Pet Partner Therapy Dog Darcy Doodle Reporting for Training!

 

 

Its official!

 

We have been evaluated and Darcy Doodle and I have officially begun the process of becoming a Delta Pet Partner Therapy Team!

 

We have a lot of work to do before we can become a registered team.

Then, we can begin visiting hospitals, schools, military bases and other facilities!

 

This has been a dream of mine and I'm so excited to begin working.

 

I hope that you will follow our story as we go through the process!

 

Hope that your days are full of dreams...

We have one less day to accomplish them, than yesterday:)

Laura  

Mixed Media Altered Cigar Box

Just listed at Hastypearl!

I guess that you've figured out by now, that I really enjoy making these boxes.

Collecting the "founds" is the most fun, but then, making a story out the pieces is great, too!

I love to see peoples faces when they look at them...

Lots of smiles and then the memories start coming out...

 

 

This is a little gem of history!

 

                                                                                   

 

Tons of Color and Fun!

 

I hope that you will Check it out....

 

 

Hope your days are Full of Wonder and Joy!

Laura

                                                                                

Mixed Media Vintage Cigar Box Shrine, Finds a New Home, Hastpearl

 

Well, it's kind of like sending your kids off to college/jobs.

 

You've dreamed about it, begged for it on occasion, but somehow, when it actually happens, you weren't quite prepared for that Little Sting, when the last thing you see is their tail lights, heading off into their Future...

 

Turns out, it seems the same can be true for art pieces! 

 

SOLD

 

This Vintage Cigar Box, was the first piece that I made, when I decided that I wanted to open Hastypearl.

 

I worked on it for HOURS!

 

 

The paper doll clown's body articulates, and can be moved in hundreds of positions, while he balances on a real tight wire! 

 

It's the kind of piece, that can be passed down to generations.

 

Its why I call Hastypearl...vintage parts and heirloom art. 

 

I covered every square inch with really special vintage finds, including some adorable children's scissors, buttons that were MUCH TOO NICE to be glued, and of course, the BillDing Blocks that from certain age groups would draw a certain remark...."I USED TO PLAY WITH THOSE"!  

 

 

So, you know where this posting is headed...a Sweet Lady...the one that was meant to have it... just bought the box from the Boerne Johns Road Antique Mall, and is taking it off to its Future!

 

I don't get to know where it will go, but I know that it is going to bring JOY to everyone that sees it.

That's why I made it!

 

I wanted you to get to see it.

It's a real One Of A Kind!

 

I'm about to add a few special heirloom pieces on Hastypearl...

Hope you will hop on over and see what's going on!

 

Thanks for reading...I hope you have signed up to get my postings sent to your email box.

Just fill in the box on the right, and bingo...you can keep up with my journaling.

 

Hope your days are full of JOY!

Laura

Vintage Cigar Box, Vintage Tools, Mixed Media Box, "Flaring Rose"

 

 

You can ask my husband, where I head to first, at a great estate sale...

 

Yep, I'm the tomboy that heads to the workshop, garage or out buildings.

There can be beautiful antiques inside, which I want to eventually see, but I want to know what Papa was doing in his workroom!

 

This past weekend, I went to a great sale in Comfort, Texas.

The cars lined up the street for the 1940's house, that backs up to the Guadalupe River.

The watch repairman owner, had moved on, but his garage and cellar, left a beautiful rusty legacy, for me to explore.

 

I filled the bottom of a grocery bag.

This estate business calls me, "The Digger".

 

"What's this"? I asked the tool specialist.

"Oh, you use that to measure gun powder. That's brass and a nice one! Where did you find it?"

 

(I like to find things that he misses:)

 

"How old is this tin oil can", I asked?

"30's...

Where did you find that"? he asked.

:)

 

 

 

 

I made this yellow cutie a while back, after scoring some beautiful Vintage Cigar Boxes.

I admit, I'd never paid much attention to one before.

Then, I started noticing, that many of them are quite beautiful.

The wood boxes, are also quite sturdy and useful.

The colors are great, and conducive to my projects.

 

I love to open them up, line them, and I always add a pouch of dried lavender.

When you open the lid, the fragrance, is pure heaven! 

 

The finished boxes, are great art pieces or to actually use for storage.

 

I love the idea of storing special notes in them.

They are also great for your jewelry.

Why settle for a boring box, when instead, it can be fun!

 

This angel's name is, "Flaring Rose", because that is the name of this water sprinkler!

I couldn't resist using one for her beautiful body!

 

You can contact me through my Etsy shop, called Hastypearl, if you are interested in owning her!

She is a delight...and smells good, too!

