Happy Birthday To Me!

Hubby surprised me (with a little help from my gal pal Sandy) with a QUICK TRIP to California to attend Diana Frey’s Petite Retreat.  My birthday is Friday & I will be in her studio making that amazing necklace above.  I have always loved it & wished for it whenever I visit her.   So, he’s staying home to puppy sit (& work while I go out to create).  THANK YOU HONEY BUNNY I’M A LUCKY GIRL!!!!

Then on Saturday we will all go to Remnants of the Past Antique Faire (click on the blue links to visit)located at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo.  IT IS A BIG DEAL in California & I am very excited to get to go (another dream come true).  Gal pal Joy Campbell (see previous posts) & new buddy Vickie Orlando will be coming too (Vickie is in the class at Diana’s all weekend/we met at Kim Caldwell’s Event Affaire at Tiffany’s earlier this month).  And the cherry on top of the treat… our buddy Cynthia (who is featured often when I’m in California as she loves to play “tour guide”) will drive up from LA for the day to join us.  HEAVEN ON EARTH!!!! SHOPPING WITH YOUR BUDDIES!
 
Sunday will be a class for this little jewel.  We can do it as a necklace or an Art Piece. ????? Not sure which I will do.  I know Sandy is doing one like the piece above but, I don’t know that I need anything else sitting around… I’ll see where the mood takes me.  So, have a great weekend & stay tuned for more tales… Darn, I haven’t even had time to finish posting about the last trip 3 weeks ago.  I could have/have had worse problems. 
HUGS! Charlene

Affaire At Tiffany’s Part Two Classes

A beautiful table…

My name tag, the schedule & that beautiful handmade Chocolate Tiffany Box with a crown on top (made by my friend Cynthia).


Above is Class Samples of 2 of the classes for Affaire At Tiffany’s.     A darling lamp shade & a journal (which is quiet large).    I had soooooooo much fun doing both of these.  Neither is finished but, the journal is close.

Above, a scrapbook that is really cute.  I think I’ll use it to put a few photos of the event & all the business cards I collected.

And a cameo necklace class taught by my friend Lonnie.
Here’s Kecia teaching the class.

What I love about this sort of class is that you can make YOUR piece look like you want it to NOT JUST LIKE THE SAMPLE!  See… above Joy has shared hers… Nothing like the teachers.  And below is another one that I have no idea who it belongs to but, CUTE & made her own by using personal things to trim it out.

Below is another one to show the difference supplies can make (below & a few other photos by Tiffany Kirchner Dixon thanks Tiffany your work is amazing so if anyone needs a professional photographer here’s her link)


And here is one that I think belongs to Karla Nathan.  Adorable!

Before we leave Kecia, I have to share a couple of other photos.  I caught my beautiful friend Christine out in the courtyard with Kecia after lunch.  Each girl is adorable & has her own “STYLE”

But, look at the shoes… a picture is worth a thousand words.

And of course Tiffany got a better shot of Kecia’s boots.  Too Flippin CUTE!


And the next favorite class by none other than the birthday girl (Kim got Jeanne a beautiful YUMMY BDay Cake above)herself… Jeanne Oliver!  SUPER LOVE THIS GIRL!  Click on her name to go visit her so you can get to know her.  I am going to sign up for her online class next!  I just found out the class is being offered this summer so go HERE to see for yourself what Magic this sweet girl has up her sleeve.


Building layers…


I have wanted to do a Journal as I’ve seen some AMAZING ones out there in Blogland & Pinterest but, I’ve always held back.  What would I write?  Would I want anyone to know my deepest thoughts? I’ve heard some people say they have LOVED finding their Mother or Grandmothers journal but, I have also heard some say “I learned things I wish I didn’t know”.  YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!  So, I expressed these fears with Jeanne & she said “Start with a HAPPY JOURNAL.  Start with writing things you are thankful for… JUST START & see where it takes you”

Profound words my teacher & friend.  Above is another one of Jeanne’s samples that I LOVED!

