While cleaning up the studio for a mini redo, I came across some art journals I'd made a LONG time ago and forgotten about.
It started by cleaning the garage and coming across this buffet I'd forgotten about. After our kitchen remodel, I'd stashed it out there and it was buried under a pile of stuff my son was storing. I don't know why I didn't move it into the studio in the first place instead of leaving it to the spiders and dust in the garage for 9 months, its perfect in my work space.
The hutch had been sitting on a table previously. I switched the two out, then returned the hutch and all the stuff in it. The table is now in the garage with the spiders and I have an empty cabinet waiting to be filled up with more crap from garage sales treasures.(so I can lose them in the chaos too, like the art journals and the buffet. Who loses a buffet anyway? Does that mean I have waaaayyy too much junk?)
Back to the journals... I found a couple of them, and they are now listed in the Boutique.
One is filled with ephemera pages, and the other is a heavy canvas art paper, that I bought at an estate sale, kinda vintagey, not real old. But just perfect for a journal.
Um, I hate to admit it, but I found some other stuff packed away and forgotten too. Stacks of extra covers from the Birdsong tag book swap last year.
Plus a few extra tags I'd made while I was on a roll with the theme.
So I made up a couple of tag books and listed those too. And listed those in the Boutique under the Altered Books category, which had been empty for quite a while.
This art journal is in there now too, its a recent creation and was made from Beth's stash of goods, not mine.
I was at her house for craft day and was at a loss for a project.
She handed me a chipboard book and a box of paper and I did the basic pages for this, then embellished it when I got home.
(I have another project to show you from her stash too. I'll post it later this week. It was done with just what I could reach from my chair and not have to get up. I have to say, I could have gone on for years with this and not made a dent in the supply!)
She has great old papers piling up in her studio. This was in her box of odds and ends. I love the cracks from age.
When I listed this last book, I included a bagful of OLD goodies from my stash to finish it with, and am selling it as a kit.
Slowly but surely, I'll be filling the Boutique back up, and maybe, just maybe, I'll tend to the poor little neglected Etsy shop too.
But maybe not, I'm going out of town again this week.
Hopefully, I'll get more in the shop before I go. All purchases after Tuesday will be mailed when I get back.
I'll have fresh blog posts up for all week while I'm gone. And a chance to win this college I made when Beth and I practiced her class for Birdsong.
Leave a comment on any (or all posts) and I'll draw a name after I get back, probably on Sat. the 16th.
Being sick for most of last week has set me behind a bit in my quest to fill both shops up for the looming holidays!
Earlier, I got so embarrassed by my inability to keep my Etsy shop stocked that I shut it down for a while.
Now, I am happy to say, that while it might not be filled to the brim with goodies, I have it semi stocked and reopened, at least.
And I am making a dent in the giant pile of vintage jewelry that I have been meaning to photograph for the Boutique too.
There is no use beating myself up about not getting it all done immediately. Old stuff just gets older, it doesn't rot or start to stink.
The piles will all still be there waiting for me when I get time to get the pictures.
I tell myself, there is only so much time in a day. There is no stretching it out, that is all there is. I can make the best of it, or I can just fret.
Between the kitchen remodelling project and my travel across country to play fairy tales with my friends and visit my sisses, then all the cuddly grand kid time and Halloween fun, I simply had no time left to get sick and be off my game for a week.
But I did, its over, time to move on. If I start out the beginning of November fretting and fussing and feeling behind, just how much fun will I be having this season? Its barely begun and I am already stressed!
So, I'm putting implementing a NO Fretting Rule, and just telling myself that there is only so much one little old lady can do, right? I should relax, bake cookies with the girls, be social, and enjoy spreading Christmas decorations all over my new kitchen!
So, I made a plan. I'll take a few pictures and list a few things every single day, and what I get done, gets done.
Plus, you'd rather have new things to look at on a regular basis than a jam packed shop all at once, wouldn't you?
Christmas is already in the air here. Last night, Sugarwings and I started our annual tree dying tradition. A few are already listed on Etsy, the rest still need to dry, then be glittered.
On another note, do you remember those "10 things about me" lists that were going around on blogs years ago? I think they are back. I used to love them and was so addicted to reading them, I would go from link to link to link and just get lost in all the lists and not even remember who I was reading about.
I was just picked to do one again, but, I'm afraid I lost the link and name of who asked me. If it was you, would you please let me know? Sorry.
Anyway, I thought that I would take the time away from doing something else that really needed to be done (kits for a class, a story for Somerset, a project example- or two- or three, gifts to make, listing, listing, listing, and not to mention cleaning house, just to mention a few) and with my new found, No Fretting Rule, I would goof off and write out my list of:
Ten Things About Me
1- I'm always behind, so it wouldn't matter how much I get done, there is always more I want to do, my mind is a swirling, twirling, blur of ideas and colors. Which I why I am always doing different things, and not trying to capture the market on one type of art. I think I could do well if I stuck with something, but I keep moving on and trying something else.
