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My Journey As A Creative Designer - Woodworking and Beyond

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7M views 13K replies 477 participants last post by  teaklight12 
#1 ·
Beginning this Blog

I recently was referred to this site by Steve Good, who has a wonderful, comprehensive scroll saw forum and blog page. Although I have been doing woodworking for almost fifteen years, I have finally reached a point in my life where I am able to make it the main focus of my activities. Since my life revolves around my woodworking and business, I believe that this blog will reflect that very clearly, although it will also be somewhat personal. But I think that woodworking is very personal anyway.

It has been a long journey to get to this point. There have been many good times and some not-so-good ones, but I appreciate every single step because I think that if even one thing was different, I would not be where I am today or who I am inside. It isn't only the positive events in our lives that make us what we are. Many times it is the negative things that mold and shape us and teach us to look at things in a certain way. I try to remember that when things are tough and move ahead.

I have learned that there is only one thing we can be certain of in life: change. Whether things are good or bad, we need to hold on and appreciate the moment, as we can be certain that things will be different before long. This helps us to not only appreciate the good days and things we have now, but also hang on when things are not so good, as we know that they will be different soon. I like this philosophy.

I liked reading about the new contest offered by this site in the newsletter. Fluidity. It is a perfect theme for projects because our existence itself is fluid. I am anxious to see what interpretations are going to be, as I am sure everyone else is. It will be an adventure for all of us for sure.

So why am I starting this blog? The other day I received a call from a customer who had a question for me. He kept saying how surprised he was that I answered my own phone. I have worked as a Contributing Editor for Creative Woodworks and Crafts Magazine for the past 13+ years and I guess in the scroll saw community, many people have heard of me. It seemed so odd to me that he would think I would have a secretary or staff. We kind of laughed about it, but it really got me thinking about his interpretation of my life. We all tend to form opinions of others from very limited information. We see the outside of a person as they are presented to us and many times are very quick to categorize that person in our minds. I do it myself.

But in my years of talking with and dealing with many people from many different places, I have come to realize that people are like icebergs. We only see the tip of them and below the surface is a vast, complex side of them that is the basis of their actions and thinking.

Everyone has a story. Everyone has traveled a journey. No two people have traveled identical paths. Thus, we are all unique in our thoughts, actions and creative processes. I enjoy hearing others stories. I think that listening to others and hearing their experiences helps us to understand each other. With that understanding, we learn.

I have used the phrase "Knowledge Is Power" in my signature since I have been on the web. Once someone told me that they thought it was quite arrogant of me to say that. He thought that I was implying that I knew more than anyone else and he found that offensive. I told him he couldn't be more wrong. My interpretation of the phrase is that our QUEST for knowledge EMPOWERS us to make better decisions about things in our lives. We are never finished learning. I learn every single day from my friends, colleagues, fellow woodworkers and students. We never know when we will learn something new. Sometimes you can learn from even a seemingly insignificant event. I feel the key is that we need to be open to learning.

Everyone has a story.

So I will close today with those thoughts. I don't know how often I will post here, but I hope to make it a habit. I don't know if anyone will even read this, but somehow it doesn't matter. Writing is a key in self-awareness. By writing things down we categorize our actions and it helps (me anyway) to keep my life organized. Organization leads to peace as far as I am concerned.

I am quite overwhelmed with the scope of the site here. I am still getting my footings and lurking around. I think for the first several days or maybe even weeks I will be more of a passive observer while I find my comfortable position among the others here. I want to upload the new things I am working on here. Like everyone else, I am anxious to see the response they get. I love seeing others projects and could spend my days just looking.

Although it is quite intimidating, the forum looks like it is full of friendly, knowledgeable and wonderfully creative people.

I think I am going to like it here.
 
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#8,975 ·
Meeting Up With Some Friends

Yesterday turned out to be a wonderful day. While I didn't get any woodworking or painting finished, Keith and I had the chance to meet up with a friend that I met here through my blog and spend the afternoon with her and her husband.

Anna and her husband Jim are from British Columbia, which is all the way on the other side of Canada. I had began a friendship with Anna when she started following my blog here and commenting on it. I love how Anna took our designs and put her own spin on them, many times doing wonderful things with them that I never even dreamed of doing. It is in that sense that I feel that the internet and networking in general was a great way to share our love of creating.

Anna and Jim are on holiday here in Nova Scotia for several weeks. They have been taking their time driving through the province at their own pace, taking many photographs and enjoying the food, scenery and all that Nova Scotia has to offer. (They are both avid photographers!) When I heard that they were coming right by our area, I was very excited about meeting them.

We arranged for a nice lunch at a little restaurant that sits right on the shore line. We all ate rappie pie, which I talk about frequently in my blog here, as it is probably one of the most popular Acadian treats that they offer in our area. Everyone enjoyed it very much and our visit at the restaurant turned into a three hour long lunch! The time passed by so quickly and I was happy that they weren't too busy at the restaurant, as we felt very comfortable having a nice long visit.

When we did leave, we invited them over to our little place to meet our three 'fur babies' as well as see our set up here and our beautiful surroundings. We had fun showing them how everything we use for our business could be easily tucked away and how comfortable we are here in our little space. They seemed to like it here a lot and we had great fun playing show and tell. The ideas were bouncing back and forth all day as well, as they often do when creative people meet.

All in all it was a wonderful day!

After they had left, Keith and I decided to take the rest of the evening off and attend a movie. We went and saw "The Butler" which we both enjoyed a great deal. We drove home on a cool, crisp night with a million stars overhead. It was the end to a perfect day!

People are sometimes leery of meeting others face to face that they have only known through the internet. But this is a great example of how wonderful it can be to share interests and make friends with others who enjoy being creative. I have heard many stories between my woodworking friends and also my painting friends that are similar to ours here. I feel that nothing bonds people quicker than a mutual love of creating and crafting, and I am very happy to have met all the people that I have through my love of scroll sawing and painting. They certainly have enriched my life!

We thank Anna and Jim for spending part of their vacation with us. If we ever get to the opposite side of Canada, we will certainly look them up for a visit, and hopefully get to see their shop and all the things that inspire them.

This weekend, I am going to be finishing up the design that I showed yesterday, as well as working on some new painting designs. My day off did me well, but I am anxious to see how everything looks finished. And that is a great way to feel.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend!

Smile Glasses Vision care Sunglasses Plant
 

Attachments

#8,976 ·
Meeting Up With Some Friends

Yesterday turned out to be a wonderful day. While I didn't get any woodworking or painting finished, Keith and I had the chance to meet up with a friend that I met here through my blog and spend the afternoon with her and her husband.

Anna and her husband Jim are from British Columbia, which is all the way on the other side of Canada. I had began a friendship with Anna when she started following my blog here and commenting on it. I love how Anna took our designs and put her own spin on them, many times doing wonderful things with them that I never even dreamed of doing. It is in that sense that I feel that the internet and networking in general was a great way to share our love of creating.

Anna and Jim are on holiday here in Nova Scotia for several weeks. They have been taking their time driving through the province at their own pace, taking many photographs and enjoying the food, scenery and all that Nova Scotia has to offer. (They are both avid photographers!) When I heard that they were coming right by our area, I was very excited about meeting them.

We arranged for a nice lunch at a little restaurant that sits right on the shore line. We all ate rappie pie, which I talk about frequently in my blog here, as it is probably one of the most popular Acadian treats that they offer in our area. Everyone enjoyed it very much and our visit at the restaurant turned into a three hour long lunch! The time passed by so quickly and I was happy that they weren't too busy at the restaurant, as we felt very comfortable having a nice long visit.

When we did leave, we invited them over to our little place to meet our three 'fur babies' as well as see our set up here and our beautiful surroundings. We had fun showing them how everything we use for our business could be easily tucked away and how comfortable we are here in our little space. They seemed to like it here a lot and we had great fun playing show and tell. The ideas were bouncing back and forth all day as well, as they often do when creative people meet.

All in all it was a wonderful day!

After they had left, Keith and I decided to take the rest of the evening off and attend a movie. We went and saw "The Butler" which we both enjoyed a great deal. We drove home on a cool, crisp night with a million stars overhead. It was the end to a perfect day!

People are sometimes leery of meeting others face to face that they have only known through the internet. But this is a great example of how wonderful it can be to share interests and make friends with others who enjoy being creative. I have heard many stories between my woodworking friends and also my painting friends that are similar to ours here. I feel that nothing bonds people quicker than a mutual love of creating and crafting, and I am very happy to have met all the people that I have through my love of scroll sawing and painting. They certainly have enriched my life!

We thank Anna and Jim for spending part of their vacation with us. If we ever get to the opposite side of Canada, we will certainly look them up for a visit, and hopefully get to see their shop and all the things that inspire them.

This weekend, I am going to be finishing up the design that I showed yesterday, as well as working on some new painting designs. My day off did me well, but I am anxious to see how everything looks finished. And that is a great way to feel.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend!

Smile Glasses Vision care Sunglasses Plant
How wonderful to meet in person and spend time with online friends! I sometimes wonder what other folks look/sound like. We have the advantage of your picture and videos to know your face and voice. So glad you all had a great time and pictures to remember!
 

Attachments

#8,979 ·
You Don't Have a Thing If You Ain't Got That BLING!

Sometimes everything just works out how it should. I suppose that some could argue that things always work out how they are supposed to, but sometimes that isn't how you would like. This time I was fortunate that this project was both.

When I think of a project, I usually have a picture of how I want it to look in my head. Sometimes that picture is fuzzy. Sometimes it is really clear. Most of the time, during the designing process, it evolves into something else and by the time it is finished it only slightly resembles what I had intended to do with it at the beginning. It is all part of the procedure and I have learned to just kind of go with the flow and allow the project to dictate which direction I should head with it. I find things work the best that way.

But other times, I know exactly how I want the piece to look. I find myself thinking all though the process about which steps I need to take to achieve the look that I imagine. This most recent project was just like that.

I had a deadline to meet for the magazine. We are currently working on the January issue, which will be themed with post-holiday projects and ease us into the spring. This is always one of my favorite times to design for because I often felt a bit let down after the holidays and it is a great opportunity to make some cheerful winter-themed items to replace the holiday decorations and give people something to smile about during those cold and long winter days.

I'll be honest in saying that as my deadline approached, I didn't really have a clue as to what I would make for this year's January issue. I have been really busy with other things though, and figured out that by the time I really had to get down to drawing, I would have figured out which direction I would be heading.

I started by drawing different snowflake shaped frames, and chose one that wasn't over complicated so that I would still be able to route the edge. I like routing pieces, as I feel that it makes them look nice and finished and professional. Once I settled on the frame however, I felt a bit stuck, and didn't know where to head next.

But then, as I was sitting there thinking, I had several orders come in for my new Damask Inspired Patterns. I really loved these new designs. They are so pretty and elegant, yet they are not difficult to cut at all. They are very forgiving because of the nature of the designs, and they are fun to cut because they are a great size. They have everything going for them. It appears that others think so as well because the response to them has been quite overwhelming. The patterns for them are selling like crazy and thanks to that pattern series, we just finished out our August month on the site as our best month to date (and by a long shot!) I am thrilled!

So as with many of my designs that I do, there are a million variations swimming around in my head and it occurred to me that this snowflake frame that I just drew would be the perfect back drop for a lovely winter-themed Damask style plaque. I got busy and in a pretty short time the fog lifted and I envisioned this plaque, along with the silhouette of children building a snowman. (I have some other ideas for this series that will be coming shortly.)

I love when things fall into place like that. It is as if by magic that a few hours later, the entire pattern was drawn. Now all I needed to do was decide on how to finish it and I would be well on my way.

I had recently told you all about a product from DecoArt called Metallic Lustre. This is a water-based metallic wax that can be applied to any surface. The paste resembles a cross between shoe polish and cake frosting in consistency, but it has an incredible metallic shine to it. It comes in six colors such as "Copper Kettle", "Champagne Ice" and "Silver Spark" and each color is extremely beautiful. I had recently used the Copper Kettle color on a set of my SLD438 Spooky Scrolled Key Ornaments and I was thrilled with the results. Just a small amount of the product made the keys look as if they were made of metal.

For the snowflake, I chose the Silver Spark color. I probably could have chosen the Champagne Ice, but I wanted to only apply just a small amount and still allow the wood grain to show through. The Silver Spark was a 'whiter' color and I thought that would look nicest. I wasn't disappointed.

I used one of my favorite woods (ash) for the snowflake and cutting went without a hitch. Even unfinished the snowflake looked beautiful. I applied oil and let it soak in overnight - my usual method of base finishing - and just like that it looked just lovely. The oil brought out the subtle grain in the ash beautifully. I then took a damp cosmetic sponge and applied a light coat of the Metallic Lustre to the top only of the snowflake. It shimmered with a beautiful silvery shine. I then needed to set the Metallic Lustre, so I sprayed a light coat of gloss varnish over it to seal it. This insured that it wouldn't chip off.

The piece looked good, but I thought I would bring it up to another level and I lightly brushed a layer of DecoArt Glamour Dust Glitter Paint over the entire piece. I also loved this paint because it has such finely ground glitter suspended in the base that it is a much more subtle shine. It really made it sparkle like real snow sparkles.

The piece was beautiful. But I wasn't done yet.

As a final touch, I added some beautiful blue crystal hot fix rhinestones that I purchased from Rhinestone Canada. I am absolutely loving these rhinestones and find that there are so many ways to accent my scroll sawn pieces with them. They really made the piece look finished. So here are the results:

Hair Head Eye Eyelash Creative arts


You can see the subtle sparkles a bit better here (I hope!)

Azure Plant Headgear Feather Aqua


And for you woodworking purists who don't like color over wood - "Sans bling"

Font Art Pattern Wood Circle


While the plain one looks nice, I truly feel that adding the shimmer really makes this piece stand out. I am very proud of this project and can't wait to see it in the magazine.

I know many of you will be asking when the pattern is available, and in all probability, many won't have read this far and will ask anyway, but I will state that this pattern will be in the January issue of Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine that comes out sometime around mid-December. I should be able to put it up on my site after Christmas to sell the pattern myself. In the mean time, I am sure I will be creating some companion pieces to go with this, so you will have to just wait and see what I can come up with.

Today will be a day for painting. I have had many requests to create a pattern packet for the Halloween keys mentioned above, as well as the SLD439 Spooky Halloween Ornaments, and I will be spending the next couple of days working on that. I already have the pieces cut and I plan on spending the next two days painting them. That will be fun!

My final thoughts today go to my beautiful daughter, Danielle. Today is her 23rd birthday and I can't tell you how proud I am of her. She is the most wonderful, beautiful, kind daughter that anyone could have ever asked for! Not only is she beautiful outside, but she has a gentle and kind nature that makes her truly beautiful on the inside as well. It seemed like in a blink of an eye she went from this:

Sleeve One-piece garment Fashion design Baby & toddler clothing Pattern


To this:

Forehead Lip Chin Smile Eyebrow


And turned into a beautiful young woman. Dani - I love you and I am so proud of you. Happy Birthday!

And a very happy Sunday to you all as well! Have a great day!
 

Attachments

#8,980 ·
You Don't Have a Thing If You Ain't Got That BLING!

Sometimes everything just works out how it should. I suppose that some could argue that things always work out how they are supposed to, but sometimes that isn't how you would like. This time I was fortunate that this project was both.

When I think of a project, I usually have a picture of how I want it to look in my head. Sometimes that picture is fuzzy. Sometimes it is really clear. Most of the time, during the designing process, it evolves into something else and by the time it is finished it only slightly resembles what I had intended to do with it at the beginning. It is all part of the procedure and I have learned to just kind of go with the flow and allow the project to dictate which direction I should head with it. I find things work the best that way.

But other times, I know exactly how I want the piece to look. I find myself thinking all though the process about which steps I need to take to achieve the look that I imagine. This most recent project was just like that.

I had a deadline to meet for the magazine. We are currently working on the January issue, which will be themed with post-holiday projects and ease us into the spring. This is always one of my favorite times to design for because I often felt a bit let down after the holidays and it is a great opportunity to make some cheerful winter-themed items to replace the holiday decorations and give people something to smile about during those cold and long winter days.

I'll be honest in saying that as my deadline approached, I didn't really have a clue as to what I would make for this year's January issue. I have been really busy with other things though, and figured out that by the time I really had to get down to drawing, I would have figured out which direction I would be heading.

I started by drawing different snowflake shaped frames, and chose one that wasn't over complicated so that I would still be able to route the edge. I like routing pieces, as I feel that it makes them look nice and finished and professional. Once I settled on the frame however, I felt a bit stuck, and didn't know where to head next.

But then, as I was sitting there thinking, I had several orders come in for my new Damask Inspired Patterns. I really loved these new designs. They are so pretty and elegant, yet they are not difficult to cut at all. They are very forgiving because of the nature of the designs, and they are fun to cut because they are a great size. They have everything going for them. It appears that others think so as well because the response to them has been quite overwhelming. The patterns for them are selling like crazy and thanks to that pattern series, we just finished out our August month on the site as our best month to date (and by a long shot!) I am thrilled!

So as with many of my designs that I do, there are a million variations swimming around in my head and it occurred to me that this snowflake frame that I just drew would be the perfect back drop for a lovely winter-themed Damask style plaque. I got busy and in a pretty short time the fog lifted and I envisioned this plaque, along with the silhouette of children building a snowman. (I have some other ideas for this series that will be coming shortly.)

I love when things fall into place like that. It is as if by magic that a few hours later, the entire pattern was drawn. Now all I needed to do was decide on how to finish it and I would be well on my way.

I had recently told you all about a product from DecoArt called Metallic Lustre. This is a water-based metallic wax that can be applied to any surface. The paste resembles a cross between shoe polish and cake frosting in consistency, but it has an incredible metallic shine to it. It comes in six colors such as "Copper Kettle", "Champagne Ice" and "Silver Spark" and each color is extremely beautiful. I had recently used the Copper Kettle color on a set of my SLD438 Spooky Scrolled Key Ornaments and I was thrilled with the results. Just a small amount of the product made the keys look as if they were made of metal.

For the snowflake, I chose the Silver Spark color. I probably could have chosen the Champagne Ice, but I wanted to only apply just a small amount and still allow the wood grain to show through. The Silver Spark was a 'whiter' color and I thought that would look nicest. I wasn't disappointed.

I used one of my favorite woods (ash) for the snowflake and cutting went without a hitch. Even unfinished the snowflake looked beautiful. I applied oil and let it soak in overnight - my usual method of base finishing - and just like that it looked just lovely. The oil brought out the subtle grain in the ash beautifully. I then took a damp cosmetic sponge and applied a light coat of the Metallic Lustre to the top only of the snowflake. It shimmered with a beautiful silvery shine. I then needed to set the Metallic Lustre, so I sprayed a light coat of gloss varnish over it to seal it. This insured that it wouldn't chip off.

The piece looked good, but I thought I would bring it up to another level and I lightly brushed a layer of DecoArt Glamour Dust Glitter Paint over the entire piece. I also loved this paint because it has such finely ground glitter suspended in the base that it is a much more subtle shine. It really made it sparkle like real snow sparkles.

The piece was beautiful. But I wasn't done yet.

As a final touch, I added some beautiful blue crystal hot fix rhinestones that I purchased from Rhinestone Canada. I am absolutely loving these rhinestones and find that there are so many ways to accent my scroll sawn pieces with them. They really made the piece look finished. So here are the results:

Hair Head Eye Eyelash Creative arts


You can see the subtle sparkles a bit better here (I hope!)

Azure Plant Headgear Feather Aqua


And for you woodworking purists who don't like color over wood - "Sans bling"

Font Art Pattern Wood Circle


While the plain one looks nice, I truly feel that adding the shimmer really makes this piece stand out. I am very proud of this project and can't wait to see it in the magazine.

I know many of you will be asking when the pattern is available, and in all probability, many won't have read this far and will ask anyway, but I will state that this pattern will be in the January issue of Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine that comes out sometime around mid-December. I should be able to put it up on my site after Christmas to sell the pattern myself. In the mean time, I am sure I will be creating some companion pieces to go with this, so you will have to just wait and see what I can come up with.

Today will be a day for painting. I have had many requests to create a pattern packet for the Halloween keys mentioned above, as well as the SLD439 Spooky Halloween Ornaments, and I will be spending the next couple of days working on that. I already have the pieces cut and I plan on spending the next two days painting them. That will be fun!

My final thoughts today go to my beautiful daughter, Danielle. Today is her 23rd birthday and I can't tell you how proud I am of her. She is the most wonderful, beautiful, kind daughter that anyone could have ever asked for! Not only is she beautiful outside, but she has a gentle and kind nature that makes her truly beautiful on the inside as well. It seemed like in a blink of an eye she went from this:

Sleeve One-piece garment Fashion design Baby & toddler clothing Pattern


To this:

Forehead Lip Chin Smile Eyebrow


And turned into a beautiful young woman. Dani - I love you and I am so proud of you. Happy Birthday!

And a very happy Sunday to you all as well! Have a great day!
I really like the different layers (I'll call em) on this plate. Crispy clean, as always. Very nice. Wish your Daughter a Happy B-Day. Time goes by so quickly. They all grow up way too fast.
 

Attachments

#8,988 ·
Variations on the New Halloween Ornaments

Those of you who read daily know that I like to make different versions of projects. I talk many people who prefer different techniques and I try to accommodate as many as I can. Besides - I really like the variety and playing around with seeing the different ways to finish projects.

Last week I introduced some new ornaments for Halloween. One set was of Halloween keys, with the key tops being made of cute characters. But some people didn't care for the key theme, so I made the characters slightly bigger to make some regular ornaments.

Product Organism Gesture Font Art


SLD438 12 Spooky Scrolled Key Ornaments

I was very pleased with the positive response to them, but I also had several requests from my painting friends to make them into painting patterns, and offer the wood as kits.

So what I have been working on is just that. I probably will be working on them for the next couple of days and I will post updates as I go.

