vintage paper/collage art – Page 20

Yes, I Can Can!

celebrations, Travel, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / March 20, 2011

This is a can can girl watercolor that I did for Kim, who is hosting the Moulin Rouge event I am attending in Cali.

I cut the lady (honestly, is she really a lady?? I suspect not) and glued her to a tag that I had made. At that point, before I added any baubles, I scanned it while it was flat.

You can click on it, save it to your computer and print it out, if you'd like to use the image for your own projects.

Here is the finished tag. I added a flocked butterfly and wrote the words "Moulin Rouge" onto some French text, added ribbons to the top, a feather and crystals to her hair.

Oh, and of course, some glitter.

Here are the gifties I made up for the goodie bags. Kim has 70 guests, but these didn't take me too long, it was pretty simple to stitch up the envelopes of flocked wallpaper, then I used the CuttleBug to chop up some butterflies of red flocked paper.

What's really cool, is that they are on adhesive backed contact paper, so the butterflies are now stickers.

I threw in a colorful feather and some rhinestones. Things that every can can girl needs in her supply kit.

I hope everyone likes them!

Well, some is better than none, right?

collections, the Boutique at Karla's Cottage, Travel, vintage paper/collage art, wallpaper

By Karla Nathan / March 15, 2011

There were lots of good intentions of getting a ton of wallpaper cut…. but it just didn't happen. But what I did get cut is as pretty as can be.

Sometimes I just have to admit that there is only so much time in a day. Yesterday, Sugarwings and Pixie Pie came to play and I had to chose between getting my work done or being a grammy. I think you know what won!

Oh well, its not like the paper will spoil. I can cut more later when I am not pressed for time.

While I was working, it seemed like I had really cut up a lot, but once it was all ironed and packaged, it was much less than I thought it would be. I guess because I cut such big pieces this time, a hefty 14 x 17".

A lot of people were asking me for larger pieces, and I wanted to do a variety of sizes, but well, I've already mentioned that I was distracted by something shiny- two little sparkly fairies!

For now, I have about a dozen or so packs listed in the Boutique. And I have hopes of making up more packs when I get back from my trip to Moulin Rouge.

All purchases from the Boutique and from Etsy will be shipped a couple of days after I get back. Thanks for being patient!

There is also some other new stuff listed for sale, like this banner made of vintage gift wrap and old game cards (from my friend, Mary)

While I didn't get as much wallpaper packed up as I wanted to, I made up for it by cutting up what felt like a million or so pieces of old gift wrap. While I had it out, getting it ready to sell, I just had to make a few things with it too.

Like this mini notebook.

Its pretty stuff, isn't it?

I'll leave you with some more photos of what is new in the shops. And please check back, even though I'll be away, I'll have some new posts for you.

Now, I'm off to pack for Moulin Rouge. I'm not quite sure what to bring. I think I'd look more than a bit ridiculous as a can can girl. More of a can't can't old lady.

Oh well, I'll throw on one of Sugarwing's feather boas from her dress up pile and go kick my legs up any way. This is one old grammy who doesn't care about looking ridiculous!

Facing challenges, a how to, and a prize

fairies, how to's, how-to projects, vintage paper/collage art, wallpaper

By Karla Nathan / March 8, 2011

Mary Green hosts a monthly collage challenge on her blog, with a few images from her collections. When I saw it, I had some ideas to change it around. And to banish Winter! NO MORE SNOW, I want Springtime!!

I also wanted to try some beeswax, and thought this would be a good opportunity to experiment.

This is what she had us all start with. The rule is to use every image, but that you can add other papers and stuff too. The last time Mary was here for craft day, she gave all of us pages and pages of printed images from her many collections, so I decided to use only "Mary Papers" in my creation.

To change the Victorian lady into a fairy, I first cut her out like a paper doll, then traced her skirt shape onto some floral paper and then cut it out on glued it over the existing gray skirt. That part was easy, it was a little tougher to piece in the bodice of the dress. After tracing and piecing it in, I had to trim away some extras, and then used a light brown marker over the whole dress to add folds in the fabric.

