Paper Memory Quilt ~

Take the ephemera of your life and make a charming piece of art. We will combine paper, fabric, buttons, beads, stamps, just about anything that has meaning to you, into a 9 patch memory quilt. Instructor will provide cold press watercolor paper for background.

Supplies: Paper, fabric, embroidery floss, beads, odd pieces of jewelry, buttons, dried flowers, favorite stamps, ink pads, paints, ANYTHING that will help tell your story. Tools: Scissors, needles, glues, a piece of heavy cardboard or foamcore, paint brushes and your imagination.

Instructor: Robin Macintosh ~ $50.00

Vintage Flower Vase with Flowers ~

Make a unique flower vase by wrapping bottles using old papers and adding embellishments. You will also make three ephemera paper flowers to display in your new vase.

Supplies: Bring a medium sized bottle. All other materials will be provided.

Instructor: Lauri Meyers ~ $50.00

Caterpillar Bracelet ~

Do you have a lot of vintage shirt or dress buttons that you don't know what to do with? Here is the perfect solution ~ a charming bracelet that uses those little buttons, beads and a larger focal point. You can add ribbons, charms etc for more fun.

Supplies: Beads - 8/0 or 6/0 are good; small buttons - 20 to 35 - will depend on size of buttons; large buttons or stack of buttons for clasp. Optional: ribbon, charms, assorted embellishments. Instructor will supply bead wire and crimp beads.

Instructor: Robin Macintosh ~ $50.00

Muffin Tin & Mason Jar Lid Pincushions ~

Make these charming pincushions from wool, adding simple embroidery stitches and beads for embellishments.

Supplies: Bring your own scissors. All other materials will be provided.

Instructor: Marilyn Gash ~ $45.00

Deconstruct / Reconstruct ~

Learn how to take vintage jewelry apart and how to put it back together. You will learn basic jewelry making skills ~ wire wrapping, cold connections, how to cut apart found metals.

Supplies: Old jewelry, old tins, anything you want to incorporate into your pieces. 20 gauge jewelry wire and 24 gauge tie wire. Tools: Jewelers pliers, wire cutters, tin snips.

Instructor: Robin Macintosh ~ $50.00

Miniature Keepsake Scrapbook ~

Make a miniature keepsake scrapbook to display your photos, ephemera, pieces of lace, buttons, old postcards, and any special memories of your life.

Supplies: Bring 14 different coordinating fabrics no smaller than 15" x 6" ~ all other materials will be supplied.

Handmade Recipe Box ~

Make aunique one of a kind Recipe Box for yourself or as a gift using recipes from old recipe books and unique fruit and / or vegetable images for the design. Also, you will make 7 recipe dividers for the inside.

Supplies: All materials will be supplied. Box sizes may vary slightly due to availability.

Instructor: Lauri Meyers ~ $75.00

Sculpt in a Day Santa Head ~

Sculpt a collectable Santa head in a day. A fun-filled day of reverse sculpting. You will sculpt a Santa head, bake it on the premise, paint, stain, add hair, beard and mustache. The class will also cover making the Santa bodies and how to attach the head.

Supplies: Old pair of scissors, a skinny curling iron or crimper for hair and beard.

Instructor: Barbara Crawford ~ $60.00

Vintage Christmas Garland ~

Make this wonderful garland using old black and white or sepia photos of family members. Add ribbon, buttons, lace, and other ephemera that will add to the nostalgia and old world charm of the piece. It will become quite the heirloom for your family.

Supplies: 10 color copies of old photos (the actual image of the person should be sized to approximately 2 1/2" to 3" tall), bring any other embellishmens that you may want to include on your piece that may have significance to your family. All other materials will be supplied.

Instructor: Lauri Meyers ~ $50.00

Rustic Winter Ornaments ~

Get a head start on your Christmas decorations with these wool applique and hand embroidered rustic ornaments. Class includes materials for 3 designs.

Supplies: Bring your own scissors. All other materials will be supplied.

Instructor: Marilyn Gash ~ $45.00

Paper Memory Quilt Creative Workshop ~

Take the ephemera of your life and make a charming piece of art. We will combine paper, fabric, buttons, beads, stamps, just about anything that has meaning to you, into a 9 patch memory quilt. Instructor will provide cold press watercolor paper for background.

Supplies: Paper, fabric, embroidery floss, beads, odd pieces of jewelry, buttons, dried flowers, favorite stamps, ink pads, paints, ANYTHING that will help tell your story.

Tools: Scissors, needles, glues, a piece of heavy cardboard or foamcore, paint brushes and your imagination.

