New Location Of The Paper Collage

My Talented Friend Pamela's Shop THE PAPER COLLAGE has moved to a bigger and better location, so we couldn't wait to get over there and see the new spread!  As always the Shop was a Vision of Marketing and Display Genius.  I always want to buy up everything Displayed but Thankfully Pamela Encourages me to be more Creative than that and Design my own with the wealth of Supplies she stocks the Shop with to Soothe and Feed the Creative Soul!

The Lazy Artist that I am I know she's right, but my first impulse is usually to just buy something Lovely that has already been Created rather than to make the Time to Create, even though Creativity is Pure Bliss for me so I should make the Time to do it more often.   I know what I want and what my own Ideal, Tastes and Aesthetic are, so really it does turn out better and more perfectly for me when I Create what I want rather than buying something I like.   But I also know that if I don't take a Class or get together with other Artists to have a Creative Day, I probably won't set aside enough Time for it and Create anything at all.

So going to Pamela's Shop has always been a Treat because we usually end up Creating something there, taking some of the Great Classes and Workshops offered and trying our hand at new Artistic Methods and Styles.  I only Wish I could set aside more Time to get over there more often and take more of the Classes and Workshops. 

While I Enjoy the Creative Artistic endeavors and seeking out Art Supplies... Little Miss Organization enjoys helping Miss Pamela with keeping things Organized, Clean, Tidy and Creating Displays.   She always sets right to work since that is her Type of Bliss and is more Play than Work in her Eyes.

With Easter fast approaching the Vignettes were a Vision of Spring, Easter and Lovely Pastels... seeing so many Gorgeous Hand-made Cards, Tags and Paper Arts has me itching to Create some of my own now, so I stocked up on Supplies for Future Projects we'll make together.

Of coarse when it comes to Artistic Supplies, Paper Arts and Ephemera I can go overboard... way overboard... and this day was no exception to that Rule.  *Winks*   But I got a great Stash of new Products that are just My Style and will Create some Fab Cards and Tags I've got in mind.   Eventually I want to offer some of my Tags and Cards in my Showrooms because when I've taken the Time to Create them to Sell, they've been very well Received and Sold Out quickly.  So, I must get my Lazy Artist Arse in gear mustn't I?!?  *LOL*

In fact there is a Workshop coming up next Month at the Shop that I would so like to find the Time to take:

Couture Card Class with Leslie

Create five pretty cards using Graphic 45 papers

and other pretty embellishments.

Tuesday, March 17th, 2015

10:30am-1pm

$28

If you think this is something you'd Enjoy as well, visit Pamela's site HERE for more Details about Signing Up before the Class is filled!   Couldn't you Imagine presenting a Card as Beautiful as this that you Created yourself making it all the more Personal and Special?   And then have learned a wealth of Techniques to continue to Create your own Beautiful Custom Cards!

So... mark your Calendars for the Card Class... but know that the Shop also offers Custom Cards that have been Created by various Talented Local Artists as well, so if you're not so inclined to want to make your own, you can Purchase some of the most Beautiful Custom Cards you'll ever see!  Much better than any mass produced Card, it Personalizes the Giving of it just that much more.  These will be Cards that the Recipient will want to Keep and Cherish as a small Work of Art worthy of Displaying and being Inspired by.

Throughout the Year the Shop will also Host many other Workshops and Classes for a variety of Paper Arts Projects.    I've taken Workshops to Create Paper Lanterns, Domino Art Jewelry, Tags, Journals, Scrabble Tile Art, Artist Trading Cards, Gift Cards, Rosette Making... the list is practically endless and I've thoroughly Enjoyed every one and Learned so much!

Pamela also Hosts a regular ATC Swap to Trade ATC's with other Artists, with a different Theme each Month.   This Month's ATC's had just come in for the Swap, this was one of my personal favorites.  You can make them all the same or all different... and what a Great way to meet and Network with other Artists and Connect with Kindred Spirits whose Style of Art you mutually Appreciate.   A Great way to get your Art and Style out there to Share with others too!

In fact, it was Pamela who introduced me to the World of ATC's and I thought it a Wonderful Idea to Trade Art and I really Enjoy Creating and Collecting them now.  Such Sweet Mini Works of Art to Display and be Inspired by... and they fit into Photo Holders so well to Display en mass.

