PAPER COWGIRL IS BACK FOR YEAR THREE!!

I am very excited to tell you that the third annual Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat is being held June 24th - 26th, in Waxahachie, Texas, which is off I-35 south of Dallas.
And it's not called the Best Little Art Retreat In Texas for nothing!

It is an amazing weekend with the choice of different classes using different mediums, wonderful teachers and the best Texas (and a few other states will be represented - word has spread!!) artists/women/old friends/new friends that you would ever want to associate yourself.

Dale of Sea Dream Studio will be returning

as a teacher simply so she can strike her diva pose.

The above photo is a picture of the "Crown" swap at the 2009 P.C. Retreat

(Any one of those crowns would make Marie Antoinette beg)

Art + Laughter = peeing your pants Texas fun!! (Photo 2009 Retreat)

Most of you will remember my dear, sweet friend, Tina Wright, a woman loved by many, that passed this last January after a valiant battle with cancer. She was the co-founder of the Paper Cowgirl Retreat and she, along with Cindy Mayfield, co-founder, worked their bums off to make the retreats the best they could be. This year, after much prayer and thought, Cindy decided that Tina would want the retreat to continue on, so she *along with some little elves* have been working very hard for months! And the retreat just keeps getting better!

Sweet, wonderful Tina - she'll be there this summer, don't you doubt it.

If you're looking for a Texas retreat to attend, with very reasonable class costs, give-aways, fabulous swaps, wonderful sponsors (WHERE WOMEN CREATE and T.J. DESIGNS are two that I know of:), amazing food, shopping at antique/junk stores, the BEST scrapbook store I've ever been to, vendor's night *if you can't attend the retreat you are more than welcome to come to Vendor's Night*, and the most amazing women to spend a weekend with, then go to the P.C. blog and check it out!!

Vendor's Night - This is Texas, don't steal or we're gunna hafta shoot ya. Bring $$$

And, you can ask me any questions if you want. If I don't  have the answer I'll find it for you or direct you to the place your question can be answered.
I promise that if you come you will be blessed.

A girl geriatric attendee. We do not discriminate; we are Texans.

Oh! Oh! One more thing.
Geez, this is such an important part of the retreat, I can't believe I almost left it out! Whew *wiping my brow*.
One of the highlights of the weekend is when we have shots. You know, like at a bar? (I keep tellin' ya, this is Texas) Only ours are even better...................we have Frosting Shots! (haha - fooled ya) Homemade Frosting. Oh, man, I have to be rolled to my room every year!


On another note.....
Readers, y'all have been an amazing blessing to me these last l-o-o-o-ng weeks and I want to sincerely thank you. I'm working my way through all of the comments left on my last post and I will get to you eventually because I want to thank each of you individually for your support and kind words. I am so blessed.....

y'all are a blessing to me,
Jan

CASH CAMPAIGN BY TEAM TINA A SUCCESS!

Wow. Team Tina was such a great idea - a nudge from God several months ago - that did so many things to bless Tina while she was battling cancer.

If you're not aware of Team Tina's efforts to bless Tina, notes were sent by our wonderful women, a tag gate was made by the women *which you can read about in a prior post if you're not aware of it* and then there was the Cash Campaign where we raised money to help with expenses not covered by insurance or for whatever Will and Tina needed it for......

And, certainly, I'm not saying that Team Tina was the only group of women that blessed Tina during her battle. I'm sure you're all aware of the hundreds of people that blessed her in many different ways. But, God put together Team Tina and that's what I know so that's what I'll post about:)

In our Cash Campaign we raised THREE HUNDRED THIRTY DOLLARS for Will to use, like I said, in any capacity needed. Well, I talked to Will earlier this week and we were trying to work out a chance for me to stop by and deliver the money order in person and have some time together. Unfortunately, he's working a job in Tulsa and won't be home when I'm driving through on my way home from Michigan later this week. However, in talking with Will I discovered that he has started a scholarship program for the high school that Tina attended using all of the monies that generous friends have donated through the trust account set up in Tina's name. He wants to add our Cash Campaign money to that scholarship account. Is that the coolest thing?? I'm so excited to know that Tina's name will live on in her hometown, her high school and that every year for how long we don't know, a graduate will benefit from the money that has been pouring in through different avenues, INCLUDING ours. PRAISE GOD!

I've always said that there is at least one blessing in every "disaster" and I personally think we're looking at one of those blessings. Tina, who was so giving, so thoughtful, lives on in many ways, including this scholarship fund. What a blessing!

Thank you, Will, for your willingness to help Tina live on in so many lives!

And, to the women that donated to the Cash Campaign, know that you are a blessing and be blessed by that.

God bless you all,

Jan

AN UPDATE ON TINA

Hey, everyone. This is going to be quick and there's not going to be any pictures to make it pretty, but, it's an important post about dear, sweet Tina.

