What's Up Wednesday, January 28, 09

Hey there! What's up? I haven't had much access to the computer the last few days as I have been doing a "final clean" on a house for some dear homeowners. They chose black, distressed cabinetry in the kitchen. While I do love the "looks" of them, and enjoy helping people decorate with different styles and tastes other than my own, they are a true pain the in butt to clean. I spent 5 hours today cleaning them!!!! My hands look like sandpaper! Yet another reason I don't have fingernails or paint them. Waste of time!

Anyhoo, I thought it quite perfect to tie into this weeks "Pink Friday" at Make Mine Pink. This Friday's theme is Winter Whites. I have to say that I looooove this theme. I love white cars, white houses, white walls, white furniture and especially white cabinets!!! White doesn't show dirt like most people think. In fact, dark colors show dirt and dust more quickly. White is calming, cool, and full of light. White makes simple things more important. Recently I have been in love with some Swedish blogs and Swedish style decorating. You can find them on my sidebar. I can't understand a word they are saying, but the pictures are pretty!!!

So, please join me and all of my fabulous "pinky" sisters this Friday for Winter Whites at Make Mine Pink. You might just find the perfect thing for your home, as a gift, a good read, etc. So much to choose from. Besides, it won't show the dirt and you won't have to spend 5 hours cleaning it!

Yippeee!

Hugs,

Shell

Pink Friday ~ Winter Whites
I love winter~ long January days where the snow stretches until it blends with the low white clouds. No definition of distance, just shadows to foretell what is to come. Winter is clean, cold and refreshing. Snowy whites and creamy ivory swirl together creating a sense of calm. The air is still. The whole world seems at peace. As nature rests under a blanket of snow, time is spent in thought. There are books to be read, journals to be written, rooms to refresh, plans to be made for the garden. But nothing needs to move to fast. We have time. Winter is here and we can take things slow, time to relax and get lost in dream world of all white.
In January I always want to paint everything in the house a shade of white or ivory, maybe even beige or pale gray thrown in for interest. It is not cold and stark but rather clean and cozy. A late evening fire in a winter white room gives each item a glow~ the shadows are soft and relaxing. Plush white linens and fragile ivory lace beckons gentle serenity. A well appointed bed with piles of winter white linens topped by a cashmere throw just tempts me to open the window and listen for the stillness brought on by a blanket of snow. Then, just when one thinks the winter will never end; brave flowers peek up through the snow, the Jonquil, the Lenten Rose and the Prairie Pasque Flower. Their delicate flowers even more precious against the white snow, and the season begins to change.
Sharon WollmanDirector of Community Relations,Make Mine Pink.com

Friends and Gifts

I have been truly spoiled. I received some wonderful gifts from some sweet friends for no reason at all. The cool thing is they came when I needed a little lift. None of them knew I needed a lift, but they gave me gifts just the same. Isn't it wonderful how friends just seem to know that?


There's a miracle of friendship that dwells within the heart
And you don't know how it happens
or where it gets its start
But the happiness it brings you
always gives a special lift
And you realize that Friendship
Is God's most precious gift


I don't know who wrote that, but I love it and write it in cards. Feel free to share it with your friends.


My friend Lyd gave me this teapot. She know's how much I adore collecting these creamy pieces. In fact, Lyd has given me most of my collection. It's simply beautiful and I get so excited over each piece. I'll take a picture of my display case with all the pieces when the light is better. It's rainy today. Thanks again for this Lyd. You didn't have to, but I love it!!!!!!!! You know I'm doing the happy dance right now. :)



This little notebook came from my friend Carrie Gonzalez, at Noelle Garrett Designs. I purchased something from her and she included this charming little notebook that she created. Carrie makes lots of beautiful and unique art. Check out her site and her blog here. Thanks Carrie! I love it!!!!


This bracelet is simply incredible! It was designed and created by my friend Gail Friend, at Gail Friend Designs. Yep, her last name is Friend and a good friend she is. Gail makes some of the most incredible jewelry pieces. I'm always drooling over her work. I have a really tiny wrist and Gail made this especially for me. It's a perfect fit and I think it's just gorgeous! I mean it doesn't get any better than bunnies with bling! You can find Gail's site and blog here. Thank you so much Gail, I will treasure it always!!


