Wonderful Memories and Awesome Friendships!

pictured is Cassandra VanCuren who hosted this amazing event! She made that dress and dress form too!!! Cassi rocks!!!

I know it has been a month since I went to my first ever art retreat event. Marie's Danses de Fleurs seems like it was yesterday but has been 4 weeks already! I guess coming home then having surgery and recovering has made the time fly faster than I expected.



Before I left, my beautiful niece, Angie, was giving me Marie Antoinette posing tips and wearing my wig...looks so much better on her than me!



I was pretty busy before the trip making items for swaps and some goody bags to go into everyone's Welcome kit. One swap I was in I made these cute little money market bags. They have awesome zippers on the back to carry your money and keys in when shopping at the market.



I printed a graphic on fabric and ironed it onto the front. I then made shabby ruffles to attach to the top and added venetian lace to the bottom. I made flowers using fabrics, satins, chiffons, and tulling and added seam binding and lace to the top.



I also filled them with ephemera, rhinestones and pearls, shabby pens and other other goodies. So much fun!

I made these Marie Eat Cake soy candles in altoid type tins and covered them with a french pastry decal that I made using graphics from Cassi's Etsy Shop.



These went into a goody bag that had lotsa of other fun stuff!



Here's the bag I made for me and the lavendar one I made for my niece, Angie.



My flower is centered with an old pin I recently purchased at an estate sale..



Here's Angie's bag!



And her flower I made and added this vintage rhinestone cluster earing.




Here are a few of my dear friends I met: These two girls were my roomies and we hit it off immediately!

This is Julie Ann Grakowski and Stephanie Watt. Julie is from New York and is getting married this summer! She is the sweetest! I was her swap partner last spring during a cake box swap that Cassie hosted on her ezine. And I got to swap wrist cuffs with her at this event. (pictures of those to come later)

Stephanie is from Spokane, Washington. She is a sweetie pie and makes the most beautiful Marie Art. She and I have very similar likes and styles. We both LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Pink! I have received many hand made items from Steph in the Marie Mail Art group in the past.



ANd my other roomie Sherry Williams the sweet Georgia Peach! She was so kind to haul us all around the whole weekend and take us shopping. She is also shipping me all the goodies I couldn't fit in my suitcases that I bought while I was there! LOL I first met Sherry on the Marie Mail Art group. Sherry is the sweetest thing and I was instantly comfortable around her.

This is me and Sherry on the swing outside Memory Lane Antiques, near Webster Flea Market. We closed the flea market down and still wanted to shop! LOL



And this is all four us us outside Saddlebrook Entrance...



This is Marsha Mees, Sassy Mini Dolls and I adore her! She is a Cali girl too and we have made plans to meet up in a month or two. I can hardly wait!



In this picture is LuLu Kellog the Southern Bell, She is truly a southern lady and so funny and fun to be around. I wish I would have had more time to spend with her and Marsha... LuLu is the cutie patootie in the middle with Sherry and Marsha on either side....




I had the best time making things to swap. I also made a couple pair of shoes for the event. I will post pics of those in a day or two. I even won Third Prize in
the shoe contest! Woo Hoo!!! I have pictures of my make and takes, things I bought at vendor night and loot that I purchased at the Webster Flea Market to come....So please stop back by. Talk to you all very soon! Becs

6 More Days and theFestivities Begin! Marie's Danses de Fleurs Event!

6 more days! Count them! I can hardly stand it! So many things to do...
Finish my swap gifts
Finish my shoes
Finish my wig
Pack all my tools and trims and embellishments and camera of course!
Pack my clothes (if there is any room left)
Sleep...(Oh I can't...dreaming of cake and elegance and decadence)
Oh Insulin (lol)



I am so excited to finally meet Cassie and all the other gals! I am nervous, but in a good way! I get to room with some awesome ladies, some that I have met over the last couple of years in the Marie Antoinette Mail Art group

See all of you wonderful ladies in a few days! And please check back for all the pictures and posts after the event!

TWO Weeks from today! Marie's Danse des Fleurs Event

The countdown begins! I am so excited to be going all the way across this wonderful nation to Florida for Cassandra's Marie's Danse des Fleurs event in two weeks! EEEKKK! I am so looking forward to meeting Cassie and all the other ladies I have admired for years. I am finishing up some projects for swaps and goodie bags then on to packing! Trying to fit everything in my suitcase while still leaving room for all the goodies I will be bringing home! LOL Maybe I can just wear my PJ's all weekend...LOL (just kidding ladies) I guess I can always ship my clothes back if I need to make room.

I am also staying an extra day along with many other ladies, to go shopping with Cassie at some of her favorite Flea Market places!!! YIPPEE!!!! Thanks Cassie for hosting such a wonderful event! And thanks to all the ladies that will be teaching and providing projects for us all weekend! I have never gone to an art event before and I am glad I chose this one to be my first! (hopefully first of many)

I ordered my new Iphone so I hope I have it all figured out so I can post pics while I am there and keep everyone posted on all the happenings! Cassie is hosting a grand ball in Marie fashion! I can't wait to see all the wonderful costumes....

