Jeanette Janson-Mixed Media Artist

The blueberries are all starting to come in at once on the bushes out in the yard, so I decided to make some muffins this morning.  This recipe was a little different with oats and orange juice.  I am not sure if I was crazy about it, but it was pretty good.  I think I am use to a sweeter muffin and these were a little tart with the OJ.  Oh well...they most certainly won't go to waste!

If you remember a few posts back I told you about an attic full of treasures that I had acquired in an auction.  Well...I ended up getting a bag full of old Christmas ornaments in that lot.  I love the old Mercury glass bulbs and collect them all year long for my tree at Christmas time.  The balls that I pulled out of this attic were filthy dirty and as I cleaned them, the paint started flaking off.  I thought they were ruined until I remembered reading that you could wash the color off the balls by soaking them in water and you would be left with the silver mercury color from the inside shining through. 

I did this and really love the way they turned out!  They look distressed and very old.  It is so satisfying to be able to salvage something like this that I had about given up on. 

On the subject of salvage, I've been making some recycled jewelry necklaces out of wonderful trinkets from yesteryear.

I used a vintage metal whistle on this piece and paired it with silver and hand wired beads.  I think this would be a great stylish piece for a gym teacher or coach to have. 

This piece is made from a vintage brooch and an old clock key.  The thing I love about these 2 necklaces is that you could wear them with a dressy outfit or with blue jeans....they are really versatile.  Both are listed in my etsy shop if you are interested.

Have a good day!

Today winds up a busy week of visiting for me.  I had family here for about 5 days and then made the round trip to get them back home again.  My mom doesn't like traveling on the highways by herself, so I took a couple of days to drive her home.  Seems kind of quiet with just the two of us here now, oh, make that 5 of us if you count all the furry friends. 

I had my first visit to LG's house the other night.  She has so many wonderful collectibles and interesting finds.

I love the way she groups things together to give them bigger impact. You would never know it, but these pitchers are a combination of old and new....love how you can't tell the difference! One was her grandmothers, but the rest were picked up at Goodwill, charity shops and yard sales! Now, I never would have thought to do this!  So cute, I just love the visual! Gee...those pearls look familiar...I think she snatched them up before I did at a yard sale we were visiting together. 

And last but not least, "Boy Cat" who guards over the treasures while his mistress is away. 

Hope everyone has a great 4th!

Attic Treasures

This past week has been extremely busy, so I tried to take it easy today.  Seems like every day from the time I get up until late at night I am on the go.   I admit it though, it is my own fault.  Take this weekend for instance....I went to an estate auction.  They were auctioning off an accumulation of a lifetime...furniture, books, china, everything you can imagine.  I did win a few small pieces of furniture, but the best was yet to come.  I had browsed through the house, starting downstairs and making my way all the way up to the attic, so I had a good idea of what was available.  Midway through the morning, the attic contents as a whole came up for auction.  I found this very intriguing, but it seemed like no one else did.  So I bid and won anything or everything I wanted to take out of there.  It was up to me to venture into the dirty, unidentifiable boxes full of crap in the 100 degree attic.  I was beyond thrilled!  I went home to get reinforcements and we spent the afternoon sweating and sorting.  It was well worth the time and effort (in my opinion) but unfortunately we didn't find any diamond rings or chests full of cash.  For the price and sense of adventure, it was a fabulous deal! 

My DH has put his foot down, though, and has warned me that enough is enough.  We don't need any more stuff, no matter how good the deal.  He is a good sport and will go along with it for only so long...I have the haul in my garage now, while I contemplate what to do with it all. 

Most of what I got on Saturday is too big and bulky to list online, but I do have some other cute little treasures I have been listing...  like these precious patent leather baby shoes.  You could display these "as is" or use them in a shadowbox type art piece. 

I think this baby bonnet is just precious, too.  I can't keep everything, so I am offering this along with a few more bonnets.

And these vintage post office doors have always intrigued me.  I have used these in the past in assemblages.  A little face behind the glass...or a favorite saying...lots of possibilities.

So stop by my supply shop and take a peek when you have a chance.  My college student son is helping me with listings this summer, so I promise there will be lots of great things to come!

Show me the way

"Show me the way" is the name of this new necklace that I just completed.  I used a vintage brass compass as a pendant and paired that up with an assortment of cool chains.  I put a hand forged closure on the end so you can adjust the length....something I find versatile depending on what I am wearing that day.  It is available in my etsy shop if you are interested.

I love this time of year....everyday I wander out to our pond to check out the life teeming around the water.  The lillies are just beginning to bloom and they are breathtaking.  Nature is so amazing.

And it's a delight to watch the dragonflies zipping here and there, sometimes coming in for a drink or landing briefly on a petal to feed.  Most of the time though, they are here and then gone in a flash.  I waited patiently to get these few pictures of them sitting still for a moment.

Altered Jewelry

A very Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful dads out there!  A sad day for me, for my dad is no longer with me.  He is here in spirit, though, and I think about him almost everyday.

I've been busy working away in my studio and have completed some fun new jewelry pieces.  This altered bracelet is called "Ancestors."  Tiny tintype portraits are inserted in the ovals that make up the bracelet. 

