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My Journey As A Creative Designer - Woodworking and Beyond

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Everyone has a story.

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

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

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

I think I am going to like it here.
 
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#11,537 ·
Organization Progress

Good day to everyone. Today is going to be another one of those 'odds and ends' days. I really think that the entire week will be like that. After getting so many little things accomplished over the weekend, I think I am on a roll and while I have other designs in mind, I really want that progress to continue. It feels so good seeing things finding their place around here, and while most people moan and groan a bit about organizing, I think that once we start the organizational ball rolling, it is hard to stop.

I often am asked how I can accomplish so much and still stay organized. My answer to them is that getting organized is not a one time event - it needs to be a way of life. I guess I have always been like that. I remember when I was growing up as a teenager I always liked to have my room neat and clean. I wasn't obsessive or anything like that (after all - I was a teen with better things to do!) but for the most part, we always kept our room pretty neat. No piles of clothes or 'stuff' everywhere. No large accumulation of junk. For us, Saturday was 'cleaning day' around our house and my sister and I each had designated chores of things that we had to do before we were able to enjoy our weekend. These included dusting and vacuuming certain rooms, cleaning our own room and bathroom, and even doing our own laundry. I honestly remember having to do my own clothes from way back when I was in grammar school. My mom worked a full time job and even back then we had our list of chores we had to do after school and on weekends. As we were older, my sister and I even started our own dinner, as my mom didn't get home until about 5:30 or 6pm, and if we wanted to eat on time, it was up to us to get the evening meal going. I think that was a good thing though as I look back, as it taught us lots of good habits and also responsibility. We rarely ate fast food and going to a resturant was a TREAT!

And lots of those habits really stuck with me throughout my life. I love living and working in a clean environment. Sure - there is sometimes a few things out here and there. Especially if we are working on a particular project. But even that little bit of clutter has a place or a shelf where we can quickly tuck it away if we like and get it out of sight. Both Keith and I have been told more than once how neat our place always is - even when we are in the midst of working. I like it that way, and it is nice to know that we are rarely ten or fifteen minutes away from having our place looking really good. It has become a lifestyle for us that in the long run makes us more productive.

We are still working on the organizational project that I started to show last January. Like most other things, we have had to weave it through our regular work and other projects, so it has been taking a while. But we have "Phase 1" finished, and I can show you that.

For those of you who missed, here is how we began. We call this our "wall of electronics" and it includes from left to right speakers, Keith's computer, television monitor and stand which holds the amplifiers, modem, phone module, router, more speakers, My computer and finally our printer and scanner. We had just left them on the floor because ever since I got my new computer case, which is much larger than my old case, things didn't fit in the small stand we had:

Public address system Home theater system Sound box Output device Studio monitor


Here is a close up of my computer and the printer and scanner:

Gadget Office supplies Office equipment Electronic instrument Computer hardware


It's not a great picture, but you can see it looks rather messy and sloppy. So Keith built this stand which will ultimately hold the new (much larger) printer, BOTH our computer CPU's and in the middle, the modem, router and phone module:

Table Furniture Computer desk Wood Desk


I painted it with DecoArt Multi-Surface Satin paint:

Table Black Wood Rectangle Outdoor table


And it looks great!

We moved it into place, but for the moment, we only have my computer and the new printer on it. Moving all the wires is a monumental task, and Keith is waiting until the second piece (the TV stand which will hold the amplifiers) is complete, as well as the new sub woofer speakers (the huge black speakers on the bottom are going). The taller speakers are new as of last year. Keith built them and they sound wonderful, but he wanted smaller, more efficient subs that he is nearly done with now.

So here is the results of the new stand for the computers, although only my computer and our printer is installed:

Public address system Audio equipment Sound box Wood Loudspeaker


It is quite an improvement, I think. Even though you see the wires through it now, once Keiths computer is in there, it will look much neater, as will the other components. It will look much less like 'dorm room electronics' and a bit more high tech and sleek. You will just have to come back and see.

But everything takes time, and every step may not be exciting to watch. So there will be days like this when I will have little to report besides a few pictures. Unlike my wood projects that have hundreds of cuts or my stitching projects that LOOK like they took hours to do, this simplification takes a bit of time, but the final results looks much more minimal. But that is the goal. :)

I will keep you posted on everything as it progresses. I am excited so far as to how it looks and I think that the result will be pretty nice. It already looks so much neater and cleaner. It is very much worth the effort. I think that having a clean and neat environment really helps raise our productivity no matter what we love to do - woodworking or painting. It is really worth the time invested to keep things clean and organized.

That is where I will end today. I have paperwork to tackle today and other odds and ends to finish up. I hope you all have a wonderful day today and I hope this inspires you to do your own organizing and spring cleaning. Then when the nice weather finally does arrive, you will have time to enjoy it.

Happy Tuesday to you all!
 

Attachments

#11,538 ·
Organization Progress

Good day to everyone. Today is going to be another one of those 'odds and ends' days. I really think that the entire week will be like that. After getting so many little things accomplished over the weekend, I think I am on a roll and while I have other designs in mind, I really want that progress to continue. It feels so good seeing things finding their place around here, and while most people moan and groan a bit about organizing, I think that once we start the organizational ball rolling, it is hard to stop.

I often am asked how I can accomplish so much and still stay organized. My answer to them is that getting organized is not a one time event - it needs to be a way of life. I guess I have always been like that. I remember when I was growing up as a teenager I always liked to have my room neat and clean. I wasn't obsessive or anything like that (after all - I was a teen with better things to do!) but for the most part, we always kept our room pretty neat. No piles of clothes or 'stuff' everywhere. No large accumulation of junk. For us, Saturday was 'cleaning day' around our house and my sister and I each had designated chores of things that we had to do before we were able to enjoy our weekend. These included dusting and vacuuming certain rooms, cleaning our own room and bathroom, and even doing our own laundry. I honestly remember having to do my own clothes from way back when I was in grammar school. My mom worked a full time job and even back then we had our list of chores we had to do after school and on weekends. As we were older, my sister and I even started our own dinner, as my mom didn't get home until about 5:30 or 6pm, and if we wanted to eat on time, it was up to us to get the evening meal going. I think that was a good thing though as I look back, as it taught us lots of good habits and also responsibility. We rarely ate fast food and going to a resturant was a TREAT!

And lots of those habits really stuck with me throughout my life. I love living and working in a clean environment. Sure - there is sometimes a few things out here and there. Especially if we are working on a particular project. But even that little bit of clutter has a place or a shelf where we can quickly tuck it away if we like and get it out of sight. Both Keith and I have been told more than once how neat our place always is - even when we are in the midst of working. I like it that way, and it is nice to know that we are rarely ten or fifteen minutes away from having our place looking really good. It has become a lifestyle for us that in the long run makes us more productive.

We are still working on the organizational project that I started to show last January. Like most other things, we have had to weave it through our regular work and other projects, so it has been taking a while. But we have "Phase 1" finished, and I can show you that.

For those of you who missed, here is how we began. We call this our "wall of electronics" and it includes from left to right speakers, Keith's computer, television monitor and stand which holds the amplifiers, modem, phone module, router, more speakers, My computer and finally our printer and scanner. We had just left them on the floor because ever since I got my new computer case, which is much larger than my old case, things didn't fit in the small stand we had:

Public address system Home theater system Sound box Output device Studio monitor


Here is a close up of my computer and the printer and scanner:

Gadget Office supplies Office equipment Electronic instrument Computer hardware


It's not a great picture, but you can see it looks rather messy and sloppy. So Keith built this stand which will ultimately hold the new (much larger) printer, BOTH our computer CPU's and in the middle, the modem, router and phone module:

Table Furniture Computer desk Wood Desk


I painted it with DecoArt Multi-Surface Satin paint:

Table Black Wood Rectangle Outdoor table


And it looks great!

We moved it into place, but for the moment, we only have my computer and the new printer on it. Moving all the wires is a monumental task, and Keith is waiting until the second piece (the TV stand which will hold the amplifiers) is complete, as well as the new sub woofer speakers (the huge black speakers on the bottom are going). The taller speakers are new as of last year. Keith built them and they sound wonderful, but he wanted smaller, more efficient subs that he is nearly done with now.

So here is the results of the new stand for the computers, although only my computer and our printer is installed:

Public address system Audio equipment Sound box Wood Loudspeaker


It is quite an improvement, I think. Even though you see the wires through it now, once Keiths computer is in there, it will look much neater, as will the other components. It will look much less like 'dorm room electronics' and a bit more high tech and sleek. You will just have to come back and see.

But everything takes time, and every step may not be exciting to watch. So there will be days like this when I will have little to report besides a few pictures. Unlike my wood projects that have hundreds of cuts or my stitching projects that LOOK like they took hours to do, this simplification takes a bit of time, but the final results looks much more minimal. But that is the goal. :)

I will keep you posted on everything as it progresses. I am excited so far as to how it looks and I think that the result will be pretty nice. It already looks so much neater and cleaner. It is very much worth the effort. I think that having a clean and neat environment really helps raise our productivity no matter what we love to do - woodworking or painting. It is really worth the time invested to keep things clean and organized.

That is where I will end today. I have paperwork to tackle today and other odds and ends to finish up. I hope you all have a wonderful day today and I hope this inspires you to do your own organizing and spring cleaning. Then when the nice weather finally does arrive, you will have time to enjoy it.

Happy Tuesday to you all!
Happy St. Pats Day to you & Keith. I'm gonna raise a pint o Guinness to all my family and friends some time today. Cheers…............."clink"
 

Attachments

#11,542 ·
"Uncle!"

We awoke this morning to yet another "blizzard". I have lost count as to how many blizzards we have already had this season. They forecast it yesterday, and I laughed mockingly to myself thinking - "here we go again, with all these scare tactics."

Keith went to Halifax yesterday He had to go pick up a few things. Usually I would take the trip with him - especially now when I have been pretty much tied to the house for the past three months - but responsibility got the best of me and I knew I had a bit of paperwork to do in order to complete my taxes. (Yes - I know ! I should have done them already probably!) It isn't that it is difficult of not "organized". As I covered in yesterdays' post, I am a pretty organized gal. But the actual process of tallying the numbers and figures is something that ranks just under going for my annual dentist's appointment or physical to me. It kind of sucks.

I keep trying to convince myself that "numbers are my friends", but I haven't been able to do so yet. The creative side of my brain has wanted to take over and we all know that being 'creative' with our number is something that can get us into a lot of trouble. The more cut and dry the better. Numbers don't lie. And while I should be happy when I see the numbers for last year, (which was our best year yet! YAY!) I can't help but do just about everything I can to avoid the inevitable.

It is time to get 'er done.

So what better time to figure taxes than during yet another blizzard? I may as well get all the "ick" done at once. Then I can be cheerful and happy as the birds once again awake me with the morning sun. . .

But that will be later. For now, here is what I am seeing as I look out my door this morning:

Snow Property Automotive tire Tree Slope


Snow Light Sky Black Automotive tire


That hint of grass that I saw yesterday is once again covered by about 6 inches of new snow. And since I took the photos a couple of minutes ago, the wind kicked up again and I can barely see across the road. Everything is closed in our area. Even the gas stations and the grocery stores. (I wonder if Timmy's is open?) I guess it is an excuse to miss the gym anyway. But I'll tell you - it is time to say "UNCLE" and put this nonsense to an end. Even me who loves winter has had just about enough. I am ready for sun and sand and long walks in the woods. And drives with the top down. And whales. I want to go see the whales this summer.

So I am sorry for the "Blahg" today. It is reflecting my own "blah-ness" I am afraid. But we have supplies and we are warm and safe and there is plenty for me to do. Even if we lose power, I can forge ahead on some new spring things. I told myself that I will only torment myself for a half a day at a time, and as long as my numbers are done by the beginning of next week, I will be fine. :) That's my story and I am sticking to it.

I did want to show you all some of our new and Easter themed patterns. With Easter just a couple of weeks away, we probably won't do another newsletter until right before the holiday. I will take these couple of 'in between' days to showcase some of our nice Easter and spring patterns that you all my like.

