Archives for September 2011

My Studio: “The place isn’t fit to grow penicillin.”

After months and months of dragging it out, the move is finally here! By the end of the week I’ll finally be home. Hooray! Can’t wait to show you the new place 🙂

As I was packing up, it occurred to me that I never showed the place that I make half the stuff that goes on this blog–my studio. I showed the window a while ago, but I never showed you the room itself. Why? 1. Horrible lighting for photographs. 2. It’s always a mess.

These are some photos I took back on a tidy day. You don’t want to see it on a messy day. It’s ugly. As the great Julia Suragrbaker used to say “The place isn’t fit to grow penicillin.”

Note the half-empty shoe bags nailed to the wall. At one time they were used for sorting glitter. Now the glitter is gone. Sniff…

Thanks for dropping by!

So Cute I Want To Pinch His Little Blow Hole

by PEACHES 9 Comments

Please excuse the crude self portrait above. In all the excitement, I forgot to put on lipstick. Ooops!

Newsflash: HSN is having a major sale on their Jonathan Adler collection. Wonder of wonder! Miracle of miracles!

These happy, blue striped bud vases came home with me a while ago and I can’t tell you how they make me smile. Most of Jonathan Adler’s pottery is way out of my price range, so I felt particularily proud of myself for scoring such a bargain….but now, whoa, the price was slashed even further! Think I’ll pick up a few more in gold and split them up as holiday gifts.

Note To Friends Who Swap Holiday Gifts With Me: pretend you did not read this.

Note To Everyone: This is not a sponsored post. I just like being the bearer of good news. And stripes. And a ceramic whale diffuser so cute I want to pinch his little blow hole.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

by PEACHES 3 Comments

I can’t tell you guys how much I enjoyed reading all the comments last week. I need to do this more often!
Without further delay, the winners are…

*Autumn Paper Goods: Lanie
*Jewelry Kits: Lisa Bartlett
*Vintage Lace: Suzy
*Vintage Hankies: Justin
*Custom Flowers: April Cole

Y’all should expect an email from me today– if you don’t see one, assume I’m having trouble and you should contact me 🙂

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to comment.
Your words made smile, laugh, snert, and even tear up a time or two. I can’t imagine a better way to spend my birthday!

Goody Bag: Custom Coffee Filter Flowers

by PEACHES 56 Comments

I know, I know, this giveaway is a little bit of a cop out. It’s not new or glittery or valued highly, but it’s “my thing.”

Between feedback from you guys and Google Analytics, my best guess is that well-over half of y’all came here through an outside post on my coffee filter flowers. It’s been months since I have made a single flower, but not a day goes by that I don’t read a comment, inquiry or question about them. For a while now, I’ll admit I have *almost* felt slightly resentful about it, but somehow I am OK now. Some people are known for their talents, some for their skills, some are known for their story….I will be known for my coffee filters. It’s strange, but I’m embracing it. It is my birthday and I am embracing it!

So, with that in mind, I’m just going with the crowd, get back in the habit, and give some away.

This Goody Bag Giveaway includes:

Two Dozen Coffee Filter Flowers, handmade by moi, any color way you want.

This week’s Goody Bag Giveaways are open to anyone, anywhere, no “following” necessary. To enter, leave a comment answering the question below. No more than one comment, per person, per post, please. Be sure your email address is included in the comment or via online profile. All Goody Bag winners will be chosen at random and announced 8am CST Monday, September 26, 2011

Question: What is your favorite flower and why?

Goody Bag: Vintage Hankies

by PEACHES 68 Comments

My mother said there are always three hallmarks to a true “lady”

She always carries a handkerchief.
She never smokes on the street.
She would never use a swear word (“Even if her hair was on fire.”)

Which is very funny coming from a woman who, 1. Taught the neighborhood children five ways to say “Asshole” in French, 2. Once got kicked out of a bank for smoking in the safety deposit vault (“What? This isn’t a gas station, asshole.”) 3. Told me to blow my six-year-old nose into a map of Tennessee the day I had a cold and there wasn’t a tissue to be found in the car. (Johnson City: I sincerely apologize.)

