Welcome to my Folk Art and Fancies Blog

I am a wood crafter artisan from the southwest Missouri Ozarks.I may just ramble on here about my art workings, my life, and my fancies about what I find fun and interesting in this world.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Branching Out!

  2011 is  quickly coming to an end and I thought I'd share my journey the last few months here on Mulberry Lane. I mentioned a few posts back that I was going to turn over a new leaf and post more often , but I'm learning to accept myself as I am, and my with my busy schedule, well .....
In June I posted about my newly designed
I Just got my 6th order for one of these today! One of the customers asked if I could add their dog to their birdhouse...

It was this cute little Yorkie...
They had seen my order with custom pets added to a birdhouse...
This one is a miniature Hedge Hog!
 And here's another...
Another customer asked me to add shutters to the windows, and a mat in front of the door with "Faith, Family, Friends" on it and "LOVE" wood burned in the heart on the tree...
Then I offered this size as a Wedding Card Birdhouse and I got these two orders...
I got an order for a custom one of the couple's own house...
Then I got a request for an unusual house for a Halloween Wedding! She wanted a tree on the house and a spooky tree with bats possibly hanging from it. Here is the picture of the house my customer sent to work from...
And here is my interpretation...




Here is the slot in the roof for the cards.
And I made little wooden bats and attached them with wires...
I was very busy the summer months while I was on lay off from my full time job. I have another very special custom Wedding Card House for 2012 that I'm working on...I'll post it later.

I had one wholesale order from a gift shop in PA -14 birdhouses!
2011 has been quite busy! 
My other news is I have a new grand-puppy...
                                               This is my daughter Shawna with her new baby!
Her name is Gizmo.
Shawna suggested I make Christmas tree ornaments for gifts this year,
so I made these for my two daughters.....
You all have a wonderful New Year!

Blessings, Jennifer

Friday, July 15, 2011

The Process of a Custom Order... Quite a Story Behind it!

 I thought I'd share the story behind this custom order I made for a lady named Sandi from Alabama. I received permission from her to share her story, so I thought I'd just share our emails back and forth, and you can see the process and enjoy hearing about her experience that led her to want the verses customized.
  Here's the first email I received (she had just heard about the storms that went through the area near me in Joplin, Mo.)...:
Sandi said :   "Hey! First of all... just checking if you are okay after the tornadoes? We are blessed here in Alabama. Wondering if you could make me a sign with the verse from Mark 4:39 & 40 and then underneath that... Be still and know that I AM GOD.
I found these verses in my backyard after the F5 went through and i want to put them on a sign.
It would be great on one of your folkart signs, i think.
Let me know.
Thanks a bunch! Sandi"

My reply...
"Hi Sandy! Thanking the Lord it didn't come our way this time. Yes I could letter these verses on a sign. Do you like one of my designs as a base for this. And an idea of colors? I've been thinking of doing one with the roses and vines with a light color like light green or gold instead of the black around, under the roses and vines....
www.etsy.com/listing/39726744/folk-art-bible-verse-sign-be-of-good
Or maybe you'd like the Sheep one with your verses...
www.etsy.com/listing/52015440/folk-art-painting-sheep-under-the-moon?ref...
Also I will need to know what version of the Bible. Your verses have about 50 words which is 3 times what I have on the above verse, so this would be larger of course and it would be about $75.00. Let me know if you have any different ideas. Thanks, Jennifer"

Sandi:
"Hey Jennifer,
I really like your folk art sign, but maybe make the roses and hearts a crimson red?, everything else will blend with my colors. I like the NCV version; i currently have the Max Lucado Bible.
I would love a big FAITH centered
and then just part of the verses: Jesus commanded the wind and said, "Quiet! Be Still! and the wind stopped and it became completely calm. Jesus said, " Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" and then underneath that:  Be still, and know that I AM GOD.
What'cha think? Would this still be $75?
Blessings!
Sandi"
My Reply:  "Hi Sandi, That sounds good! I think it would come out about 11" by 16 or 18" Would you want it vertical or horizontal? I think it would look good vertical. I could do this for about $55. Thanks, Jennifer"

Sandi's reply:   Okay! I'm writing to you in-between "chores". Do you want me to pay for it now or when you're finished?   Sandi

Me:       " When it's finished is fine. I could send you a rough sketch when I do a lay out. Be talking to you . And could you answer this for me---I think it would come out about 11" by 16 or 18" Would you want it vertical or horizontal? I think it would look good vertical. Thanks, J"
(She answered...  Vertical)
    I finished her order and sent her this message...
"Hi Sandi! Your order is listed!
www.etsy.com/listing/75629412/custom-order-for-sandi
I hope it is to your liking, Thanks, Jennifer"

Her reply when seeing her item online:
"Just sent you payment via Paypal. It is absolutely wonderful! You did such a good job!!!!!! Can't wait to see it!  Thank you!  Sandi"

Then I asked her...
"I'm so glad you like it. I was wanting to ask you about what you said..."I found these verses in my backyard after the F5 went through". When I first read it my thought was wow , these verses blew into your back yard? Then I thought maybe you were sitting in your back yard reading the Bible or a devotional book after the tornado. My husband was wondering too. Thanks so much! Jennifer"

