PLACES TO GO

Last year we had the opportunity to teach some classes in Australia.  While we were there the first thing on our "must see" list was a visit to The Society Inc.

We made the trek across Sydney to see her store only to find out they were closed that day.  It was well worth the return trip (thanks Lorraine for carting us there TWICE!)

It is an itty bitty shop packed with wonderful random things.....a fabulous visual feast.  

It was our lucky day as we were able to actually meet the talented Sibella Court.  

Sibella authored the book Etcetera (available at Anthropologie) If you haven't seen it, you need to.  It is beautiful book full of inspiring images that are sure to get the creative juices flowing.

.....and, GOOD NEWS... she has a new book coming out - The Stylist Guide to NYC.  Looks like another good one, check it out here.

Also, while you are there make sure you check out the rest of her website.....so good!!

Out and About

(pronunciation - oot and aboot)

We will soon be making a return visit to "The Great White North".  Last year we had the opportunity to teach some classes at The Scrap Yard in Calgary for our good friend Lori Wilson-Bunda.  This year she has asked us to return for a special event being held at this lovely resort.  

Nakoda Lodge, is nestled in the Canadian Rockies on beautiful lake Chief Hector.  We are so excited, not only to get to go to this gorgeous place but to spend time with this fun lady as there will never be a dull moment.

We have never seen anyone make a Charlie Chaplin moustache out of a scalloped metal paper edge (until now).  Convenient that the metal paper edge comes with a sticky back.  Although this picture doesn't show it, she had the matching eyebrows at some point during the class.

Just to give you an idea of how colorful she is, check out her cool boots.  

We got to celebrate her birthday while we were there....it was great fun!

While we are there we will be teaching our new class called,

"My Ten"

This new 7gypsies mini drawer has 10 numbered cards with journaling lines on the back to write out your own unique "TEN".  It might be 10 things I love, 10 people I love, 10 places I have visited, 10 people who have inspired me, 10 Ways to Leave Your Lover (oops! sorry, that's a Paul Simon song and I am sure it is copyrighted, so we can't use it), but you get the drift, right?  We will be using 7gypsies new paper line Lille in the 8 x 8 scale for inspiration in creating the cards with a bit of ephemera thrown in.  We also will be using a whole 'lotta Ranger products from Perfect Pearls to the new Distress Stains in combination with Perfect Pearls Mists,  just a bit of 10 Seconds Studios Metal and Alcohol Ink thrown in for good measure.  We will create enough cards and tags to fill the mini drawer with a bit of room left for photos representing your 10.  Each drawer will be unique, using words, numbers and initials you choose to make your own personal statement.

even a little compartment in the center for treasures

We are teaching the class twice on Sat. April 9th, (10am and 7pm) come join us for one or two....IT'S GOING TO BE A FUN TIME! (but you have to bring your own metal paper edge moustache)

You might also notice there are a few other scheduled stops coming up.  

Paper & Metal Scrappers 

in Payson, AZ

We are teaching the  

My Ten Class 

Friday, April 29th

10-1pm

Making Memories Unforgettable

in Tuscon, AZ

We are teaching the  

My Ten Class

(call for times)

Saturday, April 30th

as well as another brand new class

Abundance

Do you live a life of Abundance? We don’t mean dollars in the bank but plentifulness of the good things of life; family or friends...love and compassion. Celebrate what is good about your life right now by deconstructing a 7gypsies portfolio into what looks like a neat package, yet opens to reveal a “movable” feast of individual parts. Each fold of the stage opens to reveal hidden journaling spots, tiny pictures and eventually a small book for more introspection. Personalize your project with your own pictures, words and thoughts to make this project unique to you, a friend, or loved one.  We will be working with 7gypsies new Lille paper, Collage tissue (fabulous) and Ranger’s new Distress Stains (can you tell we love this stuff?) So get ready to put on your apron, get your fingers dirty and celebrate the abundance of life.

Oh, how I love this project!

Our next stop brings Debbie to California

We will be with our friends in Clovis at 

Pocketful of Treasures

Saturday, May 14th

Abundance

9-12:30

My Ten

1:30-5:00

Then on to 

Art Inspired Studios

in Brentwood, Ca

Saturday, May 21st

where we will teach both Abundance and My Ten (call for times).

We have never taught in the Northern California so we are looking forward to meeting some new gypsy girls and maybe finding some fun things to do along the way.

We may add a few more dates to the schedule for these classes so just keep watching (still finalizing dates).  If you are not in the area where we are teaching, just email us and we will put you on a waiting list for extra kits if they become available.

Souvenir

This week has so, so very busy for me that I have had little time to do much of anything fun.  So, it was a great surprise when Souvenir, Heather Bullard's free seasonal newsletter was delivered to my in box this week.  I have enjoyed browsing the pages not only for the fresh ideas but the beauty of Heather's fabulous images.  
I have met Heather a few times when I purchased cotton trim, metal numbers and silverplate spoons (all used in the Junk Drawer Advent Calendar kits) from her at the Remnants of the Past Antique show...she is as nice as she looks.  
So, take a moment to sign up for quarterly her newsletter, you'll love it.

Souvenir

(A Seasonal Lifestyle Gazette)

(Image via Souvenir)

Chalk it up

Don't you love a good chalkboard?   

A blackboard can be so striking...and the nature of chalk is fabulously forgiving...and allows for constant change!  This beauty hangs behind the counter at Frances, one of our favorite stores in Phoenix.  