Instructor: Robin Macintosh ~ Cost: $50.00

Vintage Arts Studio ~ A Place to Create

I had my art studio open during the event where visitors could see where they can enjoy a variety of Creative Workshops, a Girl's Night Out, or Baby Book and Wedding Album Design Showers. My two daughters, Sara and Jennifer, where on hand to answer any questions. The workshops are listed on this blog for your reference. Reserve your next "Gathering of Like-Minded Souls" at the Vintage Arts Studio ~ A Place to Create!

Where Friends Gathered to Eat Lunch

My husband Brian ~ along with my two son-in-laws Billy and Adam ~ served grilled chicken with peppers and onions on pita in the courtyard ~ it was a big hit! "Friends" would gather either in the courtyard or on the adirondaks to enjoy!

Friends of a Feather Artisan and Sales Event

What an amazing 2 days of fun ~ meeting other "Like-minded Souls" who found their way to the Friends of a Feather Artisan and sales event. Thanks to all of you who made it such a success!

Terrific Toffee Popcorn

For those that raved about the terrific toffee popcorn and begged for the recipe.....here it is!

TERRIFIC TOFFEE POPCORN
3 cups crispix cereal
2 cups honey nut chex cereal
1 bag microwaved popcorn (any style/flavor)
1 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 1/4 cup almonds (or pecans or your favorite nut)
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1 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
:
:
Grease a roasting pan. Combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup on stove top. Bring to boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add vanilla and baking soda. Stir for a minute. It should get foamy/bubbly. Drizzle over dry mix and toss together.
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Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour. Toss every 15-20 minutes during baking. Let cool. Store in an airtight container.
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Enjoy!!

Sneak Peek ~ Show Tomorrow!

Tomorrow is the big event ~ Friends of a Feather Artisan Sale!

So of course tonight will be a late night for all of us participating! With the majority of goods unloaded and displayed tonight, many of us plan to arrive early to do some last minute tweaking. As for me, I still have a few last minute things I want to finish up tonight at home, so I left several others finishing up in the tent around 9:00. On my way out I shot a few photos ~ thanks to Photoshop, it doesn't look quite as dark as it actually was. Below are a few more photos to give you an idea of what we will be selling at the show ~ I only got a snippet of the goods as it was too dark in some parts of the tent to get a good photo. There are a few more photos here.

I'll tell you, there are some pretty wonderful things from this extra talented group of women ~ I am hoping I don't spend all my profits ~ it is going to be hard to avoid the temptation! If you want a great way to kick off your weekend make sure to stop by!

DON'T MISS THE EXCITMENT!!!

Well, the it's almost here!!! Excitement is in the air...don't miss the show of the summer!!! We have all been busy as bees creating wonderful one-of-a-kind works of art, finding darling treasures and baking fabulous goodies for all of you...See you THIS WEEKEND!!!!!

Gatherings of Us "Like-Minded" Souls

We so enjoy each others' creativity (and company) - and get together often to "be creative" - some of us got together to do "Art in the Attic" and have gotten together at my home to just make stuff, sit and "jabber" and have a glass of wine - a girl's night out - nourishing our souls!

Now We Have Six - and then Seven!

Mom had met Robin (Sparky) while participating in a sale at Steve Hess's home - "From the Summer's Garden." They "sparked" a friendship right away! We invited her to join our "group" - and she participated with us at our spring show last year - with her amazing jewelry art! During this particular sale at Mom's, in walks Angie - a.k.a. Junie C - with such an outpouring of excitement to have found our little "artisan sale." She was wearing the most darling t-shirt that she had embellished. We instantly felt a bond with Angie - another "like-minded soul."

Friends of a Feather was Born...

Mom and I eventually decided to sell our handmade treasures, as well as a few of our "over-abundance" of found primitive goodies, and started having sales on the back porch of my mom's vintage home in old downtown Overland Park, Kansas. Our sales have become quite a success over the years. We met Cheryl from Now & Then, who owns the darling store in old downtown Overland Park, we invited her to join us at our sales with some of the goodies from her shop.

We were gearing up for a sale a couple of years ago when Mom and I were in a creative arts store. I saw a woman drooling over some beautiful art papers. I could so relate to her excitement - we were like two kids in a candy store! I struck up a conversation with her and before we were through we had invited her - Kathi from TrayBella - to join our upcoming sale. And then the ball starting rolling...she had a friend, Joan, who was also a creative diva and she joined the sale as well - all of us "Friends of a Feather" - our "gathering of like-minded souls" was born!