The French holy card had a pretty border that I cut out and used as a ruffle at the bottom of the skirt.

I didn't care for the winter theme, so snipped off the ice skate blades and the muff, and glued the paper doll onto a tag covered in ledger paper (from Mary's collection), the text from the French holy card, the bank letter head from the challenge, and some green silk ribbon.

Have you ever tried beeswax over your art? I did once, in a Silver Bella class, so knew just a little about it. I had to experiment this time to get it right.

I melted the wax in a mini crock pot that came free with my big crock pot.

Starting with the smaller areas,like the sleeves, I brushed wax on with a small brush, then with a larger, flat brush, filled in the skirt.

I discovered that a blob can be smoothed out with another application of wax over it. And its good to work in one long swoop of a brush stroke.

Adding glitter to the waxed wings sounded like a good idea, but it wasn't. So I discovered that you can scrape away the wax with the flat side of an exacto knife's blade.

This made a really cool texture, the dress is a heavy coat of wax and the wings are a flat, sheen of wax, just the remnants from me scraping off the glittery blob chunks that didn't work so well.

I also found that I could take the exacto knife's point to clean up the edges and any bumps on the dress. After that, I kind of polished it with a paper towel wrapped over my finger. Just a light buffing stroke over the whole waxed area made it look really pretty.

Her hat is a millinery leaf glued on her head, with a white feather and some rhinestones over it. Fast, easy and fit for a fairy queen. I made a belt for her from the same silk ribbon that I used in the background, and then touched up her hair with a brown marker and her lips with a pink one.

SInce I had cut off the muff she was holding, her hands were gone too, they'd been inside the muff. To fix that, I glued a bouquet over the place where her hands should be. We'll just pretend she is holding the flowers.

You can see the wax better in this close up. It creates kind of a dreamy look to the "fabric" of the dress.

A ruffle of crepe, (dipped in coffee to age it), a millinery bloom, and a fairy charm and I was done.

Thanks, Mary!

My studio is full of paper right now. I've been slicing and dicing vintage gift wrap to make up packages to sell in the Boutique. Its not there yet, but I'll let you know when it is.

While I was cutting up the paper, I just had to snip some off for myself, and I made up a couple of banners. This one is done with all baby shower gift wrap and playing cards to spell B A B Y.

The wallpaper chopping is progressing. Slowly but surely. Its so freakin boring to do that it takes me forever. I keep thinking of little errands I should run, or tell myself I need to check on something. I'll make up any little task to get a break from this big one. I'm trying to cut a LOT at once and get the shop stocked up.

At first its fun, because the papers are so pretty and I enjoy playing with them. But after cutting out 5 or 6 of the same pattern I get very burnt out and want to switch to a different roll of paper. Or just leave.

Its almost enough to make me want to work on my taxes. No, not really, no taxes have been done yet. That is even more tedious.

Honestly, a person who is self employed and works at home should have better discipline. I need a boss to make me finish this!

But here is a fun part of my job, I get to announce the winner of my drawing for the package of good stuff-

And the packet goes to:

Clairice at Storybook Woods (one of the first blogs I started reading)

Are you up for the challenge?

fairies, give away, vintage paper/collage art, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / March 5, 2011

What a wonderful day I have had. Its about 8pm, and I am still jammied up. I've spent the entire day in the studio elbow deep in my favorite things, and was too busy to even get dressed. (which also explains why these photos might be a little fuzzy, I just finished, and took the pictures in bad lighting. But I wanted this post to be up and ready for you to link to on Sunday)

My goal for the day was to delve into some of those supplies that I'd bought to use, but that were so wonderful as is, I'd just left sitting in my studio and never touched. Like these little figurines.

For years, and years, I've had this red velvet, vintage album cover, just waiting to be turned into something, and today I finally did.

And I didn't hold back. Every tiny bit that I used on it is something wonderful, French text, rose wallpaper, handfuls of millinery flowers, a rhinestone butterfly, and a GREAT, old, English cottage print.

