The Puppy

The Girl and the Puppy

Tonight I had a special girl come into my shop. Faith and her Mom decided to drop by and we had a very nice visit. Faith also likes to draw. She draws a lot of puppies. While they were wandering around, discovering things I was writing ideas on my little slate. I have a larger project that I'm working on but I felt like doing a smaller painting. What would it be? Faith came over so I asked her for advice. She suggested painting a puppy. "Yes!" That's it. That's what my next painting will be. As someone who paints puppies often, it sounds like she knows what she's talking about. It will be a painting of the antique puppy lamp. (The one in the window... with the wiggly tail.... Oh yes, actually, he is for sale.") The puppy looks sad but we think he might cheer up if he has a nice picture made of him! And that way more people can enjoy him after he finds a new home. Faith, thanks for giving me that little push in the right direction. I'm looking forward to seeing how I can capture the puppy as an inanimate object and not a real animal, while still giving it character. And I think the colours will be very nostalgic and it will have some interesting lines.
I can't wait to show you how it turns out!

Love Boxes

Here is a Sample of what I am making now. Little Valentines made of folded wordsprinted on old receipts, and then drawn together, painted on, etc. Have a commission done with your loved one's intial worked in!

Kindred Spirits

Oh the comfort, the inexpressible comfort
of feeling safe with another person;
having neither to weigh thoughts, or measure words,
but pouring them out all right out, just as they are,
certain that a faithful hand can, and will take them.

- Dinah Craik

Welcome to my new blog!
Another way to connect, another way to share life. I think that the blog will give me a little more freedom to write than the journal. I hope to develop some dialogs here that weren't possible on the website.

The weather here in Moose Jaw hasn't eased up. It's still frightfully cold and since we are set up to receive a lot of foot traffic, the store has been quiet. Although I am missing the visiting, I am getting a lot of opportunities to be creative, with long stretches of intense focus. My store is coming alive with all of the care it's been given. I am having so many ideas for the future of my store, events and new products, new art pieces.

I am planning a collection of papers. It is very exciting. My husband Danny has been so helpful and so full of ideas. What a team we make!

I've started the valentines for February and exploring the romance that my little shop had suppressed to accommodate Christmas decor, a sacrifice that I won't let it make next year!
I'm really enjoying making valentines for other people to give to their loved ones. I feel a bit like Cupid!, "This one is bound to go straight to the heart!" Imagining a man giving it to his beloved, on a park bench, out for a walk after a romantic dinner. She's crying, "It's beautiful!" sniff "Oh darling, I'll treasure it forever!". He picks her up, and twirls her around. Her high heeled foot bent up. She later places it in a box of love letters, hangs it on her dressing mirror, or if it's one of my detailed tiny heart wreaths, wraps it in tissue and places it in a box to be brought out next February as part of that couple's traditions. "Or!... Or!... Someone could ask me to make a special valentine, where I paint a photo of somewhere they'd been to together on their first date, or where they first met, and he asks me to write in it for her, "From the first time I saw you leaning over, tying those ice skates, I've wanted to... " Anyways... Men will be always be men. He could have me write, "From the moment you slipped in that mud, and decided to have dinner with me even after ruining your dress, I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. There's no one else like you in the entire world. Whatever I am is ten times better with you! Will you marry me Sophia?" "Oh Tod!" bawling...
Okay Shelley. Stop swooning. Back to the real world. (I tend to do that.)

Looking ahead I'm envisioning spring in my fresh, bright, little storehouse. This room was made for spring! What a delight when the snow has gone to be able to decorate the outside as well. To open the low windows let the two spaces meet.

Well along with the quietness I am really finding that the people making their way through the cold to find out what that quaint little shop is all about are real treasures. It brings me so much joy to see their faces light up, as they discover the details I have spent so many hours creating. We talk about decor and art and I discover something as well. Often the people who like my store are like me. "This is my kind of store.", Bev said. "Mine too!", I replied.

We share this love for things are earthy, natural, timeless, humble, rustic and yet mixed with imaginative, beautiful things. Not glitzy. Not trying to make a statement in itself. Pretty little things that shyly ask to be tucked into your life somewhere. To be a part of what surrounds you.
These kindred spirits that I'm meeting most often than not leave a way to connect. An email address or what have you. Which got me thinking... Here are a group of ladies that not only have common interests with me bit most likely with each other. I would love to introduce you all. (I haven't been open too long. At this stage it may still be possible!) So expect to receive an invitation in the next couple of weeks.

Thank you for all your support!

Shelley

mjstorehouse@gmail.com
(306) 523-2113 Office (Regina Number)
(306) 684-1939 Cell (Moose Jaw Number)

http://www.mjstorehouse.com

The Moose Jaw Storehouse
630 1st Ave NE
Moose Jaw, SK
S6H 0Z2

Handmade Moss Garlands

I have some suggestions about how you can enjoy your handmade moss garlands year round. It can be redecorated for every season and will give you so many opportunities to be creative!

