Spring Nesting at The Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks

18 Wednesday Mar 2015

Posted by kryztyne2012 in Art and Crafting, DIY & Crafting, Field Trip, Mixed Media, Textiles, Vintage

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antique show, antiques, antlers, apothecary jar, birdcage, birds, bunny, burlap, CA, christine barker, deer, deer antlers, duckling, Easter, eggs, flea market, flora and fauna, garden, gnome, Julie Weller, junk show, lace, lamb, lamb cake mold, lavender, mixed-media, mushroom, nests, rabbit, Rainbow, Scotsman, Scotsman trailer, shabby chic, squirrel, succulents, The Vintage Marketplace, treasures, vintage, vintage candy mold, vintage flea market, Vintage marketplace, Vintage Marketplace at the Oaks, vintage suitcase

This past weekend I was delighted to be a vendor at the Spring Nesting show at The Vintage Marketplace located at the Oaks Park in Rainbow, CA. I showcased my items together with more than 60 other vendors selling vintage and antique treasures, inspired garden goodies, lace and ruffled items, shabby chic yumminess and the most creative repurposed items.

Infused with the scent of lavender, the theme of my booth was Flora and Fauna, with Flora being on the right side under the white canopy and fauna was on the left side with my vintage 1968 Scotsman trailer, Fiona.

Inspired by Spring, adorable birds, speckled eggs and organic nests I got to work early this year, pinning images to Pinterest and taking notes in my journal. My friend, Julie Weller, and I took a buying trip up to the Bay Area in February and brought back some of the treasures that you’ll see in these photos. I still have some items set aside that will be for sale at a later date and I can’t wait to show those to you!

These are some pictures from the Flora side of my booth. Enjoy!

Thank you for stopping by my blog! I’ll be posting more photos soon, featuring the Fauna side of my booth.

If you’re interested in staying in touch with me on Facebook you can find me here.

xo,

Christine Barker

bannerpink

Special Event: Love by Design – An Artful Charity Auction is Going On Now!

01 Friday Aug 2014

Posted by kryztyne2012 in Art and Crafting, DIY & Crafting, Glitter, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Soldering, Vintage

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artful charity auction, beaded necklace, Carrie Harney, Cheri Brorsen, crystal rondelle, Donald Brorsen, german glass glitter, handmade art, handmade art auction, lamp work bead, Love by design, Love By Design Auction, Swarovski Crystals, Terri Brush Art Camp, wire wrapped

I’m reposting this because the Love by Design Artful Charity Auction has begun and runs now through Sunday, August 3. Head on over to see all the pretty art that’s available and start placing some bids! I’m sorry to let you know that after the post below was originally created, Donald Brorsen lost his battle with cancer and now more than ever this family needs all the help that they can get to deal with the overwhelming medical bills that they now face.

Thanks for stopping by, friends.

xo,

Christine Barker

My friend, Carrie Harney, has a heart of gold and recently reached out to her creative friends to ask for our help for an Art Auction that will begin on Facebook on August 1. She shared that her friend, Cheri Brorsen and her beautiful family, are experiencing one of life’s most crushing trials. Tragically, Cheri’s husband, Donald, is fighting a battle with cancer and Cheri and her four children are facing a rough road ahead. Some of you may already know that I lost my mom to Leukemia as a very young girl and my heart just hurts for this family who will be experiencing the loss of a husband, son, father and friend to so many.

Cheri and Donald Brorsen

The Brorsen Children

Carrie asked if we could help her raise some money for her friend to help pay some of their medical bills. Do you ever have those moments in life where you feel like something you do can really make a difference? This was the call to action for me and my creative mind finally turned on, after a brief hiatus, and I started thinking of things I could make for the auction. A lot of my creative friends are involved and the items they have created are stunning! And, Terri Brush has even donated a spot in her amazing Art Camp!

Go to the Love By Design Auction Page and LIKE it NOW and check out some of the wonderful items that are going to be available. More handmade items will be added each day to give you a chance to see them and choose your favorites. The auction action begins on August 1 and you won’t want to miss it! Mark it on your calendar so you don’t forget!

I created a mermaid-inspired pink and silver wire-wrapped bead necklace with a soldered pendant featuring a Swarovski Crystal bedecked sea star floating in a sea of pink. Dangling from the pendant is a gorgeous pink lamp work bead atop a sparkling tassel of chains, beads and pearls.

