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All Sparkled Up

~ Like dew hanging from the tip of a leaf, a single bead or word adds sparkle where there was none. BE the bright!

All Sparkled Up

Category Archives: Gilded Girls

Wood Spoon & a Topiary Tree

01 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by Julia Monroe in crafts, Gilded Girls, Uncategorized, woodwork

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Tags

carving, Gilded Life, Glittered Roses Topiary, wood spoon

I finished the wood spoon but the recipient forgot to take it home. That’s just as well because I forgot to carve my initials in the back. Will do that this week.

Wood spoon with wheat and grapes carved into the handle.

Wood spoon with wheat and grapes carved into the handle.

WoodSpoon7

Wood spoon with wheat and grapes carved into the handle

I finally felt like working on a Glittered Roses Topiary, by A Gilded Life for the 12 Artsy Ornaments of Christmas class. I didn’t get very far in the glittering because of pain, no doubt left over from two days of crazy carving, but I’ll tackle it some more tomorrow. The topiary will be beautiful when it is finished! It will look lovely in the guest room/library.

Starting to make the Glittered Roses Topiary, by A Gilded Life for the 12 Artsy Days of Christmas class.

Starting to make the Glittered Roses Topiary, by A Gilded Life for the 12 Artsy Days of Christmas class.

Happy New Year!

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Scoliosis

05 Sunday Aug 2012

Posted by Julia Monroe in All Sparkled Up, Gilded Girls, Inspirational, Scoliosis, sparkling

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Tags

bling, bracelet, Gilded Girls, Scoliosis, sparkling, surgery

Before getting into the Scoliosis part, it’s true: My life IS all sparkled up! Every day I’ve got bling going on.

Bling in the mail…
My amazing daughter surprised me with this package the other day, a Grace Notes box of gorgeous craft supplies from Gilded Life.

Grace Notes box of sparkling craft supplies, from Gilded Life.


Luscious velvet, beaded trims, pearl-studded flowers…


Oh my goodness, I don’t know what sparkled more – the rhinestone chain, sequins and velvet sheen or the tears in my eyes. She knows me so well! ♥

Bling at the dining room table…
My adorable granddaughter and I did some painting. I taught her how to carefully drop one drop of water into each pan of watercolor.

My granddaughter uses an eyedropper to place one drop of water in each watercolor pan.


Then we painted flowers and a blue river. We were all sparkled up in our spirits as we painted together on the page.

Flowers, painted by my granddaughter and me.


My craft table (which suddenly turns into a dining room table when we scrape off the thick layer of “studio” from every surface) is all blinged…
This bracelet was created from a Gilded Life kit back in February.

Valentine’s Bracelet, made from a kit from Gilded Life. I have the chain suspended from a cardboard platform so I can add the charms without it getting twisted.

You’re probably wondering why the subject is Scoliosis but the posts are all sparkled up. If I went to a website called “All Sparkled Up” I would expect the posts to be just that! But while all this blinging and sparkling is going on, I must confess I’ve got a serious back issue – Scoliosis that has progressed to the point of needing major surgery, not an easy undertaking for a 53 year old. The date is set for September 25th and I seriously can’t wait! But I am not my disease; Scoliosis is just something I have, not who I am. Sparkling is something I like to believe people can actually BE. And I like to think that nothing can stop sparkling, not even migraines or Fibromyalgia or Scoliosis.

I’ll be posting about my progress from time to time but only if the posts can be all sparkled up, through color or art, humor or joy, light and truth. I doubt the doctors can use rhinestone-studded bolts in my back but it’s a very nice thought indeed. Wink!

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Love playing with beads

28 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by Julia Monroe in All Sparkled Up, beading, crafts, Gilded Girls, jewelry making, words

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All Sparkled Up, beads, crafts, jewelry, words

I really ought to stop playing with the beads. But once they become a bracelet, they will never again live an alternate life as Words.

Love.

The beads are not glued down. One breath or tiny bump to the table sends all the round ones scrambling. Such a challenge to patience! The position is so fleeting. Then I brush them back into the bins and the surface is once again bare.

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Sometimes we just need to be reminded to…

27 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by Julia Monroe in beading, crafts, Gilded Girls, Inspirational, jewelry making, sparkling, words

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Tags

beads, Gilded Girls, inspirational, jewelry, sparkling

…shine.

Shine!

These beads are from a bracelet kit from Gilded Girls. I looked at the pile of beads and wires and felt there was more to it than just a bracelet. Maybe it was the wing that gave me pause.
Don’t forget to slow down and shine.

