Jeanette Janson-Mixed Media Artist

Year End

 

I awoke this morning to a cold and foggy day.  It fit my mood....the Christmas festivities are over, everyone has gone home and my decorations are waiting to be put away for another year.  We don't have big plans for tonight...to be honest, it is nice to have my quiet house back again.  I'm looking forward to getting back to a normal routine. 

It is the New Year, though, so I have been thinking about change and resolutions.  I have already started to some degree.  I have gone a whole month now with no soda or artificial sweetener.  Neither one is good for you and in the past I consumed way too much of both items.  So, as of Dec. 1st I gave up both.  To be honest, it really hasn't been that hard.  I have gotten used to drinking water and tea now and using real sugar sparingly.  I'm not sure if I feel any different, but I know I am healthier for it.

Goals for the New Year? 

 Create a new web site.  I have mixed feelings about this....do people still visit websites?  It seems like everything is blogs, twitter and facebook now.  I would love your opinion.

Work on my photography and Photoshop skills.  Maybe take an online class.

Re-do the living room.  We will begin stripping wallpaper in a few weeks.  I am both excited and fearful about starting this project.

While my son was here this week, I took him and his girlfriend to a local antique shop.  I found this adorable santa there and had to get it.

It was only $10 and he's the beginning of my new Santa collection.  I am going to be on the lookout for vintage santas for next year's decorating.

I also found this pretty rose covered hat box.  It was at the thrift shop for .50.  How's that for a bargain!?  

Happy 2010!

 

New supplies available on etsy

Tomorrow brings our final wave of company in.  Our kids seem to be staggering their visits and we have had them in and out for the past 2 weeks.  It has worked out alright though, because we don't have room for everyone to be here at once.  My younger son and his girlfriend will be with us for the next 3 days.

 

I took advantage of a quiet afternoon and listed new supply items on etsy.

 
Watch parts

A 1920's book about personal hygiene

watch vials filled with metal printing plates

and a mustache Pete doll.

You can find everything here.

 

Earlier today I stopped by my neighbor's house.  She is moving and told me she has a house full of old furniture to sell.  I ventured over in anticipation of finding sturdy antique treasures, but most of it was ratty (sorry!) stuff from the 60's and 70's.  I think calling Goodwill may be the best solution for her in the long run.

The highlight of my weekend was the box of treasures that I won in Theresa's giveaway.  I can't wait to dive into all the goodies she sent me!

 

Merry Christmas!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas! 

We had our traditional crab chowder for Christmas eve and today we will enjoy a baked ham with all the trimmings.

  I made this chunky assemblage necklace for my mom and she really loved it. I incorporated vintage jewelry pieces, rosary beads and more into it.  She wanted something glitzy to wear on New Years, so this fit the bill perfectly.

Hope Santa was good to everyone.  My favorite gifts this year?  The new Julie Powell book, a flannel artist smock, and of course having family with us.

Merry Christmas!
 

Christmas Greetings

Have you been wondering what I made for the Xmas Exchange? 

I wasn't allowed to show it until my number came up.

I gathered a bunch of skeleton keys, did some wire work around the top with beads and hung them from a ball chain.  These can be worn as necklaces or dangled from a door knob as a home decor item.  I hope everyone liked theirs.  Sometimes it's hard to figure out what appeals to different people.

On the 11th day of Christmas, Lisa Ryder made this miniature collage.

I love the size of it...it's made on a teeny little canvas.

Next came Ruth O'Connor's hand crocheted snowflake ornament.  It looks beautiful on my tree!

And the very last gift was this precious sewing kit made by Penelope Harris.

 
It's a perfect size for travel with everything you would need in one little place.

And now my home is ready for company, on their way as I write this. 

 
I hope everyone has a blessed Christmas!

More Gifts

 I've gotten a little behind in posting my 12 days of Xmas gifts.  Along with all of the holiday activities, we've been getting my step daughter settled into a new apartment.  That being done, I've had some time today to catch up.

 

On the 6th day of Christmas, I opened these prayer flags from Misti Ko.

I know they are supposed to go outside, but I don't want them to get ruined, so I'm hanging them in my studio for now!

 

And Maria Lamb made this awesome tile puzzle/tic tac toe game on the 7th day of Christmas.

 
 It will be sitting on my coffee table this Christmas for everyone to admire.

