SMN Designs

My Vintage Bling Bracelets have been published!

2012-01-14T17:05:00.001-08:00

What a pleasant surprise to find all my hard work on these babies published in Jenny Doh’s new book, Creative Pilgrimage, on page 123.

And this is only part of them; I think there were 20 in all. That was 400 jump rings, oh my! These were and still are one of my favorite jewelry designs. There’s a close-up of the original and 2 other versions on the my right side bar. If you’re interested in a one-of-a-kind Vintage Bling Bracelet of your own, please email me at smndesigns@yahoo.com. Bling it on!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T11:39:00.001-08:00

2011 was another year filled with FabUlous friends and creative adventures.

Wishing you a happy, healthy and FabUlous 2012!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

2011-12-26T13:57:00.001-08:00

Pumpkin is totally wiped out after yesterday’s festivities. We hope everyone had a FabUlous Christmas with family and friends.

Vintage Marketplace and Matilda’s Mouse Weekend!

2011-12-05T22:44:00.001-08:00

It only happens once or twice a year where you can hit both of these FabUlous places in one weekend and last weekend was it! The winds cooperated and while it was a bit cold for us spoiled California girls, my friend Cynthia and I were on a vintage holiday mission.

The Vintage Marketplace had this FabUlous photo op vignette set up as you walked through the garden arches to welcome you to vintage holiday wonderland. There were aluminum trees, feather trees, pink trees and even lampshade trees. And, of course, a ton of bling everywhere!

This is Sweet Magnolia’s Farm’s Booth

Close ups inside the doorway . . .

And this wreath is made of a ton of their FabUlous handmade, German glass glitter-edged roses – to die for!

Since it was quite cold, I decided to wear “Muffy” and while I was strolling the Marketplace, Muffy found her man! Take a look at this masterpiece created by Denise Chafin of White Horse Relics. He’s part Viking, part knight and totally FabUlous! Denise and her partner, Ashley Adams, are regular vendors and create a one-0f-kind mannequin for each Marketplace. And they are all over the top FabUlous. I think I have a matching jacket at home! LOL

Next stop, Matilda’s Mouse Antiques. They are a bit farther south and a tad inland from the Vintage Marketplace but totally worth the trip. Matilda is a Wire Hair Fox Terrier and is the mascot for the shop. Is she just not the cutest thing ever! Her mom got a much better picture than I did, so I borrowed this one from their blog.

Matilda is wearing the color theme of this year’s winter event. As you enter, everything was icy white, silver and a gorgeous turquoise.

There was even snow on the floor!

The flowers on this tree are made from vintage pattern tissue.

I know quite a few ladies who would die for this FabUlous carriage – OMG!

Thanks for coming along on this FabUlous vintage winter wonderland of a weekend. If you get a chance to visit either of these venues, you will not be disappointed.

Happy Vintage Holidays!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T09:59:00.001-08:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful day of thanks for good health, family and FabUlous friends.

Pumpkin

2011-11-20T17:15:00.001-08:00

Not sure why but I have a keen sense of hearing when it comes to kittens crying. This week while finishing up my morning hair ritual, I thought I heard a kitten crying. I looked on the bed and Boo Boo & Rory were sprawled out as usual, enjoying there preci0us morning time on my soft, fluffy bed. I muted the TV to make sure I wasn’t hearing things and there it was again. I went out in the backyard to see if I could hear the direction it was coming from and when I opened the side gate, there he was and he came right to me when I called him Pumpkin.

He’s very tiny and looks to be about 6 weeks old. Guess we have a new addition to the family. I introduced him and had a quick “don’t have him for a snack” conversation with Boo Boo & Rory before I hit the road to the office.

Funny thing is when I got home my feral kitty, Morris, was waiting at the door. I haven’t seen him in quite a few months. He showed up on my doorstep about a year ago and it was clear that he’d lived a long and very hard life. He was pretty beat up and dirty and I did my best to fix him up. My neighbor took him in for a while but we agreed that after I had fixed him up he had a few homes that he visited. He would be gone for a few months and we would hope for the best and then he’d show up again, have a snack and be on his way. This time, he looked so good and clean and had gained quite a bit of weight. I know he has found a good home and it was almost like he came by to let me know he’s doing good and to pass the gift of my love and attention on to Pumpkin. They say that animals never forget a human’s kindness and I do believe this is the case.

When I opened the door, they were all waiting for me so I guess they listened as Pumpkin was still in one piece as was the house. Hope you can take a minute this busy season to share your love with an animal that may be in need. The rewards are priceless.

And we’re off!

2011-11-05T11:10:00.001-07:00

Yikes! Summer has come and gone as well as some FabUlous friends and a whole lotta crafting has been go’in on in here. You all know Miss Charlene was here and just a few weeks after she left, my crafty and VERY camera shy friend, Robin, spent the weekend when we worked on 4 different projects. Sorry, no pics cuz some of them are gifties! hehe Of course, there's been some MAJOR jewelry making, vintage ~~hoarding~~ shopping at the Vintage Marketplace, Urban Barn and Matilda's Mouse just to name a few FabUlous spots.

And then it happened . . Every crafter in a 100+ mile radius of Rancho Cucamonga, CA has died and gone to Crafter Heaven! Hobby Lobby has come to Southern California and I'm only about 15 mins from their doorstep - OMG FINALLY!!

And now it's officially the Holiday Season - already??? Well, it must be because I shopped the pre-Black Friday sale at Michael's on Nov 1st and they were playing Christmas music on the PA - OMG?? And now the rest of the retail world has jumped on the pre-Black Friday bandwagon. So good luck out there in the Holiday trenches, stay strong and remember your local and on-line handmade artists. They inspire us all by following their dream, doing what they love and sharing their talent. There are a quite a few upcoming shopping opportunities, so click on the links above, mark your calendars and I'll see ya out there!

Happy Holidays!

Miss Charlene was here!

2011-09-16T23:35:00.001-07:00

In my previous post, I mentioned that my Texas gal pal Charlene was com'in for a visit. Well, she got here in record time (her plane was even early) and we made it to all the points of interest on our list. As soon as she landed we were headed to our first destination, Vintage Emporium, in Long Beach. I've read about it but never been so it was a first for both of us and we also met up with another friend, Cynthia. It's so cute and shop owner is so sweet. It's a must see if you're in the neighborhood.

Next was dinner at the Belmont Brewing Company where Robin (hiding in the back) and Lia met us.

The next day we headed out early to the Urban Barn where we shopped til we dropped and had lunch with Deb Hodge (Breathing Beside Us).

Then it was off to Laguna Beach for some window shopping, a quick bite to eat and Pageant of the Masters. This year's theme was “Only Make Believe” and they did not disappoint. It's truly a unique experience and I highly recommend it if you get a chance.Thursday was our road trip to San Luis Obispo for some shopping and a 2-day PMC class with Diana Frey. We blew right past our bed & breakfast, House of Another Tyme, and bee lined it to Lina G's in Morrow Bay with just enough time to pour through all of her vintage trims and millinery. I must admit, I was totally unprepared and a little over whelmed by all the amazing vintage FabUlousness she has to offer. Can you even find me in this picture? I did manage to make a few decisions, but next trip I will definitely have a plan!

On Friday we had lunch with Diana and another friend, Susan. It was so nice to spend time some quality time with them. Then we were off for some vintage shopping in the Arroyo Grande area followed by dinner at Olde Port Inn in Avila Beach where we had the most amazing bacon wrapped, cheese stuffed shrimp – OMG!

Saturday and Sunday was our much anticipated PMC class. This was a technique class in Diana's home studio and she never disappoints. Her classes are small and intimate with lots of personal attention. Her studio is absolutely FabUlous and filled with so much inspiration and BLING! She even has a chandelier in there! Yup, she's my kinda girl!

PMC stands for precious metal clay and we were working with sterling silver. These are some of Diana’s samples for us to be inspired by – WOW!

It's really a unique process starting with soft clay which dries over night, to a dry, fragile "green" state and then after a firing in the kiln, sterling silver. When it comes out of the kiln, it has a white film on it sort of like white ash that needs to be cleaned off and then put in a tumbler. Next, a little patina and polish and finally a FabUlous one-of-a-kind piece. We learned so many different techniques from using rubber stamps to emboss the clay, to using molds and setting stones to layering separate pieces. Of course, I had to do all of them in one FabUlous piece which will be a focal point in a future necklace, a pair of earrings, a connector piece and a bracelet piece with an orange CZ! I love it all!

And here are Charlene’s pieces; each one just as unique and FabUlous and she is!

This was my second class with Diana and each time, I have come home filled with so much inspiration and creativity. I truly have found my passion. There's nothing better than FabUlous jewelry! I highly recommend taking one of her classes either in her home studio or at one of the many events she teaches at.

Our last 2 days together were spent at my dining room table making jewelry. We broke on the first day to have dinner with Joy and Susie at Kings Fishouse at Victoria Gardens where we got an outside table with a warm summer breeze and caught up on everything since our last time together in March at Round Top.

Although we talk and email all the time, there's nothing like spending quality time with FabUlous friends. I'll see Charlene next March for Spring Round Top and hopefully another event later in the year. She's always saying "why don't I live in California" and I'm always saying "why don't we live closer." I have to say, I'm spoiled and while I do love all the FabUlousness that Texas has to offer, I don't love their weather! It's so not good hair weather! LOL

My fur baby, Boo Boo, already says he misses Charlene and Rory promises to come out of hiding a little sooner on her next visit. Please stop by Charlene’s blog to see her posts (yes, there are several) and more pictures of our FabUlous adventures.

Where Bloggers Create 2011

2011-07-16T01:00:00.001-07:00

Has it been a whole year already? How time flies when you're having a creatively FabUlous time. Last year I was shamed into posting something for the Where Bloggers Create Party and that ended up being the reveal of my "secret" which you can read about here. This year I still don't have a studio and my creating still takes place on my dining room table, but I do have an absolutely FabUlous space to share if I do say so myself.

Welcome to the guest room at Casa Navarro. It will soon be occupied by the most special of all guests, my gal pal Charlene. She's coming to stay with me for a whole week next month and she was the catalyst to put this room together with all of my most FabUlous treasures and creations. And, I managed to get it done in time to share with you for this year's Party. Let's start the tour . . .

For the photo shoot, I styled the daybed with the most FabUlous vintage feather fan with celluloid tines and handle. Then I thought it needed just a little something more, so I placed a vintage brooch in the center of the handle and voila! The night stand has a vignette with the cutest little Cole Hahn purse I scored at TJ Maxx quite a few years ago and I love how it works in the room. Of course, I had to display the issue of Jewelry Affaire I was published in cuz a little self promotion never hurt anyone, right? LOL

Next to the nightstand is the computer cabinet that is now more of a storage space inside and regally FabUlous on top. Here's a close up . . .

Crowns, bling, treasures and All Things FabUlous including my tiara and an altered bottle (gifts from Charlene) and my prized vintage orange rose I have in my header. There’s my FabUlous crown and feathered Crowndalier I made at A Gilded Life’s Gilded Gathering, my German glass glittered cone from a Deb Hodge class and my etched cuff bracelet from a Diane Cook class just to point out a few. Another FabUlous find is the 2700 metal plate. Twenty Seven is my number for probably 2700 reasons, so this was a total score.

Next to the cabinet is a clothes rack that’s spilling over, so I draped my mom's custom, hand made peignoir set in her favorite shade of pink over it. I don't remember her ever wearing it but she kept it in perfect condition and I have as well.

