My Big Free Vintage Paris Giveaway!

My HUGE PARIS GIVEAWAY!

Vintage French Papers and Beads Goodie Packs

I visit Paris every April and have had the opportunity to shop in the two biggest out door markets. To celebrate the launch of my book and this new blog I am starting my giveaway program.

I have ten sets similar to the picture you see posted here. Every set is different.

Each package has two French magazines dedicated to "woman's arts and crafts." They are full of patterns and ads.

I am also including two vintage velvet leaves, a small container of rhinestones and a sampling of beads from the oldest bead seller at the huge outdoor market known as the Les Puces de Saint-Ouen. You can read about these finds in my book: “Art Girl’s Guide to Paris.”

Who Can Win?

Anyone in Canada or the USA. Sorry, it would be too expensive for me to ship overseas.

How Can You win?

Just leave a comment here! I’ll be drawing names in a week!

Easy To Win!

This blog is so new, hardly anyone knows about it, so your chances of winning are excellent! Tell your friends!

Sewn and Quilted Scrapbook Layout

Ah yes. I have a new pack of papers from 3 Birds.
This is the new "Brights" collection and I can't wait to show it off on The Shopping Channel September 8th.

I have shown some beautiful sewn paper samples each time I launch a new set of papers. Yesterday I worked on this layout. I had all these ovals from another project and didn't want them to go to waste. My first step was to sew the ovals to the background papers.

I liked my new background and found some fabric that had these cute kid faces. Since I knew which photograph I would be featuring these happy faces just added to the whimsical feeling of the layout. But I wondered if I could add these fabric kids with some extra dimension. I pulled out some thick quilt batting.

I cut some batting to fit under each happy face and then the real sewing test began.
Sewing paper requires some patience if you need to sew a complete circle or square. You can see how I had to roll the paper here to get half of the stuffed face sewn in place. Then I maneuvered the paper to sew the other half.

The faces looked so much better quilted in place.

Love my new sample! It will hang here in my sewing area when I am done showing it off on The Shopping Channel.

Embellished Cards

Some days the cards just get more and more embellishment.

When they are closed and in the clear bags it is hard to see some of the detail.

I love these three paneled card bodies. It gives me another opportunity to embellish the card.

Paris is still a major theme for me. I don't think I will tire of it anytime soon.

The Good Mailing List - Year Two

This is the second year the most amazing invitation has landed in my mail box.
I attended an amfar event organized by the Stationary Show in New York several years ago which is how I may have ended up on this mailing list. The tickets for individuals wishing to attend this event are $1000.

This years invite arrived in a clear envelope. It is holographic plastic paper with gold embossing. Just beautiful. Last year's invite is linked here. I have always loved the business of printing and would have loved to see how this was designed and then actually printed.

Since the invitation is in my studio It inspired me to find my own hot red fabric with gold. I knew I had a piece somewhere.
I made these new yo yo beads Alma demonstrated in our online class this week. So while I won't be attending this event, it will certainly inspire me.

Now. Speaking of inspiration. Look at all the links the jewelery beads have for you this week! Get that second cup of coffee and enjoy!

A Bead A Day
Do you like to mix crafting with jewelry making? Lisa is looking for crafty ideas for using a filigree pendant to create a unique piece of jewelry.

About.com Jewelry Making
Tammy announces her first About.com jewelry making video.

Art Bead Scene
While Art Bead Scene Editor, Cindy Gimbrone is on vacation, she's left us a gem from Studio Saturday - her box of inspiration!

Beading Arts
After receiving a wonderful package of crystals from Auntie's Beads, Cyndi set out to make a bracelet that would show them off!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi was at CHA in Chicago and has a fabulous post about Prima Marketing.

Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
While Cindy's off enjoying the bead-ch, let's get ready for the upcoming HalloweenMas newsletters by checking in on a re-wind. It's Barbe Saint John's magic with Cindy's Calaveraz.

Carmi's Art/Life World
The new Katiedids components are responsible for Carmi's new pearl necklace design.

Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio
Lorelei shows off her loot from her Bead Fest Philadelphia trip!

Snap Out of It, Jean! There's Beading to be Done!
Jean is totally WOWed by the fabulous Margot Potter's latest book: scroll down to read the truly intriguing review of this unique book--it is SO worth it!

Art In The Mail

Before sites like Etsy were developed the only way I would be exposed to a new artist would be through a craft show or traveling to another city. The online world is fabulous for discovering new favorites. This little book arrived in the mail this week.

Beautifully packaged with ribbon and a vintage postcard it was hard to open. The 3 1/2 by 5 1/2 ruled journal has a pen and paint image on the front and bag. Plus it came in it's own felt bag. The artist is on Etsy with her shop: Mary's Granddaughter. How lovely!

If you have time to peruse the internet this morning here are some crafty sites to visit!

About Family Crafts
Grandparent's Day is September 12th... Now is the perfect time to start making gifts to give to your grandparents.

Aileen's Musings
Aileen teaches you how to make spectacular backgrounds using Krylon's spray webbing and also shares with you what NOT to do.

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi creates a faux metallic bead with quilted fabric she sews together herself.

Cathie Filian
Check out how Cathie turns an outdated holiday themed cookie stand and a cotton print thrift store skirt into a cupcake stand.

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
This week at Craftside there is a free knit leaf coaster pattern, a bunch of decorating with artwork suggestions from the book 500 Ideas for Small Spaces, iron safety and cleaning tips from the book 1,000 Clever Sewing Shortcuts and Tips and an environmental labeling concept from Design School Confidential.