I have all the blanks cut for the two new sets, and I began the painting process. So far this is what I have:

The keys -

Azure Material property Font Art Symmetry


And the traditional ornaments -

Art Bat Creative arts Symmetry Mythical creature


So far they are coming out nice. I am hoping to finish up in a couple of days.

I am going to keep today's blog short because it is taking forever to upload things to Lumberjocks.com which is where I write the original posts. Uploading these couple of pictures has taken me well over half an hour and I while I like writing the blog, I have too much to do today to watch and wait. It seems that the hours between 7am and 9am my time are a busy time on the site and I have had a lot of problems. Sometimes the blog double posts as well and I am embarrassed because I don't want people who subscribe to think I am spamming their email box. I apologize for that, but it has happened several times recently and it is quite frustrating.

In any case, it is time for me to get to work. I appreciate all the feedback you all give me and have really had fun making all of these new projects. I still have plenty more to come!

Have a great Monday and for those of you in Canada and the USA who are celebrating the Labor Day weekend - Happy Labor Day! I hope no matter what you do, you have fun and do something creative.
 

Attachments

#8,989 ·
Variations on the New Halloween Ornaments

Those of you who read daily know that I like to make different versions of projects. I talk many people who prefer different techniques and I try to accommodate as many as I can. Besides - I really like the variety and playing around with seeing the different ways to finish projects.

Last week I introduced some new ornaments for Halloween. One set was of Halloween keys, with the key tops being made of cute characters. But some people didn't care for the key theme, so I made the characters slightly bigger to make some regular ornaments.

Product Organism Gesture Font Art


SLD438 12 Spooky Scrolled Key Ornaments

I was very pleased with the positive response to them, but I also had several requests from my painting friends to make them into painting patterns, and offer the wood as kits.

So what I have been working on is just that. I probably will be working on them for the next couple of days and I will post updates as I go.

I have all the blanks cut for the two new sets, and I began the painting process. So far this is what I have:

The keys -

Azure Material property Font Art Symmetry


And the traditional ornaments -

Art Bat Creative arts Symmetry Mythical creature


So far they are coming out nice. I am hoping to finish up in a couple of days.

I am going to keep today's blog short because it is taking forever to upload things to Lumberjocks.com which is where I write the original posts. Uploading these couple of pictures has taken me well over half an hour and I while I like writing the blog, I have too much to do today to watch and wait. It seems that the hours between 7am and 9am my time are a busy time on the site and I have had a lot of problems. Sometimes the blog double posts as well and I am embarrassed because I don't want people who subscribe to think I am spamming their email box. I apologize for that, but it has happened several times recently and it is quite frustrating.

In any case, it is time for me to get to work. I appreciate all the feedback you all give me and have really had fun making all of these new projects. I still have plenty more to come!

Have a great Monday and for those of you in Canada and the USA who are celebrating the Labor Day weekend - Happy Labor Day! I hope no matter what you do, you have fun and do something creative.
This is a cool collection
 

Attachments

#8,991 ·
Painting Progress on New Ornaments

There isn't much to talk about today, except to show the painting progress that I made on my new patterns. I spent pretty much of the day working on them, and I believe that finishing them up will take at least a couple additional days. I hope to have the patterns up on my site by the end of the week.

For those of you who don't read every day, what I am in the process of doing is converting my projects SLD438 12 Spooky Scrolled Key Ornaments and SLD439 12 Spooky Halloween Ornaments from woodworking patterns into painting patterns.

The original woodworking patterns look like this:

Product Organism Gesture Font Art


Brown Textile Wood Font Pattern


After showing them here in the blog, I heard from many painters that were interested in me making painted versions of them. It didn't take much persuasion from them to convince me to give it a go. I love painting, and bringing beautiful autumn color to these pieces is more than a pleasure to me.

So far, this is what I have come up with:

Font Symbol Lego Wood Fictional character


Art Font Badge Symbol Cake decorating supply


Just by their nature, painting patterns take a while longer to create than scroll sawing ones. The amount of time it takes to paint is just a bit longer. But I do enjoy painting a great deal and seeing each of these ornaments come to life is just as exciting for me and creating the scroll sawn versions.

I will continue to work on these today, and have another update tomorrow. I hope you all like what I have done so far and I hope that if you have never painted before, it makes you want to give them a try.

It is another foggy and rainy day here in Nova Scotia, as it was yesterday. But that didn't stop us from taking a break and driving to the shore to get some of our favorite ice cream. We had a great holiday weekend which probably by most people's standards was a bit boring. Be we enjoyed it very much.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!
 

Attachments

#8,992 ·
Painting Progress on New Ornaments

There isn't much to talk about today, except to show the painting progress that I made on my new patterns. I spent pretty much of the day working on them, and I believe that finishing them up will take at least a couple additional days. I hope to have the patterns up on my site by the end of the week.

For those of you who don't read every day, what I am in the process of doing is converting my projects SLD438 12 Spooky Scrolled Key Ornaments and SLD439 12 Spooky Halloween Ornaments from woodworking patterns into painting patterns.

The original woodworking patterns look like this:

Product Organism Gesture Font Art


Brown Textile Wood Font Pattern


After showing them here in the blog, I heard from many painters that were interested in me making painted versions of them. It didn't take much persuasion from them to convince me to give it a go. I love painting, and bringing beautiful autumn color to these pieces is more than a pleasure to me.

So far, this is what I have come up with:

Font Symbol Lego Wood Fictional character


Art Font Badge Symbol Cake decorating supply


Just by their nature, painting patterns take a while longer to create than scroll sawing ones. The amount of time it takes to paint is just a bit longer. But I do enjoy painting a great deal and seeing each of these ornaments come to life is just as exciting for me and creating the scroll sawn versions.

I will continue to work on these today, and have another update tomorrow. I hope you all like what I have done so far and I hope that if you have never painted before, it makes you want to give them a try.

It is another foggy and rainy day here in Nova Scotia, as it was yesterday. But that didn't stop us from taking a break and driving to the shore to get some of our favorite ice cream. We had a great holiday weekend which probably by most people's standards was a bit boring. Be we enjoyed it very much.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!
These look great painted!
 

Attachments

#8,998 ·
More Spooky Things

I did accomplish a great deal yesterday, although much of it was the type of stuff that I can't really show pictures of. I spent most of the morning and part of the afternoon editing the photographs that are going to be included with my Snowflake Damask project for the magazine. I shipped out the project already, and I must say I really hated to see that one go. I probably won't see it back until sometime next spring.

I did get to spend some time to do some painting, although not quite as much as I would have liked (what else is new?) I think it was past 3pm when I finally sat down at the table to work on the Halloween ornaments. But that is OK. It was nice to get back at them.

I got to finish up two addition ornaments in both the keys and the plain ornaments. I also base coated the third pair, but I was just getting too tired and decided to call it a night. Today is a new day and with only four and a half to go, I have aspirations of perhaps finishing up all 12 by tonight. We'll see . . .

Here is a picture of the additions that I finished yesterday:

Calabaza Cucurbita Font Creative arts Gourd


Not the best picture, I know. It is dreary and rainy here and pretty dark. I am going to have some nice presentation pictures for the pattern packet and the site when I am finished with everything. I just call these snapshots because they are taken without much thought or fussing to give you an idea of where I am at.

Besides painting today, I have some wood orders to cut. I'll probably get that done in the morning and then I can settle in and paint. I am really happy that many of the painters are coming to me for wood kits, as it is a nice break and gives me a bit of time at the saw in between everything else.

Yes. It is busy!

With that said, I had better get to it. By the time I post and clean out my email that came in overnight it will be a decent enough hour to get to the saw. It's going to be a good day.

I wish you all a wonderful and creative day as well. It's hard to believe it is Wednesday already, but with the short week because of the holiday, things seem to move a bit more quickly.

It is muggy here but it seems like it is cooling off. Yesterday was one of those clammy days that aren't very comfortable. Damp. warm. sticky. I can't wait until the crispness of autumn arrives. favorite time of year.

Have a good day.
 

Attachments

#8,999 ·
More Spooky Things

I did accomplish a great deal yesterday, although much of it was the type of stuff that I can't really show pictures of. I spent most of the morning and part of the afternoon editing the photographs that are going to be included with my Snowflake Damask project for the magazine. I shipped out the project already, and I must say I really hated to see that one go. I probably won't see it back until sometime next spring.

I did get to spend some time to do some painting, although not quite as much as I would have liked (what else is new?) I think it was past 3pm when I finally sat down at the table to work on the Halloween ornaments. But that is OK. It was nice to get back at them.

I got to finish up two addition ornaments in both the keys and the plain ornaments. I also base coated the third pair, but I was just getting too tired and decided to call it a night. Today is a new day and with only four and a half to go, I have aspirations of perhaps finishing up all 12 by tonight. We'll see . . .

Here is a picture of the additions that I finished yesterday:

Calabaza Cucurbita Font Creative arts Gourd


Not the best picture, I know. It is dreary and rainy here and pretty dark. I am going to have some nice presentation pictures for the pattern packet and the site when I am finished with everything. I just call these snapshots because they are taken without much thought or fussing to give you an idea of where I am at.

Besides painting today, I have some wood orders to cut. I'll probably get that done in the morning and then I can settle in and paint. I am really happy that many of the painters are coming to me for wood kits, as it is a nice break and gives me a bit of time at the saw in between everything else.

Yes. It is busy!

With that said, I had better get to it. By the time I post and clean out my email that came in overnight it will be a decent enough hour to get to the saw. It's going to be a good day.

I wish you all a wonderful and creative day as well. It's hard to believe it is Wednesday already, but with the short week because of the holiday, things seem to move a bit more quickly.

It is muggy here but it seems like it is cooling off. Yesterday was one of those clammy days that aren't very comfortable. Damp. warm. sticky. I can't wait until the crispness of autumn arrives. favorite time of year.

Have a good day.
I can hear the sounds of a few ghosts in my head…....... wooooo ooooo oooooooo….........spooookee
 

Attachments

#9,003 ·
Late Blog, but Happy Blog

I didn't write this morning because I was waiting to share some news with you all. I am happy to announce the arrival of my first grandchild into the world this morning!

Cheek Skin Eye White Mouth


Her name is Willow Marie Bergner and I think she is just BEAUTIFUL! She gave my daughter in law heck because she decided to be a week and a half late! Then, when Brianna was induced into labor, she took her time (over 33 hours!) coming! Briana finally had to have a c-section!

But the important thing are that mom and baby are both doing fine and my son Phillip has a wonderfully happy family!

Now I have a wonderful little grand daughter to spoil as well! I can't wait until I can get to Chicago and hold her and cuddle her! These are the times when it hurts most to be far away from family!

I am so happy for this new chapter in all our lives. I know my son and his wife will make wonderful parents. I am so proud of all of them!

Nose Glasses Cheek Skin Smile


I wish you all a beautiful day!
 

Attachments

#9,004 ·
Late Blog, but Happy Blog

I didn't write this morning because I was waiting to share some news with you all. I am happy to announce the arrival of my first grandchild into the world this morning!

Cheek Skin Eye White Mouth


Her name is Willow Marie Bergner and I think she is just BEAUTIFUL! She gave my daughter in law heck because she decided to be a week and a half late! Then, when Brianna was induced into labor, she took her time (over 33 hours!) coming! Briana finally had to have a c-section!

But the important thing are that mom and baby are both doing fine and my son Phillip has a wonderfully happy family!

Now I have a wonderful little grand daughter to spoil as well! I can't wait until I can get to Chicago and hold her and cuddle her! These are the times when it hurts most to be far away from family!

I am so happy for this new chapter in all our lives. I know my son and his wife will make wonderful parents. I am so proud of all of them!

Nose Glasses Cheek Skin Smile


I wish you all a beautiful day!
Congratulations to you all, Sheila.
 

Attachments

#9,024 ·
Finishing Up the Halloween Keys and Ornaments

Today was the first morning of the season that I had to close the windows and wrap myself in a blanket (and a cat) while writing this morning. I awoke to a definite chill in the air and even though it has been for the most part cloudy and rainy all week, today the sun arose to a beautifully clear sky and the sun is shining. It is going to be a beautiful late summer day.

I had to take a drive to Yarmouth yesterday to do some errands, and I noticed a slight blush on the tops of the trees. Had it been a sunny day, I would have paid no mind, as it would have easily passed for the reflection of the sun on the tree tops, but it was overcast and off and on rain and still the subtle golden tones were evident on the hardwoods. Summer is coming to a close.

I love this time of year. It has and probably always will be my favorite. With the cool, crisp air comes thoughts of making chili and baking. This is something that I haven't done much of in several months. While i was at the grocery store, I made my annual investment in buying assorted nuts that I use for my holiday treats. I bought a kilogram of each walnuts, almonds and pecans and look forward to the many delicacies that are to come. I love nuts and the cost for them is exorbitant in our areas, as I expect it is in most places.

Last year I found a recipe for Cinnamon Almonds that remind me of my Chicago days of sitting on Navy Pier sampling a small bag of warm cinnamon almonds while listening to the music and watching the people and gazing out at the beautiful lakefront. That also reminds me of my dear friend Cari whom often shared those moments with me, and I think about the good times we had together and how we used to laugh at the stupidest things and walk our kids to school together on these cool early fall mornings and return home to a cup of coffee with a touch of cinnamon in it and spend the day scrolling or painting new projects. Those are good memories of good times and perhaps that is why when the air changes as it is doing now, I feel the warmth and comfort of my dear friend who will always be with me in my heart. It has been over five years since we lost her to cancer, but she will always live in my heart.

So anyway, I have certainly been keeping myself busy. Besides the errands that I did yesterday, I was finally able to manage to finish the instructions on my Snowflake Damask Silhouette plaque that is due for the next magazine article. That is a big load off of my mind because I fear I was running late on it, even though my editor assured me I was fine. Maybe because in my mind it was completed later than I attended that I convinced myself it was late I felt that I was running behind, but it was a good thing to get behind me nonetheless. Today I need to do a short update on the article that I wrote several months ago regarding applying the scroll saw patterns. I received a sample of the Scroll Saw Stick 'n' Release Tape from Workshop Supply Online and it worked beautifully to apply the pattern. It is a great alternative to the double sided dropcloth tape that I had talked about in the article because it is clear and you can see what the wood is like underneath it (which helps us avoid knots and imperfections) and also because it can be shipped to the United States at a reasonable cost. Since the first article came out, I had many inquiries regarding the dropcloth tape and unfortunately it was difficult to find in the United States.

The other thing that is at the top of my list to finish is the final painted ornaments/keys that I have been working on. Since I last posted here, I have completed four more of each set. The keys . . .

Body jewelry Font Plant Jewellery Symbol


And the ornaments . . .

Textile Organism Font Art Creative arts


I absolutely love how these are coming out! I only have one more key and one more ornament left to paint and then I can write up the packets and get them onto the site - probably within the next day or two and hopefully by the weekend.

When I am done with the first set of pictures, I want to add some rhinestones to them as well. They are beautifully sparkly as they are, but I think little rhinestone accents here and there will be a nice final touch.

I truly love painting and creating these patterns. While I love wood and the beautiful grains and tones, I also love the bright colors of painting and I have been working hard so that I can do both.

Dishware Serveware Tableware Symbol Badge


I am also in the process of trying to get ahead a bit in cutting the kits for these ornaments, as there have been many requests so far. I like that with creating the painting patterns it allows me the chance to provide kits as well. It keeps me busy in several directions and I take a great deal of pride in offering high quality wood pieces for some of the painting designs that I create. It is all good and makes my days a lot of fun.

With that said, it is time for me to get moving. There is lots to do again today and I hopefully will accomplish all I set out to do.

The short week is almost over and the weekend is upon us. I hope you all had a great week and I wish you all a wonderful weekend as well. Enjoy your day!
 

Attachments

#9,025 ·
Finishing Up the Halloween Keys and Ornaments

Today was the first morning of the season that I had to close the windows and wrap myself in a blanket (and a cat) while writing this morning. I awoke to a definite chill in the air and even though it has been for the most part cloudy and rainy all week, today the sun arose to a beautifully clear sky and the sun is shining. It is going to be a beautiful late summer day.

I had to take a drive to Yarmouth yesterday to do some errands, and I noticed a slight blush on the tops of the trees. Had it been a sunny day, I would have paid no mind, as it would have easily passed for the reflection of the sun on the tree tops, but it was overcast and off and on rain and still the subtle golden tones were evident on the hardwoods. Summer is coming to a close.

I love this time of year. It has and probably always will be my favorite. With the cool, crisp air comes thoughts of making chili and baking. This is something that I haven't done much of in several months. While i was at the grocery store, I made my annual investment in buying assorted nuts that I use for my holiday treats. I bought a kilogram of each walnuts, almonds and pecans and look forward to the many delicacies that are to come. I love nuts and the cost for them is exorbitant in our areas, as I expect it is in most places.

Last year I found a recipe for Cinnamon Almonds that remind me of my Chicago days of sitting on Navy Pier sampling a small bag of warm cinnamon almonds while listening to the music and watching the people and gazing out at the beautiful lakefront. That also reminds me of my dear friend Cari whom often shared those moments with me, and I think about the good times we had together and how we used to laugh at the stupidest things and walk our kids to school together on these cool early fall mornings and return home to a cup of coffee with a touch of cinnamon in it and spend the day scrolling or painting new projects. Those are good memories of good times and perhaps that is why when the air changes as it is doing now, I feel the warmth and comfort of my dear friend who will always be with me in my heart. It has been over five years since we lost her to cancer, but she will always live in my heart.

So anyway, I have certainly been keeping myself busy. Besides the errands that I did yesterday, I was finally able to manage to finish the instructions on my Snowflake Damask Silhouette plaque that is due for the next magazine article. That is a big load off of my mind because I fear I was running late on it, even though my editor assured me I was fine. Maybe because in my mind it was completed later than I attended that I convinced myself it was late I felt that I was running behind, but it was a good thing to get behind me nonetheless. Today I need to do a short update on the article that I wrote several months ago regarding applying the scroll saw patterns. I received a sample of the Scroll Saw Stick 'n' Release Tape from Workshop Supply Online and it worked beautifully to apply the pattern. It is a great alternative to the double sided dropcloth tape that I had talked about in the article because it is clear and you can see what the wood is like underneath it (which helps us avoid knots and imperfections) and also because it can be shipped to the United States at a reasonable cost. Since the first article came out, I had many inquiries regarding the dropcloth tape and unfortunately it was difficult to find in the United States.

The other thing that is at the top of my list to finish is the final painted ornaments/keys that I have been working on. Since I last posted here, I have completed four more of each set. The keys . . .

Body jewelry Font Plant Jewellery Symbol


And the ornaments . . .

Textile Organism Font Art Creative arts


I absolutely love how these are coming out! I only have one more key and one more ornament left to paint and then I can write up the packets and get them onto the site - probably within the next day or two and hopefully by the weekend.

When I am done with the first set of pictures, I want to add some rhinestones to them as well. They are beautifully sparkly as they are, but I think little rhinestone accents here and there will be a nice final touch.

I truly love painting and creating these patterns. While I love wood and the beautiful grains and tones, I also love the bright colors of painting and I have been working hard so that I can do both.

Dishware Serveware Tableware Symbol Badge


I am also in the process of trying to get ahead a bit in cutting the kits for these ornaments, as there have been many requests so far. I like that with creating the painting patterns it allows me the chance to provide kits as well. It keeps me busy in several directions and I take a great deal of pride in offering high quality wood pieces for some of the painting designs that I create. It is all good and makes my days a lot of fun.

With that said, it is time for me to get moving. There is lots to do again today and I hopefully will accomplish all I set out to do.

The short week is almost over and the weekend is upon us. I hope you all had a great week and I wish you all a wonderful weekend as well. Enjoy your day!
Hi Sheila,

These look GREAT!

Lee
 

Attachments

#9,028 ·
On to Making Pattern Packets

I had a really productive day yesterday. Not only did I finish painting the last of the new Halloween Key Ornaments and Petite Ornaments, but I also had some time to pre-cut some of the wood kits that I am going to be offering for the two sets.

There has been a lot of interest for the wood pieces as well as the patterns, and I am happy to be able to offer wood. Although the keys especially are a bit trickier to cut with all the little bumps and turns, I feel comfortable doing so and I am happy with the results. They won't be as fast to cut as the previous ornament sets that I offer, but I can still get them done in a decent amount of time to make it worth my while. All this production cutting has helped to refine my skills at the scroll saw and it is both relaxing and fun to create these.

I took some cover shots of the ornaments this morning and here are the results:

First the keys (SLDP216 Spooky Halloween Key Ornaments)

Product Gesture Font Sharing Circle


And then the SLDP17 Spooky Halloween Petite Ornaments:

Orange Yellow Font Calabaza Circle


I absolutely love how they all look together. They are all bright and colorful and they all have DecoArt's Glamour Dust Ultra Fine Glitter Paint on much of them so they sparkle with a beautiful shine. I really love that paint because it allows you to add a lot of sparkle without covering up the shading and highlighting of your painting.

The Keys are about 4.5 inches long and the petite ornaments are about 3" in size. I want to emphasize the size of them because many of the keys that people are painting on now are about 7.5 inches long, which is quite a bit bigger. While I like them, I really think they are big for things like a smaller Halloween tree or garland or a wreath. The same with the ornaments. That is why I put the term "petite" in the name. I want people to realize that these are not large ornaments.

If they wish, customers can easily enlarge them to suit their purposes, but it is difficult when painting something to make it smaller, as much of the detail will get lost or be difficult to accomplishing when dropping things down in size. I figured that this way if they go up in size they would still look nice and not be difficult to make.

I have been showing these sets online as I painted them and I have had a great deal of positive response from them. Today I will be working on the pattern packets and getting the final ornaments onto the site. Since each of the 24 ornaments has three step-by-step photographs, I have quite a bit of work ahead as I also have to adjust and color correct the pictures for the patterns.

So I had best get to it!

The sun has just come up and it looks like another beautiful day today. You can certainly feel the morning chill in the air and it makes the morning nice and cozy.

I wish you all a great day and a wonderful weekend. Have fun and do something wonderfully creative!
 