2- On the other hand, I love Holiday tradition projects, like dying the bottle brush trees with Sugarwings (she is my little helper elf and loves being put to work). She has helped me since she was tiny. I hope that the trees stay in fashion and I can still sell some. Or we will end up waist deep in pastel trees, because we are dying another couple hundred or so.
3- I watch way too much TV. If I'd be willing to give it up, or at least do away with a fraction of the time i spend in front of it, I probably would not be so far behind with everything else in my life. But I can't quit you, DVR. And I don't want to.
4- In the studio, I listen to NPR all day, and only allow myself to watch TV out here if I work late at night or on weekends. But I rarely listen to music and don't care much for silence. I do sing a lot, but not to the radio. I sing all day long, and am most likely the worst singer ever. Maybe its because I am singing to NPR?
5- I talk to the dogs all day while I work and sometimes forget they might not be in the studio after all, and carry on a whole conversation with no one.
6- This NO Fretting Rule will not be easy for me. I do tend to fixate on what I need to do. My husband doesn't care much for that trait.
7- I'm usually pretty quick in everything I do. I'm not a deep thinker or planner, and work off the cuff. I rarely sketch or plan ahead. When I worked as a muralist, I would walk up to a 60' wall and just start painting with no drawing to go from. I don't like to do the exact same thing twice, so if I had a sketch, chances are that the wall would come out different than it anyway.
8- Once I fell off a horse and broke my back, and thought I was going to have chronic pain forever. But I don't because I try to stay limber. Exercise and I don't get along well, but I have to make the effort, or I start to drag my left leg.
9- I travel a lot even though I hate to be away from home (and my TV, my dogs, my studio, my Sugarwings, my family, my garden, did I mention my TV?).
10- I will fall for any excuse to waste time, even when time is short. As you can see by this list. And by how often I post. And by how often I am on Facebook. Its a good thing I can't quite get the swing of Pinterest. I can feel a huge pit of time seeping away there if I did. And I do appreciate all the pins people have made from my blog, thanks!
Finally, I'm getting to doing a Silver Bella post!! Life has been a bit crazy lately, sorry I haven't been returning emails or comments like usual. But since most of them were congratulations on the new baby, I don't think people expected a response. If anyone asked a question, I did try to answer that. I'm still trying to catch up on everyday life, holiday projects, and of course, making time to hold that little fairy baby that came to us last week!
My Bella time was extended by Stacy, Kim, Cheryl, Jessi, and Lonnie coming to KC to visit. They all came out to the cottage for dinner along with Beth and Debbie and Carol. Then, the next morning, we had brunch at Carol's magnificent farm house.
Every time I leave there, I feel like going home and throwing stuff away. Her home is so serene and uncluttered. Each piece is displayed with the importance it deserves.
And the light! The light is perfect in every room.
We lingered over the brunch and drooled over her home for a while, then took off in a caravan of cars to Omaha, stopping to junk in St Joe on the way.
(at my house the night before, we got into some supplies setting out in the studio and had too much fun with these gnomes. We decided to take a few with us on the trip)
You can't beat Rusty Chandelier and Jesse James in St Joe for the best shopping!
But of course, 2nd Chance in Omaha is kinda fun too.... They threw us a Bella welcome party with treats and wine. And HATS!
After 2nd Chance, we went to Upstream, my favorite Omaha restaurant, where the dirty little gnome and I ordered some Omaha Steak.
But the world's BEST shopping?????? Hannah's Treasures, or as we call it, Wallpaper Heaven.
Marilyn is always so nice to us, and she has the best papers anywhere.
And an artistic daughter. She created these Anthropolie inspired mirrors on the wall. I have a wall of framed wallpaper in the studio, but after seeing this, I'd much rather show off favorite papers this way. Too bad I gave away all those mirrors out in the shed a few weeks back when I had the big clean out!!
Marilyn (the owner) isn't open to the public, she sells online only. But every fall she opens up her home to bellas and makes us feel welcome.
Even thought this was my third year there, I still get overwhelmed by the abundance of beautiful papers. But I recover fast and like to stand and watch the expressions on the faces of newbies as they come in the door.
After we all get over the shock, it becomes serious business, looking at all the rolls and trying to find favorites. Everyone is so nice, holding up rolls that others might like, offering to split rolls and share.
We had two carfuls of bellas, here is Jessi and Suzanne looking through the cut papers.
And Kana digging in deep too.
I got to meet Kim that day, and we discovered how much we have in common. She and I are going to room together at Kim Caldwell's next event.
Once again, I bought more paper than I will ever use. So, I'm hoping to chop, iron, and package some for the shop soon. Well, I hope soon. I have turkeys to bake, trees to trim, and babies to hug.
There is no way I can pick a favorite activity or event from the weekend (well, Tuesday through Sunday is a bit of a stretched weekend, huh?). All was just perfect. Every year, I have more fun than the year before.