Crafty Princess Diaries
It definitely required a learning curve before Tammy was about to reach 50 sales in her Etsy shop.

Eileen - The Artful Crafter
Here are directions for creating a hat-shaped card. Eileen made a Red Hat card but the directions can easily be adapted to make a cowboy hat, a Mexican sombrero or a frilly lady's hat for an afternoon tea or luncheon.

Mixed Media Artist
Cyndi is giving away a copy of "Dimensional Beading", so hurry over and leave your comment!

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
See how I melted sequins inspired by the sequin singeing technique in the book Dusty Diablos.

The Crochet Dude
Drew tries out his new video equipment!!

Paris Silver Fabric Obsession

These two little wallets (which I will never use) lead me to the silver fabric obsession.

The first year I bought this pretty pretty wallet. I was dying to know what type of fabric the artist was working with. The silver was so soft. I could only describe it as "parachute" type fabric. Not that I have ever used a parachute. I looked for it in my travels everywhere I went in North America.

The next year I went back to the store with my friend Shoshana who knows fabric. She too loved the little wallets and I bought my second piece. The store manager told us that the artist was a sweet girl who traveled the world taking photos which she then used on these tiny bags.

Where in the world did she get this fabric?
I loved the stitching and how it popped against the fabric.

Now I had been buying silver fabric ever since I bought the first wallet.
But it was never the same.
I didn't even know what I wanted to make, but I just had to have that fabric.
Shoshana said "maybe we'll see it when we go to the fabric district." Now I cover the fabric district in my guidebook. It is huge. But we had a goal. We went to the stores that have pre-cut fabrics. You dig and dig. Looking for silver was easy though. Then Shoshana gave me the signal! She had observed a young woman in the corner with a piece of silver fabric. She was trying to get the price lowered...but there was no more discounting to be had!
So she left the fabric and we swooped upon it.
It was pricey!
But it was what I had been searching for!
We have a feeling our wallet designer was that young woman...we were not able to catch up with her, she left so quickly.

I have had that fabric in my stash now for almost four years. It was time to finally use it.
Can I just say VERY DIFFICULT!!! I have never had a worse experience trying to get my machine to sew through something. In the end I had to do some layering which allowed me to make a new piece of fabric to create these beads. I am in an online class with a great bead creator Alma Stoller, so my Paris fabrics are finally being used. My silver obsession has come full circle. Perhaps now I can do something with the gold collection......

Art Cards

It has been a regular week in the studio. I am back to my 24 cards a day program.
I won't even begin to try and show you everything, but I do have favorites.

These bezels feature images from old wrapping paper.

I am using up the rest of my "Funny Girl" themed pendants.

These "lucky" hearts I removed from a necklace I bought in Paris.
I am shopping for embellishments in my own home. Trying to work my way through boxes and boxes of supplies.
A project which may take a lifetime if I don't stop adding to my stash.

My Katiedids Necklace!

This necklace is so nice to wear. It has just the right amount of weight to sit perfectly when it is on.

The bezels that you see came from the new components collection Katie Hacker launched this year. I visited her at CHA and she gave me a package of five to experiment with. Right away I saw the bezel part as something I could pour resin into.

These components were designed so that you can suspend beads and other items through the pre drilled holes. I decided to use some jeweled wire eye pins to close those holes and embed an image and some very old pearls into the two different sections.

The wire I worked with later to create the dangle.

My new pearl necklace is really me!
And I had two more bezels to make yet another coat badge!

Door Knocker Envy

Living in North America I rarely see a door knocker.
Let me re phrase.
I rarely see an interesting door knocker.
Everyone has an electric door bell so all you see by a front door is a little button. And really, I think I would jump out of my skin if someone pounded on a door knocker at my front door.
But in Paris you see door knockers everywhere and they are usually attached to thick wooden doors. Those doors do not have windows. Occasionally they have a sliding mechanism or mini window that a person on the inside of to the door could open to see who was knocking.
This door had three of my favorite things.
One. Amazing green paint.
Two. Door knocker.
Three. Spider web cover on tiny window.

It was all I could do not to knock on this door. I was dying to see who would peer out from behind the spider web!

Metallic Square Bead

I am in a wonderful summer online workshop with Alma Stoller. She taught us how to make our own quilted fabrics which we are sewing into various beads. I am in love with this cube bead.

I have an abundance of metallic fabrics in my stash and got the idea late yesterday afternoon for a faux metallic bead.

But I ran into all sorts of difficulty sewing the fabric together. The sewing machine got caught on the fabric and literally would not move. The metallic silver thread kept snapping. Everything looked puckered and uneven.

So another idea popped into my head. I covered everything with a light layer of chiffon.

You can barely see the chiffon! The sewing machine just glided over the surface now!

I even cut and sewed three beads in one sitting. I have enough fabric to make 4-6 more, so I know what I'll be doing tonight while watching a little TV.

Frida Cards

My new oval button maker is starting to make it's presence known on my art cards.

I could not be happier with the results!

Beautiful Baby

Today I am back at The Shopping Channel.
I made several new samples this weekend using the products I am showcasing. This is the cover of a calendar I started this weekend. Each month is prettier than the next.

It was so easy to make these pages using this special set I am debuting today.

The foil is from this kit. There are so few left, even I have to order one last set online today!

You won't believe what you can do with this Sticker Stack!
My TV times: 11:25, 3:25 and 8:25pm