This Sunday, 6/26 in Old Town Tustin!

Join us for the Vintage Fleamarket-8am to 3pm.  Free parking and admission!  Whimzy will be open, so stop in and see what's new!

Sherri the Fairy Queen visits Whimzy!

 Last weekend the talented  Sherri Baldy visited Whimzy!  

Sherri taught her "fairy Crown" class!

 Sherry demonstrated how to create the base

Everyone then started to decorate their fairy crowns. 

Each was different and truly lovely!

Aren't they fabulous!  Cheryl, Marilyn, Sherri, Andrea, Terry, Kim and Cyndy!  

Each with their crowns and goody bags!

And you know the best part?  We laughed and giggled and now have new friends!

Later that day.........!

Kim, Cheryl and I had a flag twirling moment!  Just for fun!

If you are interested in a class with Sherri, you can find her online class info here!

She will be with us at Glitterfest on March 19th!

Charm Necklaces Abound!

Today Sherry Goodloe visited Whimzy! and taught this very fun and creative class! One of the things I love most about Sherry is the imaginative tricks she always has up her sleeve! :)

We had wonderful kits to work from, as Sherry is very organized. We each received a "Zentangle" bookmark as a gift. These feature our initial and were handmade by Sherry herself!

Sherry showed us how to create each charm reflecting our own tastes and talents. These were very easy to do-once I decided what was to go on each! Once each charm was finished it was time to place them onto the necklace. I think this was the hardest part for me! Deciding what goes where!
And here is the finished necklace! I am thrilled with mine as was each of the girls in the class. It is very lightweight, personal, and really beautiful! I hope to have her back soon to not only teach this class again, but another class featuring a bird themed shadow box. Sherry tells me the shadow box class involves several great techniques. I always enjoy Sherry and she is very generous with herself, her knowledge and her praise! Thanks girlfriend for such a special day!

Winter Wire Crown

January was the opportune time for me to get my head around teaching a wire crown class. Bending wire is something I have done for years and I really don't think about what I am doing when I do it! So, by breaking it down step by step for my students it allows me to see it from a different perspective.

My student was the lovely and very fun Joleen Dismo! We had a great time together creating my Winter Wire Wonder! As well as getting to know eachother. Joleen not only makes crowns, but she does custom embroidery. She puts together personalized specialty baby gifts for showers & such!

It was a truly relaxing afternoon. Creating, chocolate, and a new friend! Thank you Joleen!

The next class is on February 7th 11 to 2 for my
Queen of Hearts Party Hat! It will be on display this weekend during the JasVil Fleamarket. Stop by, say "Hi!", and take a peek!

Come and see at the JasVil Flea!

Have you been to the Jamestown Village Vintage Fleamarket? It is a smaller venue that features merchants from all over. They bring wonderful wares , tiny treasures, and unique findings right to Whimzy's doorstep! Dianne and I love the 4th Sunday of the month! Not only because we only need step out of the door to shop, but because we get to spend time with our regular visitors! I have learned so much from all of these friendly people! Advice from a retired teacher, future real estate projections, remedies for colds, and recipes for fantastic food. All of this from our little fleamarket! Yes, it is the shopping, but more importantly it's the melange of unique people you dig through to find the real treasures!

Just a few more Shimmering Sparkles of Creativity!

Artist Rita Swanson's fab collection of vintage inspired buttons,

Holly Loves Art had bewitching and fun creations ,

Lisa Loria's emporium of altered art,

Beautiful hand made mirrors by Charmaine,

and Susan Arnot with her spooky crepe and paper mache concoctions!

Time is of the Essence!

You know, I really enjoy all the processes that Glitterfst requires. As an artist, I am always attempting to make everything for our artists special in some little way, just to let them know how excited I am they are joining me for a truly magical day!

I just completed the first cache of packages for our group. Mind you, it took several days and many tense muscles, but they have been graciously released into the world to surprise and motivate all the creatives muses of Glitterfest!

This is the beginning of the storm of activity I will endure and conquer for that wonderful, spooky day in October! I hope you will join me in welcoming the fall season and our Glitterfest Gals on October 10th!

It's all about believing in yourself!

"All creative people think their stuff is lame. It's an artist thing."~Sam- from Icarly

I have been "artistic" since Kindergarten. My first big break came when fingerpainting in class. The collective faculty was very impressed with my piece and decided it should hand in the teachers lounge for my entire elementary career. It was returned to me during 5th grade commencement and is now a memory on film.

That label has stuck with me and although I take great pride in it sometimes it is quite a burden. Being artistic puts you in a different light, expectations from others as well as yourself are elevated and the pressure is on! Inspiration strikes at the strangest moments and I find it very difficult to get them out the way I see them. I guess that is the journey!

I am surrounded by creative people, many of whom do not acknowledge their talents. This is a common affliction, especially among my women friends. I often do the same thing, never feeling quite "original" enough, "inventive" enough, and the pressure builds to be something more.
I guess this too, is part of the journey.

So, in honor of those many women who put themselves out there and in doing so, show me they have what it takes , I am making a solemn vow to spend more time on my art and less time criticizing it. I vow to see the uniqueness in whatever I do and to acknowledge the inspirations that come from all the truly wonderful gals that never stop dreaming of what is on their personal artistic horizon!

Photos that Sparkle!

Hey Everyone!

I know I am late, but sometimes life just gets the best of me! This weather totally clouds what little brain I have left!

