Red Lead

Vintage Papers + Rubber Stamps = Red Lead

You know how much we love vintage papers, books, dictionaries, anything a little worn around the edges, not too perfect or precious. We have several tall shelves in the basement loaded with old paper stuff we have been collecting for years, not to mention the many boxes stuffed with old photos in our studios.  Every once in a while I get the bright idea that I will organize everything in categories.  I tell myself how easy it will be to begin with the oldest box and sort by flowers, birds, seed packets, etc.  But what do you do with the postcards that have flowers & birds?  Or butterflies & birds?  Are they just nature?  After a few hours of sorting I always get sidetracked with a book that I had forgot about and begin scanning the afternoon away.  The new collage sheets - Paper Quilts - are a result of my deciding once and for all that I prefer a mismash of everything together.  After thinking about this for a minute I guess that is why I like cookies with nuts, rasins, & coconut. Or a big pot of homemade soup with all kinds of fresh vegetables.  Maybe that is why my decor is a little bit old lady, some modern vintage, and a lot of neutral colors. 

I think this is what they call eclectic.

                                      ec·lec·tic/iˈklektik/

Devising ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of subjects - like I said - a mismash. 

The Paper Quilts, new Ancestor Collage Sheets, new Word Play rubber stamps, will be on the website this Friday, and at the store on Sat.  Plus we are re-introducing our Crystal Clear Clear Bit acrylic charms.  Do you remember how cool they are?  We have new shapes and the charms are nice and chunky. The charms are crystal clear, and super smooth.  Wait until you see what Chris has been making with the new charms, rubber stamps, and paper quilts!

Have a beautiful Wednesday - be true - Chris & Sharon

 

Sat. Jan. 28 - Home Made Cookies

If you guys have been reading the blog you know that we have been serving homemade cookies every Sat. at the store.  Kind of a kick I am on.  Anyway the cookie this Sat. is from Martha Stewarts Cookies, and it is a real humdinger.  If you love chocolate chip cookies and banana bread, you are going to love this cookie. I sure do.  Here is the thing I really like about it too.  Not that it is healthy eating but it does have real dark choclate chunks, walnuts, and whole wheat flour- all good for you - right!  A few dozen will be at the store this Sat. and we also have a free Valentine Pocket Card make & take.  Hope to see you Sat.

-be true- Chris & Sharon

Altered Photo Workshop

 

We love to mix photos - old - new - whatever we love - with paint, papers, and stamping, to create an original piece of art that is you-nique.  Here is why you are going to love this workshop:

No rules

your favorite photos

papers your love the most

color

tips & techniques

artful rubber stamping

So what are you waiting for - sign up right here, and yes you are creative, and yes you will love your art, and yes we will have cookies.

-be true- Chris & Sharon

 

 

New Valentine Rubber Stamps

As you can see we are in full Valentine stamping  mode.  The new valentine stamps came in just in time for our email today - plus we have a new exclusive free Art Kit  that includes the You Melt My Heart rubber stamp.  Check it out here on our website.  We reordered all of our other new Valentine stamps and  they are back in stock too.

 

 - be true - Chris & Sharon

 

Follow Your Heart Charming Bracelet

Follow Your Heart Charm Bracelet

When I opened the box and saw this fabulous charm bracelet I told Chris we have to give one of these to an art sister, and honestly this bracelet looks as good in the real as it does in this photo! I only ordered 6 and when I went to reorder they were already sold out! 

Leave a comment right here on the blog.

 We will announce the winner in our Sat. e-mail.

-be true- Chris & Sharon

Clearly Artful Transfers Workshop

Clearly Artful Transfers & Stamping Workshop

This is the workshop for this Sat. at the store, & we are also teaching this workshop in Akron Ohio at the Adventures in Stamping Convention on April 27th.  So if you can't come to St. Louis and workshop with us and you are withinn driving distance of Akron we would love to share our tips and techniques with you - signs ups for the Akron workshop is right here.

Just in case you haven't heard our new store hours are:

and last but not least here are a few cute Valentines for you to play with today!

Be True - Chris & Sharon

 

Rubber Stamps + Valentine's Day = Red Lead

You know what a push over we are for cute vintage valentine cards.  We finally got around to scanning in a bunch more of our cards and made some new Valentine collage sheets - better late than never - on sale too!

Look at these cool new self inking rubber stamps by

We are Memory Keepers. 

Of course as soon as they came in we ripped open the box and gave them a try, love at first stitch!  The Sew Stampers are at the store, and you can find them here too. 

New Valentine papers by Basic Grey, Kaisercraft, Melissa Francis, plus more!

And hey, don't forget that we are doing a Free Vintage Style Valentine Tag Make & Take at the store this Sat. from 11a.m.-2p.m. Freshly brewed Starbucks coffee and a couple of dozen Pecan Peanut Butter Cookies will be served - so we hope to see you this Sat.  -be true- Chris & Sharon

Save the Date - Sat. Jan. 14th

Save the date - Sat. Jan. 14th for another fun free Valentine Make & Take.  Plus as you can see I have been baking again.  Baking cookies is another creative outlet for me, and I am really loving it!  This Sat. at the store we will be serving  a few dozen of these Pecan Peanut Butter Cookies drizzled with bittersweet chocolate.  Even though I am not a huge fan of peanut butter, these cookies are really good!  Crisp & crunchy with a hint of peanut butter.  Several of you asked me to post the recipes for the cookies I have been baking, and I plan on doing that sometime next week after I bake the Red Velvet Cookies. 

FYI - Chris has been working away on new workshops for Feb. and as soon as they are ready we will post them on the website.

Last but not least, we have a special guest coming to the store sometime in late spring to do a very fun rubber stamping free demo. 

