Spring Fairy Frames & Fairy Eggs by Relics & Artifact MUSE Jenn White

Springtime is my favorite season. I am so grateful for every single one I have been privileged to witness.

The knowledge that Spring is almost here thrills & excites me.

Every day I watch & listen for the signs. Wild bird & animal behaviors. New leaves unfurling from budding branches. An awakening. Newborns & Reborns.I love watching it all slowly green, & bloom.

It is magic.

Some of the best & most memorable days of my life are celebrated in the Spring.
My daughters were born in April & May. The anniversary of my dream fairy themed wedding to my beloved best friend heralds the Spring Equinox in March.

I delight in painting, decorating & embellishing eggs, arranging bouquets of the Spring flower blooms I grow in my gardens & filling colorful surprise baskets for my daughters & grandchildren.

I incorporate my love of nature & fairies in everything I do.

I have been fascinated by fairies my entire life. I surround myself with them. They are everywhere at my home. Inside & outside.

You have no idea how thrilled & excited I was when Sandra Evertson released & listed her new DIGITAL DOWNLOADS.

They are from a priceless treasured 1840s book full of French fairy prints by artist J.J. Grandville. They are over 170 years old. If you love antique ephemera like I do you will adore them.

I had never seen many of these particular images before so I was squealing with delight & so tickled when I saw them for the very first time! Gasping at their whimsical & delightful gorgeousness.

So many ideas of how I wanted to use them immediately filled & danced through my imagination.

My first thoughts were of framing the images with Sandra's exquisite ITALIAN BAROQUE FRAMES & CATHEDRAL WINDOW FRAMES. Displaying them throughout my home to admire & bring joyful smiles to everyone's faces as they gaze upon them. Happy fantasy daydreams for one & all!

My second thought was to use them in varied sizes on & within Sandra's IMPERIAL EGGS SET & EGG SHRINE. The great thing about digital downloads is you can size them as large or as small as you wish to fit anywhere. Sandra's digital downloads are a fantasy dream come true for me! How about you?

While playing with Sandra's EGG SHRINE I was reminded of my favorite Russian Imperial Egg created by Carl Faberge "Lilies Of The Valley". I created my own fairy themed version of it using Sandra's NOUVEAU SET.

I even made some fairy themed pendant ornaments using Sandra's IMPERIAL EGG SET.

Feel free to be inspired by my creations & create some for yourself & your loved ones too!

Enjoy this Spring!

HUGS! YOU ARE LOVED!

- Jenn White

Product shopping list:

DIGITAL DOWNLOADS:

Les Fleurs Animees- The Et Cafe DD

Les Fleurs Animees - Rose DD

Le Papillons - Partie DD

Le Papillons - Danse Les Airs DD

Le Pappilons - Enlevement de Cypis DD

CRAFT BLANKS:

Nouveau Set

Cathedral Windows Set

Italian Baroque Frames

Shrine

Imperial Eggs Set

PAINTS & INKS

VerDay Metal Paints 2oz. Kit

Moonlight Duo Tint & Hue Ink Pads

There is always light if you choose to see it & be it - By Jenn White

Art matters. Art has magical healing powers. Art is everywhere & in everything. You yourself are a work of art.

Have you ever been so inspired & uplifted by another artist your sensitive artist's heart swells too big for your chest? So overcome by emotion it causes happy tears to spill from your eyes? 

This is how I felt while watching the first ever Inaugural Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman's recitation of her poetry. There were many other talented musical artists & speakers there I love too, sharing their gifts, performing throughout the inauguration.

They were all like sparks igniting so much shining light within me. I was positively glowing with inspiration. 

I felt compelled to create many art pieces after all I had witnessed & experienced in the days.

I decided to share one of those creations with you today. 

When I create, I begin by drawing rough sketch ideas in one of my many sketch books. As I look through all the inspiring photos of the products on sandraevertson.com I find so much inspiration there.

It is so pleasing to my imagination to visualize how Sandra's products can be combined to compliment each other in endless ways.

 In this creation, it was the curve & style of the finger petals on the Milagros III craft blanks set & the San Miguel Allende Nicho Kit that began the theme of this assemblage.

 I envisioned flower petals, a bird's tail & a peacock. I instantly wanted to use some peacock feathers with these pieces. The colors in the feathers coordinate so well with the Relics & Artifacts VerDay Patina paints. I love experimenting with the VerDay magic!

