The Garter

I'm sure I'm not the only one in Bloglandia that keeps a blog for more then one reason. I admit that when I decided to create a blog, the main reason was to connect with that small group of artists, junk-meisters, keepers of the flame of all things vintage. That merry band of folks that get it, who think it's quite normal to bend down pick up a rusty piece of ???, stick it in your pocket, and add it to your stash, just because it's cool, and it will look great... I also tend to use my blog to keep my family and friends who are miles and miles away up in the Northern Lands caught up with our "going ons". It works swell, When there is something I want them to see I can post a picture and like magic they can see it. This is perfect these days as Mette and Joe's wedding keeps hurdling forward. She calls and says "Mom can you....." or I call and say take a look at this and let me know. In case you didn't figure it out that's what I did with the dress I bought for the wedding :) So tonight's little show and tell project is the bride's garter.

Before we go any further I'm going to warn you that I'm more then a bit nervous about this. Like me, Mette has rather strong feelings about what she likes and doesn't. She is also 27 years old and 27 or so years younger then I am. I will confess that I have a fairly good idea of what she likes and doesn't. But where I'm the junk...treasure hunter in the family she is not. Soooooooooo here is the Bride's garter (how does that song go She's a little bit___ and She's (He's) a little bit rock and roll)

I started with 1&1/2 inch white silk ribbon sewn at both the top and bottom. I added 1/4 inch silk light blue ribbon a half inch from the top, which made the casing for the elastic. Then along the bottom I added a thin piece of vintage cotton embroidered edging.

There is a small fabric store that carries the beaded, silk, embroidered materials used for Quinceanera and wedding dresses. When they mark down their bolt ends I like to buy a quarter of a meter of different pieces. Then I can use the embroidered/beaded decorations as appliques in projects. That's what the center flower is. I cut 3 of the flowers out of the lace netting holding them Stacked then together and stitched a tiny pearl bead on the edge of each petal.

In the center of the flower I created a fabric wire wrapped bead. Mette had sent me a couple of small scraps of the fabrics being used in her gown. It's those scraps that are the fabric, I used sterling silver wire and small seed pearls to wrap with. In the center of the bead is a tiny blue glass heart.

On each end of the wrapped bead I attached cream colored freshwater pearls and small blue crystals.

At the bottom edge just under the flower I hung 2 links of seed pearls and blue crystals on one I attached a heart and key milagros On the other is a small pearl and gold pendent. This was my Christmas present from my Mother the year she died.

Around the sides and back I stitched embroidered flowers and leaves that were also part of the material that the flower was from.

When I finished, I had a bride's garter without frilly lace, bows or sequins. We, Mother and Daughter are in perfect agreement in our distaste of wearing those. I did manage to use something old , something new, something blue. All that is missing is something borrowed. The pearl is hers now and maybe there will be another young woman who will incorporate a final gift of love given by her great grandmother into her wedding :)

Have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are ;)

A Give Away & A Chair in Need of a Haircut ??

First let me tell you about a little give away. There is a remarkable young Bloglandian sister who lives in Puerta Vallarta (Mexico) which is about 7 hours from us on the coast of the state of Jalisco. Let me introduce you to Sara. She is a young Mexican single mom, who works full time to support herself and her daughter. Sara's mom also lives with them, so there is 3 generations of women caring, loving and supporting each other. Along with working full time Sara tries to feed her artistic soul with any free moments she can steal (sound familiar??) She also is working in her spare time (??) establishing her own translating / interpretation business.(Psst she speaks better English then I do). No small feat for any young woman up north. Here it's even harder. As I've mentioned a couple of times women here are a long way away from getting to the "glass ceiling" What that means for her is no bank is going to lend her start up money, nor is her employer going to cut her any slack in order for her to establish a foot hold. For every interpretation job she gets she has had to bust her bottom, without any referrals to get!! :)

Hmmmm you might ask just when does she have time to post on her blog Locuasia??? Well she squeezes a little time from here and there, but that's understandably sporadic. Be that as it may Sara is celebrating her 50th post with a bit of a give away!!!!!! I would like to invite you all to bop over to her blog (maybe when you finish reading mine??), leave her a huge atta boy, and sign up for her give away. When you get there take a look around her little corner of Bloglandia.