Part of it, of course, is deepening friendships and meeting up with bellas I've got to know before.
But its also just hanging out with sooooo many creative types under one roof.
Lots of laughs to share, as well as supplies and how-to tips.
New people to meet, and new ideas to explore.
And this year's classes were ideal. I thought each one was the best till I got to the next one. There are no faves, I loved them all and will use each and every piece that I made.
This year, the schedule was a bit different, Teresa did a wonderful redo on the event. Closing night dinner was her best idea ever. Between some tweaks she made, and a sea of new faces, I almost felt like a newbie myself. Kind of like how Survivor changes up the Imunity Idol and other things for a shake up to keep you involved.
I think this year seemed much more casual for some reason, and that was nice. More low key and laid back.
Hats on Parade was an interesting theme for Vendor night, there was quite a variety of toppers. Here I am in my towering cage looking like a whole garden, next to sweet Zita who looks like she belongs in a quaint English country garden. I was so happy to meet her, she came all the way from Canada.
And Laurie was a treat too, its so nice to finally meet people you have talked to online for so long.
Yep, I couldn't reccomend it more highly. Its been over a week since I've been home and I still laugh out loud some times thinking about something that happened there. I'll leave you with a few more photos, sorry I haven't linked to all the photos, but I'm swamped. And that is a lot of people. I'd hate to leave anyone out, so I won't even try.
I look forward to getting caught up, but wonder if that ever really happens?
In the meantime, I'll just say that these are all fine people, good artists, fun friends, and you'd probably enjoy their blogs if I had time to link to all of them.....
Do you ever feel like there just isn't enough time in the day?
Well, dur, I think that is a pretty typical problem.
Seems like it gets worse and worse for me every day. I'm trying to figure out where all my time goes. Beth and I want to have an online class for the upcoming holidays, since our Romantic Gothic Ghost class was so fun to do, but I don't have a single thing ready to go for it yet.
I did manage to pull together one last giveaway for the Halloween class, as promised. Beth has a bundle of goodies to give away too, I showed them in my last post. So, on October 31st, we'll have a drawing from everyone who had signed up for the classes and each give a prize pack to some one.
My goodie pack is all black and white, feathers and flowers from old hats, buttons, jewelry, and sheet music. All would be great embellishments for any of the projects, and honestly, most could be used in the upcoming Christmas class. That is if I ever get myself organized and get it done....
I know that as you age, days seem shorter and shorter. And they seem to run together. But man, for some reason, they are already going by in a blink of an eye for me. I'm not THAT old, am I?
There is a stack of projects a mile high in my head, waiting to happen. Some with deadlines that I'm afraid will be hard to meet.
These photos have nothing to do with my complaining about time management.
Actually, they are something to be proud of, I was able to photograph and add all these pretties and supplies to the Boutique and the Etsy shop. I'm trying to get my Etsy store stocked back up so that I keep 50 items in it, that used to be my goal and always worked well for me.
My online store was low on wallpaper, and I wanted to add a few packs to it and to the Etsy shop. I like to keep some in stock, along with other favorite supplies, but haven't had time to cut any more. So, I raided the stash of precut pieces that I keep by my desk and filled out the packs with some ephemera.
There is also a cabinet full of large pieces that I keep cut and stored within reach, so I won't suffer by parting with my 8 x 10" pieces. They are just such a handy size for a lot of projects, I spoil myself by keeping them around. But it won't hurt me to cut a hunk off of a bigger piece when I need some.
Heck, its not like I'm getting any work done anyway! Like I was just complaining about earlier. Somehow, I thought that since I was not going to be a vendor this year at Silver Bella, life would be more simple.
Ha!
I'm still not caught up!
Imagine how crazy I'd be if I had a booth to prepare and price and pack for? I'd really be whining.
Actually, I'm pretty durn lucky to have a job that I can let slide and concentrate on other things. Like this spooky batch of grand kids. And sitting at the computer whining to you about how little I get done, instead of doing stuff.
We have Sugarwings for the weekend, so I have a feeling, that I'll be playing outside and getting dirty with her instead of getting any further on the Romantic White Christmas class.
And the whole truckload is coming by for a Halloween party on Wednesday with some other kids, so maybe the projects piling up in my mind will just have to wait. The trick is to live in the moment and enjoy it, no matter how fleeting the moments feel.
Not to sound morbid, but you also realize as you get older that your moments are limited.
Now, I plan to live to be over 100 like my Great Aunt Caroline, but even that seems too soon for me, with all the things I want to do.
You only get so many minutes allotted to you in each lifetime. So, its hard for me to see them going by so quickly. I just want to savor my days, but before I know it, the day is done.
On the other hand, my son, the Guru, has a theory about time and aging. He says that when you are in "the zone" creating, enjoying your life, meditating, or just letting time slip away, YOU DO NOT AGE. hmm, try telling my jowls and sagging butt that one.
Well, instead of complaining, I think I'll go scan some images for the new online class before Sugarwings gets here soon. Time is what you make it. I like to think that its good to organize some and let the rest just flow.
Because there is just no fighting it, anyway.
(I'll have some baby shower photos coming up next post, that is if I ever get time to edit them!!)
Sugarwings and I had a pretend tea party this weekend, and we both opened hostess gifts from the Dorothy tag books swap. I'm so touched by all the thoughtfulness! Anyone who knows me, knows that the way to my heart is to spoil that little fairy grand baby of mine.
Or to make something for me, I Iove hand made things! Or to give me ephemera and supplies to use in my own work. Or to to make a thoughtful gesture. I guess there are lots of ways to get to me, I so appreciate an act of kindness!
Before the party started, we opened a gift from Barbara, that she sent, "just because". I swear, don't you meet the nicest people in the blog world?
We called it the Yellow Brick Road Dress. It's a colorful concoction featuring a road, appliqued ruby slippers down the front, and poppies stitched to the shoulder.
Sugarwings has both red glittered slippers from the Oz movie and silver glittered slippers that were in the Oz book. I found them at garage sales, and she loves them so much, that she insists they are on her bed at night when I tuck her in. Not exactly cuddly, but they make her happy. And I know how women can be about their shoes. Personally, I have Fred Flinstone feet and am always happy to find a non-Birkenstock that fits me. So, I can't be a shoe person like she is. Wish I could.
Agnes Rosebud was invited to the party, and I dressed her up in the poppy headband that Barb had made to go with the dress. But the little pup wasn't all that interested in our presents.
Until this one came out of the box! Even the dogs were remembered with a hostess gift of tasty treats.
And oh my! Do you see that flying monkey on the altered blocks?? Sorry its not facing the camera completely, the two blocks spell OZ in green glittered letters and its cuter than a bug! Its from Amy Bauer.
The monkey was all wrapped up as a gift to me, but Sugarwings can't quite believe it is not for her. If we have to arm wrestle for it, I think I can take her.
The ribbon in her hair was part of the wrapping that I saved from the packages filled with tags. I salvage every little bit of tissue, bubble wrap, and ribbon that comes along with the avalanche of artwork. When you order goods from my shop, I try to use as much recycled packaging as I can, and the outside of the envelopes often are covered with black sharpie scribbles marking out the old addresses. But I really take time and care to make the purchases look good when you get the package open.
And so many of the swappers did too. I did some oohing and awing over the way some of the tags were wrapped up. Then, I scooped up the stuff to save and use again! Thanks, swappers!
The Good Witch/Bad Witch buttons that are pinned to her Yellow Brick Road dress were gifts from my Sissy to Sugarwing's Hippie Chick Mommy. This kid gets her love of all things Oz from her mom and her dear departed Nanny, who were both huge Oz fans.
As much as I enjoy the Dorothy story, I don't come close to those girls. They are fanatics.
I've become more of an Oz afficionado since being around them. I can definately quote the movie, act it out, and sing the songs when called for.
Toto is my favorite character, so I really enjoyed this cute zipper pull and will add it to my little fairie's winter coat.
Many of the swappers included extra tags for my own book, or hand made thank you cards that were so cute, I had to add them to my tag book.
This one features little Agnes Rosebud as a tiny baby.
When I host a swap, I'm lucky to get lots of extra tags to fatten my books up. I have them all on display in the studio hanging from this metal shelf. And everyonce in a while I'll take them down to flip through. Its wonderful to have a mini collection of so many artist's work.
To receive hand made, personal gifts from the artists too, is just amazing! Cheryl made this box and book and I was floored when I opened it. Do you ever feel like a dweeb compared to other artists? I was overwhelmed by so many of the really extrordinary art that arrived at my doorstep for this swap. Its impressive to see the talent out there, and even more impressive to see all the tags spread out on my table tops to drool over.
So, if your book is a little curled up on the edges, that is just drool from my admirations.
Okay, now here comes the embarrassing part. I hate to admit this to you, but I might have screwed up. After finishing all the mailing, there is still a book on my desk....
I never said I was good at this. I just said I tried really, really hard to stay organized.
All the names are marked off the list. So, I have no idea who didn't get one.
On the other hand, so many people sent in extra tags, and I made so many myself, and of course, that will really throw off the numbers.
So, if you don't have your book by the end of the week, please let me know. So Sorry. Very Sorry.
Also, someone didn't get a Toto tag in their basket on the cover of the book. If your basket is empty let me know. There is a Toto on my desk waiting to be reunited with his Dorothy. ooops again.
Thank you, to all who were part of the swap and thanks also for all of the thoughtful gifts! Totally unessacary, but greatly enjoyed by us both!
Edit- this post is my studio from June 2010. A 2013 post is Here , 2012 post is here, and the 2011 studio tour can be found here.