Inside the miniature shadowbox pendant you can see a peek of silver German glass glitter. Above the pendant is a pink glass heart-shaped bead and some petite pearl beads and sparkling crystal rondelles.

The necklace also features vintage pearl colored beads, more delicate glass beads, and silver accents.

The pendant can be worn with the starfish facing out or the Life of the Sea side facing out, with its delicate sprinkling of silver German glass glitter.

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the Love by Design auction, beginning on August 1 and LIKE the Facebook page now so you don’t miss out on any of the details!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

xo,

Christine Barker

Field Trip: Long Beach Antique Market

22 Tuesday Jul 2014

Posted by kryztyne2012 in Art and Crafting, DIY & Crafting, Field Trip, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Papercrafting, Vintage

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

angels, atelier de campagne, crystal rondelles, french ledger, Julie Weller, Long Beach Antique Market, rosary chain, Tanya Peacock, tatted lace, trino

Last Sunday I took a field trip to the Long Beach Antique Market with my good friends, Julie Weller and Tanya Peacock.

We found some wonderful treasures and shared some giggles and I thought I’d show you what I brought home. Check out this eye candy. It makes me Swoon!

Some gorgeous beads and some metal angels and hearts.

Some sparkling rondelles filled with crystals and a piece of lace that reminded me of spiderwebs.

A unique rosary chain from Italy.

And dreamy, hand tatted lace.

But my favorite items that I brought home were 3 GIANT, and I mean HUGE, vintage ledgers from France that I bought from Trino at Atelier de Campagne. You can see the beautiful pages underneath my treasures. I can’t wait to use these ledgers for some collage work and mixed-media projects!

Thanks for stopping by!

xo,

Christine Barker

Special Event: Love by Design – An Artful Charity Auction

16 Wednesday Jul 2014

Posted by kryztyne2012 in Art and Crafting, DIY & Crafting, Glitter, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Soldering, Vintage

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Cheri and Donald Brorsen

The Brorsen Children

The necklace also features vintage pearl colored beads, more delicate glass beads, and silver accents.

The pendant can be worn with the starfish facing out or the Life of the Sea side facing out, with its delicate sprinkling of silver German glass glitter.

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the Love by Design auction, beginning on August 1 and LIKE the Facebook page now so you don’t miss out on any of the details!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

xo,

Christine Barker

Altered State: A Round Up of Altered Books

06 Sunday Jul 2014

Posted by kryztyne2012 in Art and Crafting, Collage, DIY & Crafting, Mini Album, Mixed Media, Paper Sculpture, Papercrafting, Soft Sculpture, Textiles, Vintage

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

altered book, art journal, Cappucinoandart, etsy shop, flyinpurplemunkiez, heart shaped book, Ingrid Dijikers, journal, MacLean County Arts Center, Melissa Thiese, Raidersofthelostart, scrapbook, Sharen Chatterton, TarnishedandTattered, Through the Rabbit Hole, travel book, vintage ephemera

Altered Books, Art Journals, whatever you like to call it I call them amazing! You can take any book, paint it, collage it, fold it or tear it and make it yours. Add some swatches of fabric, paint chips, some vintage ephemera and you have a great piece of art to enjoy that you personalized and created on your own. Here’s a round up of interesting, eclectic and artistic altered books for you to enjoy.

At the end I’ve posted the name of the winner from my last post! Maybe it’s you!

1. This is a pretty incredible example of an altered book way before Altered Books became cool.

This great blog post is brought to us by CappuccinoAndArtJournal and you’ll want to check out the other pages that she has posted from this antique journal, great stuff!

2. How incredible is this?

This book was taught at the MacLean County Arts Center in Bloomington, IL a year ago. How amazing is this? I would love to take this class! “Bring in some of your old books and turn them into art by cutting, drawing, gluing, collage, and just about anything you might think of to alter the state of an almost forgotten form of literature.” WOW!

3. I love the whimsy of this incredible book by Raidersofthelostart.

It’s available for purchase in their Etsy Shop.

4. Setting Them Free Altered Book by Sharen Chatterton

This is a stunning example of objects bursting out of the page, so lovely! The contrast between the plain images in the book and the colorful dimensional butterflies is wonderful.

5. One of my favorite artists is Ingrid Dijikers. I feel very fortunate to have taken a class with her at Art & Soul in Portland, OR several years ago. We created the beginnings of a book in her class “Through the Rabbit Hole”.

