The True Meaning of Christmas

Christmas is just around the corner--how could we not know?  Wal-mart already has its Christmas tree up...Of course, Hobby Lobby has had Christmas decor out since August...Holiday commercials are already playing on TV.  Its hard to not be reminded that the holidays are near~

My resolution for this Christmas season is to remember above all else---the REAL reason we celebrate.  The gift of our Savior and what his birth meant for the whole world.  Salvation.  Redemption.  Eternal Life.  Life is created by and for Him...and the best news we could ever hear is that he has created us with purpose: Bringing glory to His name!  Living our life in complete surrender because of how much he loves us... He is the reason we celebrate Christmas.

The last couple of years I started creating Christmas ornaments that communicate the true meaning of the season.  This year I decided to make an ornament of Baby Jesus in the manger...here is the finished product!  I am very pleased with the way it turned out--and how it keeps the theme of the ornaments I made in the previous years. 

The Nativity is the very first ornament I made--Christmas 2009.

Here is the one I made in 2010...the 3 Wise Men.

I'm excited about the tradition of making these ornaments every year...I'm hoping to create an ornament that tells part of the story each Christmas.

I would love for all of my followers to own one of each of these ornaments!  If you are interested in purchasing one, please go to my Etsy and I will be glad to send one to you just in time decorating for Christmas!

Happy early Thanksgiving and Happy Birthday to my dad--the most amazing Father in the world!

Wooden Collage Art for the Hegi Family

Several months ago, some really good friends of me and Buster's, Morgan and Drew, commissioned me to create a piece of art for their wall in their dining room.  Of course I am always up for a challenge!  Drew and Morgan were so amazing to let me run with some ideas and be creative.  The only things they were really interested in were colors to match their color scheme in their house and they wanted it to be abstract.  Before I came up with the idea, Morgan also showed me some other examples of art created from wood and it really helped inspire me.

SO I spent a day at the Old House Depot gathering supplies and picking out pieces of wood along with old hardware I thought would fit together.  One of the workers asked what I was looking for and when I told him I was creating a piece of art from old wood, he looked at me funny.  I don't think he believed I knew what I was doing.  So in response to his confused expression, I said, "I will know it when I see it!"

I was so excited with the pieces I found so when I got home I played around with arranging the pieces and here is what I came up with:

Then I got approval from Morgan and Drew on the arrangement.  Next step--paint the pieces!  They have a lot of bright colors in their house...reds, oranges, greens, blues.  I really loved the blue piece of wood towards the bottom left side so I decided to leave it as it was.  Since their wall is light blue I thought it would help bring all the other colors together.

Here is the finished piece!  I incorporated colors that would contrast well with the blue piece of wood which is the center of interest.  The blue vines were painted on last to help bring unity and at the same time provide something organic in the midst of geometric shapes.  I put it on my wall to take pictures and didn't want to take it down!  

Here are a few pictures of what the piece looks like on Morgan and Drew's wall.  Notice how the blue wall and white table help make the colors stand out!  Morgan, nice choice of table decor too--the flowers and place-mats go perfect with all the bright colors!

I can't go without giving MAJOR props to someone who helped me tremendously in putting all of this together---Thanks to my AMAZING husband who helped do all of the "construction" and who also helped "install" the piece to the wall.  I couldn't have done it without you!

Thanks Morgan and Drew--for letting me have this awesome opportunity!  I had so much fun!

So glad fall is here...

Michelle Leach Art is featured in MS Magazine!

I am SO pleased to announce...

...that Mississippi Magazine decided to feature my shop in an article called:

The article (just came out--in the Nov/Dec issue!) is about several artists in Mississippi who are Etsy shop owners.  I am so honored to have a section in the article and hope that this will get my name out there a little more!

Alyse, a good friend of mine who is in Buster and my small group at church also has a section for her Etsy shop! Check it out!

 Holidays are just around the corner---I would love to create some personalized gifts for your loved ones!  Check out my work on my Etsy shop for some creative ideas~

Love,

DIY! Refinished Night Stand

I've been looking for a night stand for our guest room for a LONG time...I've looked everywhere for a piece I could possible repaint and distress...flea markets, consignment shops, Craigslist.  And finally a couple of weekends ago I went to the Flowood flea market with my sister-in-law, Mary Allison.  I knew she had an eye for finding unique pieces so I felt confident we would find something.  And sure enough we did!

