Fannie & Fairy

Fannie and Fairy were twins, separated at birth.

Fairy lived a fairy tale life in a big city in California.  

She took ballet lessons and learned how to play the piano.  

Fairy took years of art lessons, learning how to paint and draw and how to stretch her creative wings, from the time she was 6 years old.

Fannie lived a modest life far down a country road outside a small town in Texas.

Little did each one know that they had a sister.  Let alone a twin sister!

But one day in August of 2011, they found out the truth....as Fannie came to town.

When Fannie was a little girl, she longed to live in the big city.

She dreamed of the bright lights and big tall buildings.  

She desperately wanted someone to play with, who lived right around the corner from a house in town where she lived with her parents.

Someone to ride bicycles with and to go shopping with at the nearby mall. 

She longed to take art lessons...lots and lots of art lessons.

And, certainly would have loved to take ballet and piano lessons. 

Fairy longed to live in the country, where she could breath pure country air.  

Where she could take a simple cane pole and run down to the bottom to fish for perch in a creek that ran through the woods.

She longed to live on a ranch where she could ride horses and raise lambs to show at the county fair.  She wanted to climb trees to her heart's desire.

Each one longed to live the other ones life.

Imagine that...if you will.

Somehow I can relate.

I longed to be a girl like Fairy.

Fannie's not dreaming any more =) 

*****

Thank you JoAnnA for sharing your knowledge of doll making with me.

I am so glad I came to play with you in your beautiful studio in Phoenix!

 I ♥ed every minute!

(p.s. JoAnnA and I are not really twins *wink* =)
* Fairy designed by JoAnna, Fannie designed by Diane *

Art Unraveled 2011

 Deryn, Maija, =) and Diana

Manager's Reception at Art Unraveled

August 4, 2011

I am still trying to land with both feet on the ground after the six days I spent in Phoenix 

at Art Unraveled.

We ate good food with great new (and not so new) friends.

 Diana Frey, JoAnnA Periotti, Pat Soenke, Renee Troy, Serena Barton, Pam Carriker and =)

The Mission in Scottsdale, Arizona

August 3, 2011

Thanks to my dh who safely drove us to Phoenix and back.

We traveled a total of 2,400 miles!

The next day I took a doll class with JoAnnA Periotti,
a wonderful artist and great new friend.
She was go gracious to have me in her home for one very full day.

And even though she isn't completely finished
(as I am still in the process of unpacking)

I am totally in love with her! 

She's still a little "under dressed", 

but as soon as I can, I will finish her, give her a name, and share her

"coming out" with you!

(BTW...I finished her yesterday...and all my supplies are back in their respective places~YEA!)

I think you will love her as much as I do.  She has quite a story to tell.
You will meet her in my next post =)
******
So onto the reason I was in Phoenix.  And that was to teach two classes!
On Friday I taught my Rhinestones & Rosaries class.
It was just the right size.  I actually prefer a class with about 10 students.
I had the most beautiful group of ladies in my class.

 Mary Ryan, Marbie Burnette, =) and Barb Solem

 =) and Jo Stone 
As did Jo, who also finished her piece in class.
She had brought along a beautiful vintage timepiece that was her mother's.  
It had stopped keeping time and she wanted the "works" to show.

Isn't it beautiful?

Great job Jo!

 The ladies worked tirelessly on mastering new techniques.
Look at that wire wrapping! 

Very nice work Viki!
*****
On Saturday was the vendor event.  

It was high energy as the ladies began lining up at the door to get in way before it opened. I choose to sit this time out as a "newbie", just to see how it worked.
Glad I did, as I had a great time helping my friend, Deryn.
I did walk across the isle to visit with Daniel Essig, who came along to eat dinner with us each evening.  Quite the unassuming type with a super dry sense of humor.
He taught six classes while in Phoenix!
I picked out one of his tiny Window Samplers to bring home with me.

Love the tiny gem tintype on back.
I first saw his work when I took a class with my friend, Stephanie Rubiano.

She has (what he told me), one of his favorite pieces sitting in her home.

An amazing piece of art! 
(Found in my picture archives date June, 2009).

Deryn, Ronnie, Ned, Daniel, =) and Diana 

*****

Sunday was another class day, Words of Inspiration.

I really like this class, as it is ALL metal.

I had another "just right" class size, which I do believe worked out great for me

AND the students.

 Maija and =)

Maija called us the "sexy water girls"

Don't drink the ART WATER! 

 Martha & Deb

 Kathy

And here are their cuffs!

 xo

more than a word (of inspiration)

Moos Flash!  Stickers!

I used them on student packets for Art Unraveled.

Gosh I ♥ 'em!

One more "Word of Inspiration" cuff..."Believe".
What does it mean to you?
To me?  
To have no doubt.  
To act in faith accordingly.
It is a word of action.
I DO believe.

it's always in the details

When I am hunting for vintage ear bobs, I am always looking at the tiny details.  

