A Petite French Theater of Dreams

Hi Blogger Friends,

Today I'm sharing a project that  I have wanted to do forever.  I had seen a few little miniature theaters out in cyberspace and always thought it would be fun to make one.  I guess I always figured I'd construct one with found hardware, spindles, etcetera, but when I found this jewelry box at my neighbor's yard sale late this summer, I knew that I had found my theater.  All I had to do was give her a makeover and we'd be good to go. Sorry for the crummy "before" picture.  I apparently was too excited to get started painting to bother making sure my camera settings were right!  It was very pretty, but I had envisioned a white theater, so out came the Annie Sloan's chalk paint in Old White.

I gave her a good coat, leaving a little gold peeking through here and there.  I then lightly sanded some areas, giving a little distressed look.  A coat of clear wax was followed by some VERY judiciously placed dark wax in the areas I wanted to age a bit more.  The detailing was so pretty, it wasn't too difficult to make it sing.  I LOVE the way it turned out.

Some beautiful lace curtains seemed appropriate for a Theater of Dreams...I wanted to evoke a sense of ethereal beauty where the audience would get lost in the magic of the performance.

Mon petit théâtre des reves (theater of dreams)...

In MY dreams, a chandelier illuminating the stage was a must.  I raided my stash of crystals and wire and came up with a design that I found pleasing.  A little twist here, a little bend there and VOILA!  A petite chandelier to go with my petite stage...

The back needed to have a little pizazz, so a vintage page from a French encyclopedia did the trick.

The addition of a couple of beautiful mademoiselles to dance on my stage was the finishing touch. Of course, they had to be dolled up a little more with some layering, artist chalks, and glitter.  Much better...

Fairy wings or butterfly wings...what do you think?  Or should I say, what would you see in YOUR dreams?

I hope you enjoyed seeing my little project.  I look forward to peeking in on you and see what projects you've been up to.   I just went out this evening and clipped all of my roses since we are supposed to have our first hard freeze tonight.  BRRRR!!!

Sharing with Blissful Whites Wednesday
                      Be Inspired Friday
                      Feathered Nest Friday
                      What's It Wednesday

Until next time,

Vintage Trinket Jewelry Course and Some Treasures for Sale

Hi everybody,

I want to share with you a couple of things I have made recently.  I have been having a good time playing with my hoarded saved up vintage jewelry parts.  I finally made 2 necklaces after taking an online class taught by the very talented Andrea Singarella over at Jeanne Oliver's Ning site.  It was so fun and so inspiring.  Definitely a nice diversion.

This necklace is my favorite.  I had purchased the frame looking piece which I think has garnets or garnet colored glass at an estate sale a couple of years ago.  Same with some of the faceted beads and chain.  The others I had purchased at Michael's and Etsy.  I added the beautiful Madonna picture and coated it with Diamond Glaze to give it that "under glass" look.  Several videos later, I learned how to wire wrap and how to turn beads into something that could be connected to other beads.  Handy info...
.

This piece features a really pretty old rhinestone dress clip and some rosary connectors in addition to some antique macaroni beads from a chandelier.

I wore it out to dinner last weekend with Mr French Laundry as we celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary.

Hard to believe it's been 17 years already...time flies when you're having fun I guess!

If you want to have some fun and take this jewelry making class, I believe you can still get in...cost is a very reasonable $10 and the videos are available until January 2014.  I highly recommend it.  Just pop on over to Jeanne Oliver's Ning site and check it out.


PART 2 of the post is about me reluctantly editing my collections.   It is hard letting go of things you love, but sometimes you end up with more than you need and then, the time has come to let them go to someone else who will love and appreciate them.  Usually, I put these things in one of my Etsy shops, but these are all hand made items by other artists, so in order to comply with the Etsy rules, I will just list them here.  I am hoping my Paypal purchase buttons work properly.  First come, first serve, like new, but for a discount over what I paid.  International buyers are welcome, but be advised that I will send an invoice for the additional shipping as listed on each item.  Happy Shopping!

A stunning hand painted silk ribbon rose pin from Meadow Street. Never used, still on the original card as sent by the artist.  Measures approximately 2 3/4 inches in diameter, not including the pretty streamers.

Beautiful Rose Pin $16 + $4 shipping (US ONLY).  If you are outside the U.S., you may purchase, but the shipping will be an additional $4 USD invoiced separately.

ROSE PIN IS SOLD.


