"Praise God from all Blessings flow" framed art

I love the weather and all of the magnificent colors that come with the autumn season. I wanted to create an art piece that would grasp some of the beauty of the season, so I created this "Praise God from whom all Blessings flow" piece. The frame is painted black and is distressed. The background is made of layered autumn colored papers. I also incorporated decoupaged leaves and burlap for texture and dimension. The size is: 15.25W x 19"H. If you have any questions about this piece or any other, don't hesitate to send me an email.

Revamped Cork Board

After being revamped...

Before being revamped...

Here is a cork board I just finished revamping. I loved the design of the board the minute I saw it, but It has taken me a while to figure out what I wanted to do with it. With the weather finally cooling down outside, giving the flowers a chance to bloom, the butterflies have come out to play and that was finally the inspiration I needed for this piece. The frame is painted in an antiqued turquoise color. The butterflies are made out of old hymn book and book pages and attached to a wire running up the side. The yellow flower is made from fabric and has pearls nestled in the middle. At the top I used the saying "Follow your dreams never let them slip away". At the bottom I used a couple of old drawer handles, adding the possibility to hang keys or other items. This is on sale for $59. If you have any questions don't hesitate to email me at: judesigns@hotmail.com. Thanks for stopping by!

Reclaimed Chalk/Corkboard

Here is another one of my fun finds. I came across this chalk/corkboard that needed a little TLC, so I removed the cheap hardware, sanded it down, painted it, and had fun using the mixed media technique using paper, inks, paints, and metal embellishments. I used chalk paint on a piece of metal and glued it over the old chalkboard, added a new piece of corkboard to the corkboard side and made magnets and push pins out of bottlecaps. It has a tray to hold chalk, pens, and extra magnets and/or push pins and would be a fun and practical piece for any wall of the house. It is on sale for $49. Just send me an email at: judesigns@hotmail.com if you have any questions or would like to purchase this piece.

Book Clocks

I think I have mentioned this before, but I really like clocks. I especially like re-purposing items and turning them into clocks. Here is a project I have been wanting to make for awhile and I finally finished my first one. It is a "Book Clock". I found an old book and distressed it, because I just didn't think it was distressed enough, added a clock mechanism to the inside, and cut a square into the pages of the book so that the mechanism doesn't show. I then added a favorite saying of mine from Alfred Binet "Don't count every hour in the day. Make every hour in the day count."

This would make a great decorative piece for any shelf, end table, or coffee table. It measures 5 1/2"W x 7 1/2"H and is about 1 1/2" thick. This one is for sale for $25. Please email me at judesigns@hotmail.com with any questions or if you would like to purchase this clock, or have me custom make one for you.

Here is another I made with a saying from Pericles "Time is the wisest counselor of all."

Old Wood Ladder = Shelving Unit

I have been in need of a shelving unit for my studio to display art work and I wanted something rustic. A while back I had seen an idea where someone turned an old wood ladder into shelves and I decided that idea was perfect for me. The tricky part was finding an old wood ladder and wood in good enough condition to use. I was soooo excited when I came across all of these items yesterday and even more excited that it only cost me $3! So with a little bit of nail pulling, sanding, painting, cutting, and screwing boards together, I now have shelves!!

Here is what the ladder and boards looked like before sanding and painting them.

Here is what the ladder looked like when I got done slapping paint on it. I used some old left over paint that I had and didn't want to cover the ladder completely, so I brushed it on sparingly.

Here is what the boards looked like before and after I painted them.

Here is my finished shelving unit!

This is what it looks like in my studio space. Isn't it perfect?! Now to start filling the shelves.

October Newsletter

Here is some information on what all is going on this month. I will be having a workshop on Saturday, Oct. 15th from 2pm-6pm and will be providing you with space and tools so you can work on your own projects or I will also have kits available for you to purchase and work on.

If you would like to attend this workshop, please RSVP with me by Thurs., Oct. 13th.

Distressed/Crackled Framed Art Piece

Ok, so you know how I told you in an earlier post that I have really been having fun reclaiming? Well, here is a frame that I picked up to reclaim. Isn't it purdy? Not really, whatever was used on the glass to make it look like stain glass was flaking off, but I really liked the size.

Here are a couple of photos of the completed project. The size of this frame is: 11.5"W x 23.5"H and is painted black, distressed, and crackled. It is hard to see in the photos, but I used paper that looks like old letters and layered them to create the background. The saying is by Claude Bissell "Risk more than others think is safe. Care more than other think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible." and is on Kraft color paper. I also added fabric flowers in the bottom right hand corner. The price of this art piece is: $59. You can see it in person along with my other completed and in progress art pieces every Thursday from 4pm-7pm and on the 2nd Saturday of the month from 10am-3pm at Studio B, 115 N. Santa Fe, Salina, KS or you can make an appointment by emailing me.

Keep checking back as I have more projects soon to be completed. Here are a couple of other finds that I am working on and will post completed pictures soon!