Outside the Box - Art Challenge

 A couple of months ago I discoverd these soaps from  Pure & Natural, & One.  The cool recycled paper packaging & the awesome smell hooked me. I bought 4 of them!  Well, life got busy & they sat in my studio collecting dust, until today. 

 I got them down, began to play, & then I got an idea....

Are you up for an art challenge?

I've never hosted a blog party, swap or challenge before, but these little boxes inspire me! 

I would love to see what you would do with them. If you want to accept my challenge, here's the skinny.

Get yourself some of this soap either at Target, or here, or here.

We'll post our creations on June 28.

Embellish & alter your box in your own personal style.

No postage, no pressure, just take a picture & show it off!

Grab my button & link to this post so everyone else can play along. I'll have Mr. Linky set up the day before our reveal.

Update:

I am going to Target to buy a bunch of the soaps. If you can't get it on your own, I'll send you a bar for $6.   Just email me your information.

Fabric Collage, Then & Now

I was looking for pictures of sisters awhile back, & Dawn sent me this! 

As soon as I saw the 4 school girls, a story began to develop in my head.

 I imagined a kinship between them.

It reminded me of the bond I feel with you.

 

We share our feelings, our joy & pain.

Our dreams & creations. 

Each time I post, I know I will get support & truthful feedback from my friends. 

It's like we have our own little sorority. 

So I took that feeling , & turned it into a mystic tale of sisterhood.

 They are bound by a secret & a devotion to each other. 

The secret sisterhood.

Rummaging through my storage unit, I came across my first tattered collage. 

A little beat up, but I remember it like I created it yesterday.

Self portrait, age 5.  Lovin' that burlap even then,

& still workin' that hair-do.

There's some comfort in familiarity.

Lot's of new things in the shop today.

A Special Birthday Gift

The first time I came across the blog Everything Vintage I felt a real connection with the author.  Her 'out there' humor, ability to tell a story & her beautiful pictures had me coming back to visit everyday.  The first time I got one of her hilarious comments I knew we'd be friends forever.  When my family traveled to Mississippi in April, we planned a detour so I could meet my Cajun sister Jodie in the flesh.  We spent the whole day together laughing, telling stories, & shopping.  She took me to her sacred 5 & 10, & treated my kids & hubby like family.  She charmed us all, & we left loving her sweet self.

When I saw a box marked Eunice Louisiana, at my door on Saturday I tore into it like a kid at Christmas.  Inside was this amazing hanging pocket collage. I couldn't believe it, I've wanted to try one myself but couldn't work up the nerve.  Jodie said this was the first time she's ever made anything like this....EVER.  I'm not sure I buy it....

She used all of the colors I love so much, creams black, rich Victorian tones. When I look at it, I see Jodie everywhere. See the green buckle at the top of this pocket?  It's from a pair of her cargo pants! Anyone who's hung with this crazy girl knows her standard issue uniform is a pair of crocs, a baseball cap & some olive drab cargo pants!

She found all of the old sheet music online, & transferred it on fabric.  I love the different textures going on. The colors in this trim remind me of her gorgeous home.

The collage hangs from an old purse handle. We found them here, during my visit.  The little velvet rosettes, yeah she makes them! She selected each sheet of music for the message in it's title.

This is the back, it's as beautiful as the front! I've made a few tattered collages myself & never thought of embellishing the back. I think it's wonderful.  See the Creole Lover's Song?  That's her, & the Fleur De Les on the rosette... very French Creole.

I wasn't the only benefactor of her generosity.  Aunt Jodie sent a treat for the kids too. Five minutes later they were hanging from the rafters, high on sugar.  Thanks Jodie! LOL

I love my birthday gift so much. Not only is it totally cool & unique, it was made specially for me by a dear friend. It's hanging in my studio, next to the collage Julia made for me. 

Now my 2 blog friends can 'hang' together! 

 I will cherish it forever Jodie, love ya girl!

Tomorrow morning is my big oral surgery.  I'm dreading it. Last week was very hard having 3 appointments in a row & I haven't really felt myself since.  Of course it will all be worth it in the end.

  I feel pretty self indulgent worrying about my teeth when some of my friends are facing so much worse. 

