Making a little art ~

I played a bit more in the studio today!!
I finished up my nature inspired cabinet of curiosities piece ~
I've collected so many wonderful things that I had a hard
time choosing what to place in each cubby!  

The nest I used is the tiniest little thing I've ever seen!!!

You can't ever go wrong using pieces of nature in your artwork....

they are simply BEAUTIFUL!!!

This cabinet can be found in my Etsy shop now :)

Wishing you a wonderful Tuesday precious friends!

hugs and love,

Dawn

It's time sweet peeps!!!!

Registration for the Paper Cowgirls Art Retreat in March is now OPEN!!!!

I'm so very honored to have been asked to teach this year!!!

I'll be flying to Texas and teaching my very own class

at The Cowgirls and Petticoats Event, March 14th - 17th.

I'm so EXCITED!!!
I'm also a little scared but MORE excited.

But it's about time, don't you think?

Here is what I'll be teaching....

A sweet Peat Pot Nest Baby!!!

I'll be sharing techniques that I use in most all of my artwork,

my favorite supplies and most of all

how to create this nature inspired treasure!

What's so wonderful about this art event???
The Paper Cowgirls are teaming up with
Petticoats on the Prairie
for four days of art, shopping and FUN!!!

SIMPLY CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!!!

I'm so very honored to be teaching with an amazing team of artists at this event!!!!

Lisa McIlvain ~ Tarnished and Tattered

Beth Leintz ~ Gathering Dust

Karla Nathan ~ Karla's Cottage

Cindy Mayfield ~ Yapping Cat

Donna Goss ~ Art Studio 522

Karen Valentine ~ My Desert Cottage

Sandra Feazel ~ 7th St. Studio

You can take a total of FOUR classes in two days (Thursday and Friday)

and Saturday will be a shopping EXTRAVAGANZA with Petticoats on the Prairie!!!

I hope you can make it....I'm so excited about meeting so many friends

I've made here in blogland!!!!

Have a beautiful Monday precious friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

The beginnings of something new ~

I've been itching to create something nature inspired....

I collect all sorts of boxes, drawers, etc. to hold assemblages

and this one was meant to be a cabinet of curiosities.

I'm showing you the beginning stages as I hope to fill each cubby

with wonderful nature specimens!

I have tiny bottles that can hold treasures....several teeny nests from

which I will choose, maybe some gorgeous river birch bark

and patches of moss tucked in....

I will continue to age the cabinet too

as it is way too newish looking for me :)

We'll see where it takes me!

One other thing.

There's no glass in the door ~ it was missing when I found it.

I've been thinking of adding my own wired grid to it.

We'll see....

What are you up to today?

I hope you're able to squeeze a little creativity into your day ~

Thank you so much for stopping by here to see what I'm doing...
you know I love it when you do!

Wishing you a wonderful Friday dear friends ~

hugs and love,

Dawn

Loving all that is beautiful ~

I love Bouguereau....his paintings are so beautiful to me ~

I love beautiful ideas....

like this flower bag ~

a simple fabric bag lined with heavy duty plastic.

Why?

Perfect to hang on a door knob filled with a little water and fresh flowers ~

just to make you smile :)

Bouguereau again....

Beautiful images I scanned from ephemera Corey sent me from France ~

Bouguereau again....

Gorgeous botanicals are always a weakness of mine....

I love these pocket organizers....

I've made a few and sold them in my store back in the day ~

And I love seeing furniture used in unexpected places ~

A pie safe used in a bath for storage....BEAUTIFUL!

Don't you just love beautiful things?

They soothe our soul and always make us smile ~

Wishing you a beautiful Thursday dear friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

Thinking of you.....

A Friend's Greeting

I'd like to be the sort of friend that you have been to me;
I'd like to be the help that you've been always glad to be;
I'd like to mean as much to you each minute of the day
As you have meant, old friend of mine, to me along the way.

I'd like to do the big things and the splendid things for you,
To brush the gray from out your skies and leave them only blue;
I'd like to say the kindly things that I so oft have heard,
And feel that I could rouse your soul the way that mine you've stirred.

I'd like to give you back the joy that you have given me,
Yet that were wishing you a need I hope will never be;
I'd like to make you feel as rich as I, who travel on
Undaunted in the darkest hours with you to lean upon.

I'm wishing at this special time that I could but repay
A portion of the gladness that you've strewn along my way;
And could I have one wish this year, this only would it be:
I'd like to be the sort of friend that you have been to me.

EDGAR A. GUEST

I am so very thankful for you stopping by here!!!

Have a wonderful Wednesday precious friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

Loving this old place ~

I do love this old farmhouse.

I've always dreamed of living in an old home...with its creaky floors,

uneven trim and all the other wonderful old characteristics.

The living room is cold in the winter,

but the fireplace works so great

you don't even notice!

My studio dips a little in the center

but I've gotten used to it.

I hope the weight of my hoard stash isn't the cause!

Our son Brad came by this past weekend and during the only five minutes

of sunshine we've had in about five days he took these wonderful photos ~

You know I have to share them with you!

The photo below was taken behind the house...see our bare pecan trees??

I haven't shared much here about our chickens lately,

mostly because we had a few tragedies.

The neighbors dog got into our back yard

and killed two of the four we had left

and the remaining two were bitten but survived.

They've kinda been through the ringer but are hanging on!!

This one's Big Red ~

Pecans are still on the ground, even though we've picked up tons!

Have a beautiful Tuesday sweet friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

Using my good stuff!

It's hard you know....

using stuff the you love ~ the pretty things you've worked hard to find....

but that's why I buy it, right?

I made something new and used one of the sweet mother of pearl buckles I just found ~

Seems this collage/assemblage looks so pretty next to my last one too.

I must be in this little girl, doll love thing :)

You can find my new artwork in my Etsy shop....

here's a peek:

It's been so terribly rainy here....drizzly and cold ~

I really need some sunshine!!!!

Maybe Tuesday :) I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I hope you're doing so good ~ staying warm and cozy.

I wish you a wonderful Monday dear friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

It just doesn't take much....

to make this girl happy!

I mean it.

A few trinkets...a few busted jewelry pieces....

a jacked up jewelry box...

and the thing that REALLY makes me smile???

Getting these goodies on the cheap!

I will not pay big for my art supplies ~

they have to be reasonable or I will simply pass them by.

I had to show you my tiny little haul I recently found.

Tiny, yes...but wonderful too!

I found a small, cream velvet jewelry box ~ and I'm in LOVE with it!

Just look....

See the sweet inside?

I've got to transform this wonderful box ~

but right now, I'm lovin' it just the way it is.

A little gathering of Mother of Pearl buckles ~ I'm always looking for these!

And a small, pale pink coin purse!

You can't even tell by my photos the pale pinkness of it :)

Another wonderful find?

Lisa turned me onto these ~

in the bakery dept of our grocery store,

you know where you get your own muffins?

I found these gorgeous, slightly waxed natural sheets of paper....

I just had to grab a few -
(Be sure you buy some muffins too!!!)

I still don't have a clue what I'll do with them but who cares?

I love them!

I love the small things.

Small, wonderful, cast-off treasures.

It doesn't take much to make me happy at all!!!!

Have a beautiful Friday precious friends ~

hugs and love,

Dawn