All Things Pretty...

Spools, threads, tatting...

Has the simplest display, or maybe even a single item sitting in an antique booth chockful of "stuff" ever caught your eye?  

You are instantly drawn to it... not quite sure why.  Oh yes, we've all had those "oohhh" moments when something truly beautiful makes us stop in our tracks.  But I'm not referring to those items, the obvious one.  I'm referring to the ones that don't scream "look at me!"

That happened to me recently while visiting one of my favorite occasional sales at How Quaint, in Shakopee.  I walked into a booth full of lovelies and spotted a bowl that contained these...

 

 

..simple little spools with unfinished pieces  of lace/tatting wound around them...

I picked up each one gingerly...

attracted to their color, texture, even their smell 

 

Of course, I had to buy them... and as soon as I got home, whipped out my camera and proceeded to take ((many)) photos...

 

...the tones of the spools look beautiful when paired with vintage millinery and silks...   

 And a few of my estate sales pieces also came out to join the photo shoot...

Once the photo shoot was done... they were put into a crystal bowl in The Sunshine Room... where they will sit for awhile until I decide if I (ever) want to unwind the pieces to see them in their entirety.

Thanks for letting me share my little spools!  

(I'm also sharing with the White Wednesday party over at the Faded Charm)

What great little finds have you brought home recently?

Love the glove...

I had very good intentions when I wrote my last post... I was going to try to post several times this week because there was (is) so much I need to share...  but Monday came/went, then Tuesday, and next thing I knew - it is Friday!  

Where did the week go?!?

 I've recently noticed that the days get shorter as I get older (funny, nobody warned me about that!)

(So I still have tons of estate sale finds to share at a later date and since I'm attending a few more this weekend, I may never catch up!) 

 So today, dear friends, the topic of this post is gloves... vintage gloves, to be specific.  

I was born on a year that is right at the end of the Baby Boomers generation, so by the time I was old enough to wear "adult" clothes, we were in the late 70's/early 80's... and no gloves were worn by the ladies.  But oh, I do sometimes wish that I had "turned of age" in the 40's or 50's!    

... so many styles, colors and textures to choose from....some with embroidery, others have the tiniest button... all the options!   

 My most recent swap for the Marie Antoinette Mail Art Group was the "altered vintage glove" swap; where we started out with a vintage glove and used vintage laces and materials to embellish and alter it.

This is the glove I sent to my swap partner, Melanie.

...it started out as the softest pink glove, and I added a beautiful piece of lace and pearls.... some pieces of vintage lace.... ribbon.... and made a rosette in the same peachy/pink hue using several layers of materials...

 

A gorgeous vintage earring (I had hoarded this one for a few years) was the highlight...

...it turned out with a bit of a "bridal" feel to it...

(I think all the wedding planning going on in my life right now is influencing every aspect of my creations....)


We were to "fill" our glove with little gifts for our partner.  

Melanie likes soft pinks and creams; so I hope the glove and gifts were to her liking!

For my glove, she went with a very vintage feel, in tones of ecru, cream, sepia.

Just look at the beautiful glove I received...

Melanie added so many gorgeous details that I see something new every time I pick it up.

...and as much as I love this glove, I have to admit that my heart skipped a beat when I saw one of the gifts she included...

It is a button brooch which she made especially for me! Isn't it fabulous?!?  The MAMA group recently held a swap, whereby the ladies made and exchanged these brooches.... I was fairly new to the group and did not join the swap (okay, I admit it, I was a tad intimidated)... and later had deep regrets about not participating when I saw all the amazing creations.  (this is one talented group of ladies!)

Thus, when I opened the little chocolate pouch and saw the brooch... well, it was instant love.

Melanie was very generous with her gifts.

 Lucky me!  I'm still smiling...

 

linking up to:

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound

French market petite bags...

I participated in a swap with my Marie Antoinette Mail Art group which required that we purchase three small muslin bags (3"x4") and, using bits and pieces of laces and other materials, embellish them for our partners.  We were to fill our mini bags with bits of vintage materials and bling that our partners could use for future projects.

When I gathered my materials and saw that a 3 inch-by-4-inch bag really wasn't much of a surface to work with, I got just a tad worried.  I mean, how much can you embellish such a small space?!?

I was soon proved wrong; and once I started working on my first bag, I was hooked!

