The Shops In Frederick

Shops In Frederick, MD Are Worth The Trip

Aside from my vending at the marvelous Summer In Paris Retreat (organized by the fabulous Korie B),

http://papergoddess.typepad.com/ 

I had the most fun shopping with girlfriend Carol and bringing home bags of new found treasures. I alluded to all this fun in a recent post and had promised to fill in some of those retail details.

Driving through Frederick, MD, on the way

to Harper's Ferry, WV, girlfriends just have to stop!  Lot's has happened to improve this community over the past several years and the town is alive with art and culinary pleasures.  I love Market Street and always look forward to stopping in some of the most chic shops, that just seem to scream "welcome girlfriends everywhere."

Our first stop is Molly's Meanderings.  Oh, how I love the hat's there.  One can also find a large selection of Pandora and Brighton jewelry, fashion clothes and home decor there.  http://www.mollysmeanderings.com/

A few steps out the door takes you next door to The Muse. Owner Whitney Bingham is on top of her game with all the local and tri state artists.  My Pennsylvania girlfriends just love Whitney. The Muse carries the most unique and beautiful jewelry, hair accessories, clothing and home decor.  I love the shoes and am partial to some of her metal artists wonderful work.  Whitney schedules some of those very artists to hold classes, so be sure to check out her listings. http://www.shopthemuse.com/   I just had to have this hair clip created by Poppy Chic.

After all that musing around (he he),  we found ourselves in the Simply Beautiful Boutique.  Owner Beth Pumphrey arranges the flowers in the shop herself.  Beth carries Vera Bradley and Lilly Pulitzer and just "simply beautiful" things!

A more recent addition to Frederick's shabby and certainly chic retail is a store called Tiara Day.  Yes, real tiaras can be found there.  Honest to gosh, real tiaras! Owner Maria Peck has the best sense of wonderful ephemeral feminine chic for sure.  Her store is filled with a surprise at every turn, all staged in a bright spacious SoHo style warehouse look.  White washed brick showcase chandeliers, chandeliers, chandeliers and give definite character to the lovely vintage dressforms, perfume  bottle jewelry and literary pieces.  I just had to have some of these knobs for my own studio!

Viva la chic!

Charms Sold, Friends Made, Book Binding Learned

In the end, a very successful vendor show for Simply Pretty Stuff at the Summer in Paris Retreat.  I made lots of new friends who are also now customers!!  Check out these wonderful women and take a peek at the book binding by Carol Novak and moi, of course!

Ah yes, the Summer In Paris Retreat has arrived...

Summer In Paris Retreat

a.k.a.

Shop, Crop, Drop

A couple posts back I blogged about buttons found in New England, just a hop, skip, and ten hours away from home.  Today was the second day for the Summer In Paris retreat in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.  Well, guess who found some more buttons?  And so many other wonderful discoveries..........

But before I show and tell all, let me say there was great pre conference shopping (particular shops I will certainly blog about later) and a delightful tea at the Hillbrook Inn.  Tea was the perfect thing in August, as fall begins to round the corner for another season.  Seven guests, all attending the conference, conversed, laughed, ate, and began a very special kinship around a single table at the Inn.

Quaint and charming, nestled at the foothills of the Shenandoah Mountains, sits the Historic Hillbrook Inn.  Absolutely the best high tea ever taken.  This epiphany offered by moi, who had sipped Twinings with the Brits in London town many times.  Truely a worthwhile visit in an awesome setting, boasting a wonderfully tasty menu.

Now, I am new to the women of cropping and scrapbooking, but am connected at the hip with their energy and passion.  I never knew there existed entire groups of these paper, scissors, and ribbon loving women working until midnight on their ideas, sharing stories, supplies and spirit all in one place, creatively inspired.  I was so honored to be among them tonight, sharing my stories too and displaying my charms.  For a closer look at the venue check out this link. 

http://papergoddess.typepad.com/retreats/

Many thanks to these wonderful women who bought a few.  How fabulous was that?

 

 

Simply Pretty Stuff merchandise displayed!

Mario Suprock

"Mom, I Bought The Perfect Car To Modify..."

...into a race car.  Curious if any mom out there has ever heard this uncomfortable proclamation?  How about any moms of engineers particularly? The quarter century mark in birthdays have welcomed this young fellow to a place where he exercises the freedom to invent, design and engineer, or re~engineer, a multitude of items in triumph.  The latest project involved stripping down a limited edition vroom vroom as to modify each and every piston to conquer light speed and worry this mother into absolute a prilosec frenzy.  sigh.  Of course, where would any of us be without friends?  His to provide garage space and assistance and mine to provide empathy and distraction from worry.

