KC Willis & Friends

Thanks Marilou, for this picture of you & Me & KC

surrounded by her beautiful artwork!!!

What a Fabulous Day...

I'm ready for MORE PLEASE!!!!  ;)

XOXO

vintagesusie

KC Willis & My 'Fallen Angel'

Evenin' Sweeties...

It's time for the Big Reveal for my Mixed Media Collage I made

at KC Willis's Workshop in Huntington Beach....

'Fallen Angel'.

Gathering up my embellishments from home before the class,

I already had in mind the idea of a 'Fallen Angel'.

I have been saving a pair of brass wings I got at Sandy Schor's booth

in Round Top, Texas for something special & for me this class was

Something Special!

I brought some of my favorite Texas dollies, a vintage locket,
some beautiful little vintage buttons Lori Anderson had given me,
an old rusty skeleton key my hubby dug up in my sister's yard while
doing some construction & a cool old, metal GIN bottle tag.
I didn't have my own image, I wanted to pick from one of KC's & when I
saw 'HER', I knew she was the ONE!

One of the things KC said, was to let your image SPEAK to you.
Her words will come, she will unfold herself if you just listen.
And then she spoke...
"a baby's got to eat, I do what I got to."
You can imagine the rest of the story...
The coolest thing was that my locket had an initial on it.
A 'M' for Mother, I put a picture of a vintage baby inside of it.
She hangs proudly on one of my favorite Texas ceiling tins in my living room,
with an ANGEL watching over her & her baby.

XOXO
vintagesusie

KC Willis's Workshop ROCKED!!!!

 {the fabric table, I took that top piece}

Really....I mean REALLY Friends???

Is this what an Art Retreat is like?

Is this what I've been missing ALL my life??

 Yesterday, I spent the entire day with KC Willis of Lipstick Ranch & some of the
most delightful, talented & creative women you could ever meet.

 We gathered at a Community Room in Huntington Beach, California.

I got there a little early as they were setting up tables of fabric, paper,

sewing machines, baubles & buttons. It was a FEAST for the eyes!

KC had brought some absolutely AMAZING pieces of her original

fabric collages & had them set up for us all to look at & fall in LOVE with,

I LOVED them ALL!

Now, I'll tell you a secret...

 I'm a little bit of a KC Willis groupie, all though she wouldn't know that.

I have been following her work & her on-line workshops for years &

quietly coveting her work.

 Not only does the textures & layers & time worn images of her work appeal to me,

but her STRONG WOMEN & their SAYIN's & QUOTES, have captured my heart!

"Inside Every Woman a Gypsy Girl Dances by the Fire."

KC Willis also had these fabric collage envelopes that were pieces of art themselves,

filled with three CD's of workshops & demonstrations on how to create

some of her most popular techniques & art work...pretty cool right!

You can find these HERE if your interested.  ;)

A stack of some of her yummy goodness!!!

I wish I could have gone back today because she was teaching how to make

these awesome Mixed Media Collage Books.

Here's a couple inside pages she had at the workshop as an example...

aren't they FABULOUS!!!

This flag is to die for, it's spectacular with all it's vintage fabrics, red ticking stripes

& multiple vintage image transfers...loving EVERYTHING about it & you can get it in a kit!!!

So what can I say about KC?
She is a spirit filled with light & it's contagious.
Her mantra is 'Give it ALL Away'...you will get back more then you could ever imagine.
She reminds me of one of the Strong Women in her artwork...
she's funny & sassy & I adored her!
{check out her ministry work at The Pine Ridge Reservation on South Dakota}

She holds nothing back, she teaches you ever little technique she uses to create her Magic...

and as we all started our own creations, KC's Magic filled the room & we took FLIGHT!

This being my very FIRST workshop, I can see how you could get addicted to the process,
being surrounded by so many creative & generous women was a delight.

Friends, I had SOOOOOO much fun working on my own creation!  ;)
I learned how to be brave sewing with layers of  fabrics, fibers & papers,
I learned to embrace the accidental mistakes that happen when creating
& I learned that Aleene's Tacky Glue can hold almost ANYTHING in place!! lol

{Marilou & KC Willis}
But best of all, I was able to hang with some of my bloggie friends in person & have the
sincere pleasure of meeting KC Willis the artist, the humanitarian, the 'SPITFIRE'!
It was an AWESOME day!!!!

