KpacoTa CnaceT Mup-Beauty Will Save the World

(Quote from Fyodor M. Dostoyevsky's THE IDIOT, 1869)


Saturday, October 17, 2009

Musical Note Silver Earrings by Ana

Well, Ana sent me 3 pictures of different earrings that she made, so I could show them, but none would post. Then this picture I dragged into my I-photo and cropped it, and somehow it let me post it.


She can do just about anything, and is highly prolific. She uses only silver, and her workmanship is gorgeous.





Hope you will visit Ana at her new blog, Cypress Cove Creations.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

40 Days Memorial...White Wednesday in Honor of Jenny


My good friend Jenny (1st post was 'My Very Good Friend Jenny..'.posted on 4 Sept.),, (Victorian Vignettes & C) passed away suddenly 40 days ago. Jenny was Christian , and although not Orthodox, we in the Eastern Orthodox faith remember those who have just passed 40 days after their passing, for that is when it is said that they rise to heaven.


I made this flower in honor of Jenny for the family at the time of her passing. The last things that she was working on were the sweet little flower pins that she made out of vintage fabrics, flowers and buttons. They were on the side table at her house when I first came to their home before the funeral. I made this from wool felt cut leaves tipped in gold glitter topped off with some flower petals and a vintage red posy that Jenny had given me. It is all topped on the bottom portion of a vintage doll dress with tulle over it. I scrunched it in the middle to create the round background.

(Just click on any picture to enlarge).

I also made a waxed journal for friends and family to write thoughts to Jenny's family. It's not the greatest picture, but it is covered in a polka dot napkin in wax. Then the felt flower with dots of glitter and a butterfly were encausted in the wax as well. Her name in gold glitter is also in wax-(beeswax).


Vintage cream bird on a creamy flower tinged with a hint of pink , all on a glitter red star, (sorry folks, but I have to shoot in a little color here and there:) )
A tiny, white bird cage with a lovely woman inside, and a framed piece- both are by Jenny and were at my booth at Boonsborough days in September.
A white , pom-pom kitty in vintage chartreuse jacket w/embroidered mini flowers. (Needle sculpted face and embroidered features).

A cool ,vintage, white Cadillac at Chartreuse. Larissa has friends who rebuild old cars, and has shown an appreciation for them. This photo is her handiwork.The front.
A cute, white puppy from Boonsborough Days.

My fabulous kitty, Kiska, under a vintage Adirondack table painted creamy , antique white.
A crown and vintage bauble for a darling vintage swan.
A gorgeous vintage crown at Chartreuse. I am sorry, but I do not remember the shop at Chartreuse and Co. that had this darling piece.

How fab is this? Who wouldn't want to have this in their studio for eye candy? Maybe Audrey wore it?...or perhaps Grace?
A sweet , diminutive cabinet awaiting some TLC at a barn sale at Chartreuse.Some more white at Chartreuse, in Urbana,MD...vintage metal patio set .

Quicksign made for Boonsborough Days put in Jenny's booth space. It should've been her and her lovely artwork instead.
Memory Eternal, Jenny! We love and miss you.....

A Flash from the Past...

My beautiful niece Natalie just sent me this adorably 'scary' Halloween e-picture card. The girls are all in their 20's now. How cutely scary is this? hahahahaPS- I do so love these three.xo

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Baltimore Big Flea Coming Soon !!!

So come to Timonium 24-25 October! Over 1000 vendors- Vintage, antiques, artwork...


Join me in the Cow Palace!

Antelope... (Dim the playlist at the bottom of the page)

So my friend from Kenya sent me this.I must have woken up the house late last night watching it! It is just so funny. Especially if you have been on Safari.


I used to go on safari quite a bit taking tour groups around the world. Have been to Kenya a good number of times.

Enjoy!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Check Out Ana at Cypress Cove Creations

This is my amazing sister-in-law Ana. She is amazing in many ways, but suffice it to say right now that she is so very special and AMAZING!!! She is a non-stop doer, tends a shop, Cypress Cove,Etc., in Ellicott City, MD with 2 friends, tends a beautiful house, solders charms and stained glass gorgeously, does custom work out the wazoo-can I say that and still remain polite and charming??? She is married to my oldest brother, and has 2 beautiful offspring in their 20's, and is grandmother to the gorgeous and smart little Baby 'N'.


If you stop by unexpectedly, she will always offer you something and never make you feel unwelcome. She has the soul of an angel, and my children LOVE their Aunt Ana. Did I tell you how much they love her?...haha.. that's because she makes them feel so special and welcome, and spoils them with chocolates and truffles, yes, truffles, for all the little holidays:).

She works so very hard, and is always weeding, transplanting plants, peeling wallpaper, painting, soldering, making up stained glass designs, doing custom work for people, helping watch her little grand cutie, always gives an ear and comforting words and advice to her children and loved ones and friends. She does this and more, and battles a chronic illness now for over 20 years, and she is just amazing! She is a soldier- indefatigable , and loving, and inspiring. And she does all this with the gentleness of spirit that is truly uplifting.

A stained glass frame. (Sorry, I pulled these pics. from her site, and they won't enlarge here).
Stained glass design in an old window. She does custom orders, and also has repaired a few old pieces in her day.
A beautiful old cabinet. She takes these pieces and takes out the glass, putting in stained glass, or beveled pieces.
Ana does jewelry. She solders beautiful art charms and makes other jewelry as well. Just as her house is elegant, her work is also. She uses lead free solder, and silver in her jewelry makings. Alas, I tried to scan in a picture of some fab. charms of hers that I own, but my printer/scanner is not connecting at the moment, so I will post later.