As you can imagine, I have been fond of handkerchiefs ever since.

Project and Image courtesy of Tif Fussell

Mostly I like to collect the fancy ones that look like they were never used, but recently, after becoming a fan of Dottie Angel, I have developed a soft spot for bright white hankies with delicate details. I keep saying that one of these days I’ll get around to making one of her glorious projects, like these curtains, but sadly it has yet to happen. One day I’ll do something great with my hankies, but in the meantime, I’m giving away a ready surplus to one special person….

This Goody Bag Giveaway includes

· 15 vintage hankies, various sizes, all of them in excellent condition.

This week’s Goody Bag Giveaways are open to anyone, anywhere, no “following” necessary. To enter, leave a comment answering the question below. No more than one comment, per person, per post, please. Be sure your email address is included in the comment or via online profile. All Goody Bag winners will be announced 8am CST Monday, September 26, 2011

Question: My mother thought a handkerchief was one of the ultimate “ladylike” hallmarks; what other ladylike behaviors did your mother teach you?

Example: “Ladies always cross their feet at the ankle”…“Ladies never order a drink in public”… “A lady is always the first to say thank you.”

Note: I’m not asking or suggesting anyone follow these maxims, I just think they make for *interesting* discussion!

Goody Bag: Vintage Lace

by PEACHES 90 Comments

I adore lace. Old lace. Good lace. Handmade lace. Natural fibers and yellowed at the edges. Fifteen years ago, I saw a bunch of Croatian nuns making silken tatted lace by hand and have been hooked ever since (Watch this video. It’s Crazytown!) I love the look. I love the feel. I love the smell. I can’t get enough of it. It’s an art form that appeals to my inner grandmother and compulsive need to keep my hands busy.

But, thing is, since I don’t have the patience to make it myself, I acquire it. Big time.

If I see a good piece in a thrift store for less than $2.00 I’ll snap it up and squirrel it away. I hide it away like a dog with a bone…all secretive and selective…I bury it in tissue and plastic bags, only to rediscover it when it comes time to move house.

And here is the bigger problem: I don’t do anything with it. The lace just piles up in my closet. I appreciate the artistry too much –cutting it up would feel like a sin. I have no problem busting up a crystal vase, or reupholstering my couch in faux fur…but cut up an old doily? NEVER.

Then, this summer, Dale and Aunt Nancy went and cleaned out her attic and found GOBS of stuff their relatives brought over from Switzerland back in the day. Good stuff. Better than most anything I ever picked up in a thrift store. Oy.

So, now, not only do I have my own collection, I have Aunt Nancy’s swiss stuff too. Know what that leaves me with? A ridiculous surplus.

What does that leave you? An opportunity!

But Peaches, what am I going to do with all that lace?

Here, let me show you…

Salvaged Doily Table Runner; Lace Necklace; Starched Lace Lamp

Now all you need are the supplies!

This goody bag includes 30 pieces of vintage lace in a variety of shapes and sizes. All items are old/used, most of them pre-date WWII. Some are damaged and/or stained, but I would consider them all to be in overall “good condition.” Some are handmade, some are machine made, but to the best of my observation, all items are made from natural/non-synthetic fibers. There is no “acid lace” in the bunch (like I said: it’s the good stuff).

This Goody Bag Includes:

11 doilies, 6 -12” in diameter
8 handkerchiefs with lace edging
6 pillowcases (three pairs with lace edging)
2 table runners
1 peach satin and lace bib
1 knit lace collar (21” diameter)
1 round tablecloth / jumbo doily (37” diameter)

One Time Condition: If you win this goody bag of vintage lace, you have to pinky swear to do something with this stuff. Put it on display or turn it into something else. It’s been hoarded in the dark too long. It deserves a good home!

Question:

What is, or was, your favorite thing inside grandmother’s house? Was it a special pink potholder? Or a crystal ashtray? A collectible spoon rack? Please share!

Update 9.21.11: This post has been up less than three hours and already, the remarks below are some of the most fun and heartfelt comments I have ever read (here on this blog or anywhere, ever). Even if you don’t have any interest in entering the giveaway, I suggest you take a minute to glance what people are writing. No where else on the internet can you read about coin coffins and square dancing skirts in the same place! 🙂

PS: If you like vintage treasures, be sure to check back Thursday afternoon!

