Black Feather Farm

After a few weeks of seeing many beloved pet losses from blogger friends, I thought I would share something I did when I lost "Sophie." I'll have to tell Sophie's story sometime, it is a sweet and interesting one. I'm starting to measure my life in dogs. A little time after Sophie was gone, I took an old frame, used acrylic paint and sponge painted it in a plummy, rose copper mix. I printed a photo of her in a sepia tone, and choose a neutral mat. Taking a fine point art pen, {easy to find, just use a scrapbooking pen} I wrote around the mat, all the things that were "so Sophie." Using a colored pencil I added a little accent color around the writing. I display mine on an easel. It is a sweet and reflective way to remember a pet or anyone. Just wait until some time passes so you can do it in joy.

I thought I would give a peek into my horse collection nook. It is a tiny little room at the back of my sewing room. It has a little window seat so I can read and relax among the herd I have collected for many years. I am a shabby chic girl, I love old and worn things that have stories. For everything to match, or formal styles are kinda boring to me, so I mix it up. To create the mantle looking unit, I used two old salvage pillars, attached ornate brackets to hold an old board as the shelf. Simple to do, use small screws to hold the brackets and pre-drill your holes with a bit smaller than the screw size. Paint the top of the screws to match when finished. Click on the photos to enlarge. The horse print is just lying on the surface, with a framed glass piece over it. You can use a frame that has the glass glued in it, or just a piece of glass, or even a small old window, and just set it over your art or photo. Then add things on it or around it. Then you can easily change the image, f...

A few years ago, we lost two members of the family back to back. When I attended the funerals, I took a sprig of the flowers. I didn't just want them to be pressed in a book never seen, so I created a memory jar for them. Mine are woodland scenes with the special flowers as backdrops. Click on the photo for a closer view. I added abandoned nests and hatched eggs, things from my own place. The butterflies were gone, and so lovely I placed them in too. The third jar is simple with, a rice base, a lost butterfly, and wing, a nest and feather that holds a vintage brooch of my sister's I had admired. She left it to me, and this is how I enjoy it. A vintage bracelet adorns the top. Anything clear with a lid will do, that way things stay dust free, just dust the outside of the jars. They look nice displayed on a cake stand too. You can make yours in any style with your choosen items, and they can be created just to remember a special event. One last tip, to quickly and nicely dry flow...