This adorable sign was given to me by my friend Amy at Bunny Rose Cottage. Amy and I share a love for bunnies and frou frou stuff. I think this sign says it all. I have it hanging up in Bunnyville and I look at it and love it every day. Visit Amy's sweet blog and shop here.
Thanks so much for this Amy, I love it and it's the perfect decoration for Bunnyville!!!



Finally, is a pillow I made this weekend. It's made from a vintage dresser scarf, a vintage hanky and a rose appliqued onto a piece of vintage linen. I love the way it turned out. It's soft and simple. It's available on my site if you have a friend you might like to send a gift to. You know, just because your friends, you care about them, and they are your most precious gift.

Bunny hugs and kisses to all of you,
Shell

What's Up Wednesday January 21, 2009

Ok... like this hardly ever happens here.... SNOW!!!!!!!!!! We actually had snow!!!!! Doesn't Rosewood Cottage look pretty? There were some strange critter patterns in the snow. David and I were clueless as to what they were. David made lots of snow cream. Let's see that is no pee/yellow snow, evaporated milk, sugar and vanilla extract. Mix all together until taste is pleasing and then eat too much of it so that it spoils your dinner and you get a brain freeze. Yep, that would be David. He's such a kid.

Well, I decided to take advantage of the snow day since I only had to work a few hours in between. Everything stops here in eastern NC when it snows. At the grocery store, all the bread and milk disappear. Not sure why. Give me wine and something "snooty" to eat. I'm not about to eat cereal or make a sandwich. My God, I'm 40 not 4! Geez!

Anyhoo... I took advantage of my time not being at work and created some cards and framed pieces. I really love how they turned out. They are available on my Site and on my boutique at Make Mine Pink. Please see my earlier post regarding Pink Friday at Make Mine Pink. Come and visit with us. Lots of pretty Romantic Roses items from independent women in business.

See ya Sunday. Happy snow day.

bunny hugs and kisses,

shell

One last thought. I'm cold and want the snow to go away so I can be warm again. Come on Spring and Summer! Dag I don't know how Northern States deal with this. Burrrrr!

Pink Friday, January 23,2009

Romantic Roses
I've never seen a rose that I didn't love. From the first tender blossom of early spring, gently swaying in the breeze, to a beautifully and painstakingly stitched needlepoint, rich in history, I adore them all! Roses represent so many different things to each of us and are often used to celebrate special occasions such as weddings, births and anniversaries. Roses have also been used throughout the centuries in grand estate as well as small cottage gardens, many styles of home décor and of course fashion. Milliners used silk roses to embellish the finest hats, while seamstresses stitches the richest brocade drapes adorned with roses.Throughout the years, famous artists have studied and painted every aspect of the rose. Antique lithographs and modern impressionistic paintings inspired by the great rose artists from the 1800s, grace our homes today with their everlasting beauty. Roses continue to gracefully fit every lifestyle and décor.If you have a soft spot for roses as I do, won't you please join us for PINK FRIDAY at Make Mine Pink on Friday January 23rd as The boutiques at Make Mine Pink present "Romantic Roses."

Joyce Lucas, Founder

Stage 2 PSA

Oh dear... I didn't think it could get any worse, but indeed it could and it did. Upon cleaning an organizing bunnyville for the new year, I realized my PSA has gone into Stage Two PSA. For those of you who are new to my blog, PSA is a disease known to many as Paint Swatch Addiction. You can read about my battle with this disease here. There are many of us that suffer from this.



Well little did I know that this particular disease has more than one stage and I just realized that I have developed Stage Two PSA. What is Stage Two you're asking???? This is rather embarrassing. Stage Two PSA is "Paper Separation Anxiety." Yep, it's true. This develops when one has trouble letting go of paper. Of course it has to be pretty paper and truthfully it really doesn't even have to be paper. For instance. This is a tag off a pair of $10 pants I bought on clearance. When I cut the tag off, I couldn't bear to throw it away. I was more excited about the tag than I was the fact that I only paid $10 for a pair of pants! I could use this on a card, on a piece of art, on...on... another tag!! Yeah! Oh boy where's my heart punch. I just had to punch a heart shape out of it. Isn't it pretty???


