Freckled Star

2005 called........

It's art work is no longer needed........

Yesterday I recieved a box from Stampington & Company............

I was like what the hell?????

But then again I have a tendency to order crap and forget I ordered it...........

Small problem:)

But the problem with that is I stopped buying from Stampington long ago...........

For various reasons............

For which you are about to find out..........

So I open the box and this note is on the top.........

Insert bewildered look *here*...........

Then it dawned on me!!!

Oh my God this is the assemblage piece I had to do for my Creative Thinking class in college!!!!

I had submitted it because my professor had given it such rave reviews and at the time I was just starting with all the mixed media type of artwork so I figured what the heck.............

BACK IN 2005!!!

When I hadn't recieved any feedback from them by the next year I contacted them numerous times to please send it back. I got a few "we are looking" responses and a few "it must be being held for publication somewhere" and then finally nothing. Then the next year I tried again. Asking them to please send it back and that time I got no response whatsoever and I knew they had it because they cashed the stupid $6 check I had to send with it for it to be returned!!! So I figured well it must have ended up in the trash somewhere and I was never to see it again...........

Until today:)

So here is my first mixed media piece in all it's glory lol:)

It was cigar box from Micheals. I covered it in all sorts of reciepts I had then used gold decoupage. Center frame was my grandmother's and the AMEX card was actually mine:)

It was a piece dedicated to my mother. Who's death I was obviously still not over in 2005. Those green tags are the old Nordstrom tags.

The stickers said "Money can't buy you hapiness but you look fabulous". Then my rose colored glasses:)

That's my "student statement". Don't read that if you have mascara on:) Another obvious thing. I was really using that American Express card!!!

This was supposed to be a self evaluation piece and it was hugely beneficial to me in moving on with my life and balancing all my responsibilities in a way that didn't overwhelm me or make Frank feel like he was 45th on my list. And all the shopping although fun and instantly gratifying eventually faded and all I was left with was a big bill, my dad pissed off (I was on his account for emergency purposes and back then Betsey Johnson was considered an emergency:) and no relief from that empty feeling of not having a mother anymore.

It was sad. A part of growing into who I am today. That was back in 2005 and here we are almost 2012 and it still hurts. It's a pain that won't ever go away. But I guess that's the price you pay for a having a mother like mine.

Much love to you all.

 

Things I am loving today............

I haven't had enough fairy"ness" so why not be one for Halloween:) And I love the dress and the little Rose flats which are unfortunately sold out.

LOVE this outfit!! Only 2 lace cardigans left!!!

If you have never checked out Ruche before you need to! Great prices and beautiful clothes:)

I know I have mentioned the French Larkspur before but it's worth repeating..........

She has got some really gorgeous jewelry in right now and I love this confit (aka Jam:)! On some savory crackers and Fontina cheese from Trader Joe's. AWESOME!!

And I also got this great purse but it's no longer available sorry:(

Another great find I'll share..........

Hydrangea Hippo is Jennifer Priest's Etsy shop and she has FANTASTIC kits!! Like this Halloween one above. She also teaches at Collective Journey here in Redlands a few times a month. I counted the other day and I have done 6 of Jennifer's books since the 1st of the year when I discovered her:) Fabulous! You will love the detailed directions and embellishments. I did get mine done this week;)

Here's another.........

Did you know Kim has new designs of Craft Totes??!!

Yes she does!!

This is the Monique and my favorite. There are 5 new designs and they're so stinkin' cute!! For all my scrapbook girls these are perfect for your paper trimmer. The center pocket fits it just right. With lots of other pockets and spaces for everything from your glue sticks to sewing needles.

So hurry on over to  Artistic Bliss Designs because they are sure to go quick!!

And last but not least.........

My very sweet friend Denise of In My Blue Room made me this necklace for helping with her Craft for a Cure event. Totally unnecessary and completely appreciated!! I love it...........

Check out her Etsy she has some beautiful unique pieces and I am hoping she might be putting up some of her stuff left over from Glitterfest soon. Hint hint:)

Well that's it from me this week. Still trying to catch up. I have a Round Robin book that I need to get done by Saturday before I can even think about doing anything else in that silly room:) But my Midsummer Mobile from Once Upon a Dream is just begging for attention!!

