Feeling so inspired lately!!! Welcome sweet September ~

I can't explain my crazy ideas but we have several HUGE magnolia trees

in our front yard and I've always thought that the seed pods were so beautiful.

So I go gather a few up and spray them with Kilz and proceed to paint them

with beautiful metallic colors, just wanting to maybe turn them into ornaments!

This was really just an experiment though...and some of the pods still burst open

doing what nature told them to do. I also saved some to dry to see if I could work

with them later on. It's all an experiment!

Next project table: I want to create a handmade nature journal/book.

I'm in the beginning stages but want to incorporate beautiful dried flowers,

insect wings, and of course ephemera and lace. We'll see...this is a work in progress!

I had these beautiful plaques/placemats hanging in my old studio 7 plus years ago.

They are illustrations from the book "The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady"

I FINALLY hung them in our old farmhouse this week.

That only took 7 years.

I've also been working on this wonderful lavender soap and

have had several orders too...

It smells heavenly!

Another project in the works?

A restoration of sorts.

For my dear brother-in-law.

Normally, I wouldn't touch this wonderful, aged Santa face!!!

I love old, crusty and vintage.

But my BIL hangs him in the middle of a huge wreath on their front door

during the Christmas season. And with the sun setting on the front of their home,

he's deteriorating fast.

So he's been caulked and primed and the undercoat painting has started!

This one just came to my mind this week.

Why not buy a few fall elements and add them into our

spring wreath on the front porch???

I can pull them out at the end of the year and I'm golden for Spring again!

HAHAHA!

I just crammed the elements into the wreath to give you an idea.

I'll be sure to share it finished!

EDITED TO ADD:

My finished wreath!

I'll just pull out the fall elements again come spring ~

AND LASTLY....

An old birdcage pendant light!!!

I've had this old birdcage top for years and years now.

SO I thought I'd order a pendant/plug/switch lamp kit to see 

if I could transform it into pendant light!

Oh my...here we go!

With the encouragement of our son Brad, I totally took apart the new lamp socket thing

and had to feed it through the opening at the top of the bird cage.

Just remembering how it came apart and how to put it back together

correctly was truly the challenge.

BUT WAIT!

The hole wasn't large enough...and since my drill died a while back

it was time to go primal and I used graduating drill bits and a vice grip

to twist and turn that opening to be larger!!!!

And believe it or not, it WORKED!

And now?

I LOVE IT!!!!

I think the changing of the seasons has me working like a crazy girl!

Our weather has been a bit milder here in Georgia and it gives me energy!

Sorry for the long post but it's been awhile ~

Thank you always for stopping by to see me!!!

hugs and love,

Dawn

Small signs ~

One of the wonderful things about living in this old house

are the plantings that surround it....

I can't imagine how long they've been here

because the house was built in 1925 ~

I love the old shrubbery that's out front too...

an old hydrangea bush, a few nandina shrubs ~

and these sweet daffodils that must be excited about spring

because they've already bloomed!!

So what have I been up to?

Since our Shop Fun Soap website is under re-construction

and we need to be selling the beautiful soap online....

I've created a blog store where everyone can buy

the gorgeous egg soap....

or shell soap

or lavender soap!!!

It's really a simple store ~

plus no matter what you order

the shipping cost is only 4.99 in the US!!!

If you'd like to take a look....

CLICK HERE :)

I hope you are doing so good and

that you have a wonderful Thursday precious friends ~

hugs and love,

Dawn

For the love of display.....

Soooooo.....today my son Brent and I headed to downtown Atlanta (finally)

to see our display space in our showroom.

They change it up for each show ~

I LOVED IT!!!

I won't show it to you just yet but guess what???? It is so wonderful!

And we are right next to Anna Griffin's display!!!!

I've loved Anna Griffin's designs from the beginning of time ~

Everything she makes is so classy and gorgeous.

Anyway, I measured every little bit of our display space

and worked on displaying the soap we already had there....

Then I had to map out how I wanted to display our new

"Feathered Nest" line of soap ~

The neat thing?? I went shopping for props!!!

And of course you KNOW I have to get a good buy

so I made sure Hobby Lobby had their glass half off and

ended up buying three of their GORGEOUS apothecary jars to place

on the very top of the display to show off each type of soap ~

egg, lavender and shell!

Here are a few pics of what I ended up with.....

Thelma (our little kitty in the background) gives her approval!

More props for display ~

A wide mouth bowl with pretty blue glass pebbles to display

the goldfish in a bag soap!

I want to fill this wooden, aged bucket with the lavender soap ~

A wooden tray and box flipped upside down for an elevated display ~

And I already had this wonderful artificial greenery

that I'm going to incorporate into the display ~

Thanks so much for listening to my soapy ramblings!!!

I so pray this line will be something that folks will LOVE!

Have a great Wednesday dear friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

Another peek....

These photos are just a little bit better than those from my last post ~

Thank you so much for your sweet, encouraging words too!!

You just don't realize how much your opinions and

comments empower me!

I'd love to get your feedback too...

you all have wonderful taste and I would love to hear

any other ideas YOU may have for packaging these soaps!

I'm going with a spring theme for the display and

of course have to use burlap....

Do you have any tips or tricks about what items to use

as props or to help achieve a beautiful display?

I have some beautiful store bought nests that I'll use

to tuck some of the egg soaps in.

Plus I want to purchase several apothecary jars

to display soap in bulk too.

Store owners may want to purchase the eggs

and sell them by the piece!

The square soap is a lavender French-milled soap and smells

HEAVENLY!!

The shell soap is a French-milled soap as well and has it's own

beautiful clean scent.

I'm thinking baskets, nests, glass apothecary jars....etc.

Any other ideas sweet friends??

Today we head to the Atlanta Merchandise Mart to size up our space!!!

Wishing you a wonderful first Monday of the new year!!!

hugs and love,

Dawn

PS. I'd love for you to visit me when the show begins January 12th
and we are located in the Daniel Richards Showroom, Bldg. 2, 16th floor!

And don't worry if you can't make it...
Take a look at our website shopfunsoap.com
to see all that we have to offer
and just give us a call at 678.432.2323
and let us know what you'd like to order ~
Our new website is under construction
and will be revealed soon!!!

Just playin' ~

That's what I'm doing! Now that my Artist Class tutorial has been submitted, it's all good!
I found a napkin in between some magazines beside my computer....
and what did I find inside??
Dried rosemary ~
From the rosemary plant that kicked the bucket months ago ~
but this snippet is not for cooking...it's for arting ~
Does a simple dried sprig of rosemary inspire you?
I just love it!

A precious fairy in the studio that's my sweet muse ~
thank you so much Mandy!
I think she likes it here....

Playing with tags for the new antique space ~
which will be in Antique Griffin....
simple brown ink, a sponge and a little aging of small shipping tags.
I used to coffee dye them but oh well, who has time?
The sponge and ink are quick!
Plus, with a script stamp ~ it's all good.....

I'm trying out packaging ideas for the tiny baskets I found.
Three lavender soaps, wrapped in brown toile wallpaper
then secured with hemp cord.
Simple but that's what I'm after.....
I could add a small square of burlap though :)
Of course, I had to age the edges of the soap a bit with my inky sponge ~
don't stand too close to me, I'm dangerous with this sponge!!

Wishing you a wonderful, creative Wednesday precious friends,
hugs and love,
Dawn