Christmas in July on Etsy

Christmas in July on Etsy begins tomorrow, July 14 and runs through July 24th.  If you're participating and are in need of a banner, avatar or both, please click HERE for a whole host of festive and customizable choices free for you to use.

Needle Felted Goodness

I love browsing through the needle felted pieces on Etsy and am always amazed by the expressions and character the artists give to their creations.  I couldn't resist sharing three of my all-time favorites with you.

The gray kitty above may well be real with his whiskers and sweet expression.  Made by Teresa Perleberg of bearcreekdesigns, she also offers kits for those wanting to try their own hand.

 It doesn't get much cuter than a polar bear in the snow.  Made by talented Latvian artist Inna Pavlova and available in her shop BinnieBear.

KaysK9s has such a knack for capturing the subtle nuances of her subjects.  I've been a fan for a long time, especially of her custom pet creations.

New Additions: Chenille & Tinsel Cording

We're very excited about this chenille & tinsel cording that we've just added to the shop.  Made in the USA especially for us, here's a look at the tinsel mixes. I'm partial to the copper, black and pumpkin orange mix below -- so perfect for Halloween projects:

You can see all 28 colors of chenille and chenille/tinsel mixes, HERE in out etsy shop.

The cording is not wired, it's loose and bendable, making it ideal for creating ornaments, embellishing packages scrapbooking and card making.  Which is your favorite color?

It's Starting to Feel a lot Like Christmas

There's been some major stockroom organization going on lately (hence the lack of posting).  Shelf installation, consolidation, rearranging and even a little discovery.

We uncovered a couple of boxes of vintage Christmas stuff all made in Japan: picks, glass ball clusters, millinery berries.

Everything has made its way into our Etsy shop.  We just love working with the sparkle!

Old Los Angeles

For all the scores of times I've been to Malibu, yesterday was the first time I walked through the grounds of the Adamson House.  Breathtaking doesn't even begin to describe the gardens, house and tile work.  Here are a few pictures:

 I can't get enough of the outdoor fireplace.

A free-form tile mosaic makes a beautiful segue from pathway to patio.

An elaborate built in fountain with a view of the coast behind.

 More stunning tiles.

I can't get enough of the old California architecture.

Looking up the beach from the back yard.  The houses in the far distance are part of the Malibu Colony -- semi-private beach and enclave of the rich and famous.

I LOVE this planter! The landscaping featured a very small mix of plants, all growing in sweeping bands of bold color or cascading from ornate planters.

New Spun Cotton Mushrooms from Germany

We adore German spun cotton mushrooms and are happy to say that we have several new colors in the shop in multiple sizes!  There are now ones in black, orange, aqua, grass green, and a pretty new yellow.  The much beloved pinks are also back and this time in a new jumbo size as well.  Here's a peek at what we're stocking:

We also can't get enough of these very large paper mushrooms on dowels:

It's hard to pick a favorite but I'm loving the orange and black ones!

New Old Stock Flowers, Leaves and Glue

April showers certainly brought May flowers!

We've just added a ton of old stock millinery flowers, vintage pearlized leaves and even a selection of specialty glue to the website.  From vibrant clematis blossoms to dainty silk hyacinths to long stem cosmos, everything is old stock from Germany, Czechoslovakia and Japan.  

We're very excited to be stocking Coccoina glues from Italy.  Available in both liquid and paste form, Coccoina is non-toxic, solvent-free and has the most delicious marzipan almond scent. 

Click HERE for a closer look!

Meet Chantal of Dragonfly Expression

We love the gorgeous blossoms made by Chantal of Dragonfly Expression.  From brights to pastels, whites to beautiful ombre mixes, she creates realistic paper flowers with a mix of carefree refinement.

Be sure to also stop by her blog for updates on new creations and other adventures in paper.

New Lawn!

Last Friday just after dawn, a sod truck rumbled up the street and delivered two pallets of Marathon I.  For the next several hours we carried, laid, watered and placed 1,000 square feet of freshly harvested grass.  Here's how it looked when we first started:

And a little further along, maybe 2/3rds done:

Now, a week later, it's grown noticeably and is just about ready for its first cut.  After prepping the area for many months and basically living next to a dirt patch, it's amazing how dust-free the house and porch stay.  Next up? Flowers, flowers, flowers!

New Items Just in Time for Mother's Day

 

Just in time for Mother's day, we added several new items to our website and etsy shop.  We're now stocking a vintage style frame mats in two sizes: 8x10 and 5x7.  These are beautiful as is but can also be embellished with subtle glitter accents and Dresden trims.

 We've also added different assortments of self adhesive stickers featuring beautiful vintage and Victorian images from advertising and more.

Last but not least, we're very excited about scraps from England featuring Beatrix Potters' much-beloved characters .  It's a toss up; I can't decide if Squirrel Nutkin, Peter Rabbit or Jeremy Fisher is my favorite.

A Feature on Martha Stewart's Show!

We're very excited to have some of our supplies featured on The Martha Stewart Show! Watch Hosanna Hauser, Kristin St. Clair and Martha craft gorgeous window-eggs with our supplies by clicking HERE.

Here are quick links to the mushrooms and other millinery supplies they used:

mushrooms -- HERE and HERE

millinery -- HERE and HERE

Inspired by panoramic sugar eggs, their long lasting eggs turned out absolutely beautiful and are sure to become favorite decorations used year after year.  We are excited to try our hand at making a set and are amazed by how thick and sturdy the ostrich egg is!

Back in the Yard

 It's been quite a while since I've shown more of our yard progress.  And, although we slowed down a little at the end of last fall, we did accomplish several large tasks over the last few months -- boardwalk, beach rock borders, painting...  Here's a little peek at what's moved ahead:

 The wall is officially blue! On sunny days the palms cast great shadows on the wall and orange and white flowers really pop against its brightness.

Above is a newly formed flower bed bordered by a band of beach cobbles, each handpicked  and brought home by yours truly and my faithful elf.

Here's another view of the rock border and, in the very background, the boardwalk.  The rocks continue all the way along and also serve as a place for sprinklers.  

Next up? A few sprinkler adjustments, grass, flowers, transplanting... slowly but surely it's all coming together!

A Rose by Any Other Name

 I'm obsessed with trims right now and am very excited to keep adding more and more to the shop.  These are old store stock rose trims in a few different variegated colorways.  It's hard to pick a favorite -- I love them all!

The one above is such a pretty mix of bold.

And this one is moody and elegant.

Can't refuse the sweet one above either.  Do you have a favorite?

New Colors of Forget Me Not Flowers

We can't get enough of these flocked paper forget me not flowers and are very excited to have just received several new colors.

These are the sweetest little flowers and have so many uses - doll making, parties, ornaments and decorating, scrapbooking, millinery, handmade cards, napkin rings - they're adorable!

We now carry 29 different bunches:

You can find them listed HERE in our Etsy shop.  How do you like to use them?

Things I Love: Myrtle's Studio

Miniature Hat Box

To say I'm completely taken with Myrtle's Studio would be an understatement.  If you're like me and love unique combinations of color and texture, you're in for a treat.  Trained in Fine Arts at Parsons in Paris and New York, Leslie brings an artist's eye and the skills of a fine craftswoman to everything she creates.  Take some time to savor her works of art.  From delicately crafted and embellished cornucopias to elegant ribbon wreaths, from exquisite gift boxes to fanciful stationery, Leslie's work is the ultimate mix of magic and whimsy.

First Class Mail

Blue Butterfly Cone

Mille Feuille Wreath

In Search of the Golden Butterfly