Meet Bebe Millie

My new vintage wooden baby doll.

Doesn't she have the sweetest, happiest expression?

And she sits so prettily.

Who wouldn't love her chubby wubby knees?

Or her rosy cheeks and cherub curl?

She is very large (I gather) for a wooden baby, fully life size.

Precisely the precious girl I was looking for to wear this lovely tatted bonnet I have had in my collection.  It's like she found me.

So despite all the peeling and cracks of age... I am in love.

Say bye-bye Millie.  Time for night-night.

Le Cirque de Holleil

UPDATE:  Wow I just found out I won a random prize for posting my tags on the G45 facebook fan page.  The most exciting part is that the Graphic 45 blog featured 3 of my tags.  Such an incredible honor, and sure made my day!

Oh boy was it ever a pleasure to use the latest and the greatest Le Cirque Graphic 45 paper for my Mystic Paper project this month.  Hopefully you can tell how much fun I had playing and creating my 4 tags and 2 cards.

First is my very favorite tag, I wish you could see all the layers.  I really should have done a side view. 

And here is a card I made using the back, striped paper to create a poofy circus tent.  I sprayed it with Iridescent Gold glimmer mist to mute the color and add some sparkle and lined it with gold and black Stickles.  To make the curtains I crumpled them while wet with the mist and used a heat tool to dry them into shape and give them a great crispy texture.

I added a simple tag and feather inside to really finish it off.

This one is the most plain, but I loved the blue color (Broken China distress ink sprayed with water and edged with Vintage Photo ink) so much I wanted a simple tag.  I made the folded, stamped  flower using the back of a tag.  The picture part is from two different tag images with the stands and circus cars in the background and Miss Louise popped up in the front.  Fun where the paper led me.  :) 

I just about wrote, "this one was just FUN," but they were all such great fun really.  I wanted this tag to have lots of clowns, like how many clowns will fit into a VW bug kinda thing.  The clown charm on the chain dangles and swings for a touch of whimsy.  The ticket image is a Tim Holtz stamp.

Then I did a simple card, but the paper really makes it playful.

So I had to make the inside just as lively.

And for the last tag I did something a little more girly.  Soft pink seam binding and Tattered Rose and Brushed Corduroy ink with a shimmer of the Iridescent Gold glimmer mist.  I made a 3D popcorn box from white cardstock which I inked with Fired Brick and glimmer misted.  A touch of gold Stickles for the "lights" around the poster and some cool Tim Holtz wheels to make it look like a carriage or boxcar.

Be sure to stop by Sheri and Jenna's blogs to see their wonderful projects this month, and stay tuned for our next kits.

Tea Cup Tuesday

I'm sharing some of the new treasures I found at yardsales this weekend for Terri and Martha's Tea Cup Tuesday.

I love this mini tea cup with the generous gold rim and sweet scene on the inside and out.

I just thought this cup would add to my pretty collection.  It has such a neat rim, and (though it's hard to see here) I fell for the palest pale blue background behind the flowers, above the double gold lines.

Saucerless, it still looked nice stacked on my two new plates.  I thought the square one was unusual, and below you can see the great detail of the cream plate.  I just love the dark silvery gilding, the crackles and the embossed edging.

Cheers! (I always want to say cheers on here, but thought it might sound silly.  Well now I've gone and done it so oh well.)  Hee hee!

You make my Heart sing {UPDATED}

Hi friends, I am updating this post to play in Karla Nathan's Using the Good Stuff! challenge.  I LOVE the idea of using lots of or all "besties" on a project.  I think that's why I had so much fun making my cloth heart, and also why I was so darn pleased with the result.  I do hope you will check out Karla's beyond beautiful blog and try to play in this challenge that encourages you to bring out your favorites and USE them.  You won't be sorry when you do.

My Marie Antoinette Mail Art group is hosting an online Valentine Gala this weekend and I can't wait!

The divinely talented miss Terri, hostesse extraordinare, gave us a wonderful pattern and instructions for a Cloth Valentine Heart with a Contest in preparation for the Gala.  I had so much fun creating this project with some of my favorite finds.

Hanging cloth heart (closed).

 Hand embroidered feather stitch surrounding stamped silk.   A vintage millenery flower that I glimmer misted with Silver and Crushed Shells.  Garter clip and key.  Seam binding and vintage lace bow.  All on deep gray, dupioni silk heart base.

Side view

Inside view.  I used a ton of my treasured hand-tatted laces around the border and for the ties.  I just adore the scalloped rosette one.  I sewed a necklace to the V of the heart as a hanger and a pretty dangle for the bottom.

A satin Marie I have been saving for just the right project.  I pulled her from a scrolly, gold metal frame with crumbling foam and red velvet backing.  Here I encircled her with *~sparkly~* rhinestones.  This is also a good view of the background lace which is actually cream with pink stitching details.  Also two glass buttons, and a sweet ivory one.

An image stamped on fabric and topped with a poofy pink, pinked tulle heart.  And a close up of the cool chain.

"You make my Heart sing" stamped on one tail of a creamy silk bow.

Back view (closed).  I made both the pink flower under the tulle and the shabby gray rose.  I attached a pretty button to the back of the necklace charm so this side was also nice and finished.

Side view of back (closed).  That feather stitch is so fun! This was the second time I have tried it. I taught it to myself on the crazy quilt stocking I made.

Outside view (open).

Sigh, I {heart} this project... I hope you had fun looking, thank you from the bottom of my (oh my goodness, I didn't mean to pun that) heart for popping in.

Paris "Pantalon" Purse

Isn't it fun to repurpose old things?  Okay, maybe half the fun is in shopping junk stores for the funky item I just know, one day, will be perfect for some project.  It takes visions of grandeur for sure.  You'll never guess what I made this chic purse out of... or maybe you will because it's in my title.  Hee hee!

Pantalon ~ "Pants!"

Two different pairs of red printed pants.  Isn't the Paris print so sweet.  At least on a purse right?  Here is a closeup of the flower I made to embellish it and the tag I added to the seam.

My eyes (& heart & mind probably too) are always searching for the bigger picture when it comes to crafty stuff, and it is a joy to see the fruits of my shopping "labor."

Hope you have a wonderful day, (look out for staples for your next project in unexpected places.)
Hugs,