For Valentine's Day, I've added some small brown heart ornaments and draped a bit of lace across it's branches. This is a subtle change, still very natural, but it gives it a fresh look now, and you can add more decoration closer to Valentines day. You could add some extra ribbon in a colour that complements your decor, keeping with the natural, romantic palette. These colours go with most decor anyways. A tawny pink or cream or muted burgundy would be very nice. Also, past Valentines can be hung from it by gluing a loop of ribbon on the backs. It a great way to display those reminders of love year after year. If you haven't any past valentines, why not cut out some photographs of loved ones and mount them onto some handmade paper? Be sure to let them know how much they mean to you!

Have fun, and be sure to post your own ideas! I haven't been here very long, but I've seen a lot of creativity in Moose Jaw. I love hearing the ideas you guys have when you come in to visit!

Oh Sweet Valentine's Day!

I told myself I'd wait to start writing about Valentine's Day until late January but I can't help it. I'm so full of ideas!

I love Valentine's day. Aside from Christmas, It is my favorite holiday. Yes I'm a hopeless romantic. Throughout my school years I always hoped that someone would ask me to be their valentine. I would write valentines for my classmates. I would try to think of the perfect thing to say to________ and picture him saying, "Shelley, what you wrote in that valentine was so funny! We should hang out out more. " And then we'd go for a walk, holding hands, and maybe wander beneath an old oak tree for a slow kiss... Until the bell rang and we had to leave the playground. Needless to say, I received no such responses.

I spent Valentine's Day single 22 times and it has always been special. First of all, my Mother's birthday is on Valentine's Day. So perfectly named Valerie or Val, she has often said she was my Grandmother's Valentine. So no matter what my age or relationship status I have always been able to celebrate both, with heart shaped cakes, cards, little cinnamon hearts and paper crafts, and have gotten mushy cards from my parents! My first Valentine's Day away from home was spent in Switzerland. When I was 18 I went to be an Aupair (Nanny) for a year. I then realized that Valentine's Day as we know it is pretty much only celebrated by North Americans! What?! Who will celebrate it with me? Since I couldn't ignore the holiday altogether, I set about baking some heart shaped sugar cookies, decorating them and making little valentines to put with them. "Happy Valentine's Day! (February 14th in Canada)". I had only arrived a month earlier and had few friends, so I went through the village and gave them to everyone that I had so much as started conversation with or been introduced to! It will always be a special memory watching peoples reactions to my unexpected gifts.

Another memorable day was when I was living in Canmore, Alberta. I had the blessing of living with 3 other girls in this huge amazing house which we called, "The Blue Lodge". At the time we were all without boyfriends on Feb. 14th. That day, I happened to be walking down Main St. and popped into a local coffee shop to see who was there. (Only in a small town, eh?) My roommate Amber was there having coffee with Helena! I sat down and chatted with them and minutes later our other roommate Heather came along! We all decided to go home and do something for Valentine's Day so we joined the fourth Musketeer, Cassie, at the Blue Lodge and decorated cookies, ever so daintily. It was perfect, with loads of pink icing, giggling, and enjoying each others friendship. I do believe that some of those cookies had initials on them. They may have even been given to somebody... I never did find out the whole story.

Strange enough; Danny and I still haven't spent Feb. 14th together. Last year he was on a wilderness survival course, outside at -38C. Heather and I had both moved to Ontario to be with our men and I visited her for Valentine's day. Both of us being artists, we carried on a Blue Lodge tradition of making Valentines. We laughed so hard at all the ideas we came up with. Some cheesey, some tongue-in-cheek, some oh-so-perfect. I'll be sure to send one her way this year.

I'm looking forward to all the special days that are extra special with Danny. He's wonderful. He did a pretty good job on the website too, didn't he?

It's still a fair bit of a wait but I'm going to start to prepare some valentines now so that hopefully I can create some really beautiful pieces.

If you have any special stories about Valentine's day, you can email me. I'd love to hear them.

Frosted Ginger Creams

Welcome to the Storehouse's idea-log! Here, I'll share with you regularly with recpies, stories, or décor ideas I'm sure you'll love!

We had a beautiful Grand Opening with lots of yummy treats. I'd like to share one recipe I used!

Here it is:


Frosted Ginger Creams

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup molasses
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/3 cup water

Frosting
1 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoon butter, softened
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice. (Or half a squeezed lemon!)

In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine flour, ginger, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with water. (Dough will be soft)

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 400 F for 7-8 minutes or until tops are cracked. remove to wire racks to cool.

In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and enough lemon juice to achieve spreading consistency. Frost cookies. Store in the refrigerator.

Yield: about 4 dozen.

Shelley's tip: Pipe on the icing.
It will be very thick but you can make a dollop like a hershey kiss on top that will harden.
It looks much neater than spreading the icing on.