A best friend for my dress form....

She's finally here, my newest find on ebay....I've wanted one with a cage for quite some time now and got lucky with this find. She's quite shabby (just how I like them!) and her fabric covering is all but falling off her, otherwise she's in ship shape.
Her cage is still in remarkable shape, that was what I was most worried about, that and where I would put her....not to worry, she fits in well right next to her "sister" form....wonder if there's room for another :). (Just kidding, my rooms really not that big!)

Inspiration from my best friend....

Thanks Mel for the beautiful inspired idea....you are SO creative. I wouldn't have thought of this idea on my own (in fact I wouldn't have bought the styrofoam cones in the first place!)
Of course I had to put my own "spin" on your idea by using paper on two of mine...now I just wish I had more cones to cover, will have to watch for more at the thrift stores.

They're perfect in my kitchen window, which I've had trouble decorating....the sill is narrow and most things won't fit on it, these however fit perfectly.

I could make a million of these, and no two would look alike....lovin' the idea my friend! 

Thanks!

A little of this, a little of that......

So I have spent an embarrassing amount of time lately organizing my studio/craft space. It wasn't functioning well for me, and I was so scattered in there, buying more things, not putting them away, yada, yada, yada.....
I adore the latest issue of Where Women Create, and loved Amy Hanna and Pam Garrison's studios! I especially loved their windows and how they were so very creative with paper, so the first pic above is my version of a valance made with old piano rolls. I bought them mostly for the boxes but the rolls themselves are pretty cool paper...now they have a use!
The rest of most of these photos are just shots from around my new and improved studio.....

I'm also a bit panicked because I bought another dress form and will need to find some room for her.....wish me luck with that one! And with my dh's reaction when he sees her....that probably won't be pretty.
The pic above is in my front entryway....the books below are in my living room,

These are some of the old piano rolls in an old overnight case....

I have been creating a few things, and loved going to the Primrose Lane Spring Show in Coburg on Friday with a friend, the show was small but had some really neat things at good prices.

Well, I'm off to create something....the weather is cool and rainy so a good day to stay in..

Thanks so much for stopping by :).

Cheater ruffles galore!!!!!

What starts out like the padded hanger above, found in every single thrift store in America, and ends up like the image below?
Every single one of these ruffles came off a padded hanger that I got thrifting or estate sales, or were gifted to me by Melanie. I love to embellish the wood hangers underneath, and kept the satin covers to use in my art, but it wasn't working out too well. I just couldn't seem to manipulate them in the right way to get the look I was after.
Yesterday I was home all day with dd who was sick, so I was puttering in my studio in between taking care of her, and quite by mistake came up with this oh so easy idea. Just take a seam ripper to those little pieces after you take them off the hangers, and open them up. 
Voila, instant ruffles! Now I love ruffles but haven't had the patience to sit at my machine and make a bunch, now I don't have to. The fun part is they all come out a little differently, some are super ruffled, some have a flat part on the top (I purposefully left them that way for a little variation), and some are just single ruffles.




Then you get out your ironing board and gently press them out making sure you don't over press them, thus defeating the whole purpose, which is to leave lots of ruffles in and to have a somewhat rumpled look. I can think of about a thousand fun uses for these, bet you can too!
Here they are in their final home on a shelf in my studio, just waiting until I need one for a collage, dolls dress, flower, whatever............hope someone else can use this easy idea.

Don't you just love.....

antique cookbooks? I don't have very many, but find that the one's put out by the old baking powder company's are so beautiful! This little book has a copyright of 1909, the graphics are just phenomenal....


In the back someone has written her favorite old-fashioned recipes, like Tomato Catsup....and pickled onions, yum?
She also put in clippings from a newspaper that she liked such as "Mistletoe Chocolate Cake" and "Mistletoe Frosting". I might even have to try this one :).

This next book I just picked up yesterday at my local thrift store....called "Anyone Can Bake".

It was put out by the Royal Baking Powder Co. in 1929. It sold for $1.50!

I just love this section on "The School Lunch Box"...charming. If you enlarge the pic you should be able to read it a little better..


I love the beautiful illustrations and the presentation of these desserts, look so yummy....
and this page of cakes below is so smudged, I know the cook's favorite page in this book!

Check out these pretty cakes and cupcakes.....I especially love the last two, the heart-shaped cake and the children's Merry-Go-Round Cake.
I hope you enjoy the pictures of these old cookbooks, they're just like a little "slice" of history.