It was the best time! I cut and glued and played all day, my husband is out of town and I am on my own. No meals to cook, no one to tend to, America's Next Top Model and some other deliciously awful trash TV recorded to watch. And the determination to use The Good Stuff. Yep, a great day!

Beth had given me a bagful of these butterflies last week, and one of those was just perfect to use for the fairy princess's wings. Its tempting to fill an apothecary jar with these and just admire them, but I made myself pop the head off of one and glue it to the figurine's back, (I do think that the antenneas and heads should be removed from a butterfly before adding it as fairy wings. You don't want it to just look like a complete butterfly on her back, you want it to look like the wings are actually hers.)

Earlier this week, I'd sewn up some ruffled strips of salvaged fabric, and while they were not "worth" a lot, I still include them in my besties. And they are something that normally I would have used sparingly, but today, I went whole hog and used THREE rows of ruffles on this can-can girl dress form that I made.

And not only did I use a nice old rhinestone button for the top of the mannequin, I also ringed it in rhinestones. I double foofed it, even though the button alone looked good, the extra sparkle really made the piece.

We all know its not the cost of the item that makes us want to hoard the best things, its much more than that. It can be the sheer beauty, the rarity, or a memory tied to it. We tend to get emotional about our best finds, don't we?

This piece of round, domed glass came out of a ratty frame, and was a dollar at a flea market. But I've left it on a shelf in my studio for what seems like forever, just because it looked nice with a collection of other clear glass items I had in the pile.

But I sure think it looks better over this bird picture than it did on a plate on my shelf!

It felt good to use it.

And I'll bet you can guess what the hoarded item in this piece was- yep, the ROSES. Oh my! Some of the prettiest I have ever had.

I also used TWO rows of old velvet ribbon, and a beautiful jet bead earring.

The back ground for these collages is something I just got, and I treated myself to a stack of them before listing some in the Boutique. Sometimes, I tend to sell the best things I find instead of keeping them for myself.

This one features a frame that I'd been holding back on using.

The frame is something that I've had for at least 10 years. Now what the heck was I thinking???? Why would I buy something like that and leave it in a cabinet? Sometimes things get set aside, just waiting for the right project that never comes along. And it will just sit neglected in a drawer or closet, out of sight, out of mind. Just because I thought it was too good to use when I first bought it.

Is it too late to make a New Year's resolution? If not, then, mine is to dig through my cabinets and rediscover hidden treasures. And USE THEM.

Like this key hole that I found in a drawer today.

Uhm, did I mention that I was productive today? And inspired!

If you've embraced the challenge and have been brave enough to dig into your Good Stuff too, I hope that you will add your link to this post so you can flaunt your efforts.

We all know that it isn't easy to use "the best" and if you've read any of the comments I've been getting on the subject, you'll know that many of us suffer from this. We buy amazing things to create with and then are loathe to do it. Our hands shake, and our forehead breaks out in sweat beads when we reach for that perfect, faded rose, or we try to cut into that length of hand made lace.

But sometimes, you gotta just go for it. A good piece of art deserves are best supplies in it. That note book I covered wouldn't be nearly the same in scrapbook paper, as it is in that beautiful, old, rosey wallpaper.

And I find there is a lot of joy in using the besties. I hope you've found that joy too!

So, here is what you do to join in our link party.

Show your challenge project on your blog (or flickr or facebook, or whatever you use)
Click on the title of your post, and copy that URL into Mr Linky, not the URL of your blog.
Add your link to the bottom of my post where it says, "Click here to enter"
Please add my blog address to your post so people can come and visit all the participant's blogs.
If you want a chance to win a "Good Stuff Prize Pack" from me or from Mrs. Staggs, please leave a comment on my blog for mine and visit her for her rules.
You can use this button if you'd like to

Are you gathering up the good stuff?

parties, show and tell, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / March 5, 2011

Are you ready to show off your creations? I'll have the link party ready Sunday morning and you can add your blog to it anytime through Monday evening.

Your project can be ANYTHING at all, where you have broken free of the instinct to hang on to your best supplies and actually used them.

Sewing, collage, a decorative item for your home. Anything at all that includes bits of your favorite things.