Have a great weekend!

 

Claxton Farms..........

Was absolutely gorgeous!!

And this is what we walked in to.........

Painted by Natasha Burns.

Our sweet table setting.....

Lots of good props for pictures.......

Fun:)

And here are our kits.........

This is the only one I truly completed:)

Taught by Andrea Singarella and I loved it!

Then the Midsummer Mobile taught by Natasha Burns........

And the end result. That's the sample but mine is pretty darn close to that.....

I still have a little bit more work to do on that one but oh so sweet!!

And lastly a cloche project taught by Dee Foust..........

That's also the sample. I am no where even close! I did get my base glittered:) But I have to tell you by 5 o clock when we were starting that I was DONE!! And had I drank any more Coke I think I would have had a seizure!! Besides the fact there was no way I was going to be able to get that packed all put together so I tapped out;)

I feel like there is so much I'm leaving out but I would be here all day if I went in to just how fabulous it was!!

Like our crazy plane ride (when the flight attendant asks if there is a doctor on board that's not a good sign nor is electrical tape holding up an overhead bin), our fairy page swap, my laurel, the gardens at the Biltmore house, our fabulous dinner at Carmels' where I had my first Filet Mignon in like a year, the crazy "occupy Asheville" people, my hunt for stupid tupelo honey, the worst customer service ever in a restaurant that had the most fantastic biscuits and so much other stuff:)

So next week I'll be finishing up my projects and hopefully posting them lol:)

Have a great weekend!!

A Real Life Fairytale........

Minus the man lol:)

Once Upon a Dream was a Fairytale event put on by Jenn Hayslip in Asheville North Carolina..........

Our first night was at the Crest Pavilion..........

Beautiful already:)

Gorgeous views all around........

Just a few of the vendor tables. Love these cuffs. Karla says she is going to do a tutroial on them:)

And look at this Fairy House..........

So cute!

Our table..........

Love the little bouquet. Why can't my faux flowers look like that!?

And here's some pics of me and the girls gettin' our Prairie Fairy on...........

Me, Annette and Earleen:)

Me and Kim Caldwell (thanks for the pic Kim:) who's "Affaire at Tiffany's" set for May of next year will be launching soon!!

And before I forget there was tons of shopping, eating and lots more picture taking going on that I want to include from the day before..........

So this is Tops shoe store. It was awesome!!

Top left to bottom right.......

Maija, Molly, me, Jessi, Kim, Cheryl, Earleen, Cynthia and Annette

The Mellow Mushroom...........

And some of us just outside our hotel...........

All these lovelies were a blast to hang out with and I feel very fortunate to say they are my friends:)

As you can see I wore dresses with boots all weekend which felt pretty weird at first but now I am hooked. Too bad it's still 90 degrees in SoCal:)

Anyway that was just some of our first 48 hours there.

Still a bit to go:)

I'll be back with the main event!!

 

**Please check out Jenn's Blog at Sweet Eye Candy Creations nothing I can do or say can capture it so well then what she has on her blog. The pictures Tiffany took are absolutely amazing!!

Back from Fairyland...........

and back to this girl's reality!

Of soccer games, baseball practices, laundry, grocery shopping, broken garbage disposals and used car inventory............

As I type my scrapbook room has yet to be unpacked. All my lovely projects, gifts and purchases all still wrapped the way they were in my 100 pound suitcase:) Pictures are still in my camera. Fairy wings and fall leaves still dancing my head............

To say it was a lovely time would be an understatement..........

Everything was magical!

And I am so glad I made the 4 and 1/2 hour plane ride on the crappiest airline over, drove the 2 hours in our beat up Yukon and stayed in a hotel that made everyones and I mean everyones nose run:)

Because when we got to the Crest Pavillion that first night and Claxton farms the second day it made it all worth it!!

Truly worth it..........

Jenn did a fantastic job! The teachers were all so much fun. Andrea's necklace LOVED! Natasha's mobile so CUTE!! And Dee's cloche I definitely have plans for:)

I'll be back soon with pictures as soon as I dig my camera out. I'll photograph my projects eventually. But today I have work, a plumber and a baseball game.............

Yep back to reality:)

 

Part Deux...........

