Sleepover!

Did you love sleepovers when you were a little girl? They were my favorite! Last weekend some fun girls in my family drove in for a “Crafty Cousins Slumber Party.”  We went out to eat, chatted, crafted, slept, ate breakfast casserole and cinnamon roll-ups, went to a big craft show (where my lovely daughter-in-law Shannon launched Shantilly!), and ended with lunch out with my dad. We made fabric flower brooches, Christmas cards (thanks Margo!) and earrings (thanks Karen!). If you heard laughter floating through the air Saturday night, now you know why. ♥

Vintage Magnet Board

A year or so ago I had fun making some vintage earring magnets but I’ve given them all away, so it was time for another batch. Simply use pliers to pull the hardware from a clip earring, then superglue a sturdy magnet on the back! Then I had a chance to go to a new-to-me antique store last week, and I found a vintage metal tray to use as a magnetic memo board . . . a perfect match! ♥

P.S. What are the memos, you ask?

• Top Left—A recipe for “Peachy Spread” (to serve on quick breads) from my friend Janice: Mix together 4 ounces of cream cheese, 3 tablespoons of baby food peaches, and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. This will keep in the refrigerator for a few weeks.
• Top Right—“When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” (Proverbs 3:24)
• Bottom Left—A photo for a project I can’t wait to make . . . the ANNY BAG from my bloggy friend of It’s Sew Anny!
• Bottom Right—Adorable Josh . . . our youngest grandson! ♥

To All the Aunties in the World . . .

I’ve had the BEST Mother’s Day weekend! Cute cards! Thoughtful gifts! Phone calls! Dinner! Flowers! A music theater production of my favorite book, Little Women! And most of all, lots of love. As as I think about my mom, mom-in-law, and grandmothers, I fondly remember my sweet aunts, too. You’ve heard about Aunt Vitha, wearer of fun earrings . . . she always had a cookie jar full of Oreos. And my other aunts  . . . what a heartfelt visit I had with them this spring. I cherish every moment with my dear nieces and nephews, and my sister Susan and seven daughters-in-law have the most amazing auntie skills I’ve ever seen. So hats off to you, dear aunts . . . thank you for being our “other” moms. ♥

Trixie Lixie Knicker Kits

Can you BELIEVE that  Pillows A-La-Mode is (*blush*) showing her knickers??? Really I just want to give a shout out to my friend Tracy at Trixie’s Blog who gifted me with the knicker kit shown below in a recent giveaway. The kit includes a pattern in three sizes, fabric, elastic, and a “NICE KNICKERS” label. They take less than an hour to cut and sew, and they’re SUPER cute and comfortable. Then you can use the pattern again and again with your own fat quarters to make more! You can check out the knicker kits at the Trixie Lixie Haberdashery Boutique and find a detailed tutorial here on Trixie’s Blog. Thank you, Tracy! 

P.S. I had enough fabric left over to make two flowers with vintage earring centers! Click here for a supply list and link to the tutorial. ♥

 

D’arc Creations

Today I’d like to feature my blogging friend Giselle of D’arc Creations! I’d long admired this lovely birds-nest necklace, and when I ordered it, Giselle added earrings with matching stones! I was so touched, and I know they’ll make lovely gifts for some lucky girls in my family. Please visit Giselle’s blog here, her Etsy Shop here, and her FB page here from this post or anytime from my Shop Love! page above. Thank you for the lovely shopping experience, Giselle! ♥

Junebug Jewelry Designs

OK, blogging friends . . . don’t be mad at me . . . but I somehow won another amazing giveaway! After much anticipation, this GORGEOUS button ring made by Dawn of Junebug Jewelry Designs arrived in the mail. I absolutely love everything about it! I also love following Dawn’s blog and seeing all her unique, beautiful necklaces and earrings, which she sells in her Etsy Shop called Designs by JuneBug. Please take a moment to click on her links, and you can find easily find Dawn from now on in my Shop Love! page above. THANK YOU for my lovely gift, Dawn! ♥

The Penguin Theory

Claire of The Penguin Theory made these lovely earrings, which will someday become a birthday gift for a lucky girl in my family!

Claire has other jewelry and fun sewn items in her Etsy shop.

I you’ll get a chance to check out her links from this post or anytime from my Shop Love! page above.

• Claire’s blog
• Claire’s FB page
• Claire’s Etsy Shop

Oh, and be sure to click here to read how Claire came up with such a clever name for her blog and shop!

