NOEL Vintage Antique and Art Show

It was absolutely exhausting, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I met so many wonderful, appreciative people, and our hostess Sandy really put on a great show.  The only disadvantage of participating rather than just being a customer as I usually am at these events, is that I didn't have a chance to shop at all the other lovely booths - just as well I guess as I probably would have just spent my earnings!

Below are a few pictures of my booth, which was gratifyingly thinned out by the end of the show.  A very lovely man who was a fan of my work took lots and lots of detailed shots with his very large camera, so I hope he sends me some, as they'll be much better than mine!

 

 

 

 

 

Now I'm looking forward to relaxing and enjoying the holidays, I only plan to work on just a few gifts. I probably won't be posting much in December, but I will of course be keeping up with your blogs.  A little baking, a little shopping, some decorating and of course Christmas movies - my favorite time of year!

Final Christmas Creations

I took some final pictures yesterday before everything got packed away for this weekend's show.  It felt good to just decide that I'm done! Although I do still need to decide what non-Christmas regular art I'm bringing - since I have limited room I'm going to have to pick and choose.

This is a box I just love that ornaments came in, and I decided to turn it into a little shadow box with a scene in it.

Little stockings from an old quilt, with little vintage decorations- they're only 3-4" tall.

A couple more little hand strainer Christmas scenes.

Trees on little tiny pastry molds, these also are only about 3" tall.

I just love this doll, not something I'm normally drawn to, but I saw her in an antique store, in a stained pathetic little nightie that was safety pinned on her to make it fit, and I just couldn't resist her.  Her little old face is so worn, and I can just imagine how much she was loved and played with.  So I made her this little dress, and attached a fancy old button, and even made her a party hat. She's feeling like a new girl!

Salmon love, or lack thereof

I thought I'd share something different for a change, since I actually remembered to take my camera with me when we went to visit these salmon spawning grounds during the salmon run recently in my hometown.  Millions were spent recently on this area from what I hear, and there's a beautiful overlook created with benches and picnic tables and there are trails along the river and paths down to the water, it's really lovely. I don't feel like these pictures capture the scale of it.  Looking down into the water, where there wasn't too much glare I could see lots of huge salmon all doing their business, which as it turns out is not real romantic and does not involve any bodily contact.  No wonder they have such an ill-tempered look about them!

The life cycle of a salmon, done in lovely tile.

And what would a post be from me lately without some Christmas items - at least we're getting closer to the actual Christmas season so it's not quite so jarring.  Only a week and a half til my holiday art show, and I've been busy busy.  So busy in fact that I got industrious and packed most of what I've made into boxes, and then realized I hadn't taken pictures of quite of few pieces, but oh well.  Here's a few that weren't packed yet since they weren't done.

I've made several of these tiny scenes in old hand strainers, I'm quite fond of them.

Vintage bottle brush tree that I added old mercury glass beads to and attached to the top of an old jelly jar.

This is an old wooden file drawer that I used to create this scene. The half-tree is very old and fragile, so hopefully will be safe in the box.  The music in the back is an original of Winter Wonderland that was my Grandfather's from his large boyhood collection of sheet music.