Lonnie’s Necklace (see Tiffany’s photos are 10 times better than mine that was above).  Cute!!!

But, others had their take on it.

My precious Joy has such a flair… Above you see her take on it.

OK!  I know OVERLOAD!!!!!!!!!!! But, I just think this years event was the BEST EVER!!!! The best classes & the best mix of Art Sisters!  Thank you KIM!!! YOU ROCK!
Hugs!  Charlene

Affaire At Tiffany’s Part One

Swaps Made….. Check

Swaps Wrapped…. Check  

Swap Gifts Shipped….. Check   And we’re Off!

Black Dress & Tiara….. Check   Cindy & I arrived at the cocktail party thrown by Cheryl & Terry all decked out in our black dress, pearls & tiara.  Our hostess with the mostesss Ms Kim Caldwell did an amazing job choosing such a great theme this year!  This was Cindy’s first time to attend a “Kim Event” & I can say it won’t be her last as she was like a Kid In A Candy Store the whole time.  You couldn’t wipe the smile off her face.

Friends from past events are always such a treat to see!

New friends to be made… all dressed DIVINE!!!!

The photo above & below was taken by our amazing friend & the events professional photographer Tiffany Kirchner Dixon  I can tell you Tiffany is AMAZING!!! She gets all the best shots (She should as that darn camera is a big as she is).  I don’t see how that tiny beautiful girl can LUG that huge camera every where but, her MAGIC IS AMAZING!  Thank you Tiffany.  I encourage you to go to her website (click on her name in blue above)to find out more about her & IF you have a special event to photograph… she’s your girl!

Tiffany captures the beauty of the treats that were served.

And the next photo is mine showing Kim giving the all clear to head down to Vendor night.

It didn’t take Cindy long to start shopping.

YES!!!!  The “Dolly Head” Tray was calling her name.

And the birdcage Dolly was hers too.  But, she really wanted the one below which Lisa had already sold to another vendor.  This one was made from vintage lamp parts.  I WISH you could have seen the guy (older gentleman that truly didn’t understand “MIXED MEDIA”) when Joy & I walked into the mail/packing store to send these treasures home.  The girl working there said “I’m gonna have nightmares from this tonight”.

And let’s look at some of Tiffany’s shots of vendor goodies…

Lonnie Jenick had these adorable necklaces… And I had to buy a brunette & a blonde (of course Cindy got the blonde as a roomy gift)

All sorts of things…  But, I love the photos I took of my friend Rochelle’s table.  Below is (left to right) Kim, my amazing Gal Pal Joy Campbell & Rochelle.

I LOVED the jewelry displays that Rochelle had on her table.   Made from vintage shoe forms.  It is soooooooooooooo hard to hang/display those long necklaces we all love so much but, this was ingenious!!!!

Isn’t her work beautiful?  And below, she had Audrey Necklaces which she gave to each of us (7) at our table.  So lucky to have her as a tablemate & we finally got to really visit & get to know each other better after blogging for a year or so.  These events are amazing for that!

Next, I bought a book from Jenny Doh & we had to have a photo op.

 

We were beginning to fade so we stopped at the tables where Kim had our party favors for the night (Tiffany took all the photos below)

Sunglasses in a flowered bag(above).  And a beautiful pink cream packaged in an adorable glass jar with a Tiara on top!  See I told you Kim doesn’t miss a detail!

One stop to get our photos made in the photo booth outside…

Speaking of Tiffany… There she is (above) & isn’t she as cute as I told you?”

And Cindy & I hamming it up!

And the last photo is of the tiara I had Deb Hodge make for Cindy as her Christmas gift (I knew we were coming to this & thought it would be a fitting gift).  Everyone LOVED the tiara & Cindy looked precious in it!  Come back soon for more fun at ‘Tiffany’s”.  And thank you Tiffany for sharing some of your amazing photos!

HUGS! Charlene