Vintage chalkboards are great, but with all the good chalkboard paint products out there you can even make your own.  You don't have to be traditional, it can be on a multitude of surfaces.  

Here's some inspiration to get you started.

Decorating ideas-

I think every dining room needs a chalkboard.  Love how it is paired with beautiful wainscoting.

via Apartment Therapy

This picture first appeared in Better Homes and Gardens way back in April of 2003.  I had saved it to remember the numbers on the chairs, but bonus, it also had a cool chalkboard that the home owner and style editor for Cottage Living magazine, Heather Chadduck found in an antique store and then left the drawings intact!   Funny thing is... Paula and I did not really meet till 2005 and she had this same picture on her bulletin board (I think she still does).

Note: If you are a true design junkie like we are, you might recognize Heather's chalkboard that was first photographed in her former house in Alabama.  The article appeared in Cottage Style magazine was also a stand out since her style "speaks" our language.  I mean who would have thought to put a chalkboard that big in the kitchen?  It looks FABULOUS there too!  Heather is now style director for Coastal Living magazine. 

Via Pottery Barn

Make a door into a chalkboard.

Love Paula's kitchen chalkboard that her husband made to disguise the door leading to the garage.  It serves double duty giving her not only a place to write a phone messages, since it's right next to the phone, but also a place to make her grocery list.

Paula just recently bought this to decorate her cool kitchen chalkboard.

 You can see more of artist Shanna Murray's work here (and she's even have a sale right now!)

We love all Shanna's images...so many uses from home to wedding to office.  Love her work! Oh, and she has a fabulous blog you might like to peruse.

wait, there's more...

So clever, creating an all over pattern with chalk dust.

via Anthropologie

Great for an entryway

7gypsies booth at CHA summer 2010

This was all about the Paddington collection.  We painted some thin board with chalkboard paint, and put it over one of our regular sections of slatwall.  We gave Janelle a box of chalk and let her have at it.  Didn't she do a great job!!

This was the inspiration for the booth wall

via Anthropologie

 More ideas

Chalkboard globe....instructions here.

 Love the idea of creating your own chalkboard label and sewing it on a bag.

 Round chalkboard tag....make your own or these are at Found.

Make a cheap clipboard into a chalkboard....

If you are interested in a HOW-TO for making a basic chalk board for your house, click here.

and

Did you know you can make your own CUSTOM COLOR chalkboard paint by adding unsanded tile grout to the color of your own choice?  Read about it here.

So many options, the possibilities are endless...happy creating!

Our House Kit

In preparation for the new classes we are teaching in 2011, it's time to clean out the warehouse (my garage) of the leftover kits from 2010.  We have posted the "Our House" kit in the Etsy shop.  The book board in this kit was hand cut by us to create the house shape and is super easy to put together (the house base is 5 x 6" and 7" tall).  When you lift the roof off the house you will find a small book inside, perfect for telling the story of your family.  There is also enough room inside the house to store mementos.  Think "time capsule" here...such as letters, pictures, trinkets or souvenirs.  You can find more photos in by clicking on the Our House link.

Our House Kit

We thought is might be fun to show you how we put the house together.  If you want to cut your own house from book board you will need 8 pieces of 5 x 7" book board. 

Measurements:

front and back: 5 x 7" with angles cut out at the top

2 sides : 5 x 6"

1 base : 5 x 6 1/8"

2 roof pieces : 4 1/8 x 7"

1 center spine in roof : 1 1/8 x 7"

Building the House

 1.  Gather the 4 main house pieces together; 2 sides and two tall ends with the roof peak.  The book board has already been covered in paper.

2.  VERY IMPORTANT STEP: the sides of the house (6 x 5”) must butt up against the front and back pieces of the house, so the house remains 5” wide when you are looking at the front door.  Use a liquid glue to secure corners of house.  

3.   Add 1 x 6” strips of paper to cover each corner of the house (we used vintage book paper). Trim away any excess.

4.  Once the sides of the house are together, add a ring of Glossy Accents around the top edge of the base piece.  The house will sit ON TOP of the base piece. Set house aside while the Glossy Accents dries.

Creating the Roof

1.  Punch 6 holes in the spine piece with a Crop-a-dile (small hole size) for signatures (this has been done for you in the kit).

2.   Lay all three roof pieces together with patterned paper facing up. This is the underside of the roof.

3.  Butt roof pieces up against each other and tape together using two 7” strips of gaffer tape.  By doing this, you will cover the holes again and will have to poke through gaffer tape with a paper piercer to add signatures in the next step.

Signatures

1.     Crease 9 pieces of paper in half so they are 5 1/2 x 4”.  Open up papers and lay in one stack.  Mark the top paper to match the holes in the spine piece.  Punch the two holes all at the same time with the small hole of a Crop-a-dile.  

2.  Gather 3 of the papers...this makes one signature.

3.  Thread elastic through signature, then the spine of the book, and back through the signature, so that the elastic barbs are on the inside of the book. Note: You can also sew the signature into the book with the traditional method of using waxed linen, tying the knot in the center of the signature.

4. Repeat threading with each of the 3 signatures.

 Well, we hope you like this short tutorial on the basics of making the house.  Really super easy once the book board is cut!

On Monday we will have pictures of the 2 new classes we are teaching for 2011.  We are so excited for these classes.  Super fun, technique based classes...lots of Ranger inks, stains, and sprays, 10 Seconds studios metal (love it), vintage ephemera, and of course LOTS of 7gypsies goodness.

  Love it, love it, love it!