Teasing Spring...

Yay! I finished my collection of spring originals, soon to debut on March 26th! They each posed for the camera last night, and I snapped a few teaser pics to entice you to join me for my Spring Web Sale, later this month. In total, there are 10 little sweeties, and I want to thank all of my collector friends for your little push to make some spring delights this year. It has been a fun diversion :)

* A sweet bunny, painted in chocolatey spring hues, peeks into the frame...



* A creamy-white mouse with rose-colored undertones, smiles amongst a gathering of spring folk art friends...



* Looking up, we see what appears to be a perky rabbit in vintage pinks and greens.... Look at her wee little mouth!



* And an adorable buttery-yellow chick waves a wiry wing and invites you all to take a closer peek on Monday, March 26th, when I will release these unique characters. Please Join my Mailing List for more details, including the start time and more.

Think Spring!
~ Johanna

Spring Muse & Hues...

Ahh, the temperatures are finally beginning to warm, and spring is in the air! A fresh breeze has been wafting through the window of my workshop as I finish up my collection of spring originals for an upcoming Web Sale. More feathered friends have been bathing in the bird bath and celebrating the commencement of spring through song. It feels good to be close to finishing my latest batch of seasonal folk art characters. JP stopped in to snap a few photos of the artistic process as I added the final painterly touches to my pieces. You can see more of the image below on my Facebook Fan Page ~ (and please click the LIKE button once you arrive if wish to stay connected!)  Next, I will add a few touches of glass glitter and trims to these sweet guys. There are 10 in total and include a fun mix of egg cups, kettle cups and ball characters. I would have loved to make more, but I also have a growing list of eager Lucky List recipients that I must tend to as well. (Thank you for your patience :)

* Just a peek at one of several originals I have been creating for spring!  You are welcome to Join my Mailing List for more details on my March 26th Web Sale...

* Here's a close-up perspective on my paint palette for spring. I rarely use colors straight out of the bottle. The bright red, mixed with white and soft yellow create that salmon-pink hue that I prefer for this season. I also apply this color to the cheeks of snowmen when the holidays roll in.

* It's funny as I have been using the same cool whip lid for years upon years to mix my paints on, and I DON'T eat cool whip ~ not for many years at least. But, I am certainly recycling and getting good use out of its container :)  After the layers build up, I peel the whole thing off, sign and date the back, and just store it away ~ for what, I'm not sure, but I just can't bring myself to toss it out as there's an intimiate beauty in those layers of paint, methodically mixed....

* I know, this just looks like blobs of color, but it's art to me... unintentional, but still art.



* I didn't notice how these hues swirled together, forming a flowing pattern until I snapped the subject up close. The movement is captured in time and may soon disappear under another bumpy layer of paints.

* One more perspective of my artist's palette, and then I'll stop for now :) This reminds me of a slightly mountainous landscape, and if I were the size of a pinhead, I would scale those hilly hues!

IMAGINATION ~ I am so grateful for it!

~ Johanna

6 Ways to Bestow Spring in a Mug!...

Spring is certainly a time of celebration and smiles as mother nature slowly wakes up from her long winter's nap. I always look forward to the warming of the mornings and the chance, to at last, take my hot cup of coffee or tea outdoors and explore the latest buds and blossoms in the garden. It's a lovely way to wake up and start the day. As the two go hand in hand, I thought I would have a litte fun and share with you 6 Sweet Ways to Give the Gift of Spring in a Mug! I currently have 2 illustrated mugs available in my Zazzle Shop that promise to make the perfect spring gift to both family and friends (or yourself!). Whether it's in celebration of Easter, the changing of the seasons, a birthday, a thank you, a hostest gift or just an act of simple kindness, these suggestions promise to bring smiles to those you share them with. The mugs are certainly custom and unique and serve as a functional base and vase for whatever you choose to fill it with in your presentation. The ideas are certainly endless, and if you have more, please feel free to share them here with our readers. Enjoy and THANK YOU for spreading smiles through my art!