  Pamela also Hosts regular Craft Flea Markets where you can de-stash your Craft Stash for Cash!  I've Attended the Craft Fleas and the variety of Crafts, Supplies and Bargains is to die for!  So... if you have a Hoard of Artistic Supplies, Craft and Paper Arts to dispose of... this will be the Venue for you to Sign up to Participate in... but Spaces are limited, so be sure to check out the Website for more information on upcoming Craft Flea Markets being Hosted.

I really got the Spring Fever whilst visiting the Shop... I mean, how couldn't you with all this Visually Delighting and Inspiring you!??!?!   Made me want to rush right Home and begin Styling for Spring and Easter!

I bought some of the new Stickles colors... I J'Adore Stickles!  If you've never used the Product, get some, you'll soon want the entire Line and it's an inexpensive way to Jazz up your Paper Arts, Domino Pendant Jewelry, Scrabble Tile Arts and the like!  *Smiles*

Princess T and I are mos def Scrapbook Paper Addicts... we can find all kinds of uses for our Favorite Scrapbook Papers and so we have an enormous Stash of them at Home and it's a staple for our Creative Projects involving Paper.   We're always seeking out new Designs we like and Pamela always carries Unique Lines of Scrapbook Papers you just can't find in the big box Craft Stores.

One of our New Favorites is this Junque Gypsy Line of Scrapbook Paper... SOOOO Our Style!!!  Yep, I think we bought triplicates of each Design... one for each of us to use in Projects and one for our "Keeper Collection" of Scrapbook Papers we use as backdrops to Photograph small Creations against and use for Future Reference when we want to replace a Favorite Design.

  Not to mention you just never know when a Design will be Retired or Discontinued and you just can't get it anymore because it's no longer being Produced.   I know you probably cringe when that happens too, especially if you don't have anymore of that Design and now it's gone forever... so if you keep a "Keeper Stash" of your Favs at least you'll always have one if only to use for Inspiration and Photography Backdrops.

Of coarse New Paper Designs are coming out all the time too and I Love to find New Favorites to add to the Old Favorites.   I have my particular Lines that I am drawn to, like a Groupie of sorts for those Manufacturers that Style them because I tend to Love everything they offer in their Lines since it's so very My Style and thus Perfection.  *Ha ha ha*

Pamela and I are noted for never passing up Smalls when we go Pickin' together because when you Enjoy Paper and Mixed Media Arts as much as we do, they ALWAYS come in handy to use and to Sell to those who might not Enjoy the Thrill of the Hunt Sourcing them and just wanna buy them off you instead.  *Winks*   We scour high and low to Source those Smalls for your Artistic Projects and maybe I'm a bit of a Nut, but I thoroughly Enjoy Packaging my Smalls... it's Fun for me to make Gypsy Style Swag Bags of assorted Artist Supplies and other Creative Smalls.  The Kiddos and I could spend hours sorting thru our Stash to individually Package the Kits, it's like Play!

Nothing is quite like wading through Art Supplies, Smalls and Ephemera for us... whether it's our own Private Stash or at our Favorite Shops and Vendor Friends that Specialize in those Products.  It's rather like Disneyland For Creative Souls to be surrounded by such things.  And you will definitely be surrounded by such things at the Shop... and it's so much larger than the last location so there's even more Space, Eye Candy, Inventory and Unique Finds for Creative Minds!!!  *Insert Squeals of Delight!*

Yeah, I know, I'm flagrantly disregarding my self-imposed Image Quota in Today's Post to Plug my Friend's Amazing Shop... HADDA though, no way I could Edit down to just 10-12 Favorite Images I took while Pamela Revealed her Enlarged Vision!!!  *Smiles*   But I don't think you'll mind the occasional Obsessed Post that goes Long will you?  *Ha ha ha*

Yep, it's a lot of Visuals to Assault you with... but in a Good Way though... so Overdosing on Inspiration and Beauty isn't always a Negative... actually I can't remember when I considered it a Negative at all... bury me in Inspiration and Beauty any day I say and never apologize for it!

