The Prettiest Song

There is a sweet quote out there that says, "The littlest bird sings the prettiest song".  I just love that thought.  And these little babies, well I am pretty sure I heard them singing their hearts out as I created them.  I know I was.  As I mentioned in a previous post I've been working on a new bird pattern.  Let's just say I am tickled with the outcome of the newest pattern and their little perches!

This one has a lovely hand stamped message tag that says "You Grew in my Heart".  It's embellished with large and small ric-rac ribbon and blue velvet ribbons. 

To construct the cage I used two sizes of embroidery hoops.  One entire hoop was used to create the outer sphere, while a single smaller hoop was suspended from the center with chain to create the perch.

This is one has a message of "Find Your Voice."  You now, that is a very hard thing to do sometimes. Especially in this media driven world telling you how and what to feel when.  So I challenge you this week to think about those words and find what's inside you waiting to be said.

If you are interested in any of these lovely creations I know they'd look great in any place of your home.  I  can really see them in a nursery as a mobile.  And of course I can make a custom one!   You can find these two though hanging out over here in my etsy shop!

Amy Butler Midwest Modern Contest

I know I said I'd be on an island this next week....but an island is much more fun with friends, don't you think?? And besides I HAD to share my contest entry's for Amy Butler's Midwest Modern fabrics. Only one rule, use the Modern line of her fabulous fabrics. Any pattern, any design. So I made these: This is "Amy". I love her little crossed legs. They just really wanted to be that way, so I let them.

Here are Amy and David. And yes, I am going for some brownie points because Amy's husband is David. I just had to. had to........The contest ends on Tuesday. I can't wait to hear if they've won. I'll be sure to let you know!

Etsy Shop Updated!!

This morning I decided to go ahead and put into my Etsy shop some of the newest members of my felted bird family. So go here now to check it out! Also, PapernStitch, a curated online shop I participate in, has a TOTALLY new amazing look. You've just got to check out the talent here. I hope you've had an amazing three day weekend. We went to visit my sister, Grandmother, aunt and uncle in South Alabama. It was nice to get away for the weekend, but now I have got to get back to the grind. I did however make what I am now calling the "car art studio" and get lots of beautiful new felted flowers made with a new pattern. I'll be showing those off as soon as the pin backs get attached (I forgot those for the studio!) See you soon!

Shop Updated!

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I am taking an e-course with the sweetest person you'll ever know, Marissa. In one of the courses she said a sentence that resonated with me in regards to blogging and your online presence. You have to "show up". Show up. Huh.... Sounds pretty simple. If you are a reader of this blog you know I have no problem showing up here and sharing my newest creations. But where they go from here is where I seriously don't "show up", "drop the ball" as my Mom always said. I am famous for loading up my etsy shop and then forgetting about it until I get a random sale. So here's my new goal, and I have a note on the inspiration board to remind me to "show up" at least once a week in etsy. I'll be adding new products and fun goodies at LEAST once a week. I really do have so much to sell, and can't wait for you to see it. Starting with these babies: Trixie
Paprika

Josephine

These are the girls featured in Sew Somerset this month! They are now famous magazine models! They are listed for $40 each. So fly on over here to buy one today!

******I need help! Does someone know why my etsy link won't work? It keeps putting http://www.blogger.com/ before it thus not making my link work? urghhhh I am putting in the correct link which is http://www.artsyorange.etsy.com/. See there it is....hummmm

On The Road Again......

"On the road again....dadadadada...." yep, can't remember the rest of the words to that song, but got it stuck in my head after taking these cute photos. Well, we are back and boy are we rested and tan. I was very good with being unplugged for the week...no computer or cellphone (well maybe one time I checked my email and one time I turned on my cellphone). But I just can not be in a car for that long without a project. This time around I was itching to make some more felted birds. I would stitch away, then hold the finished babies up for the family to see and ooo... and then everyone would yell out names for them. Naming the birds is such a treat. Some of the names just crack me up. My husband even chimed in on a few. Like below, the yellow one is "Mustard Seed" and the black one is "Eloise". So be looking for these both, as well as the other almost 19 I have lovingly stitched to be listed soon!

I'm sure I'll be posting a few more fun pictures from the trip. Right now I'm really looking forward to sleeping in my bed with little Lily and my pillow. So nighty night to you all!

My Freedom Friends

I should wait to share these on the 4th of July, but I can't RESIST showing them off to you now! I just finished these babies up tonight and am tickled with the way they turned out. So I introduce to you:

Lady Liberty, Freedom Rings and Uncle Sam
Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam close-up. Their little hats and trinkets were delicately crafted using vintage bank notes, pick flags, glitter and vintage ribbon.

