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
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.
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)
Can it! … (containers for almost anything)
June 18, 2011
Today’s featured item(s) are a set of canisters. I have them posed as kitchen containers, but because they are water resistant and have tight-fitting lids they would be great in the bathroom for cotton swaps and hair accessories as well. Take a look –
Although my house has splashes of color throughout (as seen in the backsplash and picture), these would be great as a mobile accent you can put away for a 3-season room to hold cards or Scrabble letters – anything fun. And… the small one is only $12 and the larger one $15. For less than $30 you can have one-of-a-kind containers that you couldn’t get for that price even at HomeGoods! If you are interested in these and can’t make it to the show, let me know. I can certainly ship them or bring them to you.
So much for a rainy Saturday! Who besides me thinks the weather forecasters have it made? They can be completely wrong and still can do it over again! It’s not a blue sky picture-perfect day in P-ville, but it is certainly cooperating for some painting in the backyard. Off I go!
Tomorrow’s featured item – something to inspire your flowers! Come back and see…
jen
Chair feature… Have a seat!
June 17, 2011
Good Morning!
It’s nice to see a blue sky and some sunshine. The forecast for the weekend is rain. Oh well, perhaps that will keep me inside and focused on finishing a few more items for next Saturday, June 25 @ the Growing Place – Naperville.
Today’s feature is a chair that will brighten any rainy weekend. Standard-sized and sturdy enough for daily use, this white chair with red poppies is a great accent piece for a kitchen, bedroom or just about anywhere – even a bath or mudroom. Check it out –
Better yet – come check it out in person!
Happy Friday all! Cheers!
jen
Leave it to a Cat…
June 16, 2011
Leave it to Archie to cancel his appearance right after I advertise for him. What a cat!
BUT… I hope you marked your calendars because the Gardener’s Art Festival is the real deal. I’ve participated in this show for the past five or six years. The gardens are worth the trip alone. It’s a fantastic nursery and a gardener’s delight. It’s more than a nursery – the planters and garden accessories are fantastic. Can’t say enough about it. Check out The Growing Place for more information.
Today’s featured item from Jen by Jennifer is a 9-inch beige ceramic pitcher.
This is one of the items I will have for sale at the show. Watch for additional featured items between now and Saturday, June 25, when I’ll be at the Growing Place – Naperville from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Stop by and visit – I’d love to see you! And maybe you’ll also find a treasure you just have to take home.
Enjoy the beautiful day!
jen (by jennifer)
Mark Your Calendars
June 15, 2011
Interested? Watch for more information on this event and the Gardener’s Art Festival: Enjoy the View at the Growing Place in Naperville.
Both events are scheduled for the same date.
Ha! It was a temporary feeling…
June 29, 2010
It must have just been one of those moments I think many of us feel. That short lived period of being overly critical of our work. Well, that must have been it. Because I painted all day Friday and was very pleased with the end results. The show went well on Saturday and I sold two of the pieces I had produced on Friday as a matter of fact.
This little black stool is on its way to New Jersey. Safe travels!
I met some great people Saturday and made a couple connections for the shop, too. And how can one not be inspired by the gardens at the Growing Place?! Wow. Again, if you haven’t been visit www.thegrowingplace.com. It’s a must see nursery. And watch for the events coming up and for the date of the Gardener’s Art Fest next year. There were some very talented vendors there again this year.
Quick update on Lockport Street… The shop trimwork should be finished within the next month and I will be actively merchandising and setting up displays. I’ll keep you updated and of course you can always check the shop hours tab as well.
Have a great fourth! Yes, it is already Fourth of July weekend upcoming. Where does the time go?!
jen
Procrastinator Extraordinaire
February 12, 2010
Hello blog reading friends!
I’m giving up my long-term title of “procrastinator extraordinaire” for the sake of meeting my goal to open Jen by Jennifer in May. I’m still thinking May 15th is the magic date. It is the date of Spring Fest in downtown Plainfield – the first outdoor event of the season. I’ll keep you posted of course.
I just returned Sunday from Utah for a long weekend of spending time with great girls shopping and dining in beautiful Park City, and hanging out and skiing Deer Valley. Thanks to our primo Social Director Krissy for a great time! Picture – me and Kris.
Whenever I get out of Illinois I seem to come back more inspired than ever. So… I’m rolling with it! Feel free to call me out if my post on Monday does not boast about all I accomplished this weekend. Really.
Hope this finds you all well. Happy Friday! And cheers to a productive weekend ahead!
jen (by jennifer)
Bits and pieces…
November 4, 2009
First of all I have to shout out thanks to my friend Kristen for pointing out that although I love my birthday I needed to get on with it and post something new. I’ve been meaning to, I swear. It’s not because of the birthday. So…
Well, I have been much more productive. A promise I made myself for the second stage of my life here starting at 40. This is kind of a funky picture but I’m going to include it because it has many elements.
1. Tulips – 50 to be finished planting for Spring – I can’t wait to see them bloom
2. The power drill to plant the tulips – necessary when planting that many (and Yes, Annie – I was listening to the White Stripes… “be like the squirrel girl”)
3. The windows I have mentioned are being primed (still, I know) but that leads me to
4. To the right under the windows… See the baseboard HEAT! So that will allow painting and finishing in the cold. It heats up RIGHT NOW. I’m not thinking about the electric bill… I will not fear the electric bill… are you believing it? I’m not. But what can I do.
5. And what would my projects be without my furry companion as you can see.
One other picture for you. Thinking still along the lines of holidays coming and gifts, etc. This is a chair which happens to set right next to my stove on the way out to the shop which leads to the driveway. Doesn’t everyone have one of these places where you set all the “stuff” that needs to go to the car, be returned to someone, take with you when you head out? Well, this is mine for now. Funny thing is in this picture it only has one lonely little item that needs to go back to mom’s house. Oh – and, of course, the chair will be in the shop for sale at some point. It is one of a set of four… I’ll tell you more about them later. 
And… well… as long as I have taken so long to post I am going to add one more picture. I’ve decided not to re-read everything to see who to date I have mentioned and who I have not, so not certain if I ever told you all about my great-aunt Pat. Kindred spirit for certain. I used to go to visit her in Florida with my parents on spring break. Imagine my surprise and delight when I walked in her kitchen and she had painted big flowers straight on her walls! I had recently done the same thing right over my wallpaper one late night in my bedroom! (Yes, mom loves me anyway – I was 14 I think)
The following picture is of a drawing she did which is one of three I will be framing to put in the house somewhere. I just love them.
Hard to believe it is November! Hope everyone is well…
jen
jen by jennifer 