Winner of Paris Shabby Chic June giveaway is....

Congratulations ettaking!!!

Out of 54 entries ettaking was the lucky winner this month!!

I love this artists etsy shop because the subjects of the photos are very unique and full of color!

The photo of the Eiffel tower is just sooooo gorgeous!

Check out the link to see for yourself http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5055535

Hope you enjoy the Paris collage ettaking, and when you get to your dream trip to Africa someday, we'll be awaiting to see your amazing photos.

Stay tuned in the coming week or two to see a sneak peek of the July Paris shabby chic giveaway!

Sneak peek of June Paris giveaway!

Bonjour!!!

Here's a sneak peek of the June Paris giveaway.

Remember, if you have already left me a comment on past posts then you are still signed up for the monthly giveaway. But if you have never left me a comment telling me where you would love to visit someday, then just leave your comment here and I'll add you to the list.

Bonne chance to you all.

deborah

I'm in a Paris state of mind!!

Hello,

I have been thinking about Paris alot lately, and thought I'd put up a few of my fav photos from my trip that I took a few years ago.

My hubby and I spent 2 weeks in France for our 25th wedding anniversary and it was the trip of a lifetime! I had never flown before either so it was definetely memorable! One of the things I love about Paris is that you can walk everywhere, which really was great because it helped reduce my calories from all the chocolate croissants I ate!

And of course the other great thing is the art!!! I couldn't believe that I really got to stand in front of orginal art work that I had only seen in books before. It was so emotional for me to actually be standing in front of the canvas in the same way Renior had stood, or Van gogh, or Degas. Total inspiration, that's for sure.

Hope you enjoyed some of my Paris memories. And never forget, that dreams really do come true!

deborah

And the winner is..... Tiedupmemories!

Congratulations

Tiedupmemories! You are the winner of my May Paris Shabby Chic giveaway!!

As you can see, for the month of May, I thought I'd create something with lots of pink. Hope you like it.

For those of you who are hearing about tiedupmemories for the first time, let me tell you that she is a lovely jewelry artist and her pieces are exquisite! So go check out her shop on Etsy at

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5420388 and you will be so glad you did.

Now, for those of you who did not win this month, don't lose faith! there is still the month of June, July, August, September and for the October winner a very special surprise straight from Paris herself, and I'm not talking about Hilton! lol

So, if you already have put your name in for the last two giveaways, then you are automatically set up for all future Paris giveaways. If you are a newbie to my blog and have not posted for my giveaways yet, then leave me a post, telling me where would be your favorite place in the world to visit. I will then place your name in the toille box for the remaining Paris Shabby Chic giveaways.

talk with you all soon,

deborah

I've been tagged!

Hey, I've been tagged by http://shabbyboutique.blogspot.com/
This is a first for me so, bare with me as I try to figure it out! lol
I'm suppose to tell you out there in blog land 7 things about myself that noone knows and that I would be willing to let everyone now know! I think that's the gist of it. So here it goes....

1. I absolutely will never go camping again! I actually like the sitting around the campfire part and the roasting marshmellows part, but the sleeping in a tent on the hard cold ground is not my idea of fun, not to mention the no shower, pit toilets and no where to brush my teeth part!!!

2. I'm pretty much still scared of the dark.

3. I love it when the sound of the refrigerator stops and there is only the sound of total silence!!

4. I changed my name to shannon when I was about 13 years old. My mom said it was fine with her. So I did, and that lasted about a summer. (smart mom, didn't say no, just let me do it)

5. When I visited the grave of Vincent van Gogh in Arles, France, I cried.

6. I have an obsession with old chairs!! I rescue them off the street, in thrift shops, garage sales.
It is not pretty!

7. I had Donny Osmond posters all over my walls when I was a teenager!! Now that was difficult to admit! lol


Okay, there's 7 weird and random facts about me that I will surely deny if I meet you on the street!!
Now who will I tag? Let me see.....

http://hjcompton270.blogspot.com/, she organized the first swap I've ever done and I love her art work.
http://www.gemstatequilling.blogspot.com/, you should see her paper quilling, it is wonderful.

http://www.espritdart.blogspot.com/, this talented artist won my April Paris giveaway and you should see her beautiful creations!!!

http://misseskwitty.blogspot.com/, she leaves me the sweetest comments on my blog, and hope she still will after this tag!!!

http://www.dandelionwishes-mimi.blogspot.com/, I love mimis blog, it is sooo sweet to read and brings a smile to my face

http://etsycottagestyle.ning.com/profile/RhondaMum, we are Paris friends forever, and have a bond with the Eiffel tower

http://www.craftilyeverafter.blogspot.com/, and last and without a doubt not least, is the ever amazing CottageStyleStreetTeam leader Sadielou, I wouldn't be here doing any of this without her

Okay, that's my list of 7. I don't know if I did it the way I should of, but I'm still kinda new at all of this so I did my best!


If you are tagged by me then you need to add this to your blog and do the same as I did.
If you have been tagged, here is what is requested:
1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

A little bit of Paris chic

Hi all,

Since my Paris giveaway is almost here I thought

it would be fun to show you the ceiling of my Paris guest room in my home.

I used a staple gun to tack up the fabric and then I added decorative buttons to give it that tufted look. It really gives the room the "wow" factor when you walk in, something out of the ordinary.

The blank white space to the left of the photo is where I have sketched an image of the Eiffel tower and one of these days will be painted in!

One of my many, many projects to get to!!!

I'll talk to you soon,

deborah

Sneak peek of the May Paris shabbychic giveaway!

Hi all,

Here's a little sneak peek of my Paris shabbychic May giveaway!

If you left a post in my previous giveaway, telling me where you would like to travel to someday, then you do not need to sign up again. But if this is your first time hearing about this giveaway, just leave me a comment telling me where in this grand world of ours, would you like to take a trip to and I will put your name into the May drawing.

I will announce Mays winner on June 1st!

deborah

Hi all,

I was on someones blog the other day and they were showing an old chair of theirs and they were commenting about how it didn't fit into the decor of their art room. And so I thought I'd take a few photos of my chair and love seat that I felt the same about until I recovered them and made them "new" again.

When I originally purchased the set they were uphostered in a sage green with a cream and sage green striped piping around the edges. They were perfect for my color scheme at that time in my life, but as the years went by I was wanting a different look, still in the same colors somewhat but fresher. My thought at that moment was to sell them and just get a new chair and love seat, but I really couldn't afford that so..... Why not recover them myself? I've sewn chair cushion covers before and that would be easy but what about the rest of the areas? It then dawned on me that I had seen a magazine article of a woman who decorated her whole house by using her trusty ole glue gun and added beading to her curtains and mantels, and more! and I thought "hey, why not use the glue gun to attach new fabric to the chair and love seat!!! and let me tell you, it worked fantastic, it was easy, fun and I think, turned out wonderful.

I love it when I can take something that seems used up or worn and repurpose it and make it useable and lovely again. And I know, I must be making a true upholsterers hair stand up on end at this moment but this technique worked for me and gave me a new comfy chair and loveseat! All it took was an afternoon, a few yards of wonderful fabric, a glue gun, and a little bit of courage.(yeah, it's kind of scary to glue onto a couch, even if it is old!)

Plus it's a wonderful conversation piece, when friends find out how it was upholstered. They are amazed by what a person can do with a glue gun! and so am I! Happy gluing!!

talk to you soon,

deborah

And the Winner is........

Bonjour all,

Yes, today is the day for my Paris shabby chic giveaway, and I have randomly picked a name out of my french toille box! I have major butterflies in my stomach because I am excited to see who the winner is.

So without further ado, here she is

SHERRY/CHERIE of Esprit * d' art

Congratulations Sherry, I hope you enjoy the collage as much as I enjoyed creating it. It was so exciting to be making something that I was going to give away to a fellow artist!

Sherry has a wonderful shop at Esprit d' art on etsy, so if you'd like to check out her creations go to http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5343810 and peruse her wonderful artwork.

Now, to those of you who didn't get chosen today, don't be discouraged because there are five more giveaways in celebration of my Paris trip, so stay tuned for the May giveaway sneek peek

in a couple of weeks. You don't have to sign in to my blog again to be on the list, I will use your past comments for the remaining giveaways, of course I would love for you to still visit my blog and see what I have going on or what I have to say for the day!!!!

