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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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#10,513 ·
I LOVE the Sea!

Even though I was born and raised in the Midwest, I always loved the sea. From the time I was very young and took field trips with my class to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, to when I was a teen reading romance novels that were set in small seaside towns or villages, I dreamed of someday living near the ocean.

After many years and what seems like several lifetimes, I have come to realize my dream. I now live in a small town on the Eastern coast of Nova Scotia, and the ocean is only about a mile away. How fortunate I feel!

The other day we were driving along the ocean to get some ice cream and you could smell the fresh salt air as we drove. It wasn't at all unpleasant, but rather a crisp and clean smell that immediately brought forth feelings of calm contentment. Even though I have lived here in Coastal Nova Scotia for ten years now, I never take for granted the beautiful surroundings that are part of my life every day. I feel as if I live on a constant holiday, and between my beautiful surroundings and my love of my work, I don't think I could have a better life. I truly am fortunate.

Living in such an environment has had a great effect on my work. I am continually inspired by my surroundings, whether it is by a walk in the woods behind my house or a drive along the ocean. Not only am I inspired by what I see, but also by the quiet, reflective time that I spend thinking. I do feel that peaceful and pleasant surroundings are a wonderful catalyst for being creative. At least for me they are.

We have all heard the saying "necessity is the mother of invention.'' I find myself wanting this or that for my own use and enjoyment and over the years I have become somewhat of a master at tying it into my work and designing. This is great for me, as it justifies my own whims and ideas and it is also good for my customers as because I am excited at the prospect of creating something that I deem as fun, I pour my heart and soul into what I am doing and in the end it perhaps brings my designs up to another level. A personal level.

For several years now I have shown you all my little "All Season Tree" that sits in the corner of my living room. I've told the story of it before - how I kept a small artificial tree up all year so that my children could create new decorations for it for each season. I really wanted to share my creativity with them when they were growing up, and while my son proved to be a bit more 'technical' than 'artistic', they both did spend some time creating and I do believe they enjoyed the exposure and opportunity.

As the kids grew up, I found that the little tree became something of a reminder to me of those wonderful times spent one on one with each of my children. As I look at it today, it still brings back those memories to me and makes me feel good. So I keep it and I enjoy it and it has become a part of my life. I can't imagine not having it.

But as the years pass and the decorations that the children made are safely packed away or given to them, I use the tree as my own springboard for creativity. It is fun to change the theme throughout the year and it is always nice to have something new adorn it. While I have plenty of themes for the autumn and winter seasons, I find that I am sorely lacking for the spring and summer. Especially the summertime. It seems I am always so caught up in creating my autumn and winter projects in the summer and I just skip summer altogether. As I look at the tree today, it still has the pretty decoupage bunnies on it from a couple of months ago. While I love how they look, I feel that it is time I give the tree another face lift and change it to something that is truly summer. I have intended to do that the past several years, but this year my intentions changed into determination and I vowed to myself to take the time to make a summer theme. I decided to combine my love for the beach with that determination and I came up with an idea that is simple, but fun and cute.

I designed some Chalky Paint Sea Life Ornaments!



Even though they are a bit simple, I absolutely love them! I used DecoArt's Chalky Paint as well as some DecoArt Weathered Wood to give them a crackled, old finish. I then sanded them so they looked old and I think they came out looking just how I envisioned them!

The Chalky Paint gives them a beautiful, matte finish and they look old and worn. I think this is a great project for any level of painting and I even think it is a wonderful one to do with kids. They would also look good if you used regular acrylic and finished them with a matte varnish, but the Chalky Paint gives such a . . . well . . . CHALKY look to them that they look great! I have some wonderful hemp cord that will work beautifully as hangers and I plan to finish them up today.



I plan on offering both the PATTERN and the PRE-CUT WOOD KITS for these pieces as well. I think that even if you don't choose to paint them in this manner, there is SO MUCH you can do with these basic shapes!

Me being me - I didn't want to stop with this look. Today I am working on a second version of painting for these pieces - this time I am using Margot Clark's MUD Texture Paste.

If you go to Margot's page, you can see her using the MUD paste. It is fast, easy and I love it because it dries as hard as a rock. Yesterday I tried my hand at decorating the shapes with some of the past and I just loved the results!



I still have some details to work out, and I will be doing so today.

How much FUN are these? I love times like this when I just get to have fun and 'play'. I think both types of ornaments are fun and easy and I can see so many uses for them!

So it is back to "work" for me. I hope to have some more pictures for you tomorrow. I am already thinking of my next designs that I will be creating (which will be related to Halloween!) but for today, I will still enjoy my sea life project. More to come tomorrow on that . . .

Happy Thursday to you all! I hope you all have a fabulous day! :)
 
#10,514 ·
Sheila,

Thanks for the wonderful word picture of your "vacation" home location. We, too, feel like we live in a continual vacation location since we are so close to some of Wisconsin's largest lakes and love to fish (which we haven't done enough of lately). I'm sure you recall when you lived in Chicago that many people couldn't wait to go "up north" for the weekend. We are happy that it is seven days a week and not just a weekend that we get to spend here!

Your ornaments look really cute. I'm sure they will be a big hit!

L/W
 
#10,519 ·
More Sea Ornaments!

I spent the day yesterday refining the ornaments that I showed you in yesterday's blog. Those of you who have come to know me realize that I just can't do things one way. Keith often teases me because I think of so many variations of many of the different designs that I create, but when I think of several versions of doing things, it is hard for me to only make ONE - so I make them ALL! :)

I know it takes longer to do and I don't really think it matters. Even after they are finished, it is hard for me to decide which are my favorites. I was happy that I cut several sets of these cute sea life creatures out so that I had plenty to "play" with, but now my only problem is that I am going to need a bigger tree!!! Oh well - I COULD make a matching wreath to hand by our door! That idea just dawned on me this very moment. I suppose that I need to go to the store today to find a 'naked' wreath! Good thing I have extra storage now! (Ha! Ha!) It is also a good thing that Keith doesn't read the blog usually! Maybe he won't notice . . .

In any case, I LOVED the way the ornaments looked painted in DecoArt's Chalky Finish Paint, crackled and the edges sanded. They looked so weathered and cooll!



But I thought that some would like to see a little more detail in them, so I painted another set with the chalky paint and crackle, and then I added some BASIC float shading in white. What a cool difference that made!!



The difference that a few dots and a couple of lines make is really profound. I even painted in little black 'eyes' on the critters so they could see! :)



The colors are AMAZING and the crackle really adds to them as well. I just can't help but to smile when I look at them!

Finger Creative arts Thumb Nail Art


But that isn't all . . . I still had ANOTHER idea for these cute shapes!

What if . . .

I did NOT crackle them, but instead used Margot Clark's MUD texture paste for some simple details??

MUD is applied with a pastry bag and tip and is EASY-PEASY to use and makes things look textured and awesome! I applied the paste, painted the ornaments solid, and then dry-brushed some white to accentuate the dimensional MUD and here is what I got . .



Yet ANOTHER awesome variation! For these critters I used some hot fix Nail Heads from Rhinestone Canada. They are little painted metal disks that you put into place by using the heat wand that you use to apply the rhinestones. While you certainly can dot the eyes in with black paint, the metal disks really make these dimensional ornaments look amazing. They cost 55 cents per GROSS and come in all kinds of colors. I can see myself using them for many other applications in the future! Those of you who love to craft and decorate should really check out that site. I love their products and Linda the owner is a wonderfully pleasant woman. I love to see small businesses find success and this is one of my all time favorites. Even though they are located in Canada, all of my USA customers experience the same great (FAST!) service.

I am going to sell the designs for these ornaments in two separate patterns. The first pattern will have the basic shape cutting instructions as well as the crackling and float shading process. The second pattern will have the shapes and cutting instructions as well as the MUD instructions. I feel it is better to separate the MUD instructions because I do think that it will appeal to an entirely different group of crafters. I will certainly be offering the PRE-CUT WOOD PIECES for these ornaments as well, so that those who don't cut can still enjoy them.

For those of you who are interested in what the MUD really is, you can visit Margot's site and see a video here: Margot Clark. Her MUD is really a great product, as it dries hard as a rock and doesn't chip or crack. I love working with it!

Boy! I am having FUN! (Can you tell??)



Today I will be writing the instructions for these cute ornaments. I hope to have them posted on the site soon. Then I am working on my next project - a wonderful Halloweenie project (or two!) for the magazines! And then . . . who knows? :)

I hope you all have a great day and a wonderful weekend ahead. Here it is bright and warm and sunny. It looks to be a wonderful couple of days. Perhaps I will make it to the BEACH!

Happy Friday to you all! I wish you all a wonderful day!
 

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#10,520 ·
More Sea Ornaments!

I spent the day yesterday refining the ornaments that I showed you in yesterday's blog. Those of you who have come to know me realize that I just can't do things one way. Keith often teases me because I think of so many variations of many of the different designs that I create, but when I think of several versions of doing things, it is hard for me to only make ONE - so I make them ALL! :)

I know it takes longer to do and I don't really think it matters. Even after they are finished, it is hard for me to decide which are my favorites. I was happy that I cut several sets of these cute sea life creatures out so that I had plenty to "play" with, but now my only problem is that I am going to need a bigger tree!!! Oh well - I COULD make a matching wreath to hand by our door! That idea just dawned on me this very moment. I suppose that I need to go to the store today to find a 'naked' wreath! Good thing I have extra storage now! (Ha! Ha!) It is also a good thing that Keith doesn't read the blog usually! Maybe he won't notice . . .

In any case, I LOVED the way the ornaments looked painted in DecoArt's Chalky Finish Paint, crackled and the edges sanded. They looked so weathered and cooll!



But I thought that some would like to see a little more detail in them, so I painted another set with the chalky paint and crackle, and then I added some BASIC float shading in white. What a cool difference that made!!



The difference that a few dots and a couple of lines make is really profound. I even painted in little black 'eyes' on the critters so they could see! :)



The colors are AMAZING and the crackle really adds to them as well. I just can't help but to smile when I look at them!

Finger Creative arts Thumb Nail Art


But that isn't all . . . I still had ANOTHER idea for these cute shapes!

What if . . .

I did NOT crackle them, but instead used Margot Clark's MUD texture paste for some simple details??

MUD is applied with a pastry bag and tip and is EASY-PEASY to use and makes things look textured and awesome! I applied the paste, painted the ornaments solid, and then dry-brushed some white to accentuate the dimensional MUD and here is what I got . .



Yet ANOTHER awesome variation! For these critters I used some hot fix Nail Heads from Rhinestone Canada. They are little painted metal disks that you put into place by using the heat wand that you use to apply the rhinestones. While you certainly can dot the eyes in with black paint, the metal disks really make these dimensional ornaments look amazing. They cost 55 cents per GROSS and come in all kinds of colors. I can see myself using them for many other applications in the future! Those of you who love to craft and decorate should really check out that site. I love their products and Linda the owner is a wonderfully pleasant woman. I love to see small businesses find success and this is one of my all time favorites. Even though they are located in Canada, all of my USA customers experience the same great (FAST!) service.

I am going to sell the designs for these ornaments in two separate patterns. The first pattern will have the basic shape cutting instructions as well as the crackling and float shading process. The second pattern will have the shapes and cutting instructions as well as the MUD instructions. I feel it is better to separate the MUD instructions because I do think that it will appeal to an entirely different group of crafters. I will certainly be offering the PRE-CUT WOOD PIECES for these ornaments as well, so that those who don't cut can still enjoy them.

For those of you who are interested in what the MUD really is, you can visit Margot's site and see a video here: Margot Clark. Her MUD is really a great product, as it dries hard as a rock and doesn't chip or crack. I love working with it!

Boy! I am having FUN! (Can you tell??)



Today I will be writing the instructions for these cute ornaments. I hope to have them posted on the site soon. Then I am working on my next project - a wonderful Halloweenie project (or two!) for the magazines! And then . . . who knows? :)

I hope you all have a great day and a wonderful weekend ahead. Here it is bright and warm and sunny. It looks to be a wonderful couple of days. Perhaps I will make it to the BEACH!

Happy Friday to you all! I wish you all a wonderful day!
Good morning Sheila,
I really like your sea critters. I think they will be great sales items. As for the nice weather, I vote for the beach! Have a great weekend whatever you decide to do.
Rick
 

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#10,524 ·
A Short Escape

It was a truly lovely day here in Nova Scotia. As I sat on the deck eating my lunch with Pancakes and Keith, Keith mentioned that soon we needed to go take a day trip to the beach. I thought about it for about half a second and said to him "Let's go now!" and he readily agreed. There was no time like the present and both of us were kind of in between projects. I know better than to wait for when I am doing 'nothing' because that may be years on the horizon.

We packed up a few things and within minutes we were on the road in his little Miata with the top down driving along the coast.

What a perfect day!

We decided to go to a place called Sandy Cove which is located across St. Mary's Bay on what is referred to as "Digby Neck". It meant heading north almost to Digby and then coming back south again. It had been a couple of years since we were there and it was one of my favorite local beaches. It was always quiet and clean and it feels like you have your own private beach.

We had some errands to do in Digby as well, so it wasn't as if we needed a reason to head in that direction. We wound up spending a couple of hours on a nearly deserted cove right on the ocean. It was the perfect way to start the weekend.

I will let the photos speak for themselves . .

Water Sky Water resources Plant community Plant


Water Sky Beach Natural landscape Coastal and oceanic landforms


Water Sky Cloud Beach Natural landscape


Sky Water Food Hand Jaw


Water Sky Leg Beach Azure


Sometimes it is good to get away. No phones. No computers. Just you and the sun. With the busy weekend approaching, it was good to go while we could.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend as well. Remember to take some time to yourself to appreciate the beauty around you. You will be amazed how refreshing it can be! :)

Happy Saturday!
 

Attachments

#10,525 ·
A Short Escape

It was a truly lovely day here in Nova Scotia. As I sat on the deck eating my lunch with Pancakes and Keith, Keith mentioned that soon we needed to go take a day trip to the beach. I thought about it for about half a second and said to him "Let's go now!" and he readily agreed. There was no time like the present and both of us were kind of in between projects. I know better than to wait for when I am doing 'nothing' because that may be years on the horizon.

We packed up a few things and within minutes we were on the road in his little Miata with the top down driving along the coast.

What a perfect day!

We decided to go to a place called Sandy Cove which is located across St. Mary's Bay on what is referred to as "Digby Neck". It meant heading north almost to Digby and then coming back south again. It had been a couple of years since we were there and it was one of my favorite local beaches. It was always quiet and clean and it feels like you have your own private beach.

We had some errands to do in Digby as well, so it wasn't as if we needed a reason to head in that direction. We wound up spending a couple of hours on a nearly deserted cove right on the ocean. It was the perfect way to start the weekend.

I will let the photos speak for themselves . .

Water Sky Water resources Plant community Plant


Water Sky Beach Natural landscape Coastal and oceanic landforms


Water Sky Cloud Beach Natural landscape


Sky Water Food Hand Jaw


Water Sky Leg Beach Azure


Sometimes it is good to get away. No phones. No computers. Just you and the sun. With the busy weekend approaching, it was good to go while we could.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend as well. Remember to take some time to yourself to appreciate the beauty around you. You will be amazed how refreshing it can be! :)

Happy Saturday!
I wondered if you ever relaxed! Now lets see those painted toenails in the water! Yes, I know, that pink would turn to blue pretty quickly.
 

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#10,533 ·
My 'All Season Tree

"Why a Christmas tree in summer?" you may ask. (My neighbor Lee just asked me this yesterday!)

"It's NOT a Christmas tree." I replied "It's an 'All Season' tree. And it makes me happy ALL YEAR LONG."

Isn't that what life is all about? Isn't that the focus of ALL of our lives?

Living well and being happy. Seeing those we love smile. Enjoying what every beautiful day brings our way.

These are goals that most of us strive to achieve every day. While we all may have similar goals, we all seem to go about achieving them in different ways. Some people feel happiest when they receive financial success. Others are happiest when they see their own children thrive and grow to become responsible, productive adults - happy in their own rite. I have many, many creative friends that find happiness in making beautiful things and building their creative skills and following their creative dreams. Each one has their own story and personal agenda. It does me good to see each one of them accomplish their goals, one by one. It adds to my own contentment and happiness.

But happiness doesn't come in one fell swoop. To me, happiness is like an onion. There are layers and layes of things that make us feel happy and successful, and no one thing really defines our entire existence- any more than one single layer can define what makes up an onion. It is the overall sum of the layers that make up the whole. And I think that is a good thing.

I often speak of diversification. As much as we love one particular thing in our lives, I feel that it is good for us to diversify as much as possible. Not only because it allows us to experience much fuller lives, but also because if something goes awry in one area, we still have many other GOOD things to draw on and keep us happy. Diversification requires a bit of extra energy, and I find that people who are willing to put their energy into several things at once are not only some of the busiest people around, but also the happiest. It is all a matter of choices we make.

I used to scold my own children when they said they were "bored." They soon knew that using that word was not something that would be received in a positive manner by me. Part of it was because I was usually running in several directions at any given time and it amazed me that anyone could look at all the things this world has to offer and feel there was "nothing to do." The other part was because I wanted to teach them INITIATIVE to go and find something that would make them happy and fulfilled. Being complacent and waiting for life to come to you is not a trait I wanted them to have. And neither of them do, as even though they have very different personalities, both of them embrace life with enthusiasm and excitement and look for their own adventures. That makes me proud!

Back to the tree . . .

For those who haven't read the story of my little 'all season tree' (I have told it before here) I began having it when my children were young. They enjoyed having a Christmas tree so much and it seemed that even though we usually put up the tree on December 1st (my son Phil's birthday) and took it down after the new year, the time seemed very short to enjoy it. Besides, with all the rush of the holidays it was sometimes difficult to really enjoy it. One year I found a tall, skinny tree at an after Christmas sale and I bought it. We were just about ready to pack away all the holiday decorations (which was always somewhat depressing because the house looked so plain) and I decided to have the kids help make some fun "winter" ornaments for the tree so we could keep it up through the long, cold winter. When Valentine's Day approached, we changed the decorations to make a Valentine tree. Then St. Pat's day. Then Easter. (etc., etc.) Soon it became a tradition and there was really NO good time to remove it. Besides, it made me smile and brought joy whenever I looked at it. It still does, as even though the ornaments and decorations of the tree may have changed over the year, the memories of that time spent with my children live through it, and every time I see it I am reminded of those wonderful days with my children. It has become a tradition.

Since moving here to Nova Scotia ten years ago, I haven't always kept up with keeping my tree in the right season. Things get busy and designing is hectic and sometimes we leave things on well past the holiday or season they were intended for. But little by little I am doing better at catching up and although it has been a long time in coming, I finally have a wonderful summer theme to get me through the warmer months. Without further discussion, I present to you all my "Summertime Seaside Tree" theme . . .

Christmas tree Christmas ornament Holiday ornament Branch Twig


It is filled with my new little Chalky Paint Sealife Ornaments! I thought that a cheerful "sun" would make the perfect topper as well!

Christmas ornament Plant Holiday ornament Branch Twig


I found some netting by buying a bath pouf from the dollar store the other day and unravelling it for a garland:

Christmas ornament Plant Christmas tree Leaf Holiday ornament


And I have left the lights white, so it looks pretty cool. I think though that next year I will search for blue or turquoise lights so it will look more like under the water! Now that I have more storage, I feel that I can get something like that!

Christmas tree Christmas ornament Plant Nature Holiday ornament


So many fun and bright critters adorn it! I love how this turned out!

Christmas ornament Leaf Branch World Organism


Christmas ornament Plant Branch Holiday ornament Textile


Christmas ornament Christmas tree Leaf Plant Window


I can't look at the tree without smiling! It really brings a wonderful amount of joy to our place here! Today, I will be writing up the pattern packets for the sea life creatures. I will have one packet with cutting and painting instructions, and the other one with the cutting and dimensional MUD painting instructions. I have some other plans for the MUD creatures - you will just have to wait and see!

I will be offering both the patterns and the wood pieces for the sea life critters very soon. I hope to get everything up by the end of the week. I think that this project will have so many fun uses, and the painting of the pieces is easy enough to do with your children too. Maybe you will start your own tradition by having an "all season tree" in your home or camp? It is a great way to keep the kids excited and involved all year long.

I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday. Here it is bright and warm and sunny again. I hope I can stay in long enough to finish writing up my packets. Yesterday I admit the good weather was quite distracting and I didn't get as much done as I wanted. But today is a new day, and I will try my best.

Have a beautiful day! I hope you find something fun and creative to enjoy!

Plant Organism Art Grass Tree
 

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#10,534 ·
My 'All Season Tree

"Why a Christmas tree in summer?" you may ask. (My neighbor Lee just asked me this yesterday!)

"It's NOT a Christmas tree." I replied "It's an 'All Season' tree. And it makes me happy ALL YEAR LONG."

Isn't that what life is all about? Isn't that the focus of ALL of our lives?

Living well and being happy. Seeing those we love smile. Enjoying what every beautiful day brings our way.

These are goals that most of us strive to achieve every day. While we all may have similar goals, we all seem to go about achieving them in different ways. Some people feel happiest when they receive financial success. Others are happiest when they see their own children thrive and grow to become responsible, productive adults - happy in their own rite. I have many, many creative friends that find happiness in making beautiful things and building their creative skills and following their creative dreams. Each one has their own story and personal agenda. It does me good to see each one of them accomplish their goals, one by one. It adds to my own contentment and happiness.

But happiness doesn't come in one fell swoop. To me, happiness is like an onion. There are layers and layes of things that make us feel happy and successful, and no one thing really defines our entire existence- any more than one single layer can define what makes up an onion. It is the overall sum of the layers that make up the whole. And I think that is a good thing.

I often speak of diversification. As much as we love one particular thing in our lives, I feel that it is good for us to diversify as much as possible. Not only because it allows us to experience much fuller lives, but also because if something goes awry in one area, we still have many other GOOD things to draw on and keep us happy. Diversification requires a bit of extra energy, and I find that people who are willing to put their energy into several things at once are not only some of the busiest people around, but also the happiest. It is all a matter of choices we make.

