Pearls and Lace #76 Variations on a Theme #1

Pink is the Theme.

Lace is the Subject.

How on earth did I get Pink Lace?

Well avocados of course!!!

Have you tried this?  You just have to try this.  It's easy, and it makes you feel like you've done something magical!  PINK dye from avocado peel.

I boiled it, I set it aside after about an hour, and I played like a little girl.

This first post about the Theme (Pink Lace) is composed of pictures of the actual dyed pieces.

I have taken a number of different materials and tried different soaking times to get the variation of pinks. 
The longer you soak, the darker the pink.

I think the main thing I did correctly was to put the avocado peelings into a doubled portion of cheesecloth and tie the end.  I used this pouch in a large pot of water and boiled it for about an hour, then put in the laces and materials I was using and let them soak for about an hour.  Later, I put some of the pieces back in for another soak of another hour, then put them outside to dry.

It was hard for me to get some of the materials to absorb color, but I found that most of the materials were beautifully colored, and I plan on looking out for many more items to dye in the future.  And my husband gets to eat some fresh guacamole from time to time!!

On a humorous side, at the time I was doing the whole boiling and drying (outside) of the materials, my husband was out of town.  When I took the pieces outside to dry in the sun, they were gently floating in the breeze when my husband arrived home.  He got scared.  He thought he had put something red in a laundry of whites and I was flying his mistakes out front for him to see when he got home!!!  Poor guy!  I was just excited about my new pink laces and such, and he was afraid to come in the house!

Next week I will share some more photos using the pinks as a background for some additions of pearls, buttons, and tatting laces.  Be sure and come back by to see them!  I am soooo excited about finding this process!  Let me know if you have tried it before and what you did!!!

It's time for Pearls and Lace Thursday!  Add the url code for your post to the link below and show us your pretties!  You can use this party to post as many times as you like.  I love to see what you have to share!
I will be joining a number of fun parties this week as well...be sure and visit the parties I've listed on my sidebar.  You will be amazed at all the beautiful posts out there!!  Thanks to you all for joining me, and a special hello to my newest followers!

Blessings to you all!

Doni
edited: because I can spell guacamole, but not avOcado!

Pearls and Lace Thursday #75 The Pearls and Lace Dress Form

Ahhhhh....

Pearls and Lace

It just makes me happy.  There's no other explanation!  Does there need to be one???

They are beautiful together, each making the other glow and show off their best features.

The softness of the pearls against the pattern of the lace, making a beautiful duo of vintage lovliness.

I hope you enjoy!

I've been soooo blessed!  The lace piece above (closup) is one that came in my mailbox this week, along with the hymn pages shown below.  A beautiful lady emailed me and told me she had some lovely hymn pages she wanted to send me....lo and behold, they arrived and along with them was this gorgeous piece of vintage lace!!!  Dear Gail, this post is for you!!!  Heartfelt thanks, and blessings to you!!

Doesn't the detail on this lace just make you swoon???

And it sets off the pearls' lustre to make a combination of beauty.

Below is a picture of it in sepia...

And here are the wonderful hymn pages!!

I think a project I've had in the back of my mind will be in the making very soon!

It's time for Pearls and Lace Thursday!!!  Below is the link for you to join me, just add your post's url, not the url code for your blog please.  Let's have fun this week with the beauty that you all have to share.  I've really been busy this week, as I know you all have, so let's take a break next week and I'll return the Thursday before New Year's with the next P&L Party!

I'm going to join a few parties myself this week, so be sure and look on the sidebar to the right at the Parties I Love and join in there too!  The awesome hostesses have some LOVELY posts!

Have a blessed week!

Doni



Blogger Trouble?? UPDATED...Background Fixed!!

Real quick post here...

Do any of you have problems with your Blog right now?

My problems are not only on my personal computer showing the background of my blog as a small picture disrupting the view of my blog, but on my iphone, it does the same thing and doesn't let me see my linky party participants or my followers.

I've looked at the Help button and tried to clear my cookies/history, etc., but to no avail.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Doni

UPDATED!!
OK...after many many unsuccessful (because of ME) tries to fix the background problem, I finally went to the website where I got my original background, the one you see here.  You can find the location at the top of this blog on the left hand side.  Itkupilli is a talented lady who has dozens and dozens of free backgrounds.
She has gone through all of her backgrounds and FIXED each of them so that they will show up the correct size on your backgrounds.  IF you are having a problem with your background, you might want to go to your original background host and see if they are aware of the problem.  It's a matter of the original size now not transferring over to blogger.
Many many thanks to Itkupilli for finding and fixing the problem!!!  I love her background and have had it for a long time...hoping to keep it for a long time to come!
Have a great week!
Doni

Pearls and Lace Thursday #74 Bling Covered Books

Do you like Bling?

Do you like pretty fabrics?

Do you love vintage???

Well, it's all here!

I once saw a photo of an awesome display of lovely brooches all displayed on pretty fabric covered books.  I can't find the source of the picture, but have drooled over it for many months.

If you happen to know of the picture I'm referreing to, please please let me know!

Here is my attempt at a similar vignette:

I found a source for some samples of vintage materials last summer and have finally used them for this display.

Using small paperback books (because my material pieces were smallish), I gently folded the fabric over the book covers. (Remember covering our textbooks in school???  THAT lesson came in handy!!)

I pulled out some blingy items from here and there, some lovely pink pearl beads, and some of my favorite buttons.  Also, there are some dried cockscomb and roses added.

The abalone shell is one that I've had from childhood...and recently unearthed it from my garage!

