The house seemed empty after all my campers packed up and left, and I dropped my husband off at the airport for his business trip. But luckily, I had plans with my regular crafting group, Shawn, Marilyn, Beth and Mary. They came over to liven up my empty house and we laughed and chatted while we each worked on our own projects.
Mary brought a giant box of book covers and offered them to us to use. I picked out a couple, not wanting to be greedy, but there really was a LOT of them and she kept telling us to take more, so I got a hefty stack to use. I was inspired to make something with them right then and there, so I used two of the covers, layered with French dictionary paper, a calling card, a vintage cameo brooch, a little bloom from one of my hats, and a photo (also from Mary).
The collage is $14, please email me if you are interested.
These book covers make an excellent back drop for a collage and I can't wait to make more. One book was Alice in Wonderland and I am daydreaming about making a whole art journal with Alice themed pictures inside that cover.
The collage was a quickie piece of work, the rest of the afternoon, I put together crowns. (available in the Boutique at Karla's Cottage) Now, don't ask me why, it isn't on my list of things I am behind on, and that I desperately NEED to get done. (lets not talk about the pile of receipts on my desk, the listings I need to do for Etsy, or just the packages of stuff to make up for Silver Bella!)
This time last year, I was making crowns too. Back then, the article that Carol and I did together for Romantic Country was just coming out on the stands. She and I set up a garden party in my back field to photograph and she made some crown votive holders and I had written up a how-to for the story.
Carol is a sweetie and didn't mind me making some of my own up. Our styles are very different, plus why would you do a tutorial and not expect people to make some themselves? She meant for the directions to be shared. Any way, I still had some of the wire cut and painted from last year's crown making marathon, so I thought I'd whip a few out while avoiding my real work that needed to be done.
And I guess Romantic Country had been on my mind lately. I had mentioned in a posting last winter that I was scheduled to write an article about Jenn's home. Well, it didn't happen. Seems like in the magazine business that sort of thing happens a lot. Things get planned, plans get changed.
The article that Diane Guthrie and I did about my bedroom still hasn't been published. I think I'd told you that it was on its way too. Somerset Life has said they were using some of my wallpaper journals and that hasn't shown up yet either. Jo Packham talked to me about shooting my studio for Where Women Create, had to reschedule, but then it never got shot. Lets, see, what else? Hmm, seems like I've had a string of near misses lately.
Maybe I shouldn't talk about upcoming stories until I actually see them in print?
You might have noticed that I don't really think things out or plan what I write in these posts, I just kind of ramble on about what is going on in my life or is on the tip of my tongue at the moment. I guess I should be more careful about announcing things, because after years of doing magazine articles here and there, I know how the business fluctuates and changes. Plus, for me, its just a hobby, not a job, so some years I won't have a single story printed, other years I might have 4 or 5. I don't really pursue it much, I just kind of do what comes along.
Sometimes I wonder what I could have accomplished with my life if I'd actually tried…Instead of just doing what comes along or feels like fun that day? If I had gone after a career or stuck with one thing????
But on the other hand, I know how durn lucky I am to have the odd ball, do what I want-when I want, no career-career that I am plopped into right now.
When I was out junking on the East Coast, I noticed road signs that mentioned "Elizabethan Gardens" on Roanoake Island. Well, I'd just spent most of the previous day reading "The Other Queen" by Phillipa Gregory, about Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth, so I was already in an Elizabethan frame of mind, and pulled over to see what it was about.
There was only one day available to play while my husband was working, and I'd already spent the morning out junking. So, I'd planned on heading back to the hotel to finish my book on the balcony or on the beach. But when I stumbled across this garden, I was entranced.
As I walked through this labyrinth of surprises, taking pictures and having so much fun, it occurred to me that I am officially a LITTLE OLD LADY now. (well, maybe not so little, I'd already indulged in some pretty good vacation foods)
I had just chosen a garden tour over an afternoon on the beach!!!
But there was something so magical and timeless about this woodland paradise that made me glad I'd made this choice. Even though 20 years ago,or even 5 or 10 for that matter, you couldn't have drug me away from the sand and sea.
Being a little old lady isn't such a bad thing. It just shocks me sometimes, when I realize that is what I am….
Have you tried these Logomachy (don't ask me how to pronounce that one) cards from Mary yet? I am enamored with them! For only 6 bucks, you can download a set for yourself. I've used them for so many things now, they are fun to play with. I especially like to make these logos, or to print the cards to make personalized tags.
And I think it is nice the that K for Karla says "prize" on it.
Speaking of prizes…. I made up this package to send to my pal, Kim. She is hosting another one of her art gatherings and I am providing a drawing prize for it.
