Wonderful Memories and Awesome Friendships!

pictured is Cassandra VanCuren who hosted this amazing event! She made that dress and dress form too!!! Cassi rocks!!!

I know it has been a month since I went to my first ever art retreat event. Marie's Danses de Fleurs seems like it was yesterday but has been 4 weeks already! I guess coming home then having surgery and recovering has made the time fly faster than I expected.



Before I left, my beautiful niece, Angie, was giving me Marie Antoinette posing tips and wearing my wig...looks so much better on her than me!



I was pretty busy before the trip making items for swaps and some goody bags to go into everyone's Welcome kit. One swap I was in I made these cute little money market bags. They have awesome zippers on the back to carry your money and keys in when shopping at the market.



I printed a graphic on fabric and ironed it onto the front. I then made shabby ruffles to attach to the top and added venetian lace to the bottom. I made flowers using fabrics, satins, chiffons, and tulling and added seam binding and lace to the top.



I also filled them with ephemera, rhinestones and pearls, shabby pens and other other goodies. So much fun!

I made these Marie Eat Cake soy candles in altoid type tins and covered them with a french pastry decal that I made using graphics from Cassi's Etsy Shop.



These went into a goody bag that had lotsa of other fun stuff!



Here's the bag I made for me and the lavendar one I made for my niece, Angie.



My flower is centered with an old pin I recently purchased at an estate sale..



Here's Angie's bag!



And her flower I made and added this vintage rhinestone cluster earing.




Here are a few of my dear friends I met: These two girls were my roomies and we hit it off immediately!

This is Julie Ann Grakowski and Stephanie Watt. Julie is from New York and is getting married this summer! She is the sweetest! I was her swap partner last spring during a cake box swap that Cassie hosted on her ezine. And I got to swap wrist cuffs with her at this event. (pictures of those to come later)

Stephanie is from Spokane, Washington. She is a sweetie pie and makes the most beautiful Marie Art. She and I have very similar likes and styles. We both LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Pink! I have received many hand made items from Steph in the Marie Mail Art group in the past.



ANd my other roomie Sherry Williams the sweet Georgia Peach! She was so kind to haul us all around the whole weekend and take us shopping. She is also shipping me all the goodies I couldn't fit in my suitcases that I bought while I was there! LOL I first met Sherry on the Marie Mail Art group. Sherry is the sweetest thing and I was instantly comfortable around her.

This is me and Sherry on the swing outside Memory Lane Antiques, near Webster Flea Market. We closed the flea market down and still wanted to shop! LOL



And this is all four us us outside Saddlebrook Entrance...



This is Marsha Mees, Sassy Mini Dolls and I adore her! She is a Cali girl too and we have made plans to meet up in a month or two. I can hardly wait!



In this picture is LuLu Kellog the Southern Bell, She is truly a southern lady and so funny and fun to be around. I wish I would have had more time to spend with her and Marsha... LuLu is the cutie patootie in the middle with Sherry and Marsha on either side....




I had the best time making things to swap. I also made a couple pair of shoes for the event. I will post pics of those in a day or two. I even won Third Prize in
the shoe contest! Woo Hoo!!! I have pictures of my make and takes, things I bought at vendor night and loot that I purchased at the Webster Flea Market to come....So please stop back by. Talk to you all very soon! Becs