Happy New Year~

Hmmm new year/new resolutions.... Lets look it up... res·o·lu·tion: a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something. Ok, so its nothing set in stone, its just a "determination"...whew, takes some pressure off! I could start off with the usual ones like lose weight, be a better person...but thats a daily RESOLUTION lol So here goes:

• open an etsy store
• paint my '66 mustang
• paint my '64 falcon truck too
• try to make my house look more "romantic" (chez fifi your a bad infleunce on me! okokok, in a good way)
• use supplies I already have
• take more trips

Well thats a good start~ at least it LOOKS like I'm determined to change things up a bit, especially when you put those little bullets next to your list!

Lil' Monkey

I came across this cute little monkey and I thought it would make a cute little pirate~
Now I'm looking for a plastic bananna so he has something to hold in his hand. The little shirt reads "arrr... change me booty" I thought this was appropriate since its my grandson's FIRST birthday lol
My DH finally showed me how to solder. I told him my brand new soldering iron was broken... he proved to me that I was wrong and showed me how to use it. I told him how happy and excited I was to know how to use it properly now...and he said to me "I'm excited too, because I know you'll make something great." Now, how sweet is that?

Happy Birthday

to my husband! I love you sweeeeeetie~

Play date~

Today is my "play-date" day with my bestest buddy Nellrene. Even though its freezing outside...and raining... I'm going. Am I insane or what?


Well I blew out my shoulder painting. Ok, not exactly "painting"...but lifting a wooden book case on top of my kitchen table so I could paint it. lol It is surprising how much I use my left arm/hand seeing how I am right handed. I've just some finishing touches and then I'm going to have my DH take if off the table...down the hall... and place it on top of my work table in my studio :-) Piece of cake for him lol



I've been soldering. I was thinking it wasn't looking all that good until I compared it to other peoples soldering. lol I am still wanting it to be a little smoother. Hopefully over time I can figure it out. Don't even get me started on what a booger it is to attach jump rings... sheesh!



I've been gathering things so I can start working on my grandsons first birthday party. I was able to get 6 heavy duty cardboard tubes (from the fabric store) I am going to make them into something that resembles (hopefully) a ships mast. I want to have those on top of the tables so I can string the rope & swags from them. I've only got 4 months...I better start working on it all!




I've been thinking about my New Year's resolutions. I've got a bunch~ all the usual ones plus I'm wanting to learn how to paint roses :-) I've bought two "how-to books" so I'm all set. Now I just have to do it, thats going to be the hard part!

Spring Roses - 1950's Style!

It's not January yet and I'm already tired of winter. Here in Boston, we've been inundated with tons of early snow, with lots more to come. Yesterday, I went in search of something to make me smile and found this vintage 1950's beauty just waiting for it's time. That time is now, as I listed it at auction last night.

I just love this print of pink and red roses. It brings to mind a rose garden in June. This authentic vintage dress is all cotton, so you'll stay cool and fresh in the heat of summer. Come on, now. Aren't you tired of winter, too?

See this dress and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

Love-bug~

What the heck is this? This was NOT on my list, I can't stick this huge remote control car in my mouth...
Ohhhhhhh daddy got me this... so HE could play with it! Now, I love it!

Merry Christmas

to all my blog buddies. I hope this Christmas brings you much joy and love.... oh, and loads of fabulous gifts as well lol ~Cheryl

100th post~

Today I spent most of the day waiting on the cable guy...no joke...lol. The big ol' dummy kept driving past the house, I saw him! At least the time wasn't wasted. I spent a good portion of that idle time baking :-) Years past I would bake for a whole week straight. I've since cut out all that nonsense lol. So I was tweeking two recipes that are not up to snuff. One is a recipe for chocolate cookie muffins and the other was bananna muffins. I made the chocolate cookie recipe a little better...but the bananna recipe..I dunno. Its edible but not so "bananna breadish" which I LoVe~I've been working a little in my studio. I have been putting copper foil around some scrabble tiles. I'm doing the words "Artsy Fartsy" I'm making indivdual charms and I'm going to hang them from little pins on the door to my studio. Should be cute. I read a suggestion that you should purchase a copper sink scrubby to clean off your solder tip while working. Maybe that will help the solder flow better? I'm going to try it~ (p.s. photo was taken from the web, I'm soooooo lazy~)

