A Fanciful Twist

DIY Brooch Fun with Paper & Vintage Baubles

Hi there!

Hope you're doing beyond fab!

I did some playing around with those crepe paper hollyhock buds I made...

Remember them here?

Since brooches are all the rage again I decided to make one for myself.

Not that I care about trends because I always love brooches.

But it inspired me.

So, tea + lemon bars + brooch making = bliss

At least I think so.

:-)

I wanted to stay with my granny chic found in a old drawer look for my brooch.

I got out some vintage bits and baubles for the project.

I cut out a roundish piece of cardboard and covered one side with fabric.

I used my hot glue gun for the entire project.

It was so beneficial to have the flowers on pipe cleaners as they held really well when hot glued because of the fuzz.

I used an old rhinestone button as my center piece...

And then just picked vintage beads and earrings randomly.

Squeezing little pearls in here and there.

I always keep brooch backs on hand that you can buy in a big bag a the craft store.

I hot glued one to the back, sort of high for balance when wearing.

And voila.

My own granny chic shabby sorta vintage brooch was happy.

I wore it with a candy pink cardigan.

I really love those Marie Antoinette shades of pink and blue.

Then I lent it to my mannequin for safe keeping.

It's always so much fun to do an easy happy project.

It's a great way to get the mojo going and have a good crafting time.

I highly recommend making one.

Do it, do it, do it!

 

I was going to give mine away, but I wanted to wear it, so I decided to keep it.

 

Now I have to get busy and work on some projects and deadlines.

Also, the mad tea party is coming soon.

Soooo much going on this summer for us all, yippeee!!

 

How are you doing out in your neck of the woods?

 

Love, Vanessa

 

 

 

Let's Make a Jewelry Holder Pin Board ♥

Rainy days in the desert.

Perfect weather for spring cleaning projects indoors.

Don't mind the terribly lit photos due to grey skies though.

My little indoor project happened to be one created out of sheer necessity.

Which turned out to be pretty easy, not to mention tres inexpensive.

You see, I was finding myself piling my jewelry on my chest of drawers after taking it off.

Sure, I have places to hang it from, but it stacks up on jewelry busts in a tangled mess.

And yes, I also have one of those standing furniture jewelry boxes that I've been filling with trinkets and treasures for 20 years.

Who even knows what nonsense is stuffed in there by now?

But what about the pieces you are into right now?

I go through phases, I don't know about you?

So, I wanted a place where I could see my current faves, but also hang them up quickly when I take them off.

But what sort of contraption could I concoct?

I went out to one of my sheds and found this large push pin cork board I picked up for 25cents at a yard sale a couple years ago.

I tied a ribbon to it, and realized, yes this could work.

I first covered it in favorite tissue papers, but it looked cheap and messy.

So, I took the papers down and remembered a bolt of pretty fabric I was recently gifted.

So I cut a piece to fit, and grabbed my dandy staple gun.

 

I centered the fabric on the cork board from the front and pinned it with corsage pins.

Then I turned it around and stapled it, folding the corners like you would do if you were gift wrapping a box.

I finished the project off by stapling a ribbon onto the back, for hanging purposes.

That's it.

Easy, and functional.

I'm kinda smitten with this.

I used corsage pins put in at a slight angle, pins facing up, to hang jewels from.

Perfect.

Quite sturdy also.

My current faves can now be seen quite easily and I can simply hang them when I take them off.

And bonus, I can actually see them all, which aids in choosing.

No more piles of nonsense.

Isn't that beyond easy?

I may have overfilled mine.

I possibly need one double the size.

But in person it doesn't look that busy and I am easily able to see everything.

I especially love that I adore the fabric.

And upholstering the dingy little cork board sure did elevate it, didn't it?

So that's it.

Kind of a ridiculously easy solution I think?

It really works in a way that no other jewelry contraption would have in my room.

It was fun to do, easy, and cost almost nothing.

I am sure you could do this project yourself for under $20 dollars easily.

Even if you didn't have the board, pins or fabric.

But now...

I bet you know what I am thinking?

I need more treasure.

Cuz, I'm greedy like that.

 

That, or I was a pirate in my previous life.

Which is entirely possible.

No joke.

 

I craved pirate treasure at 4 years old.

That can't be normal.

Can it?

 

Hahaha!

 

Love, V

 

 

 

 

Come in and Sit for a Spell...

The days of October are spinning, slipping...

Passing so quickly, oh my!

I can't hardly catch up.

Mystery and mayhem indeed!

I am just starting to conjure up some ideas for our Halloween Party in one week, eeeeeks!

It's almost here!

We are starting to get all trick-or-treatified!!

Even our old wooden mermaid girl put on a pointy hat.

Spending waaaaaay too much time in the glorious garden.

Such delicious breezy temps and sooo many blooms turning up for it.

Giant dahlias.

Blue and purple swirled morning glories.

Sleepy hollow naps in the overgrown tiny lawn.

Dinner plate dahlias in coral.

Heads bobbing in the sun.

Don't they remind you of these guys from Labyrinth?

Such pretty things these dahlias.

So forgiving, turning up year after year.

Since they grow from tubers, you only have to plant once where I live.

(the ground doesn't really freeze here enough to dig them up every year and replant)

The garden is about to have a huge color explosion.

It's so exciting!

I just love Autumn in Arizona.

It's not a New England autumn, but it's another spring.

Lovely in its own way.

And, a trickle of real autumn will come later.

Tea roses I love.

It's all coming alive again.

After the ridiculous summer heat.

Hoooray!

A place to dream and read and be.

A place to sing and invent tales and poems and songs.

I feel like October is on fast forward.

Where has the time gone?

And I am not seeing much Halloween goodness out there in the world.

It's like, the stores went straight to December?!?

Which is my birthday month and I love it.

But, what happened to Hallooooooweeeen?

We must make our own magic then, mustn't we?

It's trickling in for sure!!

So much planning and thinking up I have to do.

I always leave my parties to the last minute.

Then it (decor, planning, etc.) just comes to me and happens by some miracle.

We'll see what turns up this year!!

;-)

 

Cackle Cackle!!!!

I already made up a batch of caramel corn and we ate it so fast (hot and delicious), I didn't even take one photo.

 

How is your autumn coming along???

Any fun things to report?

 

Looove, V

 

 

OH YES!!

And the winner of the Scarlet Pink Magazine is.....

#19, Karen Leigh!!

Thank you to everyone who played!
That was so much fun ♥

 

 

Delicious Baubles in the Jewelry Shop

Pearls, rubies, citrine, candy colors, gold tones and more!

They are all finally in my shop right here...

VanessaValencia.Etsy.Com

Oooooo, fun fun!

So many collected and treasure hunted bits and baubles to share.

There is a wide variety.

Layers and layers, dangles, charms and glorious stones.

Vintage and antique elements too.

Sparkles, semi-precious stones, crystals, oh my!

So many trinkets I have collected, some for years.

And earrings galore as well.

I just adore earrings, don't you?

I took so many photos for each piece.

I wanted to give a good visual.

Every piece will be hard to part with.

I make each piece as though it is for me.

I try them on over and over, making sure I love them all.

Moons and stars too!

I wanted to make a super rich and colorful gypsy bohemian necklace...

So, there is some color in the mix too.

Rubies, peridot, iolite, citrine, garnets and charms too!

Along with lots of pinks and greys and golds.

Oxidized and antiqued elements a plenty as well.

Such pretty minty and pink colors too.

Pink + mint chalcedony, angels and key love.

Lots of details and fun elements.

And...

To satisfy my love of mystery and such...

I had to delve into my take on a Fortune Teller necklace.

Something collected and intriguing.

With oodles of semi-precious stones.

Each with their own meaning and healing properties.

Lots of pearls and metals too.

Antique religious elements...

Something for everyone me thinks.

All now in my jewelry shop.

Take a peek at VanessaValencia.Etsy.Com

If you have any questions contact me.

I will happily assist.

 

I am a lover of all manner of jewelry.

I have all styles for all my different moods.

The more the merrier I say.

 

Hope you like them too.

There might be a perfect treasure waiting for you.

;-)

 

Love, V