booth by yourself?” Carmela asked Tandy. Since Wren and Jamie’s wedding had been scheduled for tomorrow evening, Tandy had volunteered to set up and work at Memory Mine’s booth. Now, with no wedding to attend, plans had changed bigtime, and both Carmela and Gabby would be going to Scrap Fest.
“Actually,” said Tandy, “I was kind of looking forward to working the booth. Hearkens back to my old retail days when I worked at the jewelry counter in Woolworth’s.”
“Then don’t change your plans on our account,” said Carmela. “You’re always welcome to hang with us.”
“Thanks,” said Tandy. “Maybe I will.”
THE LITTLE BIBELOT BOX WREN HAD BROUGHT IN proved to be the hit of the morning. It was a stunning little oblong box, painted a midnight blue and embellished with swirls of gold peacock feather designs and decorated with keys that had been painted antique gold. In the center of the lid was a large, sparkling crystal.
“The feather designs look like they were done in gold leaf,” marveled Baby. She and Byrle had shown up some fifteen minutes ago. Her daughter, Dawn, and another friend, Sissy Wilkerson, had come along as well.
“It’s really just gold paint,” said Wren, pleased that everyone was oohing and ahing over her handiwork. “And the keys were just keys that Jamie had laying around.”
“Still, you’re very creative,” said Baby.
Wren, not used to being the center of all this attention, gazed around the table at all the eager faces. “Ya’ll are so sweet,” she said, her voice catching.
Tandy waved a hand. “You’re in the sisterhood now, honey. Which means we take care of our own.”
“Okay, Carmela,” demanded Byrle in a joking tone. “Show us how we can make some of these so-called bibelot boxes. And what exactly does bibelot mean, anyway?”
“A bibelot is like a bauble or trinket,” said Carmela, setting a half dozen empty Altoid tins and three empty Camembert cheese boxes on the table.
Surprised, the women just stared at them.
Finally Byrle spoke up. “You’ve got to be kidding,” she said, puzzled by the strange items Carmela had just dropped before them. Carmela had played tricks on them in the past, and Byrle wasn’t exactly sure what was going on.
“Do we collectively have bad breath?” joked Tandy. She reached for one of the Altoid tins and flipped it open.
“It’s empty,” said Carmela, “all the mints long gone. But . . . once you choose a special theme, then do some painting and decorating, these rather ordinary little boxes are going to be transformed into precious little gems. In other words, bibelot boxes. Smaller than keepsake boxes, but just perfect for stashing a special locket or favorite pair of earrings.”
“Now I get it,” said, Byrle, suddenly enchanted with the notion of turning the utilitarian red and white tin she held in her hands into a thing of beauty. “By the way, the one Wren did is stunning.”
“Show us what to do,” urged Tandy, settling her glasses on her nose and leaning forward eagerly. That was the thing about Tandy. She might have a sharp tongue, but she was always game for something new.
“First things first,” said Carmela. “Select a box.”
Hands darted into the middle of the table as each woman grabbed a box.
“I’m going to take this Altoid tin and guide you through a few steps rather quickly,” said Carmela. “Then you can take your time, think about what you want to do, and create your own unique design.”
“Sounds good,” said Baby.
“Paint,” said Carmela, unsnapping the lids on a couple jars of acrylic paint. “First I’m going to sponge on some blue, purple, gold, and copper pearlescent paint.”
The ladies watched as Carmela deftly sponged on the paint, making the sides of the tin a trifle more bluish and adding a more dramatic hint of purple and copper on the lid.
“While that dries, I’m going to take three small squares of frayed brown burlap and daub them
“Actually,” said Tandy, “I was kind of looking forward to working the booth. Hearkens back to my old retail days when I worked at the jewelry counter in Woolworth’s.”
“Then don’t change your plans on our account,” said Carmela. “You’re always welcome to hang with us.”
“Thanks,” said Tandy. “Maybe I will.”
THE LITTLE BIBELOT BOX WREN HAD BROUGHT IN proved to be the hit of the morning. It was a stunning little oblong box, painted a midnight blue and embellished with swirls of gold peacock feather designs and decorated with keys that had been painted antique gold. In the center of the lid was a large, sparkling crystal.
“The feather designs look like they were done in gold leaf,” marveled Baby. She and Byrle had shown up some fifteen minutes ago. Her daughter, Dawn, and another friend, Sissy Wilkerson, had come along as well.
“It’s really just gold paint,” said Wren, pleased that everyone was oohing and ahing over her handiwork. “And the keys were just keys that Jamie had laying around.”
“Still, you’re very creative,” said Baby.
Wren, not used to being the center of all this attention, gazed around the table at all the eager faces. “Ya’ll are so sweet,” she said, her voice catching.
Tandy waved a hand. “You’re in the sisterhood now, honey. Which means we take care of our own.”
“Okay, Carmela,” demanded Byrle in a joking tone. “Show us how we can make some of these so-called bibelot boxes. And what exactly does bibelot mean, anyway?”
“A bibelot is like a bauble or trinket,” said Carmela, setting a half dozen empty Altoid tins and three empty Camembert cheese boxes on the table.
Surprised, the women just stared at them.
Finally Byrle spoke up. “You’ve got to be kidding,” she said, puzzled by the strange items Carmela had just dropped before them. Carmela had played tricks on them in the past, and Byrle wasn’t exactly sure what was going on.
“Do we collectively have bad breath?” joked Tandy. She reached for one of the Altoid tins and flipped it open.
“It’s empty,” said Carmela, “all the mints long gone. But . . . once you choose a special theme, then do some painting and decorating, these rather ordinary little boxes are going to be transformed into precious little gems. In other words, bibelot boxes. Smaller than keepsake boxes, but just perfect for stashing a special locket or favorite pair of earrings.”
“Now I get it,” said, Byrle, suddenly enchanted with the notion of turning the utilitarian red and white tin she held in her hands into a thing of beauty. “By the way, the one Wren did is stunning.”
“Show us what to do,” urged Tandy, settling her glasses on her nose and leaning forward eagerly. That was the thing about Tandy. She might have a sharp tongue, but she was always game for something new.
“First things first,” said Carmela. “Select a box.”
Hands darted into the middle of the table as each woman grabbed a box.
“I’m going to take this Altoid tin and guide you through a few steps rather quickly,” said Carmela. “Then you can take your time, think about what you want to do, and create your own unique design.”
“Sounds good,” said Baby.
“Paint,” said Carmela, unsnapping the lids on a couple jars of acrylic paint. “First I’m going to sponge on some blue, purple, gold, and copper pearlescent paint.”
The ladies watched as Carmela deftly sponged on the paint, making the sides of the tin a trifle more bluish and adding a more dramatic hint of purple and copper on the lid.
“While that dries, I’m going to take three small squares of frayed brown burlap and daub them
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