Sailor's Valentines

In honor of Valentine's Day, I thought I would post a few examples of what are known as sailor's valentines ~ these are handmade shell mosaics that were made by sailors for their sweethearts ~ according to folklore. Actually, it is believed that few were made by sailors, but rather bought as souvenirs in the Barbados. The craft originated in the mid 1800's ~ original valentines are highly sought after by collectors and command high prices. Below are just a few examples ~ I don't own a single one ~ although I do have a copy of the blue octagonal book shown.

As you can see, many of the sailor's valentines are made in octagonal shaped boxes. Some include sentiments or photographs. Those shown below with the lilac background are available as kits here.

Here are some contemporary pieces fashioned in repurposed pocket watch casings by Bill Jordan ~ to see more of his work, click here.

Some other contemporary boxes made using shells in a Martha Stewart magazine feature several years ago as noted here.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine Art Show

Here are a few photos from the Valentine Art Show this past weekend at Curious Sofa ~ while the weather was rather cold and dreary, it was warm & cozy in the shop and a constant stream of customers dropped in despite the weather. Only three more shopping days left!

Above are some beautiful letterpress cards and paperworks by TagTeam Tompkins ~ I had to get one of the silhouettes for Dick for his Valentine's card ~ can you guess which one?

{Jewelry by Sarah Elder}

{Photos from Irene Suchocki}

{ceramics from Elizabeth Prince}

{Jewelry from Lianne Donald}

{Lovely paperworks by Lesa Dailey}

Crocheted, felted & loomed brooches and a felted skinny scarf that were some of what I had at the show. I left my scarves and brooches at the store until Valentine's Day ~ afterwards, they will be available at my etsy shop here.

Clickity, clickity, click

Sorry for the unannounced blog break ~ I had hoped to post a notice, but ran out of time. Lately, I am always scampering around at the last minute ~ especially when it comes to packing a suitcase and catching a flight! I have just returned from a short trip back to Pennsylvania to visit my family, meet my new niece and attend a college reunion at Bucknell ~ had a great time, but it was pretty hectic!

As I settle back into my regular life, I happened to come upon this short film ~ a friend had shared it with me years ago as she knew I love to knit and had become somewhat obsessed with knitting ~ especially scarves. It is rather long, but if you have a bit of patience it is entertaining and beautifully done ~ especially if you appreciate short films or are a knitter. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do......The Last Knit by Laura Neuvonen.

Sneak Peek ~ Brooches

Not a good idea to try to take photos after midnight in a poorly lit kitchen ~ but was anxious to post a little sneak peek of some of the brooches I have been working on. With a little luck and a few more late nights, I hope to have a nice selection ~ we'll see!

{crocheted and loom woven brooches with a variety of vintage and found embellishments}

So Glad it's Friday!

Well, not quite Friday yet ~ actually I am looking forward to the end of the workweek! Even though we are supposed to get a giant snowstorm this weekend, it will still be a nice break from work. Plus, Saturday there is a flea market ~ there hasn't been one since January ~ I am suffering from withdrawal! Hopefully the snow will come AFTER the flea market.

Isn't this little guy cute? I love these little sock creatures ~ they have so much personality even though they are made of such basic materials ~ socks and some embroidery thread. I wish I had bought him ~ he makes me smile just to look at him. I have seen and made animals from socks and gloves before, but I have not found any patterns for this type of character ~ anyone know of any?

{Happy Friday!}

Wrapture! Wool Wrapped Bracelets

Thought I'd share with you some photos of the wool wrapped bracelets I have been making. I started making these last year and just can't seem to stop ~ the colors and textures are so appealing to me and compared to some of the other things I make, these go relatively quickly. I've been using kettle dyed wool yarns ~ aren't the colors gorgeous?!

Well, I thought I had come up with something new - but alas, a quick search on the internet brought up some similar bangles by designer Elizabeth Yarborough - hers are made of wool and cashmere and go for $45 - $145 here. I guess mine are a bargain at $10 - $18 at my etsy shop.

