About Me

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Sublimity, OR, United States
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I am artist of texture and color. I enjoy working with textiles, mixed media and the graphic arts. I am an avid cottage gardener with a love for pass along plants and big fluffy pink peonies and pink roses. Many of my tangible creations reflect my love of the garden and all its wonderful colors. I have been selling my creations online since 2002 beginning as a hobby. After 10 years I quit the day job to pursue my art as a full time passion.

28 July 2011

First reveal of my summer projects...

Do you remember these I showed you last week in my list of summer projects?

Here is the first of several in the works.... have not touched the sugar creamer set yet~and I may not. That set came to me not too badly tarnished. The coffee and tea pot--well--I attempted to polish one of them, and after an hour I gave up and decided to paint them! 

Wouldn't these be lovely for a bridal table?


26 July 2011

My stair stringer garden

I have had this stair stringer shelf for a few years now--I used it extensively when I was really into green house growing at my other house. I used it for hardening out seedlings in the spring. When we moved to our current home, I brought it along thinking I would use for a annual container flower shelf, but never did followed thru. So after 5 summers,  finally decided to do an herb/veggie/annual flower project. The flower starts I will transfer to my cottage garden and the veggies include lettuce, radishes, baby carrots, lemon cukes (which I will transfer to a corner garden spot to climb) cilantro, dill, nasturiums, green onions

Click on photo to see more detail

If you were wondering how to create one of these space saving gardens, you can purchase a 3 step stair stringer at most building supply stores. Turn it upside down and nail on 2 2" x 4" boards to the inside for the back supports. then add another 2" x 4" across the top. Viola! A 4 shelf plant stand!



24 July 2011

Cottage colors Party ~red/white/blue

What a wonderful color combo for summmer! The party is on over at Etsy Cottage Style blog


This month is red-white-blue. Here are a few of my faves for summer past and present!

vintage tablecloth tote


Porch pillow sham fashioned from a kitchen towel

oven dress kitchen towel
tag sale find last summer

William Shakespeare rose

Double Mock Orange

tiny blue blooms from spring...sorry I could not find a blue summer flower:(


20 July 2011

Preview.....summer re-purpose projects

Getting my rear in gear the last few weeks to get some of the re-purpose projects on my list done. I thought I would share a preview.  One of my fave things to do during the dog daze of summer, is sitting out on the patio giving new life and a new purpose to these cast offs....So stay tuned I will reveal them as I get them completed....

Here are the before pics....


lamp base

wood box

Cane seat chair

copper silver plate

Silver plate  vanity set and crystal decanter

I am almost done with a couple of them, in fact maybe a couple of them this weekend will be the revealed:)


14 July 2011

The perfect summer breakfast...

Yes, this my favorite summer breakfast fare. Nothing fancy, but quick easy, fresh and local. So I pretty much am addicted to Chobani Greek yogurt now and have it for breakfast at least 4-5 times a week. But the summer brings a bounty of fresh local fruit and I snagged my first lot of raspberries. So I snapped a pic, and am sharing this less than 300 calorie sweet and oh so good for you recipe that has endless possibilities.


6 ounces non fat Greek yogurt
(Chobani brand for sure)
2 packets Splenda
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1 tablespoon granola

You can substitute Vanilla yogurt, but use only 1 packet Splenda.
the options are endless with your fruit---always use fresh and local in the summer--can't wait for the local peaches...

05 July 2011

taming Miss Mock Orange

Quite a beaut, huh?


But  HUGE Miss Mock Orange has to be tamed. I let her show her glory this year She has gotten so wild, she needs to be tamed.
She looks quite nice as you walk to the fence on the left, you see her~(Sally Holmes Rose at the right)

..her scent fills the neighborhood...


but....
when you get to the other side of the fence, you see how out of control she is....

so Miss Mock Orange is getting a severe haircut. There is a lot of growth on the bottom, so she won't mind and neither will I. But I must say, she did give one heck of show this summer:)

oh, her real name is  Philadelphus 
in case you were wondering....

linking up with


Every Saturday

Where we reside

Where we reside

The Oregon Coastline

The Oregon Coastline