Another Flea Market Clipboard finished

As I told you last week, I had signed up for Nancy Maxwell James' Parisienne Dreams tutorial.  And I just finished my second clipboard.  And here she is:

I don't usually gravitate toward purple, but this particular background paper and image didn't take well to the pinks in had on hand.  So purple emerged when I pulled out some ribbon and flowers that went with the papers.  Also found some buttons in the purple colors and they went well on the collage.  This was fun to do!  Thanks to Nancy for this tutorial.  Next project will be a Shabby Fabric Cone!  Looking forward to that one as well!

Memorial Day

Let us not forget.

And let us remember today all those who are currently serving in our Armed Forces.  They are all true patriots and love this country.  When I see a soldier in uniform, I always thank him or her for their service.  It's important that we let them know.

Finished clipboard

My blog of a few days ago showed you the first clipboard I had nearly finished using the techniques from Nancy Maxwell James tutorial, Parisian Dreams.  My first project(s) is this clipboard.

The metal photocorners arrived in the mail yesterday.  I finished up my flea market clipboard just a few minutes ago.  The glue is still drying!  But she is done.

You can click on the image to get a larger image in order to see the details.  I have another clipboard prepped and will work on it over the weekend and then share with you!  Thanks for visiting!

Wallpaper envelope

On the cover of the Apr/May/June 2011 issue of Somerset Life is a picture of Kelsi Maree Borland's lovely envelopes that contain scraps of papers, etc. for her "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Scraps" article.  I thought those were so pretty and very clever.  Every one of her envelopes featured is different!

While rummaging through my box of paper scraps (one of several boxes!) for another project (see yesterday's blog post) I came across this piece of white flocked vintage wallpaper.  I thought it would make a great envelope and there was just enough of the piece to make one.  So here it is!

This was quick, easy to do, and I used scraps from that box I mentioned!  I think it turned out great!  More of these envelopes will be finished in the near future.  Wouldn't these make great favors for a scrapping party?  Or to do something like Kelsi mentioned in her article about just getting together with her mixed media friends and passing out the envelopes and creating!  I think that sounds like fun!

Parisian Dreams with Nancy Maxwell James

I signed up about a week ago with Nancy Maxwell James new online tutorial, Parisian Dreams.  She has put online a fabulous tutorial on how to make three different projects, a clipboard, a fabric cone and a fabric book.  Here is my first project:  A Flea Market Clipboard entitled "Love's Old Sweet Song."

She isn't quite finished yet.  Glue is drying and I am waiting for some metal photo corners to add to the picture.  They haven't arrived yet.  And I plan to place a few buttons or pieces of old jewelry in the ribbon at the bottom.  I'm happy!!  I will post a picture of the finished project once I get the photo corners.

I have another clipboard prepped and ready to go for another project like this.  Stay tuned!  Tomorrow I am going to post a picture of an envelope I made from old flocked wallpaper.  ♥♥♥

Big 3 day sale this weekend at Merchant Square

Merchant Square is having their last 3 day sale and flea market this weekend before the hot weather sets in.  The sales will resume in the fall once the weather cools off.  So, get on over there if you live here and visit!  My booth is C-6 and I have just finished loading it up for the sale!  Check it out!

Here's what you see when you walk into my booth!  I have it stuffed full of goodies!!  Including one of the Victorian riding hats that I blogged about recently.  It is on the third shelf down in the china cabinet on the right.

I have a lot of vintage and antique picture frames for sale this time.  All in good shape!  Paint it yourself, or use as is.  They make great frames for smaller objects or collects on your wall.

The envelopes in the casserole dish are bundles of air mail envelopes with stamps from all over the world.  Great for scrapbooking, mixed media or art projects!

I just refilled this holder with ribbon, buttons and trims for sewing, mixed media art work or scrapbooking.

This cute little desk would be perfect in a child's room. Look at all the cubby holes for treasures!  And I have a lot of really nice vintage jewelry boxes.  The pink one has a secret compartment in the bottom!

And here's my industrial or salvage chic corner.  Lots of rusty things to decorate with.  There's also the guts of an old clock that would be perfect to take apart and use in steampunk jewelry or art work!