Next is my vintage suitcase and mannequin vignette. I thought if I'm displaying my most FabUlous treasurers, then I absolutely have to put out my coveted Christian Louboutin's. I was surprised to see that the insole is also in my mom's favorite shade of pink. She's always with me in some way (wink).

One of my favorite purses sits inside my chartreuse-lined Round Top suitcase. The sequins are double-sided and when you run your hand up or down them, they flip from bronze to gold; how FabUlous is that! The fabric mannequin on the left was my birthday present from Miss Charlene and I absolutely love it! It's from Red Shed Antiques in Grapevine, TX and Charlene knew I really wanted it and scooped her up for me. She displays my Twisted Sistah necklace from a Diana Frey class, my aurora borealis vintage bling charm bracelet around her neck and my necklace with my mom as a child on a vintage miniature airplane. I've used the silver mannequin as a display prop for many of the classes I've taught. She's very versatile and has gone from holiday to vintage boudoir to tropical. She's wearing costume pearls and a one-of-a-kind necklace I won at my first ever Gilded Life event.

I was hoping to distress the full size mannequin "a la Heather Bullard" but ran out of time. So for now she's fresh out of the box and is wearing my original vintage bling charm bracelet as a choker, my Silver Bella round robin necklace, an amazing custom made necklace with my initials in mini scrabble tiles by my FabUlously talented friend Robin and a necklace I made with a vintage cowhide coin purse as well as the bag I made for all my Crazy in Texas Girls and a vintage crocheted bag. And, do you see that bling bra peeking out from behind the vintage vest? Yes, it's made completely of rhinestones - OMG! I found it at a vintage shop for $10 and scooped it up before they could change the price. Then when I got it home, I noticed the metal tag that says Express. Really!!! You just never know. LOL

My bookcases have even more treasures. On top is my mom's mini chandelier; it only has 3 lights and she had it hanging in her bedroom over her dresser. I've had it in a box for 9 years and thought it would be FabUlous on display. After a lot of Brasso and some elbow grease, it sparkles once again. Also on display is my Fall'in for Vintage Gloves fabric fat book that was done as a collective swap. And don’t you just love the 3 wise monkeys - see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil!

There’s FabUlous vintage baby shoes that I've been collecting to make a mirror like the ones we saw at Round Top, a collection of vintage spools, some vintage chandelier crystals and even a few books! There's also my Vintage Glam mini book that was the first class I ever taught.

Of course, one of THE most FabUlous things in the room is my jewelry box of vintage bling. I've seen a lot of people out in Blogland display their bling collections this way and I thought I'd give it a try. It really is my new happy place! LOL

I hope you've enjoyed the tour and have been inspired to display your creations and treasures no matter where you create them. I can't wait to start working my way down the list to see everyone's creative spaces. Thanks to Karen Valentine for once again hosting such a wonderful event and inspiring us all to thoroughly enjoy our own creativity.

FabUously Creative Weekend

2011-06-15T22:55:00.001-07:00

Ah, my favorite way to spend a weekend . . . knee deep in vintage bling, German glass glitter, some serious chemistry and FabUlously talented friends. Last month, I started on Saturday in Fullerton at Diane Cook’s Etched and Layered Cuff class. Diane and her husband drove all the way from Texas to teach 2 classes out here and I was so excited to see her on my turf even if we had just seen each other in March at Round Top. Diane is an amazingly talented jewelry designer and teacher. She shared so many cool techniques in this class. We began with a brass cuff blank, stamped it with our favorite rubber stamp and then the serious chemistry started. I’m so bummed I didn’t get a picture of Diane in the cutest yellow polka dot apron and matching gloves, wearing her safety face mask. Totally essential when working with chemicals, but so not me! I did see that she posted a pic (minus the mask) on her blog too cute!

After the etching process was finished, we layered up our cuffs with filigree, bling and a touch of sari silk. I brought my layering pieces with me, but Diane had a vintage ear bob (earring) that was calling my name. So, my cuff took an entirely different direction when I got it home and I love it!

Here’s Diane during one of her many demos . . .

Here we are after class. She’s such a Texas cutie!

Then on Sunday, I headed out to the Urban Barn in Escondido for a Glass Glitter Cone and Jewelry workshop by the uber-talented Deb Hodge (Breathing Beside Us). If you’ve never been to the Barn, you’ve just got to go! It’s a slice of Round Top in Southern California. So much inspiration and eye candy; pure heaven! The Barn is closed on Sundays, so we were free to roam the entire store – OMG! I didn’t take any pics, but their blog banner says it all . . .

We started with our cones and they came out FabUlous! While the cones were drying, we worked on our frames. Deb is so generous with her kits and class supplies. She gave us 5 different pre-soldered frames in our kits to use in our pieces. Some were already patinaed and some were left for us to choose. I decided on the same frame Deb used on the class sample with my grandparent’s wedding photo. It came out so beautiful. We even glittered the backs of our soldered frames; such a wonderful touch.

And here’s one of my necklaces. This is my mom on a replica airplane in front of her childhood home in New Orleans. The house is still there today although it’s no longer in the family. Sure wish we still had that airplane; just say’in.

I have a few other necklaces to finish and will post them later. Can’t wait for the next FabUlously creative weekend.

March FabUlousness recap: Round Top – Spitt’in, Shopp'in and Spells, Oh My!

2011-05-10T23:25:00.001-07:00

Ok, this has taken quite a while to put together, so grab a cup of whatever warms your soul and reminisce with me as I recant this Crazy in Texas experience . . .

After cutting it a tad close returning my rental car in NOLA, a quick 1 hour
flight to Houston and what seemed like an eternity on the Super Shuttle, my "wet
rag" self made it to Katy, Texas where my girls Charlene, and Karen were wait'in to pick me up (Susie hung back at the hotel). They had 2 days of 90 degree temps in the fields of Round Top without me and I was rar'in to go! We got up the next
morning to temps in the 50's and some"spitt'in" (Texas term for mist). So, we
layered ourselves up as we had been told and the 4 of us headed out on our 45
min drive to the fields. You see, there's not much in the actual town of Round
Top, population 77! Most of the people who come out for this amazing two weeks
of vintage indulgence are repeats and they book sometimes a year in advance,
leaving the rest of us with what’s left in the outskirts.

Back row: me, Charlene, Susie, Karen and Joy
Front row: Rita, Cindy, Riki and Diane

This is our Crazy group, minus Karen DeCapite, she wasn’t feeling well and stayed back at the hotel on the verge of a major spell. Later that night she ended up in the ER from a prescription reaction. But no worries, she toughed it out and made it to the fields the very next day – you go girl!

I think vintage indulgence is just about the best way to describe the wonder of Round Top. It’s actually split up into 3 events; the fields open first and there is everything from yard sale items to architectural salvage beyond belief. All of us newbies walked around in awe the entire time. Most of the vendors in fields have temporary tables and tents set up although there are a few stationery buildings used only twice a year. We timed it so that we would be able to shop the fields for a few days and catch the next event opening, Marburger. Here there are several huge tents set up with all the vendors inside and the $25 entry fee is good for it’s duration of 5 days. The final event is The Big Red Barn where serious antiques & dealers can be found. You can easily run amuck shopp’in, but I was only going to spend the cash I brought and actually did quiet well. Most everyone is willing to bargain and a lot of the vendors prefer cash. The vignettes alone were worth the trip. So much talent, eye candy and inspiration everywhere you look.

And this is one of my most favorite vignettes; freak’in FabUlous!

Of course, there were a quite a few boo boo faces for items that were absolutely FabUlous, but so not in my budget.

Vintage grain sack $250 / Skip to My Lou one-of-a-kind jewelry $200+

My first day in the fields was Sunday and we spent a good bit of time weeding through a bin of doilies that were only $1 each! OMG Of course, Sunday night was the blog party hosted by Teresa Campo, of Garden Vintage Antiques. It was so great to get to meet so many people whose’ blog you follow. It was a casual pot luck and everyone was so welcoming. Teresa also hosted a name badge contest. I had made these little bags for our group and entered & I won second place! The girl who won first place made the most amazing German doll necklace and so deserved first place. I don’t have her name, but I know Teresa will post about it when her computer with all her pics gets repaired. As winners, we got to choose a hand-made apron for our prize. They’re made by a guy named Tommy Sew Fast! How cool is that!

The uber talented Diane Cook was the guest of honor at the blog party. Here she is in her custom-made booth just for the party with her daughter, Melanie. How cute are they!

At the party we were also treated to goodie bags by the Junk Gypsies; these girls are so cute and so cool! And those goodie bags are really sturdy (more about that in a minute).

Day 2 in fields was full of more incredible eye candy. But for some reason, I started to not feel too good and I can say that I truly bonded with the girls in the car that afternoon when that pretty pink Junk Gypsy bag came in really handy! I quickly got it out of my system and Cindy coined the term “puke and rally” and that’s just what I did. As soon as my spell was over I was ready to hit the fields again. I have to say that Susie was so sweet to escort me quickly to the car and then we laughed about it on the plane ride home. She said she was wait’in for my head to start spinn’in and then it was over and as Cindy had said, I rallied. REALLY?? I had shopp’in and eat’in to do! HA

That night we were fortunate enough to have a dinner reservation at Royer’s which is a Round Top institution and tradition. They have 2 seatings in a tiny but so Texas cool restaurant and the food was absolutely FabUlous!

Marbuger is where the Magnolia Pearl phenomenon takes place. It’s a look, a culture and a lifestyle. But most of all, an amazing experience. This year’s theme was birds and boy was it amazing. There were iron dress sculptures with skirts made into bird cages with live birds inside, birds hanging from the tent ceiling made from old books, huge paper & burlap flowers, and silk, linen & doilied fabrics stacked a mile high. Pure FabUlousness everywhere you looked!

Here I am with Robin, the owner and creator of Magnolia Pearl.

Here’s my suitcase full of Round Top purchases which included this chartreuse-lined baby!

And my stash of goodies from our group including my apron prize. Joy gave us each a survival kit (many items came in handy; just say’in!), Suzie made us each a spoon necklace and my bag.

This was truly an amazing group of talented Crazy girls in Texas. Thanks for a jaw-dropping time and most of all thanks to our wrangler, the FabUlous, Miss Charlene.

I’m ready to do it all again next year and you can bet I’ll be there!

Happy Mother’s Day

2011-05-08T09:11:00.001-07:00

This is one of my favorite pictures of my mom; she was so beautiful. Pink was “her” color.

And this is where I get the FabUlousness from; we started early. Don’t you just love that hat! LOL

As always, pink roses will be her gift.

Wishing you and all the women in your life a wonderful Mother’s Day.

March FabUlousness recap: N’awlins - Laissez le Bon temp rouler!

2011-04-24T00:08:00.001-07:00

Yup, I was on a plane at o'dark thirty on a Sunday morning. Let me just say
there was no hair & makeup go'in on til about an hour before landing in the Big
Easy! My flights were on time, my bags made it and my rental car was a tad
bigger than last year's Matrix. Had my Yahoo maps ready and was not about
to end up driving back & forth on the Causeway like last year. But, of course,
there had to be a snag, as in a parade! God bless these people, they will use
any excuse to have a parade and make me take a detour - REALLY!!! I was
literally a few blocks away from my destination but couldn't see across the
street through the sea of people. After a few distress calls and U turns, I
made it. The birthday girl was wait'in at the front door and we must have
hugged for at least 5 mins. She was a friend of my mom's way before I was born and they kept in touch their entire lives. We've become very close since my mom passed away 9 years ago and I've decided I'm going to visit her every year for her birthday. This year, I missed it by one day because of the Moulin Rouge event, but she didn't care as long as I got there. She is just the cutest thing ever and I love her to pieces.

