All Things Pretty...

Regal beauties....

Several recent projects have included crowns and queens....  I noticed, as I was putting together this post, that I've been using more and more of the faded creams, ecru, and soft grays and tans tones in my projects.  

In the BlissfullARTSwaps Group, we made ATC's for  the theme "Where's My Crown?" 

 I used Shakespeare's female characters as my muse.

(images are courtesy of The Graphics Fairy)

 

 

 

 

Also for the BlissfullARTSwaps Group (make sure to check out the work of all the amazing artists in this group)....  I joined the "altered Pierrot paperdoll" swap...  

The Pierrot doll image is from The Graphics Fairy...we were to alter/dress our doll using any medium/materials we desired.

 

I had all these divine laces I've been saving for a special project,

so I decided to use them for my doll's gown.  

 

 

The bodice of the gown is made from a scrap of very, very old silk (1800's dress). 

Oh, how I wish I had seen the actual dress back in it's day - I guarantee is was magificent!

 

of course, every royal beauty needs her jewels... 

 

The original doll had a traditional Pierrot hat which didn't quite work with my "beaute royale" look, so off it came.... and in its place, a beautiful crown.

 

I am quite pleased with how she turned out... and she is enroute to her rightful owner: my swap partner, Janet.

(this is actually the second Pierrot doll I've made for Janet, as the first one never made it to its final destination!  Thanks to delivery confirmation; we were able to identify where it went... seems like my first beauty is "stuck" somewhere in the St. Paul, Minnesota USPS routing center).

 

So there they are.... my regal beauties.

Thanks for letting me share them with you!

 

Nancy's rosettes...

My mother, Nancy, asked me to make her a rosette to wear for a relative's upcoming quinceanera celebration....   

She had admired the one I wore last summer for my godchild's First Communion, and thought it would be a great addition to her somewhat plain gown.  

Not having seen her dress, and armed solely with the information that it is "light bluish/gray" and  "flowing" ... I decided to make a couple of rosettes.

this version is the closest in style to the one I wore last year.... it is made out of pale blue silk (almost a periwinkel) and vintage lace.

 

A second option is in creamy whites, with just a hint of blue in the ribbon.

 

And her third option is the more traditional "rose"

 

I also made this tag for her....

(which I'll need to translate, since her English is very basic)

 

(I fell in love with this blue roses paper, from Michael's $1 bins....)

 

I'm including another little surprise in her package...this lovely vintage hand towel monogrammed with an "N"

 

And there you have it:  Nancy's rosettes!

 

I hope she likes them!

I need a gardener...

We've had continuous rain for two days now... the rose petals are strewn over the lawn.... leaves and branches are drenched and bending...  the weeds are dancing.

Each Spring, I have the very best intentions:   spend at least 4 hours each Saturday and Sunday weeding, mulch all beds (which requires 50+ bags) before Memorial Day weekend, plant vegetables and herb garden on first weekend after "last frost date" ... and so on.   

 

Then Memorial Day comes around and I realize that I was dreaming.  

Such was the case today... when I walked around my garden snapping photos.

 

I did manage to spend 6+ hours last weekend just weeding... my knees, back and hands reminded me for days that I had done way too much.

But the results were well worth it.

Of course, that was only a fraction of what needs to be done.

So I've learned to just enjoy what is beautiful about my garden at the moment...

 

 

...to stop and smell the roses (literally)

 

And maybe....just maybe.... 

hire a gardener.

 

la boite aux tresors...

Do you love pretty little boxes?  

Whenever I see one, my heart beats just a tad faster....  I need to touch it, to look inside.    It's a weakness that I am not ashamed to confess.  ((sigh))

Imagine my delight when the MAMA group hosted a "vintage tre'sors box" swap!  The catch here was that we were to finish our petite box using crackle paint (no problem... except I hadn't used the stuff in over 10 years!)

My swap partner, Thespa, likes turquoise... so I thought I would surprise her with a very traditional French color combination of turquoise and lavender.

