Makeover Sneak Peaks

Furniture is being moved back into place and pictures are being rehung.  I’m also waiting on the tall cabinet piece for the bathroom that will go in between the two vanities and then my husband will do the frames for the big long mirror.  Until then, I thought I’d share a couple of sneak peeks of both the bathroom and the bedroom.

The bathroom color (SW Citrine color matched by Lowe’s to Valspar) took some getting used to, but I do like it.  I’m sure once the cabinet is in, and the frames are done for the mirror, it will really come together nicely.

The master bedroom color (SW Relaxed Khaki color matched by Lowe’s to Valspar) I really loved as soon as it went on the wall! 

I’m slowly bringing accessories back into the room and trying to change them up a little bit, so I will be back soon with the master bedroom reveal first. 

A Basketful Of Bunnies

I’ve got a basketful of bunnies! 

I have been busy cutting out and sewing bunnies in a variety of fabrics, in preparation for Spring and Easter in my Etsy shop.  Although, if you are like me and love bunnies, you could keep these out all year long.

These bunnies will not have any added embellishments, except for some seam binding or ribbon tied around their necks, which is easily removable (no choking hazards).

This is just the first batch and a sampling of what I have made so far.  Once I get these photographed and listed, I’ll get started on the next batch of bunnies!

 

These little guys are now in my Etsy shop and are very affordable for every bunny on your gift list!

The Artist Behind The Etsy ~ Expressive Creations

 

It’s getting a bit difficult to find participants who are interested in being featured in this series (or who don’t drop out at the last minute).  I’m sorry to say that this will probably be the last feature of The Artist Behind The Etsy and I felt it fitting that it should be my own ~ Expressive Creations.

As most of you know from reading my blog, I am married (30 years in May), have two grown children, one grandchild and another on the way.   We moved from Long Island, New York to the Dayton, Ohio area just over three years ago with my husband’s job.  My daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter also moved and live about 10 minutes away from us.  The past year has had my son working and living in Ohio, as well, although he is in the Cincinnati area.  What more could a Mom and Grandma ask for?

I started my Etsy shop because I love to make things and had no room for all the things I was making.  I also couldn’t possibly use all the pillows and sewn items I wanted to make so selling them was always in my mind, but how.  My sister had some success selling on Etsy and I finally hit the button on their site to start selling!

I find my creativity and inspiration for the things I make in many ways ~ Pinterest is a great big inspiration board for ideas; sometimes I see things for sale in stores and think “I can make that”; and sometimes they are ideas that actually just pop into my head (usually as I am falling asleep at night!) and then I have to write it down before I forget!

In creating my sewn items, I love taking a piece of fabric and crafting it into something whether it is a stocking, a pillow or a bunny rabbit.  I love seeing what that piece of fabric can become.

I am always happy to receive feedback (reviews now) on my orders.  It makes my day to read that the items purchased are appreciated and that someone has taken the time to let me know that they like what they ordered.  I also enjoy the emails I receive asking about custom orders.  I’ve worked with several people on special requests and always enjoy making one of a kind items.

I hope you will visit my Etsy shop!  I still enjoy making things to list for sale (four years now) and try to have new and seasonal items listed frequently.

I’d like to thank all the artists who participated in The Artist Behind The Etsy, and everyone who commented and visited their shops.  It is a wonderful boost to our creativity to have someone “favorite” our shop, or “like” an item, or, ultimately, place an order ~ so thank you!

Under Construction ~ In A Different Way

I just did a post entitled “Under Construction” but I couldn’t resist using it again for this particular post.  I am so thrilled to share that my daughter and son-in-law are expecting their second child!

My granddaughter is going to be a big sister!  It is early days, so we don’t know what the sex is, but I think my granddaughter is hoping for a baby sister.  September seems a long way off, but I’m sure it will be here before we know it!  Just had to share our exciting and happy news!

Under Construction

Our mini makeover in the master bathroom has started here.  Spackling has been done and the ceiling is going to be painted first.  By the time you read this, I am hoping the walls are painted.

My husband removed the countertop that was in between the two sink vanities and we are going to put a cabinet type of thing in that empty space. 

He will frame out the two sides of the mirror to make it look like it is two mirrors without having to remove the whole long mirror. Kind of like this idea except that middle section would be a separate piece of furniture.

I have found a piece online that I was able to order locally and I look forward to sharing that with you once the bathroom is all done. The only downside is that it can take up to 4 weeks.  Something like these ideas would be great.

Or something like this bookcase below.

Another bookcase above and a glass door piece below.

New vanity tops are on the list besides the painting going on in here. 

I’m sure he will be working on this all week.  I already can’t wait for it to be done!  

The Artist Behind The Etsy ~ Ozma Of Odds

I came across Rosemary’s Etsy shop, Ozma of Odds, just by looking around on Etsy, but her name was familiar to me (as it may be to some of you) from her blog, also called Ozma of Odds.  I was also excited to see that Rosemary is a fellow Ohioian!  From tags to Santos adornments, there is much to admire in Rosemary’s Etsy shop.  She creates truly beautiful items and has something for everyone!

Hello! Enchanting to meet you ~ my name is Rosemary, and I'm the artisan behind Ozma of odds.

It is always a treat to be approached by fellow Bloggers and other Etsy shop Creatives and to be asked to share a little about what DOES go on behind my studio's curtain?!

Well, my journey as a Creative goes all the way back to my childhood. Fortunately for me, I was raised with wonderment and whimsy ~ it is all I have ever know. In college, I studied textiles and design and while on this heart's journey, a few of my past jobs have included: A Seamstress for a child's luxury line, Store Window Designer, Floral Designer, Fabric Shop Manager, Costume Designer, and the list goes on..

Looking back at these few listed and many other interesting job choices, I realize that I have spent my life building an authentic, creative life and career that is as rewarding as it is fulfilling. My creative work today, is a direct result of my wandering heart thus far, incorporating those past experiences and knowledge into the present, which has a ripple effect on all that I do. All that I lay my hands on, has my "soul print" upon it with that infused sense of fairytale elegance. This is evident in my home design, in my personal style and in all of the things I create.

At first, I joined the Etsy community as merely a seeker/purchaser of lovely, handmade items. As I spent more time on Etsy, I realized that maybe there was a place for me to offer a few of my pretties too, so I opened my shop.

My vision for Ozma of odds was for it to be a place where you could find beautiful artisan items that would perhaps inspire your heart and speak to your soul! Through Etsy, I have come to know such kindred hearts that are such a joy to converse with and a blessing to my life. My experience has been a very positive one in that Etsy feels like a community for other creatives!

My heart has always belonged to the arts and to the beautiful sea! So inspiration for me is similar to the heartbeat of the ocean's tide. When the inspiration is flowing, I have learned to keep a journal to contain all the fascinating ideas that find me. That has served me well when I feel uninspired!  That journal, and dare I say, Pinterest?!! As a visual artist, that resource is like a magic endless rabbit hole ~ LOL!

This journey as an artist, has taught me to always be present in my moments, never take anything for granted, be of a grateful spirit and remain open to the twists and turns in life. I love that I have been able to gather things that are to my eye, beautiful, ethereal materials, and infuse them into elegant, one of a kind pieces that radiate a graceful whimsy. By my hands, it is my continued privilege to inspire creativity, uplift your spirit and perhaps, awaken the fairytale within you ~ even if only for a moment!

xo, Rosemary

*A most heartfelt ~ Thank You! to Kathy, for the opportunity to share with your readers, a glimpse behind my studio's curtain!

Wow, what an amazing journey Rosemary has been on!  So many creative aspects to her life and how wonderful that she is sharing her talents on Etsy.  You can visit Rosemary’s Etsy shop here and her blog here.

Winter & Valentine Vignettes

When I put my Christmas decorations away, I always think it is a good time to change up some of the vignettes I have out for every day. Usually, I find something I like and that’s what I stick with.  With Valentine’s Day coming up (and without much Valentine’s Day décor to speak of) I tried to put together some vignettes with stuff I already had around the house.  This also tied in with one of my five goals for 2015 ~ using what I’ve got! 

I used some small red fairy tale books I had gotten at a yard sale last year.  I put two under a cloche on my coffee table, with a LOVE bingo card, a couple of game pieces and a Scrabble tray with “love” spelled out.  One of the game pieces had a “30” on it, which I put next to the Scrabble letters since we will be married 30 years in May.

On the mantel, I brought my girl and boy busts back out and put them on my candlesticks to raise them up. I also added in two more of those red fairy tale books in here, as well as two other red books I had elsewhere in the house.

Our buffet in the dining area got a few things.  

And, I brought out my Valentine’s Day hearts pillow for the living room sofa.

This will tide me over until the middle of February, when I’ll change the mantle and coffee table vignettes to something that will bring me into Spring.  How have you been decorating recently?