Holly Loves Art

LuLu's Visit!

2012-01-27T13:13:00.000-08:00

Lulu's much anticipated visited finally arrived last Thursday the 19th! Perfect timing, the day after my birthday! I kept telling Phoebe that LuLu was coming... she knew something was up!

I brought Phoebe along for the ride to the airport so we could surprise LuLu.

It had been since March of 2011 since we had seen one another so the gap was way too long! Our reunion was grand! We had a lovely dinner in Beverly Hills on her first night and LuLu surprisingly stayed up until midnight, even with her 3-hour time difference. We were chatty girls!

The next morning we hit the ground running and headed to Downtown L.A. for some shopping in the garment district. LuLu was in heaven with so many gorgeous beads to choose from.

I took her to some of my favorite trim stores and we stocked up on some pretty laces and ribbons.

Then we visited The Tiara Cafe!

We had a lovely lunch with our friend Cynthia. After lunch we continued on and hit dozens of more stores finding little treasures all along the way. The day was so much fun!

Another fun highlight for LuLu was getting to try Italian gelato for the first time!

It was a little bit of a rainy day but that didn't stop her from having an icy treat! She loved it!

On Saturday night we had dinner at my favorite restaurant in Los Angeles, called Sur. I knew LuLu would love it because it's so dreamy and European and Shabby-delicious! The decor is white and the tables are set up beautifully with drippy candles and rose petals sprinkled around. We had such a lovely night! We even went "cruising" down Santa Monica Blvd. to see all the the excitement of the city.

Sunday was my craft day with all the Crafty Girls! There were 13 of us and we had so much fun making Valentines all day.

~ LuLu and Me ~

~ Denise and Kim ~

~ Cute LuLu with her yummy croissant with jam ~

~ Auntie Christine and little Phoebe ~

~ Mary and Julie ~

Such fun!

~ Mary's darling Valentine banner ~

Denise's lovely banners... she made other things too. This girl knows how to make beautiful art FAST!

Little Phoebe took a nap on a Valentine for a little while.

We celebrated sweet Erin's birthday too! I made her this little ballerina banner.

I am loving the combo of yellow with lilac... so pretty!

LuLu surprised Erin and I with a darling pink and aqua birthday cake!

This cake was soooo delicious. It reminded me of the yummy cakes we had when we were kids. So thick and rich and delicious. The real deal. Thank you LuLu! It was divine.

LuLu left Tuesday morning for her next adventure in Arizona so we said our teary goodbyes... until next time!

We had such a fun time and both look forward to so many more.

Have a great weekend Everyone!

This Little Studio of Mine

2012-01-16T12:25:00.000-08:00

The birthday fairy came a few days early this year! Look at what she bought just for me!

After going through pages and pages of furniture on Craigslist.com I found this beauty! The seller described it as a Gorgeous Serpentine Vintage Basset Tallboy! This lovely girl has a little side business buying vintage pieces and redoing them. I was actually prepared to find a piece and redo it myself but when I saw this one I fell in love!

I donated a few pieces (little wooden storage drawers and table) to make room for this pretty thing! I did so much rearranging and organizing yesterday... a lot of work but I loved it!

It's fun to move things around to create different vignettes.

I not only filled the new drawers with art supplies and trinkets but I also organized my card caddie and everything else throughout.

It felt great to get everything tidy again!

I moved my Barbie case to another wall and I actually like it here better.

All my special figurines and art pieces are now dust-free and looking sparkly!

I love having all my girly objects around me which constantly inspire me and make me happy!

I am counting down the days for my friend LuLu's arrival... just a few days now!

Have a great week Everyone!

Is It Too Soon?

2012-01-08T15:29:00.000-08:00

Perhaps it's too early to be decorating and thinking about Valentine's Day but I have a good reason!

You see, my dear friend LuLu is coming for a visit in less than two weeks! We timed it perfectly so she could join in on a "crafty day" that I am having at my house. Each month a group of us take turns and have a day at a different girl's home. January is my month to have the get-together!

I also thought it would be great timing for all of us to make pretty Valentine banners!

Here is one that I made utilizing sweet little vintage Valentine cuties.

I also have a Valentine tree!

This morning I sewed this pretty and petite Victorian banner with dangling charms.

I love the look of Victorian faces. I sewed the hearts with pretty silver metallic thread to add a little sparkle.

I also displayed some of my favorite doggie photos of Phoebe (my beloved Chloe and Albie are in there too!).

When I was a little girl Valentine's Day was always one of my favorite holidays. I remember a gorgeous box that my mom made for me to keep all my treasured Valentine's. It was covered in pretty cream and gold striped wrap and then collaged with flowers and sweet images and it was lined too. I felt so proud knowing that I had the prettiest Valentine box "in the world!"

What are your favorite Valentine memories as a kid? Do you still have cards and Valentines? I have a charming collection cards from my mom, grandparents and from school-kids that I've saved all these years. I love looking at the 5-year-old printed names on the backs of each of the tiny Valentines. Mark, John, Amy... wondering who they are now.

I saw this cute little phrase the other day:

Let's all be Valentines with Everyone. Except for the creeps.

Happy January!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T21:10:00.000-08:00

Today was the best day! It was Phoebe's one-year anniversary with us and also her 2-year birthday. I can't believe that exactly one year ago I rescued her through Bichons and Buddies, a wonderful local rescue that caters to Bichons and small dogs.

Phoebe has been a dream come true and has brought so much happiness into my life. She had an absolute ball last night playing with her best-doggie-friend Angie at our New Year's party. So we wanted to continue the fun today at the Santa Monica Beach strand. As I'm reminded very often, "It's all about the dog" and today it really was!

Phoebe was very popular with all the little kids who wanted to touch her "afro" head.

It was a gorgeous mid 70's Southern California day!

Phoebe even got to socialize with some of her "cousins!" She enjoys meeting all kinds of dogs but always seems to really love interacting with the ones that are her size and look like her!

We tried to get them to pose but it they were all going in different directions!

So we just let them sniff and have fun.

After a gorgeous 2-hour walk, we rested for a bit and I could tell that Phoebe was so happy. She is such a treasure and I am so grateful to have her in my life.

I hope you all had wonderful New Year's Eve and Day like we did!

Big cheers to ring in the new year!

Have a lovely week ahead!

Holly

Christmas Joy!

2011-12-28T11:08:00.000-08:00

Every year on our drive up to Mom's house we can never resist stopping in at Bravo Farms in Traver, CA. It's on the 99 North, by Fresno. If you're ever in the area you just have to stop in! They have the cutest cheese shop and a huge area with all kinds of fun novelty gifts. A wine tasting room too!

They have a huge outdoor area with all kinds of yard art and decor you can buy. I just loved this rock and took the photo for my mom since she has a huge passion for gardening.

The tree house is amazing and is always filled with lots of kids climbing to the top.

~ My pretty mom with Phoebe and Romeo on Christmas Eve ~

Christmas Day was so much fun. Phoebe received lots of toys but especially loves her new pink skinny stuffed thing.

She likes to use her toys as pillows as well.

All my "Santas" were so good to me. Here I am with one of my favorites... a darling vintage needlepoint bag found on Etsy!

I made my mom a necklace to proudly show off her furchild. She loved it!

I also made my mom a fabric covered photo album to house all of her special memorabilia from when she was a DJ... back in the day! Last spring she handed me a stack of newspaper clippings, fliers, old business cards, contracts and photos and I put them into this book so she'l have everything all tucked away and safe to keep and enjoy whenever she wants to take a walk down Memory Lane.

Christmas was so much and it's always the best to see family and friends.

I hope your Christmas and holidays was wonderful too!

Just a few days left until New Years Eve! How will you spend it? It seems that lots of our friends our going away for the big night. Me? I'm happy to stay close to home this time!

"See you" next year!

Holly

Sparkly Things!

2011-12-21T16:00:00.000-08:00

Just a few more days until Christmas!

As promised in my last post, here is a more detailed photo of the winter wreath I made in Karla Nathan's class. I can't wait to make more!

I have been saving these pretty beaded flowers (purchased from French General) and finally found the perfect project to use them in!

And here are my beautiful ornaments from the holiday ornament swap that took place last Saturday...

~ A gorgeous glittery reindeer ~

~ A sweet little "elf" riding a birdie ~

~ Such a beautiful collection of ornaments ~

I love them all!

