matchbox swap: paris edition

Although I was a late entry into Heather's recent edition of altered matchbox swaps, when she reminded that the theme was Paris, I couldn't pass it up. So I collected and gathered and stitched and glittered till I had a matchbox full to swap. Last week I sent off my French-themed goodies to my swap partners, Heather Buhaj and Connie Senyitko. I wish I had taken better photos, but here's what I can share.

For the outside, I wrapped an old Art Deco French magazine cover around the matchbox, edged it with crocheted trim, then fashioned a paper cone from an old French map to hold the bouquet of paper flowers (fresh from the Paris market, mais non?). On the painted box, I added their names to the ends.


Inside, I decided to make a couple things to personalize the rest of the Paris-themed goodies. First, I glittered the letters PARIS with my special glitter blend of aqua/silver/grey, fixed eyelets in the letters for hanging as a banner, tucked them in an embossed wallpaper envelope, and tied them with the string for hanging (sorry, forgot to photograph the banner letters, but you can see the wallpaper envelope below).


Next, since I've lately been stitching bits of old lace on small stuffed hearts, I decided to make even smaller ones to fit in the matchbox. Using vintage crochet thread with its aged discoloration, I added my swap partners' monograms to each heart.


Among the Paris-themed goodies tucked in the box are vintage French flower seed labels, a roll of French text tape, vintage French sequins and other trims, old earrings and buttons, and more vintage flowers. Plus a little vial of my special glitter blend. I hope my partners enjoy dreaming of Paris.


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art bliss in the neighborhood

Did you know an art convention is scheduled right here in our northern Virginia area?

This September 24-26, at the Dulles Airport Hampton Inn Hotel, Art Bliss will host its inaugural event with jewelry and mixed media workshops. Registration for day and evening workshops has just opened. The event will be hosted by Virginia jewelers Cindy Wimmer and Jeanette Blix Ryan. The instructors include Kerry Bogert from NY, Melissa Manley from NC, Deryn Mentock, and Lesley Venable from Roanoke.

Can you believe we'll have an art event in our neighborhood? Check it out here.

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ah, the children

“Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that will never be again. And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move. You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel? You must work, we must all work, to make the world worthy of its children.”
—Pablo Picasso

A child of mine may move back home for a while, finally leaving one university scene and transitioning to another. Yesterday he brought a truckload of boxes from his current apartment to store in the basement. We spent the evening discussing economics, and biologically impelled social patterns, and Thomas Pynchon's latest detective novel Inherent Vice, and other topics on his radar. Once he moves, I'm hoping he'll spend some of his free time in my studio, exploring, imagining. From my privileged position as parent, I relish the teaching of -- and the learning from -- my children, no matter their ages.
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a little bookish

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Over the past several months, I've tucked into my calendar a few local bookmaking classes with Cami Purpura. Cami used to teach at her own store filled with wonderful bookmaking and stamping supplies. Now, in addition to her online services, her small classes at Angela's each focus on a different stitch to build our bookbinding library, with a cute little book designed to encourage us. This is my handful of progress so far.



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