Such a hard little worker! I wish he could help me out in the studio.

I felt so lucky that we just happened to pass by
Reagan's flower at the same time! Watching him work his magic made my day.

Some peeks from the studio this week....
If you "fancy" this style , and are going to be in the Pasadena California area July 29-Aug2, I will be teaching the "Vintage Broken China Jewelry Workshop"
follow this link to sign up for this fun class on the web site:
Staffordshire Garden Workshops
or just email me at contact@staffordshiregarden.com

More sneak peeks...

I did this one for my dear friend Paula's birthday. She is doing a wonderful " tea" for Reagan's birthday next week (so excited!)

"Through the Looking Glass"
Alice and Wonderland series
#1
"Time is a Journey"

This collection comes directly from my 1898 Lewis Caroll Alice and wonderland book, with the beautiful illustrations of John Tenniel.

Back of pendant features aged vintage looking glass.



Front features my favorite character- oh, ever so concerned about the time.
The bottom reminds him that time is the journey.
Fresh out of the studio, and have not listed him anywhere yet.
Inquiries at contact@staffordshiregarden.com

Hello Friends , a Peek at what's been going on...

Hello Friends...

Just wanted to show you a little of what was going on in the studio this week.

Also, I have been working on a new July kit for Creer Avec Moi , www.creeravecmoi.blogspot.com . It will most likely be late next week when it is posted.

"The Button Fairy"

SOLD

Once upon a time there was a tiny fairy with a passion for buttons! She collected them wherever she roamed.

The "Button Fairy" bracelet features this fairy's entire collection of vintage Mother of Pearl buttons, along with snippets from her favorite ribbon dresses that were hand dyed in vintage creams. All of the buttons have been attatched to a sterling silver bracelet , with sterling rings and sterling clasp. The sterling has been given an aged vintage patina.

The button fairy has also etched her own self portrait into a solid brass center focal piece, to watch over, and protect all of the precious buttons in her collection.

Little Details: The sterling chain is adjustable. The center focal piece measures approx. 2 1/4 " x 1 3/8" . This bracelet is a signed one of a kind piece,100% handmade here in my studio. The purchaser of this bracelet will receive it gift boxed, ready to share with a loved one , or enjoyed personally !

SOLD

copyright 2009 Staffordshire Garden Designs all rights reserved

The "Button Fairy" bracelet may be purchased on the Staffordshire Garden website

www.staffordshiregarden.com

"Paris Princess "

OOH la la! This necklace destined for the girl who loves everything French. The"Paris Princess"

Necklace features Brass Etched "Paris Princess" focal pendant , with a repurposed vintage brass rhinestone bail and vintage prism drop. All chain , wires, rings, and toggle closer , are sterling silver that has been treated with an aged patina and rebuffed by hand, to keep with the vintage feel.

Tiny details: This necklace is completely one of a kind, hanmade here in my studio. The purchaser of this necklace will recieve it gift boxed. Ready to share with a loved one, or enjoy personally.

Copyright 2009 Staffordshire Garden Designs . All rights reserved

to view on the web site follow link Staffordshire Garden Designs

Studio Projects, Disney, Workshops, and Happenings

Our "magical trip"

We our back from our trip to Florida, relaxed and refreshed. I am still working on a pile of emails to catch up with, but
if you have placed an order while I was gone, it has now been shipped and is on its way to you! Thank you so much friends ,for your patience while I took this once a year brake with my family.

Miss Reagan, and Mason (official technical adviser for Staffordshire Garden Designs), enjoyed that we could see the monorail from our balcony.

We saw characters.....
(Ok, in my hair's defense, we had just gotten off "Splash Mountain" and were completely soaked!
My Dad came out from California to join us. He did not escape Minnie's clutches.Mason was kind enough to take his sister on Dumbo, which of course as a mature teenager , he did not enjoy one little bit (wink).

Big brothers, oh bother.

teenagers ...need I say more?

Reagan and I had a special Mother Daughter Tea at our hotel one afternoon.
And then, all to soon it was time to go.
Shop till you drop, literally!


Some new things going on in the studio......

This is a "Broken China Mosaic" piece I have just put up on my Etsy store.

Very Vintage Style Brass Etchings.

Etched brass pendants. Available on my Etsy , www.staffordshiregarden.com website, and Lollishop and Make Mine pink boutique! (side note.... it may take until Monday to get them up on all the sites.)This pendant is available for custom orders with your monogrammed letter on it.

California Workshop
Broken China Jewelry Workshop
August 1st 2009
5-9pm
Location: Pasadena Bead and Design Show
Pasadena Hilton , Ca.

Sign up page available here Staffordshire Garden Designs


Well, that is all for now.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Enjoy!

A Few New / Old Things

A few things Reagan and I picked up while at the Antique market .
Some more tiny shoes for my ever growing collection.


The more worn the children's shoes are the more I like them.
Because I like to imagine they were well played in, and all of the fun they must have enjoyed before it was time to retire them for a new pair.



These we found at the last minute, and I was so excited.Beautiful Vintage czech glass stays and lots of beading remnants.

Ooh the Halloween ideas are brewing now.....

But, they will have to wait,
because I have a date with a mouse!
Yes, that's right.
We will be attending the ball,
and tea,
and will have all sorts of magical "tales" to tell when we return.she will be available on my etsy store

I will be back on the June 17 th ,
refreshed and replenished with my "magical fix" for the year.

