a quick floral wreath project. i used a foam wreath from the dollar store. the flowers are left overs from previous projects. the stems are cut down, i started from the inside and worked to the outside. i just stuck a few here and there, layered them around. i may keep this, it's in my booth space now. 
blessings

Jersey Shore Whale Plays for Spectators off Point Pleasant Beach NJ

about a month ago this guy was spotted in the bay. how cool!! my algebra professor was telling us one day in class that she was by the bay when he was playing and got the awesome pleasure of seeing this beautiful animal do it's thing right here in jersey. pop over to atticcharm.blogspot.com and check out laura's whale tale.

blessings

marie

heya, how ya doin?  i think just about all over the united states everyone is experiencing the hot & sticky weather. it's been melt down hot here in jersey. with out getting myself to worked up over the amount of stress & sadness i've been under for the 6 months i'm just saying it out loud now, i can't take any more!! i've put it all before the Lord, that's all i can do. prayers. i'm asking for lots of 'em. please pray for my family to stop being attacked by the enemy. we need peace to blanket us. thank you. today i'm sharing a make-do-kind-of PINK saturday. computer issues still after two months of my computer being in the shop. my files were saved with the virus. a "squad" of techie type geeks backed up the virus onto the disc that had all my files, documents, etc. now i can't reinstall the disc or i will install the virus. the pics i'm sharing came from my flickr page they are random items i have at my booth. please visit beverly at how sweet the sound. check out all the other pinkies that share their pinkness too.
blessings,
marie

booth pics

more booth items. i've listed the whole lot on craig's list. change is good right? i keep telling myself it will all work out for the good. i've been thinking about selling at some flea markets. any suggestions? i would travel if need be. maybe 10 -15 hours. i'd love to hear your ideas.

blessings

marie

how ya doing? here in jersey we're coming out of a very intense heat wave. 100 plus degrees in some places. it's good for the beach towns, lots of folks going to the ocean. i'm hoping the beach goers do some shopping in town. retail sales have been off, way off! i'm offering 15% off on my goodies and still no sales. what gives? oh boy! this economy needs some serious fixin'! i'm looking to sell my inventory outright, almost wholesale it. i've been looking for a buyer and will be taking an ad out on craig's list. i'm listing on etsy as well. i'm moving towards another goal, school. school has to be my main focus now. i would like a part time job (not going well, jobs are hard to come by). i will not have the time to maintain the booth space work on projects and look for the goodies needed to make the projects. somethin's~ gotta~ give! i took lots of pix last night at the shop. i'll be posting the items here from time to time. enjoy!

blessings
marie

MY BAG is PACKED

HAPPY JULY 4th

GOD bless America 

and those that had the insight some 234 years ago to put forth the Declaration of Independence. 

hello, glad to see you here at romance and relics. 

over the past 6 months i have sort of "fallen off" from creating projects and blogging. it's not one thing it's been several. but, i'm holding on taking one day at a time. my pink saturday posts have been limited also. one factor to not posting is my computer caught a virus a few weeks back and its been in the shop. i've been using jim's lap top ( my skills on the computer are not the best and the lap top is a nightmare for me). well, enough with the chit chat. the reason you stopped by today is to catch a little PINK. 

i'm sharing this altered, ultra sweet suit case with you today. it was headed to the trash before the owner asked me if i wanted it and i had to say OK. you know that's what junkeeeesss do save unwanted stuff from the trash. i had seen a few others altered and thought i'd give it a try. i painted it out using the soft blue. then taped off the stripes and painted the pink. using graphics from karen @ the graphics fairy related to paris a "honeymoon" theme developed. decals from the decal cottage. a few stamped words. and a fleur di lis stencil.(filled with spackle, if you have never tried this give it a shot) fill a stencil with light weight spackle. let it dry remove the stencil and paint the raised stencil. i use cream paints for stenciling. i find they don't run and i have more control on the application. i also use makeup wedges when i apply the paint to my stencil project. i covered the top and bottom on the inside with decoupaged wall paper. i also made a memory board on the inside of the top. i cut an oval (used an oval shaped mirror as a pattern) piece of cardboard glued some batting to it and covered it with pretty fabric, i will be using the same fabric in my remodeled now torn apart soon to be remodeled again bedroom. we had our entire downstairs remodeled last summer. the project was completed last october. we enjoyed the space for 5 months then got hit with back to back floods from the storms in march. oh but i digress. (some of the stress around here) back to the suitcase. using bits and pieces of ribbon and faux GEMS i prettied up the memory board. here she is just waiting for a pretty bride!! hurry on over to beverly's @ how sweet the sound. she is the hostess for PINK saturday and there will be more PINK waiting for you.

blessings

marie

 

CRAFT, CREATE AND CONTINUE IN FAITH

 i know it's never too late to do what makes your heart sing. i've been singing loud and proud for the past 5 years. i'm following my crafty heart but, the logical brain has to continually pull back the crafty heart. going back to my childhood i was always crafting something. mostly crochet work. i taught myself how to crochet when i was 10. soon after that i learned how to read patterns. i made blankets by the bunches (my family was always warm). i took sewing and arts & crafts classes in high school. i loved every minute of the class and the free style designs we had as projects. i don't generally use the word REGRET in my vocabulary. i have to say now, i regret not exploring the creative self more 30 years ago.
 i was married at 21 had my daughter at 22, my son at 24 and divorced at 26. WOW. i was a stay at home mom back then. crafting and creating when ever i could. after i got divorced i had to go to work full time and put together a career. i became a licensed practical nurse and for the next 17 years worked in the field of nursing. i purchased a little 1800's cottage ( it was a fixer upper) in atlantic highlands, nj. i raised my children there. decorating really wasn't in my budget. thrift shops, yard sales & consignment shops became my main source for adding the country/victorian decor i love. i was doing a shabby-chic and didn't know anything about rachel ashwell . my creative side flared up only to decorate the house, i had no time for all the "hands on" crafting i was aching to do.
 fast forward to 2005 jim asked me to marry him. it was a long time coming. we met in 1997 and dated for 3 years. by the end of 2000 the relationship wasn't going in a positive direction and we parted. july 1 we will be married 4 years. it hasn't been easy blending two families. working full time, sometimes part time and sometimes not at all. when i wasn't working i was focusing on the shop. falling short for some reason or another has left me more then frustrated.

 i've made a few choices over the past 3 months. first i stopped working full time, i've returned to college, summer classes then full time in the fall. i'm making a professional career change. i'm hoping to use my 17 years of nursing experience along with my new degree in art therapy/recreation. this is something i have to do just in case. i will have to give up my booth space after the summer ( i sure hope i sell out i don't want to put all my stuff in storage). i'm still working on projects as time allows. i'm sharing a few with you all. i hope you enjoy them. first is a vintage mirror redesign. we live on the jersey shore, i try to do projects with shells. many customers are on vacation and they want the beachy look back home. i did a shell mosaic on the outside of the mirror. i think it turned out great. next up, a vintage tea pot. what does one do with a tea pot missing the lid. mmmmmmm pin cushion. easy redo. a styrofoam ball, batting and some pretties. glued with weld-bond. the little urn redo is metal. i hit it up with some spray paint. cute. i cut a piece of fabric and stuffed it with batting. glued it with weld-bond. lastly 3 vintage plates and a few candle sticks (new) glued all up with weld-bond. they make a pretty 3 tier dessert server. (weld-bond is great and it dries clear. i get mine at a stained glass wholesaler. i've also found it at a.c. moore)

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until the next time.
blessings
marie