Everyday is a Holiday

Finally!!!!!

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:50:45 GMT

Finally!!! We are officially moved in. It seemed like an eternity. Like a perpetual state of walking up and down stairs with stacks of cardboard boxes. Simply endless.

The weird part was the overlapping. Our lease at the new place started on the 15th and at the old place we were paid through the 30th. So for two weeks we were still making trips back there to get the residual stuff...the stuff that's bound for the attic. And we had to do some patchwork on the walls and some painting because we couldn't leave the place in the state that it was in. We had striped walls in three rooms and around our whole living room and dining room we had a handpainted border that looked like a black and white striped scallop awning. We know for a fact that future tenants wouldn't want to pick up where we left off decor wise, so that meant attacking all the walls with an electric sander and then brushing on a thick coat of primer to cover up any stripe remnants. It was not pleasant and it felt so counterproductive to be doing all this work on a place we were moving out of. So, rule number one, don't paint stripes on your walls unless you own the place or you plan on staying forever. Of course we won't follow that rule because at the top of our current to do list is painting stripes on our new bathroom and kitchen walls! We plan on replicating our exact bathroom from the last place because we liked it so much and the vintage Jersey shore theme is even more fitting now that we live like four blocks from the ocean. The kitchen will once again have the Ritz Bakery theme but we'll be expanding the color palette to include some aqua and tans for a more vintagey feel.

Many aspects of moving are loathsome but for us the challenge that loomed largest was fitting our furniture up the entryway stairs. It's a Victorian home adapted into two separate living spaces so it's anything but "big furniture friendly". We actually had to cut our queen size box spring in half and rebuild it once we got it in the bedroom. And the couch was a battle of epic proportions. Luckily my Dad is a veritable genius when it comes to making things that don't fit, fit. He cut the legs off the couch and then he, Aaron, and my ever helpful brother Walt hoisted it up a ladder and through the second floor window. But that wasn't the end of it. Once inside the apartment we then discovered that it just couldn't possibly make the turn into the living room. So my Dad, with his can-do spirit and a jigsaw cut a four foot segment out of the couch, got it through the doorway and rebuilt the thing once it was in our living room. He's as experienced as one can possibly be in this department. He was a cabinetmaker for years and had to do on the spot furniture surgery on countless deliveries and installations.

Anyway, let's just say that Murphy's Law was in full effect over here. But never once were we disheartened. We are so thrilled about this move and this new place that nothing could mollify our excitement. We now live ten steps from my sister Missy. We can talk window to window...in fact, I'm sharing her WIFI right now and we keep one of her cordless phones in our place and can talk using the intercom function. It's really really great. We go get ice cream together, get dinner, we baby sit her perfect little pup Jack, unwind together at the end of long days, get iced coffees together...I really feel so lucky to be this close. The availability of this apartment was simply meant to be.

So, during the hectic move we made sure to get three rooms painted before the big furniture came in. It was delightful to be able to paint rooms without having to move all sorts of bulky stuff around. In the pic of our carved up couch you can see the antiqued wall finish Aaron did. The room begged for this finish...a straight color would simply not do. And Aaron loves doing wall finishes...well not the actual doing, but he loves the end result. Right now it wouldn't make any sense for me to post pics of the place because we are still living out of boxes and stuff is all over the place. But I'm going to decorate and decorate fast...so photos will be coming soon. The last room we'll do is the kitchen because it requires the most work. The wainscot is a stained wood finish as are the cabinets. These will have to be painted white for sure, we asked our landlord and he gave an A-OK. Right now allthat wood finish in there prevents me from feeling at home. I can't wait to tackle that, but it has to wait because we mustn't forget that we actually have to work to pay for this place. Oh yeah, and the new place is sans dining room but the kitchen is big enough to accommodate our table and chairs. I do love a dining room for dinner parties etc...but this has a real homey feel and there's a cozy casualness when we come home with takeout and eat with Missy and reach to the fridge for soda after soda, Aar in the role of Dan Conner.

So, moving on...or actually before I move on I first must thank all you gals for being such great friends. I've been so negligent on my end and feel so horrible for not keeping in touch. I don't do such a great job at communication when I've got all these balls in the air. Some of you gals are first rate communicators. I hear about all the chaotic stuff going on in your lives and still, you're blogging, emailing, commenting. I envy your juggling skills. So, big thanks to all of you for being so sweet and loyal while I've been absent. It warms the heart. And all the well wishes about our move and me and Aar's 15th anniversary are so very much appreciated. Hugs to you.

Alright, Walt had his prom and graduated. He was so handsome for the prom and he rocked his gold sneakers and mohawk butstill somehow looked classic. He borrowed Missy's 54 Ford Customline and he had a really cool date...super nice girl. Her parents are military and they required Walt to have a sit down chat with Dad before they departed for the evening. With so many kids running amok these days it's almost a breath of fresh air when you come across protective parents. But Walt is a parent's dream...responsible, a leader and an athlete, non drinker/smoker, and talks well with adults. I'm so proud of him. His graduation was huge. It was at The PNC Bank Arts Center, which is where you'd see bands like Aerosmith play. Thousands of people in attendance. So, in the fall he's doing community college before moving on to a university. And for this summer he's playing professional hockey and will be traveling all over the country, all expenses paid. He really landed an exclusive spot. He's no joke when it comes to hockey.

The Silver Bella line up was announced! I can't believe Sally Jean is instructing. Her work is amazing. Just imagine getting to sit down with her to make stuff! And Jenni Bowlin! Love her stuff and I'm a devoted buyer as soon as any new items hit the market. Right now on my work table I have some super sweet rub-ons of hers that I received from Hannah Grey and I'll be putting them to use very soon. These two gals are great additions to event. And then the dream team of gals who recently brought us Postmark L.A. ...which was just too cool... each page was more incredible than the last. It's just such an awesome keepsake for them and us... letting us be a fly on the wall for their creative romp. Isn't "fly on the wall" such a gross term when you think about it? I mean, it works perfectly in context but there must be a better way to say it that doesn't include a disgusting insect that feeds on garbage and feces...please comment me with any replacement ideas.

Anyway, Silver Bella. It's so far in the futurebut I'm already excited. Me and Aar are gonna be vendors again this year, and we'll be so much better stocked with great gifts and stuff since wewon't have to focus our energy on classes and kits. And this time around we'll get to see Omaha. Missy is going once again. We're driving out this time so we won't have to worry about any airline fiascos. Aaron and Missy are both good long distance drivers so we should make it there fast and easy. I can't wait to see everybody. Although we're going there as vendors and it is a working weekend we will still be sure to focus on fun and friends. Can't wait to see Holly, Natasha, who will be trekking all the way from Australia!! Andrea... the list goes on. We're gonna have tons of stuff for sale and hope to have a dynamite looking display...though we know we won't even come close to some of the masters, like Amy Inspire co. and her dazzling array of Sugarville houses that incited gleeful dancing.