 

The ribbon color was perfect (and extra special because it came from my late MIL - Bebe's- stash)....

 

A bouquet of handmade fabric flowers and a few vintage silks grace the top....a touch of the vintage soft bluish/green tulle (also from Bebe's stash).

I handwrote "Paris" using an embossing pen (my new favorite tool!) -

and voila!  

love how it turned out....

(I forgot to take pics of the "tre'sors" I stashed inside: vintage gloves, vintage earrings, lavender crocheted doily, laces, ephemera...)

When I opened my package from Thespa, I knew that she had doneher homework... or else she's a magician.... after all, how else would she know just how much I love the natural colors she used and that tattered rosette?!?

 

 

...she totally spoiled me with all the lovelies stashed inside my box...

 

And the best part?  The rosette is not attached, so I am already planning on attaching a pin to it so I can wear it... yay!

(ahhh... see the lovely lace and crochet pieces?)

 

Thank you, dearest Thespa, for my fabulous box and "tre'sors"

Flowers from friends...

These enchanting flowers were handmade by my MAMA sisters!

 

 

 

 

 

We participated in the "Spring Flower Swap" and were to create 5 fabric or ribbon flowers in Spring hues.

 

These were the blooms I made ...(I posted about them here).

 

Thank you so much, ladies, I love every single one of your flowers!

 My challenge will be to incorporate them into some project(s)...

because I want to keep them all!  

I'm thinking some brooches, pin, etc.  

What do you think?

Marie's garden...

Ever since joining the Marie Antoinette Mail Art Group, I have been challenged to try new things and new ways of expressing my creativity.  

A recent swap titled "Marie's Garden Tea Party" proved to be another "first" for me:  it required that we create a garden using a teacup as our base.  

My swap partner, Melanie, sent me this divine piece....

...which she titled "The Queen 's Garden Tea Party"

Here sits Marie....enjoying her tea and sweets 

These little pastries (handmade by Melanie!) are tiny concoctions of sweet perfection.

The teacup itself is gorgeous; with painted blooms in the softest colors.

Thank you, dearest Melanie, I aboslutely love my teacup garden!

 

My garden in a teacup for Melanie was titled:   Tea and Roses for Marie"

Melanie loves pink, so I decided to use lots of roses in varying shades of pink (to match her teacup pattern), with a few accent flowers in other colors.

 

I made two rose topiaries for Marie's garden....

Marie herself is wearing a gorgeous chiffon yellow gown, with flowers and feathers in her hair...  as she stands prettily under her rose arbor.

 

What a wonderful swap this was!

I had almost forgotten that I fell in love with "Crafting" when I made my first dried flower arrangement.... this project, which required working with lots of silk flowers and various little elements, reminded of those days.

 

Another creative swap for the MAMA group was a paperweight....again, the main theme being "marie" of course....  this time under glass.

 

I decided to go with the heart-shaped paperweight... and used vintage sheet music for my background.

For this project, Marie got decked out in her pearls and crown....

I went a bit overboard with the luscious pink ribbon (couldn't resist!)... but love how it turned out.

...ahhhh.... love working with Marie images.  

Can't get enough.

What projects have you been up to lately?

p.s.   Linking up to Pink Saturday (Beverly's party over at How Sweet the Sound)

Mi madre...

 

...my mother...she has always been the pillar of our family....the one that managed the family budget (which at times was very, very small)... that made sure I had a pretty new dress to wear on the first day of school (handmade, of course)...  that always had, and still has, some advice to give out (whether I want to hear it or not)...

Her wisdom, her caring, her love...  often taken for granted, not always appreciated...

 

Always the loving, giving, grandmother ("Abuelita")

Her grandkids are her pride and joy...

..and they adore her!  

They know they are lucky to have her in their lives.

 

Muchas gracias, Mami, por todo lo que haces por nosotros.

 

We love you!

Te queremos mucho....

Happy Mother's Day!

Feliz Dia de las Madres, Mami.