Here are some photos my wonderful friend Stacey Steimle took at Glitterfest! I hope you were there, and are planning to come again on October 10th! It was a very sparkly day that just could not have been more wonderful! Enjoy these and I hope to see you at
Whimzy or Glitterfest Fall!

Goodies for Glitterfest!

Glitterfest is getting so close I decided to make something special for the artists that are participating. Our little Glitterfest Fairy is sooooooooo cute that I figured that was a great way to commemorate the day! So I put her and lots of sparkly glitter in a bottle cap and made a pin for everyone. I custom ordered the ribbon and my friend Stacey helped with the resin.....which is kinda yucky to work with, but looks great! Anywho, I think they turned out EXTRAORDINARY! Can't wait to see it all come together!

Screams of Pleasure!

Love it! Love it! Love it!

It was nothing but gushing compliments for the Spring Siren Crown Class! We had a wonderful time reliving our childhood crafting days, learning how to train your dog, eating the most decadent cupcakes in the world, and playing with sticks and paper

I have to say I was really surprised at the response this design received, but thrilled to teach the how to's to this great group of gals! Pictured above is Priscilla, Priscilla and me, yummy cupcakes, & Liz. Marilyn was also there, but my camera sucks and her photo was just not as flattering as I would like!

Join us won't you? Just come and create with me! It's fun, easy, and I will teach you something new! You will meet new people, make friends, discover a magical store, and come away with a creation that is really something special. Stay tuned to www.VintageWhimzy for upcoming classes!

Sherry Shows Us How To....

Last Saturday, I was delighted to attend a private class with Artist Extraordinaire' Sherry Goodloe. Our project was a beautiful Optical Lens necklace. I have always wanted to see how it was done & finally got the chance!

It was so much fun and I LOVE the necklace I made of my sister and me! Stacey Steimle arranged our class and brought tasty cupcakes to keep us happy! Sherry is a fun gal full of information & energy! She just makes you want to do more! She was so gracious in letting us create with all the vintage goodies she brought! And each necklace came out as unique as their owners!

You, too, can schedule a class with Sherry Goodloe here! She is also an instructor at Gilding the Lily in Fullerton. Keep checking Whimzy's Whimzies too-I know we will have Sherry back again soon!

My Woodland Fairy

I was out walking the other day after the rain. I noticed a ring of mushrooms to my right. I don't know if you know this but, a ring of mushrooms is called a "Fairy Ring". This is where the fairies dance at night. I quietly approached the ring and sitting on a mushroom was this cute little one named "Abeline". After telling her all about GLITTERFEST she decided to come and stay with me to see what it is all about! So, if you would like a woodland fairy of your own-she has agreed to model for you! You are welcome to come join me at Whimzy! on the 18th of February to learn how to create a little fairy jar of your own !

CHA CHA CHA!

As you can see Dianne, Stacey, & I had lots of laughs at CHA! It was fabulous! Lots to do, lots to see and so very much to wish and want! So many ideas that I had to immediately journal when I got home! I think we shall be having some new and wondrous items in Whimzy! soon. Marian Ballog joined us and she did all the terrific make and takes she could hold! Gosh, the products out there are so amazing and so versatile. Anything you can think of is there to touch and try! It was a tiring but awesome day! Thanks to fab friends and the creativity of all those wonderful companies!

Whimzy had a PARTY!

I can't believe that Dianne and I have been tending the shop for 4 years already! It has just whizzed by for me! On Saturday we hosted a little party to celebrate another wonderful year with our friends. So many great people stopped by and visited throughout the day. We had a tasty buffet of all our favorites including rosemary cashews (always a hit!), cupcakes (can't go wrong there!), and some of the most decadent cheeses I have ever had! Dianne is so great at putting things together!

Kim Kostka of Saltwater Studio stopped in and let me say, I really like that girl. She is super talented and so willing to share!
I am looking forward to some big plans with her
and Whimzy!

We also had our first Artist's trunk show! Jennifer Dimas was here with a magical assortment of her bejeweled treasures. Jennifer has been creating for Whimzy since 2005. Her vintage jewelery bracelets and necklaces are not only scrumptous to wear but, the have history! She also makes
jeweled bottles. Each piece features a menagerie of findings that just work wonders together!

All in all, it was a very successful day! Great friends, tasty food, and most of all a celebration of heart, soul, and connections that Whimzy has given us back. It is the people we meet, the friends we make, and the stories we share that makes all the hard work worth it!

The Grand Re-Opening

Well, we have just finished with our Grand re-Opening Celebration! It was a wonderful success, but boy, Di & I are tired out! It was so great of everyone to visit and such a pleasure for us to get to visit with you! Whimzy received may "ooo's" & "awww's" and business was brisk! We featured some of our favorite treats lime meltaways, Martha's Sugar cookies and refreshing strawberry lemonade along with lots of candy, crackers n' cheese & mini cupcakes YUM!

Here at Last!

Well, I finally made it here! Dianne and I have been continuously working to re-open "Whimzy" and that finally happened last week. Things are starting to come around, YAY! By-the-way, I have to give a huge shout out to Bud (Buttermilk Sky) and Stacy(Country Roads) for all the fabulous help(&fun) in getting Whimzy all together. Dianne and I owe you two BIGTIME!

The shoppe is so great! It lokks so different, yet it feels like home! Come & see! I think you will be so suprised! I will post some pictures in a few days. There are pics one the site you can see now-www.vintagewhimzy.com. Thanks for all your patience & come see us soon! 474 El Camino Real-Old Town Tustin!