Scenes from Tent "W"

I have so much to be thankful for in my life.  

One, I believe, is my appreciation for the simple things. 

If the truth be known, it is the things from the past that make me most happy.  

Such as the color of this set of enamelware funnels Agnes had on a table outside her tent.  They sat right across the court yard where I had an additional table set up to sell jewelry.

Yes, my very own space, and it was divine. 

Agnes gave me the best spot on the best side of Tent "W"
in my opinion. 

She pulled back one of the flaps, giving me a cubby inside, with the option to expand out into the shade covered courtyard, which I gladly took advantage of.  

Did I tell you how gloriously the weather cooperated?  It was cool and crisp each morning, so we never ever broke a sweat.
Do you remember where the festival is held?
Yes, in Texas....where it is miserably hot and humid most of the year.  

But, not this week.  Cool fronts came in lowering the humidity a smidgen, just enough to make us all jump up and down with joy!  It did get a little heated up at the end of the week, but I was long gone by then.  Pulling out on Thursday helped me miss the return of the dreaded heat on Friday.
But once home, Saturday again was beautiful.  

Low humidity~what a blessing!

Agnes, along with her sister Robin, and friend, Carla,
decorate Tent "W". 

It was beautiful, full of all the colors of fall.

Spicy fall fragrances poured through the tent and out the sides in such a way that lured customers thru the doors in one continuous stream both days I was there.  

I am sure it continued that way until the end of the show...it always does!

 I would love to share pieces of my little corner, but will do that just a little bit later.

Until then, you may want to visit my friend Charlene's blog.  

She has some sweet shots of my space there. 

Thank you Charlene....

"Crystal Princess Drops"

I had many for sale out in the court yard of Tent "W", where they could catch the rays of sunlight coming thru the live oak trees.
I do sell the tutorial here, but if you'd like one that came home with me, I will send it special to you, snugly wrapped and tucked inside one of my muslin bags for $42.
The Crystal Princess Drop is made with a beautiful vintage faceted chandelier crystal*, vintage rhinestone earring, base metal chain and one of my simple oxidized sterling silver hook and eye.
It can be worn by itself, or layered with other pieces of jewelry.
My sister loves hers, and wears it often, as do I.
Oh, yes, this also includes the shipping AND
the tutorial to make your very own Crystal Princess Drop for family and friends =)
The holidays are coming sooner than you realize!
*Please indicate if you'd like a small (1"x1-1/2") or large (1-1/2"x2") crystal.
You choose the size of the crystal, but please allow me to choose the one to send...you won't be disappointed as they are all beautiful.

(click to enlarge)

marburger and more....

(Picture above was taken at Magnolia Pearl's Booth)

Marburger has come and gone.  It was an incredible experience. 

I loved every minute of it.

I saw old friends, and met new ones.

Susie and Charlene 

Thank you for coming to Marburger and hanging out with me.

I love you both!

But in the middle of it all, actually Wednesday evening, I received a call from my older sister, Debbie, that my dad, who has been in a nursing home for the last 5+ years, was probably not going to be with us very much longer.

We were with him until Thursday afternoon, and at approximately 4:30 p.m. he departed this life.

The last couple of days has been difficult, yet peaceful.

You see, my father has had Parkinson's Disease since his late thirties.

He was 77 years old.

Parkinson's is a disease that takes the life out of living.  It rules every minute of your every day, and destroys your very being.  

It is a hard road to walk.

Like his mother, my grandmother Rosa, and his father, Edmund Sr., my dad was strong, and he chose to never stopped going.

He was a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a grandfather, 

and a great-grandfather.  

He was a cattleman.  

He worked in the cattle business all of his life.

He was a fisherman.  

He had a beautiful lake on his property, which he loved.

Yesterday was his wake.  He will be buried today.

Dad, we will miss you.

I love you....

Dad at age 20.

 Dad's 68th Birthday.

Front Row:  Me, Jewel (my stepmother), Dad, Amy (my half sister)

Back Row:  Debbie (my sister), Chuck (my half brother) and Carrie (my sister).

(Not shown is my brother Chris).

almost here

It's getting closer.

Only four more days...

Marburger Farm 

here I come!

 

The Gift

"Brave Heart"
 ~~~~~~~
Neglect not the gift that is in thee....

I Timothy 4:14

 ~~~~~~~~~~~

I have been thinking about gifts lately.

No, not because I just crossed over another birthday threshold at the end of August, which is why I have been visibly gone from blog land for awhile.

Not because I don't love gifts, and in fact if you knew me really well,
you'd know that I celebrate my birthday for the entire month of August! 

And, certainly not because I spent precious time with my husband, and my daughter and my granddog in the wide open spaces atop a bluff in an oak filled RV Park near Leakey, Texas; where we sat each morning drinking our french roast and watching the birds fly to and fro, and the squirrels jump from tree to tree chasing after each other,
only coming close enough to see if we had food to share.

