4th of July & a Winner

Hi there! Wasn't the Tea Party a blast? I enjoyed visiting all the very creative blogs out there. I wanted to let Carole of Maynard Greenhouse know she's the winner of my initial contest.

Thanks to all of you who entered. I'll be having more giveaways in the future.

If you're in Southern Ca. I'll be in Ventura on the 4th for their wonderful craft show. It's sure to be a lot of fun, oh and be sure to come over and say hi to me. I'll be near the corner of E. Main and California St. from 10-5 on Saturday the 4th.

The rest of July will be a vacation for me, so I'll see you back in August. Have a wonderful, fun and safe 4th of July.

Take care,

Martha

Mad Tea Party Charming Giveaway

Welcome so glad you could stop in! Here's a cup of tea to warm you. Sit down, sit down please. Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist is having a Mad Tea Party, so make sure you pop over and check out her delightful display of delights!
I thought I'd share a little information I found fascinating...

"The Mad Hatter's Tea Party." Though he did not create the expression "mad as a hatter," author Lewis Carroll did create the eccentric character of the hatter in his book, Alice in Wonderland (illustrations by Sir John Tenniel), first released in London in 1865, coincidentally, the year Lincoln was assassinated.

The hatter in the book is an eccentric fellow with wacky ideas and incoherent speech, characteristics attributed to many hatters of the day, suffering from mercury poisoning. Mercury was used in hatmaking and its poisonous vapors caused debilitating neurological damage to the hatters, resulting in a complete mental breakdown."

(source: http://lisawallerrogers.wordpress.com)

This reminds me to always wear a mask so I don't inhale smoke when soldering. Yikes, I'm wacky enough as it is. Anyway, to celebrate the occasion I'll be giving away one of my tiny soldered crystal initial charms. You pick the initial! To enter, go ahead and follow this blog by clicking the "follow" on the right. I'll be announcing a winner July 1st.

Thanks for stopping by, and hope you win! Now off to see all the other beautiful blogs at the Mad Tea Party!

Take care,

Martha

Pop-Up Pendants

Hi there, and hope you're having a great summer! I've been busy making these shadowbox pendants, preparing for an upcoming craft show in Ventura, CA, updating my website (with the awesome help of Cathy from Avalon Rose Design), and trying to keep my family happy. It ain't easy I tell ya!
I caught this mischievous little fairy, fresh from the garden! I think she's the one who took that big piece of cake, but she won't admit to it. She even brought her own wand which is helpful when you need her for a little magic.
Here's the back of the pendant. I attached a teeny tiny Swarovski rhinestone on the back under Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust. Well, back to work. We've been under the shadow of June gloom weather wise around here, and I'm starting to really miss the sun. Anyway, thanks again for dropping by. I'm in the process of uploading these pendants and other goodies on my new and improved website. :)

Take care,

Martha

How to Attract a Flower Fairy

Hi and welcome! I'm still on a quest to continue catching those little flower fairies for the new pendants I'm making.
We all know flower fairies are fond of flowers...
and this tiny bird bath filled with a splash of water and pink flowers is one of their favorites.
But guess what they really like? Cake!
I placed a small table from my daughters doll house under a gazebo and placed a present,
flower vase and cake on it.
Well that quick little fairy took a big slice of cake and didn't even touch the present.
I guess we all have a sweet tooth. Check back because I'm busy at work making new goodies for you to enjoy!

Take care,

Martha

Friday Fairies & a Fridge

Happy Friday to you! I've been so excited creating up a storm that I can hardly sleep! I've been hard at work I mean play, making these fun fairy folk and mermaid shadowbox pendants. They are 3-D and so much fun to make.

They do take some more time because of all the cutting, but I love making them. They have just a sprinkling of glitter on them.
I threw in the quarter so you could see the scale I'm working on, which is pretty small.
This is a new "Mermaid Bubble" necklace for the charms. It includes a vintage pearl and lobster clasp to attach the pendants.
Here is the back to the flower fairy pendant. I'll be posting them on my website as soon as I can.
And last is a view of my old fridge which had a good life, but it was leaking water on the floor ( I slid to the other side of the kitchen once and almost flew into the cabinet!) rusty, and just a general eye sore, so the time had come to say goodbye to it yesterday...
and say hello to a new one! A lot better don't you think? I just noticed my dog in both of these pictures. I guess she likes lying in that spot. :) Well wishing you a very happy day, and great weekend. GO LAKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Take care,

Martha

P.S. I just learned how to make my photos larger thanks to Susan at between naps on the porch.

I Caught a Fairy!

Look what I caught?  It's a fairy!  She willingly landed on my finger and said she'd be happy to be included in my new pop-up pendants.  
That's what I've been working on this week, and I've been having soooooo much fun doing it! Kind of like playing with paper dolls.  They are 3-D shadowbox type pendants that are nice and small, and very lightweight, perfect for a necklace.  Well, just wanted to show you the sneak peak of some of the work.  More to come!  Have a wonderful weekend, and thanks for stopping by.

Take care,

Martha

My Girly Girl Booth

A great big thank you to Carlsbad!  It was a terrific street faire, and I am so grateful to all of you who came and so generously supported my business.  And thanks to the husbands, sons and brothers who allowed their wives, mothers and sisters shop for so long in my girly girl booth!  I know it's hard hanging out in a white, sparkly, tutu encrusted booth.  :) You are truly kind!  I always get a kick out of watching the men approach my booth.  They come to a complete stop outside of it, almost like they've hit an invisible shield that they can't cross.  It's very funny to me, and it happens all day long.

I'll be starting to upload the funky bracelets and necklaces I was selling at the faire on my website.  They have little lobster clasps on them so the charms can be easily added and changed.  Many are also made out of aluminum so they're lightweight and won't tarnish.  

Hope you have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

Take care,

Martha