happy new year!

it is snowing again outside, adding to the pile up of white stuff out my window.

i am making a few little snowmen today in the studio just for fun.
this little gal is made with spun cotton and frosted over with mica glitter and snuggled
in a vintage ruffled collar. 

another experiment....
i started with a little water balloon {always have a few of these around}
and filled it with air.  i built the cotton batting around the balloon and left it
to dry.  in a couple of days the balloons shrink and you can trim a nice
edge on the top. 

add a cute handle and some paint.  don't forget a cherry nose and some glittler
frosting and you have a little snowgirl ready to celebrate

happy new year wishes!
julie

Candyland for the holidays...

everything looks like candyland around here...

i had to share a few photos, the colors are just making me happy today.

the tiny forest from the game Candyland...

 

tiny pink rhinestone deer

vintage aqua blue velvet flower and petticoat ruffles on this stocking

mercury glass ornaments~ gorgeous colors

the tiny striped trees are all dusted with mica glitter!

      

tiny stocking only 4 inches long.  such a soft aqua wool I just loved making them

an ice cream forest...

stars were gleaming...

frosted bottle brush wreath in pink sugar candy

welcome home collection...

silver wreath tag tutorial...

 

today i needed a little tag for this bag of mercury glass beads....

so i got out a few supplies and got to work.  these silver dresden wreaths are new in the shop.

i first saw them in the martha by mail catalog years ago and loved how tiny and detailed they were.

the wreaths are the perfect frame for making a tiny holiday tag.

step 1. cut out a piece of tracing paper just larger than the wreath.  glue a little image on the tracing paper and center your wreath over it.  

i like these old vintage holiday gummed seals by dennison.  little pieces of wrapping paper and holiday cards also have great images to use.

step 2. run your glue stick around the back of the wreath and stick the wreath down to the tracing paper.

 step 3.  cut out the extra tracing paper around the wreath.
 step 4.  poke a hole in the wreath with a large needle so you can thread some ribbon through.

 step 6. make the berry twist.  wrap a double ended berry stamen around something smooth and round.
 i used the end of a paper piercer.  { i have lots of these berry stamens so let me know if you need some }

step 7. thread the berry twist on the ribbon and tie the ribbon in a bow.  i poked my ribbon through the
cellophane bag so the wreath was tied right on top.

just darling!
hope you have fun making a little stack of your own,
julie

its all red and green today...

tiny red tinsel string tied on a vintage bottle of mica flakes

with a pile of snow sparkling outside today all i wanted to do was make christmas decorations...
i bought a roll of 1940s Christmas crepe paper streamers and quick turned it into ruffles.

1940s vintage crepe paper ruffles

finally found a tiny red tinsel string for all my packages.

evergreen ruffles, love that tulle bow!

can't get enough of these lacquered holly leaves and spun cotton mushrooms...

new french bistro white bordered labels, look great with a tinsel pom.

tiny curly tinsel and striped string.

vintage dennison crepe paper a lovely sage green

these dyed trees were a special request, in juniper, evergreen, and spruce.

mistletoe stamen bundle

i just gave in and everything turned red and green in the studio....
around here we don't wait until after thanksgiving to start making things for the holidays.
left over from last night on the kitchen table is a bucket of glitter glue,  a stack of tiny wool stockings and
ornaments, and a forest of bottle brush trees....

we sent off a package today to my nephew Christopher who is in Norway with some glittered ornaments, a tiny wreath with a snowman, and a lovely hand finished black walnut star my husband made. 
it's beginning to look a bit like happy around here.
hope you found a bit of sparkle today,
julie

spun cotton trick or treat kids on a fall day...

 its a perfect fall day...
the kids are out for fall break and it looks like this outside~
yes, the sky really is that blue here in Utah.

 

  

i'm painting these little spun cotton trick or treaters..  this is circus bear with his little wool felt ball balloon with the striped string.

oh, i had fun making her.  now i just want to make the whole circus!

 

i'm drinking this.  Ibarra Mexican hot chocolate made with steamed milk, cinnamon, and a pinch of red pepper.  makes you think of that movie Chocolat doesn't it.

 heres felix the cats, kindof wonky...

Close-up of Zombie boy and his tiny teeth!

 

 skeleton boy has a tiny jack o lantern i made by painting a tiny millinery pumpkin on a wire.

i really like his hand dyed fringed collar and stripey pants.

 

i'm reading this, brand new from the fabric store.  plus it has an article with jess brown in it.

 

i'm sewing these ruffles.  can't stand how cool they turned out with the vintage grey thread.  they had big diagonal stripes to begin with, but after ruffling they look like this.

i'm listening to Pandora, the Gotye Radio mix and love this song...
oh well, back to it all on monday, but today it is just the perfect day!
happy fall,
julie

winter white wedding wrist corsage and matching boutonniere for andrea...

 so i had a custom order this week for a wrist corsage to match the winter white and cranberry boutonniere in my shop.  how fun, i got out all my vintage ladies hats from the 1950's with winter white flowers and set up shop.  this hat had some strange ribbon leaves all around the brim.  i loved the starched cotton roses...

 since Andreas wedding is in the winter and i was also using some silver glass glittered pearl stamens i added a couple of these sparkling silver wire bouillon sprays, my absolute favorite new find for the holidays. 

these frosted cranberry stamen balls added the bit of color i needed.

  

here is the matching grooms boutonniere wrapped in silver ribbon.  the frosted tiny pinecones are so festive.

  

the back of the wrist corsage shows the pretty silver elastic band.

  

i am so pleased with how it turned out with the mix of vintage blossoms.  long after the wedding day the bride will have this pretty keepsake.  

congratulations andrea!

trick or treat veggie boy...

trick or treat veggie boy

i was having so much fun making this veggie boy this afternoon i could hardly stop to make dinner~
when i could finally hear my teenage sons stomach growling from the hall i did go up however... :)
me and tiny were in the studio for a while, she had some great suggestions for the ruffles and buttons.
the hand dyed orange ribbon was from an experiment with an ugly peach silk and rayon ribbon and some left over easter egg dye.  i nearly threw it out because it did not turn out how i had planned and now here it is looking darling.  isn't that the way it goes.

1950s vintage cake topper pumpkin pail

 i had a little vintage 1950s pumkin cake topper on my desk and she suggested i cut off the pick part and make a trick or treat pumpkin.  with the help of some wire cutters and a dremel drill it worked!

the tiny vintage buttons are sewn with black thread and then glued in place. 8 inches tall and with a sugary grin, he is already in the shop if you are shopping for halloween treats today.
happy monday,
julie

autumn forest...another big mess

autumn forest

it was another big mess yesterday...

i cleared off all the counters, mixed up 17 bottles of dye and dipped trees all afternoon and evening.  

they are all dry this morning and it looks like an autumn forest in the kitchen.  all these tiny trees are in my etsy shop this morning.  

i can't wait until later in the day when i have some good light to take a photo of them all together.

beetlejuice trees in little gift box

halloween wreaths

falling leaves

 we had to order take out because there wasn't a spot to cook :)

tonight i am making chicken and dumplings, so hopefully the family will overlook

their mom's crazy obsession....

vintage village

candy corn

orange crush

 i will be adding these trees to spooky little houses, spun cotton ornaments, paper mache figures,
little halloween treat bags, and all along the my window sill in my studio next to spooky cats and grinning pumpkins....
happy weekend,
julie