No, not because we spent one very full and wonderful week in the gorgeous hill country of Texas, where each day we sat in the clean, clear flowing water of the Frio River; and ate till I almost couldn't (because the guys did all the cooking).
And not because we had one great day of golf in Utopia~yes, Utopia!
And, ate that afternoon at the historic Lost Maples Cafe.

No, not because we paddled up stream in our kayaks one day, only to find ourselves all alone with no other person in sight...sitting in the Frio's beautiful crystal clear cool water, watching a nearby gushing waterfall.

And, not because the next day we floated down stream, and found another place once again ALL to ourselves, where we stacked rocks in the river
which then diverted the flowing water in a totally different direction;

 then sat quietly watching thirsty dragonflies sit on rocks nearby hoping they could catch just one gentle spray of water!

And certainly not because each night we could sit outside to hear the crickets call;
and smile as we looked at our party lights shining brightly under the RV canopy.

I dare say it.
I have received so many gifts (in my life). 
Why would I ever want anything money could buy,
when there is all this and so much more in this world to enjoy?
Did I mention I like to celebrate my birthday the entire month of August?
I better get past that if I am going to retire at the end of the year!
LOL.
~~~~~~~
Oh, yes, back to..... "Brave Heart".

 I would like to share more of what I've been working on before our vacation, and now once again since returning home.
But can't....not just yet =) 
It will be revealed in time.
I have to tell you that I came to realize, in between class proposals, designing new jewelry, and magazine submissions, what a gift I have been given. 
The gift is to realize I have a gift.  
A gift to love what I see.  Love what I do.
And, to love all that I am. 
How profound is that? 
To accept a gift, even of the smallest proportion, with humility, grace and gratitude, using it wisely and then giving it back ten fold.  
That is what makes a gift worth way more than anything this world has to offer.

So, now my fellow Brave Heart, here I am
reminding you to not forget....
that you can find me at the Marburger Farm Antique Show in just a little over two weeks,
September 28th to be exact, in Tent W.
It is there I will have "Brave Heart", and more of what I have been doing.
I will be there Opening Day (Sept.28) and for sure closing day (Oct.2).
However, in between, I don't have a clue.
I will be wandering the fields, looking for treasurers as much as I can.....I'm sure!

among us

  I know I have been quiet here of late.  

It is was not intentional.

Not one bit.

I do believe that inspiration sometimes can be like the ocean's tide.  

It is either in.

~or~

It is out.

 

Echo {Week 19} - Blur

(Please go here to see Chrysti's post and here to go see Susan's.)

Mine has been in.

Which by the way, can does travel faster than a speeding train.

I have been working on a couple of class proposals 

for 2011.

It pushes me 

beyond myself.

It is can be both addicting 

~and~

frustrating.

To see trust what lies just beyond what I see know,

and then to go with it.

 

"trust" 

 

At the same time, 

I have been am designing and preparing to sell my jewelry 

at Marburger Farm, with one of my friends,

Agnes Strauss

of 

Wilde Weedz.

 (Moo card designed by Diane Cook)

Agnes & her friend Carla, have their very own tent, 

"Tent W"

Agnes designs the most gorgeous dried arrangements and wreaths.  

She sells flowers, real bird, duck & emu eggs, peacock feathers, and so, so much more.  

Plus, her tent will be filled with beautiful antiques.

Marburger will be open September 28th ~ October 2nd.

It is one of the best shows during antique week.

This is such a wonderful opportunity, which I have known about for some time, 

but thought about not shared.

Do you remember the fast moving train I told you about earlier?

One more wonderful thing happened just this last Wednesday,

as four of us met to make art, for the very first time.  

We had a real organized make art day!

 Yes, we finally did it, after talking about it for(ever).

I am determined to continue meeting with this group of ladies each month, 

who have art on their minds as much as I do!

Our group consisted of:

Nancy Lawrence, of Nothing Ordinary Antiques & Oddities, Agnes, Carla, and I.  

We met at Agnes' house, and had the best time!  

Our logo picture (above) is one I took of Agnes' cat, Rowdy, who truly does live up to his name.

He was so much fun to watch,

as he tried to climb up a table right outside Agnes' back door.

Oh, yes...we had a great day!

(Moo Card Designed by Diane Cook)

All the Wilde Weedz photos were taken in Agnes' gardens.  

I can't tell you how much fun I had designing these moo cards for her.

Just because....

my click

The underbelly of my new stamp looks so much different than what I expected.
Remember when I showed it to you here?

I can't tell you 

 how surprised I was when I started using it this past weekend.   

Totally different than what I thought it would be.  Don't get me wrong, I like it, just
expected it to look different (and much smaller =).
