As Time Goes By

Where has the year gone? It has been almost a year since my last post. A lot has happened since then! Lets see...

Last May, after 14 months of unemployment, my husband started working in Bessemer, Alabama as a foundry engineer. This was a difficult transition for us. I went to visit in August, and then again in November for our 24th wedding anniversary. We did something extra special. We drove to Destin, Florida to the Henderson Park Inn for a lovely weekend getaway. We had a beautiful room overlooking the water. When we arrived, it was late evening. Paul, having been landlocked for the last six months, just couldn't help himself. "Honey" he said. "I have to go to the beach, now!" Even though there was only a half moon, he went down to the water's edge for a late night walk. And yes, my husband came back with a pocket full of shells that he managed to find on the snow white sands in the dark!



Paul came home at Christmas, and of course, his "girls" were very glad to see him! And he was very glad to see his girls! (And even me!)




Last fall, my sister commissioned me to make her a felted handbag to be inspired by Georgia O'Keefe's iconic Poppy paintings. This was a dream project for me. The bag itself was knitted and fulled. Fulling is felting by way of shrinking in the washer. Remember when you accidentally shrunk your favorite wool sweater when it was put into the laundry hamper by mistake? This is a form a felting! The large poppy flower was made of wool roving, wool fibers before they are spun, felted with a barbed needle over a hat form. The petals were
then wet felted with an electric sander (covered in a plastic bag and well grounded!) for a firmer sculpted texture. The center of the flower had beaded fringe accented with Swarovski Crystals. The back of the bag featured a needle felted poppy garden "wool painting". The bag was lined in red silk with lots of pockets of course!






Another major felting project was a knitting tote that features my favorite flower, the iris.
This was also a knitted and fulled bag in two shades of green, with a garden of needle felted iris. The bag is lined in a purple batik print cotton.




I love knitting shawls. Especially lace. It is fascinating to watch the pattern of lace grow from the needles, transitioning from one row to the next. A friend of mine says that before a shawl is blocked it looks like "dryer lint". Afterword, the full effect of all those rows of pattern emerges into something wonderful!



No, I have not forgotten my brides. This year I have been exploring some new "old" techniques of manipulating ribbon that I read about in a reprint of a 1923 booklet about fashioning ribbon. I designed Roses, Pansies, Violets and Lilies to use in brooch, fascinator/headpiece and other jewelry design. I have enjoyed adding fabric elements into my jewelry design. Ombre Taffeta wired ribbon is a natural for these projects as it allows for natural looking shading with in the flowers.



















Last year, I was able to purchase some beautiful French silk tulle. I have been wanting to make silk tulle veils for a long time. Below are the first two of the new Silk line:





So, what's next? More veil designs with ribbon flowers. More silk tulle. New fascinators. Fulled handbags. And knitting. I am always, always knitting.

Changing Seasons

Ah, the Summer is slipping into Fall now. I see the kids walking to school, or gathering for the bus. Here in Erie, our leaves are starting to already change color and sigh, fall to the ground.

In Northeast, PA (a town, not a direction!) the grapes are ripening on the vine, and will soon be ready for harvest for wine. This is one of my favorite times of year. There is just nothing oh so amazing like fresh off the vine Concord grapes. Their flavor is so intense! And Grape Pie...oh so worth the work. But then, many of the wineries sell the filling already made, all you have to do is add the sugar, cook it, and fill your pie shell! When driving along the lake coast, do so with the windows down so that you can catch the fabulous aroma of the grapes. It's wonderful!

Inspired by the grapevines of Lake Erie vineyards, is my Ambrosia Headband. Tinted Freshwater Pearls, Czech glass leaves, Peridot gem tips, Swarovski Crystals are handwired on an hand dyed silk covered headband with Sterling Silver wire and delicate Japanese seed beads. Color statements are a fabulous way for a Bride to express her indiviuality on her wedding day. Start with a handcrafted, uniquely designed headpiece. Use vibrant colors in your bouquet, wear a colored sash or broach with your wedding gown. Why should your bridesmaids be the only ones having the fun with color?

