Time flies when you're having fun...

Happy Pink Saturday! Wow! I can't believe its been almost 2 months since my last post! I guess that birthday hit me harder than I thought! LOL! Just kidding, folks. I've just been attending to life. Getting kids back in school, finishing a mosaic table that I did with my kids' whole elementary school back in April which I had not finished doing the background on (until this month), beginning work on a 12 foot long mural mosaic for the same school with my friend Juanita, and...taking a weekend long polymer clay class from the awesome Laurie Mika. If you aren't familiar with her work, go check our her site. The things you can do with polymer clay are amazing. Her art is awesome, the class was awesome, and she was a darn nice lady, too! Her studio was just featured in the most recent issue of "Where Women Create". Her book, "Mixed Media Mosaics" was an awesome find, tying together my love for stamping, mosaics, and iconery. When I found out she was coming to Ft Collins, CO (yes, of "Balloon Boy" fame) to do a workshop at sweet Christine's Artists' Nook, I just jumped at the chance to take it. It was 2 days of bliss. I've never done any type of workshop like that before, although several of the more well known artists meccas like Silver Bella, Art Fest, and Art and Soul are definitely on my "Bucket List". So anyway, my finished project is my offering for PS. My photography wasn't up to par as I was doing a couple of down and dirty pictures to do show and tell with friends and family, but you get the idea. It was a cool metal box made to look like a book which we embellished with our completely handmade tiles and collage on the back and the inside. The tiles are polymer clay which has been stamped with rubber stamps (no ink), painted, embellished with mica powders, and occasionally embedded with doo-dads. We also learned how to handpaint simple white tiles and do transfers onto the tiles. My inspiration was the Paris Opera House. I had a cool postcard of the Opera House that my father had brought back from Paris in WWII when he was stationed there. I made a laser copy of it and brought it up with me to the workshop along with some bits and bobs I had stashed. Laurie had all of the stamps and mica powders and seed beads that she let us play with. I can't wait to play with polymer clay and stamps again. Who knew it could be so fun??? When you're done oohing and aaahing (come on, indulge me here), pop on over to our Pink Saturday host Bev's place, How Sweet the Sound to check out all of the offerings for Pink Saturday.

Until next time,








Me and the Goddess of Polymer Clay, Laurie Mika.

It's my birthday and I'll post more dolls if I want to...

I know you are probably getting sick of my little doll posts, but doggone it, this new one I just did up is SO cute! And, this Pink Saturday, it really is my birthday, so I guess I will ask for your indulgence in putting up with yet another little doll. This antique bisque doll is larger than the ones I've done before, so I was able to be a bit more bold with the trims I used. This one has an antique silk velvet bodice and a very pretty scalloped lace trim skirt. Vintage rayon seam binding forms her belt, shoulder straps, and little rosette "dress clips". Topping it all off is a wonderful garland of vintage velvet flower trim at the hip and forming her headband. I just love her gold hair (not golden, really gold!). She is SO 1920's. And SO sweet.
Now, before I go off to eat my celebratory birthday sweets, I'm going to pop over to Bev's at How Sweet the Sound to check out the other Pink Saturday participants.
Until next time,

Nothing to Wear on Pink Saturday

I found this little bank at an antique show recently along with the "Pin Money" bank in the background. Isn't it the cutest thing you've ever seen? I had never seen a "Nothing to Wear" bank before, but here it is in all of its pink glory. It's in pristine condition. I should probably start putting my change in it for the fall and winter season-its a tough economy these days, but a girl's gotta look good, right? Well, I don't know if I'm actually going to put my pennies in this little cutie, but its going to look adorable sitting on my shelf.

While I count my pennies, you should pop on over to Beverly's at How Sweet the Sound to see the other Pink Saturday participants. Its always fun and always a bit eclectic with something for everyone.

Hope you're having a great summer!

Until next time,

New at Our Cottage Garden Boutique

Just a quick note to let you see some of the cute things I just posted at Our Cottage Garden. They just make my heart sing and I thought they might "sing" to some of my blogging buddies as well.

This is a precious vintage pincushion I found while out antiquing a couple of weeks ago. Can you even believe how cute it is???? Can you even believe I would sell it????

This is a vintage hanky box which I repurposed as a sewing box after I dolled it up with some great vintage wallpaper, antique millinery, trim, and then filled it up with great notions and a little bit of whatnot!

Lovin' the whatnot, especially this little bisque basket pincushion!

The top got a beautiful vintage millinery rose along with some of Heather's FABULOUS wide silk ribbon.



This little bisque doll is from Japan, circa 1920 or 30. She was in need of some clothing, so I used antique lace and old trim from the 1920's which I hoard like a mizer. I'm surprised I pried a couple of inches out of my little hand to make the bottom of the skirt! I think she is just precious with her little pouty face and pretty dress (and socks and Mary Janes, of course!).



Hope you are all having a great weekend! I am going to be playing outside with my family, so cross your fingers that the weather cooperates!

Until next time,

Unexpected Vignette...

Sometimes, vignettes are well thought out and executed to perfection. And sometimes, they just happen inadvertantly. This sweet little vignette occured when I made a couple of purchases from Our Cottage Garden and one from an Ebay auction. They arrived in the mail just before I had to leave for work and so I put the little dolls in the box that the findings and rose cards came in and figured I'd put them away later. The next day, I saw them sitting on the table and just smiled at how pretty (and pink) everything looked together. I still haven't gotten around to putting them away. I think I'll wait a little while longer and enjoy looking at them...while I wait, I'm going to pop on over to Bev's at How Sweet the Sound who hosts Pink Saturday and see what the other participants have to offer this week.

Until next time,

Simple Things

My blogger friend Jermaine at French-Kissed is so inspiring. She's always talking about her beautiful silverplate flatware that she picks up at the flea markets, thrift stores, wherever. I have some of these pieces that I inherited from a great aunt. There were a few forks in the Vintage pattern by Rogers. I'd only used them once. I was out antiquing one day and found a box of flatware priced at $1 a piece. I pawed through them, thinking of how proud Jermaine would be of me when I came across 4 stunning forks that I thought might compliment the pieces I had at home from my great aunt. Imagine my pleasant surprise when I got them home and found out they weren't just complimentary, but an exact match. Not that they needed to be, but I was so excited that they were the same. I polished the new ones and the old ones and my sugar shell and have to tell you that I have been smiling ever since. I can't wait to dine in elegance over some curried chicken and rice salad on the porch. Pretty cheap thrill at $4, don't you think?









Along that same line, this little glass compote holds a few of my favorite seashells from our recent Sanibel Island vacation. The beautiful pink shell cameo is a fairly new purchase from an estate sale. The carving is so lovely and the pink color on the shell is gorgeous. I have this sitting on my dresser where I pass it several times a day and smile, remembering a fun family vacation at the beach and appreciating the beauty of the shells.

Sometimes I have to remind myself that even though there are some phenomenally beautiful (and expensive) antiques out there, it is often these little unexpected and inexpensive treasures that elevate our homes from the mundane to the sublime and are good for a big grin each time we look at them. Can't ask for much more than that, can you?

Until next time,

How do I tie Pink Saturday in with July the 4th????

Well, I invite you to come over for tea...and sit for a while...and we can chat about how lucky we are to live in this country and how many fun July the 4th memories we have. Personally, I LOVE sparklers. I think we should find a way to use sparklers every day. Wouldn't that make each day just that much more special???

I hope you and your family and friends have a great firecracker of a 4th of July! Eat lots of watermelon, drink lots of lemonade, watch lots of fireworks, and most of all, have FUN!

paulcostello.net

Alright, I admit the tie in was a little thin (okay, I've had Filo dough that was thicker!), but its the thought that counts, right? If you can break away from the fun, pop on over to Bev's at How Sweet the Sound to see how other folks do at the pink 4th of July post. I know I'm going to!

Until next time,

P.S. Is anyone else having trouble with scheduled posts not going off as scheduled? I've never had any trouble before but this is two Saturdays in a row.