Freckled Star

Dead Bug Society

Sounds kinda creepy but it was a ton of fun!!

Last week I completed a class with one of my "Bucket List" teachers Ms. Sally Jean:)

It was in the gorgeous home of Cheryl Simpson who is also a very talented jewelry maker.

We started with an old book that needed to be pulled apart. I had an old third grade reader that was perfect. What was not so perfect was my exacto knife and it's cover. It took some umphh to get that frame cut in the cover..........

The "box" took the whole morning. Before we knew it the lights were being turned off so everyone could eat lunch. I must say it was nice! I would have just kept on working but to go outside in the sunshine and eat was fabulous not to mention refreshing.

Once the box was pretty much done it was on to our teeny tiny glass kit to make our bugs. How teeny tiny well it all fit in a plastic egg lol!!

The fun part! Bug assembly.........

Glass and tape. Paper and fibers. Wire and solder..........

I have to thank my friend Terry for buying and bringing a pink mini pad of paper (totally not something she'd normally buy, don't know what possessed her!) because it was perfect with it's polka dots and florals. Otherwise mine would have been all music paper (so yesterday) and French script (who am I kidding I'm not French;).

Now Sally Jean is a very much leave your comfort zone kinda gal. No pictures of projects beforehand!! Who does that? It about sent this girl into a tail spin! But I bucked up and packed my creative suitcase. To make bugs no less. Now that was leaving my zone of comfort from the start:)

So I made pink bugs. Don't judge! I have this thing............

I take classes to see what I can and can't do. Technique wise. Learn something new. But at the same time the project has to be mine. I have to enjoy the process. I learned this at a Lisa Kause class. She wasn't fond of my work because I wasn't leaving my comfort zone. I was making my project in blue and aqua hues and all oceany. Big surprise I know. There were others. Using colors they didn't like, elements they weren't fond of and it ended up being a huge hot mess in the end. In my end it ended up being one of my top 5 projects. I loved her technique but it was uniquely mine.

And my bugs were mine not so uniquely because I copied most of the way Sally did her glass. Sometimes my mind sees something it really loves and it gets stuck there. All I see is that and it's how I want mine to look. And I must learn how to do it just like that.

This is as close as I got to it looking just like that!

I must say I SUCK at taping and didn't quite get the edges I wanted but that's just the way it goes sometimes. Sally had the perfect scallops. I had Andrea scallops:)

What I love most about him is the glass button body. I actually brought something useful:)

Lately if I am not using tattered lace I am not happy.

And my finished speciman box........

It turned out to be something I love! Sometimes I walk into a class and immediately think I can't do that. When I looked at Sally's sample my first thought was this will take me 3 weeks to do!! But it didn't;)

She was a wonderful teacher and I learned so much.

So happy to have been able to take her class and to have a husband who may not get it but let me fly anyway:)

 

 

"Tea with Friends"

This past Sunday I took a class with the super cute Lisa Loria :)

It was called "Tea with Friends".........

And it started with this.......

Where she was nestled..........

Not really my cup of tea if you know what I mean. I am not one for scary plastic dolls but I was assured she would be turned into something cute:)

Lots of goodies to make her our own........

And Kim as always the gracious hostess........

There were special touches through the whole day. A precious little bubble gum dispenser from Erin. Cheryl made her sandwiches with pink and blue bread. Terry brought fabulous scones with devonshire cream and Tara brought delicious little quiches. Lots of yummy salads. One thing is for sure there is never a lack of food at these little get togethers:)

So once our doll was hacked up, lovingly of course, and the painting was done and hair was ripped off and glitter was generously applied we glued and we glued some more:)

So sweet!!

Everyone finished!! It was a miracle;)

Thanks Tara for helping me with my camera settings!!

I'm still using my big girl camera!!

Ok that's it for today.

Two posts in one week?!

Now that's a miracle!!





 

Some stuff I am loving........

First of all I CAN NOT WAIT FOR SPRING!!

and I don't even live in the snow:)

Away we go.........

Just discovered this lady again. Love her tablecloths:) Takes me back to the 90's when Lindsay let me dress her and she got her Easter dress from here every year. She also let me comb her hair back then. Ohh memories......

These are too cute for words! Makes me want to have a cucumber tomato sandwich and a cup of Passion tea by the pool. Or maybe a white chocolate lavendar scone from here!! Making me hungry and wishing rain wasn't on the way!!

This has become my new favorite place to go at lunchtime. I love all the scarves and earrings they have in right now. Picked up the cutest white ceramic dishes for practically nothing. Sweet pink cake holder. A gorgeous magnet board for all my pictures. Now I need to make some magnets:) And if you are lucky they will have this in stock because it is sooooo good!!

Giving this a shot. Looks good:)

Really loving this fun little surprise every month.

Can't wait to wear this and I didn't even think of it as a dress.

Would love a new one these for here.

But I need this and lots more of this first!

I can't recall the last time I looked so "flowers in the attic" maybe my Fort Drum days. Ohhh memories....

These are so cute and a must have for traveling. :)

Another must have for the travel bag and this scent is to die for!!

As an aside for my local girls Mozarts in Redlands in carrying a full line of both above products:)

Just sayin..........

And one last little travel must have can be found right here.

So what else.........

This class looks really cute. 

I will be here Sunday and can't wait!!

I so wish I could have taken this.

2 spots just opened up for this!!

This is on Saturday!! So many of my talented friends will be there. Among them the girls from Whimzy, Tara Wilson of Lulu Max, Lisa Loria, Victor and Priscilla Creda, Denise Hahn, Jenny Hernandez and Robin Howes. It is sure to be an amazing show!!

Well my salad is gone:)

Happy hump day:)

I also love this and you can find it here!!

 

 

 

 

The goodies......

I was able to go to Vintage Marketplace today:)

With my partners in crime..........

It was a perfect day for it!!

I have been asked what I got so I decided it was easier to just crank out a blog post:)

So what did I get............

First Bella and Darla got new leather collars from Victor and Priscilla.........

So stinkin cute!!

You can contact them at Vintage Bruja:)

This is from Mora's Antiques and she had a lot of gorgeous things....

Here's a few pictures I took.........

Next I went to Broke Jewels for which I had a project in mind so I was able to really get dirty and find a few things.......

I loved that urn but ended up buying this.........

Which I didn't even see! I was two booths down when I found Elaine and she asked if I saw "the holy water holder bottle thing". So of course we went back. She knows me so well:)

These are all the little pieces I bought. Hopefully I'll blog about that project soon...........

Don't hold your breath lol;)

I found this booth........

And I got her..........

Kinda funky:)

Then I found L.A. Farm Girl! What drew me in was the packaging..........

But what got me to buy were the samples! They were OMG good!! I heard she was sold out by 1!!

Next was one of my favorite vendors Under the Sun with Me she has some of the cutest planter arrangements..........

I couldn't go without this.......

And then one last little thing from Rose Vignettes who you can find in San Diego at Vignettes.....

So crafty. Love these old door knobs!!

And here are just a few shots of the marketplace in general. I took my big girl camera today;)

Well that's it from me. Vintage Markeplace is open again tomorrow and Sunday. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I have a Lisa Loria class so hopefully I'll blog about that too. Again don't hold your breath!;) So much to blog so little time!!