Another option for fall color is a set of hairpins. Shades of Gold Hairpins is a set of three hairpins composed of Mother of Pearl hand carved leaves, Swarovski Crystal, natural peach Freshwater Pearls and Citrine gemstone handwired with 12kt Gold Fill wire. The Swarovoski Crystal colors are in the lovely copper family. A broach for your wedding gown can also be custom designed to be worn on the bodice or belt for your gown to match!

Enjoy the changing of the seasons, and the beauty of Fall. Enjoy the Glorious colors that Fall brings to us. Ha ha, remember that as you are raking up those leaves!

Everything Up Close Giveaway

I have been reviewed by the blogger Ilissa Huhta of Everything Up Close for her
Wedding Wishes Contest and Giveaway!

To the readers of my blog, one reader will have the opportunity to win a single tiered veil in white or ivory up to 40" in length, and another will win a headpiece identical to the one that was custom designed for the review. (the background of the photograph is blue). To participate, please go to my Etsy shop, http://www.etsy.com/shop/DamselflyStudio
and "heart" your favorite in the shop, then come back to the blog and make a note of it here. THEN...visit the blog Everything Up Close and follow the directions there for entering the contest. There are also opportunities for extra votes too! There are two prizes for this giveaway! One headpiece, and One veil! So you have two chances to win!
http://www.everythingupclose.com/

I appreciate reader comments on what they like, and suggestions on what they would like to see. I started designing my headpieces and jewelry to give brides more options than what they were seeing in the typical retail market. Brides come to Etsy to see something different, unusual and with the satisfaction of having a beautiful piece of art for their wedding day that is not a typical carbon copy of eveything else that they have seen in every magazine and bridal salon.

My passion for the last 10 years has been "Tomorrow's Heirlooms for Today's Brides. My goal is for every bride that I work with that she have an experience with me, whether it be in my home studio or online that have the best customer service that I can provide from my 25 years of experience, have jewelry, veil, and headpieces that will bring happy memories, and hopefully they are passed on to future generations.

To see more of my work, please visit my online catalog: http://www.damselflystudio.com/

2010 Campbell Pottery Lily Festival

I entered my first juried show this summer. The above mentioned 2010 Lily Festival at Campbell Pottery. Every year, Bill Campbell raises acres of day lilies in many varieties and colors. A Lily Festival Art Show is held at the time when the Lilies are in their full glory, showing off their finery that our Gracious Lord has provided for them. How amazing it is to see this field of so many colors...Oranges, Rusts, Burgundy's so dark that they look almost Black, Purple, Lavender, Pinks, Coral, Yellow, Peach...ah, its a beautiful sight!



My entry for the festival of course, was felt. And, a handbag! I combined my two major knitting and felting/fulling loves into one. And even made a necklace style handle. The bag base was knitted with Louet Riverstone Bulky on a size 10.5 needle, single strand, and fulled. It is lined in coral duppioni silk and black wool. Of course, it has a zipper pocket! It is closed with a zipper facing. The bag features a six petal lily of four layers of merino wool roving: Two shades of pink, honey, and apricot. This layered wool was then wet felted into a "prefelt", then shaped into the petals and needlefelted, and wetfelted again. Further shaping of the petals was accomplished by more needlefelting when the lime green wool accent, beading of Swarovski Crystals and Japanese Delica beads were applied. The stamens were wired 12KT GF wire and Swarovski Crystal. The handle was a square weave of Onyx, Czech Glass and Swarovski Crystal.




My sister has placed an order for my next bag! To be inspired by Georgia O'Keefe's Poppies!

From My Fiber Garden

I have spent the last few weeks more playing in my fiber garden, exploring the world of needle felting, or "dry felting". This is a felting technique where the wool roving is poked with a barbed needle, which tangles and matts the fibers into a solid form. Its a fascinating process to work with. It starts with drawing out the wool roving into thin layers, then blending colors together to gain the color effect that you the fiber artist want...then start maddly poking with a fine sharp pointy needle to shape the fibers into a recognizable form! Well, not quite that simple, but that is the process in a few words! Next I will try "Wet felting" which is making traditional true felt. This is the process of laying out the fiber in thin sheets, applying pressure, water and soap, which in the end will turn the sodden mass into cloth. From there, the cloth can be molded into many forms.