I just never get tired of Pretty Things and I can visit Shops like this and literally lose track of Time and be totally Lost on the Canvas of my own Imagination with the Creative Possibilities racing around in there at warp speed!  *Winks*

Anyone with a Creative Bent totally 'Gets It' and can Relate... even if others can't fathom why we get so Excited about what makes our pulses race and our Imaginations soar to heights out of the Stratosphere!

Princess T saw these Mixed Media Journals and fell in Love... she's cutting up every Magazine she can find and I'll allow her to now to Create her own version of this Cool Art Form.   She's also making Miniature Books and Journals for her LPS Critters and Doll House Library now that she's got all her new Papers from Miss Pamela's Shop to Create with!

So, if you find yourselves in the Far West Valley of the Sun... drop by the new location of 

THE PAPER COLLAGE.   

Perhaps we'll even see you there or take a Workshop or Class together some day?!?

Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

Shameless Plugs Can Work

Sometimes I forget what a powerful Platform Social Media Sites can be.  Since my Showrooms are my little Happy Place and a Hobby, mostly to downsize my Personal Hoard at Home and be an outlet from Full Time Caregiving, I rarely Promote them here or on my Facebook site.  Yes, probably I should, but I don't bring that much in or re-style it often enough to make it Blog Fodder worthy.  I'd get bored doing it and reading about it constantly so I can only imagine if I turned it into more of a Biz Blog how much of a Yawnfest it could be for others.  *Smiles*

But every so often I do a Shameless Plug for any New Inventory I've brought in and it almost never fails to Turn it faster... sometimes so quickly I can hardly believe how effective it actually is to Showcase items via Social Media Outlets!   Such was the case with the Old Carved Dresser that had graced The Son and then the G-Kids rooms for over two decades.   I always liked it but with two Kiddos Sharing it we really needed something larger with more storage capacity.

And though it could be considered Vintage now, and it had nice Details, I had wanted to replace it eventually with a larger Antique Dresser that would be more solid and hold up for a Lifetime.   Something that I'd Cherish long after all the Kiddos were finally grown and I'd be free to utilize it for my own Purposes and Storage needs.

So, when that Special Antique Dresser finally showed up... off to the Showroom this one went and after Showcasing it on my FB Page, it was Sold that very same day... which could have been slightly coincidental, but probably not.  Shameless Plugs have worked very well to move pieces that take up a fair amount of Real Estate in the Showrooms and thus I don't want to have in Inventory too long, so that I can fill the spot with something else to Sell.  *Winks*   So, Note To Self: I probably should do more Shameless Plugs in Blog Posts and FB Visuals of what's going into Inventory. *Smiles*

Enter the new acquisition replacement for the G-Kids Storage needs... the Gorgeous Antique Dresser that I picked up on the Big Sale at our Antique Mall for a mere Eighty Bucks.  I wasn't exactly shopping for The Dresser when it showed up unexpectedly, but it was so Fabulous looking with the Cross Cut Old Wood giving it a Beautiful Patina and the Gorgeous Ornate Old Hardware that I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the price... and then knew I'd get 20% Off for the Sale ta boot!  Color me Happy!!!

It's got six large locking drawers that are deep and Beadboard construction on the backside, it's so heavy and sturdy that even with empty drawers it still takes three Men and a Boy to lift it!   "What's in here?", those lifting it queried... "Nothing, it's empty...", I says... and it turns out we had to remove every drawer for it even to be able to be lifted... each drawer also being boat anchor heavy, this is one Solid Old Piece, they just don't make 'em like this anymore my Friends!!!   I takes it Home and Oils it up Lovingly to bring out the gorgeous Grain of the Wood.  So imagine my Horror when Princess T comes in halfway through the day to rat out her Big Brother saying he'd nailed pictures all over it!  *Gasp!  Insert me clutching my Chest Redd Foxx Style!*

