Xmas Vintage Treasures

I enjoyed an afternoon of poking and digging thru lots of Xmas stuff at a bi-monthly antique show here in Colorado Springs! I found these little treasures which all started out in Europe and eventually made their way to Oolie's house, where they will feel very welcome and quite at home! This middle pinecone gentleman is holding a mushroom: YEAH!!!!!! LOVE- Oolie

JENNIFER COLLIER WORKSHOP

What a fabulous day it was at Jennifer Collier's Studio 12 workshop in November making paper clothes!

Above is a shot of Jennifer's kid glove collection.  Her work is so amazing.  Jennifer is deeply committed to  recycling - and most of her work is made up of materials that have been cast aside - she upcycles old elements into new and varied forms which always delight the eye.

Here is a pair of gauntlet type gloves which believe it or not are made from teabags - the empty teabags provide little pockets which when stuck together from the fabric of the glove and stitched together exactly as you would a fabric glove - this provides depth and a real 3D effect:

My favourites are  the long evening gloves are just glorious, most of which are a collage old documents and images - again stitched together, incorporating button holes and vintage buttons adds to the realistic effect - I love them!

As well as the gloves we put together the collaged elements for a dress and a bib which we could complete at home with the addition of haberdashery elements.  Below are two of Jennifer's map dresses.

We came away with several pieces of clothing, a worksheet of methods including using plastics bags and were all fired with enthusiasm to carry on at home.  All in all, it was a great day out, not too far from home and a really useful grounding in methods I will employ in all manner of ways in future.  I have one pair of gloves nearly complete and my other clothes on the 'to do' pile - currently post-christmas!  

Many more pictures of Jennifer's paper objects - cameras, typewriters, shoes and teasets etc will be on tinkeringbythesea.blogspot.com next week!

I was back at Studio 12 the week before last for a pocket making workshop with Ellie Evans

- more on that soon!  

Love to all

xxDI

just a peek...

at what I have been working on this weekend. I will show more later, but thought you might like to see this photo to peak your curiosity...

xoxo

Di's gift to Oolie

When Oolie came to visit last week, she brought the book that Di made for her for her birthday

What a masterpiece! It is filled with wonderful papers and pockets and pictures..

Really delightful! I took a few photos and promised Oolie I would post them - here they are:

Isn't it cool? Nice job, Di - really nice!

Love to you and everyone..

...and Happy Birthday to Joanna and Sue, too.

xo

Di's Beautiful Handmade Book!

Dear Violets-

This is my first attempt at posting more than one photo on this blog! I won't really know if it worked until I publish it, but I think I have figured it out!!!!!!

Anyway........here is a lovely handmade book from Di that I just love! Many things used to create it were gathered at Ali Baba, which makes it all the more special!!!!!

I was all inspired to take Rachel Hazel's bookbinding workshop after seeing Di's photos of the workshop, and then this very fun book inspired from that workshop at Briancon! But that will have to wait for another day. In the meantime, I will look at this one often and dream about books I would love to make! Thank you dear Di! Keep binding books!! LOVE- Oolie

INCHIES!

Just a heads up Clare! Please check your "eclare" email as Katie is in need of the project before she starts her big travels, etc. Jone and I are not sure we have your most current email address.

Please let us know which one to use. As Joanna has said in the past......."make a noise" dear Clare so we can keep in touch! LOVE- Oolie and the Pantry Violets

Happy Birthdays!

Happy Birthday today, all day....to Joanna AND tomorrow, all day to Sue!!!!!!! I have completely lost track of the month of November, but just know that I carry you both deep in my heart pocket! LOVE- Oolie

polka dot heart charm pin

I am on a bit of a roll with the charms I made in Santa Fe last week. Now I am having great fun decorating them and deciding whether to make pins, bracelets or necklaces! It is like putting the frosting and sprinkles on a cupcake....one of my other passions! So....these 2 little pins are heading to Malmoe, Sweden for my 2 little girlfriends who happen to be sisters! There is a surprise picture on the back of the hearts which I hope will evoke a smile from Charlie!!!!!!

With love to the sisters- Oolie

Sammy's Vintage Fabric Bag

I am the luckiest Bday girl on the planet! The packages arriving on my doorstep this past month have been so full of love, friendship and creativity.....it is truly heartwarming to count all of you wonderful Pantry Violets as my friends! Merci Beaucoup!!!!!! This darling little bag was waiting for me when I returned from my busy and fun week in Santa Fe at Jone's. Sammy used the "daisy" technique that we learned from Julie Arkell this summer and made these darling flowers out of 3 layers of different vintage fabrics......so beautiful! And the quilt fabrics adorning the bottom of the bag are to die for!!!!!!!! And lastly, the little hand embroidered "Oolie" name tag is just the piece de resistance!!!!!!!! I am receiving loads of compliments, and everyone wants to hold it and give it a very close inspection!!!!!! Sammy- many heartfelt thanks for this lovely, treasured gift! I feel a workshop coming on with this inspired gift!

