Etsy Spotlight

I know there are some lovely shops on Etsy, and many deserve spotlighting. Why then do I save my spotlights for my sister? Because she does such lovely work and she's totally changed directions since I last spotlighted her.

Anyway, her shop is Little Sassy Mini. She's done a gorgeous collection of miniature bedding, like this black quilt.

Lovely, innit? She sells the pillow too. See the vase of roses beside the bed? The vase was a bead and she filled it with handmade roses, which she details here on her blog Little Sassy Sews...and paints...and crafts...


But my favorite thing she's doing lately are the pitchers.

Is that gorgeous or what? She talks of the process she uses here.

This gives you an idea of the scale. She says they're not difficult to make, but the work looks intricate to me. Think I'll stick with my stitching, of which I'm not doing much lately.

Check Daisy out, even if it's just to admire the work she's doing!

My First Lampshade!

I can't believe it's been a month since I posted! Blame it on the heat. I do. I've become lethargic, escaping for hours into the pretend world of books.

I've only done a few things since last I posted. Back then, I promised I would finish the lampshade I was working on within a matter of days. Took me quite a bit longer to get it right. It was the first I ever covered that wasn't simply cutting and gluing. But my first effort left me with wonky trim and the shade just a bit too short for the lamp.

So I ripped off the trim, replaced the bit that covers the spokes, and added a 1" pleated trim at the bottom, then used gimp as the finishing touch.

Here's the end result. Still nothing I'd enter in the county fair (if we had one), but it's better than a sharp stick in the eye! (The glass lamp is a vintage one I found at a thrift store in Eureka Springs AR.)

An up-close shot:

The back:

Hoping that practice makes perfect, I'm currently working on the embroidery for a second lampshade. I should have that completed by tomorrow, then we'll see how well I do with the rest.

What else have I been doing, did you ask? I had lunch with my oldest sis a couple of weeks back and she brought me two vintage brooches to use in my crafting. One I've already put to use in a flower brooch.

I'm kinda liking the look of it. I think it'd be spiffy on a winter coat.

The final thing? I mentioned losing myself in fictional worlds. Well, those worlds were expertly crafted by a dear friend, Linnea Sinclair. I first read her work back in '99 when she and I critiqued  each other's work. She was a great deal of help with mine, but I was blown away by hers. While I finally put away my dreams of being published again, she's become an award-winning author of sci-fi romance for Bantam. Check out her website here. And her list of books here.

I hope this hot, hot summer is keeping all of you well. Take care.

Thrift Store Finds

I've found that as the years go by the things I search for in thrift stores change. While working, I often looked for clothing, finding lovely designer outfits at one store in Dallas. I bought a lot of other stuff back then too. Back then, it was easier to find good stuff, like my pottery vases. And back then I had room to display them.

Now I look for pieces I can sell on Etsy, vintage items and stuff I can upcycle. Recently, I've come across a number of down throw pillows in excellent condition at great prices. At first I picked them up simply because it's the cheapest down pillow forms I've ever seen. Once I got the pillows back to the studio though, I realized what a find the covers were as well.

I didn't take a before picture on this one. I'll have to remember to do that in the future.

The pillow I bought was a plain yellow corded cotton pillow from Crate and Barrel, similar to the one pictured above, though where this has a simple knife edge, the one I bought had welting.

Here it is, finished.

(If 

A closer look. I made the flower out of the last of a fulled ivory wool blanket, twin-size, that I bought in Fredericksburg last year.

I found the directions for the flower in a B&G DIY magazine, though the directions given in the magazine weren't clear and didn't work. It said to cut twelve layers, each a half-inch smaller than the last, beginning with a 15" circle, and, though they didn't give the size of the middle piece, the pictures showed it to be no more than 2". Silly me, I didn't do any calculations before I began cutting. I was on about the fourth circle and it no smaller than a foot wide when it dawned on me those directions weren't working. So-o-o, I adjusted my sizes. Can't remember now how much smaller I began cutting them, but in the end, it turned out fine. (If you click on the shot, you'll see how I've needle-felted color in the center of the first few circles, as they did.)

This one sold already, actually in the first few days listed. The buyer was enthusiastic about it once she received it, which really warms the old heart cockles!

Here's her photo of the pillow in her room. Looks great, dunnit.

