Tag, You're It! (Shipping Tag Tutorial)

I mentioned in my previous post that I was teaching myself to make mixed media shipping tags...

Now obviously, as with all my other forays into being crafty, it's painfully obvious that I'm a beginner!

But as per my Blog Mission Statement, I always want to show you the good, bad and ugly...where I start from as opposed to where I end up. I want you to see the evolution and hopefully my growth as an artist, if I could be so bold as to even call myself that.

I explained that I was simply taking large shipping tags, available almost anywhere, and tea staining them, baking them and stamping them.

I had more than a few of you ask why I baked them, and it's actually not an idea original to me.

Some folks prefer to air dry their tags or use a blow dryer, I simply prefer the effect I get from using the oven. It adds a bit more firmness and to my eye, more of an aged look.

It's ridiculously easy...

• Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees
• Lay your shipping tags flat on a cookie or baking sheet
• Place a tea bag in a cup of boiling water
• Remove bag and rub on both sides of the tags
• Bake for approx 8 minutes
• Turn tags over, bake for an additional 2 minutes

I like to flatten 'em out a bit, so I place them inside a thick book for a couple of hours.

Take them out, stamp 'em, embellish 'em....voila!

So easy!

If I can do it, anybody can! Try it! Just don't burn the house down, mmmkay?  ;-)

MY PARIS FLEA MARKET GIVEAWAY!!!

Have you entered yet?

Well, why the heck not?

As I've told y'all before, I'm filling up a GINORMOUS Paris Flea Market hatbox full of flea market treasures, many coming straight from the fields of Warrenton during my week long stay there for Antique Week.

I'll be on the hunt for...

Vintage Linens

Flower Frogs

Millinery

Ephemera

Vintage Bling

Instant Ancestors

Crusty and Rusty Treasures 

and lots, lots more!

Who knows WHAT I'll come back with! 

Not me! Not yet...

 But I do know that it'll be good!
 

HOW DO I ENTER???
 

 ***Just be sure to sign up as a follower***

You're automatically entered if you're already a follower!

The big drawing will be on 

- March 31st -

after I return from Warrenton

Breaking news, the lovely Jan of The Polka Dot Barn just came out of surgery with flying colors!
She jacked up her foot pretty badly last week, so they shipped her off to San Antonio to give her a
brand new, bionic foot today (slight embellishment). Her mom just called to tell me that she's resting comfortably.
Enjoy those good drugs, Jan!

Happy Tuesday!

Did Y'all Notice???

I have a new header!

Put it up a couple of days ago, but I wasn't sure if anyone had noticed...

My sweet little Dollartree birds!

Aren't they wonderful?

I just needed a change...something lighter, something brighter.

Something which says Spring.

Did I achieve that?

Oh, and I'm teaching myself to make mixed media tags, thanks to the inspiration of people such as  

Lisa of Tarnished and Tattered.

I spent the other day tea staining a TON of large shipping tags, baking them, and then stamping them. Tonight I began to add embellishments, and I'm hoping I'll have a finished product to unveil in a day or so.

And I would be remiss if I didn't remind y'all that my 

Paris Flea Market Giveaway

is going strong now until March 31st...

 

I'm filling up a BIG hatbox full of flea market treasures, many coming straight from the fields of Warrenton during my week long stay there for Antique Week.

 

Do You Want...

Vintage Linens?

Flower Frogs?

Millinery?

Ephemera?

Something Kitschy?

Vintage Bling?

Some Instant Ancestors?

Howzabout some skeleton keys?

Ya like crusty and rusty? 

Or dainty and delicate?

Who knows WHAT I'll come back with! 

Not me! Not yet...

 But I do know that it'll be good!
 

HOW DO I ENTER???
 

 ***Just be sure to sign up as a follower***

You're automatically entered if you're already a follower!

The big drawing will be on 

- March 31st -

after I return from Warrenton

Grab my giveaway button, too! It's free!

 Have a wonderful Tuesday, my friends!

 

Paris Flea Market Giveaway!

 I'm in the process of filling up this BIG (15" x 10" x 7.5"), beautiful  

Paris Flea Market hatbox  

full of big, beautiful flea market treasures! 

It's all part of my

Paris Flea Market Giveaway

 Celebrating all my wonderful friends and followers! (one and the same, really!)

At this writing, I know for sure that the two lovely hat boxes you see pictured will be included in the giveaway (and filled to their brims with flea market treasures!)
As will a copy of Flea Market Style Magazine, too!

I had planned to have the giveaway before heading off to Warrenton, but then I had a lightbulb moment.... 

I realized how much MORE wonderful this giveaway could be if I held off and included lots and lots more AWESOME treasures from my shopping excursions during Antique Week!

Who knows what I'll bring back? 

Would you like...

Vintage Linens?

Millinery?

Ephemera?

Vintage Bling?

Ya like crusty and rusty? 

Or dainty and delicate?

Here's your chance to help 

CREATE YOUR OWN GIVEAWAY!

Tell me what you'd like to see in this giveaway, and I'll do my darndest to bring it back from the fields of Warrenton!

 ***Just be sure to sign up as a follower between NOW and the big drawing, which will be***

- March 31st -

after I return from Warrenton.
You're automatically entered if you're already a follower.

Grab my giveaway button, too! It's free!

And don't forget to let me know what YOU would like to see in this giveaway!