~ Johanna



* Idea # 1 gets top ranking with me as it is probably the easiest and most cost effective to produce. Plus, the results are so dear! Spring invites a whole host of flowering bulb plants that often pop up all over the landscape. Snip a few from here or there. Daffodils are always a favorite, so just trim them to height and place in water. If your flower-filled mug must go on a journey before it is gifted, then anchor your flowers in wet floral foam, cut to size. This keeps those pretties fresh and firmly grounded while eliminating the splashing of water and potential spills.



* Although Idea # 2 takes a little more work, the results are too sweet for words! A tuft of fresh wheatgrass spells out spring, and health-minded folks love to juice it in their smoothies. Wheatgrass can be found at most health food grocers in the produce section. Purchase a square of it and cut it to size and stuff it into your mug. Alternatively, with more time and patience, you can grow your own with organic soil and wheatgrass seeds. With a little care, your grass will be perky in 10 days or less. I poked a pink lollipop in for pizazz, but again the ideas are endless. The recipient can keep the lively mug in their windowsill till the grass is used or fades, or they can even share it with their feline friends who also adore this green treat. In the end, they are still left with an adorable mug. Just wash well and enjoy!




* Idea # 3 is the choice for your chocolate & coffee loving friends! I chose dark chocolate covered coffee beans to go with the coffee mug theme. A simple cellophane bag and pretty bow will do the trick. Other suggestions may be chocolate covered nuts or other cocoa-themed sweets. Take it a step further and fill a cellophane bag with homemade chocolate chip cookies ~ YUM! Now, that woud certainly taste quite delightful with a cup of spring coffee in one of my sweet mugs :)



* Idea # 4 is certainly for those with a sweet tooth! Fill carrot cellophane bags with orange jelly beans and ground them in a base of spring green paper packing grass. These bags are easily found online. Do a search for "cone shaped cello bags" or "carrot cellophane bags" and you should find a variety of vendors offering cone shaped packaging, perfect for this sweet application!



* Idea # 5 takes sugar to a higher level of sweetness! Make a bouquet that celebrates the well-known "peep"! Poke these marshmallow bunnies or chicks into wooden skewer sticks, cut to length if necessary and anchor them into a mug fill with spring-hued candies, such as M&M's. What an adorable hostess gift this would make at a spring party. Suddenly, your unique gift takes center stage!



* And Idea # 6 showcases the traditional chocolate bunny. Make sure to purchase one that will fit snuggly in your muggly :) With a little spring green construction paper and scissors, cut a continuous strip of zig-zaggy paper grass. Cut to fit the diameter of your mug, tape it end to end and tuck it down & around your bunny. If you find him wiggling around too much, tuck a little tissue paper down below and around him to set him just right, and add those decorative blades as your final touch!

I hope I have inspired you with these 6 Sweet Ideas to Bestow Spring in a Mug! As I said earlier, please feel free to comment with more fun ideas. Sharing is caring, and it is always FUN to hear from you.

Now, go pick up a SPRING MUG or 2 from My Zazzle Shop!  Thank you for your support & kindness...

Postage with a Spring Flare...

Spring will soon be in the air, and I look forward to its arrival! Due dates for spring 2013 licensed products have been my focus this month, and the imagery I have been creating inspired a new series of 6 spring-themed postage stamps. I know that the USPS is in decline, as we all become more and more computer savvy with our communications and correspondence. But, I personally dislike the thought of losing its service. I always enjoy receiving cards, notes and parcels from family and friends. And sometimes, opening the mailbox can be quite a treat!  The very way a letter can be beautifully addressed with the personal touch of a dear friend's penmanship is like nothing else. The color of the envelope, feel of the paper pressing against your anxious fingers, along with stickers and sweet postage stamps complete the package and raise the level of anticipation to open it! In celebration of this centuries-old tradition, I am now offering to you, a whimsical collection of my illustrated postage stamps, now available in my Zazzle Shop. Apply them to your Spring & Easter cards and correspondence or to seasonal party invitations, promising both smiles and lots of fun. These butterflies, bunnies and birds will bring frolic and cheer to those lucky recipients. Make your messages memorable and sweet while also keeping the history and tradition of sending and receiving postal mail alive.