 This one is pleated on the front...

And tucked on the back. There wasn't a lot I could do to upcycle this one, but once I got started, I decided to try. So I needle-felted a couple of buttons...

And stitched them on each of the top two corners...

 
Along with a couple of beaded tassels.

Now for the last one:

 

This is the back, but it gives a good idea what the pillow looked like when I bought it. It's a lovely dupioni silk with a hidden zipper closure. Its problem? There was a small stain on the front.

So I sprinkled bullion roses all over. Bet you couldn't guess where the stain was!

I have three more I plan to do: one is a gray denim Ralph Lauren flanged pillow; another a lovely deep red velvet, on which I need to first fix the zipper; and the last is a deep red silk. On the gray denim and the red velvet I've decided to do button designs--the gray denim I've already started on.

I'll post those once finished. Tomorrow though I'm hoping I'll have completed the lampshade I'm making. See ya then!

After the weekend...

Our sisters' getaway is gone. Over. Done with. Nothing but memories remain. Well, maybe one little booboo, but that too will pass.

We had a mahvelous time. If anyone is ever thinking of visiting Salado overnight, you must go to Inn on the Creek. Besides it being delightfully luxurious, the staff were fabulous and the food fantastic.

The Inn is a compound of four historic homes moved to Salado from other places in Texas. We were in the Holland House--moved from Holland, Texas, doncha know.

I didn't take photos, and of course now I'm regretful, but a couple of my sisters did. I'm hoping Daisy will post some on her site soon. (Above and below are shots from the Inn's home page.)

The first night was the night of my booboo, a squishy-squashed finger, and I lay down with a book around eightish because of the throbbing. When Billie came in for the night, she was bubbling over. She and Ginger and Alice went down to the creek. There are hammocks there, and it was just the three of them and Alice, our sedate little Alice, got a little kooky. That, I hated missing, as well as the fact that They Saw Fireflies! I've not seen one in ages.

This is a shot I found on the 'net of Salado Creek viewed from Inn on the Creek. Looks as if it's set up for a wedding. Gorgeous, innit?

The second morning we were there, we were sitting on the front porch of the house where our rooms were...

When a lady and her two darling golden retrievers came by. The dogs made a dash for the porch where we were. Who couldn't love someone that glad to see you? Their owner was delightful as well, but I'm afraid she had to take second place to the girls. While I'm not that much of a dog person, if I could adopt either Brisa or Belle, Max would have to make room.

This lady is a boot collector, as is Daisy's hub. Wish I could have recorded their conversation about boots, but then I wish I could have recorded the entire weekend.

The lady came by again the last morning we were there, bringing cookies as a traveling gift. How sweet was that? So I decided to make a card as thanks.

I needlefelted the boot.

Inside I wrote a line from a Jim Reeves song, A Stranger is Just a Friend, with a tad bit of artistic license taken. I'm wondering if I should stamp Thanks on the first page. Secondly, should I print the saying out on paper and glue it on? While I have a passable handwriting, and as is it certainly says personal and handcrafted, it lacks a certain professionalism.

What say you? I'd love to hear comments. (And thanks in advance.)

Recycled Gift Package

In preparation for my weekend away, I made a list of things I needed to do and have been trying to complete those, but yesterday afternoon I took a break and shot photos of the gifts I'm taking. I've mentioned before that on our annual get-away my sisters and I alternate celebrating a sister's birthday. This year it's Billie's turn. We tend to go the same time each year, and as Daisy's birthday falls around the time, I usually get some little something for her as well.

Yesterday I shot pics of the packaging and the cards I made for each of them and duly transferred said pics to the 'puter. Or thought I did. Not checking first--I mean, who does that? Not me, certainly--I deleted the shots from the camera. I never do that, at least not immediately, but I was still readying myself for the weekend. And somehow I lost every shot I took except these two.

:^P (That's my fave emoticon. What says disgust better?)

Now on to the pics. I love Sephora bags; I just hate that they stick their name EveryWhere, making them pretty darned un-useful for gifting.

But I wanted to use this one. It fit the gift so well. So I covered all that writing up with embellishments.

The ribbon I simply painted on the underside ends with Elmer's to stop it raveling, then glued it down, again with Elmers. The flower I used the box technique to make, as demonstrated here. (She uses paper and does it beautifully! I used four layers of burlap. Maybe next time I'll try for eight layers.)