Some pictures of the son and his newest hobby.  See the glee behind those gaskets?

I am thinking gasket charms............

Buttons, Buttons, Who's Got The Buttons?

Bold Buttons

These gems were a great find in New England.  Vintage and new...all are just waiting to become a special piece on a bracelet or a necklace.  I can't wait!

New Items At Foxxy Moxxy Boutique!

 Ephemeral Pieces To Adorn Bottles and Notebooks

Inspired by Dover Publication images, I purchased their vintage ladies collection and went to town!  Loved filling the heads of young woman......   ; ) with creative style!

Carol Novak will use them in her vintage bottle and notebook designs on display at Foxxy Moxxy, a Gettysburg Boutique.   Check out their blog.

http://www.foxxymoxxy.blogspot.com/

StoryPeople Prototypes On Their Way!!

     

And

The Peach Pie

Is Missing!

Uh oh!  I guess I did not pay close attention to the amount of this perfect peach pie that was eaten whilst working.  Burned a lot of brain energy designing in the past few days.  Needed lots of pie.    

Seven wonderful ornaments are finally on their way to Brian Andreas and StoryPeople out Iowa way.  Hoping he loves them just as much as I do.  Brian's stories touch all our hearts in some way.  How wonderful to have them in time for the holidays!  Get ready for their unveiling this season, then order early.  Sign up to be in the loop at http://www.storypeople.com/ and for more information.

StoryPeople Ornaments

Its That Time Again!!

Christmas in July....and in August ....begin again here in the studio.  I am working on this season's StoryPeople Christmas ornaments and looking to create a beautiful six this year!  Take a look at past  love~a~lees. 
Check out their other stuff at http://www.storypeople.com/  especially the charms, also designed by moi.  ; )

Tiara for the garden...

Garden Fairy Princesses Love This Tiara

 

 This whispy tiara piece was made from some very old and very special beads and buttons.  It has a secret destination, so I am packaging it up tomorrow, ever so carefully, for its maiden voyage.  Sigh.

The charm in the center reads, "Let us be grateful for people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."

by Marcel Proust

My Yellow Rose of Fairfax friend passed that wonderful quote onto me, so I am sure the garden fairy princesses will love it just as much as I do!

how to make an art charm bracelet

 Art Charms Are Simply Pretty Stuff To Wear Anyday

This fun bracelet is made in an afternoon as you are reminiscing.

Here's the how to.....

Everyone has an old bracelet, maybe tarnished, which is the character base!  With the findings available at the local craft store such as AC Moore, Michaels or Hobby Lobby, pick up some "jump rings, crimp ends, and two pair of jewelry flat nose pliers."

Break the backs off old earrings and drill a small hole through the remaining piece.  Add the jump ring, using your flat nose pliers to pull apart, attach to the bracelet, then close. 

Or, unearth old charms from other bracelets or from those dusty souvenir boxes and add those jump rings as well.  If you collect feathers, as I do, glue the end and put that end into the crimp finding.  Squeeze with pliers and let the glue dry.

If you are feeling more artistic, you can draw a picture on heavy card stock, use a small hole punch, add your jump ring and, Voila, a true "art charm" for you bracelet.  Mix and match your media and wear away!

Nature Trail In The Making

First you have to sweat and chop up stuff, and then you have to sweat and move all that stuff around, and then you have to sweat some more to lay the trail.  Sweating is also something that will attract nature, the biting kind, as well.  To insure safety during the chopping, moving and sweating process, technology and electricity must rule.

As the project at Chris and Joanna's place proceeds, the fruit of their labor take form.

Beyond the mulch, lurks the poison ivy.  That is another day where chemistry comes into play.  The trail will continue!  Meanwhile, elsewhere on the property, blueberries need to be eaten!!

Crowns and Tiaras

Did you know?
Crowns and Tiaras Are Part of The Simply Pretty Stuff Inventory

Feeling left out as a princess without her tiara or a queen without her crown?  Well fret no longer.  There are a few new fabulous designs that will be sure to please the most particular of tastes at http://www.simplyprettystuff.com/  Just click the tiara and crown link ~ voila.  There is always something sure to please at Simply Pretty Stuff.  Check out the other new item posts while you are there.

Starbuck's Coffee Time

Now Wearing  Starbuck's

Everyone who knows me will know that I love my

coffee, decaf or high test, depending...

I had broke down and bought a Starbuck's porcelain travel mug awhile back to save the planet and save me a dime a cup on refills.  Imagine my disappointment when the cup shattered, in an unfortunate dishwasher episode, one day. 

Seeing opportunity for unique jewelry pieces, I scooped these two from the pile and went to work.

How wonderful these are on a chain!!  I love them.