Wrapping it up~

Well I finished all the items I was wanting to make for everyone's Christmas. I am still wanting to make a red scalloped table cloth for my kitchen table.... along with a new dog coat for my dog Buddy. Maybe tomorrow I'll get started on that table cloth! Most everything is wrapped up for Christmas, there isn't enough room under the tree for all the gifts. So I have them all over the living room & den. I keep buying more each day. My feeling is, if you got the money and you've got the energy & time buy-buy-buy-buy-buy! I bought my husband a new wedding band (his old one is coming up on 25 years old) I also got him an air compressor (he is just going to be over the moon with that!) I still want to get him some other odds & ends. I figured I had better get him some "high-end" items as our grandson is getting bazillions of gifts.... don't want grandpa getting jealous lol

Today I hit a couple of boutiques. I bought two scrabble games at the same store... $4 bucks for both. I also bought 200 yards of brand new green grosgrain ribbon....$5 bucks. I have no idea what to do with all that ribbon. (that along with the 800 yards of black grosgrain ribbon I bought months back lol) I've got all kinds of ideas for making things for Christmas...lol... maybe next year!

Monsters~

Well, I've been at it again.... making more "Yo Gabba-Gabba" stuff for my grandson! This time I've made the 5 little "monsters" that are in the show. I think they turned out pretty cute.

Orange is My New Favorite Color

I've got orange on my mind. The other night, hubby and I sat down to watch Iron Chef America. Lo and behold, it was Battle Carrot! OK, yeah, I like carrots just fine. But the things these chefs did with the lowly carrot were just incredible! And the gorgeous shades of orange looked beautiful on the plate, especially when combined with shades of green and yellow.

We've started to add hats for Spring to our site, and look what I found! Not one, but two stunning vintage 1960's hats in brilliant orange. I think it's time orange made a comeback in my wardrobe. How about yours?

See these hats and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion

One down....

I've gotten one more present for this Christmas season finished. This is the Steve Urkel doll I purchased off of e-bay for $20. I needed a skinny boy doll that wears glasses and is of the African decent to be recreated into the main character of the show "Yo Gabba-Gabba" (so I can be my 7 month old grandson's HERO) What a perfect doll to do just that!It only took me one day of goofing around with the fabric and doll to come up with this. I am pleased with the results~ I prewashed the fabric and I put in a zipper in the back so it can get washed... as babies tend to drool a lot lol.Here is what the character looks like....
Here is the doll in the box. I glued paper and pictures from the show to the outside to jazz it up a bit. Now I'm off to wrap it up!

My first quilt~

I finally finished the "Yo Gabba-Gabba" quilt for my grandsons first Christmas (one of zillions of presents lol) The first attempt failed as the images of the show's characters I printed from my printer onto fabric ran when they got wet. Luckily I had just finished only one block when I found that out. Whew... I ended up making each block pieced by hand using various colors of flannel fabric. The black parts I used fleece fabric so it gives it a furry feel to it :-P I think it turned out kinda cute. I purchased a navy blue twin flat sheet from Walmart ($2.50, what a deal) to use as the backing of this quilt. I used my sewing machine to stitch the front to the backing stitching along the seams of the patchwork quilt. The backing I cut larger by two inches all the way around then ironed the edge in half then half again then I just pulled it to the front to make the quilts binding. I've never made a quilt before and I am very pleased at how this turned out.

I finally received the Steve Urkel doll (from the show Family Matters) that I bought off of e-bay. That doll I'm going to make into the shows main character "DJ Lance Rock" I've never made doll clothing either...wish me luck!