Sometimes I will find a set that takes my breath away.  

This was one of them.

It had vintage Miriam Haskell written all over it.

From the brass filigree, to the tiny crystal headpins, then onto the unmistakable patina of the drop pearls and the champagne colored baroque pearls nestled in the back.

I have had this focal made for some time, using it as an example in my Rhinestones & Rosaries class...

as well as in my Etched & Layered classes.

I decided several days ago to go ahead and finish it into a necklace for

Art Unraveled.

I will be teaching this very class, Rhinestones & Rosaries, 

which is the first of two, a week from tomorrow.

 I finished it off with a vintage rosary, that had the most beautiful champagne colored glass pearls, bought from a favorite Etsy dealer.

I had the same reaction to it when it arrived in the mail, 

as I did when I found the ear bobs.

Little did I know that one day the two would come together.

I dug though some bits and pieces left over from necklaces past, 

finding a few strings of filigree covered rosary beads that fit with the two just perfectly.

 Now that will really take your breath away....

"Love Bird" ...new cuff....Words of Inspiration Class... Art Unraveled 2011

"Love Bird...Words of Inspiration"

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ear bobs & screw backs

My name is Diane,
and 
I have a vintage rhinestone addiction.

This addiction I have no problem denying, 
as I sift through a stash of vintage rhinestone ear bobs and screw backs.

Lately I have received a few questions in regard to "bobs". 
On the supply list for the classes I'll be teaching at Adorn Me! and Art Unraveled, I have included vintage rhinestone ear bobs as a design element.

Last night I listed about nine different "bob" sets, two have been sold.

To see them all, just go here.
This post began after receiving a question or two in the last month, 
regarding the difference between ear bobs and screw back earrings.
I love vintage screw backs and use them often.
But, in both classes, Rhinestones & Rosaries and Etched & Layered, 
ear bobs are what's needed.
Here is another example of an ear bob.

A beautiful vintage Weiss by the way!

But, here is the difference.

I have here a couple sets of screw backs pulled off my shelf, 

just waiting to be used.  

They may first appear to be the same...especially when looking at them from this angle. But, it is the back that tells the story.  When ordering online, I always ask (if not shown) to see the back of the piece.  
It says more about the age than the front will ever tell.

Here's their backs.
And, 
another pair of screw backs.

And their backs.

So, if you are working on your supply list for any of my classes, here is an example of what you might like to look for in the way of gorgeous vintage rhinestone ear bobs, 
as seen here.

 Vintage Weiss, with prong set AB rhinestones and a stunning baroque pearl.  
This "bob" is sitting on top of a favorite Brass Bouquet filigree focal piece called, 
Festoon Pendant.
I will be teaching a fun technique for attaching these "bobs" in cold-join fashion.
The "g" word never appears in this process!
It whispers the Miriam Haskel style to me.
A style I fell in love with years ago.

 And here is the back of this "bob".

Wow.  

I love to stare at it from this angle....almost as much as the front.

Especially when it has Weiss on it.

 Now that is what I call gorgeous!

My name is Diane,

and

I have a vintage rhinestone addiction.

LOL.

with the faith of a child

"Believe"

A "Words of Inspiration" cuff, 

made just in the nick of time, 

for the class I taught last Saturday, in College Station, 

for the Brazos Valley Jewelry Artists' Guild.

This is how it's done ~

Take one very special etched brass cuff (etched by you).

Add another etched layer of textured goodness (made by you).

Top it off with an etched word of "inspiration" (yes, ALSO made by YOU).

That is the recipe for a class I will be teaching at

ART UNRAVELED in 2011!

But, for now let me share how full of

my heart is feeling,

as I reveal the artwork of eight

most enthusiastic and incredibly talented students from the 

class last Saturday!

Here are their pieces, one by one.....

 

Yes, they traveled from near and far.  Sort of like the wise men.

Well, not really like THE wise men, 

but Rita did come from Kerrville, while Esther came in from Rosenberg, 

to be with her friend Joanne, from Brenham.

Carrie drove Hwy-290 in from Houston, and Sue came all the way from Seadrift, Texas, 

while the others came from nearby Bryan.

I would love it if you could join me in Phoenix next August 7th for 

Words of Inspiration.

While there, I will also be teaching another class, Rhinestones & Rosaries, 

which I will be teaching at Adorn Me! 2011 in Houston. 

But if you can't get to Houston, I will be teaching this class in Phoenix, Friday, August 5th,

so go here to find out more about it.

As I reflect upon all the blessings I have received this past year, 

I want to thank each and every one of you who so faithfully came here to read my little bits of this and that.

I know that I have much to be thankful for....and one is YOU ♥

I wish each and every one a safe Christmas.  One filled with love overflowing.

One filled with the love of Jesus Christ.

And, even though Charlie Brown has nothing to do with the birth of our Savior, I will always hear Linus speak the very words that make me remember 

just what Christmas is REALLY ALL 

about...