Hopelessly addicted...

...to Czech jewelry, that is. Which, in turn, got me spinning on a new kit and Make & Take for Monday. The inspiration sprang from this lovely dapped casting in brass, with leaves that arch over each other and wrap around tiny acorns set on a graceful oval.

Soon, little bits of chain, beads, caps and bling were congregating on the countertop, and I started composing this necklace. It reminds me of the old Czech pieces that incorporate filigree, faceted beads and chaining. It took me two tries to get it right, but this is the result...

The chain and filigree are aged with our patina solution, and the chaining is a lovely engraved rolo. Brilliant cut crystal beads and rondelles lead away from the focal and into the chain, appearing once again at the back of the neck. Tiny vintage rhinestones are set into the two acorns at the top, and aged rhinestone beads and drop hang from the other two.

We hope you'll join us to create this piece. We have a limited amount of kits at this time, but will do our best to accommodate those who wish to come tomorrow night. Kits run $22.00 for this necklace. RSVP to (714) 680-8893 or gildingthelilyvintage@yahoo.com to reserve yours!

Make&Take Monday
6:00~8:00 p.m.
Gilding the Lily
305 N. Harbor Blvd. Suite 101
Fullerton, CA 92832

Sweet thoughts...

In the midst of all the hubbub of CHA, classes, make and takes, and the 'normal' goings-on at Lily, Valentines day is creeping up on us. It is amazing how our busy lives can crowd out such important things, but I know plenty of you must be starting on wonderful artistic endeavors with this sweetest time of year in mind...

I love taking out the antique Valentines and marveling over the workmanship, the motifs, and (sigh) the paper lace. I saw some incredible laser-cut papers at the show with marvelous detail, but of course, until they get the fine embossed detail in there, it won't be enough for me. I passed them by, regretfully. I did get to see my German friend Andreas and look at all his lovely things, and you will find some Dresdens in the store right now for Valentines day creating. Beautiful heart motifs, amourettes holding diminutive love letters, angel wings and Cupid's arrows...

And, it may not be antique paper lace, but we do have some vintage doilies, and of course, Andreas' wonderful die cut scraps with sweet, romantics themes, full blown roses, birds flying loves letters to sweethearts and more. Be inspired, and bold in love!

Resolutions and changes...

I resolved late last year to recapture our url for the store, and move the web site to a new location, which has finally been accomplished! There seemed to be too much confusion about the online presence and if we really had a brick and mortar store, that it seemed the right thing to do. This year we will move forward using www.gildingthelilyvintage.com as a vehicle for introducing people to our store, the classes and events, and post photos there and information about how to find us and our hours.

The website has a new name and a new url, www.vintagedesignresource.com. After a nervous weekend of not being anywhere in particular, and then showing up without template or graphics, it has finally been sorted out, thanks to the helpful people at Pappashop, and Catherine at Avalon Rose Design. Thanks guys!

We've been adding new items, restocking the chains and rosary chain, and putting in our specialty chains that are proving so popular, including this interval chain composed of old Haskell pearls, rhinestone rondelles, and our pretty stacked rondelle beads...

We'll also be repackaging our make and take kits with new clear boxes and graphics, and making them available online to our customers. We're pretty excited about this project and anxious to get it going. The only part we weren't excited about was drafting all the instructions! Instead, any kits that require instructions will come accompanied by a link to a YouTube video. Nathalie will be helping her not-so-tech-savvy mom with that little job...

For those of you who haven't been in to the store lately, we are putting out our Valentines and starting on Easter. The new Dresden trims are in for Valentines day, and includes hearts, arrows, wings, cherubs and more. Our Easter boxes are underway, and will be an evolution of last year's little 'Peat Pot Pretties,' this time jam packed with fun stuff to work with, including ribbons, Dresden, glitter, flowers, crepe and scrap, all tucked into a clear corsage box.

Well, I had better get back to work. As always, one step not taken forward seems to equal three taken back. Sometimes I feel like a shark...I had better keep moving or sink to the bottom! Ciao for now!

Make & Take Monday...

I've been relishing getting back into the normal groove after the holidays, and tomorrow night will be our second make and take of the year. I barely got the email out on this, as I was trolling the aisles at CHA all day, and it dawned on me that I had better pull it together...like pronto! So, I'm putting it out on the blog, too, to counteract my procrastination...

Tomorrow night's Make&Take project will be this rosary styled necklace, shown below. We'll be using our new antique silver hardware in pins and rings, pairing it with semi-matte crystal Czech glass beads, our own Antiquities line of castings, and aged rhinestone beads and baubles.

This is a great project for those who really want to nail down their pinning skills and get them more consistent. We'll be doing a total of two strands (50 beads) for this necklace, and yes, practice does make perfect! We'll also use the new Dremel Ion to customize some of the medals with additional holes for linking. You'll want to go out and get your own after you use it...it drills through metal like it's buttah! Robin sold me on this little update to the Dremel line and it's a dream....

As always, kits will be available for those who cannot make it in on Monday evening. Call ahead and let us know if we can expect you, or if you would like a kit set aside for you. The components for this project price out at retail in the store for over $30, but we will be offering this kit for $24 for a limited time.

G I L D I N G the L I L Y

Make & Take Mondays!
305 N. Harbor Blvd. Suite 101
Fullerton, CA 92832
(714) 349-2069
for reservations or more information

An Easy Virtue...

New Year's resolutions can be easy to make and hard to keep, especially the ones about reining in our inner gourmet. Alain and I both so love to eat, and cook, and experience other cuisines and their foods. So, when we discovered Phans55 late last year, we were doubly enchanted, knowing we could tuck into a good hot meal there anytime, guilt free.

The place itself is a gem, a space that features soaring ceilings with beautiful modern chandeliers, compact and dripping light down into the seating areas, and still manages to remain cozy and warm. Simply delineated, the space is beautiful, spare and artistic, and always comfortable, for a whole crowd, or just two...

Alain saw an ad for the restaurant in a local review magazine, and we decided to drive the 10 minutes up the hill to try it out. In early fall, the weather was still balmy, and we sat outside on their charming little patio, where we were shaded by umbrellas that punctuated the space with their vibrant color. On our first visit we tried some spring rolls, another appetizer and one of their specialties, sea bass cooked in a clay pot. I will never forget it. The service was extraordinary, and has never dipped below that benchmark. Warm, never intrusive, and always welcoming.

The bar is extraordinary, a beautiful space carved out of the back of the restaurant, and tended by a well-informed staff. We love their Vietnamese beer with the hot dishes, but they have a lovely offering of wines as well.

The kitchen is amazing, and the proprietor, Clervil Heraux, took us on a tour the first night we were there, explaining how the huge woks are fired and then cooled by a sheet of water running down the stainless steel back splash. We got a first hand view of the massive four square burners that are trundled in and out of the kitchen where they make all their own stocks and broths for the restaurant.

Here's a view of part of the dining area, where you will find families joined over bowls of warm, translucent noodles, spooning the fresh garnishes of mint, cilantro and spiced condiments into their bowls. The food is fresh, healthy, and would be an easy virtue for any one seeking to be resolute in the new year. Our hot tip for local dining. Tell Clervil we sent you!

Phans55
Vietnamese Bistro and Bar
1981 Sunnycrest Dr.
Fullerton, CA 92835
(across from St. Jude Hospital)
www.phans55.com