I made this fabric book for my friend LuLu. She tends to go for "the darker side" and not so much of the pink fluff-stuff! I knew I couldn't go wrong with black! It's a fabric folder to hold all her favorite postcards and photos in! She's opened it and she loves it!

Here it is open.

The countdown is on and Phoebe keeps hearing the name "Romeo" (my mom's dog and her buddy) and soon she will get to see him!

I have to stop playing with my dolls and glitter and handle all the last minute things that need tending to before the big day! I hope you're all enjoying the week.

Thank you to all of you who have been so sweet and visited me during the year. Your friendship means a lot.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

Cheers!

Holly

Song of the Season Holiday Party!

2011-12-19T21:28:00.000-08:00

Kim had her sweet little holiday soiree last Saturday and invited the lovely Karla Nathan to teach us a lovely winter wreath class!

Here is Karla with her darling class sample!

Me with Jenny and Denise. Love you girls!

Here is my beautiful wreath. There isn't much of a contrast in this photo but I'll take more pictures and post later! We added sweet little details like starched vintage lace leaves, beading, flowers and other embellishments.

Kim recently painted a chalkboard on the back of her kitchen door. Karla just "whipped" this illustration up for her! Isn't it beautiful?

Here is a little portion of Kim's pretty home.

~ Cutie-pie Erin working on her wreath ~

~ Kim and Karla ~

~ Sweet Andrea ~

~Me with Cynthia and Jessi ~

In our typical fashion, we had some lovely swaps. I don't participate in too many swaps but I was thrilled to raise my hand for the Pink/Aqua/Silver Holiday Ornament Swap! Here is my little "Oh Deer" wreath.

Terry hosted a super-cute charm swap. Here is the darling bag that she gave us to drop all of our charms in as we were trading. Isn't it precious? She also gave us a really pretty book marker to attach all the charms to. (Mine is complete and hanging on the bag in the photo)

~ All of my pretty beaded charms ~

Last but not least!

I can't believe it's almost Christmas! Here I am at almost 4-years-old. Just had to share one more! ;)

I hope you're all enjoying the holiday season. I am just so happy and adore this time of year.

Take care,

Holly

She's Merry and Bright!

2011-12-10T17:56:00.000-08:00

As promised in my last post... here is Miss Phoebe modeling her little holiday scarf.

She took a break from squirrel chasing to pose for dozens of pictures so mama could get a nice handful of great ones! It's always so challenging to get her to pose but I was able to bribe her with her favorite treat!

I just love this one with the sun on her face. She looks like a little doe to me.

She was very good to not knock over my treasured vintage white reindeer figures. I think they look like Phoebe, don't you?

I made two glittered Bichon silhouette ornies for the champagne-colored tinsel tree!

Here is another picture of me on Santa's lap. This time I was almost 2 years old. That was quite a throne Santa was sitting on! I think he looks great don't you? Perhaps the "real" Santa, even. ;)

Are you all finished with your shopping and wrapping? I'm finished with the exception of a couple things I still need to find.

Have a joyful day!

Holiday cheer!

Holly

Christmas Fun!

2011-12-04T13:24:00.000-08:00

I had this idea to sew up a cute little holiday scarf for Phoebe! I utilized fabric scraps and found adorable vintage puppy dog images that I copied onto my favorite fabric paper and... voila!

It's simple and sweet and it looks so cute on Miss Phoebe.

Phoebe was very, very busy today and couldn't fit a photo shoot into her hectic schedule. The squirrels needed tending to as they were getting out of line!

~ I love Santa ~

Here I am on Santa's lap at almost 3 years old. Mom, you did good on making my bangs even for this picture. Great job!

I thought this was such a fun idea! Check out Bunny Jean's Decor and More blog here. and share your cute pet photos! I will definitely be posting a picture of Phoebe in her new scarf soon!

The decorating continued on my mantel. A few more Bichon friends were added to the party!

I hope you're all really enjoying the first part of December. I am enjoying it to the fullest!

Happy Holidays!

Christmas Projects and Three Trees!

2011-11-26T16:00:00.000-08:00

Oh Deer!

I just love the look of sweet vintage deer. I found these two little darlings on Etsy and couldn't hit the "add to cart" button fast enough! I utilized a Styrofoam and fur wreath and just added pretty glittery-silver sprigs of leaves and baubles and added some vintage jewelry for that extra bling!

We all know that shopping on Etsy can be VERY dangerous. Not only did I find the precious little deer twosome, but I also found this exquisite vintage Japanese Dexter's Angel. She was in beautiful condition but quite smooshed and wrinkled. I fixed her up and sewed a new sparkly skirt, added a pretty ribbon and gave her a sweet little Bichon of her own to hold.

And she's a redhead!

My new champagne tinsel tree is UP! No presents under the tree yet... that project is saved for tomorrow!

And I just had to put up my treasured Barbie tree! Years and years of collecting Barbie ornaments make this tree very special. I stopped collecting them in 2002 and I'm glad I did because I actually don't have room on the tree for all of them. From Barbie in her pillbox hat, to all her ball gowns and of course her dream house... the tree is filled with sugary sweetness.

And lastly, this year I bought this tiny white tree (only $8 at Target!) and dedicated it to all my doggie ornaments. There is also a pink pig, a chipmunk, a baby harbor seal and a few mice who adorn this cutie!

I love the handpainted Bichon ornaments and the ornaments that hang for Chloe and Albie (my furchilden who have gone on) are very special to me.

I'm having so much fun decorating for Christmas this year! My friend LuLu will be coming for a visit in less than 3 weeks and I can't wait!

Are your decorations up yet? I haven't started this early in years and last year I skipped decorating because I was so sad over the loss of my beloved dog, Albie. This year I'm adding extra sparkle for the holidays! Life is very good.

Happy holidays Friends!

Hugs,

Holly

Loving the Rain!

2011-11-20T16:24:00.000-08:00

It's been raining all day and poor Phoebe is stuck inside. No chasing squirrels for this little doggie. No, not today.

"I'm bored."

Yes, doggies do get bored. She looked so sad as she stared through the window at all the rain this morning.

"I'm sorry your bored, Phoebe. Do you want to play dress up? How about a little glittery crown to wear?"

Two seconds later it fell off and she started nibbling on one of the tips. Okay, so much for that.

Let's take out the Christmas decorations.

"Noooo Phoebe... you can't chew on the tinsel."

(notice tinsel in mouth)

I found this lovely champagne-colored tinsel tree at Target! I decided to take it out of the box and get it ready for decorating. Phoebe was very interested in the tinsel branches! I hope that once it's all decorated she will leave it alone. (wishful thinking right?)

This will be Phoebe's first Christmas with us since we rescued her January 1st of this year!

Wishing all of my American friends a very happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for so many things in my life and one is meeting nice bloggers like YOU.

"See you" again after Thanksgiving.

Cheers!

Holly

The Sweetest of Bridal Showers

2011-11-13T18:33:00.000-08:00

In a little over a month, our darling friend Christine will be getting married to her long-time beau, Morgan. We celebrated with her on Sunday in our typical glittery-girly fashion! Kim had the lovely tea party in her beautiful home where we could all be comfortable and enjoy time with one another.

~ One of the lovely tables ~

~ Beautiful finger sandwiches, scones and sugary treats ~

The two redheads! Me and my uber-talented friend Jamie. I am wearing one of her necklaces... one of my favorites! Don't you love Jamie's dress? She can ROCK leopard like nobodies business!

~ Darling Terry, pretty in pink ~

~ Christine and Kim ~

Isn't Christine's "chapeau" gorgeous? If you love it and want one for yourself, be sure and check out her scrumptious Etsy shop, Powder Puff Chapeau!

Chit chat can always stop for a photo op!

~ Me with Cheryl and Jenny ~

~ Kim and Me ~

I made Christine this little fabric card-holder-book to house special cards in.

~ The cover ~

~ Inside it holds cards for all the guests to sign~

~ They can be tucked neatly away ~

Opening gifts was fun! Christine received so many beautiful things, many of which were silky like this one!

She loved everything... of course! I think we all know her style so well and it showed.

One last photo at the end of the party! It was a lovely day for Christine and for us as well.

I can't believe it's almost mid-November, it's one of my favorite months and it will soon be time to celebrate Thanksgiving. I am looking forward to spending it with the people I love and having a little time off to work on some projects. What are you doing this year? Cooking in or going someplace?