Amber is in the shop as well. She also does jewelry, and makes these adorable puppy sweaters. Ana and Amber hold jewelry making classes for very reasonable prices at the little Cypress Cove, Etc. shop.

Julie of Julie's Antiques and Collectibles, also of PJ's with her very funny husband Paul, has such great prices on their furniture and other items, that once you know where they are, you will always check them out first! Here's a two piece set that is well priced. PJ's also has dirt 'cheap' prices. Dealers go to them.

Hubby and I shopped PJ's years ago at the Columbia Flea Market which is alas, no more. It was a great flea market hosting dealers from several states. Then PJ's came into Oella Mill, where I had a shop for 4 years, in Ellicott City, MD. Now Julie and Ana share this cute little space together with Amber.

OK- So Ana just started up her blog, Cypress Cove Creations. She's really new at this , so please stop by and check out her new blog and say Hello. Her web space is called Cypress Cove, and her shop is Cypress Cove, Etc.. If you are in the Ellicott City, MD area, shoot her an email, or call for directions to check out the shop, and stop in at PJ's as well.

Did I tell you that Ana is all self-taught? She did ceramics in her 20's, and in the late 90's got into reupholstery, on top of the stained glass. The stained glass was a natural base for her soldered glass art charms and other jewelry. And remember that she can do anything you want, and her prices are very reasonable for such beautiful work!

Halloween Delivery...

So it occurred to me that I hardly ever post items that I make and deliver to shows. Reason being, I'm usually in a big hurry, and back-logged with work. But, I am trying hard to remember to take pictures. I'll get better as I go along.


Princess Pumpkin off to the masquerade party for Halloween. (Click to enlarge any photo for better details).

Antique China head, gessoed and painted cloth body, chenille neckline, crepe paper skirt, flocked posy with black pom-pom, special golden crown and mask (the mask is on a mini pumpkin stem).
Blend the seasons polka dot girl accompanying Princess Pumpkin.



Cute, tiny, costumed, antique, China head dolls, (from Thuringia), going to the masquerade party in silver plated, vintage dishes.

Mrs. Kitty Block. Print of cat from antique postcard on thin cardboard, then lined in the back with pretty paper, sealed up and edged in gold paint...all in her own vintage block....oh, yeah, with a hint of glitter.
Mr. Kitty who is accompanying Mrs, Kitty to the masquerade party. Everyone is ready for Halloween.
Reprints of original, watercolor, Halloween pictures glazed/sealed up the same way as Mrs. & Mr. Kitty, all off to the party. There's howling cat.....
...and clown kitty.....
...not a great picture because of the flash shadowing on the bottom, but the top of the picture is quite clear and more accurate in coloring.
Glittered swan wearing a crown for Halloween, with vintage bauble dangling from the glittered crown, surrounded by vintage gold frame, holding orange (for Halloween) butterflies.....
She looks so pretty 'framed up'...(sorry that these swan pictures did not come out great, but she is definitely quite the adorable crowning Miss...


Cute, tiny, Halloween bags, w/mostly collaged pictures, and polka dots on their scalloped edges, all in a vintage Lustreware dish. Fun little things to make while having only a little bit of time to spare.
Magnets made from mostly collaged pictures from original artwork or paper ephemera, etc...then printed to be able to magnetize more easily, and sealed with Avery laminating sheets---the only brand I use. I used to make a pretty penny in the 90's with unique hand made/cut magnets. At the time, no one else had anything like them. Tiny -mostly ACEO sized- art prints from my original watercolors. They are much brighter and cuter in person. The clown kitty in the front has those little bobbly eyes attached- because they just fit so perfectly.

Prints of original watercolors sewed onto fabric, then grommeted to become a book mark or hanging little ornament. Some have crepe paper fringes sewn on .
Clown kitty. These that are sewn onto fabric are more antiqued in appearance. They are sealed up to keep them all nice and sturdy.
Tiny dolls before costuming. What to do with tiny, cloth, doll bodies sewn for me years ago when I utilized some sewers to help out with the bases for my wee needle-sculpted dolls in cloth?... (and these were not sewn so well, but gesso and paint do wonders, and even some sturdy tissue paper at times...). That's a Paperclay, doll head dipped in wax in the left front, awaiting further 'creationing'.hahaha ...blogging is fun, you can make up words and no one will mark you off for it.hahaha......Oops! This little guy didn't make it to the Halloween party as he didn't get dressed and painted up in time, oh, my.....he was trying to figure out his costume, or if he was going to go at all.

Here is a darling little glazed pin made from my original watercolors. He's got googly-bobbly eyes...so cute.....They look much nicer in person, and are a hot seller, as I price them so exceedingly well.
One of my glazed ornaments- also popular for two years now. This one is of an antique cat picture collaged with butterfly wings, etc... Aren't the pumpkin stems cute?
Hey, how'd he get in here???hahaha... This is my little Puma. He's not fat, he just looks plump in this picture. Probably stuck...haha. So Larissa's friend Krissy, who does not like kitties, came to the kitchen and started laughing uncontrollably. When I asked her what she was laughing at, she just said, 'your cat'. I looked , and Mr. Pumata was just sitting there upright. He stayed like that for about 10 minutes!!!!! It was just soooo adorable! Don't you think?
Just delivered some small things to Laura Turner's Frizellburg Antiques for her Halloween Event. If anyone is interested in anything here, just shoot me an email and I'll inform you if it is still available.