This happens to me a lot: I see something online, I purchase something online, and when it arrives in the flesh upon my doorstep, I find that the item is waaaay bigger than I expected. Despite the given measurements and dimensions I seem to imagine objects on a much smaller scale. Maybe it has to do with a subconscious inferiority complex...(I'm only worthy of small things.)...or maybe I'm an idealist and I like to pretend that all the objects I desire are a perfect fit for my tiny apartment. Who knows?...but time and again I'm shocked at the real life hugeness ( relatively huge, of course...compared to my dinky domicile ) of online objects.

That was the case with this MDF trophy cup cut out from www.sayitwithletters.com . They asked me to be a guest designer this month and while awaiting my box of goodies to work with I wondered if they'd send me the little trophy cup I'd been admiring on their site. I imagined the whole thing would be the size of my hand. I thought it would be a cute little craft to do... a simple little ornament. Well when I opened my box of sayitwithletters treasures I was more than pleasantly surprised to find that they did include the trophy cup and that my tiny trophy cup was indeed HUGE (again...don't get the wrong idea...we're speaking relative to my matchbox sized life ). It measures 12" x 11" and is a nice solid 1/2" thick. I've stated before that I love the feel of MDF. It's smooth surface is so pleasing to work with and as a finished product I love the weight of it. Your artwork feels more important when there's a bit of heft to it.

So with my foot tall trophy cup in hand my plans were changed. This was to be my first order of business. I had the finished product in my mind's eye instantly. No shrinking down was necessary. I could use the photo of my little piano girl in her original size, and I could keep the patterned papers at full size.

The first thing I did was paint the trophy white. Even though MDF is fine to glue to directly I like to work on top of flat white acrylic paint because it soaks up Mod Podge a bit and leaves just enough wetness to adhere the papers without any risk of bubbling, wrinkling, or rippling. And plus I wanted the outer edges to be white for when I'd later apply the antique wash. I chose the Silver Damask paper from Daisy D's for the body of the cup because I thought it could sorta resemble etched silver. The arms of the trophy are done in vintage sheet music. And although I'll tie in sheet music with almost anything, in this case it's apropos, because this is a first place trophy for a musical performance. The base of the cup is a paper by Jenni Bowlin studio called Vintage Black Star Dot...again, the pattern is not without meaning...this little girl is a music "star". So with gluing papers to shaped objects I like to lay them on top of the object and go around the edge with my thumbnail and make a precise crease. Then I cut the papers out along the crease and mod podge them to the object. Next I cut out the vintage photo of my little piano playing girl, centered her on the cup, and mod podged her on. I then put a top coat of mod podge over the whole piece and let it dry. Once dry, I applied anice and dirty looking antique wash over the whole thing and made sure to rub it around the white edges so they'd get a parchmenty feel. The crepe paper ruffle trim was next, I glued it on with 3 in 1 craft glue by Beacon. The trim itself is from Birds of a Feather...and when you buy your trim, buy two packs...one to use, the other to keep on your shelf in it's adorable packaging. I then cut out a little oval of creamy paper and with a fine tip marker wrote First Place...glued that to the trophy base and framed it with a tiny chipboard oval from Maya Road, which I first coated with some fine silver glass glitter, also from sayitwithletters.com. Then I drew a scallop border around the little gal and gave it a coat of the silver glass glitter. Since this piece was decidedly colorless I wanted to add one pinch of subtle color and a nice girlie touch, so I selected a pale little bundle of vintage millinery flowers and tied them with a bit of pale gray vintage seam binding...I glued the little bouquet on with 3 in 1 glue. I love the look of this piece now, but I know I'll like it even more when the silver glass glitter begins to tarnish.

Like I said, the trophy cut out was from sayitwithletters.com and coincidentally they are who supply Hannah Grey with theirs. It's a coincidence because not long ago the very first project I chose to do for the HG design team was my Charlotte painting as a "Queen for a Day" plaque using the MDF crown cut out that HG sent me. The sayitwithletters cut outs are fabulous...the woman behind the magic is Deb Damboise and she has some of the coolest stuff ever! You have to stop over at the shop. They do custom shape cut outs!...the possibilities are endless. Go over there and shop, and tell her Jenny sent ya. I say this for your benefit only...I promise I'm not receiving any promotional kick backs. : )

You also gotta check out Jane Dagmi's blog. She's an old friend of ours and she just happens to be the coolest magazine editor there is. She's been at Country Living for years and if you pore over your archives and see an amazingly styled and written spread, odds are, Jane's name is on it. On her blog she recently gave a shout out to her list of favorite Jen's. I'm honored to make her list Jen Paganelli is on there too. We're all friends though me, Aaron, Jane and Jen have never all been together in the same room at the same time, we've done separate hanging out. We have to change that...hopefully at a future Sis Boom event at Jen's house. For the first time ever I missed a Sis Boom event because we were neck deep in moving. So bummed. But we will surely be there next season.

Our favorite little nephew Adam had his 2nd birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. He is the most adorable thing in the world and he had a monster of a good time. Both me and Aar cannot look at a pic of Adam without going "oooooohhhh, ahhhhhhh, sigh, oh jeez, look at him! awwwwwww..." Really, we are incapable. He stops us in our tracks. Love him, love him, love him. We can't thank Jamie and Ann enough for making him. He's equal parts both of them lookswise and verbally...they're both good talkers, and therefore Adam is smart as a whip and armed with an endless vocabulary. It sounds funny to say "thanks for making him" but I really mean it!!

I'm so so happy to see/hear that the lovely Melfie is home and doing great! She has been on our minds nonstop. She is one of the greatest girls ever! I'm so looking forward to spending more time with her at SB! (if she's going...I hope.) I have so many emails to write....so Mel, if you're reading this...know that your on my list and I'll be in your inbox soon.

With all this stuff going on and so much busy work, completion of our website has been on hold for a grossly ridiculous amount of time. Poor Hope, our designer, probably wants to kill us. She has the patience of a saint. We will get on that asap, after we catch our breath over here...so have patience with us. The site will happen!

Alrightyrooskie, this post was waaaaay too long. I hope you ingested it in several sittings. I have to make a habit of blogging shorter and with greater frequency. But who knows...I hope to be a more reliable hostess. I'm working on it. The move is part of my therapy. Seriously, my therapist has been telling me to move for like two years or something. I always said "no, I can't" but I never really had a reason not to. So now I took the plunge and hopefully, along with leaving the old place behind I'll abandon some old bad habits and improve my social life. It's so very necessary. Life can just pass you by if you let it.

OK, so thanks for putting up with me and I hope to be in touch more often. xoxo, Jenny

ps....First thing is first....The Studio is the most important room of our home because that's where we spend most of our time and that is the room that is responsible for generating the income that keeps the roof over our heads. So, as far as decorating, the studio is going to be finished first. I've assembled here a group of some fab work spaces (flickr)...you'll recognize a few.

major catch up ..and some BIG news!

Thu, 29 May 2008 06:19:05 GMT

With this entry I can not-so-proudly announce that I've just beat my previous record for "worlds most delinquent blogger"!

I haven't posted in 24 days! For myriad reasons...none of which are excusable. You guys are there for me and I owe you some fresh stuff. Jeez...I've been an out and out truant! Forgive me.

