FUN JEWELRY

THE DICE AND LETTERS ARE MADE OF VINTAGE GAME PIECES AND DIFFERENT LENGTHS OF OLD CHAIN. THE BRACELET IS A VERY SMALL ANCIENT LOCK FOUND IN LONDON WITH IT'S ORIGINAL KEY. SOME CRYSTAL BEADS WERE ADDED FOR A FUN JUXTO.

...AND SOME BUTTON JEWELRY

A FEW BUTTON JEWELRY NECKLACES I MADE THE OTHER DAY. I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH MY STASH OF VINTAGE METAL AND GLASS BUTTONS AND PAIRING THEM WITH PARTS OF BROKEN JEWELRY AND CHAINS.

FUN JUNK, OR WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?

WHAT THE HECK THIS IS, IS A CLEAVER JUXTO OF OLD , RUSTY, CAST IRON STOVE FEET AND PRESSED GLASS CHANDLIER SHADES. SOMETHING LIKE THIS WAS FIRST SEEN LAST YEAR AT A FLEA MARKET IN THE BOOTH OF RHUBARB REIGN. LAST FALL, WHILE AT AN ANTQUE SHOW, I FOUND 4 OF THESE ROLLING FEET SO I MADE A VERSION OF MY OWN. THESE FEET ARE HARD TO FIND AROUND HERE AND WHAT THEY WERE MADE FOR WAS TO USE UNDER THE FEET OF IRON WOOD BURNING STOVES SO THAT THEY COULD BE MOVED FOR SPRING AND FALL CLEANING. I ALSO LIKE THE WAY THEY LOOK WITH A FERN OR BLOOMING PLANT AND ARE EQUALLY INTERESTING WITH A BURNING CANDLE INSIDE. I HAVE A FEW AT MY SHOP THAT ARE FITTED WITH OLD RUSTY WIRE CALF MUZZLES FROM FRANCE, BUT I WILL HAVE TO SHOW THESE ANOTHER TIME.

DON'T FORGET....

........TO LEAVE A COMMENT WHEN YOU VISIT THIS BLOG TO BE INCLUDED IN THE DRAWING FOR THIS ALTERED PHOTO HOLDER. SEE PREVIOUS BLOG FOR DETAILS.

BABY ALICE'S FIRST MODELING JOB

TODAY WAS BABY ALICE'S FIRST MODELING JOB FOR HER NANA. I THINK SHE'S A NATURAL AND DESTINED FOR GREAT THINGS. THE ABOVE PHOTO WAS TAKEN WHILE WE WERE NEGOTIATING WAGES. SHE SETTLED FOR A NEW JUMPIN JACK SEAT AND A MILLION KISSES. THE FOLLOWING PICS ARE BEFORE THE BACKGROUNDS WERE TOUCHED UP AND SHOW HER WEARING A FEW OF THE HATS HER NANA MAKES.

SCRUMBLE AND..........

IF ANYONE IN BLOG LAND IS INTERESTED, GOOGLE THE WORD "SCRUMBLE "AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN SEE. THERE ARE SOME WONDERFUL, ARTSY, EXAMPLES OF WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH SMALL PIECES OF LEFTOVER YARNS. AS YOU CAN SEE, ANYTHING GOES! THIS IS MY FIRST ATTEMPT AT A SCRUMBLE SCARF, (I STILL NEED TO DEAL WITH THE KNOTTED ENDS) KNIT, CROCHET, WEAVE, FELT, ETC., IT ALL WORKS AND YOU ARE FREE TO DO WHATEVER YOU WANT WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. FUNKY, CRAZY, AND THERAPUTIC!

AND YO-YOS

THESE ARE ONLY A TINY PORTION OF A HUGE BAG OF HAND CROCHET YO-YO PIECES THAT I PURCHASED AT AN ESTATE SALE. I IMAGINE THAT THEY WERE DESTINED TO BECOME A THROW SOMEDAY. CAN YOU IMAGINE ALL THE WORK THAT WENT INTO MAKING THESE? THEY ARE PERFECTLY DONE, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WILL DO WITH THEM YET, BUT I JUST HAD TO HAVE THEM.

BAD HAIR DAY?

THIS IS BABY ALICE AT TWO MONTHS OLD AND THIS IS HER EVERYDAY HAIR. NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, IT HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN. IT'S A HOOT AND SUITES HER PERSONALITY! SHE IS NOW SIX MONTHS OLD AND I WILL UPDATE HER PICS SOON, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I JUST HAD TO SHARE THIS. THIS IS A PHOTO OF A PHOTO, SO ITS NOT VERY CRISP AND DOES NOT DO THIS LITTLE BABE JUSTICE.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANNY

TODAY IS MY SON'S 29TH BIRTHDAY. HE IS CELEBRATING WITH HIS OLDER SISTER ROBIN. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAN! YOUR FAMILY LOVES YOU!

BEDROOM WINDOW GARDEN

THIS LITTLE WINDOW GARDEN IS IN MY BEDROOM AND ITS THE FIRST THING I SEE IN THE MORNING. NOT A BAD WAY TO START THE DAY!

MORE LITTLE ALTERED CANVASES

LACE AND CROCHET

INFANT HAT CROCHET AROUND DELICATE DOILY AND LENGTHS OF LACE

SECTIONS OF LARGE DOILY WITH CROCHET EDGES DESIGNED TO BECOME A SCARF.

