Bloggerette Sorority Sister Swap and a wonderful surprise from my sweet and sassy friend, Marsha

Bloggerette Sorority Sisters Christmas Ornament Swap. My wonderful sister swapper was Ginger of Glitter and Roses. Ginger has the most beautiful pictures of her home and I think I wanna live there. Her Christmas decos are pinks, whites and silvers in the main room and then each room seems to have a theme. I thought I was the only one like that around! LOL Sad to say there aren't many decos up here this year since we are in the middle of a remodel. But I do have all my awesome ornies out and will be putting them on my lil pink tree tomorrow...YAY!

This fall I had the opportunity to take a paperclay doll making class with the famous Colleen Moody, the wonderful Doll Atelier! Colleen makes the most amazing dolls. I now have three in my collection. Anyway, thanks to Colleen's class I was able to learn this awesome new craft. The snowflake girl is a snowgirl head adorned with a romantic and whimsical hat made of french script muslin and roses and ribbon. She has been painted, stained and glittered and attached to a glittery tin snowflake. She has a ruffled collar made of muslin and vintage lace and cute rosy cheeks.


The other ornie is also paper clay. She is the pink jeweled snow queen. She is made of paperclay and includes shoulders with a ruffly chiffon wrap, a ribbon and rhinestone choker and a paper crown adorned with a pink vintage rhinestone jewel piece.




YES!!! These are the beautiful ornaments GInger made and sent me...I love them both. I was drooling over the bulb when she was posting about making them.

The bulb is frosted, glittered and then has bridal type lace around it and roses and ribbons!

And this snowflake backed paper star, vintage and glitter ornament is so lovely and 3D, It's just beautiful!

Thanks so Much Ginger!



Look at this adorable spoon! Marsha is so talented and so giving and so amazing! Such a good friend...I was very surprised the other day after having a horrible day to come home and find this lovely in my mail waiting for me. I love it! The spoon is adorned with an image of a frozen charlotte, glittered and it says vintage girl. The spoon is held by pretty crystals and beads in pale pinks and ivories. It was packaged in a clear cello with the yummy pink shred and the cutest pink and ivory buttons! I love it! This will not go in a box after Christmas. It is perfect for my room! Thanks sweet Marsha! If you want to see all the amazing things Marsha does with old and vintage stuff...pop on over to her blog Tattered Chick (aka Sassy Mini Dolls)

If you want to pop on over to the bloggerette Sorority Site, there is a Linky Party starting up with the swap participants. Click on the icons in the linky party under the post and it will take you to their blogs to see all the beautiful goodies. Also, there is info on the blog about how to become a sororoity sister. Thanks Debi at Marionberry Cottage for hosting this wonderful swap!

Button Floozies Christmas Ornie Swap

I know I am late. So sorry. But I did want to share the awesome ornies I received. Laurie hosted this button ornament swap a few weeks ago. My partners were Marsha, Donna and Deb. Here is a pic of the ornies sent to me by my partners Deb from Debs Vintage Soul Blog, Donna from Brynwood Needleworks and Marsha from the Oklahoma Button Society.

Deb made this wonderful round disc covered in ivory and cream buttons centered by a beautiful cameo.


Donna made the cutest little pillow ornie with a hand stitched tin solder adorned with buttons. The pillow has an old vintage lace piece also adorned with buttons.


And Marsha made a cute lil angel pixie made with an old spool painted pink, pipe cleaners, crepe paper and buttons. The hanger is also made with buttons. It's all pink and white. Marsha must have done her homework! Thanks ladies for the special ornies!


I made felted ornies that I hand drew and cut with felt and muslin. Then I used fabrics and old laces, glitter and of course buttons to adorn them. I made a Christmas Tree, a stocking and an owl.


Thank you ladies and thanks Laurie for hosting this swap which was totally out of my comfort zone working wih buttons. Be sure and stop by the Linky Party at Button Floozies and see all the amazing ornies everyone made. Merry Christmas! Becs

My Snow girl from Colleen Moody's Doll Class

As many of you know, Colleen Moody is an EXCEPTIONAL Doll artist who resides in Northern California near San Francisco. At the beginning of September I had the amazing opportunity to take one of her doll sculpting classes. It was held over a weekend at her home. Her studio is to die for! I am so amazed at her talent and so overjoyed to have been able to attend. I met some wonderful women that weekend and learned how to sculpt these dolls. It was actually not as difficult as I anticipated, although I have a LOOONNGGG way to go! LOL



The class consisted of making two dolls in shadow boxes. We made the shadow boxes from old frames, then sculpted our dolls. One was a winter snow girl and the other was a Halloween Pumpkin. My Pumpkin is almost ready for reveal, not yet....But my snowgirl is making her debut!



My frame was brown stained with gold leafing, but it didn't look good with my girl, so I took some of Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint, her newest color, French Linen and painted my frame. I antiqued it with the dark stain. I liked the color, but it just didn't pop. So I took the Antique white chalk paint and dry brushed it on over the French Linen! It was exactly what it needed. I love it!

Colleen sells her wonderful creations on her blog The Doll Atelier, she posts in advance when she puts them up, so if you are interested you gotta be really quick cause they go fast!

Colleen is an anazing artist and if you ever get the chance to take one of her classes, they are totally worth it! On Sunday, she took several of us to the Alameda Antique Mart. It was Huge! It was Amazing! It was Wonderful! Thanks so much Colleen, for sharing a bit of your time with us! Becs

Vintage Dragon Fly's Halloween Match Box Swap

Last month I participated in a Halloween Matchbox swap hosted by Vintage DragonFly. We also had to make four items to go with the swap. My partner Peace, said she loved dark ghoulish and gothic halloween themed things. So I tried to keep with the theme she liked. The match box I made for Peace:


A Lizzie Borden Paper Doll:


A SPo0ky Tag:


A necklace and a couple of Charms:

And as you can see the matchbox is filled with other spooky goodies too!

Although I am not a Huge fan of Halloween, I do like the vintage and Steampunk Halloween themes. And this fabulous matchbox below is what Peace sent me. I love it!



And my cute "BOO" Banner and Spooky Pin:


A mini matchbox with 13 days of inchies inside, and an altered domino:


And a Vintage witch hanging collage:


Peace did such an amazing job! Thanks so much! VIntage Dragonfly hosts themed matchbox swaps every month, so if you are interested in joining, just click on the link here and it goes to the Vintage Dragonfly Flickr group and gives all the info.

Fall In Love With Buttons Swap Linky Party! And Vintage Connections Creative Button Swap reveal

A few weeks ago I joined in the Button Floozies "Fall in Love with Buttons" Tin and button swap. My partner was DeeDee Johnson. I altered this Altoid tin and filled it with vintage, old and new buttons in fall colors and themes. The image on the tin is an altered one by me. I also used some script paper for the bottom of the tin. I painted the sides with chalk paint and embellished with buttons and flowers. I found some really nice old buttons for DeeDee.



This is the beautiful tin DeeDee made for me and all the wonderful buttons she included in it. She also made me a needle keep. It is lovely. I have never had one of these before and am so thankful she shared one with me. Thanks DeeDee!


I am learning about old buttons since I stumbled onto this group. Laurie, Tami and many other amazing women share tons of info and pictures on collecting and preserving old buttons. They also share some unique ways to display them as well. In fact, Laurie is doing a Linky party for this button swap at Button Floozies, so please drop on over and check out all the other blogs and the awesome tins that were swapped!



I also joined in Tami Hacker's Creative Button Swap. We were supposed to send a few buttons that our partner enjoyed and display them in a creative or unique way. My partner was Joni Reinhardt. Joni sent me this adorable pumpkin adorned with lace and buttons and a whimsical crow on top! I love it! The buttons were all so unusual and were placed on the pumpkin with pins so they are completely removable. What a clever idea. Thanks Joni!



Joni collects Picture buttons and China Stencil buttons. I was able to find a few of these and added a few of my favorites as well. I made a pocket pillow out of old linens and lace, then tacked the buttons onto the pillow. I also added some other goodies in the pocket pillow for Joni.