Have a great week ahead!

Holly

Fluffy Phoebe & A Holiday Gift Idea!

2011-11-05T16:58:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

So many of you leave me the sweetest comments and say the nicest things about Phoebe, asking how she is and telling me how cute she is. When I tell her this, she seems to understand and wags her tail!

This little tee reads: Candy Cane Princess

Getting her to pose can be a bit of a challenge. She'll usually give me a few pictures and then she is DONE.

You can get all kinds of different cute little cotton Christmas themed doggie T-shirts for 2.50 in the deal bin at Target right now!

Phoebe loves her stuffed squirrels... but not as much as the real ones in our backyard!

This little tee reads: Loved by Everyone

Perfect for Miss Phoebe!

She got to go to dinner last night with "the girls." There were four of us including Phoebe so she enjoyed her own chair to sit (and sleep) in.

I love this face!

I love this dog.

And how about a custom ornament of your dog or a friend's dog for a unique holiday gift?

I found this wonderful woman on Esty who sculpts adorable ornaments... kitties, doggies even birds! I asked her if she could give me a pink bulb instead of the red, blue or green ones and she was able to fulfill my request! Isn't this adorable!

Visit Sally's Bits of Clay here!

We set our clocks back tonight! I LOVE this time of year!

Have a wonderful day!

Holly

Happy Halloween All!

2011-10-30T17:43:00.000-07:00

I made another witch doll to add to my little Halloween collection. She comes with her own skully handbag.

~ My favorite Halloween things ~

Here I am dressed up in my last-minute idea of a costume! I went as a 1960's country western singer and called myself Kitty McCree! They don't make dresses like this lovely little polyester number anymore!

Today me and some of my favorite "artsy-crafty" girls spent the day at our friend Jamie's house playing and making gorgeous bracelets! Jamie shared her fabulous techniques on layering and bestowed her gorgeous stash with us to play with. I had been saving the two Lucite "Velma" and "Kay" hearts and doggie for years so I'm happy that I finally found the perfect project to use them in!

Such a pretty combination of silver and gold! Perfect for the holidays!

Thanks for a really fun day Jamie!

Happy Halloween Everyone! Hope you're all having a great weekend.

Take care,

Holly

It's All About the Dog

2011-10-19T16:56:00.000-07:00

Phoebe in her squirrel costume!

A little pathetic. Yes we know.

"Enough already, Mom!"

"Please... get this thing off me."

Phoebe wanted to chew on her costume. She thought it was a plush toy! Her little legs kept getting caught up on the inside.

One last shot before the joyful removal of the costume!

"Ahhhhh relief! No more squirrely costume!"

Phoebe much prefers being "natural" and comfortable.

And look! Isn't this cute? Another handmade felted Bichon to add to my collection.

Isn't this adorable? A sweet vintage photo to add to my "little white dog" photo collection. This one reads, The day we got Susie November 1958.

Halloween is upon us. What are you (or your dogs) wearing this year?

Glitterfest Fall 2011!

2011-10-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I picked up my friend Christine of Dollybelle's Peepshow and Belle Femme Gazette and we headed down to Santa Ana, CA to shop at Glitterfest. It did not disappoint! The doors opened at 10am but I don't think we arrived until after 11am. It was completely mobbed with happy shoppers and there were still lots of beautiful items left for us to ooooh and ahhhh over.

~ My gorgeous new one-of-a-kind bracelet ~

Cutie Sandi Woods and me in front of her booth... I'm showing off my new bracelet!

Gorgeous necklaces!

Darling French decor!

~ Christine making a little purchase ~

~ One of my favorite vendors ~

Adorable!

~ Sue and Virginia ~

Unfortunately, they do not have blogs. Here they are holding my two new Halloween pieces, a Halloween girl and her cat and a cute little crow! These ladies are both so talented!

~ Me with the brilliant Colleen Moody ~

~ Part of Colleen's gorgeous table ~

Part of the uber talented Sherry Baldy's table ! Talk about glitter... she had it all!

The darling Robin Dudley-Howes

~ Some of Robin's amazing artwork ~

One of my favorite girls... Michelle of Mosaic Cottage! Always such a pleasure to see you Michelle! (Picture borrowed from Lisa Loria - thanks Lisa!)

And here is the Dolly Queen herself, Lisa Loria!

Her creations stop people right in their tracks... they just have to come and look!

I just couldn't pass up one of Estella's darling handmade snowmen. I can't wait to put him out for Christmas! Sorry no blog to reference. (Photo borrowed from Lisa Loria - thanks Lisa!)

And look at these gorgeous necklaces!

We had such a fun day and topped it off by having lunch at the Memphis Cafe in the cool art area of downtown Santa Ana. They have the BEST Portabella mushroom burgers ever!

Have a great week ahead All!

Halloween is in the Air

2011-10-10T18:18:00.000-07:00

~ Little Witches ~

Hand sewn by me!

I typically prefer "sweet" more than "sinister" but I'm guessing these little girls have a bit of both stuffed inside.

I took one of my favorite vintage photos and enlarged the girls' heads for a whimsical look. I thought these sisters would make perfect little mischievous tricksters.

They have their pumpkin baskets ready to be filled with treats.

Last year I made Halloween Lady dolls. Here is one that I sold at Glitterfest. By the way, are any of you local girls going this Saturday? I will not be a vendor this time but I am looking forward to seeing friends and doing some shopping!

~ 2010 Me in my handmade tulle, feathers, roses and skully-head headdress ~

And what about Halloween this year? I haven't decided on anything just yet but I'm thinking it might be fun to create something ethereal and fairy-like... hummmm

What are you doing for Halloween?

Shopping ~ Part 4 of My Trip to France

2011-10-05T18:38:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are some of my favorite finds from France...

~ Brokante Gloves ~

I spotted these gorgeous gloves in a this darling little boutique and knew I couldn't leave without them. I have a thing for gloves yet I rarely get to wear them. Living in L.A. we don't have many days that require them, but I'm hoping I'll get to wear these more often because they are very lightweight.

The fabric is so soft and and I love the way the designer incorporated red and black leather details.

When I got home I Googled the name so I could share more info with you and I found these great fashion shots!

Will I look like this if I wear these gloves? Regardless, I can't wait to wear them!

I bought this beautiful handle-less teacup in Nice.

Beautiful photo postcards from the flea market

Mini postcards from the flea market

I love this whimsical ring! It's silver and signed on the back by the designer. Check out all the cool jewelry by Taratata here.

Aren't these earring cute? I thought the dog theme was so adorable!

I found this vintage hand painted brooch at the flea market.

I thought this little Paris girl was so cute so she had to come home with me. The artist is Isabelle Kessedjian and she lives in Paris. Check out her adorable blog here.

I found this cute summery tunic in Paris and knew it would be perfect to wear in the South. While in Nice, we found this fabulous shop with all cotton and linen pieces. I bought a dress, a skirt and a really cool layered, flouncy tunic top as well.

I was really happy with all my finds! Thanks for stopping by! Have a great rest of the week!

The Beautiful South ~ Part 3 of My Trip to France

2011-10-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

Cheers!

This picture was taken at our gorgeous hotel the Boscolo Exedra after our six-hour train ride from Paris to Nice.

Now come with me to the stunningly beautiful medieval town of Saint Paul de Vence...

This is one of my favorite pictures of the day

Overlooking their picturesque cemetery

I loved the name of this shop since I'm a Capricorn!

A sweet little hand door knocker

There were a vast amount of art galleries

In case we needed to wash our hands

Next up: A few pictures in Cap d'Antibes!

We had lunch at this incredible restaurant overlooking the water. The French Rivera was breathtakingly beautiful.

This little cutie sat next to us at a nearby table

The beach was very inviting!

Next up: The city of Eze, which has been described as an "eagle's nest" because it overlooks a high cliff.

There was a lovely cactus garden at the top (waaaaay up top).

Isn't it beautiful?

There were so many adorable shops here too!

Next up: Monte Carlo

It was quite grand!

A striking hillside of pretty pastel-colored buildings

Back to Nice...

The open market was so much fun and so colorful!

These tomatoes were really unusual looking and looked like mini pumpkins.

Pretty colorful spices

More walking around Nice

I loved the look of this cute little pink coffee place. But what does Coffee Shop Concept mean? Makes no sense to me!

Back in old town Nice. I've never seen so many restaurants in my life. All with something special to offer and all packed with people.