Please make sure you link to the POST that features the item, not just to your blog.

And please do mention the challenge and my blog address so that others can find the list of participants and visit us all.

Your post can be from the past, or a new one. If its an older post, please edit it to add the link back to the party.

As hard as it is to part with the besties, they sure elevate anything you make. I turned these little vintage postal bags into something I really love by adding my favorite things to them.

I'm hoping to make something special tonight just for the party too. There are some supplies I have been eyeing…. its time to delve in and enjoy them!

The postal bags, and some ephemera books (all dripping with the good stuff!) have been added to my Boutique.

And don't forget, you can win a bundle of my besties by leaving a comment.

Mrs. Staggs will be having a giveaway on her blog too. The challenge was her idea. Thanks, Lena!!

A new look for the Boutique!

fairies, the Boutique at Karla's Cottage, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / March 2, 2011

My Boutique is back in business!

My pal, Hope, has finished redesigning it and now it is arranged in a much easier way to navigate.

Here is a snippet of how she has redecorated my store for me. It goes along with my blog look better and has a lot of my favorite things on it. I scanned an old rhinestone necklace for her to use, along with the velvet flowers and old flocked wallpaper.

The roses are taken from a watercolor I painted (that is in my blog header), and then she digitally edited the painting to be sepia. Hope pulled all of my elements together in a functional way, and created a design I really like. Then she set up new buttons and categories for me.

So far, I've only got a few things listed, fairies, tag kits, and a couple of other goodies.

But my studio is overflowing with inventory to photograph and list, so the shop will fill up soon!

(vintage jars of buttons $12)

My plans to add more today got interrupted, but in a fun way. Well, fun for me, I get Sugarwings for the night! Not so fun for my son, he shattered a tooth and is in terrible pain, so he needs help with the kids. He has a dentist appointment Friday, which is a long time to wait when you feel that bad. Not fun one bit.

So I'll be picking up Sugarwings at preschool and we will have a sleepover. I bought ingredients to make strawberry jam and home made yogurt. So, we'll spend the evening in the kitchen. I've never made jam, but wanted a low sugar, organic fruit spread for her, and thought I'd give it a try.

I figure if you don't know how to make something, and its going to be a big, and messy affair anyway, you might as well involve a four year old and make it into an adventure.

(Shredded ephemera $5)

Another item coming to the shop soon, is a selection of wallpaper packs. I've been chopping and slicing and ironing up a storm getting them ready. As I cut it up, I have little edges and salvage left over and simply could NOT let it go to waste. So, I made up some bags of shredded paper, and have so much, I added it to the Boutique.

I had planned on just using it as packing material, but I think that there are arty possibilities too. Like nests? Filling decorated cones? Easter baskets?

(fairies $12 each)

If you get a chance, I'd love to hear what you think about the new look in the Boutique. I'm thrilled with Hope's vision of it, and think its much easier to use with this new lay out. Lots of new categories, and sub categories should make it easier to find what you are looking for.

The categories are now listed under the banner instead of down the side of the site. Its much more balanced and a cleaner look, I think.

And I hope that you are getting geared up to show what you've made with your good stuff? Links can begin Sunday morning and the post will be open to link up with through Monday.

Leave a comment on any post till then (as often as you'd like) to be entered to win my prize pack of good stuff!

Registration is open for Paper Cowgirls!

antiques/junking, bird song art event, how-to projects, magazine pictures or articles, Tutorials, vintage paper/collage art, Workshops

By Karla Nathan / February 23, 2011

Paper Cowgirls is open for registration!

I've already signed up to take a couple classes and am really looking forward to the event. Over the last couple years, I have heard so many good things about it and have wanted to get down to Texas to give it a try.

And I am thrilled to be one of the teachers this year. Well, that is IF ten people sign up for my class…. If ten don't sign up, it gets cancelled.

Please keep your fingers crossed for me!

Personally, its a class that I would sign up for, if it wasn't my class, I mean. I really like the piece we'll be creating. I spend lots of time working on the prototypes and figuring out the steps on how to make these mini dress forms.

