LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner

My Journey As A Creative Designer - Woodworking and Beyond

Tags
acrylic paint americana angel article article birch articles arts and crafts ash aspen autumn baltic birch baltic birch plywood band saw basket basswood bedroom set beech beeswax bible birch birch ply birch plywood bird birds eye maple blade blades blood wood box brushes build burl business business designing business scroll saw ca glue cabinet camera candle card stock carving carving tool catalog cedar celtic chair cherry children christmas class cocobolo commission work compound cutting contemporary contest corian country crackle crafts creating creativity curly maple custom customer cutting cutting board damask de decorating decorations decoupage design designing dish dolls door drawing dremel drill drill bit drill press drilling easter ebony embellishing embellishment end grain exchange fall faux finishing finish finishing fish frame free fretwork furniture garden glue gothic grey elm halloween heart hickory holiday holly idea ideas inspiration instructions jatoba jewelry jewelry box jig kit kitchen koa lack ofproject progress laminate trimmer lamp lathe light luan plywood magazine mahogany mahogany sepele maple maple heart maple plywood mask masonite mdf military mineral oil finish modern napkin holder nature nautical new oak oil organization organizing ornament ornaments padauk paint painting painting gothic paper patriotic pattern patterns pau amarillo pen pens photography pine plan planer plaque plaques ply plywood poplar power carving presentation pricing primitive printing production project project progress project progress baltic birch project progress birch project progress maple project progress mdf project progress roasted birch projects publish purpleheart r refinishing religious repair review roasted birch romantic rosewood router routing rustic sander sanding sapele saw scroll scroll saw scroll saw blades scroll saw class scroll saw tape scroll sawing scroll work scroll working scrolling techniques scrolls saw scrollsaw scrollwork scrollworking season seasonal segmentation sell selling sellling sepele shaping shellac shop shop safety shop tour shop vac show shows silhouette skates skill sleigh snowflake snowman song spring spring box stain stain finish staining steampunk stenciling storage story studio submit summer table saw tape teach teaching thanksgiving tip tip aspen tool gloat tools toy traditional transfer pattern tray trick turning tutorial valentine veining victorian video vintage walnut wenge western whimsical wildlife winter wood wood shopping wood store trip wood working woodworking woodworking show word art work write yellow heart
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.
 
See less See more
#13,216 ·
Now There Are Three (Sheep)

Yesterday was a difficult day. Most of you who read or know me know how much I love kitties. Cats and kittens have always been such a big part of my life. Most of my life I have had at least one cat and most of the time more than that. To me, they aren't only pets but valued members of my family.

Many of you remember that this past December, I suddenly lost my dear feline friend Pancakes to illness. He had gone into surgery that was intended as 'exploratory' and never made it back. I was devastated, and have still been struggling with his loss to this day. While I love all of my cats, Pancakes may very well have been my "pet of a lifetime." I don't think I will ever be able to 'get over it' fully.

Earlier last year, Keith's mom had lost her beautiful little kitty, Lacey. That has hurt as well. I still kind of look for her every time we go to their home. While Lacey was older and we knew she wasn't feeling well for a long while, it still hurt tremendously to hear of her passing. Another piece of my heart went with her.

I have mentioned our good friend Lee several times here in my posts. Lee was our neighbor at our old apartment and has a heart of gold. He travels down to the wharf every single day to care for the feral cats that people abandon. He feeds them, cares for them, and to most of the kitties, Lee is the only human they will allow to have contact with them. He has adopted several kitties of his own - all 'misfits' that would otherwise certainly not survived. To me (and many others) he is a hero, and a couple of weeks ago I had the honor of attending a dinner the village had to honor 'unspoken volunteers' that helped our community. I was so pleased that Lee was recognized for his kindness and dedication to the kitties.

Last month, though, one of Lee's five kitties became ill and passed away. It broke my heart to say goodbye to Doobie, who was a beautiful creamy beige boy. I went with Lee to the vet that day and while it did bring many of the sad feelings of losing Pancakes back (not that they ever diminished really), I found comfort in that Doobie passed in peace, with calm dignity.

Since then, Lee has adopted a new kitten that he calls "Gibbs", and Gibbs was settling in nicely with his other four.

But yesterday morning, I had some terrible news. Lee had messaged me the night before that his youngest kitty, Loki, had become ill. He was only seven years old and was just a kitten when Lee got him, right around when he moved near Keith and I. I remember the day he brought him home and Loki could fit in your palm. He grew to be a big boy and I grew to love him dearly. When we lived at our old place, we kept our washer and dryer in Lee's apartment (it was larger than ours) and we went over weekly to do our laundry. There wasn't a time when Loki didn't come out to greet me when I came by. I fondly called him "my boyfriend". Even after we moved, I still came by just to visit him every couple of weeks. He always loved to be fussed over and had a personality that I loved. I was so sad to hear that he wasn't feeling well.

As I got ready yesterday morning to go to the vet with Lee and Loki, I received a message from Lee that Loki had passed away. It crushed me.

I couldn't help but think that a year ago, between us, Keith's mom, and Lee (our inner circle here) we had nine kitties. Now four of them have passed away. We all live in different areas so it isn't anything in the water or environment, but just a matter of circumstances. But I have to admit that my heart is in tatters and I am truly struggling with keeping my positive attitude some days. I don't know what to say.

As a designer, creativity is an important factor in success. These past several months, I have been fortunate to be working with other designers and doing more 'production-type' work. It keeps me busy when my heart is just not happy. It keeps me connected and knowing that I am providing pieces that make others happy helps. It is a good stepping stone to keep me moving in a positive direction, even when I don't feel like thinking. I am ever so grateful.

Little by little I feel my own creativity returning. Yesterday, as you can imagine was not a good day. Thank goodness I was 'caught up' for the first time this year and had nothing imperative hanging over my head. I had a good cry in the morning, took it easy most of the day, and by evening I felt like moving forward on my sheep projects. I had to do something to get my mind in a better place.

The sheep are something that I just wanted to do for me. I don't know if I will develop them as a project. I haven't decided yet. I have to think a bit more about the logistics of them, but they are something I just wanted to do 'for no reason at all - other than to just do them.' I wound up finishing the third one last night. I was grateful for the concentration it required.

The first one was done in all Bullion Knots:

Vertebrate Toy Mammal Creative arts Art


. . . the second in Bullion Knots and pearls:

Hair Art Creative arts Headgear Jewellery


. . . and the third sheep is done in all glass stones, beads and pearls. I think it looks pretty cool:

Natural material Body jewelry Pearl Embellishment Creative arts


I began by encasing a clear, glass cut cabochon in small glass seed beads for the center of the sheep. I built around that using various sized glass beads and pearls. I think the look is different and fun:

Natural material Creative arts Pearl Art Body jewelry


As a group, they look pretty nice:

White Textile Sleeve Linens Bridal accessory


I still have other ideas for 'different' sheep. I will continue to show them as I work on them. I haven't quite decided as to whether I will make them as individual lapel pins or apply them as stumpwork to a larger piece. I am still thinking it over.

I am probably going to lay low for the next few days. I just feel the need to step back for a couple of days and try to heal and cope. While I have many ideas and projects on the go, I don't know which direction I feel like going. Maybe I just need a little rest. I am sure I will be picking up projects and working on them over the weekend, but I don't know which ones yet. I have some things to do here around the house, too and it may be a good time to do that.

I hope you enjoy seeing these little 'versions' of my sheep. For some reason, they make me happy.

I'll take it.

Have a wonderful weekend.
 

Attachments

#13,217 ·
Now There Are Three (Sheep)

Yesterday was a difficult day. Most of you who read or know me know how much I love kitties. Cats and kittens have always been such a big part of my life. Most of my life I have had at least one cat and most of the time more than that. To me, they aren't only pets but valued members of my family.

Many of you remember that this past December, I suddenly lost my dear feline friend Pancakes to illness. He had gone into surgery that was intended as 'exploratory' and never made it back. I was devastated, and have still been struggling with his loss to this day. While I love all of my cats, Pancakes may very well have been my "pet of a lifetime." I don't think I will ever be able to 'get over it' fully.

Earlier last year, Keith's mom had lost her beautiful little kitty, Lacey. That has hurt as well. I still kind of look for her every time we go to their home. While Lacey was older and we knew she wasn't feeling well for a long while, it still hurt tremendously to hear of her passing. Another piece of my heart went with her.

I have mentioned our good friend Lee several times here in my posts. Lee was our neighbor at our old apartment and has a heart of gold. He travels down to the wharf every single day to care for the feral cats that people abandon. He feeds them, cares for them, and to most of the kitties, Lee is the only human they will allow to have contact with them. He has adopted several kitties of his own - all 'misfits' that would otherwise certainly not survived. To me (and many others) he is a hero, and a couple of weeks ago I had the honor of attending a dinner the village had to honor 'unspoken volunteers' that helped our community. I was so pleased that Lee was recognized for his kindness and dedication to the kitties.

Last month, though, one of Lee's five kitties became ill and passed away. It broke my heart to say goodbye to Doobie, who was a beautiful creamy beige boy. I went with Lee to the vet that day and while it did bring many of the sad feelings of losing Pancakes back (not that they ever diminished really), I found comfort in that Doobie passed in peace, with calm dignity.

Since then, Lee has adopted a new kitten that he calls "Gibbs", and Gibbs was settling in nicely with his other four.

But yesterday morning, I had some terrible news. Lee had messaged me the night before that his youngest kitty, Loki, had become ill. He was only seven years old and was just a kitten when Lee got him, right around when he moved near Keith and I. I remember the day he brought him home and Loki could fit in your palm. He grew to be a big boy and I grew to love him dearly. When we lived at our old place, we kept our washer and dryer in Lee's apartment (it was larger than ours) and we went over weekly to do our laundry. There wasn't a time when Loki didn't come out to greet me when I came by. I fondly called him "my boyfriend". Even after we moved, I still came by just to visit him every couple of weeks. He always loved to be fussed over and had a personality that I loved. I was so sad to hear that he wasn't feeling well.

As I got ready yesterday morning to go to the vet with Lee and Loki, I received a message from Lee that Loki had passed away. It crushed me.

I couldn't help but think that a year ago, between us, Keith's mom, and Lee (our inner circle here) we had nine kitties. Now four of them have passed away. We all live in different areas so it isn't anything in the water or environment, but just a matter of circumstances. But I have to admit that my heart is in tatters and I am truly struggling with keeping my positive attitude some days. I don't know what to say.

As a designer, creativity is an important factor in success. These past several months, I have been fortunate to be working with other designers and doing more 'production-type' work. It keeps me busy when my heart is just not happy. It keeps me connected and knowing that I am providing pieces that make others happy helps. It is a good stepping stone to keep me moving in a positive direction, even when I don't feel like thinking. I am ever so grateful.

Little by little I feel my own creativity returning. Yesterday, as you can imagine was not a good day. Thank goodness I was 'caught up' for the first time this year and had nothing imperative hanging over my head. I had a good cry in the morning, took it easy most of the day, and by evening I felt like moving forward on my sheep projects. I had to do something to get my mind in a better place.

The sheep are something that I just wanted to do for me. I don't know if I will develop them as a project. I haven't decided yet. I have to think a bit more about the logistics of them, but they are something I just wanted to do 'for no reason at all - other than to just do them.' I wound up finishing the third one last night. I was grateful for the concentration it required.

The first one was done in all Bullion Knots:

Vertebrate Toy Mammal Creative arts Art


. . . the second in Bullion Knots and pearls:

Hair Art Creative arts Headgear Jewellery


. . . and the third sheep is done in all glass stones, beads and pearls. I think it looks pretty cool:

Natural material Body jewelry Pearl Embellishment Creative arts


I began by encasing a clear, glass cut cabochon in small glass seed beads for the center of the sheep. I built around that using various sized glass beads and pearls. I think the look is different and fun:

Natural material Creative arts Pearl Art Body jewelry


As a group, they look pretty nice:

White Textile Sleeve Linens Bridal accessory


I still have other ideas for 'different' sheep. I will continue to show them as I work on them. I haven't quite decided as to whether I will make them as individual lapel pins or apply them as stumpwork to a larger piece. I am still thinking it over.

I am probably going to lay low for the next few days. I just feel the need to step back for a couple of days and try to heal and cope. While I have many ideas and projects on the go, I don't know which direction I feel like going. Maybe I just need a little rest. I am sure I will be picking up projects and working on them over the weekend, but I don't know which ones yet. I have some things to do here around the house, too and it may be a good time to do that.

I hope you enjoy seeing these little 'versions' of my sheep. For some reason, they make me happy.

I'll take it.

Have a wonderful weekend.
Reading about your experience with your friends and the kitties made me miss mine that are at home and wonder how they are doing. I have someone checking in on them to make sure they have food and water. They do have a cats life, given the freedom of the outdoors, free to roam. The wild cat is not so skittish and likes to be petted only when eating. I miss the way they flop down on the ground and roll over when I am around them. Hope they welcome me home, as we are gone for a month and a half. I admire Lee for feeding the cats, food is not that cheap. It is a real commitment.
I like the woolly sheep better. We had some sheep on the farm where I grew up and I remember the close curly wool of the new lambs. The pearl one would not have that feel. For me anyway.

Have a nice weekend too. We are with my daughter and family, his family too for the graduation of the granddaughter this weekend, Grade 8. Grandson next weekend. Grade 12. Can't get much better.
 

Attachments

#13,221 ·
Finishing Up Some Projects

Since most of you are also creators and crafters, I am sure you understand the dilemma that we all have in finding enough time to finish all the projects we begin.

For me, it is usually a matter of not having enough time to complete everything that I want to complete. I see a new project and attack it with great enthusiasm, then one thing or another comes along and pulls me away from it, and I don't know when I am able to return to finish. Trust me when I say that it becomes even more difficult for someone like myself, who not only plays with many different types of media but whose job is designing new projects myself. On a daily basis, I am exposed to so many wonderful projects from my fellow designers in so many different types of crafts that it makes my head spin! Choosing which project to do next is not the hardest thing - choosing the ones NOT to do seems to be the problem.

As a result, I often wind up with a couple of things on the go at once. My usual menu of 'choices' is a project that I am developing myself, an embroidery project (or two!), a home-dec project (or a list of them) and a couple of painting projects. I have learned to live with this setup, as it gives me a variety of choices and I feel that no matter what mood I am in, there is something there to keep myself busy. It keeps me being creative and thinking about the next project on my drawing table. I don't think it is a bad thing.

But recently, I have seen so many new things I want to do for gifts for others as well as for my own home here, that I was starting to feel a bit anxious about just how many things were partially finished. I have a couple of new things I want to start, but I couldn't do so in good conscience until I checked some things off of the list of what I was working on. It wouldn't have been right.

Last week, I finished up my "Maiden Voyage" Ark from Lynne Andrews' Inspirational Ark series. Since this was the Ark with the most detail (and most passengers!) I felt this was a great accomplishment. From here on, the smaller Arks have only one or two characters and should be able to be completed very quickly. I felt it was a great hurdle.

I also began painting my first group of three ornaments from Amy Mogish's "Classic Amy Joanne Halloween Club". I have been cutting the pieces for Amy for months now on these ornaments and the mailings began in June. For the next three months, we will have three ornaments to work on per month so that by September, we will have a beautiful set of 12 to display on my SLDPK159A Dowel Tree (Amy is designing a FENCE and TOPPER to fit on this tree!) or on any tree, wreath, or garland you wish. I LOVE Amy's fun and whimsical style, and it was a great deal of fun to paint up these quick and beautiful ornaments!

I began them last week and showed you in a previous post. But I decided this weekend to finish them off. I am happy to say I accomplished my goal.

The first set consisted of a ghost:

Body jewelry Font Jewellery Natural material Gadget


. . . a spider . . .

Orange Font Jewellery Pattern Fashion accessory


. . . and some Halloween candy:

Orange Font Handwriting Body jewelry Jewellery


Each ornament is painted using beautiful DecoArt Acrylic paint and mediums, and glass glitter was applied. I dyed my own glass glitter using Alcohol Ink, which made it much cheaper than buying colored glass shards. This really made a beautiful, chunky and oh-so-sparkly glitter. I used the glass glitter in the center of each ornament, around the lettering that was penciled in with colored pencils. (By the way - doing the lettering in PENCIL made it so EASY and FAST to do!) You can see how I dyed the glitter by downloading the FREE instructions on my site here: Free Patterns and Resources. I show the entire process with step-by-step photos in the download of the pumpkin ornaments.

We were given suggestions as to how to finish the sides and backs of our ornaments, and I decided to do this black and white check with an orange stripe going through the center of the light checks. I loved it, but it was a little stark for the tone of the ornaments, so I used DecoArt's Black Ice Glamour Dust Ultra Fine Glitter Paint to add some sparkle and tone them down. Since the black glitter is suspended in a black, transparent base, it did the job well of subduing the bright white checks. It looked beautiful - like the edges were dipped in sugar - and I loved the effect. I wanted even MORE sparkle, but I didn't want to further darken the edges, so I added another layer of Crystal Clear Glamour Dust Ultra Fine Glitter Paint and it looked even better. I wish you could see it in person!

Product Sleeve Orange Eyewear Collar


For final touches, I added some orange and black Baker's Twine for hangers (Baker's Twine is Amy's trademark!) and I also added three little glass pumpkin Lampwork Beads at the tops of my pieces.

Watch Body jewelry Dishware Font Jewellery


They were the PERFECT accent for these beautiful ornaments and they look just fabulous!

I am watching those in our Facebook Group (Classic Ornie Halloween Club) to see how the members are finishing the backs of theirs and then I will decide what I want to do with mine. They are plain now, but I am sure by the end of our journey here, I will decide to put something on them. I was thinking some type of plaid, but I saw a member added checks and I may like to do that. It is fun to see all the interpretations of the others who are doing this project along with us. I invite you all to join our Facebook Group and either paint this fabulous project with us or just cheer us on. It is a great way to be inspired and share your creativity.

When I finished my ornaments, I spent the rest of the evening working on my lighthouse plaque that was designed by Jamie Mills-Price.

Lighthouse Tower Paint Painting Art


It is nearly done now, and I added some Lupin flowers to my plaque, as they are native to Nova Scotia. I also have some other 'surprises' for the frame, but that will be for the next blog . . . (You can get this pattern at Jamie's site http://www.betweenthevines.com) I love all of her patterns.

Finally, this weekend I also began working on my own design. This is a set of scatter-letters for - you guessed it - SUMMER!

Wood Rectangle Picture frame Font Art
 

Attachments

#13,222 ·
Finishing Up Some Projects

Since most of you are also creators and crafters, I am sure you understand the dilemma that we all have in finding enough time to finish all the projects we begin.

For me, it is usually a matter of not having enough time to complete everything that I want to complete. I see a new project and attack it with great enthusiasm, then one thing or another comes along and pulls me away from it, and I don't know when I am able to return to finish. Trust me when I say that it becomes even more difficult for someone like myself, who not only plays with many different types of media but whose job is designing new projects myself. On a daily basis, I am exposed to so many wonderful projects from my fellow designers in so many different types of crafts that it makes my head spin! Choosing which project to do next is not the hardest thing - choosing the ones NOT to do seems to be the problem.

