We came. We taught. We inspired!

Whew!  What a journey.  We enjoyed spending time with so many of our gypsies!  Our booth was full of gypsies each day and we kept busy inspiring everyone with our fanciful displays and amazing projects.

We know we promised to take you with us, and we did.  sort of.  (Let's just say these gypsies aren't known for being technically savvy.)  We took lots of photos and even some video clips that we'll be uploading soon.  And lucky for us we some wonderful gypsy friends stopped by the booth from The Pink Donut.  They did a quick video tour of what's new and have already posted it to their site!  

Check it out on their website by clicking HERE!

Enjoy the photos of our booth, samples and some of our favorites from the show...  

Check out the star of the show!  (well besides the fabulous binderie punch)  It's our clever new ATC & Photo display.  If you've loved working with the ATC & Photo carousels then you'll flip over our newest display.  Simply clip your photos, trinkets, ATC cards and treasures to the 3 rings using our clever little hooked gator clips.  You can adjust the rings up and down depending on how big your hanging artwork is.  And that's all it takes to create a funky display of your favorite things!  Imagine the possibilites!

Here is a quick shot of the booth while we were setting it up.  It takes dozens of hours for our designers to set up all the product and samples in the booth! You can see one of the several shipping crates that the booth is transported in...

We are known for our fabulous displays and vintage findings that are part of our booth.And check out our gypsy chandelier!  Our lead designer, Debbie Crouse was busy every day at the make & take table.  She had a steady line of gypsies waiting their turn to create a mini book using the binderie punch.  Everyone ooohed and ahhhed over how easy and fun it is to use!7gypsies artist, Janelle Smith, taught a fun and fabulous workshop using the home sweet home board kit and the binderie punch.  It was at 7am in the morning but it SOLD OUT!  Now that's what we call true gypsy love!But one of our favorite places to visit in the booth was the gypsy market.  Filled with our newest papers and coordinating products, all strung across wire wrapped books and hung from hand crafted wire hangers!  It was gypsy junk at it's best!

We had a great time with all of our gypsies!  Thank you all for visiting the booth, coming to the workshop and spreading the gypsy love!

come 7, come all (gypsies that is!)

Not going to make the journey to CHA?  Don't despair!  We'll take you with us.

Gypsies NEVER leave their fellow caravaners behind.

We are en route to the big show our many vans bursting with gypsy goodness and we want to share it all with you.  

Sooooo, we will be chronicling our CHA journey with you via the gypsy journal.  We will be posting photos and writings right from the show.  See why everyone gets gypsy fever in our booth, oooh and aaah over our designer's latest creations and send us your love from back home.  California here the gypsies come!

peace out,

the gypsies

live the adventure

From canopie to canopie you wander until the sun begins to set.  Each brings its own unexpected collections.  Exhausted, your mind is racing with the inspirations the market has brought and filled with the many gypsy stories that were shared.  Your feet are screaming for a momentary relief and so you drop your overstuffed knapsack and plop into a narrow metal cafe chair.  

Still in awe of the magic and mystery of the market you watch the gypsy merchants begin to pack their goods into decorated trunks.  Slowly, the once lively market becomes increasingly calm and the sound of old vans making their way down the road one behind the other is all that can be heard.  

A clunky old ladder is opened at your feet and a robust gypsy begins to climb its ragged rungs.  Fearful that the ladder may topple at any moment you jump up and steady the lopsided legs as the gypsy nears the top.  His plump hands reach out and strong fingers begin picking the knot that holds the colorful banner reading "It's the Year of the Gypsy" in bold letters followed by "join us" in a carefully penned script.   Banner down, the gypsy returns to the ground.  

"How?" you ask.  

But the gypsy only grins and motions toward the lumpy knapsack below your chair.  Curiously watching as he walks away, ladder under one arm and tightly rolled banner under the other, he calls over his shoulder, "You'll find it".  

Confused, you look down at the knapsack once more, bookboard, bright papers and twine tied parcels peek from under the flap...

live the adventure.  bind it with style.

And what would the year of the gypsy be without a celebratory gypsy year clear stamp and a few sets of certifiable seals?

Gypsy Heaven

Your knapsack is bulging but you feel like there is so much more to see.  Down one side of the market a wildly striped tent calls to be seen.  You move closer and smile as you watch the gypsy dancers pass, taking with them the ringing of their tambourines and mesmerizing motion of their arms as they glide through the crowd.   

A crooked sign hanging from yards of bright ribbons blows in the slight breeze.  "Oddities" it reads.  You are intrigued and draw nearer to see what it's all about.   Cautiously you pull the flap closing the tent aside, revealing a fanciful collection of everything imaginable.  The gypsy couple sitting inside smile and nod.  You accept their unspoken invitation and begin gazing at the boxfuls of odds and ends.  Your eyes shift upward as you go noticing the beautiful beads and glitter covered stars suspended from the ceiling.  Heaven you think.  Gypsy Heaven.  Yearning to take a piece of it home, you begin to hoard the delightful contents the little tent of oddities offers. 

First, a set of gorgeous printed cards all punched and ready to add to both your ATC and Photo Carousels.

