downton day 2 - swaps, etc.

downton day 1 - the fun begins
downton day 2 - classes

(I'm doing this as a sort of diary for myself but I don't know about you, I'm boring my own self over here LOL. So if you're still listening, you're real troopers for reading this and thank you!)

Wonderful gifties from Patty! Thank you!

OH! The most fun thing is to meet fellow bloggers at these things but I'm such a shrinking Violet. Well, I got to meet darling Patty of Patty's Pretty Things. We had talked about meeting on FB and she kindly sought me out and came and talked to me and also gave me darling die cuts. Thank you so much for your kindness Patty, such a delight to meet you! 

I won this wonderful raffle packet from Hope Wallace + an online course! WOOHOO!

There were raffles all day long Friday and Saturday. On Friday I won an item from Hope Wallace, an ephemera package PLUS an Online E-Course of my choosing - couldn't have been more perfect for me. I adore Hope's style!

 Souvenir booklet Make and Take with Hope Wallace

And after dinner, there was a Downton souvenir Make and Take with Hope.  Hope is so darling, and her souvenir idea for our time at this wonderful event was so charming. Looking forward to finishing mine!

There were NINE different swaps ... nine! And all so lovely. Everything was scheduled, so we could see all of the swaps.

Ephemera Souvenir Journal
Fans of Downton
The Abbey Apron
Highclere Haute Headband
Keep Calm and Carry On Clutch
That's My Cup of Tea
Vintage Linen Sampler
Secrets Keeper Vintage Coin Purse
Lady Mary's Altered Glove Storage Box and Gloves

 My sampler for my secret swap partner

I was absolutely terrified of joining a swap. But then I thought I'd regret forever it if I didn't, so I joined the Vintage Linen Sampler Swap.

I'm surprised I'm not wearing a straight jacket and writing this from a rubber room - I about drove myself nuts making my sampler for my partner. I kept changing things, I was so worried about being part of this group of uber talented ladies.

Vintage Linen Sampler Swap Group (Patty! You're missing!)

I'm in the back row, second from left, holding my wonderful 

sampler given to me by Robin, front row, farthest right.

And it was like being in school all over again. We had to go up to the front of the room and present our gift to our partner, in front of the whole room - torture for me. If I could have, I would have run away. After everyone had received their gift from their secret partner, we had a group photo taken. So sorry you missed being in the photo, Patty!

I hope my partner liked hers - I tried so very hard but I just wasn't equal to the talent in the room. Sorry! I feel so disappointed in myself. WAH!

I know I LOVE LOVE LOVE, beyond words, the one I received from my partner!!! Not only is it stupendously wonderful, she came up to me Saturday morning and gave me and antique embroidery hoop hanging, saying she had forgotten to give it to me the night before. Thank you thank you thank you Robin for everything!

Look at all the vintage goodness you guys! She wrapped it in the crocheted scarf and tied it with the pink scarf - the pink fabric is also used as the ruffle at the bottom of the sampler.

And the old ad at the top! "Make plain things beautiful with ... " - oh my gosh, so fantastic.

And all the vintage lace, buttons, bling, etc.!!!  And I adore the vintage hoop.

I'm besotted with it all.


More to come ...

downton day 2 - classes

Friday morning began with our finding out where our tables were located and who would be our table mates for the Friday and Saturday classes. As we entered the room there was a table with two display boards with bedazzled teaspoons, each with a name on it and table number. Much to my surprise and delight (and introverts relief!), I was seated at the table with my scrapbook pal of many years, Susan and her friends. (Susan's been to many of these Whoopdidoo events - I hoped to sit with her but knew she had so many friends there, after attending so often and was sure it wouldn't happen.) Everyone was so nice and welcoming to this newbie. Thanks so much you guys!

Okay - so a bedazzled teaspoon is pretty exciting in my world and good gosh, there's more!

Name tags, schedules, ribbons and flowers on our chairs, topiaries at each of our places, a candy parasol, a vintage lady thingamabob ... I'm probably missing something? Oh! We were also given that Downton tote too, hanging from the chair - it's full of goodies from the event sponsors and I haven't even explored mine yet. So much to take in.