Lot's of things have happened in the past 24 days and lots more will be happening in the next couple of months...but I'll lead up to that. Let me first flash back to May 9th. That was me and Aaron's 15th anniversary. It's so very crazy how long we've been together and it dizzies us to even think of all the different phases we've been through. We've been self employed since like 1995 and life can be pretty interesting when you mix self employment and co-dependency/ co-working/co-habitation/co-creating/ girlfriend/boyfriend etc, etc... Ups and downs and ins and outs galore! Life will test you a lot, and luckily we've been able to pass those tests.

Anyway, we went out on the 9th and ate some insanely decadent food that seemed to weigh us both down for three days! On the 10th it was my baby brother Walt's 18th birthday! It's funny, but Aaron knows Walt for almost as long as I do! So, for Walt's first milestone we piled into the family van and took to the streets of NYC for a shopping adventure. Walt is a sneakerfreak and a snappy dresser so I mapped out all the hottest sneaker spots and hipster clothing joints in Manhattan and we worked our way down the list on a beautifully mild Saturday. Those pics...one of Walt, one of Jay ( who has been doing great), were taken in a store called YRB . It's a huge store with about ten thousand t-shirts. We jokingly took the Walt photo to look like he was posing out on the graffiti covered meanstreets of NYC when in fact it's just a faux facade inside the store made to resemble such a scene. The day was long and fun and we finished it off with top notch brick oven pizza at Angelo's which is directly next door to David Letterman's Late Show theater.

The following and final day of that eventful, food filled weekend was Mother's Day. A huge and heavy brunch at Aaron's mom's house. Barb love's to entertain, so even though it was her day to relax she was still the hostess with the mostest! Great time! But come Monday the diet needed to be put back in place! It was like Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years combined in one weekend in May. With very warm weather approaching that kind of indulgence borders on illegal!

Ok, so my sister Missy...who now has a blog...and I'm excited to insert the link! Anyway, she just moved to a new apartment and it's fantastic. So perfect for her and I've been doing what I can to help her pull it together decor wise...painting, shopping, antiquing. Alright, so her apartment is in the carriage house of a big old house down the shore. One day a couple of weeks ago she's walking home from work (yeah, she lives within walking distance of her job!) and she sees on her front lawn a for rent sign. The unit in front of her in the big old house is for rent. To make a long story short...we signed the lease within days of this discovery. So we are officially moving. This is what I was referring to up above when I said that the next couple of months are gonna be busy. It seems spur of the moment but we've been dying to move. I'm posting pictures here of our current apartment as a sort of farewell, and to show you that we're gonna have to do some heavy duty sanding on all those wall stripes before we turn in the keys to this place. We did so much work here to make the place look right but so very much of it is smoke and mirrors. Our current apartment is essentially a box, with no character, moldings, natural light, cross ventilation, etc...Whereas the new place is all character, moldings, tons of windows, sea breezes, streets lined with big old trees, a big front porch, etc...and it happens to be within walking distance of Aaron's childhood bestfriend.

It's a huge new start for us. Moving conjures all sorts of mixed feelings. You get weirdly sentimental for the place you've spent the past dozen years in. Even though you know you gotta go...gotta move on to the next phase...you still get a little sad. I know I'll be over it as soon as I'm fully moved into the new place but it's a heavy time. Me and Aaron both keep thinking back to his car accident and the years of recovery spent right here. Which is actually the primary motivation for moving on. A couple of years ago...once we started to see a light at the end of the recovery tunnel, we both agreed that this place has seen too much of us...if that makes any sense. Too many tears were shed here. Too much pain was endured right here. We need a place free of memories in which we can forge brand new bright ones. The next few months will certainly be a financial strain due to deposits, doubled up rent, and because it's an increase in rent (here I'll insert a truly tasteless hint to all of you compassionate would-be Everyday is a Holiday customers!! shop away!!! ; ) ) But this move is more than necessary, and long over due. So on this blog expect lots of new home imagery and a whole new visual vibe in the months to come. One thing I'm psyched about is that we'll be able to reproduce our bathroom decor almost exactly in the new place...that's one room I want to carry over to the new apartment (vintage boardwalk/Jersey shore). But lot's of other stuff is gonna change. And I'm sure there will be a drastic change in the art we create. There just has to be.

So, things are gonna be hectic for a while. If you're reading this and you're a patient customer waiting on a package...big thanks for your patience! We're trying our best.

Let's see...what else?...I owe you 24 days worth!

The other night we went into NYC to go see Aaron's favorite band of all time. They are virtually unknown but me and Aar have been devoted fans since their first album...circa 1997?...anyway, the band is called Firewater but it's technically not a band, for the only constant member over the years has been one guy...the singer and sole songwriter named Tod A.

Each album is a like a whole new genre of music and Tod A. assembles a group of expert musicians to help bring his latest inspirations to life. The newest album is his most inspired yet. Four years ago, after being fed up with our country's foreign policy, the war etc... Tod decided to leave the US and live from city to city in the middle east. About a month ago Aaron got an email saying that Tod is back from his self imposed exile and he's got a new album (very much middle east inspired) and a tour. So Aar was at the record store on release day and my sister Missy pulled through with procuring tickets for the whole group of us. We danced like crazy at the show and afterward, out in front of the club Aar got to chat with and pose in this pic with Tod A. Needless to say, Aaron was thrilled. It is his absolute favorite artist. It was truly a GREAT time! And Tod is just too too kind!

Ok, now some stuff... Some Birds of a Feather goodies. Fabulously packaged crepe paper trims! When you shop there it's probably best to buy double...half to use and half to keep on display on your crafting shelf. Everything Heidi does makes me happy...always the prettiest stuff!!!

I gave Aaron these two prints as an anniversary gift. Hemingway and Fitzgerald...two of his faves. The new decor in the new place will work with these. In the past we did a lot in this color scheme and we're planning on heading back in that direction a bit. Aar, will be thrilled to tie literature into the new home decor. I found them on Etsy in this fun (run by three sisters) shop , I am hoping to custom order some more authors soon!

I did a one on one swap with my new friend Tammy whom I met through Flickr after seeing one of her amazing collage pieces and leaving a comment on it. She is a total sweetheart...a doll. Her work has the exact look that I love...the pattern, the composition, the feel, the aged quality. She channels the amazing Corey Moortgat in her pieces and who isn't a fan of Corey's? I am so honored to own a piece of Tammy's and plan on owning a bunch more. She is planning on opening an Etsy shop...big YAY! too bad, I will be absolutely broke for the next few months!! Tammy also sent the other fab stuff in the pics with her piece, it all came wrapped in the cute ticking stripe paper!

The other stuff you see, the super sweet pink and aqua metal photo corners, pom pom trim, and the sweet extras thrown in are from Shabby Scraps . It turns out, that she and Tammy actually live within hanging out distance of each other. How lucky!!! I can't wait to get settled in the new place so I can play at the crafting table with this stuff.

