* Jenni Bowlin *

Yep - you need this one!

2012-01-31T22:16:00.000-08:00

We are still at CHA (more to come on that this weekend!) but I wanted to take a break and show you what to expect at Mercantile tonight at midnight central time zone - you won't want to miss these kits!

This month's Papercrafting Kit is full of muted tones and some unique vintage finds like paper clock faces and a cool flat padlock key!

This month's Antiquarian Kit has beautiful green German foil, a heavy vintage Bingo board with sliders (a great mixed media base!), an unused and unusual antique photo postcard from a single collection I acquired recently, an antique calling card with colorful German scrap and so much more . . .

The Artisan Kit has some great additions for the main kit including the GCD borders and pennants, Ormolu fabric tags and October afternoon cut-outs - just to name a few!

And finally, Doris has designed an adorable Project Kit using a mini 7gypsies tray as a base. The Nunn design oval bird charm is my favorite detail!

Also, don't miss a new round of Mercantile Exclusives available in the General Store starting tonight including clear stamps and masks from the last 6 months of 2011.

It's gonna be a great month!

A fun local contest to win a photo shoot!! . . .

2012-01-26T09:11:00.000-08:00

Hello local friends! Just wanted to give you a quick heads up that my friend Melanie G. is giving away a couple's photo shoot this week! The contest ends on Feb. 4th. Here's the link to her website with the details!

Here's a little inspiration taken in October by my favorite budding photographer, Noah!

Headed to CHA!!!

2012-01-25T08:14:00.000-08:00

We are headed to CHA tomorrow, but before I left I wanted to share some photos with you of new projects I have been working on (which also happen to be two of my 2012 classes: The Chalkboard Easel Album Holder and the Pocket and Tag Album).

And. . .I just posted a fun video on Youtube of a quick view of these projects and more, highlighting all of our new CHA products (and some sneaks not yet seen of our 2nd Spring ship date)! Here's the link . Enjoy!!

I have a playdate scheduled. . .

2012-01-20T14:51:00.000-08:00

for just me and all of my new CHA products . . . I already told everyone not to expect dinner tomorrow!

I hope all of you are scheduling a playdate as well!

A sneek peek you haven't seen. . .

2012-01-17T15:53:00.000-08:00

So I've had something up my sleeve for awhile . . .

Remember when I got my antique hotel key holder and posted this photo??? . . .

Well I decided that someone really needed to reproduce these, at least a smaller version, and I decided that someone should be me! So, as part of our Spring release (our second show ship date - end of April/early May) we are offering a reproduction hotel key holder complete with number and hooks. Ready for hanging or simply to "lean" - your choice! There are so many things you can do with it project wise (and I have an on-line class up my sleeve already that is "Project Life" -ish), but it is lovely as a simple jewelry or studio supply holder, don't you think? I wanted to show you guys first!

My sidebar is looking a little bare over there! I have some exciting travel destinations scheduled for the Spring that I need to let you know about. Look for the details to show up later this week!

Happy Tuesday!

New Vintage Treasures - up for grabs tomorrow morning!

2012-01-14T16:36:00.000-08:00

We have more than 40 new items going up tomorrow in the This Month's Finds and One Of A Kind sections of the Flea Market! Below is just a small peek at what you will find!

Please note: Because tomorrow is the 15th, but also happens to be a Sunday, we will be setting everything live by 7:00 a.m. central time, not 10:00 a.m. as usual. Just a heads up!

Available under This Month's Finds, I have some more thread spools, this time in a beautiful robin's egg blue (perfect as a pin board) . . .

I have these lovely reproduction silk flower pins with silver German glass glitter edging . . .

Also these great vintage matchboxes that were turned into little drawers for holding nuts and bolts by an ingenious someone. Great graphics! . . .

In the One Of A Kind section you will find several antique wooden cigar boxes (early or pre -1900's) like this one. . .

A super cool and rare double heavy metal stamp holder . . .

Several lots of vintage and antique Valentines. . .

and other Victorian treasures such as this unique small notebook set (the one of the right actually has chalkboard pages). . .

I also have a limited number of these Vintage 2012 Valentine Crafting Kits . . .

I hope you enjoy! Now I am off to watch the Denver game. Been cooking appetizers all day - spinach and artichoke dip, homemade corn dogs, bang bang chicken and potato skins. So yummy!!! Might have to challenge Christian to an extra match at Just Dance so I can burn off the calories!

My new muse . .

2012-01-11T17:43:00.000-08:00

Those of you that know me well and see me often, have seen me in my red cowboy boots more than once I am sure. I couldn't resist this little girl when I dug her out of a box at an estate sale. Hard to tell here, but she is wearing of course, red cowboy boots.

And she is sitting on a pile of books that inspired my new line for CHA - Magpie. Look for more peeks next week! We have a mix of paper, stickers and mixed media items for this release. I have plans to begin creating this weekend - cleaned up my studio AND my entire shelving areas in the basement. No more excuses!!

Sorry little ladies. . .

2012-01-07T07:59:00.000-08:00

He is officially off the market. Betrothed to a 3 year old who never left his side while in MD.

(excuse the bad photo - can't stand to use my flash indoors. I refuse! Need to take a photoshop class in the near future . . .)

Have a wonderful weekend!

A blog you don't want to miss. . .

2012-01-05T06:31:00.000-08:00

I came across Cathe Holden's blog about a year ago and my heart skipped a beat. She has such a wonderful eye - everything she touches is just perfection. She loves vintage, clean lines and simplicity - a woman after my own heart! I connected with her immediately, put up a blog ad and the rest is history. If you are lucky enough to take a class from her this year, you may notice some familiar product!

She was also recently named a contributing crafts editor for Country Living magazine (check our her clever paper airplane valentine in this month's issue) and she also writes on-line for the SC Johnson Family Economics website where she just put up a template for this sweet paper tray (I WILL be making these - how clever and what a great gift)!! So grab a cub of cocoa and head over to her blog - but plan a good hour to do so!

The best year yet!

2011-12-30T20:09:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow night, New Year's Eve, we will be ringing in the new year like never before! With new member benefits, a new shipping policy, a new Project Kit structure and a BIG sale on past kits, this will be the best New Year's yet!

Our Papercrafting Kit this month is full of romance with breezy blues, rich reds and subtle pinks and yellows. This layout by Ranjini shows off the patterned papers beautifully. . .

And this layout by Lisa shows how versatile this kit can be. . .

Here's a little peek at the wonderful bits and baubles included . . .

As I mentioned, we are making a change in the new year concerning our Project Kit. This kit will now be called the Monthly "Mini Album Kit" and will be designed by many members of our talented team throughout the year (this month's kit was designed by Brianna). This kit will now also have a discounted membership price, just like the Papercrafting Kit has always had. Look for more specific details on this coming in the newsletter tomorrow. I will continue to create limited edition kits at different times throughout the year - I'm not going anywhere, just broadening my artistic horizons!

Here's a little peek at the Artisan Add-On Kit this month (I love the hot pink overlay). . .

And a peek at the Antiquarian Add-On this month (the German foil doily is my favorite). . .

We will also be offering all of my new Fiskar's punches for the 1st! I'm so excited to see what the Design Team has in store for these (Doris created this lovely garland - wouldn't it also be wonderful draped over a page)?

And as promised, look for a BIG sale in the Past Kit area of the site. Almost all of the remaining 2010 kits will be on sale for 25% - 50% off. Don't delay - there are less than 12 of any of the kits remaining so we expect them to go fast. And did I mention that one of the new member benefits is 5% off all additional orders placed each month (and domestic shipping is now free on all orders over $100)! Check out the newsletter in your inbox soon for more details.

Have a fun and safe New Years Eve!

Ask your grandmother. . .

2011-12-28T12:01:00.000-08:00

I have no fun photos to post, but I do have something fun to share. . .

We took my 85 year old grandmother out to lunch today. On our way to pick her up I told the boys to be thinking about a question they would want to ask her, something they would want to know about her - anything at all. It ended up that my two nephews and niece joined us as well. As we waiting for our food to arrive, I asked the boys to go ahead and ask her and it started a very interesting and fun conversation, with one question being asked after another. Here is what I learned about her today . . .

- She had 9 siblings (knew that), but Grace was her favorite sister and Eddie was her favorite brother.
- The most daring thing she every did was ride a roller coaster, and once she did she was hooked. She said she "never wanted to get off".
- She has only traveled the South/East Coast between Maryland and Florida. Made me feel very blessed to have the opportunity to travel this beautiful country on a regular basis.
- When Jared asked her about the war she lit up and talked about going to the USO dances every weekend- (with a chaperon of course). She said that was her contribution to the war. Did I mention she has a pretty spunky sense of humor?
- She always has to have something sweet after she eats. Today she added just a bit of grape jelly to the last bite of her pancakes and that did the trick. I suppose I have her to thank for this vice of mine.

Many years ago I gave her a journal and wrote questions in it for her to answer. I created a mini album full of photos and her stories (but sadly, have still not quite completed it). It is a treasure to me.

Our children are growing up in a selfish world where they need to be entertained every second. Relationships tend to get lost in the pace of their (our) lives. I am trying, in small ways surely, to teach them that it's not about them. It is not an easy thing to do, but I hope today it opened up a little window for them to see what they are missing right in front of them.

I hope you are all enjoying time with your families this season!

Thank you girls!!

2011-12-21T15:56:00.000-08:00

I received a very lovely gift today. . .

Doris presented me today with the completed banner from the Design Team (you may have been following along on the other blog). I immediately took it up and added it to my mantel. It is such a treasure! What I love the most is that I can go down from left to right and tell you who created each one - that is what I love about our team - they each have their own unique style.

They are truly an extension of our brand and our site - I am so lucky to have these girls to take my product and make it look good! So thank you girls - for all that you do everyday representing this company so well. I will surely treasure this gift for years to come!

New Vintage Items for the 15th!!

2011-12-14T16:58:00.000-08:00

Coming tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. central time! Here are just a few previews!

Some new additions to the One-of-a-kind area. . .

A sweet set of vintage baby shoes. . .

A beautiful "2-up" antique photo album with Celluloid cover. . .

more vintage cameras. . .

This antique divided Lotto game box. . .

several vintage alarm clocks . . .

And of course several additions to the "I have more than one of these" area (ha)! also know as "This month's finds" . . .

