Original art pendants are ready for McCloud

The philosophy of Cowgirl Gypsy Queen is all about AND! Dress up as a Cowgirl, Gypsy, or Princess? Yes! Boots or a tiara, why choose?

Living life with this philosophy opens me up to all sorts of exciting adventures. Very few of us define ourselves with just one aspect. Still, we naturally choose an answer to "What do you do?" And, we feel the need to have an answer for ourselves to the question, "Who are we?" What if we throw the doors and windows open and just refuse to choose? Refuse to stuff ourselves into the round hole, or the square one?  Let go of the idea of limits. It's fun!

I'm a homebody that loves to travel, a serious person who loves to laugh till my tummy hurts, I like cats and dogs, babies and teenagers. I'm a walking contradiction and I like it that way! Some people feel that, when it comes to art, you should choose a medium and focus on that. Well... I know that I would have much less fun if I had to pick just one thing. So far, my creative pursuits include writing, painting, sewing, quilting, beading, making stained glass, gardening, creating soft sculptures and photography. I may be forgetting something because sometimes I do. I'm interested in learning new things, too. Needle felting has me very intrigued.  

This explains why the last time I posted I showed the Kindle/ereader pouches I made. Today, I'm posting pictures of pendants that I made from my original art work and a darling picture form a vintage children's book. I made these to take with me to the McCloud flea market and I'll be posting some on ETSY when I get back.

I hope that you embrace your inner Cowgirl Gypsy Queen and, the next time you feel you should choose between two wonderful things, DON'T CHOOSE! Say, "Yes!" I'll take both, thank you!

A batch of finished necklaces

A tiny version of my painting "The One"

Lucky charm necklace

Mt Shasta painting with little heart bead charm

Getting ready for the McCloud Flea Market

My very first outing with my Cowgirl Gypsy Queen line is next Sunday, June 5th. I'm so excited and I've been making things and having so much fun! Here's a few Kindle pouches I've finished. I've been letting my creative muse be my guide, creating exactly what I feel like and playing with all these fun trims, bead, buttons... etc. What a joyous time. I hope that everyone who takes one of my creations home can feel a little of that joy in the piece. 

 

This Darling pouch is made from a vintage quilt I found. The pouch is embellished with a felt rose I handmade and a lacey doily.

This pouch is made from upholstery fabric.

I made this pouch to keep my mom's Kindle safe in style. It features handmade felt roses and grapes that were liberated from handmade doilies. I also added beads for a little sparkle.

Living the life of an Artist! Woo hoo!

I'm so excited that a beautiful store in the Land Park area of Sacramento called Trezhers is going to host my first Art Class in June. Because I want these classes to be a special experience for all my participants, I'm going to be putting on a show and inviting the students to play along with me.

I'll be handing the class over to my alter ego The Cowgirl Gypsy Queen and encouraging everyone to let their own inner child out to play. If you'd like to learn more about the Gypsy Queen, check out my new website at www.CowgirlGypsyQueen.com.

In class, we'll be making inspirational and fun artists trading cards (ATC) Here's a sample of a few I made. These tiny mixed media works of art are so fun because they are not overwhelming to complete yet allow each artist to express themselves!

I hope that you can come out and play with us!

More birdies for my ETSY site

I've been working on birdies to add to my ETSY site. I just love the little darlings! It all started when my sweetie and I were planning to get married. I went looking for the perfect wedding toppers for me and, while I liked a lot that I saw, none were exactly what was in my head. So... I tried making my own. My first few attempts were still close but no cigar, then I came up with a couple I dearly love! They are the birdies pictured at the top of my blog. While they are perfect for me, I must admit that they are a little small. So, I think I've come up with the perfect wedding couple.

Taking pictures is always a challenge. I especially like this one because it looks like the birds are looking at the penny.

I also sculpted and painted a whimsical little purple couple for fun. They are pictured here to give you an idea of contrast in size between the slightly larger green couple.

For the rest of the week, I'll be working on my pretty pouches which I plan to submit to Somerset by this weekend.

Happy creating, friends!

a BIG sign for my book signings

I thought it would be a good idea to make at least one BIG sign that could be seen across a fair or other large venue so I painted this one. It was really fun to work in a large scale. Wouldn't it be an absolute blast to be able to paint a HUGE something on the side of a barn! Ah, a girl can dream. Until then, 3 feet by 5 feet will have to do. :)

Walk in Your Own Footsteps Cards

I've been working on some beautiful cards to support my book Walk in Your Own Footsteps. I used original photography I've been collecting for years! It's so fun to share images that I've been enjoying for so long. Here are a few of the cards...

Kindle Pouch

I just love the Kindle I got for my birthday this month. When I shopped for covers, however, I found that most cost more than third the cost of the unit! And, since I've been inspired by Magnolia Pearl for a while, I decided to make my own! Using scraps I made this pretty bag and an extra little sack to keep the charger in. I just love having everything in one place!

I used fabric that was a sample from an upholstery shop. The green trim is left over from a quilt, and the hand-made lace doily I picked up at a thrift shop. I used seam binding tape fused to itself for the closure and the button is from my stash.























Here's a view of the back showing the doily. I used free-handed quilting to applique the doily. There may be a better way, but I didn't want to use glue.

Finally, the Kindle and charging cable tucked in their safe cozy home. I made the extra little fabric bag to keep the screen safe from the prongs on the charger. I think this is a much more fun and creative solution to keeping my Kindle safe from harm. :)

Sandwich boards to promote the book

I've just finished these panels to use to promote my book. I took a couple of days to think it through, then my sweetie cut the wood on Sunday and tah dah!!!! They're done. Jim will put the legs on and I'll be able to take it with me when I do book signings and such. I'm pleased with how they came out. Here's the two together....

 

I like that the two pieces are different, shows I made 'em myself! 

Cupcakes!

A cakeplate of Cupcakes!

I've been having so much fun lately creating these little cupcake pin cushions. I've collected the bases over time. Some are molds, others are vintage measuring cups. Working up the design and getting it out of my head and into reality has been fun! I especially like the way the beads look like sprinkles.

I hope your projects are bringing you joy, too!

close up of cupcake pin cushions

Blessings!