As a result, I often wind up with a couple of things on the go at once. My usual menu of 'choices' is a project that I am developing myself, an embroidery project (or two!), a home-dec project (or a list of them) and a couple of painting projects. I have learned to live with this setup, as it gives me a variety of choices and I feel that no matter what mood I am in, there is something there to keep myself busy. It keeps me being creative and thinking about the next project on my drawing table. I don't think it is a bad thing.

But recently, I have seen so many new things I want to do for gifts for others as well as for my own home here, that I was starting to feel a bit anxious about just how many things were partially finished. I have a couple of new things I want to start, but I couldn't do so in good conscience until I checked some things off of the list of what I was working on. It wouldn't have been right.

Last week, I finished up my "Maiden Voyage" Ark from Lynne Andrews' Inspirational Ark series. Since this was the Ark with the most detail (and most passengers!) I felt this was a great accomplishment. From here on, the smaller Arks have only one or two characters and should be able to be completed very quickly. I felt it was a great hurdle.

I also began painting my first group of three ornaments from Amy Mogish's "Classic Amy Joanne Halloween Club". I have been cutting the pieces for Amy for months now on these ornaments and the mailings began in June. For the next three months, we will have three ornaments to work on per month so that by September, we will have a beautiful set of 12 to display on my SLDPK159A Dowel Tree (Amy is designing a FENCE and TOPPER to fit on this tree!) or on any tree, wreath, or garland you wish. I LOVE Amy's fun and whimsical style, and it was a great deal of fun to paint up these quick and beautiful ornaments!

I began them last week and showed you in a previous post. But I decided this weekend to finish them off. I am happy to say I accomplished my goal.

The first set consisted of a ghost:

Body jewelry Font Jewellery Natural material Gadget


. . . a spider . . .

Orange Font Jewellery Pattern Fashion accessory


. . . and some Halloween candy:

Orange Font Handwriting Body jewelry Jewellery


Each ornament is painted using beautiful DecoArt Acrylic paint and mediums, and glass glitter was applied. I dyed my own glass glitter using Alcohol Ink, which made it much cheaper than buying colored glass shards. This really made a beautiful, chunky and oh-so-sparkly glitter. I used the glass glitter in the center of each ornament, around the lettering that was penciled in with colored pencils. (By the way - doing the lettering in PENCIL made it so EASY and FAST to do!) You can see how I dyed the glitter by downloading the FREE instructions on my site here: Free Patterns and Resources. I show the entire process with step-by-step photos in the download of the pumpkin ornaments.

We were given suggestions as to how to finish the sides and backs of our ornaments, and I decided to do this black and white check with an orange stripe going through the center of the light checks. I loved it, but it was a little stark for the tone of the ornaments, so I used DecoArt's Black Ice Glamour Dust Ultra Fine Glitter Paint to add some sparkle and tone them down. Since the black glitter is suspended in a black, transparent base, it did the job well of subduing the bright white checks. It looked beautiful - like the edges were dipped in sugar - and I loved the effect. I wanted even MORE sparkle, but I didn't want to further darken the edges, so I added another layer of Crystal Clear Glamour Dust Ultra Fine Glitter Paint and it looked even better. I wish you could see it in person!

Product Sleeve Orange Eyewear Collar


For final touches, I added some orange and black Baker's Twine for hangers (Baker's Twine is Amy's trademark!) and I also added three little glass pumpkin Lampwork Beads at the tops of my pieces.

Watch Body jewelry Dishware Font Jewellery


They were the PERFECT accent for these beautiful ornaments and they look just fabulous!

I am watching those in our Facebook Group (Classic Ornie Halloween Club) to see how the members are finishing the backs of theirs and then I will decide what I want to do with mine. They are plain now, but I am sure by the end of our journey here, I will decide to put something on them. I was thinking some type of plaid, but I saw a member added checks and I may like to do that. It is fun to see all the interpretations of the others who are doing this project along with us. I invite you all to join our Facebook Group and either paint this fabulous project with us or just cheer us on. It is a great way to be inspired and share your creativity.

When I finished my ornaments, I spent the rest of the evening working on my lighthouse plaque that was designed by Jamie Mills-Price.

Lighthouse Tower Paint Painting Art


It is nearly done now, and I added some Lupin flowers to my plaque, as they are native to Nova Scotia. I also have some other 'surprises' for the frame, but that will be for the next blog . . . (You can get this pattern at Jamie's site http://www.betweenthevines.com) I love all of her patterns.

Finally, this weekend I also began working on my own design. This is a set of scatter-letters for - you guessed it - SUMMER!

Wood Rectangle Picture frame Font Art
Hi Sheila, Just catching up on your blogs and all the wonderful projects you have been doing. I love the variety of work you get into and you do it all so well. We have been on the Sunshine Coast for some R&R. Beautiful area, loved it! Now it's back to reality and finishing the many projects I have on the go!
 

Attachments

#13,226 ·
New "Summer" Scatter Block Design

After a great deal of rain over the past several days, yesterday (the first day of summer) was the first day that we had a day filled with sunshine in what seemed like a long time. It seemed appropriate.

It also seemed appropriate that I was working on my new pattern that will include both the scroll sawn version as well as painting instructions for these cute and fun Summer Scatter Blocks (SLD537) that I showed as the 'woodworking version' in my last blog post:

Wood Rectangle Picture frame Font Art


While I feel they look nice like that, with all the inner lines cut on the scroll saw, I couldn't help but think how pretty they would be if I painted them using some of my wonderful DecoArt colors. I recently obtained some of the new colors that DecoArt has come out with for 2017 and they were just too pretty to pass up on. (For those of you who would like them ALL, you can get a set of the nine new colors at a great price at the Artist Club online - DecoArt Acrylic Colors. If you go to the bottom of the page, you will see the set of nine new colors at a discounted price!)

I cut a set of 'blank' pieces for my "Summer Scatter Blocks" and I painted them with some wonderful, bright and cheery colors. I then took my polka-dot stencil from Sandy McTier Designs and (you can get her M2 Stencils here) and added some cute white dots on each of the little flower pieces.

Product Font Art Pattern Circle


It amazed me at how a simple addition made such a big difference. They really made the pieces look CUTE!

After shading each piece, I used DecoArt Glamour Dust Ultra Fine Glitter Paint in gold and brushed the faces of all the pieces.

Hand Liquid Fluid Finger Drink


Next, I painted on the lettering with a light base coat, and when that dried, I applied some gold Extreme Sheen Metallic Paint from DecoArt.

Liquid Food Recipe Ingredient Font


This is another new product from DecoArt that is really amazing. The "Extreme Sheen" line of paints has so much more metallic pigment in it than their usual metallic paint! When applied, it looks much like foil!

Azure Aqua Font Art Symbol


I also dry brushed some on the black sunglasses of Mr. Sunshine and it gave a lovely effect:

Glasses Head Eyewear Textile Vision care


Overall, I really think it made the project look AMAZING!

Orange Wood Art Art paint Paint


And it was "Easy/Peasy", too!

I am really happy with how it came out and I know it will be a fun project for adults and kids alike. I will be adding both the pattern as well as the blank wood kit to the site in the next couple of days. I hope it is a project that you will all enjoy! You can get any of these great new products at the DecoArt online store or your local craft store. I really love the new paints they have for different purposes. Just when I think they can't come up with any more new things, they surprise me with some great new products! I am always so impressed.

On other things, I also finished up my lighthouse painting that was designed by Jamie Mills Price:

Textile Lighthouse Tower Creative arts Rectangle


I am thrilled with it, and I will show it with more detail in my next post.

AND . . .

Keith has a new pattern for the scroll sawyers, too:

Wood Font Rectangle Poster Art
 

Attachments

#13,227 ·
New "Summer" Scatter Block Design

After a great deal of rain over the past several days, yesterday (the first day of summer) was the first day that we had a day filled with sunshine in what seemed like a long time. It seemed appropriate.

It also seemed appropriate that I was working on my new pattern that will include both the scroll sawn version as well as painting instructions for these cute and fun Summer Scatter Blocks (SLD537) that I showed as the 'woodworking version' in my last blog post:

Wood Rectangle Picture frame Font Art


While I feel they look nice like that, with all the inner lines cut on the scroll saw, I couldn't help but think how pretty they would be if I painted them using some of my wonderful DecoArt colors. I recently obtained some of the new colors that DecoArt has come out with for 2017 and they were just too pretty to pass up on. (For those of you who would like them ALL, you can get a set of the nine new colors at a great price at the Artist Club online - DecoArt Acrylic Colors. If you go to the bottom of the page, you will see the set of nine new colors at a discounted price!)

I cut a set of 'blank' pieces for my "Summer Scatter Blocks" and I painted them with some wonderful, bright and cheery colors. I then took my polka-dot stencil from Sandy McTier Designs and (you can get her M2 Stencils here) and added some cute white dots on each of the little flower pieces.

Product Font Art Pattern Circle


It amazed me at how a simple addition made such a big difference. They really made the pieces look CUTE!

After shading each piece, I used DecoArt Glamour Dust Ultra Fine Glitter Paint in gold and brushed the faces of all the pieces.

Hand Liquid Fluid Finger Drink


Next, I painted on the lettering with a light base coat, and when that dried, I applied some gold Extreme Sheen Metallic Paint from DecoArt.

Liquid Food Recipe Ingredient Font


This is another new product from DecoArt that is really amazing. The "Extreme Sheen" line of paints has so much more metallic pigment in it than their usual metallic paint! When applied, it looks much like foil!

Azure Aqua Font Art Symbol


I also dry brushed some on the black sunglasses of Mr. Sunshine and it gave a lovely effect:

Glasses Head Eyewear Textile Vision care


Overall, I really think it made the project look AMAZING!

Orange Wood Art Art paint Paint


And it was "Easy/Peasy", too!

I am really happy with how it came out and I know it will be a fun project for adults and kids alike. I will be adding both the pattern as well as the blank wood kit to the site in the next couple of days. I hope it is a project that you will all enjoy! You can get any of these great new products at the DecoArt online store or your local craft store. I really love the new paints they have for different purposes. Just when I think they can't come up with any more new things, they surprise me with some great new products! I am always so impressed.

On other things, I also finished up my lighthouse painting that was designed by Jamie Mills Price:

Textile Lighthouse Tower Creative arts Rectangle


I am thrilled with it, and I will show it with more detail in my next post.

AND . . .

Keith has a new pattern for the scroll sawyers, too:

Wood Font Rectangle Poster Art
The work you did on the summer plagues is great. I learn of different products every time I look at your work. The lighthouse is looking good. I got a big box of lighthouse puzzles for Fathers Day. 10 puzzles in all.. Will be kept busy this winter for sure.
 

Attachments

#13,230 ·
New Projects (again!)

While one would think that the reason that I haven't been blogging regularly is due to things slowing down, usually the opposite is true. As always, I have several things 'on the go' at once and many times I just don't know what to do first. Add to this that the weather here in Nova Scotia has been just beautiful, and not only does that lend itself to outdoor projects (yard work, etc.) but also really makes me want to head to the beach for the day. Our home is so close to the ocean, and in the past two years, I think I visited the beach ONCE. that is truly a crime, I feel. Life is too short not to take some time and enjoy the things we work so hard to acquire - even if it is just enjoying our sleepy little coastal town. It is a promise that I made to myself to do so, and on Monday, I took advantage of the warm and cloudless day and headed to the shore. I wasn't disappointed.



up my supplies and I am just thrilled with it! She had surprised me with the fabric she used and when I saw it, I just smiled!



The inside has several lovely divided compartments to hold lots of brushes:



I love the darker, paw print fabric that was used for the inside. It was not only cute but wouldn't show spots or wear:



The outside was covered in brilliant, nearly fluorescent colors kitties (what else?!):



And finally, it had a pretty fluorescent green elastic to keep it closed when folded:



I know it will get lots and lots of use, and I will think of Karen each time I see it. :) (If you would like her to make you one, you can contact her at kraftykaren@wowway.com. I am sure she will be happy to do one in an adorable fabric to your liking!)

I wound up not painting, though, as it was a bit windy to do so and also I changed my mind on the color scheme of the project that I was designing.

I am working on designing the July "Quick Paint" project for Toletown painting community. (www.toletown.com) Many of you who follow know that I am one of their regular designers, and I create one Quick Paint project and two full projects with videos per year for them. They have a wonderful community and it is very reasonable to join and the members have access to loads of fun projects, videos, and patterns. I hope you check them out.

Doing the 'Quick Paint' is always a challenge for me. I usually do something quite complicated and it is hard for me to do 'simple'. This time, I was determined to indeed do something "quick" and keep it simple. I think I succeeded.

The July theme at Toletown is "Christmas in July" and I created some really cute and fun (and SIMPLE) tags that can be used as ornaments or tags or both:



For the backgrounds, I used some fun stencils by my designer friends Sandy Warner McTier and Tracy Moreau. I loved the 'retro' look of these patterns and I felt they fit perfectly with my vision of the project. You can get the stencils (the group is called "M2 Stencils" at both Sandy's site as well as Tracy's site. I love them because they are so versatile, inexpensive, and can be used for a variety of projects to make something quick and fun. I hope you check them out. :)

I will also be offering up the tag surfaces on my site:



They will be up there probably by tomorrow. We are doing a site update so I will also have the pattern and surfaces for the SUMMER scatter letters I showed last week as well as Keith's new designs.

This is his new SLDK728 Deer Rustic Welcome Sign:



It is the first of a new series of welcome plaques that he is working on. He will be doing several wildlife plaques of this type.

If you aren't on our Mailing List, I encourage you to join up so we can let you know when we have new things. We only send out a newsletter about every other week and we don't share your information with anyone. We also offer special coupon codes and sales from time to time for our subscribers. It is a great way to keep up with things from us and get a little discount, too.

On other things, I have finally found some time in the evening to get back to my sheep project. I still don't know what I am going to ultimately do with these sheep, but they are something I wanted to create. This is the forth of the five versions that I am making:



This one also uses beautiful Valdani pearle cotton thread for the legs, ears, and face, but this time I am using 2mm silk ribbon to make the bushy coat. It is taking me much longer than I anticipated, but since I am not timing myself and do not have any deadlines. it doesn't really matter.



I just love the 'fluffy' texture the ribbon offers. Here is a photo with my finger in the picture so you can see the size relation:



Here they are with their other 'friends':



They look pretty cool all together. I have one more idea for this group and then I will call it done. you will have to stay tuned and see . . .

So that's about all for this time. Besides the above projects, I have been cutting orders and doing the wood for the next installment for Amy Mogish's Halloween Club. As seems to be the norm of late, I have lots of things going on at once. I suppose that is what makes me happiest. It sure makes for the days passing quickly though and I am afraid if I blink, summer will be over.

I hope you all take some time out to enjoy your days as they come. While it is important to work, it is also important to take the time to enjoy what you are working for. You never know what tomorrow will bring.

Happy Thursday to you all!
 

Attachments

#13,231 ·
New Projects (again!)

While one would think that the reason that I haven't been blogging regularly is due to things slowing down, usually the opposite is true. As always, I have several things 'on the go' at once and many times I just don't know what to do first. Add to this that the weather here in Nova Scotia has been just beautiful, and not only does that lend itself to outdoor projects (yard work, etc.) but also really makes me want to head to the beach for the day. Our home is so close to the ocean, and in the past two years, I think I visited the beach ONCE. that is truly a crime, I feel. Life is too short not to take some time and enjoy the things we work so hard to acquire - even if it is just enjoying our sleepy little coastal town. It is a promise that I made to myself to do so, and on Monday, I took advantage of the warm and cloudless day and headed to the shore. I wasn't disappointed.

Water Sky Water resources Cloud Natural environment


up my supplies and I am just thrilled with it! She had surprised me with the fabric she used and when I saw it, I just smiled!

Rectangle Bag Sleeve Creative arts Art


The inside has several lovely divided compartments to hold lots of brushes:

Lighting Writing implement Office supplies Font Line


I love the darker, paw print fabric that was used for the inside. It was not only cute but wouldn't show spots or wear:

Lighting Writing implement Office supplies Font Line


The outside was covered in brilliant, nearly fluorescent colors kitties (what else?!):

Textile Sleeve Art Font Pattern


And finally, it had a pretty fluorescent green elastic to keep it closed when folded:

Textile Rectangle Sleeve Art Pattern


I know it will get lots and lots of use, and I will think of Karen each time I see it. :) (If you would like her to make you one, you can contact her at kraftykaren@wowway.com. I am sure she will be happy to do one in an adorable fabric to your liking!)

I wound up not painting, though, as it was a bit windy to do so and also I changed my mind on the color scheme of the project that I was designing.

I am working on designing the July "Quick Paint" project for Toletown painting community. (www.toletown.com) Many of you who follow know that I am one of their regular designers, and I create one Quick Paint project and two full projects with videos per year for them. They have a wonderful community and it is very reasonable to join and the members have access to loads of fun projects, videos, and patterns. I hope you check them out.

Doing the 'Quick Paint' is always a challenge for me. I usually do something quite complicated and it is hard for me to do 'simple'. This time, I was determined to indeed do something "quick" and keep it simple. I think I succeeded.

The July theme at Toletown is "Christmas in July" and I created some really cute and fun (and SIMPLE) tags that can be used as ornaments or tags or both:

Sleeve Baby & toddler clothing Font T-shirt Jewellery


For the backgrounds, I used some fun stencils by my designer friends Sandy Warner McTier and Tracy Moreau. I loved the 'retro' look of these patterns and I felt they fit perfectly with my vision of the project. You can get the stencils (the group is called "M2 Stencils" at both Sandy's site as well as Tracy's site. I love them because they are so versatile, inexpensive, and can be used for a variety of projects to make something quick and fun. I hope you check them out. :)

I will also be offering up the tag surfaces on my site:

Brown Wood Gesture Font Natural material


They will be up there probably by tomorrow. We are doing a site update so I will also have the pattern and surfaces for the SUMMER scatter letters I showed last week as well as Keith's new designs.

This is his new SLDK728 Deer Rustic Welcome Sign:

Vertebrate Rectangle Deer Organism Elk


It is the first of a new series of welcome plaques that he is working on. He will be doing several wildlife plaques of this type.

If you aren't on our Mailing List, I encourage you to join up so we can let you know when we have new things. We only send out a newsletter about every other week and we don't share your information with anyone. We also offer special coupon codes and sales from time to time for our subscribers. It is a great way to keep up with things from us and get a little discount, too.

On other things, I have finally found some time in the evening to get back to my sheep project. I still don't know what I am going to ultimately do with these sheep, but they are something I wanted to create. This is the forth of the five versions that I am making:

Plant Wool Woolen Jewellery Font


This one also uses beautiful Valdani pearle cotton thread for the legs, ears, and face, but this time I am using 2mm silk ribbon to make the bushy coat. It is taking me much longer than I anticipated, but since I am not timing myself and do not have any deadlines. it doesn't really matter.

Headgear Beige Jewellery Plant Wool


I just love the 'fluffy' texture the ribbon offers. Here is a photo with my finger in the picture so you can see the size relation:

Creative arts Art Wool Font Pattern


Here they are with their other 'friends':

White Textile Tableware Rectangle Creative arts


They look pretty cool all together. I have one more idea for this group and then I will call it done. you will have to stay tuned and see . . .

