Silver Bella..

I can't believe I am posting on Christmas Eve..but I finally have a moment to sit down and actually POST!!! I hope that you enjoy my pics of Silver Bella as much as I enjoyed this time with my sweet friends..New and Old.

First are pics of the apron I made for the "Queen of the Kitchen " Apron swap that I hosted, this was my first time hosting at Silver Bella and I must say I was a little nervous about doing this as the swap at this event are off the charts. The rules were simple each person was matched up with a partner and then they got to know each other through a little survey that I did online with the group, then you could talk to your partner to get know more about her likes and dislikes...then get creating..make an apron and decorate it, only rule is that it had to have a "Crown" on it somewhere...I made this lovely apron for my partner Shea, she said she liked creams and whites and was a Audrey Hepburn gal only with a little bling added..so this is what I created for her....

Doesn't it look fabulous on my vintage dress form?

And.....now you will see the most beautiful apron that Shea made for me...YIKES..love it and best thing is that it is reversible...with crowns on both sides..does she know me or what!!

OK the bad news is ...I was the last swap of the night 11:45 pm..yes that is right 11:45 pm and my camera batteries died before I could get pics of all of the aprons.... and crowns, so amazing!

So I will just share with you some random pics of my trip to Omaha..people always ask me "what's in Omaha?"..now you will see.

Upon arrival at Omaha the So Cal Group

Analise, Kim and I at the antique mall

Cheryl, Val, Jenny & Natale taking a shopping break

One of my roomies Mendy

Tiffany and me

Catching up

I haven't been in blogging land for awhile due to some mass confusion issues with family...HA! I know you can all relate in someway to that...anyway just wanted to drop in and post a few pics of what I have been up to. In September I attending one of Kim Caldwell's FAB events....I even sold some of my totes at the Vendors night Soiree (see pics) Kim's events are always over the top, my first class was with the famous Lisa Kettell, she had us make the cutest little ballerina to go in a frame, I wasn't sure about this one at first but as I put her together I fell in love, isn't she cute? I still have not finished the frame with going to Silver Bella and getting ready for the Holidays...it will get done in time. I loved Julie Haymakers class also we put together a foam board frame (what a great idea) and covered it with vintage papers and made a little flower pot with felt and old buttons and such..this was another fun project. Last but not least we made the beautiful cuffs , this class was taught by Ruth Rae, I love her free style, she just seems to throw things together with such flair (of course she does not literally throw things together) I have been wanting to make one of these for a long time now. I always come away from Kim's events so happy with all of my projects and with the teachers and the new skills that they teach me. It really keeps my mind in creative mode as I want to try to come up with new ideas and creations. Of course you must look at the beautiful decorations that Kim puts up at all of her events.....She is already planning for one in July with Mermaids...OMG I can't wait to see what she comes up with for this one!

"Design Gives Back" Here is my little mini doxie Duchess with her "Play Strong" scarf on ...she was very happy to help her fellow friends in need by proudly wearing her new scarf which will help to raise $2000 for abandoned pets sponsored by http://www.katillacshack.com/ check out her blog to view the pet parade....
DESIGN GIVES BACK: Decorate a Scarf & Help Lost Dogs Design Gives Back projects help the world through creative action. Right now people are abandoning dogs and cats at an alarming rate because of home foreclosure and job loss. Can you imagine having to give-up your precious little family member? Heartbreaking. Simply by decorating an Oliver Wendell "Play Strong" scarf and sending a pic of your creation on your dog–or a friend's dog–you will earn a $10.00 donation to help these abandoned pets. So, simply by applying our creativity to making a cute scarf we can raise $2,000 for these needy friends! Thanks Kalee for the opportunity to help out!

Wedding Crashers ?

You know how when you are planning your wedding and are in fear of something going wrong ?? Thinking what if the flowers are the wrong color or the cake falls or I faint at the alter...well have I got a story for you! We attended the wedding of one the gals who works in my salon yesterday, It was a beautiful wedding down to all the details, pink, white and black were the colors. I did take some photos I can post later (battery dead on camera) anyway after everyone had eaten and the newly weds were making their rounds to greet everyone at the the tables there was a huge CRASH!!! and I mean HUGE!!! One of the partition walls the Country Club had set up around the room fell down, it landed on the heads of two people sitting at their table one was a gentleman maybe in his 60's and the other was this little old lady who later I heard was 91..this is really not funny, it knocked her unconscious and she landed in the lap of the man sitting next to her. When she came to, she fainted again and someone was trying to hold her head up..in case of a neck injury. The gentleman was knocked to the floor right out of his seat..although I think was not hurt as badly as this fragile woman was. The paramedics came and took them both to the hospital! How sad this was as the happy couple stood there not knowing what to do! Finally the folks at the club got the event going so that people would not just stand there looking at this going on. Now how to get over that happening at your wedding?