Welcome to the Where Bloggers Create party! This is the view from my desk, cluttery as it might look now, this is really an improvement. It was actually cleaned up this week. There is always a lot going on, no matter how organized I think I'll try to be...
The room is almost 1,000 sq ft. And I love every bit of it!! I've made use of dining tables, spare rooms, garages, driveways, sheds, you name it, over the years I've used it as a studio. So when I got this space, it was a dream come true and I will NEVER take it for granted. I give a little sigh of happiness when I come into the space every morning.
Its one big room, divided up with old doors that I have hinged together, and furniture placed back to back to create walls.
This view is from the same seat, at my desk, but looking to the right, at one of my favorite parts of the room, the TV.
During the day, I listen to NPR on the radio, but evenings and weekends that TV gets a work out. My husband travels a lot, so there are nights that I stay out in the studio till 3 or 4 am watching shows that I have recorded and playing with old papers to my heart's content.
Its important to me to have stuff easy to get to, so the work area is a U shape, with lots of shelving. This is behind my desk and holds a lot of the stuff I use daily.
Having attractive displays is important to me too. I cover a lot of old boxes with pretty papers, or use vintage flower pots, cups, and baskets to store things in.
Just about everything in the room came from garage sales, auctions, or thrift stores except this glass topped table that I used to store my jewelry. Its from TJ Maxx and was only $58. It was already white, I just added a vintage wallpaper border to it so it felt like it wasn't so newish.
I kind of like old jewelry.
I kind of like old hats too.
But its really the flowers from the old hats that I crave, not the hats themselves.
Glass jars with lids make a handy storage display too. So many of the things that I use for my artwork are vintagey things that are pretty as is. So I enjoy having them out where I can see them. Plus, if I tuck things away in drawers, I forget where they are.
Here is a video of part of the studio, if you have a couple minutes to watch it. Its a little long and meandering, plus I tend to babble. Sorry.
This large cabinet holds all my fabric and sewing goods. I got it in pieces, for only $15, and had to rebuild it and fix it up.
It has a large drawer in the bottom that I keep watercolor supplies in, even though I don't paint as often as a should, I do get around to it a few times a year. The framed hydrangeas by the prom dresses is one of my paintings.
So, is this one. Its from the Grumpy Fairy book that I made for Sugarwings. I framed my favorite scene and hung it on one of the French doors that I use as a room divider.
On my previous post, I showed hand painted furniture that I use in the studio. I just don't paint as often as I used to, when I do its smaller pieces like this salvage bit over the door.
Or this plank over the window.
All around the room, I've displayed things that make me smile. Little projects that I have done, things that could be projects some day, gifts from friends, or just odds and ends.
I'll leave you with a few scenes from around the room. Make sure you visit Karen for a full list of the bloggers who are showing their workspaces this weekend. There are about a billion of them. I can't wait to work my way through the list, even if it takes a couple of weeks to see them all. Its kind of like peeking into an open house in an exclusive neighborhood. I just love to see how other people decorate!
Oh, and don't forget, that all comments all month are entered to win a Peat Pot Pretty with a frozen Charlotte fairy.
And if you add your name to the list of Followers, I'll enter you in a drawing for another prize. edit- this giveaway is over now, but I do have a new monthly giveaway ongoing. All comments, all month, on all posts count.
(yes- that is a dog pen in my studio, I just raised 6 pups)
The wallhanging is a gorgeous gift from Beth.
And yes, the guardian angel seems to be watching over co-joined twins, one with an ax in her head.
Okay, I'm getting carried away, this is plenty! Have fun browsing the Where Bloggers Create party. Thanks for hosting, Karen.
Edit- Lucky me!! I am one of three winners from all the wonderful studio spaces shown for Karen's party!! Jo Packham is going to feature the three blogs in "Where Women Create"
Thanks again, so much Karen, for giving me this opportunity, and thanks to you too, Jo!
I'm adding more photos of the studio to this post, the room changes a lot, so here are some views of the room over time:
Getting ready for a Creative Cottage Getaway with friends coming to play in the studio
Extra tables set up for company
Set up for a photo shoot for a magazine article a couple years ago
The hand painted floor
My Treat cabinet in Romantic Country Magazine with an article I wrote about how to find your personal Valentine's decorating style.
From the same article. I now use this cabinet for storing my shipping supplies.
Yep, this is actually in the studio! It was set up for an open house and sale that day.
This gazebo type structure is now where I have my computer and desk sitting. The tulle and lights didn't last, spiders and dust seemed to be very attracted to them.After a few months it was starting to look kind of haunted.
Another photo shoot set up. The room is no longer used for this, at one time, I sold hand painted furniture, and used this space for displaying the pieces and having sales.
This was also for a photo shoot. Now, I use the table for my sewing machine. When I have guests for a dinner party, I feed everyone in the studio instead of the house, we can seat over 25 people out there, if I move things around and organize a bit.
