Did you know I was out of town?

I scheduled posts throughout the last week because I had been to Virginia for more birthday celebrations -- my granddaughter and my son.  Had a great visit, but must say the weather was no better out there than it is here in Arizona.  Hot and humid!

Here's the birthday girl, Kara.  She turned 6 on July 22.

We went to DC on July 23.  Always good to see the Washington Monument.  Look at the traffic and tourists!  An organized march was about to begin.  And the Boy Scouts were there celebrating their 100th birthday!  Go Scouts!!!  They will be there until the end of next week.

We went to DC to visit the National Aquarium.  The kids enjoyed seeing all the exhibits there.  Must say, however, that it doesn't hold a candle to the Monterrey Bay Aquarium.  We then walked to the Old Post Office for lunch and a tour of the Tower in the Old Post Office.

Here's a view from the tower.

Beautiful!

An upcoming workshop

Last year I had read and heard about a workshop that Dede Warren was hosting by mixed media artist, Judy Wilkenfeld.  After reading about the wonderful workshop and seeing pictures of Judy's book as well as some of the artwork by those who took the class, I was upset with myself for not going.  Dede had encouraged me to take it but I didn't.  Various reasons.  Not important now.  Put it on the "bucket list."

So, when I discovered that Judy was coming to teach in the USA again, I decided I would go if she was anywhere close.  Then I found out that KC Willis is hosting Judy's workshop in August at her studio!  Could I be any more excited about that??  Judy Wilkenfeld at KC's studio?!!!  Well, I signed up and will be heading to Colorado in mid-August to take the workshop.  Here is a glimpse of the piece Judy sent to KC as a class sample.

"Just in Case"

Artwork  and photo by Judy Wilkenfeld

I can't wait to learn the techniques for creating a book as wonderful as this!  I have already spent time gathering the class supplies, still have more to do.  More metal, more pictures, more doodads.

I think there are still a few openings in this workshop.  More information can be found here.

I love old books

I love it when I happen upon an old book with a really nice cover.  I found two such books during my weekend in Payson.

The first one is here:

This one is a German novel printed in a old font that I can't decipher.  It was published in 1923.  There are several lovely color plates in this book.  I love the cover with the mottled green background and the white daffodils (I think!).  I added the green ribbon and the inked tag with the gold bell.

An old book for a little boy's library.  The little child on the cover in the red snow suit who is sledding down the hill caught my attention.  Especially the cute face.  This book was published in 1893.  A really old book that is in really good shape.  Good find!

Usually when I find books with nice covers, the inside is damaged or the cover is falling off.  Those are the ones I save for altered book projects.  I have a few set aside, but haven't started any projects lately.

Recycled bottles and vintage pearls

I have been collecting broken pearl necklaces for quite some time.  Little by little I have filled up several small bottles with the pearls.  They sat for some time on my shelf (would you believe over a year??) and I often wondered just how decorate them.  Here are the results:

This bottle came with the rusty ring on the neck.  It's what's left of the screw off cap.  So I found a glass stopper that fit, filled the bottle with a broken pearl necklace, glued the stopper in and decorated the front of the bottle.  It is an old pearl earring glued onto a bit of lace with tiny seed pearls and then a small dangle attached.

This small bottle has an old earring for a stopper, a bit of a lace doily with the top of a broken locket glued on it.  Small coffee-dyed lace is wrapped around the neck and tied in a box.

Recycling at its best!  And I am slowly cleaning out bits of my stash.

Spice shakers redeux

There were four of these spice shakers in the thrift store two weeks ago.  I had my "thinking outside the box" hat on that day and bought them.  I cleaned them up and then went to work on them.

I filled each one from my stash of small pearly buttons, wrapped these two in old lace and tulle, stamped clear round tags and tied them on.  A lot of people buy buttons from me.  Don't know exactly why -- do they collect, do they sew, do they do mixed media art???  Anyway, what better way to display a jar of tiny pearly buttons in your sewing room or to give as a gift for someone else.

These two are again wrapped with pieces of vintage lace and the tags are antiqued and then an old white rose bead is attached.  Way pretty, don't you think??

Once the buttons are used up, the shaker can hold glass glitter, regular glitter, or more buttons for your crafting.

Dolling up ordinary finds

For my booth in Merchant Square, I like to doll up ordinary finds and make them extraordinary.  Here are some examples:

The tall glass dome and base were a find a few months ago.  It originally was dirty glass on a wood base.  I cleaned it up, painted the base and added a clear knob with a pearl in top.  That way it can easily be lifted off without fingerprints in order to change the display inside.  It is now a cloche for displaying your favorite items.

This bottle is an old Fletcher's Castoria bottle -- remember that awful stuff??  My mom had that in the medicine cabinet (this is not my mom's bottle).  It tasted awful!!  I digress!!  I covered the bottle with pretty lace and embellished it with old earrings, some satin roses in my favorite colors and a pretty vintage pink ribbon necktie.