This part of my trip was about spending time together, shopping and eating. And
boy, did we ever!

I went from cold & rainy California to hot, sticky and 100% humidity in NOLA. I
love the food but no so much about feeling like a wet rag! LOL For the
birthday dinner, we went to a local teppan grill restaurant for her first
experience which she loved. Our adventures included eating tons of seafood and of course, I had to have my beloved muffalatta - yum!

I had seen a feature on the Food Network about an ice cream shoppe called Creole Creamery and we made a bee line there. They had cream cheese ice cream with chunks of red velvet cake in it - OMG! There were several trips to TJ Maxx, which is too far for Miss Leah to drive and she is now proudly a Maxinista! We drove down to Bilouxi, Mississippi to Beau Rivage casino where there was some BIG winnings go'in on! Check out Miss Leah with her whopping $11.05 ticket from the Phat Cat penny machine! That's 10 times more than she won last year; just wait til next year - WOO HOO!

While I was on the plane, I read a feature about the New Orleans Roadfood
Festival. It just happened to be held on my last day there down in the French
Quarter. It was like city food festivals where they have a "taste of" with
plates ranging from $2 to $8. There were 3 blocks on Royal Street lined with
restaurant booths from small locals to biggies like Antoine's and Court of Two Sisters.

There was also the world's longest oyster poboy sandwich made with about a thousand oysters from Acme Oyster House. It was made by 24 of New Orleans' best chefs (and a few helpers) and stretched along 3 blocks on Bourbon Street. Each chef was assigned a car-length section of French bread and there was everything from classic to crazy. As soon as they finished making it , it was cut into pieces and offered free to the crowds and it went really fast!

We spent the afternoon in the Quarter and made one last trip to TJ Maxx before I
headed to the airport for my next adventure in Texas - Round Top!

March FabUlousness recap: Moulin Rouge – c'était Magnifique!

2011-04-16T21:20:00.001-07:00

WOW, I’ve got so much to share that I'm gonna break it down into a couple of posts!

First up is Moulin Rouge, hosted by Kim Caldwell. This was an over-the-top,
elegant affaire where 70 women were transported to the days of decadent French charm. The entire room was decorated in deep burgundy, rich gold, fleur de lis, Eiffel Towers and tons of feathers.

                                                                    Our table, Day 1
                               Moi, Charlene, Debby, Kim, Lulu, Holly and Christine

Day 2 with one of the Moulin mannequins
The event started with a vendor night overflowing with yummy supplies and hand
made items. Here’s just a sampling from Dyanna Cooley of Broke Jewels and Deb Hodge of Breathing Beside Us.

Our first day of classes were a stunning necklace, Tres Jolie, by Shea Fragoso, and a cute 3-D paper project, Show Time at the Moulin Rouge, by Jenny Heid & Aaron Nieradka.

There was a short dinner break and then the much anticipated swaps! There were
tags, banners, canvases, paper dolls, garters, bracelets, necklaces, journals,
mini books, jewelry boxes and pillows. And they were all absolutely amazing!

I participated in Le Bijoux Box swap hostd by Denise Hahn. How cute is her sign made with chalkboard paint on a silver platter and blinged out -- Love it!

I received a gorgeous box filled with frozen charlottes and vintage findings from Lonnie Jenck. You can see the box I made for my partner, Valita, here.

I hosted the FabUlous Vintage Pocket Pillow Swap and my girls pulled out all the stops! Here are all the pillows wrapped up pretty. . .

And here are all 14 of them on display . . . (open the photo to see all the FabUlous details).

One of the most notable swaps in our group was between Maureen Kosewic and Karen France (neither of them have blogs!). Just to show you how talented these girls are, Maureen went the extra step and hand wrote the most detailed and fascinating story of how all of the items on the pillow were collected by it's French owner in the 1800's. I asked her to read the story as she presented it to Karen and everyone in the room was totally captivated. Great job, Maureen!

I swapped with my partner, Andrea Villareal last. This is the beautiful pillow she presented to me and I love it! Thanks so much! You can see the pillow I made for her here.

As the hostess of my swap, I made a pillow for Kim and everyone contributed something to add to it. Here’s the finished pillow and coordinating pillow case . . .

And while the swaps were going on, Christine Rose Elle conducted a stunning fastenator hat make ‘n take.

Day two classes were a dry erase marker board made with a vintage piano roll,
She Does All She Can-Can, by Kerry Lynn Yeary and an adorable paper clay doll with her very own stage, One Last Number, by Colleen Moody.

That concluded my amazing Moulin Rouge experience. The last day of the
event was an optional all day shopping trip on a luxury bus, but I was on a plane
at o'dark thirty to New Orleans!

I'm having an Affaire!

2011-04-04T21:23:00.001-07:00

Yes, you read that right; Stampington and Company's Jewelry Affaire Spring 2011 issue! This is my first time being published and I'm so excited. I, well we, owe it all to the talented and inspiring Natalie Hansen. I attended Silver Bella in 2009 where I met the lovely ladies who participated in this amazing necklace round robin that Natalie hosted. After seeing how all the necklaces were coming together, she took it one step farther and submitted our work to the magazine and there we are on page 128-129!

It was like Christmas every time I received the next necklace to work on and the best present was receiving my own necklace when it was completed and sent to me by Natalie. I made the focal piece second from the left with the blue globe marble & metal piece that reads "hold dear" and the necklace I received is on the far left with the framed frozen charlotte. I absolutely loved participating in this round robin and I hope it inspires you to put one together with some of your friends as well.

March FabUlousness!

2011-03-13T23:22:00.001-07:00

I’ve got quite a few things happening this month, starting off with Kim Caldwell’s Artistic Affaire Moulin Rouge event which starts this Thursday night! There will be French Martinis, FabUlous classes and amazing swaps, oh la la! I've been busy gathering up supplies and finalizing the two swaps I’ve joined. So, here's your warning . . . if you're in either the Bijoux Box Swap or my FabUlous Vintage Pocket Pillow Swap and don't want to see, STOP reading now!

First up, I'm hosting the FabUlous Vintage Pocket Pillow Swap. This is a
one-on-one swap and I decided it would be fun to tell everyone who their partner
is so they have an opportunity to meet someone prior to the event. The premises
for this swap is to take a vintage suitcase pocket, sew it to a decorated pillow form and add some French-themed FabUlousness.

My partner likes natural fabrics in neutral colors with shades of blue. Voila, my creation . . . I think she’s really gonna like it!

Next is the Bijoux Box Swap. This is also a one-on-one swap but our partners are kept a secret. We only know who we are creating for but not who is creating for us. We are to take a vintage jewelry box, decorate it and fill it with our partner’s favorite colors and crafting supplies. Here’s the decorated box, but I’m going to keep the contents a surprise.

Right after, and I mean immediately after as in the next day at o’dark thirty, I’m off to New Orleans to celebrate a very important birthday. My second mom will be wait’in for me to hit the land of Mardi Gras so we can do it up right in the Big Easy. And let me just say there will be some FabUlous eats go’in on while I’m there!

From New Orleans, it’s off to ROUND TOP where I’ll be gett’in crazy in Texas with a whole bunch of girlfriends and I’ve got just the right accessories in this here suitcase; what do ya think?

I’ll be at Theresa’s Blog party on the 27th and I sure hope to see ya’ll there!

I’ll be shopp’in at Roung Top til I drop for 4 FabUlous days and they tell me I’ll be plum tuckered out by the time we head home. I’m not sure they know who they’re talk’in to here, so we’ll just see who drops first! YEE HAW!

So, ya’ll check back in a couple of weeks and I’ll show ya my loot! In the meantime, hope you have some FabUlousness of your own this March.

8”ish” Things about Moi

2011-02-20T23:16:00.001-08:00

Miss Cindy Crain of Lilly's Lace, has selected me as one of her Stylish Blogger Award recipients! How FabUlous!

We are to share 8 things about ourselves that you, in Blogland, may not know and then pass this on to others. I agree with Charlene that there are just too many FabUlous bloggers to choose from, so I'll just share my 8 and extend the award to anyone would like to share about themselves as well. Let's see . . .

1. I LOVE the color orange. Of course, it has to be just the right shade, like the rose in my banner. When I saw it at a local vintage shop, it was mine in a heart beat. And of course, all of the rust tones go so FabUlously with my hair!

2. Fine, I am not a natural redhead! Yes, I pay BIG bucks for my FabUlous color, but I do love it. I have my mom's green eyes and my natural color is a medium brown with a hint of red when in the sun. Of course, that wasn't enough, so I went full out. I've had several variations from auburn to strawberry highlights to full on strawberry blonde which was short lived because of the roots so I could only find my passport photo.

2a. I have BIG hair; it's who I am! A few of you have witnessed the process (Ok, ordeal) and can confirm that it does take a village to achieve this FabUlous big hair. My hair is naturally stick straight and my mom didn't believe in straight hair so, she gave me my first perm when I was 18 mos old! Yup, and I fell asleep in the high chair. From then on, I had some kind of curled big hair. I went from sleeping in bottle brush rollers, to plastic ones, to those awful pink sponge things to electric curlers and curling irons; I've used 'em all. Doesn't matter the current style, my hair always has some curl, no matter what!

2b. I am nothing without my hairspray! I was channel surfing quite a few years ago and stopped on QVC for a minute. There was a hairstylist holding up a very long piece of his client's hair and he teased it and sprayed it and let go. IT STOOD STRAIGHT UP! OMG! Who is this person, what product is he using???? Nick rocked my world! This stuff is the bomb and I CANNOT be without it! I have it on auto delivery; I get 2 cans every 45 days, thank you very much! (I added a link to the picture just in case you might need some too.)

3. I am addicted to SHOES. I absolutely LOVE them!. At last count (which was several years ago) I had over 400 pairs! My most prized pair is from Christian Louboutin. DH took me to Paris for our 20th anniversary and my primary goal was to get a pair of these amazing designer shoes. We went to the original store and I have pictures in front of the store, inside the store, trying on EVERY pair in the store and outside the store with my FabUlous purchase.

4. My rule for gift shopping: One for them and 2 for me!

5. If it's out there, I'll find it. I have this knack for finding things. I have friends who call me when they're in search of something and I almost always find it, whether it's in the stores or online. . . It's what I do.

6. One of my mottos is "I gotta have my stuff." Doesn't matter what it is, I gotta have my stuff! I'm gonna be the bag lady with the shopping cart except that mine will be a train (long enough to hold all my stuff) and I'll be pushing it wearing my FabUlous shoes and BIG red hair.

7. BLING! I LOVE it, I'm OBSESSED with it, I gotta HAVE it! Go BIG or go home, Baby!

8. I am 36. Yes that's right, 36 ALWAYS! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

So there you have it. 8 "ish" things about me. The hair is a BIG deal, so it required a few sub-categories. LOL As you can see, I like to have a good time and don't take myself too seriously. Laughter is truly contagious and I hope I've made you laugh at least once while reading this post. Please blog it forward and share a little something (or 8 “ish” things) about yourself so we can get better acquainted.

A FabUlous gift from my Sister!

