Vintage Book Decor is here

There is something about the rustic feel of vintage books that has always appealed to me. While at Round Top last year I was inspired by a fellow crafter to take my style to a pile of books and see what happens.
I love the results. These can go up in a bookshelf or on a coffee table. I have mine in a book easel and I am so happy how it turned out. Thanks to a fellow crafter for challenging me and turning me loose.

The Hidden Jewel part 1

I had walked past the old barn a zillion times.  Never once did it enter my mind that there might be something more hidden amongst the old bailing wire, rusted tools, and snake nests. (yes, snake nests.)
But someone did - my father in law, Hank.  He knew that I had outgrown my old smokehouse art studio and he approached me with an idea..."Why not take the two rooms of the barn and make them into your new studio?"  Huh? He knew that I had outgrown the old smokehouse studio that I was using and he came up with an idea - a great idea indeed!

Now the hunt was on for who could help us with this task - turning a barn into a studio?  Hank to the rescue again.  One day he was at the farm and while driving back from Granger, he saw a contractor's truck parked onsite at a house.  So he stopped and wrote his number down from the side of the truck.  I called him the next day and met Mario, a local contractor who understood my vision for what we wanted.  Within weeks...we were clearing out the barn getting it ready for Mario and his crew to begin the transformation.  And yes..we found a snake!

First job was to level the floor of this eighty year old barn --not an easy task. It took them over a day to get both ends of the barn level.  I was afraid the team was going to quit.  I kept bringing them water.  They weren't smiling.  Finally, they were happy and ready to move on.

While they were working on the floor and frame, we were sourcing the windows, doors, flooring at Habitat for Humanity.  I highly recommend their stores in your area.  The prices are great and you are helping your community in the process.  Everyday we could see progress - walls, insulation, sheetrock.  This old barn was becoming my vintage studio!

 Next up...the studio comes to life.

Think Love - Live Joy!

Here's a fun project that is dedicated to a new friend I was destined to meet.  Try this out.

 

After I put gesso over the burlap background, I painted the background with Distress Paints,

Broken China, Evergreen Bough, Frayed Burlap, and Pumice Stone.  It dried pretty quick.

I tore some tissue paper and glued it down with matte medium randomly in the corners.  So far 

so good.

Every morning during coffee time I select a few videos to learn and get inspiration for my day. Well,
I tried not to fall out of my chair on this one.  Anna-Karin is one of my go to videos.  She used embossing paste as the medium to allow the honeycomb pieces from Tim Holtz framelits die
to create this mosaic.  It was a little tricky but I loved the end result.



This artwork is dedicated to my new friend who crossed my path while I was junking last week.  She was in a store called Junque Dynasty and she was so full of life and joy.  She too was an artist and invited me to her show this weekend.  We discovered we had much in common.  Our meeting was no accident.

On her business card and website it reads...Think Love - Live Joy. She paints nature,  especially birds.
Pam, this is dedicated to you.  Here's to a long life of paint covered days!

Joys of Junkin'

"Let's go for a drive."  My husband is always trying to get me into trouble.  On this particular Saturday, he wanted to go junkin'.  I'm in!  So we headed to Round Top and sights along the way.  What we did not realize was that it was the famous Antique Week, where thousands of people migrate to Round Top and Warrenton to rummage through the best junk in Texas.  That's the good news.  The bad news is the traffic is horrible.  The minute we got into town and saw the line of traffic we knew we picked the wrong weekend for a lazy day of junkin!  Oh well...here's some of the jewels from the junkin road I wanted to share with you. Unfortunately, I didn't get to come home with them.

Check out these blue beauties...

Love these tags.

The orange trunk was stunning mixed in between.

Springtime pink watering can. Sigh...

What a crock!

Batter Up!

Great marketing advice!

I want to learn how to make things look old like this wood.

And like this desk.  Love the look. And finally...

Tim Holtz...check this out.  I thought of you.

Isn't this crazy?  It was an organizational 

dream for someone.

And so ends our day in Round Top...tired and happy.

Trying New Things

I'm going to ignore the fact that it's been awhile since I have posted on my blog and I'm hoping you  will do the same.  Ahem...so moving on to a new project today, I have dipped my toe into the world of mixed media.  It's really fun when you are creating layers and textures.  But when it comes to adding sprays and paints dribbling down your masterpiece, well...it is really stressssssful!  When I was done and my blood pressure calmed down, I laughed at myself because I actually liked it.

Isn't it hard to try new things?  Or is it just me?  Try something new today...go dribble paint on something.

Be good today,
Eloise

Welcome Cherry Tree Creative to the PaperFire Community!

You know how they say that people cross your path for a reason?  A few months ago while shopping in my favorite second hand store, the owner came over to me and said there is a friend of mine that you need to know.

Can you read me now?

As I was saying...my garden has been such a blessing this year.  And with that blessing comes hours of canning and freezing veggies.  We have quite the cabinet full of gorgeous canning jars filled with jams, beets, pickles, etc.  With that said...please forgive the writing absence.  I have been busy, I promise.

So. let's get reacquainted. My name is Eloise and I am an artist of all things paper.  I work in a studio which is actually an old smoke house on my husband's family farm near Austin.  One of my fav people is a fellow artist named Tim Holtz.  I got to meet him for the first time in Minneapolis a few weeks ago.

He is a great teacher.  I have a lot to catch you up on so I will see you tomorrow with some fun projects!