Vintage applique by the yard (a sweet scalloped flower) . . .

and another type of vintage metal receipt holder with a label holder and cool numbers. They also have a small easel on the back that allows them to sit up just a bit (not as straight up and down as this photo however, but you could prop it up just like we did) . . .

At least another dozen items await you in both categories tomorrow. I love this time of the month!!!!

These are a few of my favorite things . . .

2011-12-12T11:23:00.000-08:00

1. Crusty old tackle boxes (but ones that are clean inside and still open and close well).

(left to right)

2. Large MOP buttons

3. Vintage spools with debossed lettering

4. Antique TinType case frames

5. Antique GemType album pages

6. Unique dominoes (like these flat wooden guys with printed details)

7. Calendars (in the bottom. Had them up for sale on the site once but saved two for me)!

And I just pulled all of the fun vintage stuff for the 15th! More One-of-a-kind items will go up then as well. Check back mid-week for previews!

Hope everyone is having a great December! This is my time to hibernate a bit. The one month out of the year that I don't travel (other than to visit family). I will keep posting, but not as often this month. Too busy shopping, baking and watching movies with my boys!

Also, very busy finishing up product development for our big trade show in Jan. I am so excited about the new product - lots of new stuff to create with. Samples have been rolling in - lots of squealing going on around here!

Happy Monday!

A class, a chat and a new find . . .

2011-12-05T14:02:00.000-08:00

Come chat with me for the first time ever on my OWN message board (it's about time, huh?) this Wednesday the 7th between 7 - 8p.m. central time. We will primarily be discussing my Home for the Holidays class (kits are still available!) but everyone is welcome to come and chat along!

Speaking of "Home for the Holidays" I will be headed to my hometown in Maryland just after Christmas and will be teaching at my home base there, the fabulous Queen's Ink in Savage Mill. You can find out more about this class here, including date and time.

And one last item to share, my sweet in-laws picked this cool cigar box up for me recently. I have never seen one filled with glass tubes (which are holding or held the cigars). Another great addition to my collection (I also received another amazing gift while I was there, but I will share those with you once I get them framed)!!

Happy Monday- hope it is sunny where you are you (raining and gloomy here).

Our One Day Local Sale - Tomorrow!!!!

2011-12-02T17:58:00.000-08:00

It's finally here! Looking forward to see many of you I only see once a year!!

December Kits are almost here and the newest JBS product!!

2011-11-30T19:57:00.000-08:00

Tonight at 12:00 midnight central time, our December Kits will be available for sale (and you won't want to miss one of them)!!

Betsy created this sweet little album using this months Papercrafting Kit (which includes the exclusive ticket stamps) . . .

And Lisa created this fabulous layout which also uses pieces of the Project Kit and Add-Ons . . .

This month's Project Kit is a 2011 Year in Review Calendar Mini Book. Each little journaling block has a printed packing tape hinge (7gypsies) and hides a special photo. I love the colors on this one. . .

The Antiquarian Add-On this month features great ephemera in muted colors as well as a full sheet of vintage German scrap with glitter that I found at an antique fair this past October . . .

Lot's of extras in the Artisan Add-On this month including the adorable Prima pom pom flowers with just a tiny bit of sparkle to them. . .

And last but not least, all of our JBS October release has just gone up on the site! This includes the Cigar Box, Red and Black extension paper line, Days of the Week and Alphabet Clear Stamps, Large Bingo Calendar Set and Vintage Style Number Cards.

Don't forget the new One Of A Kind section of our Flea Market, my Home for the Holidays Class (we still have a few kits left) and Gift Certificates (new to our site!) perfect for stuffing stockings!

Happy Wednesday!

A Little Housekeeping. . .

2011-11-29T08:42:00.000-08:00

first of all, Dara Lynn - you won my blog hop! Shoot us a note through the contact link at the site and we will get your prize out.

Secondly, I wanted to remind the locals that this Saturday is our One Day Vintagefest Sale at the Holiday Inn in Mt. Juliet. I will post again about it on Friday, but here is a link to the Event page at the site for the details.

And thirdly, my friend Amber owns an event planning business for which she was featured in this month's issue of Southern Living. You may recognize the dining room however (it was shot at my house) and some of the paper goodies. They took a sweet, sweet photo of Scarlett with a big red bow on her neck in front of the table. It didn't make it in and I'm so sad! Nonetheless, I have a few more "sightings" coming next year that I am excited about so stay tuned!!

Have a great Tuesday! I am off to Red Robin this evening with Christian for a celebratory dinner. I told him that if he got a basket last night at his first game that I would take him to the dinner of his choice. He got a rebound and put up a lay-up for 2 points right at the buzzer at the end of the game!

Our first ever "Cyber Monday" event - tonight!!

2011-11-27T15:10:00.000-08:00

It all begins tonight at midnight central time! More than 30 One Of A Kind finds will be added to our Flea Market area. Here's just a small preview. . .

Some great photo items such as this Old School Photo and Celluloid Photo Button . . .

For the dog lover on your list, an Old Chalkware Carnival prize. . .

For the girl who has everything (and likes a good laugh!), vintage quack medicine bottles for "female weakness" . . .

We have 2 different vintage French lunch pails. My favorite way to carry my small art projects in progress with me. . .

An amazing tooled leather Antique Photo Album in near perfect condition. . .

Also tonight, you can purchase my first ever JBS Online Class and kit - "Home for the Holidays". Check out the details in the previous post.

And. . . there will be 5 of our previous kits offered at amazing prices! Our Kenner Road designed kit, the Feb. 2011 Papercrafting Kit, the Jan. 2011 Papercraftiing Kit, the April 2011 Project Kit, and the July 2011 Project Kit. There are less than 10 of all of these kits left. At these prices, they won't last long!

And in case you haven't taken a peek yet, we have been having a blog hop all day to celebrate! Check out these design team member blogs to see more peeks of new products going up tonight!

jbs blog http://www.jennibowlinstudioinspiration.blogspot.com/

mindy miller http://mysecretheart.typepad.com/my_secret_heart/

leah farquharson http://amusing-to-create.blogspot.com/

briana johnson http://mypaperlust.blogspot.com/

megan klauer http://meganklauerdesign.blogspot.com/

jenni bowlin http://jennibowlin.blogspot.com/

lisa dickinson http://lisadickinson.typepad.com/gettin_by/

betsy sammarco http://justapharmgirl.blogspot.com/

jill sprott http://wordplaywordwork.blogspot.com/

waleska neris http://myorganizedmess.typepad.com/talking_to_myself/

becky novacek http://www.beckynovacekphotography.com/

shimelle laine http://www.shimelle.com/

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am so very thankful for each and every one of you. Thanks for reading and for all of your support through the year. I am very blessed!

Home For The Holidays is coming!!! . .

2011-11-22T19:42:00.000-08:00

Before the turkey goes in the oven and the guests start knocking, I thought I would take a moment and give a little preview of my "Home For The Holidays" class debuting on Cyber Monday!

The highlight of the class is indeed the "Home For The Holidays" mini album. There are tons of little details and fun techniques in this one. Two tiny books reside inside the house interior, waiting to be filled with your favorite photos and memories. This is just a peek! Your class fee includes the kit as well as a detailed instruction PDF download and video highlighting various techniques.

But that's not it. . . you will also get another PDF highlighting some additional "house" themed crafts . . .

And another PDF with the recipe for my favorite Christmas treat (and packaging ideas) . . .

And a 4th download with some of my favorite holiday decorating ideas . . .

Stay tuned this weekend for more previews of what we have in store for you Monday! It is going to be a great day - one you won't want to miss!!!

Have a safe and happy thanksgiving!

In case you needed some last minute thanksgiving ideas . . .

2011-11-17T07:32:00.000-08:00

hop on over to Ranger where they are showing you a "Pumpkin a Day" decorated by several artists from the Ranger community.

Here was my submission (show on their blog on 11/15).

I painted the orange "funkin" with two coats of my Malted Milk paint. After it was dry I added the little boy Silhouette Rub-On Single to the center, topped off with a vintage pin. To create the flowers, I wadded up vintage tissue paper and tied string around the centers. I then took my Chicken Feed Paint dabber, made sure the dabber was good and wet, then gently rolled over all of the edges and wrinkles. For leaves I used vintage velvet milliner's leaves and hand cut shapes from my Fall Mini Bingo Cards, edged with Brown Sugar ink.

Enjoy!

Our biggest 15th release ever (really, I mean it)!!!

2011-11-14T19:49:00.000-08:00

As you may have noticed, we have been working on a new menu set-up for the site. We are still adding to categories and loading areas (to be complete by Cyber Monday), but in the end we are hoping that it will be much easier to find what you are looking for! One new area that you will notice is our Flea Market. This is now where you will find everything vintage and beyond! I will cover a little more about what's to come (like our new One Of A Kind Finds!) later this week. For now, here's a little preview of what you will find in the Flea Market, tomorrow at 10:00a.m. central under This Month's Finds (and it's only a preview - we will have more than 25 new items tomorrow)!

These are SWEET vintage apothecary bottles with their original labels. Each one is just a bit different . . .

Cute homemade bridge folders (still with the cards inside). . .

Cool metal drawers with index holders. Love these for storage and we have a bunch so you can order a stack!

The last of my vintage ice cream boxes. I thought they would make great gift boxes for the holidays. . .

You do notice the red/green theme by now, right!!

Sweet, sweet, sweet antique red books with gilded writing. I love to use these to create levels when I decorate. And they work perfectly with the green ones we are offering as well . . .

We have several new labels, perfect for holiday crafting (and Xmas German foil too)!!. . .

I finally stockpiled enough of these great vintage toasters to share! I use them as photo easels (but if you have a gas stove, I guess you could still use them to toast some bread)!!. . .

Another great gift packaging idea.. .

Super cute wooden pencil lead holders, new old stock. I have mine sitting in a small vintage celluloid sleigh. .

So if you are the least bit curious about the 20+ additional products going up tomorrow, be sure to check in at 10:00 central time here!

And just an FYI, we have less than 5 of all four Kits from November. Get them while you can.

And stay tuned to hear about all of the exciting things to come on Cyber Monday!! Great sales, one-of-a-kind vintage items, a blog hop, giveaways and and the introduction of my first on-line class - "Home for the Holidays"!!

