A summertime selection of spectacular sources! :)

 

I've never been jealous of anyone for anything...never knew the meaning of envy...but I can definitely say I ADMIRE those that are ALWAYS organized! I bow down to you, applaud you, and I might be a bit scared of you...the way I'd be scared of aliens! Right now we're neck deep in work of all sorts and all of it pulls us in different directions causing so much of the work to be in seemingly perpetual half to three quarter progress. To help get a handle on our working habits we took a much needed pit stop at Ikea for shelves and drawers and containers. The new organizational additions are really helping out but just taking time to hang the shelves, assemble the drawers and sort our supplies set us back even more. Did you ever notice that when you really need to organize there just so happens to be no time to do so? Who in the world would get organized when not smack dab in the middle of a crunch? NO ONE in the world would...only aliens! I'm a mere human and if you happen to be reading this and I owe you a package...please bear with me...it's coming soon! Big apologies for my all-over-the-place-ness. Soon, me and Aar will be well oiled machines...we're in the process of replacing some cogs and sprockets and editing out the stuff that steals away too much of our time. Wow, I didn't mean to lead off with such a "disclaimer"...it's just that "organization" is first and foremost on my mind right now. Coming soon I promise new art, projects, and those pics of the mural at The Flaky Tart!

 

 

 

 

 

  For now I've got some eye candy graciously provided by Heather of Speckled Egg! She's got a fantastic shop online and sent me a box chock full of goodies. And to me the star of this package has to be those vintage millinery bouquets...in PINK no less! They are such a fave of mine...way up on my list. And such cute cute trims, adornments, and this fab vintage diner book. I love so many of the images in there. Breakfast food illustrations are just so darn awesome. We'd love to paint some right on a wall...not our walls though...we have none left! Anyway, go go go to Heather's online shop for all your crafty needs! She's a sweetheart with a sweet eye. Gosh..thank you so so much Heather!!

 

  The best thing about blogging is finding out that your obsessions are not unique. If you explore the blog landscape you're sure to find some other peeps zooming in on those same things you covet in your little life. It's like you've got a separate Doppelganger for all of your ebay, yard sale, and flea market haunts. Why go it alone when you can find a legion of like minded fans of fantastic stuff?! The current fantastic stuff being vintage china doll heads, with the classic black hair and milky white skin. I'd be happy to have bowls full of 'em, jars and dishes overflowing with the little cuties. I've been seeing them put to use in some fabulous ways. All sorts of beautiful assemblage art and collages incorporate these lil' gals but right now I've got my eye on the work of Paul Murray at Rufus & Paco on Etsy. I could just faint! I am sooooo wanting a few of their gals in my life!! Paul himself is a doll, super nice! I know I'll be shopping soon. Great stuff!! And though it's probably bad luck to talk about the artwork me and Aar have got in the works I'll spill the beans anyway...as a sort of insurance policy to make sure we finish...me and Aaron are working on some paintings depicting our favorite little ceramic cuties. They seem to be crying out for small time modeling gigs so we gave 'em a shot and they are perfect little subjects for us. 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of...here's a repro from the 1960's I found on ebay...for under $5.00! Can't beat that! Her pink dress fits right in over here. Some of the real deal antique heads sell for soooooooo much!! In these cases, when the things we love are either too hard to find or too expensive to stock up on we'll do paintings of 'em instead. The paintings fill the void where obsession and feasibility meet. So we can possess tributes to things we covet. And hopefully some of you guys will see them in this way as well. We're very excited about them and the way their soft skin and striking beauty translate to paint.

 

And here's a smashing example of how perfectly fit these girls are for artful use.  This adorable Halloween "BOO" girl is handmade by Mica Garbarino of Garboodles !! Let her lead the All Hallows Eve parade! Mica is so so talented and super sweet on top of that! I think I may be needing  more Garboodles in my life!!!

 

 

 

Unexpected, uncalled for, and out of the blue!!! Those are the first three ways to describe this gift from Jessi Nagy. She is one of the coolest gals out there and she's never short of nice things to say, in her comments here, emails, and Flickr. She's a collector turned friend and I can't wait to meet her at Silver Bella! She just started a blog and she's a ball of creative energy so expect great things. I love this treat cone!! Hand made by Jessi herself and thoughtful as can be for she knows how much I'm down with the great October 31st! This will be a treasured addition to our Halloween decor! When I opened the box and pulled out this way too generous gift you shoulda saw my face...astonished, flattered, spoiled, grateful, and a straight flush of other expressions. Thanks Jessi!