These are the bags I made for my sweet partners: Terri, Bobbi Ann and Lisa.

I wanted to use my crown stamps and the "mon amie" pink ribbon I had purchased years ago and was saving for a special project.

If you are like me, then you have a special bag full of bits-n-pieces of pretty lace, ribbon,  left over from prior projects.

I cannot even think about trashing an inch of vintage lace!

...even ribbon scraps were used for mini rosettes.

Overall, I was happy with how these turned out and I hope my partners enjoy them.

Speaking of partners, would you like to see what they made for moi?  The catch was that we were receiving petite bags from three different partners (not the ones we made our bags for)... lots of logistics and tracking for our swap hostess (who did a fabulous job of it!)

This exquisite little bag was made for me by Debi.

She used the softest hue of a wonderful bluish/turquoise...and the most gorgeous lace and crochet pieces.

...and my wee bag was filled with beautiful buttons, bling, pearls and laces.

 

Next, my darling little bag from Denise...

Look at all the goodies she was able to fit inside the bag....  

So many pretty little things!

 

My third swap partner was Lorraine, who sent me this

little beauty...

...filled with fabulous supplies and lots of bling! 

"Merci" Denise, Lorraine and Debi!

 

(p.s.  these little bags are so sweet and easy to individualize, that I may be making 100 or so of them for my son's wedding in December...for wedding favors...)

(p.p.s. stay tuned...I have lots of wonderful estate sale finds from this past weekend to share with you later...)

Happy colors...

Are there colors that just bring a smile to your face?  For me, it's always been pink... and over the past couple of years, my palette has expanded to include the softest shades of blues, turquoise, lavender, gray (I call it "silver lining" gray), creams/ivories (melting vanilla ice cream).

During this time of year, after all the white and blah dreariness of Winter, I am especially happy to see the yellows, pinks, and other sorbet colors springing up everywhere.  I have been known to stop the car in front of a complete stranger's house, get out to admire their garden (and maybe snap a photo or two)....  it is a bit scary for my husband, as he thinks I am trespassing and infringing on people's privacy.   But I promise, I stay on the street (never even setting foot on their actual lawn) and never ever look into windows!  I could be called a "bloom stalker."

Anyway, I digress.  What I really wanted to share with you today were these blooms I purchased at the local grocery store.

 

Yes, I know that some of them are not naturally this color and they have had a bit of assistance from the Dye Fairy.... but nonetheless, I could not resist them!

They were inexpensive, colorful... and last forever!  

(I brought them home over 10 days ago and they are still looking pretty!)

 

(pardon the crooked labels on these... not sure what happened, since they looked fine before posting... urgh!)

And while we are on the subject of "happy colors," I'd also like to share the April tag I made for The Altered Paper's "Tag-a-Month Swap."

The bunny is holding his very own Easter basket...

and is surrounded by lilacs and other Spring flowers.

 

(one of my favorite color combinations:  lavender and teal)

This was actually the second tag I made for my partner, Tina, due to the fact that we experienced a mishap with the first one.  My partner patiently waited for me to make another tag to send.

The sweet tag Tina made for me....

Miss Molly Cottontail is adorable!  She brought a smile to my face, and will be a lovely addition to my tag book... thank you so much, Lisa!

 (Linking up to Show & Tell Friday over at My Romantic Home)

Fabric roses...

The Marie Antoinette Mail Art Group has been keeping me busy...several wonderful swaps have come and gone; many photos have been taken, yet few posted.  

I have lots of catching up to do!

 

For starters, I'll share the fabric roses I made for the "Spring Flower Swap."  We made five flowers and will receive five flowers back from different people.   After seeing some of the beauties the ladies have created, I can't wait to receive my "bouquet" in the mail!

 

...the swap details did not specific whether we were to create 5 identical flowers; so I decided to make mine in various Spring colors...

The fabrics used were soft and easy to work with... making the roses curl nicely.

For one of the "turquoise" flowers, I experimented with a close center for the rose; I really like how it turned out.

 

I included one extra flower for our lovely hostess, Terri.

Six...or half a dozen...

Just when I thought I had embellished, altered, glued, decoupaged and blinged just about any item you could think of.... along came a new challenge:  turn an egg carton into an Easter basket.

So off I went to purchase the organic, cage-free eggs - aka "the healthier eggs" - because these come packaged in the containers I needed (the gray paper-mache looking ones).

