"SWEET AS CAN BE"

"Sweet as can be" is what these tags are! I used *my obsession* Paper Whimsy sweet girls, bias tape, pretty pink crepe paper, a glittered polka dot tag, pink wee bitty safety pin, and a cupcake patterned paper that I white washed and a circle of white paint around the girl's faces.
This is one set of tags. There are several sets and you can find them in my Etsy shop!
The bias tape is something new for me and I LOVE using it! It comes in the most beautiful colors and is priced very reasonably. I got the bias tape for these tags from One Hundred Wishes. Not only does she carry wonderful colors of bias tape, but she has some really cool things that I always find I can't live without!
And are you loving the use of crepe paper as much as I am? Who would have thought you could use it for something other than streamers for birthday parties? LOL
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog! I so appreciate your time.
Have a fabulous 'rest of the day'!

xoxo,

Jan

WE'VE GOT BIRD'S NESTS IN A WEE BITTY TEA CUP AND BIG OL' MATCHBOXES!

This first picture is of a sweet little bird's nest in a precious wee tea cup. I have been having so much fun making bird's nests that I'm looking in places I haven't looked in in like forever to find things that a bird would like to call home! I bought this tea cup in Michigan last summer just knowing that I would be able to use it for something - it was so cute and tiny! The view you're seeing here is looking down on it - the other views of the tea cup can be seen in my Etsy store and will give you a better idea of how if you were a bird, you'd want to live here! LOL

Miss Precious here is decorating the front of a large matchbox which is housing a bird's nest, a newly born chick, the actual egg that she escaped from during birth and two more eggs that will likely hatch in the next couple of days. (And I'm sure you recognized that Miss Precious is from the Paper Whimsy collage sheet collection that is my drug of choice. I need some help kicking this habit!!)
I painted the inside of the matchboxes (there are four total:) so that if you want to remove the nest *and perhaps perch it safely in a tree* and use the box for another reason, you'll have cute, cute, cute polka dots for your background.
See???? I told you the egg from which the chick was birthed was in the box! What a special little addition - you might want to hurry on over to my Etsy shop and snatch up one, oh, heck, all of the matchbox nests before someone else does!
Thanks for taking the time to read my post - I love that you do! And if you take just a moment to leave a comment then I'll feel really popular and oh, that's such an amazing feeling! LOL

xoxo,

Jan

.

ANOTHER NEW PIECE!! ONE FOR ME, ONE FOR YOU....

I finished another piece! yea! Actually, I made two of these, this pink one and a light turqouise one to go in my "newly still working on it decorated" bathroom. This one that you're seeing is for sale in my Etsy store. (I'm adding things as fast as I can make them:)!!

The hankies were my mother-in-laws and are included with the piece (for sale on Etsy) unless you have some of your own that you'd like to use.
As best as I can tell this is a vintage *delicate* laundry dryer for the things that you hang to dry. I'm hanging mine in my *nature* bathroom:)
I love, love, love the delicate pink flowers in the bow of the ribbon!!
I think the blue bird makes it! I LOVE the bird!
Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog! And if you've got a moment, leave a comment - I love feedback and I love getting *mail*!!

xoxo,

Jan

.

FEATHER YOUR NEST PINK

FEATHER YOUR NEST PINK was the result of two days of tearing my hair out! LOL! It started out "feather your nest white" and then it was "feather your nest blue"....you get the picture!! Sometimes my pieces don't come easily:)

I used a white shadow box and this lovely paper with pink roses on it, giving it texture by sewing on the rose with white thread. It was my first time to use Grungeboard and I really liked working with it! I used it for the wings and the little swirly under the *earbob* bouquet that the sweet girl's holding. Once again, I used a Paper Whimsy girl - I do love Gale's work!
Even though this piece took a wee bit too long to make, I love it!! Pink's my favorite color so that made it worth every minute.

You can see this piece and oh, so many fabulous pieces by 'muah' in my Etsy store. Help me put three boys through college this fall....visit, shop, buy. LOL

xoxo,

Jan

.

FEATHER YOUR NEST....and i'm obviously on a roll!

I have a good customer that is redoing her bathroom and wanted something special for this one smaller wall. I went with her botanical theme and quickly twisted it into a bird *botanical* theme - birds are my new love!
Well, not exactly 'new' love, I was collecting nests and bird papers last summer but am just now getting to put them to good use in some art!
I assembled this piece in a black shadow box in which I used a beautiful green botanical paper for the background, I used some wonderful egg and bird pictures to go along with a precious Paper Whimsy girl and half of a real nest and a real egg.

I love the way the real nest and egg look in the shadow box.If you look closely at the nest you can see all of the wonderful things the original homeowners used in the building of their home! There's even a small piece of cellophane in there.
Tomorrow I'm anxious to work up a white on white piece! I LOVE BEING BACK!!

xoxo,

Jan

.

WOOHOO - I'VE CREATED AND IT FEELS FABULOUS!!