An idea can be the easy part. Making it work isn't always as easy! It took me a while to fine tune the process and get it down good enough to show others how to do it. I had a practice class with some friends before I submitted the project to Paper Cowgirls. And I'll do a couple more practice classes with two other groups of friends before I head to Texas to actually get paid for showing people how to make them.

As I've visited my favorite antique stores, I've been keeping my eye out for great pieces to add to my kits. Last week, I came across a few bags full of these insulators. Won't they make cool toppers for these dress forms?

Here's another pile of toppers I've assembled. My plan is to have a wide variety for the students to chose from, so that all the end products are unique.

When I go to a class, I always take my extras. And usually from the Bestie pile I've been talking about lately. Because I like my own piece of art to look like MY OWN piece of art, not just like the teacher's.

Oh, I get a lot from the classes and enjoy and use the kits. And I seem to learn a lot from everyone sitting at the table with me. But- I do like my creation to look like I was the one creating it, so I bring supplemental goodies to add to the kit the teacher provided.

So, for Paper Cowgirls, just like I am with Bird Song, I am giving the students the opportunity to make their own choices. There will be kits of course, and they will be filled with lots of vintagey goodness. And since most of the stuff is vintage, not all will be just the same in each kit.

For some of the supplies, I want to have piles on the tables for everyone to pick through.

I'd rather they didn't have to bring their own unique things unless they really want to. I'd like to provide enough to make sure that while we all follow the same steps and instructions, everyone has the chance to veer off the beaten path a bit and art the piece up in the way that calls out to them.

And with all my classes, the students will be Using the Good Stuff! Look at these great laces I bought yesterday from Beth. She gave me a deal so wonderful that I can afford to treat all the students to nice, old lace.

We spent the day together, she let me help her redo her antique mall booth, and I'll have some photos of that for the next post. And she bought me lunch, then hauled me to Costco so I could mooch off of her membership and buy plates/cups/etc for Bird Song and for another gathering I have coming up.

Over all, this has been a great week. Well besides the awful cold that settled into a sinus infection. But now, I have myself heavily medicated for that and the pounding in my sinuses is just about gone. I had Sugarwings a few nights, which makes any week wonderful. Even though, at my age with a sinus infection, chasing a 4 year old and getting up with her in the middle of the night isn't as easy to do as it used to be. Its worth it.

Besides lots of Fairy Grand Baby time, and getting to spend a day with Beth to play decorator in her booth, and signing up for classes at Paper Cowgirls, I also got this copy of Somerset Apprentice in the mail.

I've never been in it before, and honestly had never seen it, I wonder if it is new? But it is GOOD. I read the whole thing cover to cover while I was in the Dr.'s office waiting room and was impressed with the photos and the layout, not to mention the directions.

The whole magazine is step-by-step directions from many artists. It was well done, easy to read and follow. I got some good tips from it! And it made an unpleasant visit to the Dr. go much better.

Hey, thanks for all the comments and emails about Using the Good Stuff. I think the subject was close to the hoader's heart in all of us!

A few thoughts on Good Stuff

Books, give away, show and tell, vintage paper/collage art, wallpaper, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / February 21, 2011

In honor of our challenge coming up, I delved deeply into the Good Stuff yesterday. I had a stack of chipboard rectangles covered in fantastic old wallpaper, that had been on the shelf above my desk for about a year, and I'd never used them.

Now, I have tons of wallpaper, and plenty to chose from. In my mind its all great stuff. But weirdly, there was something just a little special about these covered boards, all set and ready to go that held me up. I kept thinking that they were too "nice" to just use for nothing special.

So, I decided that if they were all that nice, it just meant that they deserved to have other great supplies added to them! Each little book that I made was done with only the best stuff in my stash.

There are different ways to attack the Good Stuff pile of accumulated supplies you are afraid to touch.

You can ease into it, just using one nice thing to elevate your creation. Or you could sprinkle them throughout, for a nice mix. (my typical plan) Or you can just go for it and use all Good Stuff. I chose the latter when I made these and went whole hog.

Every bit that went into these journals was from my Besties pile.