This necklace has a lot of fun parts to it as well.  An old key, number tag and watch part are just some of the things I used.  If you are interested in these pieces, you can find them in my etsy shop.  Look for more of these altered jewelry pieces in the future.  I am bursting at the seams with flea market finds that I plan on making into fabulous one of a kind jewelry pieces.

And one more silly tidbit to share with you.  For Father's Day, I took a picture of my dog, Phoebe (she was a rescue dog with heartworms when we got her) and had it framed for my husband for Father's Day.  Here is the picture...he loved it!  It is already hanging in his office. 

New artwork preview

A very Happy Birthday to my mom today!  We are going to celebrate next week when we get together.  It will be a fun time as she is always the life of the party!  I wish you could meet her....everyone always loves her.  She has a knack for making people feel welcome and appreciated.  That feeling is genuine for her because she really does love meeting people and  talking to them.  Everyone is special to her....from the person she meets while power walking at the mall to the friend my son brings over for a home cooked meal.  She sees the good in the world, which is a fine quality to have.  I feel so blessed to have her in my life : ) 

I've been working on a few new pieces for an upcoming show in August.  Here is several " sneak peek" photos of an assemblage I recently finished. At least I think it's finished.  I keep going back to it and adding little touches here and there.  I haven't participated in a gallery show in a few years now, so I am trying to force myself to work big.  Not always easy for me because I tend to get lost in all the little details when creating.  I've been making myself step back and get wide views of what I am working on.   I will post a picture when I am sure that the piece is complete.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

A storm blows through

Just when I was getting nice and sleepy last night, enjoying the feel of the cool sheets on my tired body, it started rumbling outside.  That rumbling soon escalated to cracks of lightning and howling winds.

I got out of bed and watched out the window as the rain came down in sheets.  It didn't take long before we lost our power. 

Soon after that, I headed back to bed to toss and turn most of the night.  No power, no air conditioning and soon it felt stifling and muggy in the house.

I got up this morning, still no power, grumbling about not having any coffee.  I sent my DH out to report the power outage and find me a cup of brew.  He came back and said that over 2000 homes were without power and crews were working on the lines all over town.

We finally got our electricity back and  I took a ride around to check things out and snap these pictures.  It reminded me of the hurricanes we used to get when I lived on the coast.

I heard that a 26 year old woman died when a tree fell on her car last night.  That story will haunt me all day long.  Such a tragedy.......

So, more storms are in forecast for today.  I will be staying indoors, a good day to get some artwork done and count my blessings that everyone in my little household is safe and sound.

One more quick note....My friend Canace just started a BLOG.  You need to stop by and leave her a quick comment.  She has resisted for ages, but finally jumped in.  Her art is wonderful and I am sure she will be sharing some fun info with us!

A quiet Sunday

Today was a day off, with no pressures or obligations to meet.  Sleeping in this morning and relaxing with a cup of coffee, or two.  Throwing the ball up and down the hallway as my little dog furiously ran after it. 

By early afternoon, we headed over to a neighbor's house for a home cooked Sunday dinner.  Pork roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, black eyed peas simmering in the crock pot, sweet honeydew melon and cold iced tea.  It tasted heavenly.  Sometimes it is so nice to have someone else cook for you.  Why is that? And for dessert....warm brownies with vanilla ice cream.  It doesn't get much better than that.

A little later in the afternoon I decided to take a little drive and shoot some pictures. 

I've been spending an awfully lot of time in my studio, listing items in my supply shop and squeezing in some artwork in between.

So I just gave myself the day off to do as I pleased. 

So now the day is winding down and everyone is tired.  Hope you all had a good day too!

These boots were (not) made for walking

I wanted to share a photo of these old black leather lace up boots with you. I saw them in an antique store last week and it was love at first sight.  Someone with little tiny and impossibly narrow feet must have worn these.  I think they are just great and with a little black shoe polish, they came right back to life!

I have a lot of new things listed in my supply shop.  Keys, hardware, ephemera and more. 

I have acquired a new lot of items, plus I am cleaning and reorganizing my studio, so there will be lots to offer.  I am going to try to do some listing everyday.  So stop by and take a look around : )

I am going to wind up this post now.  It is thundering and raining out and I have been keeping my fingers crossed that the power doesn't go out on me.

Bye!

Studio Tour

I love getting a peek inside art studios and have really been enjoying Studios Magazine.  Their photos are wonderful and they give you a sense of the person behind the studio with short stories and Q & A.  The reason I bring this up is because my studio is in the most current edition.  You can order a copy online or pick one up at your favorite bookstore.  I made this little video to go along with the feature.

You can also see the video at this site along with a few other interesting studio tours.

I just had to share this picture with you.  My friend and fellow artist, Lara G. has gussied up and completely encrusted this old vintage mannequin.  Isn't it fabulous!?  She pinned vintage and "vintage inspired" jewelry all over an old dress makers torso.  The cool thing is that everything can be moved around and rearranged as she uses pieces in her artwork or finds new treasures to put on it.  I just love it and it has inspired me to keep my eyes open for one of my own.

Don't forget about my sale this week.  I am paying postage in my Supply Shop until this Sunday.