Monte Verdi Lampwork

Life on St Martin's Hill - Winter 2010

7 May 2010

Looking for Life on St. Martin's Hill?

Visit Life on St. Martin's Hill, Spring 2010!

Look for the link, over there!

To the left!

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26 April 2010

Knit Wit

Needle arts and all other forms of domesticity started young in our household. Never a birthday or Christmas would go by without getting some sort of new and fascinating hobby to master. Little kits were packaged with doll-house sized knitting needles and four little balls of yarn enough to knit your Barbie doll a winter hat to go with her most-splendid gown.

It runs in the family, this business of knitting; mom, grandmas, aunties and sisters. When I was eight, I used to tote my knitting project to school and home again, even though I had no intentions of working on my mint green scarf during recess. I toted it around because I was proud of the fact that I did something that none of the other girls did.

I also kicked their butts in a mean game of jacks.

But I digress.

Learning the arts came way before potty training and learning to play well with others.

It was important to know how to correctly bake a cake and a cookie (thanks to the new & improved Easy Bake Oven), learn how to sew on the Holly Hobbie Sewing Machine (that ran on two AA batteries), make popcorn the proper way (using an ordinary household lightbulb), make Dip-A-Flowers (gosh, those were awesome weren't they!), make Knit Wit flowers, plus still have enough time left over to take care of Baby Alive, Mrs. Beasley, and all your other kids.

Which brings me now to adulthood, and now that I'm an adult (stop it Andrew, I know what you're thinking back there) I have gone back and revisited some of those wonderful lessons.

A new scarf for my husband in Fisherman's Wool by Lion.

Pattern: Vintage Basketweave.

And a whole drawer full of pot holders, using scrap yarns. Andrew refused to use them at first, claiming that they were too pretty.

I solved that problem by throwing away all non-handmade pot holders.

And just as soon as I remember how to make hats, I'll be back to post. Which might be as early as tomorrow considering that I'm in the middle of a massive knitting marathon.

Seriously obsessed here.

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16 April 2010

Oh, Seriously Now. . .

If I've said it once, I've said it twice:

I just can't stand it.

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13 April 2010

Eggstra, Eggstra

Read All About It

The good thing about living in a town this small is the fact that you can find just about anyone at anytime.

Especially the mail lady.

Do you seriously expect me to drive up and down the street looking for her? Andrew asked.

Of course I do, I answered, undaunted. We need to find her because of a very important Easter package.

And within the package was a plethora of fantastic goodies that were even more fantastic because they arrived on a Good Friday. And how!

I participated in Shara's Eggstra Fun Easter Swap (http://mydealoftheday.blogspot.com) and seriously, I loved all the eggs that I received. The glittered scenery above? Oh, just delicious.

Absolutely adorable embellished nut cup that contained my favorite treasures: glitter, mercury beads, and chenille chickie-poo.

Quilling. I used to do this when I was a teenager, but this lovely egg just blew my mind. The florals, the yellow chickie, wow-wee.

Just lovely.

A wonderfully embellished egg-shaped tag, with an image of two plump little birdies. Such a wonderful accent for spring, and so dainty!

This egg reminded me of the vintage sugar eggs with the floral decorations on top. Loved the paper posies on the sides, and the ruffled crepe paper. This ornament sits alongside a pink velvet bunny with a nest, in the formal dining room.

This little chickie came traveling in his own little egg-case! Made by hand, with cloth wings that actually 'move', he immediately went to reside in the china bowl with the esteemed Rabbit Carriage.

This is a gilded egg. Simply put, it's stunning. This will be on display for months, as I'll move it around the house here and there. Love, love, love!

A Fortune Egg ornament! Lovely image, lovely dimension, and I love the glitter and the white feather. Subtle sweetness, surely.

Super-love.

I have a bowl full of blown glass eggs in multi, vibrant colors. When I added this lovely decoupaged egg to the bowl, it just *popped* against the glass.

Amazing.

Another gorgeous egg that was hand-wound with floss. I can't imagine how many hours these took to make. And really, I couldn't make these even if I tried.

Why, just the other day I was knitting, and somehow in unwinding my skein of yarn, I managed to completely twist my dog's tail into the skein. Of course, I had been knitting for over an hour, so imagine the mess that was! I'd better leave these 'fiber windings' to the experts.

And this lovely Easter-themed tag was to die for! It was decorated on both sides, so when Easter is finished, I'll flip it over and display the wonderful

bird side!

My own eggs were clear plastic, with the insides filled to capacity with an assortment of new and vintage treasures: beads, buttons, English die-cuts, crystals, antique tinsel, pearls, and tiny mercury ornaments.

I really enjoyed participating in this swap, and a *super thanks* to Shara for hosting with grace!

Thank you all, for the wonderful, wonderful goodies, ladies!

xoxoxo

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31 March 2010

Easter Eggs, Red Carpet Style

Welcome to all the festivities! We now go via satellite television to watch all the fashions arrive!

First up, is this lovely little pink number: A chick-powered carriage ready to haul away any and all prizes. Of course, the blue necklaces are so faux pas this year.

Mr. Rabbit has arrived on the scene wearing his trademark green bow-tie, and looking as handsome as ever. But look at his ornate companion! Such a lovely vision in the season's hottest color, lavender, and trimmed in gold which hugs every curve.

And the notorious Mr. Rooster, struggling to make it in this business as he climbs the ladder of success. Looks like he's in good company. It's a good thing, especially after last year's scandal nearly ruined his reputation.

I don't know what the big deal was.

His girlfriend was having an egg, and no one knew who the father was.

