Painting With Friends

Today I took my second painting class taught by Christie Repasy.  You may (hello?  who doesn't?) know her from her amazing rose paintings both on canvas and furniture.  The painting style she taught today is called "grisaille".  It is a term used for painting in a monochromatic color scheme, usually in shades of grey.  I prefer shades in sepia and taupe, today I went with taupe.

We had such a great time, laughing, painting and eating.  The food is always so incredible at these classes, it's a wonder we finish our projects.

Here's Christie teaching us all about color value and light source....huh?  Just kidding, she actually is an excellent teacher and knows how explain so that we can understand it.

Yep, that's me.  But more importantly, the fabric hanging behind me is an example of monochromatic painting done in sepia tones.  Love it!

Hey, I'm actually doing it!

 Here's Amber's finished painting.  Can you believe this was her first class?

Look, I did it - yay!

After class was over, we hung out and gabbed for a couple more hours about the upcoming show (The Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks).  Christie and Rita sure know how to host a show.  It's hard to believe that it began with 11 vendors at Christie's home and now there's 40 of us!

It was a great day painting with friends.

Blessings,

Missy

Soldering With Friends

I got to do something I've wanted to do for SO long.  I finally took a soldering class...and I LOVED it.  This particular class included two projects and was taught by two teachers, my pals from The Vintage Marketplace, Rita Reade and Lisa Loria.

Lisa and Rita are at the top left, Maggie is at the top right, Rita and Kim are in the middle, Rita and Terry are at the bottom left and there's me at the bottom right.

Did you notice the adorable cupcake stand Lisa made?

This is what I was welcomed with as I took my seat in class

"The Rabbit Hole." 

So appropriately named, it's so easy to just get lost in "creativeness" and lose all sense of time while secluded in Lisa's studio.

Now let's get to work!

My jewels are copper wrapped and now I'm getting ready to solder.  Notice the empty cupcake wrapper...PRIORITIES!!  Rita brought some homemade pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips.  They were heavenly delicious! 

Yay!  I actually soldered these!  Only one minor mishap...I had no idea what to expect when I melted the solder (duh.) and a big drop of HOT melted metal (solder) dripped on my finger....OUCH!  I'm pretty sure a colorful word may have escaped at that moment.  Then I heard Rita ask Lisa if she had any potatoes...what?  Yes, she came back with a freshly cut chunk of potato and told me to put in on my burned finger - that already had a blister.  Oh, the drama of it all!

But I quickly recovered and started soldering, just a little more carefully.

Not only did I have a great time learning to solder, they fed us a DeLicIouS lunch!  Homemade cauliflour soup and a yummy salad by Lisa and some awesome homemade Italian bread by Rita.

Rita snapped this shot just before we pigged out gracefully dined on our lunch.  I wonder if anyone noticed how many helpings I had...

Well, I would love to show you my finished projects but I didn't completely finish my bling baby.  I did get done with my votive holder but forgot to take a picture, of course.  As soon as I put the final touches on my bling baby I'll share pictures of both.

If anyone is interested in taking some soldering or other classes, you can check out these links and see what they have coming up.  They are both very patient, talented and fun - you'll have a ball while learning a new, creative skill!

Rita Reade Classes

Lisa Loria Classes

Reminder:

The Vintage Marketplace is coming soon!

Next Friday and Saturday

December 2 & 3, 2011

Hope to see you there!

Blessings,

Missy

Fall Boutique

I'm inviting my followers and friends to a fall boutique.  This is a smaller venue that is just perfect for this quaint gathering of about 8 local vendors.  I will be there some of my fellow artists from The Vintage Marketplace as well as a few new ones.  So, come and get your holiday shopping started!  You'll find vintage, romantic, and industrial cottage home decor and accessories. 

Join us for shopping while treating yourselves to fall inspired snacks, beverages and desserts!

Saturday, October 22

11 am to 4pm

at the Anderson Residence

33731 Blue Water Way

Temecula, CA

hosted by Amber Anderson of

Black Rooster Cottage 

Tattered Goods

West Coast Nester (Boho Cuffs)

Scentsy

Bows by Sarah

Simply Put Plus

La Belle Vie

Hope to see you all there! 

Blessings,

Missy

It's Show Time!

The time is finally here! 

The Vintage Marketplace at The Oaks 

presented by Rita Reade and Christie Repasy

this Friday and Saturday, September 9th and 10th

9 am to 4pm

4815 5th Street

Rainbow, CA 92028

Come down and enjoy a beautiful day of shopping the best Vintage Marketplace around.  Over 30 talented vendors with incredible finds and hand-made creations.  Have lunch at the famous Rainbow Oaks Restaurant and then shop some and visit some more.  You don't want to miss it!

I'll be bringing some freshly painted furniture and home decor.  I can't wait to see what all my fellow vendors will be bringing.  They always surprise and amaze me. 

I just got back from our quick drop off that was supposed to be our full set up but we lost a few hours at the hospital where my great-nephew was born today.  He was 5 weeks early and had to be air-lifted to a neonatal intenstive care unit at another hospital.  My nephew was able to get a special Red Cross emergency flight from Afghanistan, where he serves in the ARMY.

