Discover Me Wednesday

Well hello there. I know that is has been two weeks since my last post, but as I've said before...the summer days just seem to get away from me.

Two weeks ago my boys and I went on a short overnight to Baltimore, Maryland. We enjoyed a ballgame and also went to Fort McHenry which I have wanted to see for a long time now. This was where the Star Spangled Banner was written and it was very moving to be at place that is so rich in our country's history.

Last week my back went out and I was stuck in bed for 3 days. I was just too depressed to blog, although I suppose it may have been good therapy for me.

Since I missed two weeks I wanted to make up for it in a big way. I searched the word "Meadow" on ETSY yesterday and I came across so many wonderful artists that I decided to feature a whole bouquet of them with you today.

The first artists shop is called Mercury's Glass. This Wisconsin born artist creates lovely lamp work glass beads made with high quality glass form Italy, Germany, China and the United States. Be sure to visit the shop to see other beautiful items from this artist.


This Sandalwood Meadows soap is made by an ETSY shop called SunBasilGarden Soaps. This Delaware mother of two makes all of these juicy soaps and the descriptions sound absolutely heavenly. This soap is a handcrafted all natural goats milk & glycerin soap.
It has been topped in sea salt and marigold petals for a gentle exfoliation. Sunbasilgarden describes the scent as a "unique bouquet of woodsy sandalwood, cedar, rose and jasmine with bright and fresh notes to enjoy." You can also follow Sun Basil Garden on her Blog SunBasilGarden.blogspot.com.


This pretty little felted picture called Lavender field of Provence was designed by an ETSY artist called Real Farey and can be found in her shop called the Funky Felt Shop. Real Farey...also known as Betti...not only makes these felted landscapes, she also makes really cool felt clothing, wraps and pillow covers. Betti also has a wonderful blog and you can follow her at realfaery.blogspot.com.



The Plant Press is an ETSY shop run by Regina and Omarr. They find all these beautiful flowers and leaves in Austin and then press them into these framed beauties as well as in bookmarks. Be sure to check out their profile page to read about how they go through the process of pressing the plants, how they make the frames, and how they make their bookmarks. This particular item is a reserved listing on ETSY, but there are many like it available in their shop.




The Speed of Light Gallery on ETSY is run by two wonderful artists Jerry Nichols and K'lynn McDonnell. Jerry creates the natural wood frames and K'lynn creates the colored pencil landscapes. This work of art is called "Meadow at Dusk" and is just one of many unique creations in their shop.




"Dew drops suspended in time" is an 8x12 fine art photograph; ready for matting that can be found in an ETSY shop called Leaping Gazelle Studios. Located in Michigan; Lauren creates nature inspired home decor photography, botanical jewelery, cards and gifts. Be sure to stop by her shop to take a peek at her other wonderful items.




Meadows can be found all over the place. This one called "Summer Meadow" can be found on a hand painted silk scarf in an ETSY shop called Silk Story. The proprietor of this little shop is Zita; a happy grandmother and mother who resides in Lithuania creating her silk art at her kitchen table. You can find scarves as well as paintings and cards in her shop. Zita also has a lovely little Blog and you can follow her at zita-silkstory.blogspot.com.



If quilting is more your style, then you will love this quilted wall hanging called "Serenity Meadow". Daria is a self-taught quilter whose shop Quilts by Daria can be found on ETSY. She has many beautiful handcrafted items in her shop and each one is a unique piece of artwork.


Natalie Bowman is a self - taught artist who resides in Florida. This cute little Sunflower Gourd is actually a bird feeder. You can find it and many other wonderful items in her ETSY shop Nat's Kreations.

















Last but certainly not least is an artist who I admire greatly. Dorana lives in Mendham, New Jersey with her handsome new husband Todd and her Senior Citizen pets, Lance, Merlin and Neisha. She is constantly creating and designing beautiful works of art for her shop A Dorana Design; on ETSY. There; you can browse tons of beauties just like this flower weave bracelet perfectly named Blush Rose Trellis. Be sure to stop by for a look at her gorgeous creations. Also check out her other shop DDots to see the spectacular cards she creates.Dorana also has a great Blog so be sure to stop by and check that out as well. It is DoranaDesign@blogspot.com.

