Atlanta Trip - Part 3

The sculptures above and below done by Dale Chihuly are part of the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Chihuly is an amazing American glass sculptor whose work I have seen in Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory, The Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, and the Milwaukee Art Museum.

I believe this fountain, surrounded by the beautiful gardens, is my favorite.

These pink and white tulips are a little past their prime. Just a week before they were in full bloom and quite breathtaking.

Latest Vintage Find

Here she is - my sweet little pink frosted glass dresser lamp. I found her at the flea market a couple weeks ago. I fell in love with the little pink girl who was sitting there with the shade laying nearby and no way to attach the two together. Neither the vendor nor I could figure out how the two pieces would go together. But I still liked the pink lady and for the low price I figured I would be able to do something with her. 

I brainstormed ideas like adding a candle-shaped bulb and using the shade for something else. Or perhaps I could remove the cord and place a glass hurricane and real candle in the socket. She sat in my studio for a week while I pondered various ideas. Then amazingly, I stumbled upon her twin at an antique mall - for four times the price I paid for her!  Her little pink sister sat with her shade fully attached and voila, I saw how the two pieces fit together. For less than $2, I purchased one of these at the hardware store, screwed in a bulb and topped it with the shade. Doesn't she have a nice warm glow when lit?

Day 2:Joli Paquet

Photo Courtesy of Beth Quinn

Hi everyone! It's Day 2 over at Joli Paquet and Beth Quinn is teaching us how to make this special Boo Banner! If you've ever seen her soldered jewelry creations, you know what a talented artist Beth is. It's such a "treat" to have her as one of the Joli Paquet girls!

Jewels of the Sea Swap

Heather over at Speckled Egg recently hosted a fun swap called "Jewels of the Sea." Each participant was to make 6 pendants in a vintage seaside theme and we get 6 different pendants in return. The darling images I used on both the pendant and the card above were purchased from Vintage Image Madness. To coordinate with the pastel shades of the images, I used copper tape, wire, beads and findings along with a tiny aqua crystal bead at the very top. I also made a discovery when I pulled out my squares of glass and realized that all I had was frosted glass. I remember hearing a long time ago if you want to change frosted glass into clear glass apply a coat of Diamond Glaze to the frosted surface. I was kind of doubtful, but figured I didn't have anything to lose and if it worked it would save me another trip to the craft store. So I gave it a try and sure enough, it worked! I just spread it around the glass with my finger, not worrying too much about getting it perfectly smooth, so it sort of has the appearance of wavy antique glass. Perfect! I can't wait to see what everyone else's pendants look like!