Arm Warmers

I fulfilled a request from Amy at Smore Couture and made a couple pairs of arm warmers, fingerless gloves, with lace.  I used a pair of socks for each and zig-zagged lace around the raw end that had been cut straight across the heel, leaving the finished end on the top.  Many of the on-line tutorials suggested the reverse but I think these look better.  I decorated each with another snippet of lace and either pearls or black faceted beads.  They look really cute on and I realize now that should I want to sell these online myself, I'll have to hire a model for pictures.  I have fours Jr high/high school girls in the neighborhood who would make good ones.

Christmas Ornament 5

This is the last one for a while.  I have to let my mind rest and then I come up with new ideas, hopefully.  I used a vintage brass drawer pull plate, vintage eyelet lace, vintage tatted lace and a beautiful piece of vintage embroidered chiffon.  I cut the word, "Peace," from some holiday ribbon and a lovely cut mother-of-pearl button sits in the center of the plate.  Seam binding and sparkly ribbons became the hanger and the picture comes from vintageimagemadness.com.

Christmas Ornament 4

I used the end papers of an old book for the background of the base and used real feathers for the wings.  Her dress is of cheese cloth, gauze and a beautiful vintage net lace.  I strung peach seam binding to hang it by wrapping it around a vintage brass brad.  Her halo is half of a ruffled piece of gold trim.  (Take a close-up look by clicking on the photo, if you desire.)  I love her and hope she doesn't sell.  If she does, I'll have to make myself another one.

Christmas Ornament 3

I used background paper from Shabby Cottage Studio, back of card paper from vintage book endpages, tatted lace, vintage lace, a vintage brass token, computer-generated wording "Gloria in excelsis Deo,"  public domain image, and new gold wired ribbon.

Christmas Ornament 2

Here's the second of five ornaments that are at S'more Couture this week.  I used a copy of a vintage postcard, vintage eyelet lace, embroidered net laces and lace edging, vintage rosebud trim, vintage velvet ribbon, an old doll dress strip, a piece of a vintage blue rhinestone earring and I added a few other new ribbons to the mix.  I'd forgotten how fun it is to create with mixed media.

Christmas Ornament 1

At last I'm getting my act together and I'm making some Christmas ornaments to hopefully sell in a couple of shops.  I love this picture.  I believe the real St. Nicholas would have been honored to hold the Christ child if he had been given the opportunity.  This picture puts Christmas in perspective for me.  I got this image from vintageimagemadness.com -- Nativity-Postcard Collage Sheet. 
I used end papers from an old book on the back, collage sheet from shabbycottagestudio, collage photo from Vintage Image Madness (see above link), a handmade stencil (silly me put all my vintage brass stencils in an auction--last week!!  I knew I'd need them!), cheese cloth, a vintage jeweled watch adornment, hand stamped word, and gold ruffled trim.

Last Flowers

snapdragons

impatiens

You can see the dead leaves around these flowers.  I wanted to capture the last of the colorful beauty of summer before our first big frost predicted for tonight.  God so loves me by creating flowers.  Thank you, God.  Now for frost! : ) 

Three Free Photos

These three photos came from an antique photo album I purchased at an auction a few years ago.  I'd like to share these with you to use in any way you wish.  Happy Fall.

What To Do With An Old Book

FOLD IT.

Fun With Acorns and Leaves

I've been having fun making these little cluster pendants--one in bronze and one in silver.  I have the bronze one and Deena will have the silver one.  I used acorn charms, leaf charms, a green triangular crystal with magenta and gold iridescent sides, a turquoise pearly oblong bead, a small turquoise and maize glass bead, and a gold glass bead.  Tiny matte-finished glass beads border the beads on the bronze pendant and silver glass beads border the beads on the silver pendant.  I love wearing mine and I'm not a jewelry lover.  I also love Fall and wearing this pendant helps me celebrate it.

Remnants Bracelets

I've been saving small-sized pieces of jewelry for quite a while now in the hopes of making bracelets.  Amy at S'more Couture makes these and they are so cute.  I've traded a few of my flowers for a couple of hers.  Now I've made two more to wear (or maybe sell).  I love wearing these even if they are a bit much to some.  Maybe I could call myself a jewelry lover now--maybe.  Bracelets are cute but they do get in my way.  I'm such a Plain Jane at heart.

Flowers From Leftovers

I trimmed the bridal veil the other day (sidenote:  the bride loved it) and was left with two strips of lightweight tulle--what to do?  I made these two fluffy flowers with pearls and a tiny glass beaded flower as their centers.  The things I've been making lately have no place to go as yet--waiting for just the right time and shop.

Flowers-Flowers-Flowers

A black flower joined the two at the top this week--already delivered--and I gave those two to her sisters last night.  Little girls are not aware that such things cost money and time to make so I told them they were my models and if anyone was interested, I sell them and to give their friends my info.  They won't do that but maybe they will realize that I do this for income--and the joy of giving and maybe they will learn to give to someone else from the kindness of their hearts as well--maybe.

The bottom flower has been sitting around since last summer waiting for me to put a center inside.  I've added a vintage crystal cone bead topped with a small pearl, two brass butterflies, a large pearl, a large crystal and a rhinestone sparkle.  I used three materials and formed a ranunculus shape.  It stands up from the base an inch or so and has a small alligator clip on the felt bottom.

Necklace Remade

Yes, this one is much better.  You see it here with the pinecone pendant and chain necklace.  This will do.

A Necklace for Me? Probably Not.

I purchased these beads and a long simple chain last week and made myself a necklace.  My aim was to make something Fall-ish to go with a gorgeous pinecone pendant drop necklace a friend gave me.  I wore the pendant, these beads and the simple chain together.  I wanted the little turquoise dot bead to show more since I was wearing a turquoise sweater and cream shell with brown pants.  Now, brown and green are not my colors but I do love brown and turquoise together.  It didn't work--too brown, too green.  I wore it but was not happy and my "jewelry friends" at church didn't comment on it and they usually say something about what I make, as I do for them.  They're sweet but they don't lie and no comments means it was unremarkable--too blah, not interesting enough, no pop--whatever.  Look for my remake soon--I hope.

First Wedding Veil

 Sadie's happy today and she should be.  It's the first time she's modeled a wedding headpiece.

 You can hardly see her scars while wearing this little number.

Amy had a girl ask her to make a wedding veil for her and she said, "yes" then called me.  Amy's talented but not with the needle.  She gave me a veil that had been given to her and I tore everything off, leaving just the nylon mesh around the wire and globs of hot glue.  I had the lace pieces, the satiny fabric and the beads.  All I had to do was put it together.  It took me a few days of thinking about it, then I just began adding stuff.  I basically covered the whole form with the lace, made the flowers, sewed them on (quite a feat seeing as I had to work around the glue) and added the beads and tulle.  The girl only wanted a shoulder-length veil and this is a little longer than that.  It gives us some wiggle room if she wants it shorter--easier to do that than add more, though it could be done with some maneuvering.  It was fun to make and took me about 3 hours--not bad for my first ever wedding veil, I think.