Such a sweet little corner

One of my favorite stores. I bought a lovely teacup here (will share in my next post!)

Loved this little shop too!

And finally, the last night in Paris...

We had a lovely last night enjoying the Les Halles area. It was bittersweet knowing that that the trip would soon be over. I had an amazing time but was happy to return to the comforts of home... and Miss Phoebe! She had her own vacation with our Pet Nanny who took her on all kinds of adventures! She met lots of new doggie friends and got to go shopping too!

Watch for my last post with my favorite souvenirs from France! Coming soon!

Au Revoir for now!

More Fun in Paris ~ Part 2 of My Trip to France

2011-09-29T20:46:00.000-07:00

Bienvenue à ma petite excursion!

Paris was a wonderland with new discoveries around every corner. As I mentioned in my previous post, I took 509 pictures. I didn't think that amount was quite enough and I wish I would have taken more. But as a friend and I were discussing the other day, It's important to enjoy the experience and not "live" behind the lens.

Here are some of my favorite shots around Paris...

An amazing collage artist huh? Inspiring... yes!

~ Me: Very, very happy to enjoy my lunch ~

One of my favorite areas in the Marais was the Jewish neighborhood. After only a few days of French food I was ready for something different and was thrilled to stumble upon a Falafel cafe. A super-tasty falafel pita was the perfect lunch and I think one of my favorite meals during the entire vacation!

The windows around Paris are just so much fun. Loved this one! She needed some shoes though.

A visit to Mariage Freres was a must! I had gone ten years prior and just adored it. It really is the BEST tea in Paris! They didn't like me taking pictures in their tea salon though. I never understand that. Why wouldn't you want someone to take a picture and hopefully share the experience with others? Hummm... big question mark?

I loved the dreamy look of this quiet, pretty street.

I made a new friend!

I was tickled as we started walking along the River Seine and first spotted the Eiffel Tower. I do believe I got a little tear in my eye when I first saw it.

Notice the Eiffel Tower and the Obelisk in the distance. It's funny to watch the cars drive around the "roundabout." They get so close to each other!

It was a bit chilly and windy but it really didn't matter! Paris is always beautiful.

We walked along the Seine, getting closer and closer to the Eiffel Tower where we would take a sunset boat ride. As we turned to venture down a little street to pick up snacks for a picnic, LOOK what I saw! Out of all the streets to choose to walk down.... It was so beautiful!

I felt like a real French girl with my baguette in hand.

The boat cruise was lovely and timing it at sunset was perfect. We got to see the Eiffel Tower light up, then after a bit, the twinkling lights started and it was just pure magic.

~ The famous Le Train Bleu restarant in the train station ~

Four days in Paris and it was time to head to the South of France for the next leg of the journey.

The Gare de Lyon. Isn't it a pretty train station?

Next up: Pictures from the magnificent South of France!

I still have to photograph my goodies and lovely finds from my travels so will include them in an upcoming post as well!

Thanks so much for stopping by. I love sharing my photos with you.

Holly

A Visit to the Paris Flea Market ~ Part One of My Trip to France

2011-09-26T19:02:00.000-07:00

I have returned from France... with a bit of jet lag, 509 photos and stronger leg muscles! It had been ten years since I visited Paris, my favorite city in the world. She once again welcomed me with her twinkling lights and vibrant energy, which I fell in love with before. I had an incredible time!

Many hours were spent at Les Puces de Saint-Ouen on the edge of the city. Just a short metro ride away from our hotel in the Marais and voila! We were there. I had been there before and it hadn't changed much, in fact I swear that I saw some of the same old chandeliers I had admired ten years prior!

I loved this Eiffel Tower made of glass and metal and of course the darling pink chandie.

I was smitten with all the flea market dogs. Here is one guy who was guarding his store.

Lots of old things and many areas were not in any kind of order, a little of this and that.

The Paris flea markets are fun because there are cafes and brasseries mixed in with the individual shops. This guy was just hanging out with his owners for a lunch break.

This pretty shop housed couture gowns and vintage Chanel.

French Bulldogs were very popular and we saw them everywhere.

This boy was very sweet and seemed to like blocking the entrance way to his shop.

Another sweet girl who posed with her silver collection.

This fella enjoyed being with his mom...

and lapping a fresh sip of water.

I loved seeing all these vintage celluloid dog brooches. Unfortunately, these can be found on eBay for much, much less money and with the Euro being what it is, I had to walk away. I will however share some of the trinkets I purchased in my next post! So please stop back later.

Next posts: More on Paris and the South of France!

Au revoir pour maintenant!

Inside the Creative Studio

2011-09-11T15:22:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled to be a part of this new book, Inside the Creative Studio: Inspiration and Ideas for Your Art and Craft Space. When Cate, the author of the book told me that my studio had made it into the book I was so excited... and so grateful! You can pre-order your copy today on Amazon or by visiting the Interweave Store. It releases in early November!

I've been enjoying my art studio for a little over 4-years now. It makes me smile every time I enter. :)

It's filled with art from my favorite artists, trinkets from flea markets and treasured pieces which belonged to my grandmother.

I am constantly rearranging and moving things around to keep it fresh (and it forces me to dust often!). My art studio, also known as the little jewel box is one of the happiest places on earth!

Phoebe's been getting into her mama's jewelry again! It was our friend Debra's birthday last week and since we just happen to love this local restaurant who welcome's little furry ones, Phoebe got to join in too. She wore a pretty necklace to dress for the birthday occasion.

Thanks for stopping by! See you again soon.

Cheers,

Holly

A Visit to Pismo Beach and Solvang, California

2011-09-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend with a bunch of girlfriends in Pismo Beach for the Labor Day holiday. Of course Phoebe was included in the adventure!

This was her first time getting to play in the ocean! She absolutely loved the white, warm sand and if I didn't see it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it... Phoebe actually did the HAPPY DANCE in the sand!

She loved romping in the little waves that came up over our feet.

This was her boyfriend for the weekend. His name is Henry.

The ocean views were beautiful.

It was chilly, but I like it that way!

Here is a morning shot along the trail to the beach. We had so much fun!

Next, less than an hour's drive South on Highway 101 is the darling little town of Solvang, which is Danish for Sunny Fields. It was founded in 1911 by a group of Danes who traveled west to establish a Danish colony. It's very special and a sweet little tucked away treasure for tourists. I first went with my family in my early 20's and have been back a couple times over the years but was thrilled to return again.

All of the buildings reflect traditional Danish style and it feels like you are far, far away and not in California.

These pictures just crack me up! Here is the first try. It was so challenging propping Phoebe up and trying to pose myself!

And here is the second! Doesn't Phoebe look perfectly positioned? I love it!

I love this pink umbrella!

Phoebe was quite a hit with people she came in contact with! Even though she was a little grungy from the sand and dirt, she still looked cute! Many people commented on her "white afro," which really made us laugh. Even little kids who were a tad shy wanted to pet her head and feel how soft she was. She certainly makes everyone smile!

Finally, it was time to say goodbye and hit the road! It was a GREAT holiday weekend! I hope you all had fun too. What did you do?

Have a lovely week ahead!

We all Scream for Vintage!

2011-08-31T20:19:00.000-07:00

Last week I had an awesome mail day! First, my sweet friend Terry surprised me and sent this adorable little pink poodle set. I have been admiring these spaghetti poodles while visiting Palm Springs or shopping on Ebay for years and years but never really saw any that I just had to have.... until now! Aren't they wonderful!? And they are all mine. Thank you so much Terry!

(Please pay no attention to the lint on the velvet background - yikes! It really showed up!)

My Aunt Mary sent me this gorgeous perfume bottle that belonged to my grandmother. As many of you know, my art studio is filled with so many special things that belonged to my grandmother and now I am so thrilled to be able to display this as well. I adore it.

And who doesn't love Shirely Temple?

My Aunt also sent me these precious uncut paper dolls. I think they'd be considered vintage if they are from 1986 don't you? I just love them!

To all my American friends, what are you doing for Labor Day? We typically do not take on anything too major with the exception of BBQ's or a party, but this year we have fun plans! I will share next week sometime.

I'll be reading this book over the weekend too!

Have fun whatever you do and be safe!

