Another grrrrrreeeeaaaaat workshop!

Oh, the fun we had on Saturday. Wish you all could have been there. We crafted beautiful wire trees in glittered urns and dusted some birdies and eggs with more of the stuff...and of course, ate chocolate bunnies & malted milk easter eggs. ( One of my workshops isn't complete without chocolate, ya know! )First we glittered our cast iron urns with vintage silver glass glitter and let them dry. Next, we twisted the wire strands into a trunk shape with branches and roots. Then we bent the roots so they would fit down into the urn. Yay! We got it to stand up in the urn all by itself!!! (nobody sneeze, OK?)
Next it was time to mix & pour plaster...Now the fun began...time to start shaping the branches. This is where each artist's personality started to emerge. We twisted, twirled and coaxed those little wires into the most beautiful shapes.Everyone's tree came out to be so different, yet absolutely wonderful...I think everyone was amazed to see a thing of such beauty emerge from a pile of copper electrical wire!
It was very tough to say good-bye to this group...such amazing people...and we had such a blast!

Thanks to Marcia @ Tinsel Trading Company, and to our workshop organizer, Terri, for yet again allowing me to teach my craft and share my love of all things glittered!

xoxo
The Glitter Fairy

Hot off the presses...

These sweet gift tie-ons are heading out to some shops...just perfect to tie into a bow on a gift box.  The sun is actually shing today and I really believe Spring is coming.  I can almost hear these little birdies tweeting!

Hey lookey who just landed on this glittery box...

Yup, a dear little glitter bird flew in from Florida, just in time for Spring, and landed on this box!  She has three tiny blue glittered eggs in her nest and a banner proclaiming "happy easter". Makes me want to jump for joy---so darned cute!  Would love to have kept her for myself, but she already flew away with a customer to be an Easter gift for someone special...

Guess I'll have to make some more....

Getting ready to pop this beauty in the mail...

Watch out, Mr. Mailman...this sucker's gonna be heavy! The base urn is glittered cast iron!!! Then there's the plaster and copper wire...no lightweights here! 

I've just finished up this wire tree with ornaments and will be shipping it off to my client just in time for the Easter Bunny! Thought you'd like a sneak peek. Don't have time right now to post any close-up pix of the ornaments...maybe tomorrow...
BTW, there is still a space or two for my workshop this Saturday in NYC @ Tinsel Trading Company, if you'd like to learn how to make one yourself. Give them a buzz and we'll squeeze ya in.
TTFN,
Laurie

Glitter birdies and dragonfly beds....

Easter is creeping up so quickly...I've been working on some sweet glitter birdie ornaments with fancy German tinsel roping and mini nests...perfect for the Easter tree or quince branch...I'm also making some dragonfly & bumblebee beds ( yup, they sleep on velvet leaves...now you know...).

Thinking Spring...

Lots of colors are flying around here...soft pinks, magentas, moss green, chartreuse...Spring must be right around the corner...I'll put a bumblebee on anything, I tell 'ya! Isn't this bee tag suh-weeeeeeet? These tags and many more are headed for some shops...Am working on Easter stuff already. Sheesh! Wasn't it just Valentine's Day yesterday???
Anyway...here's something fun to do to jazz up your Easter Basket.
Take your favorite jumbo candy bar (I like Dove, Cadbury & Lindt), take off the outer wrapper, leaving the foil intact. Cut out two complementary decorative papers and wrap & tape them over the foil. Add ribbon, a velvet leaf...and perhaps an itty-bitty chickie, and voila! You've got a great looking candy bar which would make a swell hostess gift at Easter dinner or a special present for your children's basket. Of course, I have traced some glue pen over the patterned papers in a few areas and sprinkled a bit of non-glass glitter on top. Gives it a bit of sparkle! My biggest challenge is to NOT eat the chocolate before delivering it to a store!!! (Note: I haven't quite recovered from Halloween candy yet!)
It's a bit dreary outside here so I thought I'd brighten up the day with some colors...
xoxo
Laurie

I've been tagged by my buddy, Suzi Finer....

Yup, Miss Suzi wants to know what I'm reading today, so she tagged me with a "Book meme"...
Here goes....

"Just go up to everyone you see, introduce yourself, and start talking" It's that "just" word again. Like it's so easy.This passage is from
Soul Proprietor: 101 Lessons from a Lifestyle Entrepreneur,
by my dear friend & guru, Jane Pollak.

Note: I totally recommend this book to all you entrepreneurial types out there. It is jam-packed with fantastic info to help you build your dreams & talents into a successful business while maintaining balance in your life.

The rules of "Book meme":
Pick up the nearest book of at least 123 pages
Find page 123 (don't cheat!)
Find the first five sentences
Post the next three sentences
Tag five people

I'm tagging Jennifer of SisBoom, Karla of Sugar Bear Designs, Linda of Restyled Home, Lidy of Little French Garden House and Kim of Musings. What are you guys reading today???

BTW, Happy Valentine's Day to all...
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo and xo!
The Glitter Fairy

Another Fab Workshop @ Tinsel Trading Company!

Combine one part glitter, one part crafter, one part slightly whacky teacher, one part chocolate and what have you got??? One heckuva great time, I tell 'ya!!!

Oh, what fun we had tossing around faux posies, velvet leaves and of course, glitter! I swear, I have THE most wonderful students...and they made gorgeous, glittery trinket boxes and tags. We painted, cut, glued and glittered, as the afternoon flew by!

