Thanks to those who participated in my giveaway.  It’s always good to hear from you…thank you for sharing your thoughts of inspiration.  And I appreciate your generous comments about my blog and artwork too, thank you!

The winner for this giveaway is Donna.  Please contact me with your mailing address and I’ll send things your way after the weekend.

With St. Patrick’s Day in mind I created this green inspired canvas.  And I’m pretty sure you’ve noticed that I like to use bird images…a lot!   This happens naturally when you live in an area that’s popular with birds (I live near the edge of a forest and our home is surrounded by a border of towering trees).  Recently, there’s been a constant chorus of chirping going on outside…I think these little guys are as excited as I am that the harshness of winter is behind us.  And now, as I sit here at my kitchen counter on my computer, I’m being treated to the most beautiful symphonies of Spring…I love this front row seat, no ticket required.  No getting dressed up and no need to get in the car and drive.  And how about you…are the birdie packs back in your yard too?

As usual, I began the making process by digging into my stash of  recycled supplies…using “green” materials for my green canvas makes sense to me.

I used a piece of paper scrap with text, painted in a light wash of green (watercolor paint) to make the bird, which I settled into a cozy nest made from brown paper shreds…

…accented with a fluffy white feather.

A single drop of golden green catches the light just right.  This bead was courtesy of lovely Ann Marie (while reorganizing her jewelry bits she sent some extras my way)…she’s a fan of recycling too!

Thinking green is good…creating green is good.

Happy green day to those who celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.  And happy green creating to everyone who enjoys using recycled materials in your artwork – may this “making the most of” mindset inspire you every day of the year!

What do you do when you’re in the mood to create something, but you’re not exactly in the mood to go deep?  Sometimes when this urge appears I try to fill the void by making little things using this n’ that.

For instance, a couple of days ago I made these altered bamboo tile necklace charms using clear stamps by 7 gypsies (Conservatory set).  This stamp set is available at Stampington.  It comes with 24 pieces (includes images of bees, butterflies, birds, birdcages, eggs and more) so you’ll have plenty to choose from.  Anyway, I started off using a bee image.

And then I moved on to using a birdcage image.

If you like birdcages, here’s a mini canvas (3″ x 3″) that I created using a slightly different birdcage image (also included in the 24 piece stamp set).  This canvas was previously published in the Jan/Feb 2012 issue of Somerset Studio in the “With One Stamp” section, and the specific how-to instructions are available inside.

I can’t seem to get enough of using clothespins in my artwork.

And I’m naturally inclined to want to tuck a feather into the mix as well.  Luckily, feathers are so readily available…I find them very often during my strolls along the beach.  And sometimes I spot feathers right under foot during my routine runnings around – this always stops me in my tracks, amusing me…with a mild amazement.  I love it when this happens.  What about you…what amusing little things have crossed your path?  And do you see feathers everywhere you go also?

Sweet decadent treats…love them!  Like these itty-bitty chocolatey cupcakes from a local bakery.  Sometimes I have to have the most indulgent treats.

However, sometimes when I want something sweet, but also somewhat healthy, I’ll bake up a batch of oatmeal cranberry cookies with some ground flax seed mixed in.  And I’ll swap some of the butter with applesauce too…no one ever knows the difference.  Making these small, healthy adjustments is good for the heart.

Speaking of hearts, here are a couple that I made using these stamps from Crescendoh.  The very talented Jenny designed these cute and clever stamps.

I couldn’t help sneaking in a little “love”.

You can find the how-to instructions for making the 2″ x 2″ mini-canvases (shown above) at the Crescendoh Gallery.

Below is a heart-inspired package that I made for my sweet daughter, Brook.  I repurposed a toilet paper roll into a pocket (simply machine sew one end together) and added a soft heart made of organic cotton batting.

Wrap some goodies in tulle and tuck inside…so easy and pretty.

Here’s another easy project for you.  Altering Scrabble tiles is so quick that you can whip up a batch of heart love in no time (to make it even quicker, originally I created 5 different designs to fit on top of a tile, and then made color photocopies to make many multiples.)

Just in case anyone’s been admiring the pink buttons in this post…BTW, they’re hand dyed.  These sweet and beautiful buttons are available in the “Button Love” kit over at Crescendoh.

For these next couple of weeks I’ll be taking a blog break.  I’ve been craving some fresh air so I’ll be stepping outside more to take it all in.  I should be back by the start of March.  Until then, Happy sweet-heart-love to you and yours!

I have a weakness for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.  And over this past Christmas season I allowed myself to indulge…I ate these little cups of joy, with joy.  And I didn’t feel a lick of regret or guilt afterwards.  It’s essential to give in to our cravings every now and then.

After I satisfied my sweet tooth I had  plenty of red and gold foil wrappers leftover, which I later used to make these tiny hearts.

And with Valentines Day coming up, I decided to use the twinkling golden one to make the canvas below.

Then I used the ruby-red one to make this necklace.

I tucked the heart into a cozy pocket made of tulle.

The foil heart rests on (and is tied to) a cardboard paper base.  These elements are so feather-light that this charm can be worn suspended from a chain with just a couple of metal jump rings.

The heart seems to hang there in space, creating a magical ethereal effect.

Here’s a look at the two pieces together.

I really enjoyed making these heart-inspired pieces…about as much as I enjoyed eating the Reese’s cups.  And I suspect that soon, there will be more red foil wrappers in my future since Valentine’s Day is coming up.  I wonder if this means that there will also be pink colored wrappers to play with?

I hope that everyone enjoyed a warm and festive holiday season.  And I hope that this good feeling will continue as you move forward into the new year.  May 2012 be illuminated with the brightness of love…lots and lots of love.

Speaking of love, a lot of love went into creating this mixed media canvas.  And thoughts of optimism perched in my mind as I worked on putting the pieces together…it would make me very happy to pass this good energy on to one of you.

Here’s a look at my light and bright creation (6″ x 8″ canvas).

This piece began with a little birdie…

…and a white canvas, to which I’ve added subtle details…

…such as a twisty wire tree…

…grounded with shimmery accents.

I positioned the birdie high up above so that he can fully take in the view…watching and waiting…with hopeful anticipation.

At the edge of his seat, he is patient and steady as he observes…

…for you never know what will come into view.  There are infinite possibilities beyond the branches…begin by believing.

The start of a new year always gets me thinking deeper – this year my thoughts are to continue to focus on letting myself (and my art) evolve.  Allowing change isn’t always easy so I’ll have to work extra hard at it.  And at the same time I want to stay connected to my truth.

Perhaps some of you have been doing some soul searching as well.  I’m curious to hear your thoughts on any new revelations or aspirations.  And I’m also curious to hear what you’ve been creating (or wanting to create) in your studios.  Please leave whatever message or comment you might have to this post by next Wednesday (January 11th at 5pm) and I’ll count this as your entry to the giveway.  Then I’ll randomly choose a name and post this winner the next day.

Have a happy week and thanks for stopping by…it’s good to be back!

Inside the current issue of Somerset Studio you’ll see two of my mini-Christmas tree projects in the “With One Stamp” department.  Both projects were created using the star tree stamp from Stampington’s Classic Christmas.

Here’s a look at one of them (4″ x 4″ canvas).

And here’s a side view…I like how the shimmery mica flakes catch the light.

This other mini-tree can be used as either an ornament or as a gift topper.

A dotting of sparkly rhinestones and a golden crown embellishment are easy and simple. The detailed instructions for creating both of these projects are included inside Somerset Studio.

This time of year I yearn for simplicity, even more than usual, to keep me calm and connected to what’s most meaningful during the holidays.  Do you share this preference for keeping things simple as well…if so, do you have any good tips?

Thanks as always for dropping by. For those who entered in the magazine giveaway, thank you for participating. The winner, who gets a free copy of Stampington’s new magazine, Mingle, is Carla-cosmogirl! Congratulations…please email me your mailing address, thanks.

While you’re here I thought I’d show you a simple project that could come in handy this holiday season.  Turning feathers into party favors is quick, easy and definitely fun.

To make these, begin by typing (or printing from your computer) a special name or word onto paper or canvas.  Then cut around the name/word and adhere this strip either on top of or around the base of a feather with a glue stick.  Next, apply some glitter glue over the name/word and let dry.  Lastly, use 24 gauge wire to attach a beaded dangle around the base of the feather and that’s it…basically three steps and you’re done!

Placing a single feather into a sparkling clear wine glass would make a lovely display, or you can cluster many feathers together in a single elegant container to serve as a table centerpiece.  And then your guests can each bring one home as a special reminder of your event.  BTW, these altered feathers could also be used as bookmarks.

Here’s a close-up of one that I made for Jenny.  I made this one for her as a little thank you gift for having Bill and I over for dinner a couple months back.

And here’s a close-up of the one that I made for Heather as part of her birthday gift.

For most of my art projects I like to use feathers found at the beach.  However, for this particular project I needed feathers with a more substantial base so I purchased these from the local craft store…it’s nice to have options.

In the current issue of Somerset Apprentice…

…you’ll see my article, which includes specific, step-by-step instructions to create this mini dress on a 4″x4″ canvas.

The body of the dress was cut from a piece of recycled wool sweater (this is why I always keep my scraps.)  And the tiny red bow with extra long tails is just a plain piece of string…I bet you all have plenty of string staples to choose from.

Within the article you’ll also find the details on how to create stamped metal tags like this one.

I like how the single red bow accent pops.  To keep the rest of the elements on the quieter side, I added just a tiny touch of glimmer…sometimes a vintage glass button is all you need.

You know how three is my favorite number? This being the case I thought it would be fun to create three different pieces for this giveaway (1 winner for all 3 pieces.)

Here’s a look at the canvas (6″ x 6″) that I created…

…with a little birdie as the focal point…

…perched with a feather…

…within a cage of crystals.

For this particular piece, a single spot of blue felt like just the right amount of color.

Here’s another birdie inspired piece.  This mica charm hangs from antique brass chain links and leather.

When I think of birds, their lovely eggs usually come to mind.  So here’s an egg inspired necklace with a mixed chain of chunky, glassy beads along with blackened metal links.

To enter this giveaway simply leave a comment on this post (I’d love to hear what marvelous things in nature inspire you, or just say “hi”) by 5pm on Friday, September 2nd.  And I’ll be back here to post the winner the next morning.

Thanks for stopping by and for participating…have a happy, wonderful week!

I’m addicted to making mini things…are you?  If so, here’s a super quick quilting project for you.

To create the pieces shown above I used “Live to Love” Clear Stamps for the picture frame and heart designs.  You can find more specific how-to instructions over at Studio Crescendoh.

And speaking of mini, I’ll be taking multiple mini breaks this month so you probably won’t see much of me here.  Like a birdie, I’ll be flying around here and there…and just in case you’re interested, I’ll be back here sometime in mid-flight with an update or two.

Just one quick question before taking off.  While I’m away I’ll be thinking about my next giveaway (I hope to have my act together to be able to offer something in the beginning of next month.)  Anyway, in the past I’ve been sticking to offering jewelry…is this something you’d like me to continue or perhaps you’d like something on a canvas or something quilty even?  Or maybe you’re like me, and you like to have a little bit of everything.  Please share whatever suggestions you might have.  Thanks!