Friday, March 27, 2009

Hello Yellow Sunshine

I bought these little woven baskets a long time ago because they were on clearance and I knew I would use them. I put them away and totally forgot about them! It wasn't until I was sorting through the mess that I call my workroom that I found them again. I really wanted to list something new in my shop, but I didn't have time to go to Hobby Lobby to get new materials, so I pulled out all of my flower stash and started crafting. I was able to create this Hello Yellow Sunshine Basket out of flowers I already had. The basket is flat on the back side, so you can hang it on your front door or set it on a table against the wall!




You can find the Hello Yellow Sunshine Basket and more wreaths and arrangements in my Etsy shop here: http://www.southerngirlflorals.etsy.com/
I love it when everything works out!

Monday, March 23, 2009

Blog Slacking

No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth, I have just been a total slacker! Okay, not really a total slacker, but just when it comes to my blog. Last week was spring break - that's right I had the whole week off of work! It was a constructive week for me though. I went to Hobby Lobby and bought supplies to make a couple of wreaths, I finished one spring arrangement (that hopefully I can get photographed and listed on Etsy). I re-shot a lot of my wreath pictures. I got them a lot clearer and shot them at different angles for a more artsy look. I finally dug up my flower beds and planted the heck out of them, and they look gorgeous by the way! And then this weekend we went out and planted trees at our land - there are absolutely no trees on the thirty acres and the wind is killer out there! All in all it was a pretty productive week!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

New Mini Wreath

I finally went out and took some pictures of the new Mini wreath - Lime Sherbet which can be found in my Etsy shop! Isn't it so cute! The dimensions of the wreath are 16inches x 16inches x 5inches, so it is not itty-bitty, but compared to some of the gigantic wreaths in my collection it is pretty small.












Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Even Nature Thinks They're Real

My wreaths are so realistic that even nature thinks they are real flowers! I was trying to re-take some pictures of one of my wreaths and this wasp landed right on the wreath. I hate bees and wasps and I have been stung a couple of times before - not fun! I wanted to get the thing off so I could finish taking the pictures. I was not going to swat at it because I knew that would just make it mad. I kind of shook the wreath and it flew at me and then landed on the wreath again! My dog was on the other side of the fence and she had just realized that I was outside at this point. She started freaking out, digging and barking because I was freaking out. I shook the wreath again. The wasp flew right at me and I ran, but luckily it just decided to fly off without stinging me - whew! After that I backed into the grapevines behind me and thought that something was stinging me and freaked out again! Hopefully my neighbors weren't outside watching this fiasco. It turns out the pictures didn't even come out that great. It is too bright right now, so I will probably wait a while before I try that again!
Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

Monday, March 16, 2009

My first treasury!

I got my first Etsy treasury on Saturday! I could not believe it!
For those of you who do not know what a treasury is, you can check it out here: http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/how-to-make-a-treasury-the-nuts-and-bolts-688/.
I decided to create one featuring my fellow Design Style Guide Team members. The theme I chose was "Dusk till Dawn".




I am very proud of the way it came out.
And four of my team members items that I had listed there sold! It was probably because they are awesome items to begin with, but I like to think that it was because they were in my treasury!

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Design Style Guide Team

I have some exciting news to share. I have been asked to be a member of the Design Style Guide Team! I am thrilled. They emailed me and told me that they love my designs and they think I would be an asset to the team! They have their own website here: http://designstyleguide.net/ which caters to the interior designers, decorators and home stagers. I have two of my wreaths listed there already!

Friday, March 13, 2009

New Line of Wreaths

I am in the process of designing a new line of wreaths - mini wreaths. Okay so they are not that mini, but compared to some of my giants, they are pretty small. I already have one finished and I had planned on posting some pictures of it here on my blog, but the weather today is not cooperating with me. It is overcast and drizzly and it does not look like it will let up anytime soon! I am not complaining though because we have desperately needed rain for a long time, and even though it is not a complete downpour, any little bit helps! I hope to have pictures of my "Mini" this weekend or next week. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

A Taste of the Tropics

There is a new wreath in my shop - A Taste of the Tropics.

This is the first tropical wreath I have ever made and I am so happy with the way it turned out.


We live probably 30-45 minutes from the coast and I love the beach! When I was younger, we would stay at my grandma's house over the weekend. She lived right on the coast and a few years ago she even bought a beach house. The kind up on stilts that was so close to the water that it even had it's own dock. She had a way with decorating. She was one of my biggest inspirations. I am sure she drew her style from some of the places she had lived - Hawaii, Florida, California, Aruba, Venezuela. Her style was tropical and eclectic with so many bright colors; she was a lady not afraid of color!


