3… 2…1… The Last Push
June 21, 2013
There is a 30 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms predicted for Naperville tomorrow. I guess I’ll pack my umbrella among the other items for the show. As you can see here, I’m stacking and packing product.
I’ll continue to paint a little today to finish the few items I started yesterday.
And to give you an idea of the additional product I’ve been painting the past couple of days – watering cans!
Have a great day all – hope to see you tomorrow.
jen by jennifer
Day 5: Around the House
June 17, 2013
Hello all –
As well as highlighting items that will be at the show on Saturday, I also want to let you know that you can come there to check out my style and request custom work. I’ve done armoire doors, a bedroom set, chairs and other items for people upon request. Here is a look at some of the things around my house.
Archie’s friend
This is what got me started.
Door from my shop to my kitchen
Kitchen sink backsplash
Keep me in mind if you need a little somethin’ somethin’ to perk up a room.
See you soon.
jen (by jennifer)
Seven! Poop – Should have 7 items …
June 15, 2013
Not that I’m making excuses but let me see if I can come up with seven hats I’ve worn today to make up for the lack of seven items to feature for Day 7 of the countdown: Artist, Blogger, Carpenter, Chef, Daughter (helper), Gardener, Girlfriend, Happy Person. I think that’ll do it.
All of the following items will be with me at the Gardener’s Art Festival at the Growing Place in Naperville, Ill., on Saturday, June 22.
I’ll have watering cans, buckets, a couple of pitchers, and fun containers of all sorts.
Let me know if there is something in particular you’d like to see. My time is running short to paint, paint, PAINT, but I’ll do what I can or make arrangements to make sure you get a “jen” that you can enjoy.
What hats do you wear?
jen (by jennifer)
Day 8: Up Close
June 14, 2013
Maybe I shouldn’t have you look too closely … but just maybe you’ll be intrigued. As much as I love bright color on a dark background, white is a wonderful as well.
See you soon.
jen
Up Close on White
Day 9: You Only Get One (1!) Chance at This
June 13, 2013
Before I move on, I should mention that the flower buckets from yesterday’s post are 15″ tall by 7.5″ diameter at the top. I will ship to you. You pay postage. I take PayPal or you can send a check in advance. Or we can meet depending on your proximity. I’m flexible. Now on to the GOOD stuff – Day 9!
This is truly a one of a kind find – an old wooden tool box. Thanks Mom! She spotted this a few years ago when we were out on an adventure and bought it for me with full faith that I could do something with it. It was already distressed with white paint. What I found as I continued to work on it was that clearly one side is “noon” and the other is “some time around dusk.”
Ready for work at noon on a beautiful day
Work is almost over
SO many options
I see this in so many ways. On a big island in a kitchen with cookbooks and utensils, in a living room full of magazines or rolled blankets, on a porch with potted plants … what do you think?!
This, I don’t want to ship unless I have to because it’s heavy and I don’t want you to pay for that, but hey – I can see why you would. I love this.
Day 9 down friends – see you tomorrow.
jen
$28 Flower Buckets – 10 Days and Counting Down
June 12, 2013
If a yellow-orange background with white, orange and red flowers isn’t your thing … not a big deal. I have another one of that color you can choose your flower palette to finish.
Also pictured below you can choose from (left to right) dark green (2), light greenish-blue, dark cocoa brown (2), red, and light cocoa brown. The dark cocoa behind the yellow-orange might be difficult to see because only the top is peeking over in the picture but it’s very pretty I can assure you. Bright colors on dark really pop if that’s of interest to ya.
$28 Hand-Painted Flower Buckets
I’m going to be painting, painting and PAINTING the next week or so, so if you’d like a certain color combo, call me or email me as soon as possible so that your color isn’t taken. You can fill out a contact sheet at www.jenbyjennifer.com or email jen@jenbyjennifer.com or call me at 815.685.9610. The best way to get your items quickly will be to come by the Growing Place on Saturday, June 22, where I’ll be participating in the Art in the Garden Festival again this year. Believe me, you will not be disappointed in this show.
Super nice artist disclaimer: If you order ahead and are disappointed in your chosen “jen” flower bucket, we’ll talk. I don’t want anyone to be unhappy. (If you ask for crazy colors, I may make you stick to it! Just sayin’… but I guess you can just not show up and well there ya go… )
Well here it is … Day 10 and counting … $28 flower buckets that serve many purposes!
Watch tomorrow for more items. Hope to see you soon!
jen by jennifer
Spring?
March 21, 2013
How am I supposed to switch out my winter wreath for my Easter wreath when it’s only 16 degrees currently and supposed to snow this weekend!?
Happy Friday!
February 8, 2013
Have a great weekend. Have some FUN!
Happy Mothers Day!
May 13, 2012
This picture reminds me of my Grandma A. It also represents quite a few other women who have impacted my life. The brush belonged to my Great Grandma Krueger, the peonies remind me of Grandma A, the old purse and glasses are from my Grama Z, and the fact that I put these things together on the top of my dresser comes from learning to decorate creatively with things that having meaning to me from living and learning from my mom.
Happy Mothers Day to all the great women in my life (then and now). If you are reading this, you are likely included.
love, jen
Opening Day Doesn’t Just Refer to Baseball …
May 1, 2012
Well, I did it. I had my first opening in “the shop” – Jen by Jennifer. Thanks to everyone who has encouraged me and supported my dream to make this a reality. Thanks to everyone who stopped by for a visit. And thanks for the feedback on the shop and house and for the purchases, of course, too!
