launching my own website and making beer bread...

First for the *really* good stuff. I recently found the recipe to make beer bread. Sounds like it would go great with a nice bowl of homemade chili.
Here's the link to the recipe for the beer bread:
http://www.food.com/recipe/beer-bread-73440
And here's the recipe for the chili -- it's a Wendy's Chili copycat:
http://www.food.com/recipe/wendys-copycat-chili-87611

Just remember, on the beer bread, to sift, sift, sift that flour. If you don't have a fancy schmancy flour sifter thing -- the one with the handle, etc. , just pour the measured flour into a metal mesh sieve to sift. The only thing I added to the chili recipe was some roasted and peeled anaheim chilis -- around three or four -- also added a small amount of green bell pepper.

My new website: VindicatedVinyl.com
I felt the need to really brand my stuff with Vindicated Vinyl and, unfortunately, etsy doesn't let you change your shop name. No matter, I wanted to go ahead and grab a vindicatedvinyl.com domain anyway, so I've now got it up and running. I'll keep my etsy store until I get enough traffic driven to my new website.
Here's the link it you feel like you'd like to check it out:
http://www.vindicatedvinyl.com

More ways to reuse, recycle - Business Cards

Even though the leftover scraps from my record album covers go to the recycle bin, I would love to use even more of my scraps. So, I had an idea. I currently have a big pack of labels -- approx. 3 inch circles. How about printing my card info on the labels and using the leftover backs from the album covers for the weight/cardstock. With just a cropped out snippet of the album for the back, part of the fun is trying to figure out what album the backs came from...

Three Generations

Recently my favorite aunt came for a visit. During the visit she and my daughter, Ryann, volunteered to help me log and sort my ever-growing record album collection while I was working furiously on some custom orders. (A bride wanted to give her bridesmaids record album purses as bridesmaid gifts -- she picked three albums that they all spent time together listening, singing and dancing to back in the 80's).

Well, Ryann promptly jumped on the computer, pulled up an xcel spreadsheet and the work began. Aunt Rachel would hand Ryann a stack of albums to put into the spreadsheet. When Ryann finished, Rachel would return and sort them alphabetically in little piles up and down the hallway.

Halfway into the project, we discovered that the newest generation doesn't alphabetize the way the older does -- a victim of the itunes/ipod lifestyle. In other words, if Annie Lennox showed up in my collection, Ryann alphabetized under "A," just like she would find on the itunes menu. My aunt, put that same album under "L". Oh my. The middle generation (me) could see both sides. I've also gotten used to finding songs on itunes the same way my daughter does. BUT there is always that part of me that finds it wrong, surname first, right? Whatever. At least they are organized and searchable now.

That vintage look keeps grabbin' me!

Well today was a productive day for me. I finished up two of my purses from my unofficial "vintage" collection.

Exhibit No. 1: The Singing Nun.

Okay, I just couldn't help myself on this one. Hopefully someone else out there thinks this cover is as comical and entertaining as I do. ;-) I mean that cute turquoise-colored moped and the rosary beads flying off her shoulder as she zips down the street- Love it! This record album purse is made from the actual "The Singing Nun" soundtrack album, released in 1966! One side features the cover and the other side the vinyl album -- with a great MGM center graphic. And since I don't like to waste good stuff, one side (the record) side is "lined" with the back of the album cover, in this case a scene from the movie -- young kids being given a talking to of some sort from Debbie Reynold's nun character. I WANT that moped . It goes perfectly with my blue vw bug. Ha-ha. The Singing Nun was rescued from the Goodwill. What a find.

Exhibit No. 2: Gaite Parisienne Ballet 1956 a/k/a the fab can-can girl from paris

How great is this can-can girl! This record album purse is from an album released in 1956 that is a classical music recording featuring the Philadelphia Orchestra. When I saw the cover, I knew I had to have it and make a purse out of it. So I bid on Ebay and she was mine. She should be flaunted around, don't ya think? And the little cartoon graphics surrounding it are priceless. One side features the cover and the other side the vinyl album -- with a striking black white and red center Columbia graphic. And since I don't like to waste good stuff, one side (the record) side is "lined" with the back of the album cover. This has information about the orchestra, the composers and conductor.

People ask where I find my albums. A lot of people assume the albums fall into my lap (so to speak) at the Thrift Store, etc. But I spend a lot of time looking for just the right cover or graphic center. Sometimes I do get lucky at the Thrift Store, but there are times when I spend a lot of time looking thru bin after bin at different shops only to leave empty handed. (Note to the ARC thrift store, could you please raise your shelves just a tad higher. That level is murder on the back! ;-)).

My best source is Ebay. That also involves a lot of sifting thru page after page of pictures, then the bidding and the crossing of fingers with hope that the album looks as good in person as it does in the picture. When it finally arrives in the mailbox, and if it's just as I pictured, the fun can begin. With the can-can girl, I'd say I got pretty lucky. And, you know, the Singing Nun, that could have been divine intervention (considering).

Jeremiah was a bullfrog...

So the other day, as I stood freezing in my cold garage cutting wood for more purses, I wondered how I must really like what I’m doing to freeze out here like this. What is it that keeps me going back into that cold garage (hurry up, spring and summer!)? I know it’s all the things that go into creating the craft that keep the passion going. I’m sure all the other great artisans like the ones on etsy and 1000 Markets feel the same drive to create. For my particular craft, I know it’s all about the music.

Ah, the memories that seeing certain albums jogs in my brain. If only I had pictures of my cousins and I, doing hula-hoop routines to The Monkees on my grandma’s back porch. We dragged my little portable, plastic turntable outside and plugged it into grandma’s outdoor outlet and stayed out there for hours. Loudly singing along to, “Mary, Mary” and “Last Train to Clarksville.” Then we’d hop on the swingset and sing at the top of our voices Three Dog Night’s “Joy to the World.” We just couldn’t get enough of spewing out “Jeremiah was a bullfrog, was a good friend of mine.”

Sometimes I am totally drawn to the artwork on a cover. I might not have ever heard the music, but love the cover, or the inside sleeve graphics and sometimes it’s just the center graphic on the vinyl. Oh, and that shiny, black vinyl! The ridges and valleys that form the songs — I love the way it looks and feels. Top it off with some nickel rivets - fabulous. But everything contrasts just perfectly with black, shiny vinyl, doesn’t it. Think about it.

So the hunt goes on. I search for more cool records to spotlight — they’ll get another way to be seen and admired. And, hopefully, for my customers, they can relive some great memories also.