No more little Boy...

Summer is officially over and I am up at 6 am...again! YUCK...my not so little boy is starting high school today, I have such mixed emotions. He is the baby of five and in some ways like an only child with his 7-14 year age span between his brother and sisters. He is such a joy in my life that is really had not dawned on me how this day would make me feel! It reminds me of his first day of kindergarten..of course I cried...and suddenly I am overcome with those feeling again, my baby is going out into this great big world. As I call him little, he really is not 5 ft 11 now (taller than me) although very thin, he will also be a special little boy that tugs at my heart!

This is one of my favorite pics of him at age 10
I just love his curly hair.....

SCARY MORNING !!!!

We live in beautiful neighborhood in the Hills of Claremont with a beautiful view of the Mountains and Hills. Although with this beauty come some downsides....Fires ! and wildlife...and I mean wildlife...we have had bears and bobcats and raccoons and of course every night COYOTES !!! I just hate to heard them....so this morning I was up earlier than usual and let my little Duchess out..she went out and wondered around, I went and got online to check my email when I heard her barking , now this is not anything new for her but something just did not sound right, kinda of like when you hear your child cry when they get hurt...anyway I ran out only to see a COYOTE chasing her on my patio! Now we have a large back yard so for them to be that close to our back door is weird, but anyway I opened the door and ran SCREAMING...GET OUT as loud as I could chasing it (I knew it would be scared and run) and of course my little Duchess was running right behind it barking!!! Well it ran and jumped over the fence and I grabbed my Duchess and ran back into the house! My husband came down stairs asking "what is going on" me in tears and shaking holding my soaking wet little Duchess....trying to tell him that I just chased away a COYOTE! Good ending though Duchess is fine and I did not find a mark on her anywhere..but of course now I am afraid to let her outside (I guess I will have to go out and do COYOTE watch in the morning now!!!!

PLAY STRONG

"Design Gives Back" Here is my little mini doxie Duchess with her "Play Strong" scarf on ...she was very happy to help her fellow friends in need by proudly wearing her new scarf which will help to raise $2000 for abandoned pets sponsored by http://www.katillacshack.com/ check out her blog for all the pics....

DESIGN GIVES BACK: Decorate a Scarf & Help Lost Dogs

Design Gives Back projects help the world through creative action. Right now people are abandoning dogs and cats at an alarming rate because of home foreclosure and job loss. Can you imagine having to give-up your precious little family member? Heartbreaking. Simply by decorating an Oliver Wendell "Play Strong" scarf and sending a pic of your creation on your dog–or a friend's dog–you will earn a $10.00 donation to help these abandoned pets. So, simply by applying our creativity to making a cute scarf we can raise $2,000 for these needy friends!
Thanks Kalee for the opportunity to help out!

Show me your Crown

The day has come for "Show me your Crown" so here is my creation. I have been working in this crown and had only the base finished when I came across this blog vintagebellastudio (be sure to visit here to see all of the crowns) and just knew it was the inspiration I needed to finish.
My Crown in all its beauty



A View from the side




The back was simple as I just tied all the

pieces together with stain seam binding


A view from the top




This was really a fun project, now if I just had the perfect place to wear my Crown I would be in heaven!

Its all about the Bag

One of the classes I took last November at Silver Bella was a canvas bag class called "Prada Smada" we took a canvas bag from Michael's and painted it , stamped on it and added lots of vintage lace , ribbons buttons and other goodies...I really wasn't sure what to bring for this class as we were to bring some fabric and trim for our bags. I picked some dark colors of black , green and brick red...of course these were not the colors of paint which where provided to us they were pinks, blues and creams..DUH!!! I really had no idea, this was my first time to Silver Bella and now I know everything is PINK!!!!!! I decided to try it again since I really liked the idea..so when my friend Karen's b-day was here I just knew she would love a PINK bag! This first one I made just for her, I painted pink and cream stripes on the bag then stamped with french writing stamp.