After some ghesso, a sweet coat of pink (for one swap partner who loves pink) and mint green (for the other swap partner)...  the fun part began!  

For the top of the "basket", I decided to create a Spring garden in bloom, along with a bunny, some eggs and maybe a butterfly or two.

The blooms consisted of new and vintage silk flowers, in addition to handmade ribbon and fabric roses....   

... the inside of the "basket" was filled with Easter treats and vintage goodies...

 

The second egg basket also featured a garden... this one in bloom with pinks

and whites... featuring a sweet white bunny hiding among the flowers...

 

...a butterfly perched on the edge of the garden...

 

...lots of pretty little things inside... 

(the hardest part was getting the carton/basket to close!)

 

These were such a delight to make~ 

 

They are now enroute to their rightful owners... I'm hoping they will like them!

 

I'm off now - more Spring/Easter swaps to finish (whew~)

plus a menu to plan for Easter brunch (yes, I'm a last-minute planner).

p.s.  linking up to Beverly's Pink Saturday party and sharing my pinks...

Pretty eggs...

I've surrounded myself with flowers this week.

Both real...

(magnolia from my yard)

 

and not so real.

Is there anything during this time of year that doesn't look prettier when embellished with a flower (or two)?

That's the question I asked myself a couple of nites ago, when gathering materials to complete my project for Cassandra's swap...

 These little eggs just beckoned for a bit of adornment....   and I, as usual, responded ((gladfully)).

 

So instead of working on my egg cartons for the swap,

I got a tiny bit side-tracked.

Once the ribbons, laces, millinery and feathers were strewn all over my dining room table, it was difficult to remember what was on my "to do" list for the nite.  (does that happen to you?)

 

These little eggs gave me that "instant gratification" feeling...

 

And when all was said and done, I did manage to squeeze in a bit of work on my egg carton project (primed and painted each).

 

What project(s) have you been up to lately?  

I'm enjoying stopping by to visit friends and seeing all their amazing Easter and Spring creations.

Spring comes in many colors...

There is something magical, peaceful and refreshing about the colors of Spring...   

Mother Nature sure knows what she's doing when she showers us with the many hues of green, pink, violet, yellow, peach...  

as if to reward us for enduring the grays of Winter.

We bring the season's colors into our homes with flowers, bunnies, chicks, eggs... all things that are symbolic of Spring.

In my home, the rabbits definitely take center stage.

One can be spotted in every room; and they come in every size and color imaginable.

I have also been busy working on several Spring-inspired swaps... 

like these egg-shaped ATC's created for the Marie Antoinette Mail Art Group.

 

... and the "Springtime in Paris" gothic arch swap 

The wonder of the season seems to inspire creativity; don't you think?

I can't wait to see what everyone's been up to at Beverly's Pink Saturday party - we are celebrating everything Spring this week...  

I've got babies on my mind...

I got married very young.

 I became a mother very young.  

As a result, my own mother became a "grandma" at age 43.   She loved babysitting and going out and about with my children (by age 45 she had two grandbabies) and having people think they were her babies!

 

(tag made for Tabitha upon the arrival of her baby girl, Gillian)  

 

I always thought I would become a young grandmother myself.  So last year, when I turned the big "50" and was asked (quite frequently) what I wanted for my birthday, I would respond "to be a grandma before I'm too old to enjoy it!"

Yes, I know that 50 is the "new 42" and all that... but I want to have enough energy left in me to run after and with the little ones....   to see them start Kindergarten, graduate from college, and maybe even attend a wedding or two.  

Is that too much to ask? (sigh)

I know I drive my kids crazy whenever I mention it.

Nobody in my family is surprised that I like to "ooh and ahh" over baby clothes when passing window displays.  Or that I am attracted to vintage baby items...

  Like this sweet little bonnet. 

 

 

 

Or this cute little girl's  hat and purse...

 

 

LOVE the millinery....

 

 

 

Can never resist baby gowns...

 

 

 

This one is homemade from dainty silk fabric....

So sweet!

Hope you are having a wonderful week!

 

Sunday pretties...

Now that the St. Patty's feast of green is over with...  we can focus on our next creative adventure:  Spring and Easter!   Definitely one of my favorites!

