House in Progress...

Well, many of you are aware that I have been a bit distracted this year by a long list of home repairs and remodeling projects. Our house was built in 1939, and after its 70th birthday, we realized that we needed to take action to preserve this little gem. With many plans in the works, the first priority was a new roof. JP along with a few helpers decided to take on the majority of this task, stripping it down to the bones and re-decking with a fresh layer of plywood to bring it up to code. I spent days it seems in search for a unique roof that would not break the bank. Luckily, I found the diamond Cascade pattern design by Pabco that reminded me of the old cottage roofs I had seen on our travels to Europe. To make the task less daunting, JP rented an articulated boom which offered a way to save time, labor, back pain and the list goes on. Take a peek at some of the photos I took a few weeks back....


* Here's our house in the works with JP on the boom on clean-up debris duty. The front and side fascia trim boards had to be taken off and replaced due to water and vine damage. And the chimney is missing its top right now as we noticed upon closer inspection that it was about to cave in! Talk about a domino effect....... Will we ever be done?


* That's me, hovering over our roof! The Genie Boom we rented from RSC Equipment Rental allowed us to travel 45 feet up into the air. Talk about a bird's eye view!


* Here, you can see the various layers of our roof over the years, from old asphalt T-lock, to shake to strip sheathing.


* Here's my handyman, JP ~ jack of all trades!


* The guys below are taking measurements for the new layer of plywood decking. Off in the distance, you can see the new roof on our garage and part of our back roof...
Oh, and that's my cute little garden shed that JP built from scratch, off in the distance!


* Front image of the roof in progress with the front porch roof overhang ripped off. Try to imagine the front door bumped out 4 feet and framed with windows. That's on the to-do list, and I want an arched front door too... (just to make things more complicated according to JP!)


* Here, from the backside, JP maneuvers toward the roof in the boom basket rigged with 4 trash cans. This clever idea helped with the debris clean-up. I know we've been the side-show for the neighbors! Hahah!

Well, that's it for this post. The roof is done, but there's much more to go! We will be building out a front porch vestibule later this summer, and residing the house is next on the to-do list along with a new sewer line and major foundation work. Check back later for more photos in progress. After that's all done, maybe we can chip away at the landscaping! That's the fun part........

~ Johanna

Cheers to Dad!

Father's Day is here, and fortunately, I just had the opportunity to spend a few days with my dad as he and my family popped in for a quick visit last week. I must admit, the trip wasn't without its fair share of those edge-of-your-seat adventures. We all had a hair-raising episode on the top of Trail Ridge Road here in Colorado as a thick fog accompanied by heavy rain rolled in. Needless to say, the breathtaking views we craved were absent as my dad slowly maneuvered his way down the winding road, masked in white. And as it's the highest continuous highway in the States, a miscalculation as to where the road twists and turns could result in the end as we know it. Our hearts were beating at an elevated pace to say the least, but luckily my dad was calm as he guided us out of the scare and into the clear. Thank you Daddy for keeping us safe! That's what dads are for :) It was wonderful to see him again, and now we have quite the story to tell!

Love to You & Happy Father's Day!
~ Johanna


* And no, this photo was not taken in Colorado last week.... We had little to no great photo ops with the turbulent skies as they were. This image was actually taken last summer at Mount Rainier in Washington, where we luckily enjoyed a very clear and sunny day together!

Rhyme Time Original BAT!....

Thanks to several of my enthusiastic collectors, I had a wonderful response to my first "Rhyme Time Original" last month! The owl and accompanying poem were a big hit, so I decided to create a bat for this month. Meet "Bizarro the Bat" and visit his eBay Auction page to read just why he IS so bizarre :) Just like before, I wrote a matching poem to go with this sweet collector's piece, so take a moment to see the various views and learn more about our friend Bizarro here.


* Now, just how did Bizarro get his name?
The answer is in the Rhyme........


