A simple but beautiful idea!

I don't know where I saw this idea...maybe Pinterest??

But I decided to try it.
There weren't many details, just a photo but here is my version!

You find a glass cylinder container.

Print a beautiful image onto vellum and cut it to size...

Next, find a smaller glass cylinder container and place

a tea light or small votive candle inside and light it.

It turned out SO BEAUTIFUL!!!

Just please make sure the inner glass container is

MUCH taller than your candle and it's flame.

ALSO...just look at this precious mail love I received this week!

Teresa of Maggie Grace Creates knows how much I adore lace and

has been cleaning out her stash...so she sent me THIS massive pile of it!!!

Thank you SO very much sweet Teresa ~ I will try to make you proud

and make beautiful things with your generous gift!!

Plus, I wanted to share a photo of a Christmas gift of mine.

I may have shared it before but it is a mini photo studio that

my sons Brent and Chase gave me. The lighting is SO perfect

and it provides the perfect backdrop for my projects!

The name of it is My Studio and they found it on Amazon!

They know their mama well, right?

One more little thing,
here is a beautiful postcard I received in the mail this week from FRANCE!

My dear friend Cindy of Lilly's Lace sent it to me while she was on vacation.

What a thoughtful thing to do!! I will treasure it always ~

And finally, I'm working on something new....

a kind of variation of my treasure organizers!

I'm making SINGLE treasure pockets...
filled with some of the treasures from my studio!!

What do you think?

They will be able to hang and will be filled with goodies and treasures!

Stay tuned...

Happy Monday precious friends!!!

hugs and love,

Dawn

Vintage goodness....and a simple tip!

First, I have to pass on this precious beauty to you.....
I know you'll love her as much as I do!
She was part of the sweet goodness package below ~
(click twice for full size!)

My sweet friend Lisa of Tarnished and Tattered
sent me a little something
a few days ago and I just HAVE
to share the goodness with you!

FIRST, she found this amazing box a Michael's and said
she knew right away it had to be mine!
Isn't it gorgeous????
I looked at my Michael's...nothing. Nada.
Thank you so so much Lisa, I absolutely love it!!!!

The sweetie made ME a paper cowgirl's burlap clutch and also
shopped for a few goodies for me at vendor night TOO!

A precious quilt piece....

Old ledger papers purchased from our dear friend Jamie of Art-e-ology....
a sweet baby dress, Lisa knows I LOVE them ~

Wonderful old photos of little girls and babies ~

Have you ever seen a photo album mat quite like this one?

So many gorgeous treasures.....
I want to keep them all safe in the beautiful box too ~
Maybe I AM a hoarder!

Thank you so much sweet friend ~ you know what I love and
are such an angel for sending me these wonderful gifts!!!

My little tip is......I found this roll of drawing paper
in the children's department of Ikea
a while back. It was only five bucks and
I thought it would be great to have around
as a "drop cloth" of sorts while I'm using
my inks or matte gel medium.
Just to tear off a piece and use it to protect my desk top.....

Wishing you the most wonderful Monday ever!!!
hugs and love precious friends,
Dawn

Looking beyond the obvious ~

A page from my herbarium images for you sweet friends ~
be sure to click the image twice for the largest size too!

The other day I stopped by Hobby Lobby and as I walked in door
they had a fourth of July discount table with items marked 80% OFF!!!
Well, I'm not big on decorating for many other holidays other than Christmas
but I still wanted to look through the sale items ~
I try to look at things not for what they are....
but for what they COULD be ~


I found these wonderful paperweights....large and crystal clear.
Now don't get me wrong, I AM very proud to be an American but
thought I could transform them into something
totally different with gorgeous old images placed underneath ~
regularly priced at 9.99 they were only 2.00 each!!!

Now...I just need to decide exactly what to place inside!

I've missed you all SO VERY MUCH!!
After working at the soap shop this past week, every evening
I've been so exhausted ~

I have a few goodies to share with you soon...
sweet gifts that I know you'll love too!!

Thank you for your precious comments and for stopping by
even when I'm up to my neck in soap and goldfish ~
The show's been going great...and hopefully this weekend will
bring even more orders too!