Today I'm sharing these lovely French plates found this weekend at an occassional sale.  They have a few dings, but did I care?!?   Vintage French plates are getting more and more difficult to find and when I run across them, I quickly snatch them up (as long as the price is right).

 

...the colors are wonderful...

..there are five in the set (three of which are in great shape!)...

 

Happy Sunday!

 

Beautiful greens....

 

There is one day of the year when most of us celebrate the color green...  whether it's a shirt/blouse, an entire outfit, maybe an accessory... but we all like to don a bit of green to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and, of course, to avoid the pinching (do people even do that anymore??  it was really popular when I was growing up!)

 

It's fun to see how each person interprets and celebrates this day....  

personally, I like to wear just a hint of green... like a handmade green rosette...

Last year, I was fairly "green" to the world of blogging and swaps, so I contented myself with creating rosettes (above) for my coworkers and friends.

This year, I joined a St. Patty's Swap being hosted by Kim and JoAnne.  For "The Luck O' the Irish" challenge, we were asked to make 12 ATC's, one for each of the participants.  Our hostess, Kim, assembled a St. Patty's book, incorporating everyone's ATC, and added some gorgeous covers.  Another participant donated charms....   the result?  

 

 

An extraordinarily special St. Patrick's Day keepsake!

These are the talented artists who participated...

Peace

 

Oliva

Laurie

 

Kimberly

 

Michele

 

Karla

 

Karen

 

 

 

Lynn

 

 

Linda

 

 

My ATC Page

 

Our Hostesses...

JoAnne

 

Kim

Thank you, ladies, for such a wonderful swap!

 

 

I'm sharing my St. Patty's greens with everyone partying with Beverly for her Pink & Green Saturday event... stop on by and celebrate with us! 

We're getting married!

My eldest, Byron, and his fiancee, Katt, have selected a wedding date and venue... I am so excited!   We will be having a Christmas wedding (December 21st) and I couldn't be any happier ((smile)). 

 

(ATC made for The Altered Paper's Lace ATC Swap)

 

If you have children you know how we hope and pray that when they grow up and fall in love, that the person they select is "worthy" (maybe not the best choice of words) and that they are right for each other... well, Katt is exactly that for my Byron.   If I had to select a daughter-in-law, Katt would my first and only choice.  Byron is a very lucky man and our family is blessed for having her. 

So... back to the wedding...  Visions of candlelight, twinkling lights, red and cream roses... oh, I'm getting ahead of myself!  I don't even know what the bride wants; and I need to be careful not to be the meddling "mother in law" (this will be a challenge, I admit)...  

but I have had a lot of fun browsing through online photos!  

Of course, I was attacted to all the PINK wedding themes (which definitely will not be the case here, as my future DIL is not a pink lover).

Like a pink wedding dress...

 

...and a second dress for after the ceremony...

(although, I'm not sure exactly how the bride will be able to dance in this one)

 

 

The bride's bouquet of pink roses...

 

 

 

Sweet, darling pink cupcakes for the guests...

 

 

The most beautiful cake...

 

 

Okay, now that I've had my fix of PINK weddings, back to the real world.  Stay focused, Mercedes, we are planning a Christmas wedding.... (more to come).

All this pink browsing put me in the mood for some pink roses.... so I ran out and purchased a little bouquet at our corner grocer.  ((sigh))

Happy Sunday, friends!

 

(did you remember to change your clocks?)

(and belated Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound)!

 

 

 

Can you smell the roses?

We are one week away from the time change for Spring and I can hardly wait.  The gardener in me loves this time of year....  the anticipation of things to come; if only the Minnesota weather continues to cooperate.  

First the grape hyacinths will peek through the soil, then the tulips and daffodils... (sigh)

We did quite a bit of Spring cleaning around our house this weekend... including having our carpets shampooed, moving of furniture, cleaning out closets.  

The bunnies have started to make their appearance for the season (more on them ina later post).

I decided my photo folders/files were in need of a bit of cleanup as well.  (But gosh, why is it so darn difficult for me to delete anything?)  As I went through the 100's (no, make that 1000's) of digital images, I would often stop at some favorites.

 

 

call me crazy, but I love taking photos of wilting blooms and fallen petals...

 

 

a heavenly scented Easter lily

 

 

when the garden is still at rest in the earliest days of Spring, the forsythia smiles as if to say "wait until you see what's in store!"

