The Queen has invited me to visit again!

Queen Patti that is. . .

Over the Christmas Holiday I will be visiting the Queen's Ink in Savage Mill Maryland to teach my Shabby Collage Frame Class and my Wonderfully Vintage Altered Collage Class (photos below). I will be there Tuesday December 29th beginning at 12:30 p.m. (second class starts at 4:30 p.m.). Find all of the info here. Call and sign up soon if you are interested - I'm not exactly sure how many spots are left in each!

And. . .there's a great Antique Mall just below the store so you can make a day of it!!

Wonderfully Vintage Collage

Shabby Collage Frame

More stuff coming on the calendar - I will keep you posted!

(P.S. - anybody done with Christmas shopping? I have one more trip out and I think that will do it. So far I've been alot busier than I would like to be this time of year. Hoping to still squeeze in some Christmas Cards next week. Some years they go out and some they don't. I just need one more week in this month and all would be well)!

What a fun time we had!!

VintageFest was so much fun! We saw some old friends and made some new ones. I gotta tell you, I love the intimacy of smaller events. It's important to me to learn names and get to know people. It's always a bit chaotic and I'm sure I fall short at times, but that is my ultimate goal. I love the idea of a group of woman getting together and sharing a passion. This event is still far from what I have in mind for the future, but my goal is still to always keep it on the smaller side. We are planning on doing this twice a year, so look for some info soon on a late Spring/early Summer event!!

In the meantime, here is a quick photo, but Doris has the Inspiration Blog loaded with photos.

Thanks to all who came for the day, came for a class, or came to shop! We hope you had a great time and we look forward to seeing you again!!

On a more serious note, I have been meaning to post about a serious addiction I have been battling - I'm addicted to auctions!! I went to my first one a little over a year ago now (remember my $100 farmhouse table)? Since then, I am looking in the paper, on-line and with local real estate companies every weekend I'm in town. Jared makes fun of me, but he's just as bad if he's with me, I just tend to bid on bigger and heavier things! Many times you end up with "box lots". I usually will see at least one thing I know I want before I bid - sometimes you end with a box of junk and sometimes treasure! I put together this little sampling from my last auction - it didn't look like I had much of anything at first, but I love this little vignette. Enjoy!

VintageFest this Saturday!!

Just a reminder, in case you were thinking of signing up at the last minute. We have less than 5 stops left and will take sign ups until Friday night.

Find out more here (or scroll down a bit).

Sign up for the classes here.

I will be posting again on Friday with some fun photos of items we will have for sale. We have even more than last year including some larger vintage/antique pieces (think organizing and display!) for your home studios or shops. Remember. . .there is no entrance fee! Come shop anytime between 9:00a.m. and 9:00p.m.

And. . .

Every purchase over $50 gets a free gift (while supplies last - so come early)!

Now I need to get off this computer and get BUSY!!!

Project Kits and Necklaces. . .

flew out the door! I secured more Thickers from American Crafts for the Project Kits today and they are now back up for sale!! Still not a million of them, but they should last a little longer.

The 4 new necklaces I put up sold as well. I am working on some more this week/weekend and plan to post a few more next Monday. I will keep you posted! I'm so glad you liked them!

All is well now!

It's 8:00 a.m. central and all photos and products are showing now, including the new necklaces. If you happen to have made a purchase last night and want to add something, just shoot us a note and we will be happy to combine/refund your shipping.

Happy Shopping!

(P.S. - as of this moment, there are still Project Kits left, but they will go fast. I am working on getting some more and will keep you posted)!

Technical Error-

Hey guys- you may notice that the image details are not there for the kits and some products aren't showing at all (including the new necklaces). We had a technical error tonight when loading images and I won't be able to get it fixed until the morning.

So sorry for the delay!!

That's the problem with loading your site at midnight when your tech support is sleeping!!

I will keep you posted. . .

(p.s.- the 3 kits for this month are showing and you can technically check out with them should you see enough to convince you with the photos shown here)!

December Kits are here (and more)!

