I made a little lid that is hinged on the inside with a piece of ribbon. I glued a flower on top and sitting in the middle is one of my fairy babies. 
I grabbed a bunch of stuff out of my little bins and filled a little white bucket and placed it inside the cone. I also sent along some cat toys and an embroidered pledge of allegiance that I think she will just LoVe~ The container sitting behind it is the tube I used to ship it all in. It was tight... but I squeezed it all in!
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Today I earned a few more feathers for my glorious angel wings that I will receive when I go to heaven. This morning at about 9ish I was at the register of a local thrift store checking out... this woman came in in near tears stating there was a kitten all mangled up in the trash can outside the door meowing. *GASP* Seeing how I try to live in a total "Polly-Anna" state... I marched right outside to rescue that little kitten. I had to reach all the way to the very bottom of that flithy trash can, which is hard to do when you don't have long arms! Amongst drink cups and candy wrappers I lifted out a soda soaked kitten which was about 3 days old. Eyes closed, wet & sticky with soda.... no signs of blood *whew* it was just abandoned by some heartless hell bound soul. The other customers in line showed concern but none were eager to help, sad-sad state of affairs I tell ya~ Anywho, I gathered up my bounty.... and the kitten in a box atop an old towel...and off I went to the nearest pet store to purchase some supplies to get this kitten some nurishment. The kitten was in really good shape, it seemed to be strong and healthy and full of energy so I am guessing it was just recently placed in the trash right before I lifted it out. Luckily for meeeeeeeeeee and this little kitten there was a young gal trying to get some cats adopted from one of our local shelters (it is a no kill shelter) After some idle chit-chat about where I found this little darling, she told me... "You know, if I told my boss that someone just left this kitten in a box at this table while I was in the restroom..... I could have him come pick it up and get it into foster care." I didn't leave until I finished hearing the entire conversation she had with him over the phone....and that he WAS coming to pick up the little kitten! Hooray!!! I am so thankful that I was able to get this kitten to the right people to give it every opportunity at a healthy life. I believe... that was at least two big handfuls of feathers I earned today~
I just found another swap :-) this one is a kitchen swap.... it is being hosted by: Garb-oodles Soup You know you would like to join in... come on!
Here is my collection of gumball machines which I filled with buttons. Each machine holds a different color...cute huh.
Here is something I got at the auction I recently went to. It was in the lot of sewing items I bought for $2.50. It came along with a tag that reads: "Fresh water mother of pearl , from Button Factory, Muskatine Iowa -1910-
There is a large shell with circles cut in it...along with long tubes of shells that I guess were put into some kind of slicing machine that cut it into buttons. I LOVE this... super neat for someone like me who just LOVES buttons! Mother of pearl buttons are my all time favorites...sigh... you just never can have to many of those!!
Here are some jars that I have lined up on a shelf in my studio..... I have a fairy sitting amongst some pink buttons, and there is a small photo sitting in another which I used the tape transfer method on and it gives it a nice vintage look.
Here are two flags in frames I made out of buttons~ The larger one isn't finished, I'm waiting on getting some more red/white buttons...almost there!
and this I made using an old wire heart garden form... it reads "Angel of lost buttons" 
Ohhhhhhhhhh and this is a little tote I made using some yo-yo's and some of my favorite tiny buttons....(not finished.....) 
Lastly, here is a vintage glove form (bought for $5 buckeroos) holding 3 button necklaces...cute stuff~
I love the little Christmas stocking on this one.... 
The little flowers made with seed beads are so cute~ 
Here are some vintage bells on this card.
And of course...the tags. I really thought this one was FuNnY... one blue sock, such is life sometimes lol. 
Then of course an angel...love baby angels! I hope she likes them...if not she can pull off all the vintage stuff and make something out of all of that! ...hey, I'd do it, sooooooooo I very well can't wrinkle my nose at her if she does it! lol
I received my crown from the "Crown & Tiara Swap" hosted by: Holly Doodle Design You can see all the crowns/tiaras here. My swap partner was Christine Cunningham she sent me a really cute crown that was laying on a bed of sea-foam green rose petals. (my favorite color) She also created a little book and sent a note pad she decorated as well....and what queen would be a queen without a mirror? She was very generous with her gift... and it is much appreciated. Thank you Christine, you did a beautiful job on my crown!
Next, the party hat artdoll. I made her into a garden fairy who is wearing the latest rose petal party dress which is all the rage in the Paris gardens these days~
She is two sided so you look fabulous coming and going! I used silk rose petals glued to a cone with vintage sheet music lining the underside. She has transparent wings which are sandwiched between two mirrored images.
I sell exclusively on EBay and have one of the largest vintage clothing stores on the EBay site. I consider it my job to be aware of what is happening in the vintage clothing categories on EBay, so I set out to discover why customers of vintage clothing are so disenchanted with buying on EBay.
For the last 6 months, I have been conducting an experiment. I have purchased over 100 vintage clothing items on EBay for my personal use. I used a different EBay account to purchase these items, so the sellers I purchased from did not know who they were selling to. I only purchased items described as being in excellent condition. I purchased from experienced, well-known sellers as well as new and inexperienced sellers.
I was appalled at the results of my experiment! More than 50% of the items I purchased were damaged in some way! These pieces could not be considered to be in excellent condition by any stretch of the imagination. I received a dress covered in mold and mildew, a dress that overwhelmed me with the smell of moth balls, and a dress that had been washed and shrunk so the lining hung 2 inches below the hem of the dress itself! I received items with actual measurements up to 2" off from what was stated in the listing. I received items with moth damage, iron shine, stains, fading, popped seams, broken zippers, splits in the fabric, underarm odors, tears and holes, alterations, and cut off and shortened hems. NONE of these issues had been disclosed in the listings so I could make an informed buying decision.
It's no wonder buyers of vintage clothing no longer trust EBay sellers! But, take heart! There are many professional vintage clothing sellers on EBay who offer wonderful merchandise and can be trusted. The trick is to find them. An easy way to be assured you'll be happy with your purchase is to shop with Vintage Fashion Guild members. Sellers who are members of the Vintage Fashion Guild have gone through a rigorous review process and meet the standards set forth by the Guild. Couture Allure has been a member of the VFG for over 4 years. We highly recommend all sellers who are members of the VFG.
In light of my dreadful experiences buying vintage clothing on EBay, we're announcing a major policy change at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion. We are so confident you'll be happy with your purchase from us, we now accept returns on most of the items we sell. You can find the details on our Policies Page on EBay.
There are many other ways you can you protect yourself when considering making a purchase of vintage clothing on EBay. I've just written an EBay Guide with several tips which you might find interesting.
Shop for vintage clothing on EBay with confidence at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .
Since reading about Kelli's backyard frog. I thought I would tell about my indoor turtles. I have three baby turtles. Ok, they are no longer babies as the two larger ones...Button and Harry, are about 3 years old now, and the smallest one "Tipsy" is about 2 years old. When I first got the turtles it was scarey since they were about the size of quarters and they seemed very frail. There is never a guarantee that they will live seeing how they start off so tiny and lets face it, when your not an expert on turtle care, that right there can kill them off! So I googled what to feed them etc and they seem to be thriving. :-) When I first got them I would cut up worms and put them on a little dish for them to eat (along with fruits/veggies) I still cut up the fruits & veggies, but luckily I don't have to cut up any more worms! I still use a tiny plate to feed them on though, I personally think they like it rather than eating it all covered with dirt. I have to keep the two bigger ones away from the tiny one or they would eat its little legs off.... The turtles eyesight is not the greatest, and nothing makes their mouths water more than something wiggling, regardless if its another turtles legs! Here is a photo of Tipsy (the littlest one) and Button. I let them eat together only when I supervise. I think its important they get to know eachother over food lol. I placed a quarter next to the dish so you can see just how small they still are. The "plate" is a drink coaster~
Tipsy has the right idea...just climb right into the dish!
This is Harry. Harry is soaking for awhile while the girls are starting their dinner. Harry is a monster...he'll surely eat your legs off (if your a turtle) if your not careful! The turtles go poops in the water, so I like to let them soak in another container so their habitats don't get all stinky.
