December Kits are coming!!

I'm going to build a little suspense here and not show you the entire kit until tonight! I spent alot of time on this one- I had an idea in my head of crisp neutrals (kraft, white and cream with the accent of black). There are alot of specialty papers in this one - glitter, embossed and die cut. I also love the "best friends" photo included this month! Also included in your pillow box - a bit of beautiful white ultra fine German Glass glitter!!

I usually keep the calendar project for January but I decided to start a new tradition of doing it in December in case some of you may choose it for a gift. I actually used the packaging card for our NEW 2009 Die Cut Calendar for the cover, among other things (including the fabulous repro velvet millinery flowers I am addicted to. I won't stop until all of the colors have been offered in a kit- and then I will start over)!! Of course the mannequin and her accessories are not included!

And here is a little tease in regards to the Add-On kit. More velvet millinery flowers (you get either cream or black), German Scrap, etc. etc.

Check it all out tonight at midnight central time! ALSO - all of the new JBS product from the October release will be available for individual sale as well.

The Mary Engelbriet Home Companion Kit (my bird book) will be available mid-month. I'm still waiting on the book repro cards for that.

More on the December 13th Open House and Class Info and Registration tomorrow! Check back here early evening!

First Ever JBS Open House!!!!

Mark your calendars! On Saturday, December 13th from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the brand new Mt. Juliet Hampton Inn we will have our first ever Open House!

Here is a run-down of what we have planned!!

- I will be teaching a class (to be announced on December 1st) from 10:00 - 12:00 noon, possibly an additional class in the afternoon if there is enough interest. Cost, photos, and registration information coming on the 1st.

- we will have the entire Jenni Bowlin Studio line of products for sale!

- tons of heavily discounted scrapbook supplies and papers (great stuff, just bits and pieces left over from kits here and there)

- liquidation of remaining past kits, from 25% off!

- TONS of vintage supplies and antique smalls (including old papers, reproduction millinery flowers, milk caps, Victorian scrap, old buttons, old jewelery pieces for collage, old trims, old Victrola canisters, vintage and antique scales, etc., etc. etc.)!!

- original pieces by me (planning on jewelery and journals - I'm optimistic)!

Come spend the day - even spend the night (more info. on hotel rates soon)! We will also supply you with information on all of the local antique shopping (including the mall where my space is) as well as directions to my favorite places in Franklin if you have the time (40 minutes away). Local and Franklin antique sites are open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Hampton Inn is located just off of I-40 at the Mt. Juliet exit, in the middle of the Providence shopping area (tons of stores- Target, Old Navy, JoAnns, Best Buy, etc.) and tons of eats!

More info. on this soon-

Check back on Sunday evening to see kit previews for December! I am also trying to get the Mary Engelbriet Bird Kits ready to go for the first.

P.S. - Our offices will be closed beginning tomorrow through Friday. We will re-open on Monday (and shipping will start up again at that time).

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

(P.S. - anybody know why my spacing won't stick all of the sudden in blogger? I'm sure it's simple - I'm just really slow when it comes to these things. I really don't want my whole post to be jumbled together)!!!

Mid-Month Christmas Crafting Extravaganza!!!

Tomorrow, November 20th at 9:00 p.m. central time we will premier several limited edition Christmas crafting kits. Check back tomorrow for even more previews, but here is what I got for now! (Edited - no more previews, this is it! Didn't get anything else ready. Look for the extra Silver Bella Kits, the Christmas Countdown Kit, the Christmas Card Kit and the Milk Cap Ornament Kit under Limited Edition Kits at the site beginning at 9:00 central time. Orders will ship out by Monday the 24th).

Yep, they're back! You get all you need to make two milk cap ornaments packaged in a pillow box with color photo and instructions (that part is new this year)! Only difference from photo is you get vintage buttons instead of the green looking rhinestone and the brass setting may be a little different.

Okay- this is my favorite!!! I can't stop looking at it. One of my WONDERFUL Silver Bella Students pointed out in my last class that the bingo cards could work as an advent calendar (I hope she posts and takes credit)! It never occurred to me that there were 24 squares, 1 -24, on the cards (and the center star is perfect for the 25th, Christmas Day)! I suppose this is more like a "countdown" instead of an advent calendar. I used my sewing machine to sew on a piece of a page protector (cut across the top of each square with an craft knife) to create the pockets. I am digging into my vintage pearl cluster earring stash for this one! You get all you need to complete it as shown. Full details at the site tomorrow. It measures 5" wide by 14" high.

I used the regular bingo cards, "Faith", to do my Christmas cards last year. Still, after so many comments from friends and family, it didn't occur to me until recently to put together a Christmas card kit (I'm a little slow people)! Having the new Bingo cards made for perfect timing I guess. Each kit has enough materials to make 12 cards (includes assortment of large Bingo Cards, package of scalloped notecards, sheet of tab stickers, and green buttons).

I'm finishing up at least one more project tonight. Check back tomorrow!

Also- I have a few kits left from my 2 Silver Bella Classes (including the Mini Bingo Card Houses shown several posts ago). These will go up for sale tomorrow evening as well for $40 each and include color photos and general instructions.

More tomorrow!