LOOK OUT Florida Here we come!!!

Jusqu'à ce que nous nous rencontrions de nouveau, Becs

Where does the time go?

So, between feeling horrible, temperatures going up and down from hot to really hot, and school starting ALREADY....I feel like there was no vacation at all! LOL...I want to say a great big THANK YOU!!!! to Cassandra VanCuren My Artful Adventures for giving my blog a makeover...Isn't it prefect???? Thanks sweet, sweet Cassie!!!! Cassie is the most talented girl I have seen! She can do ANYTHING!!!! In fact, she and I did a swap a few months ago and it was sea themed. I made this bag for some of her goodies. I still need to take pictures of the awesome treasure box, bracelet and necklace she made me and the ton of other things she sent me. But here is the bag I made, I even made the roses and leaves too....(from Cassie's awesome tutorials)

I used a linen cotton blend heavy duty fabric for the bag and stamped a seashell scene across the top. I trimmed it with Venetian lace and a tea stained vintage lace.

I used vintage satin ribbon in a creme color for the focal rose. I also made a couple of blue flowers and green leaves with satin ribbon.

I added a couple of broken vintage jewelry pieces with different types of pearls and added sparkle glitter to the sea shell stampings. I like the way it turned out.

THINGS I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON...

This apron was commissioned by our Pastor Debby, as a gift to another Pastor (Harriet) who lives in the Ohio area. My sister and I made the apron by taking two different patterns and merging them into one we liked! The skirt of the apron is double tiered...

I made this rose out of matching fabric then used a vintage pearl earring piece for the center. We also sent a red flower for her to change out if she wanted to. I haven't heard yet if the apron was a hit, but I am sure it was!

A friend of mine, Marla, asked me to make a crown for her grand baby Keala's birthday. It was also Keala's mom, Mattie's birthday so I made her a crown too. Keala loves Horton and Jo Jo from Dr. Seuss...so I thought it appropriate to adorn her crown with them...

Isn't it adorable? It was totally different than what I had planned, which happens to me quite often....


I wanted to try a vintage feel with Mattie's Crown, what do you think?


Until next time....God Bless You! Becs

Petite Bead Box Swap Reveal (Better Late than Never...)

As promised (just a few days late though) I wanted to reveal my lovely beads and boxes I received for the Petite Bead Box Swap last month. It was hosted by Cassandra Van Curen of My Artful Adventures. You can read more about that here. So anyway I had three lovely ladies for partners and recieved some of the most amazing beads and boxes. Here are a few shots of my goodies:


These beautiful beads(above)came from Terry Frias and they arrived in a lovely clear box with a gorgeous aqua ribbon (the box did not photograph well at all) but aren't the beads just amazing? Red is one of my favorite colors and I love the silvers with it. Thanks so much Terry! You can find Terry's amazing blog at Terryfrias.typepad.com



This adorable box (above) was made by Shelley Overholt. Her adorable blog is Honey lamb and I. She filled the box with the amazing beads (above) in pinks and creams with some vintage peices as well. I love the clear crystal heart and the ivory vintage pearls as well! Thanks so much Shelley!


Now Marsha Mees spoiled me with two boxes, one was actually a little paper purse that held the petitie box she made as well. Marsha makes the most amazing dolls and you can find them on her blog at Sassy Mini Dolls Both adorable! the box was filled with amazing pinks, creams and clears, Czech glass, crystals and pearls. She also added a lovely vintage piece of jewlery with pink stones. Thanks Marsha! Everything is perfect!

And a huge THANK YOU to Cassandra for hosting this amazing swap and for providing the petite box tutorial as well! Stay tuned for more pictures of some amazing projects and swaps. Does mermaids and beaches sound intriguing???

Hello Blog Friends, Sorry I have been away....

Karen over at "Some Days are Diamonds" has started a wonderful and enchanting blog sorority called "Bloggerette Sorority"


I hope to become a part of this sisterhood and recommend all to consider joining. ALl the blogs are just amazing and everyone is so kind and talented. Just click on the button above or the one on my sidebar for more information.

In case you have wondered where I have been, I have to say it has been a rough year for me. I am finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel and a hope for the future! I have been sick the last several weeks but it is part of the illnesses I battle. I will be posting some pictures of some swaps I was involved in over the last few months and some projects I was working on. So please check back soon! Much love, Becs

Busy, Busy, Busy.....A Fun Kinda Busy!

So many new projects!!!


My sister and I have been making aprons and soy candles....It has been a blast! A friend of mine from Church opened a flower and gift shop in Feb. She asked me to put some of my handmade items in the shop. I have also been helping her and have learned how to arrange flowers. She makes beautiful arrangements! Her shop is called Petals and Presents. It is located in downtown Exeter, Ca.




Handmade Aprons!!!










