millinery brooches

Five new millinery brooches. I'll have them with me this weekend. I had so much fun making them I may go back for more supplies. They are so fun and addicting to make. I want to keep them all for myself.

wool people

I've been trying to add a few new items to my etsy shop per week but, most of the time I forget to mention it here. A hand knit baby/toddler scarf in 50% Corriedale Wool and 50% alpaca and a few felt bead necklaces went in today. I can make these in other colors as a custom order and also enjoy making garlands with the felt beads.

summer fun

Dyeing wool with myroblean

Some of the crafts I have been doing this summer include tie dyeing, friendship bracelets, jewelry making, embroidery, lots of knitting (sweaters for me) and I am now starting to dye yarn with natural dyes. Perhaps I will get around to showing some of these. Then there is the garden- I can never tend it as much as I want but still it always gives and lately with lots of tomatoes, cosmos, nasturtium, cucumber, chard, kale, arugula, apples, herbs, beans and the last of the blackberries.

excited about making some jewelry with these pretty beads

Other then a french press sleeve there has not been much sewing the past few weeks. I hope to get the machine in good shape soon and I am also working on a major overhaul of the craft room which is in dire need of some organization. I need a more efficient space where everything really is in it's place and a lot of editing needs to happen in there.

August which usually is not my favorite month wound up being pretty good with family adventures and not too hot days. School starts Monday and we are all ready and excited.

lily of the valley

Guess what is in bloom? Lily of the Valley! And, it is spreading so nicely over the past few years. The house smells amazing.

I also added some new bird brooches to the Etsy shop this afternoon. Here are a few of them. They have been popular over the years and I got in the mood to make some more. It must be Spring.

Have a nice weekend.

1, 2, 3....

Three things I made this week:

another wiksten tank top
wool felt necklaces
and
clothespin dolls

Have a good weekend.

rhinestone barrettes

Something sparkly for Scarlet's stocking- rhinestone barrettes. These were simple and fun to make. I've already started another project from the 24 days of glam over on flax and twine.

I loved the red thread but I think it would also look fantastic with black in between the rhinestones or cobalt blue. Good think I have more materials to play with.

spool of thread necklace

While browsing around pinterest one night I spotted this sweet necklace and decided to try it out myself. I used some wire and buttons on either end of the spool. Beads could also be used in place of buttons. Since I didn't have a chain long enough I used embroidery floss for stringing it. I have a few more spools picked out to use- a silvery purple and a vibrant green. These spools came from my Mother's sewing basket which I raided a few years ago.If you want to try this out a pair of jewelry pliers are helpful for bending the wire.

Unrelated:
My daughter fell in love with a giant unicorn the other day. Dare I a purchase something so crazy as a giant stuffed animal because um... I am not making one.

felt bead necklaces

I love the simplicity and the dash of color that these wool felt bead necklaces bring to any outfit.
More color choices are available if you have one in mind let me know.
These two shown are in my Big Cartel shop.

necklaces

I've been making necklaces a lot. I use plant dyed or natural merino wool and strung them on embroidery thread so that the length is adjustable. I needle felted these.
They would be perfect for either children or adults and I hope to be selling them soon. Scarlet has loved wearing these since I first made her one when she was little baby.
I also have this one in the shop right now and a few like that one in stock if you want one right away and it's on sale.

I forgot to mention my lovely new banner which I am completely smitten with and was created for me by Rebekka Seale who I have been blog friends with for a long time. I've followed her through several blogs and she is a very talented and sweet girl. Thanks again Rebekka!

buttons, a tea brunch and the jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels

The jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels. Images from Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum.


On Saturday morning I took the train into New York to meet up with my friend Carolyn to see the exhibit, Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels and a day of galavanting around in style. Our first stop was Tender Buttons.