I used to scold my own children when they said they were "bored." They soon knew that using that word was not something that would be received in a positive manner by me. Part of it was because I was usually running in several directions at any given time and it amazed me that anyone could look at all the things this world has to offer and feel there was "nothing to do." The other part was because I wanted to teach them INITIATIVE to go and find something that would make them happy and fulfilled. Being complacent and waiting for life to come to you is not a trait I wanted them to have. And neither of them do, as even though they have very different personalities, both of them embrace life with enthusiasm and excitement and look for their own adventures. That makes me proud!

Back to the tree . . .

For those who haven't read the story of my little 'all season tree' (I have told it before here) I began having it when my children were young. They enjoyed having a Christmas tree so much and it seemed that even though we usually put up the tree on December 1st (my son Phil's birthday) and took it down after the new year, the time seemed very short to enjoy it. Besides, with all the rush of the holidays it was sometimes difficult to really enjoy it. One year I found a tall, skinny tree at an after Christmas sale and I bought it. We were just about ready to pack away all the holiday decorations (which was always somewhat depressing because the house looked so plain) and I decided to have the kids help make some fun "winter" ornaments for the tree so we could keep it up through the long, cold winter. When Valentine's Day approached, we changed the decorations to make a Valentine tree. Then St. Pat's day. Then Easter. (etc., etc.) Soon it became a tradition and there was really NO good time to remove it. Besides, it made me smile and brought joy whenever I looked at it. It still does, as even though the ornaments and decorations of the tree may have changed over the year, the memories of that time spent with my children live through it, and every time I see it I am reminded of those wonderful days with my children. It has become a tradition.

Since moving here to Nova Scotia ten years ago, I haven't always kept up with keeping my tree in the right season. Things get busy and designing is hectic and sometimes we leave things on well past the holiday or season they were intended for. But little by little I am doing better at catching up and although it has been a long time in coming, I finally have a wonderful summer theme to get me through the warmer months. Without further discussion, I present to you all my "Summertime Seaside Tree" theme . . .

Christmas tree Christmas ornament Holiday ornament Branch Twig


It is filled with my new little Chalky Paint Sealife Ornaments! I thought that a cheerful "sun" would make the perfect topper as well!

Christmas ornament Plant Holiday ornament Branch Twig


I found some netting by buying a bath pouf from the dollar store the other day and unravelling it for a garland:

Christmas ornament Plant Christmas tree Leaf Holiday ornament


And I have left the lights white, so it looks pretty cool. I think though that next year I will search for blue or turquoise lights so it will look more like under the water! Now that I have more storage, I feel that I can get something like that!

Christmas tree Christmas ornament Plant Nature Holiday ornament


So many fun and bright critters adorn it! I love how this turned out!

Christmas ornament Leaf Branch World Organism


Christmas ornament Plant Branch Holiday ornament Textile


Christmas ornament Christmas tree Leaf Plant Window


I can't look at the tree without smiling! It really brings a wonderful amount of joy to our place here! Today, I will be writing up the pattern packets for the sea life creatures. I will have one packet with cutting and painting instructions, and the other one with the cutting and dimensional MUD painting instructions. I have some other plans for the MUD creatures - you will just have to wait and see!

I will be offering both the patterns and the wood pieces for the sea life critters very soon. I hope to get everything up by the end of the week. I think that this project will have so many fun uses, and the painting of the pieces is easy enough to do with your children too. Maybe you will start your own tradition by having an "all season tree" in your home or camp? It is a great way to keep the kids excited and involved all year long.

I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday. Here it is bright and warm and sunny again. I hope I can stay in long enough to finish writing up my packets. Yesterday I admit the good weather was quite distracting and I didn't get as much done as I wanted. But today is a new day, and I will try my best.

Have a beautiful day! I hope you find something fun and creative to enjoy!

Plant Organism Art Grass Tree
Absolutely with striving to be happy and comfortable with life each and every day! The tree is marvelous. "LOVE IT!"
 

Attachments

#10,541 ·
A Perfect World - Panel 11

Today's post will be rather short. I spent the day yesterday writing the pattern packets for the little sea life ornaments. I created two packets - one which uses the regular painting methods and the other using Margot Clark's MUD texture paste. I will be adding both patterns and the wood piece kits to my Etsy site later on today. I will have it on my Sheila Landry Designs site with the next update. :)

I finished right around dinner time last night, and then I spent the evening relaxing and I decided to work on my "A Perfect World" embroidery sampler. I was able to put the finishing touches on Panel 11. I must say that Panel 11 was not my favorite to do. There are a couple of reasons for this, and I will talk about them in a minute. First, the over photo of the panel:



The small purple flowers are the Pennyworts. I really liked doing them and I feel that my skills are improving. I was abale to leave the petals puffy and flowing without over tightening the ribbon. I was thrilled with them. :)



Now came the Cosmos.

This was not my favorite flower to embroider and I feel that is why it took me so long to do. The method used here was to iron interfacing to the back of the silk ribbon and then stitch the vein lines onto each petal. That was easy enough, but when you attached the 22 petals to the main piece, some of them needed to be curved upward. This caused you to see the interfacing on the back, which is white and I felt it was very distracting. I used a fabric marker to color in the underside of some of the petals, but I really don't like the look at all. I am debating whether to try to lift out some of the color with alcohol and fix it up or leave it. (Decisions, decisions!)



You can see on the flowers on the right (where the petals are turned up) what I am talking about. The over-saturation of pink looks better than the white did (trust me!) but I still don't like it. The centers came out fine and they helped make the overall flowers look better, but it is the first part of the piece that I am really not that happy with.

While I realize that in the overall work it will be far less noticable than the white backing, I can't help but feel that there had to be a better way to depict this flower. I am thinking it through. I may wind up tearing them out and trying again if I can think of a better method.

But no decisions need to be made at this moment. I have said all along that this would be a learning piece and it is my first attempt at this type of embroidery so I need to remember to be kind to myself and not beat myself up when things don't turn out perfect. While it is called "A Perfect World", I think that the only way it can "perfectly" depict the world is by also representing that our world is never really "perfect."

That's my story, and I am sticking to it! :)

Once again, the kit for this piece is on Di van Niekerk's website. She is a world class teacher and has the most beautiful materials to work with. Be sure to check it out if you want to treat your eyes!



Thank you for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful Monday!
 
#10,547 ·
Embracing Failure

No one likes to fail. I don't think anyone in their right mind would go into something or try something with the hope of failing. It just wouldn't make sense.

Yet - like it or not, failure is a real part of our everyday lives, and try as we may, failing from time to time is something that is usually unavoidable.

Failure is an important part of the learning process. Many scholars and scientists know that without experiencing some form of failure, it is nearly impossible to learn something new. Failing at something not only drives us to try again, but also helps us rule out what may not work in a particular situation. Because of this, I believe it is a very valuable tool in the learning process.

Most of us view failing as a negative thing. We hear of some type of failure and we immediately associate it with misfortune or sadness.

But what if we chose to look at it in the opposite sense? What if we detached all of those negative feelings we have toward failure and embrace it as a wonderfully positive part of the learning process and use it to our advantage? Wouldn't that be incredible?

We all know that experience is one of the best teachers. While we can learn from watching others and hearing about their plights and theories, nothing hits home harder than going through things first hand and trying things ourselves. While I can learn from watching videos of others painting, it isn't until I pick up a paint brush and try the technique myself that I am able to really understand the process and all that it entails. The small nuances of feel, texture and performance of pushing the paint with the brush are unable to be experienced by merely standing on the sidelines and watching another artist paint. No matter how detailed the explanation is, until we try the technique ourselves, we may never fully understand.

But in those trials, there is bound to be failure. We are more than likely to not get things perfectly right the first time and it may take many attempts and hours of practice until we feel completely comfortable with what we are trying to accomplish. But that is OK. That is what learning is all about.

I have been writing and blogging here with you all for over four years now. I post nearly every day and I invite you all to share not only my successes, but my failures as well. If you don't read every day and just look at the projects and patterns that I create, I expect it does look pretty simple.

I think of a design. I draw it. I create it.

From the outside it looks pretty easy.

Naturally we like to show our best work, and put our best foot forward. That is just part of human nature, I believe. But even though I show what I accomplish every day, I also like to share with you my failures. Not because I am particularly proud of them, but because I don't look at them as a negative thing and I believe that they are very functional in the learning process. It really IS alright to fail. I think it is pretty much expected. I honestly think that something is wrong when people expect to walk into something completely new and NOT expect a few bumps in the road along the way. While we may not be PROUD of our failures, I also feel that they are nothing to be ashamed of either. They are a functional and necessary part of the learning process and help us in more ways than we even realize.

With that said, I had a bit of a 'failure' yesterday.

As I looked again at my "A Perfect World" embroidery Panel 11, I just didn't feel right about it. It is funny, but posting pictures of my work here on the computer kind of puts it in a new light for me and I usually can get a different perspective. I dont' know if it is because I usually do so in the morning, allowing some time to pass between when I complete it and when I look at it again or just because it is usually magnified on the screen and bigger than life. In any case, I saw my cosmos flower and I really didn't "LIKE" it anymore. I couldn't put my finger on it. It looked a bit ragged and less-refined than the rest of the sampler. I had the growing feeling that I needed to rip it out and do it over. And once it began, it was difficult to suppress.

I thought about it throughout the day. I had followed the instructions to the letter, but I just hadn't liked the result. That meant that I would need to replace the part of the design with my own interpretation of the flower, and go off on my own.

Pretty scary.

This was my first attempt of this type of embroidery. The piece was one I proclaimed my "learning piece" and would be the equivalent to a college course in Ribbon Embroidery and Stumpwork. I have some more ideas as to what I want to design using this method, but I feel that I must complete my "course" of this sampler which includes over 60 different techniques. I wasn't sure I was ready to spread my wings just yet.

Yet . . . it bothered me so much, I had to do something.

I researched photos of cosmos so I knew where I was heading. A typical one looks like this:

Flower Plant Petal Botany Grass


I then thought of all the stitches I learned and read about and figured out how I would approach the 're-do'. I was nervous, but I picked up my seam ripper from my friend Roger and went to work, pulling out the first flower which represented several hours of time.

It took me nearly three hours to do the first flower, but in the end, I think I am much happier. The reworked flower is the one on the far right:

Flower Plant Dishware Purple Petal


Instead of the loose petals with the interfacing showing, I created petals that were folded under so that only the pretty ribbon edge showed. It took a great deal of time to free-embroider the tiny vein lines on the petals, but I do believe it was worth it. Things looked much neater and the flowers looked more in line with the rest of the piece:

Flower Plant Petal Textile Pink


I think it was a good solution.

As I said, it took me nearly three hours to accomplish this. But this piece was going along so well and I didn't want to have something that I was not comfortable with looking back at me. I would have obsessed on it too much and with the already hundreds of hours that I have into this piece (I began it in March and it won't be done until autumn, I believe) I thought that the extra 10 or so hours to re-do the flowers was worth it.

Flower Petal Textile Plant Creative arts


I am happy with the new flower. And I really learned a lot from this failure. While I can't say I was "happy" that I failed, I think that it was something that was necessary for me to learn and in the end, I will be better because of it.

I hope you all remember that when you fail at something. It is easy to look at others' work with envy, thinking how easy things come to them. I often hear that people think that things come "easy" to me. But that is only because they see the final product. If they only saw the process and the many, many failures that I have experienced in my travels, they would understand the truth. Nothing comes easy. It is a matter of how hard we want to work for it.

I think this applies to many things in life.

I have learned to embrace my failures instead of loath them. For without them, I wouldn't be the person I am or have the skills that I possess.

It is all a matter of perspective.

I wish you all a wonderful Tuesday!

Happy Canada Day to my host country! Thank you, Canada for giving me a second place to call "home".
 

Attachments

#10,548 ·
Embracing Failure

No one likes to fail. I don't think anyone in their right mind would go into something or try something with the hope of failing. It just wouldn't make sense.

Yet - like it or not, failure is a real part of our everyday lives, and try as we may, failing from time to time is something that is usually unavoidable.

Failure is an important part of the learning process. Many scholars and scientists know that without experiencing some form of failure, it is nearly impossible to learn something new. Failing at something not only drives us to try again, but also helps us rule out what may not work in a particular situation. Because of this, I believe it is a very valuable tool in the learning process.

Most of us view failing as a negative thing. We hear of some type of failure and we immediately associate it with misfortune or sadness.

But what if we chose to look at it in the opposite sense? What if we detached all of those negative feelings we have toward failure and embrace it as a wonderfully positive part of the learning process and use it to our advantage? Wouldn't that be incredible?

We all know that experience is one of the best teachers. While we can learn from watching others and hearing about their plights and theories, nothing hits home harder than going through things first hand and trying things ourselves. While I can learn from watching videos of others painting, it isn't until I pick up a paint brush and try the technique myself that I am able to really understand the process and all that it entails. The small nuances of feel, texture and performance of pushing the paint with the brush are unable to be experienced by merely standing on the sidelines and watching another artist paint. No matter how detailed the explanation is, until we try the technique ourselves, we may never fully understand.

But in those trials, there is bound to be failure. We are more than likely to not get things perfectly right the first time and it may take many attempts and hours of practice until we feel completely comfortable with what we are trying to accomplish. But that is OK. That is what learning is all about.

I have been writing and blogging here with you all for over four years now. I post nearly every day and I invite you all to share not only my successes, but my failures as well. If you don't read every day and just look at the projects and patterns that I create, I expect it does look pretty simple.

I think of a design. I draw it. I create it.

From the outside it looks pretty easy.

Naturally we like to show our best work, and put our best foot forward. That is just part of human nature, I believe. But even though I show what I accomplish every day, I also like to share with you my failures. Not because I am particularly proud of them, but because I don't look at them as a negative thing and I believe that they are very functional in the learning process. It really IS alright to fail. I think it is pretty much expected. I honestly think that something is wrong when people expect to walk into something completely new and NOT expect a few bumps in the road along the way. While we may not be PROUD of our failures, I also feel that they are nothing to be ashamed of either. They are a functional and necessary part of the learning process and help us in more ways than we even realize.

With that said, I had a bit of a 'failure' yesterday.

As I looked again at my "A Perfect World" embroidery Panel 11, I just didn't feel right about it. It is funny, but posting pictures of my work here on the computer kind of puts it in a new light for me and I usually can get a different perspective. I dont' know if it is because I usually do so in the morning, allowing some time to pass between when I complete it and when I look at it again or just because it is usually magnified on the screen and bigger than life. In any case, I saw my cosmos flower and I really didn't "LIKE" it anymore. I couldn't put my finger on it. It looked a bit ragged and less-refined than the rest of the sampler. I had the growing feeling that I needed to rip it out and do it over. And once it began, it was difficult to suppress.

I thought about it throughout the day. I had followed the instructions to the letter, but I just hadn't liked the result. That meant that I would need to replace the part of the design with my own interpretation of the flower, and go off on my own.

Pretty scary.

This was my first attempt of this type of embroidery. The piece was one I proclaimed my "learning piece" and would be the equivalent to a college course in Ribbon Embroidery and Stumpwork. I have some more ideas as to what I want to design using this method, but I feel that I must complete my "course" of this sampler which includes over 60 different techniques. I wasn't sure I was ready to spread my wings just yet.

Yet . . . it bothered me so much, I had to do something.

I researched photos of cosmos so I knew where I was heading. A typical one looks like this:

Flower Plant Petal Botany Grass


I then thought of all the stitches I learned and read about and figured out how I would approach the 're-do'. I was nervous, but I picked up my seam ripper from my friend Roger and went to work, pulling out the first flower which represented several hours of time.

It took me nearly three hours to do the first flower, but in the end, I think I am much happier. The reworked flower is the one on the far right:

Flower Plant Dishware Purple Petal


Instead of the loose petals with the interfacing showing, I created petals that were folded under so that only the pretty ribbon edge showed. It took a great deal of time to free-embroider the tiny vein lines on the petals, but I do believe it was worth it. Things looked much neater and the flowers looked more in line with the rest of the piece:

Flower Plant Petal Textile Pink


I think it was a good solution.

As I said, it took me nearly three hours to accomplish this. But this piece was going along so well and I didn't want to have something that I was not comfortable with looking back at me. I would have obsessed on it too much and with the already hundreds of hours that I have into this piece (I began it in March and it won't be done until autumn, I believe) I thought that the extra 10 or so hours to re-do the flowers was worth it.

Flower Petal Textile Plant Creative arts


I am happy with the new flower. And I really learned a lot from this failure. While I can't say I was "happy" that I failed, I think that it was something that was necessary for me to learn and in the end, I will be better because of it.

I hope you all remember that when you fail at something. It is easy to look at others' work with envy, thinking how easy things come to them. I often hear that people think that things come "easy" to me. But that is only because they see the final product. If they only saw the process and the many, many failures that I have experienced in my travels, they would understand the truth. Nothing comes easy. It is a matter of how hard we want to work for it.

I think this applies to many things in life.

I have learned to embrace my failures instead of loath them. For without them, I wouldn't be the person I am or have the skills that I possess.

It is all a matter of perspective.

I wish you all a wonderful Tuesday!

Happy Canada Day to my host country! Thank you, Canada for giving me a second place to call "home".
"I think of a design . I draw it . I create it "

...........what wonderful words to hear . I think when one embraces failures and carries on in spite of

of them , one not only advances her art, but also avoids a thing to be feared later on…....Regrets and
apathy . I really enjoyed all your thoughts on this topic . Have a wonderful creative time today !
 

Attachments

#10,553 ·
Swamped! :)

t isn't often that I say I am "swamped". Usually I am pretty darn organized and really on top of things. But there are times when there comes a burst of activity with my little business and I have to regain my composure.

This is NOT a negative by any means! I look at it as very much the opposite - especially at this time of year which is typically quite slow. It is an early indicator of things to come and helps us get ready for the busy autumn and holiday season. I am already excited thinking about it! Both Keith and I have some new things in store for you all that will really be FUN to make!

You will just have to 'stay tuned'!

Yesterday was both fun and full! I began my day with a wonderful phone visit with my daughter (which is why I didn't blog). I miss her so much living so far from her, but fortunately it is wonderful that she calls and we talk often and I can still feel that I am an important part of her life. I love hearing what she is up to and I am very proud of her accomplishments. She works nights so between that and the two hour time difference between us, it isn't always easy to find a time when both of us can chat. Yet we both make the effort and not too much time passes between calls. It was a great way to begin my day.

I had a sudden flurry of wood orders to cut as well yesterday. I had posted some of my new patterns on ETSY as well as in my painting groups and I am happy to say that word is getting "out" that I do some wood cutting. Since I hadn't submitted to Artist's Club this last round, our usual supplemental income for the summer will rely on personal orders. This is fine with me, as I love doing things of that nature. Mixing things up is fun and I love being able to provide a service for those who need it.

My biggest concern is that shipping costs are climbing, but since I only charge what I have to pay, people are very understanding and don't feel that we are trying to 'gouge' them. It is just part of the picture and everyone realizes that costs are rising.

Cutting production stuff is relaxing to me and it keeps my skills sharp. I am happy cutting one or two days per week and it also gives me a nice chance to work with customers on a one to one basis. It is all good.

Yesterday was my designated cutting day, and I really accomplished a lot in a short time frame:

White Leaf Gold Textile Font


I still have some light sanding to do today, but for the most part, I completed several orders.

Today I am working on clearing up the many emails I have to attend to. I usually answer things within minutes, but I am afraid I have fallen a little behind. I got to many of them this morning before writing, but plan to continue to clear things out throughout the day. I only tell you all of this stuff so that you (hopefully) understand if it takes a few hours for me to reply to you. I really do try to do my best and give each message or phone call the attention it deserves. Besides - I like getting to know my customers and hearing about their projects, etc. It is a great part of the business that I view as a benefit.

I am up against four major deadlines in the next two weeks. Fortunately, the 'thinking parts' of the projects are all in place and mainly what needs to be done is the actual implementation. For me, mapping it out in my head is the most time-consuming part and certainly the most important part. Once that is established, the rest is just creating, and that is FUN! I am sure I will share things with you as I create them.

So I will wrap things up this morning and get to the tasks at hand. But before I go, I wanted to share some photos with you that a customer sent in. Brian Becker used Keith's SLDK224 Self-Framing Cross pattern for a basis for a beautiful wedding plaque he created.

Wood Font Spoke Circle Symmetry


Here is his results:

Wood Dishware Font Handwriting Circle


Dishware Wood Tableware Serveware Circle


Wood Creative arts Art Hardwood Plywood


I really think it came out beautiful!

Both Keith and I receive emails all the time from people asking if they can alter our patterns for their own purpose. We always love to see what others do with our designs and how they use them to springboard their own ideas. Seeing things like this really makes us both happy and I thought it would be so inspirational to others. I want to thank Brain for sharing his beautiful plaque with us. :)

Although these past few days have been really busy, I found myself not overwhelmed, but very happy that I have the life I have. I have so many wonderful things that I am grateful for and I am reminded of them all throughout my day. I thank everyone who supports both Keith and myself in all the ways that you do. Not just by buying patterns, but by the encouragement and friendships that you all have offered to us. We really do appreciate it.

With all that said, it is time to get my day moving. I have a pile of wood to pack and prepare to go out in the mail today. I also need to start on my next painting designs which has a deadline of early next week. It will be fun to see that come to life, as I have been planning it for weeks.

I wish you all a wonderful day today. I hope you find some joy in what you do and the people around you.

Happy Thursday to you all!
 

Attachments

#10,554 ·
Swamped! :)

t isn't often that I say I am "swamped". Usually I am pretty darn organized and really on top of things. But there are times when there comes a burst of activity with my little business and I have to regain my composure.

This is NOT a negative by any means! I look at it as very much the opposite - especially at this time of year which is typically quite slow. It is an early indicator of things to come and helps us get ready for the busy autumn and holiday season. I am already excited thinking about it! Both Keith and I have some new things in store for you all that will really be FUN to make!

You will just have to 'stay tuned'!