* After I finished this whimsy-winged fella, JP and I almost decided to keep him for ourselves. But, I promised my collector friends that I would make a few more Rhyme Time Originals over the summer, so he is looking for a new bat cave :) Now, promise to take good care of him.......


* Of course, he is sitting on a "31" ~ his favorite day of October. He will arrive with the tag pictured above which features my signed poetry... Thank you for your generous bids, and best of luck!

~ Johanna

* © 2010 Johanna Parker Design *Photos, designs and concepts are the property of Johanna Parker and may not be used without permission

Halloween in May!

Well, it's the last day of the month, and luckily I was able to complete two, one of a kind Halloween delights, available tonight! Inspired by the May Opening of our EHAG Emporium which promises to offer an array of handmade Halloween collectibles, I created a sweet Witch-on-a-Ball character and a grinning Black Cat! For those of you who have been asking for my happy-spirited witches, here is your chance.... "Bella Boo" is featured on our EHAG Emporium and you can see additional views of her below! "Grinning Gus" is yet another cheerful, one of a kind black cat from my imagination, so scroll down to see more!... Please email me at: johanna@johannaparkerdesign.com if you are interested in adopting one of these characters! Please include the name of the piece, and THANK YOU for stopping by! Hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day.....

~ Johanna :)



" Bella Boo " ~ SOLD
6.75" tall x 3" wide
A hand-sculpted & painted original papier mache witch, dressed and ready for the the pumpkin-carving season! Details of interest include her hand-formed conical hat, sculptural hair and illustrative imagery. Soft vintage green hues add a glow to her skin and repeat in the vine, stem and hat details.... Signed & dated, 1/1.
$325 plus shipping





....... and . . . . . . .



" Grinning Gus " ~ SOLD
6" tall x 3,25" wide
A hand-sculpted & painted original papier mache cat, dressed and ready for Halloween night! Details of interest include his hand-formed conical hat, dimensional face and illustrative imagery. Stylized cobweb lines surround his base and hat with a happy spider dangling at front.... He wears a hand-sewn vintage crepe paper collar, and black glass glitter trims his party hat. Signed & dated, 1/1.
$305 plus shipping





* © 2010 Johanna Parker Design *Photos and designs are the property of Johanna Parker and may not be used without permission

WIN my Art in Country Sampler Magazine!

When Saturday's mail arrived, I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of the July 2010 issue of Country Sampler Magazine! I had a good feeling that a few of my summer-themed folk art designs could possibly be gracing its pages... So, I flipped to the Country Treasures section, and spotted my work! My illustrated watering can & bird garden trays, offered by Primitives by Kathy, practically jump off the page, and are pictured as one of Country Sampler's reader Giveaway sets! I must admit, I am thrilled that CS wanted to share my art with their readers, and so I urge you all to enter! It's simple, so click HERE for a chance to WIN! Also, rumor has it that the editors fell in love with the photo of my new patriotic standing bird, offered by Bethany Lowe Designs. So, they included him as a featured product, proclaiming him "America's Tweet-Heart"..... I am very honored and blessed for the recognition and the opportunity to share my work with so many others! Look for your copy at the store, and tell your friends about this fun giveaway...


* Here's a sneak peek!....


* I painted these sweet garden style trays, inspired by the cheerful colors in my home and my love for nature. I welcome you to ENTER to WIN this set for your home...
Best of luck!

And, if you would like to purchase these summer-themed goods and more, please visit my List of Online Vendors who offer my products.



* What a joy to see this little tweeter included in the magazine!
Soon, I will be offering a handful of these SIGNED USA birds along with a few pairs of my new Uncle Sam & Lady Liberty candy containers, signed as well! So, please join my e-mailing list to be included on that update as it will be a private e-mailing list sale.
EMAIL to JOIN at: johanna@johannaparkerdesign.com

Have a happy week!
~ Johanna

Magazine PHOTOGRAPHY, © 2010 Emmis Publishing LP
Photo of bird, Courtesy of Bethany Lowe Designs
© 2010 Johanna Parker Design *Designs are the property of Johanna Parker and may not be used without permission