CHIC EASTER CHICKS

THESE LITTLE CHICKS ARE SO EASY TO MAKE. I HAD SOME VERY OLD COTTON BATTING THAT I FORMED INTO A BALL BY PUTTING A FLUFF OF IT IN THE PALM OF MY HAND AND THEN SQUEEZED SOME WHITE GLUE INTO THE MIDDLE OF IT. I WORKED THE GLUE INTO THE COTTON BY ROLLING IT IN MY PALMS UNTIL THE BALL HELD IT SHAPE. I DID THE SAME THING, ONLY SMALLER FOR THE HEAD BUT PINCHED A LIITLE PART TO FORM THE BEAK. AFTER GLUING THE HEAD TO THE BODY, I MADE SOME LITTLE THIGHS USING THE SAME METHOD. AFTER THE SHAPE DRIED, I THEN PAINTED IT WITH ACRYLIC PAINTS. WHEN THE PAINT WAS DRY, I FORMED SOME FEET OUT OF COVERED WIRE, PAINTED THEM AN ORANGE COLOR AND INSERTED THEM INTO THE THIGHS. BY MOVING THE WIRE FEET A LITTLE, THEY CAN STAND. THEY HAVE A VINTAGE LOOK AND I THINK THEY ARE SWEET. WITH SOME OF THE CHICKS, I GLUED THEM ATOP SOME MACHE BOXES THAT I DECORATED WITH VINTAGE TRIMS, RIBBONS, PAPERS, FLOWERS, AND FEATHERS.

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS..............

THESE ARE FROM ENGLAND AND FOUND AT CAR BOOT SALES. THE FERN CACHE POT IS VERY OLD AND DETAILED AND I LOVE LOOKING AT IT. THE RABBIT NEXT TO THE TREE STUMP IS A BUD VASE. THE POOR GUY LOST HIS EARS YEARS AGO, BUT I LOVED THE LOOK ON HIS FACE AND THE AGE THAT THE PIECE PRESENTS IS VERY PRECIOUS TO ME. THESE ARE A FEW OF MY KEEPERS AND THINGS THAT I WOULD MISS IF I DIDN'T HAVE THEM. I WILL POST MORE OF MY FAVS AT A FUTURE TIME.

TWO ENGLISH CLAY COTTAGES THAT MY DAUGHTER ROBIN MADE ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO. THESE ARE NOT MADE FROM KITS, BUT WERE FORMED AND SHAPED FROM SLABS OF CLAY. EVERY ROOF TILE, STONE TRIM AROUND WINDOWS AND DOORS, WINDOW PANES AND DOORS WERE FORMED BY HAND, "IN SOME CASES FINGERS", BEFORE BEING GLAZED AND FIRED. ALSO A SMALL COLLECTION OF CHALK ANIMALS AND A VERY SMALL, FIRED BORDER COLLIE THAT SOMEONE IN ENGLAND MADE BY HAND BUT ENDED UP IN A CHARITY SHOP FOR 50p. I LOVE IT.

KOOL ARCHITECTURAL PIECES WITH "JOY BANNER" ALSO IN MY KITCHEN.

WIRE PLANT STAND AND A FEW VERY HAPPY PLANTS IN MY KITCHEN.

MY CLIVIA PLANT AND VICTORIAN SILK AND VELVET QUILT.

BATH TIME FOR LITTLE ALICE

LAST WEEK MY DAUGTHER JILL WENT WITH ME TO VISIT LITTLE ALICE AND HER MAMA TAMMY. AS YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER, ALICE IS MY FIRST GRANDCHILD. TO ME SHE IS A PRECIOUS DOLL AND TOTALLY STOLE MY HEART. SHE GRACIOUSLY OFFERED US HER "BINKY" IF SHE COULD HAVE A LITTLE TUB TIME. MAMA HAD THINGS TO DO BUT NANA AND AUNTIE JILL WERE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TAKE OVER THE JOB. IT WAS A FUN,BUT WET TIME FOR US ALL. DEFINITLY WORTH THE TRIP!

THINK SPRING

THE LONG WINTER IS MAKING ME FEEL RESTLESS, SO I DECORATED SOME CANVAS BOARDS WITH SCRAPS AND BITS AND BOBS TO TRY TO FOCUS ON THE EXCITEMENT OF SPRING.

I'M SO EXCITED.....