Than you!
~ Johanna

To Purchase my Illustrated Postage Stamps & more delightful products, click HERE...

Have a Lovely Day!...

I bet some of you faithful fans of Jack were wondering if our 4-legged friend would be making a special appearance on my blog today. Fortunately, the answer is yes! His mood was quite chipper over the weekend, so we deemed it just the right time to make our move. I grabbed a few props, and after he heard the rustle of the red and white paper garland, his ears perked up and he rushed to my feet. I draped it around him in various ways, and he began prancing all about. He LOVES the attention! We noticed that he also LOVES my latest pair of Valentines lovebirds from my Bethany Lowe line. We perched them here and there for Jack to sniff and greet, snapping photos along the way. I know you might be asking where is his latest Valentine's hat and all? Well, me and the 'ol clock have a less-than-loving relationship, so maybe next "time".... For now, enjoy our silly little series of a cat and bird love affair. I hope they give you warm fuzzies too :)

Wishing you a LOVELY-fun Valentine's Day!

xoxo,
~ Johanna, JP & Jack












Hehehehehe......



Photos © Johanna Parker Design, LLC

Just Flirting...

February is fast approaching, and the month of love has inspired me to create an intimate group of heart-themed folk art characters! It is rare that I make time to create for this special holiday, but the subject matter and palette delight me, and well, I flirted with the idea. Fortunately, I just completed a handful of Valentines friends, and I will be revealing them on the evening of February 1st! I only have six little treasures to offer, so if you are interested, please make sure that you have joined my Mailing List. On Wednesday, I will send out a Newsletter to your inbox announcing that my sale will start within that same hour. For now, I thought I would tease you with what's in store. OH, those little flirts!!!

xoxo,
~ Johanna

* I know, I may be getting a little too up close and personal here! hehe.....

Stocking Up...

The rich colors and textures of last night's medley of vegetable scraps, brewing together in a pot inspired this post. Have you ever made vegetable stock? It's so simple! Almost a year ago, JP and I took a couple's cooking class at Nourished Health Wellness Center in Denver, and we learned this simple way to use all the parts of our vegetables. Now, whenever I cut the tops and bottoms off of an onion, and peel its skins, I toss them all into a gallon-sized ziplock bag. The heads of carrots, ends of asparagus, insides of peppers, old garlic, extra greens and other common veggie discards that I used to toss into the trash, now all end up saved and stored in this bag. You'll find it full of bulging vegetable remnants in our freezer and easily accessible every time I chop produce for a salad or prepare a meal. And yesterday, I decided that this bag was plenty full, and therefore, time to make vegetable stock!



I poured its colorful contents into a big pot and filled it with water, submerging all the cuttings. I turned up the heat to high to promote a boil and to warm up all those frozen vegetable bits. Soon, tops of peppers, carrot trimmings, herbs and such began to glisten, and JP and I oooh'd and aaah'd at the variety of colors. Shortly after, out came the camera!



Looks yummy, doesn't it?  And a hearty garden aroma began to fill the house... What a delightful scent on a cold, wintery night.



I love how the simple things in life can generate smiles and good times.... Clearly, making your own vegetable stock falls into this category ~ or at least it does for us!



Finally, we had a rolling boil, bubbles and all! Then, I turned the heat down to a simmer, covered the pot and allowed the water and veggies to work their magic...



While we waited for the stock to form, we had a little fun! Is that really the reflection of me and JP peering back at us from the face of the stock pot?  Hehehehe!



