Sunny, Daisy Flower Mixed Media Canvas

We all need some motivation and encouragement, right? This sunny, daisy flower mixed media canvas was created with this in mind.

I love flowers. I love the range of vibrant colours that they burst forth with. I love how a group of them can't help but look cheery and happy. Combine these happy flowers with tones of yellow and green and a tone of happiness is set!

I also believe that we are all created by God for a purpose and that there is a need to stop life from clouding or diminishing this at times. The words that I wrote on the canvas are meant to remind us of our value, to be strong and to proudly do what is required.

Paint is a wonderful medium to work with. I enjoy working with it so much as it offers such freedom in creativity. I love blending colours together and adding textures. I have been inspired by other mixed media artists, of late, and have experimented with new techniques. I have even started an art journal to make the most of trying out these new ideas. In this canvas, I have used bunches of thread as a way to create some extra dimension. I have also used torn magazine pieces as the centre of the flowers.

This canvas is currently available, although I am having a bit of a hiccup listing it in the new shop that I hope to open soon online. 

(Feel free to contact me for more details about this canvas, if you have any questions though).

Thanks for viewing!

~ Jen.

P.S - If you have enjoyed reading about the story behind Tupsy Turvy Designs' products, why not become a 'Golden Ticket Member'? It is FREE and membership entitles you to regular updates, exclusive sales, discounts and opportunities. Simply click here and enter your email address. Easy! I look forward to sharing more ideas with you soon ...

Dandelion seed head canvases - "It is well with my soul"

"It is well with my soul..."

The words

These words are from a hymn, the words written by Horatio Spafford, after he suffered the tragic loss of four daughters as the result of an accident at sea. Only a few years earlier, he lost real estate due to fire and  had mourned the death of a son. He was a very wealthy and successful lawyer that resided in Chicago, and a man that was very strong in his Christian faith. (I sourced a lot of this information from this website).

  The thoughts it evokes

I find that these words are words that exude strength. In my thoughts, I can imagine dark, thunderous storm clouds of turmoil, grief and tragedy and in the midst of the swirling winds, a man quietly, yet firmly stating "It is well with my soul...". To me, it promotes a resolve, that no matter what horrid event develops in life, nothing can rip faith and inner strength away. This in turn provides encouragement and hope.

The canvas collection

 I must admit, the canvas design did not start with the words, rather it started with a photo that I took when I was walking the dog...

 Dandelion seed heads were standing tall in a patch of greenery on the edge of the footpath. I decided to take a photo and add it to my bundle of art inspiration. I then decided to create colourful backgrounds on canvases, trying out different paint techniques. I have been inspired by a number of mixed media artists that incorporate beautiful patches and patterns of colour and I wanted to create art works using similar techniques.

I remembered the dandelion seed head photo and got to work developing simple sketches of dandelion seed heads, until I was happy with the look. This idea was then transferred onto the canvases. I wanted to add a quote or relevant words to the art works and the words of this hymn came to mind. I thought they would match perfectly with the dandelion seed head - standing strong despite being blown in the wind and still holding firm to the majority of the seeds. I also thought that the loose dandelion seeds offered freedom - freedom from the crushing forces of life. All these thoughts combined with the strength evoked by these words.

"It is well with my soul..."

Hoping all is well with you!

~ Jen.

P.S - If you have enjoyed reading about the story behind Tupsy Turvy Designs' products, why not become a 'Golden Ticket Member'? It is FREE and membership entitles you to regular updates, exclusive sales, discounts and opportunities. Simply click here and enter your email address. Easy! I look forward to sharing more ideas with you soon ...

Give some encouragement with a paper mache heart!

Did you miss out on the last 'Snail Mail Surprise Challenge'? Well ... good news!

Everything is set and ready to launch! ‘Snail Mail Surprise #2’ is about to proceed.

For this ‘Snail Mail Surprise’ challenge, you are required to surprise someone that is a friend, particularly one that might be going through a tough time.

I’m very excited about this. This is NOT a competition or a giveaway, rather it is a way a way in which we can do something little, yet wonderful to encourage others – to simply show them that someone cares. I’m calling on you and others to join with me to help out.

It’s simple to join! Here are the steps:

• ·         You can now visit the sign up page. To do so, please click here. There are limited places available.

• ·         If you are successful, you will be sent one of the above Tupsy Turvy Designs mixed media decorations and tags (for free!).

• ·         Use this pack to surprise a friend, particularly if they are going through a tough time. As an extra idea, you could team this pack with a cooked meal or a bunch of flowers, or any other idea.

• ·         Take a photo of it – the pack with your gift, or the decoration and tag on your table as you are about to write in it, or as you put the pack in the letterbox, or any other idea. Please do not photograph any names or photograph the recipient as I will post these photos on social media.

• ·         Send me your photo – either by email or post it on Instagram or on my Tupsy Turvy Designs Facebook page and tag me (@tupsyturvydesigns) and add the #ttdsnailmailsurprise2

• ·         Please note: By sending in your photo to me you are giving me permission to use it on social media, my blog and newsletter.

• ·         Make sure you complete all these steps by: 14th October 2016

I will participate in this challenge as well and will follow the above procedure. As a special surprise and as a random act of kindness, I will surprise one of the registered participants with a little gift from me.