 

I hope you will check out my shop and see other beautiful ladies in waiting, there!

 

Hope your days are awesome!

Laura

Happy Fathers Day

To All of The Good Men In Our Lives...

Thanks.

Happy Fathers Day

 

Wow! Its a Small World...or... Right Place, Right Time!

 

Where's Waldo?

 

I mean, where is my son, Phillip and where is my AQHA horse trainer...Mike Massey?

 

Well, most of the time, Phillip, is in North Carolina and Mike, is in Boerne, Texas.

 

So,...a funny thing JUST happened...

 

Phillip called, while driving home from work and asked me...

 

"Mom, what is your trainer's last name, again"?

 

I said, "Massey".

 

Phillip said, "Well, Mike just passed me in his horse trailer"!

 

"What???? NO WAY"!

 

I had just told Mike and Cori, as they were telling me where in NC they were headed, that if they went through the city where Phillip lives, to give him a toot, with their horn!

I never imagined it would really happen!

 

So, that's a pretty small world passing, don't you think?

 

Unfortunately, Mike was on the phone, getting directions to the horse show facility, so I wasn't able to alert him that he had just passed my sweet son, in his little green Mustang!

 

Has something like that ever happened to you?  

 

 

 

Hope you are having happy days...

Laura

Watercolor Card Set Giveaway...and the Winner Is!

 

Congratulations to Alecia...isn't that a pretty name, for slugging it out, with over 2500 people, vying...to strive in competition or rivalry with another; contend for superiority...to win a set of my cards!

(That was fun...you could almost hear the Rocky theme in the background, right?;)

 

 

Anyway, the contest must have gone on for about a month.

In the meantime, lots of Alecia's fellow contenders, stopped in to check out Hastypearl and a number are now following all of my boards on Pinterest!

So, I packed up the set of Original Hand Painted Watercolor Cards, and a sweet free collage bookmark, and sent the package off to it's new home, in Minnesota!

 

 Along the way, there were over 40 nice comments about my items in Hastypearl, from the men and women, that were signed up for the cards! I must thank the great gals over at Twoclassychics, who showed interest in my shop and art...and gave me a really great review...to boot! They are in the review and giveaway business and are tops, in that field!

 

So, it was a fun ride and neat experience!
I have a couple of other groups that will be doing the same card set giveaways and I will let you know when those take place!
Here's to a little good spirited... competition, rivalry and contending...now and then!

Just so you know, I carry sets, similar to Alecia's, in my Hastypearl shop, all of the time.
I don't mind saying, that they are affordable art, suitable for framing, or, that you would be proud to send to someone special, as a gift set, or even open up for yourself and send a REAL HANDWRITTEN note, to someone that you love!

I promise that you would love them:)


Hope you are enjoying your days...
Laura

Mixed Media Wren Collage

Mixed Media Wren Collage

 

You may remember a while back, an Angel Assemblage (she's on display at Stamp Antonio in San Antonio, but she is available to purchase on my Etsy shop called...hastypearl) that I built on a Victorian Photo Album cover that I deconstructed?

If you haven't read that story, you will find it on my blog.

 

In that process, I kept finding neat pieces of the book that I was sure could be used in my projects.

 

Well, I don't HAVE to reveal this, but...this beautiful cover, with the fabulous gilded font, got flipped over, to become the base of my new Wren Collage.

The binding edge of the album, all folded and crumply, is really textural. 

 

Yeah, you have to do what you have to do, sometimes!

While it will never be seen again,

 at least you are getting to see it here...

 

Boy, the Victorians, sure knew how to make beautiful things....   

 

 

 

We have a lot of Wrens in our area.

They are SO energetic and noisy.

 

When they set their minds on nest building, whatever they find to use...is ALL theirs!

 

Even if its a liner that you have already planted your spring flowers in!

 

Yep, we had a pair disassemble a trough liner right before our eyes!

I don't know where the nest ended up, but the liner in my tough, literally, had to be replaced!

 

 

 So, I decided to dedicate some time to drawing one of my new neighbors and giving some finishing touches with my watercolors.

 

I liked the nest building concept, so I took embroidery thread and wove it in and out of the holes in some Player Piano paper, that I found at an estate sale.

I imagine it is similar to the process that the Wren uses to weave its nest.

 

The roll was very old, but held up great to the process.

 

Do you see a round circle above the weaving...well, that is the pull that is on the bottom of the paper roll. I guess is would be used to attach the paper to the mechanics of the piano.

  

 

I loved how the colors of the old ruler coordinated with the composition, so I added it to the bottom.

 

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to use some of my special papers and buttons to accent the Wren. 

