candy candy everywhere!!

I  just love the Eye Candy on Flickr!! Now most of you have been Flickrheads for years, I'm fairly new, maybe a half of a year. For those of you that have not yet fallen under the hypnotic spell of Flickr let me explain how easy, how necessary, and how inspirational the Flickr community can be. Pictured above is a mosaic of my Flickr favorites. These are images I've borrowed from fellow Flickr users and have appropriated into my own inspiration board. Gone are the days of magazine tear sheets, cork board, and thumbtacks. Now I can cull eye candy from thousands of other Flickr members, put it in my favorites and stare, stare, stare until the images are burned into the surfaces of my corneas. Fresh visuals are soooo important when designing your artwork or your decor. With decorating you'll constantly second guess yourself and say "can I do that?, is it ok to hang two little things above that chair? should I pull the drape back or let it hang straight?..." You know... Well, in these moments of doubt you can just ask the Flickr gods. And by that I mean, everyday people like you and me, doing what they do and graciously sharing their results with the rest of us. And it's a give and take thing. Because Flickr is a share community you get to upload your pics and let other Flickr friends check out your stuff. Whether it's a pic of the pie you just baked, your pet budgie, or your kitchen!!! Which reminds me, The Flickr group for the Vintage Kitchen Swap is growing but still only about 50% of swappers have joined in. Maybe a lot of you are waiting on the packages to arrive before you sign up but if any of you are scared off by the technical aspect please do not fret. I am computerly challenged and I find Flickr a cinch...oh yeah, and it's free. Also, it's very cool when another Flickr member marks one of your images as a favorite. It's a tiny little affirmation that either your subject or your photography skills were up to snuff in the eyes of someone else. And don't get me started on how cool Moo cards are. I'll say no more ok, end of Flickr sermon.

Above you'll also find some pics of a wonderfully thoughtful gift I received in the mail from the ever so sweet Heidi. All wrapped up in the bright hues of Spring with a dazzling handmade tag and pretty pink note. The wrap was so cheerful that I had to take a snapshot before I opened it. This was a true test of patience because I really wanted to know what was inside. The contents were well worth the wait. The visuals in this little book are wayyyy up my alley of course and will inspire many paintings to come. This gift is Heidi's way of thanking me for hosting the Vintage Kitchen Swap...soooo not necessary, simply participating is totally enough thanks for me! Thanks Heidi, you doll!!

  I have some more pics of collector's homes and nothing thrills me more. First is a pic of Jennifer's daughter's room featuring our "cupcakes for all occasions" piece. She has it displayed but not yet hung permanently because she's getting some more of our work to go with it. You have to check out Jennifer's My eBay page and her artwork . Her home was featured in the May 2005 issue of Romantic Homes magazine and she has a wonderful little family and world. She also looks like a beauty queen. I have to find out if she's a former Miss Georgia. : )

 

 

The next pic comes from the home of my friend Melissa. As you can see, she's a collector of all the little pretty things and obviously is afflicted with the same Easter bunny fever as I. And I think my sister owns that same floral platter on the middle shelf. A little while back I posted a pic of a charm bracelet she made for me. I seriously can't stop looking at it, what an amazing little bit of arm candy. You can purchase her creations at   

inspireco.  I highly recommend. Her attention to detail is top notch!! Fingers crossed, she will be making necklaces one day soon!   hint hint! : )

Well, this is a first for me in a long time. Posting during the daytime. I hope I'm not messing with my computer's head, I hope he's already had his second cup of coffee. I have to get back to the paint and the paper and the glitter and the glue. The pic of the "pretty girl" above is our newest addition to the line. We love the pretty girl imagery from the forties and fifties and like most when they have the beauty of a pinup with the innocence of a paper doll. We'll do more like her, they're just so happy to look at! And I want to remind everyone that we're still having a sale on our stuff through this weekend...free shipping on any purchase over $50.

 OK, hope you all are enjoying the day!! xoxo Jenny!