Cheers,

Holly

Planning for Paris

2011-08-21T17:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to Everyone who left really GREAT comments regarding your favorite things to do in Paris on my last post. I have a list going and will keep it with me! I made this travel journal to take along with me wherever I go. When I visited Paris last time I wrote in my journal every night before going to bed. When I visited Italy in 2006, I made a large creative journal that I filled with wine bottle labels, brochures, tickets... you name it and if it could get flat enough, it went in the book! This time I want one a little more small and handy but will definitely incorporate all the paper ephemera that I find along the way.

I am starting to think about what I want to bring to wear. I don't believe that I'd have enough room in my suitcase for anything this "bulky" so I think I'll stick with items that travel well and look smart and stylish (but not this stylish!).

There are still train tickets to buy to travel in between Paris and the South of France and friends say it's good to buy metro tickets ahead of time.

Any other helpful tips? Please leave a comment. :)

It's been a busy week so hopefully we will get everything accomplished very soon!

~ Such a content little doggie ! ~

Another another topic, I wanted to share a couple cute pictures of Miss Phoebe. You know I love sharing her sweet pictures!

Phoebe is certainly attached to her Mama. She has such soulful eyes that constantly warm my heart and make me smile. She loves gazing into my eyes like she's saying, I love you.

I hope you're all enjoying the month of August. I think this month is just flying by. Don't you?!

Have a lovely day.

Holly

Paris is Calling!

2011-08-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

I am counting down the days to be reunited with my favorite city in the world!

Here I am visiting Versailles in April of 2001, ten years ago. I've been longing to return ever since! When I visited last, they were experiencing very chilly and rainy weather so my romantic ideas of wearing cute capris and sandals quickly subsided. I found myself just trying to keep warm! It was, unfortunately, not a very glamorous vacation because I was wet and chilly most of the time.

Since I had planned to do so many outdoor activities like walking EVERYWHERE I just pulled up my big girl britches and plowed through as best as I could. I indeed walked everywhere and saw everything I could from parks to cemeteries and the Eiffel Tower and I did this through all the raindrops that occurred daily and almost hourly.

So you can imagine how excited I am to be going in the early Fall when "they say" is the perfect time to go for exquisite weather.

Of course going to the puce is top on the list of things to do! I visited last time and came home with pretty petite tapestries which I turned into pillows.

I can't wait to sit in a lovely cafe chatting away and sipping on a frothy delight.

And visiting all the gorgeous flower markets will be such a treat!

Due to the rain on the last trip, I missed so much of the outdoor action and I look forward to seeing everything I can! Last trip, I visited tons of museums so this time there will be more focus on living the Parisian lifestyle and taking each day as it comes! We will be staying in the Marais, which is supposed to be very "neighborhood-y" and not as touristy as some of the other arrondissements.

After visiting Paris, we plan to vacation in Nice, France with day trips to St. Tropez, Eze, Cannes and Monte Carlo... and wherever else we end up!

And although we cannot take this little one, she will be taken care of by her pet nanny. Phoebe will be in excellent hands and she will get to live her normal life in the home that she is used to. So Miss Pet Nanny is moving in while we are away!

I finally saw Midnight in Paris and just adored it! If you haven't seen it and you love the 1920's, French artists and romance... this film has it all!

I'd love any suggestions you have on my upcoming trip to France! Please leave a note with any helpful travel hints, favorite must sees or restaurants. I'd love to hear about them!

Merci de votre aide !

Collage Couture with Julie Nutting

2011-08-06T18:42:00.000-07:00

I had the absolute pleasure of taking Julie Nutting's class at the lovely Whimsy in Old Town Tustin, CA today!

~ Julie's class sample ~

Whimsy is a darling "shoppe" filled with all kinds of unique treasures!

I love this trio of lovely mannequins modeling vintage swimming caps.

I really liked how our crafting area was right in the middle of the store. It was very comfortable and fun to watch the shoppers stopping to see what we were all doing.

~ My work in phases ~

Julie is a really great teacher and provided us with her step by step instructions.

It was exciting to see it all come together.

~ Terry in action ~

~ Cheryl ~

~ Me and Andrea ~

~ Kim ~

~ Jane ~

~ Julie G. ~

Here is my finished piece. Of course I had to make her a redhead!

~ Another girl by Julie Nutting ~

~ All of us with our finished pieces ~

Julie's new book was recently published too! Check it out on Amazon!

I must say that this was one of my favorite classes and Julie was a really lovely instructor.

Thanks so much, Julie.

Have a great day Everyone!

My Visual Journaling Class Highlights!

2011-07-30T14:23:00.000-07:00

~ My finished Paris journal page ~

Each student received a plethora of my collage sheets to play with along with their very own unique sheet which featured a personalized paper doll.

Every guest received a HUGE warm welcome from Phoebe! Some even got kisses!

~ Phoebe & Kim ~

Cynthia & Me

We had a lovely potluck! Cynthia brought delicious cupcakes from Bottega Louie. Yes, those are rose petals on the pink ones!

Everyone spread out and started in, including me.

Cynthia & Denise at play

Terry sharing her work!

Terry & Cheryl

~Kim and her beautiful journal page ~

~ Denise and Terry with their pretty pages ~

~ Cheryl with her lovely page ~

~ Sassy Cynthia and her colorful page ~

We had such a fun night and I honestly didn't want it to end. I look forward to more gatherings in the future!

Miss Phoebe was exhausted after all the fun. She was very interested in all the girl's craft totes and thought that since they were on the floor (and at her level) that wooden paintbrushes and cork lids on bottles of glitter were for her choosing (and chewing)! Sorry again Kim... thank goodness it wasn't worse! As LuLu says, "naughty little monkey!"

I hope you're all having a great weekend!

Holly

A True Love: Visual Journaling

2011-07-22T15:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks very much to Everyone who visited my blog in the last several days! Being a part of Where Bloggers Create 2011 was great fun! I met so many wonderful and talented bloggers and enjoyed the tours of gorgeous and inspiring spaces.

I'm one of those artists who loves to dabble in everything from sewing to painting to jewelry making. But no matter what, I always find that I go back to my true love of visual journaling. I have been making up little worlds since I was a kid and have enjoyed journaling even more over the last decade when materials became much more available.

I've been working on many "sample" journal pages for an upcoming class that I'm going to teach next weekend at my home! I am so excited!

~ Summer Bloom ~

I also made a few more pages in my Dog Book for the round robin book exchange that I am hosting. I handed it over to my partner and also received my first book from Terry to work in! It's so beautiful and the theme is Bathing Beauties! Can't wait to get started this weekend.

Now I'm off to do some blog hopping and see what you're all up to.

Have a great weekend!

Holly

Where Blogger's Create 2011 is Here!

2011-07-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

Bonjour! I am participating in Where Blogger's Create 2011! It's Karen of My Desert Cottage's 3rd annual blog party for all of us bloggers to share our creative spaces.

Enjoy the tour!

A pink feather wreath adorns my door to my art studio. Everyone is welcome!

My ever-changing inspiration board is perched on my refinished side table along with other favorite treats.

Many items in my studio belonged to my mother and grandmother. The pink hobnail lamp (I have two!) was given to my mom on her 16th birthday. The little porcelain girl in the striped pj's was mine when I was a tiny girl.

M bookcase houses my favorite books and magazines along with special photos, china, bits and bobs.

The top shelf represents a Paris "feel" while the second shelf consists of special pieces, some which I've carried around my whole life, like the tiny deer and the metal lion that belonged to my dad.

A glass curio holds my cherished vintage Barbie collection along with my collection of handmade one-of-a-kind felted Bichon Frises.

My little Steiff bear likes sitting with the Bichons. My mom bought him for me when I was 4-years-old.

This shabby hutch holds more collections of vintage figurines, teacups, and original art. I even have a shelf dedicated to sea and mermaid goodies!

A little cluttered? Yes, but it's my inspiration!

I'm always rearranging and changing things around.

Since this is what I look at the most (this shelf is positioned over my monitor) I change it around often.

My drawers are filled with vintage linens and such.

I have two flying horses that float over both doors to my creative space. I made little paper crowns for them and they are attached to vintage crystal strands.

Every area is filled with pretty trinkets (usually, overflowing!).

I love buttons!

My Muse is my little rescue girl, Phoebe (from Jan 1, 2011). She is such a joy to have around. Her favorite spot is in "her" pink chair.

We also have the occasional photo session and Phoebe is always a good sport!

Thank you much for stopping by and taking a peek into my treasured creative space! It's where I spend most of my free time and I am so grateful to have it... even if it is busting at the seams!

