February Sponsor Love

Say hello to some of my lovely February sponsors! You may have seen them over on the right sidebar but I'm going to help you get to know these them a little better! Be sure take a gander at their wonderful shops/blogs!

Hi, I'm Lauren! Ohio born and raised, and lover of all things vintage. I am the creator of MGPdesigns, where I sell my handmade whimsy chic accessories.

Shop // Facebook

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I'm Sandy and I make unique greeting cards using a technique called "Quilling", which is centuries old. You can think of it as "paper graphics". I happen to be a super love-geek so most of my cards are of the cute and lovey dovey nature. (But you'll find lots of other things in there too.) I live in the Big Apple with my twin boys and my hubby, love DIY's and making things pretty.

Shop // Blog // Facebook // Twitter

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Blissfully Happy Wife, Blogger, Movie Buff, Animal ♥er, Event Planner, Busy-Bee, Shopaholic, Philanthropist, DIYer in Training, 30-Something Southern Gal, etc. I just opened up my Etsy shop, AnnLeigh Creations. Stop on by!

Blog // Shop

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Hello! I'm Tsuki Fox of Little Gray Fox on Etsy and Blogger. I've been trying to focus more on my blog and Etsy shop this past year. I love sharing crafty DIY projects. I also share a LOT of pics of my dogs. I can't help it, they're adorable :) My Etsy shop features embroidery and felt crafts. I've loved embroidery ever since I was 6 years old when my grandma first taught me. I also love working with polymer clay and have been trying to incorporate that into my felt/embroidered pieces. For example, my beaver brooch with the little clay log charm :) I think my crafts revolve around my two loves: nature and sweet treats! I have a huge sweet tooth! When I first opened my shop it featured a lot of polymer clay charms...mostly cheesecake and S'mores! (My weakness around sugary snacks has definitely helped keep my dentist in business!) More recent projects are nature-themed. I love animals and have always wanted my own mini-farm with chickens and a mini-donkey or two; maybe one day!

Shop // Blog // Twitter // Facebook

Tsuki is offering Julie Ann's readers 15% off with the coupon code JULIEANN15 at checkout!

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Hi, we’re Kim & Candice. We’re the sisters behind Paper, Lace & Confetti Handmade and wedding planners to boot! We make jewelry and other fun, small gift items on our online shop, blog about our wedding and craft inspirations and take long coffee breaks in between. Come stop by, say hello on our blog or stop by the shop and maybe you’ll find something pretty to take home with you!

Shop // Blog // Twitter // Facebook

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Hey, I’m Dana! I blog over at Wonder Forest and create retro inspired plush and home products under the same name! I am a designer/artist in ‘real’ life and love a good DIY project, shopping online, and believe in being creative every day! Stop by and say hi!

Shop // Blog // Twitter // Facebook

So proud to have this group of  talented females on my blog this month! Be sure to stop by their shops and blogs and show them some love!

Gratitude

Well, it was a very special Valentine's Day season for Julie Ann Art. I am so thankful and honestly, just amazed. I knew this Valentine's Day was going to be bigger than past ones, but I had no idea just how busy it would be. A lot of that is because of this blog, and therefore you, so thank you!

I've expressed before how this blog has affected my life. The greatest benefit is that it has given me the ability to interact and connect with others. I've been able to build relationships with customers, fellow bloggers, and Etsy sellers.

With that said, I want to mention a few bloggers that really helped me out over the past month. They all stepped up to support a friend and that is something that's so great about the blogging community.  It's very special to me to have a group of girls who not only inspire me, but are there to help me out when I need it. I reached out to each of these girls because I respect them, their blog content, and their friendly etiquette. Definitely stop by their blogs and say hello, if you have not already, as they are all my daily "go-to" blogs! This is the least I can do to show my gratitude for their inspiration and support. I'm thankful to have their friendship.

Now, there's some one else I need to thank. (I'm going to warn you, this may get a little cheesy.) The number one contributing factor to me keeping my sanity (for the most part) over the last month, was Jordan. Without his constant support and help, I would most likely have turned into a crying ball of stress on the living room floor a couple of times.

It's a new thing for me to be in a relationship with some one who is so involved in my creative projects. Jordan honestly doesn't get enough credit for all the things he helps me with. So frequently these days I'm talking about ideas or brainstorming the next step, and he's always there to lend an ear and offer advice. It's really special for me to have some one like him. Thanks Bub! :]

My Style: Valentine's Day

Outfit Details: Dress and Tights - ASOS, Shoes - ModCloth

Happy Valentine's Day! Tonight we're getting dolled up and going to a comedy show. I love comedy shows!! I mean, who doesn't like laughing till your cheeks hurt (well, hopefully). Doing anything tonight? Special or not? xo JA

Valentine's Day Nails

I thought I'd get a little extra festive for Valentine's Day tomorrow and create some lovey dovey nail art. It was super easy and I think they are so fun!

Just paint your nails the color of your choice and let dry. Then, using a nail pen, decorate each nail with a little heart. I like nail pens rather than the skinny little brushes I've seen used for nail art because it's easier for me to control. It's just like drawing with a regular pen! Although I admit, drawing on the right hand got pretty tricky. Be sure to follow up with a top coat to seal the design nicely. Once dried, you're sure to get compliments on your fun and festive nails! Have fun!

Guest Blogger: Gentri Lee

Hello lovely readers of Julie Ann Art! My name is Gentri and I blog over at Gentri Lee. I'm so excited for this opportunity to guest post for Julie today and to let her breathe a little during this busy time. Today i'm going to show you how to make a fun and different Valentine to send to someone far away.

First, you'll need:

2 Liter Soda Bottle

Packing Tape

Paper (your choice. I went with pink for Valentines)

and lots of little goodies!

I'm sending this package anonymously to a little family I'm close to who's going through a rough time. So I needed girl and boy stuff. Boys don't really care for hearts and pink, so they got batman and silly puddy. haha! (that rose is a loofah! Isn't it cute?) I got everything in the dollar section at Target.

Wash your soda bottle so it's not sticky (yuck) then dry it completely. Next, take a razor blade and slice a hole vertically in the middle of the bottle. My bottle was still wet at this point, so I stuck a towel in and shook it. That worked really well!

Then start filling it with all of your goodies! I did the soft stuff first (socks, loofah, etc) then the larger stiffer items, then the small filler items.

Once it's all stuffed, tape the slit shut with a strip of packing tape. Then cover the bottle with the paper you chose (I had to cut mine down to 6 in" tall), tape your shipping label in place, then cover anything paper with packing tape so it won't get beat up. Take it to the post office and it's on it's way!

My sister used to send us these for every holiday since she's lived out of the state for the last 8 years and they're always so fun to open!

I'd love to hear if you use this idea in the future! Just pop by my blog to let me know or email me pictures!

Thank you so much Julie for letting me guest post and thank you all for reading!

Love,
Gentri