I stepped in alone as I was the first to arrive. The walls stacked with boxes in neat rows, exquisite buttons in frames hanging on the wall. I immediately knew I was in over my head in the best possible way. I wondered how many could I bring home with me, where to look first. I had come with an idea of a wooden dutch hand painted button but, that was not there. No worries, I will find that another time because surrounding me where beautiful collections of glass, rhinestone, vegetable ivory, asian, wood, enamel and metal and buttons for children. I didn't have projects that I needed buttons for but, as a woman who will build an outfit around tights I knew I could build a knit or sewn piece around a button.

The first set I chose I actually forgot to purchase and it was a wooden city and country mouse. I do hope my little mouse will still be there next time I pay a visit. My children are very fond of mice. I wanted to buy some brown vegetable ivory buttons for myself but held back on those for some more spontaneous choices that are both beautiful and whimsical.

Here are some of the buttons I chose:






Those cats! That blue!


We had originally planned on going for tacos but, Carolyn informed me we that we were very close to Alice's Teacup. I did not hesitate on this idea as the idea for a tea brunch sounded fun and it was. Again, I had not been here before and I most certainly must have a date with my daughter one day here as the girls get sprinkled with fairy dust and are given wings to wear while they eat. Dolls and playing cards were inside our glass top table.

We shared a Mad Hatter's Tea for two. Our brunch included and we selected
*three scones- buttermilk, lemon blueberry and pumpkin
*two sandwiches- cucumber and watercress, carrot and goat cheese
*two pots of tea- chocolate mint and a rooibos blend which was chocolate caramel with a bit of spice
* 5 cookies and a chocolate mousse

Quite decadent and delicious. A big sugar rush for sure though dessert was bagged up for us after only a few nibbles. We lingered and sipped a lot of tea. We were surprised that we even were able to start working on the second pot.

Our next stop was the Cooper Hewitt for the Van Cleef & Arpels exhibit. The wind was so strong on Saturday. I had to 'hold my hat.' We came accross a yarn and needlepoint store called Annie and Co. Needlepoint that I had not heard of but, was quite impressed by. There was a nice selection of Noro yarn but what most surprised and delighted me was the amazing selection of Madelinetosh. I had never seen a selection this big in person and the colors are so pretty and they had what seemed to be all of them but, maybe not. I had to summon all my willpower to not purchase anything as I had already splurged on buttons. The yarn has been lingering in my thoughts.


We then went to the jewelry exhibit. I don't know what words can convey my feelings about this show other than this jewelry is truly art and it produced giddy bubbly childlike feelings within me. It was a stunning exhibit and artfully curated.
My favorite pieces were the Art Deco ones and anything with rubies and/or diamonds. Carolyn suggested that the rubies look like candy. It's true they do. Are those emeralds really real we wondered? I also loved examining the drawings behind the pieces. All of the standard jewelry items; earrings, necklaces, rings, bracelets, pendants, watches are here however, also you will find cigarette lighters, clutches, compacts, a tiara, a nécessaire and more.

Words from Cooper Hewitt's website about the exhibit:

Van Cleef & Arpels was founded in Paris in 1896 by brothers-in-law Alfred van Cleef and Salomon Arpels with the latter’s wife, Estelle van Cleef Arpels. Both families had long been in the diamond and colored-stone markets in the Netherlands and Belgium. Almost immediately after the new company moved into the place Vendôme in 1906, an international clientele flocked through its doors, drawn by VC&A’s creative design, avant-garde forms, and high-quality stones and settings. The recipe for making an exquisite piece of jewelry is akin to haute cuisine: masters employ special techniques to mix and adorn top-quality ingredients, creating something that is far greater than the sum of its parts. This approach permeates the essence of Van Cleef & Arpels’ jewelry.

Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels, the most comprehensive exhibition ever organized of Van Cleef & Arpels’ masterworks, is divided into six themes which resonate through the history of the firm: Innovation, both stylistic and technical; Transformations; Nature as Inspiration; Exoticism; Fashion; and Personalities. This unprecedented assembly of 350 pieces from VC&A’s collection and international private collections, augmented by never-before-seen drawings from VC&A’s design archives and by related objects from Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum’s permanent collection, illustrates the firm’s celebrated history and places its contributions to design in a broader context.