2011-01-09T18:37:00.001-08:00

Little did I know that when my gal pal, Charlene, took an altered bottle class and showed me the photos, that this would be my Christmas gift! How lucky am I! I even unknowingly said “oh, you had us in mind when you were making it.” I could not believe it when I opened the package, but I instantly recognized this amazing project. Thank you so much my sister, love ya’ll lots!

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T15:15:00.001-08:00

This year I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to travel, attend some absolutely FabUlous art events and meet some of the most amazingly talented and kind-hearted women imaginable. Thank you so much for all your kindness and willingness to share. Blogland is truly a magical place.

May 2011 bring you the joys of family and friends, creative endeavors and laughter.

Hope You’re Having a FabUlous Holiday!

2010-12-23T23:19:00.001-08:00

Swap catch up

2010-12-20T11:03:00.001-08:00

Yikes, I’ve done quite a few swaps in the last couple of months and am WAY behind in posting about them so here goes . . .

September . . . I participated in Sara’s Charmed Heart Swap. I had posted here about the heart I made for my secret partner and then I found out she was my secret partner! I can’t tell you how excited I was to find out that we had been paired. Robin’s heart is one of my most cherished swap pieces.

October . . . Miss Jodie suggested that I come up with a fall-themed swap so I created a fat book called Fall’in for Vintage Gloves. We had 8 participants and each were required to use a vintage glove on their page. I love how the books came together and how each girl’s page was so unique. Yes, that’s me at age 7. I asked each participant to send me a childhood photo so I could personalize each book.

Inside cover & my page -- Back of mine /Charlene Gray

Charlene Gray /Sandy Moritti -- Back – Sandy Moritti/Pam Kern

Pam Kern / Jodie LeJeune -- Jodie LeJeune / Sarah Huckman

Sarah Huckman/ Joy Campbell -- Joy Campbell / Karen DeCapite

Karen DeCapite / Inside back cover

November . . . I had come up with an idea for a Silver Bella swap but was not able to attend this year. I shared my idea with another Bella and she co-hosted it and represented me at this year’s event where the Vintage Bling Charm Swap was born. The bracelets were absolutely FabUlous and have now become popular at other upcoming events.

I’m on break for the holidays, but I’m hosting a FabUlous Vintage Pocket Pillow swap for Moulin Rouge next March and it’s gonna be here before you know it.

It’s the most FabUlous time of the year!

2010-11-28T19:53:00.001-08:00

I just love it when the local radio stations start playing Christmas music all day. It’s puts you in such a festive mood. In between eating, shopping, cleaning and decorating this weekend I’ve been playing with the new blogger templates with a little help from Susie Jefferson of 1st Floor Flat Blog0logy. She has the most FabUlous free blog backgrounds, button & blinkies and amazingly thorough DIY tutorials to help you get it done. She also has an etsy site where you can commission custom designs. So, how do you like my new holiday look? I’m hoping to have a new blog logo and design by the first of the year, but I couldn’t resist Susie’s holiday freebies.

Hope you’re enjoying the season!

Giving thanks . . .

2010-11-24T21:56:00.001-08:00

For FabUlous family and friends. Hope you have a wonderful holiday season.

Welcome to Texas, Darl’in!

2010-11-08T23:29:00.001-08:00

I spent an amazing week in Texas at the home of my dear friend, Charlene.
Remember in my last post, she asked me to stay for a week? Let me just say that
Miss Charlene is a fine representative of some MAJOR Texas hospitality. She
spoiled me rotten and I almost canceled my ticket home.

“Sweet Cheeks” was waiting to welcome me upon my arrival to her beautiful home - WOA, baby!
Each morning there was a knock on my door and then a sweet southern drawl said
"Morn'in Sunshine." Charlene even had a laptop on my side table just for little 'ol
me. We went everywhere and saw & ATE everything. I think she put about
700 miles on her car runn'in me all over Dallas, Ft. Worth and McKinney just to name a few of our destinations. *Note: There will be NO calories counted for this trip! Charlene's hubby even made us dinner one night. He looks and feels great after having open-heart surgery only 3 mos ago. I'm going to break down our adventures day-by-day so I don't miss anything.

Thursday - Charlene & Hubby scooped me up from Love Field and took me to a restaurant called Celebration, a quaint family-style place where I had Cajun shrimp over gouda grits; I know! And I'm not a big fan of grits, but they were FabUlous!

Friday - we headed to A Gilded Life's church for class and then Charlene
insisted on treating me to a night at the Adolphus Hotel. It's a beautiful hotel in downtown Dallas established in 1912 by the Busch beer family. It turns out that the registration clerk may be a long lost relative of Hubby's. You see Miss Charlene is a true Southern charmer & chatted it up with the guy who shares her last name only spelled differently. He upgraded us to a suite on the 21st floor - Saweeeeet!

Saturday - After an all day class, we headed back to the house to pick up Hubby
& then it was off to Cleburne for an amazing Italian dinner at the Purple Turnip.

Sunday - After the last day of our classes we headed home to a delicious grilled chicken dinner cooked by Hubby.

Monday – With classes over, we headed out to Hobby Lobby & Michael’s for some “supplies” and then my hosts & very well informed tour guides treated me to the famous Cooper’s Old Time Pit BBQ in the historic stockyards in Ft Worth – simply amazing brisket- YUM! Then we walked around downtown old town Ft. Worth.

Tuesday – Shopping day, well they were all shopping days, but we went to Sam Moon & Sam Mi. They have everything known to man; it’s kind of like an upscale version of downtown LA shopping in one huge store. Dinner was Mexican food at Fresco’s where they make fresh guacamole tableside!

Wednesday - We headed out to McKinney to meet the FabUoulsy talented Lisa McIlvaine. We shopped at some of the antique stores and had lunch at Patina Green. Lisa had posted about their "Le Toilette" and I think we could just all live in there - FabUlous!

On our way home, we swung by Cindy Craine's home and she shared her amazing studio with us – look at all the goodies; so much fun!

Thursday - We headed to Dallas for the afternoon and had lunch at Dodie’s Cajun restaurant where I felt like I was in New Orleans. I had their version of a muffaletta, called a "frenchaletta" and the most amazing bread pudding with bourbon sauce I've ever had! Then is was time to head to the airport and I so didn't want to say so long to my sweet friend.

It took me quite some time to come down from my Texas adventures high.
The good news is, Charlene's headed out to CA in March for Moulin Rouge where we'll pick up where we left off and then a week later, I'll be meeting up with her at
Round Top! YEE HA!

A Gilded Gathering

2010-10-30T22:45:00.001-07:00

It all started with a phone call at work from my Texas gal pal, Charlene. “Did ya see? Can ya come AND stay for a week??” Are you kidding? I was so IN! This post will be about the Gilded Gathering event and the next will be about our adventures in Texas. WAY too much to tell all in one post & some of it is gonna stay in Texas!

A Gilded Gathering was another FabUlous event in Dallas. Three amazing days of creativity and communion held in the amazing former church/home of Shea Fragoso & Debbie Murray of A Gilded Life. They really know how to put on an event. We were spoiled from the minute we walked in the doors of this truly inspiring venue from gorgeous name tags to beautiful table settings and FabUlous friends.

Charlene and I met at the Gilded Life event last February and were instant friends. LOVE this pic of us. I had on 5 inch wedge platforms and with my BIG hair was just about eyeball-to-eyeball with this beautiful tall drink of Texas water. Not sure what it is about Texas, but every time I go, I have some quite FabUlous Texas-size hair days!

Our first day was spent making one of their signature crowns - beyond FabUlous!

This is the adorable Cindy Craine; check out her blog Lilly’s Lace. Charlene had just recently met Cindy and let me tell you, she’s a doll! I’ll be talking more about her amazing studio in my next post. And this is the yummy food display they had waiting for us each day.

On Saturday, we made their twist on the crown, the Crown-delier. On the left is the class sample; on the right, a close up of my creation. It still needs some finishing touches but you can see where I’m headed with the feathers. Love it!

Sunday was spent learning a new layered glass, soldered box technique that we turned into a pendant and then finished with a beautiful, delicately embellished necklace. The top layer of glass is beveled so it’s a bit hard to see. The scarf in the background was our gift as part of the kit!

A FabUlous time was had by all and I came home with 2 out of 3 projects completely finished! Can’t wait to see what they have in store for next year.

Harvest Giveaway - Autumn Nests

2010-10-04T20:22:00.001-07:00

Have you seen Vicki from 2 bags full autumn nests? They are so me and she’s giving one of these amazing nests away! You’ve got to head over to her blog to see all of her amazing work. I know I’m throwing my name in the “nest” for this FabUlous giveaway!

Double Rainbows

2010-09-30T22:46:00.001-07:00

This was the view on my drive home tonight! I’ve never seen a double rainbow. It stretched across the entire freeway. We had a hot muggy day (not the norm for So Cal). It was about 6:30 and I was headed east on the 91 at the 71. It looked so weird; I took my sunglasses off and it was really bright, almost glowing, but the sky was covered in clouds and then it rained for a few minutes.

Disclaimer: For those of you who don’t know the 91, it is ALWAYS bumper-to-bumper, so taking these pics while at a dead stop was not a problem! LOL

Vintage Masquerade Class at Mystic Paper

2010-09-27T20:57:00.001-07:00

I'll be headed to Arizona at the end of October to teach La Maison Rocco
Masquerade. This project is perfect for display and will definitely be
an inspiration for the season’s upcoming masquerade events. Vintage European masquerade balls are the theme for this mixed media project.

We will create a 6x6 mini book housed in its own box with a coordinating hand mask.

Opulent fabrics & trims, vintage beads and extravagant feathers all in rich
colors are just some of the elements used to create this project. You’ll learn
lots of techniques using some of my favorite products including Glimmer Mist,
Distress Ink, embossing powder, vintage glass glitter and even some jewelry
making. Each kit will also include an exclusive, hand-made mini masquerade
charm.

This will be an all day class held at Mystic Paper in Mesa, AZ on Saturday,
October 30. You can sign up by calling the store at 480-834-0286 to reserve your
spot. Hope you to see you there.

A Charming Heart Swap – Spoiler Alert!

2010-09-07T14:54:00.001-07:00

The FabUlous Gypsy Mermaid, Sarah, is hosting a swap where we are to make a customized hanging heart and 15 charms. The heart is for an unnamed partner; we were only given their answers to a short questionnaire. So, here’s what’s on it’s way to Louisiana tomorrow. I’m pretty sure I got all of this girl’s likes incorporated onto this little pillow. The body of the doll is a chandelier crystal, although its a little hard to see.

Since the front of the heart was seriously overloaded with goodies, I thought the back should be simple. I decided to make the charms neutral and ya just gotta have some bling go’in on!

Can’t wait to see if my mystery partner likes her heart and what Ms. Sarah has done to combine the charms and hearts. Thanks, girl, for a FabUlous swap!

Rosette Swap Reveal

2010-08-28T19:29:00.001-07:00

WOW! I was absolutely wowed when I received my rosette package from my secret partner, Lisa. This was her first swap and let me tell you, anyone would be overjoyed to have her as a swap partner. She went WAY above and beyond a simple rosette. From the box with the beautiful rose to the tons of various rosettes, vintage trims, book pages, buttons and even chandelier crystals she sent, they are all absolutely FabUlous!

Thanks Lisa for such a beautiful gift.

This is the rosette I sent to my partner Jenny. It turns out that we knew each other from a scrapbook kit club we both belonged to a few years ago – how cool is that!

