Angels of the Sea...



I've been working on Mermaids today, lets call them "Angels Of the Sea". It is so much fun making these beauties again. Last summer we traveled to Venice Florida and Charleston SC where hubby and I walked for many miles with Roxy picking up shells off the beaches to use on my mermaids. It was great going through those shells today. The pink mermaid, is Miranda (below) I made last year. They are soft sculpture, embellished with shells, teeny starfish, and tiny sand dollars. I paint their faces and I also stitch a tiny glass bead in her belly button and on the tail. Not sure if they fall under the folkart or whimsy category but they are big fun. Can't wait to see what they will look like this time.





This was Roxy's first trip to the beach.
We looked for shells, she looked for birds.
Needless to say, she had a great time.

TA-DAH!

I hope all had a great Memorial day weekend. Ours was lovely. We spent Sunday, early evening putting our roses in the ground. It wasn't as much work as we thought. Pulling out those shrubs before were harder to do. It was fun and I can't wait to cut my first rose.
These rose bushes are named for some beloved family members I have lost. This was just a way to memorialize them in a small way. The first one here is Grandpa (for my father-in-law), the Mister Lincoln. Next is Monica (for my sister), the Fragrant Plum, then Dolly (for my sister), the Peace Rose, and Casey (for my doggie) the Tropicana. The Tropicana already has some large buds nearly ready to burst open.

This side of the house as looked shabby, (bad shabby) for a while and I'm so glad to finally have it prettied up. I think this was a great way to do that. Our plan is to someday make a mini garden on this side of the house. Framed in with a white picket fence and lots of bird houses, garden angels and faeries. More flowers, herbs and maybe a small pond, with some fish. But for now I think I'll concentrate on the roses, and get back to my angels.

Introducing...

Grandpa

Monica

Dolly

Casey

ROSES ARE RED & LAVENDER & CORAL & MISTER LINCOLN?

Well, I did it. I have begone the second part of my new venture. I purchased my rose bushes today, very exciting. I also grabbed this book cause the truth is I know nothing about roses. I am gonna try to learn something new here. I guess this will be my beach novel for the summer.
So ya want to know what I chose? I have named them too so here we go... Monica, a Lavender Plum rose bush, this is the one I have been thinking of for a couple years, that is responsible for it all. It is a lavender color, (of course) and very fragrant, well they all are very fragrant. Then there is Dolly, she is a Peace rose bush. Her colors are yellow with a pinkish color on the tips. Next is named Grandpa, he is a Mister Lincoln rose bush. It is a deep red color. And last but not least, KC. Don't remember exactly what kind it is, it just said Tropicana or Tropical. I'll have to double check that one. She is a coral color, beautiful.
Tomorrow they go in the ground. After a trip to get some good soil , rose food and mulch. We have red clay here in Virginia, I better get to reading up on what is best.
Well, I have been working on Angels and Mermaids all week so I am ready for a break from that and can't wait to get my hands in the dirt tomorrow. If anyone has any advise for me I greatly appreciate it. I'll keep ya'll posted. Wish me luck.

That's all an Angel is, an idea of God...Meister Eckhart

Yes Jeannene, this Angel does have a story, A funny one I must tell.

Well, some friends and I set out on a trip to PA from Virginia Beach, VA, for a market show. They both have stores to fill with wonderful treasures and I was going along for the fun and a great time with friends, (but really for the Antiquing along the way). Highway 13, It is a stretch of road on the other side of the Chesapeake Bay bridge. It is a 6 hour drive from The Beach to PA and it took us 15 hours to actually get to our destination. That tells you how many times the convoy stopped and turned around shopped and eat and played. Way out in the middle of no where are many junk shops, antique shops, and country stores. I think we found all of them.

So this one particular junk shop, an out door place, literally in the middle of nothing, with rain coming down on our heads, we stopped and looked and my heart raced cause I could have bought the whole lot, really. But I am a super bargain hunter and I love the dance of making an offer and they go higher and I go lower etc...

Well this lovely and amazing angel door was resting on the wet muddy ground with no price. I spotted her and froze, forgot everything I wanted and went in for the deal making. I thought it was gonna be priced so high I wouldn't be able to afford it at half the price. The kind lady selling all these beautiful junktiques tells me "well, I have to make something on it, (ready) So how about $35.00". ding ding ding ding...Inside I scream with delight. Outside, my big mouth says, (ready, don't hold this agents me) "how bout $20.00" like a fool. She says "no I can't do that". And I say ok, and walk away to look around and in my head I am saying "ok Becky give her a minute and then offer $30.00" The foolish bargain hunter I am couldn't give in. Well, I went in a huddle with One of my pals and that is when we both realized its a bargain, go get it. Well, sadly before I wondered back to get the Angel door, my gal pal had made the offer of $30.00 and got the angel, to resell in her store. Now don't get mad at my sista. We do this kinda thing often . I buy something and later don't want it and she buys it from me and sells it. Or I pass something up and she gets it knowing I am gonna come to my senses and want it, and she has it for me. Well, To make this long drawn out story longer, we finish our trip finding more goodies and market was great. The whole time I am thinking of the angel. We get back to Virginia Beach and I drive back to my home in the country, (4 hrs away)the whole time angel door in on my mind. I tell my husband about it all and really I never stop talking about it for many hours after I get home. Finally I get a look from him, I get his drift. I go call my gal pal and tell her "I WANT MY ANGEL DOOR"!!! She says "ok" hahahahaha. That's why I love her. But there's more...