Lastly, another side of Aaron. He recently reunited with his band and they've got a big show scheduled in July. They were a band for ten years, since they were just kids, but in 2002 their guitar player/ best friend/ ersatz brother, Dave, lost a battle with cancer. They ended the band back then because Dave was the band. But just a couple of months ago Aaron got a phone call from the rest of the guys asking what he thought about trying to put it back together to record their's and Dave's unrecorded material and to play a big reunion show in their hometown on what would've been Dave's 34th birthday. Well theygot together in the studio and they feel really good about how they sound so they are back together for real. Not just a one time thing...they want to make a record, do a bunch of shows, etc...

It's very exciting because it's a really special thing that the four of them have together. It's their closest connection to Dave and when the four of them get in a room together...no matter how long they've been absent...it's like they never left...non stop laughs. Anyway, I posted these pics on Flickr a few days ago and got some very funny comments about the other side of crafty Aaron. By day his world is full of cupcakes and glitter...by night...look out!!

I swear I will post again soon. This was a long post but not long enough to make up for my truancy. Thanks for sticking around!

xoxo, Jenny

Englishtown Antiques...and the other usual suspects

Sun, 04 May 2008 23:44:55 GMT

Yeah it's been a while...so sorry about that! My hands have been in the throes of painting/cutting/gluing/sanding. Just today Aaron went over to my cousin's house to finalize some wall painting designs for their nursery and my cousin told Aaron: "I'm starting to think that Jenny doesn't exist." Because Aaron has been over there like 4 times so far and not once was I able to break away to go with him. That's kinda the deal with me and Aar. You either get one or the other but almost never both, because one of us has to man the controls back home. Well last weekend I had Aaron hold the fort while me and my sister Missy took a trip to my favorite antique shop. I've brought this place up before but it bears repeating. It's in Englishtown, NJ and it occupies and old grocery store. And I mean a full size grocery store! I just can't begin to explain the depth of what you will find there but I say without exaggeration that it's stacked ceiling high. Curiosities and artifacts fill shelves, drawers, cabinets...things are stuffed, squished, piled, and filed in every inch of available space. If you have a few hours, a bottle of Purell, and a dream, you are very likely to walk away from there flush with treasures.

It was a rainy cool day when we went and that's probably the best time to go. It was me, Missy and her teeny tiny Papillon named Jack. (Both pictured above...check out that tiny vintage shopping cart!) As soon as you walk in the door, which is your typical super market entrance vestibule, you are faced with a wall of yard long vintage photos. The kind that feature huge groups of people...swim teams, ballroom dancers, soldiers, women's auxiliary, etc... Unfortunately these are NFS. These have been there since the first time I ever went there years and years ago. The owner, Perry, keeps these as his private collection as well as the gigantic movie posters way high on the walls and this drop dead original peeling paint white armoire that I've wanted forever. NFS has been the story of my life. And by the way, that's a picture of Perry there with the sign listing the store policies above his head. The last on the list is my favorite: All children left unattended will be sold!!!!

Perry's daughter Leah runs the place and she is so so sweet. She's about my age and has spent her whole life in the world of antiques and collectibles. Leah told me that recently someone came in and mentioned that they heard of the place on my blog. That's so cool. So if you're out there reading this and you're the gal, shoot me a comment!

On this trip to Englishtown I think I left with the least amount of stuff in my history of going there. I guess this mission was more about getting me out of the house and hunting for stuff for my sister's new apartment. She's got a Mexican/western theme going on and that can be really really fun stuff to shop for. Where my colors are pale pink and aqua, hers are bright pink and dark turquoise. You almost let your eyes find the color and then you figure out what the heck you're looking at. I do remember a couple of finds that I wanted for myself but then Missy rounded the corner and made the "but I want that" face so I easily relented and let her take it, knowing that my apartment is already full to the gills. I especially loved the tiny little cowboy boots, still caked with mud.

I took some pics of the few things I managed to grab for myself. Two new pieces of tarnished silver...a compote and plate to add to my collection, as well as a tiny lil trophy style cup. A super cool styrofoam cap with a red, white and blue band. A bunch of glass Christmas ornaments that have nearly lost all of their color...I love that!...I may add some glass glitter to them. An old bottle brush tree...I plan on either painting it white or flocking it. The thread spools are from a previous day of antiquing but I thought they looked awesome in the compote so that's why they're pictured here. I love the grungy, aged patina of the thread and the pink cardboard center of the turquoise spool.

The photo mosaic is a sampling of the stuff I got from Englishtown Antiques over the years. You would not believe the amount of cups, saucers, plates, glasses, and silverware. Furniture, rugs, kitchenware and room teeming with old books is where I always lose Aaron. He leaves with stacks of stinky old books every time. If you look around our apartment you will find 1-2 item from Englishtown in every corner of the place.

Oh, and by the way. Now that Missy has her new apartment which has a big crafting room I made her promise to start blogging. She met so many people at Silver Bella and I'm often asked where the heck she disappeared to so now she'll be able to keep in touch and get in some swaps etc...here is a link ...stop over and say hi!! Tell her Jenny sentcha!

My friend Anna sent this huge heavy box of stuff! First off, all this amazing melamine dinnerware. The colors are edible...like salt water taffy! The millinery bits are also part of the haul as well as a whole mess of vintage cards and this very cool plastic pink clown whistle, which lived on Anna's computer monitor for almost a year but she's a sort of foster parent when it comes to good stuff. She lets things pass on to another place to live with new eager parents. There's actually way too much stuff to show and tell about...as always. Anna is the best personal shopper a gal could have. She never sends duds. I soooo wish she had a blog. Her scribbled notes and sharp quips and opinions that fill front and back of old yellowed envelopes and cards are just so fun to read. I could only imagine what she'd let lose in blog format. The wit and wisdom of Anna would be blog gold!

A while back I showed you pictures of my page for the itty bitty robins egg blue book. Well the finished book has arrived. It really is itty bitty but man is this little gal FAT! I could stare and stare at each page. So many people put in so much work. The trims and glitter and charms are too much. It's really so cool to flip through and let each tiny piece of art engage you. Mary Ann was the host and she totally went above and beyond to make this a magical little keepsake that you can have foreverand ever.

Cerri and I swapped way back. It was the For the Love of Supplies Swap that Artsy Mama hosted. I actually missed the deadline for sign ups but Cerri agreed to take me on as her partner. I showed you what I sent her awhile back and now I can show you her end. Right around swap time Cerri's life got a bit busy so I had to wait a bit for my package but that was absolutely no problem and as you can see...it was WELL worth the wait! I love everything so much! The tin is so fab...it sits on our mantel right now. And inside every bit and piece is so up my alley! Love everything Cerri! I'd swap again anytime!

I thought I'd get a jump on summer and show our newest 4 x 4 plaque. We hope to do a lot more summer stuff...well, ever year we hope to but by the time we get around to it...bam, September. Well at least we got this little guy done. I love the denim-look trim. What's more American than blue jeans? We hope to have it listed on Etsy later tonight!

One last thing before I go and try to grab myself a walk in the park. This sign was commissioned by the super sweet husband of the amazingly sweet & talented Analise. It was a total surprise for her as well as a ton of other stuff he pulled off for her big day. Sugar Sugar is the name of her business and me and Aar were thrilled to do this sign because her work is just so inspiring and perfect and we'd love any connection to the magic. Getting the colors right was easy squeezy since we seem to share a common palette.