SOMEDAY, I will get out there and go to one of her over-the-top-fabulous-wonderful-arty-beautiful events. Someday…
In the meantime, though, it seems like I've had one trip after another all year. So, I just couldn't fit one more in and still stay sane.
As a matter of fact, I am flying away tomorrow. I am going with my husband on a business trip to Nag's Head. We plan on celebrating our 24th wedding anniversary on the beach. While in that part of the country, we are going to a wedding in Charlotte, then flying home just in time to celebrate Sugarwing's third birthday.
Does anyone have any advice about dining or shopping in either area? I'll have a whole day in Charlotte and would love to find some shops. I've never been to that part of the country before, so any tips would be appreciated!
We are bringing my sweet little mother-in-law home with us, and will have my husband's sister and her husband here for a couple days too. As soon as they leave, I am flying off to Indiana for my sister, Bobbie Sue's big 60th birthday bash, coming home just in time to catch up for a few days, then going to the annual flea market in Sparks and White Cloud with Beth.
Then, my other sister's family will be coming to stay for Labor Day weekend to go to the Renfest with us. I think we'll have about 20 house guests…. But they are bringing tents and camping out!! How fun is that? I might just set up a tent and sleep outside too!
So, no trip to California to go to Kim's event in September. I added this calender page from a vintage kid's book to the package I sent to Kim for the drawing, and thought I'd share it if you wanted to print and use it, but sorry, its a bit crookedy.
I'll be able to use the hotel computer to check emails, but won't get to post while I am away, so I will do a couple of posts in advance for this week. ( this one was written on Monday, so I am already soaking up sunshine on the beach-through the sunscreen, of course, gotta guard against even more wrinkles)
Please remember that all comments are entered into the monthly drawing, and this month, it is another one of my hand painted charms.
Maybe next month, I'll have my book ready and can give away one of those!!
Thanks so much for the kind words about the book! I'll let you know when I have some to sell. I need to proof read the sample copy, then order some and foof them a bit. Don't you think the wings need to be glittered up???? I just have to be careful to not use a glitter that will flake off, since this is a bedtime story, but then, sparkly sheets don't sound too bad to me.
Miss Sugarwings has been here a lot this week, and with the trip out of town and the trips out on the lake to picnic and float around, I have not been able to finish the Grumpy Fairy illustrations yet. I did make a few quickie projects. When I am rushed and don't have time to start something big, a bottle of glue, some paper and old flowers will fill the need to get me creating and make me feel better.
This bird cage/dress form lady was really cheesy when I got her from a garage sale. I hope that her cheesiness has metlted away now that she is vintaged up with French dictionary pages, a skirt made from an old veil, millinery, a bird and some bling.
Honestly, there was not a single thing wrong with this little hand crocheted box. Its old and lined in silk! No problems there, that is for sure. But, I thought it could use a mini fix up and I added silk ribbons and flowers to the top of it.
This babe was in definite need of some Nanny 911. Her dress was way too big, her carriage wheels were missing, and the carriage itself wasn't in that great of shape.
Ta da! Grammy 911 to the rescue!
I stitched up her gown and took in the voluminous sides of it, then added a ribbon belt. She gets a hand made bonnet from vintage lace too.
The carriage is still cracked, but no one would know, I've covered the sides with millinery blossoms, and then I lined the bed with a lacey hankie.
Actually, she is lucky to be alive at all, her redo almost did her in. Sugarwings was "helping" me. I was able to convince my little one to work on a play-doh baby while I worked on this vintage one. This fragile tot wouldn't be able to withstand Sugarwing's good intentions, I am sure.
Last of all, I glued old buttons on to replace the missing wheels, and gave them tiny flower hub cabs.
I've also been gluing flowers on boxes and a few other things. Its good to have these type of projects that are more "fluff" than work when I have the baby in the studio with me. I can't get into anything too serious with her by my side. She'll be 3 in a couple of weeks, so even when she does get into her own projects, I am up and down with her, admiring her work, or showing her a trick or two with the play- doh. I'm quite lucky to get anything done, really.
She and I did pluck some flowers from the hat garden. I almost hate to do anything like that in front of her, in case she is tempted to get into the hats and pluck away without me….
But, she mostly wore a few and danced around as she sang some of her favorite songs while I sorted the flowers and plucked. I realized it is not too early to start gathering up and listing the fall colors to sell. Although, I sure prefer the soft pinks in the earlier pics, its fun to have a change for the fall season that is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER- ugh! I'll miss summer. But its not gone yet, I'm on my way to the lake again for the evening to soak up as much of this gorgeous weather while I can. Its oddly cool for August, but I'm not complaining!
