Spring & summer starting so late here made for late blooming. We just got back from a wedding in Minnesota & the garden is a-sproutin'! The hydrangea flowers are literally the size of hubby's head! The hollyhocks down the whole side of the house are hitting 6 feet...now we are talking! Can't wait for the other half of our flowers to bloom. Will keep you posted. Of course there has to be at least 1 picture of Hazel Joy. Love & hugs to you all.
Keri

Any artists that visit or subscribe to my blog that want to post your work...just contact me with your email address & post away! I'd LOVE to have you.

Lilacs - Stitched Paper Collage (ACEO)

Here is my newest listing: an abstract, stitched paper collage I call Lilacs. Made from cardstock left over from the handmade envelopes I make to store ACEOs in.

ACEO (Art Cards, Editions and Originals)
2.5 inches wide by 3.5 inches long
6.4 centimeters wide by 8.9 centimeters long

Cheers!--Janyce
Sojourn Quilts
"A Resting Place Along Life's Journey"
Blog: What Shoes I Wear

New! Midi Wall Dancers

Midi Dancers so "Babes" of all shapes & sizes can dance together! Where my original Wall Dancers are approximately 10"-12" in length without their hangers....these Midi 'Babes' are 9"-10" in length. Many of my customers have bought my "Tiny Dancers" to go with their larger dolls using them as gifts or they have also used them as Christmas ornaments. I thought these "Midis" would be great & am just loving them. I hope you do too!





Fun whimsical additions for those who enjoy 'different' and 'unusual.' Extremely 'people friendly' art pieces that are truly charming! My wish is that they will make you feel happy, positive and sometimes even encouraged. That they will always put a smile on your face! Whether it’s a “Babe, Mermaid, Angel or Fairy my hopes are that you find the doll that was made for you! All come to you signed and dated by me, Keri.



They are always ready to hang! Their 'unique' hands & arms are made from wire with beads throughout. They are finished with two coats of Poly-Acrylic gloss. Colors on your monitor may not match the dolls exactly. Since these dolls are created by hand, there may be slight imperfections which just adds to their charm. Being made totally from polymer clay, you must treat her 'kindly.'

mushroom men

made some mushroom men today. something a little new and different for me, nice change.

little mushroom men, if you pick them they will bite your hand,
so steer clear of the mushroom men.
mealy monster land

2:25 Minutes of Fame

Hey! That's me on TV!

Sharon Pelletier of WABI-TV5 in Maine interviewed me about my business last month. It aired last night (5/11/09). So exciting to be part of a news story that was...and is...good! Here's the link to the Channel 5 Story entitled "Quilter Gets Creative in Bad Economy."

Read and see the article here.

Cheers!--Janyce
Sojourn Quilts
"A Resting Place Along Life's Journey"
http://www.sojournquilts.etsy.com
http://www.sojournquilts.1000Markets.com

Oliver Studies Hypnosis

Hi Keri and all! It's been a while since I've posted so I thought I'd blog a little about Oliver, who I found sitting in my kitchen floor one morning. He was unsuccessfully trying to nab my dark chocolates from the cupboard. When I started to scold him, he tried to pull out the hypnosis on me.

Although Oliver has not been a very good house guest, he served as a perfect muse for my folk-art painting. All I knew when I started this painting was the color scheme: red, black, and white. Oliver provided the subject (however, I had to dissuade him from posing in lingerie in the fear of offending delicate audiences.)

Have a great weekend :)

Renee

Time For Vases

Now after making plant stakes as a nice diversion then back to the gals.........
vases seemed like the next on my list to create. I guess Mini Dancers will be next if I cannot get myself back in the groove. I think now it's Spring Fever. Who wants to stay in the house after being cooped up for so long? Hugs to all.

Mexican Chocolate Tart with Cinnamon-Spiced Pecans

Ooooh-la-la! I am testing out chocolate pie recipes for an April 30th fundraiser for Women, Work and Community I am helping to organize. Before last week, when I found this recipe on Epicurious.com, I never knew Mexican chocolate existed. Boy, was I missing out. It is all I can do to keep myself from diving into the tart before my guests get here. Maybe I can talk them into starting with dessert...

Cheers!--Janyce
Sojourn Quilts
"A Resting Place Along Life's Journey"
http://www.sojournquilts.etsy.com
http://www.sojournquilts.1000Markets.com

People Are Commissioning More

With the economy being so slow I guess we have to "make hay when the sun shines" but these have not been really fun. I think vases will be on the agenda! Hugs.

Hi Ho Hi Ho It's Off To work I Go!

I have to be careful what I ask for! So bored of the plant stakes.....now I have commissions for 15! Do I do them??????????? Argh! It's not that the dolls are selling. So I played with more dolls trying to ignore the fact I do have commissions...........what a bad lil monkey I am! So here are the new 'gals.' Hugs to all.