The rosette pin is quite large; about 8 inches. I started by making the trio of rosettes out of chiffon, added some coordinating beads for the centers and then finished it with a ruffle all the way around. I though it would be good for a bag or if you’re like me (go BIG or go home), for a jacket lapel.

Thanks Jill for hosting a FabUlous swap!

Bloggerettes meet at the Mall

2010-08-28T18:49:00.001-07:00

When I joined the Bloggerette Sorority I had no idea the creator, Karen, from Some Days are Diamonds, was practically one of my neighbors! We’ve been emailing for a while when we realized we were just a few minutes apart. Then the brainstorming began and we made a date to meet for lunch at an outdoor mall, Victoria Gardens.

Today was the day and we talked for almost 3 hours! We have so much in common and know so many of the same people. What an amazing world we live in where we can talk to & meet people from all over the world only to find someone who lives only a few minutes away. We almost forgot to get a picture when we were outside of California Pizza Kitchen (aka “CPK”) when we snagged a guy to snap the shot. Remember this was a “guy” and he didn’t think about the shadow on my forehead. It’s already the size of Texas, so what’s a few shade marks when you’re with a new found friend. So FabUlous to meet you, Karen and we will definitely be doing lots of things together in the future!

Petite Bead Box Swap Reveal

2010-08-11T21:42:00.001-07:00

Here they are in all their glory . . .

To Cassandra/From Cassandra

To Thespa/From Thespa

To JoAnne/From JoAnne

Thanks so much ladies, I had a blast!

A Sparkling Give Away

2010-08-08T21:35:00.001-07:00

Karen from Some Days are Diamonds is having a give away on August 15!

Click on the button to check out the details for your chance(s) to win. Good luck!

Post #5 Rosette Swap!

2010-07-23T21:34:00.001-07:00

As a continuation of French Cupboard's Rosette Blog Party, Jill, from Gypsy Brocante, is hosting a rosette swap, how FabUlous is that!

Click on the button above to get all the details and join in.

Post #4 – More Birthday Bling!

2010-07-22T19:51:00.001-07:00

My pal Jodie posted last week about a huge bling score she made at a local yard sale and as I read it with great jealously, I realized she had a few hints in it and she was sending some of it to ME for my birthday! Anyone who receives anything from Jodie is in for some true FabUlousness! This is what I found waiting at my door Saturday night . . .

And the goodies inside, beyond FabUlous! Thank you so much Miss Jodie for my birthday bling and vintage lace – I Love it! Think I might be wearing those hoops as is! I said it before and I’ll say it again, I LOVE me some Jodie!

And, did you notice that I’ve started using the watermark feature in Windows Live Writer? You can find Jodie’s tutorial here.

Post #3 – I WON!

2010-07-21T23:01:00.001-07:00

In honor of Karen Valentine’s feature on the new site Blog Guidebook, she hosted a give away for a set of custom sidebar tags. I thought the winner had already been chosen, but when I stopped by her site, there it was . . . I won! I’ve been thinking about a new design and feel for my blog and now is the perfect opportunity to work with an expert! Please stop by Karen’s site for your blog design needs. You’ll find lots of samples of her work as well as free tips & tricks.

Thanks so much Karen, I can’t wait to get started!

Post #2 – Dinner, Drinks & a Tiara!

2010-07-20T21:18:00.001-07:00

My Texas gal pal, Charlene was in town for Kim Caldwell’s Artistic Affaire Les Sirenes event last week. I wasn’t able to attend, but I made sure I was able to scoop up her up and have a very long dinner so we could catch up. We met last February at Art & Communion in Dallas and we instantly hit it off. It felt so good to give her a big HUG. And if you know Charlene, you know that here signature always says HUGS!

She is such a doll and brought me the most FabUlous birthday gifts. How cute is this Lolita glass; it has the “Wild Thing” cocktail recipe on the bottom of the glass!

Then she made me this adorable fairy princess box that barely made it through airport security. I totally lost my mind when I saw the FabUlous vintage tiara inside! This was one of her purchases at Paper Cowgirls; think I might need to go next year!

Ok, I’ll admit it . . . I did try it on when I got home and it fits perfectly, of course! Can’t wait til we meet next March at Round Top. Love ya, girlfriend!

Post-a-Day this Week - #1 Twisted Sistah Workshop

2010-07-19T22:52:00.001-07:00

I have so many things to share that I thought I’d do a post-a-day this week. I want to give each event it’s proper attention.

First up . . . I attended Diana Frey’s Twisted Sistah 2-day workshop held in her amazing home studio in San Luis Obispo on July 10 & 11 with my BFF Lia. This was a serious jewelry making workshop and we came away we so much knowledge and inspiration. It’s hard to put into words, so I’ll tell you what my gal pal Charlene says about Diana . . . “Once you’ve attend one of her classes, you’re addicted!” Everywhere you looked in Diana’s studio there was something to catch your eye. We ooood and awwwwd over everything. Of course, I was only there for about 2 minutes before a huge tray of vintage rhinestone bling magnetically drew me right to it! LOL We learned how to make our own brass freeform necklace base, brass and sterling chain links & headpins, soldered using a butane torch and worked with resin. Everyone came with their own theme and color choice in mind. Some pieces were petite and delicate and then there’s my baby . . . I am in LOVE! How freak’in FabUlous is this!

I wasn’t planning to use the resin bezel piece but when I saw the picture of the redhead Diana had in the group of images she set out for us, I had to go for it and then I just happen to have my entire stash of bling with me to finish her off.

We had such a great group of talented ladies . . . (back row left to right: Lia, Carla, Julie, Susan, Diana and Mari then me & Carrie in front). Sorry I didn’t get everyone’s blogs.

I will definitely be taking more of Diana’s classes cuz I’m addicted too!

FabUlously Late!

2010-07-08T12:04:00.001-07:00

Yes, I’m late but you can still sign up for the Bloggerette Sorority created by Karen of Some Days are Diamonds. And, there’s an upcoming event hosted by Cassandra VanCuren of My Artful Adventures and ya know ya don’t want to miss out on that!

Click on the pic to get all the details.

I’m in a FabUlous Soldering Mood!

2010-07-04T17:11:00.001-07:00

I spent my birthday at Terri Brush’s solder class last Sunday and actually left with 2 finished pieces! Ok, ya know I had to “tweek” them when I got home and then had to find just the right vignette for the photo shoot. But then we all do that, right?

First up, the FabUlous Fairy Box. It’s a six-sided box with a mirror bottom. Now that I know how to create one, there will definitely be more in various sizes added to the collection.

Next, we made this adorable double-sided house complete with roof. We started out with a paper collage (I tinted mine with Vintage Photo Distress Ink) and then added some bling cuz ya just gotta. Sorry about the glare, but I think it helps show the bevel in the glass; these pieced are really thick. The roof and base are double-sided slides with coordinating paper and are soldered to the house.

Everyone received this cute little charm in their class kit. And then Terri gave me the chandelier crystal necklace as a birthday gift!

There was some major focus going on, so I didn’t get any class photos but you can check out Cheryl’s blog for more.

Next up, a soldered jewelry class with Diana Frey; can’t wait!

My Secret is out!

2010-06-19T20:44:00.001-07:00

Today is Where Bloggers Create II day and my pal Jodie has shammed me into posting something!

So here’s my story . . . This morning I spent 5 hours, yes I said FIVE hours at the mechanic’s getting new brakes & an oil change on my beloved car (last years’ bday gift from DH). Some how I think this will be this years gift! LOL Anyway, I had the brilliant idea to bring my laptop with me in the hope that I would be able to jump on a free wifi connection in the area and I scored! I spent the entire time enjoying the amazing creative spaces of bloggers from all over the world and I only made it through the C’s! I am inspired beyond imagination to put together some sort of space. You see my secret is that I have the help of Victoria, Victoria’s Secret that it is, in my “pile of a mess of a creative space.” Do you see her peeking out in the picture below?

I like small handle bags to keep projects in; not exactly sure what it is about them, but they really work for me. I don’t have a craft space and my kitchen table is under all of that somewhere. It’s glass so it sort of disappears anyway, right? I am now on a mission and I WILL have something FabUlous to post next year. Huge thanks to Karen Valentine for hosting this party for all of us to inspire one another. The separate blog will be up for the entire year so you have plenty of time to visit all of these amazing places.

Petite Bead Box Swap

2010-06-08T22:04:00.001-07:00

Cassandra VanCuren is hosting this FabUlous swap and I’m so in! Won’t you join me. Click on the picture above for all the details.

A FabUlous class . . .

2010-06-03T20:01:00.001-07:00

And it’s on my birthday; what could be better! I just found out that some of my girlfriends are already signed up, so I’m in too!

Click here to register!

AND, if you post the link above, Terry will give you $20 off one of her classes!

ART SAVES . . .

2010-05-25T23:04:00.001-07:00

Is Jenny Doh’s montra for her new venture, Crescendoh. What a wonderful and oh so true statement. I attended Jenny’s launch party last Friday night with about 200 of her fans, followers and partners in art. We were greeted at the door with a complimentary glass of wine and these cool name tags.

Once inside, this incredible art quilt was on display complete with Sharpies for everyone to add their own thoughts and well wishes.

The venue was staged in a lounge vibe with sofas, cocktail tables, handmade centerpieces (of course) and mood lighting. The tunes were spun by one of my friends, the FabUlous DJ Wanda.

There was a yummy buffet, make ‘n takes and speeches by Jenny, Suzi Blu and Melody Ross

Then the viewing of this truly inspirational video . . .

The event was just oozing with creativity. Take a look at how Crescendoh design team member, Tracy Schultz, used one of their canvas panels on a corset – simply FabUlous!

Of course, there were photo opps; here I am with Melody Ross & my BFF, Lia.

At the end of the evening we were all presented with a goodie bag filled with lots of really cool products courtesy of the event sponsors. Thanks Jenny for your inspiration and true devotion to ART.

A Tropical Charm Swap at the Island

2010-05-04T21:09:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago some of the local scrapbook girls gathered at Jackie’s beautiful home, better know as Hyland’s Island, for a tropical-themed charm swap. We had great friends, yummy cocktails & food, FabUlous charms and even a few party crashers (the girls in the front of the pic are neighbors who heard a party going on and came on over!).

We started with a twist on the traditional white elephant gift and made one FabUlous charm that was plain-wrapped and set at the base of our Fire Goddess mascot.

We proceeded to “steal” charms from one another until the last charm was opened. Then we got down to some serious bracelet-making. Take a look at this cool bracelet holder . . .

Since we had a small group, a lot of ladies made more than one charm so our bracelets were really full when we finished. We also got a sweet surprise from Karen, owner of Scrapbook Oasis. She dropped by and presented each of us with a cute gift bag containing 4 more charms! Here’s some of the the finished masterpieces . . .

Before the night was over, there was talk of another swap. Can’t wait!

Hey Ya’ll!

2010-04-06T21:31:00.001-07:00

March just flew by and so did I! I spent the first couple of weeks getting ready for a trip to New Orleans for a very special birthday celebration. A dear family friend and the closest person I have to my mom, celebrated her 39th birthday on March 19. We have an agreement, I’m 36 & she’s 39 ALWAYS!! So I headed to New Orleans for an entire week of FabUlousness. She lives every day to the fullest and I can only hope that I am as FabUlous as she is when I reach her age. I’ve been to New Orleans many times as my mom was born there, but never by myself. I went prepared with Yahoo maps & directions for all of the important points of interest.