Now Here's the Story!...
   " No... that's the "goose-bump" part! The mile wide, 210 mph wind brushed past our house and absolutely demolished everything around us. We lost a screen door and some shingles. Amazing!
The next morning, my husband and i were picking up debris; wallpaper, insulation, roofing, BUT the only 4 pieces of paper in the yard were: a piece of a hymnal page, with the hymn," Saviour, like a shepherd lead us", a paper that was titled" How To Live" and underneath that, said " Life is a challenge", another piece of paper from a hymnal, and then a tiny paper with the verse Mark4:39. I looked it up and read.
I was in the bathroom when the tornado went over and praying so very much. My husband came in, sat down beside me, held my hand and told me he loved me. I knew it was bad, so when i found the verse in the yard i knew to have faith!
Since that day, i have been seeing "Be still and know that I AM GOD" all around me... on a sign in a store,; on a cross in a thrift store; the minister preached on it, etc. ,so i am being still and believing that GOD needs us to keep our faith. I am amazed at the people that have nothing but a concrete slab left and do not believe in GOD and they were in the bathroom!
Blessings to you!!!
Sandi
         And then I got this lovely Feedback!...
    "Oh my goodness! The pictures did'nt do it justice. It's beautiful!!!! I'm so blessed to have found you to do this for me. Thank you so much!"                          
          
                                                        It was my pleasure Sandi!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Our Winners Choice and Other Mulberry Lane News

   Anita of AMKreations, the winner of my give away was on vacation and now she's back and has chosen her item from my vintage shop Old Bittersweet! She chose this lovely Italian Square Storage Jar with a Wire Clamped Lid! Good choice Anita! And thanks to everyone who entered the give away!
A few months ago I discovered the artist Linda Martin on Etsy. She has two shops...
Country Life in Watercolor Acrylic Graphite
Preserving America's Horses One Face at a Time
She is it an Etsy team that I am in also--Christian Artists Street Team
I enjoyed her artwork so I started following her facebook page-http://www.facebook.com/LindaLMartinArtist , and learned about the Sand Wash Basin Wild Mustangs who also have a facebook. I had wood burned a horse and put it for sale in my etsy shop, so I posted it on the wild mustang facebook and they asked me to do wood burning of one of their horses, a band stallion
named Picasso.  I work at a tee shirt screen printing company so I scanned this and printed this tee shirt...
Then I decided to try painting one of the mustangs and I selected this colt named Falcon. (The photo is by photographer John Wagoner and I got his permission to use his photo.)
As a result I was featured as a guest artist on Linda Martin's Blog...
This is quite an honor. Linda has been painting horses for many years and I am very much a beginner!
Linda has become a good friend and I hope to meet her in person some day!
Here are my latest woodworking projects!
I thought it would be fun to put a hand carved tree on a birdhouse and carve a heart to customize with initials for wedding or anniversary gifts....




I sold three of these the first week I listed them!
AND last week I completed this project I've been working on and listed it in my Etsy shop! It is a Wedding Card Bird House for the reception gift table, for people to put cards in for the bridal couple. There are other woodworkers who sell this type of thing and they seem quite popular for weddings so I wanted to make mine unique! I saw a house something like this when I was out garage saleing and did a quick sketch and went from there! It is about 18" tall X 17" wide. It would be a nice keepsake box after the wedding.

I will hand letter their name and date on the little sign over the door!
I will woodburn their initials in the heart.

Here's the back with a screen door. The little stick that props it open is attached with a little leather hinge so it just lays down inside when it's closed.
Opinions? Do you think it would look better with the window shutters on the front and back painted instead of stained? I thought maybe green?
This was a fun project! Have a blessed week you all! Jennifer Beers

Monday, June 20, 2011

I'm Back! (With a Give Away!).....WE HAVE A WINNER!

 THE WINNER OF THIS GIVE AWAY IS********Anita of AMKreations!!!!Congratulations Anita!
She has a blog you all should check out... http://amkreations.blogspot.com/


Are there any bloggers out there who can beat me on MONTHS since the last post! Well, I won't think about that right now...I'll think about that tomorrow. (does anyone spell tommorow wrong every time and get that red zig-zaggy line, thankfully?)  And by the way.... I want to thank all those people who have been checking out this blog... I wrote down in a notebook on Jan 8th that I'd had 2,270 views here, and now I have 3,892! That's 1,622 views since my last post on Jan.1st.! But, I was looking at my friend's blog...
http://firecrackerkid.blogspot.com/ and she's had almost 50,000 views! Soooo, I'm going to try to turn over a new leaf, even if it is half way through the new year!
   I think I'll start with a give away! I have my Vintage store on Etsy, Old Bittersweet and I'm going to give the winner of my give away, their choice of any item $10.00 or less, or $10.00 OFF anything in my Mulberry Lane Folk Art shop (OR Old Bittersweet). There are 38 items in that price range at Old Bittersweet to choose from (and hopefully your favorite item there won't sell this week). The give away will end 5:00 P.M. on Tuesday, June the 28th. To enter just leave a comment and make sure I'll have a way to contact you. I'd appreciate you all spreading the word 
 any which way you can! Here are my newest birdhouse designs I made this weekend ... 

                                                       Blessings! Jennifer Beers                                                                        

Saturday, January 1, 2011

My Very Merry Christmas, And Isaac with his Noah's Ark!

 My husband Dale and I just returned from a two week vacation in southern California to see our son and daughter-in law and grandson Isaac! We had a wonderful time. We went to the Wild Animal Park and the Oceanside Pier and sight seeing in the mountains, but mostly just enjoyed spending lots of time with them!




































































































































     While we were there I got some pictures of Isaac playing with his Noah's Ark I made for him and sent to him last August. I also made one to sell in my Etsy shop- http://www.etsy.com/listing/53484559/large-noahs-ark       I wrote about making the Noah's Ark in my post- Labor of Love - A Work In Progress
                                                     Yes, we had a very Merry Christmas!
                                                               Happy New Year!