hand dyed silk velvet at art group last night....

last night at my art group we experimented with dyeing silk velvet. we mixed up 16 colors and dipped our little squares over and over again~ rinsing, mixing, dipping, squeezing, did i say dripping?
we all wore gloves {except Deb who has a blue left hand this morning} and aprons and our old
clothes. 
this morning the squares were all dry, lined up on my kitchen counter. 
the silk velvet is so luxurious and takes the color beautifully!  we had a wonderful
time.

now i just get to dream up something to make with all this gorgeous color.
velvet strawberry pincushions are definitely on the list.
as well as some soft little bunny ears.

the silk velvet is actually made out of silk and rayon.  my favorite pieces were the ones where the silk dyed one color and the rayon dyed another.  the mix of the two colors looks just like a piece of perfectly aged vintage silk velvet.  i found an old silk drawstring beaded purse once that was falling apart, i bought it just
for the vintage velvet and have been hooked ever since...

this photo shows the two tone color effect where the velvet has been folded in half and rolled up.
notice the top left lavender piece that has a definite blue base color.
fabulous!

happy weekend,
julie

spun cotton springtime bride and groom...

a little couple to welcome this lovely spring day~
it is coming...
i even heard a bit of birdsong on my walk yesterday....
spun cotton mint green groom has a tiny bow tie and pink top hat!
the sweet little bride has a vintage millinery flower and tulle bow.

all dressed up for the big day.
wouldn't these be sweet in a little Easter basket~
just had to share what was making me smile today,
julie

some bunny has been sleeping in my bed...

look who snuck in when i went to lunch today...
some bunnies were sleeping in my tiny doll house bed.

my daughter has been staying with us while her cutie husband is on a military deployment.  we have been
having such fun.  she loves to make things just like me.  today she made fresh gingerbread~
oh my!

she has been crocheting these tiny bunnies with the baby merino wool yarns i gave her for her birthday.
i talked her into putting a couple of them in my shop!  yipee!
you can order one here~

all together in the parlor...

white bunny always hogs the armchair...

handmade pom pom tails...

sleepy brown bunny gets my favorite tiny chair.

bunnies measure a wee 2 1/2 inches tall {ears included}

i am so ready for spring, aren't you~
julie

send a little ℒℴѵℯ.…♥….ℒℴѵℯ

Hot Pink Raspberry White Chocolate Ganache French Macarons

lovely french macarons from LeBonBonLA . .

send something sweet in the mail,  its the perfect
way to start out your first monday in february.

send a little ℒℴѵℯ...   why not?
all these items are on etsy this morning~

Valentine Trimmings Pink and Gold Little Gift Wrapping Kit

 pink and gold valentine kit from Vintage Handmade .

Silver Envelope Necklace Removable I Love You Letter

silver envelope necklace by PaperFaceStudio

Satin Wedding Corsage

canine corsage by CharlieHeartsDiesel

all you need is love canvas

daily reminder by notsoblankcanvas

i love you hand painted stones

and from OneDecember these hand painted stones.

…ℒℴѵℯ ℒℴѵℯ….ℒℴѵℯ ℒℴѵℯ
ℒℴѵℯ ℒℴѵℯ ℒℴѵℯ ℒℴѵℯ ℒℴѵℯ
.ℒℴѵℯ ℒℴѵℯ ℒℴѵℯ ℒℴѵℯ ℒℴѵℯ
..ℒℴѵℯℒℴѵℯℒℴѵℯℒℴѵℯℒℴѵℯ
……ℒℴѵℯℒℴѵℯℒℴѵℯℒℴѵℯ
……..ℒℴѵℯℒℴѵℯℒℴѵℯ
…………ℒℴѵℯℒℴѵℯ
……………ℒℴѵℯ
.......................♥

julie

a tiny heart shaped box....

its a tiny heart shaped box...
with a bit of vintage french moire wallpaper along the outside.
filled with ruffles, flowers, and a rolled up note~

i have been collecting tiny millinery flowers for years.  the tiny velvet ones are my favorite, but i also am
completely taken by the sweet starched cotton ones with rolled fabric stems.