This month's Papercrafting Kit will have you thinking of striped knee socks and candy covered houses. And check out the new exclusive Mercantile item - label stickers (this month in polka dots)! Of course we still have an exclusive paper, journaling card and photo card.

Doris Sander designed the calendar this year and did an amazing job (check out that yummy flower)! The 2010 calendar is this month's Project Kit. . .

December's Add-On Kit has some great vintage goodies as always and another template and Maya Mist (this time in cream- looks like orange but that's just the bottle).

I added a few more Xmas jewelry items to the Boutique. Only one available in each!

The exclusive Mercantile items from each of the past 6 month's kits are now available for sale! The Journaling Cards and Papers are sold in sets, but the 6 exclusive colors of Rub-On singles are now available for individual sale. Find them here.

Also. . . the entire JBS October release is now available for sale, including our brand new Printed Ticket sets. Find everything under "New" in the General Store.

12:00 midnight central is when the fun starts. Remember, Santa never sleeps this time of year!! Ha!!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Some fun updates from my little world coming later this week. . .

And the winner is. . .

Tracy D.

You also left your e-mail address so we will shoot you a note in case you don't see it here.

Thanks to everyone who left a comment!!!

Have a happy, happy Thanksgiving week.

(P.S. - we have more new stuff coming on the 1st, including more Xmas necklaces)!!

Tomorrow morning - 9:00a.m. central!!

You will find. . .

a 2009 Vintage Christmas Junque Box. . .

a 2009 Vintage Christmas Ephemera Pack. . .

2009 Milk Cap Ornament Kit. . .

also a Christmas Milk Cap set (not pictured). . .

And, 6 new additions to the Vintage Finds area including. . .

Vintage Top Flight Notebooks. . .

Vintage Greek Books. . .

Vintage Calendar Blocks. . .

and Vintage Advertising Booklets, Spiral Blue Horse Notebooks and Vintage Maps.

And. . . finally some new items in the Boutique! There is only 1 of most necklaces, but there are a few that I was able to make multiples of. Here are 2 examples, but I will be adding 10 items!!

Also, lots of restocks (including the Vintage Hand Molds and Vintage Thread Spools that flew out the door overnight)! Also the Bingo Earring Kit, Square Rings, Art Gel, Bling Tins and Alpha Numeric Tins.

We are also now offering our new Coredinations/Jenni Bowlin Embossed Cardstock Pad. Find it here.

Opps- almost forgot! We are also running a big sale in the Past Kits area. 25% - 50% off everything still left for one week only (or until they sell out). There are less than 15 of all items so act fast (great gift ideas over there).

If you made it this far then you know that I am also doing a surprise giveaway! Post here between now and Sunday night, midnight central, for a chance to win one of my necklaces (my choice)! Winner will be announced on Monday night.

Happy shopping!!

Fun Finds (and a small house update). . .

First of all, let me just say I had a blast again at Silver Bella. Jared and I so loved getting to see everyone again (old friends and some new ones)! It was a long drive to and from, but we are quite used to it. I got to stop at Curious Sofa (Deb of course took photos of her booth, I did not - again!) on the way home in Kansas City. I have admired this store after years of seeing it in the mags and it was such a delight to step foot in there. Best of all. . .I found the perfect light fixture for my foyer (photos soon)!

Here are a few photos I have been collecting to share. . .

Isn't this amazing? It is an old Milliner's table, about 10 ft long. It will go in our Keeping Room off the kitchen instead of the built-ins I had planned there (money saver)!!

Just some great finds trying to find their way to my booth. I'm getting stocked up for our VintageFest!!

Some beautiful ironstone in grey and blue picked up from Deb at the show (and at her shop). I will keep some and put some in my booth. . .

I arranged my entire kitchen around this piece! It is a primitive country store menu. That is the original chalk writing, likely 80 years old at this point. I have had it in storage for more than a year and it's almost time to use it. I can't believe it!

We have arches!! This has quickly become my favorite part of the house. We tried to be careful on the arches, making sure they were historically correct. They truly seem to be that one thing that just "makes" the house. They are working on our front stairs now. Nothing too exciting to share inside yet. Just lots of wire!!