Ok, thank you all for your patience with me. I hope to post again before the weekend because it's gonna be a busy one. Me and Aar's 15th anniversary, Walt's 18th birthday, and Mother's Day! Whew! Three in a row!

See ya soon!

xoxo Jenny

Oh....before I go..some Flickr eye candy...and a happy little vignette here in our apt.

Crafting is a luxury you can afford

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:33:09 GMT

I've brought this up before but ... I really do love doing the Hannah Grey design team thing. The package of stuff arrives at my door and it's more than just great supplies. It's a nudge...it's a little craft fairy pushing me toward my worktable. So often you tend to forget your roots. Back when you crafted for the sake of crafting. Or those teenage years when you were bored and didn't really feel like calling anybody or seeing anybody. You plug in the glue gun, lay out your supplies, and after a little while you've got something. Something to keep, or hang up on your wall, or give as a gift. Even if it's not the greatest thing you ever made, it's still something. It's better than disappearing into the television. (Which ain't so bad sometimes...me and Aar have been on a kick of late night CSI Miami marathons...I don't think they intended for it play out like a comedy but that's how we watch it...Caruso and his shades are priceless!)

But anyway, I always forget to craft for the sake of crafting. It's sort of a luxury, but it's one you should try to afford.

This is my latest effort for the H.G.D.T. The starting point was the vintage photo. The girls look so pretty and so happy and the pic kinda drew me in and made me wonder how they made out. Were they friends forever? Did they lose touch after a while? Was this photo very special to them both? That's what I love about old photos...all the questions they raise. Well that's how you can identify a good photo...how many questions does it raise... or answer? This particular photo was from a Paper Relics "Vintage Valentine" collage sheet. Hope from Paper Relics has a really good eye for good stuff so her sheet was a great mood setter. The girls already had party hats on but I changed them to fit my color scheme. I LOVE old ledger paper...that's what's up in the top left corner. The rest is an assortment of old and new papers...the star of the show being that strip of vintage floral wallpaper. I then went for a big variety of textures...the tinsel pom poms, trims & lace, some perfect buttons...

It was really fun to do and I like looking at it...win win. So go check out Hannah Grey and get your craft on.

I got a super sweet email the other day from a stranger who is now a stranger no more! She's an antique dealer and was out scouting and came across something that she needed to send me. Well, here is that something she needed to send me and I am so glad she felt so compelled. I love love love this little girl! She's crazed and aged to perfection and her mohair is still intact...a bit disheveled but still there! I swear to you...this is exactly what I look like in the morning. Aaron backs me up on that. It's spot on...except I have blue eyes...but other than that...exact. She currently sits on our coffee table and is only referred to as "Jenny in the morning". Thanks so much Maureen! You are a prime example of those people who "add" to the world. Giving gifts to strangers is at the top of list of goodness.

Gestures like this obliterate the bad vibes I spoke of in the last post. The nay sayers, jealous jerks, and stealers disappear. And to bring up last post once more...I Read and loved your comments. And I've been around to a lot of blogs lately with similar tales of woe. I cringe when I hear these tales coming from some of the sweetest people out there. Like, I know myself and who I am and my values and all that. But there are gals out there who are just sweet as sugar. Gals who never say a cross word about anybody and would lay down in traffic for a stranger...and these gals have to deal with negativity on their blogs, on Flickr, etc...Oh well, we know the deal. What more can we say? I guess the best thing is to always shed light on it. Maybe always get the vibes off your own chest. Tell us when somebody is talkin' a bunch of mumbo jumbo. Point out the stuff that makes you feel crummy. Pretend that blogland is your doctor. Name your symptoms and we'll see what we can do about it. But now onto some eye delicious stuff...

I cannot get enough One Ripe Peach! Does this gal ever run out of cute-as-a-button ideas?! Every little tid bit makes me so so happy! Definitely in my top 5 favorite shops on Etsy. Just look at these! She has new listings almost daily. She's got seasonal stuff, everyday stuff...perfect stuff. I really can't get enough!

I leave you with my latest Flickr faves. I'm reallllly digging this mosaic. I know I use the word often but geez these pics are dreamy!

xoxo, Jenny

chipping away & ranting and raving.

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 02:05:24 GMT

We never ever have the luxury of completing a painting in a single sitting...or in a series of consecutive sittings. There are always orders to go out, lettering to paint, boards to be cut and primed. So we work on new paintings bit by bit. Sometimes tiny bit by tiny bit. And it's frustrating to see the finished product in your mind but you know it may be weeks until it's realized on the canvas. Every once in a while during the workday we'll go pick up the work-in-progress and say to one another " I can't wait 'til we finish this!"

Well, this is the latest in completed paintings. And I have to say that this one benefited from the bit by bit method. This was so very near completion and I kept staring at that striped back wall and thought something was lacking. And then I thought "well, we hang up paintings of Charlotte-esque dolls in our real world...wouldn't it make sense that Charlotte would hang up photographs of real people in her make believe world?"...a sort of flipside of our reality. So we then made itty bitty prints of a couple of vintage cabinet cards (I showed you a few posts ago) and handpainted some frames around them. Right then I knew the painting was complete. We named this one The Recital. And regardless of how seriously little Charlotte takes her piano playing, we're much more interested in the way she's decorated her little conservatory. So much in the painting is modeled from elements around our apartment. The chandelier, toy piano, our kitchen floor and walls...though we changed the scale so they'd all make sense in the vignette. I really love the way this new one adds to the collection. The Well Read Raven, Charlotte, and Cupcake Girls are all close up shots whereas this one pulls back so more of the little world is revealed.

If you're interested, we've now got it listed on Ebay and Etsy in two sizes: 11" x 14" and 5 1/2" x 7",

Oh, and I decide to snap a pic of the stuff that keeps us from doing new paintings all the time. This photo represents a typical shipping day of stuff. Which isn't a truckload but keep in mind that all of that lettering is hand painted. We had it all lined up on a bench waiting to be boxed up and shipped out when I noticed how predominantly pink the scene was. And it's my fault. I mean, there are a lot of pink fans out there, but I have to ease up a bit with it and go towards my aqua, turquoise, and pale green tastes. Maybe I'll awaken a bunch of would-be customers! : ) It's shocking how many people out there are NOT fans of the color pink. I'll read somebody's likes and dislikes in a swap and they'll say "send me anything except pink...I despise pink!" But that's what's awesome about swaps...a lot of times you gotta step out of your comfort zone. But I'm cool with all you pink haters out there because if you're a hater of a specific color then that means that you've probably got a definitive design identity. And that's always admirable.

And speaking of design identity...I recently have had a handful of design stealers cross my path. And I don't mean emulation or inspiration...I mean straight up photocopies of our stuff for sale! Every once in a while I'll do random searches for stuff (ebay). Not like a detective, just curious searching I guess. And a few times now I've found our stuff...actually printed off, glued to plaques, photocopied and framed, etc...