Yesterday was both fun and full! I began my day with a wonderful phone visit with my daughter (which is why I didn't blog). I miss her so much living so far from her, but fortunately it is wonderful that she calls and we talk often and I can still feel that I am an important part of her life. I love hearing what she is up to and I am very proud of her accomplishments. She works nights so between that and the two hour time difference between us, it isn't always easy to find a time when both of us can chat. Yet we both make the effort and not too much time passes between calls. It was a great way to begin my day.

I had a sudden flurry of wood orders to cut as well yesterday. I had posted some of my new patterns on ETSY as well as in my painting groups and I am happy to say that word is getting "out" that I do some wood cutting. Since I hadn't submitted to Artist's Club this last round, our usual supplemental income for the summer will rely on personal orders. This is fine with me, as I love doing things of that nature. Mixing things up is fun and I love being able to provide a service for those who need it.

My biggest concern is that shipping costs are climbing, but since I only charge what I have to pay, people are very understanding and don't feel that we are trying to 'gouge' them. It is just part of the picture and everyone realizes that costs are rising.

Cutting production stuff is relaxing to me and it keeps my skills sharp. I am happy cutting one or two days per week and it also gives me a nice chance to work with customers on a one to one basis. It is all good.

Yesterday was my designated cutting day, and I really accomplished a lot in a short time frame:

White Leaf Gold Textile Font


I still have some light sanding to do today, but for the most part, I completed several orders.

Today I am working on clearing up the many emails I have to attend to. I usually answer things within minutes, but I am afraid I have fallen a little behind. I got to many of them this morning before writing, but plan to continue to clear things out throughout the day. I only tell you all of this stuff so that you (hopefully) understand if it takes a few hours for me to reply to you. I really do try to do my best and give each message or phone call the attention it deserves. Besides - I like getting to know my customers and hearing about their projects, etc. It is a great part of the business that I view as a benefit.

I am up against four major deadlines in the next two weeks. Fortunately, the 'thinking parts' of the projects are all in place and mainly what needs to be done is the actual implementation. For me, mapping it out in my head is the most time-consuming part and certainly the most important part. Once that is established, the rest is just creating, and that is FUN! I am sure I will share things with you as I create them.

So I will wrap things up this morning and get to the tasks at hand. But before I go, I wanted to share some photos with you that a customer sent in. Brian Becker used Keith's SLDK224 Self-Framing Cross pattern for a basis for a beautiful wedding plaque he created.

Wood Font Spoke Circle Symmetry


Here is his results:

Wood Dishware Font Handwriting Circle


Dishware Wood Tableware Serveware Circle


Wood Creative arts Art Hardwood Plywood


I really think it came out beautiful!

Both Keith and I receive emails all the time from people asking if they can alter our patterns for their own purpose. We always love to see what others do with our designs and how they use them to springboard their own ideas. Seeing things like this really makes us both happy and I thought it would be so inspirational to others. I want to thank Brain for sharing his beautiful plaque with us. :)

Although these past few days have been really busy, I found myself not overwhelmed, but very happy that I have the life I have. I have so many wonderful things that I am grateful for and I am reminded of them all throughout my day. I thank everyone who supports both Keith and myself in all the ways that you do. Not just by buying patterns, but by the encouragement and friendships that you all have offered to us. We really do appreciate it.

With all that said, it is time to get my day moving. I have a pile of wood to pack and prepare to go out in the mail today. I also need to start on my next painting designs which has a deadline of early next week. It will be fun to see that come to life, as I have been planning it for weeks.

I wish you all a wonderful day today. I hope you find some joy in what you do and the people around you.

Happy Thursday to you all!
That quite a cutting production! And I see some Halloween in there too!
Brian did a great job on the plaque.
Another beautiful sunny warm summer day here on the westcoast. A workshop day for sure!
 

Attachments

#10,557 ·
Happy Birthday, America!

I had a very busy day yesterday. I was surprised and thrilled at the response to the posting of my new patterns and surfaces in my ETSY shop. I also had several orders for wood pieces from other sources - including people that bought my wood kits from Artist's club previously and are looking for more. It is great to see that my long term thinking on this is working out. So much of owning and being successful business is thinking ahead and making decisions that are going to help the business farther down the road. You may not reap all of the benefits immediately, but sometimes laying the ground work for the future is even more important than instant gratification. Our Artist's Club venture is one of those great things because not only is there the short term payoff of getting paid for the kits we provide, but also the great amount of exposure we received from them and the customers that come to us for other things later on. It is a 'win/win' all around. Several of my recent wood orders are from customers who first heard of me through Artist's Club. I am very happy with how fair Artist's Club is regarding allowing me to keep all of my own company information on the products we provide for them. Believe me - many companies do not allow that, as they want to re-brand all that they sell as their own. I have worked with wood companies who actually stripped all of my information off of my work so that even if they wanted to do so, the customer was unable to contact me. I don't think that this is good for anyone involved. While the company selling the products may reap the benefits of the initial sale, I don't think that it would develop long-term loyalty of the customers - especially if the customer runs into issues or has questions about the pattern. Just my thoughts though.

I worked pretty much of the day on cutting and sanding wood, and getting the orders ready to ship. I was disappointed in myself for missing the 3pm deadline to get them to the post office, but with the additional orders going out, there was no way I could make it. Besides - I felt that the pieces needed one more quick sanding and I figured the quality was more important than the extra day to ship. I also cut extras so that I can get ahead of things so when additional orders come in, I will be ready. I just need to stay ahead of things.

It was hot here in Nova Scotia. I was sad to say I had a 'spell' of feeling quite poopie. While I tried to drink and eat properly, I believe the heat and humidity got the best of me. By the end of the evening I felt quite ill and overheated. In general I felt sick and just no energy so I had a cool shower, a glass of orange juice to raise my sugar level and went to bed very early (before 9pm). I think I was just exhausted. I feel better today, but woke up to an email box of over 100 messages. I will spend the morning trying to catch up - a late morning mind you, as I slept until (egads!) 7:30. Time to slow down! :)

Today is a holiday in the United States - my other country I call "home" and I wish all of my fellow Americans a wonderfully Happy Independence Day!

Toy Textile Mammal Stuffed toy Teddy bear


I hope you all have a wonderful and SAFE long weekend! I think on July 4th is when I miss being in the USA the most. I have so many wonderful memories of when my kids were small and when we had wonderful picnics and gatherings. I can't help but share a photo of my daughter, Danielle in an outfit I made her for her first 4th of July celebration.

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


I know - she will not be happy with me for posting - but it is so CUTE I can't help it! :)

Happy Birthday, America!

Have fun! Play hard! Be safe!
 

Attachments

#10,558 ·
Happy Birthday, America!

I had a very busy day yesterday. I was surprised and thrilled at the response to the posting of my new patterns and surfaces in my ETSY shop. I also had several orders for wood pieces from other sources - including people that bought my wood kits from Artist's club previously and are looking for more. It is great to see that my long term thinking on this is working out. So much of owning and being successful business is thinking ahead and making decisions that are going to help the business farther down the road. You may not reap all of the benefits immediately, but sometimes laying the ground work for the future is even more important than instant gratification. Our Artist's Club venture is one of those great things because not only is there the short term payoff of getting paid for the kits we provide, but also the great amount of exposure we received from them and the customers that come to us for other things later on. It is a 'win/win' all around. Several of my recent wood orders are from customers who first heard of me through Artist's Club. I am very happy with how fair Artist's Club is regarding allowing me to keep all of my own company information on the products we provide for them. Believe me - many companies do not allow that, as they want to re-brand all that they sell as their own. I have worked with wood companies who actually stripped all of my information off of my work so that even if they wanted to do so, the customer was unable to contact me. I don't think that this is good for anyone involved. While the company selling the products may reap the benefits of the initial sale, I don't think that it would develop long-term loyalty of the customers - especially if the customer runs into issues or has questions about the pattern. Just my thoughts though.

I worked pretty much of the day on cutting and sanding wood, and getting the orders ready to ship. I was disappointed in myself for missing the 3pm deadline to get them to the post office, but with the additional orders going out, there was no way I could make it. Besides - I felt that the pieces needed one more quick sanding and I figured the quality was more important than the extra day to ship. I also cut extras so that I can get ahead of things so when additional orders come in, I will be ready. I just need to stay ahead of things.

It was hot here in Nova Scotia. I was sad to say I had a 'spell' of feeling quite poopie. While I tried to drink and eat properly, I believe the heat and humidity got the best of me. By the end of the evening I felt quite ill and overheated. In general I felt sick and just no energy so I had a cool shower, a glass of orange juice to raise my sugar level and went to bed very early (before 9pm). I think I was just exhausted. I feel better today, but woke up to an email box of over 100 messages. I will spend the morning trying to catch up - a late morning mind you, as I slept until (egads!) 7:30. Time to slow down! :)

Today is a holiday in the United States - my other country I call "home" and I wish all of my fellow Americans a wonderfully Happy Independence Day!

Toy Textile Mammal Stuffed toy Teddy bear


I hope you all have a wonderful and SAFE long weekend! I think on July 4th is when I miss being in the USA the most. I have so many wonderful memories of when my kids were small and when we had wonderful picnics and gatherings. I can't help but share a photo of my daughter, Danielle in an outfit I made her for her first 4th of July celebration.

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


I know - she will not be happy with me for posting - but it is so CUTE I can't help it! :)

Happy Birthday, America!

Have fun! Play hard! Be safe!
Happy 4th July Sheila! Cute outfit you made for your daughter.
Hope the storm heading your way doesn't effect you too much. Have a good weekend.
 

Attachments

#10,560 ·
Finally on to Designing

Even though I know it isn't the case, it seems like a long, long time since I have been drawing and designing. I think that so much occurs in between different types of things that I do (drawing, cutting, painting) that it only appears to me that it has been a while. It was only last week that I finished up my Chalky Finish (or not!) Beach Ornaments. Right now the pattern and pieces are only available at my ETSY store . I re-opened my store about a week and a half ago and I think it has proven to be a really good place to immediately post my projects and surfaces in between site updates. The cost is very minimal and it doesn't take much time or effort.

Many of you love to see my 'works in progress' and are anxious to purchase the patterns once they are done. As with these new patterns, they were finished in between site updates and it will probably be another week at least until we update again and include them. I found that the enthusiasm that many of you had was possibly lost in waiting for me to do to the update. Keith likes to do the main work on the site updates because he wants everything to be a certain way. While I feel that if necessary I can update things (I certainly know how to add new products) to our site, Keith is sure to put everything into proper categories, use consistently sized photographs, and all kinds of behind the scenes things that make our site here look as nice as it does. Besides - it is nice for me to pass off that part of the business to him. I feel he does a really beautiful job with it and much better than I can do.

So as another option, I chose to just add stuff to the Etsy site, as everything is pretty much on a template there and it does a good job of getting the new things 'out there' and also has served to bring new people to our business. Many times one would see our products on ETSY and even purchase one and then go to the main site and become a regular customer. Yes - it is a bit more work, but it serves to really be beneficial in presenting our items to 'new eyes'.

Diversification is a real key to small business success I believe. I think that smaller businesses need to appeal to as many new people as possible and try many different avenues until they find what will really support them. Many people don't have the luxury of the time it takes to apply this trial and error philosophy, but I find that expanding into many related areas has helped our business grow. I am very happy with the direction we are heading.

I had quite a productive day yesterday. I finished all of my orders and got them all sent out. That, I felt was a huge accomplishment because I was also able to make several extra wooden pieces to have some stock here for subsequent orders. That way I don't have to stop what I am doing every time wood is ordered and it is really nice to just pull it out of my supply boxes. Because we live in a small place, I don't keep too many extra pieces here. But that is also good in that nothing really goes to waste and I am not over spending on either time nor materials. Everyone wins that way as it helps me keep the prices low.

Today I need to put on my "drawing hat" and really finish mapping out the next painting project. I was invited to submit to an online painting magazine and I am very happy to do so. I already have the design thought through (I do this while I am doing my production work - double duty!) so all I need to do is draw it and paint it and I will be good to go. It will be a Halloween themed project because the online issue I will be contributing to will be the August issue. I am excited about it because it will again bring my work to perhaps some new people who haven't heard of me. It is all good.

I am a little late in posting today because I was trying to get through the large amounts of emails that built up while I was at the saw and sander. I think at one point yesterday I had 170 unopened emails and while not each one required a personal answer, it was a bit overwhelming nonetheless. For those of you who had to wait for a reply - I thank you for your patience. Sometimes I just have to let them build up a little.

We are in the midst of what is left of Hurricane Arthur today. We had predictions of winds up to 129km, but I doubt it will be that bad. It was a bit windy this morning, and it has been raining as well, but it has slowed down and claimed down a great deal here at 9:30am and I really think it will not be much worse. Thank goodness the storm brought some crisp and cool air with it! The past two days were so hot and muggy they were just debilitating. I much prefer the cool. Tomorrow promises to be sunny and warm again. I'll take it!

Finally for today, I wanted to share a wonderful picture that was sent in by a customer, Kevin Colf.



This is Kevin's version of my SLD469 Life is Better at the Lake pattern. He lives in the Fingers Lakes region of New York State and added Keuka Lake instead of the waves. I think it looks great! I love how people personalize my patterns to suit their own needs. It really is cool to see.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Summer is now in full swing so I hope you enjoy it to the fullest.

Happy Saturday to you!
 
#10,569 ·
A Weekend Without Power

I suppose I spoke too soon on Saturday. After all the cries of "wolf" continually from the weather channels, we had really become accustomed to not paying much heed to their dire warnings of impending doom. Since Keith and I don't even get 'regular TV' we only had heard about the storm from others. I checked the map on Friday to see Arthur's progress and it appeared to hit land and be winding down. Surely by the time it reached Nova Scotia, it would be minimal.

I suppose I was wrong.

While we didn't receive much rain, the wind and wind damage was far beyond our expectations. In my ten years here in Nova Scotia, I had never experienced wind with such power. Keith had gone to his mom's to work on a project and had called me around 11:30 to say they lost power there. She is located on a hill much closer to the ocean than us though and typically gets hit worse than use during storms such as these.

Just to be safe, I unplugged everything after his call. Thing had flickered anyway and I didn't want to take the chance of losing any of our electronics due to a power surge, brown out, or any other similar factors. With minutes of unplugging things, we lost power. That was about 12:15 in the afternoon on Saturday and we wound up not having power until 11pm Sunday night.

Long story short, it was a different weekend. Where we live, not only does losing power mean we lost anything electrical, but it also means our water pump doesn't operate so we have no water. Fortunately, I had filled up several large pots with water to drink and wash with, as we have been caught without before. We had lamps, a bar-b-que, and felt we were pretty much ready for the long haul if necessary. However, all the computer work that I intended to do this weekend was not an option. I had to do something else.

I finished hand sanding all the wood that needed to go out today. That was actually quite relaxing. We then took a nap for a couple of hours, as the past weeks' work was catching up to me. At dinner time, we decided to head out to see what damages were made, as by then the storm had completely passed and the winds and rain had stopped almost completely.

We were very shocked to see the great amount of trees that had fallen and the devastation that the storm had brought. At Keith's mom's house, which has woods behind it, several trees had fallen and been completely ripped from the ground. We decided to head to Yarmouth and on the way we saw so many huge trees completely uprooted and laying on power lines, sheds, homes and so forth. It was very sad and troubling. We arrived in Yarmouth shortly after power had been restored there (about 7:30 pm) and people were already cleaning their yards and picking up all the debris. We ate our dinner and stopped in the grocery store to see that all the refrigerated products were completely empty. Apparently they had moved out all items and put them in storage when the power was lost.

We stopped back at Keith's mom's on the way home to check on her and report the damage. While Yarmouth had power, it seemed that there was no power anywhere else. We arrived home around midnight and were preparing for the long haul.

Yesterday morning still no power or water and I managed to make a good pot of coffee on the bar-b-que. At least with that I could survive. Keith was antsy and decided to go to his mom's and asses the damage and begin clean up. I waited here with the cats and kept the home fires burning. With my recent back issues and it still being tender, I was afraid hauling branches would not be good for me. I still haven't been able to get to the gym and when I went out to the well in the back to bring a bucket of water in for the potty, I thought I pulled it out again. I guess that I just have to keep going slow.

I spent the afternoon working on my "A Perfect World" embroidery. I was worried about my deadlines, but since I was at a point at them where I needed my computer, I couldn't move forward on any of them. So I decided to just go with what was dealt to me and take a 'forced vacation'. I was at the point where I wanted to re-work panel 11 because I was unhappy with the cosmos flower petals. I had shown the first of the flower reworked and I felt I was on the right track, I just needed to do the other two.

This was how it looked last week when I finished it:

Flower Plant Dishware Purple Petal


I felt the petals of the pink cosmos looked sloppy and unfinshed:

Flower Dishware Purple Petal Plant


They were lined with interfacing and some of them were supposed to flip over, which showed the ugly underside. The edges were left raw as well.

So what I did was this - I used the ribbon and did what is called a 'straight stitch'. I did this very loosely so that I was able to fold the outer part of each petal over itself, so the flip would show the good side of the ribbon and the edges would be neat. I embroidered a split stitch in silk thread over each petal both to attache it to the main piece and denote vein lines in them, which are characteristic of cosmos. The outer parts of the petals were stitched free from the background so I was able to 'coax' them into shape to look like they are dimensional and turning. The silk stitches also helped to 'ruffle' the tips of the petals. While it was a bit tedious, I feel it was very worth the results. After probably investing several hundred hours to date in this piece, re-doing something like this was certainly the only option since I wasn't happy with it. For me leaving it would have ruined the entire piece.

Here is the results of my re-do:

Flower Plant Leaf Botany Purple


The individual flower look so much better:

Flower Petal Textile Doily Creative arts


Flower Petal Textile Creative arts Pink


Flower Plant Petal Textile Creative arts


Flower Plant Petal Textile Creative arts


You can see the dimension is really nice as well:

Flower Plant Dishware Petal Purple


My entire attitude toward the piece is once again positive. I was quite a discouraged after last week and I knew that I wouldn't be happy until I did something about it.

I hope you all like the newer version better as well.

Today will be a day of catching up again. I am sad about my deadlines being so goofed up, but I am happy that I was able to at least accomplish something productive. I loved the way that the people around us banded together as well, as our neighbors were wonderful in checking on us and everyone helped each other and let each other know they were there for them. It kind of renews your faith in people. :)

If I am slow in answering, please bear with me. Just as I was catching up, I have a filled email box again and many things to do. Thank you to all of you who checked on us as well. I believe the next time we are warned, we will be a bit more attentive and take it more seriously. Even if it turns out to be a cry of "wolf" we will be better safe than sorry.

I wish you all a wonderful Monday!
 

Attachments

#10,570 ·
A Weekend Without Power

I suppose I spoke too soon on Saturday. After all the cries of "wolf" continually from the weather channels, we had really become accustomed to not paying much heed to their dire warnings of impending doom. Since Keith and I don't even get 'regular TV' we only had heard about the storm from others. I checked the map on Friday to see Arthur's progress and it appeared to hit land and be winding down. Surely by the time it reached Nova Scotia, it would be minimal.

I suppose I was wrong.

While we didn't receive much rain, the wind and wind damage was far beyond our expectations. In my ten years here in Nova Scotia, I had never experienced wind with such power. Keith had gone to his mom's to work on a project and had called me around 11:30 to say they lost power there. She is located on a hill much closer to the ocean than us though and typically gets hit worse than use during storms such as these.

Just to be safe, I unplugged everything after his call. Thing had flickered anyway and I didn't want to take the chance of losing any of our electronics due to a power surge, brown out, or any other similar factors. With minutes of unplugging things, we lost power. That was about 12:15 in the afternoon on Saturday and we wound up not having power until 11pm Sunday night.

Long story short, it was a different weekend. Where we live, not only does losing power mean we lost anything electrical, but it also means our water pump doesn't operate so we have no water. Fortunately, I had filled up several large pots with water to drink and wash with, as we have been caught without before. We had lamps, a bar-b-que, and felt we were pretty much ready for the long haul if necessary. However, all the computer work that I intended to do this weekend was not an option. I had to do something else.

I finished hand sanding all the wood that needed to go out today. That was actually quite relaxing. We then took a nap for a couple of hours, as the past weeks' work was catching up to me. At dinner time, we decided to head out to see what damages were made, as by then the storm had completely passed and the winds and rain had stopped almost completely.

We were very shocked to see the great amount of trees that had fallen and the devastation that the storm had brought. At Keith's mom's house, which has woods behind it, several trees had fallen and been completely ripped from the ground. We decided to head to Yarmouth and on the way we saw so many huge trees completely uprooted and laying on power lines, sheds, homes and so forth. It was very sad and troubling. We arrived in Yarmouth shortly after power had been restored there (about 7:30 pm) and people were already cleaning their yards and picking up all the debris. We ate our dinner and stopped in the grocery store to see that all the refrigerated products were completely empty. Apparently they had moved out all items and put them in storage when the power was lost.

We stopped back at Keith's mom's on the way home to check on her and report the damage. While Yarmouth had power, it seemed that there was no power anywhere else. We arrived home around midnight and were preparing for the long haul.

Yesterday morning still no power or water and I managed to make a good pot of coffee on the bar-b-que. At least with that I could survive. Keith was antsy and decided to go to his mom's and asses the damage and begin clean up. I waited here with the cats and kept the home fires burning. With my recent back issues and it still being tender, I was afraid hauling branches would not be good for me. I still haven't been able to get to the gym and when I went out to the well in the back to bring a bucket of water in for the potty, I thought I pulled it out again. I guess that I just have to keep going slow.

I spent the afternoon working on my "A Perfect World" embroidery. I was worried about my deadlines, but since I was at a point at them where I needed my computer, I couldn't move forward on any of them. So I decided to just go with what was dealt to me and take a 'forced vacation'. I was at the point where I wanted to re-work panel 11 because I was unhappy with the cosmos flower petals. I had shown the first of the flower reworked and I felt I was on the right track, I just needed to do the other two.

This was how it looked last week when I finished it:

Flower Plant Dishware Purple Petal


I felt the petals of the pink cosmos looked sloppy and unfinshed:

Flower Dishware Purple Petal Plant


They were lined with interfacing and some of them were supposed to flip over, which showed the ugly underside. The edges were left raw as well.

