Heck yeah, I'm a Paper Cowgirl!

Oh what a fun, fun, fun, fun, fun weekend! Did I mention I had lots of fun? LOL These cowgirls were almost has much fun as the grands. And they never whined...not one time! ;o) And talent?
Oh my gosh! There was so much talent & inspiration that the excitement & the energy was electrifying!

Cindy knows how to throw a ho-down, I can tell you that. LOL We started off the week-end w/ a Meet 'n Greet Thursday night. We had nibbles, met everybody & exchanged swaps. The swaps were awesome! But I'm not gonna share them here w/ you in this post. I want to do one featuring all the mega-talent & don't want to overload y'all w/ pictures so I'll do a post on them soon.

Check out the crepe paper outfit Ann-Denise from Whim & Fancy Designs made....incredible workmanship! And glitter...oh my! The hat, guitar & six-shooters were all glittered up...too cute!


This is the hostess w/ the mostess, Cindy Mayfield from Yapping Cat Studio. She talks w/ her hands as you can see, so I never got a good shot of her. And she was so busy, buzzing around the retreat that I didn't ever ask her to pose for me. The girl on her right is Nichole, Tina Wright's daughter. Cindy & Tina were partners in Paper Cowgirl but sadly, she passed away this past January. Cindy carried on w/ her labor of love though & I'm sure Tina gave out a huge "yeehaw" from the heavens. You know she's proud of you, Cindy!

I stole this picture from somebody's else's blog ( I think it was Angela's)....it's my Friday night roomie, Charlene & I. Her outfit was soo cute...loved it!

OK, it's bright & early Friday morning & my first class is Cindy Gilstrap's La Petite Boutique class. Here's Cindy & the class project (mine's not finished yet).

Look at the goodies on our tables!

I've already pinned this button to my inspiration board.

This button reads "making art w/ friends" & she included some vintage ride tickets.

Outside the classroom, was this "window" full of tags, made & sent to Tina during her illness. There's a whole lotta talent on thsi board.

After lunch it was time for Lisa's McIlvain's class. Here she is in front of her display. She was recently featured in a 5 page lay-out in Somerset Studio....congrats Lisa!

These tags were the class project. Although I didn't even finish one. I didn't completely finish any projects from the retreat, in fact, but I'm told that that's very common. It happens when you get to talking & crafting. I'll post pictures of my completed projects later.

I wish you could have been in this classroom with us. We learned so many new & awesome techniques that the room literally hummed w/ excitement. Lisa, you were a fabulous teacher!

She had goodies waiting for us too. A burlap "satchel" full of supplies, a sprig of fresh herbs, & a dolled-up candy bar.

The "purse" is mine....I stayed up until 2:00 the night before the retreat, putting it together. I think it may have originally been an old 45 LP case. I had nooo ideas in mind so I destroyed my studio pulling stuff out. *rolls eyes* But it turned out really cute, I think! I bought the vintage photograph from the cattle barns flea & at the bottom it read "1959 Ft Worth Fat Stock Show Rodeo"...although I cropped that part out when I copied it.

Here's a copy of the photo, if you'd like to use it. Just remember to click & enlarge before saving.

Friday night it was dinner @ the "haunted" Catfish Plantation. I heard a couple of girls talking about an incident w/ the silverware so maybe the rumors are true. ;o)

An antique hearse sat out front....creepy!

I asked 2 of the girls to pose for me in the souvenier photo prop, outside the restaurant & they got cheeky w/ me. Guess who they were?

Two of our esteemed teachers, Lisa & Angela! Now you know why the classes are not just informative & inspirational but fun as heck too...these ladies are a hoot!

Saturday morning's class was taught by the crepe paper queen herself, Ann-Denise Anderson. Don't you just love her ruffly top?

And of course she was wearing the pink glittered boots that I love so much! My Cowgirls Rule boots didn't even last through the weekend...they've taken shabby to a whole new level. :o(

These muslin Victorian boots were our class project...love them!

Look at all the embellishments Ann-Denise brought!

Our class supplies were in a corset-laced box...toooo clever!

After lunch Sat, it was time for Joanna Lewis' class....Feathered Friends. Isn't her be-rosed headband adorable?

I wish this photo captured the serenity & beauty of her display but it doesn't. It was very soothing though...both to the eye & the spirit.

She gifted us w/ the huge tissue paper rose.

Look how clever her class instructions were presented.

She also gifted us w/ the nest in a pot , as well as having a give-away...which I won. *sticking my tongue out @ Jan* Thank you, Joanna!

I was also the lucky winner of a Where Women Create tote & these german glass glitters w/ dyed to match seam binding, from Smitten, an antique shop in McKinney. Thanks Cindy, Jo Packham & Smitten!

I didn't do much buying @ the antique shops that kindly stayed open late for us. But I found thse pink sewing machine drawers, a plant stand, cabinet card & fabric scrap.

It's been raining here so I took the photos out back to grab what light I could.

Love this Victorian beauty!

I saved all my cash for vendor night Saturday night & oh how happy I was. The prices were incredible! Incredible! Just look at all the goodies I got! And everything was cheaper than thrift store prices! I didn't take individual pics of everything...there was just too much stuff. *grins* But if you enlarge the pic, you'll see cabinet cards, musical flash cards, tinsel, mica flakes, pretty birds, lots & lots of goodies!

I got vintage lettered cards, old scissors, old keyholes (are they called escutcheons?), a Quit Claim deed from 1835, an accounting page from 1809, glass Christmas beads, vintage millinery flower....

vintage posies, door plates....

a wonderful assemblage by Joanna,

china doll head, naked doll, wallpaper borders, cowgirl tag & an old bottle of "something"...

adorable felt baby shoes,

rusty keys, old ledger papers, and booklets from an art course in the 20's.

love the broken figurine head!

And isn't the chorus line of dancing ballerinas & Southern belles charming?

I also bought a stunning cover of a 1920's The Farmer's Wife, big frozen charlottes, crepe paper ruffles, crepe paper fringe, a roll of cream seam binding & a wonderful corsage, crafted by Mendy (another one of the fabulous teachers although I didn't take her digital class because it conflicted w/ another class I was taking). Mendy, I love my corsage...thank you!

Oh what a time we had!!!!! I'm already eagerly making plans for the fall event....it promises to be a wicked good time!


I'll do another post featuring the swaps (I got soooooo many wonderful works of art!) & the projects. And I'll have lots more pictures of classes & the participants after I receive the photo CD that Deb is putting together for us. Stay tuned for more insider details on the "best little art retreat in Texas"!