Happy Monday!

Another show this weekend, and some estate sale finds. . .

2011-11-09T07:29:00.000-08:00

I am feverishly preparing for another show this weekend. This time we will be at Christmas Village here in Nashville at the Fairgrounds. I have already been playing Christmas music as I've been making jewelry, ornaments, Bingo Houses, planting trees in vintage containers, etc., etc.!! I will share lots of my crafting ideas in the weeks to come AND we will be having a huge release on the 15th and a special Cyber Monday event over at Mercantile. More details to come!

To hold you over, here are some pics of my finds from a recent estate sale - it was a good one!!

Goodbye Halloween. . .

2011-11-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

Took a quick photo today before I pulled down my prized honeycomb ball! I didn't do alot for Halloween, pretty much just concentrated on this one room. Also notice I have a new table in there (Uncle Jim found it on the side of the road) and a new cart - still working on filling it up.

Loved this pillow - I had to have it. Wish I had 20 of them!

The paper mache pumpkin came out of the estate of my dear friend's mother. I don't think I could have afforded to own one otherwise. He is missing his paper eyes and mouth (most are), but I still adore him.

Going to set up at The Gathering tomorrow, over at the fairgrounds in Nashville. Doors open Friday morning at 9:00. Come by and see us!

It's my favorite time of the year. . .

2011-10-31T08:48:00.000-07:00

when our JBS Mercantile Kits incorporate my newest JBS Red/Black Extension line - my all time favorite, not to mention classic, never-going-out-of-style, color scheme. And how blessed am I to have such a talented Design Team who really knows how to "work it"!!

Here are two layouts using the Papercrafting Kit designed first by Becky Novacek and second, by Jill Sprott.

A little peek at the details in this kit, including the exclusive stamp . . .

I had so much fun creating this Christmas shadowbox using our new JBS Divided Cigar Box. It easily closes up for storage and can be displayed year after year. Check out the detail shots on the web page of the Doily Flower Christmas Trees and the sweet Vintage Santa Candy container. You won't want to miss this one!

This month's Antiquarian Add-On kit is filled with black, cream and red goodies that I have been holding onto all year . . .

And the Artisan Add-On kit is filled with coordinating extras including a special treat - our new JBS Outline Alphabet Clear Stamp set!

Also for the 1st and new this month, you can pick up an extra pack of all of the papers/cardstock in the kit under "Kit Extras" and we are putting up in very limited quantities a 2011 Fall Vintage Crafting Kit under Limited Edition Kits.

So after you put the trick-or-treaters to bed tonight, come spend some time with us! 12:00 a.m. central time - all new kits will be available at that time.

So I know it's not even Halloween yet. . .

2011-10-26T18:21:00.000-07:00

but my mind is already on Christmas!

This is just a little vignette in my studio where I keep all of my Christmas crafting supplies. I am working on projects for the website right now, including a special "Home for the Holidays" class for next month. Just finished up the Project Kit for next month as well, a holiday shadow box using our new Cigar Box!!! Stay tuned for previews. For now I'm back to work!

This is what a 13 year old does. . .

2011-10-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

when he's waiting for you to shop at Nordstrom (of course what other department store would have a couch in the middle of ladies apparel)?

I think I see a little dribble . . .

I sure hope he doesn't see this although he has no interest in viewing my blog so I think I'm safe.

We are off tomorrow to the Country Living Fair in Atlanta. If you are coming, come by and say hello! We put out new items everyday (I bring WAY more than I could ever possibly squeeze into a 10 x 20 booth)!

Happy Tuesday!

Woo Hoo - great finds LIVE tomorrow!!

2011-10-14T16:46:00.000-07:00

You know how it works!!! Tomorrow is the 15th, and that means new vintage finds in limited quantities, live at 10:00 a.m. central time. Here's a quick rundown . . .

I have been holding onto these for almost a year now! Antique cigarette advertising pins featuring beautiful women. I stole a few myself and tucked them in my studio. . .

Another Antique Album Page . . .

Another string bolt in a great fall color. . .

And these guys . . .ahhhh, my heart skipped a beat when I found them. I'm assuming that they came from a photographers shop from the late 1800's. They are brass tin type frames and I found an entire box. I had to lay down the cash but I know I won't see them again, not in bulk anyway! I kept a few but decided to share. There are 3 different kinds . .

Great vintage labels. . .

Vintage small memo sheet refill packets. . .

Great antique advertising paper bags - love that bulldog!!

And by request, some vintage pumpkin seed packets . . .

These would make a great mini display! Vintage individual receipt holders. . .

And finally, antique Youth Companion paper magazines. These are so worth it just for the advertising in them - amazing graphics!

Hope you enjoyed the preview! Remember, blog followers get the first peek each month. We don't send out the newsletter until after the products go up for sale so sign up to follow my blog today!

A wonderful weekend. . .

2011-10-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

For the second time, we rode the more than 15 miles on our bikes down the mountain on the Virginia Creeper Trail . It was a beautiful day - not too cold, not too hot. If you live anywhere near this, you must give it a try. It is a very peaceful trip. Along the way there are beautiful places to stop, should you want to, including the original store below in Green Cove. The Creeper Trail was a train route until the 1970's. I loved seeing the history at the old store.

Here are a few shots we took that day (Noah took the one of Jared and I). Hope your weekend was as nice as mine!

Fall break laziness. . .

2011-10-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

The kids are both home for this week and next week. They are on an accelerated year-round schedule and get these long breaks each half of the year. I must say, after the last week of projects due and big tests, I'm a little exhausted myself!

While we will enjoy a little fun time these next two weeks, we are feverishly getting ready for our fall shows, including a new added date! We will be setting up at The Gathering the first week of November (the 4th and 5th to be exact) here in Nashville. I have always loved this show and wait in line Friday morning for the doors to open. It is a small show, but the vendors are selective and the atmosphere is great! If you are local, come by and say hello.

Happy Tuesday!

A subtle fall breeze is in the air - Check out these new kits tonight!

2011-09-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

I love Fall - it's my favorite season. One of the things I loved seeing at CHA was a new color palette that seemed to emerge among companies for this season, a more subtle approach. I combined several of my favorites to create this month's JBS Mercantile Papercrafting Kit and I LOVE it. I think you will too. . .

Layout by Lisa Dickinson

(Check out this month's exclusive stamp too - so many possibilities with this one). . .

This month's Project Kit is a sweet mini album (loved working with this unique size - long and thin) with subtle details and lots of texture and sparkle. Putting it together is a breeze.. .

The Artisan Add-On Kit this month is full of extra details, including a wonderful Bingo Card Stencil from Crafter's Workshop (I couldn't resist it) . . .

Layout by Megan Klauer

And I must say, this month's Antiquarian Add -On Kit is my favorite yet. It has some really beautiful items that I have been holding on to for a while including the "Mucilage" label and the hard to find Pumpkin seed packets. I just recently found the blueprint pages (found an old notebook full of them). I had a hard time parting with these!

Layout by Doris Sander

Also, for the month of October only we have two new special sale items! Die Cut Journaling Card Pads are only $.99 and Classic Red and Black Coredinations Cardstock Pads are half price at $7.50. Get them while you can!

Everything goes up tonight at 12:00 midnight!!!

Fun at the CL Fair. . .

2011-09-22T18:28:00.000-07:00

Just as they opened the gates for early birds on Friday, I grabbed my camera and shot a few photos (there were already people in the booth at this point hence no wide shots)!

I loved this primitive green cabinet with it's crackle finish. We still have it so if you are local and interested just shoot us an email . . .

I sold every one of these cool stand up animals (except the rooster I kept at home)! . . .

Part of my Halloween display. Sold this cool primitive orange cabinet as well as the spider printer's block and rusty orange truck. . .

A peek at the farm display. Loved those rooster glasses, kinda wish I had kept them now. Also sold the vintage Fisher Price rooster pull toy you can see a bit of to the left. It was one of the first things to go - I miss it already! . . .

Some baby themed items . . .

I can't believe this cabinet came home with us. We bought it in Ohio - it is an amazing cubby cabinet with doors and the original numbers on most cubbies. If I had room it would be staying in my studio but it looks like it will be traveling to Ohio with us (again, if you are local and interested shoot us a note and will will send you info.). . .

We sold suitcase after suitcase. Hope to find some more this weekend for Atlanta. The two cases at the top are old instrument cases. One is Northwestern and the other is Vanderbilt. Great labels on both. Still have both of those. . .

I'm planning on putting up some items in November on the website that are one of kind and will ship easily. Just need to get organized!!

Happy Thursday!

Back from the Fair. . .

2011-09-20T15:06:00.000-07:00

I did manage to take some photos, but my PC is acting up (hoping to get it fixed tonight) and it's hard to load photos.

In the meantime, I wanted to announce that the One Day Sale, here in Mt. Juliet that was scheduled for early November has been moved to December 3rd. We had a scheduling conflict and had to make the change. Put it down on your calendar - this is going to be our biggest yet with AMAZING deals on some classic JBS products (and a great make and take too)!

Off to make "breakfast for dinner"!

Mid Month Release . . .

2011-09-14T19:02:00.000-07:00

Some great vintage finds and great deals coming your way tomorrow, September 15th at 10:00 a.m. central time! All found in the General Store under "Mid Month Releases".

2011 Halloween Vintage Crafting Kit (check out the detail shots tomorrow). . .

Vintage receipt books. . .

Wonderful soft leather bound books . . .

Vintage pearl button cards. . .

Amazing 1899/1900 postal cards. . .

Vintage Red Pen Notebooks (old store stock) . . .

Beautiful large packing labels . . .

Old school scissors. . .

Vintage men's suiting swatch books (silk, wool, etc.). Just a couple of these. . .

Vintage spiral notebooks, old advertising. . .

Very early vintage vintage checks with stamps. . .

A new Dime Store Kit for 3rd Quarter (more than 30% off of retail). . .

A "50 for $5" JBS Paper Pack - yep, that's 50 sheets of pattern paper for $5!!

And one more great vintage item - these cool vintage sign holders that are just waiting to showcase your next project!

Off to Ohio. . .

2011-09-12T05:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of blog posts lately, but I've been a little busy! With two shows to prepare for (both this coming weekend) I have worked morning until night for the past 10 days. If you are coming to see us at the Country Living Fair in Ohio (or check us out locally in Franklin, TN at Bella Rustica - Melissa will be holding down the "tent" there), here's a SMALL preview. We have a load!!

