Hello everyone!

My summer of travels isn’t over yet -- last week I was in Las Vegas and Texas for more trade shows and meetings. And in two weeks I’m leaving again! Who knew the life of a painter could involve so many airplanes. 

I wanted to give you a little update on my happi by Dena™ line of products. Expressionery.com has created a wonderful selection of happi stationery which you can personalize and buy from their website. There are folded note sets, flat cards, small memo pads, magnetic list pads, bookplate labels, and holiday designs. They are all so cute and happi! Personalized stationery also makes a great gift for someone special.

Click on this link to take you to the Dena Designs section of expressionery.com, and look for my new happi by Dena™ designs.  

Comment (5)

I am so excited! My friend Barbara Elliot Martin, former editor of Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion, called me a little while ago to see if I wanted to be a part of a workshop she’s been putting together with Mary Engelbreit. Home Companion was my favorite magazine. Of course I said yes to Barbara’s offer!

 The workshops will be held April 29 - May 2, 2010. Registration starts September 1, so keep a close eye on the website! This is going to be a wonderful event and I’d love to get a chance to meet you.

 MEHC Workshop Website

Comment (2)

I have no idea where you can find a lovely variety of shelf edging paper. The look was once so popular in the 1950s – and for good reason: it’s absolutely charming. So until this product becomes popular again we can have a great time making our own.

I like using the classified section for this project because the words are close together and there are no photos. For extra detail, add decorative tacks made by gluing a variety of small embellishments to the tops of the tacks. I used a variety of red buttons on my shelf edging.

Gather:

 Newspaper
Craft scissors
Double-sided tape
Glossy wood-tone spray finish
Hole punch
Hot-glue gun and glue sticks
Small embellishments
Pushpins or upholstery tacks

Create:

1.    Using spray finish, lightly spray classified section for a vintage look. Let dry, then cut the newspaper into approximately 2” wide strips.

2.    Cut a zigzag pattern along one edge of the strips.

3.    Using a variety of hole punches, punch a pattern along the zigzag edge.

4.    Attach the newspaper to the shelf edge with double-sided tape.

5.    Hot-glue the small embellishments to the tops of the tacks. Some of my favorites are buttons, fabric or felt flowers, bits of old jewelry, rhinestones, shells and watch faces.

6.    Attach decorative tacks every 4”- 6”.

Shelf edging borders are also great inside closets and armoires in baby’s, kid’s, teen’s, and adult’s rooms. Customize yours by using favorite wallpaper or other decorative paper or even fabric. I’ve used it to edge the shelves in my linen closet. It’s an unexpected detail that is delightful.

Comment (4)

I have been collecting glass paperweights for several years now. I usually find them at our local flea market in Alameda, CA. They've always seemed magical to me. Miniature worlds encased in glass. When I saw a tiny glass bowl at an import store (probably used as a salt cellar or condiment bowl) I got the idea to turn the bowl upside down, fill it with baubles, seal it on the bottom and turn it into a glass paper weight. Easy breezy, right?

    You can customize them by using old photographs, ephemera, tiny vintage bits and pieces and lovely sentiments. Make these as gifts or party favors. Try encasing your guests’ names beneath the glass domes at your next party.

Gather:
Small Glass Bowl
Vintage wallpaper, photo or ephemera
Matte Board
Felt
Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
Spray Adhesive
White Glue
Scalloped Craft Scissors
Small Embellishments (to fit under glass bowl)
Pencil
Marker

Create:
1)    Spray the back of vintage wallpaper (or other background paper) with spray adhesive and adhere onto the matte board.

2)    Place the glass bowl upside down onto the area of wallpaper (or other paper) that you want to have show through the glass and trace around the rim with pencil.

3)    Remove the bowl. Using the scalloped craft scissors cut the matte board ¼” away from the pencil line.

4)    Place the bowl upside down onto the felt and trace with marker. Remove bowl. Cut ¼” in from the line with scissors and use white glue to adhere the felt to the bottom side of the matte board. Now your paperweight won’t scuff what’s underneath.

5)    Now for the fun part. Add embellishments using hot glue. Make sure that the embellishments will be within the rim of the bowl. Use millinery flowers, bits of old jewelry, small gems –anything your might decorate a scrap book page with should work.

6)     Hot glue the rim of the glass bowl onto the wallpaper.

Comment (2)

This week I was a featured designer on The Jolly Jabber, the blog of The Fat Quarter Shop at fatquartershop.com.

They're an online fabric store that carry my fabrics. The blog entry is about my Christmas Snowflower collection, already out for purchase! Plenty of time to start creating holiday gifts.

Below is a photo of my paintings before they were scanned into the computer and turned into the fabric collection.

Click here to see the entry!

Comment (3)