So that's about all for this time. Besides the above projects, I have been cutting orders and doing the wood for the next installment for Amy Mogish's Halloween Club. As seems to be the norm of late, I have lots of things going on at once. I suppose that is what makes me happiest. It sure makes for the days passing quickly though and I am afraid if I blink, summer will be over.

I hope you all take some time out to enjoy your days as they come. While it is important to work, it is also important to take the time to enjoy what you are working for. You never know what tomorrow will bring.

Happy Thursday to you all!
Hope that you had a wonderful day at the beach, and that you made reminder notes on your calendar for the next dozen visits.
 

Attachments

#13,236 ·
Catching Up

The longer I am away from blogging, the more projects keep piling up and the more overwhelmed I feel about writing again. It is funny how that works, isn't it?

I didn't realize how long my break from writing was until I received several emails from some of you who were somewhat concerned about my absence. I very much appreciate being missed, and I promise I will do my best to try to post more regularly. It is just that sometimes getting back into a routine can be tough.

I certainly have been busy. Even though it is only mid-July, as I designer I realize that the autumn and holiday seasons are quickly approaching. That has always been our busiest time and while I feel I have a little bit of a start on some new designs for the upcoming seasons, there never seem to be enough hours in the day (or days in the week, for that matter) to accomplish everything I set out to do and keep up with ideas. I always say that is a good thing - and it is - but it is hard to fend off the feelings of being overwhelmed sometimes and keep my thoughts as organized as I would like. It takes a great deal of practice.

One of the main reasons that I have been absent in the past couple of weeks was that I had a visit from a fellow artist and friend from Virginia. (VERA!)

Face Nose Cheek Skin Smile


I 'met' Vera at the beginning of last year when I started the Facebook group for Lynne Andrews 12 Days of Christmas ornaments. Vera instantly stood out because she was such a huge help with keeping that group going. Along with our friend Lynn, Vera and I were the ones who answered questions, encouraged others, and overall, kept things running smoothly. Vera painted SIX sets of the ornaments herself and was a wonderful inspiration for others. We came to chat with each other almost on a daily basis and found we had so much in common that we could have been sisters. When Vera said she wanted to visit, I was thrilled to have her. She spent a full week here in Nova Scotia with us and you would think that we had been friends our entire lives.

While we spent some time playing 'tourists' and looking around our area, we spent much of our time brainstorming and talking about creating and what the next projects would be. It was wonderful to have someone here who shares my passion for making things, and it really lit a fire under me. It was a great time and lovely to have someone to share my excitement about creating with. We have so many great new ideas that we hope you will all enjoy.

But she had to eventually go back, and last Friday we took her back to the airport in Halifax. But I feel that I have a new sense of dedication and purpose, and couldn't wait to get started on some new things.

I did finish my "Five Little Sheep" embroidery designs. As I mentioned in previous blogs, they were what I consider to be a kind of warm up exercise in working on my embroidery skills. I do want to branch out and create some unique needlework kits, as I have looked and the types of projects and kits I have in mind are not to be found. I think I can tap a new area and hopefully bring something to people that they can't really find anywhere else. This has been something that I have wanted to do ever since I worked on my "A Perfect World" sampler two years ago. There was so much interest from people and so many requests to create patterns and/or kits that I feel it is something that would be well-received. But I wanted to take my time and do things right. I have been spending many months getting things ready in preparation for launching this line of patterns and kits.

The first subject that I chose to create was a Nautilus seashell brooch.

Gold Body jewelry Finger Creative arts Art


It is created using high-quality threads, glass pearls, and glass seed beads. There is a pretty crystal bead in the center, too. When I first showed it on Facebook, I was overwhelmed by the response. It was very encouraging and there is even a shop that wants to order my kits wholesale. It will be a fun, new adventure.

Of course, after the initial piece was done, I needed to recreate it in order to take step-by-step photos for the pattern and put the steps in logical order. As a designer, I often start with an idea and build on it as I progress. I do this with my painting patterns as well and thus I usually need to make everything two times when creating a pattern. But that way I feel very comfortable in the process and I feel it qualifies me to teach it properly. As those of you who purchased my patterns in the past know, I like to have full and complete instructions. I think this stems from working for the magazine for over 20 years. I don't know how to write patterns any other way.

So I am working in that direction to make sure things will be clear and have the high quality that everyone is used to with my work. More information will follow soon on that in later posts.

The other thing I did this week was that I created a new set of painting surfaces. This set of autumn leaf ornaments is really fun and versatile:

Saw Gear Art Circle Crankset


They are my 'signature' bevel-cut, two-piece style and I can think of so many wonderful autumn and Halloween things to put inside them to make them unique.

I decided to paint Lynne Andrews' "Candy Corn Crows" (painting pattern for the crows are at her website at www.lynneandrews.com) and use DecoArt's new Extreme Sheen Metallic paints for the leaf frames. I think they came out really nice.

Font Fruit Circle Fashion accessory Art


This was kind of a crummy picture, as I finished them last night right before bed, but I posted it on Facebook and have had a wonderful response. I think they will be well-received. :)

So you all see, my laziness in writing isn't really because I have been lazy. It has been because I have been so busy working on new things that I have found it harder and harder to keep up with you all. I promise I will try to do better, as I don't want to feel overwhelmed and make my blog posts so long that you all don't have time to read them. I will aim for short and to the point posts until I can really be caught up.

We are planning a site update in the next couple of days. I will have the leaf surfaces available then. I invite you to join our Mailing List if you haven't already. That way you will surely see our new projects.

Keith has three new projects as well . . .

. . . A second Rustic Welcome plaque - this time a moose (SLDK729) :

Wood Rectangle Art Font Fawn


. . . a new Biblical plaque (SLDK730) :

Wood Font Cloud Rectangle Tints and shades


. . . and finally, a new Wall Art or Overlay plaque (SLDK731 - Sweet Dreams):

World Art Font Moon Space


So you see, there is plenty of new designs for everyone.

Thanks to those of you who missed me. It made me feel good that you care. I hope that you enjoy all of our new ventures and that both Keith and I give you all some ideas and inspiration so you can enjoy being creative as well.

Cuisine Dish Baked goods Ingredient Fashion accessory


Happy Thursday to you all!
 

Attachments

#13,237 ·
Catching Up

The longer I am away from blogging, the more projects keep piling up and the more overwhelmed I feel about writing again. It is funny how that works, isn't it?

I didn't realize how long my break from writing was until I received several emails from some of you who were somewhat concerned about my absence. I very much appreciate being missed, and I promise I will do my best to try to post more regularly. It is just that sometimes getting back into a routine can be tough.

I certainly have been busy. Even though it is only mid-July, as I designer I realize that the autumn and holiday seasons are quickly approaching. That has always been our busiest time and while I feel I have a little bit of a start on some new designs for the upcoming seasons, there never seem to be enough hours in the day (or days in the week, for that matter) to accomplish everything I set out to do and keep up with ideas. I always say that is a good thing - and it is - but it is hard to fend off the feelings of being overwhelmed sometimes and keep my thoughts as organized as I would like. It takes a great deal of practice.

One of the main reasons that I have been absent in the past couple of weeks was that I had a visit from a fellow artist and friend from Virginia. (VERA!)

Face Nose Cheek Skin Smile


I 'met' Vera at the beginning of last year when I started the Facebook group for Lynne Andrews 12 Days of Christmas ornaments. Vera instantly stood out because she was such a huge help with keeping that group going. Along with our friend Lynn, Vera and I were the ones who answered questions, encouraged others, and overall, kept things running smoothly. Vera painted SIX sets of the ornaments herself and was a wonderful inspiration for others. We came to chat with each other almost on a daily basis and found we had so much in common that we could have been sisters. When Vera said she wanted to visit, I was thrilled to have her. She spent a full week here in Nova Scotia with us and you would think that we had been friends our entire lives.

While we spent some time playing 'tourists' and looking around our area, we spent much of our time brainstorming and talking about creating and what the next projects would be. It was wonderful to have someone here who shares my passion for making things, and it really lit a fire under me. It was a great time and lovely to have someone to share my excitement about creating with. We have so many great new ideas that we hope you will all enjoy.

But she had to eventually go back, and last Friday we took her back to the airport in Halifax. But I feel that I have a new sense of dedication and purpose, and couldn't wait to get started on some new things.

I did finish my "Five Little Sheep" embroidery designs. As I mentioned in previous blogs, they were what I consider to be a kind of warm up exercise in working on my embroidery skills. I do want to branch out and create some unique needlework kits, as I have looked and the types of projects and kits I have in mind are not to be found. I think I can tap a new area and hopefully bring something to people that they can't really find anywhere else. This has been something that I have wanted to do ever since I worked on my "A Perfect World" sampler two years ago. There was so much interest from people and so many requests to create patterns and/or kits that I feel it is something that would be well-received. But I wanted to take my time and do things right. I have been spending many months getting things ready in preparation for launching this line of patterns and kits.

The first subject that I chose to create was a Nautilus seashell brooch.

Gold Body jewelry Finger Creative arts Art


It is created using high-quality threads, glass pearls, and glass seed beads. There is a pretty crystal bead in the center, too. When I first showed it on Facebook, I was overwhelmed by the response. It was very encouraging and there is even a shop that wants to order my kits wholesale. It will be a fun, new adventure.

Of course, after the initial piece was done, I needed to recreate it in order to take step-by-step photos for the pattern and put the steps in logical order. As a designer, I often start with an idea and build on it as I progress. I do this with my painting patterns as well and thus I usually need to make everything two times when creating a pattern. But that way I feel very comfortable in the process and I feel it qualifies me to teach it properly. As those of you who purchased my patterns in the past know, I like to have full and complete instructions. I think this stems from working for the magazine for over 20 years. I don't know how to write patterns any other way.

So I am working in that direction to make sure things will be clear and have the high quality that everyone is used to with my work. More information will follow soon on that in later posts.

The other thing I did this week was that I created a new set of painting surfaces. This set of autumn leaf ornaments is really fun and versatile:

Saw Gear Art Circle Crankset


They are my 'signature' bevel-cut, two-piece style and I can think of so many wonderful autumn and Halloween things to put inside them to make them unique.

I decided to paint Lynne Andrews' "Candy Corn Crows" (painting pattern for the crows are at her website at www.lynneandrews.com) and use DecoArt's new Extreme Sheen Metallic paints for the leaf frames. I think they came out really nice.

Font Fruit Circle Fashion accessory Art


This was kind of a crummy picture, as I finished them last night right before bed, but I posted it on Facebook and have had a wonderful response. I think they will be well-received. :)

So you all see, my laziness in writing isn't really because I have been lazy. It has been because I have been so busy working on new things that I have found it harder and harder to keep up with you all. I promise I will try to do better, as I don't want to feel overwhelmed and make my blog posts so long that you all don't have time to read them. I will aim for short and to the point posts until I can really be caught up.

We are planning a site update in the next couple of days. I will have the leaf surfaces available then. I invite you to join our Mailing List if you haven't already. That way you will surely see our new projects.

Keith has three new projects as well . . .

. . . A second Rustic Welcome plaque - this time a moose (SLDK729) :

Wood Rectangle Art Font Fawn


. . . a new Biblical plaque (SLDK730) :

Wood Font Cloud Rectangle Tints and shades


. . . and finally, a new Wall Art or Overlay plaque (SLDK731 - Sweet Dreams):

World Art Font Moon Space


So you see, there is plenty of new designs for everyone.

Thanks to those of you who missed me. It made me feel good that you care. I hope that you enjoy all of our new ventures and that both Keith and I give you all some ideas and inspiration so you can enjoy being creative as well.

Cuisine Dish Baked goods Ingredient Fashion accessory


Happy Thursday to you all!
Hi Sheila. Good to hear from you again. :) Your seashell brooch is stunning. Love it! You certainly have a variety of options for customers to choose from! Scroll sawing, painting, embroidery! It's great to see your business expanding into many areas. Your creativity in never ending!
 

Attachments

#13,241 ·
Five Little Sheep - Finished

In trying to keep my promise to myself and also to you all, I am doing my best to catch up on posting about some of the things that I have been working on that I haven't yet shared. Yesterday was a good day, as we finished getting the site updated and all the new patterns and products are now available.

For those of you who liked the new SLDPK164 Autumn Leaf Beveled Ornaments,

Flower Plant Yellow Font Petal


they are now available to order on our site at this link: SLDPK164 Autumn Leaves Beveled Ornaments Wood Kit.

I was really thrilled with the response that I had in showing them the other day, and I hope to see many other designs on them. I will be designing my own painting patterns using them as well in the near future. I have some online classes to design for and I also want to get some autumn designs out there as soon as I can. Before we know it, summer will be over and everyone will be looking to create autumn and holiday projects. Sometimes I feel there just aren't enough hours in the day.

The wood kits come with basic painting instructions so that you can see the process I used to get the beautiful metallic finish on them using DecoArt's Extreme Sheen Metallic paint. The Extreme Sheen Metallics are a new line of paint, and they have much more pigment than their regular metallic paints. I really do love them. I hope to see others use these pieces with their own fall and Halloween patterns. It will be fun to see what others do with them.

The other thing that I really wanted to post here was that I DID finish my "Five Little Sheep" embroidery exercise.

I call this an "exercise" because to me it was kind of like a 'warm up' before I jumped into designing my first kit. With completing my "A Perfect World" embroidery kit from Di van Neikirk, it had used over 60 different stitches and techniques, I believe. I embroidered the sheep to kind of brush up on the basics and decide which direction I wanted to head with my first needlework kit. Besides that - it was fun to see how differently I could make the same simple pattern.

During the past couple of weeks, I did complete all five sheep. I believe I showed the first three and was in the middle of the fourth when I dropped off blogging. In any case, I will show them all here today . . .

Sheep 1 was created using beautiful thread from Valdani. This one was done with a variegated #12 Perle Cotton and consists of loads of "Bullion Knots":

Toy Creative arts Art Beige Fawn


The second sheep was created again with Valdani thread, but this time a #12 solid Perle Cotton. I used glass pearl beads surrounded by Bullion Knots to make this wool pattern:

Hair Art Creative arts Headgear Pattern


Sheep #3 was created using all glass pearl beads and a glass cabochon in the center. I wanted to try encasing the large glass cabochon using the smaller seed beads. The surrounding pearl glass beads were various sizes and shades of white to make an interesting, glamorous piece:

Natural material Headgear Creative arts Body jewelry Silver


Sheep #4 was half done when I left off. I decided to use 1/8" silk ribbon and fill the 'wool' in with a ribbon stitch. He is so fluffy and fun!

Grey Creative arts Art Woolen Jewellery


And finally, sheep #5 was done in a cut turkey work stitch. First, though, I hand-dyed some pure wool yarn using Jacquard textile dye.

Dog Sleeve Grey Dog breed Working animal


It gave me a chance to try a product that I had from Jacquard called "Airfix" which is a liquid that is added to the dye to instantly set it without having to iron or use heat. I used their Black dye and figured that would tell the tale of how this product worked the best, as anyone who has dyed fabric knows how much it bleeds out typically. I must report that I was highly impressed with this product, as after the initial rinse, there was absolutely NO bleeding of the black into either a fresh bath of water or even on a white paper towel. This is significant for me because I intend to dye some of my own silk ribbon for use in my kits and I want to be sure that the ribbon I dye will be completely colorfast. I was really happy!

And here they all are in a group. . .

White Toy Textile Sleeve Creative arts


I don't know what I am going to do with them yet. I may make them into pins or use them as stumpwork pieces to add onto a larger piece. For now, they are happy as they are and I will hang on them until I am ready to use them. They served their purpose well.

I look forward to seeing how this part of my business develops. As with anything new, we never know. But I am from the school of thought that believes "nothing ventured, nothing gained" and I feel the need to give it a try. There is always room for more creativity, isn't there?

So that is where I am today. I have orders to cut this weekend and I am going to be working on some new designs. Keith and I are planning some big changes on our website so that those of you who like a particular part of our business can stay focused on that area. We are going to be dividing everything up and possibly go to two separate websites - one for the woodworking aspect and the other for the painting part. It is a huge step for us but we believe it will make things better for all of us. We hope you agree. I will talk more about that as we get things settled.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend. It is a beautiful, sunny and warm day here in Nova Scotia. Not hot at all. I couldn't ask for better.

Happy Saturday to you all!
 

Attachments

#13,242 ·
Five Little Sheep - Finished

In trying to keep my promise to myself and also to you all, I am doing my best to catch up on posting about some of the things that I have been working on that I haven't yet shared. Yesterday was a good day, as we finished getting the site updated and all the new patterns and products are now available.

For those of you who liked the new SLDPK164 Autumn Leaf Beveled Ornaments,

Flower Plant Yellow Font Petal


they are now available to order on our site at this link: SLDPK164 Autumn Leaves Beveled Ornaments Wood Kit.

I was really thrilled with the response that I had in showing them the other day, and I hope to see many other designs on them. I will be designing my own painting patterns using them as well in the near future. I have some online classes to design for and I also want to get some autumn designs out there as soon as I can. Before we know it, summer will be over and everyone will be looking to create autumn and holiday projects. Sometimes I feel there just aren't enough hours in the day.

The wood kits come with basic painting instructions so that you can see the process I used to get the beautiful metallic finish on them using DecoArt's Extreme Sheen Metallic paint. The Extreme Sheen Metallics are a new line of paint, and they have much more pigment than their regular metallic paints. I really do love them. I hope to see others use these pieces with their own fall and Halloween patterns. It will be fun to see what others do with them.

The other thing that I really wanted to post here was that I DID finish my "Five Little Sheep" embroidery exercise.

I call this an "exercise" because to me it was kind of like a 'warm up' before I jumped into designing my first kit. With completing my "A Perfect World" embroidery kit from Di van Neikirk, it had used over 60 different stitches and techniques, I believe. I embroidered the sheep to kind of brush up on the basics and decide which direction I wanted to head with my first needlework kit. Besides that - it was fun to see how differently I could make the same simple pattern.

During the past couple of weeks, I did complete all five sheep. I believe I showed the first three and was in the middle of the fourth when I dropped off blogging. In any case, I will show them all here today . . .

Sheep 1 was created using beautiful thread from Valdani. This one was done with a variegated #12 Perle Cotton and consists of loads of "Bullion Knots":

Toy Creative arts Art Beige Fawn


The second sheep was created again with Valdani thread, but this time a #12 solid Perle Cotton. I used glass pearl beads surrounded by Bullion Knots to make this wool pattern:

Hair Art Creative arts Headgear Pattern


Sheep #3 was created using all glass pearl beads and a glass cabochon in the center. I wanted to try encasing the large glass cabochon using the smaller seed beads. The surrounding pearl glass beads were various sizes and shades of white to make an interesting, glamorous piece:

Natural material Headgear Creative arts Body jewelry Silver


Sheep #4 was half done when I left off. I decided to use 1/8" silk ribbon and fill the 'wool' in with a ribbon stitch. He is so fluffy and fun!

Grey Creative arts Art Woolen Jewellery


And finally, sheep #5 was done in a cut turkey work stitch. First, though, I hand-dyed some pure wool yarn using Jacquard textile dye.