A whimsical set of transparencies grab your attention.  Also punched and just right for your Photo Carousel.  Your cheeks flush in excitement when you realize there is a complete alphabet & they're tabbed too!By now you can't believe your good fortune as you discover a complete set of 2 sided Photo Carousel cards in your favorite gypsy papers!
Next up a sticker that says it all.  G is for Gypsy.  As you read the clever words, quotes and sayings all in the love of traveling, junking & collecting; you smirk thinking... how relevant!

A spontaneous laugh leaps from your soul and through your lips, startling the gypsy woman.  You apologize but continue reading the wickedly funny T is for Teen sticker.  Anyone with a teenage girl would understand...

You notice the gypsy man hunched over a large tray, his fingers digging and sorting little metal trinkets that cover its surface.  He looks up and motions for you to come see.  Hundreds of charms are nestled in little boxes arranged in tidy rows.  Some covered in sparkles, others covered with patina but all charming.  Your fingers worm through several of the boxes and you begin dropping little treasures into the palm of your hand until it can hold no more.  You are imagining how decadent the charms will look hanging from your binding rings, ring dangles and book covers. 


But before you can move from the trinket tray you uncover a new set of book bars.  Considerably larger than their photo turn counterparts, they are ideal for journal covers and come with an extended brad to set them through even the thickest book board.

The gypsy couple begin to carefully tuck your assortment of goodies into tiny paper sacks while you watch in earnest.  Next to the wooden cash box sits a basket.  'One last look' you say to yourself and root through its contents.  A gypsy market set of brads and gaffers tape round out what you consider to be your best finds of the day.

The good stuff!

The bright sunlight reflecting off the cobblestone catches your eye as you listen to the noisy chatter of the merchants bartering, rhythmic jingling of the gypsy bracelets worn by almost everyone and other rattles and clangs of the busy marketplace.  You stuff your packages from the binderie workshop into your knapsack, freeing your hands to explore.

Eyeing the sea of trinkets, you approach a worn table barely covered from the sun by a sagging umbrella made from patches of draperies and old fabrics.  Old postbills and newspaper ads, yellowed postcards & photos, weathered sales slips and other bits of paper are stacked into haphazard piles along the length of the wooden table.  You begin thumbing through them, searching for the perfect additions to the bookboard bundles from the binderie; setting aside those that seem extraordinary.  

Moving from pile to pile, you finally reach the end of the table and are astounded at how many wonderful bits of ephemera you have collected for your books- yet to be made.  After a brief exchange with the old gypsy behind the table, you drop a few heavy coins into his grubby hands.  The paper merchant smiles as he ties your findings with a length of twine and your heart leaps as you walk away examining the magnificent finds.

Vintage & Gypsy ephemera, printed on chipboard for an authentic feel, make eclectic additions to your binderie books.Transparencies in various sizes inspired by our finds...Tags for journaling then binding into your albums...Or 2 sided journaling cards.  Cardstock printed and ready to be bound together or used in your junque journals...Oh the possibilities... a little brown paper sack with gussets to store piles of photos or other findings.  Stamp on it, journal, doodle, cover with paper, embellish then bind into a book!

The binderie workshop...

Lips dusted with powdered sugar and the sour sweet of lemon, you look down the narrow market corridor of tents, wondering where to begin.  Your stop at the little crepe cart was a wonderful way to start as you watched the masterful way in which the batter was poured and spread over a hot plate until cooked then briskly given a bit of lemon juice and sprinkling of sugar.  You stand nibbling the paper-wrapped crepe as your eyes dance over the seemingly endless array of trinkets.  

It is a true art to navigate the overfilled baskets, tins, bowls, clay pots and various makeshift trays draped with colorful bits of fabric holding the goods of the marketplace.  The experienced gypsy knows not to waste time digging through such, but rather looks beyond what is laid out before them to what's hidden behind.  You carefully watch one of these gypsies as she makes her way through the market, then follow in her steps.  Slip between the dazzling gypsy jeweler's bright glass cases of his latest creations and the cordwainer's tools & leather goods- then make a quick left through the door with the now worn paint remnants of the word "books".  

A trio of bells signal your entrance and a voice calls a warm welcome.  Trying to take in the overfilled wooden shelves, your eyes wander over jars filled with pastes and brushes, a board with different sized awls poking from it, spools of twines and threads and come to rest on the old bookbinder's skilled fingers repairing the binding on a worn book.  Your heart races in anticipation of what's to be discovered here-  you have entered the binderie workshop...

Tucked safely in your knapsack is your little secret bookbinding tool.  The binderie punch.  Yes, you think, it may not be as rudimentary as the book binder's awl, but it allows you to bind your books as masterfully as his.  You notice a small basket under your feet containing book covers, their bindings too worn to salvage.  Always in search of good junk, you bend over to examine them.  Wouldn't they be perfect for your next hand bound book?  You slip one into the binderie punch and it drills through it with ease.  Vintage book covers, you think, what a great new idea!  And in a couple of different styles, the possibilities are endless.  And with that your binderie workshop adventure begins...

