Thursday, April 29

FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY! CANNED HAM KIT FROM ELSIE!

Greetings, dear readers!

YES, it's true! Due to popular demand, Elsie is running a limited edition of her famed "camper kit" on the Red Velvet Art website. More about the when and where here: A Beautiful Mess


I used this kit to make this "maiden voyage" scrapbook about our canned ham:


More soon!
Peace,
Paula Clare

Wednesday, April 28

WISH YOU WERE HERE TAG SWAP...GETTIN MY KICKS ON...

Route 66!

Greetings, dear reader! Yes it's true! Elizabeth of Creative Breathing is hosting yet another "award winning" tag swap for summer...



I hereby award ye, "E" the Paula's Palace of AltAred Art Blog Ribbon Award of Brilliance!



I will be taking you gals with me as I take a memorial trip down Route 66! You'll never know where I'll be or from what state I'll send my "postcard", but I guarantee you'll see sights you'd not otherwise see! Stick with me! lol



On the road again...WISH YOU WERE HERE!
More soon!

Hugs,
Paula Clare

1940s ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR: DARLING VINTAGE DUO!

Greetings, dear reader!

As I am preparing to get my accessories in order, I have re-found some treasures I am so thrilled to be able to share with you. These adorable original watercolor paintings are signed, numbered, and were in terrible glass/enamel frames that caused water damage in a couple of places...however, through the magic of digital "photographic surgery" VOILA! They are perfect for printing, framing and hanging! I fell madly in love with the dutch-y sweetness of the two:



Feel free to use them in any personal way you'd like...print them, frame them, create cards, tags, dutch diorama?

AND, I found these on Saturday whilst dodging tornadoes:













Sorry about the poor blurry pics...for those of you with wonderful antique malls and flea markets, I would love the little red riding hood or the "hey diddle diddle" (man in the moon looking jar) cookie jars. Please let me know if you find one and what the price is of said cookie jar. :-) Sometimes you can find them fairly inexpensively (cookie jars were half price the day I went shopping...couldn't find anything remotely similar to ANY of these...of course) and sometimes they are a fortune...like this one: starting bid $499.00!


There ARE a lot of reproductions out there, but I don't car if my jar is truly vintage or not...the only thing I WOULDN'T like is if I PAID A PRICE like it was vintage then found out it was a cheap knock off! Here's an article about real vs. phoney...I thought it was interesting...

Anyway, hope you've enjoyed this mini game of "show n tell". I'll be back tomorrow with some more red and aqua treasures...they are WONDERFUL! YAY!

HUGS,
Paula Clare

Tuesday, April 27

KITCHEN MAKEOVER: IN WITH THE OLD, OUT WITH THE NEW

Greetings, dear reader!

As many of you may know, I am currently in the throes of changing my kitchen from it's warm, sunny tuscan theme, to a red/aqua 1940s retro kitchen. I have been gathering things for a year or two now (my favorite part) and am now beginning the process of taking out the Tuscan and putting in the retro! Here is my kitchen as its former self:


All of the Tuscan goodness you see will be carefully placed in a box and sold as a "Tuscan Kitchen In A Box" for mere PENNIES on the dollar considering what I paid for it all! I'll post it here before I put it on Ebay so my readers can have "dibs" if you so choose!

When I have the new window treatments for the kitchen, I will be ready to make the switch...I have enlisted the help of Sandy of 521LakeStreet fame to give me ideas for window treatments. She recommended (and NAILED IT by the way) the old fashioned 2" aluminum blinds with cherry red tape, using vintage kitchen toweling for valances...BRILLIANT! Here are some of the fabrics I'm considering for the toppers:


What's YOUR vote? I realize some of the blues aren't so "aqua" but since they will be on valances only and not right next to anything aqua, I think they'll be fine. The last (with the yellow) is a vintage tea towel print...I must admit I LOVE the feeling of "happy" yellow adds to red and aqua...but I really LOVE the vertical flowered ribbon print too...AND the vintage appliances, although the color is more "jadeite" than aqua...I think it'd still be fine...if you know of a place you think would have something I would love, put a link in the comments...I LOVE doing this kind of research!

I adore all of the strawberry and cherry print vintage fabrics, but I've done a strawberry themed kitchen before and purchased 'everything strawberry' known to womandom. I got tired of it reeeeeeeeeal fast. Which is why designers say to use "themed" accessories and NOT themed wallpaper, curtains, linens, etc. :-) Live and learn I suppose, yes?

For now I'm leaving the ivy wallpaper and vintage ceiling paper...I just don't have the time, money, energy to change it ALL right now! I think it will keep the red and aqua from feeling like too much...don't you?

I'll be back later with my Saturday (tornado alley) finds and some amazing red/aqua goodness for altered art projects! WOOT!

Hugs and smoochies,
Paula Clare



Saturday, April 24

TORNADOES, TANTRUMS AND THE GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Greetings, dear reader!

Well, I MUST tell you that this has been SOME day! First was the Webbie-at-the-park and tree honorarium thing, THEN I decided to go shopping for my red and aqua retro kitchen. I've been saving my shekels and now have enough to purchase a few things...

One thing I know, THIS IS NOT, I repeat, NOT Ohio when it comes to antique malls and affordable, adorable vintage retro. E, I am so utterly and completely jealous of your "in the middle of it all" location! I digress....

While foraging through said pathetic malls, the sky turned black, the wind began howling, and the sirens started to wail. The worker comes on the loudspeaker: "In case any of you did not notice, there are tornado sirens blaring and a tornado has been sighted in the area...there is really no safe place to go here in the mall except the restrooms, so feel free to make your way there or just stay where you are. Leave or stay, it's up to you." I figured my shots were as good in a building as they would be in my car roaming aimlessly, and so I continued the perusal.