R.A.K's keep me up at night!!! : )

I save this blog as the last thing I do before going to bed. If any of you check the time signature for when I post then you full well know that I'm a lil' bit nutso. I partially blame the lackluster winter weather for the later and later nights. As the Spring warms up and turns into a blazing summer me and Aaron take to the woods and the walking path sometimes twice a day and this compels us to hit the pillow much earlier.  But without all that UV and nature I kinda lose track of time and get wrapped up in endless 2 AM projects and then I hop on this here blog in the area of 3 AM! What's so funny is that more than a few of you bloggers and creators of magical things out there are up too. I see you guys posting on Flickr at 2:52 AM! I know you other nutso's are out there!

 

Well, we had the pleasure of babysitting Adam for the first time (see picture) and he was a little riot of fun. Surround him with toys and he'll still go for the thing that's waaaaaay on the other side of the room. He's at the crawl and explore age...and oh yeah, the STAND UP age. All he wants to do is grab a hold of something, pull himself up, and stand triumphant. After which, he pratfalls perfectly onto his little bum. Adam is the adorable product of Aaron's brother James and his wife Ann. We babysat so James and Ann could take out Skip and Barb (Aar's parents) for a belated celebration of Skip's birthday. When they all returned home I pulled out this here "Decadent Banana Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting" and we ate up a storm. The cake was phenomenal and I owe all the credit to Amanda Moore! She's a friend and collector of our art and her very own recipe won a spot on the pages of Southern Living magazine. The coating of toasted coconut is a show stopper! Check out the recipe here and give it a shot. You won't regret it!!

 

 

Now if you haven't already shipped out your Vintage Kitchen swap stuff, this week is the time. If any of you are running late just let your partner know. And definitely post pics in the Flickr group of your swap stuff/experience. The little cradle you see pictured is a lil' bit of "collateral damage "...that's another name for the shopping you do for yourself when you're supposed to be shopping for others.  I found that on me and Missy's (my sister Melissa) Swap shopping excursion.

And speaking of the swap, I need to thank two wonderful gals for their ever so sweet gifts that came to my doorstep. First, Natalea sent this incredible box of Springtime goodies!!  (as a thank you to me for hosting the swap!!! Can you believe that??) The bunny box, the matchbook notepad (which is just soooooo Amy inspireco isn't it!?) the spirally candles, a cute turquoise takeout box of pastel lights and the sweetest little tag featuring the most adorable lil girl...her daughter? I was just blown away! Such super sweet goodies! My goodness!! Love everything!!

 

 

Next, you'll see the coolest little Vintage Kitchen Swap 2007 keepsake made by the thoughtful and talented hands of my new friend Sue! It's an oversized bottle cap, made into a magnet with the swap logo inside under a thick layer of resin. I love it!!!! Sue sent it as a R.A.K. which we should change to R.A.C.K : Random Act of Crafty Kindness. Everyone take a voteon adding the C.  Or maybe to keep it short...R.A.C. : Random Act of Craftiness. Whichever, thanks so so much ladies!! I'm humbled by your gracious gifts!

 

 

So, now it's time to hit the hay. Hopefully you'll see the time signature on these posts get closer and closer to a reasonable hour as the weeks go on.

as always, xoxo Jenny

a tiny lil' obsession of mine!

 I always start talking Easter and thinking Easter really early because I feel like every year the day itself arrives waaaay too soon and before you know it, the store shelves are barren and the ebay auctions dwindle away. You real deal ebayers know that the great Easter stuff was probably bought up two days into the new year.

As far as Easter Sunday goes for me and Aaron the day is never the same. Neither of our families has a big get-together, nor do we have a special meal etc... We always kind of dictate the day according to weather. Here at the Jersey shore the boardwalks and amusement parks use Easter Sunday as their season opener. If the weather is fair we'll head down to Point Pleasant and get some deep fried oreos, ice cream, pizza, play a few rounds of skee ball, maybe mini golf and then take our annual snapshots in one of the old school black and white photo booths. If the weather is really nice the crowds at the boardwalk are amazing! Even if the weather is bordering on bad the people still come out in droves and all of the little girls are buying those red Lifeguard sweatshirts to wear over top their Easter dresses.