So after waiting for what seemed like forever for my bright blue Toyota Matrix with Colorado license plates rental car, I was off on the I10 with my trusty maps in hand only to find that my exit was closed! WHAT??? It’s late & dark and I have no idea where I am other than I’m NOT on the right offramp! I was on the Causeway? WHAT?? So after driving back and forth on that for about half an hour I decided to stop & ask for directions at a gas station convenience store. At least the girls behind the counter were honest and told me they really didn’t know where I was trying to go. I did call my friend, but since I didn’t know where I was, she couldn’t help me! Ahhhhhhhh! So I got back in my Matrix and drove past the on ramp that had a police car with flashing lights parked right at the entrance. As I drove by, I could have sworn I saw cars getting on. Hmmm, I’m gonna turn around AGAIN and see if I can get back on the I10 and there ya have it; I got on and my exit was the very next one and was at my friend’s house in about 5 minutes. In the light of day, I saw that I was seriously down the street from her house the whole time!

We did a lot of “running around” as she doesn’t venture too far from home and of course, you can’t go to New Orleans without eating and boy, did we eat! I had the muffuletta I’d been craving forever; actually I had two while I was there! Click here for more info on this amazing sandwich.

We ate at Acme Oyster House which has been in business since 1910 twice, and we ate at Shogun, a sushi/tepan grill restaurant where we had a crawfish roll – how cool is that!

We went down in the French Quarter on St. Patrick’s Day in the afternoon so it wasn’t too crazy. She lives about 15 minutes from the Quarter, but hadn’t been there in years. If you’ve never been, it’s a lot of narrow, one-way streets some of which are blocked off so you can’t drive down them at all. The entire area is off of Canal Street and looks a bit like a movie set when you’re approaching it. They were actually filming an episode for a cable TV show on one of the streets – pretty cool! I scored a great parking spot by the French Market and with a little help from a local (driving a Hummer), was able to figure out the new fangled parking meters they’ve installed. Seemed sort of odd for these digital machines to be installed in such a historic area, but the city needs all the help it can get. We had a great time walking around. Most of the souvenir stores were decorated for the holiday but the real treat was all of the chandeliers – OMG!

And we found the most amazing store called Rendezvous in Jackson Square (bummer, no website). Take a look a their chandelier and all of FabUlous goodies in the cases . . .

On March 19, we drove to Biloxi, Mississippi to the Beau Rivage Casino. It’s part of the MGM/Mirage group and is very much like a Vegas casino. It was only an hour and a half way, so it was like driving to work for me! LOL It’s located right on the Mississippi coast and there were still quite a few empty lots along the coast left from Katrina’s wrath. We ate at the buffet where it was seafood night and then we had tickets to see Hair Spray; what a great show. After the show, we decided to go wild and play some slot machines. Here’s the big birthday winner herself; Miss Leah . . .

Yup, she won a whole dollar on this Kitty Glitter penny machine! And here we are, the two 30 something girls! She’s just the cutest thing; I love her to pieces!

My next adventure was to Grand Coteau, to meet up with a new friend I met at Silver Bella last year, Jodie. When I told her I was coming to New Orleans, she told me about the famous 7 mile yard sale in Grand Coteau and I knew I had to go. So, I headed out in the Matrix with Yahoo maps in hand at 6am on Saturday morning. This place is past Baton Rouge AND Layfayette and many, many miles of bridge over swamps - yikes!!!

If you read Jodie’s post, then you already know that the sale was a bust, but the day was the best. Jodie met me at a truck stop where I parked the Matrix and got in a real car, Jodie’s Suburban! LOL She had a few friends with her, Sandi and Sarah. She made each of us one of these FabUlous goddie bags (d0 you recognize the chenille? It’s from another one of her comforter purchases!) and she did actually find me a few things before I met up with them. The shoes are just for the rhinestones; not to wear. LOL

I wanted to bring her a little something from California and didn’t want it to be too “touristy” so what better than some sand from Orange County in a tiny vile with a few beads & a little bling. Jodie is a FabUlous photographer & got a much better pic than me so I’m lifting this one and the ones of her & Sarah; thx Jodie!

Me and Jodie Me & Sarah

We went to Jodie’s secret place for vintage velvet ribbon. It was like walking into a time warp; like a Woolworth or Newberry’s. They only take cash and the register is a crank-type – so cool!

Then we went to Rayne, the frog capital of the world, for lunch at Chef Roy’s Frog City Cafe. No, I did not have frog legs, but the Cajun shrimp was FabUlous! They have this huge metal frog statue as you go down the main road off the highway. Sorry the pic is fuzzy, it’s from the Internet cuz I didn’t get one of my own.

And of course, we made a visit to the local Hobby Lobby and ya know I had coupons ready to go! And why don’t we have them in So Cal???

On my last day in the Big Easy, unbeknownst to me, they were having a parade on the main street where I need to get on the I10; what is it with that I10?? Geeze! So, I had to change my route to get on and lucky for me, I’d been on that main street so many times, I knew my way around and made it the rental drop to return the Matrix while eating my last muffuletta. She did her job, got me all over Louisiana & Mississippi with Colorado plates and no tickets!

It’s good to be home ya’ll!

Oh and P.S. . . This post was published using Windows Live Writer. Check out Jodie’s how-to post here.

I have been Gilded!

2010-02-14T17:36:00.000-08:00

My weekend in Dallas was heavenly FabUlous! When I said this was going to be THE event that I attend in 2010, I wasn’t kidding.

On Friday, our FabUlous friend Heather picked up Cheryl and me at DFW and we were off for a Texas style mexican lunch and then on to Red Shed Antiques in Grapevine where we were greeted with a big Texas welcome.

Last stop for the evening was Hotel Palomar where we had a pre-event dinner at Central 214. The food was amazing and chef Bylthe Beck of Naughty Kitchen fame came out to visit with us. She is such a hoot and even posed with us.

Now, imagine 2 entire days, each one with an amazing project where new techniques were learned and talent & inspiration enveloped you the moment you were welcomed into the former church, now home of A Gilded Life.

Saturday started with lovely fresh fruit, muffins, coffee cake, made to order mocha coffee and mimosas for all. Before the first project we were presented with a beautiful heart necklace from Debbie and Shea. Everyone also received a goodie bag from event sponsor Where Women Create filled with FabUlous things from, Beacon Adhesives, Excel craft knives & DMC floss just to name a few. Each place setting at the work table, which accommodates about 20, was set for a day of jewelry making taught by the FabUlous Lonnie & Natalie. I will never look at soldering the same way – so cool!

They had the bar set up with extra chain & tools for our use as well as some of their one-of-a-kind pieces for inspiration. We also had a FabUlous soldering station where we leaned some really cool, or should I say "hot" techniques.

Before lunch we took a break to do our swaps. Mine was a one-on-one called Cupid’s Toy Box. We were given a completed questionnaire from another participant and were to fill a box of goodies for them that they would enjoy and would provide inspiration. My Cupid was Marie Jenkins and what a sweetheart she is. Take a look at the goodies inside.

I was Heather’s Cupid and this is my box to her. I was very pleased with the way it turned out and she loved it too.

We had a light lunch and then more jewelry making. Class was paused for a break so that prizes could be given out. The first was this one-of-a-kind necklace made by a collaboration of Debbie, Shea, Lonnie & Natalie and I WON it. Sorry, just a tad excited about that!

The jewelry making continued and here are my completed neckalces . . .

Dinner was from Macaroni Grill with dessert provided by one of the attendees, Shannon. Did I mention how FabUlous this entire event was – and this is just the first day!

Day two started with a lovely brunch and the selection of our lampshade frame and fabric color. This class was taught by Debbie & Shea and is such a FabUlous idea. I will never look at lampshades the same either! LOL The bar was set up buffet-style with tons of lovelies like vintage chandelier crystals, and glass glitter to add to our creations.

We took a break for a make-your-own taco bar lunch and then more prizes were handed out. Everyone had received something by the end of the event. Each one of us completed an amazing creation just as unique as it’s creater. I was determined to get mine home on the plan even if it meant I’d have to wear it as a hat! Luckily, I was able to squeeze her under the seat & she made it home with all lights in tact – phew! Here she is after adding some FabUlousness from my stash.

The event came to a close with a tour of this heavenly 16,000 (yes thousand) s.f. home. Debbie and Shea (and Robert, Shea’s husband) opened their home and their hearts to us all and I will never forget the wonderful time we had. I saw old friends, made new ones and look forward to attending many more of their events. My HeART is truly full.

Me & my roomie, Cheryl and me & my new friend Charlene.

HeART & Communion

2010-01-12T21:46:00.000-08:00

This is going to be THE event that I attend in 2010! I met Debbbie and Shea of What Happens Next, a mother-daughter team at Silver Bella last year and if you read my recap post of that event, you saw a ton of amazing projects that they inspired. I am beyond excited to experience their FabUlouness first hand. RUN over to their blog and check it out!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T13:23:00.000-08:00

Here's to a FabUlous new year filled with health, happiness, good friends and lots of glitter!

2009-12-23T23:58:00.000-08:00

Hope you have a wonderful holiday with family and friends.

Fabulously Charming!

2009-12-05T22:17:00.001-08:00

Last night I hosted a charm swap at Scrapbook Oasis. We had 20 participants and every charm was a work of art. I just love seeing everyone's different charm ideas in mass. Our colors were red, pink and turquoise. Everyone came ready to receive their charm bags from my dressform tree and make a few extra charms of their own to make their bracelet unique to themseleves. We had sweet treats and felt mats and beads sponsored by the store.

Thanks to everyone for a great kick off to the holiday season.

Tis the Season . . .

2009-12-01T22:50:00.000-08:00

Well, my Santa Baby came through 6 months early this year with a new car for my birthday, so I can truly say there isn't a thing I need or want. I'm so looking forward to enjoying the sites and sounds of the holiday season with my family and friends. Hope you have a FabUlous holiday season as well.

Gobble Gobble

2009-11-25T22:01:00.000-08:00

Hope you have a FabUlous holiday with family and friends.

I am in AWE! (Silver Bella part 2)

2009-11-23T14:29:00.000-08:00

After the opening dinner, the much anticipated swaps began and there were 32 of them! It was like Christmas. I tried to see as many as possible, but it was pretty much a zoo. First were the group swaps and then very late in the evening were the one-on-one swaps and we stayed up for all of them. I particpated in the Holiday Fabric Fat Book hosted by the FabUlous Michelle Geller. Here's the finished masterpiece and my page . . .

There were receipe book swaps, embroidery swaps, apron swaps and crown swaps just to mention a few. The ooo's and ahh's, smiles and tears of joy continued for hours. There just aren't enough words to express the talent of these amazing women.

We also gave out hostess & roommate gifts as well. I made personalized gifts for my peeps by starting with a pearl initial and created a charm dangle with a Tim Holtz fragment with each girls' blog banner and coordinating beads. Michelle took a much better photo of hers . . .

Friday started 2 full days of classes and my favorite was Rebecca Sower's cigar box. I brought my own photos to use as a tribute to my mom & grandmother. It's still a work in progress, but here's a close up of the photo collage. . .

Friday night was vendor night and night of 100 aprons. So many yummy things to choose from.

I think eveyone had on an apron of some type, but not me . . . Honey, I don't do aprons! So, I made myself a hostess skirt in true Lucy fashion! It ties in the front with a big double black satin bow and I added a huge vintage rhinestone buckle I found at the Brass Armadillo - perfect!

More classes on Saturday and a closing lunch where Jo Packman of Where Women Create gave a truly touching and motivating speech. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. She also made eveyone a bookmark that was wrapped and waiting for us at each table setting.

