Hey Friends. I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween weekend. I spent the weekend at my first art show. Sales were so-so, but I expected that with the economy slump. It was still pretty good. I won second place at the show, so I was really pleased with that!
I had dental surgery today, so I'm gonna make it short. Blessings to everyone! xo
Not a lot to say tonite, just wanted to share. I'm gearing up for 3 weekends in a row full of art shows!
Thanks toSara I received my first blogger award!
And thanks to all of you who gave me lots of dishtowel love!
I got 5 emails requesting their very own custom monogrammed dishtowels, and ladies, they are on their way. If you'd like one, give me a shout-out at gracechrissie@yahoo.com.
It's amazing how many scraps I have!
My mom was here this week and we did a run at the Pumpkin Patch.
Fun times! I hope everyone is enjoying their Fall...:)
Hey y'all! Want to see what I've been doing this week?
I'm gearing up for my Fall Art shows that start in two weeks. Because of the economy I've been a little concerned that people won't want to spend a lot of money, so I'm trying to stock up on things that cost under $20. Hence all the plaques! If you're interested in buying one, shoot me an email at gracechrissie@yahoo.com
I hope everyone is enjoying their weekends!:)
I know some of you love a good before and after, like I do. This one isn't a HUGE before and after, but sometimes it's the subtle changes that make a big difference. It's my daughter's room.
BEFORE:
Unorganized!
Messy!
Cluttered!
The closet was really bad...
So here is the AFTER:
Changed some things around, took some art off the walls to simplify a little. This room used to be my art studio, and unfortunately I trashed the carpets. It's time for a good steam cleaning!!
Much more organized!
I got this idea from Chrissie (great name-huh?:) at Flip Flops and Applesauce. They are made of Shrinky Dinks! Hers are much cuter but mine do the job. Every canvas box has a shrinky dink label. It really has helped with organization! By the way, shrinky dink paper is addictive. We had craft night last Friday and stayed up until 11 making these. They are really fun.
Love this shelf with her knick-knacks.
I got the top shelf for $2 at a thrift store last week and I painted it yellow. All the little figurines on it were mine when I was a little girl. Does anyone recognize the avon perfume bottle on the top?:) Mine still smells. Below it is a piece I bought at a garage sale for $1. It is in perfect condition.
All the flowers you see in the background are handmade. I cut them out of thin plywood last year, collaged newspaper on the background, and painted them. I think they add a lot of whimsy to the room.
There's more to her room, but I don't want to overwhelm you with pictures. I have been so inspired by other crafty stay-at-home mom's blogs that I wanted to share some of the things I've done to our home to make it more beautiful, clean, efficient, and organized. I've added some of my new favorite decorating blogs to my favorites for daily inspiration.
Also, I want to give a shout out to Lemon Annie, who featured some of my pictures on her blog today. I was so excited to see she had mentioned me. I find a lot of inspiration through her. Go here and check it out!
I love this song and it runs through my head quite often during the day, escpecially during homeschool days!:)
This piece is heavily influenced by the style of Sara Mincy, who paints scripture and has a great etsy shop. Thanks for the inspiration Sara! This will be hung in our bedroom.
I love this painting! Copies are now available in the She Said etsy shop.
I also updated The Jellybean Tree etsy shop. I put some frames and cards in there, as well as a couple copies of my book, signed!
Okay, on to more important things, like this 8 week old baby of mine that is a chunka monka!!
Couldn't you just eat him up?
People, I promise I am only giving this child milk. He just REALLY likes to eat!:)
Here is an updated version of my foyer. As you can see, the candy corn is almost gone. In the back is a wonderful print by Sara Mincy. Check out her etsy shop, she has great prices. I got super lucky and we did a trade. Thanks Sara!
Some cards I whipped up this weekend with leftover felt and scrapbooking papers, and my sewing machine. I did 10 birds and 20 owls.
We primed and painted this kids table and chair set from Ikea. I wish I had a before picture, but just imagine it unprimed with lots and lots of crayon marks on it. Logan helped me add the polka dots. The kids love using this little table.
Last but not least, a picture of my foyer. It is the first thing you see when you walk in my house. It looked like this:
The Grace sign was custom made for me at Nestlings etsy shop, and I got the heart with wings from Red Shoes. I love both of these pieces! I got the mirror, candle holders, and table at JC Pennys this summer, clearance $80 from an original price of $225 I think. I did a little bit of fall decorating this week, so now it looks like this. I got the Harvest sign at Wal-Mart for only $3!
Have you done any Fall Decorating yet?
I've updated my first Etsy shop and I wanted to share with you. I've decided to lower my prices a little bit for now. It seems as if everyone is feeling the crunch, and I wanted my art to be accessible to everyone. So for now, all She Said prints are $10. Go check it out! Here are a few of my personal favorites...
I have a lot of fun stuff to share, a big post coming up soon! Have a great weekend!
Look what the Fed-Ex man brought yesterday...
Some of my books...
Here is just one sneak peek of a project that is in there, called Under the Blue. It's a stained glass mosaic covered with resin.
I know I've said this before, but the process of writing and creating these books is a lot like giving birth. There is the initial anticipation and excitement, the emotional ups and downs, the questioning ( am I good enough?), the confidence when everything is going smoothly, the anxiety as it comes to the end, and then, of course, the total happiness when everything is over. I lost my Dad right before I finished this book, and then almost immediately found out I was pregnant with Jax. My focus on the book slightly hindered, and was slightly delayed. But as I sit here today looking through the finished product again, I am very proud and very relieved that it turned out so well. There are 20 mixed-media mosaic projects in this book, complete with all the how-to's. Very fun!
The official release date is September 23...Go here to see it on Amazon!
I will be offering a few signed copies in my etsy shop in the next couple of days. Hooray!!!:)
