Moving

I have been away - busy as can be. Something wonderful fell into my lap! I have taken my craftiness to a new level. I bought a craft store! Three Crafty Ladies has been on Sanibel Island for 35 years and is an institution on the island and the only place to by art and craft supplies. It is also a fantastic quilt store. Fabrics to die for!! So when I found out the owner wanted to retire I took the opportunity to roll everything that I like to do and want to do up into one gigantic expedition. I couldn't be happier.
The staff and customers are so creative and friendly. I have always loved Sanibel. And I am a business women and longed to get back into that area. Voila!

I will be putting more time into creating a website. It will be here eventually. I will also have a blog and you can find Three Crafty Ladies on Facebook and Twitter.

So exciting!!! Come along!

Freedom

Freedom
Originally uploaded by JohannaBF

Always a fan of graffiti art, I have found a few sources of inspiration in the works of Traci Bautista, Alisa Burke, and all of the urban artists out there who incorporate the style into their work. While I have yet to be brave enough (or have a clear enough space) to pick up the colorful spray cans, I have been playing around with doodles and words.

Chunky Book Pages - Orange Collage

I loved doing the chunky 4"x4" fat book for art and soul so I look forward to participating in others. Here are some pages for a monochromatic page swap project. And I do love orange!

Craft Studio Love!

I LOVE my new craft room. Time spent there is inspiring, relaxing, and fun! Happily messy. I have a center island workstation for painting, drawing, and other messy enjoyment. My sewing table looks out to my front yard and a long counter has space to spread out for jewelry making. What was missing was a comfortable place to sit and read my many books and magazines, crochet, talk on the phone, or give my dogs a place to keep me company. I hunted both online and in stores, new and vintage, thrifting for something to recover. My search ended this weekend with the perfect mid century modern sofa.

I found it online through Etsy seller Vintage Supply Co., never imagining how much it would cost to ship a sofa. No need, it was local!! I visited Moderna Muerte, a brand new store in Delray Beach that carries an amazing array of quality vintage furniture, accessories, clothing (the real deal vintage, not simply out of fashion used clothes). Fabulous merchandising (vintage shoes and purse artfully displayed on a domed pastry stand) makes this a great place to visit and get inspired.
I love the white vinyl, so perfect for my needs. Reminds me of the Design Star episode where some designers painted graffitti and patterns on white sofas. I'll leave mine simple - the pups are very happy the way it is, too.

Do You Feel Lucky, Punk?

Well, do ya?

Home Decorating and Paintings (mine!)

Where has the time gone? I had no kid home for a few weeks and made a long list of things I wanted to get accomplished, places I wanted to go, movies to see, etc... Well my younger son comes home this weekend and my list didn't get much shorter. I did find some time to enjoy my new craft room and that has been a joy. I have been collaging and sewing and just 'making stuff'. Joyful and relaxing!

My friend Christie, who is a talented interior designed, came over to help rearrange my decorative things this week. I had pulled lots of books, vintage pottery, framed photos, and more out and we moved things around. What she added to the mix was a few paintings that I did recently. Like we all read in creativity books and blogs - I am fearful of having my art 'out there'. To be judged and compared. I let myself be soothed by the fact that she chose to put them out, so they must be okay and acceptable! I find this humorous, as I always self-analyze myself. So I am facing my fears and displaying my art in my living room.

Nantucket Bliss

I am a temporary empty nester, as my kids are away at camp for a few weeks. My husband and I decided to vacation in a relaxing place that neither one of us had ever visited. Nantucket was a wonderful getaway and pleasant surprise. The food was beyond good and the people were nice (very colorfully dressed and preppy with dispositions to match.) There were lots of nice shops and galleries to peruse, which is always welcome especially since there will be no swimming in cold New England water for me. I found some great places and saw some wonderful art. This is a place where basket weaving and scrimshaw got it's start, so it is an artistic place in many ways.


A cloudy afternoon gave me the opportunity to visit Cheryl Fudge's Fashion Camp. A boutique on the first floor and 'camp' workshops upstairs. I chose a piece of gently used clothing to decorate (a light weight hoodie) and scoured their bins of tshirts, ribbon, fabric, and patches to create my own Nantucket souvenir. I pinned the pieces where I wanted them and they will sew it and send it to me.

How cute is this!

Such a nice getaway. Nice weather always helps, of course.