{Elizabeth Yarborough bangles; image from here}

Featured on Etsy Treasury!

{treasury chosen by embellishedlife ~ thanks!}

It's always nice to be included in an etsy treasury ~ my brooch is upper left. Looks like I am in good company ~ there are so many beautiful handmade things on etsy. If you are unfamiliar with etsy, make sure to visit ~ a great place to find unique gifts for everyone on your holiday gift list ~ and you get to support independent artists as well ~ a good deal all around!

Fixer Upper?

Love the dilapidated worn look of this wonderful huge birdhouse! Looks like a great place to raise a family ~ although winter might get kind of nippy! Spied this at the fall Antiques on the Common ~ I saw many things I admired, but have no room for, so a photo will have to do.

Beautiful Quilts

It is taking me a while to catch up with all the photos I have taken at recent antique shows ~ too many things on my plate right now! Below are some quilts I admired at the autumn Antiques on the Common show in Greenwood, Missouri several weekends ago. My photos don't do the quilts justice ~ for some reason the color never seems to match what I see.

{lovely crazy quilt}

{colorful log cabin quilt}

{my favorite ~ beautiful subtle colors in log cabin pattern}

{contemporary flower quilt}

Crafty Chicks Show ~ November 1st

Next up on my long list of things to do is work for the upcoming Crafty Chicks show! Read all about it and get a preview of the artist's wares here. Below is a shot of some brooches from my display last year ~ I hope to have new brooches, bracelets, scarves, and jewelry this year in addition to new Dandy Dog Accessories! For those of you in the Kansas City area, please stop by ~ otherwise, please visit my etsy store instead ~ I will be adding to it in the near future. Time to get to work!

Sneak Peek ~ Crocheted Rug

Much of my stress is self imposed ~ I tend to take on way too much! I just finished up a project for Crochet Today magazine ~ the rug below. Their editor had seen the rug I did for a DIY contest on designsponge ~ you can see it here.

In this case, Crochet Today selected and supplied me with the yarn ~ I worked out several options and the one below was chosen to complete. I am pleased with the end result even though it took me much longer than I anticipated ~ the crochet part wasn't that time consuming ~ it was sewing it together and stitching in the ends! I wish I would have had time to get some better photos ~ but these were all I managed before I had to ship it off ~ hopefully the magazine will do a better job! The rug along with the pattern will be featured in the January/February 09 issue ~ a good project for the winter months!

{the finished project}

{Sprocket wasted no time testing it out}

Halloween mask inspiration

Hey ~ Halloween is right around the corner ~ especially if you want to make your own costume! I saw some Mardi Gras masks at one of the antique shows I went to, so that got me thinking ~ I looked around a little and found a few images to inspire you and get you thinking in the Halloween mode ~ 31 days and counting.......

{vintage masks from TiaLori}

{papier mache mardi gras masks}

{great devil mask from Top-notch Bits}

{handmade mask from Irina Troitskaya}

{how about some glamourous glitter? from Guccino}

Lyndie Dourthe ~ paper artist

Lyndie Dourthe is a French paper artist whose work I first saw in an issue of Marie Claire Idees ~ a French craft magazine ~ one of my favorites. Lyndie's work is inspired by nature and Victorian era 'cabinets of curiosities'. Her paper flowers are delicately colored, crafted by hand and dipped in wax for a look that is reminiscent of old wedding crowns. She also utilizes glass domes or handmade paper boxes and identifying labels or tags in much of her work giving it the look of a museum or specimen collection. Her brooches utilize old engravings transferred onto fabric and then sewn, stuffed, and further embellished with beads ~ presented in a handmade paper box along with a tag or label. Simply gorgeous!

{varieties of paper flowers}

{radish under glass}

{Boites a tresors ~ Anatomie}

{Boites a tresors ~ Elepoica}