Making a change -- Junk Gypsy style

 I have had this dress form in my bedroom for some time now.  She is usually dressed as you see here.

Three pretty white skirts, a vintage apron, lace collar, jewelry, scarves, vintage rose corsage and a crown.

Here's the dress I found at the Merchant Square flea market last weekend.  I called it a Junk Gypsy prom dress.  White lace with plenty of swish to the handkerchief skirt.  

Here she is with the same lace collar, vintage jewelry, a concho belt and crown.

Here's a close up of her jewelry and the vintage lace collar. 

Or, should I exchange the crown for my own cowgirl hat and the gray scarf?
 
I think she needs something else.  Any suggestions?

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

Etsy Cottage Style Fall Color Party

This month Etsy Cottage Style Fall Color Party hit on the colors I love best, fall colors -- browns, beige, khaki, chocolate.  A lot of my artwork is done in these shades and colors.  My "cottage" is more of a  "rustic style" with a western theme.  I am going to share with you a lot of things I have that come in these colors.

This was a fabric book I created when I joined KC Willis' Collage Camp.  I had a lot of fun putting this together.  It now is part of KC's personal collection.  She told me it gives her inspiration!

This is the second fabric collage book I created entitled "Prairie Gals".  The entire book was published in the Summer 2010 issue of Sew Somerset.  I still have this book.

A lot of people I talk to while they visit my booth at Merchant Square are surprised to learn that I do not have a lot of shabby chic, white, cottage style items in my home -- only in my booth.  My bedroom is really the only place where I do have the cottage look using whites, creams, black, sage green and pink.  But here is a peek at some items around the rest of my home.

I love the wood box with the brands on it and the handles are horseshoes.  My sister gave this piece to me.  Also love the bottles wrapped with old baskets.

The collage on the left is one of my creations.  Again you can see that recurring theme of the blog party's color theme for this month.

I love the old, well-loved and worn buckaroo boots on top of the great leather box.  Below is an old egg basket with genuine stirrups highlighted against the vintage doily.

In my entry way is my grandmother's kitchen clock.  It used to work, but quit after being moved around the country so many times.  I have paid more in trying to get it running than it is worth.  But I love it.  At least it is right twice a day!!  This gorgeous antique chest and old mirror I picked up in Leesburg, VA when we lived back east.

I love these old jugs and the crock.  The jug on the far right has a cobalt design and my husband found that on a TDY to Massachusetts.  You can see that I am a cowgirl at heart.

And another piece of my artwork done in the coffee dyed fabrics, browns and tans.

Thanks for visiting my blog today and sharing in the fun of the Etsy Cottage Style Fall Color Party.

Next cowgirl tote bag and more

I finished the next cowgirl tote bag late yesterday.  I like this one very much, too!  Wish I could remember where I got the images from in order to give credit.  I think it was Jack and Cat Curio, but can't find it on their Flickr page.  Anyway here she is:

I created this one with more of a girlie flair to it.  Liked the lace and flowers, but kept the rusty stuff, too.

Here's the collage piece at the bottom of the tote bag.  If you click on the pictures you will get an enlargement so you can see more detail.  Still haven't decided if I want to sell them or not.  Of course, I can't use two of them. 

Hit a pretty good estate sale yesterday.  Here are a couple of the nice finds for my booth at Merchant Square.  I am posting an album on my Judy B's Shabby Chic page on Facebook shortly.  You can see all the finds I have that will be in the booth shortly.

This is such a pretty cocktail dress in burgundy.  Lacy top and just below the knee.  Size 9/10!!  Perfect for the holiday parties ahead!

You're going to think I have hit my head and lost my mind, but I couldn't pass up this rusty, crusty ammo box!  The wire baskets were a freebee from my neighbor who was cleaning out.  I see so much "industrial" stuff in magazines and blogs these days that I can't pass up a few good ones to incorporate with the girlie stuff in my booth.

And old, broken down books.  These two books and old photo album were great finds.  I love to stack the books up and put something wonderful on top to make a decorative setting.  And, if you are into altered books, what better kind of book than one that is ready to fall apart.

The old photo album on the top has never been used.  But it has a "book plate" inside typed by the owner that it was to be the third album of a trip to the Grand Canyon and the Southwest.  Wish there were photos in it!

Just a few things to share

I love pink roses! These days I have to buy them myself, but who cares? This bouquet was beautiful and fresh out of the shipping box at the store.