here is a box for you to start your own collection~  

 here is the vintage french wallpaper i used.  it has beautiful tiny pink buds and a moire pattern.  rolled up and tied with ribbon, just for you...

lately i have been seeing gorgeous vintage valentine candy boxes like this one from such pretty things.
with lovely satin ruffles and vintage millinery flowers...
what a gorgeous combination.

more delicious ruffles on pinterest of course.
i always buy vintage crocheted heart pin cushions at thrift stores...

if the satin ribbon is stained or ruined i just take it out.  this blue heart pin cushion has a few millinery flowers added along with a vintage velvet hat bow.

pink is always irresistible...

this tattered and stitched pin cushion is just stunning.  the colors and the embroidery are perfect!
i am starting to see hearts everywhere~
enjoy,
julie

i think i'm in love with a wolf....

well in love with this wolf anyway..

i love this sweet valentine set by retro and rubys , $4 and check out these amazing envelopes!

i am reading the sisters grimm right now and tucked the little forest valentine in as a bookmark.

these amazing candied apples would make the perfect valentine day treat for me and my wolf wouldn't they.

this year i collected papers and trims in red, aqua, black and white for my valentine making kit. i adore using these red dennison labels to close tiny glassine envelopes.

these lingerie ruffles are for my aqua blue coin envelopes...

a bit of whimsical inspiration by tammy smith  darling circus themed swinging birds...

its true love.
thank you little red
xo
julie

my secret heart...

the blinding white snow outside and temperatures in the single digits.
i have decided to just move on to the next holiday.  somewhere warm and pink.

here is my secret heart...

it was my mornings indulgence while the house was still quiet.
pale pink wool heart tied closed with a silk ribbon.  the front is in two pieces
with each half hemmed down the center before stitching to the back.
perhaps i will tuck inside a paper with my wish for this new year.

 photographed on a page from my fabric book 'living praise' published in the first issue
of Art Quilting Studio. you can see more of the book here.

oh, the frame of vintage buttons~

just a few moments until the kids come home from school. 
everyone will be hungry
and tired.
luckily someone else is making dinner because i still have miles to go before i sleep.
xo
julie

the vintage whites market...

guess where i'm going to be this spring?   at the Vintage Whites Market....
i'll be posting photos of my new spring finds,  its going to be a great show!
hope to see you there,
julie

baby its cold outside...

 

it was an unbelievable 6 degrees this morning.  

piles of snow everywhere

and a nasty icy driveway!

it was so cold this morning as i scraped off the cars all i could think about was making some cashmere sweater rice bags to tuck in my pockets....\

 i sewed them using some left over pieces of a cashmere sweater and filled them with rice, so very soft and cozy!  all you do is microwave until warm and toasty. 

then i made this little snowgirl and tucked her in a little snow scene with some bottle brush trees and some vintage mica snow.  

the snowgirl is made by sewing together 4 wool circles.  the bottom circles are 2 3/4 inches in diameter,

the top circles are 2 inches in diameter.  

i sewed the snowgirl together with silver embroidery floss and stuffed her with some stuffing.

the arms are a cotton pipe cleaner with the ends folded over for hands.  one hand holds a tiny pink tree. 

a vintage petticoat ruffle is added around her neck with a tiny tinsel puff.

 the face is embroidered with hand dyed wool threads.

the tiny wool hat was knitted in the round with a tiny white glittered bell sewn on top.

for the photograph i added a pile of vintage mica snow to the base.  i bought my box from StorageAndDisplay on etsy for only $8.00  it is just gorgeous with a very vintage color!

the old graphics on the box have been reproduced for a box of mica sold by Bethany Lowe, but this old box is the real deal!  There is even free shipping right now :)

so if you don't have all the snow i do right now, you can order your own.

Sherene from StorageAndDisplay has the most adorable story of how they bought an old Victorian farm house built in 1896. The unfinished attic held all kinds of old and not very pleasant things, but there was a mountain of Antique Sparkle Snow boxes! here is the photo of the house they bought.

a perfect winter wonderland.

hope you are staying warm,

i am going to microwave my cashmere rice bags~

julie

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...