What I find perhaps the most wonderful about the needle felting process is the ability to paint with wool. After the basic forms of my flower petals have been made from several shades of layered wool roving, I then add the top colors, or highlight colors seen at the throat or tips of the flower petals. Its a wonderful and fascinating process. For my first examples, I used pictures of Asian Lilies that took in July 2007 at Campbell Pottery, Cambridge Springs,PA. Bill Campbell raises acres of lilies every summer for the enjoyment of his customers. The lilies have beautiful, simple shapes, with lovely layers of colors to enjoy!

Flowers that Bloom in the Spring...

Spring arrives slowly, and sometimes rather reluctantly in Erie. Last weekend, we had a beautiful spell of warm weather with temps that reached almost 80 degrees! This past weekend? Yup, its Erie. Snow flurries and sleet. A miserable 37 degrees was what the thermometer on my Jeep was reading as I was huddling into my heated seat on my way to an animal rescue farm to watch alpacas being shorn. What, you say? Alpaca shearing? How does this relate to bridal flowers? Not a darn thing. It was what I was doing this weekend with my knitting friends. Tromping around a barn, taking pictures of alpacas, avoiding stepping in unidentifiable poop, and watching the gorgeous fleece come off these charming animals. And dreaming what it must be like to spin and knit this fabulous fiber.




Back to the subject at hand. There is a new fascinator in the Etsy Shop. It has a unique feature, a Floral Coin Pearl Broach that can be removed from the center of the flower and worn after the wedding! I love making items that have a "double life". The fascinator also has a detachable French Net face veil. The headpiece can be worn on either side of one's face, or on top of the head. Cocque feathers give it a bit of charming whimsy, don't you think?






My latest adventure with flowers has been with my passion for wool and knitting. I have been interested in felting for years, thanks to my Minnesota friend, Avis, who introduced me to the idea that you can shrink knitted wool on purpose. I have been delving into books about knitting and felting flowers. Felting is an ancient craft, going back to Asia and Eastern Europe. Most likely shepherds picked up bits of stray wool left by their sheep and tucked them inside their moccasins and boots. When the wool matted down from the pressure of their feet, and moisture from becoming wet, it became wool. Of course, their feet would have stayed warmer because of the wool fibers in their footwear! Wool can be felted or "fulled" with water and soap over a mesh screen, or dry by poking it over and over with barbed needles. The barbed needles tangle the fibers together, forming a matted mess that one continually shapes as you harden with the continued poking. The goal of course is to poke the fibers with the sharp barbed needles, and not ones fingers!



The techniques are all fascinating, and after a lot of practice, the goal is to be able to just about "paint" with the many colors that wool roving is available in. Its amazing, and for a fiberholic such as I, it is addicting. So here we go with yet another fiber hobby. Then, there is knitted felt, as mentioned earlier, where a garment or item is knitted about 40% larger than what you want, then washed in the washer. The soapy water, combined with the agitation shrinks the wool in this "fulling" process. The fabric is very dense and durable. It makes great handbags! And afterwards, needle felting can be done on the surface to add decoration.



I have a large felted tote bag project in process at the moment. The tote bag is made and "fulled". I am now in the process of creating the flowers. I am not sure of what the final arrangement will be, as I am still so new in the designing of felted flowers, both in knitting and needle felting. I am also needle felting over some of my knitted fulled flowers to add more definition and detail to them. I will be adding more pictures soon as the project progresses!

This is my kind of gardening! Fiber style!

New Adventures and Ventures

I have decided to delve more into the retro world of the 1950's influenced "Facinator" headpiece style. I dipped my toes into those waters a bit last year with "Moonlight Serenade" (see last January's BridalDreamTeam winning Challenge headpiece) and another I called Camellia.