The stained glass door, is not really stained glass, its paint. The door was taken from the kitchen of our old farm house before we remodeled.
But usually, I just have a dozen or so guests and push the two dining tables in the front of the studio together.
My fairy grand baby and I love inviting friends over for cupcakes and tea.
Sugarwings loves the room as much as I do.
This is the front door of the studio, since this was taken, I've painted the doors bird egg blue and added hydrangeas to the hand painted shutters (they used to be bi-fold doors, found at a garage sale for a couple dollars).
My husband and I like to have our morning coffee out here on the porch. Its also nice to sip a glass of wine on during a thunderstorm.
I love every inch of my wonderful studio space and know just how lucky I am to have it. Thanks for coming by to visit!
Omaha was great, we had such a nice trip! Don't I have the world's sweetest husband, to chose a weekend at the zoo and the Holiday Inn's water park with all the kids as his 50th birthday celebration?
We LOVE this little water park in Omaha, its in a newer Holiday Inn that has great service, and free meals for kids. The indoor pool area is meant for smaller children and has never been crowded or busy while we are there.
Plus, the hotel is located near the Old Town area, with great food and shopping. While the kids napped between swimming in the morning and zoo time in the afternoon, I escaped to 2nd Chance. Where I found a pile of floral hats for under $7 each.
Plus a pile of Victorian scrap and old photos. I'm planning on making some fairy ornaments (hopefully a make and take at Silver Bella in November.) Have you ever noticed how hard it is to find just the right photos to make into fairies? You need to make sure you get both feet, a standing or sitting position that works well when the person is cut out of the photo, and no fingers to have to cut around.
Well, you don't want the person to be fingerless- you just don't want the fingers to be splayed and beyond the edges of the girl's dress. Its just easier to not have to cut out each tiny finger.
Normally, when I am on a family trip like this, I don't get in much shopping. This time I also got to stop at Rusty Chandelier in St. Joe on the drive home. It was a quick trip, to stretch legs and for my husband to fill up the car while Sugarwings and I looked around antique mall.
But I just knew that I had to stop, and I was right, my hat whispering skills had led me to a couple more hats that were waiting there for me.
How PERFECT is this sequin top hat???? Silver Bella's theme this fall will be hats and Teresa has been using a cute top hat as the symbol of the event this year. I found not only this hat, but this bit of Victorian scrap with this little girl wearing a top hat herself. There are some possibilities for that rolling around in my head right now!
So much for my theory that pictures for fairies need feet. I can see her as a little sprite, can't you? She might be the foundation for my design for the make and take for vendor night.
And there are a few pictures of Sugarwings that I might make into a fairy for my photo album.
We had lucky weather while in Omaha, there was sunshine and a light breeze at the zoo. Sugarwing's Daddy and his new family (well some of them, not all the kids could make it) came along for the trip and I discovered that its even more fun to have extra grand kids to spoil and play with!
Before the trip, I bought the girls matching dresses, and a coordinating red shirt for the little guy. Corny? Yep, but I thought it was adorable, plus it made them so easy to keep track of all day. We knew that the red blurs running up ahead were ours.
Our hotel was around the corner from the Qwest Center, where Barnum and Baily Circus happened to be for the weekend. We hadn't planned on attending, but the kids had never been, so when the zoo closed at 6, we swung by for the next performance at 7.
The morning started at the pool, then napping, then zoo, then circus, then ended at the pool again. Whew! That was one jam packed day.
But, my husband and I decided at the last minute to play hooky and just buy tickets to the circus for the rest of the group. He and I snuck over to Old Town and had a romantic dinner, then walked around holding hands and enjoying the evening.
As ideal as the kids were all day, sweet, polite, and fun- it was nice to have a night out with just the two of us. When we got back to the hotel, we joined the kids at the water park, where I taught them how to play shark tag, and let the parents go have their own little get away dinner.
I think my handsome husband had a fantastic birthday, I hope he enjoyed the trip as much as I did! He's a great guy and deserves a good celebration!
Still, its nice to be back home with our puppies again.
The sampler that Beth made for my birthday is so beautiful! I have been moving it from one place to another until I decide where I'd enjoy it best. I'm in the middle of some redos (again!) so this is good timing for finding just the right spot to show it off. I will have some photos of it later, for some reason the ones I just snapped didn't come out so good, and I am short on time right now, we're getting ready for a craft day in the studio with friends.
The pups come over to the studio with me every day when I go to work. I load them up in a bag and haul them all together to the work space. In the evenings, they come back to the main part of the house with me and live in a wading pool that takes up a big part of the kitchen.
Here is their studio home, they have a bed (on a heating pad to keep the chill of the cement floor away) and next to that is a chair that Twinkle can jump onto to escape them if she wants a break. And don't all moms deserve a break? I remember when my boys were little and I was day dreaming of the time when I could finally close the bathroom door and not have someone on the other side demanding to be let in.
