Fairy Art

I transformed the bust of a young girl into a fairy.  Here's how she looked before:

And here's the after picture:

I fashioned some fairy wings for her by cutting out wings from an art print out of a lovely fine art book I found at the Goodwill.  In fact, this entire project came from the Goodwill.  All except for the vintage flower on the back to cover the seam from her wings.

And here is the view from the front.  I glued her on top of a silver candle stick and added buttons, glass leaves, some foofy ribbon and flowers to her hair.  All done!

Details in the Fabric

Details in the Fabric is a great song by Jason Mraz.  This is now one of my favorite songs.  Especially when life is on a roller coaster as it sometimes is.  This is the perfect "calm down" song.  Sometimes I need that.

I made this today:  I thought I liked it until I hung it up.  The details really are in the fabric.  The little bird completely disappeared.  As the song says, "If you're shocked it's just the fault of faulty manufacturing."
I like that.  Although the faulty manufacturing was on my part.

So I redid it:  I just covered up the little bird with another little bird.  Viola!  It looks much better now.

I hung it over the mantle  I like the way it turned out.  Even if it is a redo.  Sometimes things in life require a redo.  A lot of the times it actually makes it better!  I'm going to sit and look at it for awhile.  I didn't want it too foofy, but I think it needs a few more touches.

I've been fooling with the arrangement for a while.  I think I like this.  The little girl still needs some nice wings.  That'll be next.   Life is wonderful.  I like that song by Jason Mraz, also.  I hope you had a peaceful Sunday.

Let me tell you how it will be

"There's one for you nineteen for me.  'Cause I'm the taxman....."
Love that Beatles song.  Don't love that this is what I'll be doing on my day off.
But -
On to happier days.
Like last Friday for example.
A friend and I went to an estate sale.  Here's what I found:

These are old cocktail straws.  These are the colorful cellophane ones that used to always come in mixed drinks.  Remember Highballs?  Does anyone ever order a Highball anymore?   I'm not even sure I know what that is!  But the straws are really pretty.  I have NO idea what to do with them.  I am open for suggestions.

I even love the box they came in.  

I bought another crystal lamp.  This one cost me eight bucks.  The one I rehabbed for my daughter was only $1.99.  I taught myself how to rewire lamps using a tutorial on Youtube.  Now I can't stop. -  help me, please.

Holy cards.  I've been keeping an eye out for these.  Aren't these just gorgeous?!!  I bought quite a few since they were only .25 cents a piece.

The colors are just amazing.

Love these.  I hope they bring me peace.

I'll need it after visiting the taxman.

Have a great day!

Alice Tags I Have Known

This week I received the Alice in Wonderland tag book from the swap Karla was hosting. I loved the color combination of my book with the red, white and light blue. Karla worked so hard on all of these and then ended up getting sick.  She's still a little under the weather.  Cheer her up and swing by her blog to say howdy!

This tag was made by Karla.  The little door in the bottom right hand side opens up. Karla also added a darling tiny bottle that says, "Drink Me."  So cute!

This cute vintagey Alice tag was done by Andre Tarling.

These two were done by Hope Ellington.  I especially love the red one with the white rabbit!

This tag by Nina Little was a soft ivory with lots of vintage touches.  Beautiful!

This cartoon Alice was done by Christine at changeofheart5b@blogspot.com.  Lots of glitter and a pretty rose.

This tag looked like it came right out of a book.  I love Alice in the chair with her kitten.  This was made by Rochelle Gaukel

I just love this last one!  It was made by Dee Ann Head of Olathe, KS.

This was such fun.  I highly recommend this kind of a swap.  It really brightened up these old, grey, dreary, Chicago days.

Christmas sheep and bird's nests

Today is when we "spring forward."  I took that literally.  I got up way too early and started dragging out a few springy things.

I found this little chippy white stand at the Goodwill last year.  It fit the cloche perfectly.  I've had this nappy little nest for quite a few years.  It tucked into the cloche just like it was meant to be there.

This is a tiny cloche I purchased at Anthropologie.  Looking at this photo I realize that it has a crack in it.  I tend to crack or break many, many things.  I've pondered and pondered this thinking that truly there must be a meaning.  Do I feel that I'm too transparent?  Do I feel that I fear perfection?  Naww.....none of that.

                                          It just means -

                                                      I'm a clutz!!

I put the glass bottle I made a few weeks ago (it also has a crack in it) up on the mantle with an old candlestick holding a glass globe (with NO crack yet) .

My daughter made this house clock eons ago.  I purchased the little white bird and the bust of a young girl at - where else? - the Goodwill.  I'm going to alter the young girl.

                                          GADS!  That sounded hideous!!  

I just mean that I'll be adding fairy wings and collaged bits.

And - here's the poor little Christmas lamb.  Still tucked way up in the corner on a shelf.  I'll put him away with the other Christmas things.  I forgot all about him.  At least, he's not breakable.

Charming Alice and My Checkered Past

It was the Kane County Flea Market this weekend.  Luckily, a friend and I went very, very early Sunday morning before the weather turned lousy.  I didn't buy a great lot, but did find some fun things and as always great ideas!

Found this fun clock.  It has kind of a steampunk look I think.

No idea what I'll do with it.  I seem to have developed a clock fetish lately.

Do you know what these are?

No?

Think hard.

They are window shade pulls.

My English friend said they never had window shades.  They used lace to cover their windows.

Well, here in the midwest we used and loved our window shades.


If you pulled hard and let it loose QUICKLY - you were presented with a lovely, loud noise!  Sort of a THWACK, THWACK, THWACK kind of sound as the shade went flying upwards around the roller at warp speed.  Ahhhh, the good old days.  The things we did for fun.

I got a good deal on this lace.

Really pretty lace is getting harder to find.  At least it seems that way.

A bit of what looks like hand dyed ribbon.  I can't wait to use this on something.

This I couldn't pass up.  An old motel ashtray, and some old motel/cottage matches.  If I can find a vintage motel key I'm going to make a tableau on my nightstand.

Makes it look like I've had a checkered past...

My husband will think I'm nuts.

Or maybe, I'm too late on that one.

Charms!  I love charms.  Most of these are plastic.  There's a nifty clock, a Webster's dictionary, a wonderful faucet and an old camera.

There's also 2 sterling silver charms.  An old teapot and a little mouse.  I'm going to put them both together for a necklace.

Sort of the dormouse and the tea party kind of idea.

The last two Alice tags for Karla's swap.

The poor Cheshire cat had his ear lopped off.
That's what comes of playing in the catnip.
Once the tag book is assembled it will be barely
visible.

I
hope.

I saved the best for last.  I was very happy with how this turned out.

I freehand cut the tree and stitched it on. I drew the leaves and cut them out to glue on. Then,   I printed out the mad hatter - cut and glued him on.  Printed out the clock.  It came from a digital collection done by Irene Alexeeva.  I added the cutout silhoutted black rabbit.  Then hand drew the checkered border.  I left the strings hanging from the sewing.

I think this is my favorite tag, now.

I can't wait to see the tag books completed!






This is the may be the longest post I've ever done.  If you stayed with me this far, then a big, hearty THANK YOU to you!

And if you haven't seen Alice yet at the movies, do go and see it.  I really enjoyed it.  Visually it'll knock your socks off!!

You Time Has Come To Shine

I bought this lamp at the 
Goodwill last summer.


It needed cleaning and to
be completely rewired.


I did that today.


It is for my daughter's 
new apartment.

I purchased a new shade.


I attached a vintage flower pin
with a vintage rhinestone
button added to the center.

This may be to "frou-frou"
for my daughter 
but
she can always unpin
the flower.

This reminded me 
of a favorite song lyric from
Simon and Garfunkel's
Bridge Over Troubled Water.


"Sail on silver girl.
     Sail on by.
Your time has come
      to shine.
All your dreams
      are on their way."