We had a very talented carpenter friend make these tool caddy's for us out of old barn wood. We added the old numbers (couldn't resist the 5cents on a couple to match our logo). He is making some more for us as we speak out of some lighter wood so we can offer them on the website (these were just a bit heavy to ship).

A pile of items too big for boxes, waiting for their turn in the trailer. . .

You really can't see how awesome this locker or filing cabinet is here (and check out the corner of the old Army trunk someone painted pink a long time ago). . ..

We have no less than 12 suitcases and trunks. I stick pretty much to the old striped cases from the 1940's. . .

Nope. . . she's not for sale (wouldn't take a million bucks)!

Hope to see you there!!

I almost didn't put them on the plane. . .

2011-09-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

A weekend of shopping, watching "Prom" and taking pictures . . . things I'm just not used to around here.

These are some of my favorites from the weekend (BTW - on the right is my 17 year old niece Laurel and her best friend Kelsey is on the left).

Hoping they come back next year. . .

New Kits For September - On Sale Tonight!!!

2011-08-31T19:55:00.000-07:00

It's the last day of the month which means new kits hit Mercantile tonight at midnight, central time! This month's kits are FULL of new product from JBS as well as some of our favorite fellow manufactures.

The Papercrafting Kit is bright and cherry and includes in part, new Crate Paper, Jillibean Soup, Prima and Maya Road (with some of my new JBS favorites as well). . . (and P.S. - our Papercrafting Kits have been selling out by the 2nd day the past few months so don't delay)!

This month's Project Kit is a fun Halloween themed canvas board complete with a row of vintage Poison Label houses featuring our new JBS Number Brads and House Chipboard Shapes. I plan to set mine on an easel right next to my candy bowl this year. Complete it this month and have the entire month of October to display it! Look for more Halloween fun coming on the 15th. . .

This month's Artisan Add-On Kit . . .

And this month's Antiquarian Add-On Kit (the "Red Wagon" labels are adorable)!!! . . .

See you tonight!

An awesome junking weekend. . .

2011-08-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

If you are into the whole estate sale/pickin thing, then you know that there are good weekends and bad weekends. I am not a big "yard saler" but I do look every week at several different sources to see what people list. If it's not too far and they say they may have some antiques then I try to hit it. Of course the definition of vintage or antique varies greatly from one person to another (ha!) so sometimes it is a big waste of time doing this. And time seems to be the thing I have the least to give.

But this past week/weekend was a great one! We first got into a sale early on Wednesday of a local estate. I will share more about what we picked up there in later posts. A really lovely lady and her stepfather. I'm sure it was very hard for them going through the things that reminded them of their mother/wife who had passed 6 years ago.

Thursday we hit a couple of estate sales and found some great things and then tried to hit the flea market while vendors were setting up but we were still a bit early.

Friday we went back to the flea market and bought so much stuff we couldn't load it all into the truck. We don't normally buy furniture, but with 4 shows coming up, we need displays. More on that later as well. . .

Saturday we finally made it out to see Thurman. Thurman was actually on an episode of American Pickers (the one with William Shatner). He is an amazing artist and has a phenomenal collection. He built his house and several out buildings all from reclaimed materials and they are amazing. He was so kind and took us through every inch of his home. I didn't know where to look first. I saw things I had never seen and will never see again (and heard him quote prices he gave at auction that will never be seen again either)! The photo above shows a few of the things I pulled from the upstairs of the house. The ledger is amazing - 1800's writing filling every page.

We then headed out to the first out building. As soon as he opened the door I saw an 8 foot+ store counter sitting on top of another table. I immediately wrapped my arms around one of the legs and told Jared I wasn't leaving there without it (to which he said was a great negotiating tactic)!

And I didn't leave without it . . . also taking home with me a robin's egg blue medical cabinet, butter yellow shelf and the dark oak bookcase you see below. We didn't make it into the largest barn and hope to go back before our Atlanta show.

I promise to share more photos when things aren't so tight. We are seriously out of space right now and things are stacked tall. We are also hoping to do a YouTube tour the night before both of the CL Fairs so I will keep you posted on that.

And if you are waiting to hear about the new kits over at Mercantile (including my fun new Halloween Project), that is coming tomorrow!

Master gardeners. . .

2011-08-24T18:56:00.000-07:00

Yep, we are that good. Pumpkins in August. Didn't you know that's how it's supposed to work? We were thinking about having a "Pre-Halloween" party just so we could show them off before they begin to rot (which is already happening as I post this). I guess we should have planted them a little later than everything else. . .but aren't they pretty?

We have been buying heavily the past two weeks for our upcoming shows. I hope to get some more photos taken tomorrow. We are seriously running out of room. I'm not sure how we are going to store everything but we still need more inventory so we had better figure it out! I bought a large box of 1850's - 1890's papers and letters today out of an estate and I can't wait to sit and go through it. Hope to have that chance this weekend!

So proud. . .

2011-08-18T20:38:00.000-07:00

As parents, from day one, we try to lead our children in the right direction. We make decisions, set up boundaries, put forth rewards/punishments all in the hope of eventually creating a well rounded adult. Truth is, while we have alot to do with the decisions they make as they become young adults, we can't make the decisions for them. They have to start making their own choices.

So this morning when I was in Noah's room taking the sheets of his bed to throw in the wash, I noticed a yellow sticky note stuck to his alarm clock. He had written it to remind himself that he needed to cut photos out of the newspaper today for a project deadline at school. It sounds simple, but I was so proud! Jared and I are both list makers and post-it note junkies. It's how we manage to keep our insane lives somewhat organized. The fact that this had registered with Noah on some level was very cool.

It's not that using a Post-It note = Productive Member of Society, but I think it's a good start!

Some cool finds for the 15th release!!

2011-08-14T14:52:00.000-07:00

Update - we had more than our share of technical difficulties this morning! Only part of the release is up. Give us till about 10:20 to get it all live. My apologies!

Here's a preview for all of you (did you know you get to see them first? We don't send out the newsletter until after they go up for sale to give my loyal readers first dibs. If you haven't signed up as a follower be sure to do that today)!! Everything is up for sale tomorrow beginning at 10:00 a.m. central time under Mid-Month Releases. . .

These are heavy paper bags that were used to hold tobacco (this is old new stock. They were never used). .

I love anything with numbers! These are really cool pins that went on postal delivery worker's hats in the 1940's. I happened to come across a big lot of them and got a great deal so I am passing that on to you. They list for between $20 - $40 on eBay.

Antique paper fountain pens. . .

A new vintage porcelain glove mold! These have a slimmer profile than the last ones I sold. They are in pristine condition with a shiny finish and great graphic text. They also have a bit of a sturdier bottom. . .

Really cool extra large vintage veggie labels. . .

Another antique album page, these have a beautiful gilt design and are in excellent condition for being more than 100 years old . . .

I have just a handful of these large vintage picture dictionaries. . .

These are original packages of soft pink plastic doilies! These do not have open areas inside so they won't work for masking (unless you just use the outer shape) but they could be cut, or painted, etc. So sweet. . .

And finally, we did a set of 3 of the XL vintage bank receipt pages that were in last month's sold out kit. My supplier had another stack of them. Get them while you can!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Some of last week's finds. . .

2011-08-11T19:10:00.000-07:00

An antique general store stamp set (these are individual stampers). . .

Vintage toasters (I believe they were used over the flame on a gas stove. I use them as photo holders)!

Lots and lots of old photos and papers. . .

A mountain of folding rulers . . .

Still digging out. It is so much like Christmas - unwrapping every package, wondering what's inside. I will continue to share more photos into next week.

And the 15th is Monday so look for some new finds as part of our mid-month release including another glove mold that I came across - this one has a thinner shape, awesome text and numbers along the bottom, and a pristine finish. You won't want to miss these!!

Sweet Summertime. . .

2011-08-08T18:44:00.000-07:00

Summer has been a blur to say the least. The kids got out of school in early June and we hit the ground running the next day. We had 3 retail shows, a week in MD to visit family, CHA, and then a week at the beach. 7 weeks of craziness - but that seems to be the only thing we know these days!

I hope to get back to my regular blogging this week. I shopped the World's Longest Yard Sale (127) all last week, Monday - Sunday, driving an hour and 1/2 to 2 hours to and from each day. I covered almost all of TN. Found lots of treasures and will take some pictures tomorrow as I am still just trying to carry it all in the house, let alone unpack. We have 4 shows this fall plus our one day sale here in Mt. Juliet so I need lots of inventory. I found some great items for the kits and the 15th releases as well. I hope to get my sidebar updated tomorrow with all of the dates and places.

Happy Monday!

New Kits at Mercantile tonight!!

2011-07-31T15:07:00.000-07:00

Just got back into town and it's already time for another month of kits! Our Papercrafting Kit sold out in the first week last month so be sure to snag one up quick (and you won't want to miss this one). . .

Here Keisha has used two of my favorite things from the kit, the EXCLUSIVE Medallion Clear Stamp and the XL Vintage "First National Bank" Blank Receipt Page. . .

And here's is a little detail shot of all that is included (check out the super cool vintage "Queen Seal" label and the sweet paper doilies from GCD . . .

In honor of our amazing county fair starting in just 2 weeks, I have completed a "Blue Ribbon" ATC sized album for the Project Kit this month. It has a ton of pages with simple, but elegant details. I really enjoyed putting it together. . .

Beginning this month, we have altered our Add-On Kit offerings a bit. We now have the aptly named "Antiquarian Kit" for the vintage lovers. . .

And the aptly named "Artisan Kit" for those who love details and want more coordinated embellishments and alphabets. . . Thanks to Ranjini for coming up with the super cute names!

All 4 kits go on sale tonight at midnight, central time!

Just remember. . .

2011-07-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

the next time you think about taking off those super cute shoes and replacing them with something a little more practical (but not so cute), you may just have someone take your picture that then becomes part of an ad campaign, including this HUGE version printed on a million postcards.

Lesson learned . . . the hard way!

We are back from CHA, barely, but off again for some R&R. I promise my sloppy blogging will end once school starts again (August 1st, can you believe that)?!?

A little secret. . .