First off, Keith made a new word art set that is available on our site.

Rectangle Font Electric blue Metal Art


br>
His SLDK562 Discipline, Persistence and Success plaques would be appropriate just about any time of the year. As with his other sets, they are available as single patterns or as a money-saving set.

I also wanted to show some cute project patterns for Easter, or any time of the year.

First up is this little layered basket pattern that I created last year:

Storage basket Basket Serveware Dishware Tableware


It is my SLD450 Layered Sprintime Basket pattern and can be used for Easter, or all spring and summer long. It has a cute alternate handle with the silhouette of a bunny on it that would make a wonderful centerpiece.

Food Ingredient Fruit Basket Storage basket


And finally for today, I want to show this adorable set of ornaments that Keith designed:

Organism Font Art Circle Drawing


His SLDK307 - 12 Playful Easter Ornaments pattern is fast and fun and could be stack cut so you can make lots of them for last minute gifts. They are all fun projects that you can do while stuck in the house and dreaming of warmer weather.

Well - that will be all for today. I could go on and on (and on!) in order to avoid the inevitable, but the sooner I attack my task at hand, the sooner it will be behind me and I will be in the clear until next year.

I hope you all have a wonderful day today, no matter what Mother Nature is bringing your way. I spoke with my daughter yesterday and she is enjoying high 60's and low 70's. I am glad that the Midwest has finally gotten a break. My friends in New Brunswick have been hit harder than we have however. We hope that spring will come to Canada soon.

Have a great day! Happy Wednesday to you all!
 

Attachments

#11,543 ·
"Uncle!"

We awoke this morning to yet another "blizzard". I have lost count as to how many blizzards we have already had this season. They forecast it yesterday, and I laughed mockingly to myself thinking - "here we go again, with all these scare tactics."

Keith went to Halifax yesterday He had to go pick up a few things. Usually I would take the trip with him - especially now when I have been pretty much tied to the house for the past three months - but responsibility got the best of me and I knew I had a bit of paperwork to do in order to complete my taxes. (Yes - I know ! I should have done them already probably!) It isn't that it is difficult of not "organized". As I covered in yesterdays' post, I am a pretty organized gal. But the actual process of tallying the numbers and figures is something that ranks just under going for my annual dentist's appointment or physical to me. It kind of sucks.

I keep trying to convince myself that "numbers are my friends", but I haven't been able to do so yet. The creative side of my brain has wanted to take over and we all know that being 'creative' with our number is something that can get us into a lot of trouble. The more cut and dry the better. Numbers don't lie. And while I should be happy when I see the numbers for last year, (which was our best year yet! YAY!) I can't help but do just about everything I can to avoid the inevitable.

It is time to get 'er done.

So what better time to figure taxes than during yet another blizzard? I may as well get all the "ick" done at once. Then I can be cheerful and happy as the birds once again awake me with the morning sun. . .

But that will be later. For now, here is what I am seeing as I look out my door this morning:

Snow Property Automotive tire Tree Slope


Snow Light Sky Black Automotive tire


That hint of grass that I saw yesterday is once again covered by about 6 inches of new snow. And since I took the photos a couple of minutes ago, the wind kicked up again and I can barely see across the road. Everything is closed in our area. Even the gas stations and the grocery stores. (I wonder if Timmy's is open?) I guess it is an excuse to miss the gym anyway. But I'll tell you - it is time to say "UNCLE" and put this nonsense to an end. Even me who loves winter has had just about enough. I am ready for sun and sand and long walks in the woods. And drives with the top down. And whales. I want to go see the whales this summer.

So I am sorry for the "Blahg" today. It is reflecting my own "blah-ness" I am afraid. But we have supplies and we are warm and safe and there is plenty for me to do. Even if we lose power, I can forge ahead on some new spring things. I told myself that I will only torment myself for a half a day at a time, and as long as my numbers are done by the beginning of next week, I will be fine. :) That's my story and I am sticking to it.

I did want to show you all some of our new and Easter themed patterns. With Easter just a couple of weeks away, we probably won't do another newsletter until right before the holiday. I will take these couple of 'in between' days to showcase some of our nice Easter and spring patterns that you all my like.

First off, Keith made a new word art set that is available on our site.

Rectangle Font Electric blue Metal Art


br>
His SLDK562 Discipline, Persistence and Success plaques would be appropriate just about any time of the year. As with his other sets, they are available as single patterns or as a money-saving set.

I also wanted to show some cute project patterns for Easter, or any time of the year.

First up is this little layered basket pattern that I created last year:

Storage basket Basket Serveware Dishware Tableware


It is my SLD450 Layered Sprintime Basket pattern and can be used for Easter, or all spring and summer long. It has a cute alternate handle with the silhouette of a bunny on it that would make a wonderful centerpiece.

Food Ingredient Fruit Basket Storage basket


And finally for today, I want to show this adorable set of ornaments that Keith designed:

Organism Font Art Circle Drawing


His SLDK307 - 12 Playful Easter Ornaments pattern is fast and fun and could be stack cut so you can make lots of them for last minute gifts. They are all fun projects that you can do while stuck in the house and dreaming of warmer weather.

Well - that will be all for today. I could go on and on (and on!) in order to avoid the inevitable, but the sooner I attack my task at hand, the sooner it will be behind me and I will be in the clear until next year.

I hope you all have a wonderful day today, no matter what Mother Nature is bringing your way. I spoke with my daughter yesterday and she is enjoying high 60's and low 70's. I am glad that the Midwest has finally gotten a break. My friends in New Brunswick have been hit harder than we have however. We hope that spring will come to Canada soon.

Have a great day! Happy Wednesday to you all!
Don't feel to alone. I just did my taxes Sunday finally. Put it off as long as I could.
 

Attachments

#11,550 ·
Be Careful What You Wish For

It is snowing today.

Again.

(Or should I say still?)

I always fancied myself to try not to be one who complains about things that we have no control over. I think the weather falls under that category. In my eyes, we have two choices - either deal with it, or move somewhere else.

Since I don't see myself moving anytime soon, I think that I need to suck it up and take a breath and use this 'indoor time' wisely to do other things. And I plan to do that.

Yesterday Keith shoveled the additional foot of snow that had accumulated at the end of our driveway at about 3pm. The entire area was closed. The bank and post office were closed. Most of the businesses were closed. Even the grocery stores were closed. But Keith wanted to go to his mom's to work on some things in the shop there, so bound and determined, he shoveled:

Snow Slope Outdoor recreation Winter sport Terrain


As I watched him shovel, I couldn't help but feel a bit worried. But knowing him, I knew that he woudl go. And go he did.

He made it there safe and sound and I had a quiet afternoon/evening to work on my paper work. It all worked out well.

When he returned home, a little after midnight, he had told me that he barely got in the driveway. I had been snowing off and on since he left, but they were doing a pretty good job of keeping the roads passable. Of course, our driveway was a different story. His little Sunfire may be not the prettiest car in the world, but it is like a little tank and for the six years that I have known him, it has never let us down. It didn't this time either, and he made it to his parking space with little trouble, through another several inches of snow.

When I awoke this morning, it was (and IS!) once again snowing. I looked out to the driveway and saw that Simone, our landlord, wasn't as fortunate as Kieth. Her car was stuck, as is our friend Lee's. Lee worked the night shift and comes home around 7am. His car is in about 18 inches of snow. There is a little traffic jam at the end of our driveway where Kieth just shoveled.

Tire Snow Automotive tire Vehicle Car


It is no better to the other side. After spending most of the day shoveling his driveway, our neighbor to the south seems to have just given up:

Tire Wheel Snow Car Vehicle


After all - what's the point?

I seem to have "Lara's Theme" playing over and over in my head these days. I am glad we have heat, water, food and are all good and comfortable. I suppose it is a good time to get paperwork done, and I made great progress yesterday. I plan to do it again today.

I spent the evening watching a moving and working on a new project for myself. I needed something besides numbers to fill my evening and I was surrounded by three loving cats. What I am working on is going to be cool (I think!) and it is a good distraction from the growing blanket of white outside.

Brown Wood Font Pattern Metal


The photo isn't great, but you will see more later on.

As someone who really doesn't mind the snow or four seasons, I must admit that I am a bit weary. It is times like this that I know I need to be patient and happy and that is just what I am going to do. I feel bad for those who are struggling because of the snow. Halifax got over two feet additional snow yesterday. I have to be grateful that it didn't come the previous day when Keith was driving there and back. I would have been worried even more.

Tomorrow Spring will arrive! I can be pretty sure that I will not wake up to beautiful green grasses and blossoms blooming. But eventually, the snow will melt and the warm weather will be here and our world here will be green again. Until then, I just need to enjoy the good things that I have here and maybe make a pot of chili.

Happy Thursday to you all!
 

Attachments

#11,551 ·
Be Careful What You Wish For

It is snowing today.

Again.

(Or should I say still?)

I always fancied myself to try not to be one who complains about things that we have no control over. I think the weather falls under that category. In my eyes, we have two choices - either deal with it, or move somewhere else.

Since I don't see myself moving anytime soon, I think that I need to suck it up and take a breath and use this 'indoor time' wisely to do other things. And I plan to do that.

Yesterday Keith shoveled the additional foot of snow that had accumulated at the end of our driveway at about 3pm. The entire area was closed. The bank and post office were closed. Most of the businesses were closed. Even the grocery stores were closed. But Keith wanted to go to his mom's to work on some things in the shop there, so bound and determined, he shoveled:

Snow Slope Outdoor recreation Winter sport Terrain


As I watched him shovel, I couldn't help but feel a bit worried. But knowing him, I knew that he woudl go. And go he did.

He made it there safe and sound and I had a quiet afternoon/evening to work on my paper work. It all worked out well.

When he returned home, a little after midnight, he had told me that he barely got in the driveway. I had been snowing off and on since he left, but they were doing a pretty good job of keeping the roads passable. Of course, our driveway was a different story. His little Sunfire may be not the prettiest car in the world, but it is like a little tank and for the six years that I have known him, it has never let us down. It didn't this time either, and he made it to his parking space with little trouble, through another several inches of snow.

When I awoke this morning, it was (and IS!) once again snowing. I looked out to the driveway and saw that Simone, our landlord, wasn't as fortunate as Kieth. Her car was stuck, as is our friend Lee's. Lee worked the night shift and comes home around 7am. His car is in about 18 inches of snow. There is a little traffic jam at the end of our driveway where Kieth just shoveled.

Tire Snow Automotive tire Vehicle Car


It is no better to the other side. After spending most of the day shoveling his driveway, our neighbor to the south seems to have just given up:

Tire Wheel Snow Car Vehicle


After all - what's the point?

I seem to have "Lara's Theme" playing over and over in my head these days. I am glad we have heat, water, food and are all good and comfortable. I suppose it is a good time to get paperwork done, and I made great progress yesterday. I plan to do it again today.

I spent the evening watching a moving and working on a new project for myself. I needed something besides numbers to fill my evening and I was surrounded by three loving cats. What I am working on is going to be cool (I think!) and it is a good distraction from the growing blanket of white outside.

Brown Wood Font Pattern Metal


The photo isn't great, but you will see more later on.

As someone who really doesn't mind the snow or four seasons, I must admit that I am a bit weary. It is times like this that I know I need to be patient and happy and that is just what I am going to do. I feel bad for those who are struggling because of the snow. Halifax got over two feet additional snow yesterday. I have to be grateful that it didn't come the previous day when Keith was driving there and back. I would have been worried even more.

Tomorrow Spring will arrive! I can be pretty sure that I will not wake up to beautiful green grasses and blossoms blooming. But eventually, the snow will melt and the warm weather will be here and our world here will be green again. Until then, I just need to enjoy the good things that I have here and maybe make a pot of chili.

Happy Thursday to you all!
Your new project looks intriguing. Looking forward to seeing more of it.
 

