Things Don't Always Go As Planned....

It's September now, more than halfway through actually. The past few months since I last posted haven't been the best. At all. It's been very hard. Filled with heartbreak. I won't get into details as I still haven't really dealt with it, denial I'm thinking, but I lost my horse. The one that was in the hospital. Long story, but things took an abrupt turn and she never came back home, never recovered from her injury. It's still so unbearably painful I'll just stop here. After that, I went to California to see my brother, to get away, escape really. Truly it was the best trip I've had. My brother and I are closer than we've ever been, same with his wife as well. It was just what I needed, to be surrounded by nothing but love, and fun. We had a lot of fun. Before I got there, I felt like I had forgotten how to smile, that maybe it wasn't even possible anymore. Not true. That's all I did there, just so happy to be back home! We swam in our family pool, went bike riding everyday, ate at some fabulous restaurants, went to the beach, shopping, and so much more. The best was that I got to spend every second with my brother. Next week we're headed to Colorado for a few days, up towards Vail and Breckenridge, Aspen, and all over the mountains. It'll be great. Maybe we'll even check out a new place to live. This is just a short post, and I know rather cryptic, but I'm still struggling a bit. Happy Fall y'all! I'll be back soon. Jeannine

A Long Absence.........

I hadn't realized till today that it's been 8 months since my last blog post. We're finally out of 2020, thankfully, though I'm not sure really that that much has really changed. I'm hoping we can continue moving forward into more positive, happy days ahead. I remain hopeful.

My art continues to be therapy for me, keeping me company and entertained. I have some amazing customers from Etsy as well as Instagram who have really supported my art and what a great feeling that is.

Speaking of my art, my style just keeps morphing and changing. When I started out in 2009 being more "public" with my creations, I thought I'd stay in one medium and that would be sculpting. Funny, I don't do much of that at all. I'd say it's maybe 10% of what I do these days. During the dreaded plague of last year, I explored so many different new mediums; wood burning, carving, metal stamping of jewelry, took online classes for soldering, and watercolor, both trying it on my own, and then online classes. 

A few clay pieces I do for holidays

What I discovered is that I love soldering, just love it! The classes I took were from Terri Brush who has a studio in Chehalis, WA, my adopted home state. She is so talented and a fantastic teacher. I'll be taking more classes from her in the future, but right now I have to watch my budget (more on that later).

Soldered pieces for Halloween

I LOVE this one! Love that cathedral glass!

Gotta do some Christmas pieces too!

Next I took watercolor classes. Now that medium is my passion! It is beyond beautiful. There isn't one thing I don't love about it. Is it difficult? Oh absolutely! Every painting has been a challenge because it's so temperamental and has a mind of it's own. I've taken classes from Danielle Donaldson whose style is very whimsical and Cindy Briggs, whose style is more real life. I love them both, but of course my style continues to be my own; whimsical and quirky. There are so many great videos on You Tube as well with fantastic artists; Shayda Campbell, Ellen Crimi-Trent, Louise DeMasi, Helen Campbell, Steve Mitchell, Paul Clark, and the list goes on. These are just a few I've learned so much from. So my watercoloring adventure will continue without a doubt!

Of course my work is always quirky!

I mentioned being on a budget these days. Well...I had and am having a huge expense right happening right now and I have to devote every penny I have to that. Again my AMAZING customers have supported me in this as well by donating to my Facebook Fundraiser that I set up for my horse, Baby, who had something happen in mid-June, by once again, the hands of a supposed horse trainer. She'd only been there a few days and then suddenly couldn't walk. I had her brought back to my house and got my vet out, and after x-rays, he found a break in her short pastern, P2 is the technical term. Whatever happened, I don't know and of course the trainer isn't forthcoming with information or even an apology. No comment.

My sweet Baby girl, before the injury

The next day I had to have her transported up to Lexington, KY to the only orthopedic surgeon who can do that type of repair. He's the best in the business. He works on so many racehorses as the Kentucky Horse Park is near by. I couldn't ask for a better facility or a better vet taking care of her. The repair consisted of 2 metal plates and 8 screws. She's been in the equine hospital since June 11th and in a cast for the past 3 weeks. The plan is that on the 4th week, he'll determine whether the cast will be just changed, or if she's healed enough to remove it and have her try to walk on her own. Right now she's having a little trouble with some soreness on the non-surgical hoof, and that is likely due to it having the added weight and pressure from supporting the limb that isn't 100%. Hopefully this will improve over the next few days. The cost for the surgery and subsequent care is very expensive, as in you could buy a new car expensive. Doing this repair was the only way to save her and so that's what I did. Money is replaceable, a life isn't. I'm hoping that she will be back home in the next couple of weeks. If you'd like to send positive vibes, energy or prayers up to her, we'd both appreciate it! She's a sweetheart.