So what I did was this - I used the ribbon and did what is called a 'straight stitch'. I did this very loosely so that I was able to fold the outer part of each petal over itself, so the flip would show the good side of the ribbon and the edges would be neat. I embroidered a split stitch in silk thread over each petal both to attache it to the main piece and denote vein lines in them, which are characteristic of cosmos. The outer parts of the petals were stitched free from the background so I was able to 'coax' them into shape to look like they are dimensional and turning. The silk stitches also helped to 'ruffle' the tips of the petals. While it was a bit tedious, I feel it was very worth the results. After probably investing several hundred hours to date in this piece, re-doing something like this was certainly the only option since I wasn't happy with it. For me leaving it would have ruined the entire piece.

Here is the results of my re-do:

Flower Plant Leaf Botany Purple


The individual flower look so much better:

Flower Petal Textile Doily Creative arts


Flower Petal Textile Creative arts Pink


Flower Plant Petal Textile Creative arts


Flower Plant Petal Textile Creative arts


You can see the dimension is really nice as well:

Flower Plant Dishware Petal Purple


My entire attitude toward the piece is once again positive. I was quite a discouraged after last week and I knew that I wouldn't be happy until I did something about it.

I hope you all like the newer version better as well.

Today will be a day of catching up again. I am sad about my deadlines being so goofed up, but I am happy that I was able to at least accomplish something productive. I loved the way that the people around us banded together as well, as our neighbors were wonderful in checking on us and everyone helped each other and let each other know they were there for them. It kind of renews your faith in people. :)

If I am slow in answering, please bear with me. Just as I was catching up, I have a filled email box again and many things to do. Thank you to all of you who checked on us as well. I believe the next time we are warned, we will be a bit more attentive and take it more seriously. Even if it turns out to be a cry of "wolf" we will be better safe than sorry.

I wish you all a wonderful Monday!
Hi Sheila, I'm glad to hear you survived the storm. We see on the news how much damage the wind created. Hope you have a sunny and calm week!
Love the re-do on the petals. It looks like it fits in with the whole theme much better.
 

Attachments

#10,573 ·
Research for a project

Today's blog is going to be a bit shorter than what you are used to (I promise!) I am still getting back on my feet and I spent the day yesterday finishing catching up with things and beginning work on my new project. This project is a Halloween themed item and it is really going to be cool (I hope!) It is more of a painting project, but I also think that I am going to make a scroll sawn version of it as well, as I think it will appeal to the scrollers and adapt well to an all wood presentation without paint.

I was doing the research for it when I lost power on Saturday. I like to research what I am doing, as it is important to make sure that my subject matter is labeled and depicted correctly. You would be amazed at how many emails Keith and I get when we do subjects of animals such as Elk and Caribou and call the project one or the other. Even though we both have looked into this extensively, the similarities between the two always offer some amount of confusion. They are very closely related and it is difficult for the experts to distinguish one from the other. While the subject that I am working on is NOT the Elk or Caribou, it still needs some research to make sure I am show it correctly.

With that said, I need to keep things short today. I slept in a little late and that always puts me behind. Usually I am up at around six but this morning I didn't get up until just after eight. I must have been sleepy from the excitement of the weekend!

One more thing I wanted to mention was that wanted to send a big "thank you" to my friend Suzanne from New York who sent me some of my favorite snacks.

Food Ingredient Cuisine Dish Convenience food


It is funny how we sometimes can't get the things we like here in Canada that we used to get regularly in the United States. I mentioned this to Sue the other day when we were talking on the phone and yesterday I received a box full of Oyster crackers! What a wonderful and thoughtful treat! I am sure it cost her more to ship them than they cost to buy. I met Suzanne through a wonderful group on Facebook and we have since become good friends, as I have with so many from my social media groups.

Networking and meeting other creative people is really uplifting. Not only does it help you find answers to particular questions you may have regarding your creative processes, but it is also very inspirational for you to have others to share your passions. It keeps enthusiasm at a high level and really enriches your life.

Today, it is more drawing and (hopefully) I can begin painting. I hope to have more to show you tomorrow on my progress for this project. I see it in my mind and I am excited about making it a reality.

I wish you all a wonderful Tuesday!
 

Attachments

#10,574 ·
Research for a project

Today's blog is going to be a bit shorter than what you are used to (I promise!) I am still getting back on my feet and I spent the day yesterday finishing catching up with things and beginning work on my new project. This project is a Halloween themed item and it is really going to be cool (I hope!) It is more of a painting project, but I also think that I am going to make a scroll sawn version of it as well, as I think it will appeal to the scrollers and adapt well to an all wood presentation without paint.

I was doing the research for it when I lost power on Saturday. I like to research what I am doing, as it is important to make sure that my subject matter is labeled and depicted correctly. You would be amazed at how many emails Keith and I get when we do subjects of animals such as Elk and Caribou and call the project one or the other. Even though we both have looked into this extensively, the similarities between the two always offer some amount of confusion. They are very closely related and it is difficult for the experts to distinguish one from the other. While the subject that I am working on is NOT the Elk or Caribou, it still needs some research to make sure I am show it correctly.

With that said, I need to keep things short today. I slept in a little late and that always puts me behind. Usually I am up at around six but this morning I didn't get up until just after eight. I must have been sleepy from the excitement of the weekend!

One more thing I wanted to mention was that wanted to send a big "thank you" to my friend Suzanne from New York who sent me some of my favorite snacks.

Food Ingredient Cuisine Dish Convenience food


It is funny how we sometimes can't get the things we like here in Canada that we used to get regularly in the United States. I mentioned this to Sue the other day when we were talking on the phone and yesterday I received a box full of Oyster crackers! What a wonderful and thoughtful treat! I am sure it cost her more to ship them than they cost to buy. I met Suzanne through a wonderful group on Facebook and we have since become good friends, as I have with so many from my social media groups.

Networking and meeting other creative people is really uplifting. Not only does it help you find answers to particular questions you may have regarding your creative processes, but it is also very inspirational for you to have others to share your passions. It keeps enthusiasm at a high level and really enriches your life.

Today, it is more drawing and (hopefully) I can begin painting. I hope to have more to show you tomorrow on my progress for this project. I see it in my mind and I am excited about making it a reality.

I wish you all a wonderful Tuesday!
The "experts" calling you on elk and caribou is a bit amusing. "Experts" should know the difference and not have to try to correct you ;-))
 

Attachments

#10,580 ·
New Project Progress and Update

Yesterday was a rather mish-mosh day where I was pulled in many directions. There was still a great deal of catching up to do after the power outage of the weekend, and although I know I am very fortunate to only have that to deal with, it still takes a great deal of time.

I am also having computer issues, where either something is configured improperly or something is not functioning properly. Both Keith and myself spent several hours trying to pinpoint the issue, as we can't quite see if it is a hardware or software issue. My first inclination would be to just get another one, but cooler heads prevailed and we are going through a series of tests and checklists. Needless to say I am spending the morning backing everything up once again - just to be sure.

Many people don't understand that computers now days consist of several components that can be re-used in the next system. My own computer is made up of several drives, along with the motherboard and the video card, etc. Just because one of these things are failing or damaged, doesn't mean that you can't reuse the other parts. While my first inclination would be to just "get a new one", I realize that getting all new drives and components isn't really necessary - especially if only one aspect of it is outdated or damaged. So it takes a little diagnostic work.

In the mean time, I am trying to make sure that everything I need is backed up. Naturally, all of my patterns and pattern files are backed up on a regular basis. But this time I am also backing up things like music, online magazines that I subscribe to, fonts, and other things that may not be included in a weekly backup. If it is necessary to rerun my operating system, I want things to go as smoothly as possible.

Besides the computer stuff, Keith once again updated our website. We have several new patterns that are now available on the site, including my SLD473 - 12 Chalky Beach Ornaments Pattern and Kit



And Keith's SLDK381 Backyard Barbeque Plaque



Keith also has a new Bible quote plaque (SLDK380)



We also have a new free pattern for you all to enjoy, and made a nice box set of my multi-layered trinket boxes (TRBSET1)



We think there is something fun for everyone. :)

And I did get a chance to work on my new project as well. After three tries, I got the background for my new project just about where I want it to be:

Brown Amber Rectangle Wood Flooring


I can't wait to start painting the subject today. It took two trips to the sander, but at last I got the look I was envisioning for the background. :) I think it will be pretty cool when done.

So with that said, I need to keep moving. If you are interested in our new free pattern, please feel free to visit the site. You can also join our mailing list if you wish to receive our newsletter which goes out about every other week. That way if you miss seeing something new here in the blog, you will be sure to see it there.

It is overcast and very windy again today. I believe it has been raining as well. Hopefully we won't have much of a storm, as I understand that some people in the towns nearby still don't have power as of last night. Surely more bad weather will only complicate things more.

Have a great day today. We are mid-week already. Time is sure going by quickly.

Happy Wednesday to you all!
 

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#10,581 ·
New Project Progress and Update

Yesterday was a rather mish-mosh day where I was pulled in many directions. There was still a great deal of catching up to do after the power outage of the weekend, and although I know I am very fortunate to only have that to deal with, it still takes a great deal of time.

I am also having computer issues, where either something is configured improperly or something is not functioning properly. Both Keith and myself spent several hours trying to pinpoint the issue, as we can't quite see if it is a hardware or software issue. My first inclination would be to just get another one, but cooler heads prevailed and we are going through a series of tests and checklists. Needless to say I am spending the morning backing everything up once again - just to be sure.

Many people don't understand that computers now days consist of several components that can be re-used in the next system. My own computer is made up of several drives, along with the motherboard and the video card, etc. Just because one of these things are failing or damaged, doesn't mean that you can't reuse the other parts. While my first inclination would be to just "get a new one", I realize that getting all new drives and components isn't really necessary - especially if only one aspect of it is outdated or damaged. So it takes a little diagnostic work.

In the mean time, I am trying to make sure that everything I need is backed up. Naturally, all of my patterns and pattern files are backed up on a regular basis. But this time I am also backing up things like music, online magazines that I subscribe to, fonts, and other things that may not be included in a weekly backup. If it is necessary to rerun my operating system, I want things to go as smoothly as possible.

Besides the computer stuff, Keith once again updated our website. We have several new patterns that are now available on the site, including my SLD473 - 12 Chalky Beach Ornaments Pattern and Kit



And Keith's SLDK381 Backyard Barbeque Plaque



Keith also has a new Bible quote plaque (SLDK380)



We also have a new free pattern for you all to enjoy, and made a nice box set of my multi-layered trinket boxes (TRBSET1)



We think there is something fun for everyone. :)

And I did get a chance to work on my new project as well. After three tries, I got the background for my new project just about where I want it to be:

Brown Amber Rectangle Wood Flooring


I can't wait to start painting the subject today. It took two trips to the sander, but at last I got the look I was envisioning for the background. :) I think it will be pretty cool when done.

So with that said, I need to keep moving. If you are interested in our new free pattern, please feel free to visit the site. You can also join our mailing list if you wish to receive our newsletter which goes out about every other week. That way if you miss seeing something new here in the blog, you will be sure to see it there.

It is overcast and very windy again today. I believe it has been raining as well. Hopefully we won't have much of a storm, as I understand that some people in the towns nearby still don't have power as of last night. Surely more bad weather will only complicate things more.

Have a great day today. We are mid-week already. Time is sure going by quickly.

Happy Wednesday to you all!
Wish you & Keith a gr8 week
 

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#10,590 ·
Time

As I sit here this morning and wonder what I am going to write about, I can't help but think about how quickly time is passing. Here we are already in the meat of July. While the calendar indicates that summer is just beginning, I am already starting to see many people posting projects for the fall and winter season. I don't think this is a bad thing, as I myself am working ahead toward autumn and even Christmas projects. I think it is necessary to stay ahead of things and have a healthy autumn and holiday season for the business. But there are times when I just feel it pushes things ahead just a little too quickly.

The weather here in Nova Scotia has been cool. It was very warm and muggy prior to the past weekend when hurricane Arthur came across, but since his appearance, the mornings have had a crisp and cool 'autumn-like' feel to them. Even now I sit here with a light blanket across my legs (and my beloved cat Richard) and I am enjoying the cool morning air with my coffee. I know that by noon the fog will have burned off and the bright sunshine would once again bring the warmth of summer. To me, it is like having the best of both worlds - warm, sunny days and cool, crisp nights. If there were ever a favorite season, this would be it. (Oh wait! I say that every season!)

Work has been a whirlwind as well. Mind you all, I am not complaining. Even though this is our slowest season, our little business is still thriving and on track for having its best year yet. I attribute that to many things. Hard work. Awesome customers. A great partner. It certainly helps to have someone by your side who is working for the same goals as you do. Not only does it help you weather the tough times, but also to celebrate the victories along the way, no matter how small they may be.

I am fortunate to have victories every day. It is at times such as now, when I am sitting here in the quiet mornings listening to the world wake up and thinking that I believe I appreciate them the most. I think of the place I am at, the job that I have and the wonderful friends and family that are part of my day and I don't think I could be much happier. There are those fleeting times when I am overwhelmed and busy that I may forget, but as soon as things settle again and I have time to think, the feelings of happiness and gratitude return. I like it that way.

A couple of days ago Keith mentioned to me that he thought I was 'too busy' lately. Initially it struck me as odd because I am always busy and I always have several things on the go. But just him mentioning it to me in the kind way he did caused me to stop a minute and look at myself and evaluate things for a bit. While my initial reaction was to be a little defensive, we talked about it for a bit and I do believe he was 'right' (Oh - how it pains me to write that!) Perhaps I have been a tad too focused on 'work' and have not allowed myself much time to relax lately. After all - when is the last time we took a walk or spent some time away? We had half a day last month sometime when we went to Sandy Cove but that was many weeks ago. Why should our time away be so limited?

As I sit here each morning and write to you all, many times the theme of my post is to stop and take time to enjoy the beauty of the world around you. Whether you live in the city or the country (I have lived both places) there is always something beautiful to appreciate and enjoy if you take time to look. Perhaps I have been too busy to take my own advice at times.

I drove past the little pond where the Canada Geese family lives the other day and I was astounded at the sight of the goslings. No longer were they fluffy and grey, but their appearance had changed completely and they were now young adults. All in the blink of the eye. How did that happen so quickly?

I don't want to fall into the trap of finding some success and allowing it to encompass my existence. While there is nothing wrong with being dedicated to what you do, I believe the happiest and healthiest people are those who apply boundaries to what they do on a daily basis. They seldom feel overwhelmed because they look at things realistically and set realistic limits on the commitments they make. Oh! How I envy them!

I still have some deadlines in front of me. I still plan to accomplish them. But taking some time to think and absorb and appreciate the things around me will once again be pushed up the list of priorities that I keep in my mind. For losing sight of that will certainly be detrimental to all that I do.

Today I am working on my new painting project. For me, it will be a luxury to only be in one direction (sort of!) today. I made very little progress on it yesterday, as I was busy doing computer work and getting my newsletter out to our subscribers (you should have received it if you subscribe!) It was my first day back at the gym yesterday since I hurt my back a couple of weeks ago. It is for the most part better, but I will call it "tender" and I have to be very cautious of pushing too hard. I need to strengthen it without over-doing it (kind of like what I was talking about this entire post!)

I have a small photo of my painting project. While I haven't pushed the paint brush around much yet, I have been very busy working on it in my mind. I can picture the finished piece in front of me as clear as day, and I am thinking through the processes I will use not only to create it, but to teach others to do so as well. How appropriate it is to my subject of "time."



Little by little it is falling into place.

Here we are at Thursday already and the weekend is just around the corner. For those of you who work a 'regular' work week, I hope you have something wonderful planned for your time off. Even if it is just sitting on your step and taking in the things around you. Every moment offers something wonderful. We just need to stop and take the time to observe so we are able to see it.

"Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you" - Carl Sandburg

Have a wonderful Thursday.
 
#10,591 ·
Time certainly does fly. It has this week for me too. Though I've made a little time to set up my design computer (in the attic). Hi

Jeans Organ Computer Wood Personal computer


Sorry I'm not that good at smiling for photo's, especially when I've only got 10 seconds (between pressing the shutter release and sitting down) to 'strike a pose'.

Your new project is intriguing
 

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#10,598 ·
Halloween Project Progress

Yesterday, I feel as if I really accomplished a great deal. After several days of thinking through my next painting project, I slowly and carefully began actually creating it.

From outward appearances it may seem that things just spill out onto the board and fall into place. But with projects such as this, I needed to think of things in layers, carefully considering where each element was going to be placed.

From the first photo, you would think that the moon would be the central focus of the painting. After all, when only the back ground was laid in, it certainly drew your eye to it.

Brown Amber Rectangle Wood Road surface


Then, yesterday, I posted the photo where the clock had been added. And it pulled your eyes to it immediately as a stronger element. The moon became secondary:

Brown Amber Wood Orange Art


(I am kicking myself this morning when I realize that I didn't take a full shot with only the clock in. But you get the point, I think!)

Which may have had you thinking that now the clock would be the main focus of this design. But no . . .

There was still a long way to go, as I mentioned in yesterday's post.

Yesterday I added dormant tree branches, along with (at last) the main focus of the piece . . .

Brown Bird Branch Wood Rectangle


A Raven!

What a cool symbol of impending doom! He is just what I was thinking for the theme of this Halloween project!

After I established the pattern I wanted for the branches, I began working on the bird. In the following photo, the initial shading is done, but he will still have some highlighting and glazing. After the first shade, I decided to jump to the branches and began their shading process as well. The right and lower branches are shaded and the upper left ones are still not.

Brown Bird Wood Branch Twig


See how far back the moon is pushed? See how the clock - which was so prominent in the beginning - is now a vague 'suggestion'. It is nearly hidden in the branches, yet the raven is inviting us to notice it. We look at him - the main focal point and naturally say to ourselves "What is he looking at?"

Little by little I am layering in elements that will make the painting interesting and engaging. This is where those days of thought come into play in my designing. While it may have seemed as if I wasn't accomplishing much, I was carefully trying to plan each element so that it is placed just right.

So far I am happy. :D

Today I will be finishing things up. The bird - although off to a good start - is still much too flat for my taste. I also need to complete the header and footer, as this will be a sign board.

I still have a few tricks up my sleeve for that. You will have to just come back to see . . .

Bird Beak Feather Raven Wood


Have a wonderful Friday! (MWHahahahahahah!)
 

Attachments

#10,599 ·
Halloween Project Progress

Yesterday, I feel as if I really accomplished a great deal. After several days of thinking through my next painting project, I slowly and carefully began actually creating it.

From outward appearances it may seem that things just spill out onto the board and fall into place. But with projects such as this, I needed to think of things in layers, carefully considering where each element was going to be placed.

From the first photo, you would think that the moon would be the central focus of the painting. After all, when only the back ground was laid in, it certainly drew your eye to it.

Brown Amber Rectangle Wood Road surface


Then, yesterday, I posted the photo where the clock had been added. And it pulled your eyes to it immediately as a stronger element. The moon became secondary:

Brown Amber Wood Orange Art


(I am kicking myself this morning when I realize that I didn't take a full shot with only the clock in. But you get the point, I think!)

Which may have had you thinking that now the clock would be the main focus of this design. But no . . .

There was still a long way to go, as I mentioned in yesterday's post.

Yesterday I added dormant tree branches, along with (at last) the main focus of the piece . . .

Brown Bird Branch Wood Rectangle


A Raven!

What a cool symbol of impending doom! He is just what I was thinking for the theme of this Halloween project!

After I established the pattern I wanted for the branches, I began working on the bird. In the following photo, the initial shading is done, but he will still have some highlighting and glazing. After the first shade, I decided to jump to the branches and began their shading process as well. The right and lower branches are shaded and the upper left ones are still not.

Brown Bird Wood Branch Twig


See how far back the moon is pushed? See how the clock - which was so prominent in the beginning - is now a vague 'suggestion'. It is nearly hidden in the branches, yet the raven is inviting us to notice it. We look at him - the main focal point and naturally say to ourselves "What is he looking at?"

Little by little I am layering in elements that will make the painting interesting and engaging. This is where those days of thought come into play in my designing. While it may have seemed as if I wasn't accomplishing much, I was carefully trying to plan each element so that it is placed just right.

So far I am happy. :D

Today I will be finishing things up. The bird - although off to a good start - is still much too flat for my taste. I also need to complete the header and footer, as this will be a sign board.

I still have a few tricks up my sleeve for that. You will have to just come back to see . . .

Bird Beak Feather Raven Wood


Have a wonderful Friday! (MWHahahahahahah!)
As a Baltimore Ravens fan, and a big fan of E.A. Poe, who also called Baltimore home, I LOVE the start of this painting!!!!

Eagerly waiting the outcome.

Nevermore

-bob
 

Attachments

#10,605 ·
Halloween Project Progress

Yesterday, I feel as if I really accomplished a great deal. After several days of thinking through my next painting project, I slowly and carefully began actually creating it.

From outward appearances it may seem that things just spill out onto the board and fall into place. But with projects such as this, I needed to think of things in layers, carefully considering where each element was going to be placed.

From the first photo, you would think that the moon would be the central focus of the painting. After all, when only the back ground was laid in, it certainly drew your eye to it.

Brown Amber Rectangle Wood Road surface


Then, yesterday, I posted the photo where the clock had been added. And it pulled your eyes to it immediately as a stronger element. The moon became secondary:

Brown Amber Wood Orange Art


(I am kicking myself this morning when I realize that I didn't take a full shot with only the clock in. But you get the point, I think!)

Which may have had you thinking that now the clock would be the main focus of this design. But no . . .

There was still a long way to go, as I mentioned in yesterday's post.

Yesterday I added dormant tree branches, along with (at last) the main focus of the piece . . .

Brown Bird Branch Wood Rectangle


A Raven!

What a cool symbol of impending doom! He is just what I was thinking for the theme of this Halloween project!

After I established the pattern I wanted for the branches, I began working on the bird. In the following photo, the initial shading is done, but he will still have some highlighting and glazing. After the first shade, I decided to jump to the branches and began their shading process as well. The right and lower branches are shaded and the upper left ones are still not.

Brown Bird Wood Branch Twig


See how far back the moon is pushed? See how the clock - which was so prominent in the beginning - is now a vague 'suggestion'. It is nearly hidden in the branches, yet the raven is inviting us to notice it. We look at him - the main focal point and naturally say to ourselves "What is he looking at?"

Little by little I am layering in elements that will make the painting interesting and engaging. This is where those days of thought come into play in my designing. While it may have seemed as if I wasn't accomplishing much, I was carefully trying to plan each element so that it is placed just right.

So far I am happy. :D

Today I will be finishing things up. The bird - although off to a good start - is still much too flat for my taste. I also need to complete the header and footer, as this will be a sign board.

I still have a few tricks up my sleeve for that. You will have to just come back to see . . .

Bird Beak Feather Raven Wood


Have a wonderful Friday! (MWHahahahahahah!)
I'd say you have some amazing talent and patience.
 

Attachments

#10,607 ·
Nevermore

What a wonderfully positive day I had yesterday. I really appreciated all the wonderful comments that you all made and sent regarding my new painting design that I am creating for the August issue of Interactive Artist Magazine. This is my first project with them, and I wanted it to be something special. I already had a couple of offers to purchase the piece and many inquiries regarding the pattern.

Because this piece will be published, I won't have the rights to it until December. I realize that it is after Halloween, but for anyone who wants to paint it for this season, you can do so by subscribing to Interactive Artist Online. The cost is minimal (I believe it is $29 for the year) and you receive a full year of patterns and information from some of the best designers in the business. I am sorry if I am sounding like a commercial, but I really find this source to be a wonderful place to learn and enjoy painting. I hope you consider it.

I want my woodworking followers to know that I also am going to be creating a scroll saw version of this pattern for them to create. I am thinking this will probably be a layered project, and it will be submitted for the November issue of Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine, which will reach the stands in late September I think. That will also give you plenty of time to create it for this Halloween.

Yesterday I finished the header and footer of the sign, as well as the first shading on the trees. While it isn't quite done yet, it only has a short way to go and I should be done by this afternoon. Then I will be writing the instructions today and tomorrow.

I began by applying crackle to the header and footer, using a dark brown underneath and a warm, parchment coloured paint over. I loved the effect it had! After some shading around the edges with the dark brown, I painted a pretty filigree design using gold metallic paint, as well as the lettering in black. I didn't use stencils on these, but painted them by hand. While I love stencils some of the time (like when teaching my woodworking followers to paint) for projects such as this, that are geared for painters, I really enjoy the process of painting things by hand.

Helmet Rectangle Artifact Wood Font


YES - it took a while. YES - it was both relaxing and ENJOYABLE. But most of all, it was satisfying to see the beautiful effect. I feel that the gold paint over the crackle made the gold filigree look like gold leaf. It is just stunning in person.

I used a lining brush and more soft brown to outline each of the filigree elements. I am very pleased with the result.

Rectangle Gold Wood Sports equipment Font


Bird Rectangle Branch Twig Beak


The trees are shades and still need some highlighting and shadows strengthened, but it is looking good.

The raven still needs work, as he only has his first shading done, and is flat to me. His eye also needs work, as it is only based in. (Oh - and he has no real legs or feet!)

But he is getting there. I think I am in the home stretch.

Obviously, I still have a bit to do. While he is nice now, I think I will be able to bring him up another level by the end of the day. I also need to take some 'presentation photos' in good light, as these are only quick snapshots and don't really do him justice.

I hope you enjoy seeing this progress and I look forward to showing you the finished piece tomorrow.

Until then . . . Happy Saturday!
 

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#10,608 ·
Nevermore

What a wonderfully positive day I had yesterday. I really appreciated all the wonderful comments that you all made and sent regarding my new painting design that I am creating for the August issue of Interactive Artist Magazine. This is my first project with them, and I wanted it to be something special. I already had a couple of offers to purchase the piece and many inquiries regarding the pattern.

Because this piece will be published, I won't have the rights to it until December. I realize that it is after Halloween, but for anyone who wants to paint it for this season, you can do so by subscribing to Interactive Artist Online. The cost is minimal (I believe it is $29 for the year) and you receive a full year of patterns and information from some of the best designers in the business. I am sorry if I am sounding like a commercial, but I really find this source to be a wonderful place to learn and enjoy painting. I hope you consider it.

I want my woodworking followers to know that I also am going to be creating a scroll saw version of this pattern for them to create. I am thinking this will probably be a layered project, and it will be submitted for the November issue of Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine, which will reach the stands in late September I think. That will also give you plenty of time to create it for this Halloween.

Yesterday I finished the header and footer of the sign, as well as the first shading on the trees. While it isn't quite done yet, it only has a short way to go and I should be done by this afternoon. Then I will be writing the instructions today and tomorrow.

I began by applying crackle to the header and footer, using a dark brown underneath and a warm, parchment coloured paint over. I loved the effect it had! After some shading around the edges with the dark brown, I painted a pretty filigree design using gold metallic paint, as well as the lettering in black. I didn't use stencils on these, but painted them by hand. While I love stencils some of the time (like when teaching my woodworking followers to paint) for projects such as this, that are geared for painters, I really enjoy the process of painting things by hand.

Helmet Rectangle Artifact Wood Font


YES - it took a while. YES - it was both relaxing and ENJOYABLE. But most of all, it was satisfying to see the beautiful effect. I feel that the gold paint over the crackle made the gold filigree look like gold leaf. It is just stunning in person.

I used a lining brush and more soft brown to outline each of the filigree elements. I am very pleased with the result.

Rectangle Gold Wood Sports equipment Font


Bird Rectangle Branch Twig Beak


The trees are shades and still need some highlighting and shadows strengthened, but it is looking good.

The raven still needs work, as he only has his first shading done, and is flat to me. His eye also needs work, as it is only based in. (Oh - and he has no real legs or feet!)

But he is getting there. I think I am in the home stretch.

Obviously, I still have a bit to do. While he is nice now, I think I will be able to bring him up another level by the end of the day. I also need to take some 'presentation photos' in good light, as these are only quick snapshots and don't really do him justice.

I hope you enjoy seeing this progress and I look forward to showing you the finished piece tomorrow.

Until then . . . Happy Saturday!
I always enjoy your paintings and this is no exception-outstanding. You really capture the feeling of a Poe story.
 

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#10,616 ·
"The Raven" Completed

I have always loved reading Edgar Allen Poe stories. From as far back as I remember, he has been one of my favorites. I loved the depth of emotion he wrote with and the feelings that reading his works evoke. He was certainly a gifted author.

I often talk about all the ideas that live in my head. As a designer, I feel very fortunate to have that because it wasn't very long ago when I remember struggling to think of new things to create that would be both unique and exciting. But lately, that hasn't seemed to be an issue with me.

Sometimes I share these ideas and thoughts with a select few in my life. It isn't always Keith. Sometimes it is friends or fellow artists or family members. More so however, I like to wait and slowly reveal what I am creating as it is being created. This blog is a wonderful place to do that. I am not only able to give insight to others who design (I have many friends and followers that do) but also those who do not, as I feel it gives them a bit of understanding into all that creating a project from start to finish entails. For some reason, that is important to me. I like to demonstrate step-by-step the layers of thought and consideration that goes into the finished piece, and hopefully they will be able to apply some of these steps into their own creativity.

I am not fond of trying to explain what the finished project will be prior to me starting it. For even though I feel I have the ability to communicate well here in my posts, I often have trouble doing so when I am trying to explain the final pieces. I am used to seeing a blank stare back from whomever I am attempting to describe the piece to, and at that point of my design process, I don't feel that I am very open to suggestions from others. It interferes with the flow of things in my head and sometimes ruins the project for me altogether.

I am uncertain as to why this is the case. My only conclusion is that I am not able to adequately describe what I am seeing in my head and therefore the opinions/suggestions of others would be based on something they don't fully understand. Those who work from inspiration know that there is a time in developing the design when we as the artists are very fragile. We are moving ahead softly and cautiously as it is, trying to sort through our own thoughts and even a hint of criticism could easily derail the entire process. For this reason, I found it better to for the most part keep things to myself when I am producing something new, for after it is completed, I am better equip emotionally to deal with the comments and suggestions from others.

Besides - I find it more fun to reveal the design slowly as I complete it. It is as if I am able to gently peel the layers away like an onion skin, slowly and carefully exposing the inner core. I think this is more exciting for both myself and those who are observing, as it allows ones' imagination to fill in the blanks and many find sport in guessing the direction the design is heading. It is much like a game.

I appreciate that many of you enjoyed seeing this project come to life. The kind encouragement only made me want to do a better job. In the end, I find that I am very pleased with the result, and I was able to pretty much nail the image of the project that just a few days ago only existed in my imagination. That is a reward in itself.

So now the time has come when I can say to myself, this design is "completed."

Those who design painting patterns all realize that this moment isn't always clear. It seems that there is always more that can be done. A bit of a deeper shade. A tiny highlight. Some additional toning to add a bit more continuity. Many paintings can go on forever. Well - at least for quite a while. But for practicality sake, there has to be a time for us to step back, look and say to ourselves, "I'm finished." I believe I have reached that point.

Here's where we were at yesterday:

Bird Branch Rectangle Wood Twig


Many of you thought it was 'done'. I knew however that I had a couple of additional things to do I wanted to make some smaller branches to fill things in a bit. I also knew that the raven itself needed some additional shadows and highlights. His eye needed more definition as well. (Oh - and he didn't have feet or legs!)

I began with the raven. While he look "ok" originally:

Bird Paint Painting Art Raven


I added some more shading and highlighting to give him additional depth and shape. I also worked a bit on his eye to make it more predominent. (Oh - and I did his legs and feet!)

Here is the result:

Bird Beak Painting Raven Feather


While I didn't do much, I feel that what I did was effective in bringing him from "ok" to "much better." I hope you all agree.

I also worked on the branches, and gave them additional shadows to add shape. I had to restrain myself from adding highlights. Although I wanted them to have a good shape, I didn't want them to stand out too much. It would have made the painting a busy mess. After all - the scene is supposed to be in near darkness, so shapes are not always so defined. I also needed to be cautious when adding the secondary branches. It would have been easy to get "too enthusiastic" and go crazy with them and again - clutter things up too much. I believe I did alright though, and there is just enough, but not too much.

Here is the finished piece:

Bird Rectangle Branch Twig Wood


I am pleased. :)

The one thing that I debated in the picture is the visibility of the clock. I realize that it is for the most part hidden and that one has to really "look" to notice it at all. For a brief moment, I thought of brushing over it with perhaps the Glamour Dust Ultra Fine Glitter paint to bring it to attention a bit more. But that moment passed quickly.

When I originally composed this design in my mind, I wanted the clock to be subtle. From an artists standpoint, I don't want to serve the entire painting up on a platter all at once. There are enough paintings like that around. I am proud of this painting because I think I achieved my goal of causing one to linger a bit and "think" when gazing upon it.

Because of the brightness, the moon is the first focal point to catch your eye. Secondly, is the raven itself, dark and foreboding in the foreground. As we look at him, we see him looking at something else, and naturally, our eyes look to see what it is.

The clock! About to strike midnight.

"Once upon a midnight dreary, as I ponder weak and weary . . . "

And we are there with Poe. Mission (hopefully!) accomplished.

I have had many inquiries regarding the pattern availability. I will mention it here, but I realize that many won't read this far! <grin>

I created this painting for an online magazine called Interactive Artist Online. It is a wonderful online magazine that is published six times a year. This pattern will be available through them for their August 2014 issue. I will be offering the surfaces for this pattern on my site at Sheila Landry Designs. In a few months (after the pattern is released to me) it will be available on my site, but that will probably be after the first of 2015.

I am also in the process of creating a WOOD ONLY scroll sawn version of this pattern for Creative Woodworks and Crafts' November Issue (which will be on the stands late September.) I will certainly blog about that in the next week or so as I progress in creating it.

Today I am going to be writing all day. I need to finish up the instructions for this plaque, which are very detailed and have many photographs that I took along the way. It is really not a difficult painting to accomplish.

I hope you enjoyed taking this journey with me. I enjoyed sharing it with you and I can't say how much I appreciate your encouragements and kind comments. It really was uplifting!

It is another warm and beautiful sunny day here in Nova Scotia. I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend as well.

Happy Sunday!
 

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#10,617 ·
"The Raven" Completed

I have always loved reading Edgar Allen Poe stories. From as far back as I remember, he has been one of my favorites. I loved the depth of emotion he wrote with and the feelings that reading his works evoke. He was certainly a gifted author.

I often talk about all the ideas that live in my head. As a designer, I feel very fortunate to have that because it wasn't very long ago when I remember struggling to think of new things to create that would be both unique and exciting. But lately, that hasn't seemed to be an issue with me.

Sometimes I share these ideas and thoughts with a select few in my life. It isn't always Keith. Sometimes it is friends or fellow artists or family members. More so however, I like to wait and slowly reveal what I am creating as it is being created. This blog is a wonderful place to do that. I am not only able to give insight to others who design (I have many friends and followers that do) but also those who do not, as I feel it gives them a bit of understanding into all that creating a project from start to finish entails. For some reason, that is important to me. I like to demonstrate step-by-step the layers of thought and consideration that goes into the finished piece, and hopefully they will be able to apply some of these steps into their own creativity.

I am not fond of trying to explain what the finished project will be prior to me starting it. For even though I feel I have the ability to communicate well here in my posts, I often have trouble doing so when I am trying to explain the final pieces. I am used to seeing a blank stare back from whomever I am attempting to describe the piece to, and at that point of my design process, I don't feel that I am very open to suggestions from others. It interferes with the flow of things in my head and sometimes ruins the project for me altogether.

I am uncertain as to why this is the case. My only conclusion is that I am not able to adequately describe what I am seeing in my head and therefore the opinions/suggestions of others would be based on something they don't fully understand. Those who work from inspiration know that there is a time in developing the design when we as the artists are very fragile. We are moving ahead softly and cautiously as it is, trying to sort through our own thoughts and even a hint of criticism could easily derail the entire process. For this reason, I found it better to for the most part keep things to myself when I am producing something new, for after it is completed, I am better equip emotionally to deal with the comments and suggestions from others.

Besides - I find it more fun to reveal the design slowly as I complete it. It is as if I am able to gently peel the layers away like an onion skin, slowly and carefully exposing the inner core. I think this is more exciting for both myself and those who are observing, as it allows ones' imagination to fill in the blanks and many find sport in guessing the direction the design is heading. It is much like a game.

I appreciate that many of you enjoyed seeing this project come to life. The kind encouragement only made me want to do a better job. In the end, I find that I am very pleased with the result, and I was able to pretty much nail the image of the project that just a few days ago only existed in my imagination. That is a reward in itself.

So now the time has come when I can say to myself, this design is "completed."

Those who design painting patterns all realize that this moment isn't always clear. It seems that there is always more that can be done. A bit of a deeper shade. A tiny highlight. Some additional toning to add a bit more continuity. Many paintings can go on forever. Well - at least for quite a while. But for practicality sake, there has to be a time for us to step back, look and say to ourselves, "I'm finished." I believe I have reached that point.

Here's where we were at yesterday:

Bird Branch Rectangle Wood Twig


Many of you thought it was 'done'. I knew however that I had a couple of additional things to do I wanted to make some smaller branches to fill things in a bit. I also knew that the raven itself needed some additional shadows and highlights. His eye needed more definition as well. (Oh - and he didn't have feet or legs!)

I began with the raven. While he look "ok" originally:

Bird Paint Painting Art Raven


I added some more shading and highlighting to give him additional depth and shape. I also worked a bit on his eye to make it more predominent. (Oh - and I did his legs and feet!)

Here is the result:

Bird Beak Painting Raven Feather


While I didn't do much, I feel that what I did was effective in bringing him from "ok" to "much better." I hope you all agree.

I also worked on the branches, and gave them additional shadows to add shape. I had to restrain myself from adding highlights. Although I wanted them to have a good shape, I didn't want them to stand out too much. It would have made the painting a busy mess. After all - the scene is supposed to be in near darkness, so shapes are not always so defined. I also needed to be cautious when adding the secondary branches. It would have been easy to get "too enthusiastic" and go crazy with them and again - clutter things up too much. I believe I did alright though, and there is just enough, but not too much.

Here is the finished piece:

Bird Rectangle Branch Twig Wood


I am pleased. :)

The one thing that I debated in the picture is the visibility of the clock. I realize that it is for the most part hidden and that one has to really "look" to notice it at all. For a brief moment, I thought of brushing over it with perhaps the Glamour Dust Ultra Fine Glitter paint to bring it to attention a bit more. But that moment passed quickly.

When I originally composed this design in my mind, I wanted the clock to be subtle. From an artists standpoint, I don't want to serve the entire painting up on a platter all at once. There are enough paintings like that around. I am proud of this painting because I think I achieved my goal of causing one to linger a bit and "think" when gazing upon it.

Because of the brightness, the moon is the first focal point to catch your eye. Secondly, is the raven itself, dark and foreboding in the foreground. As we look at him, we see him looking at something else, and naturally, our eyes look to see what it is.

The clock! About to strike midnight.

"Once upon a midnight dreary, as I ponder weak and weary . . . "

And we are there with Poe. Mission (hopefully!) accomplished.

I have had many inquiries regarding the pattern availability. I will mention it here, but I realize that many won't read this far! <grin>

I created this painting for an online magazine called Interactive Artist Online. It is a wonderful online magazine that is published six times a year. This pattern will be available through them for their August 2014 issue. I will be offering the surfaces for this pattern on my site at Sheila Landry Designs. In a few months (after the pattern is released to me) it will be available on my site, but that will probably be after the first of 2015.

I am also in the process of creating a WOOD ONLY scroll sawn version of this pattern for Creative Woodworks and Crafts' November Issue (which will be on the stands late September.) I will certainly blog about that in the next week or so as I progress in creating it.

Today I am going to be writing all day. I need to finish up the instructions for this plaque, which are very detailed and have many photographs that I took along the way. It is really not a difficult painting to accomplish.

I hope you enjoyed taking this journey with me. I enjoyed sharing it with you and I can't say how much I appreciate your encouragements and kind comments. It really was uplifting!

It is another warm and beautiful sunny day here in Nova Scotia. I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend as well.

Happy Sunday!
I think it's awesome Sheila.
 

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#10,629 ·
The "Day Off" - Trying Again!

I have to smile to myself when I think about yesterday.

I do so because the way that the day turned out for me. It wasn't bad, mind you, but it was totally NOT what I intended it to be.

I had worked so hard over the weekend on my "Nevermore" painting pattern. I had finished painting the design sometime Saturday I think and I had committed myself to finishing up the pattern by Sunday.

Normally, this would not be a huge or difficult task, but the pattern is headed for an online magazine called Interactive Artist Magazine and I wanted it to be "just perfect." This was my first time I would have a project featured on their site, and with the potential of reaching many new painters, I wanted to make a good impression.

Those of you who are familiar with my work know that I always strive for a level of excellence. I do make mistakes from time to time, but I firmly believe that offering the best instructions possible for my projects is something that is a given. This is even more important where painting is concerned, as there are many more variables to painting a pattern than to cutting it out on a scroll saw. Even though the design may appear to be complex, as with anything - when broken down into smaller steps I believe it is attainable by all. In order to do this, I made sure to take many photos along the way when I created it. This was not only the best way to explain the process to those purchasing the pattern, but also served to help me remember the order and steps taken to create it in the first place.

In the end I included 30 step-by-step photos with the pattern. It isn't that the process is that complicated, but I wanted to be sure that even a new painter could follow the instructions and learn and create the painting. I think I succeeded in accomplishing that objective. (I suppose time will tell!)

But creating the pattern took much longer than anticipated. While it should be no surprise to me, I am often amazed that I still tend to underestimate how long things take me to do. You would think I would know by now. I spent the entire day Sunday drawing the line work on the computer, preparing and adjusting the photographs and writing the step-by-step instructions. By the time I finished, it was 12:32 am - but I was very happy with the results. It is (I think) one of my 'better' patterns and I am as proud of it as I am of the design itself. I had received so much encouraging input on the design, that it made me push myself to even a higher level. It was all so very positive.

I guess it just goes to show the power of positive encouragement. When we encourage and praise those around us, we instill in them a sense of worth and I believe it causes them to push themselves to an even higher level. I had learned that as a teacher, but this past weekend was a very strong reminder of just how powerful positive reinforcement can be. A few kind words can make a huge difference in ones' life. Not only do they perceive themselves in a better light but I believe that those good feelings are increased self-worth doesn't only confine itself to that singular aspect - it spreads through their entire being.

So after I completed my work and sent my pattern out, it took me an hour or so to unwind before I went to sleep. There was no way that I would have been able to sleep without relaxing for a bit and allowing the adrenalin to wean. It was after two before I even attempted to sleep.

Six o'clock came pretty quickly yesterday. While I was still tired, I know my body and there was little I could to do stay asleep. I am pretty much used to arising at six and even though I went to bed quite late (for me) my body still wanted to get up. It is just the way I am.

But with the pattern all submitted and the satisfaction of having a really nice project under my belt, it was with no guilt that I decided to take the day 'off'. After all - I felt I earned it. Besides, the house needed attending and it was time I got back to the gym after my little back injury a couple of weeks ago.

As the day unfolded however, little things came up that needed my attention. An email here. A phone call there. Finishing up some writing that I needed to do. Laundry. General cleaning. Correspondence. Etc., etc. There seemed to be just no way to get away from things. I didn't really mind them, but I certainly didn't get to paint or embroider. It was just the way it was.

I finished my last 'important' email after 6pm. I still had laundry to do and the house isn't what I see as being at 'its tidiest'. By this point, the four hours of sleep the previous night was catching up on me, and I was feeling really tired. I fell asleep on the couch while reading emails somewhere around 8:30. I decided that my "day off" would have to be postponed one more day. I wanted a day to really have some time not to think about too much, and while I still will be on my computer to answer emails and fill orders, other than that I want to keep things pretty much low key today. So I am trying again.