Goody Bag: Jewelry Making Kits

by PEACHES 60 Comments

Know something about me? I don’t own a single piece of “real” jewelry.

And you know what? That’s just fine by me 🙂

If a diamond necklace fell out of the sky and into my lap, I would probably make it into a cat toy.

You think I’m kidding.

However, I will say, as someone who knows so little about the real stuff, I fancy myself an aficionado when it comes to making my own jewelry. I have a MAJOR soft spot for jewelry making kits and these floral themed kits from Laliberi are some of the best I have seen in a long time. Cute stuff! What’s really nice is that they give you the tools to get going, but you aren’t limited to anything provided. Once you use the kit to create a sample, it’s easy to bring in your own materials and start making your own custom creations. This is a fantastic collection is for anyone learning to swing on the ropes of jewelry making, or long-time experts who want to add a few new tricks to their repertoire. This Goody Bag includes:

EK Success Laliberi Idea Book, 20 Projects
EK Success Laliberi Idea Book Flowers and Brass Collection, 20 Projects
EK Success Laliberi Chiffon Chic Kit (for making chiffon flower brooches) 143 pieces
EK Success Laliberi Deco Sway Cuff Bracelet Kit, 14 pieces
EK Success Laliberi Ready to Wear Flower, 2 pieces
EK Success Laliberi Necklace Kit with Swarovski Elements, 77 pieces

Question:
If money was no object and you could purchase a single piece of jewelry, what would it be?

Drag Queen Cows Rise Again

by PEACHES 5 Comments

Sylvia just informed me that she is busy preparing coffee filter flowers, as Almatrieb (aka the Cow Parade) is going down in her village in Switzerland this weekend. How exciting! If anyone else out there attends the festivities and spots some paper flowers in the crowd, pleaseohpleaseohpleaseohPLEASE SEND ME A PICTURE!

I’m just aching to see the latest in bovine fashions 🙂

Madame Violoneux made from a plastic Halloween mask.

Goody Bag Giveaway: Autumn Paper Goods

by PEACHES 92 Comments

I am not organized enough to keep a proper fanci-fied scrapbook, but that doesn’t prevent me from appreciating the tools of the trade! This goody bag has all sorts of my favorite things, perfect for playing with paper or decorating your home for Halloween and Thanksgiving. All items are new, unopened, and ready to go!

One lucky winner will receive….

K&Company Autumnal Specialty Paper, 12″x12″, double sided, 24 count
Martha Stewart Crafts Spider Web Punch Around the Page
Two sets of Martha Stewart Crafts Halloween Themed Beverage Labels (one reads FROG SYRUP!!), six count each
Martha Stewart Crafts Rat Silhouettes, 12 count
Five, Inkadinkado Halloween and Thanksgiving Rubber Stamps
K&Company Paper Pumpkin Boxes Kit, 235 pieces (these are so cute it hurts!)
Two, Jolees Boutique three dimensional stickers, seven and 13 pieces each
Two, EK Sticko glittery stickers (THERE IS A GLITTERED TURKEY Y’ALL), 14 and 17 pieces each

Question:

What was your favorite Halloween costume?

This Week: Goody Bag Giveaways

by PEACHES 28 Comments

Dahlia Flower Gift Bags made from cupcake liners, November 2010

It’s my birthday this week (woot!)

Instead of receiving presents, I’m giving them away (double woot!)

Every day this week I am giving away a Goody Bag; one day might be a bundle of new items provided by a generous sponsor, the next day might be a collection of delicately curated treasures from my very own crafty closet…you’ll just have to wait and see. There will be a new Goody Bag every day this week, Monday through Friday (that’s five times the woot!)

Please note: This is not a gimmick to generate more followers or push products down everyone’s throat. I’m just sharing the love. I am fortunate enough to have ~~hoarded~~ collected a whole cupboard full of creative items that need good homes: your home. So sign up!

Winners will be announced 8am CST Monday, September 26, 2011

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Archives for September 2011