THE STREETS OF ST. LOUIS

I spent about a week in my home town last month and had a wonderful time - I was flown there by Mary Engelbreit and Company to be a guest teacher at their workshop extravaganza. Everything they did was top notch - the venue was at the venerable Chase Park Plaza hotel by Forest Park, the classes were packed full of women who were very happy to be there, engrossed in learning how to make everything from glitter chandeliers (me!) to antique French jewelry (Kaari Meng)!

One of my teaching projects involved making a Victorian "moss lady" (pictured). Each table was given all the elements to create this whimsical figure, including piles of different moss species, and lots of antique trim from Tinsel Trading, and then unleashed to create from their own imagination. The variety was astounding!

I also took a couple of days off to visit my old haunt in south St. Louis, Cherokee St., which is an ancient neighborhood of old brick buildings, still filled with antique shops.

One of the shops looked just like it did 35 years ag0,
including the old hound dog sitting watch behind the counter....the ceiling was of old pressed tin, knick knacks gathered dust and the light filtered in and looked like a memory from long ago.

I left with a collection of antique file boxes, an old engraving, and a collection of old milk bottle caps!