Art & Soul Sign Up For Classes!

Art & Soul

An Inspirational Mixed Media Retreat

I am teaching at this FABULOUS event.  This is a week packed with workshops by all the famous gals...and moi of course, who will be teaching all those wonderful, cool, techniques (plus some secrets shared) to help you create your own jewelry, collage books, fabric books, clay sculpture and more!!!

Art & Soul this year takes place in Virginia Beach, VA from March 1 - 6.   Registration for classes is open now.  Hurry up and check them out.  You can sign up and experience the whole week or just one class.  Mine is below.  Just give a click and I will see you there!

http://www.artandsoulretreat.com/retreat-Virginia2012-2200-workshop.php

 

CHUNKY CHARMS

Make Your Own Chunky Charms!

These love-a-lees are soooo unique and fun to do.  I  am teaching this class twice in February, sharing the how to's of charm making.

"Like" Simply Pretty Stuff on Facebook, or click the "email me" link on the blog, to sign up or learn more. 

Students will get to make two charms of their own design.  How cool will that be?!

I will be conducting the 3 hour workshops at Wentz's Stained Glass Studio in Gettysburg, PA, on February 8th, from 10 AM til 1 PM and again on February 15th, from 10 AM til 1 PM.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

Artist and Animal Friend Laurie Manz In The Spotlight

Lions And Tigers ...And Lions!

My very dear cousin in law, Laurie Manz, and I recently became reacquainted earlier this year on... drum roll please... Facebook.  How wonderful.  We had to catch up after 40 years of distance and lost time.  

Laurie, a true artist in oils, does beautiful animal and people portraiture.  Her proceeds benefit the ASPCA and  her heart goes out to all those poor lonely, lost, and mistreated animals everywhere.  She is an true advocate and hero in all canine and feline circles.

She recently painted my most special cat, Min.  What a treasure I now have as Min has passed away from a long battle with thyroid and kidney disease.  I cherish this gift from Laurie and could never thank her enough.

Laurie's kindness did not stop there.  With my last visit to Pittsburgh, I was given a beautiful portrait of the ghost lion, done lovingly in her small studio.  I brought him home and call him Aslan, after the lion in the Narnia Movie series.  He is a stunning likeness, don't you think?  Thank you Laurie!!

To see more of Laurie's work or to arrange a portrait, go to:

http://petportraitsbylaurie.weebly.com/portfolio.html

My Pins In Belle Armoire Jewelry this month!!

Mixed Media Pins:  A Collage To Wear

I originally created this lovely pin for an annual fundraiser in NYC.  It was a donation for the ChemoComfort Organization.  

www.chemocomfort.org

It was so much fun to design it so I decided to make many more of these 3-D couture pins for customers and for workshop projects! 

I also just love that Cynthia Levens (editor) liked them too and included my original in this month's 

Belle Armoire Jewelry magazine.  Thanks Cynthia!

WINE AND APPAREL PAIRING

Experience Ladies Night At 

The Hauser Winery:

A Place To Pair Wine And Savories 

And, Oh My Word, 

Apron Couture and Princess Tiaras!

Come on over to The Hauser Winery to taste the finest of local wine, paired with treats from home or with morsels available there.  

Ladies Night is next Wednesday nite from 

6 PM to 9 PM 

Prepare to be pampered!

As well, experience the tasteful eye candy that will be at my booth.  I will be pairing my one of a kind tiaras with fabulous apron couture by Cheri' Designs Gourmet Glam... not just the ordinary flour dusters your grandmother wore!  If you buy a tiara and an apron, you will recieve a 10% discount.

Also, if you purchase ANYTHING, you will get a free ornament.  I am Sooooooo in the Christmas spirit   ; )

Here is a sneek peek!  See you there!!

 

 

Ladies Nite At Hauser Winery - A Great Holiday Venue

Join Simply Pretty Stuff At Hauser Winery For A Fabulous Ladies Nite Out!

I just love how perfectly the rows of grapevine grow on the hillsides.  I had been to Napa and to Sonoma, but there is nothing like kicking back, watching the sunset and smelling the nearly ripened grape on the vine in your own back yard.

One of our local wineries, right outside of Gettysburg, PA is such a place.  Atop a hill amidst the grapevined acreage sits the Hauser Estate Winery Tasting Room and Reception Spread.  It is the most beautiful view at sunset and has housed several wonderful wedding receptions for that very reason.

Join me there on Wednesday, Dec 7th, from 6 PM to 9 PM, to celebrate a night of fun filled activity, food, wine and gift buying for the nearing holidays!  This is part of The Hauser Winery Ladies nite schedule.   There will be plenty of food, or pack up your own eats and bring girlfriends to help nibble.  Wine is available for purchase of course, by the glass, pitcher or bottle.  There will also be pampering from local make up artist, massage therapists and zumba demos.  Check out the latest couture purses, less than half the NYC prices! Most importantly, look for moi and my simply pretty stuff.  Check out some of what I may bring!!!

Rings

Necklaces
 

 

Pins

Bottle Pendants

Charms, Of Course!

 

 

Holiday Show at The Mansion

Another Artisan Show At The Warehime~Myers Mansion in Hanover, PA

Another show ushers in the holidays as a few of us Artsy Gals pulled together the annual Holiday show at the Warehime~Myers Mansion again this year.

It was terrific seeing my favorite customers again and meeting new ones.  I just love my Simply Pretty STuff and am thrilled that so many others do too!  Enjoy some of the pictures of this year's Fabulous show.....

 

Rings Soon To Be Seen In Belle Armoire Jewelry Magazine!!

Fabulous & Chic These Rings To Be Featured In Belle Armoire Jewelry Magazine

How wonderful to find an email from Cynthia Levens today, congratulating me on a soon to be published article in Belle Armoire Jewelry Magazine  : )

Featured will be these creative, Simply Pretty Stuff, up~cycled rings from spent shotgun shells.  Yep, how wonderful is that!

I had the most fun designing these precious trinkets and can't wait to share the how-to's exclusively through Belle Armoire Jewelry Magazine!

Let me know what you think!!

 

SteamPuffin SteamPunk!

Creating Steampunk Excitement

For those of you in the steampunk venue, you know all about Massachussett's Bruce and Melanie Rosenbaum! For those of you who do not, you are in for a treat

: )

I had been following Bruce and his steampunk victorian revival through his www.modvic.com website, which has grown, grown, grown leaps and bounds for the past several years. I first stumbled upon him by Googling for Victorian restorations.  Lucky me.  It was a new world.

And much to my pleasure and excitement, our son, master engineer, Christopher, and conceptual design genius of functional steampunk, Bruce have recently paired up to invent some pretty awesome steampunked, high tech stuff! 

Take a look at the beautiful and cool stuff both present and future, exhibitions and the like, on Bruce's website: 

 www.modvic.com

Check out the awesome stuff Chris had invented for industry, as well as for steampunk fun, at:

www.suprocktech.com

Meanwhile, hubby and I were so excited to meet Bruce and Melanie and tour their beautiful home.....full of fabulous architect and steampunk, of course!  They are terrific people, so full of energy, creativity.   We watched our son and Bruce brainstorm, and could literally see sparks fly!