After about 3 hours or so of simmering, we lifted the lid to find a dark amber liquid had replaced the clear water from earlier. The vegetables were soft and muted, and the colors not so bright, but the stock was taking shape. A hearty smell of rich vegetables filled our nostrils ~ yum! I turned the heat off and located the heavy pot to an iron trivet for cooling.

Lastly, after a few minutes of straining out the vegetable remnants, we had ourselves a luscious vegetable stock. Measuring out 2 cups at a time, we poured the liquid into a series of quart-sized freeze-proof ziplock baggies. I recommend labeling the bags first with a quick note of contents and amounts before filling them.  Once they are filled and zipped, laying & layering them in a large glass casserole dish is best and easier to separate once they are frozen. And yes, all go into the freezer and await for just the right time when you need a splash of stock for a stew, soup or whatever you feel like making. When that time arrives, just pull out a frozen stock bag, run it under warm water for a few seconds until you feel the
icy chunk dislodge. Then, just release it from the bag into a pot, warm it on your stove, add a little salt and pepper and enjoy your vegetable broth. Yield: 9 1/2 cups of veggie stock......Enjoy!

Happy cooking!
~ Johanna

Journey Abroad...

On Christmas Day, JP and I set forth on a journey abroad to Belgium to reunite with his family. Four years for him and almost six for me had passed since our last visit overseas. As usual, I was a bit anxious about the long plane ride, but we managed it well and were thrilled to reconnect in person. JP's mother and step-father welcomed us in their country home outside of Brussels where she had decorated their  upstairs guest room in familiar hues of orange and black. What a sweet gesture that was to make me feel even more at home! After ample amounts of sleep, we were excited to step foot out into their country village for a tranquil promenade through the quiet streets and beyond into the surrounding farmland...
Enjoy this sampling of photos from our visit that literally spanned over 2 years :)



* An old magenta-painted bicycle served as garden art that greeted us we came and went. The old brick exterior of their home dates back a couple hundred years...



* Just across the way we found a pair of posing roosters. Perhaps their early morning calls were the same calls that woke us up a wee bit sooner than expected. It's funny as the common "cock a doodle doo" we fondly refer to here in the states is translated as "cocorico" in French, and JP and I always bicker back and forth as to which sound the rooster really makes...



* From afar, JP spotted a trio of wooly sheep snoozing in a nearby pasture. The four of us quietly trudged across a field for a closer look...



 In a bit of defense, the lazy sheep regrouped, making for a more uniform picture. And, since my mom specifically asked for a photo of Belgian sheep, I just had to capture them! Voila.....



* A quiet footpath led us out of the village where the landscape opened up to reveal various hues of green. The quiet beauty of this vine-like tree crawling up its predecessor caught my eye....



* The skies were just gray on our first outing, but would soon open up with intermittent rainfall and howling winds as the week went on. Here, JP walks along that same path framed by trees all about...



* We peer back at an old estate framed by more moss-covered trees...



* JP, alongside his step-father and mother up ahead, chat about various things and commonly speak in French. I try to follow along with my limited vocabulary, but find the countryside and ancient buildings more intriguing and continue along taking photos....



* I was enchanted by this scene of a giant moss-covered tree, casting it's branches over one of the oldest stone farm houses in the village....



* They led us down a leaf-covered path along the edge of the woods. JP sped ahead, turned and snapped a quick photo to capture the moment...



* We passed many fields with row after row of neatly planted trees. I meant to ask what they were, but am assuming they are orchards. They tell me the soil in this region of Belgium is rich and fruitful. We also passed by fields of beets and carrots recently harvested...



* A clearing along the way opened up to a field of green as far as the eye could see...



* Back in the village, JP's mother and dog stop for just a moment. I quickly snap a sweet image framed by those intensely-colored red cherries draping over the brick wall. This is one of my favorites....



* A rustic courtyard calls for a closer look. I wonder just how many years those gnarled vines have crept along that stony wall and ponder the meaning of the female statue raising a torch atop her pedastal...



