spring cleaning

i did some spring cleaning around the house the other day. moved some things around, dusted, swept, redress a manikin - you know fun stuff like that! but it's always good to freshen and change things up a bit.




here's a little vignette in my living room showcasing my Louis Sherry candy tins. Louis Sherry was a confectioner and hotelier during the Gilded Age. His name is typically associated with an upscale brand of candy and ice cream. my sister and i have been collecting them ever since i moved here and we found some at a flea market. i see them quite often at the flea markets still and they usually run a few bucks. i still have one more smaller size that sits on top, but it's in use right now. (they are great for holding crafty choctchkey stuff.) i also have one Louis Sherry tea tin. it is the only one i have ever seen; so his foray into tea must have been limited. (don't mind the blanket on the floor, it's my tacky draft dodger.)

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my "wallpaper people" art piece from Artfest 2 years ago. It was made in Anahata Katkin's class. it's been in a back room, kind of hidden away, since i couldn't find anywhere to display it. well as i started cleaning, i rearranged the stuff hanging on this wall to make room for it. i added a vintage spring hat to the top for fun. i also pimped it up a bit by sewing some sari silk into it and tying a bell at the end.

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don't you just love this boat? it reminds of Max's boat from "Where the wild things are". Stephanie Lee created it and i bought it at vendor night at Artnsoul in Las Vegas. it is so sweet and really adds even more charm to my house! i filled it with marbles to add more texture and color. i'm very glad it came home with me.

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here's the manikin that got a mini makeover. she was upstairs in my room and had been wearing the same outfit for a few years (how gauche!) so i changed her up a bit adding this awesome crinoline skirt (i use to wear it as it is funky and fun, but it is very fragile). i also topped her off with this vintage equestrian riding helmet that i got at the Country Living Fair in September. her necklace, by me, was made in a Sally Jean Alexander class.

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i have four spots left in Pamela Huntington's fabric journal class being held here at Lemoncholy's Studio on Saturday May 1st. email me for more details at keeshagirl4@aol.com or read the post here. this class promises to be a lot of fun, so hope you can join us! when i return from Artfest, i'll be posting my summer schedule of upcoming classes. i'm thinking of also doing some shorter classes, more in a make-in-take fashion, for those of you with busy schedules.

randomness

so a couple more days and i am out of here - heading to gorgeous San Diego. i have a few days to play and then 2 days of painting and fun with miss suzi blu. i think i am most excited for the sunshine. (unless a little black rain cloud plans of following me over there - which i won't be happy about....)

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i'm still soliciting handmade cards of well wishes for JoAnna and Ron (see previous 2 posts). (and check out how great the fund is doing) i'd like to get a bunch of them! i've got a pretty box to put the cards in. any cards that arrive while i am gone, jeff will put into the box for me. right now my card is the only one in there and it's kind of lonely, but i know some are on the way- yay, thanks! (the picture above is the card i made them). email me at keeshagirl4@aol.com and i'll tell you where to send the cards. thanks.

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the other day, jeff and i went for a walk on the beach since it was actually sunny. on the way back home we drove by a pond and i saw some egrets (from a distance it looked like 2 egrets and a bunch of seagulls). so as we got closer, we realized it was not only 2 big egrets - but also 8 baby egrets! talk about a treat. of course, i did not have my camera with me and had an appointment to get to. so i had jeff go get my camera and after picking me up from my appt., we went back to see if they still were. yes! they were so fun to watch.

this picture was one of a few where i actually got all of them in one shot. so there's 2 parents and 8 babies.

going on etsy

here's a few things i worked on this weekend and will be adding to my etsy shoppe (today or when i get back!) guess i was in a Mona Lisa mood. the darker Mona Lisa has some wonderful crackling in the background that i did by hand (and it measures 8x8). i think the lighter Mona Lisa (w/ buttons for reference) is very "Anahata" (it measures 8x10)- i must be gearing up for her class! how cute it the little sprint time princess birdie sitting on her peat pot nest? i will also be adding some of my handmade bird nests delicately woven with all sorts of fibers and goodies. the base is a secret.........

I'll be at Artnest tomorrow thru the 24th. (i leave at 3am - horrible time huh?)