2011-07-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

Although we have always released product in between shows, we decided to actually show the mid-release for the fall this time at CHA-S and take preorders (as a "split-ship if you will. These items will ship Oct. 1st). This product of course consists of an extension to our classic Red/Black line (my favorite yet!) as well as a few other goodies that have been secret until now. . .

Introducing my full size, divided, reproduction Cigar Box!! It comes fully wrapped with the vintage imagery you see pictured below (and last photo), although the bottom of the inside of the box remains kraft color. It is perfect as-is for all of your studio storage needs or would make a GREAT gift box for a teacher, etc., filled with goodies!

However, my favorite use of course, is to alter it! This is my sample for show (using our new extension papers). I created everything you see but I LOVE that you can add bits and pieces from your collection of vintage goodies too (like the flower frog and the old stamp pad shown here). The box is not wood, but it is a very heavy board and is very sturdy. And I love the fact that you could close this up and put it away easily for storage (image one for Halloween, one for Christmas, one for Valentines, etc.)!

I'm so very excited about this. I hope you are too!!

Tomorrow is the 15th!!!

2011-07-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

And you know that means some great vintage treasures coming your way over at Mercantile! Tomorrow morning, Friday the 15th, at 10:00 a.m. central time zone. . .

We were able to put together a few more of these "Seed Packet Envelope Book Kits" from my Petticoat Junction weekend. Lots of vintage goodness here!

We have vintage, colorful Belgium fruit labels in a set. . .

Awesome old-stock shirt button cards that were never used . . .

Sweet vintage coffee bags with a cute farm scene (I love these type of bags to use as gift bags). . .

Another Antique Album Page offering, this one with sweet cherub decorations. . .

Hardcover vintage hymnals. . .

Softcover vintage hymnals. . .

Sweet old-stock candy store paper bags for Lemonade Drops. . .

Very cool and old "Member" pins - a very small handful of these available. . .

And finally, cute "Royal Seal" flour sacks - love the graphics on this!!

See you tomorrow!!

Petticoat Junction

2011-07-13T07:10:00.000-07:00

I spent a wonderful Saturday this past weekend with these lovely ladies at the Petticoat Junction Retreat House in Normandy, TN. It was such a relaxing place to learn and play. I'm hoping the ladies enjoyed it as much as I did. We set up our little shop in the parlor and everything just seemed to look right at home in the there with the beautiful fireplace and surround. Bonnie was a great hostess and the food was AMAZING. Seriously - if for no other reason you should go just for the food! She books private retreats all year long. There are themed rooms to stay in and a crop room where each person gets their own area. And I'm not sure how it works otherwise, but for this event the classes, board and food for 3 days was included for an unbelievable price. If you live in the area and have any interest in booking for your group, you can find out more information here. I know she books early for the fall. We plan to try to do this again next year so stay tuned!

Thank you ladies for a wonderful day!

A new layout with some new product!!

2011-07-11T20:44:00.000-07:00

So finally I can show you some of our new summer products and I thought the most fun way to do that would be in the form of a layout! I was so happy to have some time in my studio on Sunday. I can't tell you how long it's been since I did that. I even took the time to re-thread my sewing machine which I never allow myself time to do.

So can you spy the new products?? I don't want to spoil all that is going on this week over at the Mercantile Blog, but I can tell you that here I used the following:

- NEW Clear Backed Foam Stamps (I used one from the "Classic" set and one from the "Borders" set here).
- NEW Ranger Paint Color (Weather Vane)!
- NEW Alterable Chipboard Numbers (we have alphas too. They are a matte finish with screened back patterns, perfect for altering with our Ranger Inks to any color your heart desires)!
- NEW Doily Flowers (I have died and gone to heaven! These are a flexible plastic material. TONS of applications for these. You can mask with them, cut them, paint them, etc. They are perfect for jewelry making as well).
- NEW Decorative Brads (one is shown here - from our "Rhinestone" set).

And there's even more to come! Stay tuned!

A Big Bash. . .

2011-07-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we had our first ever Forth of July party! Our friends from Boston came in with their beautiful children to stay with us. Steve was Jared's childhood friend and neighbor and they are as close as brothers. In fact, both families were very close and still are. So. . . we decided to do a little reunion so Jared's entire family came as well as Steve's parents for the day.

There were so many things that needed to be done inside and outside of the house. It is so NICE today to sit back and have those burdens lifted even though it about killed us last week getting ready!

Even the chicken coop got decked out. . .

and the porches. . .

and all of the nook and crannies inside. . .

I knew it was going to be hot that day so we made a little trade with our friends who own a jumpy business and got this awesome water slide that kept the kids cool all day. We have well water however with a high sulfur content at times so they were a little smelly but they were cool! Christian is in the middle with my nephews David and Maddox.

Here's Noah with my littlest nephew, Jonathon. . .

We had an entire desert bar including cupcake ice cream cones that my sister-in-law made. Sweet Ella enjoyed hers very much. I already miss her "Good Morning" every morning, even when it may have been 5:30 a.m.!

Our friends that stayed with us, Steve and Nicole . . .

Jared and his sister (this one is for you Melinda!). . .

We had an old coke cooler on the deck filled with sodas (I can't believe I forgot to take a picture - I love that thing!). We weren't sure if it would still work but it did! The kids helped themselves to it all day long as you can see from Jonathon's upper lip!

And of course our Go-Kart path was run down by the end of the day. Nicole wanted to go for a ride - doesn't she look a bit scared??!

We ended the day with fireworks of course, the biggest we have ever done. We had such a great time and hope to do it again next year. We miss everyone so much already - its so quiet around here!

Aside from this, I have been very busy with our July release!! Look for the previews to start this week here and on the Mercantile blog. And just a little spoiler. . . it includes a holiday line for Christmas and Halloween - a first for us. I'm so very excited to show you!

July kits up for sale tonight!

2011-06-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

(Well - it's official! I'm losing my mind. Tonight (as in Wednesday night) would be the 29th, not the 30th. So. . .please enjoy below, but keep in mind that the kits don't go up for sale until tomorrow night, Thursday, the 30th at 12:00 midnight central. I even said "Happy Tuesday", which was yesterday. I think it's time to go to bed)!

The July Papercrafting Kit definitely reminds me of sandy beaches and crystal clear water. I picked up those cute little vintage flower appliques in Round Top this year. And don't forget, starting this month we will have exclusive clear stamps and masks in every kit!!! I'm so excited and can't believe I kept the secret. . .

Layout by Keisha. .

Our first Add-On Kit has some sweet vintage finds including an awesome vintage French floral seed packet label but also one of my favorite finds from CHA winter - some adorable crepe paper edged labels from GCD Studios. . .

The second Add-On is all about the details with some Basic Grey Rub-Ons, MME brads, and loads of vintage bits and pieces.

And finally the Project Kit. I can't believe it, but in 5 years time I have never done a card kit as the monthly Project. . .until NOW! I'm addicted to the Butterfly Rub-On Singles on vellum and thought they would make the perfect card accent. I sewed them onto the card seams (hard to see here). I discounted the Rub-On Single price for the kit to keep the cost down a bit. . .

And don't forget that the newest JBS release is now available for individual purchase in the General Store including the newest clear stamps . . .

and our popular Haven line!

Happy Tuesday!

A little collection. . .

2011-06-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

Tiny leather coin purses with rough edges and rusted clasps. I'm not sure why I am drawn to them, but I pick up every one of them I can find. These are a few of my favorites.

Sorry to have fallen off of the blogging wagon again. We have been traveling, spending time with family and meeting some new friends at shows. We came back to over-grown grass and an over-grown garden. Jared is still out there cleaning up, trying to stretch it to the last minute before the summer sun sets.

I have been working on some fun changes for the website including new exclusives! Clear stamps and masks will now be included in the kits each month. I'm sure our designers have some great ideas up their sleeves!

15th Releases!!!

2011-06-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

So here we go with the previews of the cool vintage finds going up at Mercantile tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. central time!

First up is this sweet little Wedding crafting kit which includes a full package of vintage Dennison Wedding Seals. . .

These were an amazing find! I have been holding onto them for several months as I thought they would fit best for July 4th. They are original Independent Order of Forrester's Medals, in their original envelopes from 1907. They are in pristine condition. The photo shows the front and back views and the pin at the top is removable. If you have the heart to do it, there are so many pieces of this that would work great for jewelry/mixed media - the ribbon, the pin, the medal disc, the bouillon. They are so beautiful. I typically see these in cases when shopping, for $60 to $80 each. I got a rather large quantity of them at once and got a good deal so I am selling them for $19.99 each. . .

Our 2011 July 4th Vintage Crafting Kit has some great items as you will see, but the best are these early political lapel pins made from tin and thin plastic. . .

This is a peek at the tiny travel book kit I put together with some fun vintage finds and favorite JBS products. . .

These are unused stamp albums from the 1950's . . .

Vintage Flavouring Labels - you get the 4 shown. . .

A "sweet" set of vintage ice cream spoons and wrappers. . .

Vintage Creamery Tags (I think these were hung on milk cans) . . .

Vintage Linen Postcards with a palm tree theme. . .

Cute little paper umbrellas, old advertising for "Mister Softee". I LOVE these colors . . .

I have just a handful of these lady liberty flour sacks. . .

Vintage Watermelon Seed Packets. . .

It's a big release! Can see the themes going on here?!?!?

Old Yearbooks. . .

2011-06-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

One of my new obsessions - old yearbooks. Particularly those from the 1920's through the early 1940's. I am also obsessed with old school (and photobooth) pictures but am always too attached to them to use them in my art (not that I've had the opportunity to create art just for me lately)! I think that's where the yearbooks come in. It is a more affordable and practical way to use the photos (although I have a couple that I refuse to touch). And as always, I have purchased several for resale as well so you will start to see these popping up at our sales!

Happy Monday! Check back tomorrow to see the super cool vintage stuff (including some great July 4th items) going up for sale on the 15th!!

Vintagefest Announcement and our little patch of heaven. . .

2011-06-09T07:42:00.000-07:00

First of all, we are finally ready to announce our plans for Vintagefest. We have been wanting to make this a little more of a "destination" event (but still keep it intimate) and have decided to put a little more time into the "where's and what's" for now which means. . . there will not officially be a Vintagefest this year. We are planning it for the end of April in 2012. Once we get the specific dates we will give those to you (this fall).