Both Moonlight and Camellia featured Ostrich feathers, hand wired sterling silver, freshwater pearls and Swarovski Crystal sprigs, and knitted sterling silver wire leaves. They were my first venture into the wonderfully messy world of playing with feathers. Chasing feathers around the house is an interesting experience. I was finding bits of ostrich everywhereOstrich sticks to everything by its little feather barbs, and of course static electricity. A year later, and I am still cleaning up last years feather remainders! I decided that when I would start playing with them again, the feathers were going to stay out of the sewing room as much as possible. And also, while working with feathers, I am not going to wear polar fleece.

So, a few weeks ago, I spent several days on the computer hunting down new supplier sources for millinery flowers, Russian/French veiling, Ribbons and more feathers. And then in the following days, the packages began to arrive. Oooooh! What fun! New products will be arriving into my Etsy shop in the coming weeks. The flowers are stunning. These are not A. C. Moore, Michael's Crafts or Hobby Lobby flowers, but true Millinery flowers. I am also going to delve into the world of making my own handmade silk flowers for the types of blooms that I cannot find.

.

Also coming will be new bridal veils with new edgings. I am experimenting with some new styles and new edges. I will be adding a 1/4" double faced ribbon edge. I found the most wonderful ribbon a few weeks ago that will drape beautifully on a veil. The ribbon is available in White, Ivory and Diamond White/Silk White. I am going to experiment with a 3/4 inch in the near future to see if it will work on a curved edge. I am also considering a satin bound edge for special order veils. It is a very elegant veil. All of this inspiration to experiment has come from two very lovely brides that I have been working with from Project Wedding. These wonderful young ladies have given me the shot of enthusiasm that I really needed to get back to business after the passing of my mother last year. And somehow, returning to millinery just seems right, since she was a milliner.

Another new adventure has been in the world of knitting! I belong to a group of knitters called the "Presque Isle Stick Ladies". We meet at the Presque Isle Gallery Coffee Shop in Erie every Tuesday night to knit, crochet and what ever fiber. I was asked to teach a class on how to make a knitted and felted handbag. To wind the clock back about 6 years or so, I need to introduce everyone to Avis. Avis was my best friend during our year in Minnesota. She is an avid knitter, and had a stash that was beyond SABLE. (stash accumulated beyond life expectancy). Avis is also a designer, and was in on the felting craze before it was popular. I had never heard of it before I met Avis. I wasn't even knitting when I met Avis. I had left my knitting behind me years long before I met Avis. Then Avis sent me a prayer shawl just before I had surgery, and that reawakened my need to be with one with the fiber gods again. When we moved to Erie in 2005, I started haunting the local yarn shop, Cultured Purl, as a way to meet people. And then, I discovered felting too, and got hooked, along with other knitting projects.

When I started "re-knitting", I had said I would never knit on a needle smaller than a size 9 which is medium size needle. I have now learned to never say never. I had thought that with some of my brain difficulties I would have problems with the more complex patterns in knitting and the smaller needles. Knitting had something else in mind. And it seemed that the more I knitted, the more my brain retrained itself. Knitting is really an amazing craft. Its rhythms and patterns are soothing and mediative. Relaxing. Soothing to the soul. The regular repeats of a pattern do seem to re-order, "defrag" one's harddrive so to speak. So, with in a few years, I started knitting more than just basic prayershawls and basic purses. I knit a coat. A vest. I ventured to a beret that challenged me to use double point needles in a size 5. Then mittens. And when I was doing the cuff of the mittens I realized, hmmm, if I can do this cuff, why couldn't I knit a sock? So I bought a book on knitting socks visually (Ann Budd's I Can't Believe I'm Knitting Socks)and now my husband has been blessed with handmade socks to wear in the winter.

Anyway. Back to the Tuesday night group. Our leader, Shelley, asked me to teach a class on knitting a felted handbag. so, I designed a pattern for a Messenger Style Handbag. This is my first real pattern endeavor as a knitter. This pattern has pictures for those that like to learn visually, like me. I am excited about teaching my first class. I have six students starting in March, and another six waiting for a class in mid April! Since I will be knitting along with the class, the messenger bags that I am knitting will go up for sale in my Etsy shop. I don't need that many more handbags! At least of the same style. I have other ideas to pursue!

New Year, New Decade

Here we are, into a new year and new decade of this new century! Where is the time flying? For this coming year, I am praying and hoping for a fabulous year. But while you hope, you don't just sit back and wait for it. You work for it.

I have started the new year and decade with some new designs. Years before I designed jewelry, I was and still am a collector of vintage jewelry. My collection has been neglected since I am making jewelry, and wearing more artisan jewelry than vintage. One thing I do enjoy, is the composition of some of the pieces, and their use of line and color.

So I began to play with the idea of "what if". What if a vintage piece could be incorporated into a headpiece design in such a way that it could be removed to be worn later? The idea of vintage jewelry used in bridal accessories is not new. But from what I have seen, it is usually fixed in place. My goal is to preserve the integrity of the vintage piece itself, so as not to harm its value. So, I began to play with two sets of jewelry that I had in my collection, a Danecraft bow pin and earring set, and a Beau Sterling leaf set.


And this is what I came up with!





After the wedding, the bride can return the headpiece to me, so that I can take it apart, polish the jewelry, and string the Swarovski Crystal used in the headpiece into a bracelet for her to wear! Plus, she also has added a set of vintage jewelry to her collection!

Also in my plans for this year, is playing with color. Not just in jewelry, but with yarn. Some may have seen my Facebook comment about dyeing yarn with Koolaide. For now, it is playtime. But who knows? Who knows?

As well as selling on Etsy, I am now selling on ArtFire. I am advertising on WeddingWire too.
So, I'm getting around these days!

Silver Screen Style Challenge

I can remember seeing My Fair Ladywhen I was about 7 years old. Of course, my favorite scenes were the ones that featured the most elaborate of Cecil Beaton's costumes. The Ascot Races! Who could forget that wonderful huge black and white ensemble with the gorgeous outrageous hat!!!! I gasped when Eliza entered the ball in the lovely Empire gown, with her long, elegant gloves, elaborate hairstyle, and the wonderful tiara.

When our team decided to do a Hollywood themed challenge, I knew right away what I wanted to do for my design piece. I modernized it for today's bride, using Rainbow Moonstone, Stardust silver beads, and Swarovski Crystal. This is the most elaborate headpiece I have made to date.

These challenges are just that, challenges. As a designer, they force me out of my "box", and help me to think in new directions. I am having a lot of design fun, that is for sure. Enjoy!!!

Summer Breezes

This summer is certainly going by very quickly.
I have participated in two more Etsy challenges.
The first, was our June Beach Themed Challenge.

This was my favorite! I was looking forward to
this one from the time we formed our team. And
this headpiece designed itself. With the guidance
of the spirit of my mother, too. I had shells that
Paul collected for me from Assateague Island, VA,
and beach glass from our own Presque Isle State
Park here in Erie, PA.



This is Assateague Island. This picture was taken during
the winter, our favorite time to be on the beach. The
shells seem to be the most plentiful then, and we can
drive in the Jeep all the way down hook at the southern
end of the island.



Paul has been taking a long early morning walk on
the beaches of our local Presque Isle, in Erie.
We are blessed that we have a beautiful beach less
than five minutes from home. Paul has been picking up
a lot of beach glass for me. It is a nice collection
of weathered pebbles, so different than the glass that
he finds on the New York beach that he also visits.
Some days, he comes home with just a few pieces. Other
days, his jeans pockets are bulging with pieces of glass
and mother of pearl shell.



Lake Erie is known for its jewel like sunsets. Erie has
a nickname..."The Gem City". The lake is our jewel.
And we are fighting to keep it this way, and to keep
the lake clean.



June's BridalDreamTeam Challenge was Beach Weddings.
As I mentioned earlier, I was really excited about this
theme, and it was a good re-entry for me back to the
world after my mother's passing. She loved the beach
so much. Assateague was her favorite place.


I named this headpiece "Sea Goddess". "She" is made from
Lake Erie beachglass, Freshwater Pearls, Swarovski Crystal,
and of course, shells from Assateague Island. The shells
are small welks and scallop shells.
It was very special to me that this headpiece won the
the June challenge.