Attachments

#9,029 ·
On to Making Pattern Packets

I had a really productive day yesterday. Not only did I finish painting the last of the new Halloween Key Ornaments and Petite Ornaments, but I also had some time to pre-cut some of the wood kits that I am going to be offering for the two sets.

There has been a lot of interest for the wood pieces as well as the patterns, and I am happy to be able to offer wood. Although the keys especially are a bit trickier to cut with all the little bumps and turns, I feel comfortable doing so and I am happy with the results. They won't be as fast to cut as the previous ornament sets that I offer, but I can still get them done in a decent amount of time to make it worth my while. All this production cutting has helped to refine my skills at the scroll saw and it is both relaxing and fun to create these.

I took some cover shots of the ornaments this morning and here are the results:

First the keys (SLDP216 Spooky Halloween Key Ornaments)

Product Gesture Font Sharing Circle


And then the SLDP17 Spooky Halloween Petite Ornaments:

Orange Yellow Font Calabaza Circle


I absolutely love how they all look together. They are all bright and colorful and they all have DecoArt's Glamour Dust Ultra Fine Glitter Paint on much of them so they sparkle with a beautiful shine. I really love that paint because it allows you to add a lot of sparkle without covering up the shading and highlighting of your painting.

The Keys are about 4.5 inches long and the petite ornaments are about 3" in size. I want to emphasize the size of them because many of the keys that people are painting on now are about 7.5 inches long, which is quite a bit bigger. While I like them, I really think they are big for things like a smaller Halloween tree or garland or a wreath. The same with the ornaments. That is why I put the term "petite" in the name. I want people to realize that these are not large ornaments.

If they wish, customers can easily enlarge them to suit their purposes, but it is difficult when painting something to make it smaller, as much of the detail will get lost or be difficult to accomplishing when dropping things down in size. I figured that this way if they go up in size they would still look nice and not be difficult to make.

I have been showing these sets online as I painted them and I have had a great deal of positive response from them. Today I will be working on the pattern packets and getting the final ornaments onto the site. Since each of the 24 ornaments has three step-by-step photographs, I have quite a bit of work ahead as I also have to adjust and color correct the pictures for the patterns.

So I had best get to it!

The sun has just come up and it looks like another beautiful day today. You can certainly feel the morning chill in the air and it makes the morning nice and cozy.

I wish you all a great day and a wonderful weekend. Have fun and do something wonderfully creative!
Good morning Sheila. I love the colours you chose for the keys and ornaments and the glitter dust just pops the detail out. I love the shoe!
Warm but dull day here today. It's supposed to get sunny later in the day. A gardening day today and then back to the workshop. Enjoy your day!
 

Attachments

#9,032 ·
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

I got quite a bit of work done on the new pattern packets for the Halloween ornaments and keys yesterday. However, I do see that finishing up will take another day (or two) to do and now I am looking at perhaps Monday or even Tuesday for getting things on to the site. I had ideally wanted to have them available by the weekend, but as usual I underestimated the time it would take to do so in my mind and it turns out to be a much longer process than first anticipated. So what else is new?

I enjoy making new patterns packets a great deal. I look each of them as an opportunity to perhaps teach a new skill to someone who may have had experience with that type of creating previously. I try my best to keep things simple and break the steps down in a way so that even someone new can completely understand the process. I like to include lots of photos in my patterns - especially in the painting patterns and that takes a little more time.

I am extremely grateful for all the technical advances we have had in our own computers over the past several years. When I first started my business in the late 90's I had attempted to offer some painting patterns, but they were difficult to produce on my own. The color photography needed to clarify things was simply not cost-effective, as was the printing. I remember many times having to set up lights and take film to the one hour processing only to be disappointed with the results. I had little skill with photo editing as well, and it was pretty much a 'what you see is what you get' situation when taking photos. Rarely did they depict clearly the color or process that I needed to display in my patterns to get my point across.

But now with digital photography and wonderful photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop, just about anyone can make pictures look great. Over the course of years, I have used Photoshop to a point where I can do a decent edit on a photo and transform it from this:

Wood Art Creative arts Font Pattern


To this:

Product Gesture Font Sharing Circle


It not only makes a huge difference in the overall presentation of the project, but also helps a great deal when trying to illustrate different techniques. This is especially true in creating the painting patterns, as it is important that the subtle techniques and color changes can be seen clearly.

For the two new sets of ornaments (the keys and the petite ornaments) that I am working on, I took progressive scans of the pieces as I painted them. I like scanning for these step-by-step pictures because I can be absolutely sure that the environment is consistent and that everything starts off at the same point from the scanner. I find it is more difficult to do step by step painting patterns, where color consistency is important, by shooting the pictures with a camera, as there are too many outside influences that can interfere with taking camera shots such as distance and lighting and it makes it hard to keep a level playing field. While I am forced to use a camera when I paint larger pieces, I try to use the scanner whenever possible for these types of pictures.

But even scanning leaves some things to be desired, and a trip through Photoshop is needed to make the pictures true in color cleaned up for the pattern. Here is a raw scan of one of the steps:

Orange Fruit Red Wood Natural foods


And after some work in Photoshop:

Plant Orange Natural foods Fruit Red


The differences may seem subtle, but they are very important - especially when it comes to painting. It also adds to the overall presentation of the pattern and project to have things looking clean and neat. Removing the background on most of the pictures is essential to achieving a professional looking pattern, I believe.

I didn't always do this, but as I learn more and see the results I find that it really adds to the project. While I only use a very small percentage of Photoshop's capabilities, I think that it does wonders for my patterns and makes a huge difference to my customers and their understanding of the process that I am trying to convey. This is true with my woodworking patterns as well. While the delicate color differences may not be as important as they are in the painting patterns, illustrating techniques certainly is. Especially to those who are newer and just learning.

For the two painting pattern packets that I am creating, most of the ornaments have at least three progressive scans. That equals 72 photos that have to be cropped, color corrected and edited. I am about half way through after working until mid-day yesterday. Keith came home and wanted me to take a run to Digby and Annapolis Royal with him. He needed to drop off some more pens at the store in Digby and replenish the stock. His pens are selling slowly, but they are selling. It isn't a source of income he can count on, but a nice extra bit now and again.

It was a beautiful day here in Nova Scotia. Autumn is definitely nearing. It was bright and sunny and crisp out and while I intended to keep on working on the patterns, I couldn't resist the invitation to join him for the drive up the coast. I was glad I did, as we had few day trips this year and soon we will both be putting our summer cars in storage and in for the winter.

We had a lovely dinner at a little pub in Annapolis Royal. They have the best food there this side of the province and they are very reasonable as well. It was a very nice afternoon and evening and I am glad that I went.

Today I will finish the photo editing for the patterns as well as begin writing the instructions. Once the photos are done it is fairly easy to reiterate the painting process. It all just takes a little bit of time.

I am sure there are faster ways to do packets, but this way works best for me. Most of my painting patterns are about 15 pages or more in length. To some that may seem excessive, but I truly feel that having quality pictures of the process is imperative to making a good pattern. I have had a great deal of positive feedback regarding them and it shows me that even though it may be a bit more work initially, it is worth it. Those of you who are familiar with my work know that I am quality over quantity anyway.

I hope you all have a great Sunday. As the sun came up this morning, it appears to be a cloudy and cool day. Typical fall. I think I made a good choice yesterday taking a nice drive in the sun. We have to seize the moments as they are presented.

Happy Sunday!
 

Attachments

#9,033 ·
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

I got quite a bit of work done on the new pattern packets for the Halloween ornaments and keys yesterday. However, I do see that finishing up will take another day (or two) to do and now I am looking at perhaps Monday or even Tuesday for getting things on to the site. I had ideally wanted to have them available by the weekend, but as usual I underestimated the time it would take to do so in my mind and it turns out to be a much longer process than first anticipated. So what else is new?

I enjoy making new patterns packets a great deal. I look each of them as an opportunity to perhaps teach a new skill to someone who may have had experience with that type of creating previously. I try my best to keep things simple and break the steps down in a way so that even someone new can completely understand the process. I like to include lots of photos in my patterns - especially in the painting patterns and that takes a little more time.

I am extremely grateful for all the technical advances we have had in our own computers over the past several years. When I first started my business in the late 90's I had attempted to offer some painting patterns, but they were difficult to produce on my own. The color photography needed to clarify things was simply not cost-effective, as was the printing. I remember many times having to set up lights and take film to the one hour processing only to be disappointed with the results. I had little skill with photo editing as well, and it was pretty much a 'what you see is what you get' situation when taking photos. Rarely did they depict clearly the color or process that I needed to display in my patterns to get my point across.

But now with digital photography and wonderful photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop, just about anyone can make pictures look great. Over the course of years, I have used Photoshop to a point where I can do a decent edit on a photo and transform it from this:

Wood Art Creative arts Font Pattern


To this:

Product Gesture Font Sharing Circle


It not only makes a huge difference in the overall presentation of the project, but also helps a great deal when trying to illustrate different techniques. This is especially true in creating the painting patterns, as it is important that the subtle techniques and color changes can be seen clearly.

For the two new sets of ornaments (the keys and the petite ornaments) that I am working on, I took progressive scans of the pieces as I painted them. I like scanning for these step-by-step pictures because I can be absolutely sure that the environment is consistent and that everything starts off at the same point from the scanner. I find it is more difficult to do step by step painting patterns, where color consistency is important, by shooting the pictures with a camera, as there are too many outside influences that can interfere with taking camera shots such as distance and lighting and it makes it hard to keep a level playing field. While I am forced to use a camera when I paint larger pieces, I try to use the scanner whenever possible for these types of pictures.

But even scanning leaves some things to be desired, and a trip through Photoshop is needed to make the pictures true in color cleaned up for the pattern. Here is a raw scan of one of the steps:

Orange Fruit Red Wood Natural foods


And after some work in Photoshop:

Plant Orange Natural foods Fruit Red


The differences may seem subtle, but they are very important - especially when it comes to painting. It also adds to the overall presentation of the pattern and project to have things looking clean and neat. Removing the background on most of the pictures is essential to achieving a professional looking pattern, I believe.

I didn't always do this, but as I learn more and see the results I find that it really adds to the project. While I only use a very small percentage of Photoshop's capabilities, I think that it does wonders for my patterns and makes a huge difference to my customers and their understanding of the process that I am trying to convey. This is true with my woodworking patterns as well. While the delicate color differences may not be as important as they are in the painting patterns, illustrating techniques certainly is. Especially to those who are newer and just learning.

For the two painting pattern packets that I am creating, most of the ornaments have at least three progressive scans. That equals 72 photos that have to be cropped, color corrected and edited. I am about half way through after working until mid-day yesterday. Keith came home and wanted me to take a run to Digby and Annapolis Royal with him. He needed to drop off some more pens at the store in Digby and replenish the stock. His pens are selling slowly, but they are selling. It isn't a source of income he can count on, but a nice extra bit now and again.

It was a beautiful day here in Nova Scotia. Autumn is definitely nearing. It was bright and sunny and crisp out and while I intended to keep on working on the patterns, I couldn't resist the invitation to join him for the drive up the coast. I was glad I did, as we had few day trips this year and soon we will both be putting our summer cars in storage and in for the winter.

We had a lovely dinner at a little pub in Annapolis Royal. They have the best food there this side of the province and they are very reasonable as well. It was a very nice afternoon and evening and I am glad that I went.

Today I will finish the photo editing for the patterns as well as begin writing the instructions. Once the photos are done it is fairly easy to reiterate the painting process. It all just takes a little bit of time.

I am sure there are faster ways to do packets, but this way works best for me. Most of my painting patterns are about 15 pages or more in length. To some that may seem excessive, but I truly feel that having quality pictures of the process is imperative to making a good pattern. I have had a great deal of positive feedback regarding them and it shows me that even though it may be a bit more work initially, it is worth it. Those of you who are familiar with my work know that I am quality over quantity anyway.

I hope you all have a great Sunday. As the sun came up this morning, it appears to be a cloudy and cool day. Typical fall. I think I made a good choice yesterday taking a nice drive in the sun. We have to seize the moments as they are presented.

Happy Sunday!
Good mornig Sheila. Photo editing is both a blessing and a curse. Have you tried Batch editing your scans? I would think it would be a great time saver. Especially if you are doing the exact same editting to each image. When I learned about (Auto) Levels and batch editing, it was one of those light bulb moments! Carpe diem!
 

Attachments

#9,039 ·
Finishing up Writing and a Great Woodworking Project

Good morning to you all!

I am still finishing up the writing on my new patterns, but I am making headway and should be finished soon.

I did want to share a great blog with you though that may interest you all. It it from my friend Jim Barry from Woodworkers Workshop . Jim always has great innovative ideas for using scroll saw and woodworking plans in unique ways. His blogs are full of great ideas and many of them include instructional videos so you can see just what he is up to.

His blog today is called Decor a door with screen door panels and shows a great idea that looks fun and easy to do. Just think of all of the possibilities you have for designs!

Plant Building House Tree Wood


I hope you enjoy seeing this project and visit Jim's site for thousands of wonderful woodworking and yard art patterns, as well as supplies and instructional videos. It's really a great source of patterns and information.

I wish you all a happy Monday! Have a happy and creative day!
 

Attachments

#9,040 ·
Finishing up Writing and a Great Woodworking Project

Good morning to you all!

I am still finishing up the writing on my new patterns, but I am making headway and should be finished soon.

I did want to share a great blog with you though that may interest you all. It it from my friend Jim Barry from Woodworkers Workshop . Jim always has great innovative ideas for using scroll saw and woodworking plans in unique ways. His blogs are full of great ideas and many of them include instructional videos so you can see just what he is up to.

His blog today is called Decor a door with screen door panels and shows a great idea that looks fun and easy to do. Just think of all of the possibilities you have for designs!

Plant Building House Tree Wood


I hope you enjoy seeing this project and visit Jim's site for thousands of wonderful woodworking and yard art patterns, as well as supplies and instructional videos. It's really a great source of patterns and information.

I wish you all a happy Monday! Have a happy and creative day!
What an amazing piece of work! I would never have thought to use a router to do such detailed work. Thanks for sharing.
 

Attachments

#9,044 ·
Writing Our Own Story

I missed posting yesterday because I had an early dental appointment and had to get moving really early. My appointment was for 8am and when I got to the office, I was told they started at 7:30. That was great for a girl like me. Coming from Chicago where many businesses are open 24 hours, it was quite a change being here in rural Nova Scotia where many places don't open until 9 or 10 and they close early as well. Even most of the restaurants are only open until 7pm (including weekends!) In Chicago, many people don't even go out to eat until 8pm or later.

I suppose it is just the different type of lifestyle. I moved here to slow down a bit and enjoy the small town atmosphere, and that is what I am doing.

In any case, it was good to get that part of my day behind me early on. By 8:12 I was in my car and heading home and thankful that everything was good and I didn't need any work. Like most, I fear the dentist after having a crummy one as a teen and any time I can get out of there unscathed, it is a major victory. A good way to start the day.

I was truly busy yesterday from start to finish. I had proofreading to do on the new patterns and also for my latest magazine submissions to begin with. Keith was out for the day working again and it was a good opportunity to take advantage of the quiet and go over things carefully. I am easily distracted when I proofread so I try to do final adjustments on articles and patterns when no one is around.

I had a finished order to cut and I thoroughly enjoyed that process. While I don't take on many orders, once in a while I like to do something where I can follow my own directions and not have to think as much. It is like therapy.

Some time mid-afternoon, my friend Leldon posted a picture on my Facebook timeline. Apparently he saw the new issue of Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine and my project(s) made the cover!

Bone Rib Font Poster Skull


I must say that even after 15 years of working with the magazine, I always feel thrilled and flattered when one of my projects makes it to the cover. I could probably count on one hand the times that has happened, The magazine tends to put lots of Intarsia work on the cover, as it is more colorful than regular scroll work. Even when it is a smaller inset it is exciting, as it means that the Editors feel that it is one of their best projects and they are using it to sell their issue. But this time it is a full-fledged out and out cover, and I am really thrilled about it. Not only was my skeleton featured, but the little pumpkin that is sitting on the header is from my Crow and Pumpkins Pull Toy sculpture, and the bats are Keith's ornaments. Team Sheila Landry hit a home run on this issue!

I also wrote an article about using the different finishes and Metallic Lustre from Decoart, and that is mentioned as well. It is so cool to see all of my hard work falling into place like this, and you will have to forgive me if I show it off a bit. I am very proud to be such a big part of this issue. The magazine will be on the stands sometime next week I think, and I hope you consider getting it. It not only supports us as designers, but it is a great source for many patterns at very, very reasonable cost. One magazine usually cost as much as a single pattern, so if you even find two projects that you would like to do in an issue, you are ahead of the game.

Later in the afternoon I began working on my project for the Terrye French Painting With Friends group. I have been excited about working with Terrye and had to wait until I met my other obligations before I could start. I drew up the surface which I am going to use to paint the project, and I am going to start the actual painting today. I think it will be a fun group to be a part of, and I look forward to getting started with them.

There are so many wonderful things going on for Keith and I right now in regards to our work. We are very grateful that we have such supportive family, friends and customers. Little by little we are growing and making our company a success, and we have you all to thank for that.

Call me an idealist, but I still hold on to the thinking that if we keep working hard at our goals, eventually we will achieve them. There may be some obstacles along the way, but if we stick to our plan and keep working hard despite the setbacks, we will eventually find success. I truly believe that.

We have had our 'up' days and our 'down' days as well. I try not to focus on the down days and let them pass with as little attention as possible. I believe that having a positive attitude and finding the good in as many situations as possible is what allows us to carry on and move forward. Attitude is so important to success. Learning to work through adversity is what pulls us out quickly and helps us put those not so good days behind us.

Sometimes we have to force cheerfulness. I don't think that is a bad thing. As with anything, if you do it enough, it becomes a habit and before you know it you are doing it without thought. So even on the crummy days, I try to smile and focus on the good and happy things. And they are always there. Sometimes you just need to look harder to find them.

I see many people in my day who choose to focus on the problems and issues that they are experiencing. I understand that sometimes we all feel down and need to vent, as I do myself. But I also found that by talking about the negative things and giving them attention, we are making them a much larger part of our lives than they deserve to be. Not only does it keep ourselves down, but it usually spreads like cancer and brings those around us down as well. I don't want to be that kind of person.

So I smile and I look at my life and I begin to count all the wonderful things that I am grateful for and before I know it, my attitude changes and things begin to turn around and positive things are the focus. Funny how that happens. Keith calls it living on my "Pink Cloud" but I call it appreciating all the good things I have. And as with the negative thoughts, the positive thoughts are also infectious and spill out to all of those that I encounter. And it makes my life better.

End of lecture.

I wish you all a wonderful day today. I truly hope that life brings you good things and good thoughts and that you have a day that is filled with happiness and creativity. Remember you have more control over things than you think.

Each of us writes our own story.

Cat Small to medium-sized cats Carnivore Felidae Whiskers


Happy Wednesday to you all!
 

Attachments

#9,045 ·
Writing Our Own Story

I missed posting yesterday because I had an early dental appointment and had to get moving really early. My appointment was for 8am and when I got to the office, I was told they started at 7:30. That was great for a girl like me. Coming from Chicago where many businesses are open 24 hours, it was quite a change being here in rural Nova Scotia where many places don't open until 9 or 10 and they close early as well. Even most of the restaurants are only open until 7pm (including weekends!) In Chicago, many people don't even go out to eat until 8pm or later.

I suppose it is just the different type of lifestyle. I moved here to slow down a bit and enjoy the small town atmosphere, and that is what I am doing.

In any case, it was good to get that part of my day behind me early on. By 8:12 I was in my car and heading home and thankful that everything was good and I didn't need any work. Like most, I fear the dentist after having a crummy one as a teen and any time I can get out of there unscathed, it is a major victory. A good way to start the day.

I was truly busy yesterday from start to finish. I had proofreading to do on the new patterns and also for my latest magazine submissions to begin with. Keith was out for the day working again and it was a good opportunity to take advantage of the quiet and go over things carefully. I am easily distracted when I proofread so I try to do final adjustments on articles and patterns when no one is around.

I had a finished order to cut and I thoroughly enjoyed that process. While I don't take on many orders, once in a while I like to do something where I can follow my own directions and not have to think as much. It is like therapy.

Some time mid-afternoon, my friend Leldon posted a picture on my Facebook timeline. Apparently he saw the new issue of Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine and my project(s) made the cover!

Bone Rib Font Poster Skull


I must say that even after 15 years of working with the magazine, I always feel thrilled and flattered when one of my projects makes it to the cover. I could probably count on one hand the times that has happened, The magazine tends to put lots of Intarsia work on the cover, as it is more colorful than regular scroll work. Even when it is a smaller inset it is exciting, as it means that the Editors feel that it is one of their best projects and they are using it to sell their issue. But this time it is a full-fledged out and out cover, and I am really thrilled about it. Not only was my skeleton featured, but the little pumpkin that is sitting on the header is from my Crow and Pumpkins Pull Toy sculpture, and the bats are Keith's ornaments. Team Sheila Landry hit a home run on this issue!

I also wrote an article about using the different finishes and Metallic Lustre from Decoart, and that is mentioned as well. It is so cool to see all of my hard work falling into place like this, and you will have to forgive me if I show it off a bit. I am very proud to be such a big part of this issue. The magazine will be on the stands sometime next week I think, and I hope you consider getting it. It not only supports us as designers, but it is a great source for many patterns at very, very reasonable cost. One magazine usually cost as much as a single pattern, so if you even find two projects that you would like to do in an issue, you are ahead of the game.

Later in the afternoon I began working on my project for the Terrye French Painting With Friends group. I have been excited about working with Terrye and had to wait until I met my other obligations before I could start. I drew up the surface which I am going to use to paint the project, and I am going to start the actual painting today. I think it will be a fun group to be a part of, and I look forward to getting started with them.

