These something mystical about horses - their grace, elegance, and power seem to enchant us. I often rode when I was younger, even riding in our annual parades in the small town where I grew up. But, my driver's license, High School sports (I played volleyball and ran track), my first job and boys put an end to my riding days. Why didn't I date a cowboy instead of that football player?
I have often felt like an ODD DUCK in my life. Living in the city after growing up on a farm can be difficult at times when it comes to relating to my girlfriends that grew up in the city. They haven't worked cattle, rode a horse, swam in a creek, hauled hay in the Summer, or gone on hayrides in the Fall. Being somewhat of a tomboy doesn't help either, they certainly didn't spend an entire day pretending to be on an archeological dig. I don't think digging a large hole in the lawn would have been tolerated, but when you live in the country there's plenty of room to dig outside of the yard around the house. They think my country upbringing sounds pretty awful - like a lot of hard work. It was hard work, but I can't imagine growing up any other way...
One of my favorite things about the Midwest is the wheat on the prairie, miles and miles of it swishing back and forth in the breeze always takes my breath away. I am always sad when I hear that wheat prices are down because that means farmers will be planting more soy beans and corn. No swishing wheat.....sigh.
One of the leather cuff bracelets with a little bird on a branch that is riveted in place that I really loved making with etched copper. I think it has a tuff feminine quality to it that I love. Women aren't all lace and pearls, you know....
Nickel silver buckle gives the bracelet a cowgirl feel that I like and is functional allowing for adjustment to smaller or larger wrist sizes.
I love to hammer and shape metal. Why is that? Is it the physical effort, the sound of the hammer hitting metal or the end result? Whenever you bend metal to your will, you put a bit of yourself into the cuff - forcing the metal into the shape you desire. You take an ordinary copper rod and create a fun piece of jewelry - I love that!
Gears are fun to work with representing the industrial age when gears were used in factories, cars, clocks, tools, and endless other ways. Refining of the wheel into a working gear...human ingenuity. Add the brass micro bolts and nuts and the brass gears are connected to the copper cuff.
This bracelet has good heft to it and feels substantial on the wrist without being too heavy. My love of solid jewelry with a little heft says something about me and my nature. The gears actually turn together on this piece making it a mechanical art piece.
My resourceful husband is a CPA by trade, but can handle any project around the farm from roof repairs, to plumbing, repairing the lawn mower, or building a piece of furniture. The kids are always included in the projects around the house and farm. It's a Midwestern thing. Ryan is different from his friends in the city, he uses power tools, builds small furniture pieces, and makes his own skateboard ramps. A chip off the ole block...
Another
cuff this time in tooled leather with pink rhinestones to add that little touch of feminity to soften the stamped metal plate and rivets. "There's more here than meets the eye." is stamped onto the copper plate on the front. The woman's mantra...
Here's sweet Molly and Angus, my terriers riding with me in the country with the windows down and noses in the breeze as we crunch along the gravel road to the farm. My little buddies that I can't imagine life without.
It's beginning to feel like Fall with cooler temperatures and the leaves are just beginning to fall to the ground and make a wonderful crunch under my feet....xo Julie
Seed beads were added for a little sparkle and interest and the hat is complete. Tasha loved her new hat and I think it is a perfect way to keep her warm this Winter.
These something mystical about horses - their grace, elegance, and power seem to enchant us. I often rode when I was younger, even riding in our annual parades in the small town where I grew up. But, my driver's license, High School sports (I played volleyball and ran track), my first job and boys put an end to my riding days. Why didn't I date a cowboy instead of that football player?
One of my favorite things about the Midwest is the wheat on the prairie, miles and miles of it swishing back and forth in the breeze always takes my breath away. I am always sad when I hear that wheat prices are down because that means farmers will be planting more soy beans and corn. No swishing wheat.....sigh.
One of the leather cuff bracelets with a little bird on a branch that is riveted in place that I really loved making with etched copper. I think it has a tuff feminine quality to it that I love. Women aren't all lace and pearls, you know....
I love to hammer and shape metal. Why is that? Is it the physical effort, the sound of the hammer hitting metal or the end result? Whenever you bend metal to your will, you put a bit of yourself into the cuff - forcing the metal into the shape you desire. You take an ordinary copper rod and create a fun piece of jewelry - I love that!
Gears are fun to work with representing the industrial age when gears were used in factories, cars, clocks, tools, and endless other ways. Refining of the wheel into a working gear...human ingenuity. Add the brass micro bolts and nuts and the brass gears are connected to the copper cuff.
My resourceful husband is a CPA by trade, but can handle any project around the farm from roof repairs, to plumbing, repairing the lawn mower, or building a piece of furniture. The kids are always included in the projects around the house and farm. It's a Midwestern thing. Ryan is different from his friends in the city, he uses power tools, builds small furniture pieces, and makes his own skateboard ramps. A chip off the ole block...
Here's sweet Molly and Angus, my terriers riding with me in the country with the windows down and noses in the breeze as we crunch along the gravel road to the farm. My little buddies that I can't imagine life without.
I collect the corks from wine bottles as mementos of special occassions like anniversaries, birthdays, dinner with friends, etc. I just can't bear to throw them away. I began dropping them into crocks and glass containers, but after ten years that's alot of corks.....
On a trip to Napa Valley for a wine tasting tour I saw these trivets in a gift shop and thought it was an incredibly brilliant idea. My corks could finally be put to good use and this is a great repurposing idea. A functional creation that I would actually use! 
Begin placing the corks inside the trivet until they become snug, adjust the height of the corks so that the top of your trivet is flush so your hot kettles will not topple off the counter top. Once you have jammed the last cork in place, just tighten with a screwdriver to secure them in place.
Artist Martin Sanchez and his beautiful daughter Stephanie outside their restaurant that resides across the street from Martin's chapel.
Folk artist Martin Sanchez has transformed nearly an entire city block in Riverside, California into a chapel built from found materials, curiosities, and oddities. The photo above is a view of the exterior of the chapel, with beer and soda bottles serving as walls. The interior of the sanctuary illuminates the chapel with color from the bottles in the walls. 
Restaurant-owner and folk artist Martin Sanchez has created an urban oasis, a garden of Eden, hidden behind shrubs, trees and a wrought-iron fence inside Martin’s Tio’s Tacos restaurant on Mission Inn Avenue in Riverside, California. 
Relatively undiscovered, Mr. Sanchez has been working on his creation for almost 10 years. Patrons of the restaurant can walk underneath cooling streams of water flowing from a fountain garden made of broken pieces of clay and old pipes, discarded bicycles, dolls and other items.
One of the many mini shrines located inside the chapel featuring garage sale finds and imagery decoupaged on the window sill.
Sanchez came to the United States in 1984. He struggled at first, selling oranges in East Los Angeles, working in factories and making extra money by selling tacos. He became a legal resident during the 1986 federal amnesty.
Vintage letters, journals and envelopes are great for mixed media work. They are perfect for soldered charms, backgrounds for found objects, decoupage and paper cut outs - the options are endless. Here are some for you to try...
Try printing the vintage papers on transluscent papers, fabric, transparency and vellum.
Stamps are especially intersting in mixed media projects - so are the postmarks.
For the exotic try a foreign language to give the work a little something special.
Sandwich the papers between glass or in the back of a tiny box filled with treasures from the shore.
Botanicals can also be used for interesting fairy wings for your pet - such a cute thank you note can be made this way.
Use the papers as a background for your paintings allowing the text and colors bleed through for added interest.
Cut outinchies and decoupage an old doll found at an estate sale.
Print these vintage papers out and cut out birds, butterflies, and honeybees - or just a simple heart. 
I picked up a copy of the Alabama Stitch Book by Natalie Chanin while browsing my local Border's Books last week. The background: Natalie Chanin is a clothing designer that located her production company to her small rural town in Alabama. 
A trip to Joann's Fabrics for the perfect quilting thread to match the fabric paint I found in a few shades darker than the gray/beige T-shirt I picked up at the Thrift store. I hurried home with my materials and proceeded to cut out my stencil.
This skirt in the book will be perfect for this Summer - I want to make one in navy, brown and red.
Another skirt with an appliqued border around the bottom edge. I want to try this one as well in grey and black.
My stencil of a Jayhawk cut from a gift box left over from Christmas past. I used a tile blade for printing instead of an exacto knife. TIP: Always cut toward you pulling the blade toward your body turning the paper as needed.
A pink T-shirt with a gray/beige background with khaki fabric paint around the edges. This was so quick and easy to do. I finished the stencil in about 30 minutes - it can be reused again and again. 
