A Treasured Gift

My grandma recently went through her whole house and cleaned and donated a bunch of stuff. In the process, she found some very special pieces of jewelry. One of which she saved for me! I was so honored to receive this ring! This was my great aunt's wedding ring! It is extra special to me because she was my aunt Edith :) She is the aunt I was named after and have always felt a great connection to. I did not know her well as she died when I was very young. But I will carry on her namesake...and now her wedding ring :) I couldn't believe my grandma was giving it to me! Even more, I couldn't believe that it fit like a charm! After giving it to me, my grandma asked if I wanted to put it back in the box. I said "No...I think I'll wear it". And it still sits upon my finger as I type this :) What a great treasure!

Bring on the Graduations!!!

I am officially ready for graduation! I have all of my albums complete and delivered! Such a great feeling! Now I just have to make a couple of cards and I'll really be ready :)

I made 24 pages for this last album! A lot of time and work went into this album. But most of all...a lot of LOVE :) This album is for my boyfriend's cousin. She asked me to make her one to set out at her graduation party and she said she would pay for all of the supplies. Well, in the end, I felt it was the perfect gift for her :) I hope she loves it and appreciates it :)

I thought I'd share my two favorite pages from the album:

This one took the longest because my "lovely" sewing machine broke half way through sewing the border and I had to finish it by hand! Boy did that take forever! But I love how it turned out!!!

And I love the colors and photos on this one :) This is a design I may use over and over...I just love it :)

I hope all of you are ready for all of your graduations and have all your gifts picked out :) Congratulations to the Class of 2009!

A New Year-A Great Feature :)

Oh my...where do I start! It's been a little while since I've blogged and so much has happened over the past couple of weeks! My parents have been here from Michigan and I have been spending so much time with them that I had to give my blog a short rest.

I wanted my first blog post of 2009 to be spectacular :) That is why I am choosing to feature Brigitte Marie Fontaine of brigittemarie today :) Brigitte was so kind to make my dad's Christmas present this year and I absolutely fell in love with it...he almost didn't receive it :)

I want you to get to know this great artist, so I did an interview with Brigitte. Enjoy the read :)

How long have you been painting?

I've been drawing and painting since I was little but I really made it my focus in high school, taking 2 art classes almost every year! In college, I double majored in Education and Studio Art, painting and drawing. Fortunately I was able to find a place in Alexandria with enough space for a mini studio! And miraculously I still find time to paint after teaching K-6 art full time. Painting has always been my "me-time" you could say.

What got you started?

I have always done small paintings or drawings for people as gifts.As far as doing painting on commission, when my sister first moved out on her own, she wanted art for her apartment! She "hired" me and sent me photographs to work from. Now five, six years later she still has me doing paintings for her home! She has encouraged me to expand my network through Etsy, coworkers, friends, roommates, etc. I have been working steadily on custom painting after custom painting since!

What is your favorite item in your shop right now?

My favorite item in my shop right now is the print of "Three Satin Dresses." I had a selfish artist moment and just could not part with the original. The painting is from a photo I took while wedding dress shopping with my sister, recently married this fall. I just loved the light from the window shining on the satin, and how odd yet beautiful the three main wedding dresses looked as figures in the display window. There are also three of us sisters in my family so I felt the painting reflected that sisterly bond!!

What work are you most proud of?

My sister and brother-in-law gave me this photograph of his motorcycle on an overlook of the Blue Ridge Parkway down in Shenandoah. I had to make a motorcycle look as "beautiful" as the mountain view! My banner is actually a piece of the photograph of that painting... When the phrase "Motorcycle painting" pops into your head, it is normally not be something you would want to hang in your living room. It turned out to have a nice masculine-feminine balance and I was somehow able to make this quite a lovely painting for their home.

Where can people find you on/off the web? Etsy, Blog, Twitter, etc.

Actually this is my first online endeavor in marketing my skills and artwork so I am only on Etsy! I have not looked into Blog and Twitter. I do love how official, organized, and safe Etsy is to buy, sell, request, etc.

Do you do any other crafts?

I can crochet. I have made blankets for everyone in my family and some scarves! I also dabble in ceramics, which I find very therapeutic.

I hope you enjoyed the interview and will check out Brigitte's Etsy Store :)

Here's to a Successful New Year! And to more great blog posts :)