Welcome inside............

 

Some favorites..........

Tarte

Vintage Diana

Lipstick Gypsy

Glitterfarm

Victoria Stoehr Designs

A Beautiful Mess Antiques 

Those were just a few..........

Or I'd be here all day!!

And I have stuff to do today.........

Like finish packing because tomorrow I am off to Asheville North Carolina!!

Once Upon A Dream is finally here!!!

I'll be back next week with some prairie fairy tales to tell I am sure............

See you soon:)

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Remnants of the Past.............

This weekend I was lucky enough to be able to go to Remnants of the Past in San Luis Obispo.........

It was very amazing.

And VERY crowded!

I found out carrying my big ol' camera around does not make for a serene shopping experience.

Neither does be pushed, shoved and booty bumped all over the place.

Waiting to look in a booth makes me cranky.

Being stuck in center isles with no where to move makes me even crankier.

But it shall be the price I pay for all this eye candy:)

ENJOY!!!

 

And these were just a few of the vendors outside!!!

I'll be back tomorrow with a peak inside and some links to Lindsay and I's favorites:)

Bye for now...........
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Without further ado.........

Here is my Bella...........

 

Seriously this was alot of fun to make and I would totally do it again! Once my hands stop cramping and the glue wears off:)

Well Lindsay and I are out of here!!

Remnants of the Past vintage show in San Luis Obispo is this weekend!!

To say I am excited would be an understatement, Lindsay probably not so much but I told her we'd go to the new Forever 21 across the street:)

And not only that but the new counters are finally in the beach house and all the painting is DONE!! Can't wait to see it!!

The camera is packed so you can drool and swoon when I get back;)

Have a wonderful weekend!

 
 
 
 

 
 

Flea Market Bella............

The Flea Market Bella was a special event put on by the amazing Kim Caldwell.

It was taught by Robin Sanchez who was a fabulous instructor.

And her samples were out of this world!!

 

I could not wait to get started!

As usual our place settings, kits and the decor were beautiful..........

 
 

So sweet!!

Then it was time to get down to business;)

 

It was all hands on dirtiness! And if you didn't glue your fingers together at least once you weren't doing it right!! Lol:)

 

Our table working!

That was the beginning workings of her head. That crown was not the easiest thing in the world to make! Especially after bending wire for an hour and having super glue all over your fingers. I wanted to throw my wire nippers across the room for a time!! But I got it:) 

And now she is complete!!

You'll have to wait til tomorrow for pictures:)

And if you are looking for vintage charlotte heads check out Happy Steiler on Etsy that's where she came from. Also Serendipity Salvage has trunk shows all over SoCal:)

Thanks to Kim! The company, the food and the project were awesome! And to Robin with supplying us with a great kit and great direction:)

Be back soon........

 

 

 

 

 

 

Craft 4 a Cure............

Craft 4 a Cure was a fabulous event put on by the ever talented Denise Hahn.

Who is the daughter of a breast cancer survivor.

It was held at her lovely mom's home in Anaheim.

Her mom is a breast cancer survivor.

Karin Smolinski showed us how to do one of her gorgeous paper cakes.

Karin is a breast cancer survivor.

Tara Wilson taught us a great wire wrapping technique where we created some gorgeous earrings.

Tara is a cancer survivor.

Absolutely everything the day included was donated.

Our entire registration fee went to the fight.

To say it was inspirational would be an understatement.

It was so much beyond that I can't put it into words exactly.

But I can not think of a greater group of women to talk with, laugh with and craft with.

It was incredible.

Thank you Denise for putting it together, your mom for the use of her home with glitter flying everywhere and to Karin and Tara for sharing your stories.

 

Loved the dress forms Denise had made!

The goodies always rock!

 

Girls workin':)

Two of my completed projects!

So adorable!!

Thanks again to everyone involved!! Which was all 18 of us:)

I'll leave you with this.........

1 out of 8 women is diagnosed with breast cancer. Early detection is the easiest way to tackle it. Talk to your doctor. If you don't like his/her answers talk to another doctor. You are the one who knows your body best and it goes without saying you are your life's best advocate. Use your voice. We all only get one life our voices need to be loud and clear!

Keep fighting!