Do any of you remember....

 

Do any of you painters remember the fun wood shapes Provo Craft, Zims and Robert's Craft use to carry?

 

I was putting out Easter Decorations, yes I know a shocker, and came across these fun things I had painted years ago.

This bunny and carrot was one of my first class I took from Susan Van Alyne.

She happened to be living in Las Vegas and taught at the Leeward's down the street from where we were living.  I figured I was painting with a "BIG BRUSH" because she designed for Provo Craft.

The sweetest lady you could ever meet.

I loved her classes!!

It was a great break for me being a single mom at the time while my husband was deployed to the Middle East.

I think I got these little baskets in a swap from a painting buddy. 

 I painted them up for a gal to share with her family this Easter. 

 I remember standing outside the old Provo Craft store waiting for their HUGE sidewalk sale and about losing my mind hoping for all the great deals.  They never disappointed!

I had driven up from Vegas and the Van was packed full on my trip back.

This is were I got this frog...my sister's and I could decide if it was a bear, frog or what. 

 But just to be safe I bought a case of them.

Then when Zim's went out of business I was there buying cases of fun things.

Love this little witch!

Many things I have painted and sold over the years.

Bringing out the Easter Decorations took me down memory lane.

I wonder if we will ever see stores like that again?

Hope you have some good memories too!

Enjoy,

Barb

End of an Era…

When I first stared tole painting in the late 1990’s The two huge craft supply stores were Provo Craft and Zim’s Craft Supply. Loads of great patterns and wood products. Every time I came to Salt Lake City from Las Vegas I would come armed with money and a huge list of items that folks in Vegas wanted me to pick up for them.

One summer I came up specifically to go to the tent sale outside the Provo Craft store in Provo. They would have a huge clearance sale every year to clear out inventory. It was a place for me to go "mental".

A number of years ago Provo Craft went out of business and converted their inventory to Robert’s Craft.  Still a great place to shop but not as much inventory.

Right after we moved to Utah I heard that Zim’s Craft Supply was going out of business. Needless to say I was there about every day for weeks just to make sure I had not left something behind that I would need. So now Zim’s is no longer there with all those fantastic Nutcrackers, sleds and fabulous different styles of wood, tin and other fun things to paint on.

So what brings me to all these memories? We were out doing errands and I remembered that Robert’s Craft was having a huge going out of business sale. So my husband stop and we walked into what I can only call "chaos". Millions of people with carts piled high with craft supplies. My husband thought it was hysterical “remember when you use to do that”?   Little did he know I had already been there and picked up the last of the brushes and paint that was available. This brought back good memories but it also made me sad. It will never be like it was when I first started to paint.

 I came home and started looking through all my boxes. I have so much stuff that I will never paint it all. Yes, we crafters are all the same so many ideas and never enough time. I decided to keep some of it and share some of it. I have set up an area in my Etsy shop for de-stashing.

Click here it see what I have listed so far. I am amazed at what I have been unearthing. My son asked if we were moving in or out? I am also amazed that I bought all this and have yet to paint any of it.

I blame teenagers.

Thank you for treading down memory lane with me today. I think instead of being sad I will start thinking of how best to paint some of this. That will cheer me up!!

Enjoy your day, 

Barb