 

 

Ok, one of my Absolute Favorite Things right now is this crow by Jennifer Conway . He's a handmade beeswax collage and yeah, that's a glittery top hat, which makes him all set to live here at the Ritz! I love when I find an artist who's got a mind that thinks in ways mine never will. She's got such a unique artistic perspective and never fails to dazzle. At her Etsy shop there is always something incredible going on...you must go have a look! Everything about this little guy is perfect to me! Be sure to tell her that Jenny Holiday sentcha!!

 

  I hope I've pointed you in some good directions...well, I know that they're good directions, but I hope they work for you.  From Speckled Egg, to Rufus & Paco, Garboodles, Jessi Nagy, and Jennifer Conway. A summertime selection of spectacular sources...that's my tag line.

 

See you sooner than later!! xoxo Jenny

Time to catch up!

  

I'm sure every summer there is a massive exodus from the land of blogs. Everybody leaving behind the cool glow of their monitors for the hot rays of the sun. And from the total infrequency of my posts over the past few weeks you'd think I'm one of those sun worshippers... well, that wouldn't be anywhere close to the truth! I actually think I've been indoors now more than I was in blizzardy months! But I swear, even though my PC is mere feet from my workspace I feel like I've been a million miles away from blogland...and it stinks, because I really miss visiting and checking in at all my favorite online haunts. There's just been so much work and before I know it the day is over...I'm sure you all can relate. For the past two weeks I've been especially busy because Aaron and I are multi tasking / splitting duties and I've been taking care of a lot of his work while he was off at the mural job, so the blogging had to wait! But now the mural is done and fabulous and I will sooooo try to keep up appearances here.

  And about the mural, I don't have pics yet but they'll come soon...it's outrageous, Aaron is a born sign painter and this wall painting is kinda like the most ultimate sign ever! It combines gilded french scrollwork, lots of dynamite hand lettering and a giant still life of fantasy sweets. The mural is in a soon to be opened bakery/patisserie called The Flaky Tart and it's sure to be THE coolest, chic-est, and friendliest place to buy delectable sweets in all of Jersey. Our friend Marie is the proprietress and she has got confectionary skills by the truckload! She's been in the baking and cake decorating game forever and this shop will be the culmination of like fifteen years of hardcore experience. And even without our mural, the place looks amazing...all in tones of chocolate and french blue, right down to the boxes, labels, stickers, and bags. I will take pics for you guys once the place is totally up and running...she's waiting on a custom fabricated sneeze guard in order to get the c/o.

 But enough about that, isn't it the worst when somebody tries to describe something that you just need to SEE? The important thing is that I'm back online and I've got a ton of stuff for your visual consumption.

 

  First off, the Angels for Brianna  auction was an outstanding success made possible by the organizers and artists who put so much time an effort in...and even more so, big thanks are due to the caring bidders who opened their hearts and wallets. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Everyone did GREAT! Pat yourselves on the back!!

 

Ok, there have been just tooooo many great swaps going on! And first and foremost I was blown away by the big time participation in the Bits and Pieces swap! I've been all over the Flickr photo pool and we got some dazzling artwork going on over there! very inspiring! If you missed out, no sweat, just go over to the Flickr photo pool, let your eyes take a dip, get inspired, and make your own collage for yourself or a friend. I LOVE all of the collages I received...yeah, I got eight...and I love them all in their own special way. Here are the remaining collages made by my partners that I didn't post yet:

 

 

This is Michele's  ...notice the scallop border of baking book! She was a little worried that she strayed a bit from the dimensions but that's what really makes this piece. The colors are just so perfect and that's some real deal soldering going on there! Also, it hangs by a ball chain...so cool!

 

 

Here is  Svenja's . I've had some great luck in Germany, Svenja is one of two of my partners hailing from Germany. I love the hand painted crackle finish and the number 27 is a household favorite over here...it adds up to 9 and we like # 9. Svenja's got a real old world vintage feel. My living room is very much in this theme.

 

 

 

 

Analise thought outside the box while thinking inside the box. Such a darn creative twist on the format. The pieces of the mosaic come together as a fab cake!...on a sheet music cake stand! You just know that she was the kid in class the did assignments her own way...I love this! And she sent these super cute collage tags as a thank you gift!

 

 

 

Check out Holly's . Her and Analise are kindred spirits. It's subtle, but if you take a look you'll notice that her collage is actually a wreath in bits and pieces clothing! I love her tight color palette and generous use of the 4 B's...birds,bunnies, buttons, and ballerinas! And speaking of ballerinas, she also sent these adorable ballerina nutcups as a bonus gift!

 

 

Lastly, we have Nicole's...my other German counterpart. I feel like we think a lot alike. All of the placements and elements and sense of pattern are sooo me.  I really love the different themes and wording in the individual squares. Like each box has it's own message of goodwill.