I met so many wonderful women . . .

Michelle, Cheryl & Me

Karla

Mendy from Texas

Take a good look at that "mum corsage" she's wearing; it was incredible! The Texas Bellas did a pre-bella swap and wore them for all of us to see. I so want that one, Mendy! Think I'm going to have to make my own cuz I don't she's gonna give hers up!

Chantal and her mom, Maryse - such lovely women

Lastly, here's a pic of some of my Silver Bella goodies. Can't wait til next year!

I am in AWE! (Silver Bella part 1)

2009-11-15T21:07:00.000-08:00

Silver Bella women are beyond amazing! I was agasp with utter and complete awe the entire event. I have so much to share; where to start . . .

Here are the So. Cal girls arriving in Omaha, ready to hit the ground glittering.

Kim, Valerie, Joy, me, Gina (bending over) Rebecca, Cheryl & Jenny. Maija (our AZ girl) forgot her camera but got this great shot with her iPhone.

We checked into the hotel and headed out for a FabUlous dinner at Upstream. Ok, can I just say, Omaha rocks! It didn't matter where we ate, at the event, sit down restaurants or fast food, ALL the food was delicious! These people know how to eat!

We had all planned to come in a day early and do some shopping on our own and then the FabUlous Scrappy Jessi offered a day-long bus trip for 60 of us and ya know we were all on that bus, baby! The first stop was Brass Armadillo, a huge antique mall where I found a few baubles & struck a Scrappy Jessi pose.

Next stop was St. Peffer's Italian restaurant where we had the whole place to ourselves for a delicious buffet lunch. Before chowing down, Tiffany took this great photo.

But, we didn't linger over lunch because Hobby Lobby was just across the parking lot and for those of us who don't have one in our state, we were on a mission.

Next stop, Archiever's (another store the So Cal/AZ girls don't have; whatz up w/that?). I had a list from 2 of my BFF's who were not attending Silver Bella and was able to get it all, baby!

Jessi thought of everything. She was our official tour guide, gave each of us a prize, a goodie bag with store coupons, copies of the current sales, snacks, a bottle of water and most importantly shipping tags to ID our purchases at each stop and when all was said and done, the overhead AND under storage on the bus was packed!

We made it back to the hotel in time to freshen up and find a table at the opening dinner. I had the best roomies, Cheryl and Rebecca.

There's still so much more to share. I don't want to leave anything out, so I'll post more soon.

Is it November already?

2009-11-04T09:50:00.000-08:00

Yikes! Where has the time gone? I've been jammed with classes, projects and swaps and now I'm headed to Silver Bella next week. Good thing bags fly free on Southwest cuz if this is what I look like on the way there, who knows if you'll even be able to find me on the way home!

I think I have everything packed but I'll be double checking this weekend. As a first timer, I only signed up for one swap knowing that it had to be over the top FabUlous and I'm must say I'm quite proud of myself. Its called a "Holiday Fat Book" and it's made up of 6x6 double-sided decorated fabric pages. I can't wait to see all the beautiful glitz and glittered creations that Silver Bellas are known for. I'll be sure to post pictures when I get back.

Vintage Masquerade Revealed

2009-10-03T10:48:00.001-07:00

Vintage European masquerade balls are the theme for this mixed media project. We will create a 6x6 mini book housed in its own box with a coordinating hand mask. This is a project that’s perfect for display and will definitely be an inspiration for the season’s upcoming masquerade events.

Opulent fabrics & trims, vintage beads and extravagant feathers all in rich colors are just some of the elements used to create this project. You’ll learn lots of techniques using some of my favorite products including Glimmer Mist, Distress Ink, embossing powder, vintage glass glitter and even some jewelry making. Each kit will also include an exclusive, hand-made mini masquerade charm.

This class will be held at Scrapbook Oasis on Friday, October 16 from 7 to 11 pm. You can sign up on line here or by calling the store at 949-756-2729 to reserve your spot. Hope you can make it.

Mystery and Intrigue

2009-09-22T21:05:00.000-07:00

Le Maison Rocco Masquerade is coming to Scrapbook Oasis in October! Here's a glimpse . . .

Details will be revealed soon.

Catching Up . . . .

2009-09-20T10:18:00.000-07:00

Wow, where did the week go? I had such a great time at Mystic Paper's event.

We distress, glittered and Glimmer Misted our hearts out. Thanks to all the ladies who attended my class. I hope we can do it again when it's a tad cooler. And FabUlous news . . . I have a few kits left! If you'd like to purchase one, just shoot me an email and I'll hook you up.

Following my class in the same room was Mike Putnam's class, The Dark Side of Youth. So I just cleaned up the space and switched gears from instructor to student. What a cool class! I was so excited to be able to take one of Mike's classes, he's so talented. Here's my (unfinished) version . . .

I also have another class announcement coming soon, so please keep checking back.

Vintage Shore class date has changed!

2009-08-23T19:59:00.000-07:00

Kim and Jennifer at Mystic Paper have asked me to move the date of my Vintage Shore class to be part of their Five Year Anniversary Celebration; another FabUlous honor for me! The new details are Saturday, Sept.12 from 2:30 to 6pm. You can check out all the event details here. It's going to be a great event and I'm so excited to be a part of it.

Over the Moon Excited!

2009-08-04T23:36:00.000-07:00

I'm over the moon excited to announce that the latest class in my vintage series, Vintage Shore, will be held at Mystic Paper in Mesa, AZ on Saturday, August 29 from 10:30 to 2:30.

This will be my first time teaching at Mystic Paper and what an honor it is to have been asked by Jennifer & Kim. I’m so looking forward to meeting all you AZ ladies.

We will turn a 7 Gypsies 5x7 naked album into a one-of-a-kind project in muted tones of the sea with an eclectic collection of papers, rich fabrics, pearls, beads & shells.

You’ll learn lots of techniques using some of my favorite products including Glimmer Mist, Distress inks, embossing powders and glitter. We’ll also be doing a little ribbon embroidery and even some jewelry making. Each kit will also include an exclusive hand-crocheted vintage seahorse charm. Vintage images will be provided or you can use your own.

The class is already posted here and the sample will be at the store by the end of next week. Seats will be limited, so please sign up early if you plan on being in the neighborhood. Class will be held on CE weekend, so if you're on one of the bus tours, you'll also have a chance to see it in person. And if you've never been to Mystic Paper, you're in for a FabUlous treat!

Twenty Two Years!

2009-07-21T22:32:00.001-07:00

This weekend we celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary. Of course, I was a child bride . . .

July 18, 1987

July 18, 2009

Vintage Shore

2009-07-14T20:53:00.000-07:00

The next in my series of vintage mini books is coming soon. Here a cool peek . . .

Keep checking back for date and location.

The Best Birthday EVER!

2009-06-28T13:18:00.000-07:00

All I can say is . . .

Yesterday was actually my birthday, but it stated out with this adorable card from my second mom in New Orleans on Thursday along with a box of cute treasures that she always sends me. This was just a peek at what was to come.

Then on Friday I got a nice card and home-make chocolate cupcakes at the office. DH had come home late Thursday night and the dinner plan when he's home is usually sushi. He called me around 7 Friday night & told me he had car problems yet again during the day & the mechanic had dropped him off at our local sushi bar. So I headed up to meet him, eat & enjoy the company of friends. When we were done, one of the chef's told me he had gotten me a pair of shoes for my birthday & they were in his truck parked in the back. They all know how I love shoes and while I thought it was sort of odd, I followed him out the back door. After all, there was a pair of shoes involved! He was leading me to this little beat up truck so I just went along. Then he made a quick left and this is what was parked just a few spaces away!

OMG! START THE CAR!! DH had the whole thing planned and while I was hoping for a new car, I kept telling myself he took me to Paris last year and that was worth a million gifts. I truly don't need a thing except a new car and he came through. We had done some shopping and test driving a few months ago so he had my list of pre-approved requirements if I did get one. I'm just a tad difficult to buy for; ya think! LOL He was just as excited to buy it and he was to give it to me. What a guy, I love you Baby!

By the way, his car is just fine!

What a FabUlous gift!

2009-06-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

Take a look at these babies! I rceived these today from my friend Yeissen. She's just the sweetest. She told me she was inspired by one of the techniques she learned in my Vintage Vanity class. They even come with a large glue dot on the back so they're ready to add to that special project. And, guess what? She has them for sale in her Etsy shop. Please stop by & take a look at all the FabUlous embellies she's created for you.

Vintage Vanity Class Photos

2009-05-29T23:01:00.000-07:00

Sumptuous textures, colors and brownie bites . . . just doesn't get any better!

Thanks again for joining me and I look forward to sharing my next project in the Vintage series coming in July.

The Feathers were flying!

2009-05-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, they were definitely flying along with the glitter Friday night at Scrapbook Oasis! I'm still finding them all over the place! We had a great time creating our wild and fluffy Vintage Vanity mini books. Thanks to everyone who attended; I'll post pictures soon.

And, great news . . . I have a couple of extra kits this time, so if you're interested please drop me an email.

Vintage Vanity Update!

2009-05-09T09:11:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that class will start at 7pm, not 6 as stated in my last post. We will get the extra hour, but it'll be on the back end. The sample is at the store and it's a must see. The pictures just don't do it justice. It's really a touchy feely project that I know you'll love.

Gotta get to kitting all this FabUlousness!

Vintage Vanity will be posted today!

2009-05-05T12:52:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to share this FabUlous mini book with everyone.

The class will be at Scrapbook Oasis on Friday, May 15. We'll start at 6pm this time, so we have more time to play. We will work with sumptuous plumes, elaborate fabrics and wild papers. Each kit will also include an exclusive hand-made vintage mini powder puff charm. Seats are limited, so please sign up by calling the store at 949-756-2729. Hope to see you there!

Happy National Scrapbook Day!

2009-05-02T11:59:00.000-07:00

Reflections was such a great way to celebrate NDS! I had a great time meeting new friends and seeing lots of familiar faces and as well. As promised, there's a link on my sidebar to the instructions for my Make 'N Take. You can also double click on the photo in my last post to view a large detailed image of the project. If you have any questions or need any further help, just drop me an email.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and gets lots of scrapp'in done.

Reflections Isle Carnival!

2009-04-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

I'll be teaching this beachy Make 'N Take at the Reflections Isle Carnival this Friday night which is being held at the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach . . .

And it's now open to the public! Here's all the details . . .

"This is your special opportunity to join us for Reflections Isle Carnival for only $25.00! This means you will be able to get a little taste of all the fun taking place at Reflections 2009.

On Friday, May 1 there is a party within a party planned! Our Isle Carnival will be a fun filled evening brimming over with special Vendors, desserts and tons of Make 'N Takes, all taking place at the same time! It has all the components of a fantastic evening. It's an evening of fun and then more fun! During the Isle Carnival there will be a Vendor Fair and Make N Takes happening with over 12 stations. You will be able to stroll from the Vendor Fair to the Make N Takes and vise versa the whole evening while enjoying a delicious dessert bar! "

Hope to see you there!

Vintage Vanity Peek-a-Boo

2009-04-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

It's coming along quite FabUlously!

The second in my "Vintage" series of classes, Vintage Vanity, will be held on May 15 at Scrapbook Oasis. You won't be able to sign up until it's announced on their blog, but keep checking and please sign up early as seats will again be limited. Hope you can make it.

I'm a Bella!