I love the island style and decor; the relaxing sense like you're on a never-ending vacation. There are some gorgeous houses built along the coast and I can just picture my wreath on one of their front doors.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Signs of Spring

We were outside yesterday evening watering the lawn and hoping that it would rain soon. I honestly do not remember the last time it rained, but that is beside the point. I still have yet to clean up our flower beds, and they look pretty horrendous. I was scoping out my flower beds and trying to decide what I was going to be adding this year and I noticed a single Gerbera daisy poking up from the weeds and mulch around it.
Gerbera daisies are my favorite flowers; they are just so cheerful and bright! I ran inside the house, grabbed the camera, and I snapped these shots before the sun went down!

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Etsy Cookbook from javajesspublishing

I was looking through the Promotions Forums on Etsy last night and came across an awesome project that javajesspublishing has going on right now.

She is collecting recipes for an Etsy Cookbook. How cool is that?! She will be using 25 Appetizer/Side Dish recipes, 25 Main Dish recipes and 25 Dessert recipes, and she still has plenty of spaces available.

Not only do you get free promotion, she is also going to send each Etsian that she features a FREE pdf ebook version of the cookbook, so everyone help out and submit those recipes!

I submitted my Black Forest Cake recipe and let me tell you it is yummy! I can't wait to see all of the other recipes in the cookbook.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

To Be, or Not To Be...

I have a poll going right now, so please take a moment to vote. I am trying to decide whether or not to add music to my blog. Music is a huge part of my life. I took choir classes all throughout junior high and high school; I have sung the National Anthem at two local football games and one basketball game. Music is a source of inspiration for me; a good song can give you comfort, or it can completely turn a bad day around. There are two blogs that I follow that have music on them. Sometimes I open up those blogs just to hear the songs! I just don't know if music is a turn off for some people. So I would love to hear your opinions - vote, vote, vote!

And don't forget to set your clocks ahead (for those of you in the US who follow daylight savings time).

Friday, March 6, 2009

Lovely in Lavender

Spring time is here (in South Texas at least)! I am so ready for the warm weather - I am a summer time girl. I just love when the sun is shinning and all the plants are starting to bloom. The colors of spring come alive; it is like a fresh start for the year.

I designed a brand new spring time wreath that I have just recently listed in my Etsy shop.

Introducing...




The combination of purple and yellow is one of my all time favorite color combinations for spring. The wreath features purple ranunculus and yellow irises.

Those of you who are still a bit chilly, I hope that looking at this wreath will bring you some warmth! Have a great weekend!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Creating Your Own Business Cards

Let me start off with saying that this is going to be a pretty long post so I apoligize if it is boring to some. I just wanted to share some of my knowledge with you. Why pay for someone to make business cards for you if you have the talent and technology right at your fingertips? I am in no way an expert when it comes to Adobe Photoshop. I will be the first to admit it. I know that there is probably a more "professional" way of creating your own business cards, but I just wanted to share with you what works best for me!

You will need:


Blank sheets of business cards (I use Avery)
Adobe Photoshop
Microsoft Word
Printer


Open up Adobe Photoshop and go to File and select New. Under Document Size change the width to 3.5 inches and the height to 2 inches. Change the resolution to 300 pixels/inch. You can also name the window “Business Card” if you like, and then select OK.

For my business cards, I used a picture of one of my wreaths from my computer. If you would like to select an image from your computer to use, click Open and then select your image. This will open your image in a separate window in Photoshop.



This is the picture that I used. I wanted to get rid of the door and brick in the background.

To remove any background from your image that you don’t want seen on your business card, select the Eraser Tool from the toolbar on the left. You can adjust the size of the Eraser brush using the toolbar located at the top of your computer screen.

When you have erased the background of your image, select Filter and then Extract. Using the highlighter tool, trace around the edges of the area to be retained.

Then click the Paint Bucket located at the upper left hand side of the screen. This will select the Paint Bucket. You need to click inside the image in order to fill it. Once you have the image highlighted and filled and you are satisfied, click OK in the upper right hand corner. The image should now be cut out with a gray checkered background behind it.

Use the Rectangular Marquee tool located in the toolbar to the left side of your screen to select the entire image. Then go to Edit and select Copy.

Select your window labeled “Business Card” and go to Edit and select Paste. I always change the percentage in the bottom left hand corner of the window to 300%, so I have a bigger view of the image. The image will appear blurry in this zoomed in view.