40 minutes later, another announcement, "West County Mall has been hit, as well as the police department...if you live nearby, you may want to seek shelter..." Again, I decide a place with walls had to be more secure than a car, so I remained. 

When I finally left, the sun was shining, but the sky was that eery green color...you know the color I mean?!?! The sky was still black in places, but I decided to go on to my next destination and "ride the storm out." (I always loved that song...again, I digress)

When I drove home, I felt liike a storm chaser...no, wait, I felt like *I* was being chased by the storm! I just wanted to get home to my dear puppy and be done with it! 

When I DID get home, the house was dark and Webbie was poised in the front window...no doubt wondering what the H-E-double hockey sticks was going on! I took him for a much needed walk in a completely dark neighborhood, and then saw lights flickering on at the end of our street! HOORAY! I can get on with the video and the drawing! 

I painstakingly set everything out again, and began to record using my camera...I recorded each item of the giveaway (I've added a few goodies...behold:)


This is an entertainment guide...circa 70s something...very groovy...AND...

See the cool little tin of hip, glittering flowers? Dazzlers...in all the grooviest colors...

SO, all things were now ready... I just had to get Webbie in front of the video camera, and then...

NOTHING. ZIP. ZILCH. The camera wouldn't video...AND I got THIS from his majesty the birthday boy...

Oh yes. It's attitude. Not only was he NOT going to cooperate, every time I got the camera in my hands, he all but REFUSED to look at me...and when he did...THIS!?!

So I am back to doing the drawing the "hard way"...I wrote each name on a slip of paper (several times for several names, because they followed the "here's how to get additional entries" path) so using my newly purchased red and aqua Hershey's box:


I reached in and grabbed a name:  KARI of DharmaWaits wrote:
 
"Ha!! I love this!! What a great idea, the kids I work with would fight over all of this but the Patchouli would be MINE!:) If I have to pick and being a hippie at heart this is super tough but right now it would be, Cat Stevens Father and Son. With a my only son at eighteen I want to cry even thinking about that song. Oy, they grow up so fast!"
 
Congrats, Kari! I'll be contacting you to get your mail info...meanwhile, thanks everybody for your patience and sorry AGAIN for the technological (and Websterlogical) failure!

More soon!
Paula Clare


DRAWING TODAY...AND OTHER AUSPICIOUS OCCASIONS!

Happy Birthday, Webster! Planting a tree at the city park today (Arbor Day) in your honor! 



Thank you for making our lives so rich! We love you little buddy!

We (Webbie and I) will be back later today to draw the name for the fab Groovy Retro Giveaway! Stay tuned!

Hugs,
Paula Clare

Friday, April 23

ONE DAY TO GIVEAWAY!

Greetings, dear reader!

Here is a little reminder about the Groovy Retro Giveaway drawing to be held tomorrow,  April 24th (my dear deceased mom's birthday...and, coincidentally Webster the Wonder Dog turns 10 on the very same day!) Webster will be the one who draws the name (I will try to video the event...he's a multi-talented little dog, and is VERY photogenic!) 


If you would like a refresher about what is "up for grabs", go here. Added to that, was this! Be sure to comment on either of those posts to be entered in the drawing!

Good luck, and we'll talk again soon!

Hugs,
Paula Clare

Tuesday, April 20

AS PROMISED...TALES OF A CANNED HAM

Greetings, dear reader!

Here I am, back with tales from the road...not MY road this time, but THE road...I have been looking around blogland for tales of vintage campers and such, and found these fab sites:

http://patchworkharmony.blogspot.com/2009/04/vintage-caravan-revivalhttpwwwbloggerco.html


There's something wonderfully romantic about these little homes on wheels, don't you think?

And even some that are quite unconventional:
It's a Citroen H...purchased on Ebay. The owner happens to own a wonderful little shop...

http://www.caravanstyle.com/

AND, I am SO excited to tell you, that we have just purchased the paint to make OUR little canned ham the aqua camper of my dreams...it's official "Serro Scotty" teal/aqua!


It's an "old" aqua...kind of teal but not quite. Annnnnnnnyway, I was able to find something the right color and Lowe's color matched it, so voila! We will have our "vintage" look although our little canned ham missed the 50s by about 20 years! I can't wait to get it painted and get the red and white striped awning ordered...

EEK! I can hardly wait!


More soon!

Hugs and Scotty kisses to ye all!

Paula Clare

Monday, April 19

INSPIRED BY AMELIE...ALTER (ALTAR?) EGOS!

Greetings, dear readers!

I haven't taken part in layout challenges in awhile, and thought this one looked super fun...I do so love the Amelie character when she is playing tricks on the grocer and is attired in her bandit cape and mask...and so I began thinking, who is MY alter ego? A cowgirl? A hippie? A monk? Wow...I have some thinking (and scrapping!) to do! Here is the challenge from "Inspired by Amelie"

I'll post pictures of my entry as soon as it's completed! Who (or what?!) is YOUR alter ego?

NEW ALTARED ART PROJECT: CANNED HAM A GO-GO!

Greetings, dear reader!

Do you remember "go-go" boots? In thinking of my Groovy Retro Giveaway, I was recalling my wanting them SO BADLY in fifth grade...


AHHHHH! There they are! The super groovy kind with the peek-a-boo laces! These were actually airline attendants on Southwest Airlines in 1970! Can you believe it?!?! And LOOK! There's that hip, white belt! WOOT! I was stylin' and profilin' for sure!

I digress...THIS post is meant to be all about my most recent altAred art project: Here are a few peeks...can you guess what it is?



I'll be back later tonight to regale you with tales of the canned ham!

Hugs and cowgirl kisses,
Paula Clare