New Pieces

Looks like it has been a while since I have posted some pictures of my newest designs. Here are a few that I will be listing on my Website in the next few days.


The first one is one of my favorites. I love the way this vintage button looks with the dangles and the ball chain. It is stunning on if I do say so myself and well I did.

My Dangles Necklace is one of the best sellers in my boutiques. Looks great on and really makes a statement with anything you wear.



The pairing of this royal crown necklace and ring make you feel like a princess or better yet, a queen.



This medieval style metal necklace is already listed on my website



and last a hand soldered bangle bracelet with some bling to just make you feel good!

Just recently this month in Warrenton, TX there was the awesome RouNd ToP/WaRReNton aNtiQueS WeeK. I went to this with a friend a few years ago and was so amazed at all the wonderful vendors and junk (treasures) that one could find there. I long to go back and relive the excitement of the hunt. Hard to find a way from Illinois to Texas other then driving a long distance to be able to get all those treasures back home! Big dilemma.



My friend Stephanie and I got to meet and get a picture with the famous Junk Gypsy's (Amie, Jolie & Janie Sikes) whom I have admired for many years. I love the whole attitude, blog and merchandise these gals put out. A mother, daughter's team they inspire me so much. I recently saw that they are embarking on a TV show, how exciting, I cannot wait.
If you have never heard of the Junk Gypsy's here is a link to their website:
http://www.gypsyville.com/

Here is a video that was shot the year I was there and yes if you watch closely I actually made it into this video~




This year the Junk Gypsy's hosted a book signing by Shabby Chic's Rachel Ashwell. We all know that she was the start of this crazy obsession that I as well as so many of you probably have. The love of all things chippy, rusty, faded and just simply wonderful stuff. I would of loved to have met her.
Jill at Gypsy Brocante is also doing a giveaway on her blog for a signed copy of Rachel's new book and a vintage style scarf. I have entered and here is the link to her blog so you can read about Warrenton and see some great pictures of the whole experience and enter too. http://www.gypsyfleamarket.blogspot.com/
I will have to live through her experience until I can get there again!


On another note my girls went to homecoming this past weekend and you know that I have to share a picture with you of how beautiful they looked.


How can I get my girls interested in flea markets, dumpster diving and all the things that just make my heart sing? I do believe that I got the bug from my mom, who was an antique diva long before any of the books came out. I spent many a day in an antique shop or flea market.
Thanks mom...who knows maybe someday the girls will come around?!

The Vintage Work Bench

I have been looking for a vintage workbench for a while now and I found it recently at a flea market. I brought it down in my basement studio to use as my soldering work station. I am so excited to finally have this in the studio. I have been soldering my pieces in the kitchen on the stove with the fan for ventilation. I am looking for a way to vent the fumes out of the windows in my studio. Oh the fumes I breathe...solder, e6000, resin, paint...can anyone relate. When creativity calls, we have to do what needs to be done. I try to be as safe as possible, but it is hard to not breathe in any fumes. If anyone has any ideas for ventilating solder or resin fumes, I would love suggestions!

I bought this great vintage workbench metal chair, I added a rusty old star to the back of it.


I found some more vintage victorian buttons too!


To make more of these~



I am almost satisfied with my studio now, almost. I am still looking for a tall dresser with drawers for storage, you know the vintage, chippy kind. The I will know it when I see it kind!
When it is all put together, I will have absolutely no reason to not be super productive!

Hope you all have your own special space in your life, I highly recommend it:)

Sweater Weather

Oh heart be still...these boots from Anthropologie, what can I say...Sweater Weather is here! I look so forward to going shopping for my fall wardrobe.


I have decided that I am a J. Crew girl at heart. I love their comfortable looks every season. I believe that this image is actually a spring one, but this is so my style. Even the chair is my style.


and of course my dear friend Lynne and her new fall lines at Olivia's in Long Grove...that jacket, that scarf, love, love, love.