Yep, tho' the flipped Dresser had Endured over Twenty years without Incident in the rooms of various Kiddos in the household, including Prince R, well, Gramma's new Fabulous Antique Dresser didn't last half a day without Incident... go figure!   Poor thing had remained unscathed for probably over a Century in someone else's Care, but once arriving at Bohemian Valhalla it was ravaged within hours as The Young Prince bangs up his favorite Photos as if it's a Messenger or Memo Board on the sides! *Gasp!*  And because to a Fourteen Year Old Boy there is nothing wrong with this Picture... his response was something like, "Well, the holes will be so small Gramma that you probably won't even be able to see them..."    Yeah, good thing I have these Senior Citizen Eyes huh, so that I PROBABLY won't even be able to notice the carnage done!  *Bwahahahahaha!*   I think I'm getting too Old for my Heart to take such things that happen regularly when raising Children... which is probably why God made it that Women my Age no longer breed?!?  *Winks*

And this is also why I NEED my little Happy Place to Retreat and Escape to so's I can come back to Center from the brink of Insanity they all take me to sometimes!  *LOL*   A place where I know my Edited and Purged Treasures can find New Homes that will Appreciate them as much as I do.   As I continue with Curating my Stash of Lovelies and paring it down to only that which I use regularly or am still Madly and Deeply in Love with and can't part with yet.   The rest will be moving out of Bohemian Valhalla and be Showroom bound for someone else to Enjoy the Thrill of the Hunt to Discover and then drag Home as a Found Treasure and Trophy to their Lairs.

I Predict that in the not so distant Future I will have pared down a considerable amount to a point where I'm almost Satisfied that what is left is what should be Kept.    Though being a Human Magpie I am certain that I will continue to forage and find more to fill up our Home and the Showrooms since that's what I do and it's my Nature.   Something I've decided not to attempt to Control so much as just Balance to a Reasonable level and Moderate more carefully.

But also continue to Sell off enough that it is the fuel to fund much needed projects like scraping off the awful popcorn ceiling in the Main Kitchen and repainting where old water damage is still evident from before we had a new roof installed on the Old Homestead.   And Feathering our Nest with the Objects really Loved and which will certainly be Keepers, MY Trophies of The Hunt like my Nineteen-Forties Mule Deer Mount which now graces a door into the Main Kitchen area.

  

Yes, I Promised you a glimpse into how I Pimped him Out making him a Shim now since the face is so Sweet that I envision it as Female even tho' I know it's really not.  *LOL*   I have an Antique Italian Gesso Frame that will go around it and frame the Mount, which is why I didn't want a Plaque behind it and opted to purchase this one instead so that The Man wouldn't have yet another Project that might not work out so well.   He was nervous about having to detach a Plaque from an expensive acquisition anyway, so much relieved when he didn't have to and I opted for this more Simple and Smaller, much less expensive Vintage Darling, which fits the Space better than a larger one would have anyway.

Don't you find that at an Event or Shop it's sometimes hard to gauge Scale or how well an Item might fit into the Home since it's usually being Displayed in a much larger Space than it will end up in?  *Smiles*  They always seem so much smaller there and then you bring them Home and Uh Oh... *Winks*   I've had more than my fair share of Uh Oh Moments lemme tell ya!   Thankfully this was not one of them once I changed my Mind on which Mount to Purchase!  *Whew!*

Yes, the White Tail I initially fell in Lust with was Magnificent and Regal indeed and I still Loves it... but I feel like I made the right decision for our Needs and the Space that was going to be filled.    This one would have been so large it would have Ambushed and Assaulted you as you tried to walk into the Kitchen I Suspect!?!   And if The Man had jacked it up whilst Attempting to remove that Plaque I could have possibly gone Postal, right?!?  *LOL*

*******

Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

Sweet Salvage ~ Rustic Luxe ~ Part III

This Series of Posts might go on for a Minute since my self-imposed Quota of Images per Post makes it so that I'll need more Posts to Share the Gorgeous Imagery at the Event... but you won't mind will you?  *Winks*

I'm still not the best Editor when it comes to Sharing... I am probably destined to be an Over-Sharer all my days?!?  *Smiles*   Instead of Fighting it and trying to Control how I am about Collecting and Sharing I am coming to terms with Embracing it as how I was just meant to be.  I go to extraordinary lengths to find, Collect, Curate and Display Beautiful things... or at least that which is Beautiful or Interesting to ME.

  

Being a Keeper Of The Past has it's Merits to be sure... some things just wouldn't Exist if they had not been kept as a part of my obsession with Collecting them and Saving them from an uncertain Fate.  The Appreciation of some things takes time and sometimes too much time passes before their intrinsic value is mainstream enough that more than just the quirky few of us wants them.