And each finished box & tag was unique as its creator.

That's what I love about teaching. You can toss out lots of materials, technical advice (and chocolate...) and you get the most amazing results!

NOTE: We also ate brownies with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, Dove chocolates, drank Pellegrino and soaked up all that indescribubble-icious Tinsel Trading vibe.

Heaven, by my standards...

(I simply cannot wait for my next class in March! We'll be making wire trees in glittered urns for Easter.)

Many thanks to my students - (you rock!) - , Terri Ventura, our fearless organizer, and of course, Marcia, the owner of TT, who graciously opens her glittery shop to us for these fun events.

Love you guys...xoxo

Love is in the air.......

This little birdie is holding his lovey-dovey message in his beak. I glass glittered the birdie & nest, added a tinsel necklace with a frilly flower, glued his banner in his beak, popped in some green shred & a blue egg...and he's ready to go. He's flying to Westport.Here are the rest of the heart ornaments. Each one is about 5 inches tall with a different combo of flowers, bugs and leaves and words.
I'll be so sad when Valentine's Day is over. I just love making heart designs...
au revoir, mes amis...

I heart U...

More love coming your way...These little guys can be ornaments, gift tags or you can tie one on a bottle of bubbly. The bigger one is an ornament which can express your feelings du jour (or should I say feelings "d'amourrrrrr" Oooooh!). This one says "Pucker up!" I also made others with the words, "You make life so sweet...", "Happy love day..." and of course, "bee mine!", complete with a glittered bumblebee.
I used a combo of champagne glitter and silver glass glitter with velvet leaves & frilly glitter tipped posies. These went to Fay Kim Designs in Westport, CT, just in time for V-Day.
Cheers!
xoxo

The Glitter Fairy

More V-Day therapy...

If you're gonna be in NYC on February 9th, please stop by Tinsel Trading Company and take my next workshop from 12-3pm.  

We'll be making sweet glittered trinket boxes...and hand-punched & glittered gift tags, with tiny faux bumblebees.  

(see more pix in past posts) Suh-weeeeeeet!

Check out TT's site for class info and to sign up.  I personally guarantee you'll have a blast...and you'll learn everything you could possibly need to know about my favorite subject...glitter!

Glittery hugs comin' at 'ya!...

p.s. Check out my friend Terri's blog, Dimestoredaze, where she posts pix and info on all the wonderful TT workshops.  And her jewelry and altered art are fantastic!  (What a talent...)

V-Day Therapy...

Have been feeling the need to get covered in red glitter lately...Valentine's Day is just a couple of weeks away.  This big red heart ornament is especially useful in that it has interchangeable sayings that you can slip into the label holder. "bee mine" is my personal favorite because there's a sweet little glittered bumblebee hovering about, keeping watch.  "hold me", "kiss me", "you make life sweet" are some of the other sentiments I've stamped onto little bits of paper.  Of course, one could write one's own thoughts du jour...(Hummmm...that could be interesting... tee hee!)It all boils down to l-o-v-e, doesn't it?  Everybody wants it, everyone needs it...and it's free! (sort of...)  There definitely should be MORE of it floating around in this world, doncha think?

Throw around some red or pink glitter today and see what happens...

Love ya,

xoxo

The Glitter Fairy

Meet my new helper, Teddy!

Teddy just has to be right smack in the middle of my workspace...when he's not sleeping, that is.......( that's his job the other 23 hours or so )  Notice how deftly he steps between the glittered letters...leaving only a trail of fur.  And he knocks only the most delicate items off the worktable with such finesse...

As a junior glitter fairy, his fine motor skills are not great... and he doesn't actually get much done...but he can sit and s-t-a-r-e  at me for hours on end!  (Notice the flat ears?  I think he needs a treat right about  now...)

 The good news is that I only have to pay him in kitty treats!

(Hey Teddy, can you run this box down to the P.O.?)

Incoming: A whole swarm of love heading your way!

Yes, it's already time to start thinking about V-day, although I'm more interested in the chocolate part!  (just kidding...well...sort of...)  

These bee-utiful hand-glittered tags are flying into NYC to be sold by Tinsel Trading Company and  at ABC Carpet and Home.  If you haven't had a chance to see those shops, ya just gotta get there. Quite an eyefull! 

Tie one of these bee-uties on a special gift, box-o-chocolate or bottle of bubbly.  Bee-utific!

No!!! I won't take it down...

I love how my front door looks with a fresh, simple wreath.  You can't see it but there's a nifty little dragonfly door knocker hiding under it.  

As far as I'm concerned, "The Holidays" last at least until...say...July or so.  Hey, there's V-Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Mother's Day...a whole mess of holidays... so I'm going to celebrate them all with my wreath.  It's still got a lot of life in it and is way too beautiful for the compost pile just yet!  It came from my dear friend's Boy Scout Troop, and was so fresh and full...I feel kinda sorry for folks who feel compelled to take down the tree and other holiday decorations the day after Christmas.

I'm not gonna take my tree down, either,  uh uh, no way...

Woke up to this....

G0t a beautiful dusting last night...you know, the kind that hugs every last branch & twig.  

Hey, where's the Doctor?  Dr. Zivago, that is!  

This is the view from the end of our driveway... and this is what I see out my window...

 H - E - A -  V -  E -  N  ! ! !