All of her work is so incredibly artistic and even her doodles are perfectly placed. Check out her blog to see more of her amazing work!

6. This is super cute!

I found it on Tumblr so I’m not sure who to give the credit to. If anyone knows, let me know and I’ll update this!

7. This gorgeous altered book was created by tarnishedandtattered

SWOON!

8. Tarnished and Tattered also created this gorgeous Wedding Book as a present for her cousin.

Unbelievably gorgeous!

9. I am also loving this travel book by Melissa Thiese.

I’m planning on borrowing some design elements, (like the folded over page to create a pocket!) from it to document my last couple vacations when I finally get around to creating books about them!

10. And this heart shaped book is stunning. I believe it was created by FlyinPurpleMunkiez.

I love how it has hidden spaces to keep treasured items!

Thanks for joining me on this journey through altered books!

Have a wonderfully creative week!

xo,

Christine Barker

PS: The winner from my last post is number 8, which is Patty Antle!!! Congrats Patty! Please visit my Etsy shop and choose one of the Pin Cushions priced at $15 and email me at kryztyne @ gmail.com (remove spaces) to let me know which one you’ve chosen. Thank you to everyone who left a comment, I appreciate you playing along!

Flea Market: My first booth at Behind the Picket Fence

01 Tuesday Jul 2014

Posted by kryztyne2012 in Art and Crafting, DIY & Crafting, Field Trip, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Sewing, Soldering, Textiles, Vintage

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

annette schwab, Behind the Picket Fence, burlap, burlap pillow, chenille, christine barker, costa mesa flea market, Deb Kennedy, diy booth, diy garland, Earlene, etsy, etsy shop, fabric garland, fancy pincushion, flea market, fruit picking bag, fruit picking sack, handpainted sign, Kim Kobayashi, orange county flea market, parasol, petticoat, Phil Barker, reproduction baby carriage, rose, scarlet calliope, steamer trunck, steamer trunk, Trevor Benavides, union flag, vintage baby carriage, vintage camera

It’s taken me years to feel brave enough to have my own booth at a flea market. I have a collection of things that I’ve been collecting for years, (plus a couple collections that I’m ready to call it quits with), all with the intention of selling them in my own personal boutique at a flea market. When I heard about the Behind the Picket Fence Marketplace, I just knew I had to give it a try. Well, first I thought about it and changed my mind a bunch of times, but in the end I made the leap and I’m so happy that I finally did it!

Thankfully I had a petit army of people to help me with my state of mind and artfully arranging my booth. Going into this event I was scared as could be, but knowing that my sweet husband and son would be there to help me set up and sell gave me some peace of mind. They were spectacular helpers, setting up the booth, doing the heavy lifting, greeting customers as they stopped by and handing out my business cards. Trevor even had a side business going selling some of the hundreds of burlap coffee bean bags that I had for sale. (If you want some, please just let me know! I have a few left!)

And I’m so thankful for my friend, Deb Kennedy, who’s an extraordinary Writer, Stylist, Designer and Speaker based out of Orange County, CA. When I put out the SOS for help to foof up my booth and give it some decorator savvy, she answered the call. I was petrified that I would set up the booth and it wouldn’t look like the picture that I had in my head. Deb came to the rescue and got right to work, rearranging items, placing them just right and using items in ways that I NEVER would have thought of. Plus, she took all of these beautiful photos!

Left to my own devices I would more than likely just put things out on the table but Deb knew just how to display things so that they would be shown to their best advantage. Like the vintage fruit picking sack, and the dress form, and the shabby chic tea pot with gloves.

I also had a selection of my handmade Union Flag aprons and pillows, burlap pillows, and fancy pincushions available for sale.

I created a variety of decor to give my booth my style so that people would know as soon as they saw it what I was all about. Several people asked if I would sell my fabric garland but I told them I’d have to charge them over $100 since it pretty much took me an entire day and too much fabric to create. I can’t sell it, it’s too pretty!

Burlap and rose decorations.

Petticoats on a parasol.

And, I hand painted a sign with my name to let people know who I was.

And finally, I had a photo booth to take pics of some willing shoppers as they stopped by.

All in all it was a wonderful day! I felt great because I finally conquered my fear of participating in a flea market, I cleared out some of my inventory and I got to spend the day with some wonderful people. It meant so much to me for people that I knew to stop by my booth because it was so nice to see familiar faces and when they gave me compliments about my booth I was over the moon! I think I’m ready for the next challenge now, I’ve got this!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I have some of these items and more listed in my Etsy shop if you are interested in purchasing them.