Thank you Bellas!!!

I'm speechless (and if you took my classes you know that is a surprise) - I really don't know where to start! Silver Bella was all I knew it would be and more. It was such an enjoyable teaching experience - I so felt in my element. And to be surrounded by some of the most talented women in the industry (come on, really - Rebecca Sower, Charlotte Lyons, Teresa McFayden, Kim Kwan, Sally Jean Alexander, Pam Garrison, Carolyn Peeler) - just questioning how I fit in here!!! It was pretty amazing to spend so much time with so many people who see the world the same way I do, you know? And I met so many ladies who's shops and blogs I was very familiar with (and feeling a bit intimidated that "I" was teaching "them")! I can't wait to support several of these talented woman with kit club orders - (you guys are in for some fun stuff on the that front)! The vendor faire was just about the craziest time I have ever spent in my life!! I wish I had a picture of our table. I had decided on an old general store type display over the span of two long tables that I thought would take me 2 hours to set up but was more like an 8 hour job! We were not ready when the doors opened at 6:30 - I literally had boxes and product still in the isle that I kicked under the table as everyone rushed in. Jared and I both spent the first hour checking everyone out in madhouse style. Good thing he was wearing cargo pants because we used it to store change in desperation (I was constantly "violating" him to get a few ones or a five)! It was a mad house but a lot of fun!!! More on this a little later and I promise to share some photos of my antique store finds soon.

So, as promised, here are 3 winners of a Silver Bella kit (chosen randomly as I played "roll the mouse with my eyes closed" this time):

Karen from creativetherapy

achtung! (Dawanda)

Tracey (Tray's Spot Blog)

I don't have any of your e-mails (just saw your blogs and didn't see e-mail links) so please e-mail Ruth at jennibowlin@gmail.com with your shipping addys within the next 5 days. Thanks for playing everyone. I promise to do this more often!

I will have some Silver Bella Kits for sale at the site on the 20th along with several exciting vintage kits!!!! I will be finishing these up tomorrow and will post photos on Wednesday (along with the exact time everything will go up for sale). Stay tuned!

Giveaway!!!

It's been a long time and since I'm feeling so bad that all of you can't come to Silver Bella with me I've decided to give away 3 class kits here!! Post anytime between now and Sunday for a chance to win! We will randomly pick 3 numbers from the total number of posts. Please leave your e-mail address so we are able to contact you with at least a first name and last initial (or have a link to a blog where we can get a hold of you).

I will announce the winners next Monday (week from today) and will give you more info on the mid-month releases (which will include all of the new product individually).

To tide you over, here is a little project from Rita that she created with the large Bingo Cards (love this idea) and a layout from my gallery coming this month (okay- it may be my only one, but I did get something done)!!

P.S. - the gallery will be a little incomplete until I get back and have a chance to load everything (the Project Kit instructions are there however). Sorry for the delay! It is worth the wait. With the addition of Ranjini and Michelle there will be alot to see. The trip fell right in the middle of my "load" time!!

Junking Heaven!!!

I have been on a inspirational high for the past several weeks! It all started in mid October when we went up to an auction here in Mt. Juliet on a Saturday morning. We got there at 9:00a.m. and pulled out after the 3rd truck load (you heard me right) at 4:30 p.m.!! I think Jared and I both had auction fever! I got the hatpins and holder you see above as well as the very old Victorian purse (I bought two others which have already made it to my booth). The best deal of the day was the huge early 1900's harvest table we scored for $100. It is beautiful and I almost feel bad for paying so little (almost)! What a rush!!! It was so long (almost 12ft) that I think it scared some people away. We are packing product on it now but it will have a nice place in our new house! We got a dresser for the guest bedroom, a wash stand and a beautiful primitive church pew for our side porch (among at least a dozen other pieces). Here are a few of the other things that I scored:

The old child's cabinet came from the flea market the next weekend. I plan to clean it up (bought an old set of milk glass knobs for it) and get it in my booth. It poured the first day of the flea market, but of course that didn't stop me (my polka dot rain boots came in very handy)! Found lots of stuff there too including the larger postal scale you see in the first photo and 3 others that have already made it to the booth.

Then came this weekend and the County Home Antiquing Festival and Tailgate Show. I called Jared after I walked in hyperventilating! I have never seen a collection of so many things I love in one place. It is a great show for finding that one thing you will never seen again and will love forever (you'd better- nothing is cheap)!! Bought some ironstone and brown transferware for my collection, a milk glass light fixture for our new powder room, some old store displays for our trade show booth and the primitive apothecary cabinet and time card holder you see below:

The cabinet is made up of 10 drawers I think (hard to tell here I know- it's sitting inside of the church pew here). I wanted to show how each label holder has old pharmacy labels in them. Be still my heart!! I am on restriction for large pieces right now so this was the biggest thing I could bring home! I got a handmade blackboard from an old country store as well for my new kitchen. It still has the original chalk price list on it- so amazing!

I had to re-focus today and start getting things ready for Silver Bella (so excited)!

Pretty boxes all in a row just waiting for creative play next week!!

Happy Monday!

(P.S. - there are only a few of each kit left at the site this month. Just a head's up in case you are contemplating)!