Making these sweet pockets a little more special!

I decided that my new pocket creations do not need to be naked!

SO...I've stuffed each and every one with some of my favorite treasures.

They've been filled with antique ephemera, antique photographs, vintage baby shoes,

 vintage jewelry bits and more.

They really do look so beautiful stuffed full!

So here are photos of these babies now!

Now you can truly see their full potential!

You can find them all in my Etsy store now ~

Happy weekend angels!!!

hugs and love,

Dawn

On my work table ~

As I mentioned yesterday,

I have an order for ten lavender sachets

and of course I always want to make a few extra,

so I cut out FORTY!!!

Why? I don't know...I guess because I am a freak!

I do want to be able to add some to

my Etsy shop too though.

But I do love working on these...

I get to pull out all of my lace collection and look for

just the right pieces to put together.

Each one takes a considerable about of time,

thought and planning...

then there's the sewing on of all the chosen elements,

then the filling of each sachet with fragrant lavender buds.

It has been easier looking for lace this time as most all of it has been

organized on cards and old photographs.

What in the world am I going to do when I've used all

of this wonderful old wedding dress??!!

After the lace selection,

the sewing on of the lace,

the filling with lavender,

the sewing closed of the pouches

 comes seam binding bows...and beautiful buttons

all hand sewn on ~

These sachets truly are a gathering of goodies!

It's always good to be working on something pretty.

Have a happy Wednesday sweet friends!

hugs and love,

Dawn

Easily distracted...

When I should be working on my sweet little "flea bags" that have

been waiting to be embellished for almost a week now,

I decide to organize my lace!!!

I really didn't mean to but I've been looking for just the right pieces

to add to the flaps of the purses and got to thinking,

my lace collection is an absolute mess.

At first I started wrapping it around plain old shipping tags

but I thought about all the cabinet cards I have!

I've scanned most of them in to share with you so

I just thought I could wrap the lace

around them...having the subjects peeking through too!

I did wrap a few pieces around shipping tags but

abandoned that idea quickly ~

They were perfect for small pieces and delicate lace though...

The jumbled pile is looking better and better!!

But I still have a laundry basket full to organize...

And a small suitcase full too!!

I love these precious fragments from the past...

I feel honored to be their custodian for now ~

and if I give them a new life and purpose,

it's all the better!!!

Happy Friday my dear friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

The sweetness of friendship ~

I awake this morning with devout

thanksgiving for my friends,

the old and the new.

~ Emerson ~

God never loved me in so sweet a way before;

'Tis He alone who can such blessings send;

And when His love would new expression find

He brought thee to me and said,

"Behold a friend."

In the hours of distress and misery,

the eyes of every mortal turn to friendship:

in the hour of gladness and convivialty, what is our want?

It is friendship.

When the heart overflows with gratitude,

or with any other sweet and sacred sentiment,

what is the word to which it would give utterance?

A Friend.

~ Landor ~

Let us learn to be content with what we have.

Let us get rid of our false estimates, set up all the higher ideals ~

a quiet home;

vines of our own planting;

a few books full of the inspiration of genius;

a few friends worthy of being loved

and able to love us in turn;

a hundred innocent pleasures that bring no pain or sorrow;

a devotion to the right that will never swerve;

a simple religion empty of all bigotry,

full of trust and hope and love;

and to such a philosophy

this world will give up all the empty joy it has.

~ David Swing ~

Oh, what is life without a friend

To dissipate our gloom?

Where flowers never bloom,

'Tis friends who make this desert world

To blossom as the rose;

Strew flowers o'er our rugged path,

Pour sunshine o'er our woes.

Simple yet beautiful things to think on today....

you are my sunshine dear friends ~

Wishing you a very happy Thursday,

hugs and love,

Dawn

ps. Don't forget to stop by my giveaway post....I'm celebrating five years of blogging!!!

Being brave...it's good to try new things!

I had to try these resin baubles because, well, you cheered me on!

I finally decided it is the perfectionist in me that keeps me from trying

new techniques...I just DON'T want to mess up!