Before I hit the water, I wanted to let you know who won the JULY GARAGE SALE GIVEAWAY PRIZE PACK-
Kathy from Chicago
ps- have I ever mentioned how much I HATE (*^*%$#()^^*TYPEPAD???????
I have to write the entire post off the top of my head, there is NO going back in and changing one little thing. If I try, my computer screen locks up. So, in the paragraph about Sugarwings and her work, I meant to say "play-doh" NOT just "play" and I cannot fix it.
If I ever sound like an idiot, please blame Typepad not me. Well, I do say dumb things, but still, I'd like them to take ALL the blame, I am mad right now after my screen locking up 4 times while trying to fix this one line and now I am late for the lake!!!
RE-Edit- I just downloaded Firefox to use instead of Internet Explorer and was able to go back in and change 'play' to 'play-doh'. But the hour glass icon was still flashing like it does right before the screen locks up, so I don't know if it will be the answer to the problem or not. But thanks, to all of you for your suggestions!!
Today, Karen is asking us to show our workplaces. My studio is one of my very favorite places in the whole world to be, so I am happy to show mine!
This week, I has some friends over for a craft day, and Mary brought her Flip Camera again, and made a few videos of what we were doing and of the room. Here is a rambling, incoherent video of me showing my hat collection.
Okay, I tried to load the video directly into the blog, but if you don't see it, you can check out the YouTube site, if you want. (Yes, that is paint on my pants. And no, I was not painting that day. I am a poor dresser)
Mary made a few more videos that day, hereis one of just some sights around the studio. I'll try again to load it directly, but my tech skills are severely lacking.
Mary does a good job with the videos, but I don't think I loaded them right….
So here are a few photos of craft day, "Where Bloggers Create" like the title of the party says.
My studio would probably be much more convenient without the big wardrobe I use as a treat cabinet, but it seems to be a popular piece of furniture. Especially to Sugarwings.
Although there is a lot to be said for using the right pieces of furniture. I'm loving this new hutch that I bought last weekend at a garage sale for $35 and fixed up a bit. I added old wallpaper trim around the base of the top section to hide some missing trim. I'm still thinking about adding wallpaper to the inset panels too.
One thing I really like about this cabinet, beyond the fact that it holds so much and I was able to get rid of two smaller pieces so that the room is less cluttery, is that there is not any glass in the doors. I can reach right inside and get to things easily.
Here is the hat garden from the video. Its an old buffet that I have piled with stuff. Its top holds supplies for my work, as well as some completed pieces that are or will be for sale, things I've bought from other people, and gifts I have received.
Its important to me to have things out where I can see and enjoy them.
I've discovered that if I put too much away inside of cabinets, I forget what I have. So I try to arrange my goodies out in the open and leave interior spaces of the furniture filled with basics. Like paints, sandpaper, book binding materials, jewelry making supplies, and baskets of bottles.
Things that I use a LOT go right above my desk, within an arm's reach.
On the front half of the studio, I have two dining room tables that I use for extra work surface or for dinner parties. The centerpiece on this table is really just crap storage. And I am all the time rifling through the tablescapes for a little tid bit here or there to add to something I am making.
The other table's centerpiece is often things I have just made, or stuff I just bought while junking recently.
This bird in its nest is something I just finished, and need to list in the Boutique. Her egg is a regular plastic Easter egg covered in vintage wrapping paper, then a sugar coat of glitter.
This little bird's nest is a treasure trove of pretties and bits of jewels. I need to get pictures of it and get it on the website too….
All of the things I have listed for the Boutique and Etsy in the last day are mostly supplies and jewelry, not handmade things.
Sometimes, even with a big room, it is a challenge to store things for upcoming shows. I've turned a corner of the room into a closet filled with shelves to stack up stuff for events I'll be selling at, but some things are just too pretty (or large) to put away. And what is the fun of buying them, just to lock them away in a dark closet till I take them to a show? So, just about every surface is full of some sort of collection. Right now, I am stock piling figurines and statues for use as jewelry displays. Won't these ladies look nice dripping with jewels? Then, hopefully, they will sell too and I'll have less to pack up after the show.
Of course, I get to the point where there is so much in the room that there is barely room for people… When craft day comes, I bring in extra tables to set up for guests (Beth and Mary are working away in this photo), but I am rapidly running out of space to spread out into when guests come!
Of course, there is always the patio too! When guests are as messy as this one, that seems to be the best solution.
