A Fabulous Porch Design Just In Time for Summer by TLC and an update on Annie Sloan Chalk Paint being sold in Tennessee

{Image via The Lettered Cottage}

It's off to the beach for me! I can't wait. I just checked out The Lettered Cottage's porch revamp and it is so inspirational. Check it out. Makes me want to grab a cold glass of lemonade and kick back. You can read about it here, at The Lettered Cottage.

On a side note, I am now a stockist for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint! I can't wait to provide Tennessee with such a wonderful product. As of this post I am the only stockist in Tennessee. My online store, The Back Porch Mercantile (www.thebpmercantile.com) will open August 1st and I will let you know ASAP when I have it placed in store front in Knoxville. So if you follow this blog, please start following www.thebpmercantile.com because this blog will merge eventually with it. Thanks!

Gettin' Crafty: Jones Design Company

This week has been a little busy with my sister graduating from nursing school and all of the fun activities associated with that, so I am a little behind with posting a fun Friday craft. Here is my favorite this week to put into the files. If I would have had the time I would have made one for my sister's pinning ceremony, but I got her a nice rosebush to remember her ceremony.

Jones Design Company is one of my favorite blogs. She is a great designer and always is doing something fun and inspirational. Check out her blog, here. She had a fun Flower week this past week and I can't wait to start working on some. I wanted to pass them along to you. Go check these out and the Jones Design Company Blog. She also has a wonderful font section to check out as well on her home page. Oh how I love letters and numbers!

Button Flowers Tutorial, click here.

Rolled Fabric Flower Tutorial, click here.

Rolled Paper Flowers Tutorial, here.

How to make a Party Chick

I recently made these three chicks for my Stella and Dot party we hosted at the house. I thought they would be cute for a spring table or buffet for Easter. I used a Martha Stewart Living template. The instructions use fabric, but I used scrapbook paper and a dictionary page print from the Graphics Fairy. Just make sure you glue everything to cardstock to make the chick really stiff to stand up well. The templates can be found here at Marthastewart.com. I also did not put grass at the bottom. To make them stand up, I just ran hot glue against the base of the chick on both sides and just attached the oval base. It is really sturdy. Age the sides with brown ink.

Linking up to Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Night Special, Graphics Fairy Brag Monday, and The Lettered Cottage! Check out Funky Junk Interiors here and Graphics Fairy here and The Lettered Cottage here. They are some of my favorite blogs!

The Emporium at Kudzu Originals is Open!

I love this. I have made several.

emporium [ɛmˈpɔːrɪəm]

n pl -riums, -ria [-rɪə]

(Business / Commerce) a large retail shop offering for sale a wide variety of merchandise

[from Latin, from Greek emporion, from emporos merchant, from poros a journey]

The Emporium at Kudzu Originals is now open on ETSY! It has a been a journey getting there. Organizing my things, my thoughts and defining my style. Hence the name emporium, a JOURNEY with a WIDE variety of merchandise. Since my long hiatus from blogging, I have really tried to define what I love and what makes me happy. ( And strangely, a few graphic projects along the way!) I read a lot of other blogs and ripped images out of magazines. I love art, photography and interiors. I love old things. I love personalized items and monograms. I love handmade. I love making something from scratch. I must really like the color red and and blue. I love old furniture, french style and industrial. I love paint just out of the tube. I love Caleb's selection of crayon choices. I am learning how to LIVE with what I LOVE and make it all work together. The start of my ETSY store is a small sampling of what I like and hope you like too. Something small to add to your home or to give as a meaningful gift. And I guess if I do what I LOVE, then I will LOVE what I do!

The JOURNEY begins!

Here's to 2011..and some artistic resolutions!

Caleb's hand ornament.

I am itching to get a clean slate. To make some lists and start over new! This time of year it is like a fever hits and I want to get organized. I want my home to look like a picture out of that catalog. Oh wait! I have a one year old, two dogs, a new cat and a husband ( not in order of importance I might add!) And of course a ZILLION ideas to get started on. To make, to create! I am excited what the year will bring. And since I am lagging WAY behind, I thought I would post this super easy and fun piece to make with a family. And yes, that ETSY store will be coming soon. I just pulled out all my originals because I am going to have to part with some things. I can not hang art on every square inch of space of the wall as much as I would like to.

Hand print ornaments:

Supplies:

4 pack of clear glass balls ( Michaels)

1 spool of ribbon any color

White paint pen fine tip

Delta Ceramcoat Acrylic Paint

Foam paintbrush 1 inch

Directions:

Since Caleb was 11 months old and he would rather put his hand covered in the green paint anywhere but the ornament, I enlisted Nathan's help. Do not sweat it if it does not come out perfect. That is the beauty of it. Use a heavy coat of paint on the hand and stick it on. Any mistakes come off with nail polish remover. After it dries use the white paint pen to design some snowflakes around the hand. I also put the date on the front and the person's name on the back. For example, To: Grandpa and Grandma From: Caleb. It dries quick.

Just in time for Christmas! My favorite artist from Nebraska...Cody Foster.

Image from Cody Foster and Company

Image from Cody Foster and Company

Image from Cody Foster and Company

Image from Cody Foster and Company

Our mantel.

More mantel.