Okay now about the chair needing a hair cut. As any professional junker..er..treasure hunter knows, you never say no to an offer of free jun....treasures. A friend is having a new chair made for her living room and needed a home for the old wicker one she had. It would be the one pictured above. Of course I said yes even as I could feel LW eye roll behind me :) Gads that man has earned his wings and halo living with me!! The thing is the chair has been used a bit as a scratching toy for 3 siamese cats. There is a spot on one arm and on the top of the back that have been given a bit of "character". But it's just perfect for my girly girl room :)

That's little miss Rubi Ru checking out a bit of the wicker from the hair cut to the chair.

As you can see some places are rather narly

My plan is to give both places a nice close shearing and the use a bit of shoe dye to add back the color to the raw places. Then whip our my super secret, antiquing medium (Kiwi shoe wax) and buff a nice hand rubbed finish on it. I thought about painting it white but I really like the honey color of this wicker. I guess I I always paint it white if the shoe dye-shoe wax trick doesn't work. :)

Of course if all else really fails I can drape one of my Mum's hand made antique antimacassars on the back to cover it.

Huh have you been smelling home made Bolognese sauce while you have been here visiting??? Well your nose hasn't failed ya. Since it's still a bit cool, the clouds have the sun covered, and the humidity is still livable I threw together a big pot of sauce. LW will help me get it filled into dinner size portions that we'll freeze. Anything that keep us far away from the hot stove is a way good thing!!!

Yum a bit of pasta, fresh grated Romano and life is GOOD!

Have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are ;)

I'm Hopelessly Addicted!! & A Tag

I had this all ready to post last night but Blogger had other ideas :( Every time I hit the publish post it went straight to draft. Now if you don't think that was frustrating, especially since it's still taking me twice as long to do a post. I still can't get the *%^#@ thing to scroll and drag my pictures. SO I end up posting my pictures first and last to first order before I add any text :(




It really was only a few months ago that I succumb to the siren call to putter around making jewelry. It's not that I had never, I mean I've restrung or deconstructed/reconstructed old pieces of jewelry. It's always been enjoyable but not something that could hold my interest for very long. I have a huge amount of admiration, and awe for artists that can sit down with a pile of beads, findings, and semi-precious stones to design an incredible piece of jewelry. My "Little Sis" Lulu of Coastal Sisters is so gifted and creates beautiful pieces. She is also such a wonderful friend, always encouraging and supportive when ever I post a piece I have been working on. Holly of Penniwigs is another dear Bloglandian Sister with an ETSY shop where she sells her earring designs.




With all this dabbling, I have discovered a few things about myself. I love to work with "found" pieces, and even more I love the whole process of incorporating wire wrapping. I think it's because they're such imaginative ways of telling a story. But the most awesome part is that it's not the same story for everyone. Each person that sees the story through their own perspectives, therefore it's not me telling a certain story, instead it's the observer telling it. Now when I find a broken watch, heart shaped rock, bent tarnished salt shaker, glass typewriter keys, my imagination kicks in and off I fly and can't wait make art :)




Ahhhhh but like all newbies, apprentices, and students, there are methods and concepts that my little grey cells must absorb and my hands must practice practice practice in order to bring my inspirations to life. Mixed media, repurposed, and wire wrapping as art is still a very new concept here. There is really no place I can go to ask questions or learn a concept. In fact most artists here, don't make any of their own findings much less do wire wrapping. I have set myself the task of learning to make my own ear wires, wire closures, and links. By accomplishing that my inspirations are not limited to what I can find here. :)




Months ago when I first started playing around putting pieces together I stumbled into Deryn Mentock's blog Something Sublime. She has fanned the flame of passion through her art work, support, and encouragement!! I'm afraid I'm hopelessly addicted so now all my friends and family will end up with their jewelry boxes full of my practice, practice, practice :). Her wonderful tutorials and pictures of her art pieces that have been my substitutes for classes. It has also been through her blog that I have been able to meet some extremely gifted, and helpful artists. People like Sharon of Livewire Jewelry She is so gifted at cohering wire to do the most awesome things, and so patient and supportive to me :) Oh and then there is Lynn of LLYYNN who make incredible focals of smelted pewter, along with charms and focals she calls fauxtiques!!





