Listen with your eyes

Spring is here and I hope everyone is well and happy... I am so glad the sun stretches its arms to kiss our faces a little longer each day.

I haven't blogged for some time since my schedule has been overwhelmingly busy. I have a few new things that I've needed to announce for some time. First, I have a Pinterest Board which contains boards I pin for inspiration and ideas for Miniatures. 

You can visit me here on Pinterest:
http://pinterest.com/maritzaminis/

And I have an Instagram Profile with pics of old and new Miniatures:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/MaritzaMiniaturescom-Maritza-Moran/138025456268775?ref=ts&id=138025456268775&sk=app_151858328287166 




   So let's catch up on what's new...... 

LISTEN WITH YOUR EYES

Some Ideas are Right before you

While working on orders I ponder my next series of collections. I've always worked on French style pieces but have never done anything "USA", Americana, something domestic to my home town in California. I live in rural area of the Central Coast of Calif. This is wine country with vineyards that are breath taking. Where the vineyards kiss the ocean. Open fields and ranches, deer graze in my front yard and me on my porch... always reaching for new ideas, glancing, always thinking in miniature. 
My beau is a wine barrel broker. His other company supplies the woods and metal rings to the manufacturers of much of the new wine barrel furnishings for the Restoration Hardware store chain. His other large company manufactures garden furniture, accessories and hardwood flooring from the barrels....really gorgeous things....okay... I'm still pondering, thinking..... and my fingers are touching an idea. So... I take a look around me.

Where I live is a typical picturesque little USA town with a park and gazebo in the center of town. Homes with gingerbread porches and white picket fences. On Thursdays I walk to the Framers Market in the park for fresh fruits, veggies and flowers. Each month we have a festival of some kind... wine festivals, the yearly Lavender festival is my favorite.

 Every week Farmers Market

My favorite Flea Market shops in town

The Lavender Festival

My imagination is flowing. I'm getting close and I need to talk these concepts out.... Its time to call my girlfriend Cynthia. I always thought I had a head for marketing trends and business ideas... well Cynthia is a genus and blows me away. She has a keen eye and thumb on trends, fashion, and visions of style and design. We had talked about doing something together a month earlier, but we didn't know just yet what we would do.

 Cynthia Lauren Sperin

http://cynthiascottagedesign.blogspot.com/

Cynthia and I click so easily together. It is easy to adore her. She comes from the heart and her heart is a magnificent place. Both of us just can not get our ideas out fast enough. 
I tell Cyn my current ideas that I have swirling in my head and immediately she blurts out VINTAGE VINEYARDS. That's it. Our joint project is born. Immediately we are talking about colors, concepts, designs... now we're talking fast...LOL. Cynthia will make, and coordinate her fabulous cupcakes, pies, and delicious accessories for Vintage Vineyards. Next, I call my beau with the "Honey Do List" of getting me some wine barrel woods so I can create new Miniatures. 

Much of the woods used to make the pieces for Vintage Vineyards are from authentic and very old wine barrels. FANTASTIC patinas... oak wood naturally stained in every imaginable shade of pinks, deep dark burgundy's, and warm golds {from the white wines}. Incredible colors that could never be duplicated in a faux painted finish or stain. Vintage Vineyards is soft and rugged. Tables, chairs couches, benches, kitchen, and bedroom sets... Home spun and woven with love. 

As I create the Vintage Vineyard pieces I realize how easy is to over look an inspiration that stands before you. So, I remind myself that in calm and stillness of your imagination take a breath and listen with your eyes.

“Drink freely the wine life offers you and don't worry how much you spill.”
― Mary Rubin