Fall is simply the best time of the year…..the weather starts cooling off and all the plants that were struggling through the end of the hot summer start to perk up again. This is the season where one can bring the outside in - where inspiration for decorations is the outdoors.  Fall is such a beautiful season that brings endless possibilities for the creative soul.

The pumpkins and guords are absolutely beautiful in all the varieties the come in. I have started changing out the floral arrangements in the house with touches of brown, rust and golden tones. A few pumpkins here and there, inside & outside the house. I bring out the Halloween décor throughout at the same time.  Check out some of my falls picks on Pinterest.

Please let me explain

Please let me expain where I have been. I have been suffering inside and lost all my interest. Blogging, crafting, all creative juices gone. Reason…. I lost my wonderful friend of 11 years, Butch, my Burmese Cat. He came to me at a time in my life that I needed company. I was very lonely and his companionship was priceless. When I met my husband, they both became friends instantly and formed their special bond. Most said, they never had met a cat like Butch. He stayed next to me wherever I went and every room I went to…Then, one day, he got sick. Out of the blue. I just noticed that he was not himself. I’ll never forget that morning when I petted his head and rubbed his nose, that it was dry. Generally, moist like most cats. Something was wrong. I sensed it. I called the Vet and he didn’t see anything through an exam so he said he needed to run blood work. He was stunned, I could tell. He said that his kidney readings were off the chart. If he was a human, he would be a candidate for a kidney transplant. He immediately took him to the other exam room and ran a sonagam. I couldn’t believe it, he said his one kidney was gone and the other nearly gone. Kidney failure. He kept him, pumped him full of antibiotics and fluids hoping to save my friend. Two days later, they called and we had to go say goodbye. He was suffering. He didn’t act like the Butch I knew. He was in pain and suffering. Dave & I said our goodbyes and shed a million tears. I miss that boy. My special Butch.

Kitchen Makeover

Often I go to homes that need the kitchen updated, but the funds are not there. A great way to do this is with paint. Its inexpensive and you can paint out dated cabinets to look like new. Add new hardware for that final touch. I found a great makeover over at the blog of Hi Sugar Plum…take a look.

 

 

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Head over to her site and check out the full story. While you are there be sure and look at her other room makeovers. Great ideas for updating your home!

Making Bracelets

I have ventured off into the world of jewelry...About a year ago, I purchased a bracelet made from old jewelry parts. A short time later, I received a gift from Anthropologies of a bracelet made similar but different. Each with their own creative style, inspired me to make a couple myself.

I looked for old bracelets for the base, but these were hard to find and costly. I googled the internet until I found plain metal wrist bands that were made for crafting. I took one of these bands and wrapped them with a wide ribbon. Making sure to cover the end pieces. You can see where I folded the ribbon around the end to cover the metal. Completed ribbon wrapping....I found that you could use E6000 or hot glue, either working well. Started with a doilie as the base of the design.When I started assembling different pieces of jewelry, I changed out the doilie for another color. It was fun adding the found pieces of jewelry, buttons, etc. Making your own design. Here is my first completed bracelet…

Just around the corner (September 15-17th to be exact) The Creative Connection Event is taking place in St. Paul, MN.

This is the conference to attend if you are a creative/DIY/crafty blogger. This is the conference that  I would love to attend. If I had not already enrolled in Art & Soul, in Portland, Oregon in September…you would find me going to this. Several people that I have met at art events that have attended rave about the event. Great classes, lectures, vendors, shopping, and meeting old and new friends.

There is a BIG giveaway going on right now for The Creative Connection. Right now on their blog, they are giving away 2 tickets along with hotel to one lucky winner. So if you won, you could bring a friend! Pretty Awesome!

So head on over to The Creative Connection blog and enter to win, You could take me if you won!

I highly encourage you to check out The Creative Connection website. 

Extreme Heat May Force A Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park To Close - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

Extreme Heat May Force A Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park To Close - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

Fox Hollow Studio

This is my 1st time to participate in Where Bloggers Create. Our wonderful hostess, Karen will be presenting all of the blogs participating on her site. I thought this would be a good incentive to clean my studio...it much needed some reorganizing and cleaning.

I must tell you, that after looking at many of the blogs from last years event...mine was a very small space. My studio began as a home office for my real estate business. Then in 2003, I read my first Somerset Press magazine that inspired me to began my own creating adventure. From there I started card making, scrapbooking, mixed media & recently making jewelry with vintage pieces. Below is my computer area with my shelves built by my talented husband. These shelves mainly hold special pieces of art, photos, scrapbooks of creative ideas I love, and workspace.

Below this photo shows a close up of a piece of art that I made, a hand blown lamp bought on vacation, and Mickey Mouse that was in the box with my Mickey Mouse watch that I received when I was a small girl.

This is the space where most of my work is done, my supplies are within arms reach regardless if I am painting, stamping, sewing, jewelry making and whatever else I may have going on! I recently purchased the hanging lamp from a trip to Key West. I found it in a decorator shop. My husband rewired it with a long hanging cord, and I extended over the desk with a plant hanger. 

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 Did you notice the closet door in the background. I made the curtain out of linen and trim the bottom with cotton cording trim and the top with rosette trim. I made these entirely without sewing a stitch. Hems and added trim was done with Jodee's Sealah tape. I was amazed at how well this stuff works and holds tight. 

My husband said I organize to reorganize...in another word, I am constantly reorganizing my supplies. I finally found a storage units that work well for all my crafting project. I love the paper organizer, the drawers with dividers , and open spots that allow a basket that holds a project. This also walls my television and other art that I enjoy. I love my little wall lamp that has made many changes from the original shade, it was zebra and recently I did it in burlap and trimmed it with fabric flowers and vintage buttons. I really love how it looks. I love the arrangemnt of old doilies found at flea markets, that are spread across the top of this unit. The vintage jewelry box houses some of my favorite vintage jewelry for projects. I have an old bubble gum rack that I store paints, stamp pads and other supplies.

Below is my favorite of all my storage, it is a vintage parts file. I love all the little compartments to store items for my mixed media projects.

And then last, but not least my office companion, my Burmese cat.

Preparations are Happening in the Studio

I've been making prepartion for the upcoming "Where Bloggers Create" event this coming Friday. You can go to My Desert Cottage, Karen Valentine's Blog (Our Hostess) and check out all the participating blogs on her site. Karen is a blog designer, artist, and beautiful person inside & out. I'm lucky to have had her design my blog. Signing up for this event  has kicked me in the behind to finish some things here in my studio. Stop by on Friday for my reveal!

2011 Bloggers Create Coming this Friday

My Desert CottageI'm excited to be a part of the Where Bloggers Create Blog Party coming this Friday, July 15th. I was fortunate enough to find the talented, Karen Valentine, the creator of this event to design my blog for me.  On the 15th you will be able to go to all of the blogs participating to see their studio spaces. This has encouraged me to get to do some much needed cleaning and completion of unfinished projects around my space. Don't forget to stop by to see my space and some of the changes I have made. And be sure to go by Karen's blog to see some of her artistic talent in design and her home. 

Happy 4th of July

Hope you and your family have a Happy 4th of July. Here is a glimpse of my Pinterest 4th of July Board.