Sharing a little birthday love!

Little might just be the wrong word to use though!!!

And yes, my birthday is the day after Christmas but

my precious friend Lisa and I are known for not being

on time for our birthday gifts to one another.

I just have to share with you

all the amazingly, wonderful goodies

she gave me!!!

Some of the photos are a little repetitive but

I know you like pics and I tried to get close ups ~

She packaged everything so sweet!!!

Each parcel had a number and on the back of each tag

Lisa wrote a little note to me...

Here is a shot before I opened the packages:

And here's after....WOW!!!!

Look at all of the precious treasures!!!!

She SO knows what I love.

All types of sweet baby shoes, a few baby dresses too.

Gorgeous antique lace and a porcelain half doll!

Antique children's photographs and old photo album pages.

Vintage rhinestone pins and postcards.

See the teeny doll shoe?? LOVE!

And yes, at the bottom of the photo below are a few very small animal skulls.

I hope that doesn't creep you out but I love the beauty of nature

(and Lisa knows it)

and will create a shadow box just to showcase them all!!!

Several pieces of the new Tim Holtz fabric, isn't it beautiful???

Wonderful feathers to use in artwork.

An amazing book about old dolls ~ I just love it!!!

And lastly, a few back issues of a magazine from the UK that I love, Daphne's Diary!!!!

Absolutely UNBELIEVABLE!!!

Dear sweet Lisa,

Thank you soooo very much for my gifts...

and for your precious friendship...
you continually inspire me to be creative ~

I love you girl!!!!

Happy Monday sweet friends and

Happy March too!!!

hugs and love,

Dawn

No longer forgotten....

Precious little shoes....worn by a little girl's favorite doll or

maybe silk ruffled booties that have once been on a chubby baby's foot ~

I love them all!

If they're dirty, scuffed or even smashed flat....it doesn't matter.

They can still be brought back to life.

It just takes a little tender loving care and these little forgotten

treasures can have a new purpose and make someone smile again!

I've been a busy bee the last few days....here's what I've been up to:

A tiny doll shoe transformed into a pincushion ~

Just add a few embellishments...tiny bits of antique lace...and pretty trims ~

it doesn't take much to turn something ordinary into something precious!

Here's is what I've been up to sweet friends ~

All are now in my little Etsy shop!

I didn't really have any pretty pins to place in these pincushions

so I had to make a few ~

I've shared this with you before but it's so easy, I had to share it again.

The supplies are simple....straight pins, a few old pearls, tiny beads and a little jewelry glue!

I usually prepare a few...feed the beads or pearls onto the pins, only about halfway ~

Then put a little jewelry glue near the head and down the pin about a quarter of an inch.

Slide the beads up to the head and wipe off any excess glue that blobs out onto

a piece of scrap paper....then just lay the pins down to dry for awhile.

My pretty little pins are now ready for a pincushion!

Easy, huh?

Take the ordinary and transform it into something extraordinary!

Have a beautiful Wednesday precious friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

I got to thinking.....

Which is a little dangerous, right? :)

I thought, could my little doll shoe tutorial be transformed

into a sweet ELF shoe???

I just had to find out!

I printed out the pattern again,

yes, I'm a goob and had to print out my own tutorial!

Then I altered the pattern so it would have a pointed toe

rather than a rounded one. Plus I made the sole of the shoe

pointed as well. I thought one of these would make a precious

Christmas tree ornament!!

Here's what happened :)

I just love it!!!

I used a beautiful upholstery damask for the fabric,

and had purchased some trim with teeny, tiny bells...

I knew one would be perfect on the toe!

My precious friend Deborah at Confessions of a Junkyard Cat

sent me this wonderful trim a while ago

I glued it around the top for the cuff ~

I love to buy scraps of suede at Hobby Lobby and the thinness of the suede

makes it perfect to use as a sole for the elf shoe.

A length of seam binding glued to the heel and

of course I had to dampen it and scrunch!

Perfect to use to hang on the tree....

OH, the sweet adornment in the front of the elf shoe?

Believe it or not, it's an upholstery tack with the back

cut off with a wire cutter!!! I just glued it on with Fabri-tac ~

I really should be their spokesperson you know,

I'm in love with the stuff!!

I sliced about ten thin strips of sheet music
with my paper slicer thing and then accordian folded it ~
perfect stuffing to go inside the elf shoe.

 

What a sweet adornment on a gift then the recipient

can hang it on their tree!

It feels so good to make something....

I believe we as human beings crave creating....don't you?

Just as our own Creator has.

Have a beautiful Tuesday my sweet friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

I'm thinkin' I have a thing for shoes....

What do you think?

:)

I finished the tiny pretties for Lisa's class!!!
They are now on their way to Texas ~

No, not shoes for me to wear...

just beautiful little shoes that make me smile ~

Have a wonderful weekend precious friends!

hugs and love,

Dawn