Today's goings on, and Broken China Jewelry Workshop News

The computer and I definately have an ongoing love hate relationship .

Today it almost lost out. It found itself in luck that the trash man , recycle guy, wasn't due to come by.
I do love that through the computer , I am able to see all of the wonderful images people post. I love that so many of them are vintage in nature, or just created completely by hand.

These are two things that stand in stark contrast to this heap of mass produced wires and motherboards. (sneak peek at my article in Belle Armoire Jewelry summer issue pg 122-124)

Handmade with love,care, and detail. Made with love care and detail 100 years ago. All of this I am able to look at and enjoy, and sometimes even able to purchase , on this mass produced machine. You can also meet people who share the same passions. Across the country, or even across the globe. Wonderful people that would have never found you without this contraption.

I am not quite sure why I cannot approach the computer with the same amount of patience as when I am making something .
When I am trying a new process, tool, or chemical I have not yet used ,( I often say I have enough different chemicals now to probably make a bomb! LOL .

Just kidding : ), I probably just triggered a lot of bad stuff with that word. ) Oh well, we mad scientist/ mixed media artists understand. Anyhow, if I make a mistake , or the outcome isn't what I wanted, I go back to the drawing board and try again. Sometimes , not all is lost, and I can take a different direction with the mistake that was made.

However, when it comes to the computer I become impatient. Why so many processes, steps, and so many ways to the wrong outcome? Type send , Type send, that's what I would like. No disconnections, server interruptions, accidental closings, cannot complete task, file not found.

I can spend a solid week with no sleep on a project , or a month on something else going back from time to time , but if I cannot type something and cut and paste from one document to another in an hour my brain is fried. I often call 16 year old in, (my computer "guru" ) and just say, "Please just make it do this ", like it just wanted to be disobedient somehow to spite me.

Oh well, without it I know I would be lost.
Lost without all the beautiful blogs , and web sites, and Flickr (I do not even want to know what a Twitter is so don't tell me). My house might be cleaner, and my studio more organized , and everything would run like effiecient clockwork around the house, but what's the fun in that really?
Our relationship will go on , and I will try to be better and more patient on my end of it.

But, there better not be any funny business! (funny business)


On a completely different note....

3D Shadow Box House Pendant

I am excited to let you know that I will be teaching 2 workshops at the Pasadena Bead and Design Show this summer.
July 30- August 2

Vintage Broken China Jewelry Necklace Workshop

You can sign up to join me for these workshops on the Staffordshire Garden Designs website, or call 859-801-6622. Email at contact@staffordshiregarden.com .
We're going to have a whole lot of fun!

Guess what was in the mail today!

Excitement!......

Guess what came in the mail today...
One of my favorites yeah!,
And, I am in there too somewhere ( LOL).
I will be up reading all these wonderful goodies all night!

I finally retrieved the photos from my phone of the "Let them Eat Cake" workshop ( I let the phone live, just barely), taught by the wonderful Mica Garbarino of Garboodles.
The pictures came out really blurry and icky , so Mica was gracious to let me borrow some of her photos from her blog.

This is wonderful and sweet Mica and Lisa, and me at
Convenzione 2009.

The class!


Mica taught this wonderful workshop called "Let them Eat Cake"
These are the fabulous creations of Kathleen and Diane , 2 of the three sisters of Papertons.com. I had workshops with these fun ladies both days.
This is Lana whom I actually met the first night, and was lucky to enjoy the workshop with her the next day. She is a wonderful lady and hilariously funny.
The official line up!

Now this lady is home, and she is now and forever Reagan's lady. I don't think Reagan has officially given her a name yet, but she loves her very much. Thanks Mica!

Who do we have here....?

Today I would like to introduce you to Priscilla.

Named after the Roman Empress (and because her parents are particularly fond of the letter P),Priscilla Pocus is the middle child of 5 sisters. Her birthday is May 13 which also happens to be her favorite number, coming from such a large family of witches.

Among her favorite pastimes are making innocent mischief, and taking tea. Usually in that order of preference.
She ususally likes to be out and about in the world, but when at home, she loves to play in vintage jewel boxes , and admire vintage jewelry , of which she is an avid collector herself.

Priscilla is currently being offered as one of a kind, on the www.staffordshiregarden.com website.

I am still trying to retrieve the photos from my wonderful class with Mica "Let them Eat Cake" at Convenzione from my phone. 16 year old tells me I need a special driver . ???? ok,
we will let him handle that one, and hopefully I will have them by this weekend.

There is still a little time to enter the drawing for the Marie Antoinette Canvas Book kit on Creer Avec Moi . Sign ups for the drawing end at midnight tonight, and the winner will be drawn tomorrow! Yeah!
There are only 3 kits left available for purchase. Remember that if you purchase one , and then win the drawing , I will refund your entire purchase including shipping!

For those who do not yet know, Creer Avec Moi is my new blog , on which I am adding really fun vintage inspired mixed media kits for you to create with every month. There is also a Flickr group to post photos of what you have made with your kits, your art creations to share with everyone. I am excited about this fun group, and anxious to see everyone's fabulous creations!

Also , Sweet Deborah of www.starrynightimpressions.blogspot.com
is having a wonderful givaway with all sorts of wonderful things from Convenzione 2009. Give her a visit and leave a comment on her blog to enter.