Thank you Karen for organizing this wonderful event for all of us to meet and make new friends!

Cheers!

Holly

More on My Round Robin Altered Book Project

2011-07-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

~ Book Cover ~

A few posts back I shared the first couple pages of my "dog" themed book. I created a few more spreads and finished the cover last weekend.

While trying to photograph the book Miss Phoebe thought she was supposed to be part of the shot. Notice her feet in the top left corner?

Here are pretty pink pages with clear embossed pockets for the sign-in tags to fit in nicely.

A cute page with vintage wallpaper and a child's coloring book cover. I like these little twins because they are redheads! Do they make cute paper dolls like these anymore? I haven't seen any nearly as darling.

We had a really fantastic 4th of July weekend. With it being Phoebe's first Independence Day with us, I was thrilled to see her nonreactive to the fireworks!

Last month I mentioned that we were having "June Gloom." We are now experiencing "July Fry!" We've had some scorchers for sure but luckily, the evenings have been cooling down very nicely.

Have a lovely day!

Holly

Feeling Patriotic

2011-06-26T15:05:00.000-07:00

With the 4th of July just a week away I thought it would be fun to make Phoebe a little patriotic cotton coat.

She looks cute in her stylish duds.

Super fun and simple to sew! I just followed another little coat as my pattern and snip-snip... easy as pie!

My Mother loved sewing when she was a young mom. She made me so many pretty dresses. My baby dolls and Barbie dolls also had lovely wardrobes!

~ Me and my dolly named Polly with my Grandparents ~

What are you doing for the 4th? Whatever it is I hope you have FUN!

Have a great week ahead!

Holly

Phoebe Has a New "Do"

2011-06-19T17:06:00.000-07:00

Phoebe has the softest fur (it's actually considered hair on this breed). I was growing her out quite long but brushing her a couple times of day was just a lot for both of us to endure. So I decided to have her trimmed really short but of course keeping her big beautiful Bichon head! We love her like this because she looks like a cartoon character!

~ Oh how I love those sweet eyes ~

Phoebe got to meet her new best friend today! Our dear friend Debra rescued her little Angie from the rescue we got Phoebe from. If you're in the L.A. (or not), be sure and check out this wonderful rescue called Bichons and Buddies.

I tried and tried to get some good pictures of the girls playing together. But as you can see they were in their own playland and were not interested in posing for the camera.

Here she is... Miss Angie. Isn't she precious?

Debra loves her so much.

And I do too! Angie has such a similar temperament as Phoebe. They are both happy and loving little dogs with big personalities!

A New Round Robin Book

2011-06-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

We had a weekend of mostly June Gloom. The mornings and afternoons were gray and chilly but by the late afternoon, the sun would break through. I think I'm one of the few people who actually don't mind the cooler temps occurring in June. It's also the perfect climate for staying in and working on pages in my new altered book!

~ Darling Doggie Phoebe ~

I'm hosting a round robin altered book exchange for some of my local So Cal girlfriends. We're all just getting started now and I began work on my book yesterday. Each of our books will have a different theme with mine being "The Dog." How appropriate for me huh?

~ Lila & Gertrude ~

This is one of my favorite photos out of my collection. I've used it again and again in different projects.

I'm really looking forward to this round robin. For those of you who have participated in them, you know the excitement of starting your own book, designing each spread and creating the covers and sign-in pages. I can't wait to pass it on and get my first book to work in!

I wanted to share another cute picture of Phoebe and Romeo taken during my last visit to my mom's house. They sure were cute together!

Tonight on our nightly walk Phoebe ran into her regular doggie friends and some new ones too. It's so cute to watch her get so excited when she sees a dog whom she has met before.

I'm also thrilled for my dear friend Debra who just rescued a beautiful little Maltipoo from the same rescue I got Albie and Phoebe from, Bichons and Buddies. We are so excited to meet Debra's little Angie very soon.

Looking forward to a fun-filled week ahead!

Cheers,

Holly

Happy Weekend!

2011-06-03T15:20:00.000-07:00

I have been playing with new templates and colors on Blogger! I also changed my banner and background for a Springtime look!

I dusted and rearranged my egg plate! This is such a great way to display your favorite brooches.

You can fill a teacup with ballerinas or buttons... or whatever!

I also sewed up a couple new lady dolls for my Etsy shop! No matter how busy my workdays become I can always find time to play!

Hope you're getting to do something that makes you happy this weekend. I've got two birthday get-togethers!

Have a very good day!

Holly

A Unique Idea!

2011-06-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

~ Strolling Down the Champs Elysees Altered Plate Kit ~

Yes, it's a very long name for a kit but I found it fitting somehow.

I have transformed a beautiful scalloped plate into a lovely display piece! I purchased 12 of these gorgeous vintage English plates to make beautiful kits. Many left my table during my last event but I have a few more in my Etsy shop.

The kit comes with everything you see in the picture to make your own. Visit my shop to see everything it includes. I also thought it would be really sweet to utilize your grandmother's photo or a special keepsake. The ideas really are endless!

~ All the keepsakes are covered with a glass round ~

~ All wrapped up pretty and ready to assemble! ~

~ Surprise! I'm the one in pink! Love the bellbottoms! ~

I am so excited about a jewelry class I will be taking this weekend. It will be taught by the talented Terri Brush! I'll be spending the day with many of my favorite girlfriends, most of whom I haven't seen since the Moulin Rouge event back in March. Way too long!

Thank you for all the great comments on my last post! Now I'm off to visit you and your blogs. :)

Have a great day!

Road Trip!

2011-05-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

I took a road trip to Northern California with my sidekick, Phoebe last week! My folks wanted to meet Miss Phoebe and I was ready to take a little break from the daily work-routine. This was the first time that Phoebe traveled such a distance and she was the perfect passenger! She just sat in her little doggie car seat the whole time and didn't make a peep, not even a sigh. I think she really enjoyed it. I also kept her entertained while practicing my French and singing along to my favorite tunes!

Mom and I visited some darling botiques in Fair Oaks, CA. This was one of my favorites, just filled with all sorts of European delights.

Then we had to drop into The Tattered House, which is my favorite shop in Roseville. My sweet friend and owner Sandy wasn't there but I got to meet her darling business partner Erika!

I also got to meet the very charming Clint of Brown Dog Cottage. He is uber talented and creates these ahhh-mazing recycled planters out of tires. Check out his blog! You won't believe how beautiful and VINTAGE-looking they are!

Erika and Clint, it was so great meeting you both!

It was always so lovely to go home to Mom's house after a day of exploring and shopping. She has the prettiest yard with her own potting shed. We loved sitting on the deck, which overlooks the yard... watching the birdies, sipping wine... it's really quite perfect there.

The backyard is filled with beautiful handmade birdhouses, many of which have occupants right now!

We also visited the Antique Trove in Roseville for their parking lot sale. There were so many great vendors and it was fun chatting with them.

~ This little vendor was adorable ~

~ I loved this quilt with all the aqua accents ~

~ Me and Mom with the dogs at the Trove's beautiful patina gate ~

We took the dogs with us as much as we could. We even took them wine tasting! Miss Phoebe insisted on sharing Romeo's doggie seat with him. She made sure to "tell him" when he got to close or in her personal space. ha!

Too much wine perhaps? Nooo... just tired doggies from all the fun.

~ A shot of one of the wineries ~

~ So beautiful ~

After all the incredible dinners my mom made, all the shopping and site seeing and all of us hanging out together, it was time to say good-bye. I think Romeo was very sad to see little Phoebe go. They had so much fun together and they were so funny to watch. Puppy energy! It can be exhausting!

I'm looking forward to a 3-day weekend! What are you doing?

Cheers!

Holly

Miss Phoebe and My Finished Necklace

2011-05-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

~ I love this shot of Phoebe with her big, fancy hairdo ~

As I'm sure every pet owner knows, it can be challenging to get great pictures of our fur-children. They are usually looking this way or that way and not too thrilled with a camera in their face. My fiesty Bichon Chloe (who passed away in 2007) was a big ham and she loved the camera. She even smiled for me! But Phoebe can be a little bit difficult. So when I get the good ones, like this I am tickled!