Looks great in the dome, don't you think????

Next up is this single glove I found in a pile of fabrics.  I had long ago seen Beth Quinn decorate a glove -- in fact, I think I saw it at Art Unraveled last year.  Anyway, I decided to decorate up this pretty glove and make it a piece to either hang or display in your favorite room!  It has an old lacey hankie coming out of the top, a bit of old lace with a ribbon rose and a sparkly button glued on.  Perfect touch!

These will be in my booth at Merchant Square by Tuesday of this week.  This coming weekend is another fabulous 3-day sale at Merchants.  Don't miss it!  We have a lot of wonderful dealers in there with lots of goodies for your home, art work, favorite collectables, or crafts.

Vintage dresses

Just as Gail and I were pulling out of the small flea market parking lot Saturday morning I spied a pile of old dresses.  I made Gail go back and park so I could take a look at them.  I sell vintage dresses in my booth.  Here are the dresses, all pressed and ready to go to Merchant Square.

This little dress is probably from the 1970's.  Pink taffeta with the white trim.  Cute and tiny.  It fit this small dress form I have so it is probably a size 4 or 6.

This bright pink taffeta gown is also very pretty.  Nice full skirt with a large fabric rose at the waist and one on the shoulder.

This sad looking blue dress is really pretty.  The dress form is too small to do it justice.  Made of blue dotted Swiss, it is a girl's dress -- although a big girl.  Fully lined and the under slip has lace trim all around the hem.   I thought it would make a great Halloween costume for someone who wants to be Alice in Wonderland.  All you need is a white apron, white stockings, Mary Jane's and there you are!  Alice!!  Or maybe even Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.  Again, white stockings and red sequined shoes.  Tap, tap, tap!  "There's no place like home!!"  (((smiles)))

Southwest colors

This is the pile of bags and boxes I brought home from Payson.  You can also see three vintage dresses over the chair.

The dresses need pressing to get rid of the wrinkles.  The blue dress you see would be a great Halloween costume for someone who would like to be Alice in Wonderland.  Pictures of the dresses after I get them steamed and pressed.

Found these pictures -- one is a print and the other is painted on canvas.  These cowgirl boots in yellow with those knock-your-socks-off red flowers are really bright and colorful.  Gotta love those!

I also collect Mary Francis purses.  I fell immediately in love with this one!  Got the ruffles and the southwest beads and colors!

Out of town up in the High Country

My BFF Gail invited me up to Payson to stay in their RV for the weekend (beginning last Thursday).  Needless to say, we shopped til we dropped!!  And we did drop on the couch Friday afternoon to catch a nap before dinner!!  It is a little cooler up there and it is a higher altitude.  And it is forest!!  Just refreshing!!

First great find I want to share with you:

I can't resist a good old tinted photo.  This one is of the Sonoran Desert and I couldn't leave it behind.  Especially since the frame is very old.  Price:  $2.00!!  (((smiles)))

Here is the grouping of old tinted photos on the wall of my great room.  I tried a straight-on shot, but there was a big reflection in the large photo of Yosemite.  The tiny photo at the top right is a signed Wallace Nutting.  He was a pioneer in tinting photographs.

Next great find from Chrisy's Cottage in Payson.  Her husband takes photos of the dress forms in her shop and then alters them.  (You should see the dressed forms she has in her shop!  Would knock your socks off!!  Wish I had taken pics!)  I fell in love with this one!  So me!  Petticoats, dress forms, corsets and crowns!!  All the stuff I look for to put in my booth at Merchant Square.  I really don't have much of it at home, however.

Here is where the petticoat picture is going to hang for the time being in my bedroom.  That is the only place in my house that is "girlie".  I play with shabby chic in my booth and that is enough!!  I love it, but not so much in my house.

More tomorrow!!  Found some great things!!!

Some of my favorite places

Summer is here and I was browsing through pics of my favorite vacations over the years.

Lake Tahoe -- Emerald Bay

The Grand Tetons, Wyoming

Colorado Rockies

Sedona, Arizona

Grand Canyon at sunrise.

This summer I will be visiting Payson, AZ (treasure hunting with my BFF Gail), Longmont, CO (a 3-day workshop with Judy Wilkenfeld at KC Willis' studio there) and Virginia.  Also looking forward to Art Unraveled in August.  I'm taking a class with Ruth Rae.  Will have lots to blog about in the upcoming days.

Wishing you a Wonderful 4th of July!

More Rhinestone Cowgirls

I just listed three more Rhinestone Cowgirl journals on my Etsy shop, Vintage Recycled.  Here they are.

On the left is Annie Oakley.  The two blue journals were covered with denim studded with rhinestones and silver studs along a seam that came from an old denim skirt -- BOTH BLUE JOURNALS JUST SOLD (JULY 4TH).  Great thrift store find!   The middle cowgirl is on red and white ticking.  Better pics of both the fronts and the backs are on Vintage Recycled.

Check it out!  These are one-of-a-kind!!  (OOAK)