We will let you know the date as soon as it is set. -be true- Chris & Sharon

Vintage Style Valentine Tag

Saturday was awesome!  Had we known baking a couple of dozen cookies would generate so much happiness we would've been baking all along.  So we figured why not do it again on Sat. Jan. 14th.  A Free Make & Take and I will be searching my cook books for a new cookie recipe.  My first inclination is to bake some type of peanut butter cookies, but maybe red velvet drizzled with royal icing.  What do you think? On to the more important news of the day,

The winners of the giveaway are:

Deb - You gals have so much FUN!  You make Awesome cards and those carrot cake cookies are calling to me!  If I lived by your shop, I would be a regular!!  Thank you for having this giveaway!  Love the free make & take!

Karen Cejka - Such inspiration!  Love all the new stuff.

Marnie Blum - love your goodies, love you gals!

E-mail us your address and we will send you some Red Lead.

Have a beautiful day and be true. Chris & Sharon

 

 

Lots of New Everything!

I guess most of you know by now that our new hours at the store are Saturdays 10a.m.-5p.m.  Tomorrow we are brewing up fresh Starbucks coffee, serving Gingered Carrot Cake Cookies, and doing a free Valentine Card make & take.

For all of you that can't be at the store tomorrow, we thought it would be a good idea to have a fun little Valentine giveaway, so leave your comment and we will pick 3 winners Monday morning and announce it right here on the blog. 

Don't forget to leave your comment.

Check out these darling heart trinket pins, we will be sure to tuck some of these in your giveaway. 

 -be true- Chris & Sharon

Cute Cards & Cookies

After we got all of the Christmas packed away and put in the basement at the store, it was Here Comes Valentine's Day!  We made several super cute Valentine Cards, and then we cut out these big red hearts, stamped some small pink hearts, charmed them up and put them on a frame in the front window. Very Valentiny. Since we have a Free Make & Take this Sat. we wanted to make the store super cute for all of you too! 

Remember the cookie bake on Christmas Day that we talked about?  We baked about 20 dozen chocolate chip, oatmeal with raisins & pecans, and oatmeal with coconut cookies. Ever since then, I have been itching to bake some cookies that are not your usual and typical. Now don't get me wrong, our Christmas Cookies were not only beautiful to look at but they were delicious too!  In my spare time I was looking around for a cookie that would inspire me to get out all of the baking stuff, go to the grocery, mess up the kitchen real good, and spend a bunch of time baking instead of doing work things.

I found my inspiration right here at the Brown Eyed Baker.  I printed off the recipe, went to Dierbergs and bought all of this, plus a lot of other ingredients that wouldn't fit in the photo.  I have other cookie and crafting plans.

Here is what I baked this afternoon -

 Gingered Carrot Cake Cookies

These cookies taste better than they look - no kidding.  I am going to bake a fresh batch on Friday afternoon to bring to the store on Sat. for the Valentine Card Make & Take.  The recipe only makes about 2 dozen though, so first come first serve. 

See you Sat.  -be true- Chris & Sharon

 

Darling Valentine Card Free Make & Take

Free Valentine Card Make & Take

 Sat. Jan. 7th

11a.m. - 3p.m.

Make this darling stamped and charmed

 Valentine Card for free Sat. Jan 7th.

Grab your girlfriends and head over to Red Lead this Sat. Jan. 7th between 11a.m.-3p.m.  Join us in the studio for creative card making, shared Valentine stories, and a cup of freshly brewed Starbucks, and maybe a cookie or 2.

We hope to see you this Sat!

xo Chris & Sharon

Rubber Stamps - Scrap Book Stuff

 

Good Morning January 1st 2012!

Well we are going to do it!  All of you gave us the confidence, energy, and inspiration to take Red Lead on the road in 2012.  Chris and I have been working together everyday since 1982.  We have been going to our store 6 days a week since 1991.  Kids have been raised, houses have been bought and sold, dogs have been trained, (sort of) lots of friends have been made, weddings have happened, trips have been taken,
meals have been shared, cookies have been baked, art has been made, workshops have been planned, art has been swapped, rubber stamps have been designed.  Get the picture?  Sisters & best friends we are.  We want to share our love of creating art with you.  Our sincere hope is that you will join us along the way in 2012.  We know it is a little quirky to have a retail store that is only open on Saturday, but we have some really fun things planned for Saturdays that we know you are going to love. A little later in the week we will share with you what we have going on at the store this Saturday. Thank you all for everything, because as we always say - and it is so true - we couldn't do it without you!

-be true- Chris & Sharon

And the Red Lead Goodie Bags go to . . .

3 Red Lead goodie bags are going to:

Jean FB - Happy New Year, Chris & Sharon!  Thanks for all of the holiday inspiration these past several weeks.  Looking forward to the new Valentine's items and new charms.  Thanks for a chance to win one of your famous goodie bags!

JoAnne - Would love a goodie bag!  Thanks and Happy New Year!

Robyn Fergeson - I love Red Lead blog and everything Red Lead!  Hope I win - my craft room needs tre-organizing and re-energizing.

Hey Art Girls - E-mail us your address and we will send them out asap!  All of you are thanking us for a chance to win, but really we couldn't do it without you ordering, visiting, and commenting.  A heartfelt thanks to all of you!

-be true- Chris & Sharon

 

 

Your Heart's Desire

So happy that you all loved the inspirational bracelet as much as we do.  As soon they are in we will let you know. In the meantime, new charms flew in, new Valentine rubber stamps are expected today, more vintage style ribbons, and last but not least, check our our new Mini's.

Leave your comment and we will pick a name at random and send you a Red Lead goodie bag!

-be true- Chris & Sharon