There are so many wonderful things going on for Keith and I right now in regards to our work. We are very grateful that we have such supportive family, friends and customers. Little by little we are growing and making our company a success, and we have you all to thank for that.

Call me an idealist, but I still hold on to the thinking that if we keep working hard at our goals, eventually we will achieve them. There may be some obstacles along the way, but if we stick to our plan and keep working hard despite the setbacks, we will eventually find success. I truly believe that.

We have had our 'up' days and our 'down' days as well. I try not to focus on the down days and let them pass with as little attention as possible. I believe that having a positive attitude and finding the good in as many situations as possible is what allows us to carry on and move forward. Attitude is so important to success. Learning to work through adversity is what pulls us out quickly and helps us put those not so good days behind us.

Sometimes we have to force cheerfulness. I don't think that is a bad thing. As with anything, if you do it enough, it becomes a habit and before you know it you are doing it without thought. So even on the crummy days, I try to smile and focus on the good and happy things. And they are always there. Sometimes you just need to look harder to find them.

I see many people in my day who choose to focus on the problems and issues that they are experiencing. I understand that sometimes we all feel down and need to vent, as I do myself. But I also found that by talking about the negative things and giving them attention, we are making them a much larger part of our lives than they deserve to be. Not only does it keep ourselves down, but it usually spreads like cancer and brings those around us down as well. I don't want to be that kind of person.

So I smile and I look at my life and I begin to count all the wonderful things that I am grateful for and before I know it, my attitude changes and things begin to turn around and positive things are the focus. Funny how that happens. Keith calls it living on my "Pink Cloud" but I call it appreciating all the good things I have. And as with the negative thoughts, the positive thoughts are also infectious and spill out to all of those that I encounter. And it makes my life better.

End of lecture.

I wish you all a wonderful day today. I truly hope that life brings you good things and good thoughts and that you have a day that is filled with happiness and creativity. Remember you have more control over things than you think.

Each of us writes our own story.

Cat Small to medium-sized cats Carnivore Felidae Whiskers


Happy Wednesday to you all!
Thanks Sheila and congrats on the cover! !!
 

Attachments

#9,053 ·
Site Update with New Patterns Available

I am happy to say that we got all the new items posted on the site and everything is updated. Things have been fast and furious here and we find that we are updating a little more often. Our usual schedule was to do so about twice a month, but it seems that we have so many new things coming out that every other week is a bit better. I think it is better to have slightly more frequent updates rather than a longer time in between where we have so many new things that it may become overwhelming to our customers. I don't think people mind a newsletter every other week. (At least I hope not) and from the great response we get, we think that everyone is happy with this.

So I will get down to business here . . .

I am happy to say that the painted versions of my Spooky Halloween ornaments and keys are up and ready for sale.

Organism Font Sharing Circle Toy


SLDP216 Spooky Halloween Key Ornaments Painting Pattern

Orange Yellow Font Calabaza Symbol


SLDP217 Spooky Halloween Petite Ornaments Painting Pattern

Both sets are available as Pattern only, Wood Kit only (which does NOT include the pattern) and as a Combo Pack which includes both the pattern AND the wood pieces.

I hope that these choices aren't confusing, but I feel that they are necessary. Some people want only the pattern as they cut their own wood or paint the design on their own surfaces. Others want extra wood pieces so they can make several sets. The Combo Pack is to give a little break on the price of the pattern and kit if purchased together. It all makes sense to me, but I understand it can be confusing. I try to be clear in my explanation, and I do try to give the best prices I can.

I have been selling a lot of wood pieces lately and I am happy about that. It gives me a chance to get to the saw and do some relaxing cutting, without having to think about if the pattern will work or not as I do when I am designing. I am happy to be able to provide those who don't cut with pieces and I really try to give the best price I can for them as well as the best quality. I hope they are happy with the purchases, and many customers are returning for more which is a great sign.

Keith also added a couple of new designs on the mix. His Haunted House Triptych is a pretty cool design:

Wood Triangle Orange Art Tree


It's a fun plaque that would look great over a doorway or on a mantle.

He also did some early Christmas designs in the form of some pretty Angel Tealight Candle Holders. There are three in the set and they are fun and easy to do.

Gesture Toy Wood Electric blue Fictional character


All in all, we feel that is a good variety of patterns and with the holidays quickly approaching, we felt it was a good time to send another newsletter. We hope that you will join our mailing list if you want to keep up with all of our new projects. Our list is growing every day and we are very happy with the response we receive from our mailings.

Today I will be painting. I have a darling winter plaque that I am working on and I can't wait to get to it. Then on to more scroll saw designs. There is always something fun waiting ahead.

I am very happy to see everything working out so well for us. I had several calls already regarding the new issue of Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine that I showed the other day and people were very happy with the projects and article that I submitted to them. It feels good when people take the time to write you or call just to tell you they LIKE what you are doing. That's the best payment there can be!

I hope you all have a good day today. It is Thursday already and I don't know where the week is going. Keith has finished up his job helping at the plant, so things will be back to normal here and he will be working on new things that will be available soon. It's all good.

Have a great day today.
 

Attachments

#9,054 ·
Site Update with New Patterns Available

I am happy to say that we got all the new items posted on the site and everything is updated. Things have been fast and furious here and we find that we are updating a little more often. Our usual schedule was to do so about twice a month, but it seems that we have so many new things coming out that every other week is a bit better. I think it is better to have slightly more frequent updates rather than a longer time in between where we have so many new things that it may become overwhelming to our customers. I don't think people mind a newsletter every other week. (At least I hope not) and from the great response we get, we think that everyone is happy with this.

So I will get down to business here . . .

I am happy to say that the painted versions of my Spooky Halloween ornaments and keys are up and ready for sale.

Organism Font Sharing Circle Toy


SLDP216 Spooky Halloween Key Ornaments Painting Pattern

Orange Yellow Font Calabaza Symbol


SLDP217 Spooky Halloween Petite Ornaments Painting Pattern

Both sets are available as Pattern only, Wood Kit only (which does NOT include the pattern) and as a Combo Pack which includes both the pattern AND the wood pieces.

I hope that these choices aren't confusing, but I feel that they are necessary. Some people want only the pattern as they cut their own wood or paint the design on their own surfaces. Others want extra wood pieces so they can make several sets. The Combo Pack is to give a little break on the price of the pattern and kit if purchased together. It all makes sense to me, but I understand it can be confusing. I try to be clear in my explanation, and I do try to give the best prices I can.

I have been selling a lot of wood pieces lately and I am happy about that. It gives me a chance to get to the saw and do some relaxing cutting, without having to think about if the pattern will work or not as I do when I am designing. I am happy to be able to provide those who don't cut with pieces and I really try to give the best price I can for them as well as the best quality. I hope they are happy with the purchases, and many customers are returning for more which is a great sign.

Keith also added a couple of new designs on the mix. His Haunted House Triptych is a pretty cool design:

Wood Triangle Orange Art Tree


It's a fun plaque that would look great over a doorway or on a mantle.

He also did some early Christmas designs in the form of some pretty Angel Tealight Candle Holders. There are three in the set and they are fun and easy to do.

Gesture Toy Wood Electric blue Fictional character


All in all, we feel that is a good variety of patterns and with the holidays quickly approaching, we felt it was a good time to send another newsletter. We hope that you will join our mailing list if you want to keep up with all of our new projects. Our list is growing every day and we are very happy with the response we receive from our mailings.

Today I will be painting. I have a darling winter plaque that I am working on and I can't wait to get to it. Then on to more scroll saw designs. There is always something fun waiting ahead.

I am very happy to see everything working out so well for us. I had several calls already regarding the new issue of Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine that I showed the other day and people were very happy with the projects and article that I submitted to them. It feels good when people take the time to write you or call just to tell you they LIKE what you are doing. That's the best payment there can be!

I hope you all have a good day today. It is Thursday already and I don't know where the week is going. Keith has finished up his job helping at the plant, so things will be back to normal here and he will be working on new things that will be available soon. It's all good.

Have a great day today.
Like the candle holder.
 

Attachments

#9,061 ·
Some Time Away

I am going to take a couple of days away from posting. Yesterday, my partner Keith's dad lost his battle with cancer.

Artie was a wonderful and kind man who was always loving and supportive and treated me like one of the family from the first time I met him. It has been difficult these past several months to see him struggle, and I am comforted in knowing that he is no longer suffering.

I don't know what else to say except that I love him dearly and I will miss him.

Smile Skin Glasses Facial expression Organ


At least he is finally at peace.
 

Attachments

#9,062 ·
Some Time Away

I am going to take a couple of days away from posting. Yesterday, my partner Keith's dad lost his battle with cancer.

Artie was a wonderful and kind man who was always loving and supportive and treated me like one of the family from the first time I met him. It has been difficult these past several months to see him struggle, and I am comforted in knowing that he is no longer suffering.

I don't know what else to say except that I love him dearly and I will miss him.

Smile Skin Glasses Facial expression Organ


At least he is finally at peace.
I am very sorry for your loss Keith and Sheila.
 

Attachments

#9,076 ·
Reflections

The past week or so has felt rather strange. I find myself lost in thought (more than usual) and trying to evaluate the ups and downs that life seems to throw in our path. There were difficult times, as one would expect when losing a loved one, but there were also times of deep reflection on what I am doing with my own life and what I am accomplishing and how I affect those around me. I think that is a natural part of the process of grieving.

Those of you who know me through this blog know that in general, I am a pretty positive person. I think the scars from my past have taught me to appreciate even the smallest things in my day and not take them for granted. I think that for the most part I do that, and I live my life in a state of contentment because I am grateful for all the good things that come my way and I try to focus on them and live my life feeling happy. It isn't that negative things don't happen to me, but I find that the more time I allow these negative things to occupy out of my day, the more sad and miserable I feel.

It is easy to get caught up in the tough parts of life. Difficulties are all around us. Unless we have the presence of mind to realize that we are allowing these thoughts to dominate our thinking, it is hard to focus our attention elsewhere. Like many things, once we are caught in a certain current of thought, stepping out of it and changing our attitude without making a conscious effort to do so is not something that happens automatically. It takes some time and effort and most important - our own awareness, as usually we are somewhat oblivious that we are even in this cycle at all. We only know we don't feel good about things.

I think that is where quiet time is good. I can only speak for myself, but I know when there is much happening around me and I am extremely busy, I soon start to feel tired and overloaded. Not the 'good tired' that you feel after a full and productive day, but the weary, frazzled, unorganized type of tired that disrupts your sleep and causes your anxiety levels to soar. Sometimes it begins a cycle where we are always doing 'something', yet we still feel very unproductive. It is not a good place to be.

When that happens to me, I find that the best thing that I can do for myself is to unplug myself as much as possible from the world. Some may accuse me of sticking my head in the sand, as I try to avoid as much input and information as possible, but I look at it as taking time out to think and sort through things and in order for me to successfully do that, I need to buffer myself from things for a bit.

Like others, I don't always have the luxury of doing that. I have a business to run and deadlines to meet and a 'life' that doesn't stop just because I want to get off for a bit. I think that the best I can do is to be selective with what I choose to allow into my world and try to regain some control of things one issue at a time. It is easier said than done, I know, but even being aware of it helps me cope with things a bit better. It is certainly worth a try.

I used to not like being alone. I liked constant activity and people and felt that being busy and having lots to do was the way to a full and happy life. But as I got older, I began to realize the importance of spending time alone. Time to contemplate things and time to relax and allow yourself to just 'be' without expectations from others or even yourself. I find that these quiet times are like medicine to me when I am feeling overloaded and anxious, and I am getting to the point where I recognize the time when I need time away from things to think and rest. Perhaps it is just that I have lived long enough that I have finally understood that I need this from time to time. It seems to be an essential part of my life that keeps me happy.

I realize that everyone is different. I would never expect others to follow my path exactly. We each have our own paths to travel in this life and I understand that what is good and necessary for my own happiness is unique to me. I certainly don't expect it work for others.

Life is a journey. Some of us have clear destinations, and some of us do not. I think that for many of us our goals and destinations are fluid and changing, depending on where we are in our lives and the ever-changing circumstances around us. That is human nature and I believe it is a healthy way to live.

I am slowly getting back to feeling like myself. I am still not quite there yet. I expect it will be a while before I am in full swing again. Just too many things to think about right now.

But that is OK. I am not going to punish myself for having feelings about things. I am going to allow life to happen and see where it will take me next.

I have thought a lot these past several days. Many of those thoughts I have wanted to keep private. It isn't that they are bad or good, but I feel no need to share some of them. Part of me wanted to write them down but I couldn't figure out the reason why, so I didn't. I think that for now anyway, they are better left as just thoughts.

It was rather odd coming back to writing. While I missed writing each morning and my interaction with all of you who read, I knew that I needed to stop for a bit and take time for my own reflection. I did get some work done yesterday, and with that accomplishment, I felt myself getting back into my routine. That included writing here. And while it may not be the kind of post you usually expect from me, it is a step back to 'normal' for me and I feel assured that it is part of the healing process.

So thank you for bearing with me. And thank you all for the many, many emails that I received in the past week. There were too many to answer you all, but every one of them meant a great deal to me and I appreciate them.

Onward we will go from here.

Atmosphere Cat Vertebrate Carnivore Window


"Just as one spoils the stomach by overfeeding and thereby impairs the whole body, so can one overload and choke the mind by giving it too much nourishment. For the more one reads the fewer are the traces left of what one has read; the mind is like a tablet that has been written over and over. Hence it is impossible to reflect; and it is only by reflection that one can assimilate what one has read. If one reads straight ahead without pondering over it later, what has been read does not take root, but is for the most part lost." ― Arthur Schopenhauer
 

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#9,077 ·
Reflections

The past week or so has felt rather strange. I find myself lost in thought (more than usual) and trying to evaluate the ups and downs that life seems to throw in our path. There were difficult times, as one would expect when losing a loved one, but there were also times of deep reflection on what I am doing with my own life and what I am accomplishing and how I affect those around me. I think that is a natural part of the process of grieving.

Those of you who know me through this blog know that in general, I am a pretty positive person. I think the scars from my past have taught me to appreciate even the smallest things in my day and not take them for granted. I think that for the most part I do that, and I live my life in a state of contentment because I am grateful for all the good things that come my way and I try to focus on them and live my life feeling happy. It isn't that negative things don't happen to me, but I find that the more time I allow these negative things to occupy out of my day, the more sad and miserable I feel.

It is easy to get caught up in the tough parts of life. Difficulties are all around us. Unless we have the presence of mind to realize that we are allowing these thoughts to dominate our thinking, it is hard to focus our attention elsewhere. Like many things, once we are caught in a certain current of thought, stepping out of it and changing our attitude without making a conscious effort to do so is not something that happens automatically. It takes some time and effort and most important - our own awareness, as usually we are somewhat oblivious that we are even in this cycle at all. We only know we don't feel good about things.

I think that is where quiet time is good. I can only speak for myself, but I know when there is much happening around me and I am extremely busy, I soon start to feel tired and overloaded. Not the 'good tired' that you feel after a full and productive day, but the weary, frazzled, unorganized type of tired that disrupts your sleep and causes your anxiety levels to soar. Sometimes it begins a cycle where we are always doing 'something', yet we still feel very unproductive. It is not a good place to be.

When that happens to me, I find that the best thing that I can do for myself is to unplug myself as much as possible from the world. Some may accuse me of sticking my head in the sand, as I try to avoid as much input and information as possible, but I look at it as taking time out to think and sort through things and in order for me to successfully do that, I need to buffer myself from things for a bit.

Like others, I don't always have the luxury of doing that. I have a business to run and deadlines to meet and a 'life' that doesn't stop just because I want to get off for a bit. I think that the best I can do is to be selective with what I choose to allow into my world and try to regain some control of things one issue at a time. It is easier said than done, I know, but even being aware of it helps me cope with things a bit better. It is certainly worth a try.

I used to not like being alone. I liked constant activity and people and felt that being busy and having lots to do was the way to a full and happy life. But as I got older, I began to realize the importance of spending time alone. Time to contemplate things and time to relax and allow yourself to just 'be' without expectations from others or even yourself. I find that these quiet times are like medicine to me when I am feeling overloaded and anxious, and I am getting to the point where I recognize the time when I need time away from things to think and rest. Perhaps it is just that I have lived long enough that I have finally understood that I need this from time to time. It seems to be an essential part of my life that keeps me happy.

I realize that everyone is different. I would never expect others to follow my path exactly. We each have our own paths to travel in this life and I understand that what is good and necessary for my own happiness is unique to me. I certainly don't expect it work for others.

Life is a journey. Some of us have clear destinations, and some of us do not. I think that for many of us our goals and destinations are fluid and changing, depending on where we are in our lives and the ever-changing circumstances around us. That is human nature and I believe it is a healthy way to live.

I am slowly getting back to feeling like myself. I am still not quite there yet. I expect it will be a while before I am in full swing again. Just too many things to think about right now.

But that is OK. I am not going to punish myself for having feelings about things. I am going to allow life to happen and see where it will take me next.

I have thought a lot these past several days. Many of those thoughts I have wanted to keep private. It isn't that they are bad or good, but I feel no need to share some of them. Part of me wanted to write them down but I couldn't figure out the reason why, so I didn't. I think that for now anyway, they are better left as just thoughts.

It was rather odd coming back to writing. While I missed writing each morning and my interaction with all of you who read, I knew that I needed to stop for a bit and take time for my own reflection. I did get some work done yesterday, and with that accomplishment, I felt myself getting back into my routine. That included writing here. And while it may not be the kind of post you usually expect from me, it is a step back to 'normal' for me and I feel assured that it is part of the healing process.

So thank you for bearing with me. And thank you all for the many, many emails that I received in the past week. There were too many to answer you all, but every one of them meant a great deal to me and I appreciate them.

Onward we will go from here.

Atmosphere Cat Vertebrate Carnivore Window


"Just as one spoils the stomach by overfeeding and thereby impairs the whole body, so can one overload and choke the mind by giving it too much nourishment. For the more one reads the fewer are the traces left of what one has read; the mind is like a tablet that has been written over and over. Hence it is impossible to reflect; and it is only by reflection that one can assimilate what one has read. If one reads straight ahead without pondering over it later, what has been read does not take root, but is for the most part lost." ― Arthur Schopenhauer
I feel sympathy for you in your time of grief, but I'm quite certain that your artistic mind and wonderful craftswomanship, along with the painting will quickly bring relief. Just enjoy your quiet hours and recognize God as he shares solitude with you.
 

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#9,085 ·
To Market, To Market

One of the most important aspects of having a small business is marketing. If you don't get word out to people that you exist, there is no way that you will be able to sell what you have to offer.

When I was growing up and attending Southern Illinois University, at one time I had considered marketing and advertising as a major. Even back then I enjoyed all forms of art and I thought it would be a way to incorporate artwork into my daily working life.

However, when attending an orientation that the university offered which gave an overview of the perspective major, the thing I remembered most about the presentation was how cut throat and competitive the advertising industry could be. If the lecturer's aim was to weed out a certain number of perspective students, than I think he succeeded, as right then and there I changed my mind and decided it wasn't for me. I knew even back then that I would never have the heart for a job like that.

I am a fan of the show "Mad Men" and I catch it when I am able to do so. It always makes me think back to the days when marketing was run by huge firms such as Leo Bernette in Chicago, which was one of the pinnacle firms at the time I was growing up. It always makes me wonder what my life would have been if I had pursued that avenue. It is kind of fun to think about.

These days however, those of us who own our own small businesses know that marketing is a big part of the equation. No matter how good our final product is, it is important to get the word out and let people know we are here. It reminds me of that old saying "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make any sound?" Without letting people know we are here, it doesn't matter how good we are, we would not succeed. So marketing is the answer to keeping our company growing and healthy.

Last year when we decided to leave one of the large companies that we wholesaled our patterns to, it was very scary for us. After all, the sales generated from the company were probably a third (or more!) of our entire income. Deciding to pull out of their company and no longer sell through them was a huge and scary step for us, and we didn't make it without much thought and consideration.

But after finding out that our information (as well as the patterns themselves) were compromised, we felt it was no longer in our best interest to continue selling our designs that way, and we felt we were better off selling directly to people to insure that they were getting the product and support that we intended. It was a risk for us to back pedal this way, as we knew that our revenue would (at least initially) be greatly decreased. But we wanted things to be "right" so we took the plunge.

We realized that this meant that in order to make up for this loss of sales, we needed to step up our own marketing and get word out about our existence. While we were already marketing in several directions (here on the blog, through the magazine, on Facebook, etc.) we knew that not only would we have to work harder on those areas, but also find additional ways to get our products out so people knew we were here. While this may have taken some valuable design time away form both Keith and myself, the additional customers it would bring to us would certainly be worth it.

Fortunately, with technology and communication being what they are, it is no longer like the days of Mad Men when people need to depend on hiring advertising agencies to do their marketing for them. I always have the tag line "Knowledge is Power" in my signature and this is one of those times when it really rings true. Knowing different ways you can let the public know about you and your products is an essential beginning to marketing, and can make or break your small business.

What I think I am going to do is take the next few days to discuss several different marketing strategies that small business owners can explore to market their own business effectively and with as small a cost as possible. I am often approached by customers who are just starting out and ask me the best way to market their products and I think a short series talking about a few of the avenues that are available will be very helpful.

I want to emphasize that I am certainly no expert on this process, as I am a "work in progress" myself, but what I like about blogging is that there are often many wonderful readers who contribute to the subject and are willing to post their ideas and thoughts on what has worked for them. I think that by talking ideas over among ourselves, we can come up with some good and solid ways to expand our marketing practices and customer base.

With that said, I invite you to join in with comments and explore some of the different ways that you may have had success with, and also some of those that haven't worked well for you. That way we will all be able to learn something.

I am not sure how this will work, but I hope that we can all get something out of it. I will check often both here on Lumberjocks.com as well as my blog page on my sheilalandrydesigns.com site and see what you all have to say. For those of you who just want to sit back and read, I hope that this brings forth some information that will help you along as well.

It should be interesting.

Feel free to post comments. I am sure that as a group we can come up with some great ideas.

