If you're interested in learning how to craft, sew, embroider, stitch or knit... you NEED to make it out to The Stitch Lab this weekend for the Grand Opening Soiree and Indie Craftivity Scene!  This is a Haute Event for Austin - and you will want to be there and see if you "get happened!"


Yours truly, Anne Marie Beard, teaches sewing classes here under the guidance of superstar Leslie Bonnell. You may remember we had a kick-butt Dueling Glamazons event back in September at Parts & Labour...


Leslie's motto is "Sewing is power, independence and creative freedom!" As someone who has been crafting her entire life - I can tell ya that is 'sew' true! Come out, meet some amazing artists, get inspired - and OH - all of the beautiful fabrics at the Stitch Lab are 20% off!

Check out KeyeTV's Coverage!

*annemarie* at Cherrywood Art Fair this weekend!

*annemarie* is thrilled to return to Cherrywood Art Fair again! This community fundraiser supports CHULA and the Art Program at Maplewood Elementary.  This is a Haute event in Austin this weekend, and there will be plenty of pictures to post later!

Anne Marie has partnered with a "Little Artist" this year to create a piece of art for her to keep, and one to auction off.  She was interviewed by KUT's Julie Moody along with a few other artists, you can listen to the interview here!

This is the purse that my Little Artist made, and it's for sale in the Silent Auction - please come out and support this amazing event!

The best Holiday Arts Show - HANDS DOWN! Featuring 80 of Austin's most creative artists.



Don't forget to keep up with Handmade Happenings on my new blog!

xo, Anne Marie

Shop787 Tonight!

Shop787 at The Phoenix
Thursday, December 10, 2009

Join 15 select vendors as we celebrate the Holidays in Style!  The Phoenix is a swank nightclub in downtown Austin, located at 409 Colorado St.

Presented by Launch787 and Gables Park Plaza.

Thursday, Dec. 10th, 5pm to 9pm

Free, with special Happy Hour pricing on Cocktails

Vendor List:

302 Designs, Aldea, *annemarie*, Annie Bradley Art, Cornucopia, Couture Cottons, Deborah Main Designs, Garbo. a Salon, GvE Designs in Metal, Jenny N. Design, Jeremiah the Innocent, Modo Designs, Queen of Sheba Fashion, ShopItUpChic.com, Sikara, Skye Salon, Spectacle Sunglasses, and Stella & Dot.

Two Events to Shop, Sip & See - Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

Wow... the Holidays are on us - all of the sudden it's time to get out and about and get your shop on!  December is full of fun events for you and your family, and I hope if you're looking for nice handmade gifts tomorrow, that you'll come out and visit me!


South Austin:
Sweettooth Bags & *annemarie* will be sharing a booth on South Congress for the famous First Thursday Event.  Amy will actually be there for me *I love her*, and be set up from 5 to 9 or so at Jo's Coffee.

You can see how cool our stuff looks when we do SXSW together at Jo's!

 

North Austin:
A few lovely ladies have decided to open their home for a Holiday Sip n' See in Northwest Austin.  The girls are the founders of Fit Bands, and other vendors include my friend Tisa's Creations - who always has adorable and affordable holiday gifts.  Click for a Map to the Party!

If you haven't yet - check out my new blog - Handmade Happenings by The Lone Star Ladies!

Lots of exciting events are coming up - just look to the right of my blog for a full calendar.

xo, Anne Marie

Thrift Thursday - Round Top Goodies!

It was another successful trip to Texas' best flea market/ antiques fair... and I wish I was still there...

Just an hour away from Austin, TX lie the treasure trove towns of Round Top and Warrenton, Texas.  Each year miles and miles of country fields are turned into a shopping experience unlike anything else.



From fine antiques at Coles and Marburger Farms, to thrifty deals at Northgate Field and Zapp Hall, there is something for everyone.  But only the hard core shoppers need go... I for one, can only handle 4 hours at a time- by then I am hungry, tired, and ready for a shower.  My girlfriends' are HARD CORE SHOPPERS and they will spend 3 or 4 days in a row out there from 8am to 6pm!



This time I spent almost two days making jewelry from past Round Top purchases.  I love to make jewelry - I have been making it since I was about 6, and am considering selling some of my latest creations. 

Trends I noticed this year:

Black and Yellow:

Detail of a Chartreuse/Yellow Lead Lamp Shade.  Not a Tiffany, for sure - but still very striking in a Art Nouveau Design.



A Reverse Painted Glass Picture of a Lady - my mom has several of these... this one wasn't in the best condition, but I love the design.




Is that Yarn? Wow - the ugliest lamp I've ever seen! But cool!