And I'm never ever mildly amused. I have to admit...I go nuts! And it's got nothing to do with feeling threatened or even slighted. It's more about integrity. I get really really mad when I think of somebody just pointing, clicking, and printing and saying "yup, this is mine now...and I'm gonna sell it." I mean, how crazy do you have to be?! What parts of your brain are in dysfunction?! What school taught you that?! It's just plain wacky.

Anybody that does something like that knows that it is just plain wrong but they go and do it anyway. And like I said, I don't necessarily feel threatened or robbed. I just feel crummy about humanity at that very moment...and then I get mad at the person who made me have to feel that way. My heart rate immediately shoots through the roof. Aaron has to talk me down and tell me it's nobig deal...some people are less than desirable and we can't let them ruin our day. Eventually I come down off my furious horse and we deal with the situation accordingly...and aim for a positive outcome.

And one more thing since it's on a sorta similar subject. The double edged sword of popularity. Recently Emily from The Black Apple was on Martha Stewart and I'm sure it was a thrill to do and a milestone business achievement for her. But it also opened her up to a much larger world than she's accustomed to. For thick skinned austere business types the experience would be a cakewalk. But Emily is like all of us tiny crafty gals. She's a sweetheart and comes from a real place of creative purity and honesty. There are no tricks up her sleeve. She does what she does because she loves it. The popularity just happens to follow. Anyway, after going on Martha she was inundated with comments on her blog...a lot of them sweet, encouraging and congratulatory. But then the nay sayers came out of the woodwork with their buzzsaw tongues looking to cut down the popular girl. Some of the comments were just so spiteful and jealous. Mostly people sitting at home saying "I could do what you do if I wanted to...it's no big deal....you're not original." And then a lot were saying that Emily shouldn't be so protective of her Copyrights...that all us little people should be allowed to make dolls just like hers if we want to. One even had the gall to say "you can afford to spread the wealth." This last comment was of course was prompted by Martha singing Emily's praises and marveling at her yearly sales numbers on etsy.

Well all of it just got me so sad. Because I know what it must've done to Emily. A totally cool experience like doing the Martha Stewart show had to be sullied by jealous jerks. And us crafty girls aren't like football players. We don't laugh in the face of nay sayers. We don't defy the odds and overcome massive adversity in the face of the media. We get sad and question our own motivations. We say "is this even worth it?....should I just get a day job and simply craft for myself?"

The world of handcrafts shouldnot have a negative fringe...but it does. They're out there and they're gonna find us wherever we go. We just gotta stand shoulder to shoulder and fend them off. We gotta flood the do gooders with so many positive comments that the negative jerks and their spiteful words are rendered impotent. Ok, that's it with my ranting.

I finished another project using some of my Hannah Grey Design Team stuff. The Charlotte, "Queen for a Day" plaque was the first thing I wanted to tackle, but this little 3-D paperboard house was singing to me from day one. I started my gathering right away and chipped away at this over the past week. The starting point was that darling vintage photo on the front...the happy couple in front of their first home. That's the theme...the little love nest. And what love nest is complete without a little kitchen housewifery...The domestically decadent chocolate cake to crown the house warming. Check out the pic of the house beforehand. It's such a simple little product but the possibilities areendless. This would make and amazing girls night project. Pretty much just paper and glue and a scant few three dimensional elements. No painting, no sanding, no glue guns. A little paper and scissor project. I loved doing this. I'd love to make a lil neighborhood!. Pop over to Hannah Grey and get crafty!! They come in a set of two!! ..for only 3.95!!! Fun huh?

Alrighty roo. Gotta go. Thanks for stopping by again. Warm as a bathtub here in Jersey. We might go out for a ride later on with the windows down. Or maybe we'll stay in and chip away at a new painting. ; )

xoxo, Jenny

Queen for a Day

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:22:22 GMT

The other day my first Hannah Grey design team package arrived. I couldn't wait to dig in and get to work on something. In the box there was an array of goodies... Jenni Bowlin rub-ons , a collage sheet from Paper Relics, stickles glues, an mdf crown, and more. What I like about the whole concept is the responsibility to be creative. They send me this stuff and it's my duty to get busy with the crafting skills. So without a moments pause I grabbed my first challenge: the mdf crown plaque.

I definitely had no surefire plan. I have to admit I did a lot of blank staring. It could've went in so many directions. So I started digging in the crates of supplies for some visual stimuli to get the wheels turning and I happened upon a perfect sized print of our Charlotte and thought 'this plaque will be Charlotte as Queen for a Day.' It was really easy after that. The crown shape was already there for me. All I had to do was give it some texture, and for me vintage sheet music is at the top of the texture list. And then I needed a pretty background pattern for Charlotte and some three dimensional details to set her off. These mdf plaques are available at Hannah Grey so you can do your own version. The first step was gluing on the pink polka dot paper, using the plaque itself to trace out the exact shape. Second, I cut out Charlotte and glued her right over the polka dot paper. You can use a photo of you or someone special, or an "instant relative" pic you find at a junk shop or flea market...blow it up to the proper size on a color copier. Or snap a picture of an actual vintage doll and do the same. Next choose your patterned paper for the crown. Again use the plaque itself as the stencil to trace out the crown shape. And you don't have to get it perfect. Imperfect edges are easily handled later on with a bit of sandpaper. To soften the borderline where the crown meets the head use a bit of rick rack, tinsel trim, crepe paper, etc...To embellish the crown use vintage buttons, sequins, rhinestones, etc... I finished her off with a chipboard C for Charlotte and sprinkled it with some aqua glass glitter.

I love mdf as a work surface. It's so smooth and I love the heavy, chunky feel of the plaque in my hands. And it's a fairly thick plaque so you can paint the outer edge a color or add another patterned paper as trim.

I made this Queen for a Day start to finish on the day the Hannah Grey package arrived. I loved how she came out and was psyched to send Shosh the pics so she could see that I was an enthusiastic new teammate! And Shosh seemed to like her too. She asked if Charlotte could pack her bags and go on the road to some trade shows over the next few months. I was just getting used to seeing my little queen up on her shelf and I'm sending her off into the world already! Well, you do your best to raise 'em right and one day they're gonna head out into the big wide world. ; )

Thanks to all of you who left such sweet comments on Flickr...very encouraging. And I'll be at work on some more Hannah Grey stuff this week. Definitely go check out their stock when you get the chance.

Oh and handful of you gals have asked how big this crown plaque is...10 inches!! Really a fabbbb size!!!

Got an amazing package of pretties and supplies from Lilia at Fleamarket Studio . There is never ever a shortage of beautiful stuff in her shop! I could stare at these handmade vintage crepe paper and millinery flowers all day. So dreamy! The vintage Cocoa Soap box has got to be one of my favorite things in a while. As a collected group the stuff looks so fab but really each individual item is a treasure on it's own. That's telling of Lilia's excellent talent and eye for detail. So stylish. Love the stuff!!!

Once again my girl Ellen over at One Ripe Peach has me smiling like crazy! Look at these tiny little baby cards!!! too too cute!

I will be sending one or two off to a dear friend very soon. I especially love the "mother" tags! Ellen adds super cute things weekly and sometimes daily! You never know what you will find or what you have missed! : ( but she does do custom orders in case you missed out on something.