Swaps~

Well I finished the snowman & the cottage for the two swaps I joined. I also mailed away the second package in my 3 month swap to my partner Amy.... it was a bit tricky putting labels on everything. I did put the wrong address on two packages, luckily I think I got it straighted out. *fingers crossed lol*

So here is the snowman I made. It is standing on a snowy covered star surrounded by some fluffy garland that I thought looked like branches covered in ice & snow. The box it is atop of is the shipping box :-)

Here is the cottage I made. I think it is a little to "technical" I was constructing it like I would a mini house...and had to put the breaks on that since this was to be more "cutesie" It does have glitter on it...promise :-P

Sooooooo I wasn't "feeling" this to much...so I made the cottage into more of a gift box. This way if the gal I made it for doesn't like it...she can give it away! Here is the cottage without the roof....yep, I bricked the floor~

They Just Don't Make Them Like They Used To

I don't think there is anything more sexy than a vintage 1940's suit. Fitted through the waist, with flared hips and shoulder pads to balance the hip width, nothing is more flattering to the feminine figure. As an added bonus, these suits always feature unusual design details that make them totally unique and unlike anything you can buy today. Take this mustard yellow beauty, for example. It's wool gabardine. And look at those curves!

The opening edge has a sinuous curve that draws your eye and accents the tiny waist. The bound buttonholes follow the line of the opening. Notice how that curve is mimicked in the shape of the lapels. The attention to detail is astounding and unique. It's one of the reasons I love 1940's suits.

Ornaments~

I found at one of our local thrift stores a brand new/never opened kit to make 4 Snoopy Christmas ornaments. The kit was being sold for $1. When I was in 8th grade I had bought that very same kit which set me back about 7 bucks. It was weird making them as I remembered making them way "back-in-the-day" lol I found out my son in law's favorite cartoon character is Snoopy, so this Christmas...its all about "Snoopy" for him.

Below is a photo of the 5 monsters from the show "Yo Gabba-Gabba" Since they do not sell toys from this show (yet) I've had to make my own so my grandson can have them for Christmas. When I was sewing the seams I added a ribbon folded over so I could attach rings to each one. I think they turned out super cute. I've been searching for a doll to be the main character "DJ Lance Rock" but I've had no luck....so I went to E-bay and purchased a Steve Urkel doll (vintage, still new in the box) for $10 buckeroos. I'm delighted! I can't wait until the doll arrives so I can get busy making his outfit!!!

The monsters were super easy to make. On Nick Jr.com they had some printables from the show. They were suppossed to be printed on paper to be used as puppets.....Well....I adhered white fabric to card stock using spray adhesive and sent it through my printer. Then I pulled it off the paper backing, cut them out and stitched them up :-) They are so cute! I printed out some other Yo Gabba-Gabba things and I'm going to make a quilt as well :-P

Yo Gabba-Gabba

My grandson, who is all of 7 months old, loves the show "Yo Gabba-Gabba" Evidently, they do not sell toys from that show....so I'm going to buy a doll and dress it up like the shows main character DJ Lance Rock. Should be fun/funny. I've searched all over for an Africian baby doll but have had no luck, I'm amazed.
Here is my little love-bug dressed as a pirate- he is the only kid on the planet who didn't tug on his hat. He perfers the stately effect a hat gives him lol
Click on the side link on the right to see the Yo Gabba-Gabba things I've made!!

Lulu~

Lulu has been adding to her ever-growing collection of pearls and what-nots. The little nutter is going to have to get a bigger shell if she is not careful!