You don’t necessarily need to live in Australia to register, as long as you receive post I will send you the pack (still for free) in order for you to participate. By registering, you are prepared to receive the pack and undertake the challenge.

Want to join in the fun? Click here to register.

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Jen.

P.S - If you want to know more about Tupsy Turvy Designs and receive special offers, why not become a 'Golden Ticket Member'? It is FREE and membership entitles you to regular updates, exclusive sales, discounts and opportunities. Simply click here and enter your email address. Easy! I look forward to sharing more ideas with you soon ...

The result of sending some encouragement via handmade

I finally achieved what I set out to do ...

I wanted to help people to encourage others in some way, using what I make as a springboard. Hence, the 'Snail Mail Surprise' challenge was created.

Well, the deadline for completion has arrived. And the result? A small group of us (including myself) signed up for the challenge to encourage someone who was sick or has been sick, and I posted out packs. I have received photos/feedback from a couple of participants, showing how these cards have been used to write encouraging messages, particularly for those who have been in hospital.

Despite the small number of participants and feedback, I would still call it a success. Why? Because if this exercise brought just one smile and one realisation that someone cares, then it was all worth it. Am I going to organise another challenge? You bet! Not only was it fun creating items to be placed in surprise packs, but I firmly believe that sharing words of encouragement, love and compassion can be powerful in the midst of despair and hopelessness.

Therefore, I'll keep in touch with the details of the next challenge. I already have ideas for new items to be placed in surprise packs. As for my special surprise that I am sending to one of my participants, that will be sent out very soon!

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Jen.

P.S - If you don't want to miss out on the next Snail Mail Challenge, why not become a 'Golden Ticket Member'? It is FREE and membership entitles you to regular updates, exclusive sales, discounts and opportunities. Simply click here and enter your email address. Easy! I look forward to sharing more ideas with you soon ...

Snail Mail Surprise Challenge # 1 - Send some Happy Mail!

Everything is set and ready to launch! ‘Snail Mail Surprise #1’ is about to proceed.

For this ‘Snail Mail Surprise’ challenge, you are required to surprise someone that is feeling unwell/has been sick.

I’m very excited about this. This is NOT a competition or a giveaway, rather it is a way a way in which we can do something little, yet wonderful to encourage others – to simply show them that someone cares. I’m calling on you and others to join with me to help out.

It’s simple to join! Here are the steps:

• ·         You can now visit the sign up page. To do so, please click here. There are limited places available.

• ·         If you are successful, you will be sent one of the above Tupsy Turvy Designs mixed media cards (for free!).

• ·         Use this card to surprise someone who is unwell or has been sick. As an extra idea, you could team this card with a cooked meal or a bunch of flowers, or any other idea.

• ·         Take a photo of it – the card with your gift, or the card on your table as you are about to write in it, or as you put the card in the letterbox, or any other idea. Please do not photograph any names or photograph the recipient as I will post these photos on social media.

• ·         Send me your photo – either by email or post it on Instagram or on my Tupsy Turvy Designs Facebook page and tag me (@tupsyturvydesigns) and add the #ttdsnailmailsurprise1

• ·         Please note: By sending in your photo to me you are giving me permission to use it on social media, my blog and newsletter.

• ·         Make sure you complete all these steps by: 30th July 2016

I will participate in this challenge as well and will follow the above procedure. As a special surprise and as a random act of kindness, I will surprise one of the registered participants with a little gift from me.

You don’t necessarily need to live in Australia to register, as long as you receive post I will send you the card (still for free) in order for you to participate. By registering, you are prepared to receive the card and undertake the challenge.

Want to join in the fun? Click here to register.

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Jen.

Introducing the 'Snail Mail Surprise Challenge' and how you can make a difference

Sometimes life is hard …

Hardship is evident in our lives, in the lives of our friends and in the lives of much loved family members. Turn on the TV or get on the web and we hear about awful things happening in our world. I am often left feeling helpless. Sometimes we need a ray of light and a little encouragement. I got to thinking about this and realized that I can do something as I make handmade cards - the perfect method for encouragement. So I came up with an idea and I’m hoping that this might inspire you also. I’ve called it ‘Snail Mail Surprise’.

At various times of the year I will instigate a challenge of encouragement (eg. 'to encourage a family member' or 'to encourage someone who is older than you') and I will call on a limited number of interested people to subscribe to the challenge (for free and for this one event, unless you want to participate in more later on). Those people who managed to subscribe for the event will be sent a (free) handmade card from me to fill out and give to someone who fits the challenge. Sharing of each challenge will be encouraged, not to ‘do the best deed’, but to celebrate these glimmers of hope and encouragement. I will even surprise one lucky subscriber for participating.

This will only go ahead if people are interested in participating. There will be a limited amount of subscribers for each ‘Snail Mail Surprise Challenge’. I would love to know if this is something that you would be interested in participating in. The only outlay for you would be time - to write in a card and give it someone (or post it, in which case you would need to pay postage costs), but I know that the impact that this small amount of effort could make on someone’s life at a particular moment would be enormous.

I am currently creating a batch of cards to be used in the first ‘Snail Mail Surprise’ challenge. I will let you know when I am looking for subscribers. 

Thanks for viewing!

~ Jen.