A beautiful altered antique shoe by talented blogger Rene' of Miss Gracie's House.  Measures 11 inches by 3 inches and stands 5 1/2 inches tall.  There are a few cracks in the creamy white paint, just adding to the character in my opinion.  Would be a great accessory for a vintage wedding, a gift for a bride, or just to use, as I did, in a spot where you want a little vintage romance.  See the photos for a better idea of just how lovely this piece is.

Altered Art Shoe $8 + $6 shipping (US ONLY) If you are outside the U.S., you may purchase, but the shipping will be an additional $6 USD, invoiced separately.

"Congratulations" tie on glass tags made by a Colorado Springs artist.  These are great to tie on to a bottle of wine or as a little extra thing on a package.  Each measures 3 inches by 1 inch and the vintage rayon seam binding ribbon adds an additional 4 inches.

Congratulations tag $5 (for one tag) + $3 shipping (US ONLY)  If you are outside the U.S., you may purchase, but the shipping will be an additional $3 USD, invoiced separately.

CHOSE TAG

TAG "A" $5.00 USD    TAG "B" $5.00 USD

For any of the above items, I am happy to combine shipping if you purchase more than one thing.  Just go ahead and purchase and I will refund through your Paypal account. 


Until next time,

Playing in My Studio

Hi Bloggie Friends,

I am so excited to show you what I've been up to these last few days.  I took a couple of days off this week to celebrate my birthday (yes, 39 AGAIN!) and decided that my number one priority was to go to my studio and create.  I can't tell you how good it felt...I made these pretty little hearts with beautiful images of Madonna and Baby Jesus.  They didn't start out this cute...they were rather gawdy bright gold and bright silver Christmas ornaments but they had great bones, so I had to pick them up a while back.  I did some magic with Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint in a few different whites and layered clear wax followed by the dark wax and then added the beautiful prints which made my heart sing.  

I'm pleased with how they turned out and would like to do up some more if I can locate the hearts again.  In the meantime, I will be listing these this week in my Etsy shop, Elegant Farmhouse.  I also had some fun with some old tintype or daguerreotype cases.  Although I love them in their original state, I just had an idea that these would be great altered to be a little shrine. I keep one by my bed as a reminder to quiet down and just BE once in a while amidst the whirlwind that is my life.  I hope you like them.  I may put one in my Etsy shop and if it sells quickly, I will definitely be on the lookout for some more to "do up".  They are usually pretty pricey, but I am willing to hold out for a price that is affordable-a fixer-upper is fine with me since I am altering them anyway. 

 

This case is so beautiful...almost looks like a stylized cross or perhaps a stained glass window.

This one started out so sad looking but was transformed with a little love and effort.  The same can happen in our lives, oui? 

I am in love with this case.  It has such beautiful detail.

I have missed you all.  I hope your summer was fun and that your fall will be beautiful.  Don't forget to take a little time out to do something that makes your heart sing.  You'll be glad you did!  I'm sharing this week at Blissful Whites Wednesday,  What's It Wednesday, Feathered Nest Friday, and Shabbylicious Friday.

Until next time,

A Thrifty Nifty Weekend

I hope everyone had a nice summer weekend. I managed to do a little thrift shopping and had a lovely time. I thought I'd share my finds with you...

Can you spot a theme? From the cream date night top I scored to the old ironstone creamer, it seems that I had a thing for white in all of its glorious shades.  Applause, applause, applause!  I just never tire of all of the shades of white.  The large vintage shell with just a beautiful touch of pink was an awesome find and I can't wait to get to creating with those pretty lace appliques.

These pretty little metal tags will be incorporating into something fun one day.

Love those beautiful scalloped edge oval dishes and the pretty creamy saucer.

That's about all for now.  Remember that the sale in my Etsy shops ends July 31st.  Now is a great time to pick  up something that you've been eyeing. 

Until next time,

Some Pretty Just Because and a Special Sale You Won't Want to Miss

I was taking some pictures of a beautiful antique lace scarf on my antique dress form and after I redressed my dress form after her photo shoot, I couldn't help but fall in love with my pretty gal all over again.  She is all dressed in her finest frippery...

She's been dressed in this same beautiful outfit for some time but I just can't seem to find anything that looks as lovely as this, so she just keeps her same duds on.  Oh well...

On a non-related note, baby needs new shoes so I am running a sale in both of my Etsy shops like nothing ever seen before.  Visit The French Laundry or Elegant Farmhouse between now and the end of the month and use the code SUMMERSUN to receive 30% off of your purchase of $50 or more.  Sorry, does not apply to items "On Reserve" or on layaway.

Until next time,