 

Finally, I often say on my etsy listings, that you can hang my pieces on your wall (I attach sawtooth hangers on the back) or lean them on you stand or book shelf.

Not everything has to be framed...

Sometimes, I like the casualness of leaning unframed pieces and its certainly more affordable.

 

This is where Ms. Wren is living in our living room, until she flies away to live with someone new!

You can find her, just listed, on hastypearl.  

 

I hope you are enjoying your late Spring days and taking the time to stop and listen to the special birdsong that is intensified during "dating" calls, this time of the year!

 

Have you hopped over and found me on Facebook?

I hope you will!

 

xoxo Laura 

Vintage Parts and Heirloom Arts...Hastypearl

 

 

Vintage Parts and Heirloom Art....but, today...mostly Parts!

 

 

I've had a nice...warm, Texas...day of events!

 

I had a breakthrough ride, on my Quarter Horse Gelding, this morning.

I tried to get to the barn before it got too hot.

 

Little things can justify as a breakthrough...

Golfers know it, students know it...hopefully, it goes on our whole lives.

It doesn't matter what happened or how big it was to others,...if YOU feel like it was a break through...it WAS!  

 

 

 

 Then, I came home and started sorting through some Vintage Parts that I have accumulated, to begin considering whether I want to list them in hastypearl on Etsy, or put them in my case at the John's Road Antique Mall, in Boerne, Texas.

 

 It's a neat variety of items. Some for the woman, some for the man. Some, just because....

SOLD

 

 I think one of the greatest things about starting to sell more Vintage Parts, is what I learn about them, as I do my research.
For instance, I had no idea that there was a separate Prince Albert tin, just for storing matches.
This tiny tin above, even has grooves on the back, to strike the match.
I loved learning that.

Is this something that your father or grandfather would enjoy receiving, for Fathers Day?

 

 

 I found this AMAZING piece of textile handwork, at the Comfort Antique show, from a woman that I always look forward to seeing.
I've looked everywhere for her card to mention her...but I'm afraid my puppy ate it...seriously:)

Anyway, she told me a humorous story...or I guess it was to me!
She said her grown son came in very late one night, after some obvious partying.
He actually woke her...so proud that he had found this special vintage quilt, treasure.
Well, it in fact was special...in places!
Much of it was bug eaten.

She tried to act pleased, but she knew that she was going to have to cut up a fantastic, turn of the last century quilt, basically for salvage.

Well, I was delighted to buy 4 pieces, of the most amazing handwork.
I'm honored just to have such exquisite work, in my possession.

Could you see working this into one of your next mixed media art pieces?
A quilt?
Pillow tops?
My mind has certainly been churning with ideas, since I acquired it!

I guess one inebriated sons' trash, is our treasure:) 



                                 

And then, there are just those manly man items, that I have found in boxes, in garages that no longer hum and clank, with that wonderful sound of creating.

I feel like I have to rescue them and pass them along to someone that will appreciate them and hear the missing hum...

And...it NEVER hurts that it's this color of green!

 

 

Finally, this collection of hand carved woodwork, has a wonderful story.

 

It came from a wonderful estate garage...I found, tucked away in a shoe box.

It was owned and created by a intellectual...you can always tell by the books on the bookshelves.

My story...I always have to make a story, is...he was the kind of guy whose mind could understand it all...but still had a thirst to learn and teach himself something new.

 

There are several hand carved items, including his hand drawn pattern in this lot.

I'm so glad that they aren't finished...I love that he was so excited about the next project, that he didn't finish the last!

 

Which brings me back to where I started.

 

Are we finding ourselves with exciting "breakthroughs", on a daily basis?

 

I hope so!

 

I've never much understood the word ...boring.

There is too much in life to explore, to EVER be bored!

 

Stay tuned to find out, along with me, what I decide about placement of all of these wonderful items!

 

Oh, and...

I almost always mention my hastypearl shop in these posts, but have failed to inform you that I have some great hastypearl Pinterest boards that I know you would enjoy.

 

And, I am daily meeting new friends on Facebook, too!

There are lots of ways to find me!

 

Thanks guys for reading my blog. I am having a blast seeing what parts of the world that you are reading from!

That makes it all the more enjoyable...

 

Hope you are enjoying your days...

Laura...hastypearl 

Suddenly...38! Happy Anniversary Golf and Hearts Hastypearl

 

Saw some great drawings of golf balls and got the idea for this card!

Hearts can be made from just about anything, right?

 

How can 38 years fly by so fast?

L&L

 

  18 holes in a round....

 

Plus 20....

 

Equals... 38 years.

5-31-75

 

Can you tell I'm married to a numbers guy?

:)