Thursday, December 12, 2013

Time in the Studio...



Hi Bloggie Friends,

Christmas time is almost upon us.  Yikes!  I am so incredibly behind.  One reason is I've been spending more time in my studio which is a good thing.  I made these pretty little altered boxes which hold what I am calling prayer ribbons/bookmarks.

Each one is different.  I altered the boxes which were vintage pharmacy boxes with vintage wallpaper and antique paper, lace on some, ribbons on others, a beautiful image of either Mary or Mary and Jesus, and, of course, a little glitter. Finally, a special word was added.

The medals came from France and the beads are all vintage from my stock of treasures.

The crinkle on the ribbon part is intentional.  Hope people "get" that. WINK...




These little pretties are available in my Etsy shop Elegant Farmhouse and would make a great gift for either yourself or someone else.  Hope all is merry and bright wherever you are.

Sharing with Feathered Nest Friday.

Until next time,

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Friday, November 15, 2013

Beautiful Prayer Shrines


Just a quick little check in to let you know there are more beautiful prayer shrines up in my Etsy shop Elegant Farmhouse.  These are SO pretty with their French Nordic influence and antique materials. They would make a great gift for yourself or someone special.  My pictures do not do them justice.  These are my original designs and each one is one of a kind, created with love and much attention to every detail.












Until next time,
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Friday, October 4, 2013

A Petite French Theater of Dreams



Hi Blogger Friends,

Today I'm sharing a project that  I have wanted to do forever.  I had seen a few little miniature theaters out in cyberspace and always thought it would be fun to make one.  I guess I always figured I'd construct one with found hardware, spindles, etcetera, but when I found this jewelry box at my neighbor's yard sale late this summer, I knew that I had found my theater.  All I had to do was give her a makeover and we'd be good to go. Sorry for the crummy "before" picture.  I apparently was too excited to get started painting to bother making sure my camera settings were right!  It was very pretty, but I had envisioned a white theater, so out came the Annie Sloan's chalk paint in Old White.


I gave her a good coat, leaving a little gold peeking through here and there.  I then lightly sanded some areas, giving a little distressed look.  A coat of clear wax was followed by some VERY judiciously placed dark wax in the areas I wanted to age a bit more.  The detailing was so pretty, it wasn't too difficult to make it sing.  I LOVE the way it turned out.




Some beautiful lace curtains seemed appropriate for a Theater of Dreams...I wanted to evoke a sense of ethereal beauty where the audience would get lost in the magic of the performance.


Mon petit théâtre des reves (theater of dreams)...


In MY dreams, a chandelier illuminating the stage was a must.  I raided my stash of crystals and wire and came up with a design that I found pleasing.  A little twist here, a little bend there and VOILA!  A petite chandelier to go with my petite stage...


The back needed to have a little pizazz, so a vintage page from a French encyclopedia did the trick.


The addition of a couple of beautiful mademoiselles to dance on my stage was the finishing touch. Of course, they had to be dolled up a little more with some layering, artist chalks, and glitter.  Much better...


Fairy wings or butterfly wings...what do you think?  Or should I say, what would you see in YOUR dreams?





I hope you enjoyed seeing my little project.  I look forward to peeking in on you and see what projects you've been up to.   I just went out this evening and clipped all of my roses since we are supposed to have our first hard freeze tonight.  BRRRR!!!

Sharing with Blissful Whites Wednesday
                      Be Inspired Friday
                      Feathered Nest Friday
                      What's It Wednesday

Until next time,


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Thursday, September 19, 2013

Vintage Trinket Jewelry Course and Some Treasures for Sale


Hi everybody,

I want to share with you a couple of things I have made recently.  I have been having a good time playing with my hoarded saved up vintage jewelry parts.  I finally made 2 necklaces after taking an online class taught by the very talented Andrea Singarella over at Jeanne Oliver's Ning site.  It was so fun and so inspiring.  Definitely a nice diversion.


This necklace is my favorite.  I had purchased the frame looking piece which I think has garnets or garnet colored glass at an estate sale a couple of years ago.  Same with some of the faceted beads and chain.  The others I had purchased at Michael's and Etsy.  I added the beautiful Madonna picture and coated it with Diamond Glaze to give it that "under glass" look.  Several videos later, I learned how to wire wrap and how to turn beads into something that could be connected to other beads.  Handy info...
.

This piece features a really pretty old rhinestone dress clip and some rosary connectors in addition to some antique macaroni beads from a chandelier.



I wore it out to dinner last weekend with Mr French Laundry as we celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary.


Hard to believe it's been 17 years already...time flies when you're having fun I guess!

If you want to have some fun and take this jewelry making class, I believe you can still get in...cost is a very reasonable $10 and the videos are available until January 2014.  I highly recommend it.  Just pop on over to Jeanne Oliver's Ning site and check it out.


PART 2 of the post is about me reluctantly editing my collections.   It is hard letting go of things you love, but sometimes you end up with more than you need and then, the time has come to let them go to someone else who will love and appreciate them.  Usually, I put these things in one of my Etsy shops, but these are all hand made items by other artists, so in order to comply with the Etsy rules, I will just list them here.  I am hoping my Paypal purchase buttons work properly.  First come, first serve, like new, but for a discount over what I paid.  International buyers are welcome, but be advised that I will send an invoice for the additional shipping as listed on each item.  Happy Shopping!

A stunning hand painted silk ribbon rose pin from Meadow Street. Never used, still on the original card as sent by the artist.  Measures approximately 2 3/4 inches in diameter, not including the pretty streamers.



Beautiful Rose Pin $16 + $4 shipping (US ONLY).  If you are outside the U.S., you may purchase, but the shipping will be an additional $4 USD invoiced separately.

ROSE PIN IS SOLD.


A beautiful altered antique shoe by talented blogger Rene' of Miss Gracie's House.  Measures 11 inches by 3 inches and stands 5 1/2 inches tall.  There are a few cracks in the creamy white paint, just adding to the character in my opinion.  Would be a great accessory for a vintage wedding, a gift for a bride, or just to use, as I did, in a spot where you want a little vintage romance.  See the photos for a better idea of just how lovely this piece is.





Altered Art Shoe $8 + $6 shipping (US ONLY) If you are outside the U.S., you may purchase, but the shipping will be an additional $6 USD, invoiced separately.



"Congratulations" tie on glass tags made by a Colorado Springs artist.  These are great to tie on to a bottle of wine or as a little extra thing on a package.  Each measures 3 inches by 1 inch and the vintage rayon seam binding ribbon adds an additional 4 inches.



Congratulations tag $5 (for one tag) + $3 shipping (US ONLY)  If you are outside the U.S., you may purchase, but the shipping will be an additional $3 USD, invoiced separately.

CHOSE TAG





For any of the above items, I am happy to combine shipping if you purchase more than one thing.  Just go ahead and purchase and I will refund through your Paypal account. 


Until next time,

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