Cat Plant Dog Carnivore Pet supply


Happy Thursday! :)
 

Attachments

#9,086 ·
To Market, To Market

One of the most important aspects of having a small business is marketing. If you don't get word out to people that you exist, there is no way that you will be able to sell what you have to offer.

When I was growing up and attending Southern Illinois University, at one time I had considered marketing and advertising as a major. Even back then I enjoyed all forms of art and I thought it would be a way to incorporate artwork into my daily working life.

However, when attending an orientation that the university offered which gave an overview of the perspective major, the thing I remembered most about the presentation was how cut throat and competitive the advertising industry could be. If the lecturer's aim was to weed out a certain number of perspective students, than I think he succeeded, as right then and there I changed my mind and decided it wasn't for me. I knew even back then that I would never have the heart for a job like that.

I am a fan of the show "Mad Men" and I catch it when I am able to do so. It always makes me think back to the days when marketing was run by huge firms such as Leo Bernette in Chicago, which was one of the pinnacle firms at the time I was growing up. It always makes me wonder what my life would have been if I had pursued that avenue. It is kind of fun to think about.

These days however, those of us who own our own small businesses know that marketing is a big part of the equation. No matter how good our final product is, it is important to get the word out and let people know we are here. It reminds me of that old saying "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make any sound?" Without letting people know we are here, it doesn't matter how good we are, we would not succeed. So marketing is the answer to keeping our company growing and healthy.

Last year when we decided to leave one of the large companies that we wholesaled our patterns to, it was very scary for us. After all, the sales generated from the company were probably a third (or more!) of our entire income. Deciding to pull out of their company and no longer sell through them was a huge and scary step for us, and we didn't make it without much thought and consideration.

But after finding out that our information (as well as the patterns themselves) were compromised, we felt it was no longer in our best interest to continue selling our designs that way, and we felt we were better off selling directly to people to insure that they were getting the product and support that we intended. It was a risk for us to back pedal this way, as we knew that our revenue would (at least initially) be greatly decreased. But we wanted things to be "right" so we took the plunge.

We realized that this meant that in order to make up for this loss of sales, we needed to step up our own marketing and get word out about our existence. While we were already marketing in several directions (here on the blog, through the magazine, on Facebook, etc.) we knew that not only would we have to work harder on those areas, but also find additional ways to get our products out so people knew we were here. While this may have taken some valuable design time away form both Keith and myself, the additional customers it would bring to us would certainly be worth it.

Fortunately, with technology and communication being what they are, it is no longer like the days of Mad Men when people need to depend on hiring advertising agencies to do their marketing for them. I always have the tag line "Knowledge is Power" in my signature and this is one of those times when it really rings true. Knowing different ways you can let the public know about you and your products is an essential beginning to marketing, and can make or break your small business.

What I think I am going to do is take the next few days to discuss several different marketing strategies that small business owners can explore to market their own business effectively and with as small a cost as possible. I am often approached by customers who are just starting out and ask me the best way to market their products and I think a short series talking about a few of the avenues that are available will be very helpful.

I want to emphasize that I am certainly no expert on this process, as I am a "work in progress" myself, but what I like about blogging is that there are often many wonderful readers who contribute to the subject and are willing to post their ideas and thoughts on what has worked for them. I think that by talking ideas over among ourselves, we can come up with some good and solid ways to expand our marketing practices and customer base.

With that said, I invite you to join in with comments and explore some of the different ways that you may have had success with, and also some of those that haven't worked well for you. That way we will all be able to learn something.

I am not sure how this will work, but I hope that we can all get something out of it. I will check often both here on Lumberjocks.com as well as my blog page on my sheilalandrydesigns.com site and see what you all have to say. For those of you who just want to sit back and read, I hope that this brings forth some information that will help you along as well.

It should be interesting.

Feel free to post comments. I am sure that as a group we can come up with some great ideas.

Cat Plant Dog Carnivore Pet supply


Happy Thursday! :)
I have no experience with marketing so will be reading and learning! I do know that the same friends, family and coworkers that appreciate and may even rave about the work produced, especially when given as a gift, are reluctant to pay what is required to keep a business going. Happy Thursday!
 

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#9,098 ·
Reinventing the Wheel

I was out most of yesterday and had to do several errands and had a couple of appointments. I didn't return until evening and by the time I had dinner and got through the days' email, I was rather tired.

I did receive a couple of responses from two of my fellow woodworkers on the Lumberjocks.com site, and I want to share them with you. You can click on the link here http://lumberjocks.com/scrollgirl/blog/37896#comment-1678471 and look at the comments to see what Jerrell and Anna had to contribute. While both Anna and Jerrell are woodworkers, the information can also be applied to selling our painted items, as could all the information that I will be providing.

I also heard from Rick, who referred me to a blog that was written earlier this summer by a fellow Lumberjock who goes by the name of Huff on the Lumberjocks site. I looked in on his blog and I found it an excellent read that is filled with great information regarding marketing and selling our hand made items. While Huff (John) is a furniture maker and sells his hand made wood items, I think that most, if not all of his information can be applied to selling any hand made items, including decorative painting pieces.

You can read the first entry of the series here:

http://lumberjocks.com/huff/blog/36598

There are eight parts to this blog, and I think you will want to read them all as well as the following comments.

He also has another series called "How to Price and Sell My Woodworking (and sell it)" which would also apply to my painting followers. I think that it is a wealth of information that will help you and give you some great ideas. The link to that series is here:

http://lumberjocks.com/huff/blog/series/6413

Lumberjocks.com is a great place to network with other creative people. It is a free site and you don't have to join to look at all the wonderful information and read all of the posts. I do believe you need to join if you wish to comment however. I have been a member of them for over three years now and not only did I start my blog with them, but I have met many, many wonderfully creative people from all over the world.

Initially I was going to do my own series on this subject, but after reading this wonderful series, I didn't think that I would be able to do the job any better. There is no sense in me reinventing the wheel, and I think that the amount of helpful information given by John in his blogs will be a great help to all of you who are looking to market and sell your handcrafted items for the upcoming holiday season, or in general.

Wheel Tire Cat Bicycle tire Bicycle


I really appreciate when people like John take time to share his knowledge and experiences with others. It is good to see that there are those who are willing to help their fellow crafters and it helps the crafting industry grow and prosper.

I hope these articles help you all to have a wonderfully prosperous holiday season, and helps your businesses grow.

Have a great Friday
 

Attachments

#9,099 ·
Reinventing the Wheel

I was out most of yesterday and had to do several errands and had a couple of appointments. I didn't return until evening and by the time I had dinner and got through the days' email, I was rather tired.

I did receive a couple of responses from two of my fellow woodworkers on the Lumberjocks.com site, and I want to share them with you. You can click on the link here http://lumberjocks.com/scrollgirl/blog/37896#comment-1678471 and look at the comments to see what Jerrell and Anna had to contribute. While both Anna and Jerrell are woodworkers, the information can also be applied to selling our painted items, as could all the information that I will be providing.

I also heard from Rick, who referred me to a blog that was written earlier this summer by a fellow Lumberjock who goes by the name of Huff on the Lumberjocks site. I looked in on his blog and I found it an excellent read that is filled with great information regarding marketing and selling our hand made items. While Huff (John) is a furniture maker and sells his hand made wood items, I think that most, if not all of his information can be applied to selling any hand made items, including decorative painting pieces.

You can read the first entry of the series here:

http://lumberjocks.com/huff/blog/36598

There are eight parts to this blog, and I think you will want to read them all as well as the following comments.

He also has another series called "How to Price and Sell My Woodworking (and sell it)" which would also apply to my painting followers. I think that it is a wealth of information that will help you and give you some great ideas. The link to that series is here:

http://lumberjocks.com/huff/blog/series/6413

Lumberjocks.com is a great place to network with other creative people. It is a free site and you don't have to join to look at all the wonderful information and read all of the posts. I do believe you need to join if you wish to comment however. I have been a member of them for over three years now and not only did I start my blog with them, but I have met many, many wonderfully creative people from all over the world.

Initially I was going to do my own series on this subject, but after reading this wonderful series, I didn't think that I would be able to do the job any better. There is no sense in me reinventing the wheel, and I think that the amount of helpful information given by John in his blogs will be a great help to all of you who are looking to market and sell your handcrafted items for the upcoming holiday season, or in general.

Wheel Tire Cat Bicycle tire Bicycle


I really appreciate when people like John take time to share his knowledge and experiences with others. It is good to see that there are those who are willing to help their fellow crafters and it helps the crafting industry grow and prosper.

I hope these articles help you all to have a wonderfully prosperous holiday season, and helps your businesses grow.

Have a great Friday
Yes, that is a great post. I forgot about it in its entirety. In all great information to read or print off for reference. Thanks for reminding.
 

Attachments

#9,104 ·
Getting Back to Routine

Good morning on this beautiful Monday. Some time over the weekend, the season of autumn crept in and it is amazing how profound the changes in the morning are even though it is only a few days old.

As I wake up each morning, I notice that it is just a bit darker outside, and the cool, crisp air simply smells of the change of season. I look across the road to the trees along the river and each day notice that they are beginning to blush a bit and every so slightly the leaves are changing color.

Although the mornings and evenings have been cool, the mid-day temperatures have been warm and almost hot at times. I suppose it is what is expected at this time of year, as that is how the change of seasons tend to sneak up on us and before we know it, summer is gone and winter is on its way.

Some of you have noticed that I haven't written as regularly as I usually do. It isn't that I haven't been busy, but I have been working on some things for myself and haven't had the need to journal all that I have done. Much of it is routine - answering emails and printing out a wholesale order for Artist's Club - and while that fills the hours of my day, I don't think that it is anything remarkable that would interest you as readers.

Keith has had a type of flu. He spent much of the weekend sleeping and battling hot and cold spells. Living in a small place, I hope that I don't catch what he has, although I suppose I won't be surprised if I do. While he isn't miserable, it is not comfortable and he is quite tired. I hope that he will rest and feel better soon.

Last week was somewhat of a blur. I spent the majority of my time working on orders and I did finish painting my first design for the "Painting With Friends" group that I am going to be a part of. For those of you who missed the day when I spoke about it, ""Painting With Friends a group of designers led by Terrye French, a wonderfully creative painter and designer. Terrye employs a select group of "Friends" to help her paint her incredibly creative designs. She sends us the line work and we do our own take on it and paint it and make it into a painting packet. The pattern is then marketed and sold through our own sites or the main "Painting With Friends" blog and Etsy page and everyone benefits. I think it is an incredible way to do things and it just goes to show how good things can be when creative people work together.

Each designer brings her own style to the basic designs and the cross-promotion between the group is a wonderful example of how working together with others can be a truly positive experience. I was so thrilled to be accepted as part of the group and I hope to contribute to it as much as I can. Being part of the "Friends" in no way restricts what we do on our own and working together with others for a common cause is both fun and exciting. Terrye is always full of wonderful ideas and using her drawings as a springboard for our own ideas is really wonderful and fun. I plan to do as many new designs as time will permit in collaboration with her.

My first assignments was a cute winter project called "Snowies". Below is a picture of what I did with it:

Drinkware Art Font Souvenir Circle


Another nice thing about the "Friends" group is that you are encouraged to paint the design on any surface you choose. For my "Snowies" I decided to paint it on a snowflake shape, much like my candle trays. I think it adds a little fun and interest to the design. I will be selling the surface on my site when the pattern is available.

Today I am going to be writing instructions for not only this packet, but I need to prepare the packets for the several projects that were in the holiday issue of Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine, as we are getting ready for another site update and I want to add them onto the site.

On Saturday I finished my little Prim Cat Masquarade (another Terrye French Pattern!) and I am thrilled with how they came out:

Pumpkin Calabaza Winter squash Cucurbita Orange


Insect Art Wing Font Symmetry


Headgear Costume hat Creative arts Pumpkin Hat


Here are the first three for those of you who missed them:

Window Pumpkin Cucurbita Vertebrate Calabaza


Cat Felidae Purple Small to medium-sized cats Carnivore


Window Organism Art Red Liquid


They are silly and cute and whimsical and something that I could have never thought of doing. I am giving the set to my daughter, who loves cats as I do and just got a new place to live and needs decorations. I am going to have a blast between the new baby and my son's family and her! I love making stuff for them and I think they like it.

I am working on another one of Terrye's patterns for autumn again. Yesterday when I began it, Keith mentioned that when I 'relax' it strongly resembled when I 'worked.' In thinking about it, I know he is right. But isn't that a GOOD thing? I feel very fortunate that what I love to do for work is very similar to what I love to do for play. I find that painting others' patterns is not only fun but also very relaxing, as I don't have to think too much. They already did the thinking for me! Some say that I should be making my own designs when I 'play' but I maintain that once I do that, it crosses me over the line back to 'working' again. I know some of you understand that. :)

I have some cool scroll saw ideas that I want to work on as well. As usual, there just isn't enough time in the day. So what I do is put one foot in front of the other and work on one task at a time and get things done. And in the mean time, I am happy.

I hope you all like seeing these little cuties that I do on the side. I am trying to keep a pact with myself that in the evenings, I will do my own thing and work on whatever I would like - or not work at all. But usually I find it both fun and relaxing to paint at night, so I will paint.

It feels good to have such a nice life. I truly mean that. There is very little that I want and I am truly happy with how things are going. That in itself is something wonderful.

So let's get on with it and see what this week has to bring. Remember - Lee Valley Tools still has a FREE SHIPPING offer that is ending TODAY! If you need anything, make your order so you can get it shipped to you at no cost!

I wish you a wonderful autumn and a very happy Monday! I hope you have a fabulous week!
 

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#9,105 ·
Getting Back to Routine

Good morning on this beautiful Monday. Some time over the weekend, the season of autumn crept in and it is amazing how profound the changes in the morning are even though it is only a few days old.

As I wake up each morning, I notice that it is just a bit darker outside, and the cool, crisp air simply smells of the change of season. I look across the road to the trees along the river and each day notice that they are beginning to blush a bit and every so slightly the leaves are changing color.

Although the mornings and evenings have been cool, the mid-day temperatures have been warm and almost hot at times. I suppose it is what is expected at this time of year, as that is how the change of seasons tend to sneak up on us and before we know it, summer is gone and winter is on its way.

Some of you have noticed that I haven't written as regularly as I usually do. It isn't that I haven't been busy, but I have been working on some things for myself and haven't had the need to journal all that I have done. Much of it is routine - answering emails and printing out a wholesale order for Artist's Club - and while that fills the hours of my day, I don't think that it is anything remarkable that would interest you as readers.

Keith has had a type of flu. He spent much of the weekend sleeping and battling hot and cold spells. Living in a small place, I hope that I don't catch what he has, although I suppose I won't be surprised if I do. While he isn't miserable, it is not comfortable and he is quite tired. I hope that he will rest and feel better soon.

Last week was somewhat of a blur. I spent the majority of my time working on orders and I did finish painting my first design for the "Painting With Friends" group that I am going to be a part of. For those of you who missed the day when I spoke about it, ""Painting With Friends a group of designers led by Terrye French, a wonderfully creative painter and designer. Terrye employs a select group of "Friends" to help her paint her incredibly creative designs. She sends us the line work and we do our own take on it and paint it and make it into a painting packet. The pattern is then marketed and sold through our own sites or the main "Painting With Friends" blog and Etsy page and everyone benefits. I think it is an incredible way to do things and it just goes to show how good things can be when creative people work together.

Each designer brings her own style to the basic designs and the cross-promotion between the group is a wonderful example of how working together with others can be a truly positive experience. I was so thrilled to be accepted as part of the group and I hope to contribute to it as much as I can. Being part of the "Friends" in no way restricts what we do on our own and working together with others for a common cause is both fun and exciting. Terrye is always full of wonderful ideas and using her drawings as a springboard for our own ideas is really wonderful and fun. I plan to do as many new designs as time will permit in collaboration with her.

My first assignments was a cute winter project called "Snowies". Below is a picture of what I did with it:

Drinkware Art Font Souvenir Circle


Another nice thing about the "Friends" group is that you are encouraged to paint the design on any surface you choose. For my "Snowies" I decided to paint it on a snowflake shape, much like my candle trays. I think it adds a little fun and interest to the design. I will be selling the surface on my site when the pattern is available.

Today I am going to be writing instructions for not only this packet, but I need to prepare the packets for the several projects that were in the holiday issue of Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine, as we are getting ready for another site update and I want to add them onto the site.

On Saturday I finished my little Prim Cat Masquarade (another Terrye French Pattern!) and I am thrilled with how they came out:

Pumpkin Calabaza Winter squash Cucurbita Orange


Insect Art Wing Font Symmetry


Headgear Costume hat Creative arts Pumpkin Hat


Here are the first three for those of you who missed them:

Window Pumpkin Cucurbita Vertebrate Calabaza


Cat Felidae Purple Small to medium-sized cats Carnivore


Window Organism Art Red Liquid


They are silly and cute and whimsical and something that I could have never thought of doing. I am giving the set to my daughter, who loves cats as I do and just got a new place to live and needs decorations. I am going to have a blast between the new baby and my son's family and her! I love making stuff for them and I think they like it.

I am working on another one of Terrye's patterns for autumn again. Yesterday when I began it, Keith mentioned that when I 'relax' it strongly resembled when I 'worked.' In thinking about it, I know he is right. But isn't that a GOOD thing? I feel very fortunate that what I love to do for work is very similar to what I love to do for play. I find that painting others' patterns is not only fun but also very relaxing, as I don't have to think too much. They already did the thinking for me! Some say that I should be making my own designs when I 'play' but I maintain that once I do that, it crosses me over the line back to 'working' again. I know some of you understand that. :)

I have some cool scroll saw ideas that I want to work on as well. As usual, there just isn't enough time in the day. So what I do is put one foot in front of the other and work on one task at a time and get things done. And in the mean time, I am happy.

I hope you all like seeing these little cuties that I do on the side. I am trying to keep a pact with myself that in the evenings, I will do my own thing and work on whatever I would like - or not work at all. But usually I find it both fun and relaxing to paint at night, so I will paint.

It feels good to have such a nice life. I truly mean that. There is very little that I want and I am truly happy with how things are going. That in itself is something wonderful.

So let's get on with it and see what this week has to bring. Remember - Lee Valley Tools still has a FREE SHIPPING offer that is ending TODAY! If you need anything, make your order so you can get it shipped to you at no cost!

I wish you a wonderful autumn and a very happy Monday! I hope you have a fabulous week!
For some reason, the pictures make me think of "the cat came back" song. :)
 

Attachments

#9,110 ·
Some Significant Site Updates

I felt like a lot was accomplished yesterday. Sometimes Mondays are days filled with small tasks and odds and ends and this Monday was no different. Add to that Keith being a bit under the weather still and it makes for a full day. He is getting better though, and we both appreciate your kind thoughts for him. So far I feel good and I am at the point of willing myself to stay healthy, which (mock me if you will) has worked in the past. Mind over matter as they say.

Even though we had a site update only a couple of weeks ago, we have so many new patterns to offer that we feel it is time to do another. We used to update it only every three weeks or so, but lately we have had so many new patterns that it has been necessary to do so more often. We don't think that our customers mind however, as we have received a lot of positive feedback about the site and our newsletter. For those of you who wish to join our mailing list to receive our newsletter, the link to that page on the site it here: http://www.sheilalandrydesigns.com/mailing-list

Yesterday, we added a key feature on our site which we feel will be helpful to those of you who are looking for a timely seasonal pattern. Since our site now has over 500 patterns on it, we feel that it is important to keep them organized and categorized so that it is easy to find things. But so many of our designs are unique and it is difficult for us to sometimes put them in the "right" category. Some fit into more than one category as well, which makes thing even trickier. You all would not believe the amount of cross referencing that Keith has done on the site! I must admit that he does most of that type of work for us, and I think he does an outstanding job.

But over the past couple of weeks, I have had customers come to me to ask about a particular pattern and even I had trouble finding it on the site. The categories on the site aren't always cut and dry as to certain types of designs and sometimes it is hard to figure out which category a particular design falls into.

There is a Pattern Search feature located on the upper right corner of the site to help you find what you may be looking for. If you click on it, you are able to put in key words like "Halloween" or "Deer" to find specific types of patterns you may be seeking:

Product Organism Line Font Screenshot


But people don't always know exactly what they are looking for and sometimes they don't realize it is there, so we came up with another idea.

What we have done is added a section on the home page called "Seasonal Showcase." If you scroll down the home page a little bit, you will see it under the "New Scrolling and Painting Patterns" section of the page.

Product Font Screenshot Advertising Design


What we are planning to do, is to showcase as many of the seasonal patterns that we can think of - old and new - to fit the particular season that we are in. We find that because we create patterns at such a fast pace, many times seasonal patterns have a short lifespan on the home page and then once shuffled back into their category, they are forgotten or not seen. Many times we are required to hold seasonal patterns due to the fact that we had them published and need to wait until the rights to sell them fall back in our laps. By the time this happens, it is sometimes too close to the holiday for others to want to use them this year. By the time the next year comes around, there are so many new patterns that we forget to bring these other designs back to the foreground and they are somewhat lost in the shuffle of designs. We hope this will help alleviate that problem from occurring.

We also have many new customers who haven't seen any of our designs and we would like to make it as easy as possible for them to see all we have to offer. We realize that as we keep making patterns, the quantity of patterns will increase and we want to insure that we are making it as easy as possible for everyone to find what they have in mind. We hope this helps address that issue.

Keeping up with and maintaining a website is a huge task. While I spend part of each day blogging here and answering many emails and questions, Keith spends part of each day working on the site. (Sometimes he spends HOURS on it!) No matter how you look at it, having a nice looking, smoothly functioning site that is easy to navigate and showcases our work in a professional and organized manner can be a really daunting task. It certainly doesn't just "happen" and there is no way that spending a good amount of time keeping it updated, fresh and exciting can be avoided.