Feel free to join in on Karen's party, I'm looking forward to going around the list and seeing "Where Bloggers Create"
(Which reminds me, some of you have asked when I was going to be in "Where Women Create" by Somerset. Well…. now I don't know. The editor had spoken to me about scheduling my studio, then postponed, but said to keep in contact with her. But I just feel like I am bugging her if I remind her, so who knows?)
ps- Thank you all for your encouragement about the Grumpy Fairy story. I think I just might make it into an illustrated book.
These two are inseparable. When Sugarwings is "being Dorothy" as she calls it, she makes Twinkle be Toto with her. I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but she is holding her Toto in this picture.
We painted and glittered the pathway in the flower bed to look like a Yellow Brick Road, and Sugarwings has loved skipping and singing on it.
Usually her little Toto/Twinkle is not far behind.
But now, Twinks is missing. She's been gone since noon Sunday, and I was sure that when the vet's office opened today, there would be a message from someone who called the number on her tag.
No messages. The Humane Society opens in an hour, I'll be at the door waiting when they do.
I won't be able to face this little one and tell her that her dog is gone. My own heart is breaking too. Twinkle is not a dog to run off, she chases bunnies into the woods, but always comes when called and is practically made of velcro, the way she sticks with me all day.
We were out doing yard work, she ran after a bunny and never came back yesterday. After about 10 minutes, I knew that there was something wrong, because she has never been away that long.
Edit-
TWINKLE IS SAFE!!!!!!!!!!! Some one picked her up and took her to the pound, and now she is back home and happy to be here. Not as happy as I am to have her here, I still feel like a wreck after the day and night I went through!
Dogs sure become family, don't they? My gosh, what a scare to lose her. I'm thrilled to have her back. Thank you all so much for worrying along with me.
Thanks for all your kind comments about the Fairy Berry Trail! I have to admit, it was not my idea, my husband mowed and created it last spring. He and Sugarwings have been enjoying the walks down the trail for a few months now. I just gaudy-ed it up with a bunch of junk from Hobby Lobby this week.
We are both smitten with our little Sugarwings and can't get enough of seeing the world through her eyes. Life is magical when you have a fairy grand baby around, whether the fairy trails are filled with real surprises around every corner, or just imaginary ones.
Yesterday, I was invited to an early sneek peek of an over the top, wonderful garage sale. While there, I decided to get started on my JULY GARAGE SALE GIVEAWAY, and bought a pretty postcard to kick off the package. So, here you go, item # 1 in the giveaway. More to come…
At the sale, I found a huge stash of not just post cards, but these pretty, Victorian books. And believe it or not, I actually got them all photographed and listed into the Boutique(lately, I have not been so productive with my shops…)
While I was feeling so proud of myself for getting some work done, I added these ephemera packs too. They are filled with a variety of great old papers, no copies, all originals.
Not only did I get a bunch of new goodies listed, I went through the site and did some housekeeping. Things that had already sold, should now be deleted, so it is easier to shop.
Plus ( I'm patting myself on the back), I even added another ephemera pack to Etsy! This one is all floral, also all OLD. It includes one of the gorgeous vintage postcards I got at the sale yesterday.
What else did I get at the sale? Well, something I did NOT need, but couldn't resist.
See why? Man, these chairs were meant to live here with me. The person I bought them from has a house jam packed with this kind of thing, and I'd love to have any of it! I felt lucky to get these, they are antique, and newly recovered. Her things are always top notch.
The new chairs inspired a mini makeover. Just a bit of brightening and sprucing up for summertime. I bought these old curtains years ago at another garage sale, but never had the right place for them. They are different sizes and have pleats at the top.
Well, the pleats are at what used to be the top. I turned them upside down and hung them from the hem. The fact that they are different lengths and pleated is hidden by the sofa. And where the hem was too tight for the rod, I ripped the stitching out a bit..
Then, I looked through the closet stash of pillows to find a few bright ones to add a little more color, and picked some fresh flowers from the garden.
I added a little fruit themed plate (how summery is that?) for color on the side table and that was it.
Having a neutral colored sofa and walls (and now chairs too!) means that I can redo for each season by just adding a few colorful things here and there. And by shopping at estate and garage sales and stocking up on things like curtains and plates for cheap, means I can afford to change things out when I want to.
Lets see, what did I spend?
Chairs $100 (BIG SPLURGE)
Plate – free fromBeth, she brings me stuff she gets in auction lots!
Curtains- $8 about 6 years ago
Pillows- Clearance at Hobby Lobby and Home Goods a few years back- $26
Flower vases- 25 cents at a garage sale
I think I'll need to buy a can of Scotch-guard to protect the new chairs before Sugarwings gets a hold of them, though.