A brand new place for cute and colorful vintage supplies: Nickelcandy! A new shop by Sadie Lou. Very fun stuff. I picked up these candy colored trims and I know I will be back for more soon! Pop over and see what's new for yourself.

More good stuff from Pink Grapefruit over on Etsy! I gushed about her a few posts ago...it is my new favorite place to shop! The ledger and the song book are awesome. In the ledger there are not only tons of someone's personal recipes but some amazing journal entries dating back to 1920. Each entry starts with the word "remember". Sample opening lines: "Remember when it rained this morning Sun." "Remember when our Ford was stold at the Methodist in Charleston Sun." It is so cool. Very "rural" sounding. I love it. Also this whole gang of "instant relatives", this cute vintage jar with floral lid, and a mix of vintage white/cream buttons. My goodness this girl has some stash! I could buy her entire store in one sitting!

How adorable are these little Spring tags!? These and the bundles of pastel pipe cleaners are from Amy Elise. I just love how she dresses up her wares. I'd say she takes her presentation seriously but I think "seriously" would be a great misnomer for just how whimsically she puts things together! : )

Well last week was the kick off of Show and Tell Sundays on flickr . That was buttons...and this week it's vintage millinery. So here's my contribution. You gotta go on Flickr and check out the dizzying dozens. So much eye candy you might go into sugar shock!

One last thing. We want Spring now! We're just not there yet here in Jersey. So to generate some momentum we're having a special on our Springtime Greeting kit. Free shipping ! We shipped out a bunch when we debuted it and now we're starting to see some completed projects on the Flickr group and we're psyched to see the results! So, if you're feeling crafty and springy go over to Etsy and pick up a kit and get free shipping. We're currently at work on a couple more kit ideas...we love the whole concept of spreading the artistic bug around so expect lots more in the kit department from us.

Ok, that's it for now. Gonna go watch a horror movie!

xoxo, Jenny

Sunday Show and tell...

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 21:52:51 GMT

For like a week or two I've been hearing about the new Somerset Life but I just couldn't seem to get my hands on a copy. My local Barnes & Noble and Borders both seem to be slow pokes with their magazine replenishment. I'd call each one and get a negative, and as a backup I asked Aaron to stop in both of 'em just to make sure...negative. Then after a week of hearing all about the issue and my article in it... and all congrats from my sweet friends...I finally got my hands on it. I just love all the stuff Somerset puts out so just being in their pages is a thrill. But what's even cooler for me is the whole concept and layout of the article. The text expresses my feelings about blogging but the photos do even more. Nearly every shot has a direct connection to a friend/fellow blogger/artist/collector. The cake crown I made for Holly now lives with her. Then to the right of that is my ultimate favorite ebay find...that doll faced bunny, but behind that, up on the shelves are miniature cakes made by the Amazing Grace. And in the same shot you can see a little bit of vintage ephemera which was a gift from Andrea. The following page features vintage ballerinas from Amanda poked into my cupcakes and in the background is a seriously awesome button bouquet from Jen Duncan. Then there's a fairy jar I made for a Melfie hosted swap...the little fairy now lives with Michelle. The photo next to that shows a panoply of pretties from Cerri. And finally, on the last page at the upper right corner is a close up of a bunch of stuff from Anna. Seeing the stuff from Anna is especially evocative for me. Anna happens to be the most dedicated snail mailer in the world. Not only is she frequent with her cards and post cards... she's skilled. She can cram a Flat Rate box like no one can!

When I get fab stuff from fab people I love to post it on the blog asap. And now for some of that stuff to be printed in an awesome Somerset publication is just twice as nice. I just love this magazine...well..this and every single publication Somerset puts out! They RULE!!!

A couple blogs ago I raved about the newly launched site Peacoats and Party Hats. Well, I just had to place a little order. I wanted tons more stuff, but I don't exactly have the ability to shop til I drop all the time. Anyway, here's some of the stuff I got. All of it was so neatly packaged...and the little pig sticker Candice uses as a closure is the cutest thing ever. Love that girl!

Ellen of One Ripe Peach over on etsy, is my "go to gal" ! Season after season I will return to her for utmost in tags. You might remember her tags on my holiday packages...they MADE the packages. They're all hand sewn,adorned with trims, perfectly constructed etc... There is always something in her shop that is a must have. You gotta pop in and tell Ellen that Jenny said she is a MUST!

Analise had the genius idea for all us girls to show our buttons. No, she wasn't holding a casting call for girls gone wild...she meant literal buttons. Aaron joked that maybe I misunderstood and that it was actually "show your butt on sunday"...with a carefully misplaced space in the text. Yeah, sorry, I guess we're a randy bunch over here today. Anyway, buttons...the term eye candy is used a whole lot, but in the case of buttons there just is no better term to use. I can just stare and stare at pile of GOOD buttons.And they are meant for filling up candy dishes, jars, or even the way they sit on vintage button cards much like actual candy dots. Buttons truly are Eye Candy. I can never have enough.This is just a handful of my favorites, in my favorite colors! Pop over to Analise's blog for lnks to all the girls in blogland showing their's!

Just wanted to put up my current Flickr faves...no need to explain. Just let the stuff do the talking. Good stuff huh??

And finally I'll leave you with a pic of Carlos...all sleepy and chilly and bundled in blankets. This is him for like 8 hours a day at least. He is the definition of cuddle bum!

That's all for now...I'll be back soon because I'm looking at some stuff right now that needs to get photographed!

xoxo, Jenny

Over already?

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:45:56 GMT

Easter came and went way too fast. We all find ourselves saying that about a lot of holidays but this time it's for real...the super early arrival of Easter this year was just absurd. How can it be within a few days of St. Patrick's Day?! I know, the phases of the moon and the equinox are factors, but jeeez, we should've all came to a consensus to ignore nature just a bit and put Easter in it's comfortable little spot in the month of April. I saw Easter candy going on clearance within a week of it's placement on store shelves. I saw St. Patrick's Day windows make the change to Easter before St. Patrick's Day even happened. It was just one big rush job. And the weather, sure it was pleasant here in Jersey, but it was cold! I want it to be at least a little Springy.

I know I'm griping a bit too much, especially when you see all this pretty Easter stuff I've got to show. I mean, I guess good-stuff-wise, I'm sorta spoiled this year. But I've had no time to enjoy it all. And please comment me if any of you experience for yourselves what I'm about to say. Over here, me and Aar get this whole Beware the Ides of March vibe. Aaron especially. Back in 2003 his car accident was on March 18th and this time of year since then has been touched with melancholy and unease. We also have some friends and family that have similar eery feelings this time of year and I suspect that there are a number of you out there who can probably share your own tales. It's just a feeling I get. So please comment if you're on the same page...or comment and tell me I'm nuts. Also feel free to tell me if you have the opposite experience at this time of year. Positive stories are always welcome!