As I continued to organize bunnyville, I started noticing that not only have I saved tags from clothing, but I have saved pretty tissue boxes, scraps of wrapping paper, bits and pieces and well... Schnibblets of everything. Don't you just love that word? Schnibblets. I love that word. These are fun too, Schmooze, Schmege, Schmutzed, Schmuck-a-telly. Let's use them in sentences. I have Schnibblets of paper everywhere. I tried to Schmooze my friend in order to get her paper. I got glue Schmege all over that paper. Oh I just Schmutzed that paper up. Geeze, I'm such a Schmuck-a-telly. Hee,hee,hee. Ok I digress, back to PSA.



So anyway, being the "organizational over achiever" that I am, I then had to make sure that all my Schnibblets and papers were color coordinated and placed in an easy to see, easy to grab manner. Thank goodness for Ziplock bags.
Now everything is perfectly filed away so when I want to create I don't have to hunt and dig. I know many of you suffer from this same illness. The good news is that there is a "politically" correct term for it now. It's called "creating green." Reduce, reuse, recycle. Use that term if you want, but we all know that you really have Stage Two PSA.

Have a great week. Check back with me and I'll give you the What's Up on Wednesday.

bunny hugs and kisses,
shell

This week IGF, Razzy being well again and my over active, dorky imagination.

Pink Friday! In with the New!

With the the New Year well underway; many of our resolutions neatly tucked away. Were your plans to add a new color to brighten even the dullest of January days, or perhaps organizing your desk just to clear things away a bit? Was it resolve for time spent alone in thought with a fresh new tea and new decorating book, maybe candles to brighten even the darkest of winter evenings, or a special bubble bath for a relaxing spa night. Which ever way you celebrate "In with the New" the boutiques at Make Mine Pink are ready and able to help with a glimpse of new trends, colors and deigns for a fresh start to your new year. Please join the boutiques at Make Mine Pink Friday January 16th for shopping with a twist.

Please join us for PINK FRIDAY at Make Mine Pink on Friday January 16th. The boutiques at Make Mine Pink are pleased to present "In With The New!"

What's Up Wednesday January 14, 2009

Hi and What's Up? Well this Wednesday, I thought we could all just use a BIG HUG! Man it seems like this year is starting off just as crazy for everyone. Layoff's, sickness, accidents, storms, yadda yadda yadda, ick, puke, gag!

I'm a "huggy" person. I love to give hugs and I love to get hugs. Sometimes it's all one needs to feel a little better. Even bunnies need a hug. Razzy has been sick and we spent most of last week and last weekend at the vet (2 1/2 hours away). Very scary. I was a total basket case. Thank God Razzy is much better now (thank you Avian and Exotic Animal Care). I can only imagine what I would be like if I had kids. I remember being a basket case when my niece shoved rice up her nose! My sister, calm. Me, ready to pass out that I cooked the rice that ended up in the nose!

David and I had to work together to give Razzy his medicine. It's a major ordeal and just plain awful (another reason I'm not a nurse or in the medical field, again the passing out thing). When we would finish shoving all this icky stuff down his throat, I would unwrap him from the towel and he would stand on his hind legs, put his front legs on my shoulder and want a hug from his Mama. Razzy really is a Mama's boy. I would hug him, pet him and tell him he was ok and a good boy. He would calm down, relax, and feel much better.

So today I'm sending all of you a really BIG HUG if you need it and even if you don't. Sometimes we all need a big hug... even bunnies.

bunny hugs (and kisses),

shell

Bunny Pages

Here ya go. These are the pages from inside the bunny book. I made little art quilts and embellished them. Then I affixed each to a cloth page that has batting sandwiched between it. The images were manipulated on my computer for color and size and then transferred onto silk. The corresponding pages are my own design. Do you see the bunnies? David can finally see them. Either that or he's just fibbing to make me feel good.

This page is two little girls holding a bunny. I used vintage lace, vintage buttons and pearl beads.

