A New Year

What better way to resurrect a blog than with a pretty picture...more profound thoughts coming soon

Abandoned then found

Since I created a page on facebook, I find it really hard to blog. Not that a lot hasn't been going on! Jennifer Joy Creative is sort of being quiet. I headed back to school in January to pursue a degree in Sustainable and Organic Horticulture. Its been fun and hard at the same time. School uses a part of my brain I haven't touched in years :). The organization part has been hardest for me. I'm used to working at home, running from one half finished project to another and multitasking like crazy. I've found that I can't function like that with school work. I have to sit down in a quiet space and really really concentrate. Which I have to admit is pretty satisfying.

I have one more semester at LCC before I transfer to Michigan State University in the spring. I'm really nervous. The idea of writing a paper is terrifying. Up until now I've had all science and math courses. But I'm also very excited. The program has classes like pruning techniques, greenhouse construction and management, Organic Farming Principles and Practices, and Compost Production and Use. Nerdy gardening stuff I can't wait to get into.

At home, I creating a monster of a garden thats doing great. Minus the fact the rabbits ate all my beans. Next year I'll have it tilled bigger and fence it in with a cute fence with a gate. I already have 13 pints of green beans canned, 24 jars of jam, 1.5 gallons of broccoli frozen, 5 pints of pickles and tons of potatoes and onions. My tomatoes are just starting to ripen and I should have enough to can by the middle of next week.

Off to study for finals...I'll leave you with some pretty garden pics

Ice Cream, Bacon and Silk

Here are a couple custom skirts I just finished. They turned out so cute! Who knew hemp could be so much fun :)


Mmmmm Bacon!


I've had an idea for this skirt for a long time. I actually had them all cut out and forgot :). So here's my pretty hemp silk charmeuse skirt. I low water immersion dyed it a beautiful apple green and aqua color. This fabric is tricky to dye. If you agitate it too much, it gets cloudy and pills. So this was babied and still has its stunning sheen and the drape makes is flow like water!
I'll be doing more of these...I'm thinking in the theme of Elements...

Etsy Love

Whoo hoo Jennifer Joy Creative has some big Etsy love. 1500 people have favorited my shop!

A Noonday Textiles Creation

I love it when people send me photos of the items they create out of my fabric. This one is new and very interesting:: A Zafu for meditation...Read all about Hillary's creation here

Etsy Storque Spotlight!

Oh my gosh I'm so excited! My Woodland Goddess dress made it into the Storque Spotlight Etsy Finds: August Arrives! ...Its down at the bottom in the Related Items..Yay I've never made it before :)
http://www.etsy.com//storque/spotlight/etsy-finds-august-arrives-4586/

Gardens Gone Wild!

Some updated pics of the wild kingdom I dare call a garden....
Planted tons of heirloom tomatoes this year...they are slowly taking over...Pumpkins (front right) are growing out into the lawn...they are so much more interesting than grass anyway...

Moon and Stars heirloom Watermelon, I'm excited to see what the fruit look like given that the leaves are so speckly.

Dwarf sunflowers I planted to draw bees and butterflies, almost ready to bloom...



Ari with some raspberries and some peppers she picked...

Full pic of the garden...2 raised beds. I'm already planning for at least 4 more next year. The clothesline I built this spring has been wonderful. Morning Glories are slowly growing up the posts....

Gardening is so much fun. I find myself out there several times during the day just looking at the plants. I think I'm going to have many hours of canning tomatoes ahead of me though!

One last pic

Found this beautiful little green tree frog hiding out in my tomato plants, just chillin' in the shade. I'm going to listen for him tonight!