We are however going to do another one-day sale on November 5th, Saturday, here in Mt. Juliet. We are going to offer 2 different make-and-takes that day, even though I will not be offering classes. More details on that in September!

My hubby set out a huge garden this year. Right now we only have lettuce (it is much bigger than this photo shows now!), but the corn, watermelon, cantaloupes, potatoes, carrots and "who knows what else" are all gaining ground.

It is a wonderful feeling to grow your own food!

More seats for GASC Chantilly, VA!!!!

2011-06-08T05:28:00.000-07:00

Hey guys - I just talked to to folks at GASC in Chantilly (June 24th and 25th) and we were able to open up several seats in BOTH of my classes. They have been sold out for a while now, but we now have larger rooms and have opened it up (not too large, however. I don't teach super large classes as I like to be able to get around to everyone in class personally, several times).

So, if you wanted to get into the classes or know someone who did, they will now be able to do that at the event. You can't register online as that is now closed, but you can purchase tickets the first day of the event.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there!!

A Sweet Suprise Inside. . .

2011-06-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to share something beautiful and sweet that I found today. I have many Victorian Calling Cards, but this one I came upon had a tiny envelope attached to it, stuffed with a little surprise for the recipient. This one of course came out of the "sell" pile and was quickly added to my stash!

We are back in town again, for a full week at least this time. We had a great time in Texas and so enjoyed meeting everyone there. Already looking forward to next year!

June Kits!

2011-05-31T18:24:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! I am actually in Texas tonight getting ready for the GASC convention this weekend (come by and say hi if you are planning to attend)!

But I couldn't miss this introduction of the June Kits (on sale tonight at 12:00 midnight, central)!

This month's Papercrafting Kit includes all of the paper from our new JBS line, Haven, as well as one of our new Clear Stamps (my favorite, the antiqued label). Of course, there are several other goodies including some great small cameos that match this new line perfectly.

Layout by Doris

Here are some peeks at our two Add-On's for the month . . .

And, just a small peek at the "mile long" house accordion book featuring and including my 2nd favorite new stamp, the vintage lace border. It is this month's Project Kit.

We also have a new kit up under Limited Edition Kits. It was something I put together for my Big Picture Class, offered to that group first, but still have a few left to sell. I forgot to load the photo before I left, but you can see it here. If you are attending Petticoat Junction please keep in mind that this will be one of your 3 class projects for that day.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Before we left, yet again, we did spend a wonderful Sunday on the Clinch River canoeing with family. It was so very peaceful. Halfway through I switched passengers and ended up with my sweet niece who was determined to keep up with Jared and her oldest brother the whole time - my hands are actually bruised today from grabbing the oar handles so hard for so long! Just a small sacrifice however to get to spend some time with a very sweet little girl.

Petticoat Junction. . .

2011-05-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

I just learned there are only 2 spots left for our fun Saturday full of classes at Petticoat Junction in July! Considering I haven't even shown one of the classes yet, I thought I would give those coming, those thinking of coming (think fast!) and those who just want a little inspiration, one of the projects. Because this is such an intimate event it gave me the chance to use alot of vintage items that I have small quantities of so there's lots of vintage ephemera and bits in this one. I had this idea of using the vintage spools as a book binding. It really works more as a stand for the book. The rings bind the book, but when slipped into the spools (glued together) it allows the book to stand up straight. The vintage seed packets were the perfect size for the length of the 4 spools together.

If you are interested in attending this event, go to the link to the left or click here. Enjoy!!

Oh . . . and as of this morning, there are less than 3 of all of the May kits left so if you were waiting you may need to think fast!! Look for a fun member appreciation bonus (and new member bonus) coming in June as well as an announcement of some great new exclusives coming in July!!

Simple Things. . .

2011-05-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

We came home from North Carolina (Inspired) a week ago Sunday to the news that Jared's grandmother had passed away at 97. We were so blessed to have seen her just 3 weeks ago on our way to MI for Mega Meet. Although she couldn't recall our names, she knew who we were and she asked if we had moved into our new house. She was a vibrant, strong, happy lady through her early 90's but the past two years Dimentia crept in and took almost every recent memory from her. While it was a sad occasion, it was also a celebration of a life well lived. She was a strong Christian woman who endeared the loss of a husband and a son, both gone too soon - how she must have longed for that reunion!

Jared's cousin Deb wrote her a letter that was read at the service. It was a memoir of the days she spent on Grandma's farm as a child and the simple pleasures, like stringing buttons and baking bread, that truly make life memorable. It was Grandma's gift of time and attention - not fancy gifts - that meant the most.

Today's the 15th. . .

2011-05-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

and that means new vintage goodies at Mercantile!! You can see the full list of photos over at the Inspiration Blog but here are a few of my favorites!

A 2011 Vintage Fathers Day Crafting Kit including everything you see below (notice the adopted "Dad" cabinet card too - each one unique)!

These paper dress forms were so popular in our Add-On Kit in April, that we decided to offer the rest of the inventory for individual sale - while they last!

If you were a fan of our black glove molds, you will LOVE these porcelain versions. We are investing in a lot of bubble wrap to get these safely to you.

I found these full calendars at an estate sale recently (they include all months for that year). The graphics are just lovely!

We still have a handful of the May Kits left as well - check out the Design Team Gallery for all of the inspiration!

May Mid-Month Release is Here!

2011-05-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

Hello! Jenni is on the road, but this is Doris popping in to let you all know that May's Mid-Month Vintage Release has arrived and there are many items perfect for Father's Day Crafting Projects. :)

A quick check-in and preview. . .

2011-05-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

So we are back from Mega Meet (whew - that was a crazy one!) and headed in the next 15 minutes out again to NC for Inspired. I would like to say that I am then home for a while and things calm down, but I don't think I'm going to see that now until Christmas!

I know Doris put it up in detail on the Inspiration Blog, but just in case you missed it, here's a quick peek at our mid-release for JBS - Haven. I LOVE this and can't wait to play with it.

6 new double sided papers . . .

A new double sided mini paper sheet . . .

And a new accessory sheet with journaling cards AND labels AND borders!!

We are also releasing another set of clear stamps - can you find all 6 here??

Will be back soon - hope you all have a wonderful week!

Swivel Cards. . .

2011-05-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

The other day I found some cards that I made (intended for a class that I never got to teach), so I thought I would share one with you. I love the idea of attaching two die cuts together with a simple brad. Super easy- that's my kind of card making!

I am traveling almost non-stop for the next two weeks so my posts will be sporadic. Hope to get back to regular blogging soon! If you are coming to Mega Meet or Inspired, come by and say hi!!

And. . .check the post below to see our new May Kits. I think you are going to LOVE them!!

It's time to interrupt this hiatus (bad blogger!) to bring you . . .

2011-04-30T12:23:00.000-07:00

a little peek at our May Release - on sale tonight at midnight central time zone!

By Ms. Becky. . .

By Ms. Dina. . .

This month's kit has already been claimed as a favorite of the Design Team. It has so many beautiful colors, but on a muted scale. I am in love with it!

This month's Project Kit is a fun Portfolio project (I LOVE these vintage can labels from Belgium). We use one, but you get two blank Portfolio's!

Add-On Kit #1 - "Flea Market" . . .

And Add-On Kit #2 - "Farmer's Market". . . (how will you choose)??

I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see what the Design Team creates with this one!!!

Hope you had a happy Easter. . .

2011-04-25T18:13:00.000-07:00

We spent the day with family and friends, my first time to host Easter dinner. The weather was lovely and the food was yummy.

Our hens are getting big - should be laying by late summer. We go through alot of eggs at our house so it will be nice to not have to buy them at the store.

And just in case you wondered about this kid (and in case you thought I favored the older one) - he refuses to cooperate with his mother lately. I'm hoping its just a phase!

I'm working on some major deadlines this week, but will be back at some point soon to share my great estate sale story and finds from this weekend!

Play Day . . .

2011-04-20T19:21:00.000-07:00

Been working on several projects this week (with a few more to go), including the May Project Kit for Mercantile. I used a 7gypsies Portfolio for the base. Here's a little peek . . .

I am also working on my first on-line class series through the site. I have what I think would be a really fun idea but I'm still trying to develop it more. There's just never enough time in the day. Do you know that feeling?

A Re-Cap of Texas . . .

2011-04-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

Well it's been almost a month ago, but better late than never! Here are a few highlights. . .

A little glimpse at the weather on most days (some light rain, but no downpours fortunately). . .

Some of the sweet cows we pasted everyday. . .

Inspiration overload . . .

I'm not sure what this is. . .

A Texas sized burger (and me in the boots I scored for $20). . .

Architectural inspiration. . .these things wouldn't fit in our truck (and my pocketbook couldn't handle them either). . .

Happy Monday!

The 15th is tomorrow and you know what that means!

2011-04-14T18:57:00.000-07:00

New Vintage Product and Limited Edition Kits for sale tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. central time (and a Sale, but Shhh. . .blog readers get to know about it first)!

We have several new vintage items going up including n new Antique Album Page, Vintage Crate Labels, a rare find of unused early 1900's cabinet card stock and the following:

Sweet vintage metal license plates in the palest of peach/pink with red accents (would make an awesome journal cover accent) . . .

Vintage Bath Soap Boxes with wonderful graphics (could hold decorated cards for a great gift). . .

and vintage rolls of French linen cord . . .

I have been collecting more vintage Dennison label boxes ever since I taught this class at Donna Downey's event a year or two ago. I finally pulled together enough and am offering the original project for sale on the site although I had to make a few changes to the original (as some products were out of stock). It is one of my favorite projects ever (I love working on tiny details)!

I also decided it was about time for another jewelry kit (at the prompting of one of our wonderful loyal customers!!). This one is made with all vintage parts except for the chain (new stock, Nunn Design). It is simple to make - you will just need some metal glue and basic jewelry pliers.

We have also put several kits on sale (6 to be exact), some at more than 50% off! While supplies last - I have less than 8 on most of these. Below is last year's Travel Kit.

Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. central - see you there!

Want to come and sit a spell?

2011-04-12T16:39:00.000-07:00

This is what becons me everyday . . . taunting me to come and rock for awhile.

Afterall, there should be a reward after climbing all of these stairs!

Happy Tuesday! Hope yours was as beautiful as ours was.