I found my supplies and measured the little cavities of my candy mold ~

they were about 1" in diameter. I sized the photos I had chosen in my photo

editing software so the image area I wanted would fit.

I loved the size of the cavities in this candy mold....

I had two boxes of resin (of course) I'm always trying to gather supplies,

using them is another story :)

This is the one I used.....

Here's the other box of resin I had....and come to find out,

they are made by the same company and are the exact same stuff!!!

I filled the cavities until they were almost full, then placed the image face down.

I used a toothpick to poke it down into the resin.

Well, now the waiting begins ~

I have to wait 24 hours for the resin to set.

Can you kind of tell what I dropped inside them?

I made a bit of a mess cramming lace in one...but I figured I try.

I'm still not sure what I'm going to do with these sweeties...
but I'm sure I'll think of something!

And since I was feeling quite brave I decided to bleach a few bottle brush trees!!!

Lisa told me Hobby Lobby had these small ones

marked half price this week so I picked up a few bags ~
She also shared her bleaching technique with me......

In batches of threes, I soaked them in solid bleach for about three minutes,

pulled them out with tongs and submerged them into a big bowl of cold water.

Now to decorate them!

One last little thing ~

we have a tiny pecan grove here at the farmhouse and

have had TONS of pecans this year!!!

The boys have gathered a big ol' box full for me.

I found a wonderful pecan sheller on ebay and it arrived this past Saturday!!!

I'm gonna be shelling pecans forever!!!

Wishing you a happy Tuesday precious friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

I have a confession to make....I'm a scaredy–cat!

And just what do I mean by that?

I'm absolutely scared to try new things!!!

Yes, I admit it....

but I'm just so afraid that I'll mess up.

Lisa told me all about making baubles with pics inside ~

and guess what?

I have all of the components to make them!

And have I tried it?

No.

But I will, once I get up the nerve :)

She's a dive-in kind of girl....

I'm more of a

"let's think on it awhile and watch

a few you-tube videos first!!!"

kind of girl.

Isn't it funny how different personalities handle

new things differently?

Are you a dive-in kind of person?

Or

are you a let's see what every one else

has done with this and let me build up my nerve

kind of artist?

I've realized this about myself as I've grown older.

And know that my dad and my son are so much the same....

If I don't know all there is to know about a new project or

something I've not tried,

I will stall, procrastinate and put it off

until I feel confident that I will be successful at it when

I do decide to try it!!

(last three pics courtesy of my sweet friend Lisa)

Here's to trying new things and having the guts to do so!!!!

I love you all ~

have a beautiful Monday,

hugs and love,

Dawn

Sweet stuff to share ~

A few new gifts for you sweet friends!!!

You know how I love to give you stuff, right?

I found a couple of old photos that I'm pretty sure I've not scanned yet

until now ~ I hope you love them....

First a sweet little girl, be sure to click twice for the largest size:

Here's a wonderful old one room school house photograph too:

I don't think I've told you but we've moved the soap business home!

While everyone's creating beautiful soap and shipping orders,

precious Clara and I are hanging out together :)

This angel child is amazing!!

She's talking so much now and it's absolutely precious.

I did work on this little cabinet and collaged it with a gorgeous print
that my dear friend Marcie

sent me quite a while ago ~
I've always loved it and knew I'd find a great use for it!

The cabinet is not as large as a normal medicine cabinet but almost.

The entire print wouldn't fit inside the panel but that's fine....

I love it just the same.

Sweet Minnie didn't end up coming to live with us yet.

Her owner and daughter needed more time ~
I told her whatever ends up happening is meant to be!

Look at my Thelma resting in the studio.

She warms herself under the lights.....

A photo of sweet old trims....

And vintage fabrics....stacked high!

A precious cone filled with a snowman that I purchased

from a dear friend when I had the antiques store.

I still love it so ~

It's warmed up here in Georgia ~ a little too much!!

But cooler temps are rolling back in Friday...the high's will only be in the 70's ~

I just love the 70's!

Have a wonderful Thursday precious friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn