New Bags in Graphic Prints

These days, it seems like anything goes with fashion. Graphic Prints seem to have some serious staying power though!

My Paige style bag has been a very popular seller since I debuted it in March. This week I put up some new color choices.

Go Green with this Eco Chic Bag by *annemarie*
Shown here in the Paige Style and made with a 1970s double knit woven with a chic red and white geometric design.

Surfs up! Get your Nautical Fix with this purse.
Shown in the Paige Style and made with a cotton print in a Nautical Inspired Circle pattern.

For more styles, check out my Etsy shop!

xo, Anne Marie

www.AnneMarieBeard.com

www.TheBeardedLadiesPresent.com

Thrift Thursday: Wimberley Market Days

Thrift Thursday is all about diggin for gold amongst lots of dirt. Last weekend some of my best friends and I headed down to Wimberley, Texas for a relaxing weekend.

Wimberley is a crazy little town - there is not one single straight road there - not one! It's a beautiful piece of rugged Texas Hill Country - lots of oak and cedar trees, tame deer and springs and creeks. Very picturesque - and very hot in August at over 100.

We are a group of gals to LOVE to shop! Our favorite kind of shopping is at outdoor flea markets/antiques fairs. For three years we have been making a semi-annual pilgrimage to the miles of shopping in Roundtop and Warrenton, Texas. So for Sarah's b-day, we decided to head out to Wimberley for their famous Market Days.

Held on the first Saturday of the month for most of the year, the Market Days are a hodge podge of vendors. You'll find antiques and collectibles (nothing too fancy, though), handmade jewelry, soaps and candles, locally produced jams & salsas, western inspired gifts and a smattering of imported clothes and decor. Our favorites, OF COURSE, are the vintage items... see below for yummy yummy examples of some cool stuff that caught my eye.

I have to note the Lions Club of Wimberley - who makes the Market Days possible. It's touching to see (mostly elderly) men out in their bright yellow and blue on a HOT day in August, working concessions, parking lots, and shuttling people back and forth. The Lions Club is a charitable organization best known for their work with eye banks. All of the efforts of the Market Days support numerous community programs in Wimberley. Now I call that guilt free shopping!

First Up, A FABULOUS hand-pieced quilt in the Dresden Plate pattern.


A great pitcher in a design by Modern Living, I think 40s or 50s. Had no luck researching the pattern online.


Scary Dolls! And you thought all those hand-made monster plushie dolls were a new fad!!!


Handmade clay flowers by Judy Spencer


Lots of Shoppers - I was needing a rest, and it was only 10:30am!


A beautiful vintage light fixture that Sarah bought for her sister's birthday. Apparently, it was a steal at $42, because they're selling on ebay for hundreds!


***(the best part of shopping with girlfriends... "ohhh, I want that for my birthday - buy for me and I'll forget!!!")***

Gorgeously packaged handmade soaps by The Soap Lady of Victoria, Texas.


I found my plates!~ I have been searching for a vintage plate set to collect, and now I have it! It's the NORDIC pattern by Syracuse.


BLONDE Raggedy Ann and Andy? Who ever heard of such a thing? So '60s, and sooo cute!


A pristine vintage apron with violet flowers and heart shaped pockets. I would've bought it for my mom, but she has too much stuff!


And best for last... a sweet green sewing machine. German model, probably 40s or 50s, great condition... too bad I already own 4 sewing machines...!


If you plan to go down to Wimberley Market Days, I recommend staying at The Lodge at Cypress Falls. It's not fancy, but it was cozy and very affordable. The pool was nice and there's also a little cafe nearby and a swimming hole in Cypress Creek. I also suggest eating at The Leaning Pear - just a little bistro, but make reservations!!! Happy Shopping,

xo, Anne Marie

*annemarie* Style for the Individual

The Bearded Ladies Present: Shop Austin

Maker Monday: Victrola Designs

I first took note of Victrola Designs by Victoria Corbett a few years ago. She and I both sell at a local Austin boutique dedicated to handmade items - Parts & Labour. Victoria's brightly silk-screened tees and totes were located on the shelf just below mine.

Any artist knows that her work sells better when it's next to other nice work - so it's always been a pleasure having such beautiful items near my own. I recently had a chat with Victoria about her business and what inspires her to create.







Victoria was trained as an artist in her native England, but the Indie Business Owner role didn't strike upon her until many years later. She says "honestly I should have just trusted my intuition and got to it sooner. I didn't learn a lot in art school, due to being so immature and insecure. Experiences in life are whats got me this far......."

I can so relate to that! As a student in College I majored in Costume Design - but most of what has gotten me thus far in business and art have been my life experiences - and the inspiration I find around me.