Have a wonderful weekend dear friends,
hugs and love,
Dawn

A few ideas for you.....and wishing you a wonderful Memorial Day ~

I want to wish each and every one of you dear friends
a wonderful Memorial Day ~
So many have sacrificed so much for our freedom....

The photo below is a looking up from my work table....
I just love stacking things to the ceiling!

You know what a frugal chick I am ~ well, when it comes to art supplies
I love finding good stuff for a great price!!
I stopped by Hobby Lobby (are you sick of hearing about this store?)
last week because they have a 40% off coupon
every other week and I can't stand to not use it :) and found
several isles of 66% off home decorating things.
I did get to use the coupon on a Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine too!!!

What I love to do is find canvases or other items for a great price
that I can use as foundations for my own artwork!!
I can gesso over them or even apply old music sheets or ledger papers
directly over the original design.

I love this burlap covered piece....
now to figure out what I can turn it in to!

This is a stretched canvas that I will be transforming as well ~
(the design is really neat but I bought it to use for my own artwork.)

So my idea for you is to look at things a little differently.
If you're at the thrift store and see an awful painting on canvas,
grab it! Then gesso over and create your own artwork on it!!!!

Plus, I've got to share a wonderful art challenge
that Lisa of Tarnished and Tattered
has come up with!!!

She found these amazing soap boxes at Target and a few other places,
I think the brand of soap is Pure & Natural....
Well, you can go out and purchase your own,
remove the soap and use it of course then
alter the soap box!!!!
She's going to have a show and tell on June 28 where
we can all post photos of our own altered boxes on our blogs!!
The great thing about all of this???
NO POSTAGE REQUIRED!!!

So head on over and grab Lisa's button at the top of her right side bar
if you'd like to join in,
now....what can I do with mine???
hmmmmm, I'd better get to thinkin'....

PLUS, Mitzi of Mitzi's Collectibles has a great new project
featured
on her blog!!!!
An altered suitcase.....
I can SO see mine ~
I would love it to be covered in copies
of old handwritten letters.....




Sending you all love and hugs,
Dawn

Don't you just love it when an idea works?!

Here's an adorable image for you....isn't he/she precious??

So, I'm still working on my peat pots...
good grief, it's taking me forever to get going on these!!

Anyway, I bought a big ol' bag of Spanish moss from
Hob Lob and was planning on using it to fashion the nests
for the peat pots. But the color was just too gray for me.
I wanted brown and sepia tones ~
Then I thought, why not try coffee like I use on tags and paper!

So I grabbed a small bunch, dipped it in the coffee
then squeezed out the excess ~ the results were great!!
I even started molding the nest into shape while the moss was still damp.
The color was great, the shape was good too ~ but the
coffee scent was just too much for me.
I want you to notice the artwork, not so much the smell!

Here's a photo of the coffee moss after it dried.

Then I remembered I had a bottle of brown Rit dye!
I mixed up a couple of quarts of very hot water and
about a fourth of a cup of the dye.
I dipped the moss in,
wrung it out and placed in on several layers
of paper towels to dry.
(Oh, I did wear gloves too!)
I just LOVE the color!!!
It's so neat, you can really dye most anything you want to!!!

I've been playing with a few other things too~
It's always good for me to do that before I bring out the glue!

I found a few goodies to share with you too!!

Sachiko of Tea Rose Home shares how to make this gorgeous t-shirt HERE!!!

Marie of Spun by Me is having a 600th Post Giveaway HERE!!

Wishing you a great Tuesday dear friends ~
hugs and love,
Dawn

Just a tidbit of an idea ~

As I was working on my current project, I discovered a wonderful thing! My sweet friend Vikki sent me a few pins that she has super glued tiny beads to the head, just add the drop of glue under the head and slide the tiny bead on the pin ~ they are as cute as can be!!!

Well I needed custom push pins so using the same technique, I used some old loose fake pearls and created my own sweet push pins!! Just add a tiny drop of glue right underneath the head of the pin and slide the little pearl on ~ I even used a tiny watch face, a drop of super glue on the back where the pin came out, then a tiny little bead to secure it on the back!

You may already be doing this but just discovered it myself and had to share!!! Hope you have a great Thursday ~ xxoo, Dawn

PS. Do you have a better glue to use than super glue? Sometimes it's not so super :)