I was transported. I felt warmth & light on a cold Winter's day. I imagined myself into a brightly colored shopping bazaar full of Mexican folk art. Such a lovely cheerful place! A colorful feast for the eyes everywhere I looked. I love when my imagination allows me to travel without leaving home.

 I love layering Sandra's products!

I looked to see what I already had in my Relics and Artifacts Stash that would coordinate with the pieces I was about to order & found several to audition. I added one of the Three Marias Statuettes & two coordinating winged hearts. One from Sandra's Taos Sacred Heart set & one from Sandra's Mexican Folk Hearts Ojo de Dios set. I usually start out simply "less is more" but I always seem to end up "too much of a good thing can be wonderful!" 

 While editing the photos I decided my creation was missing something. I felt it needed some bling. I started having "What if" visions. What if I cut apart this silver & gold Daisy Chain Dresden? What if I add this flower petal shaped Dresden Coat of Arms piece? What if I add this Dresden Triangle Trim all around the outside edge? I thought it might be too much but it all ended up being the perfect added touched to shine up my creation

I wanted to incorporate hearts, wings & eyes into this piece to symbolize love, peace, hope & freedom. The awakening & opening of eyes, breaking the dark spell to see the truth & the light. 

I wanted to incorporate all of the miracles that happened for me & my family during the dark times & life style changes of 2020. I wanted to memorialize the loved ones I lost & miss very much. I also wanted to give thanks for the loved ones who reached out to me. I am so happy they have renewed hope & are here with us today.

I am so grateful you are still breathing & I am still breathing & we have more time here to make positive changes in our countries & on our planet. You are not alone.  

Just because I behave in a positive way does not mean my world is perfect.

I am very sensitive but I refuse to give in & let hate win. 

I will shine my light of kindness & help as many people as I can before my life clock stops. 

If you haven't yet, I hope you will decide to awaken & choose to shine your light too! 

Loving kindness does not cost a thing & is a priceless treasure at the same time. 

It will change lives & yours for the better. If we all pay this kindness forward we can make our world a better place.

HUGS! YOU ARE LOVED! - Jenn White 

Relics & Artifacts products used in this piece are as follows:

♡San Miguel Allende Nicho Kit

♡Milagros III Set

♡Taos Sacred Heart Set

♡Mexican Folk Hearts Ojo de Dios 

♡Three Marias Set

♡Mythos sets (the 2 little birds)

♡Relics & Artifacts VerDay kit

♡Relics & Artifacts Patina Spray Refill. (You do not want to run yourself out of this magic!)

♡Dresden Trim Coat of Arms in Silver.

♡Dresden Trim Large Daisy Chain

♡Dresden Trim Small Daisy Chain

☆Remember to add your HEART CHALLENGE submissions on the Relics & Artfacts Tribe Facebook Group by 2/12/2021 for a chance to win a shopping voucher for sandraevertson.com

#2021raheartchallenge 

Please be sure to read the rules in the pinned post at the top of the group page.Thank you & best wishes to you!

MUSE Jenn White & her Husband Glenn Celebrate two decades of their LOVE.

Here in the Midwestern HEART of America where I reside, the month of March is when we begin to experience my favorite season of the year.

The glorious Spring awakening & greening is full of so many natural miracles & magic.

Green Day, Saint Patrick's Day, March 17th is a very special day for my husband Glenn & I. It is the day before our wedding day.

On March 18th of this year we will be celebrating our 20th Wedding Anniversary. 

To commemorate this occasion, I created a mixed media assemblage canvas to decorate a wall space in our home. 

Here is the story of the meaning behind it and a short Tutorial.

The genuine four-leaf clover comes from the white clover plant Trifolium Repens. It grows wild all over our property. It produces one of the earliest wild flowers to bloom in the Spring giving our honey bees strength, energy & nourishment. 

The leaves of the rarely found four-leaf clover of this plant signify HOPE, FAITH, LOVE & LUCK. 

The CLADDAGH has symbolic meaning too. 

The hands signify FRIENDSHIP.

The crown signifies LOYALTY.

The heart signifies LOVE.

"With my hands I give you my heart & I crown it with my love."

(For more on the great story of the CLADDAGH, go to the Relics & Artifacts product page & read what Sandra Evertson wrote about it in her product description.)

My use of the color green signifies our luck in finding each other at a time in both of our lives when we desperately needed one another so much. 

Our mutual understanding & respectful acceptance that each one of us is equally valued, important, needed & wanted to make our way of life & our relationship work. 

How our earthy personalities, love of nature & the great outdoors compliment each other. 