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Brave Heart <3

01 Wednesday Feb 2012

Posted by Julia Monroe in crafts, Gilded Girls, Inspirational, Valentine's Day

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Tags

candy box, crafts, encouragement, Gilded Girls, heart, hope

Scripture says that we are all one body. Jesus prayed that we would all be one. Did you ever wonder what part of the body you are?
–Bone cells are very rigid. They are supposed to be that way. They don’t like change. But they have to be healthy with a little flex or they will become brittle and break.
–Nerve cells are super sensitive. They respond instantly and impulsively. They pass on messages without even thinking.
–Blood cells travel. They don’t stay in one place. They are very social. They pick up nutrients and components from some parts of the body and pass on nourishment to other parts. They are in constant communication as they travel.
–Heart cells go through repetitive motion, day and night. They don’t move around and they work incredibly hard.
What part of the body are you? What does an eyelash do? What does a toenail cell do? What does a skin cell do? What does a brain cell do?

I’ve wondered over the years what part of the body I am. Sometimes I think I know and then that changes and I’m not sure. But this I do know: I was made to meditate and be creative and make things with my hands.

I have friends who think arts and crafts are simply trivial stuff to do when you have spare time from your “real life” occupations. They think craft materials are a waste of money. But what if…consider carefully… what if being creative and making things with your hands WAS what you were created to do from the day you were formed? And if you stopped functioning in the capacity God planned when he made you, it would be a loss to humanity?

…pausing to reflect on this…

This was made with my hands.

Heart Box - materials and directions from Gilded Girls Stash Society


The beautiful design is by Alisa Noble using materials from Gilded Girls Stash Society.

For too many years, I set aside making things because it wasn’t considered valuable in my social circle. It wasn’t considered an asset to society. It was thought to be frivolous and unworthy and wasteful. But it was God who made me creative from the day I was formed and being creative fulfills his design for my life. When I live fully the way I was made, life is amazing and good and there is no darkness there.

Please be encouraged, dear creative reader, that what you do with your hands has enormous value to God. What you feel with your heart is valuable to humanity. What you say with your mouth is enlightening to society. Rejoice and be brave, don’t hold back.
I can’t remember where this is in the Bible but these words have encouraged me to be brave and pursue the creative life God planned for me. And this is my prayer for you:
– – – Be strong and of good courage, fear not nor be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, he it is that goes with you, he will not fail you nor forsake you. – – –

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Joy!

31 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by Julia Monroe in Christmas, crafts, Gilded Girls, projects, sparkling

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Tags

banner, Christmas decoration, german glass glitter, Gilded Girls, glitter, gold and silver, little steps, Stash Society

Day of Joy! I woke naturally this morning, without a migraine slamming me awake, for the first time in 23 days. Joy, Joy! :) Oh my, the day is bright. And I finally finished making a gorgeous gold and silver banner that I started back in December. Yay! Even though I missed Christmas, today is still worthy of hanging up this glittery gold and silver banner.

The supplies and tutorial were from the November box from Gilded Girls Stash Society. [click on the photo to see a larger image]
I loved working on this banner! Because the days were so busy, I could only complete little steps here and there. I didn’t mind it taking a while though because that just meant I could handle the pretty materials a little bit longer. The letters are glittered with German Glass glitter, which sparkles a lot more than plastic craft glitter.

After taking this photo, I noticed that a gold button had fallen off the “O” while hanging the banner. It must be behind the sofa. That will be an activity for my granddaughter – finding the gold button for the O. I thank God that even home-bound days can be full of JOY.

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Gold Embroidered Sequin Lace

19 Thursday Jan 2012

Posted by Julia Monroe in beading, crafts, Gilded Girls, sewing, sparkling

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A gorgeous piece of lace arrived from Gilded Life. It is stunning!

Aqua Sequin Lace

When I really love something, I wonder “Why do I like this so much?”
After doing a little thinking, it occurred to me that the aqua and gold are colors in a mug my grandmother made for me in 1968. I was 10 years old.

The "Julie" mug my grandmother made for me in 1968.

The shell pink of her prim handwriting, the pale aqua wash of the man’s shirt, the blue, pink and green are my favorite colors. No wonder I love that sparkling gold and aqua fabric.

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…Try, try again… (Vintage Glitter Cloche)

04 Wednesday Jan 2012

Posted by Julia Monroe in Christmas, crafts, Gilded Girls

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I finally finished the Vintage Glitter Cloche! The bottle brush trees were a success the second time around and I was careful to not leave them in the bleach solution too long. Also, better quality bottle brush trees fared much better than cheap ones.
The pale, winter scene designed by Debbie and Shea of A Gilded Life reminded me of a Russian winter. So I carved a turret from a wood ball to place on top. This scene in a jar fits nicely amongst the candy jars on the shelf in the dining room.

Vintage Glitter Cloche

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