We re-stocked ALL of the popular kits this month - Papercrafting, Project and Add-On. Only a very few of each. I am still working on getting more Project Kits so if they sell out again, I will post about a re-stock once more.

Come back tomorrow night - so much to share about our JBSMercantile HolidayFest on Friday (9:00a.m. central). You won't believe how much stuff is going up - 4 vintage Christmas kits, custom jewelry, restocks of glove molds and old spools, and much, much more!!

VintageFest Registration is open!!

Check out the schedule of events below and class information. Links are provided to take you right to the site where you need to go (but you can find the products under "Classes and Events" in the General Store).

Schedule of Events

9:00 a.m - On Site Store Opens

10:00a.m. - 12:00p.m. - Shabby Framed Collage Class

12:00p.m. - 1:00p.m. - Lunch provided (for those who have signed up for both classes)

1:00p.m. – 3:00p.m. – Shuttle service provided to The Antique Mall in Hermitage with over 40 booths (including Jenni’s). Shuttle service/shopping with Jenni is provided for those who have signed up for at both classes. Room will be open for cropping during this time as well as an alternative.

3:00p.m. – 5:00p.m. – Vintage Bookplate Ornament Class

5:00p.m. – 10:00p.m. – Crop and Shop (drinks and snacks will be provided)

• Registration is now available for individual classes, all day event (both classes, lunch, shuttle and cropping) or the evening crop under “Classes and Events” in the General Store.

• The On-Site Store will open at 9:00a.m. and close at 10:00p.m. Anyone can come and shop at anytime (there is no fee to enter). We will have great discounts on past kits as well as misc. papers and embellishments. However, our “store” has become famous for our unique vintage and antique finds including old ledger and music papers, salt and pepper shakers full of glass glitter, vintage Christmas garlands and ornaments, old rhinestone jewelry pieces, display pieces for your home studio, vintage cards and bits and baubles and SO MUCH MORE! New this year – Jenni’s one-of-a-kind jewelry made from vintage and antique materials. Perfect for gift giving! We will of course also have the full line of Jenni Bowlin Studio products.

• Every purchase at the store will enter you into the drawing for several door prizes throughout the day (you do not have to be present to win).

• Rooms are available at the brand new Hampton Inn at $99 per night. Call them at 553-5900. (p.s. – Southwest is flying pretty cheap to Nashville right now! The Mt. Juliet Hampton Inn is approx. 12 miles from the Nashville International Airport).

• Door prizes will also be drawn in each class!

Shabby Framed Collage –
It’s all in the details! Tiny squares make up a detailed collage full of vintage papers, stamped images and “mini” versions of JBS products, all neatly presented in a die cut wood frame ready for display. Keep for yourself or give as a gift! Bring your own photo (black and white works best sized to 2 ¼” wide by 3 ½” tall) or add it later (or use the “adopted relative” shown here and included in your kit)!

Vintage Bookplate Ornaments –
Classic bookplates meet vintage papers, ephemera and embellishments to create one classy set of ornaments! Learn how to make a sweet fluffy wreath from vintage pipe cleaners and create dangles with vintage feather tree ornaments. Everything is provided to create 3 ornaments as shown. Bring 1 small (approx. 2.5” with room for cropping) photo. Please bring a set of jewelry pliers and wire cutters should you have them (several will be provided for use however).

For those of you who aren't in our neck of the woods, we will be having a special "Holiday Open House" at the site beginning November 20th. More information on those offerings soon!

And the winner is. . .

Ginny!

yes, "just Ginny"! I don't know anything else about you Ginny as your profile didn't go anywhere (other than you posted that you you were in my BPS class) so please send us a note at jennibowlin@gmail.com and we will get you registered for May's class! Thanks to everyone that played!!

Tomorrow. . . info. on registration for our 2nd annual JBS VintageFest!!!

Not just a night for candy - new kits are here!!

After you've had your share of Reese's and Dum Dum's, come on over to the site at midnight (central) to check out the new kits in store for November! The Papercrafting Kit this month is just beautiful and full of new products, including the new JBS Red/Black Extension Line and Coredinations embossed cardstock!!