I was very pleased to see that Sh… cards (adorable hand-crafted cards created by Sarah Hunt) sold right from the start and that there are a handful of stained glass fireflies out there flitting around thanks to The Glass Ceiling (Bob Anderson).
Keep watching for featured items and the next official shop hours.
Almost there … (project for a friend)
February 2, 2012
Well, so far the mirror and pitcher have gotten thumbs up from Kristen’s mom and mom-in-law. That’s good news! She sent me a picture of it almost in place. So I wanted to share. It’s really going to look nice.
Nationwide… or almost
August 4, 2011
Hello again! I haven’t posted since before the show at the Growing Place. And the last promise I made (was it a promise? – oops) was that I was going to post a picture of the dresser I was taking – my big piece. Well, here she is.
You’d think I would have learned by now to take pictures with my good camera as I paint things, but I guess it’s a Jen thing. These are from my iPhone just before I packed her up and delivered her to a nice doctor in Naperville who was going to transport her to a rental cabin in north Wisconsin. I was so excited! Earlier in the day a lady bought the large white watering can to send to Arizona, and last year the little black stool was heading out east. I may not be taking the nation by storm, but there are “jens” out there!
Hope you all and your flowers survived the heat. I think we might get a slight break here in Chicagoland for the next few days.
Be well. Peace and sunshine.
jen (by jennifer)
A Chair Here and a Chair There
June 23, 2011
I like to have a chair in my dressing room and one in the kitchen and one next to my dresser in my bedroom and I have one in my living room… I’m starting to wonder – oh and in my office. I guess I like chairs. They are a great catch-all. That’s probably it. Makes me feel like I’m not being messy if everything is piled on a chair. So why not make it a good-looking one? Like this –
Ironically my purse matches the seat almost perfectly. Anyway, this is a piece I got from a resale shop that donates their proceeds to cancer. I donated a couple other painted items they thought they could sell and they gave me this interesting chair. It’s been repainted and has a new seat, but it still carries a good caring vibe. Funny how stuff can do that.
Happy Thursday folks. Technically I guess I missed my feature for yesterday, so I’ll do another later.
Have a great day.
A Different Kind of Bucket List
June 21, 2011
I’ll get you started, but then you challenge yourself to come up with a list of the different ways you can use today’s feature item – the bright and functional 6-inch diameter yellow bucket! I particularly like the color combination on this one (orange and blue on a yellow background – simple). Fill it full of all the colors you can find – colored markers, pens, colored pencils or all sorts of color-handled scrapbooking shears. This is a great portable solution for kid fun or an easy way to liven up an office or craft room. I’m a big kid who likes their “colors” so I use a similar one (not pictured) to hold all my markers.
Pick it up and try it with colors you wouldn’t expect on a patio or kitchen table. I show it above on a turquoise and white place mat with a red candle holder. Neither of those colors are in the bucket – what’s up with that? It’s a great way to pretty up a table and have napkins and utensils on hand for every day or when you’re expecting guests but don’t know how many.
If you’ve read the home page on my website, the inspiration for my work came from wanting all my items to be functional. This is another example of just that – use it, love it, put it away for later and take it back out when you need a pick me up. What a great way to have versatility in a one-of-a-kind piece of art.
Happy Tuesday!
peace
jen
Hang it up! (and use it …)
June 20, 2011
Attention blog shoppers – sale item for Monday, June 20, is a hanging 6-inch diameter container. It’s useful in so many ways – and cute to boot! Hook it over a shower curtain to hold toiletries or over the office door to gather mail or bills that need to be paid. Use your imagination. It’s also good on a fence to hold your favorite gardening gloves and a trowel. That should get you started thinking anyway… Here she is – pretty in pink —
The colors look a little different in the pictures depending on the lighting, but you can get the general idea of what she looks like. The best way to view my stuff is in person. Saturday, June 25, is a good opportunity. I’ll be in Naperville at the Growing Place for their Gardener’s Art Festival from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Stop by. It’s worth the trip just for the beautiful gardens. Even better if you find some jewelry, pottery, garden art or some other treasure that the artists have for sale. I’m certain you won’t be disappointed.
I would love any feedback you have on what you’ve seen so far – leave a comment or email me at jen@jenbyjennifer.com.
Have a good night!
I hope you are all enjoying Father’s Day with those you love. Happy Father’s Day to those of you to whom it applies.
Today’s feature item is a 12-inch tall white watering can that is fully functional and ready to inspire your flowers to bloom all summer long and beyond. Now that I think about it, this can goes really well with the white chair I featured on Friday. What a duo they would be in a back entry or on a patio! Anyway, like my other items, the watering can has been treated with polyurathane so it is sealed and ready for use. I can tell you more when we visit at the Growing Place – Naperville next Saturday, June 25, for the Gardener’s Art Festival and you pick this cutie up to take home. Check him out –
When you come visit you’ll also see a neat way to display and use watering cans. I’m not going to reveal it now, but I can tell you it is an attention grabber every time.
Well, I need to get back out in the yard and inspire some flowers as a matter of fact – they aren’t going to plant themselves. And I’d still like to work on a few more items this afternoon to take with next weekend.
Hope to see you all soon!
Feel free to comment on a post if you have questions or go to www.jenbyjennifer.com where you can contact me via email through the form. OR just straight up email me at jen@jenbyjennifer.com.
Have a great afternoon.
jen (by jennifer)
jen by jennifer 