:-)

I finished up the swag I was making for my swap partner Amy. I found out she is going to be having a baby at the end of May....so I'm thinking I want to make her a "baby" swag as well :-) I am so happy for her! I also worked up some "pirate" swags for my grandson's first birthday. I have yet to string them together as I'm unsure if I want keep it all solid black or add another color.... still thinking on that.
Well here is my little house that I'm making for the cute cottage swap. So far so good. I used 60 grit sand paper for the roofs shingles. I am unsure about the steps, I may go a whole different look.
I am making it so that the roof can come off so you can see inside. I've lined the inside of the house, and I made a brick floor as well. I have in mind to have one of my baby fairies take up residence in this little cottage. I am anxious to complete it so I can add the glitter and snow and see it in all its glory :-)
Here is little Harry sitting and contemplating life~and this little cherub is Margaret~

Newest swap~

Been creating a little. This is Pete, here he sits with a handful of "weed" seeds waiting for just the right time to flutter over your garden when your not looking to cast them amongst your flowers. He is such a stinker!
This is Lulu, she loves her pearls. She collects pearls from broken strands and ever so carefully adds them to her ever growing stash~Been busy....doing nothing of tremendous importance, just busy. I did join a new swap hosted by Rosalyn-Sue it is called "Charming Cottage Swap." Sounds delightful. My partner is Laura, it seems we have similar tastes...so that should make it easy. *fingers crossed :-P*

In the past I've made a lot of models for the theatre to be used as examples of how I wanted a stage set..... this is along those lines, but I'm not going to the trouble of exacting measurements lol....those days are long gone! Here is a little mock up I made, doesn't look like much now, but when all the "goop" gets added to it, I suspect it will look pretty darn cute....or else, I'll start again! Maybe this will get me working on my miniature tree house I've been procrastinating with!

Here is my latest purchase. The very tall shelf unit that was only $15 buckeroos. It is missing the glass shelves, but it has about a 2 inch lip around each shelf and that holds things for now. It has a light at the top that shines down....pretty neat. I also got some vintage party hats for 10 cents. They are so darn cute, I got 4! My past fabulous finds: the lamp *free* the yellow drawers $1 buck, the antique mirror @2 bucks, chair *free* cat *free* lol....ok, almost a hundred to spay her!

Boutiques~

I had a fun day shopping today at the boutiques. I bought this lot below which totaled $3 bucks. The beaded circles (which looks like crowns when the beads are standing up) were once being sold for $8 bucks a piece *grins* I love that I got them soooooo cheap lol~
This lot of Christmas ornaments totaled one whole buckeroooo~ There are some really cute ornaments at the very bottom of that bin, and some not so cute, but the price was certainly right. This is just the ones that I'm keeping, there was a bunch I've bagged up to donate to a thrift store :-)

Cuties~

Lookie what I found at our local dollar store. Three of these cuties boxed up for one dollar. They are glass and except for the tail feathers, they look just like the old Christmas birds of long ago. I was with my hubby or I would have bought a whole shopping cart full. I am so going back when I get my car out of the shop this afternoon! :-)

It was a busy day for me today behind the ol' computer. Well, scanner to be exact. I spent a good part of my morning scanning most of the old photos that I picked up for a dollar each....*still makes me grin* All this while my cutie-pa-tootie grandson was taking a nap. We did our usual walk, he had his lunch- a little play time and then he was out for "a long winters nap." I haven't done much in the way of "art" for sometime now, I'm hoping this will get me going. I've got big plans mind you..... just planning makes me tired lol. Yep, thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it~

My hubby and I took our daughter and grandson to a pumpkin patch on Sunday. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh....how cute~ The little stinker is totally in love with CARS (at 6 months old) and would have preferred to have kept on looking at the cars in the parking lot!!! But none-the-less, we dragged him into the pumpkin patch~ if nothing else but to take photos lol.

"Hey Mom....this hay......IS HURTING MY BUTT!"

Things I Love About This Dress

I'm not a poet. If I were, I'd write a sonnet about this dress. Instead, I'll just give you a list of the things I love about it:
It's from the 1930's.
It's pink.
It's velvet.

The embroidery is hand worked.
The embroidery goes all the way around to the back.

The sexy neckline dips to a deep V in back.
It has a train.
It's one of a kind.

Oh, and did I mention, it's PINK?

See this dress and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .