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

Jenn 1.jpg

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.

Jenn 2.jpg

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.

Jenn 3.jpg

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.

Jenn 4.jpg

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.

Jenn 5.jpg

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?

Jenn 6.jpg

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.

Jenn 7.jpg

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

Jenn 8.jpg
Jenn 9.jpg

An Ode To The Forest Floor by Muse Jenn Pipe

JennPipe 1.jpg

My internal GPS is normally set to the ocean, but today I want to pay homage to the restorative powers of the forest floor. A few years ago, I was feeling burnt out by the fast and furious pace of my 21st century life. The nonstop responsibilities of being a business owner were wearing me down. My husband and I were having a difficult time connecting due to our opposite schedules. And my daughters were involved with multiple activities that had us playing “divide and conquer” most weekends.

I joked one particularly stressful night that I needed some Calgon to literally take me away. Alone. For at least two uninterrupted days. I put out feelers on Facebook to see if anyone had any tips for a peaceful, remote location I could explore. My criteria included no chain hotels, no bed and breakfasts, and bonus points for no TVs or wifi. I was hoping to not see a single soul or feel pressure to remain plugged in.

JennPipe 2.jpg

A friend suggested the Getaway cabins in New Hampshire (they have outposts scattered all over the country), and I was sold! I booked a midweek trip, packed a bunch of art supplies and reading material, and told my family it was my goal to be completely unplugged (i.e. “Don’t call me, I’ll call you”).

When I tell you it was absolute nirvana, I am not exaggerating! Each cabin was perfectly distanced from the others and nestled among canopies of trees. They were also outfitted with all the modern amenities you could want (including the comfiest beds and linens, cooktop, dishes, bathrooms with running water, firepits, and picnic tables)! I was in heaven! That single getaway was a commitment to both myself and my creative process. I drew, wrote, mapped out content for new classes and workshops, and took the most delicious naps after exploring the area on foot. I left feeling more recharged and relaxed than I had in years and I vowed to give myself a gift of at least two of these trips per year (which I was able to do until covid hit).

JennPipe 3.jpg

With this MUSE project, I wanted to pay homage to that forest, those cabins, and the forest floor that cradled and restored me over and over again. 

I started with both colors of Apoxie Sculpt and I sculpted a variety of mushrooms, adding little details as I went. Once the Apoxie Sculpt was dry (*note: the black clay takes longer to cure than the white clay), I coated the mushrooms with clear gesso. Once primed, they were ready for multiple coats of VerDay finish to give them that earthy, mossy vibe. 

JennPipe 4.jpg

I then gathered up some moss and tree bark and got to assembling my “forest floor.” I used a tree slice with a raw edge as my substrate. The moss was adhered with a hot glue gun, and then I arranged my fungi just so and used the hot glue gun to adhere that as well. The final touch was a few adorable little metal acorn embellishments that were also finished with VerDay. I scattered those on the forest floor as well. 

This is different than the work I usually create, but I love how it came out. Just looking at it transports me back to those sublime weekends by the forest floor. I’m going to display it in a place where it will continue to ground me on a daily basis until I can return to my cherished nirvana. 

Thanks for reading! I hope this inspires you to both create AND escape! 

JennPipe 5.jpg

The Kiss Me Again by Wendy Aspinall

Becoming a Muse made me think about what inspires me, who or what makes my heart beat faster.

For me it is the work of Austrian artist Gustav Klimt. Especially his golden period, when he produced one of the most recognizable and popular pieces, The Kiss.

And as February is the month of romance. What could be more romantic than the painting The Kiss, it’s also my personal favorite and the inspiration for my contribution to this month’s Muse blog post.

I have re-worked some of his pieces with digital images but never in a physical format before, so I’m very pleased to share with you my canvas inspired by Klimt’s work.

The Kiss me again canvas re-invented with help from Relics and Artifacts by Sandra Evertson.

And like Klimt I too have used gold leaf to bring my piece to life.

Also resin blanks from Visage and Persona.

Apoxie Sculpt. Verday paint in bronze, a canvas painted with black gesso

Acrylic paint, Gold paint, Gold leaf.

I really had fun making this canvas.

I would like to hope the artist is looking down and is pleased with my interpretation of his stunning work, from one Muse to another.

I also hope I’ve inspired you to have fun and make art!