Also, this is my 125th post so I think that’s a reason to celebrate! I’ll be giving away one of my pin cushions to one lucky person who likes this post and leaves a comment here on the blog. Who wants to win?

xo,

Christine Barker

Paper Fun: Thank You featuring Lovebug Creations Rumple Ribbon

26 Monday May 2014

Posted by kryztyne2012 in Art and Crafting, Cardmaking, DIY & Crafting, Lovebug Creations, Papercrafting

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

craft ribbon, creative team, LOveBug Creations, ruffle ribbon, Rumple Ribbon, seam binding, thank you card

Today is bittersweet.

I’m saying goodbye to the Lovebug Creations Creative Team after being a part of them for the last year and a half. But, I’m giving myself more time to create art, discover what I want to do when I grow up and focus on making products to sell in my Etsy shop.

I’m so thankful that Kimi Cremar and Pamela Lash, aka Mama Lovebug, gave me the chance to play with their Lovebug Creations Rumple Ribbons and let me shine in my own way. It was so exciting to be a part of their team, to receive new shipments of ribbons and products and to be exposed to their wide audience of crafters. But, more than that, I’m thankful that I gained two new friends who have been so supportive of my creative endeavors and have been among my greatest cheerleaders.

Not only did I just gain two new friends, I also gained other friends. From the lovely girls on the team to the crafters who subscribed and followed my blog and left so many sweet and heartfelt comments. It really kept me going on those days when my creativity was hiding somewhere in my head.

Thank you to all of you who have been a part of this leg of my creative journey. I’m so grateful that you are a part of my life and I hope that I can give back to you what you’ve been so generous in giving to me: inspiration.

So, with that said, I’d like to share my last Lovebug Creations project with you.

I created this Thank You for both Kimi and Mama Lovebug to say Thanks for everything! I used Lovebug Creations Rumple Ribbon in Simply White from the Star Spangled Collection to make the pretty bow.

Thank you for stopping by and thank you so much for your time and your comments. I’ll be updating my blog from time to time with pics from my trips to flea markets, new products that I’m working on and any other inspirational field trips that I think you’ll want to hear about.

Have a wonderfully creative week!

XO,

Christine Barker

Favorite Things: Vintage Jello Molds

15 Thursday May 2014

Posted by kryztyne2012 in Art and Crafting, DIY & Crafting, Vintage

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

aluminum tins, jello mold altered doll, jello mold assemblage, jello mold mushroom, jello mold photo holder, jello mold pin cushion, jello mold string lights, jello mold succulent garden, jello mold tea light holder, metal molds, pin cushions, tart tins, vintage jello molds, vintage molds, vintage tins

I love Jello Molds, Tart Tins, or whatever you like to call these adorable aluminum mini pans. For whatever reason I’ve been buying them at the flea market and antique shops and I have quite a collection. Way more than I realized as I was just buying a couple here and a couple there. I put them all together the other day and was shocked at how many I had.

So, now I need to figure out what I’m going to do with all of them. Here’s a round up of ideas using these awesome little vintage containers:

I made these vintage inspired Pin Cushions, some featuring vintage Jello Molds, to sell at a recent Downton Abbey themed event that I went to. You can find them for sale in my Etsy shop.

They’re used to make Tart Tin Jewelry Pendants, just add paper, embellishments and resin!

What about some mini string lights?

They can be a table number or photo holder, like this one made by LittleCottageCrafts on Etsy.

Or tea light holders like these.

What about making some cute toadstools like these by Organized Clutter?

They can be a cute little planter in your kitchen for succulents like this one by Botanicality.

They make a cute pincushion like this one by myvioletwonderland.

Or an Altered Art Doll by myalteredmuse

Or they can be used as containers for a gift, like Linda McClain did.

Or as mini assemblages like these from Jenni Bowlin.

If you come up with any great ideas for me, let me know! Thanks for stopping by!

xo,

Christine Barker

Creative Team Call: Lovebug Creations!

14 Wednesday May 2014

Posted by kryztyne2012 in Art and Crafting, Design Team Call, DIY & Crafting, Lovebug Creations

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

card making, crafters, crafting, creative team call, Design Team Call, LOveBug Creations, Lovebug Creations Creative Team, mixed-media, Rumple Ribbon, scrapbook

LoveBug Creations is VERY excited to announce their NEXTCreative Team Call!

