and she's off.......

Just so none of you think I'm full of crapola...I've decided to break down and show you some my newest creations that I will be selling in my shop!

I feel like I have been building up to create these pieces. I am addicted to making them, and I feel happy when I do so. I think the creative drought will be over....MAN, that was a long one, but it took a while to get out of the furniture thing. FINALLY I thought..."do something different, but do it with the tools and knowledge of what you do best!" I paint flowers, I age, I distress...it's what I do...so what if I don't do it on huge pieces of furniture anymore. Small statements are good too.

I hope this helps anyone who has gone through the same mental creative changes I have gone through in the past year! I know what it's like and it can be almost crippling to your insides! JUST KEEP trying, tossing, throwing, screaming & getting frustrated...you'll figure it out!

 xoxox

Enough of the drama...tell me what you think!

I have hand collaged and painted the design, then formed a little medallion around the glass. I wanted the medallions to look like an old piece of metal & they have many layers of paint and such to give them an aged and distressed look. Then...it's all about the beading baby! Beads are all glass....new and vintage. I really love the double strand necklaces...as one goes around your throat choker style. I am, and will be making many different sizes & styles.

Each piece is extremely time consuming, but I love each step.

Each design is original, and no 2 will ever be a like!

You can email me for details if you like!

sunbeam, queen & love

love & sweetly

1935 & kisses

I just posted a comment on Jenny's site & I thought maybe it was important that I add some of the comment here.

"I have been in a soul searching mood myself, and believe I have finally come out on the other end unscathed & beautiful."

posted by: sweetpeas at April 26, 2006 13:33 | link | comments (25) |
artsy fartsy, jewelry

paths & new friends.....

Oh where oh where do I start?

I have been enjoying some sites as of late, that I'm linking because I love their inspiration, arty fartyness and general good natured thoughts!

True Nature

7 Milner Ave.

Rose Garden Romantic

Fine Van Brooklyn

Hope you like these talented ladies as much as I do!

Yesterday we finally had the most beautiful of weather, so I decided to start a crazy-assed project that will take me all summer! I would LOVE to have it done before Hope & Dawn get here....but I still need to get the bathroom done before the big visit...and I think that's more important!

Trying to make this path a little more "finished" is the goal here. I plan on planting some low lying plants called "steppables" in between the rocks....apperently the more you step on them the better they grow. That is what a local garden designer told me that was stuck on jury duty with me last week. (that was the highlight of my jury duty duties)

The path will continue around the house...to the deck. As you can see I started the slow digging process by hand.

And finally to the deck...I will be planting tall perennials around the deck and along the path. I used the wonderful "notes" toy at Flickr to describe how & where everything will be....so if you are as nosey as me....click here. Jon is putting up a rain gutter above the deck...so I have not "prettied" it up yet. I can't wait to be sitting with my cup of coffee and a book amongst tall bee balm and delphiniums!

~Don't ask me how my back feels today...I'm in denial.~ 

The rest of the day I worked on more items for my shop. I know...it's taking me FOREVER....but I am one of those people that likes things just right! I painted away....but it wasn't furniture and you can keep them close to heart! That's all I'm saying for now!

xoxoxox

posted by: sweetpeas at April 21, 2006 13:37 | link | comments (11) |
green thumb

Tagaroo

Happy Easter!! 

I've been tagged by my dear friend Kathleen...

Five minutes to yourself: My first up of coffee with either a magazine, or inspiring catalogue sitting in my new sun room. (now that we've had beautiful weather, I actually got to do this for the first time yesterday!!)

Five bucks to spend right now: how would you spend it? This is so strange...My Memere sent me raffle tickets to sell for her for the Humane Society, and right before I came to the computer this morning I filled out 6 for $5 bucks!

Five items in your house you could part with, right now, that you hadn't thought of already? TV... (I HAVE thought of it several times over...but I'm still putting it here!) second floor lamp from Target, Better Homes and Gardens mag. I just got in the mail and I DON'T have a subscription to, box filled with crap right beside me...(what's in there anyway??), aaaaaand (I'm looking around, hold on) empy bottle of Excederin sitting beside the computer.

Five items you absolutely, positively could never part with in your house? Not an "item" but my garden, the computer, my paints, my music source, and my Husband...(I know, I know he's not an item but I could never part with him!!)

Five words you love?  lovely, fab, fabulous, JUNQUE, balls...(I've found several expressive ways to say "balls" as of late)

I am passing this on to Bridget, Barb, B.P., Amanda & Jayne  simply because I am honestly curious what your answers will be!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now...it's confession time. Sometimes I feel all Martha Stewart and goody~two shoeyish on this site....because quite frankly I'm so DAMNED polite (my parents raised me right)...but it's not all me! I mean, I LOVE to paint, knit, garden and decorate (I live for it!)...but I'm really a little punk at heart! I swear like a sailor, I listen to rock and roll...(sometimes on the heavy side) and I can chug a Yager Bomb in seconds flat, so please don't let me misguide you into thinking I'm something that I'm not. In fact...speaking of punks, here is the real me.

xoxoxox

posted by: sweetpeas at April 16, 2006 14:31 | link | comments (15) |

My duty as a citizen.....

I've been a busy little juror this week...so between trying to work shifts around that, still being a bit sick & trying to catch up on my sleep...nothing much exciting is going on around here! I can't seem to finish up our newest journal...but I'm close, I'll try to get to it this weekend! (If Easter festivities allows me the time I need!)

Catch up with you all soon!

~HUGS~

posted by: sweetpeas at April 13, 2006 19:04 | link | comments (4) |

fleamarket & shopping

This weekend my Mom and The Cubster came down for a visit. The boys of course fished as it was opening day, but more importantly, Mom and I shopped! Unfortunately I was sick throughout the weekend and spent a lot of time in bed, but we managed to get to a fleamarket, TJ Maxx & lunch before  I cried, "get me to my couch!"

I found my mirror for the new bathroom at TJ's! From $100.00 to $50.00 on clearance, I was THRILLED to pieces!

As you can see, I'm really going for that vintage 30's look.

My Mom and I were checking out this "troubled" wall that I have in the bath. (remember, we're talking horse hair plaster) She suggested that a grouping of items may be the perfect way to cover the problem. I readily agreed, though I had no idea what I'd use. Well the "items" in question practically jumped off the tables and in to my arms at the market!!

So here is the beginning of a new collection...CELLULOID MIRRORS. I bought these 3 for $18.00 at two different vendors. I would be interested in purchasing any...so give me a shout if you're selling. My criteria for the mirrors would be 1) they need to have a hole at the handle 2) I'm not interested in paying anymore than $10.00 for a mirror 3) I'd really like to get some with the monograms OR design, though a few more plain would be nice too.

And more vintage goodies

For $3.00 and $1.00....more little treasures to put in the vintage cupboard that will be going in the bath.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have a doctors appointment to get to, but I just couldn't go without mentioning this new Flickr group started by my friends Barb and Jayne! It's called "The Unpretentious Garden" and I'm all ready addicted! If you are a gardening freak like myself, stop by, you'll see some of the prettiest garden shots evah! (and some of the most clever of ways to use vintage goods in the garden as well!) I've all ready posted some pics from previous years, but I SO can't wait for fresh blooms to post!! 

posted by: sweetpeas at April 03, 2006 18:12 | link | comments (13) |
green thumb, antiques, decorating it s a passion