Monday, February 1, 2010

Shed some light on a few things


Sometimes the sun shines in my windows and shows me something in my own home that I've never "seen" before. It whispers and then shouts (if I don't pay attention right away) and sheds light or in fact, essentially spotlights something, allowing me to really "see" it!

With the passage of time, some once very specific memories seem to get softer and lighter the further away they get. Passing one into the other mixing, mashing and mingling together into new ones. So when I am nudged and gently reminded of an

event or occasion I had nearly forgotten it makes me very happy. I created the tiara you see here for the book Crowns & Tiaras by Kerri Judd & Danyel Montecinos Sterling/Lark. The dainty faceted garnets were a gift from my beautiful

Aunt Carmen several years ago. She is a huge rock hound and attends the Tucson Rock and Gem show every year. She sent me a parcel with a whole bunch of loose stones, I was thrilled! I used them to make the six stand bracelet and used the left

overs on the tiara and pearl bracelet. The petite pearls belonged to my grandmother, they were her "everyday" pearls, she left them to me and I re-worked them into the bracelet above.

And so on we go to a kitten update... ah, Alexandria, she has the cutest little toes,

and belly,

and nose!

Every part of her is precious and we all just adore her around here! She is a little sprite, our Tasmanian angel! She's a brute and a lover too, sweet as pie one moment and then on a rampage pulling one of my husbands giant sneakers around by the shoe string the next!

She has a tall cat tree with a cubby hole on one of the levels, so far I have found all kinds of things that she has dragged up there,

besides all of her toys, kitchen towels, a few 'gone missing' socks and unmentionables, one of Julliettes sweaters and my hair brush!

She is growing right before our very eyes!

And she doesn't miss a thing, from the smallest speck on the wall to just exactly how you have to turn the knob to get the pantry door open.

She doesn't like to be left alone in a room and spends a lot of time getting to know her big sister, Julliette.

They are quite the pair, but when Julliette has tired of Alexandria's nonsense she doesn't hesitate to tell her to cool her jets!

It's actually very cute because right after a tiff they will lay down together for a snooze!

Moving right along... I will be adding some new dry goods to my Etsy shop,

some tall Fancy Stovepipe paper hats,

made out of card stock and copies of antique sheet music and fashion plates.

They are embellished with French ribbons and vintage millinery flowers.

And these pieces will fit your porcelain doll busts as well, I have only made a dozen but hope to make some more next month so keep an eye out.

Another new item I will be introducing are my Miniature Parian Milliner's Models!

I also only have a few of these, they are bisque porcelain antique replica doll heads on wooden stands and are dressed in antique lace and linen. Some of them have pierced ears so you can put different earrings on them.

They will arrive to you stuffed with excelsior

and have pretty paper portrait medallions on the bottoms.

The smaller ones will fit right into the 18th Century paper masks too!

There are also a few more antique gems, like this petite frame I hand painted to resemble English Barbola,

and a Victorian cast metal trinket box with the most beautiful gray patina. Pop in and visit my shop when you have a moment!

Oh! I almost forgot.... we have a Winner! It is Bryanna Lenan of The Canary's Cupcake!
Thats all for now girls, see you again soon!