Happy Leap Year 2012

Ever wonder why we add on an extra day every 4 years and call it leap year? It all has to do with science really. You see the days do not exactly divide up to complete a year. It all relates to the time it takes for the earth to travel around the sun. We actually end up with 1/4 of a day each year, so when we add this quarter of a day every 4 years we get the extra day called leap year. If we did not do this, our springtimes would arrive at different times of the year pushing it up as late as June.
There are 5 million people who also celebrate their birthdays on the 29th called, Leapers. This nearly happened to me, but I arrived to this world on the 28th of February instead.
And, speaking of birthdays, I want to send out a heartfelt thank you to my friends and family for the beautiful cards, calls, gifts, flowers, emails, e-cards and surprises. You made my day very special and blessed me more then you know. It was a special day with beautiful weather and time spent with my two favorite guys.

Today it is back to reality and my studio is calling me to grab those brushes and start creating. Lots of treasures are based and ready to go~~~

New items are arriving to fill the shelves in my boutique.


Hope you enjoy a last and extra day in February and leap right into March with inspiration and many blessings.
See you again soon.
XO Celestina Marie

Etsy Cottage Style, from The Craft Room

Greetings blog friends. It's the last Monday in February and time to visit Etsy Cottage Style Blog to see what is being created in the craft rooms of many talented designers who are members of Etsy Cottage Style. All week long you can visit ECS for the list of participants sharing their treasures.
Here are a few links from my studio sharing past treasures too from the Craft Room.
Hold That Note
For the Love of Creating
Hummingbird and Hibiscus
Thank you for visiting today. I will be back soon after a short couple of days to celebrate another birthday with my family and friends.
Till then, blessings be yours and THINK SPRING!
Hugs, Celestina Marie

please note, comments for this post can be left with the links listed to visit from the craft room.

Inspiration, In a Shell

By the sea, by the sea! Oh I so enjoyed to design and paint these beautiful large oyster shells last summer. I love beach cottage decor and when mixed with pink roses, it's all dreamy.





Oh how I wish to drift away in this sail boat and return to this rose cottage by the sea. Where roses are planted and the water so blue. Where days are lazy and the nights full of stars that twinkle off the water.


Are these days close by? I hope they are as I prepare to create new shells soon.
Perhaps roses in pink like they are floating on the water. Another cottage to spend summer days or a sail boat to drift off with dreams of days gone by.

With my garden trying to wake from it's winter slumber, I create and plan to work the dirt soon and feel the warm earth in my hands letting the inspiration guide my designs.

Are you looking forward to spring and warm summer days once again? Are you planning your garden? Could you be dreaming of beach or pool cottage days?
I will do both as I swing my paint brush and continue to create.

Have a wonderful February day.

Smiles, Celestina Marie

That's A Wrap~ for the lap!

After weeks of crocheting, my latest lacy ruffled lap throw is completed and my third throw finished in a years time. The others have found a new home to live and this one is on it's way to the shelves in my etsy boutique shortly.
Next I will be starting a white lace throw and I am excited about that one and searching for the perfect yarn to begin.






In the meantime, lots of painting is going on in the studio and in the off hours I created some new home pillows for the new look in my home. Using graphics with words and black and white designs, I have embellished plain pillows for a new style.




This year seems to be a new time to reorganize, change some styles, new looks, clean out, purge and well you get the idea for changes. I hear from many of you, the same agenda is yours. It just gives a feeling of renewal and change can be good. Even my boutique has changes on the way. Lots of new spring styles coming soon.

Today I am half way through my re~dos and a few more changes on the way. It sure feels refreshing, like changing around a room does for us. Are you making home style changes this year? Perhaps painting furniture and walls? Whatever your updates, have fun and enjoy the process. Hope to visit you and see your new dos too.
Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful February day~~ I'll leave you with some pics of my Valentine flowers.

Happy Valentine's Day

Wishing you a beautiful Valentine's Day!



Enjoy the moments, great memories, many dreams, your blessings and all the love your heart can hold.