 

 

On the 8th day of Christmas, Liz Smith knitted this "Noel" banner.  It's hung on my china closet doors in the dining room. 

 

And for today, the 9th day of Christmas, I opened this wonderful Victorian doll made by Jennifer Conway. 

She is very special and looks right at home here.

 

Company arrives in a few days, so I am using the days beforehand to do some listing at Vintage Supply Co.  I have boxes and boxes of things to put online, but never enough time to do it all.  So...I guess I will do it a little at a time.

 
For these and other items, visit me here.  

 

Oh, Christmas tree.....

 
A few more presents to share with you.

Day 4 brought a handmade charm by Tara Finlay.

And the 5th day of Christmas was made a little sweeter when I opened this handmade cell phone cozy from Lelainia Lloyd. 

But my favorite gift of all is the primitive tree that my dearest bought for me yesterday.  I've been looking for a way to showcase my vintage ornaments and had resorted to hanging them on our large tree.  They were getting a bit lost among the branches there.

  While out Christmas shopping, I saw this tree and fell in love with it.  My DH didn't hesitate and before I knew it, he was packing it into the car. 

It's home now, decorated and looking fabulous.

I can't wait to start scoping out some ornaments at the flea markets to add to it next year!

More gift exchange presents

This is what day 2 of the Christmas gift exchange brought.

A wonderful embossed copper pendant with the word "imagine" stamped in the silver layer.  Kathy Strittmater created this beautiful necklace.

And today I got to open this cutie.

Barbara Atwell made this little chap standing on a vintage baby block.  

 

Now...I wonder what tomorrow will bring???  I can hardly wait to open the 4th present!

 

The last few days have been busy with my stepdaughter visiting.  We spent yesterday afternoon baking sugar cookies.  

They ended up looking like a classroom full of 2nd graders did the frosting...my fault because I bought the icing, but forgot to get the tips to make the fancy squiggles.  So we had to improvise.  Oh well, they still taste good! 

 

I have a few new watch part items in the supply shop.

These clock hands would be perfect for a pendant of some sort.  I'll be listing lots more of these in the next week, so check back if you are interested.

 

And these movement cases would make neat earrings!

 
  Check them out here !

The 12 days of Christmas begins

A follow up to the last posting that will make everyone (including myself) feel better.  The reason why the initial limb fell was because the tree was rotting from the inside out.  It was infested with carpenter ants and decay. 

 
This is what the stump looks like presently.  The inside of the tree was a huge crater.  We are so lucky that it didn't fall before now.  It looks like it was the right decision to take it down after all.

So, with all of that behind us, we can focus once more on the Holidays.

 
Santa, on a vintage Christmas card from the 1930's.

And today is the day to begin opening presents in the 12 days of Christmas swap!!

 Day 1 brought us this adorable soldered pendant by Amy Huff.

I have always wanted to master soldering, but never dedicated the time to it.

And speaking of holiday gifts, Theresa is doing a give-away on her blog, so be sure and stop by to register!

Hope you all have a good weekend!

 

with a heavy heart

This grand old oak has been in the back yard of the house we live in long before we moved in, or the people before that moved here.  It may have been planted when the house was built...almost a hundred years ago.

Its gnarled limbs provide a canopy of shade all summer long.  I always looked at it as a majestic and wise presence in our yard.  It was like a grand Buddha....silently watching.

And then one morning we found a huge limb broken off.  When it fell, it split the tree and did irreparable damage.  We cut the limb up and tried to find a way to save the tree.  After 2 visits by tree specialists we decided to take it down. 

I stubbornly refused at first, but realized it wasn't worth someone getting hurt or worse if the tree fell.  So, with a heavy heart, I have watched them amputate, butcher and cut down this old granddad of a tree.

  I started out by taking pictures of it so I could remember what it looked like and then decided to document the whole thing. 

 
There's a big empty space in our yard now.  They have suggested we put in a red maple, they are fast growers.  It will have big shoes to fill.

 
Another cute little Christmas card from many, many years ago.  

I finished most of the orders I had and have been listing new things in the supply shop. 

This booklet is from the early 1900's with wonderful color illustrations.

A precious baby bonnet with a rosette on one side.

Spectacle frames that could be used in your artwork. 

How about a little faith this holiday season? 

And last but not least.......

Don't let the pressure get to you!