Standout pieces for me included all the art deco jewelry which predated the term, the peony mystery brooch, all of the mystery set pieces, a bracelet worn by Marlene Dietrich in Stage Fright (which she apparently hid behind a cupboard after wearing it for the movie and it wasfound after her death), convertible jewelry that comes apart or can be put together to form separate pieces and the entire nature section.

It was a perfect day trip and always wonderful to see you Carolyn.

new pretties in the shop

I got the bug to make some millinery brooches yesterday so two new ones have landed in my Etsy shop. I think these two are really special and would be great for wearing or decorating with for the holidays.

I also put up two small memo boards which are made with round cork and are great for pinning special things to like a photo, flower, business card or a new phone # that was exchanged or maybe even a little love note to your sweetheart.



-I have a special plan to use some of those vintage hankies that you see in the background of the cork boards that I can't wait to start on but, I've a few things I want to get finished up first like this pretty knit piece that I've been very focused on lately.

washi tape necklace

I saw this sweet little project in the latest issue of Papier-Mache

I've yet to make my way through the whole issue but, this necklace caught my eye and I had the supplies on hand. So simple and one that she was happy to try on and wear right away. The pink tape didn't hurt the likable factor. Nope not one little bit.

pom pom necklace

I made myself this necklace on Friday night and I thought I'd share a tutorial for how I did it. My inspiration was the beautiful jewelry made by The Vamoose.
It is pretty straightforward. If you have made pom poms and have a little experience with jewelry making you should have no problem

Material List:
Pom Pom Maker- I used a Clover pom pom maker and it has a marking of 45 on it. I measured the circumference of it and it seems to be about a 1 1/2" circle
Muslin or fabric of your choice
Nylon Beading Cord
Clasp
2 Crimp Beads with clamshell
Darning Needle
Jewelry Pliers

I used a medium weight muslin and cut strips that were about 1/2" wide.
You will need at least 2 strips or possibly more. I used 2 on each side of the pom pom maker and one to tie the knot in the middle because my strips were only about 16"
If you had one really long piece you would only need one to wrap and one small one for the tie.

To get started. You take your strips and wrap them around the pom pom maker. The Clover tool has two sides so you do one side, close it and then do the other. Take your last strip and make a knot in the middle. Then cut around all the strips and open it up. Proceed to make two more. Trim around the edges if necessary so the pom pom has a nice shape and fluff it out.

With your darning needle string the bead cord through the eye of the needle and then string your pom poms on.
Tie a knot on each end and clamp it shut with the clamshell side of the crimp beads. Do the same on the other side and attach the crimp beads to your clasp closing the rings.

You will get some loose threads falling out as the edges are frayed. If this does not suit you put some fray check on the ends.

All done.



If you make one, let me know. I would love to see it.
Please do not make to sell.

Enjoy.

my cup of tea

My cup of tea: a little wool felt & embroidered brooch.

Tea times: restful, charming, a chance to sit down, eat delicious sweet and savory food, socialize, dress up.

The English are so smart! I want to make tea time a part of my every day as I seem to have lost the routine.

birthday jewelry

A fairy ring wreath I made for Scarlet to wear. I'm not sure she will wear it but, if not now someday.


A few of the bracelets and necklaces that Matty and I made for her birthday. We didn't have an "a" so we substituted with an upside down "v"
We know for sure she will like the kitty cat necklace.




The first necklace I made for her which I also sell in my Etsy shop.






-I'm having a little sale on felted bowls and clutches through tomorrow. 20% off- code- felt. Refund through paypal after payment.

collections

I've always liked seeing other people's collections.
When Juliana recently posted about her brooch collection it spurred me to show you mine.
I didn't include the metal flowers here and I'm sure there are a few others pinned on clothing in that unruly closet of mine.

Some of these belonged to my grandmothers, others I bought over the years or were given to me.

A few other things I collect: bell jars, old salt and pepper shakers, vintage hats, antique clear bottles, pretty teacups, old linens and lace.

What do you collect?

two new birdie brooches

These two millinery brooches have just been added to my Etsy shop.
Have a nice weekend.