I love the world I created for myself. I love every aspect of my job - from the creative side to the customers that I get to meet and talk to and the companies whos products that I enjoy working with. It is a good existance and very fulfilling and fun.

Only sometimes, I just need to unplug - at least in part - for a short time so that I can recharge my batteries and not only tidy things up, but do some things for no other reason than 'I want to do them.' Today WILL be one of those days.

I want to work on a new Tracy Moreau pattern that I purchased over the weekend. I absolutely loved her new Faux Cloisonne Sea Horse pattern.

Green Organism Fish Aqua Parrotfish


She uses beautiful colors and textures and I have an idea of how I would like to paint it. If you click on the name, it will bring you to her Esty store where she has a sale on her new patterns for only $5 each. They are available as instant downloads, so you can start painting right away.

Tracy has become one of my "favorite" designers. I love how she explores many different techniques that are easy to do but have FABULOUS results. I hope you visit her Etsy page or her website to see more of her work. (http://www.tracymoreau.com/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=PATTERNS) I could easily spend weeks painting her awesome patterns!

So that is the plan for today. I still have some cooking to do, but I also want to tidy things up and I plan spending the day really just painting and putzing around. I hope the day turns out that way!

Wish me luck!

I wish you all a wonderful Tuesday!
 

Attachments

#10,630 ·
The "Day Off" - Trying Again!

I have to smile to myself when I think about yesterday.

I do so because the way that the day turned out for me. It wasn't bad, mind you, but it was totally NOT what I intended it to be.

I had worked so hard over the weekend on my "Nevermore" painting pattern. I had finished painting the design sometime Saturday I think and I had committed myself to finishing up the pattern by Sunday.

Normally, this would not be a huge or difficult task, but the pattern is headed for an online magazine called Interactive Artist Magazine and I wanted it to be "just perfect." This was my first time I would have a project featured on their site, and with the potential of reaching many new painters, I wanted to make a good impression.

Those of you who are familiar with my work know that I always strive for a level of excellence. I do make mistakes from time to time, but I firmly believe that offering the best instructions possible for my projects is something that is a given. This is even more important where painting is concerned, as there are many more variables to painting a pattern than to cutting it out on a scroll saw. Even though the design may appear to be complex, as with anything - when broken down into smaller steps I believe it is attainable by all. In order to do this, I made sure to take many photos along the way when I created it. This was not only the best way to explain the process to those purchasing the pattern, but also served to help me remember the order and steps taken to create it in the first place.

In the end I included 30 step-by-step photos with the pattern. It isn't that the process is that complicated, but I wanted to be sure that even a new painter could follow the instructions and learn and create the painting. I think I succeeded in accomplishing that objective. (I suppose time will tell!)

But creating the pattern took much longer than anticipated. While it should be no surprise to me, I am often amazed that I still tend to underestimate how long things take me to do. You would think I would know by now. I spent the entire day Sunday drawing the line work on the computer, preparing and adjusting the photographs and writing the step-by-step instructions. By the time I finished, it was 12:32 am - but I was very happy with the results. It is (I think) one of my 'better' patterns and I am as proud of it as I am of the design itself. I had received so much encouraging input on the design, that it made me push myself to even a higher level. It was all so very positive.

I guess it just goes to show the power of positive encouragement. When we encourage and praise those around us, we instill in them a sense of worth and I believe it causes them to push themselves to an even higher level. I had learned that as a teacher, but this past weekend was a very strong reminder of just how powerful positive reinforcement can be. A few kind words can make a huge difference in ones' life. Not only do they perceive themselves in a better light but I believe that those good feelings are increased self-worth doesn't only confine itself to that singular aspect - it spreads through their entire being.

So after I completed my work and sent my pattern out, it took me an hour or so to unwind before I went to sleep. There was no way that I would have been able to sleep without relaxing for a bit and allowing the adrenalin to wean. It was after two before I even attempted to sleep.

Six o'clock came pretty quickly yesterday. While I was still tired, I know my body and there was little I could to do stay asleep. I am pretty much used to arising at six and even though I went to bed quite late (for me) my body still wanted to get up. It is just the way I am.

But with the pattern all submitted and the satisfaction of having a really nice project under my belt, it was with no guilt that I decided to take the day 'off'. After all - I felt I earned it. Besides, the house needed attending and it was time I got back to the gym after my little back injury a couple of weeks ago.

As the day unfolded however, little things came up that needed my attention. An email here. A phone call there. Finishing up some writing that I needed to do. Laundry. General cleaning. Correspondence. Etc., etc. There seemed to be just no way to get away from things. I didn't really mind them, but I certainly didn't get to paint or embroider. It was just the way it was.

I finished my last 'important' email after 6pm. I still had laundry to do and the house isn't what I see as being at 'its tidiest'. By this point, the four hours of sleep the previous night was catching up on me, and I was feeling really tired. I fell asleep on the couch while reading emails somewhere around 8:30. I decided that my "day off" would have to be postponed one more day. I wanted a day to really have some time not to think about too much, and while I still will be on my computer to answer emails and fill orders, other than that I want to keep things pretty much low key today. So I am trying again.

I love the world I created for myself. I love every aspect of my job - from the creative side to the customers that I get to meet and talk to and the companies whos products that I enjoy working with. It is a good existance and very fulfilling and fun.

Only sometimes, I just need to unplug - at least in part - for a short time so that I can recharge my batteries and not only tidy things up, but do some things for no other reason than 'I want to do them.' Today WILL be one of those days.

I want to work on a new Tracy Moreau pattern that I purchased over the weekend. I absolutely loved her new Faux Cloisonne Sea Horse pattern.

Green Organism Fish Aqua Parrotfish


She uses beautiful colors and textures and I have an idea of how I would like to paint it. If you click on the name, it will bring you to her Esty store where she has a sale on her new patterns for only $5 each. They are available as instant downloads, so you can start painting right away.

Tracy has become one of my "favorite" designers. I love how she explores many different techniques that are easy to do but have FABULOUS results. I hope you visit her Etsy page or her website to see more of her work. (http://www.tracymoreau.com/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=PATTERNS) I could easily spend weeks painting her awesome patterns!

So that is the plan for today. I still have some cooking to do, but I also want to tidy things up and I plan spending the day really just painting and putzing around. I hope the day turns out that way!

Wish me luck!

I wish you all a wonderful Tuesday!
Hi Sheila. I hope your day is turning out as you want and you are enjoying putzing around! I like the soft tones of Tracy's seahorse pattern. Would make beautiful ornaments, earrings or painted on a beach tote!
Another hot day here. I'm off out to the workshop to work on one of Keith's napkin holder patterns.
 

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#10,632 ·
My Version of the Seahorse Pattern

I am happy to say that I had a wonderful day yesterday. I was able to get my emails under control early on and I did have a chance to work on the Tracy Moreau seahorse design that I had shown you all in yesterday's post. We also had the bonus of Keith's mom coming to visit, as well as a pop-in visit from our friends Bernie and Ellen. Keith's mom makes the best potato salad in the world and she brought some to share for dinner. We caught up on chatting and she did her needlework while I had a great time painting Tracy's design.

I mentioned that I had some ideas for the pretty seahorse design that I got from Tracy's Etsy shop (https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/TracyMoreauDesign) I believe she still has her sale going on where all her new digital patterns are only $5. You should all go check it out and see her wonderful work.

While I liked the pretty ornaments she made her seahorses on, I wanted to try something a little different. I thought it would be fun to make a large seahorse silhouette as a background for the seahorse design. I had some 1/4" thick plywood and I cut an 18" tall figure. I then followed Tracy's instructions to texture the background, which I thought was a pretty cool effect:

Product Textile Wood Paint Art


I repositioned the sea horses over the silhouette and just kind of 'free-handed' the grasses, following Tracy's colors and techniques. I am pretty happy with the results:

Wood Plant Snake Font Scaled reptile


Sleeve Wood T-shirt Font Art


The seahorses look so cool! I love the color scheme so much. I still have a little bit of 'tweaking' on the color, but with all the company and comotion that was going on, I was happy to get this far.

I also chose not to outline the seahorses and add the glass effect medium because my gold lining bottle seemed to have a bigger hole in the tip and I found it a little hard to get the gold lines thin and even. They looked good on the grasses though, so I think I may leave them this way. I will just go back and do a little more shading and highlighting on the seahorses.

I still have to add some 'bubbles' as well - and I made some round "bubble" ornaments on 1/8" plywood which I can add around the seahorse when I hang it. (Or use as ornaments) I still have another day to 'play' with this, but I really do like it and it was so much fun to do!

Today though - it is back to drawing Christmas designs. I still have some deadlines ahead and I need to work on them and get them in the mail early next week.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my version of this project. There are so many fun ways you can use this pattern! It is great to be exposed to so many talented designers! Thanks, Tracy for a great pattern!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
 

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#10,633 ·
My Version of the Seahorse Pattern

I am happy to say that I had a wonderful day yesterday. I was able to get my emails under control early on and I did have a chance to work on the Tracy Moreau seahorse design that I had shown you all in yesterday's post. We also had the bonus of Keith's mom coming to visit, as well as a pop-in visit from our friends Bernie and Ellen. Keith's mom makes the best potato salad in the world and she brought some to share for dinner. We caught up on chatting and she did her needlework while I had a great time painting Tracy's design.

I mentioned that I had some ideas for the pretty seahorse design that I got from Tracy's Etsy shop (https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/TracyMoreauDesign) I believe she still has her sale going on where all her new digital patterns are only $5. You should all go check it out and see her wonderful work.

While I liked the pretty ornaments she made her seahorses on, I wanted to try something a little different. I thought it would be fun to make a large seahorse silhouette as a background for the seahorse design. I had some 1/4" thick plywood and I cut an 18" tall figure. I then followed Tracy's instructions to texture the background, which I thought was a pretty cool effect:

Product Textile Wood Paint Art


I repositioned the sea horses over the silhouette and just kind of 'free-handed' the grasses, following Tracy's colors and techniques. I am pretty happy with the results:

Wood Plant Snake Font Scaled reptile


Sleeve Wood T-shirt Font Art


The seahorses look so cool! I love the color scheme so much. I still have a little bit of 'tweaking' on the color, but with all the company and comotion that was going on, I was happy to get this far.

I also chose not to outline the seahorses and add the glass effect medium because my gold lining bottle seemed to have a bigger hole in the tip and I found it a little hard to get the gold lines thin and even. They looked good on the grasses though, so I think I may leave them this way. I will just go back and do a little more shading and highlighting on the seahorses.

I still have to add some 'bubbles' as well - and I made some round "bubble" ornaments on 1/8" plywood which I can add around the seahorse when I hang it. (Or use as ornaments) I still have another day to 'play' with this, but I really do like it and it was so much fun to do!

Today though - it is back to drawing Christmas designs. I still have some deadlines ahead and I need to work on them and get them in the mail early next week.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my version of this project. There are so many fun ways you can use this pattern! It is great to be exposed to so many talented designers! Thanks, Tracy for a great pattern!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Love the end result. Great bit of creativity.
 

Attachments

#10,637 ·
A Great Loss

It is with great sadness that I write my post today. Last night I received the news that one of my good friends and fellow woodworking designers had passed away.

Dirk Boelman was not only an incredible designer. He was a much loved and respected friend. From the moment you met him, he was one of those kind of people that made you feel as if you had known him all of your life. Both he and his wife Karen always greeted you with smiles and a warm embrace.

I met Dirk and Karen when I first began working with Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine - over fifteen years ago. Back then, there were probably four or five main scroll saw shows (or 'picnics' as they called them) in which woodworkers would gather together to share their love of scrolling. These shows were not large. Most of the time there were under 50 tables or booths. We had them in various places across the USA such as Pennsylvania, Tennessee, New Jersey, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. Because of the relatively small size of the gatherings, the atmosphere was much like that of a large family, and we vendors got to know each other very well.

The shows usually lasted over a weekend, with many of us arriving at the designated city sometime on Friday. Soon our "Friday dinners" became part of the show, and were a place where both participants as well as customers could extend our 'visits' an extra day. The shows were busy back then, with the actual show times on Saturday being somewhat chaotic. Dirks booth was always jam packed with people who came to see him - both to purchase patterns and to talk about scroll sawing. No matter how busy he was, he always took the time to listen and visit with people, and share any information he could. Both he and Karen were always the highlight of the show.

I got to know him more in the after hours. When we as vendors would get together Saturday night for our semi-private dinners and visits. I say "semi-private" because so many of the shows' attendees became 'friends' that they were all welcome to join in. Since most of the time, the official show was only on Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening would be a time of celebration either at the hotel lobby or rooms, various local restaurants, or even Joe Diveley's or George Ahler's homes at times. It was like a family reunion - with all the best names from the magazines in attendance, including editors, vendors, pattern designers and customers. It was a chance to really visit and have a good time.

One show in particular comes to mind. At the time I was only involved in scrolling for perhaps a year or two. I was in New Jersey for a large show hosted by the All American Crafts group - the group that publishes Creative Woodworks and Crafts. After the two day show, we were invited to the then editor (George Ahlers') house for a large outdoor bar-b-que. he lived in a beautiful, wooded area and had a large property. Our work colleague Robert Becker was involved in a band and played for the party. I spent most of the night sitting on the hill with Karen and Dirk talking. We talked about music, general things, and of course scroll sawing. I was still so new to the industry and I had so much respect and admiration for Dirk, as he was regarded as one of the best designers around. He talked very freely about how he began designing and how much he loved it. He said that he used to go to an office for work every day and how much he hated that. That his dream was to just draw and design.

Dirk drew all his patterns by hand. This alone shocked me because his drawings were so exacting and precise, you would have thought he HAD to have done them on a computer. He said he didn't like the computer much, and I don't really know how much he came around to using it. We had somewhat lost touch since I came here to Canada and since there are no longer many shows. But there were many things that I remember talking to him about which stuck to me to this day.

Dirk expressed to me the importance of doing what you love to do. "If you want to do something, you need to work for it." he had told me. He said that he never regretting giving up his office job to make patterns. Even though it was many times more hours or harder work, it was what he loved and he was happy. I also learned from him that no matter how busy you are, there is always time for kindness. Both Dirk and Karen always took the time to stop and listen to all who wanted to talk to them. They always greeted others with a smile and looked at others and listened. They genuinely cared about their customers and friends.

While I look back at these times with sadness in my heart, I also find myself smiling. I remember the big bear hugs that Dirk would give me - usually we were both soaking wet because it was so hot - and I remember the kind, gentle and oh so gifted friend that I had in him.

I know I am only one of the many thousands of people whose heart was touched by knowing him. He loved his family, scrolling and he truly loved people. He was a great artist and teacher, and he will live on through not only his teachings of woodworking and scrolling, but also of love, compassion and kindness. He was not only a friend, but a truly giving and kind man.

The woodworking community will never be the same.

I will miss him very much.
 
#10,647 ·
This and That

I will start off today by thanking everyone for all the kind thoughts and notes and sharing their memories of Dirk with me. I found myself reminiscing about so many wonderful people, places and times and I found much comfort in that. I thought of things that I hadn't thought of in years, and I believe that is just how Dirk would have wanted everyone to remember him. I am sure that is how we will heal.

I must admit that I had very little ambition yesterday. Those of you who know me and read often know that isn't my usual state of mind. I don't even think that I opened up my Illustrator file - and this with a deadline looming!

But what can I say? I am not a machine and one of the 'catches' about being in a creative vocation is that things tend to rely on your emotions. Depending on where you are in the designing cycle, you can sometimes find things to do and push the pile and there are other times when you need to be creative and are not.

I was not feeling very creative.

So rather than push myself to doing something that probably wouldn't look good anyhow, I decided to let it alone. I packed and mailed orders and took an afternoon nap and Keith (who was very in tune to my mood) invited me to take a nice ride and go out for dinner. Besides - it was a beautiful night and we took the long way home through the back country roads. Many of them were made of dirt and we had the top down on the Miata and it was a lovely, long ride through the countryside. It was just what I needed.

I have been thinking about the blog here too and hoping that I haven't been a bit of a bore lately. After all - after writing over 1350 posts one would wonder what more could I say?

In the beginning I am sure it was somewhat interesting to join me in the process of my design work - be it the conception of the design or the drawing or the cutting or the painting. But after over four years of following me through the process over and over, I sometimes wonder if it is not quite as fascinating to you as readers and has become run of the mill. I must admit, I sometimes feel as if I am repeating myself, as the general process is definitely a cycle of recurring events.

Maybe it is just me . . .

It is especially evident on days like today when I had a rather 'slow' day. I want to bring you all quality information and I enjoy touching base with you all on a daily basis, as I feel I have honed many friendships through my posts. But I don't want to run the risk of chasing you all away either.

One thing that I noticed through my networking is that I have a wealth of amazingly talented friends and customers. Some are fellow designers, others are customers and still others are just those who like to scroll saw and paint and do all kinds of other creative things. From the beginning I always said that I enjoy both painting and scrolling. Since then, I also learned to appreciate and enjoy embroidery as well and while some of you who read prefer I stay on one track, I think that most of you enjoy seeing the many types of creativity that I like to share with you.

Very few creative people that I know limit themselves to only one hobby or genre of crafting. I have always maintained that scroll sawing and woodworking go hand in hand with painting and vice versa and I am very pleased that I see that more frequently than not that is the case. So I have come to the decision that from now on in my posts here I will not have a second thought about expanding my blog to encompass a wider range of subjects. While I have more or less been doing that recently, I suppose this is my formal declaration that is will not be an accidental overlap, but a conscious effort to promote a larger range of creativity.

I think it will be fun. After all - I think by widening the scope of this blog, it will expose you all to a wonderful array of possibilities and be better for everyone. I have so many talented people in my life that it will be a pleasure to share some of the things they are up to and I know that it will surely prove to be inspirational to you all as well. And isn't that what this blog is really about?

So on my 'slow days' when I am working or in between things, I will do my best to highlight some other interesting and creative people. I hope you like that idea.

I'll begin today with sharing some information about a wonderful painting designer that I have admired for many years.

It has come to my attention that Jamie Mills-Price is hosting a Halloween Ornament Pattern Club on her site. Jamie is a world-reknown designer and her adorable creations have enchanted the painting world for many years. She certainly is one of my favorites.

When I read that she was hosting a Halloween Ornament Pattern Club, I eagerly joined. The club consists of six mailings per year of two adorable ornament patterns. How could anyone resist? There are several options to choose from with the mailings. You can receive the patterns AND the pre-cut wood pieces, the paper patterns only, or even save a substantial amount of shipping costs and receive the patterns in PDF format. For those of us like me who cut wood (AND live out of the United States) this is a great option and makes me joining the club far more reasonable. You can read more about the club by clicking on the photo here:



Isn't that the CUTEST witch? I believe the first issue, which comes out the end of this month, is the cute little witch shown in the picture. I can't wait!

Although I have little free time to paint others' designs, I am going to try my best to do so with these. I love Jamie's style of painting and I think they would make a wonderful collection.

If you join by the 20th of July (YIKES!!! That's TOMORROW!) you earn Premier Member status which allows you some additional perks. You can read more about it here:

Jamie Mills-Price Halloween Club 2014

I hope you get a chance to check it out.

I also hope you like me sharing this type of information with you. I figure that if it is something that you aren't interested in, you can just skip by. I really think that by promoting each other we strengthen the industry as a whole. There is so much talent out there and I love sharing the work of not only my very talented friends, but also that of good, reputable companies that I have had first-hand experiences with. Word of mouth is the best advertising and I really want to support those who I respect and help them succeed.

I am going to try to get some drawing done today, and Keith and I are attending a friends wedding this afternoon. It is an outdoor event and as I look out on this beautiful sunny and warm morning, it promises to be a perfect day. A day to enjoy life.

I wish you all an incredible Saturday. I hope you take time to enjoy your family, friends and creative journeys.
 
#10,648 ·
Good morning Sheila! I think that it is wonderful that you share other artists' work and also share your own extensive creativity. It opens doors to endless creativity and even though you may show a painting or an embroidery project, the woodworkers who read your blog can get ideas for woodworking through the projects you share. Keep blogging Sheila and sharing your adventures in creativity. I have certainly learnt a lot through following your blog and checking out the artists' work that you share.
Enjoy your day at the wedding.
 
#10,653 ·
Some New Designs

It seems like it has been a long time since I made a scroll saw design. It also seems like it has been a while since I painted. Or even embroidered on my 'off hours' for that matter. While I know this isn't really the case, I find myself wondering "what actually am I accomplishing each day" and find myself scratching my head.

I know that things have been getting done. I suppose that like with anything, when you really enjoy doing something, it seems like a long time in between the chances you actually get to work on them. Perhaps that is why it seems like FOREVER since I scroll sawed (or painted or embroidered) - because I love doing each one so much.

I am typing my blog today with my dear cat Pancakes on my lap. Lately, he seems particularly affectionate in the morning. Maybe it is because it cooled off from last week and he missed snugging up to me on those few days when it was hot and muggy. I can't imagine how hot he must have been with his long, thick fur. I kept a littl fan going on the floor for him and Coco, who is also a long-haired cat. They loved to lay on their backs and air out their bellies and sleep that way on the hot days.

The other day, I received some of the new computer parts that I ordered. I am still awaiting the larger case, and hopefully it will come next week. Some of the issues that I was referring to last week seem to be caused from thing running too hot. Keith had installed some software to monitor things, and that seems to be what is causing the problem. Several months ago, we bought a CPU cooler, only to find it didn't fit in my case. For the mean time, we had let it go, but with these warm summer days, it appears that it really needs to run cooler. So I ordered up not only another cooler, but another fan and a larger case, which also came with some fans pre-installed. This should help things a great deal.

I am not being cheap by doing this piecemeal. I am just being practical. Most of the parts in my computer are rather new and functioning nicely. It would be awesome if I can rectify these issues without having to do a full reformat, which would take a great deal of time getting things back to how I like it. The case will be quite a bit larger, but it will allow it to run much cooler, which will make everything happier. Including me.