 

And here are the collages I made for them:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You know, I really wish I had this necklace to wear to my cousin's wedding last month. It's a total show stopper! It's handmade by new friend Carole aka LuLuSparkles. She calls it the "lyrical" necklace. Made from vintage rhinestone bits and a chandelier crystal droplet! It's really gorgeous! and she sent the sweetest little cupcake pin cushion. You must must must check out her Etsy shop!!!

 

 

 

Now we all know that bunnies are sacred over here and we can't get enough of 'em...so when somebody hosted a bunny swap how could I resist? Debra Schoch of the awesomely named and famed HopHopJingleBoo  hosted a Bunny Swap and yep, as luck would have it...I got her as a partner! I nearly fainted when I opened the box. Like really now, oh my goodness! A custom made ooak bunny by Debra...how can I match that?! And he's holding a cupcake!! And right there is enough, plenty, done , over...but she also sent all this other amazing bunny stuff! A chocolate bunny "pop" wand. A chocolate mold plaque.  And a little vintage paper mache rabbit with a glittery make over. I can't thank Debra enough for these treasures. I ADORE them! I hope she loves the bunny goodies I sent!

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here's some bunnies from down under (saying down under is as far as I go, I won't attempt "down undah" or any other Outback steakhouse faux Aussie accents...which I bet any Aussie listening to an Outback commercial would say it's a fake accent.) My friend  Natasha in Australia hosted a "Shabby Chic" matchbox swap and a couple of posts ago I showed you what I sent her. Well here's the matchbox she sent me plus a gang of extras. You'd be amazed at how much cool little stuff fits in a matchbox...I'm not trying to say that all this stuff was in the matchbox! but there was a ton of cool little trinkets and whatnots. The card you see here and the faux cookie ornament are Natasha's own creations. Great stuff! And I just love Nation oriented gifts like the Australian flag cupcake pick and the Koala bear pencil!! What a super fun swap!! Thanks so so much Natasha!! I LOVE everything!

 

 

If you haven't seen the work of Kris Hurst then brace yourself, and prepare to be dazzled!

I came across her jaw dropping collage creations on Flickr...so happy, so vintagey and sweet. Her color palette and overall style feel like they were born from my own ideal fantasy image of what things should look like! We exchanged some emails and I soon discovered that she is not only one of the best, but she also possesses THE fastest crafty hands in the land! From conversation, to concept, to completion, in under 24hrs. And with a killer amount of extras thrown in! I really can't believe that I own this garland! It defines "custom made"...I mean, it has a photo of me and Aar, which I didn't really provide, she just borrowed it from my blog and made it into art. I so admire her resourceful spirit! And the crowns are too much!! what a riot! LOVE the black trim...subtle touches of black done right and in a way that's sweet are the mark of a master. And ummmm, two "Ritz" signs for our kitchen aka the Ritz Bakery. These are sooooo fun! And the sweetest little Easter tag garland, handmade collage card, and a little take out container full of crafty goodies and bits! It's really a motherload of knock-your-socks-off-ness. Everyone needs a little bit or a lotta bits of Kris Hurst in their lives! Her Etsy shop is a non stop source of incredibility! Thanks sooooo much Kris!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We just joined PFATT marketplace and just love what they got going on over there...a killer group of artists i.e. Jenny-Polka Dot Pixie, Debra Schoch and Colleen Moody to name a few. We just started over there and have already made some fast friends and gained new collectors of our work. They're doing (well now I can say "we're doing") Christmas in July over there, so if you missed out on our Holiday stuff or if you also subscribe to the Everyday is a Holiday mind set then don't hesitate to take a visit.

 

 

Well, my fingers are tired and so are your eyes. I'm gonna get back to work so I can show you all something new...and your job is to get back outside and enjoy the summer! xoxo Jenny

 

Missing you!!

 

 

Holy cow! I miss you guys! We're still under that same pile of work but I definitely see some light at the end of the tunnel and I'll be posting a bunch of great eye candy shortly...some projects, some amazing art from friends, and jeeez! I gotta show you the rest of the amazing Bits and Pieces collages I received and the EIGHT that I sent out ! I wish I took a pic of the priority boxes stacked 8 high on the post office counter...I mean, we always go there with a stack of 8 to 15 boxes but the fact that my giant stack this time was all for ONE swap made it sorta outta hand! Well, I have to get back to business and I promise a weighty post real soon.