Like the size of the hand on top of the stamp?
Nope, it is much bigger!  Much!

"this is my song"

One more of my newest "watchfulls". 

I am still having big fun with these little encasements,
filling the latest ones with

sweet pictures of my favorite sisters (you know THE ones), 

adding vintage text from an old hymnal, then giving it a light touch of fine silver German glitter.

The next step is an important one for me, and involves movement.

As I take a good look at the tiny collage sitting on my work desk,
I began to ponder the possibilities of inside motion.
I reach up and grab one of the jars that sits on my shelf to the right.

This one is filled with bits and pieces of vintage rhinestones salvaged

from necklaces or bracelets used in other projects.  

I clip a couple of the tiny pieces off with the greatest of

care.  Then I gently place them atop the collage.
Do I like them?  

I may change my mind a time or two, but not this time.
Next, I take the metal front and place it together with the back,
swiveling both pieces until I am satisfied with the position of the bezel.
I turn the piece over onto its face on a wooden dapping block,
and gently tap the back (several times) with my rubber hammer.  I listen for the click.  Actually, it is the feel I am listening for, not the sound.  

It is what happens when the front and back snap perfectly together.  

I turn the "watchfull" over, face towards me...shake it just a bit to hear the tiny rhinestones inside.  

I really like the sound.  Just a little "click" of a sound.

I think .... yes, this is my song.  This is my click.

When it all comes perfectly together.
*****
This past weekend I brought home a few goodies, as I traveled to
the summer antique show at The Big Red Barn, just outside of  Round Top.
I went to visit friends and pick up some goods from both Theresa, with
Garden Antqs Vintage, and Linda, of Willow's Nest Farm.
And, to visit my good friend, Agnes Strauss, of Wild Weedz.
Agnes strolled me around, introducing me to all her antique buds.  We stopped at a booth of one of her favs, Hector, of Fundustrial.  He comes out of San Antonio, and is at The Texas Rose Show
across from Marburger Farms, during Antique Week.
He made a deal with me on these, and I have had some good ideas rolling around in you know where
as what to do with them.

I love these magnifying lenses.
And, the extra metal rims will make perfect bezels.

Oh, and I love the amber shade of these lenses.

  He had the tiniest Pet Milk cans (less that 1/2") I have ever seen,
ready to become dangles on a pair of earrings!
Love them.
And, then I pulled these out from under a pile of stuff.

My husband said, don't ever take a knife
(the gun measures less than 1-1/2 inches)
to a gunfight.
How about to a two fisted knife fight?
****
I have some exciting news, which I will share with you tomorrow =) 
Until then.....

just bee-cause

 

"watchfulls"

 I have been busy filling an order from the Fayetteville Art Walk, 

and having way too much fun seeing what I can fill inside these little watch casings.

I begin with some of my down-sized pictures,
which could possibly be of my logo, 

 or perhaps a shot I took at Warrenton 

(there are so many to choose from)

of the antique doll that I Love!  

 There is also a picture I use of a true Texas longhorn taken during the same festival trip,

on a back road outside of nearby Burton, Texas.

And, I always have to include a vintage bird nest in the mix.  

You know, nesting just comes natural for me, like most women, 

I do believe =)

Next, I will add a single word.  

Sometimes it is vintage text...sometimes not.

But, one simple word is all that is needed.

This one rings true for alot of us, as we ARE the queen of our nests. 

You know, behind every good king, there is a great queen!

 I have always liked pink.  Sometimes not as much...

But, pink and blonde hair...well you get it.  

Needless to say, I've worn alot of pink in my days. 

I do like the way pink has been coming around, and it seems a great new shade of it shows up each season.

Last Thursday, I couldn't help it.  I had to stop in one of my two local antique shops.  

I hadn't been in there for a couple of weeks, so I'm so glad I did,

because this is what I found.

Two matching vintage jewelry boxes.  I can just see these sitting side by side at my vendor table, 

or at the next Art Walk.

And, when I opened them, this is what I saw inside.

Luscious, yummy, timeless pink satin with gold embossing.

Way cool!

Then, I also saw this retro Ultralite Samsonite.

Look at its gorgeous robin's egg blue interior. 

They all came home with me.....

especially since their prices were right.

Just in case you were wondering about that cute little bee inside the queen "watchfull",

you can still get a few of them from Jill.  

She has a limited supply here, 

but a new stock of little bees is waiting in the wings until the ones I have been using are all gone.

The newbies are way more dimensional!

 

I think I likey.

If you likey the "watchfulls", you can let me know here or email me.  

(Special requests may be considered).

Each one holds a little charm, vintage rhinestone or goodie inside.

They fly out the door for $28 + $4 shipping.