Did you know that JBS Mini Bingo Cards fit perfectly inside the ATC Artist Tray from 7gypsies?? Check out this month's cute Project Kit above, featuring the tray (super simple to create and great for gift giving)! We also have a few trays to sell individually available in the Supply section of the General Store. Purchase the tray separately along with your choice of color/style JBS Mini Bingo Cards (you will need 2 sets) and make a unique project specific to any home decor.


Finally the Add-On Kit - this is just a peek but it includes some great embellishments (including an extra large beautiful label I have been holding on tight to)!

Check back mid-week as I will be posting about the classes for the 2nd Annual JBS VintageFest including registration information.

Happy Halloween!!

**EDITED ** Whoa- that was fast - the Project Kits flew out the door but I am working on getting more! I will post here once I have a date set. We are planning a fun release on November 20th with more vintage Christmas projects so stay tuned!!

This and That. . .

First of all, I forgot to post specifically about an upcoming class I have scheduled for next weekend (Saturday November 7th at 4:00) in Clarksville, TN at Memories In Bloom. I will be teaching the 2009 Year in Review Mini Album below:

If you are considering signing up, please do so by this weekend (November 1st). Keep in mind you get the 3 hour class full of techniques with a completed project (gift?) to take home, but you also go home with enough product to use on several more projects!

Also, my friend May Flaum is getting ready to launch "Adventures In Scrapbooking Using Kits" over at Big Picture and I am going to give a seat away for her class! Just leave a comment on this post between now and November 1st (thats this Sunday!) and I will pick a winner randomly on Monday the 2nd.

And in other news, as a professional shopper (that's what my husband calls me anyway) I have been very busy lately! Our big flea market was last weekend and I filled my granny basket twice to the brim! Here are a few of my finds (not spectacular photos, but you get the idea. . .)

Victorian trade cards. . .

Some old graters to display my earrings at Silver Bella, some tins for our CHA booth and some Double Cola bottles for my new farmhouse kitchen (the cabinet guy thinks I'm crazy I know for wiping out all of the upper cabinets for farmhouse shelving). . .
Some more Silver Bella goodies - gotta love these velvet Japan reindeer with just a touch of glitter. Yummy!

And finally, this is a little vignette of things waiting for my new studio. I got the chandelier at Melrose Vintage in Phoenix last year when I was teaching and the store display and Arm and Hammer full size ad (for their bird card series) were recent flea market finds.

New kits coming this weekend! Check back for peeks on Saturday!

Registration for the Greece event. . .

opens tonight (for Cocoa Daisy members) and tomorrow for everyone. Midnight CDT. Find out more here.

This is going to be one amazing adventure!!

Just confirmed. . .

We have finally confirmed the date for our 2nd annual JBS class/shopping event here in Mt. Juliet! We are "glitzing" it up a bit and I will be offering two different classes on Saturday with a break in between for a short shuttle over to the 30+ booth antique mall where I keep my little space. We will also be offering lunch this year. AND. . . of course lots of shopping on site for vintage finds (and lots of it!), JBS Products and Mercantile Kits (including deep discounts on misc. papers and tons of great scrapbooking products leftover from a year's worth of kits)! Shopping will be open to anyone all day Saturday at no cost for entry.

More details in about a week on the two classes themselves and how to register. Some of you asked me for the date so I wanted to go ahead and post it. Stay tuned!!

(P.S. - I will also be announcing other classes/events I have scheduled for the rest of 2009 into 2010 this week)!

Quick Note On A Cancellation. . .

Sadly, the Spectacular Spectacular Event scheduled to be in Clarksville this weekend has been cancelled. They may try again in the Spring - I will keep you posted!

I will be adding a few more events to my sidebar this week and will post about them here (including our 2nd annual JBS retail event and classes here in Mt. Juliet)!!

Thanks so very much for the posts on the new line!!! They were so much fun to read. I really have a fun job - so very thankful for it every day.

And here is one little thing I forgot. . .