Attachments

#11,554 ·
Always Learning

No matter how long I have been doing woodworking, it seems that I am always learning something new. Most of the time, too, this knowledge comes when I need something or stumble onto something while I am focusing on something else. It is kind of cool.

This weekend I spent creating some new things for my grand daughter, Willow.

Smile Window Standing Toddler Flooring


Willow is about 18 months old now, and really at a 'busy' age. I thought it would a nice to send her some cute and simple puzzles for Easter.

I have been asked many times about 'child safe' and 'food safe' finishes for wood pieces. My usual answer is to use some oil such as mineral oil as something that would work. I have read articles and I often refer people to Bob Flexner's article on finishing, as he is considered one of the experts. (If you wish to read his article, you can do so HERE)

While most cured finishes are safe, I wanted something that would not only be deemed safe, but also not have an unpleasant odor. As usual, I have to ship the finished pieces as soon as possible, and don't have the time to allow them to fully cure! My quest for finding something that would be appropriate had me looking on the interet for the best choice. In my travels, I came across a 'recipe' that sounded good to me. It was a combination of beeswax and oil and I was fortunate to have them both on hand.

I had some beeswax pellets that I purchased for my needle felting projects. You used the wax to help secure loose ends of the wool as you worked. The pellets were small and odor free and I thought they would work well.

I have a small potpourri pot that I had used to melt the wax pellets in, and that did fine. I melted the pellets first, then I added mineral oil at about a 2:1 ratio of oil to wax.

Hand Bottle Liquid Fluid Solution


I mixed it thoroughly with a wooden tongue depressor and unplugged the pot. As I allowed it to cool, I went back every five minutes or so and stirred it, to make sure it was completely mixed. What resulted was this:

Dishware Ingredient Cat Recipe Paint


A white, creamy mixture that had the consistency of thick vegetable shortening. "Perfect" I thought!

I tried a sample on one of the pieces I had cut from maple. As you can see in the photo, I think it looked beautiful. The little kitten was waxed and the mom was not:

Nose Head Hand Eye Human body


Gesture Wood Finger Thumb Wrist


While I really like using mineral oil for fretwork, for larger and less complex pieces like this, I found that this process had several advantages. The mixture of beeswax and oil brought together the best of both worlds. While the mineral oil penetrated nicely, it was thin and runny and tended to leave the pieces feeling a bit 'greasy'. I usually had to let it absorb into the pieces for several hours or overnight before proceeding with a finish coat (usually lacquer) so the pieces wouldn't dry out. Then I had to deal with the smell again. The addition of the beeswax really allowed me to have a lot of control over the application.

To apply it, I used a stiff brush. The one shown here is the cheap kind you get for applying finish:

Dishware Ingredient Cat Recipe Paint


I brushed the fluffy paste onto the pieces, and then took a lint-free cloth to buff them off:

Wood Plate Natural material Thumb Art


I then took a piece of dental floss to clean the wax out of the kerf lines of the piece. This was quick and easy.

Wood Finger Hardwood Flooring Wood stain


I decided to add some color to just the tops of some of the pieces. I LIGHTLY sanded the tops of the pieces (with 600 grit paper) and applied DecoArt's Multi-Surface Satin paint using a deerfoot brush.

Liquid Wood Finger Paint Brush


I LOVE this paint so much! What is so great about it is that you need no primer or base under it, it has great adhesion to just about any clean, dry surface, and it needs no top sealer and dries to a beautiful, hard satin finish. We are using this paint for our re-organizational project furniture pieces, as I have used it on many things before and love the ease of application, beauty and durability of it. It comes in many beautiful colors, too and as with all DecoArt products, is non-toxic and odor free. This was the perfect choice for these little puzzles I am making.

Within a very short time, the paint dried completely to the touch. While it will take a little time to fully 'cure', it can be handled very quickly and I don't worry about packing the pieces up to ship them. By the time they get to Willow, they will be ready to be played with. Look how wonderful this little sample piece came out!

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Rectangle


The above puzzle was just a test from a picture that I saw on Pinterest. I spent some time designing my own spring themed simple puzzles for Willow. I used the same process and several beautiful and bright colors of the DecoArt Multi-Surface paint:

Liquid Product Cosmetics Paint Yellow


And in a very short time, these pieces are ready to go!

Wood Fawn Baked goods Food Finger food


I was so thrilled with this process, that I decided on making these two pieces into a pattern. I will have it available on my site in the next couple of days. I also had some wonderful ideas to create some new toys for small children. When I was looking at wood toys on Pinterest, I was shocked at the prices that real wood toys cost. I almost let laziness get the best of me, but I am glad that I stumbled upon these ideas, as it really got my creative juices flowing!

I am sure many of you in the woodworking field already knew about this process. But since I am often asked about it, I thought that I would share it here with everyone. And I hope you all look into this DecoArt Multi-Surface Satin paint. The more I use this product, the more I love it! It is a great paint to use for toys, furniture and a variety of home-decor projects. You can read more about it here: DecoArt Multi-Surface Satin Paint Information and Color Chart.

I think you will like it as much as I do. :)

Happy Monday to you all!
 

Attachments

#11,555 ·
Always Learning

No matter how long I have been doing woodworking, it seems that I am always learning something new. Most of the time, too, this knowledge comes when I need something or stumble onto something while I am focusing on something else. It is kind of cool.

This weekend I spent creating some new things for my grand daughter, Willow.

Smile Window Standing Toddler Flooring


Willow is about 18 months old now, and really at a 'busy' age. I thought it would a nice to send her some cute and simple puzzles for Easter.

I have been asked many times about 'child safe' and 'food safe' finishes for wood pieces. My usual answer is to use some oil such as mineral oil as something that would work. I have read articles and I often refer people to Bob Flexner's article on finishing, as he is considered one of the experts. (If you wish to read his article, you can do so HERE)

While most cured finishes are safe, I wanted something that would not only be deemed safe, but also not have an unpleasant odor. As usual, I have to ship the finished pieces as soon as possible, and don't have the time to allow them to fully cure! My quest for finding something that would be appropriate had me looking on the interet for the best choice. In my travels, I came across a 'recipe' that sounded good to me. It was a combination of beeswax and oil and I was fortunate to have them both on hand.

I had some beeswax pellets that I purchased for my needle felting projects. You used the wax to help secure loose ends of the wool as you worked. The pellets were small and odor free and I thought they would work well.

I have a small potpourri pot that I had used to melt the wax pellets in, and that did fine. I melted the pellets first, then I added mineral oil at about a 2:1 ratio of oil to wax.

Hand Bottle Liquid Fluid Solution


I mixed it thoroughly with a wooden tongue depressor and unplugged the pot. As I allowed it to cool, I went back every five minutes or so and stirred it, to make sure it was completely mixed. What resulted was this:

Dishware Ingredient Cat Recipe Paint


A white, creamy mixture that had the consistency of thick vegetable shortening. "Perfect" I thought!

I tried a sample on one of the pieces I had cut from maple. As you can see in the photo, I think it looked beautiful. The little kitten was waxed and the mom was not:

Nose Head Hand Eye Human body


Gesture Wood Finger Thumb Wrist


While I really like using mineral oil for fretwork, for larger and less complex pieces like this, I found that this process had several advantages. The mixture of beeswax and oil brought together the best of both worlds. While the mineral oil penetrated nicely, it was thin and runny and tended to leave the pieces feeling a bit 'greasy'. I usually had to let it absorb into the pieces for several hours or overnight before proceeding with a finish coat (usually lacquer) so the pieces wouldn't dry out. Then I had to deal with the smell again. The addition of the beeswax really allowed me to have a lot of control over the application.

To apply it, I used a stiff brush. The one shown here is the cheap kind you get for applying finish:

Dishware Ingredient Cat Recipe Paint


I brushed the fluffy paste onto the pieces, and then took a lint-free cloth to buff them off:

Wood Plate Natural material Thumb Art


I then took a piece of dental floss to clean the wax out of the kerf lines of the piece. This was quick and easy.

Wood Finger Hardwood Flooring Wood stain


I decided to add some color to just the tops of some of the pieces. I LIGHTLY sanded the tops of the pieces (with 600 grit paper) and applied DecoArt's Multi-Surface Satin paint using a deerfoot brush.

Liquid Wood Finger Paint Brush


I LOVE this paint so much! What is so great about it is that you need no primer or base under it, it has great adhesion to just about any clean, dry surface, and it needs no top sealer and dries to a beautiful, hard satin finish. We are using this paint for our re-organizational project furniture pieces, as I have used it on many things before and love the ease of application, beauty and durability of it. It comes in many beautiful colors, too and as with all DecoArt products, is non-toxic and odor free. This was the perfect choice for these little puzzles I am making.

Within a very short time, the paint dried completely to the touch. While it will take a little time to fully 'cure', it can be handled very quickly and I don't worry about packing the pieces up to ship them. By the time they get to Willow, they will be ready to be played with. Look how wonderful this little sample piece came out!

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Rectangle


The above puzzle was just a test from a picture that I saw on Pinterest. I spent some time designing my own spring themed simple puzzles for Willow. I used the same process and several beautiful and bright colors of the DecoArt Multi-Surface paint:

Liquid Product Cosmetics Paint Yellow


And in a very short time, these pieces are ready to go!

Wood Fawn Baked goods Food Finger food


I was so thrilled with this process, that I decided on making these two pieces into a pattern. I will have it available on my site in the next couple of days. I also had some wonderful ideas to create some new toys for small children. When I was looking at wood toys on Pinterest, I was shocked at the prices that real wood toys cost. I almost let laziness get the best of me, but I am glad that I stumbled upon these ideas, as it really got my creative juices flowing!

I am sure many of you in the woodworking field already knew about this process. But since I am often asked about it, I thought that I would share it here with everyone. And I hope you all look into this DecoArt Multi-Surface Satin paint. The more I use this product, the more I love it! It is a great paint to use for toys, furniture and a variety of home-decor projects. You can read more about it here: DecoArt Multi-Surface Satin Paint Information and Color Chart.

I think you will like it as much as I do. :)

Happy Monday to you all!
I love these! I can't wait until they are on the site, I have a niece that they would be perfect for!

I like the slight addition of color to the puzzles.

The dental floss to get the veining clean is a great idea. I have never thought of that, and often fight with veining on projects like this.

Once again, you are full of great ideas!
 

Attachments

#11,565 ·
Working Ahead

It is a beautiful and sunny Wednesday morning here in Nova Scotia. One would expect to open the window and hear the birds chirping cheerfully, welcoming the dawning of another spectacular day. But that isn't really the case (yet!). There is still about two feet of snow on the ground and although the sky is clear and the sun bright, it will be just a while longer until we find ourselves rid of the snow and able to see the grass beneath and open the windows fully. But patience will pay off eventually and it WILL happen.

You would think that I am dreaming of summer and the beach. But more so I am thinking about autumn and - yes - Christmas. Being a designer requires us to think ahead like that. We are always out of sync with the calendar and usually, if we are going to be successful, we need to think at least six months in advance. That is just the way it is.

I had submitted a new pattern to the Artist's Club for the upcoming seasons. It is my SLDP217 Spooky Halloween Petite Ornaments kit.

Orange Font Yellow Calabaza Symbol


I was really happy they accepted it for their May catalog, and I am in the process of cutting the kits to send them for their inventory. I really love this set and I hope it does well through them.

So for the next couple of days I will be cutting. These ornaments are a little more detailed than some of my previous kits that I supplied to them, so it may take a little longer to do them. It will keep me busy for the next few days at least.

I did want to highlight some of our spring and Easter designs here though. We have quite a lot of patterns up on our site now (over 500) so we know sometimes they get 'lost'. I just want to show a couple of pieces that may have gotten by those of you looking for spring or Easter designs.

One of my favorites is this Easter Egg and Bunny Candle Tray (SLD343):

Tableware Dishware Drinkware Cup Serveware


It was one of my earlier candle trays, but has remained one of my favorites.

Brown Food Font Circle Art




Both projects are really fun to cut and would make wonderful gifts or home decorations.

I hope that things are warming up in your area. In looking at the weather forecast for the upcoming week, it appears that we will remain above freezing for the next several days. Even though I do love and embrace the winter, I must admit that this year I am looking forward to warmer weather and spring. I am longing for a road trip.

Until then, I will keep busy cutting my Halloween kits out. That will certainly make the days go quickly.

Happy Wednesday to you all.
 

Attachments

#11,566 ·
New Updates and Free Pattern Available

I slept in a bit this morning. It is dull and grey and raining out today. But that isn't really a bad thing. Once again, I am beginning to see a small patch of what I think is 'grass' in the middle of the yard. While I realize that we have a long way to go, I know that it will be just a matter of time before we see our entire lawn and the huge banks of snow finally melt away. But at least it is a start.

Typically, I don't like this time of year. It isn't because I don't like warmer weather or the spring, but I don't really enjoy the muddy bleakness that goes with it. But I realize that it is part of the process, and like the many types of artwork that I do, sometimes things need to go through an 'ugly' stage before they become a thing of beauty. I imagine our world is no different.

I worked on my wholesale order yesterday, spending most of my work time at the scroll saw. I find that I really do enjoy the process as much as the final products that I make there. To me, it is very relaxing to just follow the line while cutting and it requires very little thought or effort on my part, leaving my brain free to think of other new projects for the future. I find that I have many new ideas while I am cutting. I plan and think through the process and just 'think' in general without interruption. Yesterday I had my cordless headphones on while cutting which made the experience even better. I had one of my favorite playlists cued up and as one favorite song after another played, the time went by very quickly. Soon I had a large pile of pieces in front of me and I had tackled about half the large order. It is a pleasant way to make a living for sure.

While I was doing that, Keith was working on updating the site. While we don't have lots of new patterns to add, we do have a new free pattern and new specials. We think everyone should like them.

Keith added his new SLDK562 Discipline, Persistence, and Success set of motivational plaques:

Rectangle Font Electric blue Metal Art


As with his other plaque sets, the patterns can be purchased both individually or in a money saving set of all three. His word art continues to be very popular and that coupled with how many special orders he is receiving has kept him very busy. (You can see the guidlines for him to create a Custom Word Art Scroll Saw Pattern for you here: SLDKC01 Custom Word Art Pattern)

I also finished the pattern for my two new puzzles.

Food Wood Baked goods Fawn Natural material


My SLD500 Simple Bunny Puzzle Pattern includes instructions to make both of the bunnies. Since they were not really difficult patterns, I thought it would be fair to sell them as a set. There is still plenty of time before Easter for you to make these for the children in your family.

We changed our free scroll saw pattern as well. You can go to our "Free Scroll Saw Patterns and Resources" page to download your copy of this beautiful word art welcome plaque:

Brown Rectangle Wood Font Tints and shades


If you haven't made any of Keith's word art pieces, this is a great opportunity to give one a try. We will only be offering this pattern for free for a limited time, and hope you enjoy it.

And finally, we changed our sales and specials on our Pattern Specials page. Our theme this time around is "The Birds & The Bees" sale and includes many of our popular nature-inspired designs.

Brown Wood Rectangle Handwriting Font


SLD332 Bee Happy Simple Segmentation Frame

We hope this helps us all say 'goodbye' to winter and welcome in the new spring season!

We'll be finishing the updates throughout the day and then I will be sending out a newsletter when all is completed. I then plan to do some more cutting and begin working on some new projects. I have a painting project in mind as well as some new scroll saw projects and some that combine both. It should keep me busy and out of trouble.

I am truly hoping that we have had the last of the snowy weather for this season. Even though I like winter, I think that this year we really got our fill of snow, ice and cold and I am longing to drive again and take some trips to the beach. Having four seasons truly helps us appreciate each one of them.

I wish you all a wonderful Thursday. Have fun and do something creative!
 

Attachments

#11,567 ·
New Updates and Free Pattern Available

I slept in a bit this morning. It is dull and grey and raining out today. But that isn't really a bad thing. Once again, I am beginning to see a small patch of what I think is 'grass' in the middle of the yard. While I realize that we have a long way to go, I know that it will be just a matter of time before we see our entire lawn and the huge banks of snow finally melt away. But at least it is a start.

Typically, I don't like this time of year. It isn't because I don't like warmer weather or the spring, but I don't really enjoy the muddy bleakness that goes with it. But I realize that it is part of the process, and like the many types of artwork that I do, sometimes things need to go through an 'ugly' stage before they become a thing of beauty. I imagine our world is no different.

I worked on my wholesale order yesterday, spending most of my work time at the scroll saw. I find that I really do enjoy the process as much as the final products that I make there. To me, it is very relaxing to just follow the line while cutting and it requires very little thought or effort on my part, leaving my brain free to think of other new projects for the future. I find that I have many new ideas while I am cutting. I plan and think through the process and just 'think' in general without interruption. Yesterday I had my cordless headphones on while cutting which made the experience even better. I had one of my favorite playlists cued up and as one favorite song after another played, the time went by very quickly. Soon I had a large pile of pieces in front of me and I had tackled about half the large order. It is a pleasant way to make a living for sure.

While I was doing that, Keith was working on updating the site. While we don't have lots of new patterns to add, we do have a new free pattern and new specials. We think everyone should like them.

Keith added his new SLDK562 Discipline, Persistence, and Success set of motivational plaques:

Rectangle Font Electric blue Metal Art


As with his other plaque sets, the patterns can be purchased both individually or in a money saving set of all three. His word art continues to be very popular and that coupled with how many special orders he is receiving has kept him very busy. (You can see the guidlines for him to create a Custom Word Art Scroll Saw Pattern for you here: SLDKC01 Custom Word Art Pattern)

I also finished the pattern for my two new puzzles.

Food Wood Baked goods Fawn Natural material


My SLD500 Simple Bunny Puzzle Pattern includes instructions to make both of the bunnies. Since they were not really difficult patterns, I thought it would be fair to sell them as a set. There is still plenty of time before Easter for you to make these for the children in your family.

We changed our free scroll saw pattern as well. You can go to our "Free Scroll Saw Patterns and Resources" page to download your copy of this beautiful word art welcome plaque:

Brown Rectangle Wood Font Tints and shades


If you haven't made any of Keith's word art pieces, this is a great opportunity to give one a try. We will only be offering this pattern for free for a limited time, and hope you enjoy it.

And finally, we changed our sales and specials on our Pattern Specials page. Our theme this time around is "The Birds & The Bees" sale and includes many of our popular nature-inspired designs.

Brown Wood Rectangle Handwriting Font


SLD332 Bee Happy Simple Segmentation Frame

We hope this helps us all say 'goodbye' to winter and welcome in the new spring season!

We'll be finishing the updates throughout the day and then I will be sending out a newsletter when all is completed. I then plan to do some more cutting and begin working on some new projects. I have a painting project in mind as well as some new scroll saw projects and some that combine both. It should keep me busy and out of trouble.

I am truly hoping that we have had the last of the snowy weather for this season. Even though I like winter, I think that this year we really got our fill of snow, ice and cold and I am longing to drive again and take some trips to the beach. Having four seasons truly helps us appreciate each one of them.

I wish you all a wonderful Thursday. Have fun and do something creative!
Luv the Bee Happy frame.
 

Attachments

#11,569 ·
NWA Woorworkers Showcase in Saratogo Springs, NY

As we close out the final weekend of March, I can't help but be amazed at how quickly the year is passing by. I realize that for most who have been experiencing an exceptionally snowy winter, time is not moving fast enough. But for myself, it seems that these first three months of 2015 have zoomed by in a flash. Being busy can do that to you.

I was pretty much out of commission yesterday as far as my computer goes. It seemed to have a problem running slow in the morning and after running a quick scan and finding a couple of threats on it, I decided to run a full scan just to be sure that nothing was amiss. While I have it protected with anti-virus software and it runs weeks full scans, I wanted to be absolutely sure that everything was OK. As a precaution, I changed all of my passwords and ran the deep scan program called Housecall by Trend Micro. It is a thorough and free software package that I have used before and not only does it detect problems, but it fixes them as well (it allows you to choose what to do with the files it deems suspect.) Its only drawback is that it is s-l-o-w in doing a full, deep scan and it actually just finished up at 8am this morning, taking 22 hours to scan my computer. All it found was some Adobe stuff from Flash Player but as a precaution I still changed all my passwords. It was about time to do that anyway. It is never a bad idea to change passwords of your important sites periodically - especially personal and financial sites. It is just a good habit to get into.

So for most of the day I stayed off of the computer, or I used Keith's when I had to answer questions or fill orders. I must admit, I experienced a bit of withdrawal, but I got through it alright and I had orders to cut on the scroll saw and other things to keep me busy. It is all good.

This weekend I will be completing my Artist's Club order and shipping it out on Monday. That will also feel good to see it on its way. Our site update has and will keep us pretty busy as well. So I should not be 'bored'. ;)

I wanted to mention something though for those of you in the New York area. This weekend is the Northeastern Woodworkers Association's Fine Woodworkers 23rd annual Showcase in Saratoga Springs, New York.

I love this show and Keith and I have attended it and I was able to teach there a couple of years ago. We were supposed to teach again last year, but we were hit with about a foot of snow right before we were supposed to leave. All the highways were closed and we had to cancel. It was really disappointing to us.

Table Furniture Chair Indoor games and sports Engineering


There will be demonstrations, hands on classes, make-it-take-its, and of course - lots of selling of wood, tools and related products. My friend Cherie Eppler is teaching the scroll saw demonstration and that will be a lot of fun for sure!

If you are anywhere in the area, you should really try to attend. They are also running the "Totally Turning Symposium" concurrently at the same location, so I think if you attend and like woodworking, your biggest problem will be what NOT to see!

Product Font Line Art Electric blue


It is good to see that it is time for the show already. To me, that always signifies that spring has really arrived.

Here it is raining and dull out, but I am beginning to see through the piles of snow and there appears to be some brown grass peeking out from the drifts. Hopefully, things will continue to melt and before long the lawn will be lush and green.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I am finishing up some loose ends today and then I will begin working on some new ideas. As always it will be busy and fun.

Happy Friday to you all!
 

Attachments

#11,570 ·
NWA Woorworkers Showcase in Saratogo Springs, NY

As we close out the final weekend of March, I can't help but be amazed at how quickly the year is passing by. I realize that for most who have been experiencing an exceptionally snowy winter, time is not moving fast enough. But for myself, it seems that these first three months of 2015 have zoomed by in a flash. Being busy can do that to you.

I was pretty much out of commission yesterday as far as my computer goes. It seemed to have a problem running slow in the morning and after running a quick scan and finding a couple of threats on it, I decided to run a full scan just to be sure that nothing was amiss. While I have it protected with anti-virus software and it runs weeks full scans, I wanted to be absolutely sure that everything was OK. As a precaution, I changed all of my passwords and ran the deep scan program called Housecall by Trend Micro. It is a thorough and free software package that I have used before and not only does it detect problems, but it fixes them as well (it allows you to choose what to do with the files it deems suspect.) Its only drawback is that it is s-l-o-w in doing a full, deep scan and it actually just finished up at 8am this morning, taking 22 hours to scan my computer. All it found was some Adobe stuff from Flash Player but as a precaution I still changed all my passwords. It was about time to do that anyway. It is never a bad idea to change passwords of your important sites periodically - especially personal and financial sites. It is just a good habit to get into.

So for most of the day I stayed off of the computer, or I used Keith's when I had to answer questions or fill orders. I must admit, I experienced a bit of withdrawal, but I got through it alright and I had orders to cut on the scroll saw and other things to keep me busy. It is all good.

This weekend I will be completing my Artist's Club order and shipping it out on Monday. That will also feel good to see it on its way. Our site update has and will keep us pretty busy as well. So I should not be 'bored'. ;)

I wanted to mention something though for those of you in the New York area. This weekend is the Northeastern Woodworkers Association's Fine Woodworkers 23rd annual Showcase in Saratoga Springs, New York.