I'VE BEEN MAKING TRAVEL PLANS FOR MY YEARLY HOLIDAY TO ENGLAND AND IT NEVER FAILS TO EXCITE ME! I GO SOLO, AND STAY FOR ABOUT 5 WEEKS. I RENT A LOVELY, SELF-CATERING COTTAGE IN A RURAL AREA OF SHROPSHIRE. THE COTTGE IS ATTACHED TO AN OLD FARMHOUSE AND THEY ARE BOTH ABOUT 300 YRS. OLD. I USUALLY LEAVE CHICAGO THE END OF MAY AND RETURN HOME THE FIRST OF JULY. I FLY INTO MANCHESTER AIRPORT, PICK UP MY RENTAL CAR, AND DRIVE 2 HOURS TO MY COTTAGE. THE FIRST PHOTO IS OF THE LANE THAT TAKES ME TO THE COTTAGE AND THE OTHER PHOTOS ARE OF A FEW OF THE SITES ALONG THE WAY. WHAT DO I DO THERE, YOU MIGHT WONDER? I SHOP, SHOP, SHOP: THE FLEAS, THE CAR BOOTS, THE ANTIQUE SHOPS. I VISIT MY FAVORITE VILLAGES AND FIND NEW ONES TO ADD TO MY LIST. I VISIT AND HAVE "TEA" WITH FRIENDS I HAVE MADE ALONG THE WAY. I HITCH RIDES INTO LONDON WITH THE FABULOUS ANTIQUE DEALER ROSIE WHO SELLS AT THE KENSINGTON RACE TRACK FLEA. I HIKE AND SNUFFLE OUT NEW AREAS TO HIKE. I TAKE DAY TRIPS TO OTHER COUNTIES AND EXPERIENCE WONDERFUL LUNCHES AT FABULOUS TEA SHOPS. LOTS TO DO AND NOT ENOUGH TIME TO DO IT! AND THE GARDENS! EVEN THE HUMBLE VILLAGES HAVE WONDERFUL GARDENS AND HANGING BASKETS OVERFLOWING WITH FLOWERS! I GO FOSSIL HUNTING, BIRDWATCHING, AND, DID I MENTION SHOPPING? SOMETIMES FRIENDS IN THE U.S.A. WILL COME TO VISIT FOR A WEEK OR SO. BEST OF ALL, I DO THIS ALONE. NO CELL PHONES, AND NO COMPUTOR. I TALK TO MY FAMILY ONCE A WEEK TO TOUCH BASES AND CATCH UP. THIS HAS COME TO BE A VITAL WAY OF SELF THERAPY AND I REALIZE THAT I AM VERY, VERY FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS. IN ANOTHER POST, I WILL SHOW MORE PIC OF THE COTTAGE. CARE TO JOIN ME?

WIRE WORKS

FOR YEARS I'VE HAD THIS BOX OF THREAD COVERED WIRE, OF VARIOUS GAUGES AND COLORS , THAT WERE USED FOR MILLINERY FOUNDATIONS. WHEN I SAW THIS BOX AT A FLEA, I JUST LOVED THE VINTAGE LOOK OF THIS COVERED WIRE AND HAD TO HAVE IT. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS GOING TO DO WITH IT, BUT FROM TIME TO TIME I WOULD TAKE THE BOX OUT AND LOOK THROUGH IT HOPING TO BE INSPIRED. WITH SPRING COMING AND BIRDS RETURNING FROM THEIR WINTER VACATIONS, MY THOUGHTS TURNED TO BIRD CAGES, FRENCH LOOKING BIRD CAGES TO BE EXACT. THE SILK THREAD COVERED WIRE WAS PERFECT FOR THE SIMPLE SHABBY, CAGES I HAD IN MY HEAD. I'VE SOLD A FEW OF THEM IN MY SHOP BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO TAKE SOME PICS, SO I MADE A FEW MORE. I LOVE THE WAY THEY TURNED OUT......... AND MY FRENCH BIRDS ARE ENJOYING THEIR NEW HOME!

FUN AT THE GRAYS LAKE FLEA

AT THE LAST MINUTE, MY FRIEND JANICE AND I DECIDED TO "DO" THE GRAYS LAKE ANTIQUE AND FLEA MARKET. THIS IS JANICE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY NOT WANTING HER PIC TAKEN AND ALSO JANICE AT THE END OF THE DAY NOT WANTING HER PIC TAKEN! I THINK YOU CAN STILL SEE HOW CUTE SHE IS! THEN SOME PICS OF OUR BOOTH AND SOME HAPPENINGS AROUND US. A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL!

SOME BOOTH PICS!

SOME KOOL CUSTOMERS

MEET DIANE. A TALENTED FLORAL DESIGNER WHO ALWAYS HAS A GORGEOUS BOOTH.

THIS IS A FUN LOVING JUDY. I THINK SHE JUST ADDED UP THE FRUITS OF HER LABOR. GOOD GOING JUDY! SHE WAS WITH HER MOTHER MARGARET, AKA "MA". DON'T LET THAT SWEET SMILE OF MA'S FOOL YA! SHE DRIVES A HARD BARGIN!

THIS IS JOE OF R.R. I DIDN'T GET A PIC OF HIS PARTNER SANDY . NEXT TIME SANDY!

SOME SHOP PICTURES

JUST SOME PHOTOS OF MY SHOP