French Country Decor Ideas

Hi everyone! I'm Jessica with Arcadian Lighting, a blog and website featuring the latest in interior design trends and all the beautiful, affordable light fixtures that go with them. I'm excited to be guest posting for Amy today because I'm going to be sharing some lovely shabby French country interiors. Casual, rustic and lovely, there's nothing better than French country decor in the springtime. I hope you enjoy!

This crisp, white French country kitchen is a baker's dream come true. Plenty of workspace, natural light and charming French details, and a touch of shimmer from the subway tile backsplash. C'est trop bon!

An airy, all-white living room with handsome vintage furnishings is perfectly casual and chic. The painted brick floor is a clever touch.

These types of vintage chandeliers and colorful floral fabrics are a classic combination in French country interiors. The cream wall color and bold red fabric are rich and inviting in this breakfast nook.

This lovely living room is filled with ornate, romantic French accents. Faded floral patterns and intricately gilded frames give the room a luxurious atmosphere.

The cool, blue color palette and rustic stone walls make this living room perfectly serene and classic French country. The blue and white china and vases are lovely decorations.

I love the mix of patterns in this room and the warm red and gold color palette. The golden wall sconces and lamps are a gorgeous touch.

Chic white bedding and luxurious lounges give this bedroom a simply luxurious atmosphere without being over the top. The glass cabinets are perfectly elegant, as well.

This closet is absolutely charming and shabby French country. The distressed painted doors open to reveal framed figure drawings and a gorgeous antique clock. {Image sources 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 }

Which of these French country rooms was your favorite? Let us know in the comments! And be sure to stop by Arcadian Lighting for the perfect light fixture to complement any decor style!

New In Shop: Colored Leather Cuffs

These bracelets have been in my mind for a few months now and since I had to get the cuffs (which are also handmade) from Israel, I had to wait a while for shipping but I'm so happy that they're finally ready to purchase!

For the single cuffs, there are seven colors available. The bottom three colors (yellow, purple and pink) are patent leather so they are shiny. All of the cuffs come with a stamped sterling silver rectangle that can be personalized with a name, quote or date of your choice. 

They also snap together for a layered look. Currently I have limited inventory of each color so if you want to add a plain band (without a stamped rectangle) please contact me and I can add one to your order for just $10. Colored wraps can be found here.

The double wrap is my favorite. It's silver with a gold filled rectangle, making for a beautiful contrast. It wraps around twice and the rectangle is attached with white thread. You can get your own here.

The full spring/summer collection will be launched in mid-April and I can't wait to show it to you all! I know you'll love everything as much as I do!

3,000 fan giveaway!!

I'm so excited to have finally hit another milestone! I sat about 10 away from 3,000 for quite a while and finally hit the mark early yesterday morning. Thank you all for sharing and telling your friends about Amy Cornwell Designs. I appreciate all of you! To celebrate, I will be giving away THREE $100 gift certificates to the shop! WOOT!

Entering the giveaway is easy - simply leave a comment! It can be about anything: what you're looking forward to this summer; what you'll do this weekend; what you're thankful for; what you're having for breakfast. I love to laugh, so funny comments are always appreciated! I will pick the winners next Friday, March 23rd. Be sure to link up your email address or leave it in the comment so I can contact you if you win!

a little bit of business...

There is so much going on here at the studio. Yesterday morning I met with my web team for an awesome blog/website overhaul. I am so happy with how it's progressing and can't wait for you all to see it. It totally looks like "me" and incorporates my love for crafting as well as jewelry. I love the design so far!

I also have some product updates!

The Fruit of the Spirit necklace received an update because I was feeling like it was too squished. So I'm incorporating the newest font and I love the new look. What do you think?

The Our Two Hearts necklace also got an update due to my supplier discontinuing the small hearts. I was going to do the same design with new small hearts, but ended up with a layered look and am smitten. I am IN LOVE with this new design and the quote as well, "I carry your heart in my heart". You can have it stamped as shown or personalize it with names & dates of your loved ones.

Lastly, I now have three options for the medium and wide stamped bands. There are three fonts available, two of which include numbers so that you can now do dates on the rings!

Which update is your favorite?

Singing Bird Studios

Friends, sit down with me for a minute. I'd like to introduce you to someone special to me. This is Stephanie.

Isn't she gorgeous? She's super nice too. Stephanie and I met a few years ago at Freshman Orientation at a local High School. We were both selling our wares to the incoming students and we got to chatting when we weren't selling. I have to tell you, Stephanie is as kind and energetic as they get! The is SOOOO passionate about her business and I'm super excited about the launch of her online shop:

This has been her labor of love for quite a while now. I'm so excited that people outside of Indiana are able to see her products and buy them online. Enough from me, let's hear from Stephanie! I've asked her a few questions so that you all can get to know her better.

Tell us a little bit about you and your family: My husband and two kids were really excited when my website launched. I think my daughter told some of the kids on the bus, "My mom has her own website!" She was so proud. My entire family, including my sister and parents have played a big role in this. From "talking out" the details of running my own business to helping with the kids after work, to physically helping me edit my website, I would not have been able to do this without the support and encouragement of my family. They mean so much to me!