I love this show and Keith and I have attended it and I was able to teach there a couple of years ago. We were supposed to teach again last year, but we were hit with about a foot of snow right before we were supposed to leave. All the highways were closed and we had to cancel. It was really disappointing to us.

Table Furniture Chair Indoor games and sports Engineering


There will be demonstrations, hands on classes, make-it-take-its, and of course - lots of selling of wood, tools and related products. My friend Cherie Eppler is teaching the scroll saw demonstration and that will be a lot of fun for sure!

If you are anywhere in the area, you should really try to attend. They are also running the "Totally Turning Symposium" concurrently at the same location, so I think if you attend and like woodworking, your biggest problem will be what NOT to see!

Product Font Line Art Electric blue


It is good to see that it is time for the show already. To me, that always signifies that spring has really arrived.

Here it is raining and dull out, but I am beginning to see through the piles of snow and there appears to be some brown grass peeking out from the drifts. Hopefully, things will continue to melt and before long the lawn will be lush and green.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I am finishing up some loose ends today and then I will begin working on some new ideas. As always it will be busy and fun.

Happy Friday to you all!
With my health issue I no longer can attend . Miss seeing everyone and you and Keith when you attend. I'm sure Cherrie and Jeanie will have fun. Great event.

Bob
 

Attachments

#11,573 ·
Art Play Date 2015 Kicking Off

I had a really busy and productive weekend. On Saturday, we got another couple of inches of SNOW, much to my dismay. Even though I love winter, I must admit that it is getting a bit tiresome and I am looking very much to the upcoming spring again. I miss being able to walk in the woods or go to the beach. I also am very anxious to have my car back. I won't do that until the roads are fully clear.

I am not really one to complain though. Especially about things like the weather, which we can't change. I try to look on the positive side of things. I have a warm and comfortable home. There is plenty to eat. There is lots to do inside here. I always find something good to keep busy.

I spent the weekend going back and forth working on the scroll saw and doing a 'secret project' that I am making for a gift for someone dear to me. The scroll saw work was my large order for The Artist's Club that consisted of about 80 dozen ornaments to cut. I spread out the process in about three cutting days, and it really was kind of fun. I had my favorite music playing in my head phones and it made the process all go very quickly.

The 'secret project' was also a lot of fun to do and I am really pleased with the outcome. I promise after I present it I will post some photos. It is pretty much my own creation and I am glad that it looks nice as I continue to work on it.

With that said, the weekend just flew by. It is hard to believe it is Monday and I am happy to see that it is calm and sunny outside. The new snow that has fallen over the weekend seems to have disappeared, and I see patches of what I believe to be GRASS in the middle of our yard. There is hope after all.

I did want to mention that the Art Play Date event is getting ready to begin. Kelly Hoernig created this fun Bonus Project that will be posted April 3rd:

Art Wood Font Painting Monument


(You can click on the photo for more information)

The Art Play Date 2015 is an online course that works like this : Every Monday, Beginning May 4th you will receive an email so you can have access to a wonderful online art lesson. The lessons includes both written instructions and approximately two hours of video instructions given by each of the 26 teachers. The course includes the 26 weekly lessons as well as the bonus project shown here. You are able to download the PDF lessons so that you have them always and you can view the videos up until March 1, 2016. Teachers are available to answer questions and help you through the classes, and you can work at your own pace. Since I know most of the teachers, I know that they will be available even after the cut off dates to help you if you ever need it. It is like attending a wonderful painting convention without ever leaving home.

Just look at the gallery of projects being taught:

Green Textile Organism Art Creative arts


There are so many different styles and methods to learn! It is a wonderful opportunity not only for painters to increase their knowledge and learn, but also for woodworkers who want to expand their abilities!

The great thing about it is that you can pick and choose which projects you like, or make them ALL! Even though you may be busy in the warm, summer months, since the classes are available all the way until next March, you can work on them next winter, or whenever you get the time to do so. The 26 teachers are all wonderful and have their own styles and techniques and it is a great opportunity to experience taking classes with the BEST! We even have Pricilla Hauser participating, which alone is awesome!

For my own project, I am creating these fun Victorian Ice Skates:

Font Boot Fashion accessory Athletic shoe Peach


I am doing them in the antiqued version as shown above, and also with a more contemporary look:

Font Carnivore Art Felidae Whiskers


As my own bonus, I will also include the instructions on painting on a REAL skate:

Flower Green Sleeve Textile Creative arts


It is going to be so much FUN!

I hope you decide to join me. I really think that you will have a great time learning many things that can be applied to just about all of your creative work.

There is more information on my Art Play Date page on my website. Of course, you can ask me if you have any questions. I hope you consider joining!

That will just about do it for today. I have some new projects that I am working on too. I suppose I will keep busy until the spring thaw finally does arrive!

Happy Monday to you all! Have a wonderful (and WARM!) week ahead!
 

Attachments

#11,574 ·
Art Play Date 2015 Kicking Off

I had a really busy and productive weekend. On Saturday, we got another couple of inches of SNOW, much to my dismay. Even though I love winter, I must admit that it is getting a bit tiresome and I am looking very much to the upcoming spring again. I miss being able to walk in the woods or go to the beach. I also am very anxious to have my car back. I won't do that until the roads are fully clear.

I am not really one to complain though. Especially about things like the weather, which we can't change. I try to look on the positive side of things. I have a warm and comfortable home. There is plenty to eat. There is lots to do inside here. I always find something good to keep busy.

I spent the weekend going back and forth working on the scroll saw and doing a 'secret project' that I am making for a gift for someone dear to me. The scroll saw work was my large order for The Artist's Club that consisted of about 80 dozen ornaments to cut. I spread out the process in about three cutting days, and it really was kind of fun. I had my favorite music playing in my head phones and it made the process all go very quickly.

The 'secret project' was also a lot of fun to do and I am really pleased with the outcome. I promise after I present it I will post some photos. It is pretty much my own creation and I am glad that it looks nice as I continue to work on it.

With that said, the weekend just flew by. It is hard to believe it is Monday and I am happy to see that it is calm and sunny outside. The new snow that has fallen over the weekend seems to have disappeared, and I see patches of what I believe to be GRASS in the middle of our yard. There is hope after all.

I did want to mention that the Art Play Date event is getting ready to begin. Kelly Hoernig created this fun Bonus Project that will be posted April 3rd:

Art Wood Font Painting Monument


(You can click on the photo for more information)

The Art Play Date 2015 is an online course that works like this : Every Monday, Beginning May 4th you will receive an email so you can have access to a wonderful online art lesson. The lessons includes both written instructions and approximately two hours of video instructions given by each of the 26 teachers. The course includes the 26 weekly lessons as well as the bonus project shown here. You are able to download the PDF lessons so that you have them always and you can view the videos up until March 1, 2016. Teachers are available to answer questions and help you through the classes, and you can work at your own pace. Since I know most of the teachers, I know that they will be available even after the cut off dates to help you if you ever need it. It is like attending a wonderful painting convention without ever leaving home.

Just look at the gallery of projects being taught:

Green Textile Organism Art Creative arts


There are so many different styles and methods to learn! It is a wonderful opportunity not only for painters to increase their knowledge and learn, but also for woodworkers who want to expand their abilities!

The great thing about it is that you can pick and choose which projects you like, or make them ALL! Even though you may be busy in the warm, summer months, since the classes are available all the way until next March, you can work on them next winter, or whenever you get the time to do so. The 26 teachers are all wonderful and have their own styles and techniques and it is a great opportunity to experience taking classes with the BEST! We even have Pricilla Hauser participating, which alone is awesome!

For my own project, I am creating these fun Victorian Ice Skates:

Font Boot Fashion accessory Athletic shoe Peach


I am doing them in the antiqued version as shown above, and also with a more contemporary look:

Font Carnivore Art Felidae Whiskers


As my own bonus, I will also include the instructions on painting on a REAL skate:

Flower Green Sleeve Textile Creative arts


It is going to be so much FUN!

I hope you decide to join me. I really think that you will have a great time learning many things that can be applied to just about all of your creative work.

There is more information on my Art Play Date page on my website. Of course, you can ask me if you have any questions. I hope you consider joining!

That will just about do it for today. I have some new projects that I am working on too. I suppose I will keep busy until the spring thaw finally does arrive!

Happy Monday to you all! Have a wonderful (and WARM!) week ahead!
Sheila,

I'm interested in the Art Play Date. Can you send me some more information? Sounds exciting.
 

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#11,576 ·
Getting Through the Day

I always try to write about interesting things that happen throughout my day. It seems that people like to see what it entails to run a small business from home these days. So many of my readers have or or thinking of beginning their own business with their crafts and I thought it would be helpful to them to see that it isn't just days upon days of drawing, painting, doing woodworking and going to the bank to deposit money. There is LOTS of things in between that may not be as fun and romantic as it may appear from the outside.

I feel as if my blogs of the past few weeks haven't been very exciting. It isn't because I am idle, but it is that time of year when taxes are coming due and paperwork needs to be done and a host of other mundane, organizational tasks have to be attended to in order to keep the business running smoothly. I am sure you don't want to read every day about how many hours I spent on doing taxes. Or organizing my closets. Or even the daily tasks like cleaning the house and cooking (although I do show some of my culinary triumphs on my Facebook page!)

None of this is bad though. In fact, it is all a really positive sign that the business is growing and thriving. I often find myself wondering if I should check in here every day or let things go until something that I deem as 'interesting' comes up. I know I have skipped a day or two from time to time. I have taken to skipping more on the weekends. I have come to look at those days I miss writing here as my 'day off' even though I am still usually working on something creative or to do with the business. It is a little bit of 'different' that keeps me from being burned out.

Yesterday went by in a flash it seemed. Over the weekend my cat Richard was having some problems. He has been diagnosed with having a "lazy bowel" which has given us trouble before and we have to watch him rather carefully. On Saturday I noticed he was having trouble in the litter box. He was making frequent trips and sometimes crying while he was in there. That is never good. While he was not constipated (which is the usual problem) quite the opposite was true. I was thinking it was more on the lines of a urinary tract infection, which is an issues that more mature male cats are prone. I watched him closely on Sunday while I was doing my large wholesale order. While he was OK most of the time, there were periods when he seemed a bit distressed.

I had considered calling the vet for an emergency visit, but he seemed to settle down Sunday afternoon and was still eating and drinking and doing 'cat things'. There would only be moments from time to time when he seemed troubled. So I waited.

Yesterday morning I called the office as soon as they were open to just touch base. I felt that we were through the worst of it, but wanted to see what the vet said. They said that without seeing him, they couldn't give a definitive opinion (I respect that) but had an appointment open. I was going to just wait to see, but in the morning when Rich got up, he again had litter box issues. So we headed to the vet.

While I love living in the country, there are some drawbacks. Our vet is about 45 minutes away or more. So it means it takes a bit more out of the cats when we visit. That is one reason I don't like to just run in there on a whim without due cause. But this certainly warranted a visit. While he did go potty (I knew there was no blockage) I didn't want to see him in pain. So off we went.

Rich is the best 'car cat' I have ever had. We brought the carrier for him to sit in at the waiting area, but in the car he sits calmly on my lap. He does this every time and it is as if he knows that I am taking him to help. I can tell he is nervous, but he is very good about staying settled without me having to restrain him in the least. When we arrived there, he went right into the carrier without issue. What a good boy.

It turned out that he probably had an irritated bowel and was given antibiotics for the next week. I was so relieved that he was OK and that nothing more painful or intrusive needed to be done. I am good at pilling cats, as I had a beautiful Siamese cat that had asthma for over a dozen year. She needed pills regularly and I have become somewhat of an expert in doing it without fanfare.

We arrived home close to 2pm and much of the day was behind us already. I spent the rest of the day packing up my wholesale order for Artist's Club (80 patterns and 12 piece wood kits that I cut over the weekend) so I feel I accomplished something at least.

All the while, Rich settled at my feet, happy to be home again and seemingly free of pain. The trip to the vet was well spent.