 

 

Though this year might be different. We've got the amazingly adorable little nephew Adam and it's his first Easter. On Christmas we saw him in his little penguin suit. (it was sooo cute but he hated it and wanted OUT just as soon as mommy put him in it!!) Maybe now they've got a little bunny suit for him! Anyway, I guess we'll let little Adam call the shots for this Easter. We're babysitting him this Saturday so we'll ask him then what the plans for Easter are. He doesn't talk yet so it might be a bit of a challenge. We'll take some pics of the little munchkin on Saturday and I'll post them Sunday. Which reminds me... You guys should definitely try to post some Vintage Kitchen Swap pics in our Fickr group! (Flickr: Jenny Holiday's Vintage Kitchen Swap 2007!)  Some very lucky gals have already recieved some incredible goodies! Go have a peek! For you guys that aren't tech savvy, believe me, it's easy...and it's free! This'll serve as our little online photo album for swappers. You can even post some pics of you out and about shopping for the stuff and/or your little work table set up if you're doing some crafting.

 

And lastly, speaking of crafting, I have to mention the photos you see here of our new Paper Mache Rabbit Plaques. Those have been on the drawing board for a year but you know how full that back burner can get! Well here they are finally and they are our new faves by far. We just love the color palette and you can see that our paintings are modeled directly from our prized collection of vintage paper mache bunnies. We listed them today! Hope you like em'!

That's it for today, I've got more Easter stuff to show. Some that I made and some that has shown up on my doorstep...see you soon!! xoxo Jenny

3am teaparty, and an Easter sampler!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey everyone! So sorry for the few day's absence. In a strange turn of events I've been outside of my apartment!! First on Tuesday Aaron had a meeting in the city so I spent the day with my sister hunting down some fab stuff for the vintage kitchen swap (and I must say, it was a fruitful outing...I'm nearly done!). Then today me and Aar had to run around for supplies etc... And the whole time we were out I was so bummed to be missing Artsy Mama's Tea Party. I  mean, what a cool concept, and how great is it that soooo many bloggers took part in the festivities?!! The teaparty was international in scope and the amount of eye candy is endless. Definitely take a stop by.  Well, here I am, the Jersey vampire, showingup well into the AM of the next day. But I promise I was at the tea party in spirit. Above is a design that hangs above our bed. We call it the "Tea and Cake" piece, so here's my humble contribution to the day's events.

 

 

Well, I've got the first installment of Easter goodies to show and have them listed on eBay as well! I've been dying to do Easter ornaments forever because I soooooo love to hang stuff from some pussy willow branches in the Spring. Also, the tray is a long time in the making. It's been sketched out for a year I think!  We've got four or five more Easter projects in the works and I'm so so thrilled about them! 

 

I feel the Spring, not temperature wise yet but I see it in the stores. All the colors and light weight materials in clothing. The full range of Easter madness lining the aisles of Target, Home Goods, heck, even Cost Cutters. It's a great time of year full of anticipation and inspiration. And that thing they call Spring Fever is most evident in our workload. Being entrepreneurs  we're the driving force behind how much work we take on and if you review our calendar in the springtime of the past ten years or so you'd see our schedule go from light to heavy heavy duty. And the weird Spring magic has always kept us immune to exhaustion.  

Well, except for ludicrously late night exhaustion. I'm so going to bed but I promise some more eye candy tomorrow, including those brand new Easter projects. Also, I wish I had a camera with me yesterday so I could've showed you guys pictures of the amazingly insane junkshop that we scour periodically. It's a gem of a place!

  So lastly, big hugs to Artsy Mama for hosting a blogland teaparty, and big hugs to you guys for being patient with my sometimes few and far between posts!

 

Happy Spring everyone!!

xoxo Jenny

 

 

ps...LOST ruled tonight!!! right Lauren? (wink wink)

Corner of my home

I hope everyone is having a great time emailing back and forth with their swap partners...getting to know each other etc...I myself am so excited to be making new friends and can't wait to start collecting goodies for the packages I'll be sending out!!