Dog Sleeve Grey Dog breed Working animal


It gave me a chance to try a product that I had from Jacquard called "Airfix" which is a liquid that is added to the dye to instantly set it without having to iron or use heat. I used their Black dye and figured that would tell the tale of how this product worked the best, as anyone who has dyed fabric knows how much it bleeds out typically. I must report that I was highly impressed with this product, as after the initial rinse, there was absolutely NO bleeding of the black into either a fresh bath of water or even on a white paper towel. This is significant for me because I intend to dye some of my own silk ribbon for use in my kits and I want to be sure that the ribbon I dye will be completely colorfast. I was really happy!

And here they all are in a group. . .

White Toy Textile Sleeve Creative arts


I don't know what I am going to do with them yet. I may make them into pins or use them as stumpwork pieces to add onto a larger piece. For now, they are happy as they are and I will hang on them until I am ready to use them. They served their purpose well.

I look forward to seeing how this part of my business develops. As with anything new, we never know. But I am from the school of thought that believes "nothing ventured, nothing gained" and I feel the need to give it a try. There is always room for more creativity, isn't there?

So that is where I am today. I have orders to cut this weekend and I am going to be working on some new designs. Keith and I are planning some big changes on our website so that those of you who like a particular part of our business can stay focused on that area. We are going to be dividing everything up and possibly go to two separate websites - one for the woodworking aspect and the other for the painting part. It is a huge step for us but we believe it will make things better for all of us. We hope you agree. I will talk more about that as we get things settled.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend. It is a beautiful, sunny and warm day here in Nova Scotia. Not hot at all. I couldn't ask for better.

Happy Saturday to you all!
Ba Ba Black sheep, have you any wool, Yes Sir Yes Sir, three back full. Surprise Surprise , you did do a black sheep and you had fun doing it, trying a new product,,, Its my favorite for sure. looks nice a woolly, The sheep we had on the farm where the white ish and black though. Ornaments look nice too. Have a nice day.
 

Attachments

#13,247 ·
New Pattern and some Changes on the Horizon

Another week has passed and lots of new things are happening here at Sheila Landry Designs. Unfortunately, most of the things that we are doing don't make very good blog material. It is hard to document some of the day-to-day activities without putting everyone asleep.

But trust me - I think it will be worth it for everyone. . .

As many of you know, while I began my business and website (nearly 20 years ago) as a means to offer mostly scroll saw patterns to woodworkers, I had learned to scroll saw because I wanted to make my own surfaces for painting. I have always had a love of many types of art and I refuse to believe that we can only follow one artistic path at a time. However, when offered a position as Contributing Editor to Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine, I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to expand my scroll saw knowledge as well as introduce the woodworking people to some 'light' painting.

Many of the projects that I have had published in the magazine(s) have offered some instructions as to how to add some color to wood projects. While I know that this is something that some woodworkers view as taboo, being the 'rebel' that I am, it left me undaunted. I still kept trying all the way until the magazine folded a couple of years ago.

Since taking on Keith Fenton as a partner, I felt that he has been a great asset to the company. Not only on a personal level but also his attention to detail and expert knowledge of computers made him one of the best partners that I could have chosen for many reasons. We have been working together for over eight years now and because of his contributions on so many levels, our company is doing better than ever. We are very grateful to you all as well and feel very fortunate.

But growing sometimes requires changes.

Our site has over 600 products on it right now. With two distinct branches of pattern types - scroll sawing and decorative painting - we find that many of our customers get confused and find it difficult to find just what we want. We are always sorry when some of our painting customers order scroll saw patterns thinking they are getting the cut wood pieces. Even though we try to be as clear as we can in our descriptions, we find that it is sometimes hard to distinguish between which wood pieces are available as cut pieces for painting and those which are only available as patterns. It causes a lot of distress for us and it takes time and energy to correct orders that were done in error. Not to mention the disappointment that we give our customers. We want everyone to have a positive experience here on our site and we want them to be happy.

So what is the answer?

For several years now, Keith has mentioned that perhaps it is time to split the site into two separate entities. I initially had thought it was unnecessary, but lately, I have changed my mind.

This past year has shown an amazing amount of growth on the painting side of the site. More and more customers are coming to the site looking for wood pieces to paint as well as new patterns and kits that I create. It is getting to the point where there are so many new products in this area that it is no longer wise for us to tuck them into a couple of tabs on the main site. They need to have a place of their own so that when people arrive at them, they can easily navigate just to the products they are searching for - whether it be my own designs and kits, wood pieces for other artist's projects, or even generic wood pieces that are versatile and can be just for just about anything. As usual, there are so many options!

Fortunately, a couple of years ago I had the foresight to purchase the domain name of "tolepaintingdesigns.com". Since I had always had the intention of expanding the painting side of my business, I saw this domain name was on the block and thought it would be a good idea to hold on to it 'just because.' Right now, if you type in "www.tolepaintingdesigns.com" it will take you to the Painting tabs on my regular Sheila Landry Designs website. But once we get things moved and fully functional and migrated, it will take you to the new website that will look something like this:

Brown Font Screenshot Technology Audio equipment


Not only will this unclutter the main Sheila Landry Designs website, but it will keep the painting items organized better and easier to find. I think it will be awesome and I hope you all do as well.

This is a huge task, as you can imagine. Getting the 'guts' of both sites to function well is something that will take a good deal of time on both our parts. Keith will be doing most of the main work, but I will be helping as much as I can to tweak products, write descriptions and do other things that I am able to do. We hope that it will be worth it for all of us in the end, and result in less confusion and better ability to find everything and have a positive experience when you come and visit us. I will copy my blog posts on both sites, so they will both have the same content as far as the blog is concerned. We still have to figure out the Newsletter issues. Since we have both painters and woodworking on our mailing list, we may have to have the painting followers re-subscribe to the newsletter on the new site. We are still figuring it out.

I ask that you be patient with us during this time. Receiving your orders won't be disrupted at all and you shouldn't notice any changes until the new site is unveiled. I will certainly announce that in later posts.

Until then, Keith and I will be pretty much 'business as usual'. We will bring new patterns to you as time permits and as I mentioned, still be filling orders as normal.

With that said, I wanted to let you know about a new pattern that is available for our woodworking followers. Keith created these beautiful Gothic Inspired Ornaments for you all to enjoy (SLDK732)

Brown Wood Textile Art Creative arts


Not only would these be wonderful and elegant for Christmas decorating, but I think they would also look lovely on a Gothic Halloween tree or even a general tree that has classic ornament shapes. The designs are beautiful and while they may not be the easiest designs to cut, they will certainly be worth the time and effort. I hope you like them.

Another item that was added to the website over the weekend was the accessory kit for my dowel tree that goes with Amy Mogish's Ornament Club. (You can click on the link to get more information about it.)

Amy took my basic Dowel Tree (SLDPK159A)

Font Art Rectangle Cross Event


. . . and she added her magic touch to a custom accessory kit I made for her club (SLDPK159C)

Font Motor vehicle Automotive lighting Advertising Automotive exterior


To make this "Spooktacular" display piece:

Black Sleeve Art Jewellery Fashion accessory


The tree is shown here with the ornaments from her Classic Halloween Ornie Club on them. There is still plenty of time to join the club if you are thinking about it. There are LOTS of fun perks for joining and we give lots of support and have fun painting together and showing our ornaments at our Facebook Group Page.

You can join the Facebook Group whether or not you are painting the project. It is fun to watch others and encourage each other as we create our "Boo-ti-ful" ornaments and trees! Come and join us!

Well, that should do it for today. I have already been out and about and I have orders to get to the post office and new things to work on. I am in the process of getting together my embroidery kits for my shell projects this week too and will have that up in my Etsy shop soon.

I wish you all a great day and a great week ahead. Thank you all for helping our company grow!

Happy Monday to you!
 

Attachments

#13,248 ·
New Pattern and some Changes on the Horizon

Another week has passed and lots of new things are happening here at Sheila Landry Designs. Unfortunately, most of the things that we are doing don't make very good blog material. It is hard to document some of the day-to-day activities without putting everyone asleep.

But trust me - I think it will be worth it for everyone. . .

As many of you know, while I began my business and website (nearly 20 years ago) as a means to offer mostly scroll saw patterns to woodworkers, I had learned to scroll saw because I wanted to make my own surfaces for painting. I have always had a love of many types of art and I refuse to believe that we can only follow one artistic path at a time. However, when offered a position as Contributing Editor to Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine, I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to expand my scroll saw knowledge as well as introduce the woodworking people to some 'light' painting.

Many of the projects that I have had published in the magazine(s) have offered some instructions as to how to add some color to wood projects. While I know that this is something that some woodworkers view as taboo, being the 'rebel' that I am, it left me undaunted. I still kept trying all the way until the magazine folded a couple of years ago.

Since taking on Keith Fenton as a partner, I felt that he has been a great asset to the company. Not only on a personal level but also his attention to detail and expert knowledge of computers made him one of the best partners that I could have chosen for many reasons. We have been working together for over eight years now and because of his contributions on so many levels, our company is doing better than ever. We are very grateful to you all as well and feel very fortunate.

But growing sometimes requires changes.

Our site has over 600 products on it right now. With two distinct branches of pattern types - scroll sawing and decorative painting - we find that many of our customers get confused and find it difficult to find just what we want. We are always sorry when some of our painting customers order scroll saw patterns thinking they are getting the cut wood pieces. Even though we try to be as clear as we can in our descriptions, we find that it is sometimes hard to distinguish between which wood pieces are available as cut pieces for painting and those which are only available as patterns. It causes a lot of distress for us and it takes time and energy to correct orders that were done in error. Not to mention the disappointment that we give our customers. We want everyone to have a positive experience here on our site and we want them to be happy.

So what is the answer?

For several years now, Keith has mentioned that perhaps it is time to split the site into two separate entities. I initially had thought it was unnecessary, but lately, I have changed my mind.

This past year has shown an amazing amount of growth on the painting side of the site. More and more customers are coming to the site looking for wood pieces to paint as well as new patterns and kits that I create. It is getting to the point where there are so many new products in this area that it is no longer wise for us to tuck them into a couple of tabs on the main site. They need to have a place of their own so that when people arrive at them, they can easily navigate just to the products they are searching for - whether it be my own designs and kits, wood pieces for other artist's projects, or even generic wood pieces that are versatile and can be just for just about anything. As usual, there are so many options!

Fortunately, a couple of years ago I had the foresight to purchase the domain name of "tolepaintingdesigns.com". Since I had always had the intention of expanding the painting side of my business, I saw this domain name was on the block and thought it would be a good idea to hold on to it 'just because.' Right now, if you type in "www.tolepaintingdesigns.com" it will take you to the Painting tabs on my regular Sheila Landry Designs website. But once we get things moved and fully functional and migrated, it will take you to the new website that will look something like this:



Not only will this unclutter the main Sheila Landry Designs website, but it will keep the painting items organized better and easier to find. I think it will be awesome and I hope you all do as well.

This is a huge task, as you can imagine. Getting the 'guts' of both sites to function well is something that will take a good deal of time on both our parts. Keith will be doing most of the main work, but I will be helping as much as I can to tweak products, write descriptions and do other things that I am able to do. We hope that it will be worth it for all of us in the end, and result in less confusion and better ability to find everything and have a positive experience when you come and visit us. I will copy my blog posts on both sites, so they will both have the same content as far as the blog is concerned. We still have to figure out the Newsletter issues. Since we have both painters and woodworking on our mailing list, we may have to have the painting followers re-subscribe to the newsletter on the new site. We are still figuring it out.

I ask that you be patient with us during this time. Receiving your orders won't be disrupted at all and you shouldn't notice any changes until the new site is unveiled. I will certainly announce that in later posts.

Until then, Keith and I will be pretty much 'business as usual'. We will bring new patterns to you as time permits and as I mentioned, still be filling orders as normal.

With that said, I wanted to let you know about a new pattern that is available for our woodworking followers. Keith created these beautiful Gothic Inspired Ornaments for you all to enjoy (SLDK732)



Not only would these be wonderful and elegant for Christmas decorating, but I think they would also look lovely on a Gothic Halloween tree or even a general tree that has classic ornament shapes. The designs are beautiful and while they may not be the easiest designs to cut, they will certainly be worth the time and effort. I hope you like them.

Another item that was added to the website over the weekend was the accessory kit for my dowel tree that goes with Amy Mogish's Ornament Club. (You can click on the link to get more information about it.)

Amy took my basic Dowel Tree (SLDPK159A)



. . . and she added her magic touch to a custom accessory kit I made for her club (SLDPK159C)



To make this "Spooktacular" display piece:



The tree is shown here with the ornaments from her Classic Halloween Ornie Club on them. There is still plenty of time to join the club if you are thinking about it. There are LOTS of fun perks for joining and we give lots of support and have fun painting together and showing our ornaments at our Facebook Group Page.

You can join the Facebook Group whether or not you are painting the project. It is fun to watch others and encourage each other as we create our "Boo-ti-ful" ornaments and trees! Come and join us!

Well, that should do it for today. I have already been out and about and I have orders to get to the post office and new things to work on. I am in the process of getting together my embroidery kits for my shell projects this week too and will have that up in my Etsy shop soon.

I wish you all a great day and a great week ahead. Thank you all for helping our company grow!

Happy Monday to you!
Hope that all of the changes work out well for you. Sounds like quite a bit of planning and work.
Remember to enjoy the improvements as they occur.
 

Attachments

#13,252 ·
Getting Back in the Habit

Once again it seems that I am catching up here on my blog posts. I am finding that it is harder than I thought to get back into the habit of writing each day. These days, every morning it seems that I wake up with a long list of things to do. I find myself putting off posting to just do a couple of things and before I know it, the morning gets away from me and I look to post 'tomorrow'. Then the cycle begins again.

But I am determined to keep posting here and get back into the habit of doing so. Not only does it keep you all up to date as to what Keith and I are working on, but it also helps keep me on an even keel and helps me both set and attain the goals that I wish to accomplish. That is important for me. Especially since I am self-employed. What many people don't realize is that being self-employed requires a great deal of self-discipline. Without it, it is very difficult to have long-term success. While I find that I do excellent in this area in some ways, there are others that absolutely need improvement. It is something that I am working on daily. I hope you will all be patient with me. I want to make this blog something that is both entertaining to you all as well as inspiring. With all the new things in the works, I believe it can be just that. I just need to get back in the habit of writing.

Since my last posting, I have been busy working in a few different directions. I suppose there is nothing new there, but some of them have been new adventures and others have been finishing up some things that I started. I don't like having "UFO's" (Unfinished Objects) in my work pile. Whether the projects are designed by myself or by someone else, I like to finish things and close the books on them and move on to the next. I don't need these unfinished projects taking up valuable real estate in my thoughts, as there are so many new things that I want to work on, they require as many resources as I can spare. I like to check them off of the list and move on to the next thing with a clean(er) slate. It is what allows me to do my best work.

Many of you have seen me working on and followed the progress of my "12 Days of Christmas" ornament series by one of my favorite designers, Lynne Andrews. While my original plan was to do one ornament "day" per month and have them done by Christmas, I complicated things for myself and decided to make SIX sets of them. These ornaments are very, very detailed and add to that fact that BOTH sides are decorated. That means that in order to complete them, I would be creating 144 little 'masterpieces' - each with hand lettering that I refuse to use a marker to create - along with embellishing each one.

I must have gone completely crazy.

But I persevered on, and by last December, I was through Day 9 (times six sets) and not far from my goal. I thought this was a pretty good showing, as I was totally taken by surprise when I set up the group on Facebook (12 Day of Christmas Ornaments by Lynne Andrews . . . we are making them!) and it took off like a rocket. I spent much of my time cutting ornaments for members, painting my own and trying to keep up with things. It was so busy! (In a good way!) Then add to that our move of last June from a small, one bedroom apartment to a full house and that took me out for the summer. Then just when we were settling in, last December I was devastated by the loss of my favorite little furry kitty - Pancakes - and our other dear cat Richard became gravely ill. You all know that I am not typically a 'complainer', but I believe for that reason, I just needed to shut down for a while from my social media presence. I worked with Lynne Andrews again on a new series of Noah's Ark ornaments (you can join our group on Facebook here to participate or just watch: Inspirational Ark Series by Lynne Andrews) and that was wildly popular as well. I was grateful for this 'busy work' and work where I didn't have to think much. Just cut wood and help people out.

I have also been working with the talented Amy Mogish on her Classic Halloween Ornie Club and that was also very well received. We also have a Classic Halloween Ornie Club 2017 on Facebook for people to enjoy creating these pieces together. I love that these free groups bring painters and new people together and allow as much participation as they wish. Many just want to watch. Many are silent learners. Others love to share what they learn and help others out. It is a great mix and a wonderful way to share our creativity. I am planning more clubs with various artists and projects, as well as my own in the future. I think it is an awesome thing.

So finally my heart has healed enough to continue with my own "12 Days" ornaments. For a while, it was difficult for me to work on them because each time I did so, I was reminded of my dear friend Pancakes who was always by my side when I worked on them. It was simply too painful. I would go back into the photos I took of my progress, and every single step had pictures of him 'painting' with me. It would bring me to tears. I think that is why I avoided working on them for so many months.

But I am healing and life does go on. This weekend, I was determined to tackle the final ornament(s) of this set and finish them up. And finish them, I did.

Here is a photo of the "Drummer" for Day 12:

Baked goods Cuisine Cake decorating supply Recipe Dishware


This is (of course) "in progress" this past weekend. Since then, I finished the painting, tied the last ribbon, and applied the final rhinestone. I completed them last evening around 10:00 pm. To say I reached a milestone is an understatement.

Today I will be taking the final presentation photos of everything. I had not yet applied the rhinestones or cords to the Day 11 ornaments and I did that, too. I will show the full set in tomorrow's post. It will be wonderful for me to have everything in one place. I am proud. I hope you come back to see them.

On other things, we did a site update yesterday at Sheila Landry Designs. This is a feat in itself, as Keith has been working on splitting the site into two separate sites - Sheila Landry Designs and Sheila Landry's Tole Painting Designs. The address for Sheila Landry Designs will be the same, and the web address for Sheila Landry's Tole Painting Designs will be [URL]http://www.tolepaintingdesigns.com. You can use the www.tolepaintingdesigns.com address now to get to the painting related pages on my SLD site, but as soon as it is ready, it will redirect to the new site. I suggest my painting followers begin using it now so you can get in the habit of doing so. The new site will be up and running in the next few weeks and we both feel it will simplify things for all of our customers and make things less confusing and less cluttered. I hope you all agree.

As far as new items for the update we did yesterday, I have both the pattern and the wood kit now available for my SLDP261 Christmas Penguin Gift Tags shown below:

Textile Sleeve Font T-shirt Baby & toddler clothing


The pattern is SLDP261 and the wood kit is SLDPK162 on our site. You get six little tags in the kit and they can be used for many different painting projects.

Keith also has a new pattern for a Biblical plaque:

Cloud Happy Rectangle Font Plant


His SLDK733 - Store the Bible in Your Heart plaque is both simple and elegant.

We also have new Pattern Specials and even some wood kits on sale.

We hope that will get you in the creative spirit.

I hope you keep in touch and watch for the unveiling of the new site soon. Everything will be in order and connected and we both believe it will be a great improvement over the existing site. Hopefully, the transition will all go smoothly.

I want to thank you all again for supporting us and following me - even if I haven't been here as often. I feel as if I am getting better though and working through my grief. It is hard to be an artist and be creative when my heart is broken. While some artists do their best work when their lives are in turmoil, I don't believe that I fall into that category. It seems to have shut me down for a bit. But I am feeling much better and getting back to my positive self. I have many wonderful and exciting projects and ideas and I can't wait to share them with you all. I hope you have fun and enjoy the process with me.

It is another beautiful and warm and sunny day here in Nova Scotia. We have been truly fortunate this summer. I hope you are all having fun and enjoying these warm August days.

Happy Thursday to you all!
 

Attachments

#13,253 ·
Getting Back in the Habit

Once again it seems that I am catching up here on my blog posts. I am finding that it is harder than I thought to get back into the habit of writing each day. These days, every morning it seems that I wake up with a long list of things to do. I find myself putting off posting to just do a couple of things and before I know it, the morning gets away from me and I look to post 'tomorrow'. Then the cycle begins again.

But I am determined to keep posting here and get back into the habit of doing so. Not only does it keep you all up to date as to what Keith and I are working on, but it also helps keep me on an even keel and helps me both set and attain the goals that I wish to accomplish. That is important for me. Especially since I am self-employed. What many people don't realize is that being self-employed requires a great deal of self-discipline. Without it, it is very difficult to have long-term success. While I find that I do excellent in this area in some ways, there are others that absolutely need improvement. It is something that I am working on daily. I hope you will all be patient with me. I want to make this blog something that is both entertaining to you all as well as inspiring. With all the new things in the works, I believe it can be just that. I just need to get back in the habit of writing.

Since my last posting, I have been busy working in a few different directions. I suppose there is nothing new there, but some of them have been new adventures and others have been finishing up some things that I started. I don't like having "UFO's" (Unfinished Objects) in my work pile. Whether the projects are designed by myself or by someone else, I like to finish things and close the books on them and move on to the next. I don't need these unfinished projects taking up valuable real estate in my thoughts, as there are so many new things that I want to work on, they require as many resources as I can spare. I like to check them off of the list and move on to the next thing with a clean(er) slate. It is what allows me to do my best work.

Many of you have seen me working on and followed the progress of my "12 Days of Christmas" ornament series by one of my favorite designers, Lynne Andrews. While my original plan was to do one ornament "day" per month and have them done by Christmas, I complicated things for myself and decided to make SIX sets of them. These ornaments are very, very detailed and add to that fact that BOTH sides are decorated. That means that in order to complete them, I would be creating 144 little 'masterpieces' - each with hand lettering that I refuse to use a marker to create - along with embellishing each one.

I must have gone completely crazy.

But I persevered on, and by last December, I was through Day 9 (times six sets) and not far from my goal. I thought this was a pretty good showing, as I was totally taken by surprise when I set up the group on Facebook (12 Day of Christmas Ornaments by Lynne Andrews . . . we are making them!) and it took off like a rocket. I spent much of my time cutting ornaments for members, painting my own and trying to keep up with things. It was so busy! (In a good way!) Then add to that our move of last June from a small, one bedroom apartment to a full house and that took me out for the summer. Then just when we were settling in, last December I was devastated by the loss of my favorite little furry kitty - Pancakes - and our other dear cat Richard became gravely ill. You all know that I am not typically a 'complainer', but I believe for that reason, I just needed to shut down for a while from my social media presence. I worked with Lynne Andrews again on a new series of Noah's Ark ornaments (you can join our group on Facebook here to participate or just watch: Inspirational Ark Series by Lynne Andrews) and that was wildly popular as well. I was grateful for this 'busy work' and work where I didn't have to think much. Just cut wood and help people out.

I have also been working with the talented Amy Mogish on her Classic Halloween Ornie Club and that was also very well received. We also have a Classic Halloween Ornie Club 2017 on Facebook for people to enjoy creating these pieces together. I love that these free groups bring painters and new people together and allow as much participation as they wish. Many just want to watch. Many are silent learners. Others love to share what they learn and help others out. It is a great mix and a wonderful way to share our creativity. I am planning more clubs with various artists and projects, as well as my own in the future. I think it is an awesome thing.

So finally my heart has healed enough to continue with my own "12 Days" ornaments. For a while, it was difficult for me to work on them because each time I did so, I was reminded of my dear friend Pancakes who was always by my side when I worked on them. It was simply too painful. I would go back into the photos I took of my progress, and every single step had pictures of him 'painting' with me. It would bring me to tears. I think that is why I avoided working on them for so many months.

But I am healing and life does go on. This weekend, I was determined to tackle the final ornament(s) of this set and finish them up. And finish them, I did.

Here is a photo of the "Drummer" for Day 12:

Baked goods Cuisine Cake decorating supply Recipe Dishware


This is (of course) "in progress" this past weekend. Since then, I finished the painting, tied the last ribbon, and applied the final rhinestone. I completed them last evening around 10:00 pm. To say I reached a milestone is an understatement.

Today I will be taking the final presentation photos of everything. I had not yet applied the rhinestones or cords to the Day 11 ornaments and I did that, too. I will show the full set in tomorrow's post. It will be wonderful for me to have everything in one place. I am proud. I hope you come back to see them.

On other things, we did a site update yesterday at Sheila Landry Designs. This is a feat in itself, as Keith has been working on splitting the site into two separate sites - Sheila Landry Designs and Sheila Landry's Tole Painting Designs. The address for Sheila Landry Designs will be the same, and the web address for Sheila Landry's Tole Painting Designs will be [URL]http://www.tolepaintingdesigns.com. You can use the www.tolepaintingdesigns.com address now to get to the painting related pages on my SLD site, but as soon as it is ready, it will redirect to the new site. I suggest my painting followers begin using it now so you can get in the habit of doing so. The new site will be up and running in the next few weeks and we both feel it will simplify things for all of our customers and make things less confusing and less cluttered. I hope you all agree.

As far as new items for the update we did yesterday, I have both the pattern and the wood kit now available for my SLDP261 Christmas Penguin Gift Tags shown below:

Textile Sleeve Font T-shirt Baby & toddler clothing


The pattern is SLDP261 and the wood kit is SLDPK162 on our site. You get six little tags in the kit and they can be used for many different painting projects.

Keith also has a new pattern for a Biblical plaque:

Cloud Happy Rectangle Font Plant


His SLDK733 - Store the Bible in Your Heart plaque is both simple and elegant.

We also have new Pattern Specials and even some wood kits on sale.

We hope that will get you in the creative spirit.

I hope you keep in touch and watch for the unveiling of the new site soon. Everything will be in order and connected and we both believe it will be a great improvement over the existing site. Hopefully, the transition will all go smoothly.

I want to thank you all again for supporting us and following me - even if I haven't been here as often. I feel as if I am getting better though and working through my grief. It is hard to be an artist and be creative when my heart is broken. While some artists do their best work when their lives are in turmoil, I don't believe that I fall into that category. It seems to have shut me down for a bit. But I am feeling much better and getting back to my positive self. I have many wonderful and exciting projects and ideas and I can't wait to share them with you all. I hope you have fun and enjoy the process with me.

It is another beautiful and warm and sunny day here in Nova Scotia. We have been truly fortunate this summer. I hope you are all having fun and enjoying these warm August days.

Happy Thursday to you all!
Hi Sheila. Glad to hear that you are getting back on line. ;)
Good to hear that you are having nice weather. Out here, the current theme song is the Platters' hit "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes". Can't see the mountains across the valley. :(
 

Attachments

#13,257 ·
A Milestone

A long time ago, I read that in order to achieve your goals, you need to first set them.

As simple as it sounds, how many times is the list of things we wish to accomplish undefined and 'blurry'? How many times are we flying by the seat of our collective pants and not really sure exactly what we intend to accomplish?

When this happens to me, I must admit that not only do I not achieve as much as I would like, but I feel a higher level of stress as well.

About a year and a half ago (around November of 2015, I believe) I purchased a book from Lynne Andrews called Christmas Blessings. (You can find the book here: Christmas Blessings Book) When I received the book, I knew that I HAD to make this adorable set of "12 Days of Christmas" ornaments. In fact, I needed to make several sets so I could give them to my close family members and friends. But being that late in the season, along with the fact that they are incredibly detailed meant that realistically I wouldn't be able to complete them by that Christmas.

But then I had an idea . . .

What if I gave the first day as a gift for 2015 Christmas and then painted one each month so that by the NEXT year the set would be complete? That way, I would only need to create six ornaments each month and I would be able to send extra little things along with the ornaments to the families that lived afar (my daughter, my son's family, my dear friend's family). It would be a gift that would be received all year long and "keep Christmas in their hearts." It seemed like a great plan and a great goal that was truly attainable.

When I blogged about this idea way back then, I noticed that there were many others who had this book or who wanted to join in and create along with me. I set up a Facebook Support Group which I called "12 Days of Christmas Ornaments by Lynne Andrews - We are Making Them!" and the response was amazing. So many others wanted to join me in this venture.

While I loved the beautiful porcelain ornaments that Lynne used to make her samples, they were just not practical for me to use them for my purpose. After all - many of them needed to be mailed and the chance of them getting broken in the process was high. Besides - they were a bit costly considering that I would need a total of 72 of them to complete the six sets. But being a designer and a woodworker, that wasn't a problem. I drew up a design that I thought looked nice and would accommodate the designs as beautifully as the porcelain ornaments. After posting my finished "Day 1" ornaments on my blog here I began receiving requests for the ornaments, so I put them on my site here: SLDPK129 Elegant Bevel-Cut Ornaments Wood Kit. They really became popular quickly and I have been making them ever since.

The rest, as they say, is history . . .

I did pretty well with keeping things 'on schedule' until we found a house to move into last summer. I had kept on the 'one a month' timeline pretty much and was mailing them out regularly on time. But when we moved, it kind of blew things out of the water. The two plus months of moving, settling and organizing took its toll and I found it impossible to keep up. Things fell behind.

Normally, this would have bothered me tremendously. But knowing that those who were receiving the ornament sets fully understood that it wasn't just that I was "lazy" or "slacking" helped a great deal. After all - these were the people that I love most and they love me too and all of them assured me that they were patient. This is why I wanted to gift them with such a nice thing in the first place.

During the autumn, I nearly caught up. I was working on my "Day 10" ornaments early in December and had thoughts of actually finishing by the holidays. But then I lost my little kitty friend Pancakes and my other kitty Richard became gravely ill and it took all the wind out of my sails. I just couldn't do it.

By setting goals, it doesn't mean that something 'bad' happens if you don't reach them exactly when you intend to do so. I think that if you hold yourself fast to your goals and don't allow for deviation, they can be stressful and detrimental. As I get older, I realize that 'life happens' and that everything doesn't always turn out just as we want. We may have the best of intentions, but we also need to allow for other factors to enter into things. We need to be kind to ourselves and realize that sometimes there are other priorities that take precedence.

It took a while for me to figure this out. As I grow older, I realize more and more that certain things are more important than others. I think it is part of growing.

In any case, I am finally to the point where I can say that I FINISHED with all 12 Days! What a huge milestone that is for me!

I don't believe I showed the "Day 11" ornaments, so I will show them here now, too. . .

Eleven Pipers Piping:

Badge Jewellery Font Ornament Circle


As with the others, all have sparkles on the center parts:

Hand Badge Font Thumb Circle


. . . and the back:

Font Badge Circle Emblem Electric blue


. . . both sides:

Body jewelry Necklace Jewellery Natural material Font


. . . times six:

Dishware Tableware Circle Font Jewellery


And FINALLY - DAY 12!!!!!!

Badge Font Symbol Emblem Crest


. . . with sparkles:

Badge Font Emblem Symbol Circle


. . . and the backs . . .

Font Body jewelry Electric blue Dishware Circle


Day 12 front and back:

Body jewelry Font Jewellery Necklace Electric blue


. . . time SIX! . . .

Tableware Dishware Serveware Souvenir Badge


As I mentioned, I don't have all six full sets here. Most of the ornaments are sent to their homes. I am sure that seeing all 72 of them at once would be pretty impressive. But that was not meant to be.

Still, they look pretty amazing as even a single set:

Tableware Dishware Circle Jewellery Pattern


To say I am proud is an understatement!

I still have another thing planned for this set. I also want everyone to know that the Facebook group will still be kept up with. I will be there as will Lynne Andrews, Lynn Barbadora, Vera Souther, and all the members to keep on cheering everyone on and helping them through this amazing project. Lynne still has books available and I will always be selling the ornament pieces. I even have a cute set of charms that you can get to hang on each of the ornaments. They are available on my site here: EMB06 - 12 Days of Christmas Metal Charms.

White Product Black Gesture Font


I hope you all enjoyed seeing this project come to life. I know I couldn't have done it without the wonderful friends - old and new - that cheered me on throughout this past year and a half. I think that having these groups in Facebook really is a wonderful thing. As with anything, it is what we make it.

Remember, too that your goals may not always be reached in the timeframe you initially intended them, but that doesn't diminish the importance of having goals or trying to follow a path that you set for yourself. Sometimes life just slows things down a bit.

I wish you all a wonderful day!

Happy Monday to you all!
 

Attachments

#13,258 ·
A Milestone

A long time ago, I read that in order to achieve your goals, you need to first set them.

As simple as it sounds, how many times is the list of things we wish to accomplish undefined and 'blurry'? How many times are we flying by the seat of our collective pants and not really sure exactly what we intend to accomplish?

When this happens to me, I must admit that not only do I not achieve as much as I would like, but I feel a higher level of stress as well.

About a year and a half ago (around November of 2015, I believe) I purchased a book from Lynne Andrews called Christmas Blessings. (You can find the book here: Christmas Blessings Book) When I received the book, I knew that I HAD to make this adorable set of "12 Days of Christmas" ornaments. In fact, I needed to make several sets so I could give them to my close family members and friends. But being that late in the season, along with the fact that they are incredibly detailed meant that realistically I wouldn't be able to complete them by that Christmas.

But then I had an idea . . .

What if I gave the first day as a gift for 2015 Christmas and then painted one each month so that by the NEXT year the set would be complete? That way, I would only need to create six ornaments each month and I would be able to send extra little things along with the ornaments to the families that lived afar (my daughter, my son's family, my dear friend's family). It would be a gift that would be received all year long and "keep Christmas in their hearts." It seemed like a great plan and a great goal that was truly attainable.

When I blogged about this idea way back then, I noticed that there were many others who had this book or who wanted to join in and create along with me. I set up a Facebook Support Group which I called "12 Days of Christmas Ornaments by Lynne Andrews - We are Making Them!" and the response was amazing. So many others wanted to join me in this venture.

While I loved the beautiful porcelain ornaments that Lynne used to make her samples, they were just not practical for me to use them for my purpose. After all - many of them needed to be mailed and the chance of them getting broken in the process was high. Besides - they were a bit costly considering that I would need a total of 72 of them to complete the six sets. But being a designer and a woodworker, that wasn't a problem. I drew up a design that I thought looked nice and would accommodate the designs as beautifully as the porcelain ornaments. After posting my finished "Day 1" ornaments on my blog here I began receiving requests for the ornaments, so I put them on my site here: SLDPK129 Elegant Bevel-Cut Ornaments Wood Kit. They really became popular quickly and I have been making them ever since.

The rest, as they say, is history . . .

I did pretty well with keeping things 'on schedule' until we found a house to move into last summer. I had kept on the 'one a month' timeline pretty much and was mailing them out regularly on time. But when we moved, it kind of blew things out of the water. The two plus months of moving, settling and organizing took its toll and I found it impossible to keep up. Things fell behind.

Normally, this would have bothered me tremendously. But knowing that those who were receiving the ornament sets fully understood that it wasn't just that I was "lazy" or "slacking" helped a great deal. After all - these were the people that I love most and they love me too and all of them assured me that they were patient. This is why I wanted to gift them with such a nice thing in the first place.

During the autumn, I nearly caught up. I was working on my "Day 10" ornaments early in December and had thoughts of actually finishing by the holidays. But then I lost my little kitty friend Pancakes and my other kitty Richard became gravely ill and it took all the wind out of my sails. I just couldn't do it.

By setting goals, it doesn't mean that something 'bad' happens if you don't reach them exactly when you intend to do so. I think that if you hold yourself fast to your goals and don't allow for deviation, they can be stressful and detrimental. As I get older, I realize that 'life happens' and that everything doesn't always turn out just as we want. We may have the best of intentions, but we also need to allow for other factors to enter into things. We need to be kind to ourselves and realize that sometimes there are other priorities that take precedence.

It took a while for me to figure this out. As I grow older, I realize more and more that certain things are more important than others. I think it is part of growing.

In any case, I am finally to the point where I can say that I FINISHED with all 12 Days! What a huge milestone that is for me!

I don't believe I showed the "Day 11" ornaments, so I will show them here now, too. . .

Eleven Pipers Piping:

Badge Jewellery Font Ornament Circle


As with the others, all have sparkles on the center parts:

Hand Badge Font Thumb Circle


. . . and the back:

Font Badge Circle Emblem Electric blue


. . . both sides:

Body jewelry Necklace Jewellery Natural material Font


. . . times six:

Dishware Tableware Circle Font Jewellery


And FINALLY - DAY 12!!!!!!

Badge Font Symbol Emblem Crest


. . . with sparkles:

Badge Font Emblem Symbol Circle


. . . and the backs . . .

Font Body jewelry Electric blue Dishware Circle


Day 12 front and back:

Body jewelry Font Jewellery Necklace Electric blue


. . . time SIX! . . .

Tableware Dishware Serveware Souvenir Badge


As I mentioned, I don't have all six full sets here. Most of the ornaments are sent to their homes. I am sure that seeing all 72 of them at once would be pretty impressive. But that was not meant to be.

Still, they look pretty amazing as even a single set:

Tableware Dishware Circle Jewellery Pattern


To say I am proud is an understatement!

I still have another thing planned for this set. I also want everyone to know that the Facebook group will still be kept up with. I will be there as will Lynne Andrews, Lynn Barbadora, Vera Souther, and all the members to keep on cheering everyone on and helping them through this amazing project. Lynne still has books available and I will always be selling the ornament pieces. I even have a cute set of charms that you can get to hang on each of the ornaments. They are available on my site here: EMB06 - 12 Days of Christmas Metal Charms.

White Product Black Gesture Font


I hope you all enjoyed seeing this project come to life. I know I couldn't have done it without the wonderful friends - old and new - that cheered me on throughout this past year and a half. I think that having these groups in Facebook really is a wonderful thing. As with anything, it is what we make it.

Remember, too that your goals may not always be reached in the timeframe you initially intended them, but that doesn't diminish the importance of having goals or trying to follow a path that you set for yourself. Sometimes life just slows things down a bit.

I wish you all a wonderful day!

Happy Monday to you all!
Congratulations on getting your 12 days finished! They look beautiful and would certainly brighten up any tree. With all the other stuff you do I think you achieved this goal in great time! When i was carving my last bust the deadline kept getting pushed back but it all got finished in the end.:)
Hope your summer is going well. It's finally beginning to cool down here though we are still getting lots of wild fires over the Province.
 

Attachments

#13,260 ·
Tall Ships

Yesterday I did something I rarely do - I took the day 'off'.

There were several reasons that I did this. Lately, things have been busier than ever and I was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed. After many years of having my own business, I realize that working seven days a week - even when we are busy - isn't always the best answer to getting caught up. Sometimes it is best to take a step back and rest and do something completely unrelated to 'work'. No matter how much we like what we do, we all need a change of pace every now and again.

Another reason I took a break was that it was my birthday. While that in itself isn't a reason to stop the world, as we all were "born", I thought it would be a nice excuse to do some slacking. Over the years, I have viewed my birthday as a wonderful thing (when I was a child) to something that I really didn't enjoy (in my 40's) and now as a reason for reflection and gratitude. Perhaps as we get older, we realize what a gift each day can be - especially when we have our health - and appreciate all the things that life can bring us, as well as the gift of life itself. To me, it is a time to enjoy all the simple things that we may take for granted, and take time from the busy lives we have to be grateful. It sounds simple, yet rings true for me.

And finally, several weeks ago I found out that the fleet of "Tall Ships" would be porting in nearby Digby harbor for two days. They would be arriving on my birthday and leaving the next day. This is something that as fellow creative people (as I feel most of my readers are) will appreciate. The beauty and craftsmanship of these magnificent vessels are undeniable. Seeing so many of them this way is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I didn't want to miss. It was meant to be.

The day was warm and sunny. The weather perfect for an adventure such as this. I had been looking forward to it since I heard they were coming and I couldn't wait to see them.

The tide was very low when we were there, which meant that we had to look 'down' to the ships from the dock, but other than that everything was just perfect for seeing the wonderful festival!

Cloud Sky Electricity Font Overhead power line


We were greeted by a banner and a beautifully painted trailer for the Bluenose II - a tall ship that generally resides in Nova Scotia:

Sky Cloud Watercraft Wheel Vehicle


Then we walked onto the wharf to see the first of many ships. Unfortunately, they didn't have their sails up in port, but it was still awesome to see the beautiful workmanship on them:

Cloud Boat Sky Naval architecture Water


I didn't see the name on the first ship, but it was really a beauty, with its towering masts:

Cloud Sky Boat Mast Electricity


It even had a 'ship's kitty' aboard! (Leave it to me to find a cat in all of this!)

Trousers Photograph White Mammal Felidae


The next ship on that side was the Bluenose II. What a beautiful deck!!

Boat Naval architecture Watercraft Wood Mast


We were so close it was difficult to get photographs of the entire ship. It was like taking a picture of an elephant from three feet away! But then one more ship came into the harbor . . .

Water Sky Cloud Boat Watercraft


As it approached the dock, it disappeared below because the tide was so low. But you can get a feel of its size by the huge masts that loomed:

Cloud Sky Boat Mast Electricity


I walked to the side to see its final approach and watch it tie up:

Water Cloud Sky Boat Watercraft


It turned out to be the Lord Nelson. Another beauty!

Water Boat Watercraft Naval architecture Vehicle


While there were eight ships at the dock, it was crowded and difficult to distinguish them in photos, being so close to them. But I did get a shot of these two ships that I didn't get the name of:

Water Cloud Sky Boat Watercraft


I even saw a couple of pirates. This one agreed to take a picture. I look kind of goofy, but I was so thrilled I didn't think much about it. :)

Clothing Hairstyle Smile Beard Sky


To me, it was one of the best days I could have had. They also had tours of the ships where you could board them later in the evening but just seeing them this close was enough for me. We see ships like these in movies all the time and I don't think we realize the artistry and scope of them. Watching the Lord Nelson sliding to the dock - so big, yet so graceful - was thrilling. I wish I would have been able to see it with its sails up. But maybe another time.

All in all, it was a lovely day.

After the ships, I got to go visit Ellen, my "Canadian Mom" who had spent the last two weeks in the hospital with a heart attack. She finally went home on Monday and we stopped at her cabin where she was convalescing to say hello and wish her a happy birthday, too. Her birthday is Friday and we always celebrate together. I know it will be a quiet one for her as well this year, as she will be recovering from her ordeal. It was comforting to see her and give her a hug.

We had a nice dinner and came home and had a quiet evening. I came home to read all the wonderful birthday wishes from my Facebook friends and family. It made me realize just how many wonderful friends I have made through Facebook and my blog here. You all enrich my life a great deal.

Today it is back to work and shipping out orders. I have new orders to make as well and I will be working on them. Tomorrow I will have more exciting news about our business. I hope you come back to read about it.

I hope you enjoyed my pictures of the beautiful ships. It is nice to take some time to enjoy the wonderful things in our lives sometimes. You never know . . . you may even get to hug a pirate!

Happy Wednesday to you all.
 

Attachments

#13,261 ·
Tall Ships

Yesterday I did something I rarely do - I took the day 'off'.

There were several reasons that I did this. Lately, things have been busier than ever and I was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed. After many years of having my own business, I realize that working seven days a week - even when we are busy - isn't always the best answer to getting caught up. Sometimes it is best to take a step back and rest and do something completely unrelated to 'work'. No matter how much we like what we do, we all need a change of pace every now and again.

Another reason I took a break was that it was my birthday. While that in itself isn't a reason to stop the world, as we all were "born", I thought it would be a nice excuse to do some slacking. Over the years, I have viewed my birthday as a wonderful thing (when I was a child) to something that I really didn't enjoy (in my 40's) and now as a reason for reflection and gratitude. Perhaps as we get older, we realize what a gift each day can be - especially when we have our health - and appreciate all the things that life can bring us, as well as the gift of life itself. To me, it is a time to enjoy all the simple things that we may take for granted, and take time from the busy lives we have to be grateful. It sounds simple, yet rings true for me.

And finally, several weeks ago I found out that the fleet of "Tall Ships" would be porting in nearby Digby harbor for two days. They would be arriving on my birthday and leaving the next day. This is something that as fellow creative people (as I feel most of my readers are) will appreciate. The beauty and craftsmanship of these magnificent vessels are undeniable. Seeing so many of them this way is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I didn't want to miss. It was meant to be.

The day was warm and sunny. The weather perfect for an adventure such as this. I had been looking forward to it since I heard they were coming and I couldn't wait to see them.

The tide was very low when we were there, which meant that we had to look 'down' to the ships from the dock, but other than that everything was just perfect for seeing the wonderful festival!

Cloud Sky Electricity Font Overhead power line


We were greeted by a banner and a beautifully painted trailer for the Bluenose II - a tall ship that generally resides in Nova Scotia:

Sky Cloud Watercraft Wheel Vehicle


Then we walked onto the wharf to see the first of many ships. Unfortunately, they didn't have their sails up in port, but it was still awesome to see the beautiful workmanship on them:

Cloud Boat Sky Naval architecture Water


I didn't see the name on the first ship, but it was really a beauty, with its towering masts:

Cloud Sky Boat Mast Electricity


It even had a 'ship's kitty' aboard! (Leave it to me to find a cat in all of this!)

Trousers Photograph White Mammal Felidae


The next ship on that side was the Bluenose II. What a beautiful deck!!

Boat Naval architecture Watercraft Wood Mast


We were so close it was difficult to get photographs of the entire ship. It was like taking a picture of an elephant from three feet away! But then one more ship came into the harbor . . .

Water Sky Cloud Boat Watercraft


As it approached the dock, it disappeared below because the tide was so low. But you can get a feel of its size by the huge masts that loomed:

Cloud Sky Boat Mast Electricity


I walked to the side to see its final approach and watch it tie up:

Water Cloud Sky Boat Watercraft


It turned out to be the Lord Nelson. Another beauty!

Water Boat Watercraft Naval architecture Vehicle


While there were eight ships at the dock, it was crowded and difficult to distinguish them in photos, being so close to them. But I did get a shot of these two ships that I didn't get the name of:

Water Cloud Sky Boat Watercraft


I even saw a couple of pirates. This one agreed to take a picture. I look kind of goofy, but I was so thrilled I didn't think much about it. :)

Clothing Hairstyle Smile Beard Sky


To me, it was one of the best days I could have had. They also had tours of the ships where you could board them later in the evening but just seeing them this close was enough for me. We see ships like these in movies all the time and I don't think we realize the artistry and scope of them. Watching the Lord Nelson sliding to the dock - so big, yet so graceful - was thrilling. I wish I would have been able to see it with its sails up. But maybe another time.

All in all, it was a lovely day.

After the ships, I got to go visit Ellen, my "Canadian Mom" who had spent the last two weeks in the hospital with a heart attack. She finally went home on Monday and we stopped at her cabin where she was convalescing to say hello and wish her a happy birthday, too. Her birthday is Friday and we always celebrate together. I know it will be a quiet one for her as well this year, as she will be recovering from her ordeal. It was comforting to see her and give her a hug.

We had a nice dinner and came home and had a quiet evening. I came home to read all the wonderful birthday wishes from my Facebook friends and family. It made me realize just how many wonderful friends I have made through Facebook and my blog here. You all enrich my life a great deal.

Today it is back to work and shipping out orders. I have new orders to make as well and I will be working on them. Tomorrow I will have more exciting news about our business. I hope you come back to read about it.

I hope you enjoyed my pictures of the beautiful ships. It is nice to take some time to enjoy the wonderful things in our lives sometimes. You never know . . . you may even get to hug a pirate!

Happy Wednesday to you all.
Sounds like you had a superb day, and that's great. Beautiful examples of woodworking.
 

Attachments

#13,266 ·
Lots of Changes

Try as I may, it just hasn't been possible for me to write and blog the way I used to. There just aren't enough hours in the day.

It is funny, but we work so hard to achieve a level of 'success' and sometimes we don't realize that along with those successes come added responsibility and time. It isn't as if I didn't know this. I just perhaps didn't foresee that the path to succeeding required as much additional time as it does.

That isn't a complaint, mind you, but more so an explanation. I am settling on the reality that at this point in my life and business, at best I will be able to post only once or twice a week. I see nothing wrong with that, and I am sure that most of you agree. The past several months have been spotty at best regarding posting though and I have had many, many notes and letters asking why. I am happy to say that it is because things are going well and the business is evolving. I have always stated that life is like a kaleidoscope - constantly evolving and changing patterns. This is just the next step for me. My days of 'morning musings' will just have to be limited a bit. While I love posting and I love hearing back from you all, the blogs take on the average about two hours each to prepare the photos, write and post. I just don't have the luxury of those two hours in the mornings anymore. But both Keith and I truly thank you all for that. If we weren't growing, it wouldn't be an issue.

As usual, things have been crazy/busy lately. It has been a summer that has passed in a blink of an eye it seems and it is surprising to me that the mornings are so crisp and cool already. Autumn is knocking at our door.

Keith has been working so hard on dividing the website into two complete entities. For my woodworking followers, Sheila Landry Designs (www.sheilalandrydesigns.com) will look pretty much the same:

Azure Font Snow Electric blue Magenta


The only difference is that it will be "cleaner" and easier to navigate. The painting patterns and surfaces have all been removed from that address and placed on the new site for my painting followers. I call that site "Tole Painting Designs" (www.tolepaintingdesigns.com) and when you get there, it will look like this:

Font Building Event Midnight Darkness


This site contains all the painting patterns, surfaces, and embellishments that we have to offer. It has categories for patterns, general surfaces, other designers' surfaces, and kits and combos clearly marked so there is no confusion. It was getting to the point where many of the painters would order scroll sawing patterns, thinking they were surfaces that they could paint on. While that would be nice, we were constantly having to explain that in order to cut the pieces, it would require several hours of work, as scrollers know how much time is involved in cutting fretwork. It led to a bit of frustration on all parts and since the painting side of the business has grown so much recently, we felt it was time to do the split. We feel it will make it easier and better for everyone.

I give Keith a huge amount of credit because he has been the one setting things up and moving things. He strives for perfection and "consistency" throughout the site(s) and with over 1000 products to sort through, classify, move, and link, it has been a monumental task. In seeing the result of the two sites, I am absolutely thrilled and proud of both of them. We ask if you see any errors to please contact us so we can fix them. While we think everything is good and has been running smoothly, there are usually some hidden broken links or little glitches that may need attention. If you don't tell us, we won't know.

For the woodworkers, things will run as usual. I will be copying the blog from one site to the next and posting it in both places. As far as our semi-monthly newsletter, things will be the same.

I am however asking my PAINTING followers to SUBSCRIBE to the newsletter through the Tole Painting Designs painting site (Newsletter signup). Once you do so, please unsubscribe to the Sheila Landry Designs one. That way if I have specific offers for either the painters or the scrollers, you will only receive the notification that is relevant to you. I believe this will also make things simpler for everyone. Plus, it will give you a chance to see the new site. I am really happy with it. (We are sending a newsletter out today, so if you are on our list, you should be receiving one. It will probably pretty much say what I am saying here but in more detail.)

In other news, Keith has two new designs for you to enjoy.

the first one is a custom wedding/anniversary pattern that we think you will like:

Brown Rectangle Wood Font Metal


His SLDKC04 plaque allows you to make these beautiful plaques with your own names and dates added. This is great for you, your family, or your customers. The instructions are explained on the product page. We think they are beautiful and will be extremely popular as gifts this upcoming holiday season.

His other new design is a rendition of a common saying that we all can probably relate to:

Brown Font Poster Graphics Wood


The SLDK735 - Chocolate is the Answer plaque pattern comes with two versions. With all my 'chocolate-loving' friends, I think this one will be a big hit! (Dark for me, please!)

Both patterns are available on the Sheila Landry Designs woodworking site.

For my painting followers, I have LOTS of new surfaces. (I believe there are actually TEN new ornaments sets and plaques for you to create with!) Here is a sample of some of the smaller ornaments:

Rectangle Font Electronic device Circle Gadget


I also 'supersized' these shapes, as well as some others for larger plaques for you to paint on. Here is an example of just one of the classic shapes:

Brown Ruler Office ruler Dishware Wood


(This product is SLDPK175 - Large Portrait Oval Beveled Plaque wood kit.)

I purposely made a larger size inner diameter for the plaques in this series (as well as the ornament series) so that you can have a nice area to create in. The beautiful frame lends itself to an endless array of styles and designs, from Gothic to floral or geometric. They will be a joy to paint! I have several designs planned on these surfaces myself, so look forward to seeing them emerging soon. I can't wait to see what YOU all do with them as well. Please send me photos of your paintings on them!

All in all, it is a pretty big expansion of things. I hope you all understand why I am not blogging as much and stay in touch with the newsletter. I always love to hear from you, too, and I really try to answer everyone promptly. You are all why we love what we do so much. You make our 'jobs' personal and we do feel good to know so many of you as friends.

As a final thought for today, I will show you a quick shot of something that I am working on as a project for Toletown. For those of you who read, you know that I create several designs for Toletown each year. They are a wonderful online community for painters and offer patterns, instructional videos, and friendship. I love working with them and I love contributing to their site. This project will have a video with it to take the painters through certain steps of the painting process.

Circle Astronomical object Wood Natural material Oval


It took me three tries to get this background how I wanted it to be. But I stuck with it and I am happy. Just wait until you see what I have in store for it. :)

That is about all I have to say for now. I will try to blog more often, as I have new creations to share. I am getting a 'handle' on my cutting and finally catching up, but with the busy season coming up, one never knows what tomorrow will bring. All I can say is "I do my best" to be here. :)

Thank you all for sticking with me. I once again urge my painting friends to join that mailing list. It will put you in the place you should be in our little creative world here and assure you that you are receiving content that is relevant to your taste and creativity.

Happy Monday to you all! (Watch for your newsletter later!)
 

Attachments

#13,267 ·
Lots of Changes

Try as I may, it just hasn't been possible for me to write and blog the way I used to. There just aren't enough hours in the day.

It is funny, but we work so hard to achieve a level of 'success' and sometimes we don't realize that along with those successes come added responsibility and time. It isn't as if I didn't know this. I just perhaps didn't foresee that the path to succeeding required as much additional time as it does.

That isn't a complaint, mind you, but more so an explanation. I am settling on the reality that at this point in my life and business, at best I will be able to post only once or twice a week. I see nothing wrong with that, and I am sure that most of you agree. The past several months have been spotty at best regarding posting though and I have had many, many notes and letters asking why. I am happy to say that it is because things are going well and the business is evolving. I have always stated that life is like a kaleidoscope - constantly evolving and changing patterns. This is just the next step for me. My days of 'morning musings' will just have to be limited a bit. While I love posting and I love hearing back from you all, the blogs take on the average about two hours each to prepare the photos, write and post. I just don't have the luxury of those two hours in the mornings anymore. But both Keith and I truly thank you all for that. If we weren't growing, it wouldn't be an issue.

As usual, things have been crazy/busy lately. It has been a summer that has passed in a blink of an eye it seems and it is surprising to me that the mornings are so crisp and cool already. Autumn is knocking at our door.

Keith has been working so hard on dividing the website into two complete entities. For my woodworking followers, Sheila Landry Designs (www.sheilalandrydesigns.com) will look pretty much the same:

Azure Font Snow Electric blue Magenta


The only difference is that it will be "cleaner" and easier to navigate. The painting patterns and surfaces have all been removed from that address and placed on the new site for my painting followers. I call that site "Tole Painting Designs" (www.tolepaintingdesigns.com) and when you get there, it will look like this:

Font Building Event Midnight Darkness


This site contains all the painting patterns, surfaces, and embellishments that we have to offer. It has categories for patterns, general surfaces, other designers' surfaces, and kits and combos clearly marked so there is no confusion. It was getting to the point where many of the painters would order scroll sawing patterns, thinking they were surfaces that they could paint on. While that would be nice, we were constantly having to explain that in order to cut the pieces, it would require several hours of work, as scrollers know how much time is involved in cutting fretwork. It led to a bit of frustration on all parts and since the painting side of the business has grown so much recently, we felt it was time to do the split. We feel it will make it easier and better for everyone.

I give Keith a huge amount of credit because he has been the one setting things up and moving things. He strives for perfection and "consistency" throughout the site(s) and with over 1000 products to sort through, classify, move, and link, it has been a monumental task. In seeing the result of the two sites, I am absolutely thrilled and proud of both of them. We ask if you see any errors to please contact us so we can fix them. While we think everything is good and has been running smoothly, there are usually some hidden broken links or little glitches that may need attention. If you don't tell us, we won't know.

For the woodworkers, things will run as usual. I will be copying the blog from one site to the next and posting it in both places. As far as our semi-monthly newsletter, things will be the same.

I am however asking my PAINTING followers to SUBSCRIBE to the newsletter through the Tole Painting Designs painting site (Newsletter signup). Once you do so, please unsubscribe to the Sheila Landry Designs one. That way if I have specific offers for either the painters or the scrollers, you will only receive the notification that is relevant to you. I believe this will also make things simpler for everyone. Plus, it will give you a chance to see the new site. I am really happy with it. (We are sending a newsletter out today, so if you are on our list, you should be receiving one. It will probably pretty much say what I am saying here but in more detail.)

In other news, Keith has two new designs for you to enjoy.

the first one is a custom wedding/anniversary pattern that we think you will like:

Brown Rectangle Wood Font Metal


His SLDKC04 plaque allows you to make these beautiful plaques with your own names and dates added. This is great for you, your family, or your customers. The instructions are explained on the product page. We think they are beautiful and will be extremely popular as gifts this upcoming holiday season.

His other new design is a rendition of a common saying that we all can probably relate to:

Brown Font Poster Graphics Wood


The SLDK735 - Chocolate is the Answer plaque pattern comes with two versions. With all my 'chocolate-loving' friends, I think this one will be a big hit! (Dark for me, please!)

Both patterns are available on the Sheila Landry Designs woodworking site.

For my painting followers, I have LOTS of new surfaces. (I believe there are actually TEN new ornaments sets and plaques for you to create with!) Here is a sample of some of the smaller ornaments:

Rectangle Font Electronic device Circle Gadget


I also 'supersized' these shapes, as well as some others for larger plaques for you to paint on. Here is an example of just one of the classic shapes:

Brown Ruler Office ruler Dishware Wood


(This product is SLDPK175 - Large Portrait Oval Beveled Plaque wood kit.)

I purposely made a larger size inner diameter for the plaques in this series (as well as the ornament series) so that you can have a nice area to create in. The beautiful frame lends itself to an endless array of styles and designs, from Gothic to floral or geometric. They will be a joy to paint! I have several designs planned on these surfaces myself, so look forward to seeing them emerging soon. I can't wait to see what YOU all do with them as well. Please send me photos of your paintings on them!

All in all, it is a pretty big expansion of things. I hope you all understand why I am not blogging as much and stay in touch with the newsletter. I always love to hear from you, too, and I really try to answer everyone promptly. You are all why we love what we do so much. You make our 'jobs' personal and we do feel good to know so many of you as friends.

As a final thought for today, I will show you a quick shot of something that I am working on as a project for Toletown. For those of you who read, you know that I create several designs for Toletown each year. They are a wonderful online community for painters and offer patterns, instructional videos, and friendship. I love working with them and I love contributing to their site. This project will have a video with it to take the painters through certain steps of the painting process.

Circle Astronomical object Wood Natural material Oval


It took me three tries to get this background how I wanted it to be. But I stuck with it and I am happy. Just wait until you see what I have in store for it. :)

That is about all I have to say for now. I will try to blog more often, as I have new creations to share. I am getting a 'handle' on my cutting and finally catching up, but with the busy season coming up, one never knows what tomorrow will bring. All I can say is "I do my best" to be here. :)

Thank you all for sticking with me. I once again urge my painting friends to join that mailing list. It will put you in the place you should be in our little creative world here and assure you that you are receiving content that is relevant to your taste and creativity.

Happy Monday to you all! (Watch for your newsletter later!)
So you are human like the rest of us. I thought you magically touched the keys and bang you had a fantastic blog. I am slow at typing and awkward at getting a posting together. It can take me an hour or two sometimes. The computer gets impatient and goes to sleep and I have to start over. The text seems to be saved but I have to start over with the pictures when I get it up and running again. It happened with my post last night. No need to apologize and feel bad now that we know you are human, we can wait for the gems, but I was wondering at the delay this time though. Wonder no more. I have more time to check now that I am on vacation, but I still wish I was home and could be out in the shop at 5 or 6 in the morning. Wish chocolate was the answer for everything esp. old age, been trying though. We pick up 72% bars from Dollarama and we savor one square each most evening, so it takes a week or so to eat one bar. The rich chocolate flavor stays in your mouth for a long time. Try it, you will like it. We appreciate the work you put into your blogs.
 

Attachments

#13,271 ·
New Project for Toletown for September

In keeping with my promise to myself and you all to try to do better with blogging regularly, I decided to post some pictures of a project that I am working on for the Toletown painting community for September.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Toletown (www.toletown.com) it is an online painting group that is a fun place to learn about and share our love of painting. I have been aware of them for well over ten years and have been a member for as long as I can remember. a few years ago, Lorrie (I'll call her the Mayor of Toletown) asked me if I would like the join her 'Design Team' of artists who create projects for the website. I gladly accepted.

As a member of the design team, I create two "full projects" per year, which means they include video lesson(s) and what Lorrie calls a "quick paint" which doesn't require videos. Those who know me though know that my quick paint projects are also usually full patterns - complete with lots of step-by-step colors photos and instructions. I don't know how to teach any other way. I am in the company of some wonderfully fabulous designers, and as a member of Toletown, each month the members receive two new full patterns with access to the accompanying videos, a quick paint, a line work "challenge" piece to play with from Lorrie, and access to the archives of classes, patterns, etc. that Toletown has to offer. It is a great value for painters both financially as well as in regards to the wealth of information/patterns/lessons it has to offer. You can join month to month or yearly, and there are always some fun specials and events that are offered. I hope you check it out.

I love designing for Toletown because it kind of forces me to create and shoot a video now and then. While I have lots of good intentions about doing so, I rarely find the time to really sit down and get it done. This gives me a 'reason' to pull out the camera and teach on video. It is funny - I actually like doing things that way and teaching through videos. I always say I need to do it more often. But as usual, time isn't always my friend and as per tradition, I have more ideas than time allows. This helps me make it a priority.

I also like to choose a project with somewhat of a 'different' technique that isn't common to tole painting. With all the new products out there - especially from DecoArt - I look at it as a wonderful opportunity not only to educate others on them but to learn something new myself. After all, I want things to be a bit more exciting than the typical "base coat, float shade, highlight, detail" sequence that is the core of many painted projects. I usually try to throw in at least a little something 'different' so that the projects are truly a learning experience. It makes it fun and exciting.

With exploring new avenues and techniques also comes failures. That is just the nature of the beast, I believe. I am a firm believer in that nothing teaches better than experience and sometimes things don't always work out as we planned.

I try to be genuine in my posts here, and that sometimes includes showing my botched attempts. While some of you think that every time I do something it is successful, we both know that if I allowed you to believe that, I would be lying. I have had my fair share and then some of "mishaps". The thing is that I have learned to take them in stride and learn from them and try again. This project was a fine example of just that.

I had a 'vision' in my head of what I wanted this to look like. The intention of this project (besides looking cool!) was to give a lesson on high-contrast to create drama. I wanted the painting something that was going to make the viewer really 'look' at it and say, "Wow!" and make a statement. Personally, I love painting 'dark' things. Creating 'dark' paintings where certain elements catch your attention would be a nice lesson and challenge for most. I had an idea . . .

I had given you all a peek at the background for this project in the last blog post. This only came to be after no less than THREE attempts to achieve the look I wanted. The first time was pretty much a disaster. After trying a technique that I thought would work, it turned into a mucked up mess. I had to head to the sander and begin over again.

The second attempt was 'closer' but I still had issues. While the look I was seeking was 'almost' there, the paint began lifting in places which looked bad:

Paint World Astronomical object Tree Art


It was back to the sander again, and after several hours of work, here is where I was with my painting:

Wood Font Circle Beige Metal


But I was undaunted and determined. What I learned from the two previous mistakes was taken into account and I wound up changing my plan of attack completely. (I will talk about the details in the video.) After the first evening of painting, I had my background where I wanted it to be. I was happy. I knew I had a victory under my belt and I was really excited to continue on.

Here is the finished background, as I showed you last time:

Circle Astronomical object Wood Natural material Oval


From here on, I knew it would be 'smoooooth sailing!' The rest of the process was something that I felt good and comfortable doing, and it would be a pleasure to see if I could bring my vision of this project to life.

I added a CAT:

Hand Helmet Art Painting Musical instrument


(I know that may become as no surprise to you, but I really don't paint THAT many cats - really!) I also added the moon. I didn't originally think I wanted a moon. It seemed kind of cliche. But in thinking through the way I wanted to have things laid out, it seemed to naturally go where I put it. Maybe subconsciously it was my intention all along. In any case, it now had a moon. ;)

From then on it was pretty easy. I based out the pumpkins where I wanted them to be:

Art Painting Circle Illustration Drawing


. . . painted in the undertones . . .

Food Cat Art paint Fruit Painting


. . . and started the shading . . .

Pumpkin Cat Plant Calabaza Winter squash


I had a fabulous evening of enjoying my painting time. By midnight or so, I was pretty much done with this part of the painting:

Pumpkin Cat Plant Cucurbita Calabaza


I am happy. :D

Ah - but it isn't done yet. There are more surprises to come. I will be doing some things to really make it special and even better - and even throw in a nice little variation as well.

(Did I ever say how much I LOVE my job?)

I hope you enjoyed seeing this little step-by-step demonstration. I want to show most of all that these things are easy to do. No great skill was required to create this cute painting. Just a little patience and some familiarity with some easy techniques.

I invite you to stay tuned and stop by to see the finished project in the next post. Better yet - join Toletown and paint it yourself. You will be amazed how fun and easy it is to create!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
 

Attachments

#13,272 ·
New Project for Toletown for September

In keeping with my promise to myself and you all to try to do better with blogging regularly, I decided to post some pictures of a project that I am working on for the Toletown painting community for September.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Toletown (www.toletown.com) it is an online painting group that is a fun place to learn about and share our love of painting. I have been aware of them for well over ten years and have been a member for as long as I can remember. a few years ago, Lorrie (I'll call her the Mayor of Toletown) asked me if I would like the join her 'Design Team' of artists who create projects for the website. I gladly accepted.

As a member of the design team, I create two "full projects" per year, which means they include video lesson(s) and what Lorrie calls a "quick paint" which doesn't require videos. Those who know me though know that my quick paint projects are also usually full patterns - complete with lots of step-by-step colors photos and instructions. I don't know how to teach any other way. I am in the company of some wonderfully fabulous designers, and as a member of Toletown, each month the members receive two new full patterns with access to the accompanying videos, a quick paint, a line work "challenge" piece to play with from Lorrie, and access to the archives of classes, patterns, etc. that Toletown has to offer. It is a great value for painters both financially as well as in regards to the wealth of information/patterns/lessons it has to offer. You can join month to month or yearly, and there are always some fun specials and events that are offered. I hope you check it out.

I love designing for Toletown because it kind of forces me to create and shoot a video now and then. While I have lots of good intentions about doing so, I rarely find the time to really sit down and get it done. This gives me a 'reason' to pull out the camera and teach on video. It is funny - I actually like doing things that way and teaching through videos. I always say I need to do it more often. But as usual, time isn't always my friend and as per tradition, I have more ideas than time allows. This helps me make it a priority.

I also like to choose a project with somewhat of a 'different' technique that isn't common to tole painting. With all the new products out there - especially from DecoArt - I look at it as a wonderful opportunity not only to educate others on them but to learn something new myself. After all, I want things to be a bit more exciting than the typical "base coat, float shade, highlight, detail" sequence that is the core of many painted projects. I usually try to throw in at least a little something 'different' so that the projects are truly a learning experience. It makes it fun and exciting.

With exploring new avenues and techniques also comes failures. That is just the nature of the beast, I believe. I am a firm believer in that nothing teaches better than experience and sometimes things don't always work out as we planned.

I try to be genuine in my posts here, and that sometimes includes showing my botched attempts. While some of you think that every time I do something it is successful, we both know that if I allowed you to believe that, I would be lying. I have had my fair share and then some of "mishaps". The thing is that I have learned to take them in stride and learn from them and try again. This project was a fine example of just that.

I had a 'vision' in my head of what I wanted this to look like. The intention of this project (besides looking cool!) was to give a lesson on high-contrast to create drama. I wanted the painting something that was going to make the viewer really 'look' at it and say, "Wow!" and make a statement. Personally, I love painting 'dark' things. Creating 'dark' paintings where certain elements catch your attention would be a nice lesson and challenge for most. I had an idea . . .

I had given you all a peek at the background for this project in the last blog post. This only came to be after no less than THREE attempts to achieve the look I wanted. The first time was pretty much a disaster. After trying a technique that I thought would work, it turned into a mucked up mess. I had to head to the sander and begin over again.

The second attempt was 'closer' but I still had issues. While the look I was seeking was 'almost' there, the paint began lifting in places which looked bad:

Paint World Astronomical object Tree Art


It was back to the sander again, and after several hours of work, here is where I was with my painting:

Wood Font Circle Beige Metal


But I was undaunted and determined. What I learned from the two previous mistakes was taken into account and I wound up changing my plan of attack completely. (I will talk about the details in the video.) After the first evening of painting, I had my background where I wanted it to be. I was happy. I knew I had a victory under my belt and I was really excited to continue on.

Here is the finished background, as I showed you last time:

Circle Astronomical object Wood Natural material Oval


From here on, I knew it would be 'smoooooth sailing!' The rest of the process was something that I felt good and comfortable doing, and it would be a pleasure to see if I could bring my vision of this project to life.

I added a CAT:

Hand Helmet Art Painting Musical instrument


(I know that may become as no surprise to you, but I really don't paint THAT many cats - really!) I also added the moon. I didn't originally think I wanted a moon. It seemed kind of cliche. But in thinking through the way I wanted to have things laid out, it seemed to naturally go where I put it. Maybe subconsciously it was my intention all along. In any case, it now had a moon. ;)

From then on it was pretty easy. I based out the pumpkins where I wanted them to be:

Art Painting Circle Illustration Drawing


. . . painted in the undertones . . .

Food Cat Art paint Fruit Painting


. . . and started the shading . . .

Pumpkin Cat Plant Calabaza Winter squash


I had a fabulous evening of enjoying my painting time. By midnight or so, I was pretty much done with this part of the painting:

Pumpkin Cat Plant Cucurbita Calabaza


I am happy. :D

Ah - but it isn't done yet. There are more surprises to come. I will be doing some things to really make it special and even better - and even throw in a nice little variation as well.

(Did I ever say how much I LOVE my job?)

I hope you enjoyed seeing this little step-by-step demonstration. I want to show most of all that these things are easy to do. No great skill was required to create this cute painting. Just a little patience and some familiarity with some easy techniques.

I invite you to stay tuned and stop by to see the finished project in the next post. Better yet - join Toletown and paint it yourself. You will be amazed how fun and easy it is to create!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Surprize when I checked my email this morning, Very nice tutorial on your painting, we always liked black cats, but I didn't know they could turn there head around and look backwards, I tried but can't, guess I am getting old. Thanks for taking the 2 hours to do the blog.
 

Attachments

#13,277 ·
New Patterns and Adventures

As I sit here and begin writing this morning, I realize just how much things have changed since I began blogging several years ago. What began as early morning conversations between you all and myself regarding what the plans were for my day and what the previous day had brought to me has now evolved into something a bit different. In those early days of writing, I was striving to be successful and prove that success not only to others but mainly to myself. I had started writing at a time when my business was just beginning to build up steam and I was dedicated to making my mark in the creative world. It was before my partner Keith even joined me. It seems so long ago.

The fact that things have changed is no surprise to me. I remember in those early days of writing that I mentioned more than once how I believed that life, in general, was much like a kaleidoscope - forever evolving and changing into something else. I still believe that today, and I still believe that those of us who are able to be flexible and change along with things are more likely to have an easier time surviving. It just makes sense to me.

I also try to focus on the good and positive things here in my posts. While I realize that the world isn't full of lollipops and rainbows, I also believe that 'we follow where we focus' and that by concentrating on the positive and good aspects of our lives, it lessens the impact of the negative things. But that isn't always the easiest thing to do, is it?

Things have been so difficult for so many these days. While I like to dwell on what I call my "Pink Cloud", there have been many days of late when I have found that difficult, if not impossible to do. It is hard to be cheerful and joyful when so many are suffering. It is also hard to write cheerful and carefree posts without feeling as if you are minimizing the suffering of others or your own concerns. Sometimes it is a fine line to walk.

As a result, I have chosen to back off these past several months and take some time. I am grateful that I have been doing a great deal of 'busy work' in creating surfaces for decorative painters to paint on. While it has been overwhelming at times, more so than not it has kept me feeling positive and productive on days when I would otherwise despair. Those long, hard days in my shop where I have piles of wood to cut for orders have been my emotional salvation, as they help me focus on positive things such as how those who ordered them will use and enjoy the pieces and even how many of them will become family treasures. Having a part in that process was the ray of light that I have been able to hold on to on some of the darkest days. It has helped more than anyone can imagine.

It has also caused me to refocus and re-prioritize what I was doing. Our scrolling and woodworking customers seemed to have really looked to my partner Keith for his lovely word-art designs, and my painting followers have encouraged me not only to continue my own designs but also to expand the scope of surfaces that I offer. It has really lifted both Keith and me up these days, and we appreciate it very much. It has encouraged us to branch out even further and expand and grow our business more. We are grateful.

In my last post, I showed you all a design I was working on for the online painting community, Toletown. Over the weekend, I completed that design as well as an accompanying instructional video for the project. The video is now available at the Toletown site, but I will have it on my YouTube Channel soon. I was pretty happy at how it came out. Here is a photo of the finished project:

Wood Dishware Art Serveware Jewellery


I used all DecoArt Americana paints on the main design and their new Extreme Sheen Metallic Paint on the leaf frame. I love the new Extreme Sheen Metallics. They are probably the shiniest metallic paint that I have used. You can get them at the DecoArt site here (DecoArt Metallics Extreme Sheen) or at your favorite craft supplier.

I used one of my new painting surfaces (the SLDPK172 - Large Maple Leaf Beveled Wood Plaque) for the project:

Font Circle Symbol Logo Graphics


I thought it looked really nice on that. I think there are so many possibilities for this leaf surface! It will lend well to Halloween, Thanksgiving and autumn designs in general. I hope that everyone likes it.

Keith has been busy drawing as well. He now has three different "Answer" designs that he is offering as a special pattern set (SPECIALSET on our site):

Organism Handwriting Font Illustration Drawing


These fun designs are appropriate for many situations and are sure to be popular as gifts, at craft shows and sales, or to keep yourself. We hope you like them.

He also made a fun plaque for the coffee drinkers in the world:

Font Rectangle Logo Label Wood


I like this one myself, and it could easily be my theme. You can find the pattern on our site here: SLDK737 Coffee - Because Adulting is Hard

And because we love our scrollers:

Wood Sleeve Font Rectangle Gas


Keith made this nice pattern set (SLDK738 - Keep Calm and Scroll On) which includes both a male and female version, as well as fretwork or overlay figures. We hope that you enjoy this for your shop or the shop of someone you know loves to scroll.

On a final note, I wanted you all to be aware that I am venturing into something else that is totally new for me. Since I have shown many of my embroidery pieces here on my blog and on social media, I frequently receive requests to offer kits of some of the things I have been making. I have considered this for over a year now, and have slowly and carefully done the homework, researched suppliers, and tried to think of every aspect of providing kits for my designs. I haven't said much about it except to close friends because it has taken quite a while to get things in order. But I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. After much planning, purchasing supplies, and thinking things through, I am ALMOST ready to offer embroidery kits to my customers.

I am very excited about this, and I want them to be the best kits I can offer. In the past, I have purchased kits that were nice, but very 'incomplete'. This caused me to have to search out supplies and was quite a challenge. It was because of this that I saw a need for kits that had just about everything needed to make the project except scissors and a couple of truly 'common' household supplies. Each kit will contain the highest quality silk ribbons, glass beads, metal charms, silk, perle cotton and metallic threads, Ultrasuede backings, and even beautiful, high-quality needles. I have searched all over the world to obtain these supplies and have done all the 'leg work' so that it would be fun and easy to create using the best quality materials. Each kit will also include full, step-by-step instructions complete with color photos. I am very close to launching them and should be doing so in the next week or so.

I didn't want to muddy up either the Sheila Landry Designs site or the Tole Painting Designs site, so I renamed and designated my Etsy Store for this venture. I now call my store "The Stitching Kitty" and it will be the home of all of these lovely kits.

Recipe Font Art Table Tableware


I will make a formal announcement when things are ready.

So you see, I have been keeping pretty busy. With all the negative things going on these days, I find that bringing joy to others through sharing my love of creating is the best way I can cope with things. As always, Keith and I appreciate all of our followers and customers. So many of you have become real friends. We wish you all the best in whatever you do.

We will be sending out our newsletter probably later today, so if you subscribe to it, look for it in your email. Thanks again to all of you for your support. We are both so grateful.

Have a great weekend.
 

Attachments

#13,278 ·
New Patterns and Adventures

As I sit here and begin writing this morning, I realize just how much things have changed since I began blogging several years ago. What began as early morning conversations between you all and myself regarding what the plans were for my day and what the previous day had brought to me has now evolved into something a bit different. In those early days of writing, I was striving to be successful and prove that success not only to others but mainly to myself. I had started writing at a time when my business was just beginning to build up steam and I was dedicated to making my mark in the creative world. It was before my partner Keith even joined me. It seems so long ago.

The fact that things have changed is no surprise to me. I remember in those early days of writing that I mentioned more than once how I believed that life, in general, was much like a kaleidoscope - forever evolving and changing into something else. I still believe that today, and I still believe that those of us who are able to be flexible and change along with things are more likely to have an easier time surviving. It just makes sense to me.

I also try to focus on the good and positive things here in my posts. While I realize that the world isn't full of lollipops and rainbows, I also believe that 'we follow where we focus' and that by concentrating on the positive and good aspects of our lives, it lessens the impact of the negative things. But that isn't always the easiest thing to do, is it?

Things have been so difficult for so many these days. While I like to dwell on what I call my "Pink Cloud", there have been many days of late when I have found that difficult, if not impossible to do. It is hard to be cheerful and joyful when so many are suffering. It is also hard to write cheerful and carefree posts without feeling as if you are minimizing the suffering of others or your own concerns. Sometimes it is a fine line to walk.

As a result, I have chosen to back off these past several months and take some time. I am grateful that I have been doing a great deal of 'busy work' in creating surfaces for decorative painters to paint on. While it has been overwhelming at times, more so than not it has kept me feeling positive and productive on days when I would otherwise despair. Those long, hard days in my shop where I have piles of wood to cut for orders have been my emotional salvation, as they help me focus on positive things such as how those who ordered them will use and enjoy the pieces and even how many of them will become family treasures. Having a part in that process was the ray of light that I have been able to hold on to on some of the darkest days. It has helped more than anyone can imagine.

It has also caused me to refocus and re-prioritize what I was doing. Our scrolling and woodworking customers seemed to have really looked to my partner Keith for his lovely word-art designs, and my painting followers have encouraged me not only to continue my own designs but also to expand the scope of surfaces that I offer. It has really lifted both Keith and me up these days, and we appreciate it very much. It has encouraged us to branch out even further and expand and grow our business more. We are grateful.

In my last post, I showed you all a design I was working on for the online painting community, Toletown. Over the weekend, I completed that design as well as an accompanying instructional video for the project. The video is now available at the Toletown site, but I will have it on my YouTube Channel soon. I was pretty happy at how it came out. Here is a photo of the finished project:

Wood Dishware Art Serveware Jewellery


I used all DecoArt Americana paints on the main design and their new Extreme Sheen Metallic Paint on the leaf frame. I love the new Extreme Sheen Metallics. They are probably the shiniest metallic paint that I have used. You can get them at the DecoArt site here (DecoArt Metallics Extreme Sheen) or at your favorite craft supplier.

I used one of my new painting surfaces (the SLDPK172 - Large Maple Leaf Beveled Wood Plaque) for the project:

Font Circle Symbol Logo Graphics


I thought it looked really nice on that. I think there are so many possibilities for this leaf surface! It will lend well to Halloween, Thanksgiving and autumn designs in general. I hope that everyone likes it.

Keith has been busy drawing as well. He now has three different "Answer" designs that he is offering as a special pattern set (SPECIALSET on our site):

Organism Handwriting Font Illustration Drawing


These fun designs are appropriate for many situations and are sure to be popular as gifts, at craft shows and sales, or to keep yourself. We hope you like them.

He also made a fun plaque for the coffee drinkers in the world:

Font Rectangle Logo Label Wood


I like this one myself, and it could easily be my theme. You can find the pattern on our site here: SLDK737 Coffee - Because Adulting is Hard

And because we love our scrollers:

Wood Sleeve Font Rectangle Gas


Keith made this nice pattern set (SLDK738 - Keep Calm and Scroll On) which includes both a male and female version, as well as fretwork or overlay figures. We hope that you enjoy this for your shop or the shop of someone you know loves to scroll.

On a final note, I wanted you all to be aware that I am venturing into something else that is totally new for me. Since I have shown many of my embroidery pieces here on my blog and on social media, I frequently receive requests to offer kits of some of the things I have been making. I have considered this for over a year now, and have slowly and carefully done the homework, researched suppliers, and tried to think of every aspect of providing kits for my designs. I haven't said much about it except to close friends because it has taken quite a while to get things in order. But I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. After much planning, purchasing supplies, and thinking things through, I am ALMOST ready to offer embroidery kits to my customers.

I am very excited about this, and I want them to be the best kits I can offer. In the past, I have purchased kits that were nice, but very 'incomplete'. This caused me to have to search out supplies and was quite a challenge. It was because of this that I saw a need for kits that had just about everything needed to make the project except scissors and a couple of truly 'common' household supplies. Each kit will contain the highest quality silk ribbons, glass beads, metal charms, silk, perle cotton and metallic threads, Ultrasuede backings, and even beautiful, high-quality needles. I have searched all over the world to obtain these supplies and have done all the 'leg work' so that it would be fun and easy to create using the best quality materials. Each kit will also include full, step-by-step instructions complete with color photos. I am very close to launching them and should be doing so in the next week or so.

I didn't want to muddy up either the Sheila Landry Designs site or the Tole Painting Designs site, so I renamed and designated my Etsy Store for this venture. I now call my store "The Stitching Kitty" and it will be the home of all of these lovely kits.

Recipe Font Art Table Tableware


I will make a formal announcement when things are ready.

So you see, I have been keeping pretty busy. With all the negative things going on these days, I find that bringing joy to others through sharing my love of creating is the best way I can cope with things. As always, Keith and I appreciate all of our followers and customers. So many of you have become real friends. We wish you all the best in whatever you do.

We will be sending out our newsletter probably later today, so if you subscribe to it, look for it in your email. Thanks again to all of you for your support. We are both so grateful.

Have a great weekend.
Good morning to you, up early and curled up on the couch, hard to know what to say after reading your blog. Nice you enjoy your work,I just hope the repetitive work of cutting does not get you down, The creative part is great. Stimulating, The picture of the kit is super cute, of the baby sheep with the thread, your not planning of doing that are you. To much is to much, Simplify, And keep sane. and don't take your signs literally because that would not be the answer. Too many have taken that road.
I am always busy at home, but now I am in Oregon doing maintenance type work at a youth camp, I time to give, that helps with perspective too. Are the roses still blooming there, check them out.
 

Attachments

#13,284 ·
Settling In

It has been a wild and crazy month here for us at Sheila Landry Designs. Both Keith and I have been busy changing, rearranging and updating things at all of our venues. It has been thrilling and exciting for us both, and we are truly enjoying seeing everything come together.

It is hard to believe that we are approaching the final quarter of the year already. As usual, the time has just passed by too quickly for my taste. I suppose that has always been one of the biggest complaints that I have had. There is always so much that I want to accomplish and there just aren't enough hours in the day. I suppose I have been like that for as long as I remember though, and no matter how many ideas I implement, it seems that I will always have at least ten times more things that I want to do. But I do believe it is a good thing, as it leads to a full and busy life and one that drives me to accomplish. I hope that never changes.

Besides cutting and filling wood orders for my painters, I have spent the last week or so completing the final steps to really launching my new pattern kit line of embroidery projects. Since completing the ribbon embroidery project "A Perfect World" a couple of years ago, I have longed to develop and create kits of my own. I had many inquiries as to whether I would be making my own kits or sharing my techniques with others, and these encouraging words really fueled the idea that I could really do this. I have been actually seriously planning and thinking about this step for over a year now, and while it is somewhat frightening, it is also very exciting. I want everything to be just right.

In my last post, I mentioned that I settled on a name for this new division of Sheila Landry Designs. I am calling my new adventure "The Stitching Kitty". (What else?) Since having three separate, full websites to manage was probably a little much, I have designated my Etsy store completely to this arm of my business and renamed it The Stitching Kitty and will have everything embroidery-related available there. For those of you who like this kind of work, I would appreciate if you would go over there and see what you think. By 'liking' my shop, it helps it become more visible.

The goal of my store is to offer full and complete kits which include just about everything you need to make the projects. I did see a need for this, as when I purchased my kit(s) in the past, there were so many key missing items that I had to search for and track down and purchase, that by the time I had all the materials, the cost of the kit was nearly twice what I already paid. The only thing needed to complete my projects are scissors and some really basic sewing supplies that aren't really specific and used in general and easy and cheap to obtain. I have searched literally all over the world to find high-quality supplies to include, and I have invested a great deal in making this possible. Now the fun part comes - offering the designs.

I put two new in the shop this weekend. They are cute and fun and relatively quick to make. I feel that starting small and working my way to larger projects is a good path to take, as it will not only help me get my own bearings, but it will also be less intimidating for my customers as well.

The two designs are little Halloween Witch Hats that can be used for lapel pins, ornaments or magnets. Really, they can be used as any type of jewelry or decorating, and they are colorful and fun to make.

The first one is made with black and iridescent purple colors:

Plant Food Butterfly Pollinator Calabaza


I found some lovely metal charms and pretty beads to make the little tiny stars:

Blue Product Azure Textile Purple


I used high-quality Validani hand-dyed threads and silks and all glass or metal embellishments to make it beautifully textured and colorful:

Body jewelry Natural material Purple Creative arts Violet


The other hat was done in oranges with some purple added in:

Purple Creative arts Violet Body jewelry Art


It also has beautiful details like a silk ribbon bow that I hand-dyed myself and a pretty crystal bicone bead to make it shine:

Purple Petal Creative arts Violet Headgear


Again, I used lots of different glass beads, silk threads, and textures - including a metal spider charm with a crystal rhinestone set into it:

Purple Creative arts Violet Body jewelry Art


You can imagine the fun I am having with these!

Little by little, I am adding more pieces to my shop. I hope to build up things slowly while I am still doing my other designing and work.

Plant Calabaza Winter squash Natural foods Cucurbita


I am still working on wood stuff as well as creating some new painting patterns. My days are full and fun and it has been great to see everything coming together. I suppose that is part of why I have been laying low for a while with blogging. The research, gathering materials, and planning has taken a large amount of my time and it really doesn't make for interesting posts. I hope to return to posting more regularly as things settle in. I am feeling good about things though and I believe the time away from writing has been put to good use.

Keith has also been working on many new things. He recently completely updated the Tole Painting Designs catalog and is currently in the process of updating the much larger Sheila Landry Designs woodworking catalog. That is no small task and takes a huge amount of time and effort. In addition to that, he rearranged BOTH of the websites and made things a lot easier to find made them look much better. We hope you all like having things in two separate sites better, as we feel it is far less cluttered and less confusing for everyone. So far our feedback has been very positive.

Keith also has two great new ornament patterns for our woodworking followers to enjoy. The first set is a wonderful layered wildlife set of eight ornaments (Product SLDK741):

Font Circle Symbol Pattern Fashion accessory


I love this type of scrolling. The individual layers can also be stack-cut so you can make them efficiently for shows and upcoming holiday sales.

The other set is a beautiful set of dimensional slotted filigree bell ornaments (SLDK739)

Shoe White Black Fashion Font


While these are a bit of a challenge, they can also be cut in multiples, making them more efficient if you are making them to sell. They are beautiful in natural wood colors, but look stunning painted with pretty metallic paint, too. (I would even add rhinestones if I were doing them for myself!)

So you see, we have both been busy.

As I keep saying, I hope to get back into the habit of writing here in the mornings. I miss talking with many of you and appreciate your feedback and friendships. All I can say is that I will do my best to keep on posting as time permits. I hope you come and visit us at our sites as well. We are always trying to add fun and interesting projects for you all to enjoy.

Happy Monday to you and happy AUTUMN!
 

Attachments

#13,285 ·
Settling In

It has been a wild and crazy month here for us at Sheila Landry Designs. Both Keith and I have been busy changing, rearranging and updating things at all of our venues. It has been thrilling and exciting for us both, and we are truly enjoying seeing everything come together.

It is hard to believe that we are approaching the final quarter of the year already. As usual, the time has just passed by too quickly for my taste. I suppose that has always been one of the biggest complaints that I have had. There is always so much that I want to accomplish and there just aren't enough hours in the day. I suppose I have been like that for as long as I remember though, and no matter how many ideas I implement, it seems that I will always have at least ten times more things that I want to do. But I do believe it is a good thing, as it leads to a full and busy life and one that drives me to accomplish. I hope that never changes.

Besides cutting and filling wood orders for my painters, I have spent the last week or so completing the final steps to really launching my new pattern kit line of embroidery projects. Since completing the ribbon embroidery project "A Perfect World" a couple of years ago, I have longed to develop and create kits of my own. I had many inquiries as to whether I would be making my own kits or sharing my techniques with others, and these encouraging words really fueled the idea that I could really do this. I have been actually seriously planning and thinking about this step for over a year now, and while it is somewhat frightening, it is also very exciting. I want everything to be just right.

In my last post, I mentioned that I settled on a name for this new division of Sheila Landry Designs. I am calling my new adventure "The Stitching Kitty". (What else?) Since having three separate, full websites to manage was probably a little much, I have designated my Etsy store completely to this arm of my business and renamed it The Stitching Kitty and will have everything embroidery-related available there. For those of you who like this kind of work, I would appreciate if you would go over there and see what you think. By 'liking' my shop, it helps it become more visible.

The goal of my store is to offer full and complete kits which include just about everything you need to make the projects. I did see a need for this, as when I purchased my kit(s) in the past, there were so many key missing items that I had to search for and track down and purchase, that by the time I had all the materials, the cost of the kit was nearly twice what I already paid. The only thing needed to complete my projects are scissors and some really basic sewing supplies that aren't really specific and used in general and easy and cheap to obtain. I have searched literally all over the world to find high-quality supplies to include, and I have invested a great deal in making this possible. Now the fun part comes - offering the designs.

I put two new in the shop this weekend. They are cute and fun and relatively quick to make. I feel that starting small and working my way to larger projects is a good path to take, as it will not only help me get my own bearings, but it will also be less intimidating for my customers as well.

The two designs are little Halloween Witch Hats that can be used for lapel pins, ornaments or magnets. Really, they can be used as any type of jewelry or decorating, and they are colorful and fun to make.

The first one is made with black and iridescent purple colors:

Plant Food Butterfly Pollinator Calabaza


I found some lovely metal charms and pretty beads to make the little tiny stars:

Blue Product Azure Textile Purple


I used high-quality Validani hand-dyed threads and silks and all glass or metal embellishments to make it beautifully textured and colorful:

Body jewelry Natural material Purple Creative arts Violet


The other hat was done in oranges with some purple added in:

Purple Creative arts Violet Body jewelry Art


It also has beautiful details like a silk ribbon bow that I hand-dyed myself and a pretty crystal bicone bead to make it shine:

Purple Petal Creative arts Violet Headgear


Again, I used lots of different glass beads, silk threads, and textures - including a metal spider charm with a crystal rhinestone set into it:

Purple Creative arts Violet Body jewelry Art


You can imagine the fun I am having with these!

Little by little, I am adding more pieces to my shop. I hope to build up things slowly while I am still doing my other designing and work.

Plant Calabaza Winter squash Natural foods Cucurbita


I am still working on wood stuff as well as creating some new painting patterns. My days are full and fun and it has been great to see everything coming together. I suppose that is part of why I have been laying low for a while with blogging. The research, gathering materials, and planning has taken a large amount of my time and it really doesn't make for interesting posts. I hope to return to posting more regularly as things settle in. I am feeling good about things though and I believe the time away from writing has been put to good use.

Keith has also been working on many new things. He recently completely updated the Tole Painting Designs catalog and is currently in the process of updating the much larger Sheila Landry Designs woodworking catalog. That is no small task and takes a huge amount of time and effort. In addition to that, he rearranged BOTH of the websites and made things a lot easier to find made them look much better. We hope you all like having things in two separate sites better, as we feel it is far less cluttered and less confusing for everyone. So far our feedback has been very positive.

Keith also has two great new ornament patterns for our woodworking followers to enjoy. The first set is a wonderful layered wildlife set of eight ornaments (Product SLDK741):

Font Circle Symbol Pattern Fashion accessory


I love this type of scrolling. The individual layers can also be stack-cut so you can make them efficiently for shows and upcoming holiday sales.

The other set is a beautiful set of dimensional slotted filigree bell ornaments (SLDK739)

Shoe White Black Fashion Font


While these are a bit of a challenge, they can also be cut in multiples, making them more efficient if you are making them to sell. They are beautiful in natural wood colors, but look stunning painted with pretty metallic paint, too. (I would even add rhinestones if I were doing them for myself!)

So you see, we have both been busy.

As I keep saying, I hope to get back into the habit of writing here in the mornings. I miss talking with many of you and appreciate your feedback and friendships. All I can say is that I will do my best to keep on posting as time permits. I hope you come and visit us at our sites as well. We are always trying to add fun and interesting projects for you all to enjoy.

Happy Monday to you and happy AUTUMN!
Congratulations Sheila on the launch of another source of your amazing creativity. I love the little witches hats. The embellishments are beautiful. Keith's ornaments are wonderful. His filigree bells are beautiful. Happy creating!
 

Attachments

#13,290 ·
Back to Blogging

Hello to my Lumberjocks followers. After taking several months break, I have decided to go back to blogging again. Since I was going in many directions when I last posted, I decided to take some time off and get things sorted out. After over 1800 posts, I thought it was a much-needed rest.

I have decided to continue blogging but on a central site that would do better to encompass the many types of things that I create. I felt that while Keith is continuing to do scroll saw patterns and I am continuing to make wood surfaces for painters, a lot of my posts were in relation to not only those subjects, but also painting and even needlework. Posting on the Wordpress site will allow me to reach those who are interested in what I do on a larger scale.

I hope you decide to subscribe to my Wordpress blog. I have made some great friendships here on Lumberjocks and have missed talking to you each morning. But as I always say - life is like a kaleidoscope - forever evolving and changing. In order to be successful in our lives, we need to be able to adapt and change, too.

The new address for my blog is here: https://sheilalandrydesigns.wordpress.com/2018/03/14/604/

I hope to see you there.

Have a great day!
 
#13,294 ·
Thanks so much, Marcus. :) I had taken some time off (after over 1800 blog posts!) but now I am back. Because of time constrictions and the global reach of WordPress, I will be writing the main post on that page. But I will still notify my friends and followers here every post - even if it is just like above. I hope you come and visit me there. I will be discussing all types of creativity from woodworking to painting to needlework. I feel it overlaps anyway.

Again - thanks! :)
 
#13,297 ·
#13,298 ·

Attachments

#13,303 ·

Attachments

#13,304 ·

Attachments

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top