9.19.11 ... a sweet cookbook bookmark and 200 sales celebration

i have had a good day filled with a number of small projects. i'll share this one and come on back for the others over the next few days. i had fun with this. it's been a while since i made one. if i had the chance, i would have no problem making these for a career. i love that they are simple, recycled and never the same thing twice. the possibilities are endless. we all need that.

my joonE etsy shop just reached 200 sales this past weekend. joonbeam is not far behind at 197. i hope to be placing that photo here soon. scout took this one for me:

i especially love that i have 222 items for sale here - scout was born at 2:22 and it is a special number to us. and that i am in 89 circles. 89 has been my favorite number since i was knee high to a number line. sweet dreams, everyone. 

thanks for stopping by. until tomorrow. happiness to you. from me. with heart. ox joon

Posted via email from just joon

4.26.11 ... piano and mint me up, buttercup treasury

good evening, all. today i played piano for an hour. i don't have any photos - or, lucky for you, videos - of that creative time and don't want to post without one so i created my first vesties team treasury. i recently joined this vintage team. here's the link to the treasury. 

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4db78dc1c47c6d91edc10aeb/mint-me-up-buttercup 

you can now access all of these beautiful shops and their eclectic vintage based offerings. 

sweet dreams, everyone. thanks for stopping by. until tomorrow. happiness to you. from me. with heart. ox joon

Posted via email from just joon

3.17.11 ... joel mchale tribute

are you a community fan? we are. and i follow joel on the tweety too. so when i saw this in a magazine today, what else could i do but recycle him.

aren't these fun? i am going to put them in my joonbeam shop.

we're still not feeling over the weather here in our household. i understand we are not alone. i hope you all are well.

sweet dreams, everyone. thanks for stopping by. until tomorrow. happiness to you. from me. with heart. ox joon

Posted via email from just joon

2.6.11 ... a treasury . a salvaged messenger bag . our sweet besos

here's something i haven't created in a l-o-n-g time.  i curated this treasury for my eco etsy team tuesday treasury entry.  it features members of our eco friendly team.  you can view the actual treasury and access any of these items and more here:  http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d4ee21ba3728eef0ca0dec6/eco-blue-valentine  ... i had fun with it.  i used to make them often.  i would like to return to creating them regularly.  

in other creative news... ev has this old messenger bag he loves but it has a corporate logo he wished was not on the front.  so i covered it with one of his favorite hawaiian fabric pieces.  i wasn't sure my sewing machine could sew through the thick plastic coated fabric but it did fine.  what turned out to be the bigger challenge was maneuvering the unwieldy bag.  it was not fun at all.  but i do love the result.  on the inside i used a double layer of tyvek and yes! paste to attach the patch and cover the logo reverse.  

and last, but never least, a look at my side kick, miss besos (kisses in spanish).  she follows me around and is quite insistent that i pay attention to her and not my silly projects, including photo time.  she's 12 and i love the little demanding girl.  isn't she beautiful?

mom, pleeeaaase pick me up.

hmmm....that doesn't seem to be working.  let's see....

thinking...thinking...i know there's got to be a way to get her to drop the camera and pick up the cat.  i just know it.

yes, good old determination ... stamina.  i have all the time in the world.  she'll find me irresistible soon enough.  when you got it, you got it.  and i have it.  yes, i do.

oh sure you know it . she won.  and that's fine by me.  

sweet dreams, everyone.  thanks for stopping by.   until tomorrow.  happiness to you. from me. with heart.   ox joon

Posted via email from just joon

1.9.11 ... a little square of change

today i was still enjoying the company of my children being all together. only one half day left. because of this, my creative project is short and sweet. i made a new avatar for my joonE etsy shop. this one matches the banner. i know it doesn't look like much of a creative process but it took me quite a while since i had no idea what i was doing. if you'd like to see how well it compliments the banner - which, by the way, is relatively new - please throw an eye. www.joonE.etsy.com

sweet dreams, everyone. thanks for stopping by. until tomorrow. happiness to you. from me. with heart. ox joon

Posted via email from just joon

1.2.11 ... Aa . dictionary fan shout out

true confessions. and it's only the second day of the new year? wow. here it is. i have been known to read dictionaries for hours. i love them. it stands to reason then that when I spied two vintage dictionaries at the thrift shop that i decided to take a chance that other people might share my affinityfor the old-school paper method of language study. today i finished my first batch of dictionary ephemera magnet sets. for my fellow word geeks.  are you all out there?



i hand colored and collaged these original image magnets. i had fun with these.  the mid-century look and the featured word illustration choices appeal to  me on so many levels. i will not bore you with my word obsession editorial. today.  but I will say that i hope these magnets prove appealing to some of my etsy shoppersso that i can move along to the letter Bb. i am going to start listing them in  my joonbeam shop (www.joonbeam.etsy.com) now. a question for you: should i make an assortment of magnets and pinbacks or stick with magnets?   i was going to mix up this batch, but couldn't decide which pairs should be one or the other.your thoughts?