New Die Cut Circle Mini Papers (the girls told me they squealed when they say these in the catalog today)!

Kit previews coming soon too. . . so much to do!!

New Product Is Coming. . .

The JBS October release is here! And as is our tradition, we always go back to our roots each October and add 6 new papers to our classic Red/Black Line. I think this is my favorite yet (Doris already gave her vote)!

Here is a closer look at my personal favorite. I must say, the journaling cards for this line rock too!

And also as is tradition, we have a new 6" x 6" 2010 calendar set (this time as die cut circles). . .

and new General Calendar Cards (this time as 2 1/4" x 4" cards) available in 3 color choices.

We have also brought back some of our popular Spring Picnic papers, but added two baby specific patterns as well as these adorable new Baby Girl and Baby Boy Mini Bingo Cards.

And last but not least, 4 new sets of Printed Tickets (and these are no doubt my favorite yet)!

Wholesale newsletter will go out late this Sunday with ordering information available at that time. Shipping will begin November 1st.

Hope you enjoyed the peek!!!

just a few updates. . .

First of all, I have loaded my layout for this month's kit in my gallery. I have decided to stop drawing attention to the fact that I only have 1 in there (like its a temporary thing) - the fact is it will likely always be only 1 but I keep telling myself it's something! That's why I have an amazing design team to show me up month after month. Thanks guys! There are actually only a few of these kits left (and less than 4 of the add-on kits left) if you were contemplating whether you needed it or not (aren't need and want synonymous)? ha!

Also, looked what showed up at our building site yesterday: the remnants of a 100 year old tobacco barn (soon to be given new life)! Don't you just love the grunginess?? I am a very dark brick girl typically so I am anxious to see these on the house as they are more red then I would pick out. I know it will look great, but I need to see it all done. I wonder if the bricklayers would mind if I hung around for a few days and directed? I really think there is an art to doing this - the walls are one big canvas you know!!

Here you can see on a few of these bricks some smoke damage (I call it character)!

And just a reminder if you were thinking at all of coming to the Spectacular Spectacular event in Clarksville, please sign up now! See my two class offerings if you scroll down below. And if you needed more persuasion this amazing lady will be there too with her wares. . .

Happy Thursday!

More info on Greece!

Here is the info. Tricia just posted on her blog. I will post here again once registration is open!

I’ve been blown away by the initial response to our event in Mykonos next fall! With the help of the Hotel Kouros, Ali, Karen and Jenni, we are going to make Cocoa Daisy Destinations Mykonos a truly remarkable experience and we would love for you to be a part of it!!

Many, many people have been contacting us for additional information. I wanted to go ahead and supply you with some now before the registration site goes live. I’m waiting to hear back from our web designer on an exact date for that. It will be before the end of the month and we will definitely keep you updated on developments.

I can tell you that registration will open a day early for Cocoa Daisy subscribers. We expect that this event will sell out quickly and we want to give our loyal customers the first opportunity to join in the fun.

The event will be held from September 20th through September 26th at the luxurious Hotel Kouros on the island of Mykonos, the ultimate holiday destination!

Our goal of our trip is to bring you a one of a kind scrapbook retreat with the top names in the industry at one of the most beautiful locations in the world! Elina, the owner of the gorgeous hotel where we’ll be staying, is a very talented scrapbooker in her own right and knows what we as scrapbookers need to make a getaway absolutely perfect. (It’s almost serendipity the way all the pieces of the puzzle have just fallen right into place!) And Mykonos in recent years has become internationally famous for its beaches and as a haunt for the rich and famous. You’ll love the captivating scenery, the winding maze of narrow streets and squares, the windmills and lighthouse, the more than 500 churches and the exquisite sunsets viewed from your hotel balcony!

While you are with us we want to make sure you are completely pampered in an intimate, luxurious setting. Small class sizes, many opportunities to interact with the Ali, Jenni and Karen, and the spectacular setting will make this event exceptional. If you’vebeen waiting for ideal scrapbook trip, this is it! The emphasis of this trip will be to scrapbook on an island paradise with some of the top names in scrapbooking while also having time to relax and to explore this gorgeous island.