 

 a close second behind roses (my favorite~), lilacs are a must-have in my garden

 

 

(photo taken at the Macy's Flower Show, 2010)

 

 

(hydrangeas.... they appear everywhere around my home when in bloom)

 

...let us not forget the romantic peony...

 

 

 

 

 

geraniums from my in-laws' garden in Philadelphia

 

 

ah yes, I did promise some roses...

(with a few others beauties mixed in)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Wishing you many lovely things this week...

don't forget to stop and smell the flowers (even if they are store-bought)!

 

 

Beauty in a box...and a few other things

 In my last post, I mentioned the "Paris Wall Pocket Swap" being hosted by my Marie Antoinette Mail Art group.  I also shared the gorgeous supplies my swap partner, Wanda, sent me.

 I've started working on my wall pocket and let me tell you, it was HARD deciding which supplies to use and where... they are all so beautiful; I have to be careful not to overdo things and make it look "junky."   My late mother-in-law, Bebe, and I would joke about both of us (or neither) never knowing when to just stop ("put the project down")... always wanting to add "one more pretty thing."  I've had to learn to edit - and that will always be a challenge for me, I think.

Today I'm sharing the supplies I sent Wanda for her wall pocket.

This recycled fabric box, tied with a vintage velvet ribbon and a handmade tag... contained fabrics and ribbons.

 Many of the supplies came from my stash of vintage fabrics and laces, but I did go on the hunt for some special pieces.

My search lead to me a wholesale fabric place about 32 miles from home...  a huge facility that caters to designs and crafters alike... their selection is incredible, and their pricing is competitive.

I was there for over two hours and still didn't see everything!

I have to admit that I was a bit derailed by the 50+ bins near the entrance.  They were labelled "European scaps."  And there I stayed for at least one full hour, digging through it all.  ((sigh))

 

Those of you who have swapped with me know that I love the presentation part of exchanging gifts....   I have been known to leave a pretty package unopened for a bit because I am reluctant to even undo a bow!   

 

 

A little vintage box filled with pink embellishments, silk ribbon and a handmade rosette.

 

 

.
Some handmade ribbon and fabric flowers...  this was the most stressful part for me, as my very talented swap partner makes the MOST AMAZING silk flowers I've ever seen!  She sells them here...

I'm truly an amateur in this arena.  My flowers tend to be asymmetrical and not perfect; I love the scrunched and shabby look of them.

Ribbons and laces, both newer and vintage.

 

We were to include a couple of "Marie" images.

 These were printed on silk habotai.

 

Another peek inside the box... 

 

 I can't wait to see Wanda's Paris Wall Pocket; I know it will be extraordinaire!

 

(p.s. I'm sharing my pretty pink supplies with Beverly and her Pink Saturday party)

 

 

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 my 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

 

Winter Wonderland... and other things January brings

I'm participating in Tee's "A Blog a Month Swap" at The Altered Paper, where we create a different tag for a new partner each month.  At the end of the year, we will have a lovely tag book comprised of 12 different tags showcasing the talents of 12 different artist!  Sounds like fun?  Absolutely!

January's theme was "winter or New Year's"... I decided to create a winter tag for my swap partner, Judith.  

Judith lives in Australia and their seasons are the opposite of ours; so needless to say, she's not celebrating winter or snow right now.

 

 

The skater image came from a vintage playing card received in my "25 days of Christmas" swap and I thought she would be the perfect star for this theme.

She skates amongst a background of snowflakes if all shades of blues and teals, with snowdust, silver and pearl accents.

 

No sooner had I put the finishing touches on my tag, packaged and posted, when a few days later I received Judith's envelope.

My heart beat a bit faster when I opened the envelope and fosaw this mini tag attached to the wrappings:

How sweet is that?!?

This is the amazingly beautiful tag I received...

All the details are superb... the layers of lace, the gown with just the right amount of irridescence, the white feather with the "2012"    Exquisite.

Thank you, dearest Judith, for my beautiful tag!

Belated THANK YOU...

I just realized that I had not shared a few of the Christmas and holiday gifts received...

Once again, my blog friends and swap partners amazed me with their generosity and creativity.  I thank each and every one for their friendship and look forward to a "2012" full of fun, sharing and creating!

Note to self for next Christmas:  do not join 10 swaps if you are planning to travel during holidays!