When things are deemed worthless by the mainstream of Society or just not noticed as worthy of Saving or Keeping, their numbers can diminish considerably... or left to decay to a point of little or no redemption or resurrection and Lost to the ravages of Time.   I'm always Excited when I become the Keeper in a line of Keepers of something that has been Saved from Extinction and passed along Generation to Generation.

Perhaps not as a Family Heirloom of my own Kin, but just something that somebody else back in Time felt a certain kinda way about enough to Keep it, for whatever reason, so that it wasn't Lost forever.   Perhaps that is why I view such things as Taxidermy in a different way than many do.  When I see the Preservation of an Animal that Existed in a certain Era long past, it gives me a glimpse into what that Species looked like back then and the subtle nuances of similarities or differences compared to the Species as it exists Today... IF it even still exists Today?!?  Alas, Extinction has taken it's toll on some of God's Wonderful Creatures and threatens others even now as they become Endangered Species. 

 I mean how many of us in this Era have even seen a Specimen of a Dodo Bird or a Passenger Pigeon?   An Antique Animal Specimen Preserved is rather Immortal really and therefore cannot be entirely Forgotten.  The Essence of it still Exists in the Visual of that Individual Animal... whether it died of Natural Causes or not... over Time it would have certainly died and decayed... but to Live on in Taxidermy is rather Wonderful and makes it Special that Survives to this day in it's decedent form.

How things were made is also Evident in the preserved specimens of whatever it is.   The Workmanship, the Materials, the Crafting has Evolved over Time... and not always in a good way.  To me Older is almost always better and certainly of Superior Craftsmanship, Quality and has more Character than most mass produced Modern items.   I don't possess a lot of mass produced items, they're too common and ordinary for me to Appreciate in quite the same way as something uncommon and extraordinary.

And I will almost always opt for a Vintage or Antique Item if given the choice.  Or to have it be even more Special... something Created by an Artist and OOAK.   I'd rather go without for a while until I can afford to get those Anchor pieces for my Furnishings, Wardrobe and Accessorizing.   I will always buy the very best that I can afford and then Trade Up over Time to get to the pinnacle piece in my Collections.

Typically I will Create my own Art just enough to Fund a Purchase I'm Jonesin' for... like an Artistic Junkie of sorts.  *Ha ha ha*   Lazy Artist that I am it just works for me to do it that way, if I can work out a Trade I'm totally Content to.   Creating for Cash just never has been enough of a Catalyst to be Creative for me personally... Creating either Feeds my Soul or fills some kind of Need I have for a Means to an End by Selling what I made to get something else I want and needed the resources for!

If my Soul isn't particularly Hungry and seems Satiated, I probably won't Create for a while or even feel the Need to.  But if I really, really, really WANT something badly enough that I know my Art could pay for it... well, I CAN be Motivated into Action!   Because after all, I want what I want don't I... and I will be tenacious and relentless to get it!  *LOL*

What kind of things are Motivating Factors to and for you my Friends?   I have always Believed that if you want something badly enough you will find a way to get it or make it happen.  You will take steps in the right direction if it is something you simply have to have or want to do desperately.  I'm not one to Settle... never have been and probably never will be.   I've gone without for extended periods of time to get exactly what I was aiming for without compromises.

I know that I can have Expensive Tastes and so Luxe can be something I insist upon waiting for.   If I wanted a Diamond for example, I would not Settle for a Yag... I'd rather have the small Diamond than a big fake and Trade-Up over time 'til I got the size and Quality I was aiming for in the Real Deal.   But that's just me... I'm just not Impressed by fakes, be they things or people... Being Real is just something I have more of a Respect and Deep Appreciation for.   If you're 100% with me I don't care how many alleged flaws come with it... same with my Stuff, if it's the Real Deal it can be Imperfect and I don't care.

What do you Insist upon when you're choosing something... or anything for that matter?  What does it HAVE to have?   What can't you Compromise?   What really Stirs you when it comes to picking out your Stuff or your Relationships?   It can be really Deep to Contemplate that on the way to Self Discovery.

So here's to Discovering... whether it's Stuff... or about ourselves... Blessings and Love coming to you from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian