Potential of a Black Box?

A few years back, I found this black box at a yard sale.  I think I paid $5 for it.  Even though the paint is a bit worn on the floral decoration, it intrigued me.  It is a generous size; measuring about 2 feet across the front.  It has a lid that lifts and a drawer on the bottom.  The paint is chippy, which I LOVE!  The color is black, which some may not like, but I just love mixing in black with my decor.  It's like a dark neutral, don't you think?

This is a picture before I had hubby move the big knob on the top, down to the drawer on the bottom.  I also had the sweetest little vintage metal pull that I got at an antique fair a few summers ago and never knew what to use it on.  So, here it is now:

The inside is a bit rough, but I have big plans.  I'm thinking a little sanding and a satin lining, maybe cream colored?  Something a bit elegant to offset the chippiness of it all.  What do you think? 

Alice in Wonderland ~ Tag Book Swap ~ It's Here!

Oh, I was so happy to see the tag book package arrive from Karla's Cottage.  In spite of Karla's bout with the flu and then tendinitis, and pleurisy, Karla persevered and sent out the tag books.  I sure hope you are feeling better now, Karla.  That was quite a string of nasties! 

But, here are the pictures of the tags.  I just love it all grouped together, Such a luscious looking little book.  I had to create a few extra of my own tags to include, just so I could remember what I created. 

On the cover is Karla's very own tag.  So so sweet, with Alice and "the key" to the tiny door.  Love all the layering.   I learned so much doing this swap.  I can see how to layer now, and use "extra touches" to make the tags even more wonderful.  I'm including a copy of the backs of the tags so you can see that the girls didn't stop on the front, but continued to create such beautiful backs, most with their signatures.

I'm not going to add to much text now, but just enjoy the tags....

And all I can say now, is I just loved this swap.  I hope to join in the fun again.  Hope you enjoyed the tour.  Have a great weekend...



Blessings To All,

Kitty

Love those Browns...

A bit of this, a dash of that..... That's what this post is about. I have some "pretty pictures" for you to see. This is from a recent "antiquing" day with Heather. She has already posted her pretties, so, I guess I am playing catch up :)

It is no secret, I "Love" Ironstone, and all those shades of white, cream, and brown. Love, love, love it!  Speaking of "Those luscious Browns", a little later in the post, I'll show you my "rose making" inspired by the sweet "Ann", of The Tin Rabbit. If you haven't been over,  you must see her blog.  Gorgeous!  But, here are a few more pictures of the shopping trip.

Couldn't pass up the old ironstone sugar bowl.  No lid, but who cares?  Love all those luscious shades.  The brown transferware dish was a great find.  It is now one of my favorites.

I know, don't you just love this simple white jewelry box with the sweet pink velvet and satin lining?   HMMMM?  I was lucky enough to purchase all the jewelry inside, as well.  3 rosaries, a few chains (for creating vintage jewelry), a few pair of earrings, and a gorgeous blue stone chain.  Ah yes, and one sweet Christmas tree pin wich needs a stone replacement.  But, it is an oldey and so very sweet.

Oh, and the lovely millinery, we couldn't believe the luck!

So, as a continuation of "the browns", I popped over to Ann's blog and saw her tutorial on making coffee filter roses (thanks Ann, I love it!).  So, I thought, why not?  I dyed my coffee filters in coffee, cut them up, as per her instructions.  Cut some hymnal petals, and then started on my first rose.  It turned out so-so, not tight enough, not enough petals,  needed more glue.  You know how it goes ~ you have to do a few before you get the "hang" of it.  But alas, I persevered, and was very happy with the last few I did. 

I did decide to add one thing.  I thought wouldn't it be great to hide a few petals of pictures inside the roses?  How fun to walk by the roses and look and know you can have a peak anytime you want...:)  I have a few other ideas that I am going to try.  More on this at a later date :) :) :)

So, off to the printer I flew, printed out a few pictures of the grandkids (in sepia), inked the back side a bit, and tucked a picture petal or two inside the rose. Here's a sneaky peak of the one petal.

I just love the fullness of these roses.  The lusciousness of "ALL THOSE PETALS".  And you can have as many as you want ~ from something so inexpensive as a "coffee filter". 

I plan on making more roses tonight.  It is an easy thing to do while watching TV.  I DVR'ed a movie from Hallmark to watch tonight, so that, with my roses, and a "cuppa" something warm sounds just right....

Hope you all have a wonderful week.  The snow is just about gone now, the tulips and daffodills are starting to pop up, the birds are all pairing up and building their nests.  I can't wait to add some other flowers to these rose beauties.....

Thanks for stopping by, and Blessings to all,

Kitty

xox

Wonderland ~ Wake Up Alice!

I was lucky enough to be asked to be in a tag swap by the gracious Karla of Karla's Cottage.  This is my very first tag book swap and I was a bit intimidated.  All I have to say after this experience, is "Go For It", if you are at all a bit hesitant, like I was.  This was so much fun.  Not only did I have a reason to create these fun tags, but I was able to read a story that I somehow had "skipped" in childhood.  Needless to say, I now cannot wait to see the new movie that is out of Alice In Wonderland.

The tags above are actually the backs of the first set.  I did double-sided tags.  Just to have the fun of doing 12 different scenes.  So, as you can see, Alice is falling down the hole, She is  having tea, and asking for a "clean cup" and of course, the big question, "Who Stole The Tarts?".  :)

 On the tags above, we have "An Invitation to Play Croquet", A tag indicating a good many of the symbols of the story with a little tiny dangle that says, "Wake Up Alice"; and of course, the infamous "Off With Her Head" from the Queen of Hearts.

Again, the backs of the tags, with a cottage scene, White Rabbit in the Court, and the Cheshire Cat talking to Alice about being "MAD"! (Not angry, you know, mad like "insane"!)  LOL!  This little spot in the story really made me chuckle, as he tells her if she goes one way, she'll go to the "Mad Hatter", and the other way to the "Mad Hare", and then he told Alice she must be "Mad" because she is in Wonderland!  I think I've been to Wonderland a few times, myself! :) :) :)

Here's a few closeups.  I won't bore you with a bunch.  :)





Well, I hope you all enjoyed a very quick trip through Wonderland.  Wouldn't it be nice to take a little trip down the rabbit hole just to spice things up a bit now and again?

I can't wait to pop over to Flickr and see the rest of the tags as they are posted.  And I am anxiously awaiting the tag book from Karla. 

Blessings to all,

Kitty

Update:  I've added some new items to Etsy.  Get your Easter Trees!   :)