See you next time~
Hugs, Celestina Marie

ONCE UPON A TIME~

near a little beach side cottage~

Where fairies blessed the flowers~


Love grew a dream.

Sipping rose tea,

Stirred with sweetheart spoons~

Reading sonnets from a book on the shelf.

While they danced among the roses and hydrangeas,


Pretty reflections in the mirrors~



Made dreams of Paris Chic Days.

Love filled ~~~

and Beautiful Memories!

Where scented bottles filled with lavender buds,

And rose bunnies lead the way~

Always back to a little beach side cottage where roses bloom each day.

The End!


Blessings to you this February Day.
Celestina Marie

pics from CMD on etsy~

~Collecting Dress Forms~

Welcome Friends~ It's a Dress Form Ball today at Carol's blog, The Polka Dot Closet and so I have a few forms to share in the fun.


From my studio, I have a black and white dress form in full size wearing a damask apron, pink, black and white scarf, vintage pearls, brooch and of course, a pink cowgirl hat dangling off her neck.


Also from my studio I have a pretty feather dress form I created using a dress form ornament that I attached to a vintage thread spool, white roses at the neckline and sequin trim.

And another studio form in pink to hold crystal supplies, bits and babbles and little ornaments used to design with.

One of my favorites is this wire from that I display with a crocheted vintage collar and it stands on a dressing chest. I love this form to hold necklaces or scarves.

For pins and also necklaces, I enjoy this dress form that was originally a pin cushion for the sewing room.

From my recent dining room redo, I have this frenchy iron dress form wearing my mother's vintage scarf, waist beads and crocheted collar and vintage dress pattern neck rose. If you would like to visit my redesigned dining room click HERE to view.

This wire dress form is a helpmate in the sewing room to hold supplies from the hooks that come off the forms front. It hangs on the wall near my sewing machine.

In my guest bedroom I display this pretty dress form above a vintage wardrobe. This one stands along with a vintage hat stand and a vintage hat from the
40's.

Lastly another favorite is this distressed ivory and iron dress form. I display this one in my shabby cottage bedroom. She is wearing a pink vintage hat and pearls.


Thank you Carol for hosting this fun party. I look forward to visiting many more participants today at the Ball.

Till next time, have fun and see you soon.
Blessings, Celestina Marie

Springtime Inspiration, Going Up in Smoke!

Well, maybe not exactly~~


Hello Friends and welcome to my studio blog today and some fun with a smoked technique for background interest.

Many years ago I did a study with one of my favorite artists, Nancy Kinny and learned a pretty soft background technique called smoked.

This technique is done with a block candle and silver spoon. As the candle burns, you hold the real silver spoon over the flame until it turns black and starts to send up smoke. Then, holding your item that has been based coated, you hold it over the smoke moving it around to evenly, or with good balance, give it a soft misty, smokey look. Once you have the background the way you want it, you proceed to paint or decorate your item however you choose. This will not work with a stainless steel spoon.


This is how it should look when complete. At this point, you lightly varnish the smoked piece to keep it in place and from smudging while you are working on the painting or other design. This way, the soot won't come off on your hands or smear.



Today I did this art technique on an old vintage cake pan and then painted a design from Nancy Kinny on the pan. It is a Carolina Wren sitting in ivy leaves. Can you see the smokey look on the soft ivory background color?



Such a sweet little birdie. I loved working on him. The next two pics are taken on a magazine holder I also painted using this technique while on study with Nancy's design and technique. One side of the holder is a winter blue jay and the other side a springtime robin. I painted this wooden treasure about 16 years ago.


Oh I love to paint birds and also little nests. After completing the Carolina Wren I painted another vintage pan with a rose nest, but this one without the smoked background.

Now I was on a roll and painted another little nest on a pretty pink vintage spoon.


And then a larger wooden spoon I call HOME~

With spring, hopefully around the corner and warmer days ahead, I can't wait to be outside in my garden and of course in the studio creating pretties for the season.


Until next time, have a wonderful day and blessings always.
XO Celestina Marie