HELP ME MAKE FANNIE WIN A BEAUTY CONTEST!

This is Fannie, mascot of Big Ass Fans', whose company will keep our outdoor art fair cool this month.  Every artist of the fair has been sent a Fannie.  But, MY Fannie wants to win the Beauty Contest at the art fair!  HELP me dress her up to win.  Right now, I need your inspiration!  I am considering all ideas sent to me before I begin!  You can help me by suggesting a new persona, costume idea, or "scene" for her so she can show off her soon-to-be-beautiful assets.  (If she is a winner, she will be famous!)  Next week, I will chose a new persona and begin transforming her. All who FOLLOW my blog can see her as she transforms.  She will be on display during FRANCISCO'S FARM ART FESTIVAL at Equus Run Vineyards in Midway, KY June 25 & 26.  Use the SHARE buttons below to give her extra coverage.  (As you can see from her current state, she needs all the help we can muster--sorry, Fannie!)  I am very excited.  I know with your help, she can win!  And, check out the art fair where she and I will be: www.franciscosfarm.org. 

GRATEFUL ARE WE: WITH THE PEOPLE WE LOVE NOW AND THOSE WHO WENT BEFORE US!

I wanted to share our family with all of you!  Bill and I have three sons, three daughter-in-laws, and three granddaughters.  All here at the park on Memorial Day Weekend!  We are grateful for each of us and the fact that we could all be together this weekend.  And, we remember those who went before us and whose essence we inherited and share.  They were probably "with" us in some way as we splashed, laughed, joked and shared our lives.  Just as they did once upon a time, when life was thiers to celebrate.

WHAT A LITTLE PAINT CAN DO/ A NEW ROOM FOR BABY MAK!

Baby Mak's room is finished!  Her mom painted the room this beautiful pink.  I got out my acrylic paints and the large "M" she had for me, and we went to town decorating!  I was scared at first (I had little experience ((ok, NONE)) when I started painting things on walls!) but the kids had far more faith in me.  I set out to do it.  One trick I found was to water the paints just a little.  Since I didn't want the redbud tree to stand out too dramatically on the pale pink walls, I poured brown, pink, tan, yellow, and light green onto a plate, and swirled them all on the brush before I touched the wall with the paint.  Notice a few touches my daughter-in-law added:  the grass on the lower walls, the hanging dresses, the lime green curtains, her aunt's handcrafted quilt.  I finished it off with index fingered white poka dots on the walls.  Just a little paint here and there and we have a baby-themed room!  Cost: a few bucks!  Visit our website: jamisonbrumm.com

WHAT TO DO WITH OLD CABINET DOORS ( I LOVE FREE STUFF!)

Not having money to decorate does not mean you can't have great looking walls!  I found some old cabinet doors at a salvage store.  These had large frames with narrow recessed middles.  I painted the insides a solid color, then used plastic and styrofoam cups as guides to create circles within (pour paint on a paper plate, spread, dip the cup into it, then dab the cup on the space you want to begin painting). Not knowing what I was doing (this is not unusual for me when I begin a project), I painted a little, looked a little, repainted a little, etc. till I had a design that looked good at a distance.  Using a level, hammer, nails, and existing holes in the cabinet backs, I put them up on the wall in a creative way.  It worked!  I LOVE free stuff!  (To see what we do, visit our website: jamisonbrumm.com)

WHAT I DID ON MOTHER'S DAY!

Over Mother's Day Weekend, Bill and I 'teen-sat' for our granddaughter, Mabry!  What a time we had!  We visited an art museum and then applied art to her walls and re-designed her room.  I found out that Mabry is very creative, loved my ideas and had many of her own.  We bonded through art!  Notice the framed work.  It was orginally a thrown away oil painting of a purple iris on a yellow background.  We painted the whole frame and painting white and started over.  The purple circle of swirls in the middle is painted with glow-in-the-dark paint!  (Mabry's idea)  The Zebra soft sculpture below the mirror ball is an Audrey Schultz original from the Kentucky Market.  Mabry turns 13 soon and will have a summer sleepover in her new room!  Bill says VaVa (me) cannot go!  (To see what I do with my art, visit our website: jamisonbrumm.com)

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

I saw this young man in the store yesterday and had to ask for his picture!  Isn't he a doll?  I salute my three boys, who at this age were just as adorable!  Well, you moms out there know what i mean...  You love them no matter what age they are, as they love you no matter how imperfect YOU are!  Love is amazing--and all that really matters! 

THE KENTUCKY DERBY, SOMEWHERE ELSE!

We were sad to miss the Kentucky Derby in our home state!  But we wore hats anyway!  So, the question is, WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE WE???  (And, to see what we are up to these days with our craft businesses, visit our website: jamisonbrumm.com)

OUR VISIT TO RINGLING MUSEUM, SARASOTA

John and Mabel Ringling were a couple who loved each other and together bought one of the most wonderul art collections in the world.  They chose to build thier estate in Sarasota and then donated it to the state of Florida.   We visited the grounds, mansion and museums.  Wow.  A great couple.  A great circus.  A great place!  Inside the Visitors Center is a 400 year old theator from Italy.  It was near here that Bill was attacked by a huge stone bird and then a tiger!  I just ran around like I owned the place!
Oh, and Mabel?  She may become the inspiration for a new pendant I will create.  When she collected art she would often pay MORE for the piece than was called for.  I liked that about her!  (When we are not traveling, we are making art.  See it on our website: jamisonbrumm.com)

jamisonbrumm.com: a NEW website!

Thank you, son!  Bill and I have a NEW website with all the bells and whistles, thanks to our son, Drew!  He helped us use 'google sites' to set up a site where we can put all our works for sale, provide the user with information on us, and the best part--I CAN UPDATE IT MYSELF!  If you want to check out what art fairs we are in, or what shops sell our work, there are links to these events and places!!!  Drop us a line and let us know how you are doing (contact page!).  Thanks, friends, we hope to see you soon!

My NEW Corner in the Sheltowee Art Shop

Upon getting home from the KY Market, I took some time and rearranged my space in our Co-Op Shop at the Carnegie Center in Somerset.  I have a new corner in the shop and a few new products!  This month, I will feature my BLING RINGS and my little girl necklaces. Granddaughter, Sofia, says she likes the pink ones!