New Fabric Cuff Bracelets and Ruffled Pillows

Here's a peak at my new fabric cuff bracelets and some ruffled pillows I've been making.

 I love mixing rough materials like burlap with pretty laces and ruffles.

Inspiration

Lately I've been so inspired to create art and life is so much more fun when it's filled with art.  Fabric, fibers, paper, paint, stamps-my studio looks like an art bomb went off inside.  When I create I have to have everything where I can see it!  Here are some of the pieces I've made lately.

I made the above piece for an art heart exchange, stay tuned for my next post in which I'll reveal the beautiful heart I got back!

I better get to work!  Have a happy day!

Taking Time to Breathe

Life has been so busy since school started I have not had a chance to get back into my studio.  I miss creating in my little studio but I have been getting so much done around my house.  I have had a chance to be somewhat creative as I have been hanging drapes, pictures and putting some much needed finishing touches on areas of my home that have been neglected.  

I always feel that I can't "play" in my studio until all of my work is finished.  I have recently come to realize that if I only allow myself to go into the studio when I have absolutely nothing else to do I will NEVER get in there and that will make for an unhappy girl!  I need to take time to breathe once in awhile and create so my heart and soul can be happy!  It helps make everything else in life more enjoyable!

I recently visited the Etsy shop of a very talented artist, Lisa Jurist from Mudhound Primitives .  Lisa is one of the most inspiring artists I know and I purchased a small mixed media collage from her to hang in my studio, "Life Sat Waiting"-so beautiful!  I'm afraid my photography does not do it justice as it is SO much more beautiful in person.

Here are some of my mixed media collages I made a few months ago.  I am hoping to be able to get into my studio and "play" sometime very soon!

Fabric Cuff Bracelet

That's all for now!  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family!  Take time to breathe and remember what you have in your life and be grateful!  :)

Jennifer

Time to Catch Up

It's been three months since I last posted and I am feeling very guilty for neglecting my little blog.  Our summer was so busy with sports camps and practices, shuttling kids here and there and going to the lake every weekend.  Now that the kids are back in school I finally have more of a routine going again and some free time to play in my studio.  I found a little bit of time over the summer to play with paint and collage and am anxious to do some more.   Here are a couple of the pieces I did most recently.  These are both acrylic on canvas with hand stamped collage bits.

These next two I also added some copper colored glass tiles.

That's all for now.  I plan to update more often now that we are back on a normal schedule.  I hope you all had a great summer as well!

My New Studio

Karen from My Desert Cottage is hosting the second annual "Where Bloggers Create" blog party.  A big thank you to Karen for all her hard work and time she put into hosting this fun event! 


This is my first time participating and it's finally time for me to share my new completed studio!  I'm so excited that it is finally finished and everything is in it's place.  I actually had to clean it all back up because I have been working in it for a couple of months now since it's been finished. For those of  you that don't know, over the winter we finished off a bonus area above our garage and built a studio for me and a bathroom and bedroom for our boys.  This is my absolute dream come true to have a dedicated art space to work in.  (YAY ME!)  Here is the first class tour of my new space, enjoy!  (Click on the individual photos to enlarge them.)

             

This is the view when you come up the stairs to my studio.  The curtain covers a little closet built into the roof rafters.  I chose to do a curtain rather than a door to save on space and because I wanted the cottage feel.  I store extra tubs and rolls of fabric in there, tools and other supplies.

                    

This is my little computer desk.  I do computer graphic work here, bookwork, etc.  Look at the cute skin I have on my Macbook.  The little lamp on the desk was bought as a set of two at an antique store and I found the desk at Wal Mart.  

                         

Here is my sitting area.  My love seat and ottoman are from Ikea, the vintage mirror from an antique shop, and I found the chandelier at a tag sale about ten years ago and never had a use for it until now.  The curtains are actually shower curtains I found years ago as well and never used until now.  Below is a close up of the light, it was the perfect color, I didn't even have to paint it!

                            

Notice the painted wood plank ceiling.  I wanted that cottage/porch look.  I also have an exhaust fan in the ceiling so I can burn, solder and use resin/chemicals and not drop dead from the fumes!  :)

                   

                             

This is my dresser from Ikea, tons of storage!  I keep tissue paper, containers of beads, small tools, pens, pencils, paper, small odds and ends in here.  On top I have a cube divider from Target with more storage.  vintage containers with paint brushes, ribbon organizers, vintage books, vintage canning jars with holding buttons, brown cloth boxes hold fabric, crinkle ribbon and silk ribbon, magazines, artwork made by my kids and other favorite things.

                             

Antique letter press printer's blocks.  Notice I arranged them with my birthday in the middle, 3-4-67  :)

                              

My favorite vintage book,  The Banner Anthem Book.  I love the tone on tone colors and the tattered spine.  I photograph a lot of my jewelry on it.  Next to the book is a little silver plate leaf dish, I found at a flea market, filled with rhinestone findings I use in my jewelry.  The "Live, Laugh, Love" frame was made for me by my daughter.  

                             
Fabric cuff bracelets were made by me.  

                            

                          

My main work table where I do my jewelry and sewing.  I made a skirt for the table that matches the closet curtain to cover up all the tubs of fabric underneath the table.  I couldn't find a reasonably priced vintage dress form so I bought a new one and stained it with coffee and tea.  The fabric and canvas mixed media collages on the wall beside the dress form are made by me.  

                            

                  

                      

My shelves with all my containers and tubs filled with stamp pads, acrylic paints, mixed media collage bits and bobs, tools, papers, fibers, etc. etc. etc........

                              

My beadboard cabinets and sink.  Yay-I have a sink!  Now my husband doesn't have jars with paintbrushes soaking in his bathroom anymore!!!

                             

Last, but not least, one of my favorite things is my "J" from, you guessed it, Anthropologie.  I LOVE that store, the closest one is 4 hours away from me so for now I will have to rely on the internet, although I did pick this guy up at Christmas time while I was in Minneapolis Christmas shopping.  Hanging from my J are two of my necklaces that I made.

Thank you so much for looking!  I can't wait to see everyone else's creative spaces!  :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Jen

2nd Annual Where Bloggers Create party- June 19th, 2010!!!! It’s time again to share your creative spaces!!!

This is my first year participating in the Where Bloggers Create blog party and I'm SO excited!  I can't wait to see everyone's creative spaces and share mine with everyone.  They are giving out several fabulous prizes so join in the fun!  Click on the link at the left for more details and to sign up!

Rain, Rain Don't Go Away!

I'll bet you're wondering why I say, "Rain, rain don't go away".  Well, for starters, I have TONS of yard work to do!  Flowers to plant, mulch to put in, weeds to kill and I need to finish my little fish pond in my back yard that I tore out last Fall to re-do and didn't finish.  Since it's been raining, however, I have not "been able" to do any of that so instead I've been playing in my studio and not feeling guilty because I have all this other work to do!  Although, I must confess that I do not care for the rain and 50 degree weather when I have to go watch my daughter at her track meet.  I have also been getting my Spring house cleaning done which always feels good!


Here are a few of the jewelry pieces I've been spending my time on. 

         

                  

                    
Well, it's pouring rain outside again today so you know where to find me!  Have a happy day all!