~ Looking so demure ~

~ Always happy to be resting in the grass (but never getting too dirty) ~

~ Woof Necklace ~

And as promised, here is my finished necklace from Terri Brush's class. This was only my second time soldering so I was a complete novice. The little silver "beads" on the right side were supposed to be flat and oval, but mine turned out looking like dog bones. How appropriate! They spell out W O O F.

Thanks for stopping by. We are onto some fun adventures this weekend! See you soon!

Cheers!

Holly

A Fantastic Jewelry Class and More!

2011-05-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, several of us all met Joy's beautiful home in Claremont, CA for a silver jewelry making class taught by Terri Brush.

We all made necklaces similar to this one and even got to make a bracelet as well. I was also the happy winner of the necklace class sample, which I was thrilled about!

~ Cynthia, Suzi and Terry all happily creating ~

Kim... always laughing and making the rest of us laugh right along with her!

~ Cheryl and Cynthia ~

We each designed three different pendants. Here are mine before the resin.

And here they are after. I love this little vintage image of a scruffy white dog. I also wanted to incorporate one of my favorite images of my grandparents into a pendant. For the smallest pendant I found the French word tranquille from a vintage book page and used a litte piece of vintage wallpaper with Swarovski crystals. I'm still working on finishing my pieces and will share pictures later. :)

~ The talented Terri and me ~

Maryann and Joy posing in front of Maryann's darling car. Notice the eyelashes on the headlights! Aren't they adorable?

The class was a lot of fun but we all had very sore and tired hands from the day. Joy planned an extra special visit for us to a really cute shop called The Bath Workshop.

We all got soothing hand scrubs to soften our achy hands.

They had every scent imaginable to create your own personalized soaps, scrubs, shampoo.... just about anything.

After our hands were clean, we went to a "squisito" Italian restaurant for more fun and laughter. It was a really great day-into-evening with the best of friends!

Have a fantastic week ahead!

Holly

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T10:26:00.000-07:00

~ Me and my mom ~

My mother, always the proficient seamstress sewed such exquisite wardrobes for both of us. Even my dollies were the best-dressed thanks to Mom and her talents. I loved every single dress that my mom made for me and I always felt so special.

So many years ago, although it feels like yesterday. I'm so thankful to have my beautiful mom in my life! Happy Mother's Day Mom!

I'm also so fortunate to have my own furchild to celebrate Mother's Day with.

Wishing all the moms out there a very happy Mother's Day.

Have a lovely week ahead.

Holly

Shabby Chic Lady Doll

2011-05-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

Happy May Day! Did you run around the Maypole? I saw some darling old black and white footage of 1920's flapper girls dancing around the Maypole. They looked so sweet an innocent.

I felt like stitching today so decided to try a "shabby chic" type of lady in pretty shades of creams. Her gown has been adorned with gorgeous vintage laces, a hand strung pearl necklace and darling paper posies with Swarovski crystals in her hair. She stands completely on her own and measures 8 inches tall.

My Etsy shop

Phoebe and I pulled weeds in the flowerbeds this morning. I'm never too thrilled to do it but they are sprouting up like crazy since Spring is here. My mom tells me that one day I will find it therapeutic and grow to love it. Huh? I don't know about that, but those words come from a true gardener! And my mom and I always say, "like mother, like daughter,"

Have a lovely week ahead!

Cheers,

Holly

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T16:47:00.000-07:00

After a week of gray weather we had the most beautiful Easter Day. It even lightly misted during the late morning, which was so lovely.

Here is Miss Phoebe Genevieve during her photo session today. I took over 60 pictures to get a handful of good ones. Most of them consisted of the bunny ears falling off or drooping to the side and her trying to chew them!

The funny thing is, we call her Miss Bunny because she hops around like a little rabbit. So today was her day... she got to be a real bunny on Easter! She is such a funny girl.

~ Poodle Party ~

Remember the cute little poodle brooch I bought at the flea market a few weeks ago? Here it is incorporated into a necklace!

I don't know what my "thing" is with poodles lately, but I just love the retro and vintage ones. I love how it turned out. I integrated some of my grandmother's jewelry bits to make it extra special.

~ Tiny Dancer ~

And lastly, I wanted to share my finished project from Colleen Moody's class during the Moulin Rouge event in March. Colleen is so talented and she was such a great instructor.

The class was called "One Last Number" and was so much fun. I saved a few things final touches to complete at home and finished the little stage over the weekend. So cute huh?

Have a fantastic week ahead! I can't believe it's almost MAY!

Poodle Parade Necklace

2011-04-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

Last summer I bought two rather large vintage porcelain poodle cabochons at the flea market. The inspiration finally hit me when I received my beautiful new Lindstrom jewelry tools! My friend Christine uses these tools and highly recommended them! Talk about easy-peasy to handle! I love how comfortable they are to use!

Here is my finished necklace utilizing vintage rhinestone chain, pretty beads and copper links. I love how it turned out.

What have you made for yourself lately?

~ Pretty Phoebe enjoying the day ~

Have a fab week ahead Everyone!

Oh-So-Shabby Chic!

2011-04-10T13:10:00.000-07:00

~ A beautiful necklace that I made in a lovely class taught by the girls from A Gilded Life ~

It was the first class of the day at Kim's Moulin Rouge event and one of my favorites! I made the necklace into more of a choker and I have worn it a few times since the event and I just love it!

During vendor night I spotted this little darling and couldn't pass her by. I have a couple pieces from Farmgirls and love how unique they are. The body is a little salt or pepper shaker and has a dangling birdie inside! So cute!

Last weekend we visited our favorite flea market, The Pasadena College Flea and found a few goodies. I love these little vintage poodle brooches and would like to turn them into necklaces.

~ A pretty springtime scarf ~

I sewed it out of muslin and vintage laces and doilies.

~ Me and Phoebe ~

~ Phoebe is so cuddly ~

~ Phoebe waving to her neighbor doggie-friend Coco ~

Coco likes to come by the house to say hello and ask Phoebe out for a play date. Phoebe is always very happy to see her friend. Notice her tail!

Sequins!

2011-04-02T16:33:00.000-07:00

The Moulin Rouge event represented different things to each of us. For me, I envisioned lots of color, glitz and glamour.... and SEQUINS! LuLu and I shared a vendor table, which was so much fun. Our table was definitely full of a lot of shimmer!

~LuLu and I wearing our coordinating aprons on Vendor night ~

Each trimmed with sequin ribbon!

Sexy pinup girls make a fun theme!

~ LuLu's gorgeous area of our table ~

~ A few of the mini sequin purses that I made for my vendor table ~

These are cute little coin or camera purses. My small camera fit perfectly... but they all flew off my table so I didn't even keep one for myself! ha ha

I have a couple sequin tote bags left! Check out my Etsy shop here.

~ Sequins galore! ~

I also have a couple handmade Can Can Girl dolls left!

I made these fun little makeup bags for Jessi and Jenn, my roommates.

And a little bag for LuLu too!

All this Moulin Rouge business has got me reflecting back to my visit to Paris, which was exactly ten years ago this month! Ten years is way too long of a separation between me and "La Ville-Lumière"... The Illuminated City! I am longing to go back again to one of my most favorite places in the world. Perhaps later this year???

Have a lovely day.

Cheers,

Holly

The Moulin Rouge Extravaganza!

2011-03-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of the Can Can Flu before? Well, I certainly had never heard of it... until now. Supposedly, it's caused by just way too much giddy-ness, laughing and hugging! Unfortunately, many of us Moulin Rouge Can Can Girls caught the nasty bug during the event and some right after. I am happy to say that I am just about "back among the living" after being down for over a week. The only good thing about being so ill was that I had my little Phoebe right beside me the whole time. She was the best little friend to have close by when the coughing attacks hit and when I was feeling blue.

Now onto some of my favorite highlights from Kim Caldwell's over-the-top Moulin Rouge event...

V E N D O R N I G H T

Me and LuLu

Aside from an amazing group of vendors to shop from, Kim hired the L.A. Photo Party gang to come out with their portable photography studio and have a blast with all the Can Can girls! I didn't see a camera shy girl in the bunch! Everyone had so much posing and twirling their boas for the lens.

Sugary Sweet things

Gorgeous jewelry

Me, Sherry and Kim

Jamie's gorgeous table of jewelry

Me and Jamie

(I'm wearing my gorgeous necklace that Jamie made for me - you can only see part of it in this picture... but boy does it sparkle!)

Vendor night was a lot of fun! It's not only a shopping spree for most but it's also a lovely time to see friends and chit chat.