A gorgeous Vintage Compact.  Oh I wanted this one!  But it was out of my price range.. would have made a KILLER necklace, too!





Sassy Ladies:


African American Head Vase.  Head Vases are really popular these days - but the most common ones look like the original Barbie - with chunky eyelashes and pearl earrings.  I loved this one because she was unusual and very pretty.



Raggedy Ann. Awwww, I used to love Raggedy Ann! Mom dressed us up as her for Halloween! I love her WILD RED HAIR!




Skinny B*tch Longing for Food. I couldn't help but snicker at the irony here. The world's flattest, almost 2-D Mannequin, posed next to a sign for FINE FOOD. Poor baby...



Spanish Beauty! Wow, check out her BRIGHT green dress! I love figurines that have a good expression of movement.. and her colors are just wild. I could see a bunch of these as awesome table centerpieces...

Robin's Egg Blue (Or Turquoise, or whatever you call it): 
My favorite color every year!  My apartment is bursting at the seams with tchotchkes this color!


Genie in a Teapot.  Rad! I don't even like hot tea - but I would make Hot Cocoa with this sexy teapot!




A baby Singer Sewing Machine!  Awww... just the cutest little thing ever!




'50s Lamp. Man - blue glass with sleek wood and a metal jack design detail? Love at first sight!!!





The Most BEAUTIFUL LOVE SEAT. Ever. Ok, not the exact shade of blue, but this love seat was really breathtaking. Supple leather, gorgeous hand carved design, caster wheels on the perfect legs... I was drooling, big time.







And last but not least... everyone's favorite category!!!!

CREEPY!

Vintage Diet Poster. Yeah, because I look like a huge-a** Hippo, and thinking about myself as a Giraffe is going to make me want to starve off the weight.




Anne Marie loves Sharks! Yes - the only set of Shark Jaws I spotted - and we needed to get all snuggly, and close and...



Beaver. Priceless.




You can also see pics and finds from Jennifer Perkins' blog, and Austin based Design Crisis.

xo, Anne Marie

DIY Wednesday - September Events Recap

Oh how time does fly!  Just two weeks ago I was out for one of the busiest weekends I've had all year.  On Saturday Sept. 19th my friend Amy Barber of Sweettooth Bags, and I, set up during Gruene Market Days in beautiful Gruene, Texas.

This was our first time to do this craft show, and it was a lot of fun!  You can shop the handmade market for everything from soaps and body scrubs by Fleegal Farms, to handmade pottery, wood-inlay jewelry, wooden boxes and bowls, metal art and much much more.











The real highlight of that weekend was the We Make Stuff event produced by Candace Carlisle of Electric Promotions.  The event was a fun evening of crafty-demos by The WonderCraft, an exclusive Handmade Vendor Market, and a Fabulous Fashion Show featuring handbag designs by *annemarie*!
Anne Marie Beard and Candace Carlisle at We Make Stuff.







Gorgeous Model from We Make Stuff Fashion Show



The thing I enjoyed the most about the evening was getting all gussied up in my outfit!  A few weeks ago I attended the debut Fashion Show of local Designer Anslee Connell of Savannah Red.  I fell in love with her dresses, and asked to "dress" me for the event.

We found the PERFECT dress, and I have not felt that sexy in a looooooong time!  My amazing hairpiece was courtesy of Sweettooth Bags, and my unusual one of a kind necklace by Spoilt Victorian Child.  Viva Le Austin Designers!



The sassy pictures above are courtesy of Austin's busiest Photo Booth Man... Trevor Ray Thompson.  Allison and I are proud that he provided the photo booth for our first Shop Austin Event, as he is getting all famous now!

The Fashion Show was photographed by John Pesina, and you can see more of the pictures of that here.

October looks to be a fun filled month on the Austin Craft Scene and Austin Fashion Scene as well... look for details on Handmade Happenings™  by The Lone Star Ladies coming soon!

xo, Anne Marie

Thrift Thursday - Round Top Awaits!

It's just not Fall without a trip to Round Top, Texas during Antique Week!

You can check out past posts of my visits to Round Top, as well as my Flickr Sets... while you wait to see what goodies I will share from this trip!

Patina Loft returns to Round Top this time as well - how exciting!  Patina Loft is a socially conscious company that refurbishes Chinese Country Antiques and sells them to dealers in the US.  Round Top is the ONLY time customers can buy direct from them.  My brother-in-law works for them, and they are a wonderful company with a great vision.  They have a map online where they will be located!

Pictures from the Patina Loft Booth Last year





October 2008



Spring 2008




YES - aren't you excited for me :-) ?  I will be sure to stop at Seafood and Donuts in Giddings, and have a Kolache!!!

xo, Anne Marie