This is my contribution to a very cool swap called The Itty Bitty Robins Egg Blue Book Swap. The name of the swap pretty much explains it all. In the end, all of our contributions will becompiled in itty bitty books, and we'll all receive one. I believe there were 32 of us in the swap so that means there will be 32 pages in each book. The only specifications were size and color. The rest was up to you. You just had to make 32 identical little pages. The pic shows the front and back. And those of you with an eye for detail will notice that the bottom edge isn't exactly nicely trimmed. I didn't notice it until after I snapped the photo. But it's ok now. I trimmed it before I sent it out. There's a Flickr group for this swap so you can go check out the other pages. I can't wait to get my itty bitty book. Stuff like that is just so heirloomy. I imagine in the future all these great group projects being sought after collectibles much like the handcrafts from the Victorian era.

Ok, since Easter is over, I can post the remaining Hippity Hop Easter swap stuff. I'd hoped to update all during the week but I just couldn't squeeze blog time into my schedule. I followed the rules and opened one each day but man oh man there were a lot of cheaters! It's so hilarious when grown ups act like overly anxious kids.

Day 5 was Heather Bluhm (our fabulous hostess). I love those little pink chicks. I don't remember exactly when I saw those little cuties for the first time but I remember falling instantly in love with 'em. Heather made excellent use of them in this adorable little diorama. I love the vintage wallpaper inside. Heather you are the BEST!

Day 6 was Karin Aguirre. How awesome of her to make earrings. Jewelry is always always a welcome gift. And these are so nice, presentation and all! Perfect for Spring!

Day 7...Donna Layton. A really amazing collage! Tons and tons of detail work. It must've been hard hard work putting together ELEVEN of these! It's not my usual color palette but I would not change a thing about it. The colors are so bright and magical. This piece has a voice! I love it. (will you just look at the robin's egg blue bead up top...gorgeous!)

Day 8 was by this girl...Jenny Heid? And I actually did make one for myself. There was a dozen of us in the group but we all mailed in eleven pieces because it would be a real waste of shipping, time, etc. to mail something that was just going to get mailed right back. I did a smaller, more vintage toned version of our Easter chick cake. It's mounted on an 8" x 10" canvas board and hangs by vintage seam binding.

Day 9... Debra Schoch. This super cute bunny girl ornament. I love this!! Especially her little aqua blue tights and those adorable little shoes. Debra always creates such whimsical pieces!!! Love her!

Day 10...Beth Quinn. How Cool!! This photo doesn't do it justice at all. It's really like she bottled up some Spring and corked it shut. I met Beth at Silver Bella. She was in our class and she was super super sweet so the super sweetness of this was to be expected. I will be displaying this all year round...far too fabulous to take out once a year!

Day 11 was Heather Kowalski. A gorgeous dreamy wreath with vintage millinery flowers! I love the dove! I hung this up right away. Dreamy really is the perfect word for it! I adore it!

Day 12... Cerri Campbell made this tiny little teacup with bird. The miniature size of it makes it all the more sweet. The aqua blue shred is so tiny, and the egg and little millinery flowers. It's so cute! Love it!

This was an amazing swap to be a part of. The variety of styles and subjects was dizzying. You'd think that if you took a group of artists with similar tastes to take part in a swap like this, that you might get very similar designs. Well that was so NOT the case here. Everybody did their own unique thing. And each reflected that individual's personal style. This was a fab way to kick off Spring! And I guess getting to open all this stuff this early in the season almost makes up for the premature Easter.

You saw Beth Quinn's vial full of Spring up above...day 10. Well I did some shopping at her Etsy shop, Blissful Provisions...(when you finish visiting with me...stop over there and tell Beth that Jenny sent ya!). Look at all these pretty trims n' things. She puts things together so nicely and the colorsand textures are just so soothing. The aged tags, the pretty buttons.I love the tiny vintage alphabet cards. You will certainly see this stuff sneaking into some future projects of mine. And hey, look again at the photo...natural lighting for a change. The light looked good on the windowsill so I figured I'd take advantage and capture this stuff in the soft light it deserves..can you see what a difference it makes?

I think I caught the "itty bitty" bug after doing the itty bitty swap. These itty bitty boxes just called out to me and I went to work on them like a whirling dervish. I used tiny prints of our artwork as well as some of my very own family photos ( my Grandma is on one)...and some good looking strangers too! I mixed new papers and old and gave them all an aged patina. I did 6, and I'm just putting them up for sale as I do them. I might repeat some designs or I might not. I'm just doing them as they come to me. I did 6 to start and as I write this there are 3 still available. I hope to do another batch this upcoming week. I like them as boxes for a special gift of jewelry or some other tiny object. They're also cool as tiny crafting supply boxes for your desktop. And they are tiny...just 2" x 2" . I have them over on Etsy if your interested.

Also...We're having a sale over on ebay ...15% off everything in our store!! So take advantage now...maybe for that personalized piece you've been wanting...or a baby shower gift...this time of year is full of those. Also a good time to get a group of Art Squared pieces. So hurry over...there's a few days left!!

Since this is the last of the Easter stuff I should be posting I figured I'd give you some parting eye candy. It just hit me again that Easter is over...it's so strange. There was no lead up. It just sorta happened out of the blue!

Check out in the center of the one pic the Kewpie doll wand. It was a completely unexpected gift from my friend Jenelle. A totally awesome surprise! So so nice of her! I LOVE it!!

And the little girl doll head was a gift from Cerri (day 12 in the hippity hop). Thanks so much Cerri...you've got my number alright! She is too cute!

Ok, that's all for now. This was a lengthy post and you probably forgot all about paragraphs one and two where I spoke of the weird Ides of March feeling we get every year. I'm really curious to know if any of you get it too...so please comment if you can. Thanks a bunch, happy spring!

xoxo, Jenny

Day 4..and a brand new place to shop!

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 05:13:41 GMT

Day 4! How pretty pretty pretty is this collage? It is just perfect! Like sunshine and cupcakes! Handmade/sewn by Jeanne. I truly gasped when I peeled away the paper! (which by the way is much prettier than this photo shows) Every single detail is just right. The colors, the patterns, the photo pocket...which allows for a personal photo to be added. I truly adore this piece! It will be hanging in the studio well past Easter. What an amazing group this is!! :)

I was just popping in for a quick hello, and to show you today's gift...but I couldn't possibly go without posting about the Grand Opening of Candice Carpenter's brand new and oh so cheerful site.. Peacoats and Party Hats !! Is that the greatest name evvvvver? Love it!! I was lucky enough to have met Candice and her super sweet mom at Silver Bella, what a treat. Not only is Candice super nice, but her kits totally knock socks off!! I so wish I had pics of Candice's set up on vendor night! It was the pinkest, most sweet and glittery, eye candy filled table ever! I was thrilled to walk away with one of her super fab Silver Bella album kits. I really could go on an on here. I am a BIG Candice Carpenter fan, and her site really is a perfectly executed extension of her red, pink, and polka dotted world. (designed by none other than the TOO DARN TALENTED Hope Wallace of Paper Relics fame) Get over there fast! Things are flying out the door. I am hoping to get my hands on one of her Easter kits before they are all gone. I'll let you know if I do! :)

Ok...that's all for now. See ya tomorrow with Day 5!

xoxo Jenny