Including inside the books. Why have a boxful of French post cards if I am just saving them? I never see them inside the box on the shelf (although it does feel really good to know that they are there, near by and sooooo pretty).

But you know what? It feels just as good to know that there is a beautiful French postcard inside this ephemera book!

Once you get going, its a very liberating feeling.

Of course, there are limits, and you don't want to waste your best things on projects that aren't good enough. Well, maybe that isn't how I meant to say it. I believe that everything I make needs to be good enough, everything should be done to my best abilities. When I make something I picture someone picking it up, looking at the details, turning it over.

I want it to be well constructed and properly finished as well as pretty.

But- I also figure price. Would I make a tag with a $5 piece of jewelry on it? No, but I'd make a tag with the best supplies I could afford to put into it and still make it at a reasonable cost.

Also, knowing what the piece is going to be used for plays into the supply decision. A special gift deserves an upgrade, right? But the label or tag on the gift itself should be looked at as possibly thrown away later on by the recipient.

Another thought, for artists who sell their work, is "Can anyone afford to buy this piece???"

Its tempting to layer on the Besties, but there comes a point when the cost factor comes into play. Luckily, I find good bargains on my pretties, and also the things that I often consider my best stuff aren't exactly high priced items.

Its not always the price that makes something wonderful, of course. Like the ruffle on this tag. I trimmed the fabric off a very old pair of curtains that were falling apart. The curtains weren't worth a fortune, that isn't what makes it special to me. Its the perfectly faded old pink color, and the softness of the old fabric. And the fact that I can't just run to Hobby Lobby to buy more if I run out.

Sometimes it seems like we artists tend to work for the cost of materials. Our time isn't always covered in the price of what we sell. But when the creations are from the heart, it just feels so good to have someone care enough to buy them, that we just keep on cranking the stuff out.

Beth and I like to quote Jenny Doh's speech from Kim's mermaid event last summer, when she spoke of why we make art.

"It's the process"

She meant that as artists, it's often not what we get out of selling the piece we've created, it's just the process itself of making it that counts. So, why not treat ourselves to making our art with the best possible stuff we can?

I take a lot of joy in using beautiful and special materials. It elevates not only my artwork, but the process itself. It makes me happy to play with pretties. What a great job I have!

I may never be rich, but I sure do like what I do for a living!!!

If you'd like a chance to win a packet of my Good Stuff supplies, please leave a comment on any post (or all of them for more chances) between now and our challenge link party on March 6-7.

And if you'd like to do a little show and tell of creations you've made using your Besties, please come to our link party on Sunday March 6 and Monday March 7.

That gives you two weeks to get up the nerve to dig in to the Good Stuff. Believe me, you'll be glad you did!

A giveaway, a challenge, and “the good stuff”

sewing?, show and tell, vintage paper/collage art, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / February 19, 2011

There were a few plain bags left over after Beth and I made up all of the goodie bags for Bird Song. So, I foofed them up with trims and flowers and pretties that I had stashed in the studio, to use for another event I have coming up soon. This rose image is printed on canvas and it is one of those things that has been waiting for the right project.

Now, I'm a BIG believer in "using the good stuff" as I've mentioned before. But also, I believe in not wasting it and using it willy nilly either!

I hang on to things till the right project comes along. Its not hoarding, no way. Its establishing a catelog of supplies so I'll have what I need when I need it.

There is a fine line between accumulating too much and having plenty to chose from when you are ready to work on something, though. I don't think I can define that line…

But when my pal, Kim, asked me to be a sponsor for her Moulin Rouge event in March (which I can't wait to go to!)- I was at a loss for a moment when she said she needed SEVENTY items for the goodie bags.

That sounded like a lot. But once I glanced around the studio, I quickly came up with plenty of pretties that I had plenty of. What I settled on, was a few tidbits in a glam color palette tucked into little pouches that I made with metallic flocked wallpaper.

While I was at it, I made an extra one up too, and over stuffed it with some fun "good stuff". I realized that I had missed out on my 4 year blog-o-versary and needed a gift to draw a name for.