Please visit my Judy B's Shabby Chic Facebook page to see the entire album of pics I took this morning!  Hope to see you at Merchant Square this weekend!!  I'll be there every day!

A place to visit -- The Embellished House

Last Thursday, Joy and I went to visit The Embellished House in Scottsdale after we had read about it on Karen Valentine's blog, My Desert Cottage.  We weren't disappointed!  The Embellished House has a bit of everything!  From the colorful, to the blingy, to the "steampunk", to just wonderful!  All in one place!

The colorful!

The blingy!

Some salvage, some steampunk!

Industrial storage!  Salvage chic!

Clocks and globes!

Silver and glass!  My fav!

Trophy cups!  Why can't I find these?

Perhaps because they are all here!!

Bottles, frames, candelabras, chandeliers!

I love these tags!

The necklace says "collect" on one side --

"lets face it...I want it all." on the other!

I bought it!

I recommend you make a trip to see The Embellished House on Scottsdale Road, just north of Shea.  It's worth the trip!  Take my word for it, there isn't another place like it in Phoenix!  It has something for everyone, whether it's blingy or steampunk, it's there!  Visit soon!

Victorian riding hats!

Yesterday my friend Joy and I set out to investigate a new shop in Phoenix and then headed over to another shopping area to look for more goodies.  More on those in the coming days.

In a consignment shop yesterday, Design 'N Consign, in Phoenix, I spotted a vintage blouse on a form and asked if it was for sale.  It wasn't, but the clerk said, wait, I have some vintage hats that just came in that you might be interested in.  Was I ever!  Check these out!!

Here's the first hat.  Black velvet with hand embroidery on it.

Here's the back.  The hat ties/strings hook together in the back and these long ties can trail down the rider's back, onto her long dress that flows over the back of the horse.  More hand embroidery!

Here's a better close up of the hand embroidery.

A close up of the top of the hat.

This is the underside of the hat.  Beautiful hand embroidered gold trim with beads, you can see the hand stitching inside, and inside the hat in gold on red it says "Betty Widmann".  Then the rest of the gold writing is in German and the only word I can make out is "Battenberg".

Next hat!

Different hand embroidery, still black velvet.

From the side.  The original hooks and eyes are still there to hold the back tails of the hats together.

Beautiful!

More elaborate hand embroidery with gold thread and tiny beads!  And in this picture you can see some of the hand stitching in the red part.  No name or location in this one.  Please click on the pictures for larger views.

Were these a find or what??!!  I know they are antiques.  Their general overall condition is good.  The second hat is beginning to come apart on the top.  However, these were something you don't come across often!!  I have not been able to find anything remotely similar on eBay or any pictures on line that would help me date these.  But I am positive they are mid to late 1880's and probably Victorian since they are black.

Can you see me clapping my hands together with glee??  Am I going to sell them?  Don't know yet.  I need to find out a value for them before I decide.  I know they are worth far more than I paid for them.  You just don't find these everyday!

Gone to the birds!

Lately, I have been crazy about birds.  I really enjoy watching the Gambol's quail that wander through my back yard.  The mockingbirds are nesting somewhere close by and they regularly chase other birds away.  Just yesterday they were so noisy that I went outdoors to check and a hawk flew out of my tree, circled the neighbors yard and flew away.  The mockingbirds had notified everyone that a hawk was close by.  And my trees have several dove nests in them.  Love the birds!  Hope the hawk was hunting for bunnies -- my yard is nearly overrun with them!  And my neighbor feeds them!!  Ack!!!

Here's what I have been working on that reflects my "bird love."

I pulled out a box full of vintage children's blocks (mine as a child) and stuck them together to spell "birds".  I have made these bird tags using 7 Gypsies Conservatory papers (8"x8" paper pad).  Also added vintage sheet music, ribbon, and an old bird stamp torn from an old envelope.

I am also getting ready some displays for my booth at Merchant Square.  I bought all of these items over time and am now ready to put them in my booth to sell as well as pretty it up a bit!

Even my blog background got changed last week to a bird theme.  Well, I am off to play bridge.  Do you love the birds, too??