The Archives: Hanging Out With The Girls

September is here and school is in session. Here I present to you "Hanging Out With The Girls" from my Bohemian Girl Collection. After school Abby will be hanging out with the girls for some fun time at the soda place. This simple and yet cute collage concept reminded me of my high school years, when after studying very hard I had some fun time with my school friends.

As you have noticed Abby is wearing her signature Flapper hat with her flower, which matches lovely with her retro outfit. In addition because she is attending school she is also wearing her glasses. So she not only looks smart, but she also looks very fashionable.


You can purchase my cute "Hanging Out With the Girls" T-Shirt at my Bohemian Girl Shop.


You are welcome to visit my Bohemian Girl Collection designs at my online store.


And for all of you students out there, have a fun school year!





The Archives: Post's from my old blog The RetroChic Corner. Original Post Date: 09/02/09

The Archives: On The Train Station

This is my design "On The Train Station", from my Bohemian Girl Collection! I had use one of my older version of Milly from The Espresso Express and gave it a more Retro Pop look.

My inspiration for this art piece comes from my love of traveling. I always loved the fact of how back in the days when train traveling was the most popular form of transportation. The elegance and beauty of the ladies back then have inspired me for my art fashion. So I wanted to bring back a little bit of that history through my new design concept.
This year for our 10th year wedding anniversary my husband took me to one of my favorite towns in Florida. Then to my surprise he took me to a train station and asked me if I wanted to go on a train ride. " Of course, I would like to take a train ride! Thanks sweetie!" I was so elated and touched by this surprise that I was tearing and happy at the same time.

You can visit my Biography to learn more about my passion for art at:
About Carmen Johnson

And for my "Bohemian Girl Collection" shop you can visit at: bohemiangirlcollection



The Archives: Post's from my old blog The RetroChic Corner. Original Post Date: 08/12/09

The Archives: Stepford Factory

Artists from around the world are committed to draw once a year. They call it "Drawing Day." So last year, on the Drawing Day, I went ahead and brushed up on my drawing. Back then, I haven't drawn for some time. I had to kind of practice shapes and forms to get my hand to the artist mode. It took me awhile until I finally felt comfortable with drawing in pencil again.

"Now what should I draw?" I asked myself. I wanted to draw something totally different from my usual Bohemian Girl Collection. I wanted it to be unique and unusual, but still in the Retro Pop Art category. I thought then of something that reminded me of Retro living. So the Stepford Wives movie came to mind. Yes, I have to admit I liked that movie. It's funny because I love to be the typical Homemaker Wife. Even though the movie was kind of making fun of the cookie cutter wife, I thought that it made my homemaker skills look easier.

I started to make a mannequin form, that was fitted with an apron and I added a touch of sparkle with a pearl necklace. Then I drew a face of a mannequin, which as you can see I added for the background effect. Then I repeated the mannequin forms and just changed her dress colors, to give it that Pop Art look. And viola, my freshly made Retro Pop Art " Stepford Factory" came about!


My "Stepford Factory" design is being featured below in this Jumbo size tote bag! Click the bag to visit my Bohemian Girl Shop!




You can visit my shop at anytime and see my other retro pop designs at Bohemian Girl Shop!


Have a fun weekend!


P.S. If you happened to enjoy the Stepford's Wives movie, you are for sure going to enjoy the article "How To Be a Stepford" on the Time Warp Wives website.


My Stepford Factory design is copyrighted by Carmen Johnson.



The Archives: Post's from my old blog The RetroChic Corner. Original Post Date: 07/10/09

The Archives: Meet Me Tonight

I have always love the romantic scene of Paris! So that was why I created my design "Meet Me Tonight". I wanted a couple in this romantic setting with a Paris water fountain as a background. I wanted to create a lovely night ambiance with a ray of moonlight that would fall gently on the water fountain without disturbing the love birds.

Before I had made the water fountain I saw several European water fountains with its statues forms. So I decided to create several women in gowns like they were holding the top part of the fountain.

The couple are featured like being in an old black and white photograph. And to add to the romance, I wanted for the guy to surprise his gal with a red rose. What girl won't be excited to receive a rose from her sweetheart?

My design " Meet Me Tonight," is being featured below in this Jumbo size tote bag! Click the bag to visit my Bohemian Girl Shop!