The July Etsy BridalDreamTeam Challenge was
Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. A tale
of the delights of love, the pitfalls of little
jealousies, fools, fairies, pranks, merriment
and fantasy. This was another delightful theme
to work with. I immediately thought of my
dragonflies, and wanted to use them in the design of
the headpiece. I have made dragonfly hairpins before,
but have only made one other dragonfly headpiece.

My vision was of a garden wreath, with dragonflies
hovering in flight over the top. I have a delightful
book in my "library" called Fairie-ality
by David Ellwand. It is a book of whimsical illustrations
of "Fairy" fashion. Fairy fashion is made from flower
petals, leaves, grasses,feathers with seeds and other organic
materials for ornamentation. This book is a delight to
sit and enjoy for a few hours of inspiration.
I wanted the veil to be like dragonfly wings. I used
"sparkle" illusion and light cording, embellishing the
veil with smaller wired dragonflies.






"Midsummer Night's Garden" won first place in the
challenge too! Thank you everyone for your votes
of support. Its been a rough few months since
my mother passed. Working on the challenges has
been great therapy for me, and has given me something
positive to look forward to. Working through, and finding
ones way through grief is a challenge. It is a road that
is different for everyone. We all have a road travel,
and sometimes we get lost for awhile. I am so thankful
for the friends and family that have waited for me
to find my way back.

Its already time to work on the next challenge! The
materials have been gathered, and the research is progressing.
Shhhhh! I can't tell you what it is yet! It is a
secret!!!!

New Work!

I love making headpieces from nature themes. This Etsy BridalDreamTeam
headpiece was from our Bacchanalia Challenge in March. I named this
headpiece Ambrosia, which was the food of the gods.

My inspiration was the acres and acres of lush grapevines that
grow along Lake Erie's shoreline. Just 40 miles from Erie
was the home of Welch's grape juice! Now, a lot of these
vinyards are for small wineries. In the fall, when the
grapes come into season, the smell in the air of grapes is
so intense! It is like smelling the chocolate in the air
in Hershey, PA!






The next theme for the June BridalDreamTeam Challenge
is Beach Weddings! Ah, I have been looking forward to
this one all year!

I love the beach. My husband and I have spent many hours
beachcombing the shores of Assateague Island, Virginia.
The beaches are wild there. One does not have to walk
very far before "the people run out". The tide lines
are rich with limpets, welks of all sizes, wampum,
sand dollars, moonshells, and fragments of shells that
all in their own have great beauty. My mother found
these bits and pieces inspiring for her own jewelry.
My husband is an avid collector of Beach Glass, which
he allows me to use in my jewelry, and now, my first
Bridal Tiara, "Sea Goddess". Mom would have loved
this headpiece.

Life Moves Ahead

Its been 6 weeks now since my mother passed away.
This has been quite a year so far. Paul is still
looking for work, the job market is pretty grim.

Yet, the world is still turning. Time has not
stood still. Its not like one can decide that
you can stop living your own life in difficult times.
Although I have to admit I have been spending a lot
of time in voluntary seclusion.

But that is not working for me, and allowing the
healing to happen. Summer is beginning to arrive
in Erie. Our weather is beginning to warm, and with
the longer days, comes sunshine and warmth. Around
here, we need to take advantage of as much sunlight as
possible! My husband has the right idea. He is on
the beach taking a walk everyday, sometimes twice a day.

The good news is, we have two new additions to our family.
Our dear friend, Maria, needed to find a home for her
Chihuahuas, Blu and Emma. Those little dearies have
already spent a lot of time here, visiting when Maria has
had to be away from her home. So it was a natural move
for them to come and live with us forever. They
are quite happy little girls. Blu is a little cuddle bug,
and competes with Abbie for the best "cuddle up with
Mommy" spots around my neck. Emma and Abbie are
great playmates. They love to chew bones together and
chase after their favorite squeaky toys. Our cat,
Pearl, has been quite forgiving. Of course, their
"Daddy", Paul, is a big part of their lives too.
Everybody wants to be in his lap!

Curveballs

My Etsy design team has been hit with a lot of curveballs lately. Eliat's mother is ill in Israel. Eliat will travel halfway across the world to be with her soon. Marie just lost her father - in- law. Other members have been ill. We carry on, and work together as a team, supporting each other, lending an ear, a message, a cyber arm around the shoulders as we can to let each other know that we are there.