Once you paste the image, it will be much bigger than the window, so go to Edit and select Free Transform; this will let you make the image smaller. When adjusting the size of the image remember to hold down the shift key the entire time, otherwise the dimensions of the image will not be proportionate. You can also move the image to where you want it on the business card.

When you are happy with the size and location of your image hit the Enter key.

Now you can change the background color or add text to your business card.

To add text, go to Layer, then New and select Layer.

Select the Horizontal Type Tool and then click on the “Business Card” window where you want your text to be and type in your text. You can move around your text at anytime by selecting the Move Tool located in the toolbar to the left of the screen. You can change the font, size and style of the text with the toolbar located at the top of the screen. Just highlight the text by dragging the mouse over it and then you can make any changes.

Change the percentage of the window back to 100% so you can see the actual size of the business card to make sure the text is legible. When you are happy with the look of your business card go to file and save.

Open Microsoft Word and go to Mailings and then select Labels. Click on the Options tab, and then select the corresponding template for the labels you have purchased. The labels I use require the 8371 template. Once selected click OK and then click New Document.


You will see a page with the outlines of the business cards. Be sure to save your document.

Mouse over the first box on the page and hit the backspace button this will remove any spaces from the box.
Go to Insert and then Picture and find the Photoshop document that you saved on your computer and click Insert. Repeat until all of the boxes contain your business card image.

Insert your sheet of labels in the printer and click print. Be sure to print only one sheet at a time since the labels sheets are thicker than regular paper.

Follow the instructions printed on the labels to separate the business cards.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Kreativ Blogger Award

Kreativ Blogger Award
I received an awesome award from a very awesome lady, Elizabear.




Thank you so much Elizabear and the whole Bear Bunch!
Here are the rules:


List 7 things that you love and then pass the award on to 7 people...tagging them and letting them know they won!

You can copy the picture of the award and put it on your sideboard letting the whole wide world know you are KReATIV!



1. I love my husband. He is truly my soul mate! We have been married for three years and I am so very glad we found each other. He is supportive, loving, and hilarious; he can always make me laugh!

2. I love making my wreaths. It is so calming to sit down with a whole bunch of flowers and create an original design. I especially love when someone else loves my wreaths too! To think that not only are my wreaths all over this country, but one is at a home on a completely different continent, is the best feeling ever!

3. I love going to the beach with the warm sun and cool waves, nothing is more peaceful. I grew up going to the beach with my family. I could stay out there all day just relaxing and taking it easy!

4. I love birthday parties, and I'm not talking about my own. I love other people's birthdays and giving them gifts!

5. I love my dog, Izzy. She is so silly and usually completely hyperactive, but she can also be so sweet. When she was little I would let her sit in my lap and she would always fall asleep, and now she still tries to sit in my lap (she is an 80 pound yellow lab!)

6. I love watching romantic comedies. My favorites right now are 50 First Dates, Pride and Prejudice, Dan in Real Life and The Family Stone.

7. I love my family's annual football trip. We take a trip to a different city each year to go to a professional football game. It is always Hugh and I, my parents, and my Aunt and Uncle that travel together and we have a blast!


I pass this award on to:

Akane Designs

JPATPURSES

Mere's Lair

Jacaranda Designs

PamperingBeki

The Craft Begins

Parallax Photo

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Another Custom Design

One of my co-workers saw the "Watermelon Delight" wreath that I had made and she fell in love with it. She wanted a pink and yellow spring wreath to display on her front door. So I told her that I could make the same kind of style as the other wreath and just substitute the green flowers for yellow ones.



I brought the wreath up to work yesterday, and she was blown away! She has probably ordered about five wreaths from me before, but she always gets so excited about each one. It always makes me feel so ecstatic!

Sunday, March 1, 2009

100 Hearts


I know to some of you this may not mean much, but for me it is a big Etsy milestone! I looked on my shop's favorites page and saw that I have 100 people that "heart" me! Woohoo!


Bit-O-Luck

Since it is the beginning of March, I feel that it is appropriate to post my newest creation - the "Bit-O-Luck" St. Patrick's Day wreath. I finished this wreath just this morning and I have just listed it in my Etsy shop.


I think it is so cute! It features the classic green colors of the Irish inspired holiday plus a little gold thrown in for kicks!


I love the sign in the middle; it reads: "Irish Luck". Every-other letter in the title is raised and it also has a cute four leaf clover right in the middle of the sign.



Hope everyone has a wonderful week!