This post was accidently deleted, but I was able to recover it. I'm sorry that I lost all of the 70 some comments that it received, I was sorry to see them get wiped out, but was glad to save the post. I copied it from Google Reader! Yet another reason to LOVE Google Reader!!
My day started with a taste of Florida for breakfast. While down there last week, Sissy treated me to a jar of Key Lime jelly. I've been eating it on whole grain toast with light cream cheese, sprinkled with ground pecans (also from Florida) and it makes me think I am indulging with key lime pie to start my day!
After the tasty breakfast, we went for a walk on the Fairy Berry Trail. Our cottage used to be out in the country, but now our 10 acres are surrounded by a housing development and we are a little island of county land in the center of city property. Hopefully, we won't be annexed into the city…. But we still have our own little slice of country here, and we've used part of it to make a fairy land trail through the woods for Sugarwings.
A while ago, my husband mowed a path through the field, and down the hill into the trees. Sugarwings loves going back there, either walking, or riding the "tractor" ( our riding lawn mower). She calls it the Fairy Berry Trail because it is lined with mulberry trees, so she can snack on berries while she hunts for fairies.
But today the trail was different, and she was surprised to find some new sights along the way.
Hobby Lobby had their garden aisle of goods on clearance, and I helped them clean it all out. I loaded up on all sorts of cheesy, bright plastic flowers and butterflies on stakes to stick in the ground, as well as wind chimes, statuettes, and signs.
Some are tucked away, so the fairy grand baby has to carefully look for them, the others are right in plain sight.
At first, she was pretty quiet, and didn't know what to think. But after finding a few of the surprises, she really enjoyed the hunt.
We set out about 15 little surprises, and its funny how few and far between they seem once I got them out in the woods. It seemed like a lot, when it was $40 worth of stuff filling my shopping cart!
Over time, I can hunt for things at garage sales and add to the collection.
It will be fun for Sugarwings to find new things as I buy them and hide them in the woods.
The area is down in a valley and kind of secluded, so I don't know if the wind chimes will make much music. We are starting a tradition of shaking the branches as we pass underneath the trees that have the chimes in the branches.
At the end of the trail, where the path loops around a tree to turn back, she found her very favorite creature, a frog prince.
I had a feeling she'd like this one. Every time she plays with her magic wands, the rest of the family gets turned into toads.
But being a toad isn't so bad, if it means you get lots of Sugarwing kisses!
I think we'll be spending even more time along the trail now than before. I might move the pieces around every week so she'll keep on having fun finding them all.
And I will also find something for you, that I can have as a giveaway this month. My plan is to share my garage sailing goodness, and add something to the prize pack each week, like I am adding to the fairy trail. All comments, all month are entered, and I'll have some photos of the goodies, as soon as I buy them!
Actually, I'm all out of Miss Frenchie photos! But here are a few more from the studio redo:
I'm just so glad to have the room all spankin clean and refoofed! I'm ready to dive in and get to work. Compare the studio to this shot of my basement. No, celler- basement is too classy of a term for this hole under my house! And I'm sure you'll understand why I'd rather just keep working on my studio instead of going down to the home of giant spiders and dank smells under the stairs when the sirens go off around here!
Thank you for all of your well wishes for getting over my crud. Luckily, I was up and back in the land of the living today, because it was the last puppy's last day with us. I'll be feeling pretty lousy again tomorrow, but it won't be a cough and cold this time. My heart will be breaking. Its going to be so hard to see the baby leave us!
Its not just me, either. Sugarwings isn't going to understand when the baby she calls "My Millwee" is gone. Our day started with her climbing in bed with me, and bringing the pup along with her.
Seems like every step she took today, was with My Millwee in her arms.
Even when she put the baby down, she laid down with her. Right on the dog's pillow by the wood stove.
What a stroke of good luck we had that this last day, was a burst of springtime sunshine and just gorgeous! We played outside, and of course, the pup was in her arms for most of it.
When the pup's little feet did touch the ground, she ran right after her buddy and waited to be picked up again.
As if Millie didn't get enough kisses, Sugarwings had to blow kisses to her too.
We enjoyed this gift of false springtime as long as we could and stayed outside till dark.
How could I resist this face during bath time? Her big, blue eyes wouldn't leave the dog, so of course…
I couldn't keep them apart!
Everybody got toweled off and cozy.
And now, for a little bit of snuggling and watching a DVD before bed.
We'll miss you, Millie!
On a cheerier note, I finally (25 days late) pulled together something for the February giveaway. All comments all month count toward the drawing for these earrings made with vintage beads.
Also, I am 3 posts away from #500, so there will be a little giftie for that one too!