I took this photo of him last night. . .

Cat Felidae Textile Wood Small to medium-sized cats


That, my friends, is the best result I could have hoped for. He is sitting there now, in the same position. He loves his little 'kitty' toy and actually carries it around the house with him like a dog. We took the 'kitty' to the vet, too, as we feel it helps comfort him as a child's toy teddy bear may do.

I spent the evening working on my 'secret project' and today I plan to draw and work on new things. I have a new painting design I am going to work on as well as a new scroll saw design. (Actually - I have several of each to work on and I just need to get moving on any one of them!)

It may not be exciting, but it sure filled my day. Sometimes keeping things from being 'exciting' takes more time than we think. What may not seem important at the time, is integral to the business running smoothly (and life, too!) I am happy that so much was accomplished.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!
 

Attachments

#11,577 ·
Getting Through the Day

I always try to write about interesting things that happen throughout my day. It seems that people like to see what it entails to run a small business from home these days. So many of my readers have or or thinking of beginning their own business with their crafts and I thought it would be helpful to them to see that it isn't just days upon days of drawing, painting, doing woodworking and going to the bank to deposit money. There is LOTS of things in between that may not be as fun and romantic as it may appear from the outside.

I feel as if my blogs of the past few weeks haven't been very exciting. It isn't because I am idle, but it is that time of year when taxes are coming due and paperwork needs to be done and a host of other mundane, organizational tasks have to be attended to in order to keep the business running smoothly. I am sure you don't want to read every day about how many hours I spent on doing taxes. Or organizing my closets. Or even the daily tasks like cleaning the house and cooking (although I do show some of my culinary triumphs on my Facebook page!)

None of this is bad though. In fact, it is all a really positive sign that the business is growing and thriving. I often find myself wondering if I should check in here every day or let things go until something that I deem as 'interesting' comes up. I know I have skipped a day or two from time to time. I have taken to skipping more on the weekends. I have come to look at those days I miss writing here as my 'day off' even though I am still usually working on something creative or to do with the business. It is a little bit of 'different' that keeps me from being burned out.

Yesterday went by in a flash it seemed. Over the weekend my cat Richard was having some problems. He has been diagnosed with having a "lazy bowel" which has given us trouble before and we have to watch him rather carefully. On Saturday I noticed he was having trouble in the litter box. He was making frequent trips and sometimes crying while he was in there. That is never good. While he was not constipated (which is the usual problem) quite the opposite was true. I was thinking it was more on the lines of a urinary tract infection, which is an issues that more mature male cats are prone. I watched him closely on Sunday while I was doing my large wholesale order. While he was OK most of the time, there were periods when he seemed a bit distressed.

I had considered calling the vet for an emergency visit, but he seemed to settle down Sunday afternoon and was still eating and drinking and doing 'cat things'. There would only be moments from time to time when he seemed troubled. So I waited.

Yesterday morning I called the office as soon as they were open to just touch base. I felt that we were through the worst of it, but wanted to see what the vet said. They said that without seeing him, they couldn't give a definitive opinion (I respect that) but had an appointment open. I was going to just wait to see, but in the morning when Rich got up, he again had litter box issues. So we headed to the vet.

While I love living in the country, there are some drawbacks. Our vet is about 45 minutes away or more. So it means it takes a bit more out of the cats when we visit. That is one reason I don't like to just run in there on a whim without due cause. But this certainly warranted a visit. While he did go potty (I knew there was no blockage) I didn't want to see him in pain. So off we went.

Rich is the best 'car cat' I have ever had. We brought the carrier for him to sit in at the waiting area, but in the car he sits calmly on my lap. He does this every time and it is as if he knows that I am taking him to help. I can tell he is nervous, but he is very good about staying settled without me having to restrain him in the least. When we arrived there, he went right into the carrier without issue. What a good boy.

It turned out that he probably had an irritated bowel and was given antibiotics for the next week. I was so relieved that he was OK and that nothing more painful or intrusive needed to be done. I am good at pilling cats, as I had a beautiful Siamese cat that had asthma for over a dozen year. She needed pills regularly and I have become somewhat of an expert in doing it without fanfare.

We arrived home close to 2pm and much of the day was behind us already. I spent the rest of the day packing up my wholesale order for Artist's Club (80 patterns and 12 piece wood kits that I cut over the weekend) so I feel I accomplished something at least.

All the while, Rich settled at my feet, happy to be home again and seemingly free of pain. The trip to the vet was well spent.

I took this photo of him last night. . .

Cat Felidae Textile Wood Small to medium-sized cats


That, my friends, is the best result I could have hoped for. He is sitting there now, in the same position. He loves his little 'kitty' toy and actually carries it around the house with him like a dog. We took the 'kitty' to the vet, too, as we feel it helps comfort him as a child's toy teddy bear may do.

I spent the evening working on my 'secret project' and today I plan to draw and work on new things. I have a new painting design I am going to work on as well as a new scroll saw design. (Actually - I have several of each to work on and I just need to get moving on any one of them!)

It may not be exciting, but it sure filled my day. Sometimes keeping things from being 'exciting' takes more time than we think. What may not seem important at the time, is integral to the business running smoothly (and life, too!) I am happy that so much was accomplished.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!
I really hate it when one of the critters gets sick, we just feel so helpless and they rely on us to make them feel better.
Glad to see Rich feeling better.
 

Attachments

#11,582 ·
So Much Inspiration

I often feel as if I over use the word "inspiration." It seems like every other day, I am inspired by something. I guess it is because after living a life of creating, we train ourselves to look at things differently than most people do. I can look at the sky and wonder which DecoArt Americana paint colors I would use if I were to paint it. I look at the architecture of an old building or an iron fence and think of ways I could replicate that pattern in a scroll saw project, and I look at the flowers and grasses that grow in my yard, or an insect of some sort and try to figure out how I could create a dimensional needle work picture of in. What colors and materials I would use. What stitches would be the best. What beads or embellishments would make the piece look realistic.

This is how my mind is constantly thinking.

Yesterday was an incredibly productive day. It was one of those days where I did a lot of different things and chipped away at several ideas at once. I started off by shipping out my large order for the Artist's Club. It always feels so good to see the delivery truck drive away and know that my kits are on their way. It is a nice milestone.

I then settled down and went to work on my new scroll saw pattern. After creating my bunny puzzles last week, I had some ideas for additional toys that would be fun and easy to make. But thinking them through and actually making them is a bit of a process. When building something like this, I allow for a couple of trials and misses. While sometimes things fall into place right away, more so than not I make something, adjust things, and make them again. This project was no different.

Although for the most part things worked according to my original thought process (I have been thinking this one through for several days now) there were a couple of thing that needed to be changed to make

things work. I don't look upon this as a 'miss' or a 'failure' at all, but just part of the process. I spent an hour or so building the first part of the project and realized where I needed to change a couple of things. I will only show you a portion of it for now, as today I need to first go back to the computer and re draw some of the elements, then I will be able to create the project fully and easily. It will be a fun day for sure.

But for now, I will show you a small portion of what I accomplished to get you all thinking . . .

Flower Plant Textile Creative arts Art


I think you are all going to like this one. (At least I hope so!)

By the time I was at this point, it was near dinner time. Since my next step was to go back to the computer, I cleaned up the wood dust and decided to do something different. I have been working on somewhat of a 'secret project' for the past week or so with my embroidery. I won't say much about it now, but it is my own design and I am using the skills that I learned on my "A Perfect World" sampler. I really, really love doing needlework, and I find that it is satisfying, low stress and a very relaxing way to spend my evenings. As with my other creative venues, my head is exploding with ideas. Below is a quick peek of what I am creating at this time:

Shoe Wood Nail Khaki pants Hardwood


So far it is coming out pretty good.

Last year I purchased some spools of white silk ribbon in various thicknesses and some silk dye in order to create my own colored ribbon. Up to this point, I have been purchasing all of my supplies from Di van Nierkerk's site and while the materials are lovely, I am afraid if I run out of something in the middle of a project, I would have a lengthy wait to order more. I am currently awaiting an order for the full line of beautiful Chameleon silk thread and perle cottons for future projects, as well as additional ribbon. But I still wanted to experiment myself and see how I would do at dying my own ribbon. Besides the cost being very much less than ordering it pre-dyed, it would give me the flexibility to make my own colors. And one thing I always love is color!

So I watched some videos again on using the Jacquard Dye Na Flow started set that I purchased last year from Dharma Trading Co. (A great experience by the way! Excellent products, fast service, great prices) and I went to town with it. (As a side note - this dye can be used on WOOD as well! I will be experimenting with that later on!)

I decided to start small with about a 1.5 meter piece of 4mm white silk ribbon (Also purchased from Dharma) and I am just thrilled with the result!

Wood Rectangle Pattern Metal Fashion accessory


My goal was to create a yellowish/peachy ribbon, and I think I am very happy with the result. It was easy, fun, NOT messy and only took a few minutes to do. Won't this ribbon make lovely flowers?

Sleeve Dress shirt Wood Knot Woolen


After working with Di's beautiful hand-dyed ribbon, it absolutely spoiled me for anything else. I love the gentle variegation of colors and I know I will have a world of fun ahead of me! You will have to stay tuned to see what I plan with this ribbon.

On another note, I received a wonderful package yesterday from Brenda Griffin of The Rusty Thimble. (You can click the link for her Facebook page). Brenda is the 'mom' of my lovely prim elf, Edgar who I purchased a year or so ago (shown here with Coco)

Glasses Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats


I love all of Brenda's creations and last week I bid on some of her pieces on a Facebook auction. Not only did she send my piece that I won, but this darling little "Wabbit" as well:

Head Chin Hand Leg Human body


Isn't he cute? What a silly little guy! I just smile when I see him.

And here is the piece that I won:

Ingredient Fawn Root vegetable Carrot Leaf vegetable


We decided to name him Roger Pennysworth. (Don't ask me why!)

I love the little rusty nails she used for his feet!

Cap Wood Sleeve Creative arts Linens


I find that Brenda's pieces ALWAYS have so much detail! And I absolutely LOVE his face!

Rabbit Hare Fawn Wood Leaf vegetable


Opening that package just made my day!

So you see, it was a very, very busy day yesterday! I had so much fun in so many directions and I can't wait to continue on my journey today. It is a beautiful and bright day today and we are seeing more and more of the grass and the piles of snow are diminishing, slowly but surely.

I feel as if I am all over the place these days, not knowing which direction to go first. But that is really not a 'problem' and I am thrilled that I have so many fun things to look forward to creating. It makes for a good and happy life.

I love being inspired by so many things around me! I also love that over the years I have trained my eyes to look at things in ways that feed my creativity. Our world is full of wonderful and beautiful things. Appreciating things for what they are and what they can be is the first step to a creative lifestyle. I am happy I am moving in that direction.

Happy Wednesday to you!
 

Attachments

#11,583 ·
So Much Inspiration

I often feel as if I over use the word "inspiration." It seems like every other day, I am inspired by something. I guess it is because after living a life of creating, we train ourselves to look at things differently than most people do. I can look at the sky and wonder which DecoArt Americana paint colors I would use if I were to paint it. I look at the architecture of an old building or an iron fence and think of ways I could replicate that pattern in a scroll saw project, and I look at the flowers and grasses that grow in my yard, or an insect of some sort and try to figure out how I could create a dimensional needle work picture of in. What colors and materials I would use. What stitches would be the best. What beads or embellishments would make the piece look realistic.

This is how my mind is constantly thinking.

Yesterday was an incredibly productive day. It was one of those days where I did a lot of different things and chipped away at several ideas at once. I started off by shipping out my large order for the Artist's Club. It always feels so good to see the delivery truck drive away and know that my kits are on their way. It is a nice milestone.

I then settled down and went to work on my new scroll saw pattern. After creating my bunny puzzles last week, I had some ideas for additional toys that would be fun and easy to make. But thinking them through and actually making them is a bit of a process. When building something like this, I allow for a couple of trials and misses. While sometimes things fall into place right away, more so than not I make something, adjust things, and make them again. This project was no different.