If you were to purchase a turtle from a pet store you will find that you can only get one that is 4 inches or larger. There is a law that states that you can't buy a turtle smaller as its a concern small children will place the turtles smaller than 4 inches in their mouths.... Most turtles carry salmonella and thats the reason behind the law. My baby turtles were a private adoption from a friend so thats how I got them. When I had my turtles for about a month...I just couldn't resist giving one of them a little kiss on the top of its shell. Well~ the very next morning I awoke with swollen lips. Botox? who needs botex??? I had thee most beautiful puffy pouty lips ever! I should sell that idea to some of those puffy-lipped wanna-be superstars! I'd make a fortune!!!
This Show & Tell Friday is hosted by: Kelli
I received my package from the "Bucket full of Sunshine" swap I was in. I opened the box to indeed see "sunshine." My swapping partner Jeannie was super generous. As you can see from the photos everything is very cute! I really like the metal bin that she used for the "bucket" Just recently I was eyeing a very similar container..how funny. (There was also a magazine and a bottle of bubbles that are not pictured as I was reading and blowing bubbles in the backyard lol.)
There is some handmade cupcake pokes, some huge paper umbrellas (never have seen those before) some lip gloss, vintage buttons, a huge balloon, bubbles, magazine, a bottle of glitter, a tiny shabby chic watering can, a cute yellow ceramic basket. a handmade door tag, a super cute butterfly card, a HUGE sucker, some small yellow paper flowers, a gift tag..... whew..I think thats all of it. Ohhhhhhhh and the cute container lol.
All of the items are a sweet reminder of childhood summer time fun. Thanks Jeannie~ such sweetness!
Here is the back of the box, I printed out "Happy 21rst birthday Heather" I love you, Mom.... the flower oval around it was cut out of a book which I cut and glued over my message. Kinda cute huh?
Here are some photos of the items I bought at my first Auction. This is just a small sample of the items I bought. It took me two days to sort through it all....and put it away. I donated to a thrift store the items I didn't want... which was bags and bags full! I still managed to have a huge stash left! This is just what I grabbed to show: I got two lots of Christmas items for $2.50 each, there were boxes upon boxes upon boxes! In the boxes were vintage gift tags, old ribbons, old glass beaded garlands, old glass balls, lots of vintage ornaments (housed in glass jars now) 
I also got 54 vintage hankies (show below) for $2.50 along with the hankie box and an old mirror and an old vintage jewelry box. 
Old crocheted pieces, some that look like they were made with thread, they are so delicate. A large box of vintage linens, embroidered samplers, embroidered dish towels and a few pieces of vintage fabric. All of that was $12.50, more than I wanted to pay, but because of the quality of the pieces, I just had to have them. 
I also bought several boxes of vintage greeting cards, old postcards, envelopes, stamps alllllllll for $2.50. 
I am wanting to go again and again and again to any and all auctions. I am so hooked! Of course I was buying the cheap "junk" there was antiques to be had... there were people spending tHoUsAnDs of dollars on items....wow. I am so pleased with my "junk"..... probably just as pleased as those antique dealers with their finds lol. I encourage everyone to try an auction if you have a chance, it was so much fun!
I received my swap items from my swap in the Bella-Enchanted swap my partner Heidi sent me an amazing package! Look at the super sweet things she made for me.... a beautiful brown paper bag book along with the sign that she painted that reads: "I'm in the garden" She also sent a garden journal and a photo frame.... (which of course I'm going to put a photo of my grandson in :-) Thank you so much Heidi, your a fabulous artist and I truely love the items you sent me~
Here is a photo of my antique doll I received for my 16th birthday. (I'm 42 now) My parents were on vacation visiting family in Edinburgh, Scotland on my birthday...so I told them "I want an old doll for my birthday" and this is what they brought me back.
She is a little sweetie. (You know, I've never named her... any suggestions?) She is wearing a handmade dress that is to big for her... I often wonder if that dress was a hand-me-down from another doll. Her hair is human hair, it still has its natural curl to it. (I've never brushed it, so it looks very messy.) I've read they often used the hair of the child that was receiving this kinda doll. I would like to think that as well, I think thats neat. Her body is fully jointed and in excellent condition. I recently found some old reproduction patterns for some clothing that would be appropriate for her. I was thinking one of these days I'd whip her up some new duds. Maybe even a whole wardrobe full of clothing and shoes etc.... hmmm another project! lol
