Shop Update

Just a note that I've posted a few things in my shop and will be posting more over the rest of today. It can be exhausting trying to take decent pictures of my items - getting the lighting right and not letting my shakey hands ruin the shot, not to mention working on a verrrry slow laptop. I managed to get just two items up so far, here's a glimpse:

A keepsake box, because they are sooo much fun to make. I used pages from a vintage french book, stenciled a silhouette and painted some jewelry on her and added a little crown - voila, tres chic, no?

And the other item is from my obsessive love of all things Tudor. A bracelet featuring the six wives of Henry VIII.

This little detail photo has young Katherine of Aragon and her bitter rival, Anne Boleyn.

This beautiful bracelet was made by my mother (after much whining and nagging by me). She was making typewriter bracelets with Beatrix Potter images (she's as obsessed with Peter Rabbit as I am with Henry's six wives) and I kept begging for a bracelet with the Tudor wives on it until she made me a few. ;) The bracelets take a LOT of work - just preparing the old keys takes a lot of cleaning, grinding and hard work, not to mention the portrait glass keys are very rare and hard to alter. But the end result is so worth it, I think.

Pretty Things

Just a few pictures to share - a few of my favorite things:

The ever so lovely Gerber Daisies my mother gave me for my Birthday. Thanks, mum!!

The garden shop near my home, appropriately named 'Colors of Spring' - they always have a beautiful display outside that brightens up the whole neighborhood. I took this picture a few weeks ago and ended up buying a whole tray of pansies and violas, some geraniums and ivy. Dangerous store to drive by - your wallet empties itself and your gardening chores grow.

And last, but not least -

A way guilty pleasure - this is the best place to get donuts in St. Louis.


And I dig their vintage sign, it's one of the last few remnants of Route 66 still in evidence.

Blowing dust off the blog...

Happy Belated Easter to all that celebrated last week. My family celebrates 'Greek' Easter which is on a different calendar from the regular Easter and that was just yesterday. Also my birthday was Saturday - dare I admit it was the big 30?? I prefer to think I am aging backwards now, though - so I'm 28 again. ;)

Anyway, despite all that celebrating I've been rather bummed and not wanting to spread it around so that's the real reason for my quiet. Far too often I find myself trying to go to sleep at night and awake thinking of my pending operation and all the hassle, pain, and stress it will cause. But I know I have to go through with this operation as I'm in far too much pain and there is no real future to look forward to unless I try to fix my back.

So anyway - putting that aside. I do desperately need good vibes and positive thoughts. I finally managed to clear some space and time aside again to get back focused on my many, many half finished projects. I think crafting and today's sunshine (it rained ALL weekend) will lift my spirits so I'm ready to jump back in.

Next week I know at least two flea markets I want to go to and a show 'Artopy' which is a Indie type art and craft show by the local Show Me Etsy group. I'm definitely looking forward to that show - the last one, Green with Indie didn't go well for me. I can't walk for more than a minute or two and ended up seeing barely anything at all and the pain was horrible. So this week I'm buying a wheel chair and experiencing the show. If you are in St. Louis then or near enough to come - check out the link above for details. I'll take a few pictures if I can.

(I'm so shy in person that I usually chicken out from taking pictures of people's booths or stores as I think they'll get mad and think I'm stealing ideas or something - does anyone else have that problem?? Should I mention I have a blog and will be promoting their stuff rather than taking away from them? Just a paranoid question from a paranoid person...)

A Few Spring Touches

Just a little fyi and etsy update. I've posted a few items at my shop - the French house with shutters in my earlier post, a new improved version of a Lit House with a red roof:

(I just love the floral front door and button doorknob)

And also a new item - a spring keepsake box with scalloped edges, vintage paper, assorted bits and pieces on the lid, a little surprise on the inside and antiqued with robin's egg blue paint.

Yoyo Crazed

My mother and I have been hooked on making yoyo's the past year or two. My aunt Mae got us onto it and it really is a nice simple thing to do when you're sick or can't do anything strenuous (like me with my back problem). We work on it off and on, but we are slowly working our little pieces into some pillows. This one is all in shades of tourquois-y robin's egg blue, brown and off-white. Originally my mom was going to put this in her room, but then we realized it has all the colors of our living room and looks great on the couch so we'll likely put it in there.