In the meantime, I'm trying to stay very positive and only have good thoughts. I keep busy by doing my art all day, and being with my dogs and cats, and my heart horse Simba.

All That Glitters!

Oh how I love October and it's already more than halfway over. Sad... I wish it would last for another 6 months! Our temps here have started to drop a bit, though this week we might be headed up into the 80's again when really temps should be in the 50's or 60's. That's the south for you, always on the warm side of things.

I've got a zillion projects going on right now. I just completed a HUGE one yesterday that I wanted to have done for the past 3 years. LOL! We built a smaller horse shed for one of my horses and it was just plywood so it was ugly, weathered, aging...looking pretty shabby. Yesterday I went out and painted it finally, and we trimmed it out in bright white to really finish it off. Looks 1000x times better! Next is our garden shed which I originally painted a bright yellow and has faded so badly, that I'm going to repaint and make it too fresh and bright.

So - all that glitters? Well....I've been working on lots and lots of jewelry. Did I mention how much I LOVE to solder?! Oh I do. I took some amazing classes this past summer and have been working so hard on new jewelry pieces. I've been so fortunate too to be able to sell so many this year. That's really gratifying. Here are a few things I've made so far:

My next addition will be hand stamping. I'm currently in the "collecting" stage; letter sets, metal blanks, and various tools. I'm in LOVE with this form of jewelry making too, though it can be extremely frustrating as well if you don't get a good impression with the stamp. The letter sets too are very expensive. I mean VERY expensive. Not the $50 or 60 that are in the stores. These are hundreds of dollars, so it's a huge investment. The difference in stamping though is comparable to buying a Volkswagen to a Ferrari! That huge of a difference. The work you put out though is also amazing, so it's worth the investment I think.  This is one I made for a memorial pendant for an order:

And just a fun one:

I've got bracelets coming as well and a lot more fun things. I hope to show you some more soon! Happy Fall!

F@LL is the Beginning of Baking Season!

Hey everyone! It's the end of September, we're in Fall mode now, and so I thought it'd be a good time to kick off the season with an amazing recipe that I tried about a month ago and will be baking again here soon. They were SO delicious I can't even tell you! If you love cinnamon, these are for you! 

I have to tell you that I modified the recipe for me just a bit, meaning I added a lot more cinnamon. Do what you want, follow the recipe to a "T" or not. I added a couple tablespoons of cinnamon and I think a dash of cloves and nutmeg too. My apples were also leftover from apple pie I had made, so I added those in too. They had been chopped and mixed with brown sugar and butter. I mean really, that can only make a recipe better right? Yes, right! I also didn't have any pecans, so those weren't in mine (tho I love them). Oh and my glaze - I added cinnamon to my mixture.

Ok, so here's the recipe. Seriously, make them! And another tip, make sure the dough is chilled before kneading and cutting, or it'll be sticky.

Apple Pie Scones

Ingredients

For The Scones

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces

1 Granny Smith apple, chopped into small pieces

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

For The Topping

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°

For The Scones

In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt together.

Add cold butter into flour mixture and using a pastry blender or a fork, mix until crumbly.

Add chopped apples and pecans, stir.

Pour in milk and stir until incorporated.

Remove from bowl and place on a flour covered surface and knead about 8 times.

Form a rectangle, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, then cut into 8 diagonal pieces and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper..

Place in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes or until browned.

For The Topping

Mix powdered sugar with milk to make a glaze, then drizzle over each scone.

These are drool worthy, so make them! You're welcome! 

IT's F@LL! PuMPkIn SPiCe L@TtE TiMe!

Hey everyone! Hope you're doing well...all things considered. Last post was back in March when all the craziness began. I don't need to post about all that stuff, cause, well, we've all heard everything about it...so let's just move right along!

What have I been busy doing? Well, time with my horses of course. Not riding cause it's been summer, and summer here in the south is sheer misery for me; hot and humid, and very buggy. I've been enjoying their company though, and just spending time with them. Both Simba, my heart horse, and Baby, my Mustang, are both doing well.