Discover Me Wednesday

So if you've been spending time here in the Meadow, then you know that fairies and elves abound here. I am always on the lookout for little homes or things to decorate the meadow with. I was searching ETSY for "terrariums" and discovered this fantastic shop called Betty's Fantasy .

Jessica is the talented artist who creates these little fantasy worlds. Her inspiration is her Grandma Betty.




"Betty was a sweet little lady, the kindest little Grandma you could imagine. With her little rosy cheeks and pink sweaters, she was simply angelic~ She now lives in the clouds in a beautiful little house where she makes her famous chicken soup all day and waits patiently for everyone to come for dinner. In the meantime, her Granddaughter has built a little shop in her memory and hopes it makes her proud~" (direct quote from the Betty's Fantasy profile page).




My Grammy sounds a lot like Jessica's Grandma Betty. Grammy passed away when I was 25, but it seems that I was the one person in the family who was born with her eye for all things creative.





Jessica has an obvious eye for detail and all the items in her shop will instantly transport you into a world where fairies roam, hummingbirds hum, and deer and other creatures can be your friend. This shop is a perfect addition to the Discover me Wednesday family. Every whimsical piece is a one of a kind creation that will bring the beauty of nature and imagination into your home.

Once you are done looking at all of the fantastic details of each item in Jessica's shop, you can visit her Blog for beautiful pictures, crafty tutorials, and fun stories that will make you laugh out loud, and inspire you to create something magical yourself.

Discover Me Wednesday

I know I am posting on Thursday this week, but these summer days just seem to get away from me. It is important to me to feature one artist a week so here I am on Thursday morning to share this weeks Discover me Wednesday artist. I found something extraordinary in the Meadow and I just had to share it with you.

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Spring Hues

I have recently discovered the art of mixed media and while looking around on ETSY I stumbled upon a shop called Art Essence. The artist of this fantastic little shop is Marty Husted. Marty is a freelance illustrator and fine artist living in Columbus, Ohio. As a child Marty loved to play in the woods , dream, and imagine herself in far-off fantasy world places. Looking at her art can transport you to the imaginations in her fantasy world and it is a place that you could stay and roam in for hours.

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Watercolor River

Marty has a B.F.A. in illustration from Columbus College of Art and Design, and she has collaborated with authors Carole Gerber, Diane and Joseph Donnermeyer and Jane Hoffelt to create some beautiful children's books. All of these books can be found on Amazon.com

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Old Friend

Marty's art can be found in her ETSY shop Art Essence, as well as the Studios on High Art Gallery in Columbus, Ohio. Her website MartyHusted.com is filled with photos of her illustrations from the award winning books that she has worked on, her oil paintings, and mixed media artwork. You can also contact Marty to visit your school to speak to the children about her beautiful illustrations.

Drying in the Tuscan Sun

Floral Fireworks 2010

The Fourth of July always invokes in me a sense of Patriotism and joy in the Freedoms that we all share as citizens of our great Nation. One of my favorite quotes by John Adams is this..."I must study politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study
mathematics and philosophy. Our sons ought to study mathematics and
philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture,
navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children
a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary,
tapestry and porcelain."



I am thankful that my grandfather served in the US Coast Guard during World War II and fought to protect my freedom....and that my father served in the US Navy during the Vietnam War to protect my freedom. They are citizens and Patriots deserving of the highest regard in my mind. Because of them and many others like them in this country I now have the right to study painting, poetry, music and whatever else I would like to enjoy.









One of my favorite things to do is to take pictures. I am not an accomplished photographer but merely someone who likes to capture the world around me in still frames. I can look back at these captured moments and remember the feelings, scents and emotions that I had at the moment I took the photos.





These photos were taken in my yard yesterday among the sounds of firecrackers and children's laughter, with the warmth of a summer sunset on my shoulders and the scent of the flowers in my nose. I hope that you will get a warm feeling when you look at them and be inspired to create something beautiful this holiday weekend.



You have been given the Freedom to create. Exercise this right every chance you get.

Happy 4th of July!

