Thrift Thursday - Hip Home Goodies for $20 & under!

Today on Thrift Thursday I am featuring work by three Austin Artisans! These items are Thrifty because they're either made with recycled items, or they're just too darn cute to be that cheap! Look no further for a Summer Gift or Personal Decor Pick Me Up!

*annemarie* just likes to Use Capital Letters!

Cookbook Safe by PommesFrites
$20.00

Although the storage area is cut to fit your precious recipe cards (hiding them from your evil sister, Becky Sue) I think it's a great place to stash Rhinestone Jewelry & Belgium Chocolate!

Coaster Set by ::tasty jewelry::
$12.00

Coasters are not just cool - they're necessary! Why not get some uber hip ones with original graphic designs by Diane Petkoff?

Recycled Vintage Glass Soy Candle by DixieDIY
$11.00

This just makes me think of Grandmother MaryAnn - her rad South Austin apartment off of Oltorf with the green shag carpeting, red velvet furniture and awesome toys for us kids. Unleash your inner Grandma and freshen up your home!

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DANG! Austin has some talented artisans (that we knew) - with amazingly affordable stuff!

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Find more work by Austin Artisans!

xo, Anne Marie

Sunny Sunday - Roundtop Recap!

Roundtop, Texas - actually more like Warrenton, Texas - is THE PLACE TO BE in April and October if you like to shop for antiques, collectibles, junk and great buys....

This year marks.. wow, 3 or 4 years that we've been going - and it was a blast! A few themes emerge every year - and this year they included elephants, fabulous art deco pieces, creepy objects of interest, and cute baby stuff. So let's break it down by category and get going on the recap!

Deco
Of COURSE - this is my favorite time period of design - Art Nouveau comes in at a close second, then Mid Century Modern. Deco is growing in it's collectible interest - and the authentic pieces are pretty pricey. Always great for inspiration!











Creepy & Weird
I don't know what came over my girl friends - but they got into some creepy stuff this year - and the more I looked, the more it seemed that creepy was a theme across the fields.
















Baby & Cute
Well my best friend just had a baby - welcome, Hunter Ray Love! And I saw a few things that reminded me of her. I even had a dream about holding the baby while I was gone. He is just so cute and I can't wait to see him again :)









As always - hope you're inspired and entertained!

xo, Anne Marie

www.TheLoneStarLadies.com
April 18th, 2009 - The EVENT OF THE YEAR in Austin!

Fabric Junkie? Shop at Thread-Bare, the DIY Thrift Store!

Oh oh oh - there is nothing I love more than vintage fabric - and cheap vintage fabric is even better.

Ann Randall, owner of The Stitching Studio and co-creator of The Charity Craft Volunteer Network, recently opened Thread-Bare in her North Austin Studio.

I got a sneak peek last month when I went up for a Ladies' Night Out Sewing Extravaganza! Ann opens up The Stitching Studio for ladies and provides soup & salad - for only $10.00 you get to craft and sew in a gorgeously appointed space and have fun with like-minded ladies.

Well, the front of the studio is now a Thrift Store! There are bundles of fabric for ridiculously cheap - about $1.00 a yard, vintage buttons, fabric stamping supplies, holiday decorations - just all kinds of craft goodness!




I walked out with two trash bags full of awesome fabric - and made some cool purses out of it already! The best part is that all the proceeds go to support The Charity Craft Volunteer Network - an organization that "provides comfort to those in need through gifts of handcrafted items."



So not only do you get to shop at amazing prices, you get to support a great cause - and check out one of Austin's nicest sewing studios - who knows - maybe you will be inspired to take a class!

xo,
Anne Marie

Thrift Thursday: New Goodies

So I actually went shopping on Tuesday - but waited to post my new stuff until today. I love THRIFT TOWN - and I was surprised to find they now have a MySpace account.

To me, thrift has always been hip. I like looking at a bunch of crap and spotting that one item that I just have to have.

This week I scored stuff for bags! I got two gorgeous vintage brooches, which I plan to put on some evening bags, and 6 plastic containers I will use in my display. I have all these little acrylic boxes that I use, and they were pretty pricey at the Office Supply - so at $2 each, these new boxes will come in really handy!



I am also about to finish my latest book - Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver - and I can't wait! I have been reading a lot lately, and this book is especially good.

Tonight is the monthly Babes in Business meeting - it's a local networking group for crafty biz ladies in Austin - and I am the new leader! I can't wait to see all my friends and meet new ones...