Getting Busy Again

Ok..........so it took a commission to get me going here! But better late than never! ~sigh~ The plant stakes went really well so much so that about 15 are commissioned (poop!) I found myself not overly fond of making them. I wanted the 'diversion' & I guess we have to be careful for what we ask for but as you know with the slumping economy we try to generate a cash flow however we can. So the positive to them. Hope all of you are well & happy. If you have friends that you think would like to show their work & blog just email me. All are welcome. Tons of hugs.
Keri

"Bee Happy!" Kotex Slippers

A friend of mine has been in a funk so I sent her these slippers I made.

Attached was my note:
Honey,
Since this 'blue funk' has left you feeling depleted & lethargic, I wanted to make bedroom slippers for you as a gift. This way you can just 'chill' & enjoy your R & R sweetie in comfort. Love you to pieces!

You'll most likely agree that it's a splendid idea, and should you wish to do the same, I've included the instructions below:
How to make bedroom slippers out of maxi pads:
You need four maxi pads to make a pair.
Two of them get laid out flat, for the foot part. The other two wrap around the toe area to form the top.
Tape or glue each side of the top pieces to the bottom of the foot part.
Decorate the tops with whatever you desire, silk flowers (this is most aesthetically appealing), etc.
These slippers are:
* Soft and Hygienic
* Non-slip grip strips on the soles
* Built in deodorant feature keeps feet smelling fresh
* No more bending over to mop up spills
* Disposable and biodegradable
* Environmentally safe
* Three convenient sizes: Regular, Light and Get out the Sand Bags.

HaVe A PaRtY In YoUr PLAnTs FuN FuNkY Polymer Plant Stakes

Well it was time to play with something new but actually I started the plant stakes & vases before the 'gals' were born. I was 'sprucing' up some of my plants as this 'Babe' truly has a huge case of Spring Fever! Seeds have all been started in the house to add o my already full garden. Since my house is FULL I had to carry my compulsive buying to the outside of the house. Never a gardener prior to moving into this townhouse, I have learned to LOVE it! Grab a Bloody Mary & Martha my black lab & we are so content to play in the dirt!

When hubby gets home we do as we call it "our daily plant walk" (what dorks!) & we see what new surprises we have for the day. Martha just hits the door when we tell her what we are going to do! The older we get I think we are more content with the small things & relaxing on the patio smelling flowers .................
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh life IS good!

AnnaBell and Molly

Meet Annabell and Molly.
A quite girl was she, unnoticed by most
she fell off a pier and disappeared
and that was the end of Annabell
poor darling.

monster take over!!

stealing toys, causing chaos and general mischief, they are taking over! argh....help!!!

New Work

Well it is only Friday & my intentions were to make dolls on Monday. Now that is some feet draggin'! With business slow I am sure most of you may feel a tad uncreative too knowing that your house is filling up with unsold work. I hang the gals in my garage & have a ton of nails so when they are full is when I start trading & giving them to 'buds' & family. Then I have room for more! ~sigh~

Wishing you all beautiful weekends.
Keri

The Joys Of Grandchildren

Grandchildren are wonderful. ~sigh~ My oldest Lexi unfortunetly I do not get to see very often & I miss my Punkin'. When she was younger though I would see her a couple of times a month & every Sunday would be 'project day.' I LOVE making a mess & the projects were never small ones. She ADORED them as much as I did-we have always been VERY CLOSE in each other's hearts. Well this weekend I had my precious eldest granddaughter & it was a full day of projects. A great time was had by all!

Painting a Pup a Day: Project to Benefit Dog Rescue

Can I just say that it is a rare thing these days to find someone who is not only humble, but honest, caring, and willing to go out of their way to help, rather than hurt another individual? This would describe Kari Joy, an artist, and now friend I have just met through an artists' group on ebay. She has been gracious enough to allow me to create a post on her blog about my Painting a Pup a Day project. It is a project I started at the beginning of this year in which I will try my best to paint a dog each day (or every few days) and donate 10% to one of the various dog rescue groups I work with personally, as well as thru the group Art 4 Critters. If you would like to learn more about my project feel free to visit my Painting a Pup a Day Blog. Thank you Kari for being such a light to others, not only thru your work, but thru your friendship and kindness!

Mountain Sun Plant and Two Ladybugs (ACEO)

Continuing my addiction with making ACEOs. This one's an original small art fabric collage featuring two mountains, a sun rise, green field, plant and two ladybugs. Made from recycled/repurposed fabrics, cotton thread and metallic thread sewn and adhered to 140lb watercolor paper.

ACEO (Art Cards, Editions and Originals)
2.5 inches wide by 3.5 inches long
6.4 centimeters wide by 8.9 centimeters long

More examples are in my shop.

Cheers!--Janyce
Sojourn Quilts
"A Resting Place Along Life's Journey"

Are You Serious??????????

Oh I so love being a Grandma! Hazel Joy & my daughter Kelly came over for our weekly 'girls day' yesterday. Thursdays have been our 'girls day' since little one was born. Hazel is really testing the waters lately as you can see-if she does not like something-you get the face! She likes to read you stories so her duck book its blah blah DUCK blah blah blah quack quack! I have to laugh cuz Kel may have her hands full. When Kelly REALLY wants something done or corrected..... Hazie's new thing to Kelly is "Are you serious??????" The joys of motherhood!