my special evening at blithewold

Signing a book for my supertalented friend Karen Harvey Cox, who also tinkered this photo!

One of Rhode Island's many gems is Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum. It's a breathtaking horticultural and historic attraction and it was the recent setting of Crafting Night at the Museum with Elyse Major. {How fun is that!?}

Photo credit: Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum

The name Blithewold means "happy woodland" in Old English and that evening I was quite the blithemaken {which may or may not translate to "happy maker" but let's go with it ...}.

Wouldn't a line of tinkering supplies be a dream come true!? Wish Out Loud!

I prepared for the event by gathering supplies to make three tinkering projects: cans, clothespins, and tags. I decorated supplies and take-home bags and ordered buttons. I wanted everything to be perfect especially since this was my first event where attendees had to pay.

I designed and ordered buttons from Zazzle.com

Books and cupcakes: a perfect combo!

Blithewold is reknown for its brilliant Christmas displays where the entire house is decorated by dedicated volunteers and it had just been set-up the day before. To have the glowing lights, boughs and baubles as a backdrop to my event was beyond words. {It made me miss my parents so much, wishing they were there.}

Pretty be-ribboned delicious cupcakes from Fatulli's Bakery & Deli fit the order of MAKE THEM GIRLY;
shown festooned (!) with tinkered flags

Blithewold's Education Progams Manager Julie Christina, and Jill Cleveland, ensured that every detail was taken care of from tablecloths to cupcakes ...

Tinkered touches included millinery forget-me-nots wrapped on stemware

to champagne flutes and selections of bubbly ...

to rose-patterned china for my tinkering buffet.

Everyone had such a lovely time tinkering, talking, sipping and nibbling.

My dear dear dear longtime blogging friend Karen made an hour drive with her friend Joyce to attend! Karen also surprised me at my first-ever booksigning, too! A multi-talented artist and generous sweetie, Karen wrote her own blog post about the event which is so perfect I almost didn't write my own. Read Karen's post here. What a happy-cutie she is!

The paint and scrap table

Attendees got to play with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint courtesy of my friend Nancy Chace's shop Sea Rose Cottage

One of the evening's projects

It was a magical evening for me and hopefully the first of many events like it. Many thanks also to my awesome friend Maureen Ricci for all of her help that night!

My wish 4 U: A peaceful, healthy and happy everyday.

Thank you for reading.

xo
elyse