I can also thank these Bloglandian sisters for my addiction to Somerset's Belle Armoire Jewelry!! Along with a huge amount of new abilities to learn and hone. All LW can do is shake his head and smile whenever I've ordered 5 different gages of wire,or bought off of eBay, typewriter keys, frozen Charlotte's, and.... :) Not to mention the list of tools I've added to my birthday, Christmas wants/needs. :)





A couple of weeks ago Objects and Elements (cool cool stuff) added torn lengths of vintage saris to their website. After seeing the awesome pieces Deryn, Sharon and Lynn have make with the scraps, I really wanted to see what I could do. I don't have access to the sari pieces here. But I did have one of those import market kinda wall hangings that's made up of scrapes of sari type, middle eastern materials I picked it up at an expats yard sale. It's almost to the garbage stage of decomposing, but I was able to salvage some of the nicer silk squares.





Hmmmm maybe I can do something with the scraps and practice my wire wrapping. These earrings and bracelet is what I made. Remember when I said I was determined to learn to make my own findings?? Well no time like the present to start. I pulled up Deryn's tutorial on making ear wires, and managed to get these made, and miracle of miracles they are the same size and look alike!! :). Look down at the very bottom, see where I made a tiny curly cue??

I made 3 wrapped beads, for the bracelet, with the middle one being a bite longer. I also wrapped green glass seed beads with the wire. On the two end beads I used a coppery color bead.

Ehhmmm, now this part I'm rather proud of making.... the hook is a PW original along with all the jump rings, and the??? what do you call the wire with the eye holes that runs through the bead so that you can string them?? :) And it took only one try for the hook!! As far as the eye thingies they are needing many more practice sessions!!

So there it is my first sari/wire wrapped bead pieces. What fun they were to make and oh how they have managed to add to the craving to make more!!

My friend Sharon of Livewire Jewelry tagged me for a meme. I'm not really into the whole blog award, tag thing, but I would like to thank her for including me as one of her bloglandian sisters. Please take a minute or 5 to slip over for a visit. Oh and be sure you check out her jewelry creations. She has an ETSY shop where she sells them go have a look see :)





Have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are ;)



P.S. Cross your fingers, maybe Blogger will look kindly on me tonight.

What Hurricane??? This Hurricane!!!

This morning we woke up to the lovely sound of rain The first real rain of the season. Ahhhhhhhh a wee bit early but who's going to argue. That was to suppose to be the start of my post yesterday......

Now mind you the weather gods had predicted that we could expect to get some rain from the tropical storm moving up the coast. LW left early to head to the resort end of town. I grabbed the camera to take some pictures to post with a little tid bit about the rainy season looked to be early this year. I took pictures of lovely rain drops on my patio plants

I took a picture of our "Patio Water Feature" I thought I'd tell you how we bought a clear storage bin and a small fountain pump. Stuck it in the corner and placed the plants in front of it, in order to hide it. So that for oh less then $20.00 you can have the lovely sound of water splashing . Hmmm can you see the rain is picking up a bit it's starting to bubble in the rubberma...expensive OOAK water feature???

Oh look at that, the water is puddling up. This is going to be one nice first day rain :)

Though things were beginning to get a bit wild in a hurry especially along the sea wall

But then the wind started to pick up and the rain was really coming down in sheets. No thunder and lightening but we can get those momentary loss of powers that when it comes back on it'll curl the wires of your computer and them fry them like a BAD perm :( The four legged kids and I started around the house unplugging the desk top, and other electronic items. Just as we all squeezed into the 3 square feet around my desk, and I started to upload my patio pictures (PS the lap top was on it's battery) there was a HUGE I mean HUGE enough for everyone to try to jump in my lap BOOM!!!!!! Along with a flash of electrical light. Yikes that didn't sound good We checked around upstairs nope every thing's okay up here. Better make sure everything is where it should be downstairs. Walked into the kitchen looked out the window through the garage and "By God" the 60 ft pine tree that belongs vertically in the front yard of the house across the street is now laying horizontally across the street with it's tip pushed up against the edge of our garage gate. The tree demolished the gate across the street. Oh and see those black lines hanging ??

Those are the phone and power lines That could have been the cause of the flash of light. Ya think??

Remember how our houses are attached one to another??? See the top of the tree is not only up against our gate but also the neighbor's. Only that's not the worst of it. Look carefully that's the front grill of the neighbor's van peeking out from under the tree!!! :(

Thankfully no one was hurt, and surprisingly there wasn't horrendous damage to the van :)

Except for a bit of water that blew in under the doors, a bit of debris and sludge we came out unscathed.