The Hotel Kourosis spectacularly built into a cliff side overlooking the turquoise waters of the Aegean and is just 300 meters from the city center. Each room has a private balcony with panoramic views of the sea and the nearby island of Delos. The already beautifully appointed rooms will be remodeled this winter and all the bathrooms were remodeled just this year. The hotel has both standard and deluxe rooms for double and triple occupancy. The triple rooms are considerably larger than the double occupancy rooms.

Cocoa Daisy Destinations: Mykonos includes all of the following:

• Classes with all three instructors, Ali Edwards, Jenni Bowlin and Karen Russell in a small group setting
• Double/triple occupancy for 6 nights
• A deluxe buffet breakfast each morning
• A pool side social hour with drinks and appetizers each evening
• All dinners (a variety of delectable Greek & continental cuisine prepared by the hotel’s professional chef)
• One evening out in a small group with all three instructors at a superb restaurant with a charming ambiance in the city center
• Mini workshops with 3 of our Daisy Divas: Christine Drumheller (Memory Makers Master ’09), Ronda Palazzari (Memory Makers Master ’09) and Sue Mylde
• Nightly Make-n-Takes and Crops
• Boat trip to and a tour of the picturesque island of Delos
• Greek Night with live classical Greek music and Greek dance lessons
• Shuttle service to and from hotel
• All hotel taxes
• Goodiebags, lots of special extras surprises and pampering all in an intimate, luxurious and supportivesetting with unique opportunities for personal interaction with the instructors
• LOTS of giveaways!!!
  

The cost of the trip is $2995. There will be a payment plan available and we will also be offering a 5% discount for early payment.

This is the only time Ali will be teaching in person in 2009 and 2010. If you have dreamed of taking classes with Ali — this is your one and only chance in a more than 2 year period!!!

I also want to emphasize a couple other special features of Cocoa Daisy Destinations — Mykonos: this event will be limited to just 75 participants. We will break the group out into smaller sections for classes and scheduled evenings out with instructors. We want this to be a very personalized event from which everyone leaves feeling they’ve recieved individualized attention and have gotten to know the other participants and the instructors as well! Another very important and unique aspect of this event is that the hotel will be reserved entirely for our event creating a one of a kind atmosphere in which to create and learn.

We have heard from several people who would like to come to the event with their spouse. Spouses are more than welcome to come. However, because we have a limited number of rooms for attendees and due to fix costs, we are only able to discount the rate for spouses by the cost of the kit materials. Spouses are welcome to join us for all meals and events. There will be tours and other activities available to spouses with additional fees.

We will also be offering other special tours and cultural experiences that can be added on to your trip. For example, participants can sign up for exclusive events with the instructors.
Ali will host a dinner party for a lucky few at Nammos, the island hottest restaurant situated right on Mykonos’ hippest beach.
Jenni will host an intimate lunch at Ithaki, another top rated island restaurant.
And join Karen as she goes on a photographic tour of the island and finishes up at Mykonos’ other popular beach and restaurant, Elia.
In additional we will also be offering jeep tours, cooking classes and other island and sea excursions!

We hope that you’ll be able to join us on this unforgettable getaway!! Look for postings to come on sign up dates and additional information.

If you have questions, please let us know and we’d be happy to answer them as quickly as we can. Please contact us at mailbox@cocoadaisy.com. If you have already emailed with specific questions, the number of emails related to the trip has been staggering and I am slowly making my way through them. I will back to you as quickly as I can.

There is one caveat to all the fun – if you have impaired mobility I want to warn you that this may not be the trip for you. At the hotel you will need to be able to access approximately a half flight of stairs to reach the elevator and in town, most roads are far too narrow for even the smallest of vehicles to maneuver through. Taxis can reach one square in town, but in order to explore further, you will need to be able to get around without assistance. I’m not sure if a scooter could even fit down most lanes. I really want to spell that out as I would hate for someone to get to Greece and realize that they are not able to enjoy the trip fully.
Thank you and we hope to see you in Greece next fall!!!