Shop at and see my other retro pop designs at Bohemian Girl Collection!

All designs are copyrighted by Bohemian Girl Collection.

The Archives: Bohemian Girl Collection

This is my personal journal from my Bohemian Girl Collection! I always carry it with me, because it is here where I write down all my design inspirations and my million and one projects and ideas.

The design of my Bohemian Girl Collection is a great inspiration for me. Whenever I pick up my journal it brings a smile to my face. You see, behind every art design there is a story. And I have to tell you the story behind my Bohemian Girl Collection.

Several years ago I had the opportunity to explore one of my hidden talents. And that was my passion for Art.

I always loved art through out my life. I never had a chance to go to college or pursue art in any form or fashion. Though whenever I would go to a museum I knew a good piece of art when I saw it. For instance, I always admired the ladies of Alphonse Mucha's art posters and Andy Warhol's colorful pop art. Both artists inspired me to believe that art comes in different forms and colors. And if you're not a Leonardo Da Vinci that's okay, because the definition of art is not confined to only one kind of expression. But art is defined as a product of human activity, made with the intention of stimulating the human senses as well as the human mind by transmitting emotions and or ideas.

So art ideas and inspirations, I had plenty. The problem was skills. I had zero, nothing, nada, no skills, whatsoever. Like many artists, I could describe myself as a self-taught, always-learning, starving artist. It's not that I could only draw stick figures. My art wasn't that bad. But it wasn't that great either. So I knew that I had to work on improving what little talent I had. So I got several of those " How to draw like a pro", "How to draw from the left side of the brain", "How to draw with your eyes closed", "How to draw upside down while eating" books. Mr. Da Vinci, why did you set the bar so high for us?

At that time I had a bigger challenge. The fact that I couldn't draw was the least of my challenges. Yes, like I said on the onset, I had an opportunity to explore my hidden artistic talent. This opportunity that I had is not as great as it sounds. My health made a left hand turn. I was thrown into an unknown, embarrassing world, the world of IBS. This new problem that, by the way, almost shortened my life, had become a new ugly word in my vocabulary. Besides not being able to enjoy foods, social functions, and traveling, I learned every clean and dirty bathroom there was in my town (which a girl should know well). I was tired, frustrated, and cried many nights. I learned the good, the bad, and ugly of IBS.

One of my favorites singer is Bing Crosby. And like the title of one of his songs "Accentuate the Positives" and not the negatives. I had to accentuate the positives in my life. If life gives me lemons, then I will make pink lemonade!

So while I was in my art mood, my dear sister decided to pay for me to take an interior decorating course while I was at home recuperating. While studying my decorating books, I learned an important thing of design: Concept. It is very important for an interior designer to come up with a concept. I developed a concept of how I would like my art to be. So I compiled a more 3D idea concept by looking at magazines, vintage websites, arts ,etc. Anything that will talk to me, that I felt inspired by, I made sure to bookmark it.

After getting all inspired, I then started to draw. But I had problems, because I was concentrating in making things look real. My wonderful husband, who draws better than I, had given me a great, but simple, tip. "Everything comes from simple forms." I knew that, because I had all of these books in my house. Though I never did get it. But after my husband helped me see how he draws, I understood it better. Thank, you Babe! Then my Bohemian Girl started to take shape.

When my art piece was completed, I was so excited for my sister to see it. So that was when she gave me her constructive criticism: "I love your design! But you know what would be nice?"

"What?" I said.

"You know that my hair is curly and not straight, I would love to see your Bohemian Girl have some curly hair. Wouldn't that be nice?"

At that moment I couldn't believe what I was hearing. After all I have been through in learning the abc's of art, that I had no clue about in the first place. Now, that my baby was born, she was not cute enough! Well I thank my sister for that. If it wasn't for her "encouragement", my Bohemian Girl would look a little bald and rough around the edges:


A week later, with smoke coming out of my computer, fingers sticking together and burnt eyelashes. My new and improved Bohemian Girl Collection was born!


...and the rest is history!


If you want to have a cup of coffee with style, go shopping with a retro design jumbo tote bag or get your own Bohemian Girl journal. You are welcome to visit both of my Bohemian Girl Collection shops anytime!




The Archives: Post's from my old blog The RetroChic Corner. Original Post Date: 06/08/09