Vintage-Inspired Easter Baskets

I haven't blogged in ages, but I've been working on some new creations I'd love to share with you.

The photos above and below are of some Easter baskets I'm altering/selling, but others are still in process so I'll be sharing my progress and have them available to purchase in next few days.

I'm really enjoying finding vintage Easter baskets, painting them my favorite "vintage" hues, rediscovering and playing with my collection of antique lace and ribbon, vintage millinery flowers, antique jewelry, and much more.

These would make lovely heirloom Easter baskets for a litttle (or big!) girl. But they'd also be lovely in a bathroom with washcloths in it, or on a vanity table in a vintage-inspired boudoir for keeping lotions, perfumes, and other beauty products in.

Stay tuned for more! :)

A Flower Fairy Party




We finally had Rachel's friend party this past weekend! The theme was Flower Fairies and everyone had so much fun.

 


  The beautiful flower fairy that Rachel is holding was hand-created by my friend, Pat.



 






James is really good at face-painting.

  



Some of his handiwork!





The cake was handmade by our friend, Sarah Waters

 


Rachel and Daddy







First step in the Fairy Garden project was for each child to pick a bowl (James had cut a hole in the bottom of each one) and to fill it with potting soil. Then each child got to pick from several different types of flowers and place them wherever they wanted to. Then they added things like moss, glass half-marbles, seashells, coral, spools, sticks, small circular mirrors to look like little "pools," and even cut fairy clothes out of fabric in case the fairies might need new dresses.

   


Rachel's grandma helping her tie string to some stick to make a fairy clothesline!





One of the finished fairy gardens!

 


Another one!

 



And another...

 

tiny little details!




Even Andrew got into it. He is sure the boy fairies will prefer his garden.

 



Another beautiful fairy garden by one of the girls...

 

We had such a great time. If you would like to create fairy garden like the ones we made, all you need are the following materials:

-Large plastic bowls or pots. Be sure that there is a hole/slit in the bottom for water to drain out.

-A pan or dish for the bowl to sit in. I bought these bowls and matching dishes for $1 each at WalMart.

-Potting soil

-Several diferent types of flowers or other plants. Even cactus would be fun.

-Moss (fake or real), pebbles, sticks, half-marbles, shells and other fun additions can be purchased at the craft store or even found in your yard or park.

Have fun! :)

Sherbert & Sepia ~ A Fabric & Paper Scrapbook

Another paper and fabric altered art book for sale HERE in my etsy shoppe.

"My Doll" Heirloom Scrapbook

You can find this sweet little book HERE.

Bits of "Threads"

"...'Today as I pulled thread through fabric, and then held the fabric out so that I could see the project I’m slowly stitching on in its entirety, imagining what someone else might think if they saw it, and if they would see the beauty I see, I realized there is something about creating a beautiful thing, something that no one has ever seen before, but that pulls on the viewer's heart or appeals to their soul in some new way, that has always had a curious power over me."

I looked up and met Ellie's eyes. They were intent in a way that surprised me. I was expecting her to be listening, of course, but I hadn't expected the silent 'answer' in her eyes, or the deep feeling of connection her eyes communicated, and not just me to her, but her to me. She was really listening in a way that made me wonder if anyone had ever been listening to me before now. She nodded, encouraging me to continue.

"There are only a couple things besides that that have such power over me," I went on, looking up at her to see if she was still tracking with me. Her brown eyes told me she was.

"One is ... knowing I affect someone else, that something about me draws them in. I am undone by the knowing that, in someone’s eyes, I am uniquely beautiful, and that under their gaze I glow or shine.  I guess this is not that dissimilar from my desire for my art to be appreciated. One is a craving to be seen by someone and found beautiful; the other is a desire for something I’ve made to be beheld by someone and found beautiful."

I stopped, realizing I'd been staring into my coffee cup as I spoke. I looked up again and was surprised to see her eyes were watery. My words had moved her in some way.  

"What does this mean, Ellie?" I asked her, not really expecting an answer. "Perhaps this makes me uniquely insecure and needy. Perhaps it means I’m an artist. I’m sure it means I’m human.'"

Life is...YOU ARE...

Watching/listening to this incredible video from Akin Salawu over and over again.

As you watch it, pay attention to how your spirit responds to this.

It feels to me like a loving parent is looking into my eyes, fully seeing and knowing the REAL me, and loving me in such an extravagant way that I can hardly keep from laughing and crying all at once.

If you are like me you will feel courage, strength and intention to be 100% REAL YOU because you know that you MUST, and that if you don't, the world will be missing out on you as surely as the rainbow (or the earth for that matter) would be less than itself with the color blue missing...

A Vision

A recent "waking vision" I had...still working on writing about it in words, but here are some images that capture it for me....


























1. Looking for Treasures ..., 2. Loneliness, 3. With ravaged limbs and wet souls., 4. look, 5. Reflections by the Looking Glass River L1110558, 6. Day 103: I'm not good enough, 7. New Babies, 8. Peak District, 9. Seeing Forever From Olympic Mountain Tops

New Corset Cushion..."Eliza"

Find the "Eliza Corset Cushion" HERE

Made from actual corsets, each of our Boudoir Cushions are decadent, one-of-a-kind creations. Filled with our signature combination of the best pillow-fill and the most beautifully aromatic dried French lavender we can find, this cushion will add beauty, as well as a subtle romantic scent, to your boudoir or parlor.

The Eliza Boudoir Cushion you are considering in this auction is fashioned from a mattelasse-style champagne corset that is dripping with Belgian lace. Gorgeous champagne ribbons lace this cushion up in the back and tiny hooks close up the front.

The Marie Antoinette sachet you see in the photos is available in our other listings. The others items you see are not for sale at this time.