My son is all about organic. From vegetables to kefir it’s food that fuels him.
He takes pride in eating and using natural and upcycled products to benefit not only our environment but himself–inside and out.
Someone else who takes pride in this and is creating some very original and eco-friendly items is Jessica Woody of Bixby, Oklahoma, InT Stables Miniature Horse Ranch.
Her Etsy Shop is Eco-Friendly Freckles.
“I came up with my Etsy Shop name “Eco-Friendly Freckles” because my hand-painted, upcycled decoupage canisters are very “eco-friendly” and each one of them is painted with a glossy black background and topped with tiny white-painted “freckles” that create my signature look.
My art and I are both eco-friendly and have freckles!”
Her Etsy Shop is about all things organic or upcycled.
“I was very compelled to create my own art business when I discovered the pleasure and potential profit that I could achieve with my upcycled decoupage canisters; I also love recycling and aspired to create something beautifully repurposed!
My husband, Joe, and twin sister, Andrea, have been wonderful motivators and continue to encourage my artistic pursuits. ”
Her husband, Joe, really lit the fire in Jessica and after one Christmas, she realized her creativity could be put to good use!
“I discovered my own talent; there was a specific moment that inspired me to create my lovely decoupage canisters.
About three years ago, Joe and I were noticing that we were going through a lot of steel and tin cans and Joe said, “I wish we could do something with these instead of throwing them away”, and I thought “Isn’t there something I could do with these to revamp and beautify them and maybe incorporate them into a future gift”.
Before I knew it I was purchasing some black glossy paint and some bright white fabric paint and I was creating my first few canisters.
That Christmas I gave the canisters to family members and made candles to go inside of them or I placed black satin pouches inside and filled them with homemade coconut and hemp oil soap…it was a hit, my family loved them!”
Eco-Friendly Freckles is a one of kind place and it’s Jessica’s creativity that sets everything in this store apart from others.
“My hand-painted upcycled decoupage canisters are unlike anything else on the market; they are each one-of-a-kind creations that tell a detailed story with magazine clippings, yogi tea tags, and other illustrative materials.
Aside from being stunningly beautiful, my artsy canisters are functional art that can be used to store little treasures, whether it be chocolates, pencils, teas, soaps, or your favorite trinkets. ”
Jessica shares her absolute favorite creation.
“My favorite hand-painted upcycled decoupage art canister is titled “Traveling Lady”, which I now have listed in my Etsy shop.
This canister features a lovely lady in a sun hat and her travels around the world.
Her suitcases are stacked with souvenir stickers on them from places such as the: Tuscany Grand Hotel Bastiani Grosseto Italy, Hotel Schwarzer Bock in Wiesbaden, Hotel Victoria in Rome, Hotel Colon in Sevilla, Hotel Mediodia in Madrid, and Hotel Central in Brussels.
A french bottle of champagne, a delightful ivory-colored starfish, a curious giraffe, and lots of cash are also featured.
Upon the Traveling Lady’s hat are two inspirational messages that read “The purpose of life is to enjoy every moment” and “The beauty of life is to experience yourself”.”
The finished product and her ability to express herself are what inspire Jessica to create.
“My passion and love for creating something repurposed and beautiful: a little piece of me that someone can cherish and use.
I enjoy coming up with stories for my canisters with my magazine clippings and other materials; this is so much fun and fascinates my imagination with expressive creativity. ”
Jessica has the creative process down.
“I create my decoupage canisters by spray painting cleaned and recycled tins (soap cans, coffee cans, etc) with glossy black spray paint.
Once the paint drys, I apply my desired magazine clippings, yogi tea tags, and other desired paper materials with collage glue in a particular way so the images as a whole are complementary and appealing.
Then I apply the freckles with white glossy paint.
You can view a tutorial of how I create my canisters with this video.”
When she’s not creating, Jessica enjoys: “I enjoy my treasured time with my husband, Joe, my best friends (grandmother Sharee and twin sister Andrea) and three cats: Magnum, Buster, and Nozomi.
I love organic-heirloom gardening, studying aromatherapy and herbology, yoga, cooking, camping, biking, picnicking, long walks and talks, going to art galleries, bed and breakfasts, thrift stores, yard sales, antique shops, and mom-and-pop restaurants.
I also enjoy discovering all of the delicious and nutritious creations I can make with my organic probiotic kefir grains; like kefir cheese or “labne”. ”
Outside of decoupage, Jessica would love to learn a new craft–crochet.
“I would love to learn how to crochet (my mother-in-law, Beverly, makes some beautiful crocheted creations; I wish I could attain this leisurely and useful talent).
I would also love to learn how to make pottery; I think I would really enjoy this craft and I could create charming pieces that are very functional.”
With a busy life, how does Jessica find time to craft?
“I work a part-time job at Akins Natural Foods Market, I assist Joe with tending to the miniature horses, and I partake in daily household duties, besides these things much of my pleasurable leisurely time is spent create art and marketing my Etsy shop “Eco-Friendly Freckles”. ”
It’s not been an easy road to where Jessica is now.
She’s been determined and considers her greatest accomplishment in life thus far, “Overcoming post-traumatic stress and depression from an unfortunately paralyzed mother with Multiple Sclerosis, a devastating boating accident, and other distressing experiences while finding peace within and discovering my creative, fun, and happy being.
Meeting and falling deeply in love with my loving and amazing husband, Joe, has brought me happiness, stability, and captivating ambition for the future. ”
In ten years, Jessica sees herself, “In ten years, I see Joe and me on our charming property with our country cottage/eco-dome house that we built ourselves on the beautiful country-side with rolling hills in Oklahoma.
We have two children and more on the way and a farm with goats, chickens, a jersey cow, and of course a miniature horse!
We have a massive heirloom garden and my hand-painted upcycled canisters are a huge success with displays in boutiques and art galleries across the nation…I dream BIG!”
Jessica is generous and offered to sponsor a giveaway.
“This giveaway is for my organic probiotic kefir grains.
I have some healthy and scrumptious recipes using probiotic kefir on my blog that will enlighten, intrigue, and entice your appetite!
Take a moment and view my favorite recipes using Kefir grains.”