Around here (New Jersey) the weather has been a bit bipolar. On Wednesday and Thursday we were hiking through the woods, all sweaty in the 68 degree midday sunshine. Now we are in the midst of a full on winter blast of snow, sleet, slush, and highway skids. Me and Aaron really thought that this weekend would herald some spur of the moment yard sales, perfect for Vintage Kitchen Swap shopping. Instead, we'll be homebound with the heat up and the soup a' simmerin'. But we will probably brave a drive to Home Goods because the 'home goods' at Home Goods are not only cheap but sometimes some of the best vintage inspired stuff we've ever seen. The treacherous weather also may nudge us toward some ebay shopping...I mean, honestly, an ebay search always proves to be more fruitful than a foot search.

 

 

I started a Flickr group for the swap, so feel free to join!! It's there for you to post photos of what you will be sending and what you receive. Flickr is one of those things I can't believe I survived without. As far as reference, inspiration and documentation it has proved invaluable. If you're a Flickr-head of any level please join the group and post your swap pics!!

 

One of my favorite Flickr groups is "Corners of my Home"...so I thought it would be so cool for everyone to post pics of their respective kitchens. And this not only for the benefit of swap partners but for all of us to catch a glimpse into the little worlds we all inhabit. So if you want (and it would be so cool if you do!) post a kitchen pic on your blog and/or in the Flickr group and send me the link. I'd love to see! Right here is a tiny peek into an area of our tiny kitchen. We've named it the Ritz Bakery and try to keep to a fairly focused overall vision.  Because the kitchen opens right into the living room and dining room our color palette and theme is tight. We stick with pink, white, black, cream and tan with some hints of chocolate. It's sort of our imaginary theme restaurant with a top hat, tiara and piano motif running through.

 

 

Also shown here are my Slice of Cake nutcups. I did some last year and just started making them again. I'm thinking of listing them on Etsy and Ebay. They're a lot like our ornaments except instead of hanging them with string I attach them to little crepe paper and ric rac adorned boxes. They're great for parties/holidays as little favors placed at each place setting. I fill them with candies and other tiny goodies.

 

 

Well, I'm looking forward to seeing some of your kitchen vignettes! I can't begin to express what all of you fellow bloggers mean to my day to day creativity! I sooooooo look forward to catching some inspiring glimpses into your worlds.

 

until next time xoxo, Jenny.

two weeks and counting!!

They call Wednesday "hump day" and I guess it is with good reason if you work out there in the office world. For me Wednesdays aren't so bad.  First off, it means we still have two and a half days worth of mail left in the week, AND it's "LOST" day! My one and only reason for network television...(well, "The Office" on Thursdays is great too.) "LOST" has been redeeming itself after a weak Fall season...but enough about TV, let's focus on the wonderful world of packages!

 

  My sweet friend Rosanna from Italy sent some amazing gifts! And as expected, she's a fabulous gift giver. For absolutely no reason at all I received this amazing pack of goodies on my doorstep. What hit me first was the wrapping, all pale pink and turquoise and chocolate. Of course I had to get the camera before I tore in to the delicate tissue paper ! But once opened, me and Aar instantly ate some of those chocolate eggs you see...great chocolate! In the photo you'll see them displayed in the coolest hand sewn vintage  Easter card bowl we picked up a couple years ago at Jennifer Paganelli's Sis Boom event. The set of super cute tart forks eagerly await their chance to poke into the mini tarts I'm making this Spring. And Aaron was excitedthat one of the fabulously British style floral mugs was addressed to him!  Also in the box were those two glass cupcake ornaments, the chocolate pastry candle, fruit tart tealights and those place card holders seen clenching our moo cards from Flickr. Rosanna, you are such a doll!! Thank you! Thank you!

 

  Next, I got a package that came straight from my backyard... Good 'ole Jersey! Those two cute cute brooches you see with the note came from just a few exits away! (that's the Jersey cliche...we measure things by Garden State Parkway exits.) I love them! Soo, Tatta-Belles, thank you so so much Mary!! So unexpected and just tooooo darn sweet!! It means so much! Please email me so I can personally thank you. (your email address wasn't in the note.)

 

 

  Remember a couple of posts back I told you about Amazing Grace? I told you about her mom's awesome blog called turkey feathers . Well, I won a giveaway on Turkey Feathers.  Wrapped in that fab brown paper package tied up with string was "The ABC of Wine Cookery". A pocket sized vintage book featuring the perfectly titled recipe: "Jenny's Favorite Boeuf a' la Mode" and my favorite(sarcastically speaking) ingredient: Veal Knucklebone. Well, knucklebone aside, thanks Vicki! I love it and love being a winner!

 

 

  Second to lastly, you'll want to know who that adorable little birthday girl is with the cupcake. That is Chula's daughter! (Chula is of course, her ebay name.) Well, Chula was one of our first ever ebay customers and she has been a dedicated collector ever since. Chula's sweet daughter wanted a little birthday party set against a backdrop of pink sweets and treats. If you saw the rest of the pics you'd agree that mom came through with flying colors. Thank you Chula for sending the photos, and more than anything, thanks for loving our stuff from day one!!

 

 

  And finally, the SWAP! I am thrilled to say that I sent out all of the match up emails! If by any chance you signed up and don't have an email from me in your in-box let me know right away! This is gonna be sooo great! My sister Melissa even joined in on the fun! Lets hope the weather across the country (and Canada, and Europe) stays in the mild range so we all can venture out and shop for the fab stuff we're gonna send. (and if you're making your swap stuff, good for you...excellent!) As I had mentioned before, let's look to spend about 20.00,  not including shipping. If anyone has any questions..feel free to email anytime! : )

 

I cannot thank all of you gals who signed up for my swap enough!! It was a little overwhelming....but I am just sooo soo excited!! Let the swappy fun begin!!

 

xoxo Jenny

Hey Swaparoos!!

 

Vintage Kitchen Swap Update!!

I know...I'm running a little late on matching you guys up with your swap partners. So sorry! The truth is, I thought this would be a tiny little swap and it has turned out to be HUGE! So many participants! It's taking more time because I'm not matching partners at random and want to make sure that everyone has a great match. It is so exciting to see how many of you gals are into the Vintage Kitchen thing! I promise by later today you'll all be notified of just who your partners are along with any of their specific details. Thanks so so much again for the overwhelming enthusiasm!!

Have a great day!

 xoxo Jenny

some favorite Flickr eye candy!

Greetings everyone. Daylight savings hasn't caught up with me yet, so again, here I am with a super late night/early morning post. Tomorrow is my mom's b-day and the day after is Aaron's dad's so please forgive me if I'm a bit brief in the next couple of days...I'll be baking.

Wow...I in no way expected the incredible response that has come in for my swap! I am just so so excited! The list of swapping sweeties has been growing daily! Thanks so much! Everyone seems super excited! I've even received reports that some eager beavers have already started shopping! Heck, I'm already looking forward to the photos of the results! I  have to say that Good Mail is one of my most favorite things in the world. So it goes without saying that we'll do many more swaps in the future. 

 

Tomorrow is the cut off for sign ups..so if you have been thinking about joining in on the fun, hurry hurry! : )

I will be emailing all of you gals on Tuesday evening with your partner's info! So stay tuned! I seem to have a whole bunch of projects in the works and by nature I'm not a girl who likes to show works-in-progress, but I promise to shoot them and show them just as soon as they're camera ready. Right now I'm Easter crazy and need a plethora of bunnies and chicks before I can relax!

For now, here is some eye candy handpicked from my 

Flickr Favorites!! Enjoy!!

 

xoxo Jenny

Spring ahead or fall behind!!

What an amazing response to the swap! In a little more than two weeks time the US postal service will be carrying a record amount of vintage kitchen inspired stuff!! And we still have until Monday for everyone to sign up!  I'll email everyone on Tuesday with your partner's name and info and then we'll have 2 weeks to shop for and gather up goodies to send off.