My prayers go out to Joanna, she is such an amazing woman & has dealt with so much heartbreak these past few years. Hang in there sweetie! 

And my dear friend Ann is also going through a tough time, please remember her in your prayers. 

These talented artists create the most incredible work, & much of it influenced by the challenges they face.  Writing this I was reminded of a quote I love.

Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. -Pablo Picasso

Sweet Friends & Rust

It's official, the Cottage Panache sale was a huge success! Even Mother Nature came through for us! 

 I wish I had some pics from outside, truth was, I was BUSY. I was a closer!! LOL I priced my stuff very reasonably, I didn't want to take it home. So in the end, all  I had left were 3 chairs & 2 very sore feet. I did take some shots around the store after the rush, so you could see.

Maureen's store is so awesome, she has a great eye & an ecclectic style.

And great prices!

Finding a good home for some great pieces was the objective, but the bonus was hanging with old friends & meeting some new ones.

My dear friend & sometime junkin' partner, Pat  of My Tattered Elegance, brought some friends & showed her support.  She never leaves empty handed, & finds the best deals.

This adorable girl is Erica from Zunky Chic! The cutie next to her is her hubby. Erica is on the design team for Anthologies Connection. We've been trading comments forever, it was cool to finally see her in person!

Okay, anyone who knows me knows I have this pet peeve about bloggers photographing their feet! LOL This is the only picture I have of my dear friend Lori, from Katie's Rose Cottage that day. So here it is, my 1st ever blog foot shot!  It's so bad you can't even see Lori's precious sandals.

Some Lonestar dealers, Penny & Tracy from 'The Shabby Chandelier' & Dot of 'Shabby Y' walked away with some chippy whites. 

I had so much fun that day, thanks to some sweet friends.

 Angela of I'm Like A Little Bird, try to stop by her cute blog & say hi! Alisa, the Queen of Pickers!  ( You'll hear more about her later) Denise, from Grandma's Redbirds.  We'll be seeing each other next month at Paper Cowgirls!! Yippee! Linda Kinnaird, jeweler extraordinaire! Can't wait for her class at Maureen's. And of course our hostess, Maureen! Girl, I thought I had energy.  Don't know how you do it, but thanks! It was great.

Now, onto the stuff! I must confess, I do these events to sell my finds & make money, but..........I never come home empty handed. It's like a big trade fest. 

 I told you about Alisa earlier. Well, this girl is the Picker of all time! I met her at Maureen's last sale & bought some awesome things, you can see them here.  She's got my 'style' & brought some goodies this time that made me break out in a sweat!

This crazy girl had a galvinized bowl filled with birds nests in ziplock bags! Look at this one, it is the COOLEST nest I've ever seen. There's a dang book in it. Yes, those are little eggs too.

She saw the box I did for Julia & brought me this one.  Oooh, I can't wait to embellish it!

All kinds of rusty hinges & junk.

Bits & pieces.

Can you see wings?

These buckles just made me drool. They are so dingy, the cloth & leather has faded to the perfect creamy shade.

Numbers..... are there ever enough?

Misc goodness!

I'm crazy for this little rusty leather bobbin.

Well, believe it or not, there's even more. But I gotta feed the kids & get ready for the day, so you'll just have to imagine the rest.  Surgery & sales have kept me away from the studio this week, but I'm about ready to list some new goodies in my shop.  Stay tuned for updates, until then.....have a creative day!

Cottage Panache Sidewalk Sale

What are you doing Saturday?

My friend Maureen, of Cottage Panache Antiques is celebrating her anniversary with an awesome sidewalk sale.

Saturday May 15 10am - ?

7277 Glenview Dr., Richland Hills, Tx. 76180

I'll be there selling some goodies left over from my 'mall' daze.

I have a few of these, this one just came back from the upholsterer.

I have 3 cool old prams, each quite unique.

Some framed cottage prints.

Some neat chairs & lots of frenchy stuff!

If you like the sweet little stuff, well I've got that too!

Some pretty plates & platters.

And tables to put it all on! 

Or if you need more room, how 'bout a hutch?

And a lot more too!

I'd love to visit with you, so if your in the area please come by & say Hi!  I'll be pretty easy to spot, look for someone with chubby cheeks!