A slight shift ~

As the sun was setting Tuesday evening, there was something

just a little bit different about the sky.

It's the difference that happens each and every year that I so love ~

A cool front had moved into Georgia
so the sky was that beautiful, crisp blue...
do you know the color I'm talking about?

There seemed to be more shadows from the magnolia trees
as I looked out the window

and for one brief second,

I felt as though I'd just had a glimpse of fall!!!

My little nature journal is getting quite FAT!

I've cut away pages to allow for the bulk of what I'm adding

but will still need to do away with more as I go ~

I have to tell you, this project has been quite therapeutic!

It's so relaxing adding the elements to each page.

As you can see, my layout is very simple

and that's how I want it to be.

I've crushed speckled egg shells ~

Added a blue jay feather I found outside ~

It's nothing fancy, just simple pages with spaces to write thoughts or nature poems you love ~

I'm also adding more of my pressed flowers here and there ~

My desk is a complete mess but who cares?

And can you see below how thick the little book is??

I'll be pruning more pages as I go to allow for the thickness of what I'm adding.

I'd even thought of cutting away a space in the remaining pages and

placing a nest inside...but haven't quite decided about that yet.

I wanted to show you how big my Liquitex matte gel medium jug is.

See the black Solo cup next to it?

I buy this 32 oz cont. at Dick Blick.com and with shipping it's about 23 bucks

and lasts me a really LONG TIME!

A teeny tiny container of it at Michael's is 12.99 the last time I checked.

And yes, I've used coupons but it's still about 8.00 for approx. a fourth of this jug!

And it lasts too, no drying up at all.

Here's the link...it's 32 oz. Matte Gel Medium for 13.59

I have GOT share something wonderful with you!!

Now that I'm getting my dental issue solved (today I get my temp. bridge,YAAAY!)

I've decided to go to the Country Living Fair this October!!!!

I just bought my ticket....

My sweet friend Karin of One Perfect Little Miracle and I are going to attend

the fair together on Saturday, Oct. 22 to see all that we can see!

What's so neat is that one of my dealers from when I owned the little antiques store

The Plum Tree, The Tattered Cat, will be selling there too ~ I can't wait to see Deborah....

her blog is Confessions of a Junkyard Cat, and this girl has AMAZING taste!

I hope you're doing so good and having a great week ~

Please know how I love that you stop by to see what I'm up to!!

Have a great Wednesday precious friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

Birds....beeswax...and nests ~

I love this artist's work....

I found her illustrations in an old Victoria magazine ~

The artist is Isabelle de Borchgrave....

I've given this little bird to you before...

don't you think it would be precious embroidered onto something?

I finished my beeswax collage!

I'm so in love with using beeswax now ~

I still have a lot to learn but I love the old patina it gives the layers.

I added it to my Etsy shop too!

Look what my sons brought me over the weekend!

Two of the most gorgeous abandoned nests....

from two different sons!

They know me well ~

I think I need to come up with something to strap them to now!!

Have a beautiful Tuesday precious friends ~

hugs and love,

Dawn

Sticky fingers ~

I find myself waking up in the mornings....

and eventually looking down at my hands and what do I see?

For one, my mama's hands...how in the world did that happen??

And then I notice small pieces of glue that I'd missed the night before!!

I'm one of those hand washers and while I'm making something

I tend to wash them over and over again BUT

the glues I've been using have some serious lasting power.

But one thing I know....

If I wake up with sticky fingers, with tiny pieces of glue here and there,

I must have made something new the night before!!!

I love working with nests, eggs and feathers ~

so I had to make another piece.

This one is created using the back, yes, the back

of a 12" x 12" canvas!

I've covered every speck with wonderful old pages

from a birds of America book....even the back.

Sold!!!

Thank you so much Jules!

Here's wishing YOU a few sticky fingers too!!

Happy Thursday sweet friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

Something just a little bit different!

Oh yes.

I do love making things.

Are you sick of hearing that?

But every time I finish something new

I get that wonderful feeling again and

seem to realize just how much I really love it!!

SOLD!

Thank you Charllie!!!