It is fun and exciting for both Keith and I to watch our little company grow. We often receive questions from people that ask us things like "how do you set up your site" or "how do you make your patterns." When I receive these questions, it is very difficult for me to answer something that is so broad. The best I can do is tell people that they need to research and study what is available and then apply it to their own business and implement it. There is no quick or easy way to accomplish these things.

When I think back on it though, I realize that to the outside world we must make it look easy. For the most part, in the past several years we have had very few issues with our website, and it has run without a hitch. Our feedback from our customers is usually very positive and we make it both easy and secure to order from us and pay in a variety of ways. We deliver our patterns very quickly and we try to be there to answer questions as soon as we possibly can. And our customers have expressed their appreciation for our efforts.

There are times when I think I should be making more patterns. I look back at the year and I see the actual number of new designs that I offer and I think that I could have done better. But then I look at the quality of the work that we put forth and the feedback we receive from others and the quality of our site and I don't think that I would have it any other way. For two people finding their way in a world of large companies and corporations, we are very happy with our growth. Word is getting out about us and we are making our mark in both the wood working world as well as the painting world.

We must be doing something right. :)

We both thank all of our followers and our customers for all of your support and encouragement. You always make us want to do even better.

Have a great Tuesday!
 

Attachments

#9,111 ·
Some Significant Site Updates

I felt like a lot was accomplished yesterday. Sometimes Mondays are days filled with small tasks and odds and ends and this Monday was no different. Add to that Keith being a bit under the weather still and it makes for a full day. He is getting better though, and we both appreciate your kind thoughts for him. So far I feel good and I am at the point of willing myself to stay healthy, which (mock me if you will) has worked in the past. Mind over matter as they say.

Even though we had a site update only a couple of weeks ago, we have so many new patterns to offer that we feel it is time to do another. We used to update it only every three weeks or so, but lately we have had so many new patterns that it has been necessary to do so more often. We don't think that our customers mind however, as we have received a lot of positive feedback about the site and our newsletter. For those of you who wish to join our mailing list to receive our newsletter, the link to that page on the site it here: http://www.sheilalandrydesigns.com/mailing-list

Yesterday, we added a key feature on our site which we feel will be helpful to those of you who are looking for a timely seasonal pattern. Since our site now has over 500 patterns on it, we feel that it is important to keep them organized and categorized so that it is easy to find things. But so many of our designs are unique and it is difficult for us to sometimes put them in the "right" category. Some fit into more than one category as well, which makes thing even trickier. You all would not believe the amount of cross referencing that Keith has done on the site! I must admit that he does most of that type of work for us, and I think he does an outstanding job.

But over the past couple of weeks, I have had customers come to me to ask about a particular pattern and even I had trouble finding it on the site. The categories on the site aren't always cut and dry as to certain types of designs and sometimes it is hard to figure out which category a particular design falls into.

There is a Pattern Search feature located on the upper right corner of the site to help you find what you may be looking for. If you click on it, you are able to put in key words like "Halloween" or "Deer" to find specific types of patterns you may be seeking:

Product Organism Line Font Screenshot


But people don't always know exactly what they are looking for and sometimes they don't realize it is there, so we came up with another idea.

What we have done is added a section on the home page called "Seasonal Showcase." If you scroll down the home page a little bit, you will see it under the "New Scrolling and Painting Patterns" section of the page.

Product Font Screenshot Advertising Design


What we are planning to do, is to showcase as many of the seasonal patterns that we can think of - old and new - to fit the particular season that we are in. We find that because we create patterns at such a fast pace, many times seasonal patterns have a short lifespan on the home page and then once shuffled back into their category, they are forgotten or not seen. Many times we are required to hold seasonal patterns due to the fact that we had them published and need to wait until the rights to sell them fall back in our laps. By the time this happens, it is sometimes too close to the holiday for others to want to use them this year. By the time the next year comes around, there are so many new patterns that we forget to bring these other designs back to the foreground and they are somewhat lost in the shuffle of designs. We hope this will help alleviate that problem from occurring.

We also have many new customers who haven't seen any of our designs and we would like to make it as easy as possible for them to see all we have to offer. We realize that as we keep making patterns, the quantity of patterns will increase and we want to insure that we are making it as easy as possible for everyone to find what they have in mind. We hope this helps address that issue.

Keeping up with and maintaining a website is a huge task. While I spend part of each day blogging here and answering many emails and questions, Keith spends part of each day working on the site. (Sometimes he spends HOURS on it!) No matter how you look at it, having a nice looking, smoothly functioning site that is easy to navigate and showcases our work in a professional and organized manner can be a really daunting task. It certainly doesn't just "happen" and there is no way that spending a good amount of time keeping it updated, fresh and exciting can be avoided.

It is fun and exciting for both Keith and I to watch our little company grow. We often receive questions from people that ask us things like "how do you set up your site" or "how do you make your patterns." When I receive these questions, it is very difficult for me to answer something that is so broad. The best I can do is tell people that they need to research and study what is available and then apply it to their own business and implement it. There is no quick or easy way to accomplish these things.

When I think back on it though, I realize that to the outside world we must make it look easy. For the most part, in the past several years we have had very few issues with our website, and it has run without a hitch. Our feedback from our customers is usually very positive and we make it both easy and secure to order from us and pay in a variety of ways. We deliver our patterns very quickly and we try to be there to answer questions as soon as we possibly can. And our customers have expressed their appreciation for our efforts.

There are times when I think I should be making more patterns. I look back at the year and I see the actual number of new designs that I offer and I think that I could have done better. But then I look at the quality of the work that we put forth and the feedback we receive from others and the quality of our site and I don't think that I would have it any other way. For two people finding their way in a world of large companies and corporations, we are very happy with our growth. Word is getting out about us and we are making our mark in both the wood working world as well as the painting world.

We must be doing something right. :)

We both thank all of our followers and our customers for all of your support and encouragement. You always make us want to do even better.

Have a great Tuesday!
Morning Sheila,
you have both been extra busy, I've been lurking the past week and love all the new patterns, especially the cats.
So I thought I should stop and say hello to You Keith and the felines.
Nice crisp fresh morning here on the Doon but rain is imminent. Go figure as I have the pond to recoat. :)

Jamie
 

Attachments

#9,123 ·
Attitude and Gratitude

As I finished up the last couple of things that needed to be done yesterday, I stopped and thought about how fortunate I was to be doing the job I am doing. It is actually difficult for me to call what I do a "job" because I enjoy what I do so much that it doesn't really feel like work.

I know that I am the exception to the rule, as I see people complaining every day about their jobs, their co-workers and bosses. Many of them count down the days of the week to the days when they don't have to show up to work and can do what they like. That's OK and people do what they have to do. It only makes me appreciate what I do each day even more and I am grateful for the position that I am in. I know I am very grateful.

I woke up this morning and a friend on Facebook had a wonderful blog which spoke of - among other things - gratitude. I love reading her blogs because they are always not only sensible, but very positive and not "preachy". My friend has a way of looking at life through eyes of kindness, tolerance and hope and I find it to be wonderfully refreshing among the sometimes negative and complaining posts that I read on Facebook.

I realize that many of you have nothing to do with Facebook at all because of the rampant negativity, and I understand that. But I find that (as with anything) there are good parts of it as there are not so good parts. I have learned to filter out the negative people and I focus on the positive people and support that I receive from them. And because of that, my experiences there are for the most part very good.

I find that artistic people tend to be more positive. Maybe that is an incorrect assessment, but to me anyway, those who are busy creating and inspiring others seem to be too busy doing so to spread negative thoughts and preach to others. They seem to be focused on their crafts, whatever they may be, and they have a nice and healthy appreciation for their own life and things around them. It is as if they want to spend as much time as they can doing what they enjoy and don't have time to sit around and ponder all of the things that are wrong with their life. I can tell you from experience that it is difficult to be cranky or negative when I am in the process of creating something new. For me, it is like therapy.

Yesterday I noticed that most of the people that I am in contact throughout the day are those who are creating in some way or another. I spoke with customers, a couple of different people from companies that I deal with, some of my creative friends, and even my editor from the magazine and all were positive experiences. All these people were busy, but they were all happy in what they did and the day was overall a very pleasant and productive day. I suppose that is when the connection clicked, and I figured out why things were so good. They all enjoyed what they were doing and it showed in their day to day attitude. I thought that was pretty cool.

I often say how much I love my job and my life. I expect it may annoy some people who are not happy in their own life, but I don't try to do that. I say it often because I am truly in awe at how easy it is to be happy, and I am truly grateful that I am. Like many people, I have had my ups and downs in this life. I have made some good decisions and some really, really bad ones that I wound up paying the consequences for. And that wasn't fun. I think once you have been through some really difficult times and have come out the other end still breathing, it does change your perspective on things and you do tend to appreciate even the small things that are good in your life. And that is a great way to feel.

There isn't a day that goes by that I am not grateful for all that I have. I don't have a lot by some people's standards and I don't make a lot of money (people would laugh if they knew how much!) but to me, that isn't important at all. The only standard that I have to meet is my own. And I have enough money to live comfortably and be able to still do what I love every day. So I am happy.

I honestly think that my calling in this life is to teach and create. It has not always been easy to follow that calling. We live in a world of material things and naturally we need to make enough money doing what we do to pay for our own living. But over the years, making decisions and focusing on what I "need" rather than what I "want" made a huge difference in the outcome and quality of my life. It isn't that I don't give in to the "wants" now and then, but not on a daily basis. Usually, if I procrastinate about getting something, then I really didn't want or need it in the first place. If I wait even a week or so, I find that more so than not the urge to get it recedes. This saves me a fortune. If I still am thinking about it after days or weeks, then I consider it a little more seriously. It is a good way for me to do things and keeps down the clutter and unwanted things in my life.

I apologize for going off on a tangent. But my friend Charlotte's blog really got me thinking.

So what is on my agenda for today?

I am finishing up working on the new pattern packets for the site update, which we plan to do tomorrow. I have three new patterns that I will be adding there, and Keith has some new ones as well. Among my patterns will be the SLD430 Nativity Christmas Box:

Rectangle Musical instrument Wood Font Art


The matching SLD431 Nativity Christmas Keys:

Textile Body jewelry Cross Religious item Font


And the SLD432 Angel Place Card Holders:

Gold Font Art Jewellery Metal


People have been asking about them since I began showing them when I designed them this spring and I am happy that they are finally released for me to sell on the site.

We are also going to visit our friends Ellen and Bernie today at their beautiful camp on the lake. We haven't been able to get there yet this year, as one thing has come up after another and we have all been busy. We are actually celebrating both Ellen's and my own birthday (both which were in August!) with a nice relaxing dinner and visit. It is always nice to spend time on the lake and I look forward to it a great deal.

It is going to be a good day.

I truly feel that any day can be a good day. Even if bad things happen, there is always something good that we can find in our lives to focus on. Attitude dictates so much of how we feel and how we live. While it sometimes takes a great deal of thought and practice to have a good and positive attitude, soon it becomes a habit and we train ourselves to look for and recognize the good things that we have. And in the end we are happier people for it.

It makes me feel good when people tell me that they enjoy my positive attitude and that it inspires them. I honestly think that if I complained and griped to you all each morning, I wouldn't have lasted over three and a half years writing this blog. I am glad when many of you tell me that you come here because of my positive outlook and I hope that I can continue to look at things in a way that makes people feel good about things. Believe me - there are times when I get down as well. But knowing that you expect me to be positive really does help me look harder for the good in even the worst situation, and it pulls me out of the hole as well. By finding these good things and writing about them, it reinforces my way of thinking positively, and makes my life better. Thank you all for that.

I wish you all a wonderful day today. I hope you stop and look at all the good things in your life and focus on them. You will be amazed at how nice it will make you feel!

Happy Wednesday!
 

Attachments

#9,124 ·
Attitude and Gratitude

As I finished up the last couple of things that needed to be done yesterday, I stopped and thought about how fortunate I was to be doing the job I am doing. It is actually difficult for me to call what I do a "job" because I enjoy what I do so much that it doesn't really feel like work.

I know that I am the exception to the rule, as I see people complaining every day about their jobs, their co-workers and bosses. Many of them count down the days of the week to the days when they don't have to show up to work and can do what they like. That's OK and people do what they have to do. It only makes me appreciate what I do each day even more and I am grateful for the position that I am in. I know I am very grateful.

I woke up this morning and a friend on Facebook had a wonderful blog which spoke of - among other things - gratitude. I love reading her blogs because they are always not only sensible, but very positive and not "preachy". My friend has a way of looking at life through eyes of kindness, tolerance and hope and I find it to be wonderfully refreshing among the sometimes negative and complaining posts that I read on Facebook.

I realize that many of you have nothing to do with Facebook at all because of the rampant negativity, and I understand that. But I find that (as with anything) there are good parts of it as there are not so good parts. I have learned to filter out the negative people and I focus on the positive people and support that I receive from them. And because of that, my experiences there are for the most part very good.

I find that artistic people tend to be more positive. Maybe that is an incorrect assessment, but to me anyway, those who are busy creating and inspiring others seem to be too busy doing so to spread negative thoughts and preach to others. They seem to be focused on their crafts, whatever they may be, and they have a nice and healthy appreciation for their own life and things around them. It is as if they want to spend as much time as they can doing what they enjoy and don't have time to sit around and ponder all of the things that are wrong with their life. I can tell you from experience that it is difficult to be cranky or negative when I am in the process of creating something new. For me, it is like therapy.

Yesterday I noticed that most of the people that I am in contact throughout the day are those who are creating in some way or another. I spoke with customers, a couple of different people from companies that I deal with, some of my creative friends, and even my editor from the magazine and all were positive experiences. All these people were busy, but they were all happy in what they did and the day was overall a very pleasant and productive day. I suppose that is when the connection clicked, and I figured out why things were so good. They all enjoyed what they were doing and it showed in their day to day attitude. I thought that was pretty cool.

I often say how much I love my job and my life. I expect it may annoy some people who are not happy in their own life, but I don't try to do that. I say it often because I am truly in awe at how easy it is to be happy, and I am truly grateful that I am. Like many people, I have had my ups and downs in this life. I have made some good decisions and some really, really bad ones that I wound up paying the consequences for. And that wasn't fun. I think once you have been through some really difficult times and have come out the other end still breathing, it does change your perspective on things and you do tend to appreciate even the small things that are good in your life. And that is a great way to feel.

There isn't a day that goes by that I am not grateful for all that I have. I don't have a lot by some people's standards and I don't make a lot of money (people would laugh if they knew how much!) but to me, that isn't important at all. The only standard that I have to meet is my own. And I have enough money to live comfortably and be able to still do what I love every day. So I am happy.

I honestly think that my calling in this life is to teach and create. It has not always been easy to follow that calling. We live in a world of material things and naturally we need to make enough money doing what we do to pay for our own living. But over the years, making decisions and focusing on what I "need" rather than what I "want" made a huge difference in the outcome and quality of my life. It isn't that I don't give in to the "wants" now and then, but not on a daily basis. Usually, if I procrastinate about getting something, then I really didn't want or need it in the first place. If I wait even a week or so, I find that more so than not the urge to get it recedes. This saves me a fortune. If I still am thinking about it after days or weeks, then I consider it a little more seriously. It is a good way for me to do things and keeps down the clutter and unwanted things in my life.

I apologize for going off on a tangent. But my friend Charlotte's blog really got me thinking.

So what is on my agenda for today?

I am finishing up working on the new pattern packets for the site update, which we plan to do tomorrow. I have three new patterns that I will be adding there, and Keith has some new ones as well. Among my patterns will be the SLD430 Nativity Christmas Box:

Rectangle Musical instrument Wood Font Art


The matching SLD431 Nativity Christmas Keys:

Textile Body jewelry Cross Religious item Font


And the SLD432 Angel Place Card Holders:

Gold Font Art Jewellery Metal


People have been asking about them since I began showing them when I designed them this spring and I am happy that they are finally released for me to sell on the site.

We are also going to visit our friends Ellen and Bernie today at their beautiful camp on the lake. We haven't been able to get there yet this year, as one thing has come up after another and we have all been busy. We are actually celebrating both Ellen's and my own birthday (both which were in August!) with a nice relaxing dinner and visit. It is always nice to spend time on the lake and I look forward to it a great deal.

It is going to be a good day.

I truly feel that any day can be a good day. Even if bad things happen, there is always something good that we can find in our lives to focus on. Attitude dictates so much of how we feel and how we live. While it sometimes takes a great deal of thought and practice to have a good and positive attitude, soon it becomes a habit and we train ourselves to look for and recognize the good things that we have. And in the end we are happier people for it.

It makes me feel good when people tell me that they enjoy my positive attitude and that it inspires them. I honestly think that if I complained and griped to you all each morning, I wouldn't have lasted over three and a half years writing this blog. I am glad when many of you tell me that you come here because of my positive outlook and I hope that I can continue to look at things in a way that makes people feel good about things. Believe me - there are times when I get down as well. But knowing that you expect me to be positive really does help me look harder for the good in even the worst situation, and it pulls me out of the hole as well. By finding these good things and writing about them, it reinforces my way of thinking positively, and makes my life better. Thank you all for that.

I wish you all a wonderful day today. I hope you stop and look at all the good things in your life and focus on them. You will be amazed at how nice it will make you feel!

Happy Wednesday!
Another great blog from a beautiful lady and her partner. Thank you for sharing. I find that lately I have
been not so much creative as busy in the shop getting ready for winter, getting my tools finished and ready
to move easily so we can get both vehicles into the garage. After a long hot summer, the weather broke
and it is now in the 60's and raining with more snow forecast for the mountains. As the Mad Hatter would
say "Happy Unbirthday".
 

Attachments

#9,130 ·
Time for Another Site Update!

Yesterday seemed to pass by like a blur. While it was only Wednesday, it seemed like a weekend day and I was truly busy from the moment I awoke until after midnight when I finally turned in for the evening.

Among other things, we spent the afternoon and evening out at the summer camp home of our friends from Digby. (Bernie and Ellen) We had been trying to plan our annual birthday dinner for both Ellen and me since mid-August, but one thing after another came up and we finally had a place in our schedules where we could meet. Even though both Bernie and Ellen are in their 80's, they are very active and always on the go. It is good to see them like that, and I know that is one of the reasons why they still have their health. They never slow down long enough to get sick!

I love it out at the lake. They have a small but beautiful little camp that Bernie built himself many, many years ago. We used to spend much more time out there , visiting several times in the year, but it seems that for both our families, life just took over and the opportunities for getting together there just don't arise as they used to. It is somewhat of a shame.

As usual, Ellen made a wonderful dinner, which included ham, salads and all the trimmings. At the end of the meal she presented a home-made birthday cake and even though we were already stuffed, she insisted that we eat some more. It was a lovely meal.

Since both Ellen and I have our birthdays in mid-August, it has become a tradition to share in the celebration by having a nice supper. We are both not ones to make a fuss over our own special day, but it is fun for us to celebrate each others' birthday so this is a fun time for everyone involved. Yesterday was no exception.

It was nice to look at pictures, catch up on what we have been up to, and just relax in the familiar company of what I consider my Canadian family. Their daughter Cindy was able to come as well, and she has been like a sister to me over all these years that I have been here. Her own daughter recently married and she traveled across the country to attend the wedding and it was fun to hear of her adventures.

Before I headed out for the day, I had spoken with my friend in New York state regarding the possibility of Keith and I hosting some classes for their woodworking group next month. I had made the decision that I would like to take a trip to Chicago in the near future to meet my new grand daughter and I thought it would be a great opportunity to do some teaching along the way.

As usual, Jeannie was very enthusiastic about us doing so, and thought that there would be interest not only in scroll sawing classes, but painting classes as well. It will be a good deal of planning, between now and then, but I think that we will be able to put together a couple of nice classes that we all will enjoy very much.

As for today, I am finishing writing the final pattern packet for the site update, which hopefully will be done by the end of the day. As of this morning, I still have some emails to go through from yesterday and then I can get going on the site. There is always something to keep me busy.

I wanted to also mention that I truly appreciated all the nice comments and notes regarding yesterday's blog. I sometimes wonder if my morning ramblings are of interest to others, and I am glad that so many of you feel inspired by what words I write in the early part of my day. I sometimes read back and cringe at the grammar errors or sentence structures, but I am glad that for the most part you can understand what thoughts I am trying to convey. The only way that I am able to continue doing the blog each day is by just typing on the fly and not worrying too much about the technicalities of my writing. If I took more time on it than I already do, I wouldn't have time to design and work and I would have nothing to talk about in the long run. So I am glad you are patient with me.

Yesterday I noticed that some of the trees have already began shedding their leaves. There isn't much color yet, but some of the trees are tan and gold. I wonder how much color we will get this year. I also hope that we will see some color as we drive through New England on our way to Chicago. We probably aren't leaving until the third week of October and I hope it isn't too late by then. We will just have to see.

I love everything about autumn. The cool air allows us to cook in comfort and create wonderfully satisfying foods. The colors of autumn are among my favorites, and I love creating fun autumn decorations. Since I finished the pumpkin kitty ornaments last week, I began another Terry French pattern called "Harvest Pull Toy Platter". While it was intended to be painted on a large platter, I decided to do each of the pull toys in 3-D as a stand up figure. Here is the first of the eight pieces:

Bird Tire Wheel Vehicle Bicycle wheel


I think it will be a cute set that I can display in so many different ways! I am going to try to work on the pieces in my "off" hours (if those even exist!) and I will post pictures as I go along. I don't know if I will be decorating my all season tree for Halloween this year because it doesn't appear that I will be home then. I will want to have some nice autumn decorations to get me through the end of fall until it is time to put on the Christmas decorations. It will be a good chance for me to do some general autumn designs that aren't particularly related to Halloween.

With that said, I had better get to it. I hope to have a newsletter out by this evening, so if you are a subscriber, please watch your email. If you do not subscribe, I invite you to do so. You can sign up at this page on our site: Mailing List I don't share your information with anyone and it will keep you up to date on all of our new patterns and kits we add to the site.

I wish you all a great day. Have a happy and creative Thursday!
 

Attachments

#9,131 ·
Time for Another Site Update!

