So many things to be Thankful for

Hello Lovelies!

I haven't been a very good blogger lately. Keeping up with a toddler, and all of life's little happenings, have had me quite busy. After loosing my baby bulldog just before Halloween, I just needed some quiet time. Some time for just enjoying all the moments with baby Kaia, and soaking up all of her love.

She makes the best snuggler. Hard not to smile, and feel a joyful heart when I am with her.

 

Trying to get back into the studio these past few weeks, and do some creating. I had lost my mojo for a bit, but I am happy to say, that it has returned. Yay!!

I have a new addiction to these floral beauties...

 I just cannot stop making them!
 I was so inspired by a recent you tube video I watched, made by Angela Holt.Just the whole process of this Mixed Media canvas is memorizing. I love getting lost for a few hours in pure bliss.

I LOVE how this one turned out.

  A few frozen Charlotte ornaments, using Vintage tart tins. These are so pretty on the Christmas tree.

And a little vintage inspired treat cone, made for a friend. I love the sparkle of white, gold and glitter.

So Magical!

 

My studio time is my happiest place to be.

 

This past Monday, we received to most wonderful news!

Our daughter has been working so very hard in her recovery progress, as well as in her parenting skills. She was awarded custody back of her daughter, little Kaia.

We are both so proud of her for achieving this accomplishment. DHS doesn't make it easy, and she has successfully gone above and beyond to have her back in her life, and she is thrilled to take on the most important job one can ever have, of being a mother.

 

 Our plan, is to all live together as a family, as a transition into, someday, them having a place of their own. We can all still continue to love and spoil Kaia, and now, I will have a little more time for myself. It is the perfect plan.

Me and Mr. sweetness are both looking forward to being Grandma/Grandpa again. :)

She is just such a doll.

Such great news!!!

 

"Us" at Halloween this year.

Kaia "The Duck."

She had the perfect waddle.

 

Hard to believe that it has been just a little over a year since she came to be with us. So tiny, and so incredibly sweet...

 

How fast a year can go. So may blessings to be Thankful for this year.

This has to be one of my FAVORITE pictures of her!

So Thankful for all of our blessings this year. From my family to yours...

 

 

Many Blessings, and big hugs,

~Susan

 

Healing Art

Hello Lovelies...

Today I wanted to share a new project that I finished this past week. I had such a joyful time working on this piece, it was something just for me, from my heart.

A celebration of life, and to cherish the memories of someone that is no longer with me. My Dad.

I have been carrying a mighty heavy load this past 7 yrs. with the passing of my father, trying to straighten out a big probate mess that has involved lots of icky complicated things, with attorneys, accountants, and the like.

 

Living in this negative space has been tremendously overwhelming at times, hard to breathe, stuck.

 

I have just had to put one foot in front of the other, wait, and have FAITH that it will all work out.

After a year of trying to sell his home, and 3 almost sales, it finally sold this past month. 

FINALLY...

I can start to feel some closure, and begin healing this part of me, that could not be healed before now.

It's time to move forward, and has been a long time coming.

  

This floral beauty, is done on a 12 x 12 canvas. I started with my background, adding lots of texture with stencils and modeling paste, fabric bits, and acrylic paint, inks, and stamps.



 I selected a vintage image that I liked for the profile, and started building the piece with things I had in my stash. Metal embellishments, old jewelry pieces, a stained butterfly, millinery flowers, a Tim Holtz metal clock, and vintage buttons.

 

 A special element I used in the piece, was to  incorporate and add the key to my Dad's house, and the cherish metal charm.

 Beneath the colorful blooms, I added a secret letter to my Dad, and a promise that I intend to keep.



 To celebrate each and every given day, and to be Thankful for the time I have been given.



 I don't think you ever "get over" loosing those we love. For me, to celebrate the memories I can hold in my heart, and to have a keepsake to reflect upon, is healing the bits and pieces slowly, that have been buried under all those layers until now.

 

It's hard to tell from the photos, but there is a lot of sparkle in there too. In the evening light, it's purely magical!

I used Antique, gold paper doilies, at the bottom. I absolutely love the texture of these. They are just so pretty! A copper and bronze was also added for some more interest, and contrast. 



 I really love the way this canvas turned out! I used many colors of fall in this piece. Gold's, bronze's, burgundy, oranges, yellows, all in various shades, to reflect my favorite time of year.



 

 

 I finished it up with a pretty, petite, vintage style frame, and will be happy every time I look at it. I could just stare at her for hours.

 

Thanks for following along, and I hope you enjoyed my post today, as this one is rather special.

As for me, I intend to CELEBRATE the rest of the day, and hope you do too.

 

Hugs,

~Susan Xo

 

 

 

 



Vintage Charlotte Witch

Hello Lovelies.

Are you loving this beautiful fall weather?

Delicious isn't it?

 It's such a special time of year for me, I always feel my most creative during this time, just before Halloween.

 

Been working on a few new things this past week, and trying to spend as much time in my studio whenever I can.

