Freckled Star

Fun stuff....

I have another lovely blog for you to check out.....

thoughts from alice w. Look at her fantastic giveaway!!!

 

And this:)

 

Coffee filters!!! She dyed hers pink how cute is that!! I still have about 100 left from La Petite Maison. I feel an idea brewing;)

She also has a great shop Painted White.

 

Oh my gosh those are cute and SOLD!! Darn it!!!

 

What a fantastic Spring display. I love the wreath. It may just have to be mine:)

Well fun time is over I have about 1000 things to do today. Kids on break means my house got no attention all week. So the washing machine is going as well as the dish washer. The trash cans all need to be emptied, the vacuum and the dust rags need to come out. But my candles are burning and my music is playing throughout the house and all is calm once more......

Oh and I almost forgot I found this blog thru Andrea at Faded Plains

A little Pottery Barn love.........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How stinkin' cute!!!! Makes me want to set up my table right now!! It also makes me wish I was going to the beach house soon:( Those starfish napkins are mine!! Another wish, I wish my kids and husband wouldn't look at me like I was on crack if I put those napkin rings on the table:) I would buy them in a heartbeat! What else could I do with them.........hmmm.....

Sick kid=Workshop Samples done.....

Funny how much I get done when I have to stay home. Not that I have to go out everyday but I somehow manage to. That is til about 2 days before a workshop and I think oh no I need to get ready!! Well not for this one:)

 

This is one of the workshop choices "Stardust". I used Tyler's Camp Nawakwa pictures. And I am not going to tell you how old they were;) Let's just say I am a pretty random scrapbooker!

 

Not the clearest picture but you get the point. I get the point too, I need a new camera!! I have a digital but the screen where you see the big picture cracked about 2 months ago so I have been looking thru the tiny eye piece at the top:) Not so good for my getting older eyes, let me tell you!!

 

It's all about the details. I can still take some pretty good close ups....

 

Well one year of camp down.... 

This was using soft chalks to highlight key words...

 

I like using the paper strips with random sentences on them to use as focal points on a page rather than just one journal block. It gives it more visual interest. Or more POP which is a word we use at workshop a lot!!

 

Wow I feel productive today;)

That is just one of the projects we are working on next Saturday. With that done I can start putting together my little kits so everyone can make their own one of these....

 

Remember that?? A few posts ago....

Well it's lunchtime! Let's see what Zach will eat for lunch. Early this morning I made him a cheese omelet and he had a piece of Banana Creme pie with it. Yuck!! Hopefully he'll eat that Chicken Noodle soup I made last night. And more Banana Creme:)  I think I will I keep all my teeth thank you very much!!

Have a great weekend!

P.S. I have a big Idea Book mailing going out this weekend. If you'd like one please email your address. Or if you live close stop by:)

Signs of Spring....

This Azalea bush gets tons of flowers every year and it stared out as a little one gallon garden container! I have the perfect view of it from my bedroom window:)

 

My lettuce pots are looking good. After I took this I thought it would have been funny to put a bottle of ranch or something in the pot:)

  

I love mosaic pieces! Look at this pot!!

  

I bought this at an Art Festival in Morro Bay. Every 4th of July they have one. I got this probably 4 years ago and every year I go searching for that booth again. She had some amazing pieces!! I could kick myself for not saving the reciept!! Or for not buying a few more:) But that sucker is heavy!! I almost didn't get that one because I didn't want to carry it back to my car;)

I also love these little patina garden fairies. This is just one of them, I have a lot of them everywhere:)

 

Isn't he cute??

Here is another cute guy....

 

Frank bought him for my 30th birthday from a little nursery in Cambria California. He has got to weigh about 100 pounds. He is solid concrete! Funny story....I was trying to move him a few years ago and he tipped backwards and barely hit his head on the concrete and I mean barely touched it, well his head broke clean off right at the neck!!!! Oh my god!!! Talk about bad mojo. So anyhow I left him right where he was and thank god his head is heavy it stays put. Except when the kids hit him with a volleyball while playing in the pool or Justice mows him over looking for his ball:) Speaking of which...

 

He would really like me to throw his slimy deflated tennis ball to him. Can't you afford to buy me some new bouncy yellow balls mom???? No because I am going thru about 20 pounds of bird seed a week!! Case in point...