Victoria "loves Asian design more than anything, just the simplicity and uniqueness of the old wood block patterns from two or three centuries ago are genius." I think I'll have to ask her to go see the current Japanese wood block exhibit going on here in Austin at the Blanton Museum of Art!


Simplicity and great design aesthetic are what sets her work apart for me. She uses a lot of botanical motifs - often set off by their asymmetry and bold use of color.









Recently Victoria launched a new line of products - hand printed canvas custom made into bags she designed. I had the privilege of getting a sneak peak at one of her new bags, and was exceptionally designed and very well made. She is now offering them for sale in her Etsy shop - delicious!

Keep an eye on Victrola Designs by Victoria Corbett - she has set her sights on global success. She admires the work of Lotta Jansdotter of Scandanavia and Timorous Beasties of Scotland.


I'm glad to have such a talented artist in the mix here in Austin - a town she feels "is one of the few places at least in the united Sates where you have the opportunity to live in a pretty place, do what you want and still afford to live." I couldn't agree more.

For more about Victrola Designs:
Artist Portfolio
Etsy Shop
Blog

xo, Ambie
My Bags
My Production Company

Fashion Friday

ff

New Bags: Tiny Trash = Creative Juice

What is it about small bits of fabric and yarn and beads that make a crafty queen's heart go thump?

There is just this insatiable pull towards using someone ELSE'S cast offs that excites me (and many others) to the core!



My mom has a group of ladies that she sews with, and they love to give her little scraps of fabric. They all share little scraps, but my mom is typically the one who actually does something with them.



So a few weeks ago she got a bunch of scraps of vintage fabric from one of her dear friends, Maxine. Like a true crazy crafter, she took them home and immediately made 40 crazy quilt pieced basket blocks. FORTY in just a few hours.



She also made me an adorable wall hanging decked out with vintage buttons sashed in a gorgeous brown linen. So I wanted to see all the other blocks she made, and I started drooling. I asked if I could have a few - and the generous lady that my Mom is, she gave me almost all of them!



Back to the beginning - this circle of small bits of trash = love. I took her blocks and made some bags. I have been playing with Yarn applique on bags lately, and trying to "free craft" - make bags without a plan. Just make and design as you go.



I am pretty pleased with the result! But the best part is the history behind the bags. The lucky lady who gets one will have the result of many generations and families of women hanging from her arm. Maxine's stash included fabrics from HER mother's stash; fabrics saved from dresses, quilts, aprons and all kinds of crafts. Two families, four generations, tiny bits of fabric = love, art, craft - the true beauty behind sewing.

xo, Ambie
Etsy
AnneMarieBeard
TheBeardedLadiesPresent

DIY Wednesday - Tiffany Bag Class!

So what are you doing this Saturday?

You know you want to make your own bag! I personally can't think of a better way to spend three hours - you get to sit around with other crafty ladies, and make a purse from start to finish.





My most recent bag class is the Tiffany Pattern. She is a sleek shoulder bag with lots of style. This class is appropriate for beginners and advanced students alike.



This Saturday's class is at the Stitching Studio in North Austin. Owner Ann Randall recently moved her diggs to a FABULOUS new location - it is huge, beautifully appointed, and the air conditioning works amazingly well. Click here to register for the class.



Check out my sewing class page to see all available class dates. Don't forget that a sewing class also makes a great gift for the DIY Diva in your life!



xo, Ambie

Maker Monday - The Flashbulb

Maker Monday is Back! When I first started my blog I was blogging a lot more, and had a theme for everyday. Maker Monday is when I feature a fellow artist/crafter that I like.









Today's Maker is Stephanie Friedman of The Flashbulb. I first ran across her work while shopping at PlantEscape Gardens last year. I was in the beginning stages of contemplating doing more artsy/quilty/applique fabric work, and I really liked what I saw.















Stephanie makes fabulous Sewn Art Wall hangings that feature recurring themes of birds and trees with linear accent stitching. They have a really retro mod vibe that I love. We're going to have to talk about a trade so I can hang one of her beauties in my apartment!









After earning a degree in Photojournalism from UT Austin, Stephanie bought a sewing machine and started taking classes. She is a natural art quilter who just took the techniques she learned and went to town! There's a tangible fearlessness in her work that makes it so appealing to artists and non artists alike.

Some of Stephanie's Favorites:

Favorite Piece - Always her latest - shown at left is "Saturday we go to Saturn birds"

Favorite Blogs - Angry Chicken, A Dress a Day, Hello my name is Heather - and many more can be found on her "About me" page

Visit her Etsy Store to see more art!


xo, Anne Marie