Although for the most part things worked according to my original thought process (I have been thinking this one through for several days now) there were a couple of thing that needed to be changed to make

things work. I don't look upon this as a 'miss' or a 'failure' at all, but just part of the process. I spent an hour or so building the first part of the project and realized where I needed to change a couple of things. I will only show you a portion of it for now, as today I need to first go back to the computer and re draw some of the elements, then I will be able to create the project fully and easily. It will be a fun day for sure.

But for now, I will show you a small portion of what I accomplished to get you all thinking . . .

Flower Plant Textile Creative arts Art


I think you are all going to like this one. (At least I hope so!)

By the time I was at this point, it was near dinner time. Since my next step was to go back to the computer, I cleaned up the wood dust and decided to do something different. I have been working on somewhat of a 'secret project' for the past week or so with my embroidery. I won't say much about it now, but it is my own design and I am using the skills that I learned on my "A Perfect World" sampler. I really, really love doing needlework, and I find that it is satisfying, low stress and a very relaxing way to spend my evenings. As with my other creative venues, my head is exploding with ideas. Below is a quick peek of what I am creating at this time:

Shoe Wood Nail Khaki pants Hardwood


So far it is coming out pretty good.

Last year I purchased some spools of white silk ribbon in various thicknesses and some silk dye in order to create my own colored ribbon. Up to this point, I have been purchasing all of my supplies from Di van Nierkerk's site and while the materials are lovely, I am afraid if I run out of something in the middle of a project, I would have a lengthy wait to order more. I am currently awaiting an order for the full line of beautiful Chameleon silk thread and perle cottons for future projects, as well as additional ribbon. But I still wanted to experiment myself and see how I would do at dying my own ribbon. Besides the cost being very much less than ordering it pre-dyed, it would give me the flexibility to make my own colors. And one thing I always love is color!

So I watched some videos again on using the Jacquard Dye Na Flow started set that I purchased last year from Dharma Trading Co. (A great experience by the way! Excellent products, fast service, great prices) and I went to town with it. (As a side note - this dye can be used on WOOD as well! I will be experimenting with that later on!)

I decided to start small with about a 1.5 meter piece of 4mm white silk ribbon (Also purchased from Dharma) and I am just thrilled with the result!

Wood Rectangle Pattern Metal Fashion accessory


My goal was to create a yellowish/peachy ribbon, and I think I am very happy with the result. It was easy, fun, NOT messy and only took a few minutes to do. Won't this ribbon make lovely flowers?

Sleeve Dress shirt Wood Knot Woolen


After working with Di's beautiful hand-dyed ribbon, it absolutely spoiled me for anything else. I love the gentle variegation of colors and I know I will have a world of fun ahead of me! You will have to stay tuned to see what I plan with this ribbon.

On another note, I received a wonderful package yesterday from Brenda Griffin of The Rusty Thimble. (You can click the link for her Facebook page). Brenda is the 'mom' of my lovely prim elf, Edgar who I purchased a year or so ago (shown here with Coco)

Glasses Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats


I love all of Brenda's creations and last week I bid on some of her pieces on a Facebook auction. Not only did she send my piece that I won, but this darling little "Wabbit" as well:

Head Chin Hand Leg Human body


Isn't he cute? What a silly little guy! I just smile when I see him.

And here is the piece that I won:

Ingredient Fawn Root vegetable Carrot Leaf vegetable


We decided to name him Roger Pennysworth. (Don't ask me why!)

I love the little rusty nails she used for his feet!

Cap Wood Sleeve Creative arts Linens


I find that Brenda's pieces ALWAYS have so much detail! And I absolutely LOVE his face!

Rabbit Hare Fawn Wood Leaf vegetable


Opening that package just made my day!

So you see, it was a very, very busy day yesterday! I had so much fun in so many directions and I can't wait to continue on my journey today. It is a beautiful and bright day today and we are seeing more and more of the grass and the piles of snow are diminishing, slowly but surely.

I feel as if I am all over the place these days, not knowing which direction to go first. But that is really not a 'problem' and I am thrilled that I have so many fun things to look forward to creating. It makes for a good and happy life.

I love being inspired by so many things around me! I also love that over the years I have trained my eyes to look at things in ways that feed my creativity. Our world is full of wonderful and beautiful things. Appreciating things for what they are and what they can be is the first step to a creative lifestyle. I am happy I am moving in that direction.

Happy Wednesday to you!
What wonderful creativity both from you and from Brenda. The embroidery piece is beautiful. The wooden project has me intrigued and the bunny rabbit is so cute. Your dyed ribbon came out really well. Love the colour.
 

Attachments

#11,586 ·
Progress

It is another beautiful and sunny morning here on the bank of the Meteghan river. The air is calm and there isn't a cloud in the sky. Little by little the huge piles of snow is receding and we are able to see brownish patches of what promises to be green grass. Spring is definitely on its way.

It has been a long winter for us here in Nova Scotia. As with many other parts of the world, we seemed to have our fill of ice and snow. The past several years we have had mild winters, and I believe that it has somewhat spoiled our expectations of what winter is.

I remember growing up in Chicago where many Easters were spent with snow on the ground. I also have memories of others where we were sitting in the front yard in lawn chairs with light jackets on or no coats at all, and the air was already warm. Spring is has always been like that for me it seems. It could go either way. I think though after the particularly harsh winters, we are much more anxious for its arrival. Usually I don't mind winter. I actually even like it. Somehow my way of thinking is that it rather 'de-clutters' my life a bit, as when I am stuck inside, it allows me more time to create. I believe that is a good and positive way to look at things.

But I can't deny that this year I am a bit weary of snow and ice. The dreary, grey days have somewhat taken their toll. I don't know if it is because it has affected my own feelings directly, or because it has weighed so heavily on my family and friends. Whatever the case, I will be looking forward to the warmer days when Pancakes and I can eat our lunch out on our small deck and I can take walks in the woods and spend some time at the beach. And of course it will be nice to be able to drive my own car again. I don't like not being able to do so.

In the meantime though, I have been keeping as busy as possible. That certainly makes the days pass quickly. I am pleased to say that I have many different lists of ideas for projects - both painted and woodworking - and now I am adding embroidery projects as well. There is so many fun things to do that I don't want to spend my days dwelling on things like the weather. I think it is much more positive to think that way.

Yesterday I accomplished a great deal. I adjusted my pattern for my newest project and I also cut everything out and sanded all the pieces. Today will be the really fun part, as I will see the entire project come together. Here is a snapshot of what is on my work table for the day:

White Wood Font Pattern Circle


Of course, it is a child's game that I made. When I was looking into puzzles, I had so many ideas for cute games that I thought I would follow along that path for a bit. You can probably figure out the jest of it, but I think I will wait until tomorrow until I really reveal how things will work.

I am going to work on the instructions today as well, as I hope to get the pattern on the site in the next few days. I used to wait to post the patterns until the updates, but with all the patterns Keith and I have been making, I think it can be a bit overwhelming to post them all at once.

I am hoping you are enjoying these little teasers as I reveal my projects. In the past I have tried to explain my thought process ahead of time and I find that I don't always do a good job of it. I more often than not am unable to clearly explain my thinking on my new things, so I feel I am better off just showing you all as I go along. Besides - things change during the process. It is less confusing to us all to see things as they emerge from my head and become reality. (It is kind of fun, too!)

I am looking forward to sharing the final project with you. I should be done by tomorrow. Until then, have fun imagining what will come next. I know I do!

Happy Thursday to you all!
 

Attachments

#11,587 ·
Progress

It is another beautiful and sunny morning here on the bank of the Meteghan river. The air is calm and there isn't a cloud in the sky. Little by little the huge piles of snow is receding and we are able to see brownish patches of what promises to be green grass. Spring is definitely on its way.

It has been a long winter for us here in Nova Scotia. As with many other parts of the world, we seemed to have our fill of ice and snow. The past several years we have had mild winters, and I believe that it has somewhat spoiled our expectations of what winter is.

I remember growing up in Chicago where many Easters were spent with snow on the ground. I also have memories of others where we were sitting in the front yard in lawn chairs with light jackets on or no coats at all, and the air was already warm. Spring is has always been like that for me it seems. It could go either way. I think though after the particularly harsh winters, we are much more anxious for its arrival. Usually I don't mind winter. I actually even like it. Somehow my way of thinking is that it rather 'de-clutters' my life a bit, as when I am stuck inside, it allows me more time to create. I believe that is a good and positive way to look at things.

But I can't deny that this year I am a bit weary of snow and ice. The dreary, grey days have somewhat taken their toll. I don't know if it is because it has affected my own feelings directly, or because it has weighed so heavily on my family and friends. Whatever the case, I will be looking forward to the warmer days when Pancakes and I can eat our lunch out on our small deck and I can take walks in the woods and spend some time at the beach. And of course it will be nice to be able to drive my own car again. I don't like not being able to do so.

In the meantime though, I have been keeping as busy as possible. That certainly makes the days pass quickly. I am pleased to say that I have many different lists of ideas for projects - both painted and woodworking - and now I am adding embroidery projects as well. There is so many fun things to do that I don't want to spend my days dwelling on things like the weather. I think it is much more positive to think that way.

Yesterday I accomplished a great deal. I adjusted my pattern for my newest project and I also cut everything out and sanded all the pieces. Today will be the really fun part, as I will see the entire project come together. Here is a snapshot of what is on my work table for the day:

White Wood Font Pattern Circle


Of course, it is a child's game that I made. When I was looking into puzzles, I had so many ideas for cute games that I thought I would follow along that path for a bit. You can probably figure out the jest of it, but I think I will wait until tomorrow until I really reveal how things will work.

I am going to work on the instructions today as well, as I hope to get the pattern on the site in the next few days. I used to wait to post the patterns until the updates, but with all the patterns Keith and I have been making, I think it can be a bit overwhelming to post them all at once.

I am hoping you are enjoying these little teasers as I reveal my projects. In the past I have tried to explain my thought process ahead of time and I find that I don't always do a good job of it. I more often than not am unable to clearly explain my thinking on my new things, so I feel I am better off just showing you all as I go along. Besides - things change during the process. It is less confusing to us all to see things as they emerge from my head and become reality. (It is kind of fun, too!)

I am looking forward to sharing the final project with you. I should be done by tomorrow. Until then, have fun imagining what will come next. I know I do!

Happy Thursday to you all!
Your games looks intriguing! Looking forward to seeing it all finished. I'm guessing it will be painted? Kid's games are fun to make. I might just have to get this one for the new twins in the family :)
 

Attachments

#11,590 ·
Cute as a Bug

I often write about a place in my mind where I see very vivid visions of projects that I want to design. While it may sound strange to you all, it honestly is the truth and truly exists. This is the reason that I wake up so excited most mornings! I can't wait to start each day and one by one bring each of these projects to 'life'.

While I know it isn't always possible, I WISH you all could see the hundreds (yes - HUNDREDS) of spectacular things that I have planned for future projects. The hardest thing for me is to pick and choose which one will be done at what point, and I sometimes get overwhelmed just thinking about them all at once.

As a designer, it is a good thing though. It is my own personal 'job security' and one thing about having so many different ideas to create takes a lot of pressure off of myself. If one thing that I make doesn't really do well, I have learned to chalk it up to experience and move on to the next. I think that many times designers put so much pressure on themselves to make each project a home run that it sometimes stifles them and clouds their thinking. I find that if I am in a 'muddle' and can't decide what to do, I 'just pick' something that I think will be fun and usually by the time I am done with that, there are several other choices for me that seem viable and give me a clear direction to head. It is a great system for me and I must say, it is working well.

My friend reminded me the other day of one of my favorite stories: "The Tortoise and the Hare". I was feeling a little edgy because I was looking around at some of my peers who have seemingly hit one project out of the park after another. Because of the detail in which I create my designs and instructions, I am seeing that (at best!) I am only able to make maybe one or two projects or groups of projects per week (and stay sane!) Sometimes that bothers me when I see others cranking out pattern after pattern of wonderful projects.

