintage hat?

 I'm joining the parties and sharing my hats!

White Wednesday at Faded Charm Cottage

Show and Tell Friday @ Romantic Home

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Vintage Inspiration Friday @ Common Ground