 

Now I'm sure many of you have had this experience...you find something on ebay and it is the greatest thing you have ever seen, then you bid on it just for the heck of it. You know you won't be able to bid high enough to win but you bid anyway just so you can see how much the treasure goes for. And then the unexpected occurs...You Win!!...well that's the story with this lovely couple of bunnies. I bid waaaay low and by some stroke of luck I came out on top! They are my current fave! They are from the 1940's, made of crepe paper, chenille pipe cleaner and adorned with vintage millinery flowers. The biggest surprise for me was the size...they're nearly a foot tall! I've seen pieces exactly like these go for over $100 in the past. These are my 'find of the year'.

 

Besides bunnies, I'm a nut for vintage candy containers of all types...valentine hearts, foil eggs...well, I found this reproduction on ebay, Cheap! It doesn't have a tag and I do not know the maker but oh man! it's soooo fabulous. The millinery flowers, the tulle., the interior detail...wow! (here is a link to the eBay seller: she has two left! hurry!!!) Spring and all of it's magical trappings have got me in a state I tell ya!

 

It seems that all of you guys are as anxious as I am for these cold snap days to make way for the crocus and the daffodil. I know that Cari Kraft is! She sent this amazing Spring ornament dipped in beeswax...and if anyone out there is still soldering... that's so five minutes ago it seems. Beeswax is the bee's knees now. The look is dynamite and the subtle scent is even better. Cari is hosting a swap and the goal on her end is to fill up her Spring tree with decorations, ornaments, and handmade goodies. Our contribution is on the way! Thanks Cari!!

 

Well, over here it's Friday night or Saturday morning depending on how you look at it. I hope all of you guys have a super productive Saturday because once that daylight savings time kicks in on Sunday the whole weekend seems to slip away. So, as a rule on this weekend I warn you to stay away from those Lifetime movies. Those things are addictive...no matter how many times they recycle entire plot lines and twists, we still get sucked in. And while I'm on the subject of TV...who out there watches Lost? That mini season back in November wasn't too good at all but now they totally won me back. And guess what I heard?...on March 21st we'll find out how John Locke became wheelchair bound...finally! oops, the Lifetime movie addict and Lost nerd in me just stuck her head out in the open, so before I admit anything else, let me call it a night.

 

More soon, xoxo Jenny

 

blue plate special!

So far the response for the Vintage Kitchen swap has been outrageously positive and oh man!...so many gals are signing up!! I'm so psyched! If you've contacted me and I didn't get back to you yet, don't worry, I've got you on file and on the list. And I got a few questions so I need to clarify a couple of things: first, whatever you swap does not need to be handmade by you. You may have a collection of vintage cookie cutters and you're willing to give a couple up...or you recently hit the antique center and found some tea towels and an apron...etc...anything vintage kitchen. Which leads me to the question of what type of spending limit on bought items...I'd say 15 to 20 dollars or so. Think flea market finds, antique malls, even Home Goods/Marshalls is always good for some repro kitchen stuff...pink mixing bowls, porcelain handled whisks etc...And also, you do not need a blog to participate. All that is required is a healthy attraction to all things vintage kitchen! Also, if you've signed up and for some reason or another you think you might not be able to do it just make sure you let me know before I pair you up with someone next Tuesday. If you've ever been in a swap and your partner ends up sending you nothing, you know how heartbreaking that can be. Well, if you have any more questions let me know and the sign up cut off is Monday the 12th.

 

And while we're on that subject of vintage kitchen stuff let me address this wonderful Shenango china that you see here. One day I got an out of the blue email from someone I'd never spoken to.  It was a very fun, very colorful email and in the end she basically said she happened upon this blog and noticed the blue plate that held my amazing Everyday is a Holiday mosaic cupcake that 

Michelle made me. She said she had a whole set of the stuff and would send it to me as a gift. I mean really, how nice, how uncalled for, how totally great! Well, before I get to even send her my mailing address the package arrives on my doorstep...and besides the gorgeous plates, cups and saucers, the box contained a bunch of  super thoughtful extras...like that huge amount of awesome velvet ribbon and "The Country Bunny and the little gold shoes"...I looooove that book!! The illustrations are just the sweetest things evvvver!! Also, check out those adorable vintage birthday candle holders and the vintage paper doilies...Well, there was a ton of stuff. All of it wrapped in the sweetest pastel wrapping paper and overall I guess the best way to describe it is One Big Box of Joy! Thank you so much Anna!! The sweet pic you enclosed with you, your husband and daughter is now on our fridge!

