A Gathering of Tearful Beauties

My Tearful Beauties Tell Amazing Stories

Amazing things have been happening to me and my Etsy shoppe lately and I'd like to take some time and blog space to tell you a couple of stories that have touched my heart and just confirmed for me that this is where I'm meant to be and this is what I'm meant to be doing right now.

The Poodles Adore Pastries oil painting by Janet Hill

I have a new Etsy friend, Janet Hill, a very talented oil painter and print maker.  Above is one of her latest oil paintings.  Here is her Etsy shoppe  JanetHillStudio  where she sells her original oils and prints and her blog Janet Hill's blog . 

The reason this painting is so special is that Janet purchased the poodle salt and pepper shakers used in the painting from my Etsy shoppe BeJoyfulVintage .   What also makes this an amazing story is that when she purchased the shakers my daughter and I were just about to leave for her town for some antiquing and to see Kiss Me Kate at the Stratford Festival Theatre.  I was able to hand deliver the poodles to her husband at his bookstore on the main street in Stratford, Ontario.  Unfortunately, Janet was out of town and I could not meet her in person but that too will happen some day soon.  We've been e-mail kibbitzing back and forth since then, great fun!  Now, how would I have met Janet otherwise?

BTW she posted the painting in her Etsy shoppe earlier today and I just saw that it has already sold.  Congrats Janet! 

Here's a picture of the original shakers.  So, my final word is that if Janet painted a sliding glass door and propped it against a wall, there's no doubt in my mind that I would try to walk through it.  That's how talented she is and how utterly silly I can be!

I'll share one more amazing story with you in today's posting. 

Songs of the Ettrick Shepherd

This is a beautiful, gentle book of Scottish brogue poetry and songs penned by Jame Hogg who was actually considered to be, by many, "The Ettrick Shepherd".  There are 5 mystical colour drawings included in this book by Jesse M. King.  Stunning pictures.  A lovely lady in Santa Cruz, California purchased this book and asked me to ship it to a dear relative in Scotland.  Not a problem, we ship just about anywhere around the world. 

But the reason she purchased the book is the the "icing on this cake".  The Scottish relative lives on the same street as the illustrator does, or did, in Scotland, at the time that she did the drawings for this book.  How amazing is that?  What are the odds of me posting this book for sale and her finding it to give as a gift to the Scottish relative?

 
 
My tag line for the BeJoyfulVintage shoppe is "A Gathering of Tearful Beauties" which grew out of a self penned phrase -  "beauty can bring one to tears as easily as to joy". 

The items I sell in my vintage shoppe are my "tearful beauties" and when I can tell you stories like these two, I believe the relationship to tears is moreso appropriate.  Some would say these are coincidences.  I like to believe that these happenings were meant to be therefore I am meant to be here on Etsy, selling my wares so that these wonderful coincidences can occur.   Very poetic, very lovely, very mystical, don't you think?

BEJOYFUL today and always!

Picnics and How Etsy Can Help

 

BeJoyfulVintage's French Country Picnic

When I was taking the pictures of the backyard the other day, that got me thinking about picnics.  We went on alot of picnics when we were kids.  Church picnics, work picnics, pool picnics, school picnics.  These were nice social events some 40 years ago, even 20 years ago.  Not so much anymore.

 With online stores like Etsy and their creative owners, it's very easy to resurrect the picnic lunch or dinner using the very same things you used back in "the old days". 

This is my version above - all of the items basket, teacups and saucers, french blue carafe and pistachio and buttercup quilt are available separately in my BeJoyfulVintage Etsy Shoppe . 

But there's lots more in the beautiful and amazing shoppes of Etsy.com - here's a few others you might enjoy.  Just click on the picture's title and you'll be whisked right to the item in Etsy! 

 
BitterSweetDesigns' Green Picnic Basket

 
SmallandMousey's Carafe

 

 

Mireio's Melmac Rose Dishes

 

 TeaWorksCottage's Napkins

    

Bouquet's Carvanite Celluloid Salt and Peppers

 
TheBagBasement's Red Plaid Glasses

DeathMachine's Plaid Parasol

With these and a few more items from Etsy's amazing vendors, you've got your own retro picnic and the shopping's all done from your home!   

No need now to spend precious, warm summer time sitting in front of the TV or playing XBox or even spending a fortune to go to a huge amusement park like Canada's Wonderland or Florida's Disney World.  Just put together your family picnic basket, collect up the lawn chairs, badminton set and lawn darts, and off you go to one of North America's many beautiful natural parks and picnic areas just practially on your own doorstep. Take some friends along too for lots of fun!

Oh, BTW, Etsy can help with the outdoor games too!

BEJOYFUL!

Living Through Missing Rhinestones

 
GLORIOUSLY TATTERED AND SPLATTERED

This posting is about my love of rhinestone jewelry but I have to also share with you this latest find from the Aberfoyle Antique Market in Aberfoyle, Ontario - a gloriously tattered and splattered dress form.  My amazing friend Liz brought my attention to the display set-up in a sun drenched spot at the market.  I was sweating uncontrollably and was certainly looking for one more heavy thing to carry but I HAD TO HAVE THIS!  Headless and armless dirty fabric bodies may not be attractive to most but they speak to me.  So.....here she is and she's adorned with some of my rhinestone finds.

 
  MISSING RHINESTONES

Yes, I admit my passion for rhinestone jewelry but also for jewelry missing rhinestones.  These darlings spark my creative spirit.  Sure, I could replace the missing rhinestone with a similar one from my stash but would that be creative? unique? one-of-a-kind?  Not really. 

I truly wish I'd taken a BEFORE picture of this pendant.  My fab friend Kate has asked me to create something with her beloved grandmother's jewelry.  Kate was devastated that one of the royal blue rhinestones from this piece had been lost - not a problem, just a blip in the radar.  I think she'll be pleased when this project is finished.

ALMOST AFTER

I have replaced the royal blue stone with a rhinestone button echoing the shape of the overall pendant and the shape of the pearl centre cluster.  This is going to be stunning when chain and other embellishments are added. 

So you can now see that the imperfect becomes a joyous challenge to the creative heart.  And I love these challenges when they involve gloriously old, discoloured, chippy, scratched rhinestone jewelry.  Oh, BTW,  I also love chandelier crystals so when I combine the two this is what I can come up with.

BIRD UNDER CHANDELIER GLASS

More of my non-custom order repurposed jewelry creations can be found in my BarbaraDoone Etsy Shoppe.

BE JOYOUS!

 

How to BREAK OUT of that Winter FUNK

It's been a while since I've posted - I think I've been in a funk about my friend Madonna GRACE and her cancer.  Well, God must have granted her his grace as she has truly embraced the mantra of "living one day at a time" and each time I've seen her she's been smiling and been her same loving self.  I want to be like Madonna GRACE when I grow up!

Besides this funk - how do you get out of your typical winter funk?  Well for me, I love to look at my collection of little dresden lace figurines and then my de-funking routine always involves jewelry design.  Actually,  I'm feverishly preparing for and so looking forward to a home jewelry and gift party that my special friend Kate is hosting for my jewelry and other creations at the end of March.  She's a PRIMO party thrower (and person BTW) and should be in the business. 

In preparation I'm going to be posting pictures of some of my designs I will be premiering that afternoon.  Here's the first -

Butterflies are Free

I've fallen hard for mixed metals and multiple chain designs this year and also the many stunning and artistic toggle clasps available to jewelry artisans these days.  I'm doing alot of mixed metals in my Art Jewelry History Collection pieces as well.  The whole idea challenges the traditional as does the asymmetrical look of positioning the beads and clasp to the side of the necklace.  Actually this necklace can be worn three different ways - beads and clasp to the side, beads and clasp centre front and simply the twisted rings centre front (beads and clasp at the back of the neck). 

 
 So Sweet Buttercup

*twisted rings offer such simplicity

Don't you just love being able to get so much mileage out of one piece of jewelry!  The puffed coin beads are so amazing too.  The swirls and mix of colours are delightful and very unique - you don't see these kinds of beads in a regular jewelry or department store - only true jewelry artisans know where to find them. 

*puffed coin beads - swirls and a melange of colours

Keep checking back to see more designs and party offerings to be at Kate's place the end of March!  And, please pray for my friend Madonna GRACE - prayer is so powerful and so healing!

BEJOYFUL!