Love gifts ~

I've received a few goodies in the mail lately

and I would love to share them with you ~

Just look at this birthday bundle Marcie from The Rustic Victorian sent me!!!

Gorgeous old lace, images and a sweet antique stereoview of a little girl and her doll ~

And Donna of Brynwood Needleworks sent me these wonderful bird's nests!!!

I can't believe how amazing each one is....just sweet works of art ~

Lastly, look at this angel!!!!! Here she is Christmas Day all dolled up in her

fancy new coat and hat ~ She had such a wonderful Christmas....

I'm starting to clean things up around here...

the studio has been sadly neglected these past few weeks ~

and I'm so in the mood to get to creating!!!!

Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday sweet friends ~

hugs and love,

Dawn

Simple, fragrant treasures....

I love using pieces of gorgeous old lace on my projects ~

I love even more working with lavender buds!

The entire studio smells like Heaven right now.

I think I'm almost finished with these sweet sachets...

I may add a few buttons or other embellishments but they're

definitely in the home stretch!

Shouldn't you always add your lavender with an old silver scoop?

I kinda like them all piled up together :)

You have got to see these amazing nests my dear friend Sharon sent me!!!!

All the way from Maine...

Can you believe the detail?

How long did it take the sweet birds to complete each one?

Sharon found them in her yard getting ready for the hurricane last week.

The wasps nests were a bonus!!!

Thank you so very much sweet Sharon....I love it ALL!

Wouldn't my new nests look amazing inside these glass wall boxes I found at West Elm???

I think I need to put two of these babies on my wish list!

I love elegance and old lace...

I love rustic and natural.

I guess it's OK to love it all??

I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend dear friends and

wish you a beautiful week ahead!

Happy Tuesday angels,

hugs and love,

Dawn

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