 

Now for that super sweet bunny and brooch. Make sure you go check out 

Kari's blog ! She's got lots of pics of stuff she's been receiving from her giant swap. This super cute bunny and lovely lovely brooch come from her very talented hands. The brooch is sooo heirloom quality and I believe she made a bunch of others just  like it. I'm definitely gonna do my best to return the favor...We're currently working on a collage piece for Kari featuring her teeny tiny cutie of a daughter sitting atop a cupcake. Thanks so so much Kari...I looooooove my stuff!!

 

Ok, I gotta get back to work. March is a month of many birthdays over here. My brother Jay, my mom, Aaron's dad, our great friends Mike and Rob, my sisters boyfriend and Carlos our chihuahua share a birthday...it's crazy! Tonight I baked my famous red velvet cupcakes for Jay's 20th b-day. I cannot believe he's 20. It was yesterday that he had a little bowl haircut that looked like a mushroom and he had what seemed like an everlasting missing front babytooth. It's crazy. So, pictured are Jay's red  velvets and Jay blowing out his candles. I always prefer to make a birthday CAKE but these were done upon Jay's request so what the b-day boy says, goes. I'll blog again soon because I've got lots to show and tell. Thanks so much to all  ofyou participants of the vintage kitchen swap. I can't wait to see how it all turns out for everyone!!

Thanks so much ladies!!!

xoxo Jenny

 

Vintage Kitchen Swap!!!!

And the winner of our Vintage inspired Easter cupcakes Art Squared is..........

 

hwoodred!!!!! Congrats!!!

 

Hey lucky winner, you forgot to leave your email so make sure you comment again with your email address included to claim your prize. I believe the winner was the first comment on that day's entry...wow, early bird got the worm!! Sorry about having no pictures of the drawing...we had some technical difficulties...but trust us, we had an auditor from SFJ International observe the drawing (not really of course, but I've always pondered the unseen auditor that they mention on the nightly lottery drawing...like is that the only thing that auditor does in their day? or do they make stops all over town auditing things? don't mind me...). Oh yeah, and what a great overall response!!! All of your comments and compliments are received with my humblest of hearts. I wish you all could win, but my fingers would never make it through the endless intricate cutting involved in the making of sixty 4" x 4" 's.

 

 

 

I think I've mentioned this to the point of exhaustion by now, but let me say it once more for good luck: I Love Swaps!!

Everything about 'em...the random match ups, the picking of the theme, the surprises, and mostly the array of interpretations. Like if you join a 'chocolate swap' it sounds basic and predictable. But in the end if you were to put all of the opened shipments side by side you'd barely find a repeat...to one person it's a ton of classic candy bars: Whatchamacallit, Twix, Hershey, Mr. Goodbar...to another it's Godiva truffles, hot cocoa mix, and chocolate covered Oreos. The whole swap concept is just so so  fun!!

So, this is an open call for swap lovers! I am super excited to be hosting my first ever swap!! The theme of this one is Vintage Kitchen!! Just think cookie cutters, aprons, pot holders, dish towels, appliances, recipe boxes, cookbooks...etc. It can be completely vintage or vintage inspired...for example: a new apron made from vintage patterned cloth. We're talking, mugs, tea cups whisks, bowls, sifters, mixers...all this stuff. And here's how we'll do it: Email me all of your info...name, address, email, and then...color preferences, specific theme...do you go with sweets?...baking stuff, pastel tones? or do you lean toward cooking? primary colors? Just let me know what you prefer for yourself and I'll pass the info on to your selected swap partner. For the sign ups the cutoff will be Monday March 12th and after that you'll have about two weeks to send to your swap partner. You can use the image above as a button on your blog. The fabulous Missy Ballance made it with some of our imagery. Thank you Missy!!! : )

We're gonna keep this swap fairly open for as much artistic license you feel fit to exercise just as long as whatever ever you send screams Vintage Kitchen. Let's be creative, make some new friends..and have lots of fun!! : )

 

 

Again, I couldn't be more flattered by the overwhelming response to the Easter giveaway and the Quality of responses...I'm truly truly grateful! You all are just too too sweet!!

