Oaxaca Street Children Grassroots Cigar Box Shrine Art Auction.....

England's Rose, The Queen of Hearts, AKA Princess Diana. 

My Cigar Box Shrine created especially for the Oaxaca Street Children grassroots Art Auction, hosted by Rebecca brooks of Recuerda Mi Corazon. 

~ Description ~

The Press Agent 1910 Cigar Box 9x5.5x3.5"

A handmade wooden heart, complete with a gold coloured 'made with love charm' 2x2.5"

Decorative miniature wall art "Believe" 2x1"

A rare vintage 'The Cambridge Lemonade" bottle, produced by Chivers & and Sons, Histon, Cambridge UK (my hometown) Filled with handmade paper hearts, real dried rose petals and a little message to the winning bidder!

Handmade metal roses adorn the bottle. Pricless! 4.5x1.5"

Art Doll, made from a foil and wire armature, and paper clay.  Acrylic painted.  Her hair is created from English multi-fibers, adorned with a little crown. Her gown is fully lined, made from Douppioni silk, and is heavily embelished. Her underskirt and wrap is lace.  Her legs have been coated with a glitter glaze, and are jointed at the hip and knee with embroidery floss.  Her shoes are handpainted, as is her 'underwear'! 

To complete, she wears a wealth of jewels, and holds the words from Elton John's "Goodbye England's Rose".   She stands at 11.5", seated 6.5"

This is an extract from Oaxaca Street Children Grassroots... "what we do"......

"Oaxaca's poorest families cannot afford education, basic health care, or a nutritious meal for their children. Government services are minimal and difficult to access. Education is not "free" in Mexico as it is in the US, so the poorest often must choose between feeding their children or sending them to school"

"Oaxaca Street Children Grassroots is working to help these families. Dedicated volunteers from Mexico and abroad have fostered the education, health, and well-being of Oaxaca's street children since 1996. We have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in the United States; we have no religious or political affiliations. The services we offer include a school sponsorship program, a food and medical program, and a community center"

~ And finally ~

The Auction starts 17th April through 24th April, with a pre-view on the 16th, I will post the Auction link on the 16th..
******All the proceeds will go to the above program******

Sad & Happy Day......

The photo above is a lovely image of my young Grandparents.  They look so cheeky and content :O)

The sad part is my Grandma, at the amazing age of 98, passed away this morning.  The happy part is she will be reunited with my Grandad.  She's waited a long time.

My Grandma loved dolls, and she had a big collection.  When I saw her in January, she specifically told me to take the doll my Grandad had bought her (actually, he bought most of them, but there is one she especially wanted me to have) I agreed, but not until she was reunited with Grandad.  I will be back in England shortly....

Mauve & Maurice

And the chick above is the WIP of my shrine for the Art Auction - I tried to capture the 'essence' of Princess Diana, but it didn't quite work! 

I love brown eyes, and prefer my dolls to have brown eyes, but just this once, I went with blue, just because Diana had blue eyes!

I think my next doll will represent my Grandma Ivy.... mmmm, better find a green sweater to cut up, since I still can't knit :O)

Art Auction

I came across this wonderful impending online Art Auction, hosted by Rebecca Brooks.  All you have to do is build a cigar box shrine, and agree to send it to the winning bidder. The funds raised will go to  Oaxaca Streetchildren Grassroots.  Please click on the links above to take part and learn more.  There will be a site dedicated to the auction, for ease of participation.

I have bought a gorgeous vintage cigar box from Etsy seller Hope and Joy Home- and I guess you recognise the beautiful Princess above?

"Nothing brings me more happiness than trying to help the most vulnerable people in society. It is a goal and an essential part of my life - a kind of destiny. Whoever is in distress can call on me. I will come running wherever they are"  Princess Diana.