See and download the full gallery on posterous  here is the entire first batch. if you have a favorite or two, i'd love you to leave a comment about which and why.

i'll be back tomorrow to share more of my 2011 creative journey. until tomorrow. happiness to you. from me. with heart. ox joon

ps. this is not the corner bookmark brainstorm i mentioned last night. i was working on these yesterday when that brainstorm hit me. still ahead...

Posted via email from just joon

Return to Me ~ A Treasure

Return to Me

We recently saw this Bonnie Hunt/Don Lake
film & cannot recommend it too highly.
It is truly special.
The heart that went into this film
is evident in every word and every frame.
It celebrates joy for life
and friendship
in a quiet, everyman setting.
We purchased the DVD within days.
Scout has been singing the Dean Martin title song.
She is now chomping at the bit to start her Dean collection.
We're constantly exclaiming
Jesus, Mary and Joseph ~
Scout with a wonderful Irish brogue.

As I wrote in my treasury,
we need more films like this.
Run, don't walk, to find it.

earth day everyday

This one was in celebration of earth day.
Three cheers for our little blue planet.

Chuck

And here is Scout's fabulous treasury
she made in honor of one of
her favorite TV shows.
Fingers are crossed that
NBC announces the fall line up
with Chuck intact.
I have to live with the girl.

ox joon


To read more about Return to Me go HERE.
For the history of Earth Day go HERE.
To catch up on Chuck go HERE.

one small step 7*8*9

one small step IX: search term: MAIL

one small step VIII: search term: MUSE

one small step VII: search term: LOVE

How did you do? Thanks for following &
a special thank you to all
the wonderful Etsy artists who provide me with
these beautiful creations.

ox joon

Mixed~Up ART

Scout had her first sale
just a few hours after listing her 4th shop item!
Look at the incredible illustration she drew
on the back of the envelope.
I'm betting on one happy buyer walking back
from the post office.

These are two ACEOs Scout made
for her friends back in Arlington.
We laminated them and love the effect.

Meanwhile,
I wanted to edit the original recipe for our Thai soup.
{Photo in a previous post.}
I love the result.
I took the magazine page with their photo,
trimmed and folded it in thirds,
hand printed my version,
added simple illustrations,
attached it to the reverse,
laminated it
and viola! a recipe bookmark.
Evan wants me to do this will all my clipped recipes now.

Scout's busy working on a large art piece as I type.
You can visit her shop: EsperEzekiel and find it there in a day or so.

This has been another episode of
Mixed~Up ART.
Until next time.
ox joon

Introducing joonwalk

On January First I registered my new etsy shop, joonwalk. My goal was to open shop by Valentine's Day. Guess how I spent my day yesterday? Late last night I listed my first 3 items. Mission accomplished! I am proud that I overcame what feels like a million obstacles to get here. My main challenges are me, myself & I and lighting. In theory, only the latter is uncontrollable. Reality finds the former perhaps more so. Like my original shop, my new shop will focus on recycled & upcycled creations. joonbeam will showcase my pinback buttons, magnets & Diamond Girl Thumbtacks exclusively. If things go well, this Spring I will open my fourth and final shop, which will feature small & unique vintage treasures.

I am excited about my new creations.
One is my Vocabulary Necklace which I call true blue & you.

These little cuties are my pocketful of starlight creations. Each one is one~of~a~kind. This one is made from an old hospital gown. I love this fabric. Each star has a coordinating fabric back and each one is hand embroidered free hand, so always different. The star you see in each photo is the star you get. I never feature my handcrafted art with a representative photo.

This little sweetie was my first sale! It is made from an 1970s era worn out quilt I found at a thrift shop and used beyond its time. Still, I had to clip what I could salvage. I just love it. I cover the button threads with a little piece of fabric. How cute is this bunny? {below} It's about all I had left of this vintage piece. There's a bookmark in my flickr pool with the main swatch. The star reverse here was once a {rare} tot Scout dress. I couldn't bear to part with it so into the fabric bin it went! And this is how I do things. Is it any wonder my creative journeys are a long & winding road?

I hope you'll visit my new shop often and see my new creations, all made with Mother Earth and you in mind.
Because peace, love and environment is everything.

ox joon

Sharing Beauty on a Sunday Morning

Hello Friends. Just found THIS in the NYTimes online and it is a wonderful, inspiring respite to those who appreciate true art. If you love photography, you'll love the feature.

And, how does Robert Downey Jr. fit into all this? Well, not that he needs a reason to fit in anywhere, but he is featured in the presentation. And, complete coincidence: I am listing this set in my joonbeam shop this morning. Just the pinbacks, ladies. The photo stays with me.

How's your Sunday? Well, I believe it may have just improved significantly. :)
ox joon

Rocket Science For Two

Evan's tutorial treasury. Isn't it lovely? Hurry and go visit it HERE before Friday 5 PM EST.