Two shades of pink. The four missing roses are in a vase in my bathroom.

Time for some changes in my booth again. Here I have gone to cowgirl chic?! Anyway, a huge square dance petticoat in purple, a brown ruffled skirt, a leather scarf with a wolf handpainted on it (I painted it many years ago), and a pink felt cowgirl hat. Now that's chic! And don't forget the boots! Plus two large suitcases perfect for storage! And they aren't expensive!

More sophisticated cowgirl chic in black! Love that skirt, lace shawl and blouse. There is a very pretty pearl choker necklace with a cameo at the neck. This dress form is for sale! So if you are looking for one, here it is!

Check out my booth at Merchant Square and see all the treasures that await you!

Cowgirl Up!

Here is the next fabric book that I have completed. This one is going to be a class project. All cowgirls of the West.View of the bottom. This one is filled with lots of fringe, denim ruffles (found on a denim skirt in the girls section of Goodwill), and plenty of cowgirls.

I am going to offer this as a class. No date yet. The class will have plenty of techniques (learned in KC Willis Collage Camp -- I have permission) in it to satisfy even those who have done fabric books before. Time to Cowgirl Up!

Road trip last week

After seeing a pic of a cow skull with a rose on Jack and Cat Curio's blog, I had to have one. Scroll down to the second blog entitled "Roadtrips,Textures, Classes, and Sleep." Decided to redecorate my entryway with it (sans that glittery "Paris" stuff). That meant a road trip!

My friend, Joy, and I headed to The Town Dump in Cave Creek last Thursday to rummage through their rusty stuff and to see if they had a cow skull. I knew they would have one if anyplace did! Joy and I also visited Valerie's and Big Bronco up there soaking up the western flavor in those stores. Also had lunch at El Encanto! Delicious!

Got rid of some tired flowers in a rickity basket and replaced them with the cow skull. I love the pot. My sister gave that to me years ago. The lizard crawling through the holes in the pot are definitely southwest!
While digging through the stuff on the workbench in the garage I came upon this swing frame I had bought several months ago. I put a cowgirl pic in it and decided it was a keeper. Originally it was headed for Merchant Square to be sold, but changed my mind. The worn frame and the cowgirl pic fits right in with my southwest/western decor in the great room.Now I have to get rid of two items in the great room. That's the deal I made with myself after my hubby passed. Put one new thing in the house and two things must go out (to be sold or donated). Can't continue to increase the stuff in here! My hubby has been gone 4 1/2 years and I am still cleaning out. It is better, but could be A LOT better!! LOL!!

Best Friends and Giddyup!

This is one of my favorite cowgirl pictures. You can just tell she loves her horse! I think this gal is riding her horse or she is in charge of a buckboard with two horses. Whichever, she is telling those horses to "Giddyup!!"

Two more collages on the log cabin squares. I love that quilt and the colors!

Here's my first collage from Collage Camp

This is my first collage using the techniques of the KC Willis Collage Camp. KC Willis has done a great job of putting together videos of her techniques so that students can achieve the great look of the Old West. Visit her website at Lipstick Ranch to see her work.

The photo identifies this cowgirl as Nora Wadeley. An internet search didn't turn up a lot. She was an actress in the mid-19teens. The dates are from 1906-1922. Obviously she didn't live very long. Which is sad, really. But I love this picture! My quote says "I am an actress first, but really, I want to be a cowgirl."

Bingo Card Swap

As promised, here are my two bingo cards for the swap at Mystic Paper. The theme was "When I Grow Up".The first one I did was of this cute little girl. I decided she wanted to be queen someday. I think she looks like she could give queenly orders and not take "No" for an answer! I gave her wings, jewels and a crown to go with her wanting to be queen. But after making 8 of these . . .. . . I decided that I needed to change the image on the last 8. I chose this cute little cowgirl. Her name is Ruby Culbertson. I left the writing on the image. It says that she is the "smallest cowgirl in the world with Indian Pete's Wild West Show." I did a Google search on her and the wild west show but turned up nothing. Must have been a small, unknown wild west show and nothing the size of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. I think she wanted to be the next Annie Oakley!

July's ATC

The July theme for the monthly drop-off swap at Mystic Paper is "red, white and blue." I decided to do the All American Cowgirl! Fabric and paper collage. Love the ticking with the red stitching! This one's for you, Kim!!!