Thanks for stopping by.
Eloise

Different is Good

I had lunch today at a place in Austin called the Farmacy. It is modeled after a pharmacy (duh) and the brand they are creating is way cool - even down to the salt and pepper shakers. But ambiance alone will not keep your doors open. The food has got to rock especially if you are going to make it in weird, quirky Austin.

I had a turkey sandwich on multigrain bread with a dash of strawberry/orange jam on it smothered with mozzarella cheese. (I am hungry again as I am typing this!) Yum yum, my friends. Side note: I discovered I have a jar fetish - especially blue tinted jars. I have an array of them in my kitchen. I was tempted to make these salt and pepper shakers part of that array but...I walked away thankful we found another cool place we can call home.

I love you Hallmark but...

When's the last time you gave someone a card and they kept it out and displayed it? I love you Hallmark but your cards don't have a lot of staying power. This card, which is actually a card that holds up to three tags, was displayed in my mother in law's kitchen for months. It allowed me enough room to thank her for all she does and on the other tag I created a word cloud to tell her all the qualities that make her special. I think it was a feel good card for both of us!

There is only one problem...what am I going to do for this year's card? I better get busy.

Honor the women in your life and use your creativity to say a BIG thank you!

Great find!

We went bumming yesterday in the hill Country and found this antique holder of treasures. I am using it for my new distress markers and Copic.  Love it!

My Garden Party

"Where have you been?," I've been asked. Well...it's been a cross between planting and tending to my large garden and being flu sick. For all you artists out there you know what I'm talking about. Trying to be creative while feeling like the flu is knocking at your door is just an art killer. But I did want you to know that I am alive and coming back. I took my garden and applied some creative elements to it and wah - la- Garden Art. Check this out.

I have been busy still creating and coming up, some results from an online class I am taking from the master, Tim Holtz. He is teaching us about inks, stamping, and "out of the box thinking" when it comes to our art message to the world. It has been an eye opener for sure.

So be creative today and thankful for your health. Eloise

Organized chaos

When my daughter and I get together to craft, it is wild fun.

Comments from the Coop

Sorry for the writing delay. It is planting time around the farm and my acrylic nails are taking a beating. We decided to move the coop fence line out further so our lovely chickens would have fresh greens to chew on and enjoy. I was so excited to see them fly the coop and head out to explore greener pastures - literally. So out they come and go to the old fence line and stop. Whaaaat? Even though there was nothing holding them back, they had been trained to stop. Where they taking lessons from the humans?

It's been a week now and they are getting the hang of it and enjoying their new freedom. No old fence lines and delicious rewards await.

By delicious I mean...take a look at this. They richness of their eggs is wonderful.

So loose the fences, venture out and you just might see the rich rewards!

Working on a cool project this week. I'll be sending you sneak peeks soon.

Did you enjoy your day of love? I wanted to get this posted yesterday because I love the message of...well...love. This is a frame that I altered for a family friend who is getting married in a few weeks. The sentiment I used says this..."Love does not consist in gazing at each other...but in looking together in the same direction." Cool, huh?

No matter how long you have been married, we are all vulnerable to inching apart in different directions. Giving a box of drug store chocolates and a card is sometimes not enough. Why not send them something when they least expect it! Give your special relationship a GPS gut check and reinforce your life direction together. Do you truly know which direction you are headed?

Cupid Over and Out

Baby Names

We are knee deep in the midst of wading through baby names for my son and daughter in law's new addition. I tried to explain to him that sometimes you leave it up to randomness. When I was stuck with what to name him I got out a Texas map and decided to close my eyes and point to the map. Wherever my finger was -- that was going to be his name of destiny. And...I pointed to Tyler, Texas. So, Tyler Norman Owens it was. I realize that it was a gamble. I could of landed on White Settlement or San Marcos!

So, now they are trying to decide on what his name will be. I sent him suggestions like Sebastian, or Green Ivy, (Beyonce named her daughter Blue Ivy.) or Rocko Owens. I'm not getting anywhere. Sigh...

Here is a picture of the valentine I sent to my no name grandson...affectionately named, Baby Owens. Any ideas on great boy names? We need help!

Enjoy your week and celebrate your name. At least you have one!

Signed,

Green Ivy Owens

(I kinda like this.)

My New Hang Out

I believe everyone needs their place in this world to play, create, or to just think. This is mine. It is a studio I created out of an old smokehouse that my husband's family built years ago. I saw it and fell in love. I found my place.

Now, you go find yours and make it special. If you already have one, use this spring to re-do it, re- paint it, or go to Stein Mart and buy something new to put up on your wall. Everyone needs to shake up their place so...start shaking!

Envelop Album with pull out flaps

A Simple Gluestick

Everything I have accomplished in my life has been because of a focused energy to the task at hand. From starting my own professional speaking business 20 years ago with a phone line and a business card, to attending my first crafter's convention with just a glue stick...I know me very well. And this is what I know. I love challenging and motivating people to live bigger and love better. It has been my own journey for these last 50 ish years that motivates me to get up everyday and get on with it!

I had no idea where that would take me but here I am - hanging out on a beautiful farm near Austin, taking care of chickens, harvesting an organic garden, and living life a bit slower these days. My hunch - this slower pace has awakened the creative, God breathed fire within me to develop a new way to inspire. No more jumping on airplanes to hit three cities in three days to deliver my message. Now I craft my message from my studio, an old smokehouse actually, to help the recipient not only document their memories but to use their memories to stir them - even challenge them.

Everyone has a fire inside of them, motivating them to act. My prayer is that you return frequently to Paper Fire and be ignited to create a masterpiece - in your life or in your artistry. Welcome to the fire!

Hello World!