butterfly jar

For Christmas I got a new Vagabond Sizzix.  
I have been a bit intimidated to use it until now...

I decided to pull it out this week and put it to use!

I made these sweet little butterflies.  
I took the butterflies, some buttons and twine, a little birds nest, a stick and a pretty glass jar and made these pretty butterfly jars.

jackpot!

We went picking last Saturday.  My husband and I have gotten into kind of a routine this winter.  
Friday night we do bills and get caught up on our TV from the week (American Idol, Pawn Stars, Auction Kings, American Pickers, Storage Wars, Modern Family, The Office, The Bachelor (yes I'm addicted!)
Then on Saturday we do a date, where we go pickin' for the next Sale.  
Either a flea market, an auction, or our favorite stores.  
Sometimes the kids want to come along, sometimes they have other things to do.  
Then on Sundays we do our crafting, setting up, painting etc.
This past Saturday I found this basket of chandelier crystals at a flea market.

Being the chandelier fanatic that I am, I am always in need of crystals when I refurbish my lights.
I asked the gentleman how much he wanted for the whole basket.  I think I caught him off gaurd, as usually they are sold individually for $1-2 each crystal.  He thought for a minute and said "how about $100?"  My heart was racing and I called my hubby over and he said "do you really need any more crystals?" (buzz kill)  
I said "YES!  I always need crystals, besides I think there is surely at least 100 crystals in this basket, so that is an ok deal."  
I asked the gentleman if he would take $90?  Yes!  Score!
On the way home we each took a guess at how many crystals there were in the basket.  Kind of like the jelly beans in the jar kind of thing.
My husband guessed 152.  I guessed 174.  We were both wrong!
There were over 500 crystals in that basket!
JACKPOT!!! 

nesting!

Nothing says spring like birds nests!  
Here is a grouping that I have been working on this weekend. 
Adding little feathers and eggs!

pretty spring gift

A pretty Spring gift to make for your friends with Spring Fever!...
I took a paper mache box and decoupaged some pretty paper around the sides and on the top.
I added some hand made cards, some pretty paper covered clothes pins with twine for hanging photos, some stamped pencils, a sweet bouquet and a little birds nest, topped it off with a glitter butterfly...
put in a little note "...only a few more weeks to Spring!"

the light and color of Provence

As a young art student, I often wondered why so many of the great artists came from the same location in the world...Provence.
Van Goh, Picasso, Chagall, Monet, Cezanne, Degas, Boudin, Renoir, Matisse, ....  
Some of these artists were born in Provence.  Many (more than listed here) came to the region because of its beauty.
Until I visited there I did not fully understand this beauty.  
It starts with the light.  The light there is amazing.  It is hard to put into words. 

Next, the colors of the landscape, the skies and the nature are breathtaking!  

The color of the soil, the crops, the towns and villages are beautiful.  

These famous artists chose these towns and villages and the landscapes because they make beautiful subjects for their paintings. 
And these paintings have become some of the most famous paintings in our lifetimes.


All of these pictures were taken with my cell phone...  Can you imagine if I had my good camera with me?!