All of you just put such joy into my heart with your comments and thank you so much for sharing the places that you would love to visit. I hope and pray that each one of you will get the opportunity to travel to your dream destinations and when you do, I expect photos!!! lol

talk to you soon,

deborah

The mirror doesn't show our true beauty

Hi all,
I just finished reading an article in the May issue of More magazine. I love this mag because it focuses on women over 40. The ads and articles for the most part show women (and sometimes men) who have experience written on their faces as well as in their hearts and souls.
Don't get me wrong, I also love the "young" mags too, like Allure and such, but More mag just gives me alot more "aha" (as Oprah would say) moments!
Which brings me back to the article that I just finished. It has to do with the spark in our faces that shows to others our unique energy. Here's the first few paragraphs, written by the author Kathryn Harrison that really made me rethink about how I perceive my own image in the mirror.
----------------------------------------------------------
"I'm 20 when my father looks at me and says, "You know, you've never seen your real self. I have, but all you've seen is your reflection in the mirror. An image that looks very much like you but isn't the same as you. Not really, not exactly."
"Why wouldn't it be exactly the same?" I ask, irritated because my father is always doing this: telling me why I belong to him and not to myself.
He explains that light is lost inside a mirror; a reflected image lacks the illuminous property of the object itself. As an experienced photographer, he conveys authority about such things. "Try it," he says, and he pulls me next to him before the mirror. "Look at me," he says. "Look at the real me here beside you, and then look at my reflection. They aren't the same. You'll see they aren't the same."
I don't want my father to be right. I don't want him to own what he says he does, the way I really look, leaving me with what sounds like an approximation of myself, inexact and indistinct, no better than a Xerox. But when I compare the actual man with his image, I see he's right-they aren't the same. The mirror father is dimmer, duller, not quite alive.
So it's true, what he says: I have never seen and will never see the real me."
---------------------------------------------------------------
Okay, so this author, seems to have "issues" regarding her father, but looking past that issue, something just changed in my thinking, when I read those previous paragraphs. My natural personality is to have a very positive outlook on my appearance and my aging, but for some reason when I look in that darn mirror all that positiveness just flys out the bathroom window!
And this article caused me to realize why that is, it's the spark, the energy, the spirit, that God places within each one of us, that makes us truly beautiful. It cannot be seen in a reflection of a mirror. The mirror only shows the ravages of time, or the contours of our jaw line etc. but what really makes us who we are is the spark, the light!!

Believe me or not, but this revelation has freed me from the mirror woes. Of course, I will have days, I'm sure, where I will think "you old hag, you" lol, but my mind has now changed it's perspective and I won't let myself think that what I see in the mirrors reflection is really me.

I'll talk to you soon,
deborah

Sneak Peek of Paris Shabby Chic giveaway!!

Bonjour all,

I just wanted to give you a little sneak peek of the Paris giveaway. It's still a work in progress but will be finished in a couple of days.

So, on April 30th I will randomly pull one name from all your lovely comments on my posts and that person will be Aprils Paris giveaway winner. I wish I had something to give to all of you because I am loving reading all your fav places to visit.

But don't be discouraged if you don't win this time, because I am doing the giveaway for May, June, July, August and Sept. too and if you already have left me a comment on previous posts then you are still in the loop for the next giveaways.

talk to you soon,

deborah

Sneak peek of wedding banner and check out my swap surprise!

Hi all,
I recently was in a swap and the theme was spring. My partner was thepinktulip. And I just had to show you what she sent me. I am sooo in love with this little fairy girl. She's saying a blessing over the roses so they will bloom this season. Isn't she darling? I find myself carrying her around from room to room so I can glance up at her every once in a while and giggle.
And I couldn't resist photographing her amongst my flowers where I'm sure she just felt so at home, and check out http://thepinktulip.etsy.com/ to see more little creations.

I've never been involved in a swap before online and it was really fun. I was a little nervous about what I would make for my swap partner but she said she really loved it, so I'm glad.
I am in the midst of doing another swap centered around Marie Antionette and we are to decorate a box and then fill it with goodies.
Talk about crafting like mad!!! I think maybe I'm in a little bit over my head. Two swaps, and making things for etsy and doing another collage for another auction benefit. I think when my swap box is finished then I'm going to totally concentrate on my etsy shop. I've decided to start a line of wedding banners, and collages that would be perfect for wedding showers and receptions so that will definetely keep me busy creating.