Speaking of potty time, I'm experimenting with litter box training these guys. At this age, they are learning not to pee in their nest, but have such tiny bladders that they have to go just about as soon as they climb out of it. So, I placed the litter box right next to the bed, and it seems to be working. I do have some papers down too, but most of the mess is going in the litter.
Its hard to believe that something this tiny and sweet can produce so much pee and such a mess. I'm hoping the litter idea works, because I have been changing newspapers all throughout the day. And am already getting a bit tired of that part of the experience.
My husband is going to Nag's Head on business this week and invited me to tag along to the coast with him. Instead, I am home with an ocean of puppy pee. I probably could have found a dog sitter for a few days, but honestly, we have these guys for such a short period of time, I hate to miss any of it. I promised my husband I'd go anywhere with him at all when he travels in June but I just didn't want to miss any puppy time now.
So, it looks like I'll be tagging along to Pittsburgh in June instead of the Outer Banks in May...
Do you blame me for not wanting to miss a week of the few short weeks we have these guys?
Plus, I still have Sugarwings a few days a week until her Daddy gets out of school at the end of the month. I didn't want to leave them in a lurch for a babysitter. (and I don't want to miss out on any of my special days with her either!) Once June is here, I don't know how often I'll have her with me.
My poor husband really is on the road a lot. We try to make up for it when he is home by making the time as fun as possible, but I need to also make an effort to travel with him more. I'm such a home body, its hard for me to pack up and go. Seems like last year, I was taking one trip after another and it really wore me out. I don't know how he handles traveling so often!
I'm going to have to be a bit more supportive and travel with him when I can. We usually have enough Southwest points for a free flight, so tagging along with him is pretty cheap. And we do enjoy our trips together once I force myself up and out of the house.
For now, he understands about these guys and my ties to them. He's such a wonderful guy to work so hard for all of us and sacrifice his time away from home to do it.
While he is away, I put in as much studio time as I can, so that we can hang out while he is here. And I can spoil him with his favorite meals.
I'm still embellishing the tee shirts from Wal-Mart. I wish I could buy two in every color, I swear, these are the most comfy tees I have ever worn.
For this salmon pink shirt, I made a rose from ribbon and a cut up hankie. The kerchief was cut into half, and I used just one of the halves to make it. I cut it into equal squares, then pinched each together from the center of the square and put a stitch there.
After that, I put all the pinched and stitched squares together and sewed them into the rose. I'm not much of a sewer, but this was really easy.
Since I didn't have pinking shears and was afraid the edges might fray, I sewed the rose to a pin instead of directly to the shirt, then tied the ribbons to the pin.
I took scissors and rounded off some of the corners, to make them look more petal like after it was done.
Yes, I am still yammering on.... here are a few packages of purchases from my Boutique that I wrapped up yesterday.
These vintage flocked wallpaper pouches are becoming an obsession with me. And some are getting a bit fancier than others.
If you order anything from my shop that fits in one, that is probably how your purchase will be wrapped up. I've made quite a few for that purpose.
If you are wondering whats new there, I'm adding some vintage new stock necklaces. Man, are they something! Each is close to 100 years old, and has been packed away, never worn. YOU would be the first to wear one of these beauties!!!
I listed a few yesterday, and have more to get in the shop. So please check back!
What's the only thing better than scoring over a dozen floral hats at a flea market? Playing with them when you get home! Especially when you have friends who want to play too.
These little guys are starting to get interesting. They all try to come to me (but are still kind of stumbly) when they hear my voice now. It has not been easy to get any work done today, its the first day that the pups really seem to want to spend as much time with me as they do with their mom. Its funny to see how fast they develop and change. Just yesterday, they were mostly sleeping and today they are crying until they get picked up!
Between snuggles, I've been plucking hats. My hat storage is overflowing, so I needed to make space by pulling all the flowers off the newest arrivals. Finding 15 in one day is kind of amazing, even with my hat whispering skills. But I have to admit that I had a little help at the flea mkt, Beth pointed a few out to me and was nice enough to let me at them.
She and I are good shopping partners. I try to point out things I know she'll love. Even if I love them too. We kind of let things go to who ever has the most passion for the item, or take turns with the greatest stuff, or even share. We started a wallpaper pact years ago to prevent jealousy. If one of us scores big on wallpaper, we always share with the other.
(The hat with the brown ribbon only had a few flowers on it, but LOOK at that fabulous dotted Swiss ruffled ribbon that rims it!!)
See why I can't resist these guys? They are finally starting to look around and observe their world and its so cute when they just stare into my eyes. I don't know if I've ever been more in love with a batch of pups... its going to be hard to say goodbye in just a few weeks!
Its always hard to say good bye to the flowers too... I fall a bit in love with each bloom. I was reading Jenny's blog the other day and drooling over some flowers she used on a May basket, then she mentioned she had bought them from me!
Its never easy to say good bye to Sugarwings when she goes home to her mommy or daddy either, but its easier knowing that her parents are generous with letting us have time with her and with them too. We are so blessed and lucky that our extended family can all "share" her and get along. Even though her parents aren't together, we are all still family. I'm hoping that her Daddy's new family will be able to blend with us all too.
My theory is that you can't have too many people to love.
We celebrated May Day together by going to a carnival at her school, then my handsome husband and I did hours and hours of yardwork.
The school is out in the country, and was a lovely setting for all of the events. The big kids did a May Pole dance, there were arts and crafts, live music, and a hula hoop class. (That's my husband showing his moves)
Our tiny little hooper had a blast.
Especially with the glue and scissors. Sometimes I wonder if she really cares about creating anything, all she cares about is cutting and gluing. That kid is obsessed with scissors and glue.
And when I buy her clothes at Goodwill (this is a $4 dress) I can relax and enjoy watching her go wild with the glue.
I probably shouldn't go so many days without posting, I tend to have too much to say as it is, when I post every day or two! It was such a busy and fun weekend that there is just too much to blather on about. Flats of flowers, working in the garden, redoing a guest room, parties, boating, puppies to play with, May poles and more. No wonder I didn't have a chance to do a post!
I'll leave you with some photos of the flower packs I added to the shop, stop running on and on!
We are counting down the days till puppy time, poor Twinks looks about ready to pop! She still has some time to go, and it looks like she is going to spend those days resting.
The whole time I am in the studio, she curls up in this dog carrier/purse. She barely fits anymore, and I'd hate to have to sling it over my shoulder with her (and that tummy full of pups) in it at this point.
It was given to her when she was a puppy herself by a friend, and I used to carry her around in it. It has become her dog bed under my work table. Now that her birthing time is getting closer, she rarely leaves the bag.
Or maybe she just hides in it to escape the chaotic mess that my studio has become?? I feel like hiding when I look at it too. I have two craft days and an Easter Egg party coming up, one tomorrow, so I might need to rent a back hoe to clean this quickly.
Here is something I have learned about having a nice, big studio to work in.
THE MORE TABLES I SET UP, THE MORE STUFF I LEAVE OUT.
Its really sad, because I enjoy having a pretty place to work in, and I'd never let my house get to this point. My home always looks lived in, but not scary like the studio. I like things pretty and peaceful. But out here, things just pile, and pile, and pile. Till I force myself to do something about it.
I knew I'd let it go too far when Sugarwings lectured me about covering up her Play Doh table with packing materials. We talk a lot about her not messing with my stuff, and I was in the wrong to over flow into her area. And I sure heard about it too.
It may look like utter chaos, but there really is a working order to it... at least that is what I tell myself. I'm sure that is what all the people on "Hoarders" say to themselves too.
So, today, I've spent the morning clearing away the last of the Alice themed goods. I've listed the remaining 4 tag covers (I think I'd made about 100!) in the Boutique and all of the materials I used while working on the tags and books are stowed away.
Then, I finished up making Peat Pot Pretties with Charlotte fairies from all of those materials that were still out. I've listed these two and have a few more to photograph. Soon, I hope to gather up what I need to make up the kits that you have asked for to make your own. Maybe after I face the taxes....
There was a big pile of flea market finds that I was trying to get photographed and listed, and that is done now too.
The trouble with cleaning up, is that I can't just put things away. I have to finish up whatever I had them out for in the first place. And use up the scraps. So, of course, when I come across something like an old candy box that was torn, I had to make tags out of it. If I'd packed it away, then it would have just become clutter and would have looked like I was saving torn up trash. Then, I really would have felt like a Hoarder!
So, I made tags from the box. And took photos, and listed them. (I'm patting myself on the back big time over that) I used tidbits laying around on my desk. That is such a much more fun way to clean than to just pack it all away. Plus, its a challenge to limit myself to using what is on the desk, not getting anything new out.
And then, when I get to the place when there is not much left to use on the desk, I can get back to the rest of the clean up.
I'm kind of looking forward to it. I have all day and all night by myself, till as late as I'd like to stay out here and putter and clean. I'll watch the Idol results and Runway while I work and eat granola bars for dinner.
Although, so far, this season of each has been kind of blah to me... Still a fan, but just not as excited about either this time around. I'm still hanging on to LOST too, but I kind of feel like every time they give us one of the so called, promised "answers" its still a question. So, is Richard right, is the island Hell, or was that just his way of seeing it, because of his background??
And please remember, if you want a chance to win this month's giveaway- the shard and rose quartz pendant, you can leave a comment on any post, you don't have to go back to the one where I announced the MARCH GIVEAWAY.
Okay, back to work for me. But first a quick trip to the PO and the gym.
Learn how to make a mini dress form, and get tips on how to embellish your creation. This class comes with ideas, videos, instructions and ephemera images to download and print.