Tell us a little bit about your business; how you got started and what it's all about: I have been making things since I was little. I got caught up in the Friendship Bracelet craze back in the 80's and made bracelets non-stop after school and at summer camp. For the last 10 years or so, I would make jewelry for family and friends as gifts, experimenting with what I saw in magazines, books, or online. I bought a cool magnet set made of Scrabble tiles about three years back and looked up how to make them. I learned how to make the pendants and started making them for my daughter, my nieces, friends daughters, and so on. People wanted to know where they could get one, so I would buy more supplies and make more. I started going to Art shows and Holiday shows and people really liked my designs. There were others that had similar products, but I kept getting such positive feedback on my designs and my displays. I kept hearing, "where can I find you online?" I knew if I were to continue, I needed a website.

In 2011, I went for it...came up with a name I loved, filed to become a business, and designed a website. I was very picky about this process, but I found a designer who executed my vision for a fun, artsy, and visually appealing website. Low and behold, the site launched in 2012. Singing Bird Studios offers fun and funky jewelry for girls of all ages. I have fun pendants for your daughter or niece, and I have simple and classic pendants for your Grandmother or co-worker. I make all of the jewelry you see in my shop and work hard to find or create designs that are different and unique.  

  

What is your favorite product in your shop? I have a category on my site called, "Just Say It," and these are pendants that say something. It could be something inspirational (Live with Purpose), Motivational (Begin Today), Sassy (Really?), describes who you are feeling that day (Risk Taker) or just fun (Coffee, please!). I love to express myself with what I wear, how I do my hair, and how I accent my outfit. What better way to make a statement than to...well, say it! These are by far, my favorite pendants in the shop!

  

What is your best seller? Custom orders. Over the past few years, making my rounds at Craft Fairs, School Bazaars and Holiday Shows, I noticed something. I may not have sold a lot of what I brought, but I took a lot of custom orders. I would hear, "My daughter loves frogs, could you make a frog with her name on it?" or, "My best friend is getting married, could you do pendants for the Bachelorette party with each girls name in their favorite color?" I like going to those shows because I get to meet and get to know great people. I can find out what they are looking for or who they are buying for. I also work with schools and Clubs in the area to create fun and unique personalized spirit wear. This is a great way to give parents, students and supporters an affordable piece of custom spirit wear. Custom orders are handled via email now, and hope to have the capability to take custom orders on my site this May! 

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Over the next 5 years, I want Singing Bird Studios to be known as one of the coolest sites to get unique and custom gifts. I would like to be the "go to" for schools, clubs, and awareness groups for affordable, custom spirit wear. In 5 years, Singing Bird Studios will have an expanded product line, carrying more handmade goodies from me as well as local artists.

{{Amy again!!}} I have to tell you, I've seen Singing Bird Studios products in person and they are amazing quality. I even have a few pendants that I've worn (both metal and the wood pendants). The quality is outstanding, colors vibrant and packaging adorable. Please check out her shop and also say "hi" via Facebook - tell her I sent you!

Freebie Friday: You Pick the Sale!

Today's Freebie is a You Pick the Sale! Remember, only one coupon code is valid per purchase, so you have to choose which code will work best for your purchase!

5% off on all clearance items, already at rock-bottom prices - code -->> steal

25% off on all fabric items - code -->> fabric

15% off on orders over $100 - code -->> fifteen

FREE True Love Ring with all orders over $150 - code -->> freering
(you must put the true love ring in your cart with personalization, don't forget!)

Tuesday Tutorial: Dangle Fabric-Covered Button Earrings

Last week I participated in the month of crafts that Megan at Brassy Apple was hosting. She had a whole month full of crafty goodness! Want to see what I created to share on her blog? I knew you would! Here goes...

I have a super easy but fashionable project for you today. We've all seen the fabric covered button earrings, but I put my own little twist on it today. This is the first time I've made fabric covered buttons, and I was amazed at how easy it was! Let's get started!


You'll need a fabric button making kit (you can get this at any craft store), a scrap of fabric, paper clips, and ear wires. Tools you'll need are scissors, wire cutters, and a hot glue gun (or adhesive of your choice).

Make your fabric covered buttons by following your kits instructions (it's super easy!). In four more steps you'll have some pretty dangle earrings...

1) First you'll clip off the button loops from the back side. 

2) Next clip off the top part of the paperclip, making a long skinny U shape. 

3) Add a large dollop of hot glue and press the paperclip into the glue. 

Be careful at this step, the paperclip and button radiate the heat very quickly. 

If you have more patience than me, you can use a glue like E6000 and let it dry

before completing the last step. 

4) Finally, open the end of your ear wire by twisting it sideways and

slipping on your button. Twist it back shut and you're done!

If you'd like to go all out and make some beaded dangles, you just have a few more steps and you can add some extra fun to the buttons. You'll need a few extra things for these: round nose pliers, 24 gauge wire and beads.

1) Follow steps 1-3 above. To make a wrapped loop, wrap your wire around your pliers making a circle. Then take the short "tail" of the wire and wrap it around the long tail about 3x.

2) Add the bead and start your second wrapped loop by bending the wire at a 90 degree angle.

3) Make the second loop around the bottom of the bead.

4) Before you finish the loop, attach the button. Finally, finish the wrap and add the earwire.

Thanks for letting me share with you today! I'd love to see your button dangle earrings too so if you make some, please post them on my facebook page!