Friday, March 19, 2010

Vintage Birthday Wishes

Good afternoon, everyone!

Hope you're enjoying a beautiful Friday!  It's sunny and gorgeous here in California today--Spring is here!

Lots to do today, so I just have a couple of cards to share with you.  I needed to get some birthday cards done, so here they are...

This first one also fits this week's Crafty Secrets' challenge over at Splitcoast, hosted by Pammyjo.  The challenge is stamping on ribbon...


This sweet girlie image is from Crafty Secrets' new "Altered Fairy" Creative Scraps--I love these!  Vicki Chrisman gave me a bunch of these cute diecut cards when we were at CHA--thanks, Vicki! 


The birthday stamp is from Crafty Secrets' "Mouse Party" set, and the other words are just something I typed up and printed out...looked like the little girl on the right was telling her friend something VERY shocking!

Twill ribbon (SU), Martha Stewart's "White Gold" glitter, Silver Stickles, buttercup yellow crocheted lace...that's about it!

Here's my second birthday card...


I love this soft, sweet image from Crafty Secrets' new "Wacky Animals" Creative Scraps...it reminds me of my favorite illustrations from old picture books--love this style! The word scraps on the book are from the "Altered Fairy" scrap sheet.

Some pretty blue crocheted lace, ribbon, and more silver glitter and Stickles--sometimes when it's already surrounding you on the table, you just keep using it, you know?!


...also touched the little flowers around the main image with Dazzling Diamonds for a bit of sparkle...that about wraps it up!

That's it for me today...off to do some "real" work!  Hope your weekend is wonderful...and make something beautiful today!  See you soon with something new...

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Sweet Baby Dolls...


Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!

Here it is, the very day, and I've nothing green to show you!  I did so much before today, that I've got nothing now!  Later, I'll be making a lovely St. Patty's meal for the family, complete with our favorite Irish Soda Bread...can't wait!  But for now, some other things to share with you...

If you haven't already noticed, I can't seem to stop making these shadowbox cards that Vicki Chrisman designed--oh, well!  They are just too much fun!  So, here's another I've just finished...

...all about little girls and their sweet baby dolls...


All these adorable images come from Crafty Secret's "Little Dolls" Images & Journal Notes booklet--except for the fabulous "Frozen Charlotte" doll's head and wings--that comes from their "Altered Fairy" Creative Scraps. 



I've had the idea to pair the doll's head with wings for a long time...kind of reminds me of the cherub heads with wings you see a lot in sculpture from Colonial times in America.


...I love this little mommy scolding her dolly for her misbehavior...did she spill her dessert on her pretty dress?


...and this saucy girl surveying her doll collection--wonder what she was telling them here...?


...and this little sweetheart knows there's nothing like snuggling up with your best friend at the end of the day...

I used lots of lace, ribbon, and Martha Stewart's "White Gold" glitter on this, as well as a touch of Dazzling Diamonds, silver Stickles, and some beautiful crystal rhinestones...that's about it! 

All these images made me think of my adorable Mother.  She's loved dolls since she could breathe, I think!  So many photos of her with a dolly in her arms...I chose this one to show you today...



Isn't she a sweetie?  Mom has collected dolls forever--still does!  She always swears she's got enough and won't ever buy another...until the next treasure comes along! 

When she was little, and her parents couldn't afford to buy her the dollies she wanted, she taught herself to make dolls...which she continues to do to this day!  She's quite an amazing dollmaker, actually, and has sold many worldwide.  I wrote about her months ago (before many people read my blog!)...you can see some of her beautiful creations here.

I want to share a few of the most special dolls in our lives with you...



My great-great grandfather, Theodore Brandley, bought this doll while on an extended trip back to his homeland of Switzerland in the late 1880's, and had it shipped to his young daughter, my great-grandmother, Anna. It was then handed down to my mother and is intended for me....Mom isn't quite ready to give it up yet! It was always in my room when I was young and it used to spook me a little...I would get out of bed & lay it gently down on my dresser so her eyes would be closed! Also, knowing that her teeth were real (really!) didn't help me much, either! But I adore this precious keepsake, handed carefully down through the years, and will just as gently deliver it to one of my daughters...




...beautiful glass eyes and soft auburn hair tied back with pink silk ribbon...hardly tattered at all in over 120 years...

...and another vintage beauty...


This beautiful doll from the 1940's  was given to my Mom when she was pretty young--can't remember who gave it to her, but I love it, too. It would always sit next to the older doll on my dresser--there was another with dark hair, but I didn't find her this time. Love her beautiful, soft face...

                                     

I hope you enjoyed this little look at our beloved old dolls.  Go find yours...dust them off and give them a little kiss on the cheek...no one likes to be forgotten...

Hope you have a wonderfully green St. Patrick's Day--don't get pinched!  I'll be back soon with something new...

***Hurry and head over to Shabbyfufu--a delightful new blog I just found--Janet is giving away a beautiful altered doll. 



She creates such lovely things--please go meet her and say hello!***

Monday, March 15, 2010

A Mish-Mash of Spring Things...

Good afternoon, all!

Hope your weekend was wonderful!  Ours was oh, so busy, and full of friends and fun--perfect!

Just a few things to share with you today...first, another bit of my Easter favorites...I think I really have a thing for eggs and pretty baskets!



I got these at Williams-Sonoma a few years ago and I just adore them!  Gorgeous, marble eggs in beautiful Easter colors in a prettily carved crystal basket--can't get much better than that!

Yesterday was my friend Barb's birthday...I was a bit slow getting her birthday card done, but here it is...


This may possibly be the most stunning image I have ever seen...I love it.  Whoever she was, and whoever the photographer was...caught one of  the most beautiful moments...I found this over at Art Creations Friday--she provides so many beautiful images to use and offers a challenge on Fridays to share them.  Thank-you!

I embellished with lace, ribbon, and one of the tattered fabric rosettes I made a few weeks ago--the rosette is made with a strip of plain muslin, sprayed with some yummy Glimmer Mist--along with some beautiful velvet Prima leaves...


...a tiny bit of Dazzling Diamonds on the image just to highlight...Martha Stewart fine gold glitter to frame her, a bit of antique trim at the bottom of the image from Crafty Secrets' "Altered Fairy" Creative Scraps, as well as the "Happy Birthday" sentiment...finished it off with a couple of topaz crystal rhinestones.

Happy Birthday, Barb!

Next, a sweet St. Patrick's Day image, provided by Sandy Redburn over at the Crafty Secrets' blog as a free download--thanks, Sandy!


Such a cute little vintage Irish girl!  I printed her out twice, and popped up the image on the background--I just love doing that!  Some pretty greenish/brown crocheted lace, vintage mother-of-pearl buttons, ribbon, and of course, glitter!  I had fun doing a bit of a decorative border with my glue and glitter around the image...


...finished it off with a bit of Dazzling Diamonds on the flowers in her little bouquet and the surrounding shamrocks, and that's about it!

To close up today, I just wanted to share the view from my back porch this morning...I know I share this view alot, but it's always beautiful, always changing...and I always love it...


Hope you all have a beautiful Spring day--it's definitely in the air--enjoy every second!

I'll be back very soon with something new...