The little heart pillow I made years ago, and in the first picture, a purple pillow I made while I was in Junior High!  It seems I just can't throw anything away!

It's time for Pearls and Lace Thursday!!!  Do you have something pretty you'd like to share?  Please add the url code to the link below, and let us see your lovelies!

I will be attending some blog parties too, so be sure and check out the links in the Parties I Love list on the sidebar.  I keep these links up all the time, so you can always come by and find some beauty!

Blessings to you!

Doni



A Quick Tour of the China Cabinet

It's Monday night, and the football game just started.  I don't know who and I don't care who!

SO...computer, here I come!

How about a quick tour of the China Cabinet?

I seem to have a distinct liking for Blues and Pinks!!!

Good grief!  As I was picking the order for these pictures to post I realized that my faves are the blues and pinks, and that most of my cabinet is those colors!  Not all, but the majority!

Oh well.  I like it, and it's always fun to play with them!

I tried my first cup of Earl Grey tea over Thanksgiving.  No sweetener, no cream, no lemon.

Just plain ole' tea. 

Hmmmm.....

Maybe it's an acquired taste??

I made another pot last week and tried it.  Not quite liking it yet, but I'm not going to give up.  I MUST learn to like even LOVE hot tea.  That's my New Year's resolution.  And loose weight.

Maybe I'll be able to drink tea.....

I will be linking up with the AWESOME TEA PARTIES listed on the sidebar!  Be sure and click on them to take you over to some lovely blogs and check out the gorgeous tea things they share each week.

Many thanks to you lovely ladies for hosting!

Hope you all have a lovely week!

Blessings, Doni



Pearls and Lace Thursday #73

First, I want to take a moment to say a great big thanks to Donna over at Brynnwood Needleworks.

I won a recent giveaway from her blog, and she sent me some WONDERFUL prizes!!

The book "Where Women Create" has been on my WANT list for a LONG time, and now that I stayed up for most of a night soaking it in, I can tell you....it's AWESOME!

Here are a few items from the box mixed in with today's Pearls and Lace Thursday party!

The lovely ribbon roses were the first thing I saw, and immediately I thought of this sewing box that was on my shelf. Oh....they would be friends for sure!

The little white birdie with the perfect amount of crazing!  Isn't she the sweetest thing??

And for those of you who are familiar with Donna's blog, you can see the postcard of Tag located on the left side of the picture below!  What a hoot!  He's a Corgi and evidently a much loved member of their family!!

I've lately been wrapping many of my yardage of lace trims onto vintage wooden spools.  It's so much fun to carefully wind the gorgeous laces onto a piece that will not only keep the laces in good order, but will make a beautiful display on my shelves.  I just don't seem to have enough lace! 

When I saw this lovely buckle sitting all alone in one of my treasure chests, I knew it was destined for better things, so I snipped a piece of silk ribbon, and now it has a pretty place to show off!

Thank you so much Donna for a delightful box of lovelies!  I'm having so much fun with them!

And now it's time for Pearls and Lace Thursday where YOU get to show off some of your own pretties!

Please feel free to join me by adding the url code of your blog post to the link below.

I'm going to be joining a few parties myself, so make sure you check out my sidebar where I have listed some of my very favorite places to go!  Parties I Love are blogs that have hosted blog parties.  I'm constantly running over there to see who posted what...and I'm finding some GORGEOUS blogs to follow!

Many thanks to each of you for joining me for Pearls and Lace Thursday, and a huge hug to my newest followers!

Blessings,

Doni



Pearls and Lace Thursday # 72 Music and More Lace!

I don't know if y'all are aware, but I'm a musician.  I play the violin (see my violin post here), therefore music has always had a very large part in who I am.  As I've matured over the years, I've been able to collect different types of vintage pieces of music.  I've loved using them in my displays, and especially loved that it has become appreciated by artists for use in collages and backgrounds.  I've seen some wonderfully talented uses for old stained music and always seem to be enthralled by what y'all come up with for using it.

As I look through piles of old piano music, I wonder who it was that played the pieces.  A name might be written on a piece...pencilled in directions here and there...was she young or matronly?  Did she play for a crowd or to please herself?  Was her piano in a small home or a stately mansion?

In last week's post for Pearls and Lace Thursday, I shared some of my most beautiful piano music.

As I look at the exquisite drawings decorating the front cover of these pieces, I am totally lost in the artwork.  It's not just a piece of music, but a work of art!  How lovely to be able to enjoy the lovely florals and scrolls and fonts without even hearing the music.

This week, I'm using the beauty of the inside of the music as a background for some more laces I'd like to share with you.  I hope you enjoy!!

I guess you can say I got carried away, but setting up this group of laces and music and buttons was SO MUCH FUN!!  I mean really....getting to play with the pretties!  They are my toys you know!

a bit of pink...

With Thanksgiving here, I want to take this time to thank each of you who take the time to visit my blog, those of you who join me for Pearls and Lace Thursday, those who follow, and each of you who leave kind comments.  You are some lovely people that I am very grateful for!  I pray you are each blessed this Thanksgiving.

I'm going to be joining in a few fabulous parties! Please see the Parties I Love list on my sidebar and check out the awesome blog parties...you might even want to join them yourself!  AND...

Now...if you'd like to join me this week for Pearls and Lace Thursday, then it's time!  Please add your url code for your post to the link below, and share something beautiful and lovely with us!  There were over 20 participants last week!!!!  Y'all are the best!!

Warm hellos to my newest followers too!  

Blessings to you all,

Doni