Yesterday seemed to pass by like a blur. While it was only Wednesday, it seemed like a weekend day and I was truly busy from the moment I awoke until after midnight when I finally turned in for the evening.

Among other things, we spent the afternoon and evening out at the summer camp home of our friends from Digby. (Bernie and Ellen) We had been trying to plan our annual birthday dinner for both Ellen and me since mid-August, but one thing after another came up and we finally had a place in our schedules where we could meet. Even though both Bernie and Ellen are in their 80's, they are very active and always on the go. It is good to see them like that, and I know that is one of the reasons why they still have their health. They never slow down long enough to get sick!

I love it out at the lake. They have a small but beautiful little camp that Bernie built himself many, many years ago. We used to spend much more time out there , visiting several times in the year, but it seems that for both our families, life just took over and the opportunities for getting together there just don't arise as they used to. It is somewhat of a shame.

As usual, Ellen made a wonderful dinner, which included ham, salads and all the trimmings. At the end of the meal she presented a home-made birthday cake and even though we were already stuffed, she insisted that we eat some more. It was a lovely meal.

Since both Ellen and I have our birthdays in mid-August, it has become a tradition to share in the celebration by having a nice supper. We are both not ones to make a fuss over our own special day, but it is fun for us to celebrate each others' birthday so this is a fun time for everyone involved. Yesterday was no exception.

It was nice to look at pictures, catch up on what we have been up to, and just relax in the familiar company of what I consider my Canadian family. Their daughter Cindy was able to come as well, and she has been like a sister to me over all these years that I have been here. Her own daughter recently married and she traveled across the country to attend the wedding and it was fun to hear of her adventures.

Before I headed out for the day, I had spoken with my friend in New York state regarding the possibility of Keith and I hosting some classes for their woodworking group next month. I had made the decision that I would like to take a trip to Chicago in the near future to meet my new grand daughter and I thought it would be a great opportunity to do some teaching along the way.

As usual, Jeannie was very enthusiastic about us doing so, and thought that there would be interest not only in scroll sawing classes, but painting classes as well. It will be a good deal of planning, between now and then, but I think that we will be able to put together a couple of nice classes that we all will enjoy very much.

As for today, I am finishing writing the final pattern packet for the site update, which hopefully will be done by the end of the day. As of this morning, I still have some emails to go through from yesterday and then I can get going on the site. There is always something to keep me busy.

I wanted to also mention that I truly appreciated all the nice comments and notes regarding yesterday's blog. I sometimes wonder if my morning ramblings are of interest to others, and I am glad that so many of you feel inspired by what words I write in the early part of my day. I sometimes read back and cringe at the grammar errors or sentence structures, but I am glad that for the most part you can understand what thoughts I am trying to convey. The only way that I am able to continue doing the blog each day is by just typing on the fly and not worrying too much about the technicalities of my writing. If I took more time on it than I already do, I wouldn't have time to design and work and I would have nothing to talk about in the long run. So I am glad you are patient with me.

Yesterday I noticed that some of the trees have already began shedding their leaves. There isn't much color yet, but some of the trees are tan and gold. I wonder how much color we will get this year. I also hope that we will see some color as we drive through New England on our way to Chicago. We probably aren't leaving until the third week of October and I hope it isn't too late by then. We will just have to see.

I love everything about autumn. The cool air allows us to cook in comfort and create wonderfully satisfying foods. The colors of autumn are among my favorites, and I love creating fun autumn decorations. Since I finished the pumpkin kitty ornaments last week, I began another Terry French pattern called "Harvest Pull Toy Platter". While it was intended to be painted on a large platter, I decided to do each of the pull toys in 3-D as a stand up figure. Here is the first of the eight pieces:

Bird Tire Wheel Vehicle Bicycle wheel


I think it will be a cute set that I can display in so many different ways! I am going to try to work on the pieces in my "off" hours (if those even exist!) and I will post pictures as I go along. I don't know if I will be decorating my all season tree for Halloween this year because it doesn't appear that I will be home then. I will want to have some nice autumn decorations to get me through the end of fall until it is time to put on the Christmas decorations. It will be a good chance for me to do some general autumn designs that aren't particularly related to Halloween.

With that said, I had better get to it. I hope to have a newsletter out by this evening, so if you are a subscriber, please watch your email. If you do not subscribe, I invite you to do so. You can sign up at this page on our site: Mailing List I don't share your information with anyone and it will keep you up to date on all of our new patterns and kits we add to the site.

I wish you all a great day. Have a happy and creative Thursday!
Your creations are always so fun and a joy for the eye's to see. :)
 

Attachments

#9,135 ·
Site Update Complete!

What a busy day yesterday was again! Once again, the week just flew by and here we are looking at Friday again already. I try to take time to enjoy these autumn days, but with so much to do, I seem to get wrapped up in things and before I know it, the day is over.

As I look back though, I did get a lot of things done. I finished putting together my last packet for the new site update and also was able to write the newsletter and get it out by late afternoon. Writing the newsletter is coming easier to me now (after a year or so!) because it seems that we update things ever other week or so on the site. Like anything - the more we do it, the more familiar we are with the process, and it isn't as painful anymore.

I had planned to spend a quiet evening painting - and I did get some painting completed - but as soon as I sent out the newsletter, I was pretty busy filling new orders and answering questions. Believe me - I am not complaining! It is fun and exciting to get such a wonderful response to our new items. I love having a real, working business! Unlike selling wholesale, I love the direct contact that I get with my customers and seeing how much they appreciate our designs. That is more valuable to me than anything.

My three new designs all were very well-received, but so were Keith's new items that he added to the site. He has a new set of filigree ornaments depicting the 12 Days of Christmas that are just stunning!

Body jewelry Fashion Font Jewellery Necklace


He also created a beautiful set of three "Olde Christmas Fretwork Plaques" :

Font Rectangle Poster Logo Emblem


And finally a set of "Olde Christmas Fretwork Ornaments"

Brown Mammal Baked goods Font Sweetness


All three of his designs are beautiful and classic.

We decided to have a couple of "Secret Specials" on our new items for our mailing list subscribers. We have a growing list of subscribers and we want to let our regular customers know how much we appreciate their support. I think that is one of the best parts of owning my own business and being "the boss" - I can do pretty much what I want without having to go through red tape. I like giving discounts and letting people know we appreciate them. Without our customers, we wouldn't be able to do what we love so much!

All in all, it was a really great day!

Today the sun is shining brightly and it looks to be beautiful and cool out. My plans for the day are to work on the pattern packet for the first painting pattern that I am creating for the "Painting With Friends" group. I have had the piece painted (twice actually!) and only need to write the instruction packet. Then I will be able to move on to making more designs. :)

Everything is flowing very nicely right now. It feels good to be productive and happy. I think that lends to further success.

I hope you all are happy it is Friday! I know that so many of you look forward to the weekend and time you can spend with friends and family. I look forward to working on my new designs and having a good weekend myself.

Have a great day!
 

Attachments

#9,136 ·
Site Update Complete!

What a busy day yesterday was again! Once again, the week just flew by and here we are looking at Friday again already. I try to take time to enjoy these autumn days, but with so much to do, I seem to get wrapped up in things and before I know it, the day is over.

As I look back though, I did get a lot of things done. I finished putting together my last packet for the new site update and also was able to write the newsletter and get it out by late afternoon. Writing the newsletter is coming easier to me now (after a year or so!) because it seems that we update things ever other week or so on the site. Like anything - the more we do it, the more familiar we are with the process, and it isn't as painful anymore.

I had planned to spend a quiet evening painting - and I did get some painting completed - but as soon as I sent out the newsletter, I was pretty busy filling new orders and answering questions. Believe me - I am not complaining! It is fun and exciting to get such a wonderful response to our new items. I love having a real, working business! Unlike selling wholesale, I love the direct contact that I get with my customers and seeing how much they appreciate our designs. That is more valuable to me than anything.

My three new designs all were very well-received, but so were Keith's new items that he added to the site. He has a new set of filigree ornaments depicting the 12 Days of Christmas that are just stunning!

Body jewelry Fashion Font Jewellery Necklace


He also created a beautiful set of three "Olde Christmas Fretwork Plaques" :

Font Rectangle Poster Logo Emblem


And finally a set of "Olde Christmas Fretwork Ornaments"

Brown Mammal Baked goods Font Sweetness


All three of his designs are beautiful and classic.

We decided to have a couple of "Secret Specials" on our new items for our mailing list subscribers. We have a growing list of subscribers and we want to let our regular customers know how much we appreciate their support. I think that is one of the best parts of owning my own business and being "the boss" - I can do pretty much what I want without having to go through red tape. I like giving discounts and letting people know we appreciate them. Without our customers, we wouldn't be able to do what we love so much!

All in all, it was a really great day!

Today the sun is shining brightly and it looks to be beautiful and cool out. My plans for the day are to work on the pattern packet for the first painting pattern that I am creating for the "Painting With Friends" group. I have had the piece painted (twice actually!) and only need to write the instruction packet. Then I will be able to move on to making more designs. :)

Everything is flowing very nicely right now. It feels good to be productive and happy. I think that lends to further success.

I hope you all are happy it is Friday! I know that so many of you look forward to the weekend and time you can spend with friends and family. I look forward to working on my new designs and having a good weekend myself.

Have a great day!
Wow, Sheila! Some superior, fine scrollin goin on there….....as always. Good stuff
 

Attachments

#9,141 ·
Painting With Friends

As many of you know, I not only design woodworking patterns, but also I love to paint. While some of the woodworkers that I come across shun putting any type of paint on wood, others like to embrace the idea of adding to their projects with color. As for myself - I see the advantages of both. There are times when wood is best left to its natural beauty and other times when you can really do your projects a favor by adding color. I suppose it depends on the project and situation.

I have always walked the invisible line between painting and woodworking. When I think of projects that I design, I usually envision them either without color in their natural state, or with added color to enhance them. This of course is also subject to different degrees of application - from light staining to all out painting. I suppose it just depends on what I am in the mood for at the time.

Below is an example of how drastically one can change the appearance of even a simple design by using paint. I took the same ornament, and finished it three different ways.

Product Font Art Toy Body jewelry


The first key was stained with a metallic wax. It looks as if it is made of copper. The second was painted a matte black finish and embellished with some crystal rhinestones. The third was 'tole painted' in acrylics. These were all basically the same simple design, with several variations that will appeal to many different tastes.

I always look at my role as a designer as being a teacher. Not only do I want to provide the line drawings for those who want to cut the wood pieces, but I also want to provide as many options as I can for people to finish them in different ways. Once I think of multiple ways that the project can be finished, it seems that I can't help myself but offer the instructions.

Because I do that, I am very aware that some only want to do what they are comfortable in doing. There are people who only like to do the woodworking part of the project and others who want the wood pieces cut and ready to paint and only want to add color. That is fine by me, and that is why for many projects I offer totally different patterns to accommodate the different groups of customers. Both the woodworking patterns for the Halloween keys as well as the tole painting patterns for the keys (and the kits for them) sold very well.

This helps both the painting and scrolling side of my business grow, and it also encourages some to explore avenues that they never thought they would travel. A great example is that of my friend Diana Thompson, who is a well-known scroll saw pattern designer. There was one time when she said she could "never paint" yet last week she posted this picture of how she painted my Halloween ornament pattern.

Orange Textile Font Art Calabaza


I think they came out absolutely beautiful and I felt so proud of her when I saw. AND she said she had FUN doing it! I can't tell you how much it meant for me to see this!

My point is, that as long as there are people that are willing to try something new, I will be there to offer it to them. I am not trying to convert anyone to doing what they don't want to do, but I just want to offer the options in case they feel adventurous and want to expand their skills. Because of that, I am very glad that I have been spending a bit more time painting and developing painting patterns, as I think I have something to offer in that field as well as scrolling and woodworking.

Recently, I saw a call out on my painting Facebook page from a group called "Painting With Friends" which is a very talented group of designers that are lead by a wonderfully creative woman named Terrye French. Terrye's primitive style of drawing and painting is something that amazes me. She is a bottomless pit of creativity and her designs always bring a smile with their warmth and creativity. The designers in the Painting With Friends group receive line work sketches (ideas) from Terrye and develop the designs on their own and create the patterns. They are able to use any colors they like or make changes to the patterns to suit their taste and what results is an amazing variety of designs that have a very broad appeal. I think that this is a wonderful way that artists work together as a team to make some wonderful designs. It is a win/win for all involved.

I petitioned to join this group and I was grateful that they accepted me. I love to paint, but admittedly I am not a wonderful cartoonist, as I find it easier for me to paint realistic wildlife off of photos. That doesn't mean I can't draw cartoon-ish designs, as the ornaments above illustrate, but it is not very easy for me to do so and takes a huge amount of time. When I received my first assignment from the Painting With Friends group, I was thrilled because it was a wonderful springboard for me to do the part I love the best - painting.

Yesterday I finished my first pattern for the group. It is called PWF01 - Jar of "Snowies".

Font Creative arts Electric blue Art Petal


It is now available on my site at Sheila Landry Designs, the Painting With Friends Etsy store, and my own Etsy store, SheilaLandryDesigns. For those who don't cut wood, I am offering a pre-cut wood piece of the snowflake on the Painting Surfaces page of my site. It will also be available on the Painting With Friends Blogspot, which highlights all of the Painting With Friends patterns.

I hope that if you are considering trying some painting, you will stop and visit the Painting With Friends blog. All the patterns there are priced at a reasonable $5.00 and are available for instant download. These cute primitive designs are simple to do and great projects for those just starting out. You may surprise yourself and actually have fun painting.

I certainly am not going to be giving up designing my scroll saw patterns. I truly love doing that as much as I love cutting and woodworking. But I also love the opportunity to paint and create wonderful and unique pieces for the painters to use in their own projects, and I think that these two crafts go together naturally.

I look at this new venture as a great way to expand the scope of our little business. We are experiencing a wonderful year for our business and I do believe that it is due to our willingness and ability to diversify and offer our customers more choices.

I really appreciate being accepted into this group. It is wonderful to work with such talented people and it is also great to see how everyone helps each other. It is a great example of how everyone can come out a winner - especially the customers. "Painting With Friends" is just that - being creative with some wonderfully supportive friends!

I hope you enjoy seeing these new patterns. While I know some of you may not paint, perhaps it will inspire you to try it one day. What have you got to lose?

Have a great Sunday!
 

Attachments

#9,142 ·
Painting With Friends

As many of you know, I not only design woodworking patterns, but also I love to paint. While some of the woodworkers that I come across shun putting any type of paint on wood, others like to embrace the idea of adding to their projects with color. As for myself - I see the advantages of both. There are times when wood is best left to its natural beauty and other times when you can really do your projects a favor by adding color. I suppose it depends on the project and situation.

I have always walked the invisible line between painting and woodworking. When I think of projects that I design, I usually envision them either without color in their natural state, or with added color to enhance them. This of course is also subject to different degrees of application - from light staining to all out painting. I suppose it just depends on what I am in the mood for at the time.

Below is an example of how drastically one can change the appearance of even a simple design by using paint. I took the same ornament, and finished it three different ways.

Product Font Art Toy Body jewelry


The first key was stained with a metallic wax. It looks as if it is made of copper. The second was painted a matte black finish and embellished with some crystal rhinestones. The third was 'tole painted' in acrylics. These were all basically the same simple design, with several variations that will appeal to many different tastes.

I always look at my role as a designer as being a teacher. Not only do I want to provide the line drawings for those who want to cut the wood pieces, but I also want to provide as many options as I can for people to finish them in different ways. Once I think of multiple ways that the project can be finished, it seems that I can't help myself but offer the instructions.

Because I do that, I am very aware that some only want to do what they are comfortable in doing. There are people who only like to do the woodworking part of the project and others who want the wood pieces cut and ready to paint and only want to add color. That is fine by me, and that is why for many projects I offer totally different patterns to accommodate the different groups of customers. Both the woodworking patterns for the Halloween keys as well as the tole painting patterns for the keys (and the kits for them) sold very well.

This helps both the painting and scrolling side of my business grow, and it also encourages some to explore avenues that they never thought they would travel. A great example is that of my friend Diana Thompson, who is a well-known scroll saw pattern designer. There was one time when she said she could "never paint" yet last week she posted this picture of how she painted my Halloween ornament pattern.

Orange Textile Font Art Calabaza


I think they came out absolutely beautiful and I felt so proud of her when I saw. AND she said she had FUN doing it! I can't tell you how much it meant for me to see this!

My point is, that as long as there are people that are willing to try something new, I will be there to offer it to them. I am not trying to convert anyone to doing what they don't want to do, but I just want to offer the options in case they feel adventurous and want to expand their skills. Because of that, I am very glad that I have been spending a bit more time painting and developing painting patterns, as I think I have something to offer in that field as well as scrolling and woodworking.

Recently, I saw a call out on my painting Facebook page from a group called "Painting With Friends" which is a very talented group of designers that are lead by a wonderfully creative woman named Terrye French. Terrye's primitive style of drawing and painting is something that amazes me. She is a bottomless pit of creativity and her designs always bring a smile with their warmth and creativity. The designers in the Painting With Friends group receive line work sketches (ideas) from Terrye and develop the designs on their own and create the patterns. They are able to use any colors they like or make changes to the patterns to suit their taste and what results is an amazing variety of designs that have a very broad appeal. I think that this is a wonderful way that artists work together as a team to make some wonderful designs. It is a win/win for all involved.

I petitioned to join this group and I was grateful that they accepted me. I love to paint, but admittedly I am not a wonderful cartoonist, as I find it easier for me to paint realistic wildlife off of photos. That doesn't mean I can't draw cartoon-ish designs, as the ornaments above illustrate, but it is not very easy for me to do so and takes a huge amount of time. When I received my first assignment from the Painting With Friends group, I was thrilled because it was a wonderful springboard for me to do the part I love the best - painting.

Yesterday I finished my first pattern for the group. It is called PWF01 - Jar of "Snowies".

Font Creative arts Electric blue Art Petal


It is now available on my site at Sheila Landry Designs, the Painting With Friends Etsy store, and my own Etsy store, SheilaLandryDesigns. For those who don't cut wood, I am offering a pre-cut wood piece of the snowflake on the Painting Surfaces page of my site. It will also be available on the Painting With Friends Blogspot, which highlights all of the Painting With Friends patterns.

I hope that if you are considering trying some painting, you will stop and visit the Painting With Friends blog. All the patterns there are priced at a reasonable $5.00 and are available for instant download. These cute primitive designs are simple to do and great projects for those just starting out. You may surprise yourself and actually have fun painting.

I certainly am not going to be giving up designing my scroll saw patterns. I truly love doing that as much as I love cutting and woodworking. But I also love the opportunity to paint and create wonderful and unique pieces for the painters to use in their own projects, and I think that these two crafts go together naturally.

I look at this new venture as a great way to expand the scope of our little business. We are experiencing a wonderful year for our business and I do believe that it is due to our willingness and ability to diversify and offer our customers more choices.

I really appreciate being accepted into this group. It is wonderful to work with such talented people and it is also great to see how everyone helps each other. It is a great example of how everyone can come out a winner - especially the customers. "Painting With Friends" is just that - being creative with some wonderfully supportive friends!

I hope you enjoy seeing these new patterns. While I know some of you may not paint, perhaps it will inspire you to try it one day. What have you got to lose?

Have a great Sunday!
Sheila you are a wonderful painter & woodworker I have examples of both.
Variety is the spice of life.
I love The Spices a real light n laughter about them
It should always be fun.

Jamie
In the sun filled shop planing up some American White Oak
 

Attachments

#9,148 ·
My Day "Off"

It was a perfect autumn day yesterday. What started with a thick layer of morning fog turned into a brilliantly bright and sunny, yet cool afternoon. The leaves in the trees across the road along the river are just beginning to turn golden on the edges, and soon they will have the deep, rich colors that fall brings before they float to the ground. It is my favorite time of year.

We had a busy week and an even busier weekend. After the site update on Thursday, we hit a few milestones with our business. It is wonderful and exciting to see how much we are growing and how well our site is doing. We must be doing something right.

After finishing the "Jar of Snowies" pattern packet on Saturday afternoon, I found myself in a spot I am seldom in - I was caught up for the moment and everyone was satisfied. I know these moments don't last long - nor do I want them to. While I like taking a short breath of relief between projects, I like to have the next one (or more) projects lined up and be ready to move on them. It gives a sense of job security.

I certainly had some things that needed attention, but not the immediate attention that I was used to providing. Everything that had to be done could wait, and I took my opportunity to enjoy the day doing what I liked - without guilt or regret.

I made some cookies Saturday night. I had intended to work on some painting projects but instead I just played around on the computer, doing nothing in particular and visiting with friends. I played some computers games as well. I love hidden object mystery games where you have to perform tasks and find thing and move from place to place. I find them relaxing and each one tells a story that encompasses you as you play. It is my way to escape.

I designated yesterday the first official "jammie day" of the season. Even though the weather was nice, I felt I wanted to dig in and nest here for the day and catch up on some painting projects that I was working on for myself and my family. Keith had some things to do at his mom's so I had the place to myself and the cats and I spent the day with the cats filling some orders and painting and watching some movies. It was a great afternoon.

At one point, I walked away from my painting table and when I returned I found splotches of bright orange paint on my mat that I had set down to protect the table. "How did I do that?" I wondered, as I didn't remember being near the table for several minutes as I was sanding some wood pieces from a kit that was ordered from the site.

I followed the trail and it led to my cat Pancakes, who was sitting on the back of the couch. There were spots about every 6 inches or so apart, and yes - they were on the light tan couch as well. I inspected his feet and found that yes, indeed, he was the culprit. The evidence was pretty clear:

Cat Felidae Carnivore Gesture Small to medium-sized cats


I couldn't even be angry at him, as I am thinking that he just wanted to help. Besides, I keep a bottle of alcohol near by to take care of messes like that. A quick scrub of the spots with a washcloth and some alcohol and you would never know the difference. Besides - it made some funny conversation on my Facebook page. Many other shared their stories about how their cats tried to help them be creative. It happens and it wasn't a major disaster. I found it rather funny and dear that he tried to help me decorate. :)

The rest of the afternoon was fun and pleasant. I played a couple of good movies (One of them was "Secretariat" from last year) and I had an enjoyable afternoon of doing some low-stress, easy painting.