I'll be a busy girl in the morning  so if you're there, you may see me looking a little frazzled trying to turn my piles and boxes into something more presentable!

Hope to see you there!

Blessings,

Missy

Giveaway at Common Ground

It's GIVEAWAY time at Common Ground!  Debra is celebrating her one year anniversary of her Friday blog party, Vintage Inspriation Friday.  There are so many creative and inspiring entries every week.  They don't have to always be about actual vintage things but also "vintage inspired" things that creative bloggers make, paint, find and or display. I've joined it myself a few times and if I was really on the ball I'd join every week.  Hopefully, once the girls are back in school I'll do just that. 

OK, back to the GIVEAWAY....

It's pretty cool actually.  The winner will receive the items pictured above:

TWO of Debra's favorite books that have inspired her while decorating her own amazing home - The French Inspired Home and Romantic Style.  They will also win one of Debra's beautiful Key Pendant Necklaces.

So, go on over and visit Debra's blog here.  You won't be disappointed!  ;).

Oh, be sure to enter by September 3rd!

Have a great Sunday!

Missy

I'm Feeling Aqua

I have been in love with the color aqua for several years now.  It has made its way in just about every room in our house in one way or another.  It was the main color in our wedding (here) and, well, you get the idea.  I've noticed aqua has become more popular over the years and I'm so glad because I've always wanted to use it in the furniture and decor I paint and create to sell.  It just never sold very well but very recently, at the last Vintage Marketplace (here) actually, I was pleasantly surprised that several customers were practically fighting over an old drawer I decked out with appliques and aqua paint.  Well, maybe they weren't exactly "fighting" but let's just say that if the woman that promised to come back didn't end up buying it, I would've needed a referee for sure. 

To be totally honest, my Husband and I loved the drawer so much I was kind of hoping it wouldn't sell - it was so perfect for our bedroom.  I was actually pretty surprised that so many other people shared in my love of that drawer that I decided to bring more aqua to the next show.  I think I'll even add some aqua to my space at Mission Galleria.  But this next piece I just finished I'm saving for the show.

I have to say that I just LOVE the way it turned out.  And again, it is just perfect for our bedroom!  Very Frenchy don't you think?

See how nicely it goes with one of our million bed pillows?  OK, OK, I'm selling it, really.  I even took before and after pictures this time.  You won't believe how tacky and ugly different it looked before. 

(I'll just apologize now just in case one of you has the before version hanging in your bedroom right now.)  Eh-hem, anyway....

I loved the design of it as soon as I saw it.  I immediately envisioned it painted cream and antiqued.

Once I got it home I had a light bulb moment and decided to paint the ribbon aqua.  I was hoping to tame the fake mirror aging but I would have destroyed the mirror trying to take the back off so I decided it looked fine.

Here it is laying on our aqua duvet.  Doesn't it just match it perfectly?

I'm just sayin'.

This is what it looked like after paint and before the antiquing was complete.

More before and afters. 

The fake aging of the mirror looks more obvious in different light.  Some of the after pictures were taken with the mirror laying on my bed.  I didn't want to use the flash but the can lights above highlighted it more than I liked.

I've got it propped up on our headboard here because I didn't want to put a nail in the wall just for a photo.  I couldn't just temporarily switch it out with something else already hung because we're still not done with the finishing touches in our bedroom.  If I put up everything I've collected for the walls, I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to see the walls at all!  OK, maybe too much information but I see so many beautiful stylized "photoshoots" out there I feel like I had to explain.  ;).

Anyway, that was a sneak peak of my first completed piece for the next Vintage Marketplace at The Oaks.  Hope you can make it.  I've got a lot more things in the works.

Linked up with:

The French Cupboard for French Inspiration

Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

Be blessed!

Missy

Mammabellarte Giveaway!

Rita Reade of Mammabellarte is having a GIVEAWAY to celebrate her 500th post!

Her heartfelt theme for Giving Back is "Sharing is Caring."

If you don't know Miss Rita, you are missing a little sunshine from your life.  This little Italian is one talented and busy woman!  Not only is she a co-host of the best show around, "The Vintage Marketplace at The Oaks", she makes beautiful birdhouses, signs and soldered jewelry and bottles.  She also teaches classes.    And her accent - adorable - I could listen to her all day.

Be sure to check out her blogs:

Mammabellarte

Rita Reade Classes

Mercatino Mammabellarte

Here are the awesome giveaway prizes:

(There are six!!!)

A copy of Somerset Home Magazine and one of Rita's Heart Pendants.

A Soldering Kit and a Mega Pack of Copper Foil.

No Sew Sealah Tape and an enamel house number sign by Ramsign.

Is this an incredible giveaway or what?!?!

Click here to visit Mammabellarte and learn how to enter.

And just to remind you to mark your calendars for the next show...

The Vintage Marketplace at The Oaks

September 9 & 10

Hope to see you there!

Blessings,

Missy