Take the time....just to make a little something.

It could be a simple bookmark ~

or even frame something gorgeous

that you print from your computer.

Place the print over a fabric or scrapbook paper covered cardboard

and place it in the frame!

Sometimes, just one little thing will spark your creativity ~

Have a beautiful Tuesday my dear friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

Creating with beautiful things ~

Some of my supplies have been with me for quite awhile.
I have to enjoy them for a time ~
This pocket watch is one of those treasures.
I've wanted to put something beautiful inside for so long
and finally decided to do it!!

A beautiful print of an antique photograph,
I think from sweet Karen of Graphics Fairy?
You can't tell in my photo but her cheeks are
ever so slightly rosy.

Perfect to hang on a knob or hook to make you smile ~
in my Etsy store too!

I had to share this pic with you....
I have a jar filled with treasures that I dump out when I'm working on
something new ~ it's filled with all kinds of stuff....

I actually made two things!!!
A simple nest assemblage inside of a shadow box too ~
Surrounded by text from an old bird book,
hand painted eggs are nestled inside surrounded by feathers.

 I love poking around on Etsy.
I've shared Cindy's beautiful jewelry with you before.
Don't you just love this necklace??!!



Cindy's wonderful necklace....

And I've always love Jamie's taste ~

Jamie's amazing digital images.....

Do you find that sometimes when you want to start a new project,

the ideas just flow like water ~

BUT

there are other times where it's hard to make even one decision!

It was one of those days for me :)

But even if it takes twice as long as it should,

it still feels so good to make something!!!

Wishing you an amazing Tuesday my sweet friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

Problem SOLVED!

Thank you all so much for your sweet comments and ideas

for my nest project!!!

I just felt like the "diapers" hid too much of the nests ~

and that they kinda did looked like diapers too :)

And of course you know what my solution turned out to be....

WIRE!!!

I used two pieces on each nest. One to support the bottom and

the other to support the middle of the nest.

I have a wonderful, old bird book that I've been hacking up for years

and it has that "scientific" look that I love ~

I just added a blurb under each nest that looks

like a descriptive but you know I don't have a clue

what type of bird built each nest.

Bucky looks happy to have the nests on either side ~

I wanted a cabinet of curiosities look but

I'm not really sure if I've achieved that!!

But as you can see, I am a little nutty in the decorating dept ~

Have a very happy Tuesday precious friends!!!

hugs and love,

Dawn

Sometimes ideas are so great "in your mind" BUT...

Do you know what I mean?

You've been thinking about an idea forever and

FINALLY you have the time to work on it!

Then...

it's a total EPIC FAIL!!

(This is SO Noah's phrase right now :)

A few images for you:

Here's my project:

I have several abandoned bird's nests that my sons have given me ~

I've been trying to think of a great way to display them....

and I'm always, ALWAYS wanting to hang more stuff on our walls.

SO ~

I had several old cabinet doors that I'd painted a few years back ~
they were signs that didn't sell in my antique space.

So I covered the sign part with pages from an old ledger and

thought that small "hammocks" would be a great way to hold

these nests that are so fragile.....

Well.

It looks like the nests are wearing diapers to me!!!!

So back to the drawing board on this project ~
I'll probably go with the wire...but they are so crumbly.

I'll be sure to share pics of it finished too!

Creating is such a learning experience, isn't it?

Trying to make something beautiful CAN turn out to be an EPIC FAIL

but the key is to move on and think of an alternative.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


I've got to share a few links with you!!!
Get a load of this beautiful ruffled streamer from the blog
Cupcakes and Cutlery!!!
You won't believe what it's made from.....

And you know how much I love gorgeous graphics, right?
Well if you'll visit
Bumble Button
Louise offers some of the most wonderful images
on a regular basis!

And always remember,
if you'd like to stroll through some of the images
I've offered here on my blog,
simple scroll down to my "tag list"
at the bottom of my blog and click
"free vintage images" or "free antique images"
or some of the other tags that
may have the words "photos" or "images"
in them!!

Wishing you a wonderful Monday my sweet friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn