Hooray! for SWAPS & Hooray! for CAKE

Looks like it's gonna be a fabulous weather weekend in Jersey. After about a week of 40 degree nights, I think we've earned it! Really...it's been so depressing. A little while back we got tricked with some balmy evenings, so we then started our nightly walks down to the beach. Then we got hit with this ear biting, nose dripping, cold front and it just wasn't worth the pain. So we said..."lets abandon the walks 'til Mother Nature makes up her mind!"
Hopefully this weekend won't be no flash in the pan! The weather has got me thinking of vacations...mostly, those magical times spent in Wildwood, NJ. And before I get on with this post I just want to make a brief mention of something very exciting thats coming up: The Vintage Vacation Swap! I've got so many ideas and of course I'll bathe you guys in inspiration once the time comes for sign ups. But I just wanted to give a little teaser right here. I'm not yet ready to launch but I will be by next week. I really just wanted to get an early feel for who wants to take part. So leave a comment if you think you'd be interested! It's been a while since I last hosted a swap. The Bits and Pieces Swap was so so great...to this day, years later, I'm still seeing Bit's & Pieces collages in the same exact format that we all used! And the Vintage Kitchen swap was way too much fun, but I guess that would be an obvious favorite for me. As far as this swap goes...give me your thoughts before I carve them in stone...do you think $20 is a good spending limit...or is that too much? We'll make sure that there are handmade as well as vintage and store bought items included. Again, I've got a lot of inspiration in mind but I'll keep that for next week. Just thought this weekend, with the great weather here in Jersey, would be a good time to make mention of it. I can't wait!

Now, last post I brought up our involvement in Art is...You coming this October. And the last painting that I posted ("Sweet") was a great example of what you'll be learning and doing in one of our classes. Well, this piece is too! I'm proud to debut: "Hooray for Cake", another painting/collage that features a whole bunch of elements that would maybe appear to be totally random if it wasn't for the perfectly cohesive color palette. This is available as an 8 x 10 matted print and it just looks so fantastic! Especially as a companion piece to "Sweet". It will soon be for sale as an 11 x 14 print and also as a 5 x 7 mini plaque. I'll post those buy it now buttons in a couple days...if you are interested in those sooner though, just email me and I can send you a paypal invoice. But for now, this listing here is for an 8 x 10 ready to frame matted print.

Ok, this is a short post. I know I usually say this and then I go off on Homeric rants. But this time I actually mean it! I just had a few things to say...and one of those things is this: my friend Natalie Hansen is one of the sweetest gals ever! This necklace is made by her, for me..."just because"! Aaron went to the mailbox and came back with this! How fabulous is that! Natalie makes some of the best jewelry ever! I love this piece so much...the details are so gorgeous and perfect for me...really! I can't thank her enough and just needed to share it here!

Alright, lastly, on this short post...since it's Flickr Friday...I have to leave you guys with my Flickr Fave offering. Flickr mosaics make my world go round and this is whats spinning this week! Well, thanks again for reading...remember...more versions of our new paintings are coming soon and the Vintage Vacation Swap will launch next week! xoxo, Jenny

Art Is...You!

Alright, I just sat down to blog and it wasn't working out so well. Repeatedly I kept writing about three or four sentences...I'd pause briefly...read what I wrote...say to myself, "what was I even thinking?"...hit delete...and start over. I expressed my frustration to Aaron (the writer), and he said, "yeah, that's what you call a "false start"...they happen all the time...they're not so bad really, because at least you are writing something...not just staring at a blank screen. It's just that you haven't found your angle yet. I have notebooks absolutely full of "false starts"...so did Scott Fitzgerald, and he ended up publishing them...blah blah bluh bla bloh blah blub blahbee blub blooh blah bla blippity blug blah..." Sorry Aar, that's what it sounds like when you go off on your Literary jags. Just kidding, he knows I'm kidding! ; )
Anyway, the whole false start thing was getting a bit annoying. Especially since I wasn't looking for an "angle". I just wanted to post some new info...info that I'm privy to and others are not. But I get Aaron's point. There always is a bit of an "angle"...like the one I've settled on...the one you just read. The story of my "false starts" has now become my real start. Okeedokee, with that out of the way now I can get to the info that I'd like to make you all privy to.
Coming this Fall...October 7 - 11, me and Aaron will be instructors at a fantastically awesome east coast art retreat, known as "Art is...You".To say that I'm excited is like saying that my dog Carlos is the light of my life... Understatement of the century! Well, we were contacted like last week about doing Art is...You for October 2011. This is a year and a half from now...and this is usually how far in advance they plan these things. Right away me and Aar were like heck yes, we'll do it. And we sat down and started sketching out ideas for classes. Despite the event being like 18 months away...enough time to have two babies if your name is Michelle Duggar...we were totally amped and ready to go. Well, it's a good thing that we were amped...because then the gals from Art is...You got back to me and said that after some spirited urging from Kecia Deveney and LaurieMeseroll (fellow faculty at Art is...You) ...they were nearly forced to ask us if we would consider jumping on this year's bill...Art is...You 2010...as in, a few months from now!! Very last minute for us and very last minute for them. They like to run things with lots of organization and plenty of time for adjustments. So it's a bit of a nerve wracking leap for all parties!
So we just are totally psyched to take part in this super fabulous event. Of course Art is...You has a brass tacks website that you'd be wise to reference, but I'll give you some enticing details. As stated above, Kecia Deveney is an instructor. Now take it from me...I was in a class of Kecia's...a class she taught right in her home (so what!...if you are jealous, then move to Jersey!) Kecia is a master, or should I say mistress?, of the art of soldering. Soldering, the one thing that I think all of us wish we could do well. It's so magical to render with metallic materials...it feels like you're breaking elemental rules. Like you're harnessing the power of something that was heretofore untamed. And what's more, the end result of Kecia's projects...the objects that you leave her class with are so delicate and pretty. Me and Aaron walked into one of her classes at Art Opera and we saw so many beautiful works in progress.
So what I'm doing now is setting up your schedule for October 7-11. First of all, you'll be in Danbury Connecticut, at the Danbury Plaza Hotel & Conference Center. You'll be enjoying luxury amenities such as a heated indoor pool, a fitness facility, high speed internet access, a nearby Starbucks and Trader Joes, complimentary breakfast, and a free cocktail every night. You'll be at Art is...You, surrounded by hundreds of other super cool gals (and some guys) like yourself...and you'll be busy all day and night, exploring all sorts of creative mediums and methods. Early Sunday morning you'll have an indulgent fried dough & coffee breakfast at the famous Elephant Trunk Flea Market...after which you'll go back and attend some more workshops...and then...Here's the cherry on top of Sunday night...you'll attend the official Art is...You dinner with a super special guest speaker...the one and only Jo Packham, of Where Women Create fame! She'll be there to discuss all the good stuff...Wow! what a night!!. And just think...all week long you will have been taking classes from me & Aaron and from Kecia. If that's the case, you will be leaving Art is...You with a nearly complete artistic experience. I say "nearly" because there is one more hole in the creative journey left to fill. And you can ask Laurie Meseroll for assistance in filling it. This is Laurie Meseroll of Mudcakes! Yes, that Laurie Meseroll! I have been a fan of her work forever and ever. The other day I was talking with Kecia through Facebook or something and we were talking about what our schedules should be at Art is...You. Kecia was like..."yeah, I'm just trying to figure out what schedule will work best for me...because I want to have time set aside so that I can take a class with this painter that I love"

And I sent Kecia a message a day or so later saying that I hope I'm able to teach our classes and also have time left over so that I can take a class taught by Laurie Meseroll." Well, Kecia was like "holy cow! that's who I wanted to take a class with...that's the painter I was talking about the other day! (disclaimer: these quotes from Kecia are not verbatim...just close approximations...I cannot swear that she ever said the phrase "holy cow" ever in her lifetime...or she might say it all day long...I'm just saying...these snippets of conversation are just representational.) And here's a disclaimer that I'm not putting in parentheses: I didn't mean that the only way to get a full artistic experience at Art is...You is to take classes taught by Me, Kecia, and Laurie. I was just joking around and relating my own personal ideal schedule...there are in fact way too many amazing instructors to name here. After you are through reading this blog (and leaving me a comment!) you have to then go check out the Art is...You site. It is clear, concise, and full of info!
So yes, class space is limited and probably fills up quick...you'll have to compete with me and Kecia for a seat in Laurie's class. But, here's the thing...me and Aaron are very last minute additions to this fabulous Art is...You event. That means I'm letting you guys know first...you blog readers will have first dibs. There will be three in total but being that we just found out...give a girl a break...we're still finishing up the third. And I just checked the Art is...You site. Check out these links here and here to see the full descriptions of our first two classes. I went to the page where you would purchase a seat in our classes...but they are not yet activated. I think we need to first give them our third class before they can activate them...but if you are looking to sign up for our classes I bet you can shoot them an email to possibly get on a list. We'll have the third class ready very soon...I promise...so check back often!

5x7 mini plaque

Here on the blog I've got some great example pictures for the classes...AND...the one image is actually our newest collage painting that we have for sale...you can buy it now right here on the blog! It's title is easy enough: "Sweet"... It's available as a matted print in a couple sizes and as a 5 x 7 plaque. I'm totally in love with this piece because it features maybe my all time favorite collectible that I own...and because it's just the perfect collaboration of me and Aaron. As you may have seen on here lately, all of my newest collage pieces have this distinct feel and color palette. If you were to tear a page out of anywhere in my winter art journal you'd be holding an image very similar to what these latest pieces look like. So I had an 11 x 14 collage that was just screaming out for a focal point...and Aaron is really good at painting pretty faces...doll faces & pin up girls especially. (in fact, remind me to get him to paint more pin ups and especially, more DOLLS when he can spare a minute...he used to paint a lot of pin ups and they were great...we did a couple variations of coffee tables with pin ups on top...full body...they were so fab! with fancy scrollwork, roses, and leopard print!) So anyway, I asked Aar if he wanted to paint our favorite bunny baby on my collage...a little while later we had "Sweet"! Totally love this piece! I'm not sure which version is my fave...the 11 x 14 print is great because that's the actual size of the painting and at that size it's a real stand out piece for a room...but then the 8 x 10 is really great because when you shrink an image down it will look better...the details become tighter...some of the colors pop more...and 8 x 10 is smaller without being "small" ya know...still a good size...and a classic, standard, size...easy to find a great 11 x 14 frame. And lastly, there's the 5 x 7 wood plaque, we call those our "mini" plaques. The mini plaques are fab because they are like chunky little pieces of candy that are ready to hang as is...and we always use this format for our artwork...a bunch of Everyday is a Holiday minis make a fantastic collection! Actually, right here in my home...not as part of the permanent decor...but more like the waiting zone before the stork delivers them to their expectant parents...I have the mini plaque of "Sweet" propped up between the two mini plaques from my previous blog post. Not to be a "sales" person, but they seriously look so great as a trio like that!
Alright, while on the topic of our new painting "Sweet", let me give a the descrip of our class entitled:

"Creative Mise En Place"
df. mise en place- (meez en plas) a cook's meticulously arranged supply of essential ingredients. Everything in it's place.

(please note: this is a loosely structured course as far as finished product...so if you are looking at the bunny in the photo and/or candy colors...and you are thinking..."that's not me"...well don't be scared off. This is a mere example of what you can arrive at, using the techniques that we'll be exploring in class. So by all means...bring on the jewel tones & earthy neutrals if thats what floats your boat.) This course will focus more on techniques rather than a specific finished product. Of course, you'll be walking away from class holding your very own self made masterpiece...but we're more focused on the journey, than the destination! We create new artwork every single day and we use dozens of skills and handcrafts that we've perfected for more than 15 years as working artists. We'll be giving you guys an inside scoop on all of our time honed artistic "tricks" and "secrets". We believe in using as many facets of the creative process as possible to create truly unique mixed media pieces. You'll experiment with "overpainting" on vintage photographs..."re-painting" on existing imagery. You'll learn how to use everyday items to create special textures and shapes. It's all about finding your comfort zone and then going ten steps past that. If you are inexperienced, you'll be shocked at how skilled your hands suddenly seem to be. Or you may be a paint spattered veteran looking for a fresh perspective. (trust us...we are a pair of artists who have been locked away, creating for 16 plus years...we definitely can show you some techniques that haven't exactly seen the popular light of day!) We'll work to define your personal palette...not only your color palette but also your material palette...that's WHAT you use when you sit down to create. Let's call it...your recipe for art....or your: Creative Mise En Place. Let us all bring our own essential ingredients to this creative kitchen.You'll be drawing, painting, cutting & pasting, collaging, blending, shading, speckling, doodling, color washing, etc...We'll spend time on dozens of techniques...which you'll create personal samples of as you learn them. (these pages can be incorporated into future projects, or even pasted into your own art journal.) In the end you'll create a piece of artwork, of your choosing, that puts to use some or all of the techniques that you practiced throughout the course. Each student will leave with a ready to hang canvas that they've rendered using their brand new artistic recipe. We can't wait to see what everyone bakes up!!
That's actually the whole description as it appears on the Art is...You website....well, except for the materials list. There is very detailed list of necessary and optional materials. And you can of course email us with any further questions. This class is really open for your interpretation...a very free class in which you'll dictate just how far you go. We're really excited about it because we have the feeling that the students will very likely turn a creative corner and leave much "bigger" than when they arrived!

Alright, here's the descrip for the next class. And here's the cool part... Each year Art is...You has an overall theme. This year it's The Wizard of Oz! We just thought..."wow!...our little home making project!...how perfect!

There's no place like home!!"
This class will focus on the start to finish creation of a very personal multi media work of art. We will demonstrate dozens of techniques using myriad mediums & materials. The theme is There's No Place Like Home and we will provide all the specifics necessary to create a piece very similar to what you see here. But this class is anything but rigid. We hope to provide a mere starting point for your own creativity. Whether you work in the realm of realism or total symbolism...you will find this project to be conducive to your whims. Imagine that the shape of the house is just a blank canvas for your art journals...the four walls and the roof taking the place of your pages. You'll be working with wood, cardboard, patterned paper, old photographs, vintage ephemera, paint, glue, pens, pencils, markers, stamps, inks, sandpaper, etc... You'll have access to adornments such as vintage millinery flowers, silk and velvet ribbons, seam bindings, glitter, lace trims, etc... You will be using techniques such as decoupage, collage, cutting & pasting, painting, speckling, assemblage, color washing, distressing, doodling, antiquing, etc... Again, when working with this pattern, to make this house and pedestal, you can be as loose or as tight with the instructions as you desire. Whatever your color tastes are...if you like busy patterns or serene solids...you'll make this your very own home sweet home.
So that's it. Like I said...the third class is coming very very soon! We hope you love our new painting "Sweet"...and what the heck...just go ahead and buy one for yourself or a friend! ha ha! And remember that the previous post has some stuff for sale AND the post before that one has our Art Opera kits!! Still some left. I assure you....You will LOVE making either one of those kits! Thanks so so much again for reading! The weather is finally getting good...well I think it's getting consistent at least...go out and get some of it!

Ohhh...one more thing!...

Hey, in case you didn't know, Today is Earth Day! It's a day with double the meaning in our family. Aaron is out bringing home dinner and he's stopping at his brother's house to drop off a card & a little birthday gift. Aaron's bro was born on Earth Day...not just on a random April 22nd but on the actual, original Earth Day. Well, it's a holiday that I really like. Of course it's one of those recently invented ones, like Valentines Day...and I like invented holidays...like Valentines. There are those grumps who say "ugggh! Valentines Day was invented by Hallmark just so they can exploit men's need to impress women and sell more cards blah blah blah blah...." ...and to that I would like to say: "yeah? so what? does it hurt you to get a card for your girl?...to get her flowers? or chocolate?...well it shouldn't...so do us all a favor and drop your conspiracy theories and let Hallmark rule your world for one day of the year! Your girl will like you better."
And the same goes for Earth Day. This planet is so gorgeous and awesome! One Day! Just like Mother's Day...this is Mother Earth's Day. Give her some love. Maybe DON'T buy her a card...because that cuts down her trees. Maybe DON'T go for a drive in the country to observe her beauty...because you'll be clouding up her air with all your car exhaust. The best thing to do is to probably just THINK about all the stuff you could be doing every day to make your relationship with earth better. Because being good to the earth is certainly not a one day affair. It's about your Everyday behavior. And it's hard to be conscientious every single day. That's why Earth Day is great...take today to think about how you could be doing better. Write it down maybe. A little list next to your calendar. Turning lights off, turning the heat down, using less air conditioning, turning off the water when you brush your teeth, all those little things that you probably do already but you know what I mean...just try to be better. We all can be better. We don't have to be Ed Begley jr. And by all means, you don't have to be preachy about it. You can 100% keep it to yourself. The best thing about Mother Earth?...she aint got no ego. You don't have to brag to your friends about your relationship with her. The reason I even bring up the whole idea of keeping it to yourself, is because of the haters. They love to hate on Al Gore and anybody who is "Green". And caring about the sky and the water and the dirt and the trees, all of the sudden becomes a political issue. That is just so bizarre to me! I find it best to just not give anybody any ammunition. Especially when I can't stand their cockeyed point of view...I'd rather not even have to hear them speak! I can love my Mother Earth without wearing the t-shirt. But maybe you like confrontation...if so, good for you...in the words of Ricki Lake audience member number 3,872, circa 1995 : "you go girl!"
Anyway, just take some time today to think about how you'll love your Mother for the rest of the year. Hey, maybe it's as easy as switching what Chips you eat! How cool is it that Sun Chips now have a completely compost-able bag?! I saw the commercial a few weeks back. Of course, I've given up chips altogether, but it's still really cool.

See you soon!!

xoxo Jenny

For those who couldn't make Art Opera Vendor Faire

Bringing the Vendor Faire to You!!

Well, in the name of starting fresh and turning over a new leaf for this Spring season...I'm back as promised, with a whole bunch of new artwork for sale. The necklaces are maybe what I'm most excited about simply because they are such a departure for us...I mean, we've been doing them for a little while now but being at the Art Opera vendor fair and seeing gals pick them up and try them on, I got to see first hand how much a unique piece of jewelry can set off a gal's style. Really, we had one girl who said she never ever considered wearing something so big...but I was like "Are you kidding me?!...You'll look amazing wearing this!" And she really did. It was one of our jumbo circle pendants with a trio of cupcakes. She put it on and vowed that she was going to open a bakery and wear it to work!

Lets see, what else is new...well the Keep Calm and Have a Cupcake beaded bookmarks, which were on back order, have finally arrived! So if you were waiting on those, get 'em while they last! And speaking of Keep Calm...the necklaces are a brand new addition and those have been super popular. The backs of 'em are painted the same color as the front and they just feel like gleaming bits of candy...love these!

As I mentioned in my previous post...Art Journaling became a little personal saviour of mine over the long, cold winter. When you make your living with your artwork it gets harder and harder to get lost in the artistic process. It's almost a little sad...almost one of those "be careful what you wish for..." type of things. You spend your childhood seeking refuge in the creative process. It's a wonderful escape from the big and little stresses that life can bring. But then you grow up and next thing you know...you are making art to keep a roof over your head...a new painting now means that the electric bill can be paid. So that escape isn't there anymore...art is no longer a choice, but a necessity. Well, over the winter Aaron bought a stack of Moleskines in different sizes and shapes. He kept half for his writing...he fell for Moleskines ever since reading Hemingway's "A Moveable Feast". That's Hemingway's memoir of his young author days in Paris, where he sat in cafes and wrote his greatest novels in Moleskine notebooks. So Aar took his Moleskines and gave the rest to me. I had been itching to start an Art Journal. Well, I must say...It Worked!...it really worked. I once again had my artistic escape. I don't know what it is about art journaling exactly but there's something about the book format that really works for me...I guess there's a certain measure of privacy that appeals to me. You close the cover and everything you created within, stays within. It's all yours.

I don't know... recently I ran out of any time to art journal AT ALL. But I definitely plan on revisiting those pages and opening them up to you all. There will certainly be a future blog post dedicated to Art Journaling. I'll open up my book and ask you guys to do the same. We'll get a Flickr group going and maybe hold a weekly show & tell with our Art Journals. How cool would that be. I'll try to do an Art Journaling blog entry soon. I'd love to inspire any of you who are on the fence and show you just how easy and Liberating it can be. I promise...you'll be addicted. Aaron has his escape in reading books, and over this past winter my nose was buried in a book even more than his...(though, my version involves getting a bit messy with paint and glue!)...but for a little while there, my addiction surpassed his.

Anyway, much of this new artwork was directly inspired by my Art Journal...especially the book shaped plaque that reads: "When I grow up and have a house I will bake a cake everyday." That piece is almost an exact copy of a spread in my journal. Oh yeah...and if you like those...do not wait. I have only a handful of those adorable book shaped plaques left. So once they're gone...they're gone. But I do have a fantastic bigger design that's similar and will be on an 8 x 10 wooden plaque. Coming very soon. Actually, lots more are coming very soon. For instance...those super cute circle plaques with the cakes and cupcakes. I love those...they are about 7 inches in diameter and on super thin wood and hang with ribbon. But they are just the beginning...I've got some bigger ones that are great...like 12 inches.

And also on these thin wooden plaques I've put together some of our Springtime Greetings kits. I figured I'd do the work for you guys. So I collaged them, added the ribbon, gave 'em that adorable pom pom trim along the bottom. All you have to do is hang it up!

Alright, I guess that's it for now. Each item has a purchase button below it. In a few cases, where there is a button under a group of items you'll just have to specify which of the items you're purchasing. I tried to make it as simple as possible. If you have any questions just shoot me an email. Thanks so so much for coming back again and checking out our latest creations. There will be more to come...on a fairly regular basis I hope! xoxo Jenny

** If you have been hoping for one of our Art Opera kits:

Sweet Dreams Mobile

Beaux Gateaux

You can purchase both on our previous blog post!! :)

Keep Calm And Have A Cupcake gift bag

8 1/2" x 10"

Keep Calm And Have A Cupcake bookmark

"when I grow up and have a house I will bake a cake everyday"

Art Journal inspired book shaped mini plaque

4" x 6" x 3/4" thick

signed & dated on back

SOLD OUT!
Thank You!!!

Keep Calm And Have A Cupcake pendants

your choice: pink, aqua, red, black

2" x 3"

glossy, candy-like finish
signed & dated on back

Round collage print hanging signs

Chocolate Cake, Pink Cake, Rose topped Cupcake, Chocolate Cupcake

your choice:

7" diameter, lightweight thin wood, all ready to hang...by a length of sweet ribbon on back

signed & dated on back

Art journal inspired Chocolate Cake plaque

5" x 7" x 3/4" thick, ready to hang with a sawtooth bracket

signed & dated on back

Art journal inspired Cupcakes plaque

5" x 7" x 3/4" thick, ready to hang with a sawtooth bracket

signed & dated on back

Flossie, Cupcake trio, Charlotte, Raven, Pink Cupcake

your choice:

3" diameter

glossy, candy-like finish

signed & dated on back

Jumbo Charlotte pendant

3" diameter

glossy, candy-like finish

signed & dated on back

Jumbo Flossie pendant

3" diameter

glossy, candy-like finish

signed & dated on back

Flossie, Cupcakes, Pink Mixer

your choice:

1 and a half inches x 2"

(these feel great, they're kinda thick and have a great glossy top coat...like candy!)

signed & dated on back

A Springtime Greeting

ready to hang with a cute ribbon affixed to the back

adorable chocolate/mocha pom pom trim

with magical accents of ultra fine glitter!

10" x 8 1/2"

signed & dated on back

My Art Opera re-cap...plus brand new Kits for Sale!!

It's good to be back! And to find myself in a better place mentally. I guess if I were to assign one word for how I feel right now, it would be: Thankful.
Thankful for people. Often, when I let you guys in on my world I explain how much of an isolationist I am. My usual day, week, month...consists of Aaron and me, shut away in our little apartment, working and worrying day and night. We always plan on changing things...getting out more...opening up more....but our excursions are few and far between.
It gets to the point, that in order for us to get out and socialize we need to first sign a contract that eliminates any chance of withdrawing from the set plans...We are such shut-ins that we need to be contractually obligated to go out and see people! Luckily, a little while back, we signed such a contract...
Lisa Kettell...no wait, her name deserves a James Brown style introduction...The unflagging, unfailing, ever-ready, always-game, always-on, creative ring master...Lisa Kettell, contacted me many months ago and asked if me and Aaron would like to be instructors at the first ever big-time New Jersey art retreat known as "Art Opera". Without even blinking once, we said "YES!"...after which, we signed the above mentioned contract and happily sealed our public fate for the week of April 7th, 2010. And now, one week later, I'm more than thrilled to report that signing that contract was not only the right choice...but also, a life changing, future altering, extremely serendipitous, perfectly felicitous decision. In other words: I'm so glad we did it!
Of course, in the weeks leading up to Art Opera, me and Aar were still backed up with orders, unprepared, insomniac, headless chickens. And that's just the regular, everyday us. But then there's me. The agoraphobic. With Art Opera on the near horizon...the idea of meeting face to face a few dozen strangers and friends whom I've only spoken to online... having classes to prepare for...supplies to buy...wondering if we'll have enough merchandise ready for the vendor fair...etc...etc... My anxiety reached dizzy new heights. It's hard to put into words all the scattered thoughts that race through the mind of a crazy person like me...and actually, I'm not going to bore you guys with a detailed analysis of my neuroses. We're all a little nuts, some more than others...but I think it would be a bit self indulgent to transform my blog into a shrink's couch. Instead, I'll gloss over all that mental mumbo jumbo and talk of Art Opera like a normal person...or my best rendition of one.

Well, let me first say that I'm going to be as brief as possible. The brevity was actually recommended and requested by those above mentioned few dozen peeps whom I had previously only spoken to online. When meeting face to face and discussing this here blog...those gals who are regular readers had a suggestion for me: " hey Jenny, when you finally return to blogland...when you at last decide to post something fresh...could you do us a favor?...could you make it less than a three cups of coffee epic? ...we'd prefer you to post shorter and more often."

So, I said "yes, I'll try my best." But now I'm looking up at my monitor and already the screen is obliterated with tiny text. So what can I do now except to expedite and streamline the rest of this post to the best of my abilities. Besides, the coolest thing about an event like Art Opera is that even though it's a live and in-person convention... it is first conceived online. It's made up of people who are on the internet. And, being that it's a small little world that we live in...odds are, you are very familiar with many of the blogs, Flickr, and Facebook pages of those who were in attendance. So, if you are curious about Art Opera, after you are through here, you can search around online and put together a multi-person mosaic of perspectives.

Lisa really put together a great event. It did not feel like it was the first one ever. It already felt "Established". The opening night dinner was decorated magically, the gift bags were brimming with good stuff, the volunteers who helped make everything run smoothly worked so hard and pulled it off. The students were fantastic. We absolutely loved our classes. Calling them "classes"...what a misnomer! When you think "class" you think: school...you think: work. No...these were like mini parties that you left with your hands covered in glue and your belly full of cookies. And...you left with a fantastic piece of artistic decor. We taught two classes. Number one was our "Sweet Dreams Mobile". I really loved this one because you really do end up with a fabulous piece of art to display in your home!

*( Info for Sweet Dreams Mobile Kit)
We've got a bunch of extra kits for sale and I've included here a photo of it hanging in our kitchen. It's really a "room maker". But let me first say, I know that not everybody has a pink striped, vintage bakery theme kitchen like us. Not everyone can get away with this as a piece of permanent decor. But it's perfect for special occasions, birthdays, etc... it's lightweight, so just hang it up on a little hook and it's instant magic. It features four dangling, six inch in diameter, circle medallions with prints of our original cakes paintings on both sides. You get in the kit all the supplies needed to create this amazing mobile. That fantastic jumbo pom pom trim in aqua and pink...little plastic ballerinas, tiny Swarovski crystal rhinestones, crystal glass glitters, faux cherries, bakers twine, a twelve inch mdf ring as the base, seam binding in all the best colors, big thick ribbon, aqua tulle, pink sequin trim, a page of pink stripe pattern for that scalloped awning, a template for the scallops, watercolor paper, some tiny wooden stars that look amazing when you glitter them, and a bunch of other stuff...all included. Plus there are highly detailed instructions and a reference photo. All you'll need is one little bottle of craft paint in whatever color you choose, so you can paint the mdf ring. Also a paint brush, some all purpose glue, mod podge (or the medium of your choice), and scissors. Most likely, this is stuff that you've got lying around. This project looks complicated but it's simple enough for anyone to pull off...really, lots of bang for the buck. And now...You can purchase this kit as well as the other one, and some of our brand new items, right here on this blog!! We're trying something new...we're adding a paypal button right here on the blog to make it easy...we also accept money orders. So if you see something here on the blog and you want it...just shoot me an email and we'll put together an order. I'm going to post again tomorrow and on that post I'll include paypal buttons for all the new items that we had at the vendor fair.

Ok, on day two of Art Opera we did our "Beaux Gateaux" class and it was a super duper good time. It was our last class and the last class of the day, so by the end it seemed like a bunch of outsiders had streamed in. We love when our classroom turns into the party room. We really wanted our two projects to be completely different. Both in their physical appearance and in the skills you use to make them.

* (Info for Beaux Gateaux KIT)

This project focuses more on paper craft but even though you start with paper you end up with something much more substantial. We love to inject a nice dose of Black into our decorations. This project starts with an 11 x 14 canvas board that you paint black. The look is inspired by traditional Paris Patisserie style blackboards. Those French sweets and treats are prints of our original paintings...as well as those berry pink curtains, the Patisserie banner, the scrollwork crown and base, and the scalloped awning. We've always believed that fabulous sweets are worthy of the stage so that's how you'll depict them here. The best part of this piece is the three dimensional aspect of it. The awning and curtains lie flat in the background, while the scrollwork crown & base, the banner, and the sweets are in 3-d. This look is achieved with decoupage, watercolor paper, and 3-d glue dots. It really looks fantastic. I'm not sure if it shows up well in the photos but the banners and awning are really vintagey...sepia toned, and overall the colors are soft...a great contrast with the black. And the ultra fine glitter details really make it magical. Everyone had a lot of fun with this project. This one would be great to do with a friend because it's fun to see how subtle differences completely change the outcome. Again, the kit contains everything you need: Pages of our artwork to cut and paste...watercolor paper, an 11 x 14 canvas board, a few colors of ultra fine glitter, ribbon & circular punched paper to hang it with...and of course detailed instructions and a reference photo. All you'll need is all purpose glue, mod podge (or the medium of your choice), a paint brush, scissors, and some black craft paint.

On the weekend after classes was the vendor fair. There was so much good stuff all in one room! I kept wandering over to Heidi Wallingford's table which had a ton of the little figures that "Vintage by Crystal" is so famous for. You pick one up and then another and then another and you finally decide that you actually want to take home every single one. They are the most adorable little things you ever saw. Also, there were lots more people to meet at the vendor fair. Me and Aar definitely made some real deal friends with some awesome people who also happen to make and sell awesome stuff. And above, remember how I described Lisa Kettell as unflagging, ever-ready, and always-on. Well, vendor fair was proof enough. After a long few days of being the organizer of the entire event...answering countless questions, dealing with all the hotel bills, giving directions, being available 24/7, making everyone feel welcome, plus teaching classes of her own...well at vendor fair she spent all of her time doing even more classes right there in the middle of it. All day there were make and takes going on! And QUALITY make and takes...real good stuff! Lets see, what else...well Marlene Haveron, the gal who organized the vendor fair, and all around social butterfly, is even zanier than I expected. She was dancin and movin and groovin all over the auditorium...and there wasn't even any music playing! I wish I had some video of it...picture clapping, finger snapping, groovy thumbs up shoulder shrugging dance moves. Too Much! And on day two of the fair there were the world famous scone ladies. The greatest scones with jam and clotted cream...plus fresh brewed very berry tea...wow!
We had a whole bunch of brand new, never seen before stuff for sale. The necklaces went over really well! Again, I'll make sure that all this stuff is up here for sale tomorrow. As a bit of home therapy I've been art journaling a whole bunch and so much of this new stuff comes directly from the pages of my art journal. It's a bit of a new look for us and I see a bunch more projects headed in this direction.