They are looking for fun, excited, passionate crafters who love working with ribbon! They’re seeking people who love all types of crafting… Scrapbookers, Card Markers, Mixed Media Artists and anything else you can create!

Does that describe you? Then read on!

Requirements:

6-Month Term runs June 2014 –December 2014
Strong passion for crafting and sharing your work!
Ability to meet deadlines and work well with others! (No Drama Zone)
An Active Blog and Facebook Account (YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter and whatever other social media optional!)
Great written communication/good photography skills (we want to see your projects and postings in the best way possible!)
(Open to USA Residents Only)

Creative Team Expectations:

1 project per week shared on your blog and Facebook pages as well as a short post for our Lovebug Creations Blog!
Participation in blog hops or challenges as they arise
Posting on the Lovebug Creations Facebook Page and sharing projects via whatever social media you can!
Sharing information that we post on Facebook such as sales, Hops, Sneaks, and anything else that comes up!
Taking the time to comment and share other CT member’s projects (we all take the time to make projects and recognizing each person’s work is always nice!) as well as commenting/posting in the Lovebug Lounge Facebook Group.

What you can expect from Lovebug Creations:

Each CT member will receive monthly shipments of our products.
Promotion of your work on the LBC Facebook page, blog and store site as well as any other social media we have access to!
A 25% discount on any other Products you wish to purchase.

Creative Team Application – Please email to lovebugcreations3@gmail.com by midnight eastern Friday May 23, 2014

Please include the following information:

Your Name
Mailing Address (USA Residents only)
Email Address
Phone Number
Blog Name (and a link) as well as links to any other social media you would use to promote LoveBug Creations (Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram)
A list of current DT you are on- Being/NOT being on one will in NO way affect their decision!
Tell us a little bit about YOU! When did you start crafting? What is your favorite thing to make? What sets you apart from other crafters?? What do you think are your strengths and weaknesses as a crafter – be honest. What do you do besides crafting?
Tell us why you WANT to be a part of the LoveBug Creations Creative Team!!
Attach photos or links to your all-time favorite 2 projects you have made… Can be from any time so long as it is your work! We want to see what you think is your best!

We would also like to see 1 brand new, never posted anywhere project! This can be whatever you would like to make. Of course you don’t have to use our Rumple Ribbon on this (but it wouldn’t hurt). It MUST, however, have ribbon on it so we can see how you would use our ribbons! Think outside the box and try to use it in a new fun way!

The LoveBug Creations Creative Team will be announced May 26, 2014!! If you have any questions PLEASE ask. Either email them at lovebugcreations3@gmail.com or contact them through their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/LovebugCreations

What are you waiting for? Apply! Lovebug Creations Needs YOU!

Have a creative week, friends!

xo,

Christine Barker

Birthday: Happy Birthday, Stephanie!

15 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by kryztyne2012 in Art and Crafting, Cardmaking, DIY & Crafting, Lovebug Creations, Papercrafting, Rubber Stamp, Rubber Stamp, Textiles

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

beautiful bloom, birthday card, card making, cardmaking, crossstitch, Cupcake, diy birthday card, doily, floral embellishment, flower, flower embellishment, happy birthday card, hog heaven, how to make a birthday card, LOveBug Creations, make a birthday card, Mama's Mesh, owl, owl wood die cut, pearl, rubber stamp, Rumple Ribbon, sassafras, scrapbook paper, seam binding, stamped card, stamping, stephanie eaken

Happy Birthday, Stephanie!

We’re celebrating a birthday with Stephanie, one of the Lovebug Creations Creative Team members, today. Here’s a card I made for her using some gorgeous Lovebug Creations products.

I used some of the newest Rumple Ribbon to make a pretty bow, this color is Garden Green from the Gardens of Tara collection. Sitting atop the bow is a Beautiful Bloom from the Love in Bloom collection.

I also used some White Mama’s Mesh to give a little texture on top of the yellow heart paper.

Stephanie, from the bottom of my creative heart I wish you a wonderful day full of sweet surprises and a year that brings your heart joy and love. Enjoy today and celebrate all month long! And to my visitors, Thank You for stopping by to see my blog post. I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Please leave a Happy Birthday message for Stephanie in the comments!

xo,

Christine Barker