I have not done a blog post in sometime. I seriously had been waiting to post, because drama darling was in a singing competition here in town, she sang "Before he Cheats" by Carrie Underwood (with a lot of attitude I must say) and she won. I wanted to post the you tube video (that will make her the next Justin Bieber) on here and well, I am having some technical difficulties. So here is a picture...until I get it all figured out. I have my computer savvy neighbor on it as we speak!


Basking in the limelight afterwards~


Since then the girls are back in school. Drama darling is finishing up her final year in high school and baby girl is just starting. I want to hold on to this year, I know that my life is going to change drastically in the next few. I cannot believe my babies are both in and almost out of high school. They were just born really, weren't they? I know that we all feel this way as mom's, but boy time really does fly! Just look at how grown up and mature they are.


I am trying to get back into a normal schedule here at the homestead. I really want to function like I used to when I had to go to a job. I feel blessed and cursed all at the same time. It is so hard to motivate myself to work at home when all the dirty laundry, dishes, floors etc. keep calling my name. Sometimes, I would love to have a studio away from home, of course then I would have to get dressed and could not work in my jammie's. Of course, that would be a reason to have more Fall Clothes!

I went to a bead show this weekend and got some fab beads to inspire me to get back in the studio and design new things for fall. I cannot wait to play with them all. I am in the process of reorganizing my studio to make it more efficient. All of you creative sorts understand where I am coming from. We tend to get a little messy from time to time, right. I call it creative chaos. It is what it is. It does feel good to clean it up every once and awhile and get back to some sort of system. Look what I did with my old printers tray, painted it white and it works great as a bead organizer.


I will post my process on the new pieces soon...until then...
Enjoy...football, halloween, fall color, new clothes, bonfires and all the beauty that fall brings.
~Enjoy Sweater Weather~

This weekend I did my annual Art Festival in Libertyville, Illinois. It was a huge success with a great turnout and lots of familiar faces. I grew up in Libertyville and started doing the Art Festival when Drama Darling was one year old. I realized that this weekend was my 17th year doing it. I have evolved a lot from those early days and so has the show. My first year I was the only one selling jewelry and now there are at least 20 or more at every show.

I was honored to win the "Best in Jewelry" category this year, which makes my heart sing, since it was one of my hardest working years. My best artist friend Cindi Sartain whom I met at this show about 15 yrs. ago won the "Best in Painting" Category, so you know that we went out and celebrated! If anyone is interested in this painting, I can hook you up. She does not have a website or blog, she is a very busy art teacher and such a talented painter.


One of my favorite new things about my display is this great little display "t" bar that my friend Jeannie made me. Isn't it adorable?!!! She is another kindred art spirit that I met at of all places a flea market. She makes gorgeous jewelry from rosaries and vintage. When we met we realized that we had so much in common it was an instant friendship. Here is a link to her blog~ http://thegildedjunqueyard.blogspot.com/



Last week I took my girls on a trip to Iowa State (my alma mater). The campus was still as beautiful as I remembered. I loved walking around with the girls and showing them all the buildings and places that were so special to me.
The architecture on this campus is just breathtaking. The building below is Beardshear hall, my memory of this building is one of paying my fees. So the memory although not my favorites, the building was gorgeous.



The Campanile would chime on campus and just hearing it again took me back. The tradition was you had to be kissed under the Campanile at midnight to be an official ISU coed and yes, I was!





I think my girls enjoyed themselves and maybe were even interested in possibly attending. However, baby girl, I think is still not very into the whole college experience. She was very into her friends back home. Not sure what all the texting was about under and by these beautiful buildings, maybe she was just letting them know how much FUN she was having!

Under the Campanile~



On Curtiss Hall Stairs~



This last picture is of the Design Center where I spent most of my time! Such a great space to create, look at that sky!



My girls are back to school in a week and summer will come to a close. I think summer seems to go by faster and faster every year.

This was a short but eventful one...
Softball Games, driving here, picking up there, Parents 50th wedding anniversary, Galena, Turning 49, Art Festivals, Canoeing, Hanging out with friends, Flea Markets, Singing Competitions, College Visits, Jewlery Making, Jewlery Making, Jewlery Making...

Happy end of Summer all... xo