I added the pocket with Vintage lace and buttons and made a cute ruffle for around the top. I finished it off with a flower old lace and ribbon hanging down and a beautiful vintage pin in the center of the flower. She loved it and screamed when she opened it up!

Then I decided since I like her bag so much that I simply must have one for me..this a picture of my bag. I made the ruffle around the top of the bag with burlap..love it...and put this lovely Vintage pin I found on the pocket (I was saving this pin for something special) Don't just love to hoard the GOOD STUFF!

START THE CAR!!!!!!

Ever get that "Start the car feeling" like that Ikea commerical on TV where that lady thinks she just got the best bargain ever and runs out yelling at her husband to start the car because she is sure they rang it up wrong and will come running after her. Well I got that feeling when I found this beautiful all glass crystal chandelier hanging over a table at an estate sale I went to. I had been looking for one for my shop to hang over my front desk...I even had it all wired up and a switch put in when I did the remodel knowing that I would put it up there when I found the perfect one. Well check it out I got this beauty for $125, they said it was from the mid fifties..it is all glass and sparkles like diamonds! I looked around at lighting stores just to compare and most of them that were all glass started at around $700 and up..wow!The pictures do not even begin to show off just how beautiful it really is I just love it and fits perfect...START THE CAR!!!!!

more...

Now that my room is so pretty I have to show it off!! Look at the cute little owl that holds some of my tools..he sits on the cute tray that I got from my sweet friend Jessi just perfect! I love the fact that the skirt I made to go around my work table hides my junk on the other side..sweet. I am making a cute swag to go across my window almost done with that tissue paper pom poms...yeah can't wait to show you.

more...

COMPLETE !!!

My room is done....wow this really was a process, I don't know how those people on Clean House do an entire home! This one room took me about a month to do..lots of stuff to clean out and organize. OK...so I just love my new room and I can find everything since it now has a place! I am still on the hunt for a few items to fill it up ( I have one empty space on the wall) and I know what I want, just need to find it. And of course I have been looking for an old vintage dress form. I am taking a 18 day trip this summer to South Dakota (Sturgis Harley Run) trailering bikes with motor home, but little does my husband know we will be making a few stops along the way as there are many antique shops along the way..he..he

Little Bunny FOO FOO...

I have a thing for Bunnies, who can resist them they are so cute...anyway this little bunny has been hiding in my storage since October when I found him at the flea market....I knew he would be perfect for my Spring decorations....I just added the wreath around him and..Wow he looks so cute on my coffee table, I think I'll keep him!

Spring Fever

I am getting the BUG..the Spring Fever BUG! I have been wanting to get a glass dome or two and found a get DEAL at Micheal's...YES Micheal's, I found this beauty hidden on the back shelf in the back of the store and best of all it was on CLEARANCE! Yeah..SOOoooo I got two of them one large and one smaller..OK so I got four of them, but two where for my friend Karen who has also been looking for these. I got the cute little bunny and added a bow and vintage button, and the nest with moss, vintage flowers and some sparkly Easter eggs. I really want a glass cake stand but that is still on my list of things to find!

My Wild Side

This is my gift from my Husband...I got to have my bike custom painted. I thought about a pink bike..but then I thought my husband has to ride with me and he may feel weird about that! My favorite color is blue so I decided to keep the blue color (only got it candy coated blue) and added the flames, skull, wings and of course the CROWN! OK what do you think? When I met with the painter he was looking at me funny when I tried to describe to him what I wanted, he really looked at me weird when I told him I wanted a CROWN on the skull, I asked "You must not get many girls in here with bikes" and he responded with this odd look on his face " you are the first!" Well I just LOVE it, now if this weather would just stay nice I might get a chance to take it out and show it off alittle bit...hopefully very soon!

Clean House

My friend Karen is a clutter buster, you know like that show Clean House...well I needed HELP! My craft room was getting out of control so she came over and helped me get it together. First we had to unload everything, and I mean everything..and put it in baskets and bins by category, we had a trash bin and a garage sale bin. Wow just like I was on TV...since I had it all apart I figured why not remodel, now would sure be a good time since everything was out of it place I could move a few things around and bring in some new fixtures...right? So here is the mess before....I am almost finished and will post my beautiful new room in which I will no longer call it my craft room but it will be my Studio..Ha!