After an hour or so of pouring through every nook in the workshop, you walk out, arms filled with parcels, content that you have a good start to your bookbinding collection.  

Three new book board kits to bind accordion style, traditional book left or to use as pages in other projects!

And book board in funky new shapes.  Perfect for covers or inserts.

You delight in the clever little alphabet that the bookbinder's apprentice has fashioned from leftover chipboard bits and covered in your favorite new gypsy market papers!

And finally the new envelope book straight from the bookbinder's own hands.  Already wire bound and ready to use.  You loved the paper covered version he used to store his sales slips and vow to make one just like it.

Back onto the cobblestone street you go wondering what the market will bring next...

And the winner is!

Thank you again dear gypsies for declarations of gypsy affinity!  

Each gypsy's story guides them in their journeys and is shared with the other members of the caravan often.  It gives them a voice within the gypsy family and we have so enjoyed hearing yours.  So speak often and make yours heard.  Share your thoughts, praises, inspirations and love of all things gypsy.  After all, YOU are now one of the gypsies!! (and we promise to keep rewarding you with lots of giveaways!)

So without further adieu..

KitCat

and 

Kelly 

(from High Desert, CA)

You are now the envy of all other gypsies!  You've won the blog followers drawing & will get to play with some of our newest Gypsy Market papers and favorite gypsy products.  We can't wait to see what you create!

email one of the gypsies your address to claim your prize!

Welcome gypsies.

Wow!  What a response from our true gypsies.  

It's so good to hear you are out there keeping the gypsy spirit alive!  

Being that it is The Year of the Gypsy, we've decided to take you on a journey to a place that has been one of the gypsies best kept secrets.  Legend has it that it's true whereabouts cannot be charted on a map, rather it is a place found only by feeling... the tug of the gypsy spirit that calls its members to wander in search of all things creative.  Maybe it's the sound of gypsy music or the sweet smell of spices that greets you as you draw near or perhaps it's the well worn faces that surround you when you enter.  But it's treasures reveal themselves only to the true gypsies, those that have taken the sacred oath to travel the world, collecting what's meaningful as they go.  

Welcome fellow gypsies to the... 

Gypsy Market.

Wander through the many gypsy loving merchant tents and canopies and you'll find each brings another treasure.  A place where goods are exchanged like old stories, and difficult to take in all at once- the bit of striped canopie, the bright fabric lining of the old canvas tent, the rich velvet interior of a gypsies most prized possession- their traveling trunk or the pungent smell of herbs used to conjure an apothecary of potions.  This is an experience rich for each of the senses and the Gypsy Market collection brings it together for you to unleash your inner gypsy.

For the next week, until we set up camp at CHA, we will journey with you through the marketplace.  Come explore and see what our merchants have to offer as we reveal the latest 7gypsies findings.

But first gypsies, we'd like to introduce you to 12 of your fellow gypsies.  We've captured each of their unique personalities and vibrant stories in the designs within their namesake paper...

Blaze- His fiery temper and fierce good looks make him a natural leader in the caravan.

Brixton- Lover of water, potions and travels to the orient.  Can usually be found conjuring up new additions to his apothecary of natural remedies.  

Crystal- One of the many baby gypsies.  She's learning the ropes of traveling with the caravan and already has a taste for all things sparkly as evidenced in her skirt pockets full of findings she's tucked in them along the way.

Dulwich- A collector at heart.  Tends to pack more than he can carry.  Loves his well-worn leather walking boots and most often prefers to spend each night at the camp curled up with a wax candle in his great-great-great-grandnana's shawl, nose buried in a book.

Herne- Known to most as "gypsy mama" she dresses the part of in elaborate skirts draped with scarves she's collected in her travels.  Gentle in her ways laced with mystery and a little gypsy magic.

Moe- Full of heart and courage, he is passionate about the gypsy way of living.  His journey with the caravan has been a long one and is nearing it's end.  He is the oldest member of the gypsy caravan and always has an engaging story to tell.

Rye- This girl is wholesome, earthy and a lover of animals but with a dark side.

Saige- Drawn to art and it's history, she loves her life as a gypsy but has often separated from the caravan to explore local the architecture and arts.  A writer at heart.

Sharne- Saige's twin sister is also a lover of art and often joins her sister in her adventures.  She has an intense passion for life and a lover of children- has adopted all of the caravan children as her own.

Sheena- Young, bold and exotic.  Her interests are in the world of plants and the peace that nature brings.  Hidden in the lining of her trunk is her sketch book filled with ornate drawings of her world of adventure.

Tas- Known as the caravan workhorse.  He is always busy setting up market and transporting the necessary tools and provisions to make the caravan thrive.  Reliable, versatile and used in so many ways. 

Willow- Loves to run barefoot but is also the most steady hearted of the caravan.  She's always there to help and you'd be hard pressed to find a gypsy that doesn't crave her company.

And last, a collection of ornate flocked papers.  Inspired by the legendary gypsy ancestors.  Underneath their plush velvet flocking is a rich design created layer upon layer much like the intricate stories of old that the caravan carries with them still.

Join us next week as the journey continues...
Until then you can vote for your favorite gypsies along the right side of the blog!