If you're reading this and wondering what the heck I'm talking about, then scroll down to the post below this one and catch yourself up!

Okay, all of you precious Team Tina members, I have an update for you on Tina.
I haven't posted an update before now because there was a question as to how much information the family wanted made public...............Tina has colon cancer, has had surgery and one planned in the near future, will start chemo soon, is being taken care by an amazing oncologist in Dallas that she loves, and is determined to fight the fight with the help of God.
You know she has a very strong faith and I know that it is only with God that she will be able to get through the next days and the next days and the next days.

Her cancer is very serious and she needs all of the prayers you can muster up for her. Put her on your church prayer list, tell your friends that are prayer warriors, and you pray for her daily.

I still feel my world rocking every single day since I found out about her cancer. She is an amazing person and an incredible artist; someone I love dearly.

I'm in Michigan and will return home in a little over a week - I know there's going to be a ton of tags waiting for me to attach to the tag gate for Tina! I'm so excited about that - and if you haven't sent a tag yet and want to - please do!! The more tags, the more love shown and I know she is going to be SO SO blessed by your effort and time.

Thank you, y'all. You're wonderful.

(If you are a member of FaceBook, you can get updates on Tina (Tina Wright) there. Her husband, Will, is using FB to keep people updated on Tina's condition. I encourage you to check it out and to leave an encouraging note.

XOXO, Jan

A DEAR FRIEND, AN ARTIST, A BLOGGER, NEEDS OUR SUPPORT!

Hi, sweet friends! I'm so glad you're taking the time to read this post as it's vitally important. I don't know of any other group that is more supportive of those of us that are living through the hardest times of our life. Artist bloggers are such giving and caring people.
So, I'm glad to see that you're running to this post *the flamingos - running - get it?* to help one of ours who is in need of our support!
Tina Wright, child of God, wife, mother, grandmommy, artist, co-creator of the Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat, Texan and friend, has this week, been diagnosed with colon cancer.
I don't know how much information the family wants made public so will simply say that Tina needs us! She is in a place where an outpouring of love from her blogger friends, retreat friends, students and fellow artists will help lift her spirits and boost her strength!(If you don't know Tina, but still want to help with Team Tina, you are more than welcome to join in! You are so appreciated!)

Tina is caring, giving, always patient and kind, loves her family and friends and simply adores her grandkids! She is an incredible artist, specializes in soldering and soldered jewelry. She's a wonder, that's for sure, I am so blessed to call her a dear friend.

I would like for all of us to make a piece of art, a tag, and I will put all of it together for her.

I want to make her a "tag gate" and I need YOU to do it!
A tag gate is an old metal gate, or facsimile, that I will fill with tags that have been made for her using decorated clothes pins and/or ribbons to attach them - this is something that she can prop on a dresser, hang on her wall, etc. It will be approximately 2 feet square or 2' x 3', so we need lots of tags to fill it!!

If you want to be a part of the Team Tina project, make a tag, any size, any design, with your name and email address on the back and send it to me NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 2ND.

Jan Thomason
Team Tina
5720 Hwy. 27
Center Point, Texas 78010

Thanks for your support and your willingness to bring joy into the life of Tina, one amazing woman!

And, if you're a believer, and if you are, then this part is going to be the "duh" part of the post, would you please pray for Tina and Will, for their family, Tina's medical team and her friends. Get her on your church's prayer list, get her name to your friends and church members that are prayer warriors. Thank you!!

Thanks everyone! I'll post all of the tags here after the 2nd and also show you the finished project. You're a blessing and so appreciated!

XOXO, Jan

HECK YEAH, I'M A PAPER COWGIRL

I have a confession to make. It's not a bad thing. In fact, it's a wonderful thing - one of the best things that has ever happened to me!

"Hi, my name is Jan and I'm a Paper Cowgirl."

Y-E--E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E H-A-A-A-A-A-A-W-W-W-W!!

Paper Cowgirl is an art retreat in Waxahachie, Texas, that is the brain-child of Tina Wright and Cindy Mayfield. This past summer we held our second retreat. I had the extreme pleasure of teaching a class this summer and at the first retreat. What a blessing!

The classes that are offered and the teachers are amazing! The fellowship, fun, food, classes, shopping, treats, Tina and Cindy, new friendships made and old friendships renewed...I could go on and on! It's such a great retreat - it's affordable (we work really hard to keep it that way) and it's not too big that you get lost in the crowd............oh, and it's in T-E-X-A-S!!!

I hope you'll check out the paper cowgirl blog and see what I'm talking about. Maybe you will decide that it's something you just can't afford to miss!

xoxo, Jan

the PAPER COWGIRL ART RETREAT was a BLAST!!!