DOILY CLOCHE HAT

FANCY DOILY TOPKNOT, CHIC HELMET STYLE

CLOCHE STYLE HAT WHICH WAS CROCHET AROUND VINTAGE LACE DOILY . I LOVE MAKING THESE HATS AND SCARVES USING BEAUTIFUL, VINTAGE DOILIES AND LACE WHICH IS STILL STRONG AND IN GOOD REPAIR. THESE ARE VERY POPULAR AS THEY CAN ALMOST BE WORN YEAR ROUND.

VISITORS, ENTER TO WIN..........

BEFORE I CREATED MY OWN BLOG, I WAS A LURKER. I WOULD CRUISE FROM BLOG SITE TO BLOG SITE AND ENJOY ALL THE GREAT COMMENTS AND TALENT. I NEVER COMMENTED, JUST ENJOYED! NOW THAT I HAVE MY OWN BLOG, I REALIZE THAT IF I ENJOYED SOMETHING, OR HAD A THOUGHT, I SHOULD HAVE NOT KEPT QUIET. AS OF YET, I DON'T HAVE A VISITOR COUNTER, BUT EVEN IF I DID I WOULD STILL ENJOY GETTING FEEDBACK, EVEN IF IT WAS ONLY A "LEROY WAS HERE" COMMENT. TO ENCOURAGE YOU WONDERFUL PEOPLE OUT IN BLOGLAND TO LET ME KNOW THAT YOU VISITED MY SITE, (SO THAT I CAN VISIT YOUR SITE IN RETURN), I'M GOING TO OFFER A BRIBE. FOR EVERYONE WHO LETS ME KNOW THAT THEY VISITED, I WILL PUT THEIR NAME IN A JAR.(OR MAYBE A HAT). FOR EVERYONE WHO VISITS AND THINKS IT'S WORTHY OF ADDING MY SITE TO THEIR LIST OF SITES TO VISIT, I WILL PUT THEIR NAME IN A JAR 3 TIMES. TEN (10)DAYS FROM NOW, I WILL DRAW OUT A NAME AND SEND AN ALTERED PHOTO HOLDER THAT I DESIGNED JUST FOR THIS. FAIR ENOUGH?

THE FRAME IS A 5"X5.5" STRETCHED CANVAS WHICH HAS BEEN COVERED IN DIFFERENT PIECES OF VINTAGE LACE AND TRIM, THE PHOTO POCKET IS AN OLD PIECE OF LEATHER ADORNED WITH PIECES OF WOOD TRIM AND THE TOP HAS PARTS OF VINTAGE DRAWER PULLS.

MONDAY MORNING FUN

ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE FLEA MARKET YESTERDAY, I WENT TO A LOCAL CRAFT SHOP TO LOOK IN THE CLEARANCE ISLE WHERE I FOUND SOME SWEET LITTLE STRETCHED CANVASES FOR UNDER A DOLLAR. I LOADED MY CART. EVEN THOUGH I HAD NO PLANS FOR THEM, I FIGURED THEY WOULD ALWAYS BE USEFUL FOR ALTERED ART. AS I WANTED TO STOCK MY SHOP WITH MORE VALENTINE GIFTS, I MADE THIS PROTOTYPE AND DECIDED THAT THIS COULD BE A SWEET GIFT THE YEAR ROUND. THE LITTLE LINEN BANNER COULD EVEN BE PERSONALIZED OR CHANGED FOR THE EVENTS OR SEASONS. A SIMPLE BUT FUN PROJECT.

FLEA MARKET FINDS

SINCE THE WEATHER WAS A LITTLE FRIENDLIER ON SUNDAY, I WENT TO THE DUPAGE FLEA MARKET TO HAVE A NOSE AROUND. IT WAS FUN AND SOMETHING I LOVE DOING. IT WAS NICE TO CHAT WITH FELLOW FLEA SHOPPERS AND DEALERS AND SHORE ONE ANOTHER UP. I BOUGHT A COUPLE OF PIECES OF SHABBY FURNITURE FROM THE TALENTED MISS ROSEMARY AND ALSO FOUND A FEW FUN SMALLS TO USE IN ALTERED ART.

TIN HEARTS

ANOTHER GREAT FIND AT THE FLEA MARKET. THESE HEARTS ARE MADE FROM OLD CORRAGATED TIN AND THE ORDINARY KEYS WERE MADE SPECIAL WITH THE ADDITION OF HOT PINK GLITTER AND SOME OLD DOUBLE HEART CHARMS. I JUST LOVE THESE! THE CREATORS ARE SANDY AND JOE OF " RHUBARB REIGN".

SPRING CLEANING

YESTERDAY WAS JUST TO COLD TO GO ANYWHERE, SO I DECIDED TO TIDY UP MY STUDIO. I DIDN'T GET TO FAR WITH THAT AS I GOT A LITTLE SIDE TRACKED WHEN I WAS SORTING THROUGH MY BAGS OF OLD LACES AND TRIMS. SOME OLD BOTTLES AND JARS WERE CALLING FOR SOME ATTENTION, SO I CAVED AND HEEDED THEIR CALL.

LONGING FOR SPRING

WINTER HAS REALLY JUST BEGUN AND I'M ALREADY LONGING FOR SPRING. WHILE I'M WAITING FOR IT TO ARRIVE, I WILL BE MAKING THESE PAPER FLOWER GARLANDS TO PUT A LITTLE SPRING LIKE ATMOSPHERE IN THE SHOP.