My next trip to deliever Angels to her, I got to pick up "MY ANGEL DOOR". It's in the back of the store waiting for me. A price tag on it says $150.00. (stinker)No I did not pay $150.00 for it, I paid $30.00. She knew I was gonna want it after I got home and knew she would give it up to me. But now she has a great thing to tease me about, and she never misses a chance, on how "she could have made a lot of money on that Angel door". I am lucky to have such a angel for a friend. And where is my Angel door now...

In the living room, where the sunlight hits it during the day and a light above it high lights it at night.

The beginning..

This is the beginning of something great. I am going to make a rose garden here on the side of our home. It gets the best sunlight most of the day. I loved these bushes but they had to go. We just put them in the wrong place and I think roses will be great here. I just have to say how excited I am about this. It is finally getting done. These bushes cost $2.00 each as little babies. We had no idea how big they would get. I can't wait to get the rose bushes in. I am going to do lots of research on roses too, cause I know nothing except they are lovely and smell wonderful, and they need lots of tending.

My Sewing Room/Studio

These are some pic's of my sewing room. It is my favorite room to change and re-decorate but for now this is how it's lookin. Spending many hours in here tends to make it is a bit over crowded but that just means I'm busy with orders, that's a good thing right. I have one wall, not shown I need to fill. So far I am working on a large bulleton board for my many idea's that float away if I don't write them down. The only thing holding that project up is deciding what old frame to use to make into the bulleton. I thought an old shabby frame would look best. And I have a dresser I need to repaint. Someone crackled it very badly. In the first pic on top of the shelf over my sewing desk are some blue mason jars I've filled with white buttons. I have tons of white buttons and they look so preaty in those blue jars. Also one is filled with mica glitter. The little box of drawers on top the desk I got at a yard sale for $3.00, i'm very proud of that. The top opens up too. I use it to hold my jewlery making stuff. And of course theres Roxy.

The next pic (left)is just a collection of things I love and I use the peg rack and a stand that's just a bit out of the picture, to hang finished angels on. See my computer reflecting in the mirror. The 3rd pic (below)is a cupboard I use to house my patterns and what not. The little cupboard above is always changing. Its a great back drop for pictures too. The last pic is a branch I found to hang my tiny birdies on it and a Angel I just adore. The sun burst in this room the best in the afternoon. Its when I work best and get the most inspiration.

Here Comes The Bride...

I've been shopping again. I should be sewing but

What a find! I am so excited about this one, isn't she lovely? I saw her and had to have her, for what I don't know. But what to do with her. Her dress was nearly all torn away so I wrapped her in some silk ribbon.The Antique store owner says she was used for some advertisement in the early 50's. Her arms are missing and she is on a piece of wood. Her blue eye shadow is just perfect for the big day. Dave (my hubby) thinks I'm quite strange to to love such things. Lucky he loves me for it.

Anyway, why is when I HAVE much sewing to do, that is when I find 100 other things I WANT to do instead? I have been working on the same thing for 2 days, that usually takes me a few hours. P-r-o-c-r-a-s-t-i-n-a-t-i-o-n! Why does this happen to me. No complaining. I told myself this would be a positive venture.

What time is it...

I have been collecting old watches and figured I'd make something fun out of them.The hunt is the best part but I love being able to wear some of the "junk" I find. Lovely aren't they. And They still work too. I work at a store called Portobello Road in Lynchburg, VA so I sell them in there. The store is beautiful. It is such a treat to work there and Jackie, the owner is a treat to work for. Portobello Road Inspires me everytime I'm in there helping with displays or seeing what new goodies arrive. It's like working in pages of a magazine like Romantic Home or Country Living.

I got a sweet surprise today from Mica of Garb-oodles soup. I just love it. It's a lil paper dollie angel as sweet as can be. Here she is I put her in a apothocary jar right on my desk so I can look at her everyday. I just love little sweet things like this.

Thank you Mica, your an angel.

My

 Heavens

 Angel

Angels descending, bringing from above,
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
Fanny J. Crosby

Well, the sewing room is cleaned and semi organized again. I was getting lost in here and now I feel better again. Tomorrow new designs and dolls are on the top of my list. I'm hoping to get more pictures for the blog. But these Angels fly outa here to fast, hehehe. I'm usually making Angels for stores but I am working on getting them out on the web. I am so new at this computer stuff it may take a while for me to get my work on here. But I will soon.
Well, the pic is my doggie Roxy and her bear. She is a sewing room regular,always at my feet...