everything vintage Studio Tour...

Next!...Oh, Good Morning! Can I have your ticket please?

Welcome! Are you with the "Where Blogger's Create" Party Tour...Could I have your name please? Aahh yes, you are at the top of our VIP list. Come right in, I've been waiting for you!

My name is Sophie and I'll be your tour guide today. I've known Mrs. Jodie for quite some time as I am her studio playmate. Oh the fun we have together! Mrs. Jodie is at her real job today but she might be home by the time we finish the tour. I'm sure she'd love to see you.

I must start off the tour by telling you that this is a private tour. ;) It is for bloggers only! In Mrs. Jodie's whole year of blogging, she's never posted about her little studio and only a handful of special people have been allowed to play in here. You see, Mrs. Jodie is sort of a private person, but don't tell her I told you that. She doesn't like me talking about her private life and such. You won't hear any of that from me, no ma'am.

Mrs. Valentine of Desert Cottage has worked very hard in getting you a VIP pass to enter everything vintage.  And since this is a very private tour, there are a few rules we ask that you follow:

But most importantly, I ask that you complete the comment card at the end of your visit so Mrs. Jodie knows she's getting her money's worth in hiring me to be your tour guide for today. And of course, tips are welcomed ;)

Please refrain from asking questions during the tour. We are on a tight schedule and I cannot make you late as I was told that you have many more tours to attend today so I will try and cover everything possible. I encourage you to email Mrs. Jodie with any and all questions once you return home.

Now, with all that said, Please follow me...

Mrs. Jodie and her dear husband built this home in 2003. If you notice at the top of the doorway, there is a transom stained glass. Mrs. Jodie herself made several in the home but this one in particular represents Louisiana Mardi Gras. The pictures along the wall depict her love for this holiday, hence we call it the Mardi Gras Room. Well, she just calls it "her room" but actually I stay in here 24/7 , it should be called "Sophie's Room"... hmpf!

This room was originally the music room which her husband and son enjoyed very much. Full of electric guitars, drums, and amplifiers, the sound of rock and roll filled this room almost daily. Tragedy struck Lucky her, her son graduated high school in 2007 and left home to attend college. Her husband had no one to play with so he retreated to his outdoor shed where he now spends most of his time. Mrs. Jodie made good use of the now abandoned room by  turning it into her creative oasis and a new home for all of her flea market/yard sale finds. And if I do say so myself, she brings too much of that stuff home and she's running out of room in here. But I don't tell her that, she'll just disagree.

We'll start off here as we meander through the room. In the bookcase is Mrs. Jodie's extensive collection of Stampington & Company & Somerset publications. These magazines host many articles of her friends and she spends much time thumbing through them. When the mailman brings one or two of those, I don't see Mrs. Jodie for days. I don't like those magazines, they take up too much of our playtime together. Makes me jealous.

Also to the right is a rotating store display she found at a yard sale. It holds almost every sticker from this store. Mrs. Jodie has a secret about those stickers. She never opens the packages. Instead, she puts them on her copy machine and cuts the ones she needs as she creates. I asked her why she just don't use them and she rolled her eyes at me and said "because they cost money Sophie!"

This is also where she keeps her beloved cabinet cards which she fondly calls them "her extended family".  It makes me jealous when she plays with them and not me...(sniff sniff)

And to make matters worse, she has some real friends she plays with too. Although I never see them, she calls them her "computer friends". I know they are for real because they send her stuff and she hangs it on her Eiffel tower.

They always have boxes coming and going in and out of here, sometimes I feel like I work at the post office.

Mrs. Jodie is spoiled...that's what her boys say all the time but I could never tell her that. She'd put me to the road.

I'm so jealous of her "computer friends" and her dear husband feels the same way. Sssh, but just between me and you, if Mrs. Jodie don't get out of this room and start paying attention to her man, I just might have to take action! He's so lonely out there...I bet he could use some good cooking & a foot rub. He works so hard and all she does is spend it I tell you! But you didn't hear that from me. I'd never tell anyone Mrs. Jodie's business.