I was inspired by a post I saw on Graphics Fairy. "Such a great site, if you haven't visited, I suggest you do." Not only are there many free images to use, there are also some great tutorials as well.

 

The one that caught my eye, was making garden signs from vintage tart tins. So I gave it a whirl, and added a few other elements to complete the piece.

 

I love the look of mixing different colored metals, adds a bit of intrigue, I do think.

The tart tin was hammered out flat, and then the letters were added with a metal punch.



 Holes were punched in, to tie the tin to the back, which is an old car bolt. The side has a few holes, to secure the Charlotte witch in place.

A bit of bling, lace, flowers, and a potion bottle were added at the base.



 

She turned out pretty spooky, and sweet. I love the look of this Charlotte too, grungy and aged. She will make a nice display to add to my décor this year.

 

Thanks for visiting, and Have a Magical Day!

Hugs,

~Susan



An Inspired Bohemian Butterfly

Hello Lovelies!

It's been awhile since I last posted. Wrangling a toddler these days has my days quite full, to say the least. And it seems if I have any free time, my soul is starving for artsy days, or just searching for some solitude in the studio. An escape for a small time, to breathe and play.

 I do have some fun stuff to share with you, and hope you enjoy the process.

 

I recently took on an adventurous art project. A canvas 36" x 36", quite larger than anything I have ever done before, but I thought why not? I had been wanting to do a bohemian style butterfly collage, for some time, and I had a large vacant space above my bed, that I wanted to add some color and something fun.

So...

 

I was inspired to do this piece, by many things.The colors in a new  Handmade Katha quilt throw from India,for my bed, which by the way I am IN LOVE with! A vintage tray, and the colors of the flowers from my garden. Amazing how some things can trigger something in you, and can inspire you to create something so fun from it. I Love being inspired from ordinary things!

 

I started my template by marking center of the canvas, and used ordinary craft paper, to cover half of the canvas.

 

I Freehand drew the outlined butterfly, and cut it out.

 

Then, reversed the image to the other side, tracing around the edges, so that I ended up with equal wings on each side.

I freehand drew the lines for the butterfly segments I would later fill with paint and fabrics.

I then covered the background with various colors of cardstock squares in random order, until I liked the way it was looking. I actually added a few more squares later on, to fill in a few places that I felt needed it. I used ModPodge to secure all the squares to the canvas.

 

 

 

For each segment of the butterfly, I used paint, and tissue paper as a template, and then used the tissue paper pattern to get the right cut from various vintage quilt fabrics.

I used an old embroidered cotton table runner, vintage laces, vintage trims, and upholstery fabrics.

 

Once cut, I ModPodge'd front and back to secure in place

 

You can imagine this was a lengthy process, cutting each square, trimming  a bit here and there...Yep. This is what the floor looked like in my studio for a week or so. LOL! Super creative MESS.

 

Even Violet was exposed to this process, as she enjoys being next to me during creative times.I ended up picking lace out of her fluff, and the floor, for weeks. Ha! All for the cause, "of course."

 

 Painting segments, adding fabrics...

 

 

 

I used an old bed skirt, I picked up at a thrift store, that had a pretty scalloped lace on the edges. Cut it up, and it worked perfectly for the outside edge of the wings. The more delicate piece of lace around the top edges, and inside of the wings, was cut from the sides of the old embroidered table runner.

 

This little piece of yellow, embroidered lace is one of my favorite parts, at night with the right low light, it sparkles like magic, and makes me giggle. I LOVE it!

I added lines between the segments, to make them pop. I used acrylic paint, and distress markers.

 

I had some old burlap coffee sacks that have been laying around for awhile, so I cut them up for the body and head of the butterfly. I liked the numbers, and It seemed to speak to me somehow, so I just went with it.

I painted out the antenna in blacks, and burnt umber acrylic, and added some to the body, and the whole canvas as well, to give some contrast. I like using the burnt umber color, it adds age to anything. I paint on a small section, and then wipe off most of the paint. It leaves behind a most wonderful distressed antique feel.

I also added some dark texture on the edges to make the butterfly POP.

 

 

 

I LOVE the way she turned out.I couldn't be more proud. At first, a part of me thought, how are you going to pull this off? But in the end, I am so happy with the result. Exactly what I wanted, a vintage inspired, Bohemian Butterfly.

It took only a month to finish, but I DID it!

 

 

And this is it, hanging in the space above my bed. I love it so.

Thanks for reading along, I know it was a long post. Please feel free to leave me a comment, as I do miss chatting with you all.

 

Thanks so much for visiting.

 

Take good care, and

 

Have a Happy Creative Day!

~Susan Xo



 

 

 

 

 

 





Happy 4th of July

Hello Lovelies!

Wishing you all a Happy and safe, 4th of July.

This year, we are taking it easy. Choosing a comfortable pace.

My sweet Mama, and niece are coming for an overnight visit, and we have planned to grill, gab, and just enjoy celebrating the sweetness of the day.

 

And then at twilight, a little firework show of our very own.

Wishing you a wonderful day of sweet celebrations today.

Take Care,

~Susan Xo