So cute! The letter fabric and the brown polka dot fabric are my favorites.

And then this one is my project - I took the next size down yoyo (we have at least four different sizes at the moment) and I have quite a few of the same fabrics, but accented with some soft pink fabrics.

They look much cuter in person. They will likely end up as a small bed pillow. Again, it features my lovely letter fabric - I just love letters and numbers in decorating. I wish I had some dishes with big black numbers on them, but I've yet to find any I like available for purchase.

And only one picture of my other project turned out okay, but this is just the start of a tabletop centerpiece with even smaller yoyo's (the smallest yoyo's aren't much use at the moment being teeny tiny little things). It'll have lots of different colors, blues, reds, pinks, greens, white, etc. I'm making it similar to the great one my aunt made for my grandmother. I really must get a good picture of her because it is so cute.

Anyone else yoyo crazed?

Ma Petite Mason

I bought an old French text at a book fair last summer and I just love the look of it on the house. The roof is a robin's egg blue with shades of sage green and linen colors sponged on it for an aged and textured look. I also added shutters and a little pink door with a vintage white button for the doorknob. So cute! I wish I could move right in. ;) It's up on my Etsy shop right now. I also altered one of my canvases.

The dream butterflies are stamped on two different vintage music papers. They continue the monochromatic feel of the canvas, but add a bit of interest, at least to me. Also available at my etsy store and I have some more spring/summer items on the way.

Reminder:

If you haven't already - today is the last day to bid on the Du Buh Du shrine with the Frida doll. (It's the very first listing - you can't miss it) I so wish I could afford this myself, it's so beautiful. I must content myself with looking at the picture over and over. ;)

My Supervisor

Often observes my work habits and feels I need to step up the pace a bit. Far too many sick days being taken lately and very little focus and meeting deadlines. I guess he's right.

And if I don't make room for said supervisor to sit down he WILL make room. Preferably right on top of the wet paint, thank you very much.

Now get back to work! ;)

Hello, Spring

I've missed you so.

The stone rabbit in my window has been watching carefully for the signs...

The peach tree is blooming - and soon will be full of little fuzzy green baby peaches. I've developed an allergic reaction to the peaches at the grocery store, it may be the sulfites they spray on them to preserve them, so we decided to grow our own and they taste so sweet and fresh from the tree. Unfortunately something got into them last year and gobbled them up overnight. This year I will be better prepared with some nets over it.

Ye Olde Birdhouse. The magnolia tree next door is blooming, too.

Spring cleaning in my kitchen - the cabinets are still not finished as they are still lacking doors, but they look nice anyway.

Miniature daffodils from my garden and my favorite raspberry bowl. Spring is such a wonderful fresh start. Tomorrow I head off to an Indie Green Craft Fair and some estate sales.

Have a great weekend!!

Green with Envy

If I had a bit more green in my pocket I'd buy these items:

My choices for St. Pat's

Blouse and shorts: Anthropologie

Clutch: Coach

Shoes: natashascafe.com

Necklace: overstock.com

And for dinner we're having the traditional corned beef and cabbage - yum! We cooked it last night as it takes hours to prepare. I'll post a pic and recipe if anyone's interested.

Fixer Upper

I've been sick this past week, but I'm starting to feel a little bit better. I was going through my pictures today I was reminded of a dresser we bought last year that I've yet to fix up.

My mom and I found it at a church flea market and we were charmed by it's cute mirror and little knobby legs. Unfortunately some crafty-person-gone-wrong attacked this beautiful antique and did one of those faux marble painted jobs on the top in a hideous pink (don't get me wrong - I like pink - this is still gross) and did some textured gray thing to the knobs and rather ruined it, but we can fix it.

My mother wants to strip it and probably varnish it the color it originally was whereas I prefer the shabby chic kind of thing to sand it all down and paint it white all over. We'll see who wins. ;) I think she wants to save the wood knobs, but they really are junked up and I think it'd look even cuter with some nice anthropology like knobs or some drawer pulls. What do you think? I should take some close up pictures to show you the details better.