Sassy Marsha's Sassy Apron

My friend Marsha Mees (Sassy Mini Dolls Blog) is one of the sweetest blog friends I have ever met. And I did have the opportunity to meet her in February at Cassandra's Marie's Danses de Fleurs event in Florida. What is so interesting is that Marsha and I both live in California and we traveled all the way to Florida to meet in person!!! Crazy World this blogland!


Anyway...Marsha makes the most beautiful porcelin mini dolls. They are amazing! And I mentioned that I wanted to learn how to make one. So we decided to do a swap after the event. That was in February. Well Marsha promptly contacted me and then sent me the doll head, arms, and legs, She actually made them and fired them for me. I just have to finish painting them and putting the body together....I have to admit I am a little intimidated!

Marsha wanted an apron since she knew that my sister and I have been making them. I wanted it to be special and her only request was that it be pink and black!

And, if anyone knows me they know I CAN DO PINK!

If any of you know Marsha she is Outrageously talented and Outrageously fun! I know she loves all things French, all things Foofy over the top blingy and all thing Audrey Hepburn.
So, this was my inspiration. I wanted it to be a little vintage too, so I used vintage lace pieces and vintage buttons and jewels for the accents.
The apron is my own design and it has evolved since I started making them last year. My sister does most the machine sewing because she sew straignt and I definately do not! LOL We work good together (most of the time).
The apron has a black lace overlay and 5 rows of ruffles. The pocket is a printed photo on fabric of Audrey H. I also made the flower pin which can be removed and worn with anything else. Marsha was so patient!
As I said earlier, She mailed me my little doll within a week of getting back from Florida! OMG! So, needless to say, this apron was long overdue to arrive to her today! And it did and I think she loved it! IT is perfect for her and I can't wait to see a pic of her wearing it.

Marsha my friend I cannot wait to meet you again and do some JUNKIN' Woo Hoo!!! I have some more things to show off for a show I am doing in a week, so stay tuned...Becs

Grandma's Attic Match Box Swap 1 & 2

Part 1!

As some of you know, I took part in a "Grandma's Attic" match box swap this month hosted by JoAnne, over at Vintage Dragonfly. She hosts a cool matchbox swap every month. This next month is a halloween swap and there is still time to sign up! Just pop on over to her flickr group for details. Or click on the icon on my side bar>>>

As you can see, I received the cutest Grandma's Attic match box filled to the brim with goodies from Michele over at "Something Special" Blog. Michele did such an amazing job with the box. It is so vintage and I loved everything she sent! Here is the box with an old fan, postcard and notecard.


She sent me these lovely old buttons.


A hand crocheted pink lace square, porcelin salt shaker, vintage jewelry and jewelry bits, crystal chandy pieces, pearls...


Vintage ephemera and dresden pieces, a jeweled hair comb, metal charm frames, and a frozen Charlotte head


Thanks so much Michele!

Now for Part 2!

This is the match box I made for Laurie, Indulge Your Shelf. I used a flocked vintage wall paper with a damask pattern for the cover in a beautiful chartreuse green color. The drawer was covered in a coordinating flocked striped vintage wall paper with a vintage button closure. I made the rose on top with a piece of vintage trim.


I knew Laurie liked alot of the same things I did so I just pulled from my beloved collection...hoping she would enjoy them. The next few pictures are courtesy of Laurie who shared her pics with me as I did not get photos of all the goodies inside. Thanks Laurie! I packed everything in this cool vintage candie box.



A collection of laces and trims


Vintage cards, ephemera, and vintage wall papers


Trims, rhinestones, buttons, jewels, spools, ephemera, Frozen Charlotte, etc...


And this cute little tin I found at a local antique shop, perfect for tiny vintage buttons and bling!


I am so sorry it took so long for me to post about these gooides. I have been a little busy with school starting back up and then caught a cold the first day! I am so excited to make some things with my goodies soon! Take care! God Bless! Becs