Lara recently emailed me asking for my help with her nursery, she wrote:
"I'm thinking a blue-gray (fairly light) wall color with white crown molding and possibly a white chair rail. White furniture. Then pops of bright colors - red, yellow, dark blue, orange, etc. I want a subtle bird/nature theme. I'm thinking a white branch or tree on the wall and little bird/nature tchotkes. I want clean, bright, modern, cheerful..."
This nursery is right up my alley and very similar to my own modern nursery plans so it was fun coming up with new ideas. Chair railing reminds me of a traditional room so instead I added a stripe of gray to the room for a more modern effect. I hope this inspires Lara, I can't wait to see pics of her finished nursery!
The fabulous Bebeloosh Mini sent me a set of 2 blue bird reusable organic snack bags to review. Not only are they super cute but they're also very durable so they can realistically be used over and over again. They are made from 55% recycled hemp and 45% unbleached organic cotton, which would explain the durability. They are large enough for a whole sandwich or just lots of little snacks. I love that I don't have to pollute the environment when using these snack bags. I highly recommend these eco-friendly cuties!
I'm in love, love, love with these collages by beh-jat and I'm officially inspired! These unique creations are designed from paper and fabric, acrylic paint and embroidery are also incorporated into the designs. Wouldn't these look amazing in a craft space or a nursery? I want!
During the holiday rush there is nothing better than online shopping from my comfy couch in my pj's! Remember how I told you that I was recently given the opportunity to review a product from CSN Stores? Well, I received my product in the mail yesterday and I'm so excited to share it with you!
Mr. Designs by Vanessa and I were in the market for counter stools when we first moved into our home a year ago and twenty stores later (I'm not exaggerating) we finally found the perfect stools at CSN. I love that how organized and user friendly this website is, you can go to a specific store if you know what you are looking for or you can browse all 200+ stores at once. They really do offer something for everyone.
I had the hardest time deciding what product I wanted to review because CSN consists of over 200 specialty shop sites with over 1,000,000 products. After browsing (and browsing...and browsing) I found this adorable Morning Birds Wall Clock and I was in birdie love! When I opened the box I was thrilled to discover that the clock was even cuter in person and perfectly matched my decor. I describe my decor as modern with a touch of birdie but I can totally see this clock going in just about any home. My favorite thing about this clock is the bird in flight pendulum - such a cute feature!
Have you heard of Feed Your Soul yet? Go check it out! Feed Your Soul is a free art project. Each month artists are invited to contribute a print to the project, which is totally free and available for download. We get fabulous free art (to feed our souls) while the participating artists get a little promotion. I've already printed out this fabulous print by Angela Vandenbogaard:
Check out these absolutely adorable yarn wreaths by KnockKnocking. Think of how cute one of these handmade wreaths would look hanging outside your door. Add these to my wish list!
Happy Friday my crafty pals. How incredibly cute and unique is this necklace?! The bird is hand cut from felt, embroidered and attached to a pearl necklace. I'm off to etsy to add this to my favorites!
These are the most darling cupcake toppers ever! These fabulous birdies are by The Cupcake Girls, a new favorite etsy shop of mine. I'm headed out of town for my birthday this weekend but I'll be back soon. I'll miss all of my bloggy friends. Have a super weekend!
With a shop name like Bird Nerd, I knew I had to interview Chelsea! Chelsea is a very talented artist and her love for birds is right up my alley. I don't think you'll be disappointed by this birdie-filled shop. Meet the fabulous bird nerd Chelsea...
In a nutshell, tell us about yourself. My name is Chelsea Groves and I live just outside of San Francisco with my husband and dog. Originally from the southeast, I've lived in this part of the world for two years now. I've enjoyed exploring all the sights here, from the art museums to the beautiful beaches and redwood forests.
Apart from crafting and creating, what do you do? I've always been an animal lover, so about a year ago I started searching for volunteer opportunities helping animals. I learned about the Marine Mammal Center and have been helping out there once a week since then. We rescue sick and injured seals and sea lions, rehabilitate them, and then release them back into the wild. I mainly help by feeding the animals and cleaning their pens.
Though I'm primarily an artist, I'm growing to love sewing. I've been known to make some pretty unusual Halloween costumes, including a peacock (for myself) and a narwhal (for my husband).
What inspired you to open an Etsy shop?
I was working as a graphic designer and had been creating bird art in my spare time. Around the same time that I completed my first few collages, I happened upon Etsy. I thought the site looked promising, so I listed my collages to see what would happen. I made my first sale about a month later, and the business grew and grew until I was able to become a full-time artist. I had no idea that Etsy would end up being a major part of my life, but I'm happy that it is!
What is your favorite creation in your shop? I tend to get attached to a lot of the collages that I make, probably because of the amount of thought and labor that goes into them. Right now my favorite is "Wentworth, Barn Owl". I'm proud of how it turned out and I like the overall dark, night time feel of it.
Where else can we find you? You can find me on my personal website.
For photos of my art and life, you can visit my Flickr.
Describe your studio and what you like best about it. My studio is a large room at the back of our house. I like it because it has lots of windows and looks out on our backyard. That way I get lots of natural light and can keep an eye on all the birds that visit the feeders I've put out for them.
I keep things organized with lots of shelves and drawers. I also have two desks; one for art, and one for computing. My business has expanded a lot in the last two years, so I've added a lot of equipment and products. When things start to feel chaotic in the studio, I know it's time for a trip to Ikea for a new shelf or cabinet for organizing things.
There are tons of others that I love as well. I've bought so many amazing things on Etsy that I'll cherish forever, including a beautiful portrait of my dog, Delilah, by lizzelizzel. It can be seen here.
List your favorite book, movie, song & website (other than Etsy of course). I love so many books, but one of my all-time favorites is Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. One of my favorite movies is Idiocracy. It makes me laugh every time. A new favorite for music is Neko Case. My husband took me to one of her concerts recently and it was amazing. A website I've really grown to love is Flickr. I like expressing myself and documenting my life through photos and Flickr has really encouraged me to do that.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? I don't have any definite plans for the future. I'd love to keep expanding my business and get more and more exposure, but the most important thing to me is that I'm still creating. I'd also like to have a house full of gorgeous vintage furniture and an impeccable wardrobe.
What is your favorite birdie (as in species of bird)? I think right now it would have to be the western scrub jay. They're fairly common here, but they're a gorgeous mix of blue and grey. They're also very loud and always announce their presence in the yard. I leave a little bowl of peanuts out for them so that they'll come visit me often.
The Dreamy Giraffe is one of my favorite Etsy artists. I absolutely love her whimsical and dreamy style. Her prints are on sale through May 17th so check out her work!
Hello! My name is Vanessa and I live in Arizona with my husband (Mr. Designs by Vanessa) and two furbabies. After trying for over 2 years, we're happily expecting a baby boy in August! I blog about crafting and things that I love (stick around to figure out what that is). If you couldn't tell, I also have a love for all things birdie. Who said a girlie girl couldn't have a love for nature?!