Driving the 1 1/2 hours home from Huntington Beach, I reflected on the perfect day
& as I made my way up my mountain, I looked in the rear view mirror & saw this.
I pulled into a turn out, grabbed my camera & as I caught the sky's last bit of color
I thought how very Blessed I am & once again,
there's NOTHIN like a Western Sky!!!  ;)
{stick around, my creation reveal will be my next post}

XOXO
vintagesusie

Ghouls & Ghosts & Things That Go Bump in the Night!

Can you believe Halloween is right around the corner...
are you ready for the Ghosts & Ghouls & Things That Go Bump in the Night?

Last weekend we took an impromptu mini camping trip with our little man Kai,
to Calico Ghost Town near Barstow, California...

& had the SPOOKIEST, FUN-EST, Good Time Ever!!!

The decorations were Wonderfully Ghoulish...

I LOVED this Gypsy Skeleton!!!

Kai's favorite place was this shop & restaurant covered in Scary Spider Webs,

& we were all HORRIFIED by the sight of the UNDEAD!!!

This little boy certainly doesn't know what's lurking over his head or
he would never be smiling with that BIG OLE GRIN, right!

This poor, jilted bride with her Black Roses was still thinkin...
'It's a Nice Day for a White Wedding'.

I was thinking back to Halloweens long past,
of my brother & I going out on our quest for treats with pillowcase in hand...

walking alone together in the dark, with the soft glow of streetlights & pumpkins lighting our path.

And now, I watch my little grandson, fearless & eager to break away,
ready to set out on his own path...

as I learn to let go of his hand & watch how easily he goes ahead.

He looks like such a little man to me in this picture, Thank God for the pumpkin bucket! ;)

This guy looked very Michael Jackson~esque to me,
but the BIGGEST HORRORS were still to come.

Who could have known that the quaint little school house was really
'The Little Shop Of Horrors'?? Arghhhhh, me no likey SNAKES & LIZARDS!!

ESPECIALLY really BIG SNAKES & LIZARDS, oh my!  :o

OMG, their petting it like it's a kitty...I think I'm gonna be sick!
Quick, find a diversion...

There it is, an antique pot belly stove...take pictures of that & then get out as fast as you can.

Doesn't it look totally harmless from the outside, even inviting...
DON'T GO IN, it's a nightmare!!!! LOL

We made it...finally, safe & sound back at the campsite ready for roasting marshmallows,
making smores, telling ghost stories & spitting into the fire to hear it sizzle.
(that was NOT my idea)
To my Sweetest of Hearts,
I hope you have a fun~filled All Hallows Eve!
May it be filled with the simple smile & wonder of a child's face, spooky laughter,
something sweet & yummy to eat, Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale
& something REALLY SCARY on TV, like a marathon of
'The Walking Dead'...my favoritest!
Happy Halloweenie!!!

XOXO

vintagesusie

KC Willis Workshops are in So Cal & I'm Going!!

Happy Wednesday Sweetest of Hearts...

Y'all know about the Amazing artist KC Willis & Lipstick Ranch, right!

I have been loving this girls work for years.

Her fabric collages are filled with layers of textures & vintage elements,

cool phrases & fabulous vintage images. Their richness & time worn

quality, make them look like family heirlooms that have

been treasured for years.

I ADORE them!!!

Sooooo, I am very excited that KC Willis & her Workshop is going to be here in

southern California at the end of October offering 2 workshops.
October 29th is her Mixed Media Book Workshop in LA at The French General,

October 30th is her Collage Camp with Hand Tinted Photos in Huntington Beach &

October 31st she is offering her Mixed Media Book Workshop also in Huntington Beach.

I wish I could take both of these fabulous classes, but I will be taking the Collage Camp workshop

on Sunday from 10 ~ 4pm & I can't WAIT!! Yippppeeeee....finally, my very 1st workshop!

I know there are a couple of spaces still available for these classes, so if you're interested

head on over to KC Studio Retreats & sign-up & maybe I'll see you there!!  ;)

I also have to tell you all just one more thing...

I have always been a big fan of KC & her art,

but since I have been following her on Facebook

I have become a HUGE fan of KC the person!

She is one of the most selfless people I have had the pleasure to get to know.

She is endlessly working to end poverty on her local Indian Reservation.

She gathers coats & shoes for the children to keep them warm,

backpacks, books & school supplies to make sure they get an education.

She puts out a call for help to all her friends & her requests are answered by

other selfless people. It's a community of LOVE & I LOVE watching her

Change the World

one child, one person at a time.

Again, I am so excited...not only to take my workshop, but to meet this woman

who quietly & consistently moves mountains!

XOXO

vintagesusie