LW ended up taking shelter at one of the coffee shops and then picked his way home around downed trees. portable lawn furniture and puddles that resembled the fjords of Scandinavia. He was even glad the "yellow submarine" had 4/4 :) We ended up being without power for 12 hours. But the power company worked until they got it hooked back up at 12:30 am

Some buildings did have some major damage. The first picture is a dance club right on the sea wall. What you are looking at is the fake front that was put up to cover the old building. Guess they forgot to get the hurricane rating on that stuff?? A number of the new condo/ towers built up in the resort area, didn't do well. Windows where ripped out, along with other pieces that need to stay attached to a building to be safe. I'm not sure where some of these owners were when brains were handed out, but it seems to me that if you are going to buy a condo on the beach one might wonder why there were no hurricane shutters installed. But then that's just me :)

As always Bloglandians, have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are ;)

PS. If you are wondering why there are no pictures from our walk today, it's because there was nothing to take pictures of. This city is amazing!! Literally minutes after a big storm the city mobilizes and within 36 hours it's hard to tell there was a hurricane at all. As for the tree in the street. Because it fell in the street and virtually closed it off to traffic the city was here this morning to cut it up and open up the road. Now don't ask me when the truck will be by to pick up all the tree debris, but they'll get here.....

Hurricane What Hurricane?????

Just a fast drop and run. Yesterday's nice light morning rain blew in as a tropical 3 hurricane!!! :(

LW and I will head down to the beach with the camera. Pictures and story at the 8pm news.

Until, then have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are ;)

Leavin on a Jet Plane & a Few Project Pictures

I managed to get the last of my gifts, art projects, and art challenges done. LW bought boxes, and bubble wrap. Then patiently sorted through to my convoluted instructions to wrap and address the parcels. :) We picked our Mule..er.. good friend Mike up at the inn he was staying at. Loaded his one (unbelievable for 2 weeks) one small suitcase and laptop satchel in the Yellow Submarine. The Yellow Sub is the name our yellow Xterra was christened when we first moved here. Then headed to the air port. In the parking lot we, well more like Mike shoved things like his unmentionables around until he got the parcels situated to fit in the suitcase and still zip it shut :) LW didn't tape the boxes shut. Huh????? Well because if Mike gets the evil red light when he goes through customs EVERYTHING will be opened and searched. We don't even wrap presents because they all have to be unwrapped and searched :(

As we kissed goodbye and bid him a safe journey I finally let loose with a huge... sigh of relief!! I managed to get everything done and that is always a very good feeling :) Two of my projects were pieces I made for a couple of challenges I had entered. Remember that was one of my goals for this year?? Entering a few different challenges so that I could stretch my abilities.

The first challenge was to use muslin in a creative way to add beauty to everyday living. Muslin is a Anglo-European material which I can't buy here. What I can buy is the Mexican answer to muslin. It's called manta. It's a hard finished, long wearing, strong, unbleached cotton fabric just like muslin. And like muslin it is used for any and everything, and the more it's washed the softer it becomes.

I decided I would make a little shoulder tote for that challenge. I printed on one side of the tote a vintage postcard from Paris of the Eiffel Tower. I sewed three sides leaving the raw edges showing and hemmed the top side. I made the shoulder strap with brown satin ribbon which I attached to the tote by wire wrapping them. Of course I did have to add just a touch of bling with a few beads in the wire. :)

I'm sorry these pictures don't give a decent view of the post cards. Needs improvement on photography skills!!

On the other side of the tote I printed the back of an old French post card. On the bottom edge I pulled threads to create a bit of fringe.

To finish it off with a bit of style I sewed a vintage rhinestone snap on.

The other challenge was to use something from a coffee shop. I was in luck with this challenge cuz we are way uptown here in Mazatlan. We have a number of coffee shops In fact we even have a shhhh.. Starbucks. I started with a cardboard hot cup cosy. The inside of the cosy I lined with wool felt for a bit of insulation. On the outside of one I created a collage showing the difference between before that first cup of coffee and after a good 4 shot espresso!

With this one I made a copy of a vintage button card I have and glued it to the front of the cosy. Then I stitched on some vintage celluloid buttons.

I glued little hook and loop tape pieces on the cosy so it will stay shut around the cup.

