The bitter cold of winter is winding down and warmer (almost) spring days are upon us. Many of the trees are beginning to bloom which has prompted me to interpret trees in softie form.

Sweet soft green trees with multi-color spring flowers.

My version of Gumball Trees...

More Spring Flower Trees, but this time in soft natural off-white.

Check out these and others listed in my Etsy store at www.theartnest.etsy.com.

I'm Going Rogue...

I've written my blog for about a year now, and for the most part it's been nice. Nice, but not great. Let me explain... before beginning most endeavors I do my homework. I like to see what has been done, what are the rules, what do I like, what do I dislike. My blog was no different. I guess I had a preconceived idea of what an artistically written blog should be. My blog has fit that criteria well enough but it's just not truly authentically all me. So here it is, I've decided that I am going rogue!

I will no longer stop writing a blog because it's not just about art - art comes in so many varied forms. Maybe what I write will be solely about the art of living.

I will no longer stop writing a blog because I have no digital pics to demonstrate my art - some forms of art cannot truly be captured in digital medium.

I will give myself permission to blog from my heart and my life - after all I am unique and there is no one who can represent me better and more accurately than I can.

I thank all of you who have read my blog and I hope you will continue. I appreciate the emails and interest in my online shop, www.theartnest.etsy.com. Most of all I am grateful for the kind words and encouragement I've received in the last year.

So with a wink of the eye and a mischievous grin, I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Happy May Day!

Today is May Day! I saw some really pretty pink flowers at the store this week so I decided to put together a few May Day "Baskets" for my neighbors and work staff. Sometimes a small unexpected gift is just what's needed to plant a smile.

I used a live Vinca plant and some cute mini watering cans I found at Target.


I made the tags using a sweet vintage graphic arts image I purchased from www.thevintageworkshop.com


Ta Da! One of the completed May Day Baskets.

Cowboy Kitty Rides Again!

I've kept busy in the Nest making those uber-cool kitchen tea towels I referred to earlier. I really love the vintage patterns on these. They are call "Cowboy Kitty" and are from the 1940's. The patterns themselves are stitched in redwork, but I then colored them in using fabric paint markers to ensure the colors didn't run when washed. I have more from the same retro pattern set in the works and hope to share them soon.

Look at Cowboy Kitty's sly sideways glance! It looks like trouble just rode in on his stick-horse...

Cowboy Kitty is totally sweet on Cowgirl Kitty! Look out!

I'm keeping a set of these to dress up my kitchen for sure. But if you want a set too, you can get them at http://www.theartnest.etsy.com/. I'll post more from this vintage pattern set in future blogs.

Playing Possum.....

Yes, I'm still here! Spring is such a busy time of the year. It's like the whole world wakes up and everything begins to move at an accelerated pace. Plants nurtured from years past emerge and begin their yearly show, the birds return in mass, and critter babies are everywhere.

Here at the nest I have been getting the gardens in order and enjoying the wonderful warmth. Being quite the goal directed individual, I have a hard time slowing down long enough to enjoy it all. Time always seems to be in short supply... So, if only for a moment, I've decided to stop moving forward, play possum, and just enjoy. Then, I'll finish cleaning the pond, plant the rest of the vegetable garden, finish the softy I'm working on, start a few more softies, and in my spare time I'll whip out a few more of the tea towels I have planned... I did say I would slow down for a moment, didn't I?

Kaeleb's discovery! Aren't the the cutest?

She's Back.....

Ms. Emma is back! That's right Ms. Emma my sewing/embroidery machine is finally back. She seems to be rested and in good shape after taking her mental health holiday. So I am currently working on kitchen towels. I have plans of making softies in the near future as well, so check back to see what kind of cuteness is hatching out of the Nest....



Aren't these cute? I made a set of the blue ones for a friend of mine who has recently moved into a new home. The tea towel embroidered in red will be added to my Etsy store.

Days Like This...

I've heard that boats who go unnamed are plagued with problems and bad luck. I wonder if the same is true of sewing machines? I'm beginning to think it is... I have really had just the worst luck recently with my new embroidery/sewing machine. She is shredding thread (giving me the worst fits) and the repair shop can't seem to nail down the exact problem. I'm totally frustrated because I have so many sewing projects in the works.

So I've decided to name my machine Ms. Emma. Ms. Emma is a powerful, mature sewing machine with much potential and many years of good stitches in her. Unfortunately she is prone to accidents and must be monitored vigilantly. While she is on vacation (due to her emotional breakdown of course) I have moved on to card making and crochet. Hopefully that will keep both my hands and my mind busy so I don't wind up on a mini-vacation like Ms. Emma!

These are little thank you notes I made to leave with service tips. I love the googly eyes on the owls!

The Multiple Personality Artist

I envy those people who have found what they want to do in life and they pursue it without doubt. It's as if they were set on that path and they just knew it was the perfect path for them. Me, not so much... In this one lifetime I seem to have reinvented myself repeatedly, moving from careers in medicine to careers in business. And now, (do I dare say it out loud) into a career in art. Of course its not so clear cut. Art has always been a part of my life and I've loved business ventures since childhood as well. Maybe I'm just learning to blend the different areas of my life more fully.

But even within my artful pursuits I am restless. I seem to always have several different projects underway. Today embroidery, tomorrow jewelry, maybe finishing up projects in several different areas the next day. So here's to all the multiple personality artists like myself who refuse to live within only one mood, one color, one style, or even one art form!

Here's one of the latest Scrabble Tile Pendants I made. Isn't she a cute little fairy? You can see all the pendants I've made in my store http://www.theartnest.etsy.com/.