Bits and pieces, jibs and jabs

-
Birdsong at Karla's Cottage is only 2 weeks away!  I wish I could say I am completely prepared, but I am so far from it!  Only yesterday I started working on one of the three swaps I joined for the event.  I don't want to reveal too much, but it has something to do with this pretty picture:
My buddy Suzanne and I don't really have our travel plans set, either!  I am nervously watching the weather for our drive to Kansas; this morning, for example, the main highway we must travel on was closed for blizzard conditions for a while.  But, somehow, I just know it will all work out!
Ever since we met, Suzanne and I have been showering each other with gifties...as I see something I know she'll love, I grab it for her, and she does the same!  So in addition to our craft supplies, swaps, and snacks, I know we'll have the car packed up with bags for each other!
Big news in town: a new antique store and a thrift store have opened!  I've already been twice to the antique store, but haven't had a chance to get to the thrift store, can you believe it?  I wrote an article with lots of photos, like the one above, about the antique store.
My favorite piece there, besides the tea cart I showed you I bought yesterday, is this lamp made from an antique sewing machine.  Funny thing is, I saw two of these sewing-machines-without-their-tables at Goodwill the other day (for $40 each) and wondered how I could display them.  Question answered!

In other news, Silver Bella has been canceled for this Fall.  I feel bad that such a wonderful event couldn't go forward; it was the highlight of my year last year.  Sniffle.

Well, I'm off to have lunch with my husband, then it's back home to try to tackle the reorg of that craft room some more.  The fun never ends around here!

Comments

LuLu Kellogg said…
That lamp is wonderful!

I was sad to hear about Silver Bella too.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend Laurie!!

Love,
LuLu~*xoxo
April 15, 2011 at 12:59 PM
Anonymous said…
If it hadn't been for Silver Bella, I wouldn't have met you! That's what makes me so sad...I loved making new friends there.
April 15, 2011 at 1:12 PM
Hope said…
Hi Laurie!
I am so excited to see you at Birdsong. I have finished both my swaps and I am so happy....I love how they turned out. I am sad that SB is over.....and I love the lamp you made!
Hugs~Hope
April 16, 2011 at 8:17 AM
Suz said…
Dang, Laurie,
I sure wish I could have gone to Bird Song, too. It looks just wonderful! I am drooling. And the group looks fantastic. I just hope Karla does it again. I love this theme, though. Have a great time and take lots of pictures. I am very sad about Silver Bella :-(
Hugs,
Suz
April 18, 2011 at 12:17 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Baby Jesus Candy Cane Christmas Ornament How-To

-
Image
Here's a tutorial to make sweet baby Jesus ornaments: Materials: 3/4" round wooden balls blue felt like-sized small wooden stars flesh-colored acrylic paint yellow acrylic paint black permanent marker small button as star decor raffia natural excelsior "moss" silver thread or coordinating yarn candy cane You'll also need glue or a hot glue gun, paint brush and scissors Begin by painting the wooden balls with flesh-colored paint and the stars with yellow paint. When dry, draw two sleeping eyes on the ball. Meanwhile, cut small pieces of felt and make little rolls to represent the baby's body; tie with a tiny piece of raffia. Next, glue the wooden ball onto the top of the body roll of felt; if you wish, you can also cut a small wedge of felt to glue over like a little swaddled hood on the baby's head, but I think it looks cute without it as well. Glue the l...
Read more

Flagler College in St. Augustine: the Tiffany connection

-
Image
We visited this wonderful building that began its life in 1888 as a lavish hotel built by Henry Flagler, one of the founders of Standard Oil, and now houses Flagler College . It is such a beautiful old building and in it we saw: these fabulous Tiffany chandeliers... on a spectacular painted and embossed ceiling in one of the hotel's drawing rooms.   I apologize for the quality of the indoor photos -- it was quite dark in the building. I had to laugh at these painted cherubs on the ceiling... and the way their ribbony robes encircle the chandelier mount! This large clock over the mantle is special because it's a Thomas Edison clock and because it is made from one piece of rare onyx.  We were told that Edison's "signature" on his clocks is the use of the incorrect Roman numeral "4". But the most spectacular feature of the building is that Louis Comfort Tiffany himself made the stained glass windows. Most of Tiffany's windows a...
Read more

O Christmas tree, jeweled Christmas tree...

-
Image
Earlier in the season Rebecca and I went to a craft fair at a local high school, and there was one booth with the CUTEST little jeweled, framed Christmas trees! The gal was nice enough to let me photograph them.  Sorry it's kind of blurry, but it was dark in that high school gym! I know it's an older kind of craft (from the '60s and '70s) but she made them sweet -- not gaudy at all.  We were both SO inspired. So, last week we made it happen.  I brought a bunch of my old, broken vintage jewelry, some velvet, glue,  old frames, and we sat in her dining room and made a forest of little trees! It was so simple: first, we took a vintage frame and covered the backing with velvet.  We just glued it on. Then, we took our time arranging bits and pieces of jewels into a Christmas tree shape. When we were happy with the arrangement, we committed and glued the jewels down!  I love this avocado green velvet! And then we did it again.  We h...
Read more