By Way of Salem

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Winter is the Time for Home

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home."
Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky to have that kind of a Hallmark home, though everyone deserves it that's for sure, including our animal friends as well.

This year, instead of buying gifts for Christmas, I made a donation to Pasado's Safe Haven. Even if it's just a small amount, it can go so far in helping to house or feed a neglected or abused animal. They care for hundreds of dogs, cats, and farm animals. Most were abused and neglected and now they can live out their lives in peace and with love. This sanctuary is not government funded and relies solely on donations. Every bit truly does help. If you don't know the story about Pasado's, please click on the link to read about them. In brief; they are one of a few premier animal rescue organizations in the U.S. and rescue as well as rehabilitate animals 24-hour/7. They also prosecute and have won major convictions against abusers! They have a Spay Station - a mobile spay/neuter clinic that travels all over to help end pet overpopulation. And of course they adopt out wonderful animals in need of loving homes.

My cat "Baby"

Because I've loved animals all my life and their unconditional love has gotten me through some very rough times, I wanted to do something that would benefit them directly. I started By Way of Salem for many reasons and I've been blessed having sold quite a few of my pieces. It's so wonderful getting notes, emails and phone calls from people that love your work! Most of the pieces I've created with the idea of selling and of course making money, and maybe quitting my day job. If I had a day job to quit that is...but that's another story...Since I don't have a lot of money, and my house is already full of adopted pets, I thought I would put my art where my heart is - with animals. I will be creating some special pieces with Pasado's in mind, and donate them to this wonderful animal charity where they can sell it in their Sanctuary Gift Shop and keep 100% of the proceeds to use where they see the most need.

Me and Stormy

When I think of some of the saddest, darkest days in my life, my animals were always there for me with unconditional love; to lick my face, or nudge under my arm as I buried my face in my pillow crying my heart out. They gave me warmth and comfort. When I came home from the hospital after my head injury, my one dog Sam, whose the "nurse" of the clan, sniffed and tried to lick my bandage, knowing that I'd been hurt.

Peanut and Sam

Toby
Though I don't have much in terms of monetary wealth these days, I'm a rich woman because of the small joys in life I find everyday. And the greatest joy is from my pets.

May your home be filled with warmth and love this Winter. Oh and animals too :)

Duke

Annie

Freckles

Max & Simba

Blackjack my first horse

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas To All!

Merry Christmas to all my friends and family. Thank you for your love and friendship throughout this past year. I have the most amazing fans of my art; from California to Russia and everywhere in between! Thank you for your support. I'm truly blessed to call you my friend. May you all have the merriest Christmas! And Happy New Year! With love, Jeannine

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Painting a little bit of Winter

These are my latest little creations. I say little because these are petite canvases of 4 x 5. They are done in acrylics, then embellished with decorative papers and distressed letters. I was so charmed by them when they were finished, I didn't want to sell them!

I'm working on a few more right now. I know, it's close to Christmas and I'm a bit behind in my seasonal creations, but I can't create by the season. I have to feel it, or it doesn't happen. I could paint snowmen all year long, even in Summer. Right now, I'm feeling a bit candy cane-ish, so we'll see what I might come up with! Ho Ho Ho!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Snowmen; My Favorite Winter Friend

There's more to a snowman than meets the eye! He's the icon of Winter, our childhood, children's books and movies, and this lovable character is everywhere! On coffee mugs at Starbucks, plates at Pier 1, napkins at grocery stores, greeting cards, door hangers, gift wrap, Christmas ornaments, holiday sweaters bound for the return counter, and so much more. And who can possibly pass up a huge field of snow and not at least think about building a snowman? Not me.

I myself have a huge collection. Every year I set out to purchase at least one thing "Snowman". My collection includes gift bags, decorative tins, soft sculptures, carvings I bought in Switzerland, candleholders, ceramic statues, german glass ornaments, Bob's boxes, tins that were once filled with chocolates, even greeting card boxes I had to save because the snowmen were too adorable to just toss out. They're so cute and cuddly, I don't know how anyone can resist them.

Do you know who built the first snowman? It was in Eau Claire, WI in 1809 by Vernon Paul and his little girl Yetty. How about the world's tallest snowman? Apparently that record was set in 2008 in Bethel, Maine as a way to put Bethel on the map. The snowman stood 122 feet and 1 inch! How did they get up there??

One of my favorite books as a child was "The Littlest Snowman". As I remember, it was a story about a snowman that came to town and brought joy. As the thermometer went up, the snowman started to melt. The snowmen went and got every flavor of ice cream and ate it, then sat upon the town Christmas tree. A northwind came and blew all the ice cream flavored snow all through the air. A beautiful written classic children's book that every family should have. So wonderful...wish I still had mine....

If you've been following my art and blog for any length of time, you know I incorporate a lot of snowmen in my art. I've painted, stuffed, glued, and glittered them and I never get tired of seeing their cherubic faces. And I'm always on the search for more to add to my personal collection.

Snowmen bring smiles to our faces. They're a way of celebrating the bite of Winter, young and old alike.

If a snowman had a voice, who do you think he'd sound like?

Monday, October 10, 2011

Things That Go Bump...

Wanting to save the world from zombies, vampires, witches, or some other unsavory creature this Halloween? Well turn on and tune in to Halloween programming on TV this October! Maybe you'll learn a few tricks.

What's on this month? Let's take a look:

A new show this season called Grimm. It debuts on October 28th and I think it's based on Grimm's Fairytales. I saw the preview - looked like cops and trolls or something of that nature.

Next: Martha Stewart's Haunted House (Hallmark Channel) October 24th, 8 pm (E.T) No one does a holiday better than Martha! I know this will be a must-see for me - even if I have to DVR it and watch it the next day!

Making Monsters (Travel Channel) runs Sunday's through 10/23

It's about a Colorado based family who makes monsters and supplies them to haunted houses, theme parks, movies, etc... This could be fun!

I skipped over some others so make sure to check your local listings on your guide.

Here's the list of my top 4 Halloween favorites:

Jeepers Creepers - Still to this day, the creepiest horror flick I've ever seen.

Halloween - Yes, that same classic movie. From the spooky theme music to the cinematography. Dark, moody and creepy! No matter how many times I see it, I still get scared.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! What more can I say about that. Candy corn sweetness. Awwwww...

Nightmare Before Christmas - It's Tim Burton for corn's sake! What's not to love?

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Halloween Creepy Craft

Of course I love October! It's Halloween silly! There's just something magical about the month don't you think? A certain feel to the air......

So with just a couple weeks away, I thought I'd share with you some wonderfully spooky, and frightfully kooky Halloween ideas for decorating this season!

Treat bags courtesy Martha Stewart

Rubber stamping of course is one method for making some cute Halloween cards and decor, but have you ever tried potato stamping? It's an easy way to add a bit of spookiness to treat bags, gift tags or anything else you might want to creep out...

All you need are a few items:
Potato - I use Idaho since they're larger and firmer
Paring knife
Carrot or apple peeler
Small melon baller (for eye sockets) but you can use the end of one of the peelers as well
Acrylic paints (whatever colors)
Item you want to stamp (cards, bags, tags...)

Anywhere you cut away or scoop out, will be the part that doesn't make an imprint. So if you scoop out eyes for example, those will remain white or whatever the background of what your stamping on is. Get it?

Let's get started! After determining your pattern, cut the potato in half. Then I like to draw my pattern onto the raw potato (Sharpie pen or outline with the point of a skewer, whatever...). Next, start "carving" away the design. Remember - the raised portion will be what gets printed onto the card, tag, etc.... Once you've finished carving, brush your acrylic paint onto the potato and stamp away! Easy and fun!

Here are a few ideas of what to stamp to get you started:

Bats
Skulls
Pumpkins
Candy Corn

I used this technique (waaaay before Martha ever got hold of this idea!) on black satin drapes I made and then stamped them with white skulls and hung them in my windows for Halloween. Truth be told, I had them up all year actually because.... everyday is Halloween!!!

Friday, September 2, 2011

Favorite Fall Things

Fall is peeking it's head around the corner up here in Washington. The leaves are slowly changing from bright vivid green, to just a touch of autumny orange and gold. Big puffy clouds are high in the brighter-than-blue sky and there's that undeniable crispness in the air. It's going to be warm this week, maybe in the 80's I heard, but it's still got the feel of Fall.

Fall brings my favorite month with it; October. My birthday, haunted houses start their yearly seasonal appearance, then Halloween! Decorating my front porch with pumpkins, gourds and other Fall ephemera is something I look forward to each year. Every year I get at least 1 new Fall/Halloween item to display. And being the Halloween Queen that I am, of course my display is up all year!!!

What are your favorite Fall things? Here's a few of mine:
Sweaters and hoodies
Vegetable soup with seasonal vegetables
Orange and red leaves
Hot apple cider
Candy corn
Candy apples
Horror movies and endless reruns of my fave: Halloween
Pumpkin patches
Whirlwinds of leaves that blow along the ground...

What are some of yours?

I leave you with this lovely song about Fall. You've probably all heard it. It's an unmistakable melody - very haunting and melancholy - just beautiful. This was my father's favorite song. It was originally recorded in French as Les Feuilles Mortes (means The Dying Leaves) with lyrics by poet Jacques Prevert.

Autumn Leaves (Johnny Mercer)
The falling leaves drift by the window,
The autumn leaves of red and gold.
I see your lips, the summer kisses,
The sun-burned hands I used to hold.
Since you went away the days grow long,
And soon I'll hear old winter's song,
But I miss you most of all my darling,
When autumn leaves start to fall.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Summer in Salem....By Way of Salem!

Hi y'all! I hope your Summer is going great so far. Up here in Washington, our summer has just begun. The weather has finally gotten warmer and the sun is peeking out now and again. The temps are hanging around the 70's for the most part, but last week we got up to the high 80's which was really nice for a change. We've had a pretty wet and cold winter and spring, so the heat felt great! I've even got a tan!

What have I been up to? Besides NOT making art right now? Well I've been riding my amazing horse Simba. THE most brilliant Arabian ever! And of course finishing school. I've JUST graduated cosmetology school and am set to take my State Boards exam next week and get my license. Yay!!! It's been a tough, and oh-so-very-long year. I thought it'd be a cake-walk. I had no idea "beauty" could be so technical!

After that, well it's onto a job finally. I've already had over 9 months on the "salon floor" at my school, so I feel totally ready to be out on my own and in the real world. Someday I might even have my own salon.....

At school last week, a few of the girls happened to spot my art through a link on my Facebook page and were raving to me about my Halloween creations. I can't tell you after being away from creating for so long, how great that felt! It gave me the boost I needed. I thought - what am I doing? Why aren't I sculpting/painting, etc? I really do miss it so much. Honestly though, school just sucked the artsy life right out of me. But I know that once I'm out, I'll be back at it. I did try to get reinspired throughout this past year and create a few things, but it really wasn't working for me. With all the distractions of school, I just couldn't focus or let my inner Halloween-ness venture out.

This year I'm planning on participating in some craft shows, as well as stocking my Etsy store full of new whimsies. I've got a ton of new ideas for either sculptures or paintings that I've been sketching out and saving and I'm excited to be starting on them soon too. It's kind of going to be a new re-launching of By Way of Salem!

Thank you all for staying loyal fans on my blog as well as Facebook and Etsy. Your support really makes a world of difference to me and gives me the encouragement and reason to keep on creating.

Love, Jeannine

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Creating your Crafty Space

Life is good, my mind is clear, and my heart is happy, so I'm ready to get back into creating again! Making art is such a huge part of who I am, that my studio needs to reflect my personality and be a place where I just love to spend lots of time. So with that, I've been looking at ways I can freshen up my favorite spot!

Sweet a la shabby chic
While I look for inspiration in all sorts of places: magazines, books, my favorite blogs, craft stores, just anywhere where I can get the juices flowing, I also look to my creative space. Here are just a few of some of my favorite art spaces that I've been collecting. Maybe you too can use some of these great ideas to incorporate into your own creative haven!

When designing your creative space, I think the first thing to think about, at least for me, is will this space inspire my creativity? And speaking for myself, one of the most important elements is ambiance. Being surrounded by beautiful things; a chandelier perhaps, or maybe jars of gorgeous beads, even some twinkly lights trimming a window or ceiling. And color. Lots of brightly displayed color pencils and markers, glitters, paints, fabrics, ribbons. You get the idea! Don't forget wall color. Paint the space with your favorite colors! I've seen incredibly luxurious studios with delicious shades of peaches and creams, or fun spaces with turquoise, lavenders, and pinks. Whatever your heart desires!

So colorful!

Let's talk about organization for a minute. Another reason you are even creating this wonderful space is so you can find things. Am I right? Invest in cabinets, shelving, little boxes, jars, wire baskets, wicker baskets, cork boards, decorative hooks, even garden pots that can hold brushes or pencils. I love those new slim "ledges" - mini versions of shelves, that can display collections - another great source of inspiration! Garage sales and flea markets are a great place to find old hutches, desks, bookcases for your storage needs. And don't feel you have to have everything match either. That's the fun of creating a space just for you! You can do whatever you love.

I think this is a great use of space; re-purpose the closet in your craft room or studio into another working space. Say for sewing, or scrapbooking. Add shelving, maybe a cabinet, a flip down table onto the wall, and voila! another space-saving working area.

Great closet space
A few ideas that I've used: I bought a large cork board and painted the frame red with white polka dots (festive!). I'd been gathering ideas; newspaper clippings, photos of cottages I loved, gardens I wanted to recreate, pictures of gorgeous bracelets I wanted to try making, cute note tags I received with gifts, postcards, patterns I wanted to buy, etc. All this "stuff" I put into a manila folder. Now I just pin them up to my cork board and look there for added inspiration. So great!