I am so excited to share with you the Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat! This is a long post because there are a lot of pictures, so grab something to drink, put your feet up and relax as you scroll through the Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat......

As the time approached for me to leave for the Paper Cowgirl Retreat last Wednesday, it seemed like my studio, aka crack house, became more and more dangerous to walk through. I took a couple of pictures just for you to see my work table. . .
Can you believe this? I'm so ashamed.
I arrived in Waxahachie last Wednesday after driving for five hours - I had so much "art stuff" in my car that I looked like I was going to California and didn't know the way.
The retreat was held at the Hampton Inn *my favorite hotel* and my room was so, so nice as evidenced in the photo below of my bed.

Then there was my "art stuff's" bed. . .

Thursday my friends, Rita and Susan, and myself, went shopping in McKinney.

Oh, my. There's this store there called Smitten. I left a large amount of Frank's money there. We had such a good time at Smitten's and the other shops we hit. Then it was back to 'hatchie for the "Meet and Greet" held at the Dove's Nest in historic downtown Waxahachie. Amazing.

Meeting all of the girls, seeing old friends, meeting women I've known like forever through emails and blogs and shopping at the Dove's Nest while enjoying appetizers was so much fun!

My class was scheduled to take place the next morning, Friday morning. I was so excited I could hardly stand it! I LOVE to teach and I had put so much into the prep for this class that I felt like I already knew all of the ladies so I was anxious to spend some time with them!

For those of you not in the know, I was teaching a class called, Home is Where Your Art Begins, and it involved painting and collage on a 16" X 20" canvas. So, okay, I'm on my way down to set up the room.

Oh, I simply must show you what I filled my "students" goodie sacks with - all kinds of wonderful little things that I hoped they would love. Look at that Aleene's Tacky Glue in the wee bitty bottles. Cracked me up - I had to buy them!

I was VERY fortunate to have a lovely assistant. LOL My BFF, Mendy Mitrani, one of the other teachers for the retreat, helped me in class and she was really SO helpful! Here she is with Terri, showing the class the example I brought from home that I had painted the prior Sunday. It's a collage of Marie Antoinette and worked well to show some of the different techniques we would be using on our own canvases.The class started with a blank canvas; literally! They had a wee bit of homework which was to paint their blank canvas with a layer of Gesso to prepare the canvas to take the paint well.

The next step, and first step in class, was to lay out what you THOUGHT your collage would look like. I have found that God always has his own idea about what it should look like and not to get upset when something doesn't work that I wanted to use! So, we all cut, shaped, and laid out our collage.

The next two steps involved painting a light color of their prominent color all over the canvas.

From there they could add other colors that complimented their first 'wash'. Then they added some papers.By changing from painting to laying papers, back to painting to laying more papers, they were able to create layers. It was at this point that I taught them how to use napkins in their painted collages. Boy howdy, was that ever a hit!

Here's my finished canvas. You can see that I used a napkin for the flowers along the bottom, cut papers, torn papers, stamping, coffee stained cheesecloth, glittered rose, a "special event" tag next to a multi-flash (remember those???), a metal circle, the Paper Whimsy girls, of course, and layers of paint.

Everyone worked very hard in my class and at the same time, we caught ourselves roaring with laughter at something someone said. It was a riot!

I had just the BEST CLASS! I loved every one of my students and hope we will remain friends and see each other at least at next year's P.C. Retreat!

Andrea, who is from San Antonio - right down Hwy. 10 from me:), was totally focused on applying her first layer of paint.

I wonder what it was that caused Cara to stop drying her paint to check out Lisa? LOL

Here's Mendy, my lovely assistant, helping Nancy dry her first layer. In front of them, Terri and her daughter, Andrea, are hard at work!

Here's Elizabeth, aka Stripper Girl, AND good sport! It's a long story, but even without hearing the whole story, you can imagine how hard we laughed. It was so much fun. In this picture she is showing us her finished canvas - it's simply lovely!

This is Nancy, a darling woman whom I've had the pleasure of knowing from last year's P.C. Retreat. Here she shows us her beautiful canvas. It's not quite finished (the fence needs to be attached), but didn't she do a wonderful job?

Lisa is rightfully proud of her canvas. She used a picture from a vintage magazine and napkins to make a soft and beautiful piece of work.

Wow. I wish I could tell you who did this piece, but I took the picture without the artist.

Duh. But, even though we don't know the exact artist, we can all enjoy the collage she created. I think I know who it belongs to, but not being sure, can't say. But, for the sake of the post, we'll refer this canvas as Rhonda's Canvas. (Gosh, I hope I'm right! LOL)

The canvas below is Cara's. I know that because of the yellow in the first layer:) Didn't it turn out great??? She incorporated several of the House of 3 color copies that I brought and are so beautiful.