I'm creating!! Woohoo! I'm so excited to show all of you, my special friends, my newest creation! I've set it on an old quilt to take the pictures *just so you know the quilt is simply a prop*!This bird nest was so much fun to make! I started with a velvet rose that I bought in a shop in Llano, Texas, a couple of weeks ago. Actually, I bought several of them with the idea to use three or so of them in a large vase in my living room after I embellished them.
So, I was working with them and thought, gosh, they're so big and flat I wonder how else they could be used?
With my newly acquired love for everything "bird and nest" I immediately thought of a bird's nest! I am so pleased with the way this turned out that I was sorely tempted to keep it and put it in my hall bathroom which I am decorating in a "nature" theme!
But, alas, I was strong and have listed it in my Etsy shop, so you'll want to rush right over there and help me put these three boys of mine through college!
It was so much fun to add vintage laces, pearl garland, lots of glitter on my feathered bird, and cheese cloth to compliment the beautiful red velvet rose! And, of course, I couldn't resist altering the rose a bit with stamping, bronze glitter and antique lace!
I hope y'all have enjoyed sharing in my first creation since, well, you know! I am so glad to "be back"! I have missed all of this!

xoxo,
Jan

.

BANNERS, BANNERS EVERYWHERE!

TODAY I spend most of the entire day in my studio!! First time since before Thanksgiving! Woohoo!! ......I dug my way through most of the mess, enough to at least find a clean square of workspace on my work table so that I could START CREATING! AUGHHHHHH!! It was huh-evan!

While there today I took a picture of the banner that my wonderful swap buddies in the Paper Whimsey Banner Swap finished for me when I had to drop out because of my medical adventures. Barbara and Patti were so lovely to do that for me - I have hung it on the door into my studio. It looks so awesome!

Being a Paper Whimsy swap we had to use a PW image on our banners which, in my opinion, makes them oh, so special!
If you have never checked out the Paper Whimsy site, oh, you must. Gale's collage sheets are my drug of choice!

I also wanted to show you a picture of the MERRY CHRISTMAS banner that Keesha made for me. I have it hanging in my studio, too, and will keep it up all year long. Why, it's too precious for me to take down just because it's not Christmas! Having it up every day for me to see will also remind me that every day should be lived as if it WAS Christmas day! Thank you, njj!
Y'all have a fabulous day! I'll be posting again in the next couple of days........I'm anxious to show you what I've worked on today in the studio!

xoxo,

Jan

.

Y'ALL HAVE COMPLETELY BLOWN ME AWAY BY YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS

I received a package in the mail today from my friend, Keesha.
She has been asking me for several days now if I had received anything in the mail from her and every day I would tell her that no, I hadn't gotten anything....did you send me a present???? You know that I love presents, Keesha....
This went on for several days and then today I walk into the studio and on my work table Frank the Tank had left my mail.
And guess what came in the mail today......

My precious friend, Keesha, had included me in y'all's awesome Valentine Charm Swap. Oh, my gosh.
Oh....
My.....
Gosh....

I was originally a part of the swap but had to bow out when I realized that because of my "adventures in health", I wouldn't be able to participate.
Everyone of you involved in this swap that included me by making yet one more charm - bless you.

I acknowledge that I have gone through a lot since Thanksgiving.
Yes, it was bad.
It was hard.
It was absolutely horrific.
But it's been through prayers, love, thoughts, and acts of kindness that have helped me remember every day that I am totally blessed and have nothing to complain about.
Frank the Tank has finally come to the realization that my best friends are my art friends. All of y'all are so special to me and I am so blown away by your generousity....do you get that?

Do you know how blessed I am to be associated with such precious ladies?
And Keesha - my dear, dear friend. I so love you!

Thank you, all off you, for my charms!
And for your friendship.

XOXO,
Jan

.

.

THAT'S WHAT MAKES YOU SO NICE

Finally, I am feeling fabulous - though it may be relative to how I have felt the last three months, I love the fact that when someone asks me how I'm doing, how are you really feeling, I can honestly tell them that I feel fabulous!
Though I have to take things slow and I tire easily, I really feel good - good enough to do several things that I haven't had the energy to do since before Thanksgiving.
Like clean up the dump site I call my studio, cook some meals for my family, go to the movies, get back in church, and yesterday I took a soldering class - WOOHOO!!!
There's more but I've been too sick to remember everything. LOL

In getting my life back into some sort of order has allowed me to re-read the posts, the emails, the cards and letters that I have received from so many of you. I have also felt good enough to enjoy the lovely gifts that many of you have sent to let me know that you're thinking of me. And, oh my gosh, this was such a surprise, I had to drop out of a Paper Whimsy Banner Swap and my dear partner made my letter for me and sent me a completed banner.
Amazingly thoughtful.

The picture above is in reference to a post where I told you about the beautiful necklace that my precious friend, Keesha, made for me for Christmas - I told you then that I would show you a picture of it when I was feeling better.
That would be today!! Yippee!
Isn't it just the coolest? I simply adore it.

Everyone in the art community that I call a friend has been so thoughtful.
I even received a phone call from a blog friend that I've never even met before! How darling is that?? I try to explain to Frank the Tank what dear friends you all are to me, those of you that I know from the art community, women I've never met face to face, women that I've shared an art retreat with, women that I feel closer to than most of my face to face friends, and I don't think he gets it.
Oh, of course he doesn't get it - he's a man and he's not an artist!

I hope y'all get it - how much I cherish you - you know who I'm talking to.

God bless you,
xoxo,
Jan
.

.