What Happens Next

What Stella Wore ~ Boho Embellished Jeans

 

On the first weekend of this month, we took a girls-only road trip up the central coast of California. Three generations celebrating a few of our shared passions... travel, fashion, and flea markets!

Stella wanted to take her new "fancy jeans", and of course the occasion was perfect. Casual, girly, sparkly with a bit of pink... a Boho look for a special weekend.

 

A pair of skinny jeans that was juuuust about to be outgrown. Still fine in the waist, but getting a tad short. Isn't that the story of children and their clothing?

We decided to celebrate the shorter length and give them a makeover.

Fabric glue, needle and thread, and a basket of bits and pieces left over from other projects. Nothing goes to waste in our studio!

 

Stella is very pleased with her outfit, and especially happy with the treasure that had been given to her that morning.

 

This absolutely darling Fairy Princess Wand, generously gifted by our beautiful friend Lisa Leonard. (link below)

Stella has barely let it out of her sight.

 

But back to the task at hand, giving us her "modeling face".

 

A small break to watch the light dancing on the steps.

 

The smallest scraps of lace and trim can completely transform a tiny pair of jeans.

And you must always consider frosty pink toenail polish...

 

 

It makes me smile that these are so reminiscent of jeans that we altered and embellished when I was in college. The major difference is in the quality and availability of materials. And of course the slender silhouette of the jeans! :)

Boho with a modern twist!

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Jeans ~ True Religion

Cotton and Lace Blouse ~ Zara

Fairy Princess Wand ~ Lisa Leonard Designs

Embellishments ~ A Gilded Life

 

Paper and Lace Cottage

A four-year-old can be very pursuasive. When she spotted a paper mache box in the shape of a house sitting on a shelf in the studio, it became all she could think about.

She would ask to take it down, and played with it so carefully. She found a perfect "dolly" in a basket of vintage items. She was intent on claiming it as her own, but I was not willing to let it go without giving it a makeover.

 

For the sake of tiny hands, no glass glitter was used in the making of this project. :)

Paint, paper, lace and glue. A bit of German Dresden to decorate the front. A few vintage buttons. Pom-pom fringe on the roof.

 

Wallpapered interior walls and a wool felt floor.

 

Stella deemed it finished.

 

But I thought it needed small battery operated candles to transform it into a nightlight for her room, giving it a whole new purpose.

She loves it. What more could I hope for?

 

Stash Society ~ "Vintage Blues" May 2013

 

We are always excited to welcome in the Spring season, and the month of May is the very essence of this wondrous time of year.

Tender florals, soft earthen hues, a bit of gold, vintage blues, a touch of bling... we love it all!

 

1/2 Yard Robin's-Egg-Blue Linen with Embroidered Flowers

1/2 Yard Silk Dupioni Floral Toile. wow!

 

Set/3 Brass Bangle Bracelet Blanks

2 Yards Embroidered Floral Ribbon

2 Yards French Blue Gimp Trim

40" Vintage Pom-Pom Fringe

 

3 Swags German Dresden Foil

1 Frame German Dresden Foil

Gold Rhinestone Heart Applique

 

5-1/2 Yards Hand-Dyed Seam Binding

5 Vintage Brass Filigree Buttons

 

 7-1/2" Strand "Rosebuds and Leaves" Glass Beads

 

20" Extra-Large Czech Crystal Chain

 

We are so inspired by this lovely assortment. In fact, we feel a set of bracelets coming on!! Let the creating begin...

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If you would like more information on joining the Stash Society, please take a look here.

Still have questions? Email Nivia, and she will be happy to help you!

Have a lovely, creative day.

xoxo Debbie & Shea

 

A Call For Design Team Members!

 

Are you a romantic at heart, with a passion for all things worn and wonderful, glittery and glamorous?

Are you a versatile artist/crafter that would enjoy working with the products that A Gilded Life offers, and a desire to work on a small design team with the potential for widespread exposure?

Then we are looking for you!

 

The Details:

If chosen, you will receive a Gilded Girls Stash Society box each month, along with a bonus item, either from our studio or through a preferred product partner or sponsor.

You will be asked to contribute two tutorials each month, using the contents of your kit, along with a few added items if necessary. These additional items must be easy for the Stash Society members to obtain on their own. You must be able to compose and upload a full tutorial, along with good quality photos, to our private Typepad Stash Society blog. We will post photos of each of your projects to our public blog, our Facebook wall, a dedicated Pinterest board, and a newly created Flickr account... with full credit to you. You may also post photos to your blog, Facebook, Flickr and Pinterest, with links back to us.

Each month, one project from the team will be chosen to be a public tutorial, with kits being available through our website. Again, we will publicize you as the designer.

Ninety days after your tutorial has posted to our blog, you are free to submit your project for publication.

This design team term is six months, beginning July 2013 and ending December 2013. You must be able to produce two projects per month during this term.

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Please submit three good quality images of your work to us at info@agildedlife.com, along with a little bit about yourself. It is extremely helpful if you can work in several mediums. Stitching, jewelry, papercrafting, collage, mixed-media... pull out all the stops and show us what you've got!

Deadline for submissions is June 5.

 

 

What Stella Wore ~ Waxed Flower May Day Crown

 

Oh, Happy May Day!

Stella is marking the occasion with a waxed flower crown, just right for celebrating on this gorgeous Spring day!

 

Small silk and velvet flowers have been dipped into a candle wax mixture and allowed to dry. They are then woven onto a wire stem and formed into a circular shape.

A full crown would be overwhelming on someone so small, so we left it as a coronet with long ribbon streamers.

 

We love the soft and vintage look that the wax gives the flowers, creating an heirloom headpiece, worthy of a place among the crown collection.

 

A pepperberry spray is always a favorite accessory.

 

Pinned into a simple, tousled hairstyle.

 

This is our May child, completely in her element on an early morning stroll, on her way to a celebration of flowers and the bounties of Spring.

Footwear optional.

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Organza Dress ~ Baby Gap

 

 

What Stella Wore ~ Vintage Lace Easter Dress

 

It's such a wonderful time of the year to be sewing for a child. In Springtime, my thoughts always turn to soft linens and lots of lace.

And diminutive, flowing silhouettes, of course. Then, suddenly it's Easter, and a girl simply must have a new dress...

 

Bits of lace, both old and new (mostly old), and doilies carefully recycled and repurposed... the very essence of rebirth and renewal!

 

A tender child in her moment of quiet before the festivities begin. Surveying the surroundings and sizing up the egg-hiding possibilities.

 

Gathering just a little of the floral bounty that the new season has brought to our area.

 

It's always so amazing to see the new flowers springing up among the pinecones and the heavy mulch of Winter.

 

In the early hours of the day, boots and jeans are in order for a walk in the woods. But we are only hours away from leggings and flip flops, which makes this one very happy.

 

This dress was created entirely on a child-sized mannequin, "Project Runway" style. No pattern, just pinning and adjusting on the form and stopping once or twice to fit the bodice on her.

This type of garment is a very organic process, dependent upon the materials on hand and never the same twice.

 

This one was like walking a tightrope, not exactly sure that I had enough bits and pieces at home with me to complete it.

 

I would have liked an extra row, and I still may add one. But for now, it is the perfect length for jeans and boots.

 

This dress was sewn entirely by hand. It was a process that took many hours, but as you may know by now, I love hand sewing. I actually felt more confident with a needle in my hand on this project, rather than a sewing machine. It was so much easier to ease and adjust as I went along.

 

I love to get these little mini-portraits while we are photographing the clothing, and for the most part Stella indulges me. I cherish this way of documenting our time together.

 

 Happy Spring! xoxo

 

Spellbound ~ It's Time! It's Time!

 

We have had a whirlwind of a weekend!

Pre-registration for Spellbound 2 went out on Friday for alumni, and the response has been fantastic! Beyond anything we expected, so a sincere "Thank You" to those who have signed up to join all of us this November! We *heart* you!

The exciting news is that registration is now fully live! If you are considering an art event for the Fall season, Pasadena, California is gorgeous in November! The venue is exquisite and the classes being offered are absolutely amazing!

 

With this year's Dream Team of instructors, Spellbound 2013 is sure to be another weekend of inspiration and enchantment.

Won't you join us?

www.SpellboundEvent.com

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Kaari Meng

Kristen Robinson

JoAnna Pierotti

Terri Brush

Pamela Huntington

Cathe Holden

Debbie Murray & Shea Fragoso

 

What Stella Wore ~ Velvet Shamrock Headband

 

In the midst of an incredibly busy week... we are launching registration for Spellbound 2013 this coming Monday... we made time to celebrate St. Patrick's Day! Since it falls on the weekend this year, the schools are enjoying their festivities today.

Green is not high on Stella's list of preferred colors to wear, but she was excited about the idea of a velvet shamrock headband paired with a pink smock!

 

Throw in a pair of skinny jeans and pink metallic leather flip-flops, and you have the perfect Friday "not-too-dressy" "not too casual" outfit!

 

The headband was so simple to make! I covered a plain metal band with green ribbon by wrapping it and gluing the ends.

 

Using two similar colors of velvet, I simply cut shamrock shapes in two different sizes, seven in all.

Taking a stitch in the center of each shape creates a ruffled, realistic look to the petals. Then I simply glued them close together onto the band and put a chaton rose rhinestone in the centers.

 

Viola! Our ode to St. Patrick's Day in less than an hour! Perhaps all the girls in our family will be wearing one of these on Sunday... :)

Have a festive, fantastic weekend!!

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Pink Smock/Dress ~ H & M

Skinny Jeans ~ H & M

Pink Sandals ~ Downtown Los Angeles Fashion District

 

 

Spellbound ~ Oh, The Anticipation!

 

Last year’s inaugural "Spellbound Event" was truly enchanting in every way. As if to embody the very definition of the word, Spellbound was a magical three days filled to the brim with laughter, friendship, inspiration and of course, the creation of beautiful art!

We are so excited to share with you some of the memories from our amazing weekend...

 

Providing the perfect setting for our Spellbound weekend was the lovely, historic Langham Huntington Hotel in spectacular Pasadena, California.

Once you step inside, into the fantastic lobby with it's view of the garden, you are transported to a world of grace and a level of service and comfort that is hard to find. Everything about this property is welcoming and effortless in it's luxury. The rooms are beautiful and the bath towels are enormous.

It always comes down to the little things, doesn't it? :)

 

We gathered together at the hotel on Thursday evening for the glamorous Welcome Dinner. Enveloped in the beauty of the Georgian Ballroom, it was an enchanting beginning to what was to come...

 

We told stories and laughed. We laughed a lot.

 

On Friday, when it was time to begin working on the gorgeous projects that our instructors offered, the fun truly began. In classroom after classroom around the hotel, there were ribbons and beads and vintage photographs. Crepe paper and velvet, rhinestones and buttons. And glitter. The spirit of creativity was palpable, and the smiles were some of the biggest we have ever seen!

 

We spent time with friends, both old and new, from down the road and from half-way around the world.

 

And we ate! We ate like queens. We laughed and we bonded and we created and we indulged in some of the best food we’ve ever had.

 

Friday evening was time for the unbelievable Dreamland Mercantile. With over 30 vendors displaying their wares, and a gorgeous buffet, it was definitely a delight for the senses!

 

We stayed up all night. After Saturday’s class schedule, a large and energetic group decided to keep the creative juices flowing. We snacked on good old fashioned comfort food (hello…a CUPCAKE bar!!) and spent time playing with materials from some of the leading manufacturers in the craft industry. Sadly, the bell tolled midnight way before any of us were ready to leave the ball!

As you can see, we had more fun than we could have ever imagined. Getting to make art is good for the soul. Making art while surrounded by over 100 of your best friends is breathtakingly wonderful.

The very best part is, this is not the end of the story. We are beyond thrilled to be able to do it all again this year! Plans are coming together as we speak, and this year promises to be even more amazing!

 

We really hope you are able to join us for Spellbound 2, November 7-10th, 2013. We all hope to see you in Pasadena!

Registration opens to everyone on Monday, March 18th at 6pm Pacific Time.

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All photos by the fantastic Martha Schuster of iseethemoonphotgraphy!

 

 

Spellbound 2 ~ The New Dream Team

 

This is a very happy day!

Planning is in full swing for the second edition of "Spellbound ~ create your dreams"! We are now gathering the projects at our studio for photography. They are spectacular, and we cannot wait to share them with you, but that will take a few more days to accomplish...

Today we are incredibly happy to announce the teaching staff for this event, and we are sure you will agree that this is an absolutely amazing lineup of talent joining us as instructors for 2013! We are seriously a bit giddy with all the excitement, and with the quality of the work they are bringing to share with all of us!!

 

Kaari Meng

Kristen Robinson

JoAnna Pierotti

Terri Brush

Pamela Huntington

Cathe Holden

Debbie Murray & Shea Fragoso

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My goodness! We are wondering how you will ever choose your favorite classes!!

Please be sure follow our website SpellboundEvent.com for all of the lastest updates and detailed information... and to register beginning March 15th! 

xoxo Debbie & Shea