Hope you enjoy the photos of the swap and the sneak peek of the wedding banner.
I'll talk to you soon,
deborah

PS. don't forget to sign up for the Paris shabby chic giveaway on the previous post.

My second sale!

Hi all, I promise this will be the last time I showcase one of my sales (okay, maybe not the last time, lol ). But I just had to tell someone! I finished this frenchy style love banner on a Sunday night and the next morning it sold!!! I had so much fun making this because it is in the french style and that is my favorite thing to create. I almost kept it to hang in my Paris room but then reprimanded myself and listed it on my etsy shop, and I am so glad I did.

There's just something about a banner that says fun and whimsy. You can put them out for a party or hang them up to add to your decor, either way I think they bring a little joy to the day.And who doesn't need more joy in their everyday life?!

I kind of messed up on the shipping though, it turned out to be more than I thought it would be to mail it so I lost out a little on that end of it, but I'm still learning when it comes to this whole selling thing so hopefully I'll get it all figured out soon.

I'm starting to work on my Paris shabby chic giveaway creation, so will give you all a little sneak peek of it in a couple of days. If you still haven't signed up for the giveaway just post a comment here or on the post with the photo of the bonjour door and let me know where in the world you would like to visit and I'll put you in the drawing.

Hope you have a wonderful day and will talk with you soon,

deborah

My first sale!!

Hello all,

Yes, I had my first sale last week! I knew it would happen eventually or at least I had hoped It would.
I was on my way to retire for the night and before turning off the computer decided to check my e-mail first and lo and behold there was a message from paypal saying they had a payment for me.
So in the midst of my excitement I checked it out and sure enough, someone had bought my little yellow box!
There is something so amazing about a complete stranger purchasing something that you have made. For me, it encourages me to keep on creating and it puts an extra spark of imagination into my designs.
I hope that my little yellow box brings its new owner a little bit of sunshine in their life and sparks their own creativeness and imagination.

talk to you soon,
deborah

PS. The Paris shabby chic giveaway is still going on so if you'd like to be a part of it just click on the comment in the previous post and tell me where in this wonderful world you would like to travel to.

Paris inspired give away!

Bonjour mon ami,

In anticipation of my art trip to Paris in October I am having my first give away. It will be a french shabby chic creation and it will be a monthly give away starting April 1st and ending on October 1st. So if you would like to be included in the April giveaway just leave me a comment, s'il vous plait (if you please) here on my blog, telling me where you would like to visit, and at the end of the month I will randomly draw a name and that person will be the winner for April.

I will be giving little hints and maybe a few pics soon of what the April giveaway will be.

I'm so looking forward to reading about what your dream trip is.

Au revoir,

deborah

"My Favorite Things" experience

Hi to you,

I finally have the photos to show you of my collage showing at the "My Favorite Things" shop.

This little cozy store in my local town is without a doubt my favorite shop. So their name is the

perfect fit for them. I was in the store one day perusing all the lovely things and got to talking with the store owner, Tina,(that's her and I in the photo, I'm the one with the curly hair) and in the course of the conversation my collages came into the

discussion. Before I knew it, Tina was asking me if I'd like to be her featured artist at her open

house in March and of course I jumped at the offer! The stores focus is on all things Paris and France and of course lot's of glitter, so I created 5 new collages to go along with a few of my already created collages and had quite a repitoire to show.

I didn't sell any collages that evening but I received tons of positive comments and gave out my business cards so my work and name is getting "out there".

Tina is going to do another open house on Memorial day weekend and asked me if I would like to

come and be a part of it again, so I am thrilled.

For me the hardest part of being an artist is the self promotion part which I know many of you artists out there can relate too. But it is a part of the business that has to be done, unless of course you have your own agent. lol. Someday I hope to be successful enough to have one but for now it is just me and myself doing the promoting.

Hope you enjoyed reading about my art adventure, stay tuned because there will be many more!

talk to you soon,

deborah

P.S. check out Tinas website at: http://www.myfavoritethingsnc.com/ or go to her etsy site at: http://www.glittercrowns.etsy.com/ to see her wonderful creations.

Life just flys by

Hello all,

My goodness, how time flys! I have been so into creating my collages for the open house last week that my blogging and other sites just sat in cyber space all alone. lol

I wanted to show a few photos of the open house but my dear hubby has the memory card for the camera, so the photos of the collage showing will have to wait til tomorrow. But here is my latest mini collage, which I just had so much fun creating. There's something about the colors black and cream that just make me think of romance. So I added the image of an embracing couple to the back of a piece of vintage sheet music using a rubber stamp and added a bunch of embellishments.