Have a great week!

xoxo Jenny

 

a small sweet world!

 

 

A little while back I took one of my regular visits over to Amy Inspire Co.'s blog and saw some home photos that were in league with The Wonka Chocolate factory, the good parts of Oz, Alice's Wonderland,  Never Neverland, and Amelie's little world. Instantly, I saved the photos to my "Favorite Things" folder. The photos were of Amy's friend's home in Italy. I've seen pics from my friends' visits to Italy and they were always images of stone walls and espresso bars. And I watched the winter Olympics and saw nothing like this...is this what goes on behind closed doors in Italy???

 

Well, two days later I get an email from a gal named Rosanna asking me about shipping costs to Italy. I don't have to tell you guys how small this world is...and I know how small it is too...but still, I was floored to find that the person who created this wonderland that I fell in love with was now contacting me about my stuff!Very cool. Aaron was in the city that day and I kept sending him emails with giant letters and exclamation points. His buddies could see my huge fonts over his shoulder and asked "who the heck is sending you those big pink emails?"

 

So, long story short. We hit it off with Rosanna and have been doing stuff for her since, including some really fun custom collage works of her adorable daughter and those mini dollhouse pieces I blogged a little while back. Above are the latest pics sent from Rosanna's wonderland. Look up "Supporter of the Arts" in the dictionary and find her picture. She's got stuff by Ashley Carter - Goldbug Studio  , Laurie Duncan of  Happyas a Lark Designs , Missy Balance's Mohair Circus, Nicole Ellison of  Raggedy Old Annies,the great Lisa Kaus , the masterful Dee Foust...the list goes on. She's also pals with the incredible  Nicol Sayre and Jen O' Connor of  Earth Angels Bears, Dolls & Folk Art  (as seen in the photo above). In Fact, look in your March 2007 issue of Country Living magazine and there's a pic of Rosanna on the very top right corner of page 100, well her necklace and fab outfit anyway(her face was cropped). She traveled from Italy to attend Jen O' Connor's Spring Fling, which is a whole other story that you can read about in CL. But in brief summation: Jen O' Connor is a goddess in the world of independent artists...her yearly events showcase the best and brightest in all of folkart, not to mention her dazzling online gallery earthangelstoys.com!! We love Jen!

 

Gosh, I just looked back at the past few paragraphs and Rosanna's ears must be ringing. Well, I've got a reason for bringing all this up. It's a good thingto turn the tables every once in a while and switch the focus from the artist to the collector. There is a wide and wonderful spectrum of collectors out there. Ranging from the obsessed, 'fill-every-open-surface-with-wonder' types (myself included in there) to the 'gotta- have-it-even-if-I-just-get-one-to-put-in-my-cube-at-work' types. To us makers of the stuff it's both these types and everyone in between that make our world go 'round. I mean, that's the whole point of letting this stuff leave my apartment via this blog. When we finally get around to building a website a key focal point on the site will be a page featuring home photos from collectors. We love those so much and will put out a call soon for pics of how you live with your art.

 

Well, it's warm in Jersey, super warm. If it's like this tomorrow morning we're hitting the trails at the park. It's been so long and I can't wait to get back in the woods. I could go on and on about walking in the woods...it's like vitamin C, Prozac, Richard Simmons (haha), and creative rocket fuel all rolled into a granola bar!

 

Oh man, I got something in the mail I can't wait to show you guys. soon.

Enjoy your day!! xoxo Jenny

 

p.s. Don't forget to leave a comment on our Easter Art Squared give-away post!!

be sure to include an email address!!

good luck!!

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