Well I have to say I'm rather pleased with the way both challenge projects turned out. Whether they will cut the muster remains to be seen. As for me, I was able to accomplish my goals. I answered the challenge calls, I made art using the materials I had and stayed within the guidelines of the challenges As I would tell my students "Be proud you did a good job"

And you dear Bloglandians, have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are ;)

Penni Henni's New BFF

For those of us that are acronym challenged that's "Best Friends Forever" :) Jackie D (not to be confused with Jacki P) Jacki P by the way is doing very well, has started her PT for her shoulder and getting along very well. Now Jackie D and El, are friends who have a home in Austin along with their home here. We use their address to have things we order from the States delivered to. Then when they make a run up north they bring down our jun..er..treasures with theirs :)

About 6ish weeks ago my lovely generous and kind Australian Bloglandia sister, Lauren of Miss Muggins asked me for my address in the States. She said she had this ever so suave and debonair Australian mouse she was going to send me.!!!! Lauren had created him to auction off on eBay to help raise funds for the horrendous loss of life and property in the wildfires in Australia last winter. Oh my gosh both Penni Henni and I fell madly under his spell, and knew he had to come to this side of the world to live. :)

Well (don't be telling Penni but) the cutie putootie was won by some one else. So I had a quiet little chat with Miss Muggins and she offered to make another one for Penni. But being the wonderful Bloglandian sister she is she sent him along as a gift for my love sick hen. :) So when Jackie & El returned home the other day who do you think was with them??? YES!!! Taaaaa Taaaa Taaa Ta Ta Daaaaa May I introduce you to Dapper Mister H.P. Mortimer esquire.

Is he not the most adorable little guy you have ever seen??? Well let me tell you Penni is just beside her self!! She is a bit concerned about his scrawny stick size arms and legs. But says given some time she'll get some fat on his bones :)

Well I have to say the two of them have become inseparable since H.P. arrived. Penni is trying to teach H.P. how to crow and H.P. is determined to get the "wind beneath Penni's wings" :) Hmmm how does that phrase go??... "Impossible things happen every day"... I think to be on the safe side I better see if I can locate some magic flying powder :)

There is nothing more beautiful then the power of Unconditional Love!!!!!!

Thank you dear Lauren!!! H.P. is as wonderful and beautiful as I knew he would be!!!!

Have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are ;)

Stop The Presses... A Lovely Bead Give Away

Just a quick note because this is to good to get away!! The Silver Parrot has been doing a bit of spring cleaning. She has decided to have a give away with some of her left over stash. If you are into bead stashing or just like to collect stash you might like to head over there and enter :) HERE: Silver Parrot

Will try to get back to Bloglandia this evening with a wonderful gift i received all the way from Australia and a couple of project pictures :)

Until then Have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are ;)

BUTTONS and a Warning

When Mike comes to visit he always has packed in his one small suitcase (for two weeks mind you) the few-- and I really try to keep it to a few :) things I've ordered or whined long enough he brings to shut me up. :) Well hopefully that's not the case :( But he always has a few "things" he says just shout out my name as he goes by. This trip it was a cool bag o buttons. Nothing very special just buttons you would find sitting in your mom's or grandma's button tin. Like any other junk addict I had my coveted buttons. But when faced with having to fit our lives into the 5'/8' trailer to move here, I gave all my buttons to my sister :( Now I wish I was limber enough to be able to kick my own back side!! Ahhhhh Mike's score is a good start on a new stash :)

Along with the buttons there was a bunch of these funny little plastic thingies, figures, I'm not sure. But they are darn cute and you know a Junk Addict's pledge, All together now- "I'm sure I can do something with it"!!

These are all about picnics. You really can't see but the yellow glasses have ice cubes in them, bag of peanuts, cake and cup cake. You know all the necessities for a picnic :) I think the water melon is there just to keep the picnic police happy:)

Look there's even these teeny tiny ants. :) No kidding the ants on the patio are bigger then these guys!!

A few hearts. The three little ones remind me of faded Valentine heart candies. Can you see where they have Hug Me on them??

These must be for my Australian Bloglandian sisters (I'm sure there must be a couple of guy Bloglandians also). The way I understand it the slang would be Bloggie's ?

Now here's a real treat. I'm thinking there is more pink things in this picture then there is in the rest of the house. A pink kinda girl I'm not. :)

Oh my goodness look at the time, why it's getting so very late. Here it is the 8th of the month and I still haven't put together the teddies' outfits for The Mad Hatter Tea Party at The Fanciful Twist. Mustn't tarry......

Oh yeah the warning!!!! Look down see there is a little video all ready to play??? This is the first picture's this Grandmum has seen of little Dylan getting up getting up, rocking back and forth and, and....... nope not quite but then tomorrow is another day :)

As for the warning if you don't want to see the cutest baby boy don't press the start button. But then look what you will miss

:)

Have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are ;)