Latte for two, please!

This pair of lovelies came about as a way of teaching a dear woman who has always admired my ceramic designs and didn't believe she could be a creative artist herself, just how super easy-peasy it was to create a sweet little rose shape using an old t-shirt ripped and dipped in clay slip.

Of course, being me, I felt the need to add to the embellishing of the cup shape with a snippet of delicate cotton lace and a tiny sculpted leaf. The lesson took all of 15 minutes and was a big smiling success!

I begin with creating the basic cup shape knowing I would need it to have a base wide enough to place the vintage lace and tiny t-shirt flower with a leaf so that each will all attach easily and won't slip off while it is still wet clay, that way it all becomes one when it dries completely.

Then I cut the snippet of lace to the perfect size to fit the base without overlapping the ends and then dip it in slip and manipulate the clay throughout the lace and attach it carefully to the base matching up the two ends and tucking the top edge of lace in carefully along the base of the cup.

I've created the flowers on each of the vases using on old ripped cotton t-shirt snippet approximately 1 inch wide by 5 inches long and have also dipped it in slip and have simply twirled it around the tip of my forefinger and dropped it in place on the base of the mug.  The little leaf was created by hand with a small piece of clay rolled flat and using craft scissors to cut a leaf shape with zigzag along the edges of the clay then with a dull pencil pulled a line down the center  of the leaf and carefully attached it to the classic latte cup shape and tucked into the side of the flower.

It is touched up and dried completely before putting it into a kiln firing at 1200 degrees. The fabrics burn out at this temperature but you are left with the clay design that coated them and when it comes out of its first firing you can then chose your favorite colors of glazes to be added to make it beautiful and waterproof, and it is fired a final time.

Thrilled to share the creative fun in Somerset Home Magazine!

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Latest DIY with a Parisian theme

I had purchased half a yard of the fun Parisian theme fabric 

and a yard of the black embroidered floral design, 

just because... 

not really knowing what I was going to do with it.

Then I came across the two side chairs 

with the unusual backs for a price that I just couldn't pass up!

I pulled out my fabric paints and began to play with

various shades of pinks and greens on the fabrics.

I sewed a fat little stripe of bright pink fabric 

between the other two, for a fun contrast 

and used the combination of all 3 fabrics to upholster the cushions.

Then I chose a chalky finish black paint on the chairs for a fresh look.

LoVe it, love rescuing furniture!


And grateful to share the fun 

with an article in Stampington Home Magazine.


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Embellishing with daisy chains

Just a simple daisy chain vintage lace embellishment 

added to a simple t-shirt for girly fun.

                                                    .        
                                                             .Super quick and easy peasy.

Daisy chains and wet clay designs

I am always curious 

and enjoy experimenting and creating new designs.

 I've been playing with vintage lace 

pressed into wet clay dish shapes

just because I can.

I especially like the tiny detail created on the edge of the leaves 

with a seam tracing wheel typically used for sewing.

Pretty cool, right?

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Everything is coming up Roses

Thank you Romantic Home Magazine for including my 

yellow roses in your yearly Rose Issue.

It is such a thrill and honor!

It is a little article showing how this piece is created.

This sweet pink vase was created with the demo.

Free Range Chicken

my latest dish design

just back from firing

( notice the chicken is in front of the wire, not trapped behind it! )

thus the title

the perfect plate for serving this chicken appetizer on

Spicy hot and so good !

Jalapenos are washed sliced and the seeds removed

then filled with slices of grilled chicken breast

and wrapped in thin sliced bacon

popped in the broiler

for approximately 5 minutes on each side

until crispy !

Enjoy !

High heels and pink roses

..

Really, what girl could resist this color?

These shoes are so pink, so princess, so pinkalicious!

Maybe it was the little girl in me who likes to play dress up

that called my attention to them

while perusing the vintage clothing shop

with my best friend.

I love high heels and found them irresistible.

A remnant of rosette trim in the matching shade of pink

was found to be the perfect embellishment.

A simple pearl was sewn into the center of each rosette

and then the rose trim glued into place.

These shoes are ready to be worn by a princess.

...just girly silliness playing with pink!

The JOY is in sharing

How blessed am I !

One of my all time favorite ceramic experiments

( partially because it didn't go amok )

and because it was exactly what I had hoped for and

envisioned when it came out of firing

and is like nothing I have ever seen

has been published in the latest issue of...

I LoVe creating and designing.

I LoVe that "I" become lost while in the process.

I enjoy and appreciate the outcome.

But for me the real JOY comes in sharing it with others.

Thank you Beth, and Stampington

for giving all of us the opportunity

to inspire, delight, teach, encourage and be a blessing !!!

Silk Ruffles & Rosettes

... just sharing my latest fabric creation.

A sweet silk scarf with a wide gathered ruffle on one end

and multiple layered rosettes embellishing the other,

and too many tiny ruffles to count in between!

I found the weightless silk top fluttering in the breeze,

another alley find on my walk home from the beach.

The neighbor had been editing her closet

and there were numerous items left out for others to

discover, take home and treasure or share.

I loved the beautiful fabric this top had been made with,

and having nothing to risk I tossed it in the laundry.

Grateful it laundered beautifully,

but since it wasn't my size or style,

I chose to re purpose the top into this ultra feminine ruffled scarf.

Unfortunately I did not take a before photo,

but this snapshot will show you what was left

after this sewing project was completed.

Thrilled to have it shared in Stampington's publication!

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Holiday sparkle...

gold tone 18" sequins cone tree found at T. J. MAXX for $9.99...

embellishment needed...

gold thread, vintage jewels, beads and buttons are gathered for inspiration...

& an old brass candlestick is beginning to look like a pedestal stand

progress is being made

{ actually it's not finished,

I just wanted to get the post up to inspire others,

while they could still find the cone tree }

View more creative holiday sparkle here

The gift of a letter

lasts forever...

I came across a photo I had taken years ago of my dear friends writing desk.

It was styled and featured in a photo shoot for Romantic Homes Magazine.

I had created a fresh floral arrangement to set next to the photo of her Mother.

There was her antique writing box and a stack of treasured letters tied up with ribbon.

This snapshot holds good memories and much has changed in her life.

I made color and black and white copies of the photo in varying sizes

and created personal stationary using watercolor paper and envelopes,

vintage tags and paper doilies.

Then packaged them in an embellished box and sent them through the post,

snail mail to her temporary home, as a sweet surprise.

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Poppy Orange

I've been doing a bit of sewing lately and seem to be frustrated

trying to find needles and straight pins.

So I pulled out my old sewing box tucked under the cabinet

and discovered some charming vintage sewing paraphernalia...

using a bright orange Bahia Gold cigar box

I corralled all the needles into the box

then I created a color coordinated collage

with some of the gems on the lid for easy access.

I couldn't resist including the now-famous

orange handled scissors by Fiskars,

first introduced to the world in 1967,

they seemed a perfect fit !

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Hand crafted gifts

with a sweet gift tag and custom gift box

created for a friend that sews beautifully,

( lives by the seashore )

and is one of the most creative people I have been blessed to know

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Fun in the sun Summer Sandals

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are enhanced with a bit of embellishing

seashells, buttons, bits of lace, vintage jewelry...

Miscellaneous creativity continues at Summerland Cottage...

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