The above photo of Lisa Kettell, Jenny Hernandez (so so great to finally meet Jenny in person!!!), and myself is courtesy of Marcel Martori. He's the professional photographer who's services Lisa acquired for the fantastic visual documentation of Art Opera 2010. In Marcel, Lisa found probably the best guy for the job. I've been clicking through his pics of the event and every shot seems to encapsulate the attitude, atmosphere, mood, & humor of Art Opera. And this is because he wasn't just a fly-on-the-wall guy with a camera. He immersed himself in Art Opera from the fancy dinner on opening night right on through to the cleaning up after the vendor fair. All week long you'd hear "Marcel! get a picture of this!...Marcel, hey! take a picture of us!...Where's Marcel?...we need a picture of this!" And he was always right there with his camera and a smile. Here's a link to his photos. I believe he's putting together the complete Art Opera photos in a few formats that will be for sale, whether you're looking for a cd or individual prints...give him a visit.

http://www.photoshelter.com/c/marcelmartori

Alright, so what!!? I lied. I said I'd be brief and I wasn't. I mean, you didn't actually believe me? did you?
But it's been a while and a lot went on and I've got good photos to show for it. I've only got one more thing to mention here in this post. I can't believe that I'm only getting to blog this now! Our new line of stuff in Michaels! We love the stuff! A few weeks back the emails started pouring in from all over the U. S. and Canada...at first there were lots of humorous ones...very loyal friends who had our backs...they walked into Michaels and saw this line of stationery items that looked eerily similar to the artwork of Jenny & Aaron at Everyday is a Holiday. Some of these loyal friends at first thought that we were ripped off by some big manufacturer and they were "prepared to make heads roll" (their words...not mine!) It's heart warming to know that so many people have your back. Really!...but then they picked up the items, flipped 'em over, and read our names on the back. "What a relief!" and after that...they bought as many as their hands could hold!! Really. One friend said she spent a couple hundred bucks and has enough merch to give as small gifts for the rest of her life! Almost all reports are of gals nearly buying out the stock. This makes us so happy. But wait...I didn't even yet mention the best part...these are all Dollar Items! Yes...one dollar each! We have no idea how they can sell these for a buck and make a profit. They really are great quality. In the journals, our artwork is on every page. and the mini notecards don't come with plain white envelopes...nope...they come with cute little envelopes in adorable corresponding colors. And some of the items are glittered!! I remember when we were in the design process...our gal kept stressing that they love the glittery parts of our paintings. We had no idea that they'd be able to actually glitter these tiny paintings so perfectly.
The emails have really been the greatest. Everyone tells us that when they are standing there looking at them at Michaels, they just spontaneously have to tell the customer next to them that they personally know the artists who made this stuff! Or they tell the cashier as they are checking out. I can imagine the disinterested eyerolls they get back...like "big deal lady...good for you." Of course they know that this is the reaction they'll get but they do it anyway...and that is why we love them! How hilarious. Me and Aaron are guilty of buying a ton of our own stock from our local Michaels. I mean...there's only so much of this stuff. We have a personal supply of samples but we just want to be certain that we don't run out of this stuff one day. It really is great stuff. So get out there and get it while it lasts. Unfortunately most of the reports we're getting is that the shelves are either empty already or very close to it.
Ok, I guess that's it for now. Again, I'll be posting again tomorrow with a bunch of new stuff for sale right here on the blog. And I mentioned it briefly way up at the top of this epic. I'm Thankful and I'm in a better place mentally...that means there will be lots more new artwork coming....and that means there will be lots more blog posts. I'm Thankful to the good people who welcomed me with open arms and made me feel so welcome with their genuine good nature and friendship. I mean, what the heck...I spent about a year indoors away from people and then I jumped into the deep end and met a hundred faces as Art Opera. And I didn't die...I'm still in one piece!! So I think I'll be leaving the house a lot more and I'll make sure that I report back the findings of my explorations right here. Thanks so much again for coming back and reading. Love you guys!! xoxo, Jenny