I wonder what colors bring a feeling of romance to your artsy creations? Maybe, Victorian Red or Tiffany blue?

I'll leave you with that question to ponder and will talk to you all soon,

deborah

Hi all,

Just wanted to show you a photo of my estate treasures that I had talked about the other day.

I'm not trying to make anyone jealous, lol. No, really I'm not, I'm just excited about it and want you to share it too. I have already started using some of the lace in my newest collages. I'm in the midst of creating a few frenchy style collages for the open house I am a part of for the shop "My favorite things". Next thursday is approaching quickly, so I'm trying not to procrastinate, which is a really hard habit for me to break. Especially when I log on to the Cottage Style Street Team forum! The ladies in this group are so super sweet and funny and even though we have never met in person, I feel like we all are friends. And they find the best crafts to look at, and buy!! But that's a whole other topic we could get into. Shopping on Etsy!

Hope you like the photo, now back to collaging,

talk to you soon,

deborah

Guest artist

Hi, I got some great news today, I am going to be the guest artist at a local shop in my town.


A few months back I had gone into this little shop to browse the wonderful treasures on their shelves and the owner was in there and somehow we got onto the subject of my making collages. So next time I was in town I brought a few by for the shop owner to look at and she asked me if I would like to be her featured artist at her spring open house. Of course I said yes and now it's almost here. I have two weeks to create a new line of french inspired vintage collages. So I started today in preparing the canvases with my background colors and now on to the really creative part, the design.

Just yesterday someone told me of an estate sale going on down the street in an old victorian house so of course I hurried right on over there and it was wonderful.I got there at the end of the day but the kind of stuff that I look for doesn't usually sell that fast, so I got the best deals!! All kinds of old vintage lace and crocheted potholders(sold for 25cents each!) a few old photos, and a pile of vintage crocheted doilies. So now I have plenty of inspiration for my new collages.
The old victorian house was/is an inspiration all by it self. Tin paneled ceilings and detailed dental molding, I was just so awed by this lovely old house, it even made me a little emotional to be walking through it with all it's memories. The couple who had owned it were a husband and wife and the husband had been a stuntman for hollywood movies and in between that they had traveled the world together. So romantic!
I felt privileged to have walked through their doors and now to have a few of their treasures and to be able to use them in a new way is just a wonderful feeling.
The people giving the sale said there would be another sale soon of the downstairs rooms as soon as they could organize and price everything. So I will be back.
Let me tell you I was so tempted to buy one of the many victorian mirrors that were on display. There was one particular mirror with carving on the top and a mini painting of a victorian couple dancing that just made me swoon when I saw it. But they were asking 350$ for it so I passed it by.
As you can see from my collage photo of my victorian lady, that I truly love the victorian style. I really think I was born in the wrong era. Oh, but then I wouldn't be here talking with you all and I would miss that.
I'll talk to you soon,
deborah

Spring is coming!!

Hello to you all,

Just thought I'd write up a current post here, and tell you all that I am feeling the spring fever that I've been hearing a rumor about. I know it's coming because when I was out shopping the other day I couldn't resist getting a few of the beautiful potted flowers that were out on the stores patio. These are two of my most fav flowers and they only are around pretty much in the cool weather, ranoculus and stock! When that wonderful aroma of the stock floats by on the breeze it is just heaven.

Oops, I don't have a photo of the stock yet, but here's the ranoc and sweet little pansies. I'm already daydreaming about how I am going to arrange my garden this year. Flowers and veggies, it seems like the flowers always win out over the veggies. I must confess I am a flower addict, I guess that is because as an artist I am truly drawn to color. But it is also so satisfying to be able to pick green beans or squash fresh from the garden for your dinner guests or even just for yourself as you wander around the garden. There's nothing like opening up a sweet pea and popping one into your mouth, yummmm. Even my little doggie sits beside me waiting for his garden treat. Who knew that a dog would love green beans? But he does.
So for all of those of you out there with so many feet of snow, I'm just giving you a little head's up, that spring really is on it's way and it's going to be lovely.
talk to you later,
deborah