Big Whoop-Do-Dee-Doo-Do.

Rising young starlets, here's the creme de la creme.

Love their choice of colors as they are quite fashionable this spring.

I wonder, did they borrow all those jewels?

And, who did their hare?

Ever the worker, Mr. Nose-Twitch flew in just to be part of this evening's ceremonies. Getting up there in years, he's no longer the producer he used to be. But he did try out for the part in Alice in Wonderland, but got passed over by a much younger rabbit.

Seems he didn't have a l'egg to stand on.

What's this? The self proclaimed Play-Boy-Bunny-King and his ever-present staff of egg carriers and romantic-fancy-chicken-babies! They all live together in a big mansion in MansionLand, where he has nothing but swimming pools and girlfriends.

I love it when Aimee runs out of things to say on these blogs. I am always happy to lend a helping hand and embarrass my sweet wife. Here goes...

Have you every had a toy or doll that you loved so much it had to come to bed with you? So has Aimee.

Even after spending an entire day—and I mean an entire day—working on these lovely German eggs, she simply can't get enough of them.

I woke the following day and found Aimee leaning out of bed, her back turned to me as if reaching for something off the floor. I watched and waited, but she never rolled back into bed.

Then I heard the ever-so-faint sound of decorative eggs bumping into one another, shifting in place after being admired. What was I to do? I had to suggest that her plate of gorgeous eggs could come visit us in bed.

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15 March 2010

Floss Flowers

Up in the big bed with the White Dog sprawled out, my floss basket is emptied to draw inspiration. Of course, the dog has to nose each color and probably wonders what the heck does this have to do with anything?

Needlework is firmly grounded in my lineage. Many of my relatives were superb with needles and fibers. Except for my Aunt Hannah, who saved herself a lot of work for the Needle Fair by simply stealing something that my Aunt Minnie had made. And Aunt Hannah would win all the ribbons and notoriety. Shame on her, I still say.

And yet all of us girls were schooled in embroidery, knitting, quilting (my least favorite study) and sewing on the tiny blue Holly Hobbie sewing machine.

Embroidery was one of the easiest for me. The range of composition was broad, I could choose my own colors and subject, then away I went.

Something about needlework quiets the mind, soothes the soul. The stitches, each made one-by-one, gradually reveal an object, and motivated by instant gratitude, I can lose myself for hours in a single project.

So simple. So quiet a task. A realm where I simply quit worrying about perfection, and just let the project evolve. Mistakes are never mistakes.

Forgetting perfection, so that the only thing left is

honesty.

Honestly, I never had it so good.

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8 March 2010

And I've Got Those Feelings Again

There's something about a dog that dives into a plethora of

pillows that are noticeably reserved for First Class.

And then he just sits there. Innocent of any charges.

Sometimes, I just can't stand it.

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3 March 2010

Lifting

I heard the song of a bird this morning.

After living the season cloaked in darkness,

and cold,

it is such a welcome sound.

Though the snowbanks are still higher than our shoulders,

the days begin to stretch.

The horizon yawns each morning, bringing forth rosy clouds,

and puffs of meringue over the bay.

Like frozen breath.

And as water drips from the eaves, I keep waiting for the tell-tale, no-fail sign of spring.

A massive, metal, deadly-heavy antique cash register sits out in the garden somewhere.

Buried under the ice.

And I.

I wait for it to emerge in the thaw.

It is coming.

It surely is.

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19 February 2010

Things I've Made

Altered Wedding Album

Altered Tea Tin

Altered I*don't*know*what.

With a bird.

Altered shadow box.

Altered wedding card.

And stuff.

Altered tin.

Altered shadowbox.

And stuff.

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13 February 2010

The Day Before

For what seems like weeks, Aimee has been tinkering away in various corners of the house. Masses of what sometimes look like junk are suddenly transformed with a little help from vintage ribbon, die cuts and a glue gun.

Aimee has made it a personal mission to make sure that everyone (yes, everyone) that we've ever met or opened a door for here in town receive a Valentine's goodie from us.

A sweet gesture to be sure, however....

such a venture requires an assistant. I scarcely recall there being a line squeezed in our wedding vows about this assignment. Let's see...'in sickness and in health...for better or worse...and to assist and look like a total goof delivering huge red and pink heart-shaped buckets and the like, to everyone in town that you have ever met.'

How could I have forgotton that line so easily?

So there we were the three of us, (yes, the White Dog, aka the Slobber King, went too), walking about town in the face of a brutal wind coming in from the bay with only the most feminine of weaponry to shield us.

For most Valentine's Day represents a day to share and rekindle affections with a loved one. For me it is a brutal hike in humiliation and self awareness. For it wasn't until yesterday that I realized many things about myself.

You see, I made several hideous mistakes during 'Operation Quipid' yesterday and now realize the errors of my ways. Let this serve as my confession. It was wrong of me to attempt to park in that parking space before checking with Aimee first, and that it suited her fancy. How could I have failed to properly account for the car keys that Aimee took from me upon arrival at the post office (even though I was driving)?

My small mind was unable to grasp that certain people should get goodie boxes which contained heart-shaped lip gloss while others would get better use of chocolates or a Valentine's banner.

My squishy brain struggled to make sense of this strange new currancy. My face grew as red as our deliveries, in part due to the relentless wind but mostly due to my embarassment in trying to solve this strange Valentine's Day equation. 'How many chocolates equal a banner? Or is it that lip gloss equals a banner and everyone gets chocolates...or does everyone get a banner?'

I suppose I should be grateful to have 364 more days to figure it out.

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9 February 2010

New News