Jen Bowles Design

Welcome Home {Card}

My mom just returned from a cross country trip to Artfest.

Yep, she was off meeting a bunch of her art pals, taking some great classes and taking part in really cool trades and swaps.  I was here feeding her cat and watering her  plant seedlings. 

I am definitely her favorite child. 

And yes, her only one ;-) 

I've been in a bit of a creative rut, so I thought making a Welcome Home card to greet Mom upon her return might be a do-able craft. 

I sat down with some supplies at 4pm.  Six hours later I had this card.  Ok, maybe not six hours but it seemed to take me a while.  Good thing I'm happy with how it turned out :-)

The crafty details:  Most supplies are K&Company including the card base, Carolyn Gavin rub ons and felt trim.  Epoxy letters were leftover from who knows when.  The roof is chipboard covered in old book pages, attached to the square card base.  Of course there are a few other letters and numbers cut from thrifted books.  I can't help myself.

 

Mosaic Monday

More Spring inspired faves...

1. Easter cards (Marks & Spencer), 2. For "Stick me MOM!", by Irisschwarz, 3. studio pics, 4. altered avon bottles, 5. shabby floral 3, 6. Welcoming Spring, 7. Watercolor butterfly specimen box, 8. Magnolias digital collage, 9. Constance 1956 Vintage Caravan

Spring Vignette

It's sunny and 38 degrees outside.

Must be early spring in New England!

Fabulous Foundation

At the seaside home of a friend, Miss P., not only can you see the ocean from several rooms, the garage foundation is mosaic-ed in seashells.

Um, yes please.

As you approach the covered front entry, your eye is drawn to the right.  At the end of a short brick path is a door painted a lovely shade of blue--leading to an art studio over the garage.

Once you get to the door, you may change your mind for to the left, 2 inviting chairs on an elevated deck. 

On your way to take a seat, you see it.  The foundation seashell mosaic.    

What a fun and inspiring idea to keep the sea nearby--not to mention a wonderful way to dress up ugly gray foundation walls!

{More} Image & Inspiration Pages

A few more pages from my Image & Inspiration book.

The colors definitely make me happy :-).

    

{Sorry about the green dot pattern, apparently I can't get the scanner resolution correct today.  This was the 3rd time I tried though}         

Mosaic Monday

Happy Spring!

1. Vintage Watering Cans, Take 2, 2. Garden Nook, 3. Once upon a time....., 4. Cottage garden 1, 5. Morris 10000 Garden Ornament, 6. Garden Room, 7. Garden Room, 8. bench, 9. Rochester Garden Tour chairs, 10. Vintage Eye Candy, 11. Blue vintage chair/Biergartenstuhl, 12. Vintage Aprons & Vintage Chairs

Studio Storage: Pencil Cups

The creation of my Image & Inspiration book has rendered the dining room table, aka my current studio table, unusable for things like eating.

Hmmm.

Yep, it's a bit of a mess in there.

While I was sitting in there the other day, my eyes came to rest on some of my upcycled pencil cups.  Very happy making.

For many months, I was storing my pencils in a used crushed tomato can.  Finally, I got around to gussying it up.  I love the results and it only took about 15 minutes.

I used 3 different types of vintage paper I had lying around, ribbon from a gift I bought myself at Henri Bendel in NYC, some gauzy fabric scraps and a velvet leaf from a clearance poinsettia stem from Michaels. 

First I cut the papers and used glue stick to adhere them to the tin can.  I used gel medium to secure the edges.

Next, I hot glued the length of polka dot ribbon around the top. 

Then I stitched up the flower.  I cut a few circles (4-5) out of a fabric scrap.  I sort of gathered them together with my fingers, pinched and pulled through a few quick stitches.  The stitches helped with the twisty, funky shape. 

I hot glued the leaf on, and then the flower.

All done.

Except for the filling with colored pencils.

This pencil cup is now a happy resident of my art table lazy susan, and a wonderful neighbor to Ms. Upcycled Sheet Music paintbrush cup. 

They're a match made in heaven.  Well, the craft room anyway!

My slice of Liberty of London

I went to Target yesterday.

As I was walking from my car to the parking lot I told myself I was going to the grocery section and that was it.

Ha.

We all know there's a reason they put the grocery section on the far side of the store so you have to walk clear across the whole place to get a box of Wheat Thins.  Resistance to browsing proved futile.  Quickly.  

Resistance to purchasing anything other than groceries also proved futile.  There was a super clearance going on in the Stationery department.  I got a package of really cool party napkins for 37 cents for goodness sake.

Then there was all of that lovely Liberty of London goodness.  Everywhere.  I. Turned.

I had read on other blogs that some Target stores had sold out of L of L merchandise.  Not mine.  While I admired all of it, I reigned myself in and only bought 2 items.  An adorable skirt for Ebby and a set of 3 mini notebooks for myself (beautiful and useful!).

I don't think I should be feeling too badly.  For $20 I got a skirt Ebby can wear to Easter brunch (and on vacation and for Mother's Day...) and 3 notebooks that are going to revolutionize the way I keep track of things. 

A great deal, really.

Now, if they still have so many of the Liberty of London goodies next time I go to Target--there could be trouble.

You'd better get there first.  Please ;-)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

O'Tweet
Originally uploaded by fertree33~Jen Bowles

Wishing you a warm & sunny day, full of GREEN!

Mosaic Monday

Latest flickr faves, with touches o' the green...

1. Pretty Vintage Seam Binding, 2. Watering Can, 3. for a little friend of a friend, 4. Vintage price tags, spice jars, muffin tin, 5. home inspiration from smile and wave, 6. Day Seventy, 7. Untitled, 8. vintage french green glass, 9. Vintage tin dolls, 10. felt starfish, 11. Ribbon Honors Brooch, 12. .1861