 

I just filled that earlier this morning!! The neighbors probably hate me because I have got A LOT of birds flying around and I only have 2 feeders. But if you hate the sound of birds singing in the morning you've got more problems then bird crap on your windows!! It looks like a teradactyl pooped on my bedroom window. Frank just gave me the look. Sorry I love the birds. And if you think they are loud now....you should hear them when the feeders are empty or when those two huge pigeons are trying to get to it;)

So anyhow a couple more pictures...

 

A few posts back I had the picture of the flower wine stopper from Anthroplogie. That's one in the flowers, blue and white. They went on sale 50% off!! So I had to buy the other three.

 

There is another yellow one to the left. And look at the cute mushroom!! Garden Gallery Morro Bay. I am really missing the beach right now!!!

Last picture.....

 

I hope you enjoyed the snippets from my backyard. I left out where Adam's dug a hole in the lawn, the dead lawn from just having two big dogs, the dead plants that need to be pulled, the one bush that is under one of the bird feeders that is literally white with bird poo, my ugly hill that after 10 years I still don't know what to do with and so on and so on. Who wants to see that!!

I gotta go now. I have errands to run early this morning. Poor Zach is getting his wisdom teeth pulled today:( How's that for a fun Spring Break!! Ughh I am not looking forward to this. The last time I had to watch him have an IV put in (wrist surgery, stupid skateboard!!) I almost had an anxiety attack, I had to leave the room. And trust me I know hospitals. Everything that we went thru with my brother and my grandma. I thought I could handle anything!! Wrong yet again:)

Guess where I am going to be......

 

I can't wait. I am sooo glad I found a venue here in SoCal! Some of these  workshops I find look so amazing but there is no way I could go to Nebraska or Georgia. My kids and husband call me 5 times just when I go to the store!! Maybe one day........

So anyway three amazing teachers. Amy Powers has a great blog and how she can manage this and three little ones she is foster parenting for right now I have no idea!! Michelle Legler who also has a great blog and just look at those mosaic cupcakes:) Kristen Robinson has a truly adorable site and an ETSY shop. She will be teaching us how to make the Paper Chandlier that were hanging from the ceiling at La Petite maison. There is a picture of it in my  Photo Album. I think that is what truly sold me!!

All the information on this beautiful event is here at Artistic Bliss. I am so excited:)

I did it!!!!

Remember this pretty little box??

 

When I took this picture I had not even read the directions for this project or taken the contents out of the box. I thought oh how cute maybe it's a shadow box project:) WRONG! And yes that is three different kinds of scissors. The poultry shears from my kitchen finally won:)

 

Direction number one freehand cut a Milagros from the tin container. SAY WHAT!! Oh there better be a template!! Whew....

 

Sand the top. On it.......

 

Now age the tin with liver of sulphur. HUH????? So I used my ol' stand by......

 

Worked like charm, I think. Next cut papers into hearts, again template thank god! And glue, add wire, cut velvet leaves, attach locket and viola!!

 

HELLO LOVE IT!! We were given a piece of vintage book text to cut out some words. I had the hardest time coming up with something. All I knew was I wanted to use the word "beast" when I saw it and my snipet of text was some story involving a hare, a frog and an eagle and the eagle going nuts and destroying stuff. Are you diggin' that guys faux hawk or what!!?? He looks like heart breaker LOL! I am related to that guy in some way;) Funny isn't it, I found it in an old box of photos from my grandma Pat's house that just a few years ago I would not have given the time of day. Now I am copying them and using them in all sorts of projects. She would think that was hilarious! Darn it now I am getting all nostalgic and teary eyed. Oh wait I just read my Milagros again. FUNNY! She puffed herself out....Grieved and enraged....the beast escaped and ran off to his mother....

Gotta go make dinner and wake up the man. He had his back procedure done today and has been asleep for the last 3 hours!! Which is what enabled me to get this done!! I don't know what it is, either losing my studio for 3 weeks or going to an amazing art retreat with all these other like minded souls that really got my creative mojo flowing. No matter I am just happy to be back;) There is nothing like letting it all hang out getting a project started and completed. It can really soothe the soul. That's how the man must feel when working on his jeep. Crafts - Auto Repair who knew they have a common thread!! LOL;)

Color me in a neutral shade of HAPPY!!!

All I can say is AWESOME!!!

 

That's me Table #9. My pictures don't do any of this justice. It was so lovely and Kim is such a gracious host!!!

Our first project "Blossoming Spring Garland" taught by Pam Garrison. I loved this!! I had no idea what I was going to do with it but I think I found just the right spot:) It would be beautiful lit too but I have no plug over there..........