With the arrival of the new parts came another bonus for the cats - a BOX! Practically before I removed the contents, they were all jostling each other to get inside to try it out. Over the past three or four days I have enjoyed the rotation of cats claiming the box as their own. First it was Coco:

Cat Wood Whiskers Carnivore Grey


I supposed she subscribed to the 'ladies first' theory. :)

Then Pancakes got a turn:

Cat Shipping box Carnivore Felidae Small to medium-sized cats


And finally yesterday when Pancakes took a 'litter break' or 'snack break' (I forget which!) - Richard made his move. Note that Richard acts completely oblivious to Pancake's distress!

Brown Cat Vertebrate Whiskers Carnivore


They are so funny! At this very moment, I am typing with Pancakes on my lap and trying to balance the keyboard on my knees. My coffee cup is empty and I have some pictures of some beautiful pens that I received from my friend in Hawaii on my camera that I wanted to show you, but it is out of reach and I don't have the heart to disturb him. There is always tomorrow . . .

I was however able to make a sample shot of what I am drawing. This time it is some pretty Damask fretwork. I love this style of cutting and I think it is fun and elegant. I always try to draw fresh elements for the new designs and then I put them together like a puzzle to make my motifs unique.

Vertebrate White Botany Leaf Organism


I really enjoy this type of scrolling, and I plan to use it on some ornaments. I had made self-framing petite ornaments last year and they have been extremely popular. These will be a bit larger and somewhat different. I hope everyone likes them.

I have probably the full day of drawing to do to finish up so I can cut tomorrow. We had attended the wedding of our friends yesterday and it was a perfect afternoon. They had it outdoors, and the weather was absolutely perfect. Everything about it was so lovely. It was also a truly wonderful feeling to see our friends so happy. Many congratulations and warm wishes to Tina and John. :)

Today looks to be another perfect morning. It is warm, quiet and slightly hazy. You can feel the cool breeze coming in the windows and hear the birds and the river across the road. My beloved Pancakes is purring in my lap and the only thing I can wish for is another cup of coffee. (That will come in time!)

I hope you all have a wonderful day as well. Take time to enjoy the many beautiful things that life presents to you each day. Some days you need to look for them a little harder than others, but they are always there.

Happy Sunday to you all!
 

Attachments

#10,654 ·
Some New Designs

It seems like it has been a long time since I made a scroll saw design. It also seems like it has been a while since I painted. Or even embroidered on my 'off hours' for that matter. While I know this isn't really the case, I find myself wondering "what actually am I accomplishing each day" and find myself scratching my head.

I know that things have been getting done. I suppose that like with anything, when you really enjoy doing something, it seems like a long time in between the chances you actually get to work on them. Perhaps that is why it seems like FOREVER since I scroll sawed (or painted or embroidered) - because I love doing each one so much.

I am typing my blog today with my dear cat Pancakes on my lap. Lately, he seems particularly affectionate in the morning. Maybe it is because it cooled off from last week and he missed snugging up to me on those few days when it was hot and muggy. I can't imagine how hot he must have been with his long, thick fur. I kept a littl fan going on the floor for him and Coco, who is also a long-haired cat. They loved to lay on their backs and air out their bellies and sleep that way on the hot days.

The other day, I received some of the new computer parts that I ordered. I am still awaiting the larger case, and hopefully it will come next week. Some of the issues that I was referring to last week seem to be caused from thing running too hot. Keith had installed some software to monitor things, and that seems to be what is causing the problem. Several months ago, we bought a CPU cooler, only to find it didn't fit in my case. For the mean time, we had let it go, but with these warm summer days, it appears that it really needs to run cooler. So I ordered up not only another cooler, but another fan and a larger case, which also came with some fans pre-installed. This should help things a great deal.

I am not being cheap by doing this piecemeal. I am just being practical. Most of the parts in my computer are rather new and functioning nicely. It would be awesome if I can rectify these issues without having to do a full reformat, which would take a great deal of time getting things back to how I like it. The case will be quite a bit larger, but it will allow it to run much cooler, which will make everything happier. Including me.

With the arrival of the new parts came another bonus for the cats - a BOX! Practically before I removed the contents, they were all jostling each other to get inside to try it out. Over the past three or four days I have enjoyed the rotation of cats claiming the box as their own. First it was Coco:

Cat Wood Whiskers Carnivore Grey


I supposed she subscribed to the 'ladies first' theory. :)

Then Pancakes got a turn:

Cat Shipping box Carnivore Felidae Small to medium-sized cats


And finally yesterday when Pancakes took a 'litter break' or 'snack break' (I forget which!) - Richard made his move. Note that Richard acts completely oblivious to Pancake's distress!

Brown Cat Vertebrate Whiskers Carnivore


They are so funny! At this very moment, I am typing with Pancakes on my lap and trying to balance the keyboard on my knees. My coffee cup is empty and I have some pictures of some beautiful pens that I received from my friend in Hawaii on my camera that I wanted to show you, but it is out of reach and I don't have the heart to disturb him. There is always tomorrow . . .

I was however able to make a sample shot of what I am drawing. This time it is some pretty Damask fretwork. I love this style of cutting and I think it is fun and elegant. I always try to draw fresh elements for the new designs and then I put them together like a puzzle to make my motifs unique.

Vertebrate White Botany Leaf Organism


I really enjoy this type of scrolling, and I plan to use it on some ornaments. I had made self-framing petite ornaments last year and they have been extremely popular. These will be a bit larger and somewhat different. I hope everyone likes them.

I have probably the full day of drawing to do to finish up so I can cut tomorrow. We had attended the wedding of our friends yesterday and it was a perfect afternoon. They had it outdoors, and the weather was absolutely perfect. Everything about it was so lovely. It was also a truly wonderful feeling to see our friends so happy. Many congratulations and warm wishes to Tina and John. :)

Today looks to be another perfect morning. It is warm, quiet and slightly hazy. You can feel the cool breeze coming in the windows and hear the birds and the river across the road. My beloved Pancakes is purring in my lap and the only thing I can wish for is another cup of coffee. (That will come in time!)

I hope you all have a wonderful day as well. Take time to enjoy the many beautiful things that life presents to you each day. Some days you need to look for them a little harder than others, but they are always there.

Happy Sunday to you all!
Sheila watching the cats plat is what it is about. :)
Everything else is a distraction

I Need to go do some begging and see if I can get Shirley
to makes some scones to go with Arthurs homemade Bramble
jam

Jamie
 

Attachments

#10,661 ·
To The Scroll Saw!

I was able to finish up my drawing yesterday. Whether or not I was able to squeak the project in under the deadline for submissions remains to be seen. I honestly was not sure of the cutoff date, but in some ways (to me, anyway) it didn't really matter. Either way I wanted to create these designs. Either way I win.

As time goes by and and I do what I do longer and longer, I have discovered that there are a world of options open for me. I used to get rather tense about deadlines and things like that. I would worry and push and found myself at a high anxiety level, which wasn't much fun for me or anyone else around me. I don't think that it helped my work either. While I do work well under pressure, there are different types of pressure (self-imposed vs. external) and since my own standards are usually higher than any external standards, I find I do best following my own heart and time table.

Designing isn't like production. You can't just tell yourself to spit out a design in a given amount of time and expect it to be your absolute best work. For me - it just doesn't work like that. I realize that in reading that I sound somewhat like a diva. I really don't think that is the case for me. At least that isn't my intention. I only know that when pushed too hard at doing something, it doesn't seem to yield the best results for me. While the designs may be nice, they aren't usually my favorites. Perhaps it is because I recall the anxiety that I experienced while creating them under those circumstances. I don't know.

I have come to resolve myself to letting go of things that I have to push too hard for. This in no way means that if I have to WORK hard for something, I turn away. I actually like hard work and I think that working hard on something usually (for me, anyway) brings some of my finest results. I just mean that I find that it is helpful to let go of the sense of urgency of having to get something done. I used to attach this urgency to nearly all my deadlines, and I was operating at a level of stress that took much of the fun out of what I did.

There will always be other chances on the horizon. Yes - we may have to look for them again, but they will always be there if we choose to seek them out. There will be another issue of the magazine. If not the same magazine, there are others. There will always be the next site update. There will always be the next opportunity to offer our designs to different companies. I choose not to look at each assignment as if it is my last hope. It makes a world of difference.

I used to live in a state of high anxiety, where I treated each deadline as if it were my last. I was constantly wound up and worrying about not only whether I would meet those deadlines, but also whether my work would be good enough to be accepted. While pushing to a point can be good, it can also be destructive if taken too far. Eventually one needs to let go and allow whatever is going to happen . . . well . . . happen. You would be amazed at how freeing this simple mindset can be!

I realize that this isn't always the easiest habit to get into. I can't actually put my finger on the date when I can honestly say that I went through the transition from being frantic to mellow about these things. I think it is something that you acquire gradually, as your confidence in yourself and your work grows. And like many mindsets, once we experience a small taste of that feeling, it can quickly snowball and change our whole way of thinking. I believe that is a good thing. And once we reach that plateau, we never want to go back.

With that said, I worked on my pattern over the weekend knowing that it will fit into my life 'somewhere.' I will offer it up for submission first, and if not accepted or if I missed the deadline - no harm done at all - I will add it to my site later on this week for immediate purchase. Either way I win. No hard feelings either, as there will be another issue to strive for coming right behind this one and there is certainly another opportunity for me to submit to that. The way I see it, I can't lose.

This attitude is one that I find very healthy for me as a designer. As any successful designer can tell you, learning to accept rejection gracefully and without despair or hard feelings is something that we need to learn early in the game. Doing so will only help us in the future and keep us from throwing in the towel and getting burned out. For it is much easier (and more FUN!) to go through our days of designing without carrying these burdens of worry along with us. I believe it also allows us to do our best.

Here is a little sample of what I created over the weekend:

Organism Gesture Plant Art Font


Obviously it is a Christmas design. I really enjoyed drawing these and I really think they are going to come out nice. I love cutting this type of fretwork and I love Damask motifs. I created several of my own and I plan to incorporate them into several different types of project in the next couple of weeks. Damask designs are very popular because of the classic appeal. With all the "Shabby-chic" and "Cottage" style of designs, they are a perfect fit. I spent the last week or so drawing up a huge amount of 'elements' and it will be fun to fit them together like puzzle pieces to make my own unique motifs and designs. What a lot of fun!

So today I will be at the scroll saw cutting these pieces out. I don't think they will take very long, and I think they will be a lot of fun to do. As usual, I have several decorating ideas for them, and I am probably going to cut several layers so I can make several different sets. It is going to be a great day!

Before I sign off today, I want to show you all something that I received the other day from a friend. I met Carl Sherry on Facebook, and I have come to love his beautiful woodwork. Carl lives in Hawaii, and every morning when I would get up and sign on to my computer at 6am or so, his posts were at the top of my news feed, as he was signing off to go to bed. There is an eight hour difference between Nova Scotia and Hawaii (I think!) and it was just something that always seemed to be there first thing in the morning to read. I got in the habit of commenting on his posts and he on mine and we have become good friends. Carl not only makes beautiful pens, but also exquisite turned bowls. His artwork is featured in a local shop called the Nohea Gallery and he does very well with it there. I love to see his beautiful work. Below is a photo of Carl and one of his bowls:

Smile Barware Tableware Alcoholic beverage Wood


Well - a couple of weeks ago, I complimented Carl on some more of the beautiful pens he made and he was kind enough to send me three of them! They are all three made from Koa wood and they are all extremely beautiful.

Writing implement Office supplies Writing instrument accessory Stationery Font


The top one is Orange Acrylic and Koa, the Middle is Brown and Orange Acrylic and Koa and the bottom one is Curly Koa. I think they are just lovely!

Thank you, Carl for your wonderful and generous gift to me. Every time I use my pen I will think of my friend that I have half way across the world. I am so happy to know you.

I am so grateful for the wonderful friends I have met through my blog and networking. I find that one of the reasons that I am so happy is because I am surrounded by wonderfully creative people. Just seeing what they make is truly an inspiration.

I hope you all have a wonderful Monday today. We have cloud cover now, but it is cool and calm. It looks to be another beautiful day!

Happy Monday to you all!
 

Attachments

#10,662 ·
To The Scroll Saw!

I was able to finish up my drawing yesterday. Whether or not I was able to squeak the project in under the deadline for submissions remains to be seen. I honestly was not sure of the cutoff date, but in some ways (to me, anyway) it didn't really matter. Either way I wanted to create these designs. Either way I win.

As time goes by and and I do what I do longer and longer, I have discovered that there are a world of options open for me. I used to get rather tense about deadlines and things like that. I would worry and push and found myself at a high anxiety level, which wasn't much fun for me or anyone else around me. I don't think that it helped my work either. While I do work well under pressure, there are different types of pressure (self-imposed vs. external) and since my own standards are usually higher than any external standards, I find I do best following my own heart and time table.

Designing isn't like production. You can't just tell yourself to spit out a design in a given amount of time and expect it to be your absolute best work. For me - it just doesn't work like that. I realize that in reading that I sound somewhat like a diva. I really don't think that is the case for me. At least that isn't my intention. I only know that when pushed too hard at doing something, it doesn't seem to yield the best results for me. While the designs may be nice, they aren't usually my favorites. Perhaps it is because I recall the anxiety that I experienced while creating them under those circumstances. I don't know.

I have come to resolve myself to letting go of things that I have to push too hard for. This in no way means that if I have to WORK hard for something, I turn away. I actually like hard work and I think that working hard on something usually (for me, anyway) brings some of my finest results. I just mean that I find that it is helpful to let go of the sense of urgency of having to get something done. I used to attach this urgency to nearly all my deadlines, and I was operating at a level of stress that took much of the fun out of what I did.

There will always be other chances on the horizon. Yes - we may have to look for them again, but they will always be there if we choose to seek them out. There will be another issue of the magazine. If not the same magazine, there are others. There will always be the next site update. There will always be the next opportunity to offer our designs to different companies. I choose not to look at each assignment as if it is my last hope. It makes a world of difference.

I used to live in a state of high anxiety, where I treated each deadline as if it were my last. I was constantly wound up and worrying about not only whether I would meet those deadlines, but also whether my work would be good enough to be accepted. While pushing to a point can be good, it can also be destructive if taken too far. Eventually one needs to let go and allow whatever is going to happen . . . well . . . happen. You would be amazed at how freeing this simple mindset can be!

I realize that this isn't always the easiest habit to get into. I can't actually put my finger on the date when I can honestly say that I went through the transition from being frantic to mellow about these things. I think it is something that you acquire gradually, as your confidence in yourself and your work grows. And like many mindsets, once we experience a small taste of that feeling, it can quickly snowball and change our whole way of thinking. I believe that is a good thing. And once we reach that plateau, we never want to go back.

With that said, I worked on my pattern over the weekend knowing that it will fit into my life 'somewhere.' I will offer it up for submission first, and if not accepted or if I missed the deadline - no harm done at all - I will add it to my site later on this week for immediate purchase. Either way I win. No hard feelings either, as there will be another issue to strive for coming right behind this one and there is certainly another opportunity for me to submit to that. The way I see it, I can't lose.

This attitude is one that I find very healthy for me as a designer. As any successful designer can tell you, learning to accept rejection gracefully and without despair or hard feelings is something that we need to learn early in the game. Doing so will only help us in the future and keep us from throwing in the towel and getting burned out. For it is much easier (and more FUN!) to go through our days of designing without carrying these burdens of worry along with us. I believe it also allows us to do our best.

Here is a little sample of what I created over the weekend:

Organism Gesture Plant Art Font


Obviously it is a Christmas design. I really enjoyed drawing these and I really think they are going to come out nice. I love cutting this type of fretwork and I love Damask motifs. I created several of my own and I plan to incorporate them into several different types of project in the next couple of weeks. Damask designs are very popular because of the classic appeal. With all the "Shabby-chic" and "Cottage" style of designs, they are a perfect fit. I spent the last week or so drawing up a huge amount of 'elements' and it will be fun to fit them together like puzzle pieces to make my own unique motifs and designs. What a lot of fun!

So today I will be at the scroll saw cutting these pieces out. I don't think they will take very long, and I think they will be a lot of fun to do. As usual, I have several decorating ideas for them, and I am probably going to cut several layers so I can make several different sets. It is going to be a great day!

Before I sign off today, I want to show you all something that I received the other day from a friend. I met Carl Sherry on Facebook, and I have come to love his beautiful woodwork. Carl lives in Hawaii, and every morning when I would get up and sign on to my computer at 6am or so, his posts were at the top of my news feed, as he was signing off to go to bed. There is an eight hour difference between Nova Scotia and Hawaii (I think!) and it was just something that always seemed to be there first thing in the morning to read. I got in the habit of commenting on his posts and he on mine and we have become good friends. Carl not only makes beautiful pens, but also exquisite turned bowls. His artwork is featured in a local shop called the Nohea Gallery and he does very well with it there. I love to see his beautiful work. Below is a photo of Carl and one of his bowls:

Smile Barware Tableware Alcoholic beverage Wood


Well - a couple of weeks ago, I complimented Carl on some more of the beautiful pens he made and he was kind enough to send me three of them! They are all three made from Koa wood and they are all extremely beautiful.

Writing implement Office supplies Writing instrument accessory Stationery Font


The top one is Orange Acrylic and Koa, the Middle is Brown and Orange Acrylic and Koa and the bottom one is Curly Koa. I think they are just lovely!

Thank you, Carl for your wonderful and generous gift to me. Every time I use my pen I will think of my friend that I have half way across the world. I am so happy to know you.

I am so grateful for the wonderful friends I have met through my blog and networking. I find that one of the reasons that I am so happy is because I am surrounded by wonderfully creative people. Just seeing what they make is truly an inspiration.

I hope you all have a wonderful Monday today. We have cloud cover now, but it is cool and calm. It looks to be another beautiful day!

Happy Monday to you all!
I love the damask designs and I'm thinking this one you are creating will be on my Christmas list plus last years damask ornaments that I didn't get to last Christmas. We are having a great summer so there will still be lots of workshop time.
Carl's pens are beautiful. Thank you for sharing his work.
 

Attachments

#10,664 ·
New Ornaments Cut

Yesterday was busy from dawn to dusk - and beyond!

I am thrilled to say that the ornaments that I drew up over the weekend were accepted for Scroll Saw Woodworking and Crafts holiday issue of the magazine. I am really excited about this, because I haven't done much work with them and I hope to become a regular contributor. Last year I had one of my candle trays in that publication, and I have been trying to remind myself to submit to them regularly, but I often let the time slip passed without doing so. I was hoping that I wasn't too late for this issue and I was thrilled when I came home from the gym to find a note from the editor that she liked the ornament drawings that I sent and would accept them to be included. I don't care how many times I have been published - it is always a thrill and relief when one of my projects is accepted.

That meant that I really had to 'get cutting' and get them finished so I could quickly send them out. On top of that, my computer case arrived which meant that it was time to move the guts from my older, smaller case to the larger, roomier case that would accommodate more fans and make thing much easier to work on if necessary.

My partner Keith had generously offered his time to do the tear down and set up of the new parts. Besides the new case and new fan I also recently purchased a CPU cooler which would help things run cooler. The way the mother board is set up the sensor is right next to the video card processor and it causes the temperature in the case to read warm. A couple of weeks ago, as the weather was getting warmer, I had a couple of "dreaded blue screen" shut downs, as my computer is set to shut down when it reaches a certain temperature to avoid damage. This coupled with the fact that we could hear the fans in the case running full speed almost constantly alerted us to the issue of it being too warm to safely operate.

While the mother board is a little older, it is still good and functional and I wasn't in the mood for reformatting my entire system. We had purchased a CPU cooler a couple of months ago, but it just missed fitting inside the case I had. The best solution with the least disruption was to purchase a new case and move the system into a larger, and roomier home. I also got an additional fan and purchased a different CPU cooler that would do the job. The fan and cooler arrived last week, and the case arrived yesterday. Since I was going to be at the saw anyway, Keith generously offered to move my computer into its new 'home' for me while I cut.

He did find a wonderful helper in Pancakes, as he immediately staked claim to the new box that the case came in:

Felidae Wood Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Floor


I am sure Keith was relieved to have assistance!

While they did that, I kept cutting. I always get nervous when my computer is torn down - although not as much as I used to. I had everything BACKED UP as I tell people over and over to do, and that alleviated much of the anxiety.

I didn't get started until later in the day. By the time we returned from our morning errands, ate lunch, took care of some business things and set up my wood it was probably late afternoon. I also made a few adjustments on the pattern that were requested from the editor. They weren't a problem at all and really made the ornaments much nicer. I cut a couple of copies as well, because (as usual) I have a couple of different finishing ideas to try.

As I hinted yesterday, I went with a Damask theme for them:

Sleeve Gesture Font Art Material property


(This is the back of the ornament)

I made one set in curly maple and one in cherry.

Wood Creative arts Art Font Pattern


Of course, these are right off othe saw. They still need to be sanded and finished. But they really do make a nice set:

Creative arts Font Art Pattern Fashion accessory


So far, so good though. I hoped that my drawings that looked so nice on paper would be able to be cut without issue. I wa a little worried about the small dates on the ornaments, but they posed no problem at all. However, I wouldn't really consider them a 'beginner' project. I had to be really careful when I cut.

Funny thing happened though - I cut the first three on what I thought was a 2/0 sized blade (very small for you non-sawyers that are reading) so I would be able to get all the details nicely, and I later discovered that what I was actually using was a #2 blade! (the next larger size!) I must admit - I was "slightly" worried as to if people would be able to cut these OK while I was cutting the first three on the larger blade. I have been using a #3 blade for so much of my stack cutting, I didn't really notice that I wasn't using a 2/0 blade. After the first three ornaments, when I discovered this and I actually put in the RIGHT size blade (the 2/0) it became "easy-peasy" to finish up. I had absolutely no problem at all and I found that there was PLENTY of room between the motifs. (Big DUH for me!)

All in all - I am happy and proud of the project.

While I do have to put these patterns on hold until the magazine is published and they are released back to me, I do have several similar designs that I am working on that I WILL be able to release right away - so don't despair!

Today I will be finishing up these ornaments, and I will have some more photos for you all tomorrow. But first, I need to take my dear Coco to the vet. She has a little callouse or something on her paw pad and it is causing her to limp. I want to make sure it is nothing bad and see what they can do for her on it. That means a trip to Yarmouth and while I know I won't be lolligagging, I probably won't even get home here until this afternoon.