This page is a lady holding a bunny that is all wrapped up like a baby. I love the little elves and can't help but think they brought her the bunny knowing she would be the perfect mother. If you look at the page, you'll see the word promise, a key and a heart. The mother is telling the bunny, "I promise you the key to my heart." Vintage lace surrounds this page.

This page has vintage linen from a table cloth, vintage lace and buttons.

This page is used an old damask table cloth that belonged to my mom when I was a little girl. It's too messy to be used as a table cloth, but it's perfect to be reused into art. I just love these pages.


This final page used linen again and a vintage button. I love making these bunny designs. I have tons of them and will be featuring them in more of my upcoming work.

Have a good week. Stop back by and see me on What's Up Wednesday.
bunny kisses,
shell
This week IGF people who wanted to become "exotic pet" vet's. Razzy has been sick and I'm grateful to have such good care for him. Keep him in your prayers.

What's Up Wednesday January 7th

Welcome to What's Up Wednesday! Well here it is. The cover of my textile art Bunny Book. I just adore pink and brown together an thought it would be a good combination for my book. I quilted this fabulous bunny toile fabric in a cross hatch pattern. I used a piece of vintage lace that came off an old pillow case. I sewed vintage buttons on the front and pink glass beads (love those!). Then I added a little velvet ribbon. The B was transferred onto silk with my printer. I used my computer to play around with the colors until they were the muted colors that I love so much. Finally, the clasp is actually my great grandma's pearl clip earring that I thought would be the perfect finishing touch to keep the book closed.

What do you think? I love it and am so happy with my first project of the new year.

Check back with me for Show and Tell Sunday and I'll show you the pages.

bunny kisses,

shell

Rainy Sunday's and the Making of an Idea

Hey there and Happy New Year! I'm so excited that it is a new year. I can't help it. I really love a fresh start a "do over" a "oh crap, I screwed that up let's start again," kinda thing. So... here's to a new year!

It rained most of today and I'm one of those weird people that thinks a rainy Sunday is truly divine. I guess because I love to sew and create and I don't feel guilty about not being
"outside." Hot tea, bunnies and loads of fabrics are my idea of a perfect day. Not to mention a little "boogie music" to get things started.

Well... I have had this idea floating around in my head for some time and finally decided, since it was raining, that I would go ahead and get it going on the "Making of an Idea." Here's a little preview. Of course bunnies are involved. Duh! Did you think there would be something else? Geez. Hee,hee,hee.

It's so fun to gather all my goodies and just ponder the possibilities. I'm creating a fabric book for myself. I just adore books. Many of you know that I hate TV, which is good because David loves TV. We never ever fight over the remote. Give me a book and a squishy, fluffy, place to sit and I'm one happy camper. But I digress. Back to the book. This is called, "the bunny book." Again, duh if you thought it would be something else.

This new year I decided to post to my blog twice a week. I'll post on Sunday for "Show and Tell Sunday." (kinda like Monday for gals at Make Mine Pink) and also on Wednesday. I decided to call Wednesday, "What's up Wednesday?" I'll post decorating or artsy stuff I'm working on. Basically "what's up." So check in when you get a chance or feel so inclined.

Anyhoo, David has had off for two solid weeks for the Holiday's. Since I did not have such a luxury, I thought it was the least he could do to paint the guest bathroom in between his naps, computer games, and TV watching. David is a fabulous painter (even though he hates it) Well...I just love how it turned out!!!! It's called Fishnet and it's a green color that is soft and serene and well.... green. I also had him paint the guest bedroom this color, but I'll show you those photo's later after I make a dust ruffle for the bed, pillows for the bed and a cushion for the window seat. Ok, here's the pictures.

Of course I have pictures of the bunnies above the toilet. My sister has pictures of her kids in the bathtub. I have pictures of my kids taking a poop in their litter box. It is the bathroom after all. The elegant picture frame just makes it a little less "trashy." But all in all, it's still bunnies pooping.



I got those scrolly things at a junk shop. Aren't they cool? I just love that scrolly stuff.

Have a great week and check back with me on Wednesday if you have time and I'll give you a "what's up."

bunny kisses,
Shell

This week IGF David and his paint brush.