Pink Roses

Happy Thanksgiving...

I have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving...health, family, friends, and true happiness.  These four smiling faces will be at my table on Thursday, and I am most thankful for that.  And then Katie's 21st birthday is on Friday...another reason to celebrate.  I have much to do to prepare for their arrival (Christopher and Katie arrive tonight!), but I will do it with joy in my heart :) I hope Thanksgiving finds you with the ones you love, creating memories and counting your blessings.  With love from my home to yours...xo

talented gals...

I bought a few things at the Silver Bella Vendor Fair, including 3 necklaces from some very talented gals that I'm lucky to know.  This first piece is from Kim Hanauer, and it is a long necklace on a vintage rosary chain, with an old brown leather coin purse and frozen Charlotte.  I just love it. This next piece is by Lonnie Jenck...vintage pearls, a fabulous rhinestone pin, and a hand made soldered shadow box...more love...

And this final piece by Natalie Hansen...an antique metal drawer pull, with pearls and a rhinestone heart.

I love all of my new treasures and will think of my talented friends every time I wear them!

silver bella: one more class

This project is from a class by Kerry Lynn Yeary, entitled: The Gilded Cage.  My project didn't quite turn out the way I had hoped (or Kerry instructed!), but I am using my cage as a little cloche.  I tried to be different and used silver wire, and wove in beads and buttons.  It's kind of whimsical and twisty, and I like it with this doll head...

Sally Jean always says we should "love and embrace" our artwork...flaws and all...so that's exactly what I'm going to do!

silver bella:more classes

Vintage fabric and paper are two of my favorite things, so it's no surprise that I LOVED the next two classes.  First, Nana's Basket with Charlotte Lyons. 

This was my very first class, and it was so much fun.  I sat at a table with a group of women who all happened to be in the journal swap I showed you, so believe me...there was some awesome paper at our table, and everyone shared! 

We cut out chipboard shapes and covered the front and backs with vintage papers or textiles, and then laced it all together.

I actually cut a vintage postcard (gasp!) but if any project would be worthy, it was this!  On one of the inside panels I used 2 pages from an old 1935 datebook that my friend Jodie LeJeune gave me..my parents birthdays!  They were both born in 1935!

I still need to finish the bottom, and embellish the panels a bit, but I just love how this project came out.  This class was so relaxed, it was like therapy!  I could have stayed at that table cutting and gluing and chatting all weekend!  Charlottes classes are always wonderful...and so is Charlotte :)  My next class was Teacup Fairy with Beth Quinn.

This was another "therapy" class!  Imagine sitting with your friends for 2 and a half hours...surrounded by vintage lace and fabric...talking, crafting, sharing, laughing...heaven!

I added a vintage earring, and a fat pearl...

We all shared bits and pieces, so my fairy has lace and trim from all my friends...

and a chandelier crystal...

Sigh...this was such a great class...I could use some group craft therapy more often!!

silver bella: classes

I had 5 great classes at Silver Bella, this is my project from a class by Lisa Kaus, entitled: Joy Within. 

I'm not quite finished with this...it needs some collage bits and words added, but the base is done.

We used collage with pastel crayons and charcoal pencils (totally new for me) to create a grid format.

Mine didn't have sharp grid lines-I kind of overlapped, but it was supposed to reflect "me", so I think it does!  I was challenged by this class and learning new techniques, but honestly I wish it had gone on for another hour or two.  I was really liking the pastel crayon thing and I may have to go buy some! 

The next class was with Sally Jean Alexander called : Prize-a-licious...

Even though I practiced my soldering, this was still a hard class for me.  We were working with a shape, and it was layered and thick, and had SEVEN stinking jump rings!!

I used velvet ribbon, text from a hymnal, vintage lace and wallpaper and rhinestones.

The bottom dangling piece is from an old earring.  The back has more vintage wallpaper and a hymnal verse that says "go tell the sweet story".  You could make this a pin or necklace-I chose to make a necklace...for now it is on a ribbon, but it's on my to-do list :)  Challenging classes with great rewards! 

silver bella: journal swap

I barely have the words to describe this.  Michelle Geller hosted a "Souvenir Journal" swap for Silver Bella, and as you can see, it is beyond amazing. 

 

14 participants sent in 4 page spreads and Michelle had the huge task of sewing covers and hand binding all of this paper goodness into a work of art I will treasure FOREVER!!!  Here's a peek at the pages created by the following unbelievably talented women: Kim Caldwell, Mellen Dupre, Michelle Geller, Miss Lynn Lebsack, Mollie McCabe, Karla Nathan, Kathi Pilar, Karla Steele, Cheryl Stoneham, Lisa Thompson, Rachel Velder, Susie Vergenz, Cherie Wilson, and a bonus page by Jill Sibbald.  Enjoy!

 

I wish I could show you EVERY detail...there is so much to see!  Thank you Michelle for this treasure!!!

silver bella:banner swap...

 

I'm back from Silver Bella, with my heart full of love, and my brain full of inspiration.  (That's Jessi's car decked out for the occasion!) Silver Bella was different this year...hard to describe, but different...better...maybe the best yet.  It was so relaxing and comfortable...low key...no drama.  In several of my classes (Charlotte Lyon's: Nana's Basket, and Beth Quinn: Teacup Fairy), I remarked (as did others), that I felt like I was at an old fashioned quilting bee, or women's social.  We were sitting in a circle, working on our projects (cutting and gluing paper, or tying ribbon), and just talking and chatting for hours.  We all shared papers and ribbons and lace and fabric and glitter.  We all shared a part of ourselves.  My projects all contain bits and pieces from other women at my table.  Such a gracious, giving, supportive community.  For example:  In my teacup fairy class, I had a pale pink damask napkin that I tore into strips and was using in my project.  The napkin cost $1.00 at a flea market.  I gave away pieces of the napkin, and now part of it is with Kim Caldwell in California, and Lori Oles in Arkansas, and Karla Nathan in Kansas.  I have bits and pieces of them, here in Atlanta, in my project too.  That makes me so happy.  So...before I show you the class projects, I will show you the swaps.

 

The first was a banner swap I did with my dear friends Karla Nathan (my roommate!), Lori Oles, Carol Spinski, Danielle Muller, and Amy Powers.

This is from Lori:

from Karla:

from Amy:

from Danielle:

from Carol (left) and me (right):

I plan on sewing ribbon to each of the banner pieces and hanging them in my studio.

A lovely reminder of my talented friends!

owning it...

In my last effort to hone my soldering skills before Silver Bella, I made this necklace.  When I showed it to Elizabeth she shook her head and laughed.  She said, "you're handling this turning 50 thing really well mom.  I was prepared to lie for you...lie about your age, and lie about mine...or say you had me when you were really young.  I didn't know how long we could get away with it before someone "did the math" and blew our cover.  But you're not denying it at all, in fact...you're owning it!"  She is right, I am owning my life.  We all need to own our OWN lives, and not the life of anyone else.  Don't compare yourself to others.  There will always be someone taller/shorter, richer/poorer, faster/slower...you know what i mean.  Nothing wrong with trying to be your best, but make it YOUR best, and leave it at that.  Beautiful is not perfect, but it's my life and I'm owning it!

I'm headed to Omaha for Silver Bella...see you next week!  xo

friends...

A little peek at a swap I'm doing with some friends at Silver Bella...

a banner swap with Amy Powers, Carol Spinski, Danielle Muller, Karla Nathan, and Lori Oles...

with friends like that, it's got to be good!

inspired ideas...

Have you seen what Amy has done?

Take a look at the new issue of Inspired Ideas HERE.

Congratulations Amy...It's fabulous!!!