Thank you for my fun purchase and top-notch customer service, Claire! ♥

Clouds N Cups

My newest Shop Love! post is for my blogging friend Wendy of Clouds N Cups.  I ordered these lovely vintage earrings and jeweled bracelet, and Wendy graciously added in the necklace that matches the bracelet because she wasn’t 100% satisfied with how a coupon I had went through (which is now fixed, of course) . . . that’s SO kind of her!  Her creations are even more lovely in person, and she has many more one-of-kind earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and rings in her shop.  Click here for Wendy’s blog, here for her FB page, and here for her web site/shop.  Thank you, Wendy! ♥

Christina Designs Art

My newest Shop Love! post is for my blogging friend Christina of Christina Designs Art. Just look at these gorgeous handmade earrings and the pretty hairpins-with-a-la-mode! These will make such lovely, welcome gifts for some of the sweet girls in my family this year. Click here for Christina’s blog and here for her Etsy shop, where you’ll find many other styles of earrings and beaded hair pins as well as memory wire bracelets and acrylic paintings. Thank you, Christina! ♥

The backdrop is one of my favorite books: MADELEINE L’ENGLE HERSELF: REFLECTIONS ON A WRITING LIFE compiled by Carole F. Chase

Earring Frame

The beautiful vintage sewing machine earrings I won in the Hugs & Kisses blog giveaway inspired me to take all the danglies out of my overcrowded jewelry box and hang them on the wall.  Since I already had all the materials on hand, it was free, too!  Simply wrap an old frame in fabric strips (I used a faux suede remnant), staple strips of lace across the back, and poke the earring wires through the holes in the lace.  It’s easy-peasy, pretty, and makes choosing just the right pair of earrings a breeze.  P.S. One of my Thanksgiving guests exclaimed, “That’s just what I need!” so now I’m making one as a gift for her, too!  P.P. S. (1-3-13) I was just going through some bookmarked websites and found THIS! I couldn’t remember before where I got my inspiration, but now I know! Thank you, This Italian Family! ♥

Oh, Wow!

Once some of my kids and I were watching House Hunters on HGTV and EVERY time the couple saw a new room in EVERY house, they said, “Oh, wow!”  It made us laugh . . . but that was the FIRST thing I said when I opened my beautiful blog giveaway gift from Hannah at Hugs & Kisses!

Besides the vintage Singer sewing machine/scissors earrings she had pictured, she sent another gorgeous pair of earrings AND the loveliest note you’ve ever seen!

Thank you, Hannah, for giving me an “Oh, wow!” that I’ll cherish forever! ♥

Vintage Earring Magnets

Have you checked out the crafting ideas on the Country Living web site? I want to try them ALL! But I started with an easy one . . . frig magnets made from vintage jewels. I don’t have the brooches they suggest, but I have LOTS of clip-on earrings. Simply remove the backings and glue on a magnet . . . easy peasy and SO pretty!  P.S. You can also click the blue dot on the CL home page to vote for the Reader’s Choice 2012 Blue Ribbon Blogger Award. It was really fun to check out all the finalists! ♥

Road Trip Projects

We spent fifteen hours in the car this weekend for a fun trip to see family. In my project bag I brought along . . .

(1) blue and gold scrapbook paper to cut into circles for garland for my class reunion next weekend,

(2) fabric and buttons to make flowers, and

(3) two embroidery projects to finish (posts to come!).

I also received these adorable earrings as a surprise gift from our hostess! They’re created by a nonprofit called Unboxed Art . . . please check out their website when you get a chance, and have a lovely week! ♥

 

 

Lost Earring Necklace

Have you ever lost one earring from a favorite pair? That’s happened to me several times lately. I’ve been wanting to incorporate the saved mates into a different piece of jewelry, and I finally figured out how!

At a craft show last fall a lady had the ingenious idea of attaching the round part of a bracelet closure to a necklace latch that could clip onto any necklace chain or cord and then attaching charms to the bar part of the closure that slips into the circle. I bought the latch and one charm (with some miniature scissors, a flower, and two crystal beads), and I love it! So, to make my “lost earring necklace,” I removed the earring findings, bought another bracelet closure the same size, attached the pretty parts of the earrings to the bar with a little wire circle, and closed it up with my needle-nose pliers. Now I can exchange it out with my other charm whenever I like . . . YAY!

P.S. I’ve never made jewelry so I’m probably using all the wrong terms in this post, but hopefully the photos will help. ♥

“Yes, Please!”

My dad called from a garage sale yesterday and asked if I would like some clip-on earrings for my sewing/crafting projects. “Yes, please!”  Here they are . . . I love all these new additions to my collection! And here are a few more fabric flowers I made on a (much shorter!) road trip this weekend with vintage earrings and buttons for centers. Click here for a supply list and link to a tutorial and here to see more flowers. ♥