HAND MADE VALENTINES

SOFT PINK CASHMERE HEART PILLOWS WITH POCKETS FOR A NOTE, CARD OR VALENTINE. THEY WOULD BE PRETTY HANDY FOR THE "TOOTH FAIRY" ALSO.

PHOTO COPIES OF OLD VALENTINES WERE APPLIED TO A WREATH BASE WITH OLD LACE PIECES AND BOWS TUCKED HERE AND THERE. THIS IS MY VERSION OF SOME SIMILAR WREATHS THAT WERE IN MY SHOP LAST YEAR. THIS IDEA WAS THE BRAINCHILD OF THE TALENTED FLORAL DESIGNER, DIANE P.

THESE SWEET STAND UP VALENTINES WERE MADE WITH EPHEMERA ,OLD PAPERS, BOOK PAGES AND GLITTER. THEY ARE THE DESIGNS OF BONNIE S. AND THEY ARE FOR SALE IN MY SHOP IN ST. CHARLES. I JUST LOVE THEM AS THEY ARE CLEVER AND DIFFERENT.

ANOTHER DRESS FORM

THIS DRESS FORM HAS A BEADED WIRE BODICE AND WAS IN SEVERAL PIECES WHEN I GOT HER. THE FIRST THING I HAD TO DO WAS RIG UP A BASE, SOOO, I RIFFLED THROUGH MY BOXES OF JUNK AND FOUND WHAT I THINK IS EITHER A LAMP PART OR HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH DOORKNOBS. WHATEVER, IT WORKED! I THEN SOLDERED PART A TO PART B, SCREWED PART B INTO THE BODICE AND THEN IT WAS GOOD TO GO.

THEN IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF CHOOSING WHAT FABRIC, RIBBON AND EMBELLISHMENTS I HAVE A HARD TIME PARTING WITH, THEN PARTING WITH THEM; A VINTAGE SCRAP OF MERLO COLORED VELVET, A BIT OF RIBBON FOR THE WAIST, SEVERAL STRANDS OF VICTORIAN JET BEADS, A RHINESTONE BIT, AND AN OLD CHAIN WITH CRYSTAL DANGLES FOR THE BODICE. SINCE THE SKIRT HAD A PIECE CUT OFF OF IT A ONE TIME, AND WAS VERY UNEVEN, I USED A PIECE OF NETTING AND TINY SILK RIBBON ROSES TO COVER UP THAT PART. TO FINISH, I GATHERED AN OLD PIECE OF FRENCH RIBBON TO COMPLETE THE HEM. MIND YOU, THIS IS A VERY SHABBY LOOK AS I DO NOT GO TO GREAT EFFORT TO MAKE THINGS LOOK PRISTINE. THAT IS WHAT IS FUN ABOUT ALTERED ART.

YOU TAKE A PAPIER MACHE DRESS FORM.......

....DECOUPAGE THE BODICE WITH BITS OF OLD LEDGER PAPER, (IN THIS CASE FROM 1843) TAKE ONE VERY VINTAGE, DELICATE, SILK , FRENCH COLLAR TO DRAPE OVER THE DRESS FORM, ADD TINY VINTAGE PAPER FLOWERS AND AN OLD RHINESTONE CHAIN FOR THE WAIST, A PIECE OF VINTAGE SATIN RIBBON AND RHINESTONE BUCKLE FOR THE NECK, AN OLD FADED PIECE OF CRINOLINE FOR THE UNDERSKIRT WHICH HAS BEEN TRIMMED WITH PLEATED RIBBON, AND............IT BECOMES A THING OF BEAUTY. NOW, GO TO YOUR SCRAP BASKET LADIES, AND SEE WHAT YOU COME UP WITH. SERIOUSLY, WOULDN'T IT BE FUN TO SEE WHAT COULD BE CREATED OUT OF JUST BITS OF THINGS FROM YOUR SCRAPS? ( MY HUSBAND JUST SAID IF YOU REMOVE THE S'S FROM SCRAPS IS WHAT YOU'R E REALLY LEFT WITH. HONESTLY, HE WILL JUST NEVER GET IT!!!!) I WOULD REALLY BE INTERESTED TO SEE OTHER'S DRESS FORM FUN. (JANICE, WHAT DO YOU THINK?)

THESE RIBBONS, ROSEBUDS AND SEQUINS ARE VERY TINY AND DELICATE.

A VIEW OF THE BACK OF DRESS FORM

IT'LL JUST HAVE TO DO!

THERE ARE SOME WONDERFUL PILLOWS AND CUSHIONS OUT THERE USING VINTAGE GRAIN SACKS FROM FRANCE ETC. ACCORDING TO MY FRIEND JANICE, THEY ARE THE LATEST CRAZE AND EVERYONE WANTS THEM, INCLUDING ME! WHILE THEY ARE GORGEOUS, THEY ALSO COST THE EARTH, SO I MADE MY OWN VERSION FROM A GARAGE SALE FIND THAT CONSISTED OF SEVERAL OF THESE OLD CANVAS MONEY SACKS. I EVEN PUT A LITTLE POCKET ON THE BACK OF ONE OF THEM SO THAT ONE COULD HIDE (I MEAN STORE) A FEW BITS OF CHOCOLATE, CROSSWORD PUZZLES, OR WHAT HAVE YOU! I DO THINK THEY'RE KIND OF FUN! TALK ABOUT SHABBY!!!!!!!

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!