wonderland

i'll set up a tea party and we can sit in the sun on a threadbare quilt and drink lemonade in tall vintage glasses.
we can listen to the little girls with their dolls on the grass and remember wonderland.

one last valentine. . .

just before i put all the valentine things away i couldn't resist using the vintage image i found this year to decorate some little whitman sampler boxes. here they are all dolled up. after the chocolate is all gone some sweet vintage treats!
after checking out this gorgeous basket by Lilia i am definitely ready to start making things for easter!

black and white, then red. . .

what a great relaxing weekend i had!
i worked for hours reorganizing my studio, sorting through fabric and paper and making piles of things to trash, recycle, and list on ebay. i still have a ways to go and am hopeful for some shelves, but i am thrilled today. my studio looks very inviting with the southern sun streaming in reflected off a new blanket of snow. it is almost blinding, but great natural lighting for photography.

i went to a wedding reception friday and was out of wedding cards, so in about 2 minutes flat i made this tag for the gift out of little bits i had organized in a cool anthropology box on my desk just for such an occasion.
the black and white flocked paper was from target, i wrapped a big bow of pale grosgrain ribbon i just found at the thrift store (a whole spool!) then tied my tag on the gift. it was so fun to take my present to the wedding, everything was black tie fancy with red and pink roses.


also thrifting this weekend i found a mate to this suitcase. the little red train case i found up in salt lake and have loved storing my vintage jewelry bits in it. when i brought the big case home i was so surprised the color matched perfectly. i filled the big one with my wool felt collection. it is so much more fun to open up a cool suitcase and dig through for a treasure than to lift the lid on a storage box don't you agree. . .

tasty wool felt

i have always been a sucker for wool felt.
it simply drips with color, feels so soft in your hand, and sews like a dream!
i am seeing wool felt everywhere i look now. these tasty samples are from ornamentea, this very cool store that has stocked everything i would have picked for my own store.

these make-make kits were in the emmacreation booth at CHA. darling little felt purses.

and here are some gorgeous felt purse patterns from noni.

to celebrate sending off a big project yesterday i bought a lovely bundle of hand dyed felt pieces in spring colors and plan on sewing a bit tonight.

love, chocolate, and kisses

i love being a teacher on valentines day, sending home each child with their decorated valentine boxes stuffed full with cards and treats. i still remember sitting at my desk by the window making a big valentine heart in 2nd grade. it was as big as my desk and opened to hold valentines as they were delivered. it was covered with construction paper hearts and crepe paper ruffles. i think that i why i chose such a cutsey image for the valentine postcards i made for our exchange.
i made 10 of these valentines and sent them off to far away places like New Zealand, France, and Lithuania. I hope they all arrive.
yesterday i got a surprise valentine from laurie !
so sweet and the little bag of goodies were fabulous, i love the vintage cream and pink trim.
also this week a very cool valentine from lilia , it arrived in time for the day! the tag is amazing close-up.


wishes of love, chocolate, kisses and big heart shaped valentines for all. J.

suitcase dr suess style

i was junk shopping at my favorite antique mall and found an old doll suitcase and this 1959 dr seuss book "happy birthday to you". the book is quite worn, but i even like the red tape along the side. i have always liked the imaginative creations of dr seuss and was determined to try to cover the suitcase with seuss-land images.

after checking alibris to make sure that the book wasn't valuable i went to work planning the front and back of the suitcase and selecting the images i wanted on the sides. it took more planning than i excpected and lots of detail cutting of the creatures. i started with the front of the suitcase modge podging the background image, a full page spread, and then added cut outs over the text and anywhere the images looked fun. i even decopaged on the inside of the trunk over some of the worn white and blue star paper.
you can tell a little from the side view that you have to plan which edges will fold over to the top to keep the design flowing around the sides. some old train cases have this wonderful stitched edging that would break up the image for you perfectly.

to protect the suitcase i tried a very cool acrylic latex clear coat. it clouds a little and then dries clear. you can't over work the stuff though or it pulls up the modge podge. just brush in on thick and let it dry overnight. i did three coats over the outside and noticed the clear coat even looks great if you get a little on the hardwarde. the final finish is glossy and tough without any stickiness!


so maybe soon i can download everything from CHA for a full report. . .