* Across a cobbled street, the moss-covered spires of an old gate catch my eye. They almost disappear into the gray-white hue of the sky...



* This whimsical entry with varying patterns and textures made for a fun photo-op. Just say "cheese," JP's mom says, as saying "fromage" would be less flattering I do believe... :)



* An age-old ornamental rooster perches at the tippy-top of the cross casting high above the neighboring rooftops. Again, I ponder the age of this chapel as it seems to bear the wear of time...




* The following day the temperatures drop, but we bundle up and head to Huy. More cobble streets and bygone buildings greet us as we walk the various streets and narrows...



* A very old "pharmacie" trimmed in elaborate natural wooden details catches our eyes. With his expert appreciation in woodworking, JP is especially enamored by the ornamental features and the fact that this storefront has stood the test of time....



* I capture another entrance in wood, and only imagine what lies behind this towering portal...



* Just across the way, elaborately carved stone frames a series of blue windows that have watched that wooden portal for centuries. If they could only speak, what would they say?... I ask how old these buildings are, and no one knows for certain. But, the larger the stone blocks are, the older the structure is...



* We come to an open air market where vendors are selling everything from flowers and cheese to scarves and meat. In the distance, a towering cathedral rises like a fortress and hovers over the town...



* I peer though a medieval looking iron gate at the entry to another church or perhaps a parsonage that dates back many years in time...



* The next day we crossed the Belgian border and explored Germany for the first time. JP, myself and his sister Nathalie took a train to Aachen, Germany to both soak in their hot mineral baths and walk the town. Brother Francois joined us the following day....




* The weather was fairly miserable, but it was our only chance to soak it all in. And "soak" we truly did! Gloves soaked to the skin, I stand for a quick photo in my 5 or so layers. Off in the distance, the town's cathedral beckons...



* Another rooster, this time in bronze, keeps watch over a whimsical statue. We take a closer look.....



* Admir, Nathalie's partner laughs at the peasant-like figures hovering all about. Their joints were posable, but almost too cold to touch on such a chilly December day...



* Two hours via car, and we were back in Belgium for New Year's Eve. We took the underground Metro from N & A's apartment to spend the day in downtown Brussels. JP's sister Cassandra and her  husband Chad flew in from Italy to ring in the new year with us, and the four of us explored a rainy Brussels. Above, I am standing in the the Grand Place, pronounced "Grawn Ploss" which I just recently realized is simply the grand place. It's the city center and public meeting square lined with ancient buildings that certainly capture the imagination...



* A few streets away, we stopped to see the infamous Manneken Pis, but this time he was fully clothed wearing jeans and a tee-shirt. I should have brought him a festive party hat, but security would have stopped me however innocent my efforts may have been...



* Down a few narrow streets and we found ourselves in a colorful district with cafe after cafe, protected by striped awnings and surrounded by the smell of food.....



* The sun was setting, but we were on a mission to find a friterie that offered traditional Belgian fries with dipping sauce in a paper cone. After that, and fortunately just next door, we savored a classic waffle. Hey, it was the last day of the year, so we splurged just a bit!.... We rushed back to catch the Metro and would soon enjoy an intimate New Year's Eve gathering of family and friends at Nathalie's place. But first, one last peek at the Grand Place was a sight to see....



* Night had fallen upon the city and the rain had eased. The streets were bustling with people anticipating a celebration and a coming new year. We looked up at the famous Hotel de Ville, sitting center stage at the city's square...



* And what a beautiful site it was with spires all aglow...

Our visit continued on with a handful of gatherings with the d'Andrimont family. As often as they do, the days flew by and before we knew it, we were boarding our plane and returning back home. We brought along a collection of delicious chocolates to extend the memories, and we have been enjoying the sweet flavors of Belgium from our home in Colorado. Many thanks once again to all of our family for the warm welcome and generous hospitality. It was a pleasure to see all of you!

Best Wishes for a fruitful 2012!  Cock a doodle doo!!!!

xoxo,
~ Johanna