A Small Tall Tail

Sometimes my mind starts talking and I miss everything I'm trying to look at, or listen to because I always inevitably, eventually join in on the conversation. I am my own worst distraction!

That being said, let me tell you a small story, a happy story, one with no sorrow or sadness or despair, only loveliness and lovely things. Written upon pink paper with the pinkest of inks.

There once was a Duchess long ago who in the third year of her reign, resolved that she simply must acquire some of those miraculous,

marvelous, large and healthy South Sea ones... pearls you know,

ever since she had passed by and heard the faint murmurs and laughter coming from the other room,

the news travels fast, it always does... you know, thanks to the girls whose job it was to spread it!

It was carried on the trade winds, across the wide world, straight from her favorite cousins tongue, Dowager Pomegranate... you remember, the one that collected the most beautiful garnets from only the richest and deepest mines, just because those precious gems

looked just like her name sounded. Red, red...you know. But how did she know of the splendiferous morsels?
Yes, shall I tell you, then tell you I will, it just happened that they were riding upon the back of a two humped camel that came lumbering over the stretch of sands most commonly known as Time.

Her favorite Auntie on her fathers side, Empress O'Luster did pass it along swiftly, only moments after she over heard.

Secretly the Empress O'Luster wished for them too, and would gladly toss aside the miniscule, but very rare Pink Bay pearls she wore.

Knowing this she sought to make a bargain with her two favorite nieces on her mothers side... called Rose and Dahlia... you know, the ones with the sweet little puppy... Juliette II !

But as luck would have it, that pup had a mind of it's own and those girls wouldn't dare take a step with out first passing it by her, the tiniest and wisest of all the good royals, not to mention 4 pounds of cuteness!

"I will not trade my priceless black pearls for those! These for those?! Oh no, not I !"

You see they are special, special indeed, and were passed down to me through the ages by my favorite Lady, the beautiful temptress, the Lady McRedress,

and were passed down to her by her very own mother... you know, the one that ran away with the King! I suspect it was because you just know, she must have felt so beautiful in that dress and who could resist?! He could not! He was weak!

But way before her they belonged to the one that she trusted, the one that was true, the Countess VonBluedress! And it is to say, to say that they may have even been worn by the Grandest and fairest of all, the one we remember the most and the best, Great Grand Duchess, yes, Great Grand Duchess Juliette III !

So you see they will stay, safe here with me and never shall I regret, of a trade on the wind or a slip of the lip, I'll be happiest to THE END!

Moral of the story: sometimes the best things in life are right under your nose! For me it's my tiny crown jewel, a blue eyed chihuahua named Juliette!
Visuals details: A pair of antique pearl and rhinestone grape cluster shoe clips, fancy collars I created using garnets, pearls and various other gems I purchased from a traveling salesman.
A circa 1902 robins egg blue cotton baby doll dress, in just the right size for her tiny highness! The portrait board in the Victorian gold leaf frame was created from an 18th century engraving, applied to a board canvas with a hole cut out where the face would be, then lightly embellished with a few scattered millinery flowers.
Note: Art comes to me in free flowing streams of rushes and gushes. In abundant, tingling electrical currents, in darting flashes of energy, like lighting in a bottle. Meaningful, bountiful, always a plenty. Perfectly formed fantastical tiny droplets of dreams waiting to be transformed into tangible objects!
Disclaimer: I am writing this at 4 in the morning, be gentle, I plead!

Best Friends Forever and then some...

A photo or two has captured a moment, long, long ago. I wonder.

Weightless iridescence of blown glass pearls, ever so tenderly stitched to the finest of silk, just barely hanging on. I treasure.

A tiny tangled, tarnished bit of woven gold netting.

Quiet handmade lace spun from sweet smiles and low whispers. I touch.

A perfectly formed bud. I sigh.

Six inch wide satin ribbon, soft as a petal who's heyday was 1901. I continue.

More lace, but this one spun from giggles, yes, giggles. I grin.

A blonde was her friend, a friend to the end.

A breath of a rose for each decade they spent. I commemorate.

Frayed blossoms in pink upon pink. I delight.

Her brunette B F F was always beside her, through thick and through thin. I celebrate.

The miles they would travel, the years did pass by, in summers and winters, with family and friends, they came and they went, such bonds tie together best friends, yes best friends forever!

To find out more about Amanda & Clarice, their life long friendship and to get all the detailed instructions on how to create the two delicate reticules above, plus a free artwork download I created especially for this project, pick up a copy of the Spring 2008 issue of Haute Handbags. You will be ever so glad you did! You will!

A Muse

Think, unexpected, unstructured in every minute detail.
What is it, can you guess?

What will it be? A very special gift made from nothing, nothing at all, save for some very lovely, very old set paste stones,

and a few dressmakers pins. Now did I mention who it was for, well it will be a present for the invisible clown to wear! Yes, I said invisible clown!

What, you say you can't see him, is there really such a thing?! Yes there is!

When I was younger and would hear others speak of finding their muse, I always thought, when I find mine she (thought it would be a girl, for one) will be a beautiful siren type with flowing hair and a draped grecian gown and the air surrounding

her would have the faint smell of jasmine and lilac! So with that said, imagine my astonishment when I discovered that MY muse was actually an invisible clown, who's favorite treat in the whole wide world was Chicklets and who carries with him
the lingering aroma of day old popcorn! I even have a drawing of him, would you like to see?

I caught him one day, sneaking around the corner, I don't know who was more surprised, him or me! Mostly me!
But I suppose things aren't always as we expect or hoped them to be. I have grown to love and appreciate his antics and silly sense of humor over the years. Now he hangs around and helps me work! Once in a while he will whisper ideas in my ear,

sometimes really great ones and some kind of harebrained, but don't tell him I said that because I'll just deny it! Why it was just yesterday he was jabbering on and on about how he saw a lady who wore a most ravishing diamond necklace, he said

he couldn't bare to take his eyes off of it! And then he confided, it was all he could do to keep from slipping it right off her neck!

And by the way, his invisible eyes sparkled like precious jewels when he told me of this and since he's done so much for me without asking anything in return,

I thought I would create a shiny little bobble for his very own. So I got busy, while he curled up and took a nap, as he

usually does when the work begins! I gathered a few things I needed, first on my list of supplies is always a small bottle

(about 2 oz.) of magic. I use it for just about everything and highly recommend it!

Sometimes it can be a bit difficult to get a hold of,

and sometimes it is temporarily out of stock,

but trust me,

if you just stick with it,

and don't give up,

you will certainly find all that you need (which again, is just one small bottle, as a little goes a long, long way!)

So have you guessed what it is?

Why it's an invisible necklace!

And so here it is,

a necklace made especially for my dear little muse!

He liked it too, he really did!

I think I saw a slow smile curl up on his face,

good thing too,

because he can be so hard to please sometimes!

Adieu!

VISUALS DETAILS: 18th century georgian kid leather gloves with teal ruffled embroidered cuffs.
Victorian perfume bottles, found in the flea markets of France.
Plaster dipped dressmakers pins circa 1900.
Antique hemp linen with a turquoise and chocolate brown double dot pattern.