Since I just recently spent a week doing the family tour in Nebraska, I thought I would write about Cody Foster. He is a native of a Valentine, Nebraska, a small town in a very pretty part of Nebraska. Valentine is immediately north of the Niobrara River, on the northern edge of the Sandhills physiographic region. We actually canoed the Niobrara a couple years ago and loved it.

The store, Backporch Company and Friends is still there on main street Valentine and is absolutely adorable. His grandmother runs it! Cody Foster still keeps his entire company based out Valentine as well, which is wonderful for the economy. He started designing in high school with his grandmother, Isa Foster making Christmas ornaments. When we stopped in his sweet little store, it gave me shivers. The houses are incredible he designs and my mantle is my display for them. For more information on Cody Foster, click here. To buy Cody Foster in Knoxville, check out Michael Peters Home in Bearden.

Here are a few pictures of his designs that might inspire you for the holidays! What's your favorite holiday decoration?

Country Living Fair 2010 Stone Mountain, Georgia and Southern Living Idea House Senoia, Georiga

Southern Living Idea House 2010 Senoia, Georgia

Note the Christmas subway art.

Room at idea house. I like how they used the ceiling.

Earth Angels Art display

Some cool upholstery.

Close up junk market style places setting by Gorilla Glue.

Salvaged door knob used as a vase!

Table setting junk market style by Gorilla Glue.

Note the candleholder- all made from piping at Lowes.

Great idea by Rustoleum paint- Funkin pumpkin with chalkboard paint.

Good use for clearance pumpkins.

Gorgeous display of pumpkins at entrance. So festive.

The Country Living Fair was everything I thought it would be and more! There were so many cool vendors and sponsors at this event. Next year I think I will be a little more prepared with some definite things I have in mind for my house because it can get a little overwhelming with all the fabulous choices there are. I think my favorite purchase was a linen pillow for my antique library chair that has a ruler screen printed on it. It worked out perfect! I also got to shop from Jenni Bowlin's tent, a favorite scrapbook supplier and stocked up on some bingo cards. I got some great ideas at the Gorilla Glue tent on junk market style and some super paint ideas from Rustoleum. I was super excited about how to refinish some antique knobs with Rustoleum and came away with a great freebie from them as well that makes spray painting easier.

We also toured two great homes while we were in the area, The Southern Living Idea House in Senoia, Georgia and one of the new green houses designed by Country Living manufactured by New World Home. Now I will not claim I am interior designer or decorator, but it made me get excited about interiors when I saw the Idea House! I am also amazed at the Country Living house that is complete in 60 days and custom built. Beautiful and eco friendly. Senoia is so quaint and cute. We browsed a couple antique stores there and then ate lunch at the Redneck Gourmet down a couple feet from a scene from "Fried Green Tomatoes".

I could write a book about our wonderful trip and post a bunch of pictures of the fun we had!

Cool links:

Country Living Eco house 2010

Southern Living Idea House 2010

Rustoleum Paint Cabinet Hardware

Country Living Festival 2010 Video

Country Living Fair at Stone Mountain, Georgia

Jennifer Murphy Pom pom chicks. I want them all!

This is a beautiful piece of jewelery!

"She is the Party Starter" mixed media by Bonnie Taylor Talbot

The Country Living Fair is coming South for the first time! And I am so lucky to be able to go! I can't wait to see all the artists and go to the workshops. The Country Living festival is ..."a fun, folksy and fabulous Show & Sale of Folk Art, Antiques, "Made in America" Crafts, Art, Furniture, Home Decor & More. Meet the editors of Country Living Magazine. Plus Seminars & How-to's, Artisan Demonstrations, Harvest & Gourmet Market, Childrens' Activities & Fall Festivities. " Earth Angels will be there with several of their featured artists. I hope to do a lot of my Christmas shopping and find a few things for me too. Check out the link and the video. I am sure you will want to make this a must on your fall festivals to see! For information, click here!

Mixed Media Magazine- Somerset Studio

If you interested in mixed media design, this is the best magbook! Somerset Studio is a good publication with a lot of inspiration for your next project. It lists all the supplies they used as well. Somerset has lots of different publications for home, sewing, art, stamping...even blogging. Everything is based on artful living. I picked my copy up at Borders the other day on Holiday projects and I am ready to get started on about 3-4 more projects I don't have time for. I also discovered their store that sells vintage german glitter and a variety of clothespin sizes. I will be making an order soon!

What publications do you read that inspire you?

For all kinds of mixed media supplies and magazines, check out stampington.com!

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel..."

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your long hair..."

I always loved stories and fables when I was younger. This piece, Rapunzel I painted a few years ago and came across it the other day. I did several different tales with this same approach, the woods and the main character. This piece and Red Riding Hood were some of my favorite. I created Rapunzel on cold press illustration board with watercolor and ink. These creations I did in the fall, inspired by the trees and the shorter days. The trees give a mysterious look and the hair is brilliant set against the dark, foreboding colors in the forest.

Rapunzel was one of the illustrations that always was a little inspiration to carry on and do something with drawing in my life.

This illustration is for sale. Price available upon request.

Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble....Halloween Crafts

Messy office!

Some of my pumpkins.

Supplies.

Start of bunting.

I love this time of year and Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I have been working on some new crafts for halloween and I will post them as I go. I have started a really cool bunting I plan to hang over my fireplace with some vintage inspirations. Here are a few images of crafts getting started.

What have you been decorating with or making?