Discover Me Wednesday

Oh my GOSH!!! Wait until you see what I discovered today. The meadow is teaming with fairies and elves and I needed to find some lovely little houses for them. While looking for some on ETSY I found this fantastic shop called Suzannes's Pottery Farm. Suzanne is a self taught left handed potter located in West Salem, Ohio whose lovely creations are all made by hand on a pottery wheel. Be sure to check out her profile for a great story about the interesting potters wheel that she learned to throw clay on. She uses five different types of clay in her art. The clays include Raku, Porcelain and 3 colors of stoneware. One photo of these adorable little houses was all it took for me to fall in love. Here are several for you to admire with links to Suzanne's ETSY shop so that if you find yourself just having to own one you can go get it immediately! Enjoy.


This trio of fairy houses include 2 cottage style homes and a flower house. Wouldn't they look great in your garden?














This little speckled beauty is large enough to fit a tealight and would make a fabulous outdoor luminary or nightlight in your house.



















This adorable little pumpkin house is the perfect residence for any fairy in your area.

Discover Me Wednesday

This Wednesday is a little overcast and gray. We are expecting rain, but I think I have discovered the perfect artist on ETSY to brighten your day. Julie is the proprietor of jcallison on Etsy and resides in Hamilton, Montana. She is a photographer/artist who takes beautiful photographs of the world around her as she sees it through the lense of a camera. Enjoy the following photos and please visit Julies shop on Etsy to see more.


This gorgeous photo is called "Falling into Spring" . Just looking at it gives me a feeling of calm. I can just smell the sunshine on the cherry blossoms, and hear the bees buzzing as I walk through the meadow.








"Just before Dawn" is a photo that makes me want to set the alarm for 5 am so that I can witness this beauty to begin every day of my life. I am inspired to create something Blue.













Imagine you are laying in the grass here at the meadow with your eyes closed, the sun on your face, and the smell of lavender in your nose. As you turn your head and look over you catch the magical sight of a "delicate dandelion fluff caught on the grass". It's the little things that never cease to amaze me.














My favorite photo in the collection available for sale in Julies shop jcallison is this one titled "Fairy Umbrella". I can just imagine walking through the meadow with a light mist coming down around me and discovering this beautiful little blue flower with a pretty little fairy hiding underneath to keep her delicate wings dry. The photo is stunning, the colors are rich and it has been made to look like a vintage print. Absolutely fantastic!



All of Julies photos are signed and ready for matting and framing. They are professionally printed on archival, acid free matte paper, with professional inks. She is also accommodating with changing the print size and photo paper if you prefer something other than what she has listed in her shop. Be sure to visit Julies shop today and tell her you found her in Heathers Meadow on Blogger.

Discover Me Wednesday

I love to wander around ETSY and could do so for hours just discovering new artists and new craft ideas. I have decided to make Wednesdays the day when I would like to share my discoveries with anyone who happens to be wandering the Meadow looking for these same things.

This weeks discovery is an ETSY shop called "Wooden Treasures" from Hickory, North Carolina.

The artists name is Jay and he is a retired gentleman who is originally from Upstate New York. He makes beautiful hair barrettes, cuff links, buttons, shawl pins/hair sticks and pendants made out of unique and exotic woods.


My favorite items in his shop though are the fairy items. These pretty little fairy doors, windows and houses are whimsical and playful. Be sure to check out Jays shop on ETSY.

Jump in the water is fine

Finally I am here! Roaming in Heathers Meadow. I started this Blog a few weeks ago and have not posted to it yet because I wanted it to be "just right" . I wanted to include a beautiful instrumental piano melody...I wanted to include a lovely photo banner with the title of my Blog on it...I wanted it to be perfect. I spoke to my wonderful friend Dorana (you can follow her beautiful Blog at Siempre - Dorana) yesterday and was sharing all of this with her and she suggested that I just do it. Just begin. Take a breath, and put it out there....


So here I am. I hope that this will be a place for me to share the beauty of the world the way I see it with you. As you meander through the Meadow may you find inspiration...new ideas...a fresh perspective...and a place to come and discover something new each time because obviously this is going to be a little slice of the "forest" that is ever changing...growing...evolving into something that you and I can come to enjoy together.


"Hold your breath...Make a wish...Count to three..." - Willie Wonka