Inspiring art - Etsy store : Mimi Love - the work of Karen Grenfell

... a LONG time ago I found the work of Karen Grenfell on Etsy and just fell in love with it ... I'm partial to mixed media and especially love it when stitching gets involved in art as well...  As you can see she's got some beautiful pieces in her Etsy store ...  click here to see more ...

~  enjoy  ~

exquisite detail

just beautiful !

~  inspiring artwork  ~

Featured Artisan ~ Charlen Williamson ... 2nd Time Around Mosaics - Charlen's Abstracts

.. so you all know how much I love mosaics and tiles ... well, the other day I was searching for some tips on how to do a large table ... (or even a small one!) and came across a hugely talented lady on Etsy from 2nd Time Around Mosaics.

I contacted Charlen and she has been generous enough to share her techniques.  I love her Etsy store and wanted to show you all what a talented lady she is.  It would appear that besides mosaics,  abstract art is also one of her loves and she's doing fabulously at that as well!

Here is her very inspirational story ...

I have been doing mosaic for many years, but not so much these days, although I still do love it. I am a full time Registered Nurse by trade, but found myself needing a hobby for some stress relief.

I love stained glass, tile, and vintage china. I self taught myself the art of mosaics, different mediums, lots of trial and error. I covered EVERYTHING with mosaic! Garden shovels, PVC pipes, old drawers, furniture of every shape and size, picture frames, vases.....nothing was off limits! I became a bit of a hoarder with vintage china...like I never had enough. Scoured antique stores and flea markets until I had stacks and stacks. I also love to work with stained glass, all the colors and textures, I could make some great combinations with my mirrors.

That actually changed though when I had knee surgery and was on crutches and had a prolonged and difficult recovery. I couldn't get around. I decided to try painting acrylic on canvas, much lighter work. The heavy lifting of the mirror bases and physical work of the mosaics was too much. I actually do both now, although I've stuck with mostly painting.

  I do love mosaics, and have great admiration of other artists work, it will always be my first art love, and do find myself occasionally going back and doing a few pieces here and there along with some custom orders from regular customers which I appreciate very much.

Charlen has also had her mosaic tables published in the November 2004 issue of Country Comfort Magazine, a mosaic flamingo published in the December 2004 issue of Garden Decor Magazine, a supplement to Home Accents Today, and was the featured artist in the February/March 2005 issue of Garden Decor Magazine.  As well as that, she had a mosaic cast iron birdbath featured in the September 2005 issue of Country Victorian Magazine, a mosaic vintage child's sand shovel published in the 2006 March/April issue of Backyard Living and mosaic pieces in the January 2007 issue of Country Decorating Ideas ... fantastic !!!

Find all Charlen's mosaic work for sale here

Find all Charlen's paintings here

~ inspirational women ~

new signs ... French Country ... Welcome ... Bathroom ... Guestroom !

 

all available now in my Etsy Store

~  happy saturday ~

chickens ... rooster and country things

... today i received some fabric with chickens all over it.  i LOVE it!  what is it about country scenes, chickens and roosters that I love so much?  Don't know ... but I just do.

We live in the Australian Bush and have our own chickens, so maybe it's because we're very close to nature here - but I think even if I lived in the city I would still want a 'country kitchen' and some chooks around me ...

here's some more things I love that remind me of the country ...

~ country love ~

The Boss ... Mr Bruce Springsteen

Tonight we just finished watching 60 minutes and there was a segment on Bruce Springsteen ... (yes girls, time to  pause for a ... sigh ...)   Wow ... at 64 he's still fantastic and comes across as a very real person despite all his fame.   I was having wonderful nostalgic flashbacks to the '80's when we used to bop all over the place to 'Born in the USA' and 'Dancing in the Dark'.

I just love watching interviews with people like that - amazing artists ...from humble beginnings and has stayed with his craft all these years just getting better and better.  Great to see you Bruce and still loving your music.  xx

... now to dig out his CD and work out how to get it onto my ipod... hmmm

 Bruce Springsteen - still fantastic at 64

hello ...

energy

got it ...

all wished we were Courtney Cox ...

~ great artists ~

Velvet Post ...

Luxurious ...
soft ...
sexy ...
screams elegance ...

Love it ...

behold ... the wonders of ...  Velvet !!

~   l. o. v. e.   ~

~ weekend work ~

... my weekend has been filled with Sewing and making mosaic signs ... lovely to be creating again.  all items (except for the commission piece are available now in my Etsy Store.

shabby scrap fabric roll

sold to June - commission piece

also now sold

~  happy Sunday ~