My husband was laid off from his job today. We did not see this coming, even with the economy stinking as bad as what it is. Paul is the only one doing the job that he does for his company/division. But wouldn't you know it, the company that own's Paul's foundry has decided to outsource Paul's to outside shops. Doing so makes that part of the job more expensive, but then they are not paying salary and benefits. This becomes our 4th layoff since November 2001, which occured just two weeks after I had my first brain surgery. At least I don't have any major surgeries that I know of planned for this year (although my back needs to be fused, but I am putting that off).

We thought, that after four years, we were safe. That we could settle. We could breathe. We were finallygetting back on our feet from the last round of layoffs. And here we are again. In utter shock and disbelief.Paul is 56, back on the job market again on Monday.

We are putting our faith in God that he will sustain us during this time, and build up our strength. That He will not let us stumble, and will carry us when we are weak. But I am human. And I worry. This is all too much for me to handle, so I appreciate your thoughts and prayers too.



Thanks a lot, my artisan friends and sisters...

Elizabeth

Love In Bloom

Ah, what female does not love to receive two dozen roses, ANY color, from her beloved on a special occasion? That was my inspiration for the February design challenge for the Etsy BridalDreamTeam "Favorite Things".

I had purchased three different styles of handmade glass roses almost two years ago,
but had not known what to do with them for all of this time, except make two pairs of earrings and a necklace. The little dearies had not spoken to me until a few days before the challenge deadline that this tiara was what they were meant to be.

I love designing with floral motifs. Whether it is making silk roses, like those that I have used on several wedding gown projects or headpieces, or making flowers from gemstones, pearls and Swarovski crystals. This must be an influence from my mother, since our home always had a floral arrangement on the table, for any occasion, not just special ones. Mom does beautiful arrangements, even now in her 80's. But no flowered wallpaper. That is just too much. That is another story.

A Day in History

Did you watch the innaugeration on TV today? It was breath taking! I have never wanted to see an innaugeration so much, or found one more meaningful. It was exciting to see history being made today. To realize, that in the USA,anything is possible. The innaugeral speech was amazing. I really loved how Pres. Obama is holding all of us accountable, not just the government, for the future of the USA. The news coverage has been really interesting. The invocation and benediction by the pastors was wonderful too.

And watching the family, to see Michelle and Barack's interaction with those two lively little girls, that was so endearing. There was a picture of the littlest one, giving her dad a thumbs up. What an amazing day this has been. The interviews of the crowd of bystanders has been so interesting. Everyone there has been so excited to witness history. To have a have their own place in this day of history, to be able to tell their children, "I was there when the first African American man became President". Today was a day, when race did not exhist. We are all Americans. Not just white Americans, African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Latin Americans, and the list goes on. We are United Americans. Ah, God Bless America!

Feathers and snow...

There are feathers everywhere. The carpet of course all around my work area.
I think my poodle has been snorting them. They are caught in her fur. The feathers are on my clothes, my tray, a few have even made it to my bedroom!

They are fun! Michele tried to convince me several years ago to use ostrich feathers. I said it would never "fly". Oh my. Was I wrong! They are beautiful, and I enjoy creating with them. They are beautiful for this winter theme, for the BridalDreamTeam Winter Magic Challenge. I have heard that other artists in our group are using them too, so I can't wait to see what else is represented! Feathers add such a sense of playfulness, glamour and drama all at the same time. I see now, why my mother enjoyed making feathered hats. I remember the pheasant feathers that she would have arcing off the side of her hat towards the back.

Meanwhile, I am looking forward to designing more headpieces with feathers in the coming weeks. Our local television station even said they were fashionable this year. Even Erie, with our record setting year of snow, is catching up to fashion!
My back yard looks like is the downy white feathers of pillows that have lost the fight. And the blue spruce along the fense are elegant, with the snow laying on top of the branches like ostrich wing feathers.

So, now it is time to get ready for the next challenge. But shhh....! It is a secret! At least I have something to do until we are dug out from all this snow!