Feathers

I've been working on a batch of feathers and showing you the progress along the way, via facebook.  I finished them this afternoon, and although I know that nobody's around on Friday nights because most people have LIVES, I just couldn't wait to show you how they turned out!

I started out with some leftover pieces of thin plywood I had laying around from another project.  Doodled around with different feather designs and settled on a shape I liked.

Cut my feathers from patterned paper:

Added layers of paint and messages.

Drilled holes and hung them by wire, but they still needed something more.  So I added an eclectic mix of ribbons, yarns and old lace from my stash:

I'm happy how they turned out!

Using Up my Paper Scraps

 Remember how I showed you this picture on facebook of some 'canvases' that I had started working on? This first layer was made by putting together a whole bunch of leftover strips of different patterned paper.  

So pretty!

Everybody wants to know what I did next!  Since this picture got so many great comments and questions, I decided to show you the process from start to finish!  Many of you thought they were very pretty as is - and I agree - but that was not the end I had in mind!

Here's what my unfinished wood looked like at the start:

Then I went to my scrap stash where I keep leftover pieces from other projects that I think I might be able to use someday.  I noticed I had accumulated quite a few long skinny strips!

So I just randomly mod-podged them to my boards.  There are strips of vintage dictionary pages interspersed on every piece too.

In progress:

Almost there:

Done!

This one is my favorite!

Lampshade Make-Over

I found this lampshade, so thought it could be a great sun hat. Not really. So I had to come up with a better plan!!!  Here it is "In the works".  I'm still adding thingies on it. It's going to hang over my art table at preschool.  -Connie (Mama Winger)

**UPDATE!
The lamp shade/mobile for Mama Winger's preschool classroom is done!

Also, take a peek at these cute owls she made for her classroom.  The kids' pictures and names will go on their tummies!

DEMDACO's New Website!!!

DEMDACO, the company who we work with to bring you "This Thing Called Family" just recently launched their new website!

Here's the website description of our line of wall art + home decor:  

(Makes us grin!)

This Thing Called Family from DEMDACO Studio

This innovative collection of versatile wall art gives new meaning to the expression Words of Wisdom. Families will love to share their most meaningful sentiments with each other through the artful typography and scrapbook-inspired design of these folksy wall words and plaques.

SHOPPERS, now you can easily find a retailer in your area that carries our line, by going here! 

RETAILERS, if you want to carry "This Thing Called Family" in your store, there's a new website for you here!!!!  You can contact your local sales rep by clicking on the "account executive" link in the upper right hand corner.  

How cool is it that our "Simply Amazing" owl board with pegs is one of the three scrolling background images?!  

*CURIOUS FOLKS: you don't have to be a retailer to just browse through the DEMDACO brands and learn about all of the different lines and the artists who design them. 

(We're a part of DEMDACO Studio. )  

We are so blessed and honored to be listed among so many of our kindred spirits.  You can read about Kelly Rae Roberts, Holly Christine of Joyful Devotions, Caroline Simas of Multiple Blessings, Leigh Standley of Curly Girl, Dee Kasberger of Urban Soul, Melody Ross (aka Brave Girl's Club) of A Little Bird Told Me, and we could go on and on!  It's very cool to learn a bit of their stories and why they do what they do.

Here's our sweet 'about' section.  :-)  They called us a "mother-and-daughters artist force!!!" yup.

Also, very interesting is the about section for DEMDACO - they beautifully put into words why we love working with them so much: their mission, their philosophy on doing good business and their understanding of the connection between the artist and the buyer/gift receiver. 

Thanks, DEMDACO, for being so good to us!

New Art Up For Grabs on Etsy!

Poor neglected Etsy shops have been sitting empty long enough!

Last night I listed 8 houses, (2 of which already sold! weeee!) and 6 pieces of wall art!
Each piece is unique, one of a kind and handmade by me, Jill!

Go check it out!

http://etsy.com/shop/paperprayers

-jill

BIRDS!!!

WOW! Look what just flew in at Things With Wings! A whole flock of birds of another feather!

"Choose Joy" Pillow Winner!!!

We have a winner in our Pillow Giveaway, folks!

Our "Choose Joy" pillow winner is Barbra Kamer! 

Barbra, email us at paperprayers@hotmail.com and we'll figure out how to get it to you!!!

You all voted for which pillow was your favorite in the whole "This Thing Called Family" collection and it just so happens that the "Choose Joy" pillow got the most votes!  So we're glad that it's the one we could giveaway!

FYI, We chose our winner randomly, using the random number generator.

Thanks, everyone, for playing along!  Y'all are great sports!

Should we do another one next week?

Pillow Giveaway - Vote for Your Fav!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!!!


This week we're giving away our "Choose Joy" pillow!  Two giveaways, two weeks in a row?!  Aw, yeah!!!

Choose Joy | 17.5 inches long | Retails around $25

GIVEAWAY RULES:

-Vote for your favorite pillow in our collection, "This Thing Called Family!"  Here's how:

-Look at all the fun pillows below!!!  Click on the pic of the pillow you like best and hit the facebook "Like" button for that pillow!  

-One winner/"liker" will be randomly chosen from the pillow with the most facebook votes - SOOOO it might be to your advantage to share your favorite pillow with your friends and get them to vote too!!!! 

-The winner will receive the "Choose Joy" pillow pictured above.

-The winner will be announced Thursday night, August 9th at 10pm CST. 

-Be fair, please - like only ONE pillow!


Here are the nominees.  Click on your favorite one + "like" :

Good Luck and may the best pillow win!

We have a Lazy Susan Winner!

Congrats to Meigen Fink!  Seriously!

You have won our "Count Your Blessings" Lazy Susan!!!*
We will get it to you soon!!!

Thank you so much to all of you who took the time to enter our giveaway!  So many of you were generous enough to share this giveaway with your friends.  We really appreciate that!

We were so blessed to get a glimpse of all the things you all are thankful for  - even in the midst of some really hard stuff you are finding the blessings.  You get the difference between joy and happiness.  And where true joy comes from.  Y'all are amazing.  Simply amazing.

*(Just FYI: it would have been impossible for us to pick a winner based on who was "most deserving" or whose comment we liked best.  So our winner was chosen randomly, by the Random Number Generator! http://www.random.org/) 

If you want your own lazy susan, there are a total of FOUR different ones in our collection!  Count Your Blessings,  Table Manners, Family Rules and our newest, "Happy Family!"  If you click on each one, you'll be directed to the individual listings for each lazy susan through Clever Shoppers, an online shopping resource that has all 4!

We're going to giveaway a pillow next week!  Will you come back and join us?!