Happy Thursday!
Anne Marie Beard

Thrift Thursday: Velvet Tulips, Anyone?

I have got myself on a little schedule this year - I am posting at least one blog a week and posting new bags for sale on Etsy every Tuesday and Thursday. I am so bad at keeping to a schedule of any kind, so the fact that this is week three of the schedule is amazing!

As a child, I spent lots of time at my Grandparents' house. They had the biggest backyard ever! There was a covered porch, a cool paisley shaped pool and a sloping yard that went on forever and ended in flower beds. It was odd to swim right by banana and peach trees in Texas! I am talking about their yard because my Grandfather was a great gardener - especially handy with those tricky bulbed flowers like tulips.






Today's Thrift Item is a lovely 60s or 70s short nap velvet print that features - TULIPS! I just love large, crazy fabric prints - especially florals. I've got pics of two bags I made out of it. Looking at this fabric reminds me of Pop (aka George Louis Boswell) in the yard with his jumpsuit on and working on his flowers. He worked in the yard until he was 92 - with horrible arthritis and all. I hope I will still be sewing at 92 and just growling through the pain of arthritis - eff stopping what you love because of aging!

A bit sentimental today :)

Anne Marie Beard

Thrift Thursday: That Tablecloth Becomes You!

The other night I was smiling over a new bag pattern I had created, and immediately started to tear into my stash to find new fabric combinations. When you've been designing handbags and collecting vintage fabric for a little over 5 years - your stash just seems to grow and grow - in fact, I always claim that my fabric has babies while I'm out.

Looking through tub after tub of fabric, I smile as I remember the shopping adventure that led to each purchase. My fabric is like a solid group of friends - and making it into bags to be enjoyed by lovely ladies is a really neat way to share my love of textiles!



Today's Thrift Store Score focuses on a HUGE 1970s tablecloth I purchased a few years ago. I remember my heart pounding as I spotted the fabric - a bulky pile amidst the fabric bins. The bright army/olive green shouted at me - Anne Marie! Do you see me? Come and look - unfold me - I am HUGE and you can make dozens of bags out of me!

The tablecloth was a large oval shape, and the fabric a nice plain weave cotton - kind of nubby and woven with thick yarn. The edge of the tablecloth was decorated with quite possibly the ugliest trim I've ever seen, and that HAD to go.



I have been making a few bags out of the fabric each year - trying to extend the life of the tablecloth as long as possible. I find it satisfying to make many different styles of bags out of the same fabric - it brings out new sides of the fabric's character. I have often admired designers like my friend CHIA, who can cut an entire piece of vintage fabric at once, and then be done with it.

I tend to hold onto them like bestest friends - we're not through with each other until every kind of bag possible has been created from it. This style is my hugely popular Wendy Zipper Tote. It's big and roomy but very lightweight - and it holds a LOT. Check it out in my etsy store - and stay tuned for more thrifting, crafting and sewing adventures.

Anne Marie Beard

Thrift Thursday: From scary dress to sexy bag

Oh how I love to thrift shop! I am a serious thrift shopper, my friends. If I am in the store more than 15 minutes then something is seriously wrong. It's like a challenge - walk in the store - eyes narrowed, looking for that perfect deal, walking super fast.

I go thrifting when I have a little twinge of an electric feeling inside - "there's something good out there today..." and usually, there is!

One of my favorite things to look for is vintage fabric - I will cut up sheets, draperies, tablecloths, clothes and more. All of the bags I make have a cool story behind them - usually centered around the adventure of purchasing the fabric.



Today I finally got around to posting some bags for sale in my Etsy store - do you have any idea how long it takes to measure and weigh all your products for sale online? It has only taken me 5 years to do it!!!






So one of the bags I posted today is the result of a thrifting trip - Picture this dress - sleeveless with a neru collar, empire waistband, and floor length skirt. All in this dark green paisley print with pops of orange, blue and tan. You could stop traffic in a dress like that! Snip snip snip went the scissors - and voila - I made a sexy, curvy bag.





The funny thing about all this eco/green conciousness to me is that - wait, is it 1992 again? I was the product of the MASSIVE green wave of the early '90s, and recycling has always been a way of life. I mean, who wants to wear what everyone else has, when you can score a funky skirt at Goodwill, or make a fabulous bag out of a hideous dress? For those of you who aren't so handy with the sewing machine - you can always browse my Etsy store for tons more goodies made from recycled/eco-friendly/green materials. It's nothing new - but I may as well mention that it's part of the *annemarie* ethos.

Happy Thrifting!