Oh - and the computer worked out fine. As I type, it is running at a cool 31 degrees C which is quite a bit lower from the 70 degrees C that it was shutting itself down at. I am glad the fix was for the most part 'easy' and I hope to keep these components for another few years.

It is foggy this morning, and cool. All in all, it looks like it will be a wonderful day. I hope you all have a great day as well.

Happy Tuesday to you all!
 

Attachments

#10,665 ·
New Ornaments Cut

Yesterday was busy from dawn to dusk - and beyond!

I am thrilled to say that the ornaments that I drew up over the weekend were accepted for Scroll Saw Woodworking and Crafts holiday issue of the magazine. I am really excited about this, because I haven't done much work with them and I hope to become a regular contributor. Last year I had one of my candle trays in that publication, and I have been trying to remind myself to submit to them regularly, but I often let the time slip passed without doing so. I was hoping that I wasn't too late for this issue and I was thrilled when I came home from the gym to find a note from the editor that she liked the ornament drawings that I sent and would accept them to be included. I don't care how many times I have been published - it is always a thrill and relief when one of my projects is accepted.

That meant that I really had to 'get cutting' and get them finished so I could quickly send them out. On top of that, my computer case arrived which meant that it was time to move the guts from my older, smaller case to the larger, roomier case that would accommodate more fans and make thing much easier to work on if necessary.

My partner Keith had generously offered his time to do the tear down and set up of the new parts. Besides the new case and new fan I also recently purchased a CPU cooler which would help things run cooler. The way the mother board is set up the sensor is right next to the video card processor and it causes the temperature in the case to read warm. A couple of weeks ago, as the weather was getting warmer, I had a couple of "dreaded blue screen" shut downs, as my computer is set to shut down when it reaches a certain temperature to avoid damage. This coupled with the fact that we could hear the fans in the case running full speed almost constantly alerted us to the issue of it being too warm to safely operate.

While the mother board is a little older, it is still good and functional and I wasn't in the mood for reformatting my entire system. We had purchased a CPU cooler a couple of months ago, but it just missed fitting inside the case I had. The best solution with the least disruption was to purchase a new case and move the system into a larger, and roomier home. I also got an additional fan and purchased a different CPU cooler that would do the job. The fan and cooler arrived last week, and the case arrived yesterday. Since I was going to be at the saw anyway, Keith generously offered to move my computer into its new 'home' for me while I cut.

He did find a wonderful helper in Pancakes, as he immediately staked claim to the new box that the case came in:

Felidae Wood Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Floor


I am sure Keith was relieved to have assistance!

While they did that, I kept cutting. I always get nervous when my computer is torn down - although not as much as I used to. I had everything BACKED UP as I tell people over and over to do, and that alleviated much of the anxiety.

I didn't get started until later in the day. By the time we returned from our morning errands, ate lunch, took care of some business things and set up my wood it was probably late afternoon. I also made a few adjustments on the pattern that were requested from the editor. They weren't a problem at all and really made the ornaments much nicer. I cut a couple of copies as well, because (as usual) I have a couple of different finishing ideas to try.

As I hinted yesterday, I went with a Damask theme for them:

Sleeve Gesture Font Art Material property


(This is the back of the ornament)

I made one set in curly maple and one in cherry.

Wood Creative arts Art Font Pattern


Of course, these are right off othe saw. They still need to be sanded and finished. But they really do make a nice set:

Creative arts Font Art Pattern Fashion accessory


So far, so good though. I hoped that my drawings that looked so nice on paper would be able to be cut without issue. I wa a little worried about the small dates on the ornaments, but they posed no problem at all. However, I wouldn't really consider them a 'beginner' project. I had to be really careful when I cut.

Funny thing happened though - I cut the first three on what I thought was a 2/0 sized blade (very small for you non-sawyers that are reading) so I would be able to get all the details nicely, and I later discovered that what I was actually using was a #2 blade! (the next larger size!) I must admit - I was "slightly" worried as to if people would be able to cut these OK while I was cutting the first three on the larger blade. I have been using a #3 blade for so much of my stack cutting, I didn't really notice that I wasn't using a 2/0 blade. After the first three ornaments, when I discovered this and I actually put in the RIGHT size blade (the 2/0) it became "easy-peasy" to finish up. I had absolutely no problem at all and I found that there was PLENTY of room between the motifs. (Big DUH for me!)

All in all - I am happy and proud of the project.

While I do have to put these patterns on hold until the magazine is published and they are released back to me, I do have several similar designs that I am working on that I WILL be able to release right away - so don't despair!

Today I will be finishing up these ornaments, and I will have some more photos for you all tomorrow. But first, I need to take my dear Coco to the vet. She has a little callouse or something on her paw pad and it is causing her to limp. I want to make sure it is nothing bad and see what they can do for her on it. That means a trip to Yarmouth and while I know I won't be lolligagging, I probably won't even get home here until this afternoon.

Oh - and the computer worked out fine. As I type, it is running at a cool 31 degrees C which is quite a bit lower from the 70 degrees C that it was shutting itself down at. I am glad the fix was for the most part 'easy' and I hope to keep these components for another few years.

It is foggy this morning, and cool. All in all, it looks like it will be a wonderful day. I hope you all have a great day as well.

Happy Tuesday to you all!
HoHoHo is coming soon… lol. I do like the tree scrollgirl. :)
 

Attachments

#10,669 ·
New Ornaments Completed

I had another busy day yesterday. I had to take my kitty Coco to the vet yesterday to get a little bump on her paw checked out. Fortunately, it turned out to be nothing and she is fine. I was kind of worried that she would have to go through surgery or something like that to get it removed, but the vet said it wasn't a concern. I am sure Coco was happy as well, but she still wasn't thrilled with the ride to the vet and back (about 45 minutes each way). She was just thrilled to be home again and in her familiar surroundings.

Funny how things like that could kill half the day. By the time I got to work, it was nearly 2pm.

But I did get things done and I was able to sand and finish my two ornament sets. I am pretty happy with the results. I decided to finish them with spray lacquer, because I love the warm finish that it offers. Many times I oil my ornaments first prior to applying the final finish. This helps to bring out the grain of the wood. But this time I wanted to see how they would look if I just applied the spray lacquer over them, and I must say, they look just about as nice. Eliminating the oiling step didn't seem to hurt the ornaments in any way. It actually made things go a bit faster, as I didn't need to wait overnight for the oil to absorb into the pieces.

In any case, following are photos of the results . . .

The first set of ornaments were done using cherry. I love the warm color cherry offers. They will darken a bit as they age, but I still think they came out really pretty:

Food Font Metal Ingredient Fashion accessory


The second set was cut from some curly maple and finished in the same manner, but this time I also added some beautiful crystal hot-fix rhinestones from Rhinestone Canada. I think they look absolutely stunning!

Font Jewellery Metal Pattern Fashion accessory


I wish you could see them in person! They are so beautiful. I took these pictures last night, but I am going to try one more set in the daylight to see if I could get better color on them. I love the hot-fix rhinestones because they are so fast and easy to apply, and there is no messy glue to deal with. You just put them in place, touch the heat wand to the tops and the glue on the flat side melts and adheres them into place. No oozing or mess or glue that can get on the stones to dull them. I absolutely love them!

I think that Rhinestone Canada is offering a special as well for free shipping on orders over $100. If you are considering getting some for your holiday projects, I think that it would be a great time to do so. You could make up a wonderful "starter kit" of many of the beautiful colors and sizes available. (I used 4mm stones here.) And Linda is so easy to work with and ships your order out immediately. It is a great company.

Today I need to package these little ornaments up and get them shipped out. I also want to finish writing my instructions on them as well as finish up some of the other projects that I have been showing. I am getting a little collection of UFO's (Unfinished Objects) hanging around here and I think I need to get them done.

I really appreciate your positive response on these ornaments yesterday. Even though I only showed the rough cut versions, you all were so encouraging.

I am making SEVERAL more sets along this line (with the Damask elements) that I will be able to have for immediate sale. I have some fun ideas that I think you will all like a lot.

So that will do it for today. I hope you all have a wonderfully productive and creative day.

Happy Wednesday to you all!
 

Attachments

#10,670 ·
New Ornaments Completed

I had another busy day yesterday. I had to take my kitty Coco to the vet yesterday to get a little bump on her paw checked out. Fortunately, it turned out to be nothing and she is fine. I was kind of worried that she would have to go through surgery or something like that to get it removed, but the vet said it wasn't a concern. I am sure Coco was happy as well, but she still wasn't thrilled with the ride to the vet and back (about 45 minutes each way). She was just thrilled to be home again and in her familiar surroundings.

Funny how things like that could kill half the day. By the time I got to work, it was nearly 2pm.

But I did get things done and I was able to sand and finish my two ornament sets. I am pretty happy with the results. I decided to finish them with spray lacquer, because I love the warm finish that it offers. Many times I oil my ornaments first prior to applying the final finish. This helps to bring out the grain of the wood. But this time I wanted to see how they would look if I just applied the spray lacquer over them, and I must say, they look just about as nice. Eliminating the oiling step didn't seem to hurt the ornaments in any way. It actually made things go a bit faster, as I didn't need to wait overnight for the oil to absorb into the pieces.

In any case, following are photos of the results . . .

The first set of ornaments were done using cherry. I love the warm color cherry offers. They will darken a bit as they age, but I still think they came out really pretty:

Food Font Metal Ingredient Fashion accessory


The second set was cut from some curly maple and finished in the same manner, but this time I also added some beautiful crystal hot-fix rhinestones from Rhinestone Canada. I think they look absolutely stunning!

Font Jewellery Metal Pattern Fashion accessory


I wish you could see them in person! They are so beautiful. I took these pictures last night, but I am going to try one more set in the daylight to see if I could get better color on them. I love the hot-fix rhinestones because they are so fast and easy to apply, and there is no messy glue to deal with. You just put them in place, touch the heat wand to the tops and the glue on the flat side melts and adheres them into place. No oozing or mess or glue that can get on the stones to dull them. I absolutely love them!

I think that Rhinestone Canada is offering a special as well for free shipping on orders over $100. If you are considering getting some for your holiday projects, I think that it would be a great time to do so. You could make up a wonderful "starter kit" of many of the beautiful colors and sizes available. (I used 4mm stones here.) And Linda is so easy to work with and ships your order out immediately. It is a great company.

Today I need to package these little ornaments up and get them shipped out. I also want to finish writing my instructions on them as well as finish up some of the other projects that I have been showing. I am getting a little collection of UFO's (Unfinished Objects) hanging around here and I think I need to get them done.

I really appreciate your positive response on these ornaments yesterday. Even though I only showed the rough cut versions, you all were so encouraging.

I am making SEVERAL more sets along this line (with the Damask elements) that I will be able to have for immediate sale. I have some fun ideas that I think you will all like a lot.

So that will do it for today. I hope you all have a wonderfully productive and creative day.

Happy Wednesday to you all!
These really are purdeee. :)
 

Attachments

#10,676 ·
Travelling Down the Crackled Highway - A Learning Curve

I always have a great feeling as I see the Purolator man driving away after a pickup. Usually it means that I just completed a project and it is on its way to the publisher. That's always a feeling of relief for me, as more times than not I am coming from dealing with the nerves that accompany submitting to the magazines. Yesterday was no exception.

While I still have some writing to do on the ornaments that I showed yesterday, I wanted to take a day that was a bit 'unstructured' and relax a bit. I find that if I get away from what I have been working on intensively for a couple of days, it really keeps things fresh and I avoid being overwhelmed. Switching gears is good for me.

Keith has been working on some new things as well. He came up with four really nice "Welcome" signs that he is in the processing of finishing up for our next update. Here is a sample of one of his new plaques:

Plant Wood Font Grass Tints and shades


They are going to be a nice series, and he is even adding a little color to them as an option (I think he has been hanging around me too long!) We will have them available in our next update to the site, next week.

I felt like painting as well. I had a vision in my mind as to how I wanted to offer a set of painted ornaments that would be very similar to the wooden ones that I just finished. I needed to work things out though to achieve the effect that I wanted and yesterday seemed like the perfect day to do just that.

I began by cutting a set of six shapes similar to the ones I had just completed. This time though instead of cutting the inside holes for the design, I wanted them to be painted. That may seem very straight forward, but I wanted these ornaments to have an 'eggshell' cracked finish on them so that they looked like old porcelain. Thus began my new self-challenge.

Earlier in the week, I had seen one of my painting friends create a project using DecoArt's "One Step Crackle" finish. While you have seen me use a crackle finish on my own projects many times, I typically use DecoArt's "Weathered Wood" which gives a totally different result. Here is an example of how the Weathered Wood cracks (Use on my SLDP208 All Cracked Up Snowmen pattern).

Sleeve Bird Beak Art Moustache


You can see that the cracks are large and uneven - Just how I wanted them to be.

But I didn't feel that would be suitable for what I had in mind. I wanted these ornaments to have a somewhat elegant look to them, and the Weathered Wood seemed like the crackle would be a bit too "rustic" for that purpose.

Enter the "One Step Crackle" . . .

Unlike the Weathered Wood, which gives those big, beautiful and irregular cracks, the One Step works in an entirely different process which results in fine, even (what I call "eggshell") cracks. To me, it looks as if you have a lovely, old piece of porcelain and the clear coat has aged to the point where tiny cracks are forming. This is very subtle and you don't even see it on first glance, but when looking closer, it is evident. This was exactly the look I was seeking for this project.

But as with using any new product, there was a 'learning curve' and it took me the entire afternoon and many tries to achieve the look I was seeking. The application process was completely different - for the Weathered Wood, you apply the medium BETWEEN the dark base layer and the light contrasting top layer. For the One Step - you apply the medium OVER the light base coat and then apply a dark, contrasting color over it and wipe it back, allowing the dark color to remain in the clear 'cracks' that the medium caused and the light layer to show through. I made several attempts to try to figure out just how thick/thin to apply the paint/medium, as this would naturally affect the final outcome.

One thing I find is that DecoArt isn't always crystal clear in their instructions on using these specialty products. When reading the instructions on the label, it seems that there was little guidance as to things such as I mentioned. I suppose that they are depending on us as Helping Artists to experiment and report to others our findings, which is what I intend to do.

As I mentioned before, the effect from the One Step Crackle is SUBTLE. After working with the Weathered Wood for several years, I was used to actually seeing it crack right before my very eyes. But two factors come into play when using this product that we need to keep in mind - that the layer that 'cracks' is CLEAR, and that it takes a little bit more TIME to complete the process. What initially may look like a 'failure' could really be a hidden success or a success in the making. We just need to be a bit more PATIENT.

After attempting many different thickness of paint and medium and color combinations (I needed to play with the color that I applied over the crackle and wiped back) I finally found a combination that really resembled what I had in mind. The finish looked like aged fine porcelain. VICTORY!

Brown Creative arts Font Art Pattern


You have to really LOOK, but it is there and it DOES add a great deal to the aesthetics of this design. Oddly enough - it was one of the FIRST processes that I tried, and after an afternoon of many trials and errors, I wound up liking the first one that I did the best! Also was the fact that I was just looking at the plain background pieces, which in themselves are quite unimpressive. It wasn't until I edged the pieces with the gold metallic that I fell in LOVE with the outcome. I need to take my own advice sometimes and be a bit more PATIENT!

Here is the final ornament:

Christmas decoration Ornament Tints and shades Art Circle


By the time I finished this ONE ornament up, it was after 9pm. I have five more to paint today, but I can do so knowing that I feel secure in having the process under my belt. These are really quite simple to do, and will be an exercise in the skill of lining and brush control. While I don't think it is everyone's forte, it is certainly something that appeals to me. With the addition of some black Glamour Dust Ultra Fine Glitter Paint on the Damask motif,the gold metallic float shading around the edge of the ornament and the beautiful golden crystal rhinestones, as well as the subtle cracked base, the ornament looks quite beautiful. I hope you agree.

While there was a moment (or two) yesterday that I felt a bit frustrated about things and I must admit I considered giving up, I am truly happy that I stuck with it. Not only are the results just what I wanted them to be, but I also feel that I have a better understanding of the products that I am using and recommending and I am not better equip to help others as well. I always feel that our best way to learn is by trying things. While we sometimes feel that we are wasting materials and our time, the lessons we learn from hands-on experimenting are the ones that I feel teach us best. It is well worth the small price tag to gain additional knowledge. I think my time was very well invested.

Have a terrific Thursday!
 

Attachments

#10,677 ·
Travelling Down the Crackled Highway - A Learning Curve

I always have a great feeling as I see the Purolator man driving away after a pickup. Usually it means that I just completed a project and it is on its way to the publisher. That's always a feeling of relief for me, as more times than not I am coming from dealing with the nerves that accompany submitting to the magazines. Yesterday was no exception.

While I still have some writing to do on the ornaments that I showed yesterday, I wanted to take a day that was a bit 'unstructured' and relax a bit. I find that if I get away from what I have been working on intensively for a couple of days, it really keeps things fresh and I avoid being overwhelmed. Switching gears is good for me.

Keith has been working on some new things as well. He came up with four really nice "Welcome" signs that he is in the processing of finishing up for our next update. Here is a sample of one of his new plaques:

Plant Wood Font Grass Tints and shades


They are going to be a nice series, and he is even adding a little color to them as an option (I think he has been hanging around me too long!) We will have them available in our next update to the site, next week.

I felt like painting as well. I had a vision in my mind as to how I wanted to offer a set of painted ornaments that would be very similar to the wooden ones that I just finished. I needed to work things out though to achieve the effect that I wanted and yesterday seemed like the perfect day to do just that.

I began by cutting a set of six shapes similar to the ones I had just completed. This time though instead of cutting the inside holes for the design, I wanted them to be painted. That may seem very straight forward, but I wanted these ornaments to have an 'eggshell' cracked finish on them so that they looked like old porcelain. Thus began my new self-challenge.

Earlier in the week, I had seen one of my painting friends create a project using DecoArt's "One Step Crackle" finish. While you have seen me use a crackle finish on my own projects many times, I typically use DecoArt's "Weathered Wood" which gives a totally different result. Here is an example of how the Weathered Wood cracks (Use on my SLDP208 All Cracked Up Snowmen pattern).

Sleeve Bird Beak Art Moustache


You can see that the cracks are large and uneven - Just how I wanted them to be.

But I didn't feel that would be suitable for what I had in mind. I wanted these ornaments to have a somewhat elegant look to them, and the Weathered Wood seemed like the crackle would be a bit too "rustic" for that purpose.

Enter the "One Step Crackle" . . .

Unlike the Weathered Wood, which gives those big, beautiful and irregular cracks, the One Step works in an entirely different process which results in fine, even (what I call "eggshell") cracks. To me, it looks as if you have a lovely, old piece of porcelain and the clear coat has aged to the point where tiny cracks are forming. This is very subtle and you don't even see it on first glance, but when looking closer, it is evident. This was exactly the look I was seeking for this project.

But as with using any new product, there was a 'learning curve' and it took me the entire afternoon and many tries to achieve the look I was seeking. The application process was completely different - for the Weathered Wood, you apply the medium BETWEEN the dark base layer and the light contrasting top layer. For the One Step - you apply the medium OVER the light base coat and then apply a dark, contrasting color over it and wipe it back, allowing the dark color to remain in the clear 'cracks' that the medium caused and the light layer to show through. I made several attempts to try to figure out just how thick/thin to apply the paint/medium, as this would naturally affect the final outcome.

One thing I find is that DecoArt isn't always crystal clear in their instructions on using these specialty products. When reading the instructions on the label, it seems that there was little guidance as to things such as I mentioned. I suppose that they are depending on us as Helping Artists to experiment and report to others our findings, which is what I intend to do.

As I mentioned before, the effect from the One Step Crackle is SUBTLE. After working with the Weathered Wood for several years, I was used to actually seeing it crack right before my very eyes. But two factors come into play when using this product that we need to keep in mind - that the layer that 'cracks' is CLEAR, and that it takes a little bit more TIME to complete the process. What initially may look like a 'failure' could really be a hidden success or a success in the making. We just need to be a bit more PATIENT.

After attempting many different thickness of paint and medium and color combinations (I needed to play with the color that I applied over the crackle and wiped back) I finally found a combination that really resembled what I had in mind. The finish looked like aged fine porcelain. VICTORY!

Brown Creative arts Font Art Pattern


You have to really LOOK, but it is there and it DOES add a great deal to the aesthetics of this design. Oddly enough - it was one of the FIRST processes that I tried, and after an afternoon of many trials and errors, I wound up liking the first one that I did the best! Also was the fact that I was just looking at the plain background pieces, which in themselves are quite unimpressive. It wasn't until I edged the pieces with the gold metallic that I fell in LOVE with the outcome. I need to take my own advice sometimes and be a bit more PATIENT!

Here is the final ornament:

Christmas decoration Ornament Tints and shades Art Circle


By the time I finished this ONE ornament up, it was after 9pm. I have five more to paint today, but I can do so knowing that I feel secure in having the process under my belt. These are really quite simple to do, and will be an exercise in the skill of lining and brush control. While I don't think it is everyone's forte, it is certainly something that appeals to me. With the addition of some black Glamour Dust Ultra Fine Glitter Paint on the Damask motif,the gold metallic float shading around the edge of the ornament and the beautiful golden crystal rhinestones, as well as the subtle cracked base, the ornament looks quite beautiful. I hope you agree.

While there was a moment (or two) yesterday that I felt a bit frustrated about things and I must admit I considered giving up, I am truly happy that I stuck with it. Not only are the results just what I wanted them to be, but I also feel that I have a better understanding of the products that I am using and recommending and I am not better equip to help others as well. I always feel that our best way to learn is by trying things. While we sometimes feel that we are wasting materials and our time, the lessons we learn from hands-on experimenting are the ones that I feel teach us best. It is well worth the small price tag to gain additional knowledge. I think my time was very well invested.

Have a terrific Thursday!
What a beautiful effect! You are right, it does look like aged porcelain - very delicate. Love Keith's Welcome sign. Looking forward to seeing his other creations and the rest of your ornaments.
 

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