I'd almost bet the ranch that this next lovely piece was done by Kim. If you read this post and you know better, please email me and I'll fix any mistakes I've made! But, whoever did it, it's wonderful, isn't it? I like the way the pieces of collage seem to grow out of the one attached to it. (Did that make any sense???)

Me, working hard on my corsage in Mendy's class.

Rhonda and Karen - sweet picture of two friends!

This picture was taken in Mendy's class.

Phyllis and LaVerne working hard, or is it 'hardly working', dragging, pooped....whatever it is, it's in Mendy's Corsage Class!

My finished corsage in Mendy Mitrani's class - isn't it beautiful??? I simply LOVE it and Mendy was such a great teacher!

Me with my happy face on and Mendy.

Just some of the spoils from the huge ATC SWAP hosted by an amazing Barbie look-a-like.

Just a hint of what I received in the Paper Ephemera Swap hosted by the delightful Jamie Miller!

This is the most precious Dale McLain who taught a class with a bird theme, I can't remember the name, but it was so wonderful! And just look at her sitting up there on that credenza like a pin-up girl from the 50's! She's a cutie, alright.

Dana and Leisl are chomping at the bit to get started in Dale's class!

"PUT THE GLUE GUN DOWN, LEISL!

PUT THE GLUE GUN DOWN.

WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS.

DALE ISN'T GOING TO ASK YOU TO DO ANYTHING YOU'RE NOT CAPABLE OF.

THINK OF ALL YOU LEARNED IN JAN'S CLASS.

WHAT? YOU LOVED JAN'S CLASS? YOU WANT TO TALK TO JAN?

WE CAN ARRANGE THAT, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO GIVE US SOMETHING.

JUST PUT THE GLUE GUN DOWN.

WHAT??

AND, YOU WANT SOME ICING SHOTS? NO PROBLEM. BUT, LEISL, YOU'VE GOT TO GIVE US SOMETHING."

Shannon is working hard on her piece in Dale's class.

Lisa and Dana can still have fun while working on their pieces in Dale's class!

I LOVE this picture of Kim. We all have that look on our face at least one time when we're working on a new creation!

These following three photos are from the SHADOW BOX class taught by Joanna. There were some really precious pieces made in that class!We had MANY swaps to go along with the retreat and one of them was the CROWN SWAP. Here are two Paper Cowgirls with their crowns atop their heads!

Here's Andrea, her mom, Terri, and Cindy, ready for VENDOR'S NIGHT! They're probably looking for those icing shots!

Two sweet Paper Cowgirls during VENDOR'S NIGHT.

LaVerne and Nancy had a shared "booth". I think Nancy came out ahead in this partnership as LaVerne is buying some of her items!

And just where did Nancy disappear to when it was time to tear down???

Poor LaVerne, on the floor.....will she be able to get up without help? Here are some cards I made to sell at Vendor's Night. I used my precious Paper Whimsy girls on them along with some wonderful "flashcards, patterned paper, hat pins and swirls!

There were some left and I'll be listing them in my Etsy shop and my Lollishop........soon..........very soon.

My pink flamingos are lined up and ready for the long walk to 'hatchie!

Look at them - you can see how excited they are!What to cover my table with at Vendor's Night???

I pulled out some vintage tableclothes and dresser runners, ironed them and they looked mahvelous!

Here's my table at VENDOR'S NIGHT. I packed it full so it would look really good!

And it did:) I had such a good time that night.
Glittered and dressed for a Texas garden with their coordinating pink bandanas, these flamingos were a huge hit!

The PAPER COWGIRL RETREAT is nothing if it's not filled with the most wonderful women and this year was no exception. Everyone was wonderful, lots of fun, kind, helpful, I could go on and on.

This is Karen - she was a doll.

And here's Cheryl playing Queen for a Day with her wee bitty crown! Dale had these little crowns in her goodie bags and they were quite the hit!

Susan and Rita and I terrorized McKinney on Thursday - here's a picture of them at lunch. We had such a great time. Susan is a delight and, knowing Rita for many years, I can tell you that she's a dear!!

There was always time for a hug as Shannon and Lisa prove!

I could simply end here by saying, "The End", but I have to tell you one more thing.

I may have said it earlier, I don't know.

The Paper Cowgirl Art Retreat is a dream retreat.

It's filled with the most wonderful women, amazing teachers, great bosses, lots of fun things to do to fill our "down" time, and it's in Texas!

Yee-haw!

That being said, I'll leave you with one last picture - a picture of the poster women for Glue Guns.

And to show you how well they do their job (they didn't want me to say anything), they are the ones that talked Leisl down. She gave up her glue gun and no one was hurt.

Thank you, Mendy.

Thank you, Jan.

XOXO, Jan