Toodles for now!

It's the Little Things...

....that make a space feel warm, lovely, inviting.

 

  

  

 This is the view from just above my laptop these days. 

Isn't this simply lovely?

The moment I saw this beautiful vintage tag I knew that I had to head over to Etsy and snatch it up before somebody else did.

Can you tell what it's wrapped in?

 

It's a vintage sewing pattern! How creative! 

In Warrenton / Antique Week news, I just got off the phone with Effie and we're cooking up some wonderful stuff for all you junkin' folks who come and see us in Bar W Field!

Coming soon....a map as to exactly where you can find us! If you're headed to the big show, I want to meet you!

Next up, big news from my BFF, Male Division, Troy of Junk Exchange...

He Just Celebrated His 100th Post!

Troy and Rod are the real deal, and if you visit only ONE vendor this year at any show at any location, make sure it's Troy and the folks at Junk Exchange.

They have the best junque at the best prices, but more importantly, they have  a whole lotta heart.

As Troy so eloquently put it in his latest post, they have a healthy respect for the "junk", giving it importance and treating it with the respect it deserves.

Be sure to visit the Junk Exchange Etsy Shop, too!

More great news from my bloggy friends? No problem!
Michelle at Vintage Junky is celebrating her
One Year Blogiversary!
And she's doing it up right, she's offering one lucky winner two great prizes, one of which is this fab grain-sack pillow from her Etsy Shop.

Click HERE to enter.

Off now to partake of a most shameful guilty pleasure,
*cough* General Hospital *cough*

Have a fabulous Thursday!

And Friday, too!

 

It's a PAR-TAY!

So, what are we celebrating???

Let's see....

Let's start with Debra's Birthday!

You know Debra, right?

If not, then what on earth's wrong with you???

Head on over to her fantabulous blog, Common Ground to see how Deb went from this...

 

to this...

  

to this...

  

At any age (and with anything on her head!), Debra is an absolute doll, and there's something for everybody at her wonderful blog...decorating, junking, family, faith...hence the name of her blog...Common Ground!

Be sure to pay the BIRTHDAY GIRL a visit to wish her a happy one, and while you're there, take the time to enter her fabulous March Celebration Give-Back!

 

Deb's offering these gorgeous rosettes from Gypsy Jill in her giveaway...

Which leads me to yet another amazing giveaway that I've been dying to share with you!

The insanely talented Jill from Gypsy Brocante is having a
don't-ya-dare-miss-it giveaway of her own!

 

For the next three Sundays, generous Jill will be giving away a Gypsy rosette each week, beginning with this coming Sunday, March 7th.

She also has a super secret surprise for one lucky Grand Prize Surprise Winner, so click HERE to enter.

And finally?

I just got back from San Antonio a little while ago, and my medical test results were mostly favorable. I'm not in the clear yet, but the worrisome situation they've been tracking has stabilized, and I'm not due for another follow-up until six months from today.

So yeah, I think this is cause for celebration, too!

I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for your kind words and prayers, I carried all of them with me today.

Not just today, but always. In many ways, y'all are family now. We laugh we cry, we share, heck, we even fuss sometimes! I love you all, and I'm planning a HUGE GIVEAWAY of my own to say thank you! It's been in the works for awhile now, so hang in there, it will definitely be worth the wait!

 In conclusion, I'd just like to ask y'all to say a little prayer for my buddy Jan of  

The Polka Dot Barn.

She's dealing with some health issues of her own right now, so I know she'd appreciate knowing that the blogging community is lifting her up in prayer. 

Thanks!

And Happy Wednesday!

Moving Down in the World...and a Giveaway!

*sung to the tune of "The Jeffersons" theme song*

So I teased the other day that I had some good news to report about my booth in the antique mall...

I do!

The good news is that if I want it, I've been offered a much coveted space on the first floor of the mall.

Everybody knows that a first floor space translates into greater visibility, lots more foot traffic and increased sales.
I would have the new space effective March 31st.

This means, of course, that I'll be headed back from Warrenton a bit earlier than expected. Sorry, Sue!

You'll recall that I'm headed down there to help my buddy Effie set up and sell in Bar W Field during Antique Week.

That's okay though, my gal Effie will have it well under control.

Methinks I'm only gonna be a nuisance, anyway. ;-)

It's going to be a bit of a crazy-busy month, and I'm not entirely sure that I'm equal to the task, but with your good thoughts and prayers, I oughta be fine.

Speaking of which, if you'd just slip in a few extra words with the Man upstairs this coming Wednesday, that'd be swell...I'm scheduled for some follow-up medical testing which has me a bit worried, so my good news is tempered with that looming on the horizon.
Thanks bunches!

In other, much more exciting news, my blogging BFF Debra of Common Ground
is having a BIG giveaway!

She's celebrating all sorts of things with this giveaway...

Her 200th post, 350 followers, her bigger, better antique mall booth, Spring...you name it, Deb's celebratin' it!!!

Some might even say she's a celebratin' fool! Not me, of course...I don't wanna blow my chances of winning!

Click HERE for all the details.

Have a beautiful Monday!

A Hint of Spring...

 

  

  

  

....has just arrived in my Etsy Shop! 

 

Vintage Floral Beverage Caddy 

Available now via my Etsy Shop!

What little hints of Spring are popping up in your neck o' the woods? 

Cheers! Sláinte! Salud!