And then(!) all the other ladies are in a frenzy of whipping out their cameras and taking photos while I stand their with my mouth open LOL.

And then they start flying around the table, leaving gifts for each of us. But I wasn't fast enough to get a photo before gifts starting appearing, they were sooooooo fast! Fortunately I knew to bring ones for my table mates or I would have felt so awful with all this kindness and gifting going on. I think I'll share my table gifts on my swap post ... this is getting so long. 

Our first teacher was Charlotte Lyons, my absolute favorite person in the artist/blogging world, and an honest to goodness, lovely person. This was my third class with Charlotte and always a delight and pleasure.

Then we were given lunch and a little breather before onto our second class.

Our second class was with Andrea Singarella. I'd only one experience with jewelry making prior to her class and that was as a 13 year old making a pair of earrings. So I was all thumbs and hadn't a clue what was going on. Surprisingly I finished my necklace but it's really messy.

I have to tell you, the other ladies, the seasoned event goers, work at the speed of light! Whoa Nellie! I'm a slow poke and they left me in the dust.

Then we had our dinner break, which we were on our own for. My husband came and we had dinner together at the hotel restaurant. 

Day 2 continued after dinner with the swaps ... more later ...

downton day 1 - the fun begins

Welcome to An Affaire at Downton

 (photo of the event above taken by my friend Susan and snatched by me LOL)

98 degree weather, an unrelenting pounding headache and horrible miserable cross town L.A. traffic, couldn't keep me from at least attending a smidge of day one of Downton.

The event was held at the exquisitely perfect Biltmore Hotel, in Downto(w)n Los Angeles.
 

(above photos from Google Images)

(photos taken by me)

Day 1 was the get acquainted cocktail party, dress up evening and market soirée. (Previously I  wrote that day 1 would include the swaps - that was incorrect, they came the evening of day two.) 

Ack! I'm such a pathetic dud. This is going to be such a disappointment to you all wishing to live vicariously through me! I'm an introvert and shy (a deadly combo for social events). 

I didn't attend the cocktail party (not having the gift of gab, I just about go into the fetal position thinking about it - chit chat is an unsolvable mystery to me) and I didn't dress up either - I had bought a dress in the early days after signing up but it looked so very sad on this chubby old lady body, that I returned it and never could think of, or find, an alternative. WAH! Practically everyone else did come in the most creative and charming attire, so fun to see.

But on to more important things, the details - first things first ... as we entered the room, we were greeted by the maid and footman at the top of my post and offered a fan. Then as we proceeded a little further into the room, there was a table with lovely gift bags with all of our names upon them (Lady Sally), awaiting us and inside there was a charming mirror. I didn't get a photo of the table and I apologize for my extremely uninteresting presentation at home.

 

And then beyond were the vendor tables. I didn't take any photos of them since artists usually don't like you to photograph their pieces.  I bought fun things from Karla Nathan, Hope Wallace, Christine Barker, Jill Sibbald and Arlene Baker (Arlene doesn't have a blog - she sells gorgeous silk velvets and felt and antique reproduction flower molds). I am now of course kicking myself for not buying something from all of the vendors!  

 

(Wire Birdcage Kit from Karla Nathan)

(Paper ephemera from Hope Wallace)

(Paper ephemera kit from Christine Barker)

(Flashcards, tags and reproduction ads from Jill Sibbald)



(Silk velvet and felt from Arlene Baker)

(I hadn't intended on buying anything - that was my plan since I'm buried deep underneath so much stuff as it is. But it was too much fun to see artists and bloggers in person and I succumbed. I decided I'd only pick up supplies - I don't have a hairs breadth of space to display stuff in my wee housie.)

I only stayed a short while, having arrived late and having a bad headache, I wanted to get home and hopefully feel better for Day 2 and my first two classes AND all the swaps the very next day. 


