Shopping with Joy

Yesterday my friend Joy and I headed to 7th Avenue in Phoenix to visit several favorite places. We began our trip by stopping by my booth in Merchant Square. The Square is having a big 4 day sale this weekend beginning today. I needed to drop off a couple of vintage hats and tidy up before the sale.

Then we headed to 7th Avenue and the first stop was Melrose Vintage. I love this shop! I so wanted to buy a ruffly pink throw for my bed, but it was out of my price range. Instead I snagged a few goodies for my art work.Joy found the mother-of-pearl trim. It is really nice! So we each bought a small bit of it. There wasn't much left on the trim card. Glad we found it before it was gone! I also bought some velvet trim that felt "old". Can't describe it other than it was slightly stiff and wrinkled looking. I also bought some flowers to incorporate in a project that I am currently working on.

Joy found this copy of "Blissfully Traveled" that is published by my blissful friend Tricia Samsal of Vintage Bliss. I often see Tricia at Merchant Square during the parking lot flea market at their sale weekends throughout the year. Tricia is either selling from her flea market spot or buying from others.

Inside the "Blissfully Traveled" magazine I found a layout for Merchant Square. AND, a picture of my booth -- bottom left! I was so excited to see that! There is also a close up picture of one of my painted ladies with her yellow hat -- she is at center right of my booth picture.

Also discovered in this issue is a layout for Mystic Paper. And, my BFF Mike Putman of Jack and Cat Curio is responsible for the cover photo! Wow! This was the last issue at Melrose Vintage so I scooped it up!

Tomorrow I will have more to tell you about our shopping trip! If you live in the area, be sure to check out the flea market at Merchant Square tomorrow morning! And the store opens at 8 a.m. so you can shop the booths. Every dealer inside the store is offering at least 10% off and most offer even more! You won't be disappointed!

Sweet Things fabric book

I started this next fabric book over the weekend. Kim has told me that customers at Mystic Paper that have asked if I am going to do a fabric book. The answer is YES!! And Sweet Things is the first one. I wanted to do something totally different from the Prairie Doves fabric book. This is where I started. Lots of girlie fabrics, lace, whites and off whites, and plenty of color. There will be lots of neat ideas tucked inside as well. I will update you as I get pages done. Once this one is completed and on Mystic Paper's class schedule, I am going to do another one very similar to Prairie Doves for all the cowgirls out there!!

I really have enjoyed KC Willis Collage Camp and strongly encourage you to look at the link and then sign up. You won't regret it!

Ruby Culbertson collage

You may have seen Ruby before when I did the bingo card swap at Mystic Paper. I love this image. Ruby is just way cute! That's why I decided to use her in a fabric collage I am doing for the collage camp (click on the badge at the right to visit KC Willis Collage Camp).I wish I could recall where I got this picture of Ruby. I didn't find it in my stash the other day. Will continue my search.

This is a close up of the top of the collage. I used an old locket because Ruby is wearing one in her pic. The vintage earring looks like a ruby. The button and tassle are from an old Victorian frame that had fallen apart. The white fabric on the left is from an old child's dress that is in tatters. It looks like it might have been from one of Ruby's dresses. The quote at the bottom says "I may be the smallest cowgirl in the world, but one day I will grow up. Then I will be just like Annie Oakley. Ruby Culbertson."

Soldered charms

Last Saturday I took the soldering class with Josie Cirincione at Mystic Paper. Been wanting to do that for some time to see if I really want to venture into another art form (what am I thinking??). Here are the charms I made:

Here are the two top row left charms flipped:I had fun doing these although I think I will have to get stronger readers (glasses) from the drug store! It was hard to tell if I got the solder all the way around the charms. I didn't buy the equipment and supplies yet. I think I will invest in all of that at a later date -- perhaps this summer because in Phoenix everyone stays indoors due to the hot weather that is coming!

Note the faded quilt piece I used as background?? I am going to coffee dye that to use in an upcoming collage I am going to do through KC Willis' collage camp. Coffee dyeing is on my calendar for later today. This morning I am off to Merchant Square (again!) to hang a new chandelier. I sold a shabby chic one on Saturday. The next chandelier isn't shabby chic, but it is a great piece. Will post a picture for you later -- once it is assembled and hung. Stay tuned!!

KC Willis Collage Camp

Thanks, Kim, for putting me on to this collage camp hosted by KC Willis of Lipstick Ranch. I just joined and am looking forward to it beginning soon. Check it out! There is a picture on the right side of my blog that you can click and it will take you to the Collage Camp site.I have one original piece of her work that I picked up in Cave Creek and I love it! Visit her website at Lipstick Ranch and check out her work. If you are a cowgirl fan, you have seen her work everywhere. I love her large wall hangings. So, I hope this camp will teach me the techniques so that I can create my own cowgirl/western collages for my home! I'm a cowgirl at heart! Just like Kim, although she is more so! LOL!!

Which reminds me. I have once again scheduled my Annie Oakley collage class at Mystic Paper. If you couldn't sign up before, here is another chance.I will take this collage into Mystic Paper tomorrow, April 14, so you can see it up close. I have already prepared class kits and am ready to go! Are you?? The class is scheduled for Saturday, June 6th, from 10:30 to 1:30. Won't you join me??

Just helpin' out

Mike Putman, a good friend (my BFF and one who "gets it"), asked me to help him out with his beeswax class yesterday at Mystic Paper. So I did. I did not plan to make a beeswax collage with the class, I was there to help the students. However, Mike had prepped a canvas and applied the background paper on it as a demo. He then tells me I can have that one to do a collage with the class. How could I refuse!Here are the ladies in the class hard at work assembling their collages before going to the beeswax table.This is my finished piece. The thing I like most about this is the white script on the final piece. It is stamped on and I love the effect on the center photo. The other thing that you cannot see in this picture is the lovely copper/gold effect on the finished collage. It is done with Pearl Ex. It really gave everyone's finished collage that extra punch to make it special!