Playing catch up . . .

2011-04-11T19:27:00.000-07:00

after our big sale on Saturday! We had a great turnout - it was great to catch up with many of our Vintagefest attendees and to meet some new friends. If you came by, thanks for coming and I hope you enjoyed unpacking your treasures later in the day!

And I hear the crop was a blast. I made it home that night and marched straight to bed. Break down after a show is the pitts!

Just a quick note tonight to mention that my Mega Meet and GASC classes have either sold out already or are very close. I have been working with both events to add classes. If and when that happens I will let you know here.

Also, my class at Donna Downey's studio is sold out but I believe there are still a few seats left in my mini workshops at the Inspired Event.

Our busy travel season is about to start - I'm trying to enjoy the calm before the storm!

Big Day On Saturday!

2011-04-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

Don't forget that this Saturday is our one day only Warehouse Sale here in Mt. Juliet at the Holiday Inn Express! The fun begins at 9:00 a.m. I have been busy, busy, busy, pricing all of my Texas finds!

If you were considering driving in, here's a little something to sweeten the deal! I found out this week that the Watertown Mile Long Yard Sale is going on on Saturday as well! This is just about 13 miles up the interstate from us. It's more than 12 miles (don't let the "Mile" title fool you) and ends in the town square. Always great antiques and collectibles along this route. We can tell you a little more about it at the sale.

And for my friends far and away, the girls have put together a fun on-line crop (you can find out more at the Inspiration Blog ) and I am planning a special on-line sale as part of the release on the 15th. I didn't forget about you!!

A Really Dirty Puppy. . .

2011-04-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

Someone got herself in a little trouble today, can you guess who?

Do you think the groomer will charge extra for this?

Is There A Doctor In The House?

2011-04-04T19:46:00.000-07:00

My new obsession (okay, 1 of my new obsessions)! Not only does this vintage doctor's bag have great bones and a sleek look going for it, it passes my stringent test for usable storage AND it has a monogram (extra cool). I bought this one for me a couple of weeks ago and found one in Texas with a great plaid lining (and twice this big) for resale at our upcoming shows.

And speaking of Texas, I want to post some photos of our trip but I need to get Jared to send them to me from his phone. I walked out the door and forgot my camera of course. I did have the Flip however and took some inspiring video for my Big Picture Class (only 2 more days to sign up)! Hope to get that post up soon!

My Big Picture Class Has Started!

2011-04-01T19:57:00.000-07:00

Hey guys- just a quick reminder that the first week of my Big Picture Class, Re-purpose, Re-think, Re-invent started yesterday! The last day to sign up for this 12 week course is next Wednesday the 6th.

I am still loading new content for later in the course (including a fun new video from our trip to Texas). If you love everything old and want to know what to do with it - this course is for you!

Have a great weekend!

No April Fools Here!

2011-03-31T18:18:00.000-07:00

Let's get right to it because this is a BIG night y'all!

There are hundreds of possibilities with this months Papercrafting Kit - from more muted and neutral layouts to the brighter side. So many fun things to play with. I really spent a lot of time at CHA trying to find some unique bits for the kits, and this one has some good ones, including those sweet molded flowers I found in bulk.

I decided to try something a little brighter this month for the Project Kit - and I got out my needle and thread! I loved the results. Mine is hanging on my old hotel key holder in the dining room.

Our first Add-On Kit is called "Good Day Sunshine" (thank you Doris!) and is filled with golden yellows and bright reds.

Our second Add-On Kit is called "April Showers" and is filled with more muted colors and includes these AMAZING XL "Just Rite" vintage wardrobe hangers that I happened upon in bulk a month ago.

April begins second quarter and as such, the introduction of a new Dime Store Kit. Doris has already had great fun playing with this one and it's such a deal!

We don't normally introduce additional kits/vintage items on the 1st but the 15th would be too late for Easter Crafting so we have loaded all of our Vintage Easter goodies including this kit for two large treat cones (I had so much fun making these)!

And . . .vintage Easter postcards, vintage brass crosses, antique German scrap, German Foil chicks and more!

And as if that wasn't enough, the entire JBS winter release is now available in our General Store! Yep - everything. . .Be Our Guest papers and accessorises, spools, tins, stickers, chipboard, rub-ons, Hodge Podge Books and more!

Everything goes live tonight at midnight central time zone!

And thanks to everyone that commented on my last post - its always nice to know you are not alone!

2011-03-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

Reality Check . . .

Life is messy sometimes. Although you typically see photos of my studio with a clean desk, swept floor and "everything in it's place" facade the truth is that is often not the case. Same with the house in general. Although the dining room may be clean and decorated, you don't see the door closed behind it leading to the guest bedroom with the paper shades (still after a year), dresser with one changed drawer pull, dead plant, and broken frame waiting to be fixed.

Struggling a bit today with the balance of it all. I have so many interests, so many relationships, so many responsibilities pulling me in every direction that I just don't feel like I do anything "well" (sound familiar)?

In having said that, I really began to recognize that my presence on the Mercantile site had been lacking for a few months. In theory, I didn't go anywhere, but I found myself just going through the motions. I was putting together the kits, creating projects - but with less heart than I used to have. But that has changed as of late. . .

You may have already noticed the beginning of some changes (mostly thanks to my wonderful team)! Site cleanup (with more to come), new easy-to-use message board, member benefits, new kits, new finds (consistently) and a new focus on the content of the kits with a more varied presence of the industries coolest companies. We have also introduced videos (with some exciting introductions in the next few months) as well as kits designed by our award winning design team. In the next couple of months you will also see new and exciting exclusives and a new kit structure that will bring more focus back to traditional scrapbookers while continuing to up our offerings of vintage finds and kits for "lifestyle" crafters. I can also tell you that in the past month I have been beating the pavement (and the internet) and have assembled the largest and most unique inventory I have ever had of vintage and antique crafting supplies with a long list of exciting projects planned. I am so excited and I hope you are too! There has NEVER been a better time to be a part of our community. I am thankful for each and every one of you and I promise not to let you down. I hope you come along for the ride!

2011-03-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

RestaurantWare

Can't you just image the chicken fried steak and potatoes served on these plates? I don't know who Ed was or where he served up the grub, but I like his style! I started collecting Krystal and Steak and Shake mugs for my kitchen just before we moved and have been expanding a bit (and as always, I buy to sell what I love so I am stocking up for the Country Living Fairs). Last week Jared and I met one of my connections from Florida as he was coming through TN and I picked up a set of Delta Airlines plates (1st class baby!) and some sweet scalloped coffee cups. Logos are such a weakness.

I also want to mention tonight that we have partnered with the incredibly talented Kerry Lynn Yeary who will be creating a series of kits for Mercantile. Her first one just went up for sale tonight. Be sure to check it out here. And remember. . .the March Madness boxes are still for sale, but only until the end of March so you may want to check those out too. It's a great deal on some classic products.

Happy Monday!

2011-03-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars - this is gonna be a big one!

We are going to have a one day sale next month on April 9th from 9:00a.m. - 5p.m. at the Holiday Inn in Mt. Juliet, TN just off of interstate 40.

We have double the space then we normally have and here's what we plan to bring with us:

- the super cool vintage and antique items you are used to finding at our Vintagefest shopping events (displays, knick knacks, ephemera, trinkets and treasures). I have been shopping for months and this will be our first sales event of the year

- discounted past kits from the Mercantile site of all kinds

- discounted individual products leftover from Mercantile kits

- and NEW to this sale, many discontinued JBS stickers, rub-ons and papers at reduced prices!

I will take some teaser photos the week of the sale AND we will plan something fun for our on-line friends as well.

2011-03-15T18:57:00.000-07:00

Do you recognize these people??

For all of you Country Living fans, you may have been perusing your latest issue (just like I was) and came upon a familiar face! Although I was aware that they were taking photos, I had no idea that we would make it to the ad as the sole representatives (at least living, breathing ones) of the Fair.

Just a few little behind the scenes notes:

- Jared and I did NOT set out to match that day (we never do but it happens quite often).

- I had some super cute red ballet flats that I WAS wearing just 5 minutes before this (who knew my feet were gonna make it to a national magazine).

- We were fortunate to sell alot that weekend but we did not sell that sweet cherry themed lotto card.

- Editor Sarah Gray Miller also filmed a piece for TLC's "Dinner And A Movie" in our booth. Don't know exacatly where that ended up but hopefully a link will pop up at their site soon.

- We will definitely be back to the Atlanta Fair this year and have our fingers crossed tight for Ohio.

We have had some interesting "opportunities" pop up here lately but I don't think I can talk about any of it yet. I will be sure to share as soon as I can though!!

2011-03-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

I could post about a million things today. . .

but since we have an AMAZING release planned for tomorrow morning, I suppose that should be at the top of the list!

Tomorrow is the 15th and that means a long list of vintage additions and our first ever March Madness JBS Product Box (the best deal ever)! Below is just a sampling of what you will find tomorrow, March 15th, at 10:00 a.m. central time.

The release includes. . . these "happy" yellow thread spools. They are extra large and would make a great photo display with stick pins like I did here for the photo (saw something similar in the latest edition of Flea Market Style). Or of course you could actually use the thread which would be cool too! I recently purchased boxes full of spools in different styles, types and colors and will list different ones in the coming months.

I have several of these sweet vintage porcelain hands (ready to hold all of your tiny treasures). . .

I also have 3 different types of these Vintage Large Bird Prints, ready to frame or use in collage projects. Also look for restock on German Gold Foil Alphabets and Butterflies (and a new addition)!

And last but not least, here's a little peek at the March Madness Box! We will offer this box through the end of the month or while supplies last. For the full list of contents and pricing information (more than 60% off of retail) check it out tomorrow!

We have just a handful of this Month's Kits left - check out the Design Team gallery for some amazing inspiration.

Happy Monday!

2011-03-11T13:40:00.000-08:00

The sun will come out, tomorrow. . .

And it did. After rain, rain, and more rain, finally, a day of sunshine. Our sweet puppy has been sunbathing all day on the driveway.

This is a little peek at one of the new projects I have been working on exclusively for my Big Picture Class. Sign ups are still going on. I've been in my studio most of the day (except for the lunch break to Five Guys). That is very unusual by welcome!