Day 2 to follow (hopefully tomorrow) ...

an affaire at downton

YIPPIE YIPPIE! At long last, it's finally here, the first day of An Affaire at Downton! I'm running behind as usual and I woke up with a rotten headache. GRRRRR Today is just the vendor fair this evening (that's the sound of rapidly diminishing funds in Sally's bank account, you hear LOL!), classes start tomorrow.

I've been told to be prepared to have my mind blown. Hoping to get some pictures taken to share with you guys but I always forget (so apologizing in advance) - the time flies by, as if the hours were minutes.

If you're a lone crafter (like me) and you've never been to a craft class and wish you could, I hope one day you'll be able to attend one. I don't know about you but no one in my real life shares my love of crafting, so its so much fun to be in the company of other people who are as nuts as you are over fibers and papers, etc.! Everyone is friendly, excited and giggling - instead of your family and friends responding with their eyes glazing over and beating a hasty retreat in the other direction, away from crafty you.

 

Here's to a happy crafty weekend to everyone!

hippity hoppity at French General

(photo source)

Yippie! Tomorrow is bunny hooking class at French General, taught by the wonderful Mary Stanley. I'm feeling not-so-great, fingers crossed I feel better tomorrow, I've been looking forward to this class so much!

Does anyone do rug hooking? I've never done it before (YIKES!) but have wanted to learn for years.

(photo source)

And Sunday we have tickets for a Shakespeare play, "A Midsummer's Night Dream" which we've seen before ... but this time, it's done with puppets! (From the same company that did "War Horse" on stage.)  So intrigued and excited to see it.

In other news, I had my physical a couple weeks ago and my blood panel showed I'm anemic ... then my doctor had me have another test to see what my actual Iron levels are, and he said I'm so depleted that I have ZERO iron in my body! WHOA! This has happened before but it's been a number of years and I had hoped all was well, as nothing had been showing up in my blood tests. At any rate, now I know why I have been having no energy at all and have had to drag myself around.

So I'm taking iron supplements that are making me queasy and I have to have a procedure next Friday, which I have to be knocked out for. PHOOEY! No fun. Not only not fun, I'm very anxious about the whole thing. shiver shiver shake ...

I'm still plugging away on my sampler for my swap for the Affaire at Downton event ... I'm about half way done. Such performance anxiety! I wish I could share with you but I don't want my partner to possibly see it before I give it to her in May. I promise to share photos after she's received it.

So, whatcha been up to in the crafty department?! Are you making anything for Easter? I'm enjoying seeing all the darling bunnies and chicks and eggs, etc. on everyone's blogs!

Happy crafty weekend!

easter pysanka for rednesday

(Edited to add:  PLEASE NOTE, these are my mom's postcards of pysanka ... I didn't take the photos and they aren't my pysanka. Wouldn't that be lovely to have so many?!)

Digging deep to find some red for Rednesday! Found these old postcards of my mom's from Slovakia, featuring pysanka eggs.  (I don't know for sure if they predate the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993 or not??? )

Any guesses what the wooden item with folk painting is? It looks like a noise maker?

Many many years ago, there was an article in the L.A. Times about a pysanka exhibit at the Ukrainian Art Center here in Los Angeles and my mom and I went. Such a lovely exhibit. Very few were for sale but I did buy one, a black one with reds and oranges - I'll have to hunt for it! 

Joining in on the Rednesday fun with Melody at Brown Gingham Creations, hope you will too!

zombie joe

(photo source)

Last night, in between bouts of not sleeping (ARGH!!),  I dreamed I wrote a book titled "Zombie Joe" and that I sold the book rights and it was being made into a film starring Audrey Tautou.

bwahahahahahhahahahhaha

Happy weekend and sweet dreams to everyone!

vintage pattern rednesday

It's slim to none in the red department over here but I wanted to join in on the Rednesday fun so I dug around and dug some more on the quest for red.  I finally found this darling pattern from 1939 I picked up several years ago to share with you. It's just got a smidge of red but it also has blue birds and a bird house, so it's all good, huh?!

Please join in the Rednesday fun with Melody at Brown Gingham Creations. Let's keep this linky party that we've all enjoyed so much, going!