Then, my blog friend, Mrs. Staggs, commented on my previous statement about always using the "good stuff". She said that like many artists, she struggles to actually use her best supplies.

We decided that what we need is a challenge! Want to join us? Everyone should delve into their best supplies and cut, chop, glue, and enjoy them, then show us what you've created.

I'll host a Linky party so you can share your post about your best supplies.

How about in two weeks? That should give us time to make something good. Of course, a week of that might be spent staring at that great paper and getting up the courage to cut into it….

I'll draw a name for my package of good stuff that day.(Leave a comment on any post between now and then, as often as you'd like, to enter)

You can use this button on your blog so that everyone knows you'll be participating.

Make anything you'd like. Just use some of your treasures to make it!

ADHD time in the studio

bird song art event, show and tell, vintage paper/collage art, Workshops

By Karla Nathan / February 11, 2011

While I had the sewing machine set up to work on goodie bags for Bird Song, I decided to work on a few other little sewing projects. I wanted to make some crepe paper ruffles to have setting out as extra supplies for anyone who wants to use it on their project for my class that weekend.

And guess what? I need some of the ruffles to add to the kits that I am making up for these classes too! I get to teach at Paper Cowgirls!!!!!! Yee Haw! I'm a cowgal!

The classes are June 9th- 11th someplace in Texas. I guess I should be figuring out where.

I'll be teaching these miniature dress forms. I'm busily finding cool stuff to put in the kits for those too. Lots of old papers, millinery, and lace. Each kit will be just a bit different, when you are providing vintage materials, its different than going to the store or ordering a bunch of something online.

There are still a few spots open for Bird Song, if I don't see you there, maybe I will at Paper Cowgirls? Or at Jenn's event in Ashville?Sign ups haven't started yet for Paper Cowgirls or Once Upon a Dream, I'll let you know when they open for registration.

We still have a few spots left for Bird Song. Debbie and Carol have about a billion readers each, so when they mention it on their blogs, those spots will be gone fast. If you want to come, you should sneak in now before the big guns announce it!

PS- Carol has a new site too, have you seen it yet?

Ever notice how one project leads to another? After sewing up the crepe paper ruffles, I decided that the edges of the paper needed to be coffee dyed. So, I dipped it and then thought, why waste the rest of the coffee? Next thing I know, I'm scrounging for ribbons and trims to add to the coffee.

Then, I printed off some old French images that I'd scanned. I had a few extra bags un-embellished from my craft day with Beth and New Karla on Tuesday, so I thought that I would foof them up while the sewing machine was still out.

After printing the images onto the fabric, I dipped it in the coffee too.

I ended up making 10 more bags for another little party that I am having at my house, not the Bird Song event.

Some of the images I used on these bags were from Romantic Gothic Ghosts and Romantic White Christmas workshops that I did with Beth. So much of the ephemera that we scanned for those classes is good for more than just holiday decor.

For these bags, I used the fabric printed images as pockets, then glued on some embellishments and doo dads.

Its been a bit schizophrenic around the studio the last couple of days. Like I said, one thing leads to another and then all of a sudden, I've got a half dozen different things in the works. Like, when I was trimming up wallpaper to scan to print onto the fabric, I thought- why waste the salvage from it???

So, I got out the paper shredder and next thing I know, I"m shredding up all sorts of pieces too little to be good for much else. (they were still laying around from when I made up the kits for Bird Song). So, now, I have packing materials for shipping when I reopen the Boutique.

( I should be working on getting some inventory built up for my grand reopening, huh? Seems more important to have something to sell than shreds of paper to wrap stuff up in, at least it would be if I wasn't a schizo crafter this week! )

Did I mention that I am also writing 3 articles by the 18th, making 70 gifts for Moulin Rouge, and baby sitting my fairy grandbaby all weekend? No wonder you are NOT seeing any pretty Valentines on my posts.

Thanks to these kind friends who offered to be sponsors for Bird Song and help fill the goodie bags! Later on, I'll do a post with photos of what they send in, along with the rest of the goodies from the other sponsors. Its going to be one tasty, stuffed goodie bag, that is for sure!!