Freedom Rings and Uncle Sam Close-up. I just love the patterned fabrics I found to add to the plain felted bodies. These little babies are available at the Vintage-Flea in downtown Newnan. Stop by to see the other fabulous 4th of July finds Valerie has in store today!

Happy Mail Day!

Oh what fun to receive happy mail. And this is happy mail. I set several goals for myself once I became a full-time artist, and one was to take the time to submit articles to Somerset publications. It's really an easy process....and boy is it worth the time when you see it in real print. My girls got a 3 PAGE spread! Yipee skipee. Aren't they so sweet? I love to write, so the intro is always a fun part of the process of submitting, not just the technical stuff of making. I want to thank Amanda, the editor of Sew Somerset, for including me in this amazing publication. It's chopped full of great ideas. So pick up your copy today!

Birdhouses for the Felties

I had this sweet customer email me before the Christmas holidays asking if I'd ever made birdhouses for my felted birds. She'd bought a few items for her daughter's room at the Marist Show from me, but needed a few more goodies for the "big girl" room. She has it decorated in the Pottery Barn bird theme which is so much like my little paintings. Just perfect. So of course I said yes, and finally I have them all complete and ready to deliver to Kristen very soon! When they hang on the wall, the pink larger one in the middle has this fun bottom full of ribbons that will hang down. I had fun decoupaging, painting and adding ribbons and buttons to these new houses.

I made the felted birds first and had them like little muses on my art desk while painting their homes. I had already painted the houses the base coat and was planning to pattern them with my brush and paints. Then last week while roaming Michael's I came across this new line by Making Memories called Chloe's Closet. I just had to buy everything in the set! It's adorable stuff. On the houses I used the buttons and some paper from it. I also used some vintage sheet music. Once I was done with the houses I decided they looked a bit too newish. So I rubbed the edges with some brown paint to give them the worn in look.

Overall I am tickled with the outcome. I can't wait to make the special delivery soon!

Legend of the Christmas Nest

I realize that these nests did not come from a real tree, but rather were made by my little fingers. But what an amazing treat for your Christmas Tree these little birds would make! So many of us have the artificial trees adorning our homes during the holidays, myself included. And although I can't promise these will bring you a year of prosperity, they will bring you joy, which can only help lead you to prosper in the coming year.

New Felted Birds

After the Norcross Art show I had to search for new cages for the felties to perch. The first batch sold so well, but finding those cages again was impossible. Valerie found these great cream ones for me. And now I can make a dozen! This is "Bingo Night" here. And this is "Suzie". I'm having so much fun adding the details with velvet ribbon, felted leaves buttons and vintage papers. Two more sit on my desk waiting for names from Mailey and 9 are perched on stands made of vintage jello molds. They'll be available this weekend at the Southcrest show. Come on by!

Mattie's Social Circle- They're All Here!

I finished up all the felted bird sculptures I intend to take next weekend yesterday. I have the standing ones all lined up on my art desk and the caged ones all hanging from the kitchen chandelier (which looks so good, I'll have a hard time letting them go!). Then it hit me, they are like a little 3-D version of Mattie's Social Circle! Each one has so much personality. I can see them talking away to each other now. I've one more to make tomorrow, and that's a Mattie. For now, Mailey and I have named the rest of the circle and here they are: The caged girls are $45.oo each.

This is Sadie in her Tweet nest. She is $40.00.
These girls on stands are $35.oo each.

I hope you had a wonderful Saturday! We sure did here at the Horne Family house. Lots of football, hot dogs and napping! I'll be back soon with shots of my prints hot off the press and magnets.

Felted Friends

Last year Valerie took some of our felted sweaters from making flower pins and crafted these cutey pie birds. So, desperately needing a change from painting, I decided to craft a few of these sweeties for next weekend myself. I of course got a bit carried away since it was so much fun to make Mattie and her friends come off the canvas! We are still in the process of naming them all, Mailey loves this job. So far I have 4 on stands like above, 2 standing on their own and 4 in cages (still working on those babies, no pics yet).
There is so much personality in these little ones. I just want to pinch their whittle cheeks!
Then, while watching Top Design last night I got an idea to make a little cuff bracelet. Mailey had cut the cuffs off some sweaters earlier and was wearing them around the house like bracelets. They were cute plain, but adding the flower with the fabric covered button in the center...ooo...I am going to make some more of these!
I decided to add button closures instead of the pull on technique like Mailey. And besides, there's alot more seam around the bottom to make bracelets from than cuffs.

PS ....... I have found a few sweaters at the Goodwill to felt, but Valerie mentioned the other day that on Etsy you can buy from people that have already bought and felted the sweaters. I did just that and for $30 got an amazing bag of treats to make these goodies. So if you are wanting to try this on your own, I recommend Etsy!