We are taking special orders as well...If you are interested, leave me a comment here or email me at beckyjs63@aol.com. Aprons are priced anywhere from 24.99 up to 45.00.

I also made a couple of crowns for special orders. Here they are:






Thanks so much for stopping by...God Bless ~Becs

Robi's Egg Blues is having an Anniversary Giveaway!!!

Linda at Robins Egg Blues is celebrating her 1 year anniversary for her blog and for a few other reasons. She has the most amazing giveaway. Just click on the banner or the link on my sidebar to check it out. Her sign up ends on March 26, so hurry on over.

I also stumbled across another fantastic giveaway coming up! Fiona and Twig is having a Paris Flea Market Giveaway that looks awesome! Just click on the button on my sidebar to check it out!


Good Luck! Becs

Thank You For All Your Prayers and Friendship!

I can only say "Thank You!" Words are not enough to express how blessed I feel by all of your posts, letters, cards, tags, prayers and thoughts you have offered my family and I during this time of great loss. There are so many people that have offered encouragement and support through this blog and other on-line venues. It is truly amazing how special you have all made me feel, and to know that none of us have even actually met in person, I feel as if I have known you all for years. I plan to visit each of your blogs and leave a personal note in the next few days, but I did want to send out this post to you all to let you know that you have blessed my heart and I will never forget it! God Bless you all my friends...Becs

Momma's Journey Home

Today (January 26, 2010) at 1:25 pm, our loving momma left on a journey that she could only take with Jesus. She left this world and is now safe, whole and healed with a clear mind and perfect body. The angels are rejoicing at her arrival and she is dancing and singing with my dad and sister who have been waiting for her for several years now.

It is a hard thing to release your parents to leave you when your whole heart wants to say, "Noooooo, stay with me!!!" But after 84 years of a wonderful life, she was ready to go home.

Momma has had Dementia and Alzheimers for about 5-6 years. She has been in advanced stages for 2-3 years. My sister, brother-in-law and I cared for her in our home until last February when we could no longer do it. We realized we could not keep her safe or make her happy in our environment. So we (my sisters Bev and Belinda) made the agonizing decision to place her in a facility where they specialized in Dementia and Alzheimer care. She was happy there and well cared for.

About a week and a half ago, we received a call from the staff there stating that mom was acting differently. 10 days ago, we received a call they were taking her to the hospital beacause they suspected she may have had some small strokes. The ER Dr's kept her there overnight and she returned to her home. But she quickly got worse and within a few short days, she would be leaving us.

Fortunately for us mom was very specific about how she wanted things to go at the end of her life. She asked me to be her Power of Attorney before she got Dementia and she made her wishes known about all the what if's. I have to say, even though I knew she wanted nothing done, no heroics, no tubes, no life support,...It takes every ounce of faith and obediance to not say, "Do whatever you can to save her!" After feeling so helpless the last few years in not being able to do anything for momma because of this horrible disease, We were confident that carrying out her wishes was the right thing to do.

It was the Grace of God that she passed when she did today. My sister and I had an awesome opportunity to wash her face and hands, annoint her and help prepare her for her arrival to heaven. I felt such a release and peace knowing she was there and not here anymore. I will miss my mom terribly, as I do my dad and sister, but I praise God and rejoice in the knowledge that I will see her again someday and she will be rejoicing with the angels at my arrival! I am so blessed to have been able to help prepare her for her journey. And I understand now that she had to take this journey without us, but I have comfort in the fact that she was not alone, she was with Jesus and is in His presence forever!

I know the bible says we are to honor our parents and I have to say I was the one that was honored today! I am honored to have been raised by a wonderful, loving, caring, kind and beautiful mother and I pray that the legacy I leave behind will also honor her. There's a song by Randy Travis that says, "It's not what you take when you leave this world behind you, It's what you leave behind you when you go." Momma left a legacy of Grace, Strength and Love behind for us to carry on.

We are gonna miss you momma. Give dad and Barbara a hug and kiss for us too, and we will see you when we get there!

Pinkalicious Saturday!

I just love Beverly at How Sweet The Sound, for hosting these Pink Saturdays....I get to visit the most wonderful blogs and each week she introduces us to a few more pink lovin' pals! One of Beverly's challenges is to pick one of the blogs we have visited and show case them the following week. I chose to show off Sissie's Shabby Cottage this week. Her blog is the epitomy of Pinkness! It is beautiful! I could go on and an ...but go check it out, then you can come back and share with me what you liked the best!!!

My pink offering today are these two Mercury glass (probably not authentic mercury glass) candle sticks I just found at Home Goods, one of my favorite places to go lately! They are so cool. I just took them out of the bag and have not displayed them yet, but I did want to show them off. They were only $6 and $7. dollars!!!! The picture does not do them justice...



I hope you all have a wonderful day. Next Saturday I will begin my 100th post celebration and giveaway, so be sure to stop by and check it out....God Bless you all and Happy Pink Saturday! Becs