2009-04-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

That's right, I signed up for Silver Bella and I'm so excited. This will be my first time & I'll be rooming with two of my new scrap friends, Cheryl & Rebecca. I can hardly wait until November!

The Test Drive

2009-04-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

This was taken last April in Paris and ever since I've thought the Smart Car is just the cutest thing ever! Yesterday I finally test drove one and it's still the cutest thing ever, but not the FabUlousness I need in my new ride. There was room for the two of us and my over-sized purse and that's it! It was like the Autopia at Disneyland and we were laughing the entire time! I have my eye on something else and am keeping "everything" crossed that it could possibly be mine in the near future.

Just Have to Share!

2009-04-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

So, I'm at TJ Maxx in the checkout line waiting to purchase some FabUlous finds for me & some of my peeps, just minding my own business when this literally jumps off the shelf at me!

If you know me, you know I have to have anything FabUlous and this is so ME. So fun and FabUlous . . . I love it!

What I've been up to

2009-04-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally succumbed to that horrible cold/flu that's going around and it hung on for 2 solid weeks; so glad that's behind me. Now if I (well, my mechanic) can get my car going again, all will be good in my FabUlous world. After quite a lot of $, we thought she was good to go but after only 3 days she decided to come down with yet another issue. I think I see a new car in my not so distant future. LOL

While I was home sick, I managed to get a lot of scrapping done. You just gotta love a hobby that you can still do while sick! First, I finished the sample for the make 'n take I'll be teaching at Reflections on May 1st. Here's a little peek . . .

Then, I moved on to the next in my series of vintage mini-book classes, Vintage Vanity. The sample is coming out FabUlous if I do say so myself! I'll be posting class info and a little tease real soon.

Vintage Glam Class Photos

2009-03-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

Some inspiration plus a little something sweet . . .

Glitter flying everywhere . . .

Distressing everything in sight . . . .

Thanks again for such a great time and I look forward to seeing you at my next class. Sneak peeks & details coming soon.

Did we have a good time or what?

2009-03-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who atttended my class last night. I so enjoyed meeting you and hope to see you at future classes. We started off with a little glitter spill and you know what they say, "if you don't go home with glitter all over you, you didn't have a good time! " I think I'll make it a new tradition like throwing salt over your shoulder for good luck.

As promised, I'll leave completed mini tags at the store on Wednesday night for those who weren't able to make one during class. The class sample will be at the store throughout the week and if you have questions or need help, just send me an email or drop by the store.

I'll post pictures soon.

Vintage Glam is Sold Out!

2009-03-12T21:36:00.000-07:00

I am honored and humbled to say that Vintage Glam is sold out AND waitlisted! I've been busy kitting and can't wait to see everyone tomorrow night.

Vintage Glam has arrived!

2009-02-27T08:51:00.000-08:00

It’s official! I will be teaching this minibook class at Scrapbook Oasis on Friday, March 13.

I am so excited to share this FabUlous book with everyone. It’s packed with tons of Anna Griffin product and you’ll learn lots of distressing techniques. Each kit will also include an exclusive hand-made vintage silk shoe charm. Seats are limited, so please sign up by calling the store at 949-756-2729. Hope to see you there!

Another peek . . .

2009-02-21T00:14:00.001-08:00

I'm dieing to spill the news! There should be an announcement this weekend.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T12:56:00.000-08:00

Just got this beautiful bouquet personally delivered! I love you too, Baby!

It's time for a little sneak peek!

2009-02-11T22:58:00.000-08:00

Details coming soon!

Just a little bling

2009-02-11T22:49:00.000-08:00

Found this yesterday and it had my name all over it!

In Love Vintage Treasure Book

2009-02-09T19:24:00.000-08:00

I attended Lilia Meredith's class on Saturday at Paper Tales in San Diego. She taught us her canvas mini-book which was featured in Stampington's "Sommerset In Love" publication.

I had a great time and met some new friends! Michelle, one of the owners, greeted me like we already knew each other and I had such a great group of girls at our table, Erin, Jenny and Cheryl.

Huge thanks to Cheryl for bringing her sewing machine and doing ALL the sewing for our table & for this picture! Hope to see everyone again soon.

The Navarro's Meet at Scrapbook Oasis

2009-01-31T13:49:00.000-08:00

I had the amazing opportunity to take a class at Scrapbook Oasis this past Monday with the uber-talented Celine Navarro! No, we’re not related and she was quite surprised when I introduced myself. I had a great time, learned some really cool techniques and met people from all over the world who were here to attend CHA and take classes at the local LSS’s.

Where Women Create

2009-01-31T13:12:00.000-08:00

This amazing book has now been made into Where Women Create, a quartlery magazine and I won a copy of the first issue from Virture Radio Network! How cool is that! I had just recently purchased the book and then saw an ad for the upcoming magazine. I went to their website and there was a contest to win a copy, so I thought I'd enter. To my surprise, I got an email notifying me I was one of 3 winners! And when my magazine arrived, I saw that it's autographed by each featured artist in the issue! Can't get any more inspired than that!

This is a must have pulication for every creative woman you know; the February issue is out now!

Playing Catch Up

2009-01-31T09:18:00.000-08:00

Wow, January just flew by! The creative juices have been over flowing and I'm on more than a roll! I spent the 2 weeks between Christmas and New Year's working on scrappy gifts and met all my deadlines. One of them was this mini book; I only did the covers and left the inside to be completed by the receipient. She's a blue girl and she definitely "gets it".

It's a pretty complicated process to achieve this look, but I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

Next, I've been working on a "top secret" project that's been taking up all my free time and I couldn't be happier! I hope to reveal it very soon.

A Year of Color!

2009-01-02T14:42:00.000-08:00

Kari Ramstom (aka Artsy Mama) has started a new private color blog! It's only $12 for year-long access to an amazing group of talented ladies!

Each month of the year will concentrate on a color or palette. Kari and guest designers will be sharing craft tutorials, seasonal decor, holiday and birthday party ideas, photography tips and sharing, journaling prompts, live chats, guest posts and swaps all corresponding with color! What a FabUlous way to start off the new year!

Here's to a FabUlous 2009!

2008-12-31T12:08:00.000-08:00

Award? There's an Award??

2008-12-31T10:59:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much for this FabUlous award Corien!

I would like to pass it on the following FabUlous girls . . .

Caroline
Ingvild

Irene

Ranjini

Jeni

What a FabUlous gift!

2008-12-27T10:02:00.000-08:00

Have you heard? To help celebrate and ring in the new year, Rhonna Farrer is offering "a huge chance to WIN your choice of 209 0f her digital kits or fonts" on her blog - how FabUlous is that! I love Rhonna's work and although I'm a digi newbie, I am so IN! Run right over & check out the details of the drawing & good luck to everyone!

Christmas Kitties!

2008-12-26T14:46:00.000-08:00

Just don't understand why my babies don't like their holiday head gear; my antlers were FabUlous!

Happy Holidays!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2008-12-22T10:17:00.000-08:00

I went to DH's company holiday party this past weekend. It was held at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Sacramento & they had an amazing tree in the lobby that just happen to match my hair!

Although, I must say my outfit was all about the shoes! Aren't these simply FabUlous!

Hope everyone is enjoying the season!

Did someone say Holiday Hideaway?

2008-12-15T13:27:00.000-08:00

My new BFF, Lia, took me along to Tim Holtz's Holiday Hideaway this past weekend in Prescott, Arizona. I tried to travel as light as possible, which for me is not easy. What do ya think?

I "edited" the Night Before Christmas story to include Tim & his products and put each paragraph on a tag.

What a week!

2008-12-07T10:22:00.000-08:00

Wow! So much to share . . . First, I've been trying to loose weight since I got back from Inspiration Unlimited in October and the Gods sang when I got on the scale for the first time in a couple of weeks and I had lost 13 lbs so far! WOO HOO!! Then, I had three (yes, count 'em 3!) good hair days in a row; how FabUlous is that!

I've been working on my 7 Gypsies Rolodex project from Inspiration Unlimited with a goal of this past Friday and I made it! I wanted to finish it just in time to bring to Teresa Collins Holiday Crop at Scrapbook Oasis and here's the unveiling . . .

I had a great time at Teresa's crop Friday night with my new BFF, Lia, got home after midnight & took a look at Tim Holtz's 12 tags of Christmas before calling it a night and I WON a prize from Friday's drawing! OMG! Went back to The Oasis on Saturday afternoon for another Teresa class and I won one of her acrylic album kits! Got up this morning and decided to get on the scale and the God's sang once again to bring my total weight loss to 15 lbs (5 to go)! Don't know what I've done to deserve all of this amazing FabUlouness, but I'll take it!

Hope everyone is having a FabUlous holiday season!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T17:13:00.001-08:00

Just a little turkey humor . . .

Thankful for family, health, happiness and good friends both old & new!

Free Christmas Workshop!

2008-11-11T09:36:00.000-08:00

Have you heard? Bad Girls Kits is having another amazing Christmas Workshop!

Here's what Wendy has planned for all us naughty little elves!

"...Santa brought his entourage to have fun too.... I do believe that would be the uber talented BAD GIRL DESIGNERS....yep...they are going to RAWK you girls with more FREE CLASSES than you will believe...HOW MANY???? Ummmm...what would you say if I told you there is going to be 22 !!!!!!!!!!!!! All of these festivities will begin on NOVEMBER 14th and continue through NOVEMBER 23rd!!!! And it doesn't stop there....we are going to BRING IT with LOTS of PRIZES.....not only BAD GIRLS GIFT CERTIFICATES, but also...lots of JAM PACKED SCRAPPY PACKAGES bursting at the seams!!!!

So....what else do we have for you??? Some very special GUEST DESIGNERS, and they are going to WOW you....GUARANTEED!

We also have lots of CHALLENGES to get you started with a BANG!!! Be forewarned girls...this is NOT a WORKSHOP for the faint at heart...we are going to get your pulse pumping and your heart pitter pattering!!!! Where can you find all this? On our message board - it's free and quick to register if you're not a member already!"

Wendy Rago, owner Bad Girls Kits

The classes were fabUlous last year and with all the added amazing talent here this year, I know we're going to be knocked off our elf shoes (stilettos, of course!). But, we won't miss a step or spill even a drop of the holiday cocktail in our hand because we are just that BAD! See you on the boards!

Trick or Treat!

2008-11-01T22:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween from the sexy pirate and the cool Samurai dude (aka DH) at the local sushi bar!

Two of Hearts

2008-10-12T16:51:00.000-07:00

This is my masterpiece!

The original design is from the uber talented Emma Trout. It's made with Teresa Collins' Bella Girl & Damask lines with Grunge Board hinges. Teresa had posted a photo of Emma's project back in May on her blog and I just knew I had to receate my version. Emma created this for Daily Inspiration, a blog showcasing projects with "how to" instructions. Emma brought her project to Norway to show Teresa in person at Scrap-a-Ganza and Teresa had posted a photo of the two of them with the project. The photo really helped me to get a better idea of the size of the finished project. I totally loved doing this, but it's very detailed and not a "weekend" project. I think I studied the instructions for about a month & then emailed Emma with a few questions before I got started. I brought my version to Inspiration Unlimited last weekend to share with Teresa as well.

Emma's project was called Once Upon a Time and my version is Two of Hearts. It's an old disco song by Stacey Q that I used to have on my answering machine when we were dating and now have as a ring tone when DH is calling. I was able to incorporate the words to the song using the Bella Girl hearts! FabUlous if I do say so myself!