 I'm guessing this night-stand used to be in a little girl's room since its pink...but the flat paint made it easy to paint right on over!  I decided to go with a bright orange:

After I painted the entire piece orange, I came back and sanded and distressed it.  Finally, I put a put a coat of wood-stain and finished it off with a coat of polyurathane!   It took a while to dry because it was so humid outside.  But it was worth the wait!

For those of you out there that would like more of a step-by-step tutorial on how to distress furniture (in more detail!) you should check out Brittany's (aka Pretty Handy Girl's) Blog.  She does a great job photographing/writing step-by-step instructions!  Thanks Brittany (btw--found you on Pinterest!)

That's it for now!  Happy Sunday!

I am linking up to: 

Newbie Party at Debbiedoos Blogging and Blabbing

Amaze Me Monday at Dittle Dattle
Take a Look Tuesday at Sugarbee Crafts
Freshman Friday at Home Savy A-Z

All about my Etsy shop...

Lately I've received several requests to buy items from my Etsy shop.  Since some people may not be familiar with how Etsy works, I've decided to give my followers a run-down--it may seem complicated, but its actually super easy!

What is Etsy?

Etsy is like an online Arts and Crafts market. Instead of booths, each artist have "shop" featuring their handmade items, as well as art and craft supplies.  People all over the world have shops and list items to sell. For instance, I just bought a handmade bag from a lady in Japan!  There are so many talented people in the world--and Etsy allows artists to showcase their work AND make profit!

Why I chose Etsy...

I would LOVE to one day own my own business and have a store-front gallery with a studio in the back...But in the mean time, while I build my business, Etsy is a great tool to get my name out there and to start saving for having my own studio one day.  I also love the Etsy community--joining teams and having a chance to encourage other budding artists all around the world.

How to purchase something from my ETSY SHOP:

1. To find my shop, go to Etsy and type in "Michelle Leach Art" in the search engine.  Items from my shop will appear--click on any item to see more details and to go to my "SHOP".
2.  Etsy makes purchasing an item really easy--everything is done through PayPal (which is nice because it saves you a check and it saves me a trip to the bank!).
3.  Shipping is included in the cost--the shipping price is located at the bottom of an item-listing.  IF you live close by and want to pick up your order, leave me a message and I will refund the shipping for you!

About Custom Orders:

I will gladly create a custom order for anyone interested!  If you see an item you like but would rather have a different color, shape, size, etc. , just message me and let me know and I will create a custom order for you.

Once the order is finished, I will list the item on my Etsy shop as "Reserved for Jane-Doe" and will contact you, giving you the link to the listing.  And then you can pay for the item online--just like that!

Here is an example:  Let's say you wanted this frame but in different colors, or a different size...Below is a screen shot of the actual listing...read the information below the frame to see different options.  When you decide on the colors, size, etc...then just shoot me a message and I will create a custom order for you---its just that simple!

I know how overwhelming online shopping can be...I hope this helps answer questions you may have about Etsy!  I would love for my followers to leave me some feedback on what you think about Etsy...and would love it even more if ya'll would help promote my Etsy shop!!  Twitter, Facebook, Blogging...Social Media makes that so easy!  I really appreciate everyone who believes in me...

Have a great rest of the week!

DIY Wreath Complete and New Etsy listings!

So a few weeks ago I posted a link to a tutorial for a wreath I wanted to try to make...

Wanted to show all my followers the final result!  I am SO pleased!

SO...what do YOU think?  I had so much fun making this--My favorite part was figuring out what fabric to use for the flower on the side.  It was super easy to make--and cheap!  I got scrap fabric on sale at Hancock Fabric's store!

If you want to make a wreath like this one, check out Janet's amazing tutorial here.

Another update---my Etsy shop has been so much fun!  I have been able to be pretty consistent in listing new items and I've already sold quite a bit! So exciting:-)  I am already beginning to prepare for the holiday season---so get ready to do some Christmas shopping!

Here are a few items I've put together recently!

                      



The charm necklace sold today, but if you are interested in any of the other pieces, check out my ETSY shop today!

One more thing...I have a new favorite scent.  Thanks to a very dear friend who introduced me to:

I know this was random, but you just have to smell the candle to understand. Love Love!

Have a great weekend ya'll!

I am linking to these parties:

Show and Tell Saturday at Be Different Act Normal

Take a Look Tuesdays at SugarBee Crafts

Polish the Stars Link Party