Creative Corner

This cabinet was a great  yard sale find! I chose to do an aged finish with a combed design on the front of the doors. It is an art cabinet after all, so I painted some fun designs on the inside as an added decorative
surprise!

Recipe: This cabinet was previously painted so I sanded off any loose paint and went right over it with a fresh base coat. I chose a deep plum shade with a satin sheen for my base coat. Once that dried, I mixed some glaze and black paint together in a small container. 1/2 paint to 1/2 glaze and applied it with a foam brush. Useing my rubber decorative paint comb I created a long curved design on the door fronts. Using a glaze/ paint mixture allows a longer drying time for the paint as well as " playing" time for experimenting with different designs.

If you are starting on bare wood, sand it slightly, use a clear sealer, prime, then apply your base coat.

Most artists ( myself included ) dream of a studio OR BARN of their own, tucked away in the woods, the country, by the sea side, over the garage, or in the basement. Many of us get by outfitting a little corner of a room for making art when creativity strikes.

Since the kids were little we have had this cabinet in our dining room at the ready stocked with tape, glue, paper, buttons, beads, paint, stamps, string, glitter, ( yes, I allow glitter in my dining room) ribbon, fabric, stapler, glue gun etc. Because it has been in our dining room, we have had the pleasure of watching all those fun ideas come to fruition allowing us all to share in the joy of making things together.

Don't let the lack of a proper " studio space" stop you from doing your thing! Just carve out a creative corner and get to it~

You'll just feel better! I promise!
Deborah Jean

Inspiration~

Get your creative juices going! Take yourself on an artist outing!
Some of my favorite places for inspiration are, fabric stores, craft stores, art galleries, antique stores, thrift and consignment stores, flea markets, historic houses, architectural salvage yards, farms and gardens, landscape nurseries, art studio’s, art shows, book stores the library ( free source for all things, home, garden, art and architecture) and more! Just wondering quietly through a special garden, an antique store or a gallery can get me inspired to get going on projects that have been waiting... Creating is like that…A new inspiration is like a breath of fresh air and it tickles your tummy too!
Setting up a craft day in your home (or studio if you are fortunate to have one) for friends is another great way to get going on some of those dormant projects or start a fresh one!…You will find that when you set aside time for working on your art new ideas seem to come to you more often while creating.

If you have creative kids or teenagers at home, host a " Young Artists Gathering" or organize a "Neighborhood Craft Club" to show your support of your childs " inner artist" . We keep a small cupboard in a corner of our dining room stocked with various art supplies and at the ready the minute an inspiration hits!

Daydreaming  is an essential part of the creative process… Our minds need stretching just like our bodies do, so pour yourself a cup of tea and let your imagination go… Don’t forget to write down all those great ideas in your Daydreams journal.

Home Arts

Is Home Arts a Lost Art? We think not!!

This month you'll meet the “artists in residence” at Dandelion House.

Spring is here in New England and photo ops are everywhere. Take a peak at “BOZ Scenes” photo of the month, then pack up your camera and head out for your own photo taking journey…Your next masterpiece could be right in your own back yard, or sitting across the breakfast table from you!

Lets head over to Dandelion Workshop to see what the Painted Ladies have been creating in the studio. Their pieces of the past have come home to rooste through GOOD OLD FASHIONED IMAGINATION and the art of Decorative Painting! They will share easy, fun and thrifty art projects for your home and garden decorating.

The “girls” are cackling up a storm out in their Little Red Hen House about their spring make over and the new organic veggie garden …
I better get going… my pitch fork is calling~ Deborah Jean

Make Each Day Your Masterpiece~

How many times have you heard a friend or relative say to you, WHY WOULD I MAKE such and such WHEN I CAN BUY IT CHEAPER???? Or maybe you went to an arts and crafts show and something caught your creative eye… Chances are you even whispered to your friend as you walked by,” I could make that”… I admit, I have said it myself! Things made from the heart with love are different. They carry energy with them from heart to hands to heart. I have tried many types of creative expression over the years and I am happy to say our daughter is carrying on the tradition. She is a fearless artist and is an inspiration to me each and every day. As a home schooling mom, home maker and artist I am witness to her ability to create just about anything she can picture in her mind. At the young age of 11 she has tried her hand at, book making, origami, knitting, crocheting, painting, diorama, writing music and playing the piano. She doesn't wait for anyone to SHOW her HOW she just dives right in! We provide the supplies and the time she needs to create and she does the rest! Recently she was given my grandmothers sewing machine. The excitement in her eyes was magic as she saw what was inside the big heavy brown box. When I told her who “her sewing machine” was from she just lit up! I admit it! I am fantasizing about special mother daughter moments to come. I get to teach her how to thread the machine, re-thread a bobbin, choose just the right stitch, adjust the tension, how to go in reverse, and where to keep her seam ripper! Yes, if you sew you know these are basic skills but very necessary ones. In reality, these “moments” will be short and sweet because I know my daughter. She will be anxious to make something all on her own. Hm mm? She reminds me of someone I know…

All of us carry a little spark inside of us to create, but some times find it hard to light the fire! Just look around…Be awake to the creations you are surrounded by every day in nature and in those things made with human hands. Art is always present for you to appreciate. Take a page out of our daughter’s book… Don’t WAIT for someone to tell you it’s o.k. to share your creative gifts. SING, DANCE, PAINT, DRAW, TAKE PICTURES, PLANT, WRITE, SEW, BUILD, SCRAP, COOK, PERFORM, you get the idea!

" The world is but a canvas to the imagination"

~Henry David Thoreau

Note: This article was published in Mary Jane's Farm Magazine in the 2009 ~ Tried- n -True ~ October/November issue.   http://www.maryjanesfarm.com/