Dreaming of an old fashioned summer

Here in the South, early summer has arrived, 80's with big fluffy clouds and a breeze to billow the blinds.  A reprieve for the long summer heat and humidity for the next 6 months.  The first signs of summer is the request to buy sweet tea for the fridge (Northern transplant here), popsicles, and drumsticks.  Remember those? Ice cream cones, gooey chocolate, and nuts--all melting at once.  Lick the fingers kind of fun.  The tinkling of the ice cream truck as it rounds the corner wafting through the windows.  Planting season is almost over here with the brutal sun and long spells with no rain.   Dreaming of my hydrangeas--everything this year has pittered out quickly; not sure if it was the cold winter, or hot/cold spring.

These days I spend outdoors, sitting on the porch, sipping coffee and listening.  Trying to be 'present'.  I recently read a blog that spoke of this and it really resonated with me.  Trying to remember its okay for the house to be dusty w/ fur balls and pollen while I go play pre-school soccer in the yard, or sit on the swing and we both fall back laughing.  Running in the hall and giggling like a kid.  Working not to be stressed all the time over work matters, worrying that my art, is well, art.  All the while not physically feeling up to par... I will 'be present' as time is quick running and it would be sad to know I missed the moments not captured on camera. 

As time meanders this summer..I will work on my painting.  I thought Christy's workshop was great--lots of energy.  Two! have been started...but no stress to get them done.  My sketch book, sticky pads, and anything that has a little space is currently where my thoughts go.  I may not get to them all, or it may be years from now but creativity is ageless and I will be 'present' for my sweets little years--she will be all grown up before I know it.

Showing you a few pictures of the items just loaded up in my Etsy shop.

May you have a sticky sweet and drippy Summer ---Enjoy it...moments are precious.

Treasures abound

when you swap with the lovely, Cristina.  I joined in Cerri's Easter basket swap for some sweet fun!  We have similar loves and that just makes swapping so much more fun and I love the tiny details that go into it.  Look at this wonderful basket that she sewed--OMG---wish I had the talent.  and the wonderful soft faded flowers in the most perfect shades...

Look at all the wonderful papers and tidbits! The sweet hankie... I adore the little girls so much and cherish this immensely. Beautiful vintage flowers, a lovely fabric flower and tag. A wonderful tin that is already filled with vintage tidbits.  So much inspiration--thank you my sweet friend for a wonderful swap.

Last, I didn't realize I hadn't taken a picture of these sweet eggs so I borrowed Cristina's. She has a sweet tutorial on how to make them.

Just wanted to share what I gave to Cristina.  I asked her if I could do a non traditional basket and what better than a vintage basket purse.  The shade of faded honey is just drool worthy.  I made the flower for the purse out of 2 Southern vintage lady hats in shades of faded cream and aqua; and tucked in a vintage blue bird. 

Treasures tucked inside

We had to make a least one handmade item I made a sweet petite collage and a Spring/Easter tag.  Just love how these came out.

Hope you had a wonderful and sweet filled Easter.

My little one appears to be :)  Candy fiend in the making!

Till next time,

Think, think, think....

I've been feeling a lot like Pooh lately with my hand taping my head going Think, think, think!  You just get in those ruts personally and professionally at times.  Directions, possibilities, wishes...so much too little time.  Swirling around like cream in your coffee just not blending all together.  answers? not sure of those.. how do you know if its knocking or scratching that you hear, which do you listen too...think, think, THINK. 

What do you do at these times?  Me, I spend time in books, magazines, good wine, fine coffee, and buying myself a beautiful bouquet of cottage roses from our local Fresh Market.  These beauties will be dried and set aside for future projects (you will see below).

A challenge was needed.  I joined one of Danielle's swaps, always vintage, but this one A Bird in the Hand.  The interesting part is that its limited to 10 players and not knowing who is in the challenge.  You send to Danielle who then ships you back another.  This allowed me to make it my own.  The challenge was a 5x5 collage and a handmade bird nest.  Lately as I looked around my home, my tastes have become more closer to neutrals, natural elements, and french inspired design ideas.  Romance blends in the form of soft feathers, fresh flowers, and soft pastels.  My inspiration came from these.

My parents live in the country and my dad leases multi hundreds of acres so I asked him to be on the look out for a real bird nest.  He found one abandoned and as I had never taken the time to look at one up close to study.  It was amazing.  The intricate blends of small twigs, fluff from it appears to be a pillow or dryer lint, tiny tiny weaving to make a beautiful and soft bed for the little ones.  It was so delicate that it fell apart when my Dad moved it but I used pieces of it, along with mosses, and twigs. 

I adore this nest I made and honestly very hard to part with but off she went.  The softness came in from french inspired stamped muslin that I tattered somewhat and ruffled.  The challenge was to have 3 eggs which I utilized paper craft ones stamped with French writing.  Other 'eggs' were vintage silver/grey beads, one of my dried roses and real feathers tucked in.  The base was to be sturdy so I secured the nest on an antique photo card embellished with vintage ledger paper.  An antique doily ruffled/tattered with more vintage silver/grey beads. This could represent the ledge/soft landing the nest rests on.

I thoroughly enjoyed this challenge.

The 5x5 collage base is made from illustration board.  I used acrylic paints and stamps blended together for the background then added a soft glaze like paint that gave it some shimmer.  The vintage birds are from cards.  I wanted the nest to represent a softness too along with all the different items birds gather to make their nest.  More muslin, tattered and shaped, an antique button and bead, vintage sheet music curled, and other tiny items.  The only thing I couldn't decide on was to add some words like many collage/mixed media do.  I like this result but give my your thoughts?  Natural elements came in when my little one and I went in search of the 'perfect' twig to make the hanger from.

As I took pictures this weekend, I realized maybe stress and thinking break me out of my box.  I hope whomever receives enjoys them as much as I enjoyed putting them together.

To further challenge myself I decided to take an online mixed media class which starts on the 11th.  There are so many out there but I selected this one because she utilizes so many different textures, elements, stamps, stencils, pastels, etc.  I am actually excited about this!

The She Workshop

She offering a new journal class too. 

Off to bath the little one and jammie time!

Take Care,

Flea Market Petite Inspiration Swap and Sunday goodness

I just had to show you the flower rosette I made for each of the ladies in the swap--what fun that was but it was definitely some work and sewing involved.  I most likely took it the hard way but I do love the result.

Hope everyone's weekend is going well.  I'm definitely missing my hour already :)  It's 4:30 Sunday afternoon and I can not believe it--ton's of stuff to do yet.  It was spring clean weekend here--this big old house sure get's dusty--I now know we have WAY to many chandeliers and lights.  Little one has been really sick the past week with fever, cough and such; spent time with Grammy and me for about 4 days and now Mom and I are both sick.  Ahh, but its Spring here in the South!  I pulled out my early Spring wreath, planted some pansy's in the window boxes, moved the Johnny Jump Ups to the ground to spread some love and now I'm here with my coffee enjoying the breeze and the 68 degree weather. DH took little one up to our pond to feed the ducks and play on the playground.  Kids bounce back like that!

On to the good stuff:
I joined in Heather's Petite Inspiration swap--Flea Market edition.  I just love working with the small inspiration pieces and would like to share the wonderful pieces I received from my beautiful partner's, Michelle and Lorraine.

Michelle's --Beautiful box with lovely papers, tags, ribbon, and sweet tid-bits; just thinking of all the history in those vintage pieces.  What a wonderful box--thank you so much Michelle!
I had to borrow Michelle's picture of the outside--mine did not come out.  I took pictures during our monsoon rain for about a week. 

Lorraine's-

Soft, vintage, sweet flowers, birds, and papers, and the little tiny treasures all tucked in.  So lovely, thank you Lorraine!

This is what I made for these lovely ladies:

I loved making the homemade rosette out of vintage pieces and lots of different textures.  The sweet bird embellished too.

Till next time,

The Good Stuff Challenge

Karla and Mrs.Stagg's had a challenge to utilize your 'best stuff'.  This idea really was wonderful as times I tend to 'hang' on to some of the good stuff mainly because I love it and others as I buy with a tendency not to know what to do with it yet.

With spring stepping up to the plate here in South Carolina, my mind has turned to the gardening magazines, catalogs, etc with popping of my bradford pear tree.  We moved into this 'old' new house a year ago this past week and have to say the original owner's planted some very beautiful flowering trees, hydrangeas, and alot of lilitrope but there is so much improvement yet to be done, I decided a garden journal was needed for this house.  I dug out this kraft journal I had for years and scrounged in my vintage papers and such--then the beautiful image, although not vintage yet--only 11 years young, that I have been saving --this was it!  You see this is the last blank note card I had left from my wedding.  Perfect for this lifetime house we moved into last year.  I really love the rustic of the burlap with the pearls, roses, and vintage inspired stamping.  Sorry for the darkness--it's been raining for 4 days straight.

And a look at the inner page:

Then I decided I wanted my other favorite look--I used some of this vintage wallpaper I had been holding onto--just enough to fit the other half of the Kraft book.

Now --I should use one for the front yard and the other for the back yard! Oh well, it was fun and love making to different looks. Please visit Karla's blog for the rest of the links.
Off to tend to a sick little one--
Happy Sunday!