 

Next project is my "Heirloom House Vignette" taught by Amy Hanna.

 

And the last project "Milagros Blanc" I had to miss to make it to Tyler's baseball game. Sooo sad because Teresa Mcfayden is one of the niciest ladies I have ever met!! But I promise to get it done this week and I will post pictures:)

I am so glad I took the leap and went to this:) It was alot of fun and sooo inspiring! Everyone was so nice it was an amazing experience. All my table mates were fantastic and everyone had a different style so it was so neat to see all the different artist takes on a project.

And to Kim Caldwell thank you sooo much it was lovely. Your attention to every little detail was not lost on any of us!! For you I'd even go back to LA;) LOL!

There is a photo album to the left check it out!!!!

A Quickie.....

Paris to the Moon......

 

Not a lot of pictures because I was too busy drinking punch (the good kind;) and making this.......

 

Which may explain why my blue crepe paper rossette is a little off:) Sooo cute!

And I had to add a couple more items to the shopping cart...

 

More later. I am off........Wish me luck!!!

Go ahead call me a chicken....

Or a pain in the ass. It's okay I am one:) I DO NOT LOVE LA! I am sure you have heard the song. I have lived here all my life and yesterday was the first time I had ever seen Sunset Blvd. or where the Oscars are held. It's about as foriegn as Bangladesh to me. As a bonus one wrong freeway and we ended up in Boyle Heights. I may not know much but I knew I needed to get us the heck out of there!! Just lovely:) I would much rather spend an hour going to the beach or the desert. But Char was a fabulous tour guide after we figured out where the studio for La Petite Maison was. Now I can say been there done that!

When I found out La Petite Maison's venue had been moved I literally groaned. LA!!!! I know I am whining. But the traffic and the graffiti and the day workers everywhere and the beggars at the lights getting on/off the freeway is just not what I had in mind. The 2 miles from the freeway to LaBrea were the longest of my life!! Char says oh this isn't so bad. What!!! It took us an hour just to get out of that town. I live a very sheltered life it seems!! I wanted peace and serenity. Now I have to park two blocks down from the studio and I am alone. I hope it looks better inside (the pictures on the website certainly do!) than outside that is for sure! I hope I was at the right place! It sure didn't look like a studio and the Futon Shop and Martial Arts Studio were the only outward marked names on the building. Ughhh!!!!!

But I am packed and ready to go.

 

I finally get to use my black tote bag:) And tonight is the Pre-festivities at Paris to the Moon. Now that's what I am talking about!! Cute shop, I bought the cutest mermaid when Char and I were there on Wednesday.....

 

Okay so I am going to stop whining now and just go with the flow;) I will relax once I get down there and parked. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!!! I am leaving 2 hours early and LA is only 45 miles from where I live!! I will not be baby;)

Making a mess....

The first day back in my craft digs!! Already I am making a mess..... 

Sandy is happy to be back. Happily stinking up her dog bed I just washed that is. Why do all my dogs lick everything they lay on??? Sandy even licks the tile in my bathroom. WEIRD DOG!!

 

She is looking at me like "If one more twig hits me in the head I am going to pee on your carpet!". I had twigs flying everywhere!! In my hair, in my lemonade and all over the floor. But it was all worth it for these....

 

I got this lovely idea here En Le Jardin. Granted my don't hold a candle to hers but I am happy with them. I love her fairy theme. She also has larger balls of twine then mine. I am going to have to look for some. These I just had laying around in a cupboard never quite knowing what to do with them:) She is actually doing a workshop weekend at her home in Macon, GA. Boy do I wish I lived closer!!! It is such a beautiful blog. She actually has two this is the other Sweet Eye Candy Creations. Isn't she just adorable? I love her things, so beautiful!

Here are some other pictures of my project..... 

 

 

 

"Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark."

 

"For the longest time she flew only when no one was watching."

Pretty cute I think:) Don't know where I am going to hang them from yet. Right now they are on my fireplace mantel with all my spring garland and butterflies. I'll have to take a picture of that later.

Right at this very minute Char and I are looking for Paris to The Moon in Costa Mesa. So I don't get lost Friday night when I go for the Pre-Festivities. And tomorrow we are making a run out to Los Angeles so I can see where I am going on Saturday for La Petite Maison. I hate not knowing where I am going and it is so easy to get lost in LA. So a couple of road trips and I will be good to go!!:) So excited!!