On a sadder note, I lost my big Toby dog, the last of my "pack" that I moved here to TN with. They're all gone....It broke my heart to lose every one, losing Toby hit hard. He was always there, my security blanket I guess, my rock. I thought he'd live forever. I think it was cancer that took him. He developed some large masses that couldn't be removed. With that came breathing issues. He fought and really wanted to live, but he finally succumbed. Thankfully it happened here at home, in an instant. I'm grateful for that little bit. He was the best dog. Well, they all were. I can't help but think that if I never moved here, they'd all still be alive. I blame myself for that. Huge regret....

Ok well, art stuff. I'm still home creating. Not working. Not sure when or if that will indeed happen again. Maybe when we move. I'm sure that's when.. So here I am. I have been doing art constantly these past 6 months. And I have to say, I'm loving EVERY second of it! My mind just won't shut off with all the things I've been making and want to make. I've met a lot of new customers through social media and have created many custom orders for them. It's been great! Here's a few things I've been working on:

And these are just a FEW things! Not only have I been creating, but I've taken several jewelry classes, a watercolor class, and an amazing marketing class too. Oh and baking! LOL! Lots of baking! I've made cheesecake, apple cinnamon scones, individual apple pies, lots of banana bread, cookies, you name it, I've baked it. AND ate it too! Yum, delish! I've even been chatting with Pastry Chef Dwayne, the winner of a multitude of championships on the Food Network shows. We vow to get together sometime this Fall and bake an apple pie together. Should be a blast! 

Anyway, just trying to stay as busy as possible to get through these difficult times. I know better days are ahead and that's what I'm focusing on. Staying positive and productive. Not to sound cheesy, but try and think good thoughts. We'll get through this. Be well everyone and take good care of yourselves and each other!

A Whole New World

Hey everyone! Yes, I'm alive and well and still living in Nowheresville, TN. But thankfully so now that we've got this crazy virus spreading across the globe. I guess it's sort of good to be down on the farm afterall.

I have to admit I'm a tad freaked out. I'm worried. Worried for the whole world, not just me, my family, or friends. The whole world. I've got relatives in France who are quarantined as well. My one cousine, I mean cousin, Priscilla, is a nurse. She said there is no protection in her hospital where she works. No masks, no alcohol or santizer. She just got over a desperate bout of pneumonia a month or so ago and she has a baby and a family. It's a bad situation. She wants to stay and do her part and help people, but she's also torn on what she needs to do which is stay home, stay healthy so she can care for her son. It's hard, it really is.

Yesterday I was laid off from my job due to this virus. Working for a small construction company, we're dependent on our projects. And of course with Nashville pretty much shutting down, so did our projects. I was only hired about 2 months ago, and I know my job is expendable because project managers can do estimates and get quotes themselves, they don't need me when we're not busy. They're hoping things will ramp up in a few months and they'll be able to call me back. I hope so too. Not just for the money but also to be working, and contributing.

Well so I'm home now then. I'm going to use this time to do a lot of art. I mean a lot! I'd already been doing that a few months ago before I got that job, so I'll get pick up where I left off. Hopefully I'll sell some more orders. I've found some wonderful customers via Instagram and they've reordered multiple times. It's a great feeling, not just the money, but that they love what I do, which is why I keep on doing it!

Anyway, I just wanted to check in with everyone. Stay safe, stay well!!

It's October!

Yay! Fall has finally arrived here in middle Tennessee after enduring months and months of 90 degree plus weather. Boy was I tired of that! Now it's in the 60's, low 70's, even some 50's. This October loving girl is just so happy about it too!

News? I'm busy filling lots of Etsy orders. I think I just hit 405 sales! Woo Hoo!! It's awesome that I have so many return customers. To me that means they love what I do, and of course that's why I do it! So doing lots of painting; snowmen and witches...you know, the usual. My art studio is now in my dining room, spread out all over my dining room table (that we never eat on), this way I can keep an eye on my doggies in the adjacent room. I like it better that way, though it is messy.

Whmsical Witch painted on a Bass wood plate

Vlad, a paperclay sculpture

Oh and I was taking a ceramics class up in Nashville that I enrolled in and started back in August, but then I fizzled out on it, realizing that it just wasn't my thing. I'm a painter pure and simple. I need more time once I create a ceramic piece and the first firing is done, to be able to sit and think about what colors I want to paint, or what design, and in the class, you don't really have that luxury. It's more about the creation in clay then it is the painting, so I just don't think it's my medium. Good thing I didn't invest $1,500 on a kiln! I did enjoy it though, don't get me wrong. My teacher, Crystal Shade, who owns Crystal Shade Pottery up in Germantown, was a hoot! She creates really awesome animal creations just to name a few and donates to animal organizations (which I SO admire!). I feel bad it wasn't for me, but you don't know till you try I guess. I made a few things; a funny cat mug, some little houses and also some ornaments.