The harmonious balance between our very youthful imaginative hearts & our commitment to respect each other’s passions.

My use of copper signifies the continuous electric energy flow of our relationship, our mutual love, our romantic sensibilities, our artistic creativity & how compassionate & affectionate we both are.

My use of gold signifies our glow of optimistic positivity. How generous & giving we both are, our two big hearts of gold.

My use of the two sun symbols signifies the power we have, when the shining of our two bright lights join to make such a positive difference in the world, bright enough to light & warm the hearts of others.

My use of the flame symbols signifies the importance of keeping the cozy, welcoming, warmth of the home fires continuously burning. NEVER let them die or burn out.

I hope you take time to enjoy this Spring & have a very happy Green Day! I know I will!

Thank you for your time & I appreciate you showing your love by clicking on the heart in the comments section below this post.

HUGS! YOU ARE LOVED! 

Tutorial : 

1 - Begin by painting all of the craft blanks & the canvas with black gesso. Lightly wipe the black gesso off of the Large Sol Dresden while it is still damp. You only want it to antique the embossed recessed areas.

 2 - After the black Gesso has dried completely paint the canvas with Copper VerDay Metal Paint then wipe it off with a damp towel. This creates a sparkling glow on the dry black gesso on the canvas. Set the canvas aside to dry.

 3 - Paint the Ex-Voto hearts & the Helios with Copper VerDay Metal paint, being sure to let the edges still show a bit of black gesso, then set them aside to dry.

 4 - Lightly highlight the raised areas of the Ex-Voto flames, Claddagh & Sol with Copper VerDay Metal Paint then set them aside to dry.

 5 - Paint the Ex-Voto hearts with Galactic green ink from the Moonlight Duo Ink Pad then streak paint the leaf detail designs using ink from the darker Martian Green Moonlight Duo Ink Pad on a long, narrow fine detail paint brush. Highlight the areas on the CLADDAGH you wish to have green accents.

 6 - Paint the heart on the CLADDAGH with metallic gold acrylic paint. Accent & highlight other areas on the CLADDAGH & Helios where you wish to add a touch of gold. 

 7 - Thinly paint a section of your craft mat with Copper VerDay Metal Paint. Place the Marrakesh red rubber stamp face down into the paint, the same way you would ink a stamp. Stamp the design onto the canvas as shown in the photo. Set aside to dry. The blank areas will not show once the Helios & Sol are glued into place. When the stamped paint is dry, paint the diamond, marquise, & tiniest circle shapes with metallic gold acrylic paint using a fine detail paint brush. When the paint is dry, highlight the gold diamonds & tiniest circles with ink from the Martian green Moonlight Duo Ink Pad. Apply the ink with a fine detail paint brush. It should create the effect of faux emerald gemstones. 

Paint around the rim edge of the canvas with a paint brush full of metallic gold paint to give the canvas a finished look of uniformity.

 8 - Paint the outside edges of the canvas with black gesso. When dry, glue the Large & Small Gold Daisy Chain Dresden strips to the outside edges of the canvas to give it a framed finished look. They have the look of gold 4 leaf clovers! PERFECT!

 9 - Center the Helios & glue it down to the painted canvas.

Center the Sol Dresden & glue it to the Helios.

Mark the center of the Large Sol Dresden & begin gluing down the Ex-Voto Hearts making sure the flame points line up with the corners of the canvas.

Glue the CLADDAGH down in the center of the 4 Ex-Votos

 10 - Snip the Peridot Bohemian Gemstones apart with wire cutters. Apply them with glue as embellishments on the canvas wherever you desire.

 4 - Ex-Voto resin craft blanks

1 - CLADDAGH resin craft blank

 1 - Helios laser cut wood craft Blank

 1 - Large Sol Dresden in Gold

 Marrakesh Red Rubber Stamp from Sandra Evertson's Tapestries Collection

 8 ounce bottle of copper VerDay Metal Paint

 Moonlight Duo Ink Pad in Total Eclipse Black

 Moonlight Duo Ink Pad in Galactic Green

 Moonlight Duo Ink Pad in Martian Green

 Set of Peridot Bohemian Jewels Rhinestones

 Package of Large Daisy Chain Dresden in Gold

 Package of Small Daisy Chain Dresden in Gold

Other supplies used:

 1- 8"x8" wall art 

canvas

 Black gesso 

 Various artists paint brushes

 Inexpensive bright metallic gold heavy body acrylic paint

 5 second super Glue