 

 For now, check out my favorite color palette of the moment with a bit of assistance from the mighty Flickr!! Pink, Aqua, and sunny yellow!!! This combo totally makes me sooo happy!! Makes me wanna create some fun new things too!! :)

 

Hope you all are enjoying your summer!!!!  See you soon!!! xoxo Jenny

 

I'm so happy to see such an outpouring of bids and goodwill at the Angels for Brianna auction. If you have not taken part yet, there's still time to give your love and support and actually get to take home an exclusive piece of artwork from one of your favorite artists...the list of participants is long and there are some big names...ie: Nicol Sayre, Wendy Addison, and Christine Crocker just to name a few !  I really love when small communities rally for a cause with heart! 

Angels for Brianna

 

 

 

Happy weekend everyone! I just wanted to take a minute away from our all-over-the-place schedule to let you guys know about this close-to-the-heart benefit auction we're a part of that's taking place right now. It's called Angels for Brianna and it involves one of our own, meaning a fellow blogger, artist, and supporter of artists : Iva Wilcox. She lost her daughter Brianna to MDS mere weeks ago and we're joining a great number of artists in an auction to help raise funds for funeral, medical expenses, and a charity in her name supporting student artists. I've been a fan of Iva's artwork for a while and it's been so very sad to see how quickly this tragedy befell her and hers. I've kept up with Iva's blog chronicling the ordeal and although you'll read along with a heavy heart there is just so much strength, courage, and hope to admire in her frequent and detailed entries. When you read her blog you get a real sense that just in reading, you are helping...because you are involved, and what people need more than anything is more people. Below you can read more specific info about the auction and click the links to browse all of the work contributed to this heartfelt cause by lots of creative souls much like yourselves. This week we took time out to create our little Angel for Brianna, "The Angel of all Things Sweet". We hope for lots of bids and urge everyone to share some love with Iva and her family. Thanks so much! 

 

 

 

 

"The Angel of all things Sweet"

 

Since painting cupcakes is our specialty, we just had to give this lil' angel a worthy throne to sit upon. This collage is made from our favorite patterned papers and ephemera as well as clippings of our own hand painted original patterns. As always we've added just the right amount of fine glitter highlights bringing shimmer and magic to her tiny wings. On a 9" x 12" beveled edge plaque. Fully finished back, signed, dated, ready to hang.

 

 

 

 

* Angels for Brianna Benefit Auction *

Artists from several facets of the art community have come together to donate angel themed artwork that will be auctioned off as part of a silent auction starting on Sunday July 8th and ending on Saturday July 14th. This auction is being held to honor the memory of a lovely girl named Brianna, whose life was cut short from a disease called MDS. Brianna was diagnosed with MDS in October of 2006, and fought the battle of her life for 8 short months. Unfortunately, Brianna lost the battle on June 15th 2007, but her spirit lives on, and she is a reminder to us all to cherish each day that life brings, and to love those closest to us with all of our hearts.

Iva Wilcox, Brianna’s mom, is a talented part of the art community, and this is how we’ve all come to know and love Brianna….through Iva’s beautiful stories and photographs of her daughter. The money collected from the auction will be used to help cover the funeral and medical expenses incurred by the family, and to fund a wonderful program that Brianna started at her high school called the National Art Honor Society. This group, whose primary focus is to promote artists and their work at the high school level, was something that Brianna was passionate about, and she had so many plans for the group that she wasn’t able to put in place due to her illness. Our hope is that the proceeds will help get the group off to a wonderfulstart this fall, and that she will be an inspiration to other young artists to pursue their talent, and realize their dreams.

I hope you will join us in bidding on an angel or two of your choice, and bidding high to help raise some much needed money for this family, and to honor Brianna’s memory. All of the angel artwork you’ll see is completely handmade by each artist, signed and dated, and will come with a special tag as a reminder of this event. We, as artists, were moved by Brianna’s story and all of us felt compelled to do something to help her family in their time of need, in a way that Brianna would have loved. This is why the auction was formed, and we want her memory to live on, as she does now with the angels above.

 

~How bidding will work
If someone is interested in bidding on an item they will email their bid with the item number in the subject line. WE WILL TRACK ALL BIDS BY ITEM NUMBER. Bids will be silent. We will not post who has the high bid or who the winner is. The bidder will know if they are the high bidder when they receive a confirmation email back.

~Forms of payment
Winning bidders will be able to pay by check, money order or paypal.

~End of auction and shipping information
When the auction ends we will be sending out emails to all the winning bidders. They will have one week to submit payment. The artist will then ship to the winning bidder directly.

 

To read more about Brianna please visit Iva's blog here.

Auction Link....click HERE  

 

 

  I'll be posting very soon with more stuff than I have time to even photograph...including my latest and final arrivals from the Bits and Pieces Swap as well as the eight I sent off! 

 

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!!

I owe some of you sweet sweet gals emails!!! Coming soon!!!!

 

xoxo Jenny