Paper Cowgirl - Meet and Greet and Swaps

Dear friends,

Last weekend was Paper Cowgirl! What a great time we all had at this amazing art retreat in Waxahatchie, TX. 

I picked up Kana from the airport - she flew in from Tennessee for this retreat and she and I met up with Cami for lunch.  From there we ran to Fort Worth, got really lost, pulled King and took him to the vet then headed down to Hatchie!  Here's how the car looked...

Kana made the cutest pins for Cami and me...so sweet!

Events started Thursday with a "Meet & Greet" and exchange of projects with our swap partners.  Lisa Pace spoke to us about becoming a published artist, The Doves Nest spoiled us with snacks and Ann Denise blew us away with this dress that she made.  It's from crepe paper, coffee filters and paper clay.  Amazing.

The swaps were great.  There were several to choose from but I limited myself to making charms for each attendee, the altered cigar box swap and the name tag swap. 

 The charms I made are really simple little frames with a Pekingese Cowgirl set in resin and tied up with a pink bow. 

For the name tag I opted to do something slightly different.  Since as a group we were given hanging name tags (to attach our charms to) I wanted to give my swap partner a wrist corsage tag.  Little bit of ribbon, a doilie and love created this corsage. 

Sadly I forgot to take pictures of my altered cigar box.  I did a vintage travel theme because my partner loves to travel.  I aged the box with paints and trimmed it in lace.  On the inside were vintage pieces of jewelry with tags that indicated where in Europe she had worn them, vintage pictures and postcards and so forth. 

My swap partners spoiled me!  My name tag was sewn by Susie and is just beautiful.  She wrapped it in an amazing wax paper and lace bag.  Everone kept taking pictures of my name tag the whole weekend but pictures don't even do it justice.

Trisha created this box.  Words escape me because it is STUNNING.  She spent 3 weeks gluing pearls, jewels and trinkets to the box.  It's so vintage and beautiful, I'm actually trying to find a pretty vintage glass cake stand to store it in becaue I'm afraid for dust to touch it!  The inside was full of wonderful goodies including a beautiful bracelet that she made.  Trisha is a talented jewelry maker and soldered 3 beautiful bird inspired charms to the bracelet along with bird charms and pearl spacers.

Wow...I'm just amazed at the talent of these ladies!  Thank you Susie and Trisha - I will treasure these items forever!

Also during our "Meet and Greet" we collected our name badges.  They were blank and that night several of us sat up decorating our badges together, adding the charms we collected and laughing over really cheap wine.  Here's how my badge turned out.

I'll post a couple of more entries to show the classes and goodies from the vendor fair.  I'm so inspired that after I wake from my nap, give the pups baths and finish my laundry I might have time to paint.  LOL...fingers crossed!

Wishing everyone the best,

Jennie and the Pretty Pekes