Next up:

K I M T R A N S F O R M S T H E R O O M

Kim turned a boring meeting room into a a dream showcase!

My table: Sandy, Charlene, Debby, Kim H., LuLu, Me and Christine

We each made a beautiful sparkly beaded necklace, a French cafe style wall hanging, a whimsical dancing girl collage and a darling Can Can girl in a shadowbox over two full days. Each class was a lot of fun!

Christine and Me

A snap of our gorgeous table. Who wouldn't feel inspired working around such opulence?

LuLu and Me

Table mates posing with one of the gorgeous lavishly designed dress forms

Jessi, Me and Jenn ~ Roomies

Our last few hours together (before Jenn and I caught the Can Can flu).

The girls all went on a fabulous bus tour the next day to the Long Beach Flea Market and favorite shops and boutiques in the San Diego area. They even got to watch the movie Burlesque on the bus trip! Kim really knows how to do it with style! If you've wanted to join us for one of Kim's events, next year might be just the right time to jump in! A little birdie told me it's going to incredible!

Have a great week ahead!

Cheers,

Holly

PS - Kim, thank you for letting me use some of your pictures in this post!

Phoebe Sez Hi!

2011-03-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

Several of you, my sweet "followers", have emailed me and asked how Phoebe is. She is doing so great in her new home and has adapted so quickly; it feels like she has been with us for so much longer than only 2.5 months!

She has a very soft, wistful look in this photo doesn't she? But I promise you that she only looks like this in most of her pictures. She is quite a ham and a very silly girl during her every-day-life!

She LOVES chasing squirrels. She seems to have endless energy but is also a darling little snuggler and couch potato when it's time to be. She brings so much love to me and everyone who meets her!

Have a great week ahead! Just a few more days until our long anticipated Moulin Rouge event! I'll "see you" again after next weekend and tell you all about it.

Cheers!

Holly

The Aqua Phase

2011-03-06T13:23:00.000-08:00

~ Dreaming of Paris ~

Collaged with fabric flowers

Sometimes I like to look through my hundreds of art photo files and think about the different phases I've gone through. About 4-years ago I was in love with painting and collage and couldn't seem to get enough of it. Looking back, I noticed that I was really gravitating toward turquoise and aqua. Here are some of my favorite canvases that I want to share...

~ Hope is the Thing with Feathers ~

I found this image in a 1920's French "nudie" magazine. I love aquiring unique images that no one has seen before!

...with Swarovski crystals and glitter glass

~ White GoGo Boots ~

~ Waiting ~

I really loved exploring with lots of color and stamping!

I've continued to work on canvases and wood through the years but not like I did when I first started dabbling with painting/collage. I went onto other things like journaling, sewing and lots of altered projects!

What's your passion now? Has your art evolved and changed through the years?

The Moulin Rouge event is just a week and a half away! I will of course have lots to share!

Cheers,

Holly

My Giveaway Winner and Favorite Artists!

2011-02-23T16:25:00.000-08:00

Thank you to Everyone who dropped by and put their name in for my 5-year blog birthday giveaway!

Blogging has been such an amazing way to meet other artists and such wonderful people around the world! I always look forward to my next blog post and I love coming up with art related (or doggie) things to share. It never feels like a chore nor do I ever tire of it! So thank you again to all of you who visit and for making it so much fun.

And the winner of the Birdie Darling Kit is....

Suz of Katsui Jewelry!

Be sure to pop over to say hello and look at her beautiful blog!

Next up...

Two of my favorite artists!

Are you familiar with Heather of Audrey Eclectic? I've been a big fan of her gorgeous paintings for years. Recently she has started making these esquisite hand illustrated one-of-a-kind mugs! When I saw them on her blog I jumped over to her website and bought one right away. It just came in the mail today and I absolutely love it. My mug is the one on the left. Thank you Heather for my gorgeous new art piece!

And who doesn't know Jamie of Simply Me Art? But in case you don't, you must visit her lovely blog and on-line shop to look at her irresistible jewelry!

I asked Jamie to make me a special necklace to go with a dress I'll be wearing to an awards dinner in a couple weeks. Jamie knows me well so it wasn't difficult for her to make the perfect piece with my name all over it! I adore this necklace and can't wait to wear it! Isn't it stunning?

I hope everyone is enjoying the week and that your creative juices are flowing!

Cheers,

Holly

It's my Five-Year Blog Birthday!

2011-02-18T12:19:00.000-08:00

To celebrate my blog birthday I am having a giveaway!

The winner will receive my Birdie Darling Tin Shadowbox Kit!

This little kit is a lot of fun to make!

A perfect Springtime project!

With lots of sweet little details...

and it doesn't take up too much room!

Just leave me a comment and I'll randomly select a winner next week sometime!

Thanks for stopping by and thank you to all of my wonderful visitors who have popped in again and again over the years. It means so much and has made my blogging adventure quite incredible!

Cheers!

Holly

Happy Love Day!

2011-02-14T12:20:00.000-08:00

~ Valentine's Day 2011 Visual Journal Page ~

I made yet another little topcoat for Phoebe over the weekend. She "needed" a Valentine jacket!

I LOVE this face!

She has so many cute looks.

The back of the jacket is embellished with a sweet vintage doily and part of the doily was used for the ruffled collar. So cute!

~ Maryanne and Roger Wooden Wall Hanging ~

And speaking of LOVE... here are a couple of cuties going golfing. This will be a present from my mom to them.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Pretty Projects and Phoebe Too!

2011-02-09T13:54:00.000-08:00

February in Los Angeles has been very warm and beautiful. The sun has been shining during the days with chilly evenings. I haven't worn a coat since visiting my folks at Christmas! It's still not warm enough for flip flops though!

~ Springtime Vintage Fabric Banner ~

I've been working on some fun little projects for the upcoming Moulin Rouge Vendor Night that will take place mid March! I'm sharing a table so I won't have a lot of room for too many items but I think by the time I'm finished, I'll have more than enough!

~Pins and Needles Books ~

The perfect little kit to hold your pins and needles!

Sneak peek of my collection of glitzy Moulin Rouge tote bags!

And now onto even more important things....

Miss Phoebe visited her first ever flea market on Sunday! We went to the Pasadena College Flea Market, which is just a hop skip and jump away from where we live (without traffic of course!). I love it there because most of it is in their parking structure so it is nice and cool. Lots of people bring their dogs so there is a lot of doggie socializing going on, which is always fun.

Phoebe did really great! She is one of those dogs who barks to say "hi" and "hey... do you see me because I see you and I want to meet you right now!"

I still just can't believe how precious and how much FUN she is! She is such a hilarious character and brings pure bliss to our household.

I hope you're all enjoying February!

My Art Aprons in the Latest Apronology!

2011-02-01T17:08:00.000-08:00

I felt so blessed the last time my work made it into Apronology magazine and I am thrilled to say that I've been fortunate enough to make it a second time! This time, they approached me, which was such an honor! I made this shabby "Vintage White" apron just for Apronology. It was a joy to design with the hope of it possibly getting published! I am so happy that it did!

Everything is real vintage except for the pretty dotted Swiss fabric that I used for the base, which is actually new.

This beauty of a flapper is one of my favorites!

The layering was fun!

~ Lady in Blue ~

I sent this full-apron along as well and they decided to publish it too!

It's a great magazine with overflowing inspiration! Pick up your copy today!

I Love Paper Dolls!

2011-01-28T15:22:00.000-08:00

~ French Can Can Girl Paper Dolls ~

These dancers were also known as "High-Kickers" when they emerged in Paris, which was the center of the dance world during the late Nineteenth Century.

I made my own Can Can Girls for an upcoming swap that I am participating in for the Moulin Rouge art event taking place in March. It has been so long since the last time I've participated in a swap and I couldn't resist joining this one!

I participated in another paper doll swap back in 2007...

Here are some of the paper dolls I made then.

I love this one! I made them all different so each participant received a unique doll.

I've also turned friends into paper dolls (and my mom and mom's friends!). Here is one I made for my friend Geri a few years ago.

Did you like to play with paper dolls as child or do you still? I remember my Kindergarten teacher drew dolls for me to cut out. My mom also used to draw fashion model dolls that were so cool! I still have them too. :)

Thanks for all the super sweet comments about my new little furchild. Phoebe is doing really, really great and adjusting so well and our house is filled with happiness!