I am still working on the Harvest Pull Toy Platter
by Terrye French. Instead of painting the characters on the platter, I am doing them as 3-d stand-ups. This means painting on both sides, as I want the pieces to be able to be set on a table or really put anywhere. I had shown the first piece last week, which was the candy corn and crow:

Tire Wheel Bird Vehicle Beak


Since then, I have four additional pieces done of the eight. The Pumpkin:

Wheel Orange Creative arts Wood Serveware


The Witch's Boot:

Wheel Tire Automotive tire Electric blue Font


The Crow:

Toy Wheel Penguin Bird Beak


And the silly Cat:

Wheel Product Bag Luggage and bags Font


The boot was originally shown in grey, but I decided to go with purple. I often change the colors a bit on patterns to suit my taste.

I don't know why I enjoy this type of painting so much, but I do. It is fun and relaxing to paint in this style and I enjoy it a great deal.

I had made a crock pot of chili on Saturday and had leftovers for dinner last night as well. That meant no muss and fuss and no dishes to worry about.

What a perfect day!

I love days like that, where nothing is expected of me. But I also love getting back to work as well. Keith has told me before that my days off strongly resemble my working days, and I expect to people on the outside, they do. But it is an entirely different mindset when doing something that I don't have to do - even if it is quite similar to my every day job. And I would think that it attests to how much I enjoy what I do every day. Nothing makes me happier.

Today I will be working on some new scroll saw designs. There is another deadline that is quickly approaching for the magazine, and I am going to be getting started on that. I then have some additional ideas for the holidays that I want to make for the site so that people have plenty of time to get them done. It is always busy.

I hope you had a good weekend as well. We have been fortunate that the weather here was lovely, and while it is hard to believe that September is gone already, I look forward to seeing what October brings.

Happy Monday to you all! I hope you have a wonderful day!
 

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#9,149 ·
My Day "Off"

It was a perfect autumn day yesterday. What started with a thick layer of morning fog turned into a brilliantly bright and sunny, yet cool afternoon. The leaves in the trees across the road along the river are just beginning to turn golden on the edges, and soon they will have the deep, rich colors that fall brings before they float to the ground. It is my favorite time of year.

We had a busy week and an even busier weekend. After the site update on Thursday, we hit a few milestones with our business. It is wonderful and exciting to see how much we are growing and how well our site is doing. We must be doing something right.

After finishing the "Jar of Snowies" pattern packet on Saturday afternoon, I found myself in a spot I am seldom in - I was caught up for the moment and everyone was satisfied. I know these moments don't last long - nor do I want them to. While I like taking a short breath of relief between projects, I like to have the next one (or more) projects lined up and be ready to move on them. It gives a sense of job security.

I certainly had some things that needed attention, but not the immediate attention that I was used to providing. Everything that had to be done could wait, and I took my opportunity to enjoy the day doing what I liked - without guilt or regret.

I made some cookies Saturday night. I had intended to work on some painting projects but instead I just played around on the computer, doing nothing in particular and visiting with friends. I played some computers games as well. I love hidden object mystery games where you have to perform tasks and find thing and move from place to place. I find them relaxing and each one tells a story that encompasses you as you play. It is my way to escape.

I designated yesterday the first official "jammie day" of the season. Even though the weather was nice, I felt I wanted to dig in and nest here for the day and catch up on some painting projects that I was working on for myself and my family. Keith had some things to do at his mom's so I had the place to myself and the cats and I spent the day with the cats filling some orders and painting and watching some movies. It was a great afternoon.

At one point, I walked away from my painting table and when I returned I found splotches of bright orange paint on my mat that I had set down to protect the table. "How did I do that?" I wondered, as I didn't remember being near the table for several minutes as I was sanding some wood pieces from a kit that was ordered from the site.

I followed the trail and it led to my cat Pancakes, who was sitting on the back of the couch. There were spots about every 6 inches or so apart, and yes - they were on the light tan couch as well. I inspected his feet and found that yes, indeed, he was the culprit. The evidence was pretty clear:

Cat Felidae Carnivore Gesture Small to medium-sized cats


I couldn't even be angry at him, as I am thinking that he just wanted to help. Besides, I keep a bottle of alcohol near by to take care of messes like that. A quick scrub of the spots with a washcloth and some alcohol and you would never know the difference. Besides - it made some funny conversation on my Facebook page. Many other shared their stories about how their cats tried to help them be creative. It happens and it wasn't a major disaster. I found it rather funny and dear that he tried to help me decorate. :)

The rest of the afternoon was fun and pleasant. I played a couple of good movies (One of them was "Secretariat" from last year) and I had an enjoyable afternoon of doing some low-stress, easy painting.

I am still working on the Harvest Pull Toy Platter
by Terrye French. Instead of painting the characters on the platter, I am doing them as 3-d stand-ups. This means painting on both sides, as I want the pieces to be able to be set on a table or really put anywhere. I had shown the first piece last week, which was the candy corn and crow:

Tire Wheel Bird Vehicle Beak


Since then, I have four additional pieces done of the eight. The Pumpkin:

Wheel Orange Creative arts Wood Serveware


The Witch's Boot:

Wheel Tire Automotive tire Electric blue Font


The Crow:

Toy Wheel Penguin Bird Beak


And the silly Cat:

Wheel Product Bag Luggage and bags Font


The boot was originally shown in grey, but I decided to go with purple. I often change the colors a bit on patterns to suit my taste.

I don't know why I enjoy this type of painting so much, but I do. It is fun and relaxing to paint in this style and I enjoy it a great deal.

I had made a crock pot of chili on Saturday and had leftovers for dinner last night as well. That meant no muss and fuss and no dishes to worry about.

What a perfect day!

I love days like that, where nothing is expected of me. But I also love getting back to work as well. Keith has told me before that my days off strongly resemble my working days, and I expect to people on the outside, they do. But it is an entirely different mindset when doing something that I don't have to do - even if it is quite similar to my every day job. And I would think that it attests to how much I enjoy what I do every day. Nothing makes me happier.

Today I will be working on some new scroll saw designs. There is another deadline that is quickly approaching for the magazine, and I am going to be getting started on that. I then have some additional ideas for the holidays that I want to make for the site so that people have plenty of time to get them done. It is always busy.

I hope you had a good weekend as well. We have been fortunate that the weather here was lovely, and while it is hard to believe that September is gone already, I look forward to seeing what October brings.

Happy Monday to you all! I hope you have a wonderful day!
Sheila your busy even when your chillin. :)
A orange pawed I did that on Shirleys out of the box car
She loved it they were silver paw prints
There is a childlike innocence about those paintings although
I'm sure they will be time consuming
Thembi is in labour so we are about to hear the pitta patta
of tiny boxer paws.
Have a great day
Sun is setting after a lovely day

Jamie
 

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#9,155 ·
Are "Variations" Considered "Cheating"?

Yesterday I spent the day lining up the next projects in my head for Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine. While we are on the first day of October here, in the publishing world, they are getting to closing up the submissions for the March issue. I am used to living in this time warp, as I have been working with the magazine for over fifteen years now and I always seem to be living in multiple seasons at one time. It is just my way of life.

Even the magazine issues seem to be living in their own parallel universe of time. The Christmas issue hit the stands in August and even though it is barely a week into fall, the projects that are in the current (November) issue have a flavor of both autumn and 'last minute' holiday projects.

I suppose that is how it needs to be. After all, most of our customers are crafters who do shows and need to have their own stuff done well ahead of whatever season is upon us. If the magazine doesn't give ample time for them to plan out the approaching season, what would be the point? It is a ripple effect that penetrates many layers.

In any case, what we are working on for that March issue are projects themed with 'romance'. The magazine will be on the stands right after the new year and people will be looking for gifts and trinkets to make for the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday. Many of the items in that issue will also serve a dual purpose for weddings, mother's day and a variety of other occasions, so things aren't just specialized for that one day.

In thinking about what I wanted to do for this issue, I had a couple of ideas. The recent popularity of my Nativity Christmas Box made me realize how many people like boxes. I don't make a lot of boxes, because I don't have a table saw readily available and cutting straight lines for mitered corners is challenging on a scroll saw - even for the best of cutters.

Rectangle Musical instrument Font Wood Art


But the decorative slotted corners in the box was a pretty good alternative. You didn't have to cut perfectly to get a nice and decent looking joint. I liked the way the corners met and made the box look. It seemed fitting for that style.

Wood Rectangle Artifact Font Art


So I was thinking about doing another box for the issue that we are working on. This time, instead of the Nativity theme, I would have a theme of 'romance.' I had a lot of ideas as to how I would accomplish this to make a project that was nice and would not only be used for Valentine's day, but also for anniversaries, weddings or other romantic occasions. I think it will come out nice and I hope it will be well-received.

I also had the idea of making some more 'key-styled' ornaments. I have so many ideas for other key themes and I think that they will be something that people will enjoy. My recent Halloween keys were very popular, as were the Nativity themed keys that matched the box. As you can see, there is a lot of variation in each of the styles and even though they are all keys, they are certainly different.

Brown Wood Religious item Font Cross


Brown Wood Font Cross Religious item


I have some ideas for making heart themed keys, and I want to have a set with those. I know that they will much different from the previous sets of keys that I had made. I even think they would be wonderful wedding shower favors that would be unique and serve as a wonderful keepsake for those attending, as well as the bride and groom.

I have had requests as well to make some Christmas themed key ornaments - both scrolled and painted - from people who enjoyed the other patterns. As usual, my head is spinning with ideas and I think that I can do some really fun things with that theme. I haven't seen them done before (in scroll sawing) and I think that it would be something new and exciting for people to make.

There is part of me that feels that I am 'cheating' when I take a concept and replicate it in different themes. But there is the other part of me that realizes that people have different tastes and want patterns for different items and are LOOKING for variations such as I am describing. I think of my candle trays and how even though I have so many of them available, there are still many, many more designs that I want to do. I also think of my Forest Leaf Series that has been such a strong seller (and STILL IS!) after almost 13 years when I first introduced it.

I don't like taking one design and planting it into another frame and calling it a "new pattern." While that is helpful to some who can't draw and like slight variations of designs, I feel rather guilty offering things like that as a new idea.

But making variations of things like the keys and Christmas boxes that are basically the same concept, but different enough in drawing, is something that I feel that my customers would like and appreciate. I welcome any thoughts you have on this idea.

So for today, I will continue on my path of drawing. I have the basic outline for the box mapped out and I see the fog lifting on the actual design. Yesterday was a day of thought and planning, and while there was not much that I physically created to show for my hard work, the basic foundation for my next several designs was sorted out in my head and created.

Some people wonder how I can make designing look so "easy." My only answer to that is because they don't see or realize the amount of unseen thought that I put into what I am designing. To some - those days may look like lazy days where nothing is accomplished. In reality, those are the most important times.

For now, I am going to give these variations that I am thinking about a go. While the concepts may be similar, I think that in the end the outcome(s) will be varied enough to make good patterns.

Is this cheating? I don't really think so. After all - one thing I find as a designer is that people's preferences and tastes are as unique as each individual. And appealing to as many of them as possible is just good business.

I wish you all a wonderfully productive and creative day!

Cat Vertebrate White Blue Carnivore


Mozart often wrote to his family that certain variations or sections of pieces were so successful that they had to be encored immediately, even without waiting for the entire piece to end. -Emanuel Ax
 

Attachments

#9,156 ·
Are "Variations" Considered "Cheating"?

Yesterday I spent the day lining up the next projects in my head for Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine. While we are on the first day of October here, in the publishing world, they are getting to closing up the submissions for the March issue. I am used to living in this time warp, as I have been working with the magazine for over fifteen years now and I always seem to be living in multiple seasons at one time. It is just my way of life.

Even the magazine issues seem to be living in their own parallel universe of time. The Christmas issue hit the stands in August and even though it is barely a week into fall, the projects that are in the current (November) issue have a flavor of both autumn and 'last minute' holiday projects.

I suppose that is how it needs to be. After all, most of our customers are crafters who do shows and need to have their own stuff done well ahead of whatever season is upon us. If the magazine doesn't give ample time for them to plan out the approaching season, what would be the point? It is a ripple effect that penetrates many layers.

In any case, what we are working on for that March issue are projects themed with 'romance'. The magazine will be on the stands right after the new year and people will be looking for gifts and trinkets to make for the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday. Many of the items in that issue will also serve a dual purpose for weddings, mother's day and a variety of other occasions, so things aren't just specialized for that one day.

In thinking about what I wanted to do for this issue, I had a couple of ideas. The recent popularity of my Nativity Christmas Box made me realize how many people like boxes. I don't make a lot of boxes, because I don't have a table saw readily available and cutting straight lines for mitered corners is challenging on a scroll saw - even for the best of cutters.

Rectangle Musical instrument Font Wood Art


But the decorative slotted corners in the box was a pretty good alternative. You didn't have to cut perfectly to get a nice and decent looking joint. I liked the way the corners met and made the box look. It seemed fitting for that style.

Wood Rectangle Artifact Font Art


So I was thinking about doing another box for the issue that we are working on. This time, instead of the Nativity theme, I would have a theme of 'romance.' I had a lot of ideas as to how I would accomplish this to make a project that was nice and would not only be used for Valentine's day, but also for anniversaries, weddings or other romantic occasions. I think it will come out nice and I hope it will be well-received.

I also had the idea of making some more 'key-styled' ornaments. I have so many ideas for other key themes and I think that they will be something that people will enjoy. My recent Halloween keys were very popular, as were the Nativity themed keys that matched the box. As you can see, there is a lot of variation in each of the styles and even though they are all keys, they are certainly different.

Brown Wood Religious item Font Cross


Brown Wood Font Cross Religious item


I have some ideas for making heart themed keys, and I want to have a set with those. I know that they will much different from the previous sets of keys that I had made. I even think they would be wonderful wedding shower favors that would be unique and serve as a wonderful keepsake for those attending, as well as the bride and groom.

I have had requests as well to make some Christmas themed key ornaments - both scrolled and painted - from people who enjoyed the other patterns. As usual, my head is spinning with ideas and I think that I can do some really fun things with that theme. I haven't seen them done before (in scroll sawing) and I think that it would be something new and exciting for people to make.

There is part of me that feels that I am 'cheating' when I take a concept and replicate it in different themes. But there is the other part of me that realizes that people have different tastes and want patterns for different items and are LOOKING for variations such as I am describing. I think of my candle trays and how even though I have so many of them available, there are still many, many more designs that I want to do. I also think of my Forest Leaf Series that has been such a strong seller (and STILL IS!) after almost 13 years when I first introduced it.

I don't like taking one design and planting it into another frame and calling it a "new pattern." While that is helpful to some who can't draw and like slight variations of designs, I feel rather guilty offering things like that as a new idea.

But making variations of things like the keys and Christmas boxes that are basically the same concept, but different enough in drawing, is something that I feel that my customers would like and appreciate. I welcome any thoughts you have on this idea.

So for today, I will continue on my path of drawing. I have the basic outline for the box mapped out and I see the fog lifting on the actual design. Yesterday was a day of thought and planning, and while there was not much that I physically created to show for my hard work, the basic foundation for my next several designs was sorted out in my head and created.

Some people wonder how I can make designing look so "easy." My only answer to that is because they don't see or realize the amount of unseen thought that I put into what I am designing. To some - those days may look like lazy days where nothing is accomplished. In reality, those are the most important times.

For now, I am going to give these variations that I am thinking about a go. While the concepts may be similar, I think that in the end the outcome(s) will be varied enough to make good patterns.

Is this cheating? I don't really think so. After all - one thing I find as a designer is that people's preferences and tastes are as unique as each individual. And appealing to as many of them as possible is just good business.

I wish you all a wonderfully productive and creative day!

Cat Vertebrate White Blue Carnivore


Mozart often wrote to his family that certain variations or sections of pieces were so successful that they had to be encored immediately, even without waiting for the entire piece to end. -Emanuel Ax
Sheila, they come to you for the ideas and combinations
The Devil is in the Detail they say and it is those little details
that make the finished projects.
I'm sure that to start I like to see many options and then once I get the
hang of things I can mix and match.
Yes people love boxes, all sorts of boxes and as many themes as you can dream
up.
If stuck for a gift I make a box or a bowl. That is normally at midnight on the
previous day.

Have a Sublime day, no pups yet
Jamie
 

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#9,168 ·
A 'Late' Start

I'll start out by admitting that I slept TEN hours last night. What the heck was that all about? I woke up sometime around 4am and thought - I'll go back for a bit and the next time I awoke it was 7:30. Wow! Half the day was gone!

It may still seem early to you all, but for someone like me who is a morning person, it may as well be noon.

I haven't had an alarm clock in years and years. When I did, I usually got up long before the alarm went off anyway and eventually just didn't see the need for it. We do keep one handy for those occasions once or twice a year when we have to leave for something or have an early appointment, but other than that, I don't bother.

I was really tired last night, and went to bed somewhere around 9:30. That was early for even my standards, as I am admittedly not a night person. But I was having trouble keeping my eyes open and thought - why fight it?

I tell myself that one of the reasons I rarely get sick is because I stay in tuned with what my body is telling me. While some people tell me that I work too hard or that I am always working, I do want to note that when I really feel like slowing down, I do. Fortunately, it isn't that often that I feel the need.

I think that keeping busy and working hard - especially on things you like to do - is good for you in general. I also think that having a positive attitude helps. A couple of weeks ago Keith was feeling pretty crummy for a couple of days. We live in close quarters and most thought it would be inevitable that I would also catch what he had. But I told myself that I would have nothing to do with that and lo and behold, I am fine. I really do believe in "mind over matter." (Scoff, if you will!)

Attitude certainly does play a large part in our existence.

So I am running a bit behind this morning and I have a full day planned. Unfortunately for the blog here, I am in the midst of drawing and I don't have anything cool to show you all (yet!) I do have a surprise to show later on this week, but I don't dare even hint at it in case something changes. I don't want to get everyone all stirred up for nothing. So I will just have to torment you all by letting you know that it's coming! ;)

So today's blog will be short and this is about all I have to say. Those of you who have followed over the years may recognize that these lulls in writing usually lead to some good things in the near future. Even though I write here every day and spill my soul to you all, I still like to have a little ceremonious unveiling of what I am working on when it is ready. (But not a moment before!) While things are calm on the writing side here, I am feverishly working on the drawing and creating side on my next project(s) for you all to see. And that really makes it fun!

So enjoy this beautiful Tuesday! Even though I awoke to thick fog this morning, the hazy sunshine has already burned it off and as I look out now I see another beautiful and brilliant autumn day! It is truly perfect!

I'll leave you this morning with a wise saying and a lovely cat picture to go with your morning coffee. Enjoy the season and embrace the day! And don't forget to do something creative! It feeds your soul!

Cat Plant Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats


Photograph by Ron Kimball Studios

The moment when you first wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen. - Monica Baldwin
 

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#9,169 ·
A 'Late' Start

I'll start out by admitting that I slept TEN hours last night. What the heck was that all about? I woke up sometime around 4am and thought - I'll go back for a bit and the next time I awoke it was 7:30. Wow! Half the day was gone!

It may still seem early to you all, but for someone like me who is a morning person, it may as well be noon.

I haven't had an alarm clock in years and years. When I did, I usually got up long before the alarm went off anyway and eventually just didn't see the need for it. We do keep one handy for those occasions once or twice a year when we have to leave for something or have an early appointment, but other than that, I don't bother.

I was really tired last night, and went to bed somewhere around 9:30. That was early for even my standards, as I am admittedly not a night person. But I was having trouble keeping my eyes open and thought - why fight it?

I tell myself that one of the reasons I rarely get sick is because I stay in tuned with what my body is telling me. While some people tell me that I work too hard or that I am always working, I do want to note that when I really feel like slowing down, I do. Fortunately, it isn't that often that I feel the need.

I think that keeping busy and working hard - especially on things you like to do - is good for you in general. I also think that having a positive attitude helps. A couple of weeks ago Keith was feeling pretty crummy for a couple of days. We live in close quarters and most thought it would be inevitable that I would also catch what he had. But I told myself that I would have nothing to do with that and lo and behold, I am fine. I really do believe in "mind over matter." (Scoff, if you will!)

Attitude certainly does play a large part in our existence.

So I am running a bit behind this morning and I have a full day planned. Unfortunately for the blog here, I am in the midst of drawing and I don't have anything cool to show you all (yet!) I do have a surprise to show later on this week, but I don't dare even hint at it in case something changes. I don't want to get everyone all stirred up for nothing. So I will just have to torment you all by letting you know that it's coming! ;)

So today's blog will be short and this is about all I have to say. Those of you who have followed over the years may recognize that these lulls in writing usually lead to some good things in the near future. Even though I write here every day and spill my soul to you all, I still like to have a little ceremonious unveiling of what I am working on when it is ready. (But not a moment before!) While things are calm on the writing side here, I am feverishly working on the drawing and creating side on my next project(s) for you all to see. And that really makes it fun!

So enjoy this beautiful Tuesday! Even though I awoke to thick fog this morning, the hazy sunshine has already burned it off and as I look out now I see another beautiful and brilliant autumn day! It is truly perfect!

I'll leave you this morning with a wise saying and a lovely cat picture to go with your morning coffee. Enjoy the season and embrace the day! And don't forget to do something creative! It feeds your soul!

Cat Plant Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats


Photograph by Ron Kimball Studios

The moment when you first wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen. - Monica Baldwin
Hi Sheila when the body needs the sleep that is the best thing
I see your cute cat and raise you four cute boxer puppies
Dog Dog breed Carnivore Liver Fawn

Mama Thembi is a bit out of it as she gave birth to two and had the other two
by section
Shirley has not slept since Monday

Have a wonderful day

Jami
 

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