There was even more writing on the back so I covered that with a frame of ribbon. Shoulda mitered the corners; I'll do that next time. In the center I added--not to cover up anything, but just cuz--a needlefelted button. (See technique here.)

And that's all I have, though I used the box flower technique on Daisy's package as well. On hers, I cut the circles from a wallpaper border I picked up at the thrift store. Guess it goes without saying that I love repurposing!

It's 5 o'clock in the a.m. here in the Texas hill country, and I've been up since threeish. Couldn't go back to sleep, but I'm thinking I may be able to now. So ta, y'all. Talk to you when I get back.

Better Belated Than Never

I forgot my dear friend's birthday. :^P

I made a gift for her in March, intending to send it to her then and call it an un-birthday present--we don't exchange gifts anymore; both of us have far more than we need. But I didn't. Then I remembered her birthday in April, when it isn't, and forgot it in May, when it is.

Actually, I was only four days late when it dawned on me, but we spoke on Sunday, three days after, and I didn't mention it--cuz I didn't remember. Dang me!

Anyway, I'm not gonna call and tell her I forgot. (Obviously, she already knows.) I'm getting her gift in the mail today. (She doesn't read this blog so I can tell y'all without forewarning her.) I thought I'd share the gift I made her.

Kathy's a talented seamstress, has made her own clothing forever and took couture sewing classes years ago. I wanna be her someday! So I stitched up this little sewing basket for her. It's made of wool felted from a blanket (a gift from my sis--thanks, Daisy.). I used a silk plaid for the lining, stitched a pocket on the front for a pair of folding scissors and hung a felted wool ball from a twisted perle cotton rope for a pincushion. The pins I made from a couple of beads I had (owl and the pussycat, anyone?) anchored onto the pins with polymer clay--and a bit of E6000!

A closer look at the pins. I'm not sure they'd work for actual use, but they're kinda cute, methinks.

 

A glance at the inside. I have gobs of this silk, used it as a bottom border on a shower curtain and for purse linings but have hardly made a dent in it

This weekend I'll be going with my sisters on our annual getaway. We'll be in Salado, just a couple of hours from here, at a gorgeous B&B on Salado Creek. As my 'nother sis Ginger said, "We may never leave!"

That's all for now. Take care, y'all.

Back again

I've become so neglectful of this blog I almost forget I have it! Now and then, though, I like to show what I've been up to in my absence.

As I mentioned many times, I love buttons. Here are a few things I've been working on.

I made this necklace from vintage MOP buttons--about 75 in total--some sterling wire, a sterling necklace, and a few glass beads. Pretty neat, huh? If you're liking it, here's a tutorial.

This elephant thingabobbie I found in a box of old buttons. Carved bone, I believe. Isn't it cool? I used a sterling headpin and a green, jadey-like stone bead to make a necklace pendant. (It'd be cool as a charm, but I think at an inch and a half it's a bit long.)

Another necklace pendant made from a MOP button. On this one, the button itself was about an inch and a half so it too had to be a pendant.

What else? Well, I made another awning for our back porch. It's a difficult one to photograph since my house faces east and the sun's not in a good position for picture-taking until late afternoon. Hmm. It's late afternoon right now. Maybe I'll just nip out and see if I can get a shot or two.

Here it is, awnings closed. The one on the left I made several years ago; the one on the right is the new one. Since we have a western aspect to our back yard, the awnings are necessary to shade the living room. And sitting on the back porch is a killer without them! The new one, though, is mainly cuz in the afternoon the sun shines right in the hub's eyes in the LR!

I made them from drop cloths, a 4' x 15', so all I had to do was cut the 15' direction to length, add a hem to one cut side and along the bottom to hold a pvc pipe, then add rings for the ropes. The hub had to do much more--he put a long rebar inside the PVC to weight it, built the runners for the pipe to ride up in--and to keep the awning from blowing in our strong winds, added pulleys at the top and mounted the whole darn thing. 

While I'm at it, and while I was out snapping the above pics, thought I'd show my caladiums now that they're finally beginning to bloom. Pretty, huh? They'll get even more magnificent before summer's gone.

That's all, folks!