Another idea? For my last craft show, I made some displays for my wood Christmas ornaments to hang from. One of them was a section of chicken wire framed with 2x4's and mounted on legs. I took off the leg portion and mounted the framed chicken wire section on one of the walls to display some of my finished items or things I am currently working on. I use little wooden clothespins to hold things onto the wire.

For me, my favorite craft rooms seem to be the ones that resemble kitchens. Not sure why that is? But I love all the cabinetry and countertops. I love everything to have it's spot, so I think it'd be a dream to have a space like that. I am also a BIG fan of recessed lighting. I think how it illuminates my kitchen work area so well, that it would be wonderful to have it in my craft studio also. (Note to self: Add to bucket list!). Take a peek at some of my favorites:

Gotta love the chandelier!

Other ideas to incorporate:

Wall words or favorite sayings: Create, Dream, I Make Things......
Collections (I have my snowman collection on the top of all my bookcases that hold my supplies)
Good music
Twinkly lights or fun novelty lighting (I use pumpkin lights during the Fall)
Candles
Chalk board

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Will You Be My Valentine?

I hope the answer is a resounding "YES!"

Last year I did a really fun Vintage Valentines Swap with Rabbit Hollow Prims. My swap was The Queen of Hearts; a papier mache doll that resembled Lily Munster meets Cruella DeVille. LOL! In return, I received a lovely handmade prim doll from One Mockingbird Hill. This year with school, I don't have the time to participate, but I'll sure be on the look out for what great things they come up with again this year!

So, some interesting facts about Valentines Day and just LOVE in general:

- Did you know that ONE BILLION Valentines are sent out each year?
- That women are the largest purchasers of Valentines? Come on guys!
- Valentines cards were popular back in the Middle Ages?
- The oldest Valentines Day card is on exhibit in the British Museum?

And L.O.V.E. - my favorite warm fuzzy feeling......Still a mystery even at my ripe old age... And how does one define it? I like this definition - simple and to the point:

"A feeling of intense desire and attraction towards a person with whom one is disposed to make a pair; the emotion of sex and romance."

Do you think saying "I heart you" means "I love you". I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments on that!

I wish you all tons of L.O.V.E. this Valentine's Day!!

Friday, January 14, 2011

January Snow and Snowmen!

My backyard

It's officially Winter here in Washington. Right now the weather is pretty good; about 40's, even at night. The last few weeks though had been in the 20's and lower at night. Way too cold for these old bones! We had quite a bit of snow also which was really beautiful, but living up on a hill, it causes problems trying to go down! LOL!

To go along with the winter weather, I'm painting snowmen. Lots of them! Currently I'm just finishing up an order I received on Etsy for a pair of my Snowman Mittens. So adorable. They're from a pattern by Renee Mullins (just LOVE her snowmen!).

One of the many paperweights I've painted

I keep a sketch book by my bed and I'll be laying there sleepless, like oh-so-many nights, and then suddenly BING! an idea! I'll quickly turn on the light and either write it down, or sketch it really quick, cause if I don't, by morning it's evaporated into the nocturnal nevermore...

And what do you think of this wooden stocking? Each part is cut out separately and painted, then wired together. It's about 18" long, so a nice big piece to hang on the fireplace. Do you think I should make some more of these? I'd love to hear your comments!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Joyeux Noel!

Bonjour my friends! It's Christmas Eve day. No, I'm not in France, it's just a beautiful picture of the Eiffel Tower all lit up for the holidays and I wanted to share it with all of you. I do have a lot of family in France and it would be so wonderful to spend it with them. Maybe next year....

Thank you all for your kindness and friendship throughout the past years. May all your Christmas wishes come true!

Warmest holiday wishes,
Jeannine

Monday, November 8, 2010

Let it Snow!

Happy Fall - almost Winter to everyone. Where has the year gone? It was just Summer! Oh but I love Winter though. Snowmen, skiing, Christmas, holiday lights, and of course the proverbial bad holiday movie that comes out every year. LOL!

I've been painting again and I wanted to show you all my latest snowmen creations. I got several custom orders for snowmen and other things from my Etsy store. A customer in Rhode Island ordered my snowman paperweight, then ordered 5 more! They're painted with acrylics on river rock, about the size of a grapefruit is what I try for, then sealed and then varnished. I love them and am sad when I have to send them on their merry way. Yes, I do get attached to inanimate objects! The snowmen were originally designed by Renee Mullins, but I do try to modify them a bit, however I must give her credit for the original darlings.