Completed my second YouTube video today too. Once Jared gets it edited and loaded I will let you know. It goes over the specific techniques associated with this month's Mercantile Project Kit. EDITED: It's up! Here's the link

Have a great weekend!

2011-03-10T18:53:00.000-08:00

Tiny Treasures. . .

are my favorite treasures. These were awaiting transfer to their new homes in my studio after recent shopping trips. I couldn't help but snap a shot.

We have an exciting 15th coming to Mercantile. Lots of new vintage finds and the elusive March Madness JBS product box I have been referring to. More info on that tomorrow! And. . .I'm shooting another video tomorrow so I will let you know when that is posted as well. Have a great night!

2011-03-08T19:05:00.000-08:00

Vintagefest Announcement . .

Thanks so much for the inquiries on our little annual event! We love to put this on and see our old friends and make a few new ones.

We have decided to offer the event only once a year instead of twice and with the extension now of our local Flea Market for at least another year, we have decided to try a different time of year all-together and are going to do it this fall. The date will be announced in May.

However, we are going to have our first ever one day warehouse sale in April. I will announce the date next week. We will have all of the stuff we normally have for sale at Vintagefest but with more discounted and discontinued product - lots of great deals!

I promise to share all of the details soon.

And for those of you not in our neck of the woods, we are going to have a March Madness sale box coming on the 15th. More details on this by Friday!

2011-03-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

Do you love it??

Thanks to Betsy I have a brand new blog!

Check out my updated sidebar too - we have a busy few months ahead (and that's not even everything - still need to add).

Busy, busy, busy today. More tomorrow!

2011-03-03T14:51:00.001-08:00

My Little Cash Book. . .

Meant to post this yesterday but it didn't happen. I was too busy going through my stuff from "picking" yesterday. Will share more next week (did share one photo on Twitter though)!

My accountant husband is always on me to record my cash purchases in detail. To me this is how it works: you get money out of the ATM, you go to the Flea Market, you hand over the cash and you bring home your treasures. Who has time to record the details -ughh?

But, I have given into his pleading and decided that I would at least make it fun so I took the awesome recycled notebook from this month's Papercrafting Kit and made a simple little book to record my purchases. I stapled in Journaling Cards to the pages that didn't have areas for writing but between the ones that do and the plain backsides this should keep me going for a while! We have 3 different versions of these little books so you will continue to see them popping up in the kits! I cheated and used two of my new stamps but everything else is from this month's kit (which by the way, there are only 12 left and even less of the Add-On Kits)!!

Have a great weekend!

2011-03-02T17:01:00.001-08:00

Pure Bliss. . .

I think I have this exact canister set in my antique booth right now!

These are pages from a 1950's Spiegel catalog. I could sit and look at it for hours. I think some of these boot styles are back in style!

I'm sure I will share some pages in a kit soon, but for now I keep walking by it in my studio and flipping a page, excited to see hardware, stoves and even chicken coops.

2011-03-01T17:21:00.000-08:00

Another sweet storage idea. . .

I've been hoarding these little guys for months now. I have a clear bin almost full downstairs just for baby shoes! I used them at Christmas to make Baby's First Christmas gifts but recently I have repurposed one as a holder for my Mini Mister's. You could take out the shoe laces and add some seam binding, add some rub-ons, etc. I kind of like mine pure and simple - just like the little chubby foot that must have once lived there!

2011-02-28T16:58:00.001-08:00

Countdown to the first. . .

We are starting a new month with new kits (and a new addition!) and a new change for our members so here we go. . .

The Papercrafting Kit is full our newest JBS release along with a few vintage goodies that I have been saving just for this kit including a vintage brass silhouette charm that Jill used as a mask here. . .

This kit also includes a new exclusive item - a recycled mini book with Kraft cover and various JBS pattern papers (I have turned mine into a Cash book to take with me on my flea market jaunts - I will post it tomorrow). . .

The Project Kit this month is my first project with one of my new Hodge Podge Books. It is a general themed album but I have used mine as a Faith book to fill with some of my favorite passages. I found some very cool pads a couple of months ago that were some type of receipt books but the pages were printed tissue. How cool is that? I'm sharing some in the kits - used mine to make the flower on the cover. More photos on the site tonight!

And beginning this month, we are adding an additional Add-On kit each month. Both will still contain the vintage items you love but with two different themes. So this month we have "His". . .

and "Her's" . . .

And because membership should have it’s benefits. . . starting now, JBS Mercantile will offer member’s first rights to purchase Add-On Kits as well as other special additions offered on the 1st of each month. For the first full day of the month, only members will be allowed to purchase the Member-Exclusive Add-Ons. On the second of each month, remaining inventory will be open to all buyers. As is currently the policy, member’s will also have the option to add these items to their monthly kit shipment at little or no additional shipping charge.

We have alot going on this month so stay tuned!!

2011-02-23T18:42:00.000-08:00

Still Sick. . .

I woke up Monday morning with something bad and am still not myself yet. . .hopefully tomorrow.

I did manage to get my first youtube video filmed yesterday, Jared posted it today.

Hence the raspy voice and my temporary memory loss on my new favorite ink color (that beautiful green is Stick Candy)!

Hope to be back to the blogging world officially tomorrow!

2011-02-21T15:12:00.000-08:00

Clever Storage Idea. . .

I tend to buy every old eye glass case I can find, whether or not they contain the glasses or not! I love them - they are like little treasure chests to me (and even better when they are engraved with the advertising from the doctor on them). This particular one was lined with beautiful blue velvet - a bonus!

You can use them to hide tiny treasures, such as these carved Mother of Pearl buttons.

In order for me to be able to function in my studio, everything must have it's place!

How about you - chaos or order?

2011-02-17T17:30:00.000-08:00

Yummmm . . .

Stick Candy + Spice Tin

My new favorite color combo - I love it!

I really believe that Stick Candy is a neutral by the way - I haven't found anything it doesn't go perfectly with. Although it is a pale green, it's really just a beautiful vintage neutral. Shown here with my new Acrylic stamps.

This is a peek at one of my projects for Donna Downey's Inspired Event in May (Mini Workshop) - I will post all of the info. once it is up for registration!

2011-02-16T14:48:00.001-08:00

Just kiddin. . .

It's about 62 degrees right now. I can hear the kids outside my window playing basketball.

Life is good!

2011-02-15T17:55:00.000-08:00

A Valentine, a day late. . .

With so many cuties to choose from, which one would you pick? I'm a bit fond of the one in the rhinestone frame - who doesn't love a man with a little blush in his cheeks and a little curl in his hair?

Meghann from New Orleans - you are my blog hop winner! Shoot us a note through the contact link at the site so you can start spending your cash!

2011-02-14T17:38:00.000-08:00

A HUGE mid-month release tomorrow!!!

I was a bad blogger last week - gonna try and make it up for it this week!

I have a confession to make first - about a new love affair.

Last fall I came across two small graniteware "pails" at an antique show here in town. I had never seen one before. After talking to the dealers they explained that they were French lunch pails from the 1940's. The metal handle folds down and the clips come down to release the top. Just inside sits an aluminum tray. I have since learned that this was used (in conjunction with the rubber seal in the lid) to hold soup, that way they could still hold a sandwich or something else below it. I can't explain why exactly, but I LOVE them! I made an offer for both of them right then and there. I love to use mine to tote mobile projects (particularly for jewelry projects).

I put the small things in the top tray - beads, buttons, etc.

and then tote the pliers and other tools below.

So since last fall I have been on a mission to find some to sell. So. . . tomorrow I've got 5 going up at Mercantile. They range in price and condition (some have their trays and some don't).

I also have a bunch of these sweet Bible lesson booklets. They have the most wonderful graphics on the covers. I also have another 6-8 unique and new vintage items going up.

And. . . I have a few of the kits for this Vintage Photo Garland Class (taught at Creative Connection in Sept.) that I found when we did inventory. Color copies and full instructions come with it.

We only have a handful of this month's kits left (less than a handful of the Add-On and Project Kit) . . . just sayin (ha). If you haven't seen the gallery this month you need to take a look - amazing!!

Everything goes up tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. central time!

(Oh- I need to announce my giveaway winner for the blog hop - will do tomorrow)!

2011-02-08T19:53:00.000-08:00

I spy with my little eye. . .

a white puppy dog who always thinks she's the star of the show.

(I also spy some new spring moss in my scale - a little distraction from the snow we continue to get. Excuse me Ms. Mother Nature, I remember laying out on the roof of my college dorm in February? What's up)??

2011-02-07T08:53:00.001-08:00

A Twitter Confession (and a Blog Hop)!

So I now officially have a personal twitter account (@jennibowlin), or I should say my hubby has instituted one for me! He sneaks up on me and takes the photos and says things like " Busting out the new twitter account. . ." that I would never say. But as he says, he's motivated to "get things done" this week, one way or the other!

Now onto the blog hop. . .

Here's the info:

Welcome to Jenni Bowlin Studio's CHA Winter 2011 Blog Hop brought to you by our newest release, "Be Our Guest!" This is our largest release ever filled with all sorts of pretties from the patterned paper, stickers, rub-ons, bingo cards, and unique embellishments you've come to know and love to a new foray into acrylic stamps and project foundations. You can see the entire release HERE . To celebrate, we're offering you lots and lots of opportunities to win $15 gift cards to JBS Mercantile.

You can enter to win at the following locations:

Twitter : We will be giving away TWO $15 gift cards to 1 NEW follower on Twitter. These will be sent to the winner and to a friend of the winner's choosing, so if you're already a follower of @jbsmercantile then get some of your friends to follow us too! We will also be randomly choosing a winner from those who retweet the "CHA Winter 2011 Giveaway" post.

Facebook : Look for the post that mentions, "Be Our Guest Giveaway" and leave a comment to be entered into the first drawing. We will also be randomly choosing a second winner from our NEW Facebook followers, so tell all your friends!

JBS Mercantile Message Board : In the "Town Square," leave a comment on the thread entitled, "Be Our Guest Giveaway." And P.S. - we are working on making this a bit more user friendly and pretty!

The JBS Inspiration Blog : Leave a comment on the "CHA Winter 2011 Blog Hop" post telling us which of our new products is your favorite.

Many of our Design Team Members are also hosting giveaways on thier blogs, so check the links to the left for more chances to win!

Leave a comment here for a chance to win as well!

Happy Monday!