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!

My new toy came... Learning how to sew!

My new toy came! It is new Singer Heavy Duty Sewing Machine. Yes, heavy duty because I plan on sewing heavier fabrics like canvas, french ticking and grain sacks. Now I have to learn how to use it! Any class suggestions? Any fabric source suggestions? Here are some fabrics I am craving... I am going to need a warehouse for all of my craft stuff!

Doggy fabric for Family Room pillows.

Grain Sack for Living Room and Kitchen Table.

Lovely trims for something!

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!

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 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!

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?

SCRAPBOOK OR COLLAGE?

Close up of page.

"For this Child I have prayed."

I love scrapping, but I think I do more collage art than scrapping. It takes me forever to do a page because I think so much about the layout and everything that could possibly be glued or painted to that piece of paper. The process to me takes me back to that time and place and all those memories. Starting Caleb's book has been a process for me because I want everything to be just right and summing up so may thoughts and feelings for a small area sometimes is hard! Here is a sample of my recent work. Oh, and of course I have to mention that the fantastic photograph was taken by Anna Hedges Photography.