Hooray for the U.S.A.

I curated this Etsy treasury Monday evening. You can visit it HERE until Thursday afternoon.
Learn more about our Etsy Team: BBEST.

Finding Neverland

This week I came across another small treasure. I love this vintage souvenir bracelet from the Mohawk Trail. I love the Mohawk Trail. We took a small detour so we could chance upon it once a few years ago. We haven't been on the entire route and I wish we would have had that opportunity. It was so beautiful. At the time, the last Howard Johnson's Restaurant was at a point on the Trail. I found this treasure a few years later, in the $1 BOX at a booth in Brimfield. The ladies who own this booth were always so sweet to Scout and would insist on her choosing something for free from that box. So, while she was rooting through for her treasure, I passed the time looking, too, and spied this. It's one of my favorite things. And for $1. There you have it.



I would love to know more about this little bracelet. How old is it? Who made it and how? How much did it sell for when it was new? Who has owned it?



I used another favorite find of mine as a backdrop for this piece. Well, not counting the Scrabble Board, which is, of course, indispensable. The part you can see here is a house roof and tree top. It's a peg board with a happy papa gnome toting his little scuppernut gnome in a wagon to his gingerbreadish house. It has red pegs. The teeny gold paper label is still on the back and reads Made in Romania. That's not something I see everyday. In fact, I think that may be the only time I've ever seen that. I was about to give it up but then I thought of a wonderful use for it ~ as part of my display when I start Holiday Arts & Craft Fairing in the Fall. Whew! That was a close one!

Next Sunday I show & tell the answer to last Sunday's guessing game. Guess if you haven't, and stay tuned. If you have ever been on the Mohawk Trail or know anything about the bracelet please leave your comment. Be sure to stop by my joonbeam shop to see what other treasures I've come upon this week. Thanks, friends. From below my towering stacks of Rubbermaid Tubs, I bid you adieu for now... I'll be back with more treasures soon.

Where Have I Been?

Hello Friends! It has been a while. And what on earth have I been doing? I've been writing letters. Lots and lots of letters. And I love it. I am so very fortunate to be featured in the Storque as an etsy FRESH SHOP Thank you, Anda!

I was on the front page of etsy every few minutes and Scout, my right hand gal, caught a screen shot of it for me. It's been quite exciting and gratifying beyond belief, receiving convos and comments and orders, but I haven't had much time for anything else. I do not like to be rushed. {Ask my darling Evan.} I want to enjoy the experience and I want my letter recipients to feel that their letter truly came from the heart and so they have. I was unprepared for the instant success of the new venture. <---understatement of the week. I quickly came to realize that I am a two letter packet (max) per work day woman. There's not a career here, folks, but that's not what it's all about. I don't call myself flying housewife for nothing. I really am a classic housewife. Straight out of the old days...well, maybe with a teeny tiny bit more attitude. :)

As Albert said:



In other words, I am happy with my letter writing business just the way it is. I intended it to be a revival of the handwritten, personal letter and I will keep it that way. By the way, I love how I can incorporate my eco friendly creations into this new venture as well. It really is a perfect fit for me.


I hope you all have dropped by the shop. If not, do stop by. Oh! Right now, my favorite description is in this listing: TV Dinner Housewife



I have missed blogging and do have a contest ~ my first ~ coming soon, so stay tuned! I have been looking forward to having a little contest for months. I finally came up with one. It's just a small bit of fun, but, hey, isn't everything worth anything all about the small?

ox joon

ps. What have you been up to? Do tell!

Jon Cody: Master of Mechanical Engineering Management

When Jon Cody was very young, about the age you see him in the photo below, we enrolled him in a spring break art workshop. He made this gorgeous painted canvas mat and I just love it. This mat has been in every house ~ over 16 since he painted it ~ and on the floor, used daily. Look at how beautifully it has held up. And how groovy is this design and the execution? We were amazed when he came home with it! Lesson learned. If your child balks at trying something new and a little out of his comfort zone...go with your gut. That's what parenting is all about. You know what's best. Don't ask. Tell. Just look what he has to show for it. A priceless treasure and a daily reminder of our little boy who rose to the challenge. And now he's matured into a fabulous young adult who just finished grad school at Northeastern and will walk with honors tomorrow!



It's all about the ART exposure. Yeah. It is. :) CONGRATULATIONS Jon Cody! We LOVE you!

Taking time to go to the park and feed the swans may have had a little something to do with it, too.



And here he is: Handsome Man of the Hour! I wish Dustin and Evan were in the photo. This is the best I can do. It was taken in Fall of 2006 when Kristoffer (aka Bear) came to Boston for a visit and we celebrated my birthday at Bamboo. OH YUM! Here's to all the graduates, young and old. Many wishes to you all for a bright and happy future. Remember, it's not about the job. It's not about the money. True happiness is only found in character. And Jon Cody has that in spades. You go, Bodis! oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox from Mom and the Fam