*********

I participated in JoAnne's Secret Santa Swap (read my post about it here), and received 25 little gifts, each individually wrapped and tagged.

Starting December 1st, I would awaken each morning and after grabbing my cup of espresso, would delicately open my gift for that day.

Each was a sweet surprise to open...  There is something extra special about opening little tiny gifts - don't you agree?  I love the thought and care that goes into selecting the items we send to our swap friends.  

My Secret Santa had put together a wonderful mix of new, vintage and handmade.

Of course, I didn't find out that my Secret Santa was Peace until January 2nd, when I returned from my holiday trip.

I had left the final little package to be opened upon my return.  This one would reveal (finally!) the identity of my Secret Santa.

I just love this ATC Peace made for me!

Thank you, dearest Peace, for making my December so special.

* * * * *

A very generous, sweet and creative friend I made this past year through blogland was Karla.  As we exchanged emails, ATC's, and swap gifts, we realized we both celebrated Three King's Day (or as we call it in Spanish, Dia de Reyes) on January 6th.

Sweet Karla sent me a boxful of lovely gifts, each individually wrapped.  One gift to be opened each day between December 25th and January 6th.

I took gifts for December 25-31st with me on my trip to Spain... it was so much fun to open one each morning while sipping espresso or chocolate a la taza in a sidewalk cafe... little did Karla know that some of her gifts would travel all the way to Barcelona and Mallorca Spain!

 Every item was beautiful, like this religious tag she made for me...

See the "crackle" effect?   It reminds me of the beautiful stained glass seen in all the churches we saw in Spain.  

Another day, I opened my little package to find this cube.

Karla also sent me a couple of assemblage ornaments created by artist Sandy Jackson (www.some-assembly-required.com).  I had never seen these before and was thrilled with the artistry and ingenuity behind them.  I can see getting addicted to either collecting or (yikes!) even attempting to make them!

Another handmade lovely by Karla.

 

Books, ornaments, a vintage bell... the fun continues!

Darling Karla outdid herself!   I am utterly spoiled and smiling.

Thank you, dear friend.

* * * * * 

And most recently, I received this ATC from Patti, for Wendy's Blissfull ATC Swap.

 

Patti creates beautiful digital art... and I've enjoyed browsing her blog for inspiration.  (My husband gifted me Adobe Photoshop for Christmas and I have quite a lot to learn about digital art!)

Thank you, Patti, for my lovely ATC!

 

Soller, Mallorca Spain

Happy New Year!  

We are seven days into 2012 and I have yet to post about my holiday trip to Spain.  

One word to sum it up:

 a

m

a

z

i

n

g

Of course, the very best part was seeing our daughter, Bianca.

 She was a wonderful hostess and guide, enabling us to see Spain through her eyes.

I'm still going through photos (800+) and selecting favorites for sharing.  However, today I want to focus on a little town in the island of Mallorca.   It was a 50 minute bus ride from Palma.... and is called Soller.

The views on our way up to Soller were breathtaking.

Our first glimpses of Soller literally took our breath away!

 Like something straight out of a story book.

The little town Plaza was decked out for the holidays.

And everywhere,

absolutely EVERYWHERE,

you looked there was something beautiful to see.

 

The windows, doors, little vignettes along the sidewalks....

My thumb was hurtin' from all the photo snapping...

And just when I thought I had gotten over all that beauty, we came upon this iron fence.

 

And behind it... this lovely private garden~

And as my eyes wandered, identifying known plants and trying to figure out what others were, I spotted one.   

A pink rose!

I crammed my camera between the fence bars, zoomed in, trying to get a better shot.

Still a bit blurry, yet magnificent.  

A total surprise!

But wait.... is that?  

another pink rose?!?

Lovely.

The perfect little town.

The perfect day.

And a perfect glass of Spanish red Crianza before our ride back to Palma.

Perfect.

p.s.  I'm slowly but surely getting back into my real life (lol).  

Linking up to Beverly's Pink Saturday party and sharing by Soller pink roses.

Merry Christmas!

This year, I only used about a fifth of my holiday decorations... with the pending trip to Spain and all the craziness the season brings, there just wasn't enough time or energy to go "all out."

I do have some favorites that I'd like to share with you...

 

 

From my home....

to yours....

Merry, Merry Christmas!

All my love and best wishes to you!

(I'm joining Beverly's Pink Saturday party, celebrating everything Christmas)