LOVE- Oolie

Charm Pin with Photo!!!!!!!!!!!!

I started working on these charms at Jone's recently and she suggested that I try making a broach type pin with them dangling off. Easier said then done, especially when I seem to have 10 thumbs whenever I try a new craft!!!!!! The hardest part was sewing the polka dot bow onto the pin with the charms bouncing all around and getting caught in the thread! And then I discovered I sewed the pin backwards as far as pinning it on easily! Lots of first mistakes, but I think I am on a roll with this idea! I hope to have photos of a precious sewn bag from Sammy soon, but they are stuck in my camera....really, I am hopeless with this blog business if I don't do it often....please bear with me! LOVE to all- Oolie

Charm Pin

so inspired

When Oolie left last Wednesday, I couldn't wait to start

making more of the little "jar gardens"

I cut up LOTS of flowers and leaves in lots of colors

and popped 'em into little empty jars

forget-me-nots

I just love them all together! So fresh and colorful.

I can hardly wait to finish these up so I can make MORE!!

Thanks for the inspiration, Miss Oolie!

PROCESS

Here are a few photos of the process I have been going through the last few days....

Here are a couple of the nests almost finished.......

They are about 6 1/2 inches across and I am pretty happy with the result.

I'll share more tomorrow....

xo

First Place

"There's a Rabbit in the Flowerbed"

by Samantha Nixon

Could not have been prouder, showing off Sam's masterpiece

Which Won First Place (!!!!!)

Isn't it magnificent?!

My friends were blown away...

The flowers are just over one inch in diameter

which completely baffles me

(how DID she DO it?)

CONGRATULATIONS, Sam!

Thought you might like to see some of the others in the competition:

This one is pretty nice, I must say..

Runner Up in the Traditional Category

And a Fairy Bed (!)

very traditional

This one is beautiful. The bed was also painted.

The work in this quilt is exquisite...

2nd Place in the Traditional Category

...but not like our Sam....

These two are cute - above (2nd Place Handmade)

and below (Runner Up Handmade)

The entire Quilt Show was overwhelming. I will post some photos of the larger quilts as time goes on. It astounds me the work that goes into these pieces of art... and the thought and attention to detail that goes into each one.

Sam, You Are Awesome! Congratulations again, for your beautiful WIN!!!!

Necklace, Inspired by Oolie!

After seeing Oolie´s wonderful charm bracelet, I decided to make myself a necklace in that great design.

Oolie gave me a little mini workshop and even provided me with material!

This is the result,

love this idea and will make more!

Thank´s Oolie for being so generous.

We´ve had some really beautiful autumn days here in Malmö,

This weekend I´ve been working in the garden, planting spring bulbs!

See you soon again

Love

Vintage Fairy Tales Rebecka

the NEW Oolie!

For Oolie's birthday, I made a new, and improved Flat Oolie!

Here she is amidst some of the stamp samples I brought to the class

OOlie is coming down on Monday with

her sister and sis-in-law.....

to stay at Los Poblanos a couple of nights

(birthday celebration)

Fun, Fun, Fun!!

THAT RARE AND UNUSUAL THING - A SATURDAY WORKSHOP!

I simply cannot believe my good fortune - I got  circular round from Jennifer Collier late last week
saying there were a couple of places left on her workshop this Saturday in Stafford.

This amazed me for a number of reasons:

1. It wasnt already full
2. Its a Saturday
3. Its 35.00
4. It a mere an hour and a half away from home!

this is what we will be making:

I can hardly wait - only one technical hitch - the weather report forecasts snow for the weekend and my Smart Car doesnt do snow - it might as well be on skis!   Fingers crossed for a weekend which does not include the white stuff!  Photos will follow next week!

Love to All

xx DI

                                                                                   

Birthday Zinnias for Becky!

Dear Miss October-

We were expecting our first overnight freeze so I dashed out with my flower scissors and gave all the flower beds a final haircut! These zinnia bouquets would have been left on your doorstep, Becky, if I lived around the corner in Malmoe........but a blog posting will have to do! I hope you are having a wonderful birthday. As always, you are tucked deep into my heart pocket! Your charmed necklace is gorgeous!!!!!!! I just love it! Have fun making them! You have inspired me right back! LOVE- Oolie

Happy Birthday!!

OCTOBER LADIES:

Becky on October 9th

Oolie on October 12th

Danielle on October 28th

Happy Happy HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Fleurs Sauvages at West Dean

Hi ladies

I thought you might like to see the wild flower brooches we made this weekend with Julie at West Dean. It was all a bit of rush in the time, (especially since the est Dean Apple Festival was on at the same time to distract us), but ten of us made flower brooches, and one lady made bracelets and a rabbit.

And all of this on the hottest October weekend since records began

We had a wonderful time!