Paperclay sculpted owls - I love these!

A new Frosty paperclay sculpture

Right now besides filling Etsy orders, I'm trying out a new technique with carving my design in wood and then painting. I've done one large one and I like it. It's different for me as it's not as detailed as I normally get, and also it's not "perfect" which is hard for someone that's semi-anal retentive such as myself, not to try and get everything "just right". It's good for me to loosen up and not go back and fix things, though trust me it's hard! LOL! Anyway, my first creation was done on an 18" x 11" wood plaque that I had already painted with a base coat of off-white, so when I did my carving, it wasn't quite the same as having a clean piece to start with, but I think it turned out fine. I just started a smaller one now that hasn't been painted first, so we'll see how that goes. I'll update this post with a pic of the other here shortly.

Well that's kind of it for right now. I'm just home, enjoying doing all my art and working with my wonderful customers, and spending time with my horses, and my cozy little house. Life is sweet and I'm blessed for each and every day, and grateful for so many good things in my life. Happy Fall everyone!!!

Waiting for Fall, but in the meantime...

Hope everyone's summer is going great and you're doing some fun things.  I've been working in my garden and thought I'd post some pics of what's growing.

Zinnias are my all-time favorite flower, and every summer I try and plant as many as I can. This year I planted from seed, which definitely required some patience as I was anxious to see them bloom. It's amazing how each one looks so different in color and size, even though they're the same variety. The colors are so vivid and beautiful aren't they? They also attract many types of butterflies to the garden, which is another reason I plant them. So pretty!

Thumbelina Zinnias in a wheelbarrow

Planted in a large metal water trough

See the little butterflies?

Black Eyed Susans, Coneflowers, Zinnias, and more!

Russian Sage, Coneflower, and lots of Zinnas blooming

Have a seat and relax!

Part of the small garden in the front of the house

Halloween and Snowmen, and Other Sweet Things Forever!

Yes, once again I've been absent from my blog. I remember when I used to blog at least once at week, if not every other day. I miss that as I was in touch with the goings on with all my blogger friends and seeing what all my artsy friends were creating. Anyway, here I am again and happy to be here, and I'm going to really try to post a lot more.

Briefly, let me catch you up with my goings on; quit my job in March, starting a new one next week. Had a colonoscopy (I know, too much info) in March also and I have diverticulitis all throughout my entire colon (oh joy!), was really sick from it in January (thankfully not hospitalized!), went to Utah in Sept/October and loved it (as usual). During our stay, the Witchfest was going on at Gardner's Village and that was awesome!!! I will say that Utahns love Halloween! And before that, I have no idea what else was going on with me!

Sooooo...a few weeks back, or so, I announced on my By Way of Salem FB page that I was going to be doing something new and different and not doing Halloween as much as I was. I created a new business called BARN DOGS USA, where I make handmade dog collars from really cute 100% cotton fabrics, with antique brass hardware and colored buckles. Sounds pretty easy right? OMG backbreaking work for me, stooped over a cutting table attempting to cut out strips of fabric that are all perfectly straight, and then once again stooped over my sewing machine stitching them up. While they came out really cute I thought, and was happy with the result, for me they were not at all creative and I didn't enjoy making them. I think that was the biggest thing, like what would happen if I got a bunch of orders?! Gasp! I'd have to continue making them! LOL! So I put what I did make in my BarnDogUSA Etsy shop and that's that. Once they sell, if they sell, I am so over it and on to Halloween and painting that I love. I mean really, how could I ever give up Halloween!

Cute right? I think so!

Now, Halloween stuff. YES! Let me show you a couple things I've made (and sold) since we last talked!

These are a couple of stitched muslin art dolls that I had a lot of fun creating. The Frankenstein character sold last month, and I just have the Witch and Pumpkin Man remaining. It's really fun to paint and sculpt their faces and give them their kooky personalities!

And on the sweeter side; the "trailer" is made of salt dough which I won't use again since it's not reliable - it cracks and just doesn't hold up, but I loved the painting part! Then a new snowman rock which I love. I still do a LOT of snowmen, in all forms, and I adore creating them.

So, here I am, back creating, loving what I do. Enjoying everyday with my pets, binge watching Grace and Frankie, staying busy in my garden (and I'm so happy it's planting time again!), and just grateful for all I have in my life. And yes, I'll be back! Hugs to you all! Jeannine