Do any of you watch the Lifetime Channel? That's Mrs. Jodie's favorite channel when she's in here. I think she watches the television more than she creates. All of those movies about cheating couples and murders, hmpf! I know that ain't healthy to be watching, but I don't tell her that.

What's that suitcase on the floor you ask? Now I told you not to be asking any questions but I'll answer this one. That's Mrs. Jodie's Silver Bella suitcase. That's all the "stuff" she came home with last year. Some of it she made & never finished but most of it was given to her by her "computer friends". You know the ones I never see but I know they exist? I get so tired of her talking about Silver Bella this and Silver Bella that...and she's going again this year! She better get her another suitcase if you ask me.

Let's carry on...we're almost half way through. I don't know what's taking so long with this tour, it's not like I'm telling you any of Mrs. Jodie's personal life or anything. You know she's such a private person, I'd never tell her business to strangers, no siree.

This area above is where Mrs. Jodie keeps her paper, wrapping stuff and beads. She's pretty organized and all but I hate it when she makes me dust. I have to be really careful because she has some really special things that she don't want me messing with.

She says some things are irreplaceable...

and very cherished...

Here in this corner is Mrs. Jodie's paper cutting stuff.

She makes little tags and cards. These floral boxes below are filled with Sizzix dies. And she has two machines, one for each arm I guess. She's so lucky to even have arms...I'm so jealous of her. She's so spoiled, but I'm glad I'm her playmate! :)

Oh my goodness, you are going to be so late! I cannot believe it's taking me so long to get you through the tour of Mrs. Jodie's little studio. Let's hurry because she'll be home shortly and I'm sure she'll want to come in here to play.

Speaking of playing, Mrs. Jodie has an extensive amount of rubber stamps. She has many wood mounted but her favorites are acrylic. She has many from Stampington & Company and her favorite artists are Sandra Evertson and Lynne Perrella to name a couple. A long time ago, Mrs. Jodie was head over heels about scrapbooking but lately she's been telling everyone it's called "paper art". Does anyone in here know the difference? To me, if you play with paper, it's all the same! I wonder if there such a thing as paper t.v. watching art because that's what she really does!

And speaking of favorites, her latest "kick" is vintage velvet ribbon. Mrs. Jodie scored really big on some new old stock, which she cannot bear to open the package so she leaves them out as "display only". Now we all know that no one comes in here but me and her. Are we supposed to just look at it??? go figure.

Mrs. Jodie has this cute little sewing area, you would think she would sew with the vintage velvet ribbon but nooo. Just look at all the other velvet ribbons she has on her shelf. She even has some beautiful ruffled vintage velvet that she bought from Heather and she can't even use that! S-P-O-I-L-E-D. Plain & simple. I wish she'd sew me a new apron with some of that pretty velvet ribbon. I think this room is getting too small for the both of us, but don't tell her I said that. She'd light a match to me!

Well this is the Queen's throne. Mrs. Jodie sits here in all her glory (& watches the t.v. most of the time!).  However she does write in her journal  often (I hope she's not taking notes about me!)

She keeps her small things within reach and jots down ideas as she sees them or reads about them.  Her desk is neat above but usually it looks like this below...

There's always some inspiration near Mrs. Jodie, always!  

Well beautiful people, it was so nice that you came. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here. I hear Mrs. Jodie coming down the hall as we speak...

"Well good morning Sophie, I see you have company. Hello friends, my name is Jodie. I'm sure by now, Sophie has given you a tour of my studio and I hope you enjoyed it. I hope she didn't bore you with any of the little details, she can be quite talkative sometimes. Mrs. Valentine just called and informed me that your next tour is ready to begin. You have a full day ahead of you, I hope you have lots of fun.

Thank you for coming and hope to see you again soon!

***

So tell me Sophie, did they enjoy the tour? Did they ask anything about me? Thank you for working today...now let's go read the comment cards! ;)