But it shouldn't.

We all work at our own pace and we all have our own styles. That is what makes me "unique". One of the most important unspoken rules of being an artist and a designer (I feel!) is that we need to STOP looking at what everyone else is doing and "mind our own "p's" and "q's". We all work at a different pace and we all have different processes. What works well for one may not work well for another. That is part of the joy of doing what we do. WE get to set the pace.

With that said, I am really pleased with my latest project. I saw it as a vision in my head, and I was truly hoping that the reality would match what I saw. When I tried to explain it to a few people around me, I could tell that I didn't do a very good job of it and got some rather lukewarm, puzzled reactions. But I am kind of used to that. Apparently I don't have the ability to explain my visions as well as I can implement them. More and more I have learned to keep my cards close until the project is done. I do this because I used to get discouraged when I tried to explain what I planned to do and perhaps because I was unable to do so properly, I took these reactions as a negative and sometimes abandoned the ideas even before trying them out. (Us designers can be fragile like that! One lukewarm reaction can derail even the most wonderful idea!) But as I grow and mature as a designer, I am learning that I don't need 'approval' to complete an idea of my own. I have stopped listening to others and forged ahead and took the responsibility of accepting the consequences of every idea and project that I want to make. I believe that has helped me grow as an artist and even though every design hasn't been a home run, I feel that at least every idea was given the chance. Even if it was a miss, I learned something in the process. That certainly made it worth the risk.

For the past two days I have been working on a fun little Ladybug puzzle set. When I made the cute bunny puzzles last week (SLD500 Simple Bunny Puzzles) I received a wonderful response from so many customers. It seems that there was a need for these simpler, cute play things for kids. I knew I wanted to do more along those lines. As a result I created some fun Ladybug Counting Puzzles (SLD501) (the link will work later on today, when I post the pattern) I thought it would be a fun and cute way to help toddlers learn their numbers. I painted a full set using DecoArt's Multi-Surface Satin paint:

Table Black Red Ball Insect


Did I tell you all I absolutely LOVE this paint?? It needs no primer or top sealer, it covers beautifully and is highly durable. The adhesion is really amazing and just LOOK at the colors! What I love about it too is that it doesn't feel 'sticky' or 'tacky'. It feels silky smooth after only about 5-10 minutes of drying. It cures to an ultra hard finish that will take lots of abuse and scrubbing. (I know I sound like I am doing a commercial, but I really, REALLY love this product!) As with all DecoArt paints, it is water based, has no odor and is non-toxic. What more can you ask for??

These little critters took 2-3 quick coats. Aren't they cheerful?

Furniture Table Insect Ladybug Beetle


I will have the PATTERNS for these darling ladybug puzzles up on my site by tonight. I have all the photography done and only need to finish writing the packet today. I have already had several ask me if I sell the finished project, and I ask that you email me at sheilalandrydesigns@gmail.com and I will connect you with someone who will be able to make you a set that you can paint yourself.

I also will have instructions for a stained version, for those who really don't want to paint:

Toy Fawn Stuffed toy Snout Creative arts


I was really pleased with how they came out and I hope you like them too. :)

On other news, Keith created THREE new sets of signs that are really nice!

The first set is the SLDK453 Kitchen Sectional Plaque Pattern Set:

Font Rectangle Handwriting Poster Paper


It includes several versions of the sign *(click on the link to see them!)

Next up is the SLDK454 Workshop Sectional Sign Pattern Set:

Font Rectangle Poster Event Paper


It also includes several versions to suit your taste and need.

And finally, is the SLDK455 Garden Sectional Plaque Pattern Set:

Font Rectangle Poster Paper Handwriting


All three are really cool and fun and I can see so many applications for these plaques with Mother's Day and Father's Day approaching! I know they are going to be really popular! :)

Well - I have gone on quite long today. I guess I am excited. I laugh to myself because it appears that my large living room clock battery has run out. While I thought that I was ahead of things, I looked up while writing and the time is still 8:45 am - the same time it was the last time I looked! I thought I was doing good and it is nearly 10 o'clock!

I wish you all a great day! Enjoy your day if you have it off. I have to go rescue Pancakes from the Ladybugs, as they seem to have him surrounded!

Cat Toy Wood Carnivore Dice


Happy Friday to you all!
 

Attachments

#11,591 ·
Cute as a Bug

I often write about a place in my mind where I see very vivid visions of projects that I want to design. While it may sound strange to you all, it honestly is the truth and truly exists. This is the reason that I wake up so excited most mornings! I can't wait to start each day and one by one bring each of these projects to 'life'.

While I know it isn't always possible, I WISH you all could see the hundreds (yes - HUNDREDS) of spectacular things that I have planned for future projects. The hardest thing for me is to pick and choose which one will be done at what point, and I sometimes get overwhelmed just thinking about them all at once.

As a designer, it is a good thing though. It is my own personal 'job security' and one thing about having so many different ideas to create takes a lot of pressure off of myself. If one thing that I make doesn't really do well, I have learned to chalk it up to experience and move on to the next. I think that many times designers put so much pressure on themselves to make each project a home run that it sometimes stifles them and clouds their thinking. I find that if I am in a 'muddle' and can't decide what to do, I 'just pick' something that I think will be fun and usually by the time I am done with that, there are several other choices for me that seem viable and give me a clear direction to head. It is a great system for me and I must say, it is working well.

My friend reminded me the other day of one of my favorite stories: "The Tortoise and the Hare". I was feeling a little edgy because I was looking around at some of my peers who have seemingly hit one project out of the park after another. Because of the detail in which I create my designs and instructions, I am seeing that (at best!) I am only able to make maybe one or two projects or groups of projects per week (and stay sane!) Sometimes that bothers me when I see others cranking out pattern after pattern of wonderful projects.

But it shouldn't.

We all work at our own pace and we all have our own styles. That is what makes me "unique". One of the most important unspoken rules of being an artist and a designer (I feel!) is that we need to STOP looking at what everyone else is doing and "mind our own "p's" and "q's". We all work at a different pace and we all have different processes. What works well for one may not work well for another. That is part of the joy of doing what we do. WE get to set the pace.

With that said, I am really pleased with my latest project. I saw it as a vision in my head, and I was truly hoping that the reality would match what I saw. When I tried to explain it to a few people around me, I could tell that I didn't do a very good job of it and got some rather lukewarm, puzzled reactions. But I am kind of used to that. Apparently I don't have the ability to explain my visions as well as I can implement them. More and more I have learned to keep my cards close until the project is done. I do this because I used to get discouraged when I tried to explain what I planned to do and perhaps because I was unable to do so properly, I took these reactions as a negative and sometimes abandoned the ideas even before trying them out. (Us designers can be fragile like that! One lukewarm reaction can derail even the most wonderful idea!) But as I grow and mature as a designer, I am learning that I don't need 'approval' to complete an idea of my own. I have stopped listening to others and forged ahead and took the responsibility of accepting the consequences of every idea and project that I want to make. I believe that has helped me grow as an artist and even though every design hasn't been a home run, I feel that at least every idea was given the chance. Even if it was a miss, I learned something in the process. That certainly made it worth the risk.

For the past two days I have been working on a fun little Ladybug puzzle set. When I made the cute bunny puzzles last week (SLD500 Simple Bunny Puzzles) I received a wonderful response from so many customers. It seems that there was a need for these simpler, cute play things for kids. I knew I wanted to do more along those lines. As a result I created some fun Ladybug Counting Puzzles (SLD501) (the link will work later on today, when I post the pattern) I thought it would be a fun and cute way to help toddlers learn their numbers. I painted a full set using DecoArt's Multi-Surface Satin paint:

Table Black Red Ball Insect


Did I tell you all I absolutely LOVE this paint?? It needs no primer or top sealer, it covers beautifully and is highly durable. The adhesion is really amazing and just LOOK at the colors! What I love about it too is that it doesn't feel 'sticky' or 'tacky'. It feels silky smooth after only about 5-10 minutes of drying. It cures to an ultra hard finish that will take lots of abuse and scrubbing. (I know I sound like I am doing a commercial, but I really, REALLY love this product!) As with all DecoArt paints, it is water based, has no odor and is non-toxic. What more can you ask for??

These little critters took 2-3 quick coats. Aren't they cheerful?

Furniture Table Insect Ladybug Beetle


I will have the PATTERNS for these darling ladybug puzzles up on my site by tonight. I have all the photography done and only need to finish writing the packet today. I have already had several ask me if I sell the finished project, and I ask that you email me at sheilalandrydesigns@gmail.com and I will connect you with someone who will be able to make you a set that you can paint yourself.

I also will have instructions for a stained version, for those who really don't want to paint:

Toy Fawn Stuffed toy Snout Creative arts


I was really pleased with how they came out and I hope you like them too. :)

On other news, Keith created THREE new sets of signs that are really nice!

The first set is the SLDK453 Kitchen Sectional Plaque Pattern Set:

Font Rectangle Handwriting Poster Paper


It includes several versions of the sign *(click on the link to see them!)

Next up is the SLDK454 Workshop Sectional Sign Pattern Set:

Font Rectangle Poster Event Paper


It also includes several versions to suit your taste and need.

And finally, is the SLDK455 Garden Sectional Plaque Pattern Set:

Font Rectangle Poster Paper Handwriting


All three are really cool and fun and I can see so many applications for these plaques with Mother's Day and Father's Day approaching! I know they are going to be really popular! :)

Well - I have gone on quite long today. I guess I am excited. I laugh to myself because it appears that my large living room clock battery has run out. While I thought that I was ahead of things, I looked up while writing and the time is still 8:45 am - the same time it was the last time I looked! I thought I was doing good and it is nearly 10 o'clock!

I wish you all a great day! Enjoy your day if you have it off. I have to go rescue Pancakes from the Ladybugs, as they seem to have him surrounded!

Cat Toy Wood Carnivore Dice


Happy Friday to you all!
You might get a chuckle from one of my experiences. A lady called to order a custom design and spoke to my Mother who was watching the shop to describe it. I carefully read the description and made the project and thought it turned out great. When she received the order, she called me laughing as she said it wasn't anything close to what she wanted so she described it to me. I then made her the version she wanted. The next phone call was to let me know that at the show, the first version that was a mistake outsold the other.
 

Attachments

#11,604 ·
Spring?

We've had a couple of busy days and there are busy days ahead as well. Part of me feels like I am on vacation, as it is going to still be a couple of days until I will be able to 'work' again. We had a wonderful holiday, with a great day and meal on Saturday with our family on Keith's side. It was good to get out for the day, although I was a little worried about Richard our cat. He wasn't doing well on the antibiotic that he was prescribed earlier in the week.

While the medicine did help him, it also made him sleepy and he had no appetite. At first I didn't see this as an issue, as it was good to see him resting after being so agitated over the past weekend. But by Thursday or Friday when he still wasn't really eating or doing much beside sleeping, I began to worry a bit. I was only halfway through the pills and I felt like he looked really tired. On Friday when I opened a can of tuna for lunch and he showed absolutely no interest, I knew something was up.

Of course, because it was Good Friday, the vet was closed. But our vet at least has an 'emergency' service and while I didn't feel it was an emergency at this point, I didn't want it to become one over the Easter weekend.

I left a message and he called back within a couple of minutes. I really like this vet. He honestly seems to care about his patients. We talked over the issues and came to the conclusion that the best thing to do was suspend taking the pills and see how that goes. Rich's digestive issues seemed to calm down a bit and it was more important that he ate and drank at this point.

I am happy to report that it seemed to have worked. While he was still 'quiet' on Saturday, by the time I got home in the later evening, he seemed more like his normal 'self'. By Sunday he was alert and once again eating and drinking.

Crisis averted.

It is funny how worrying about your critters can take so much out of you. It reminds me of when my non-fur children were babies and sick and they were too young to tell you what was wrong. You play a guessing game and hope that you can figure it out quickly and alleviate their distress. But it all worked out well.

I had planned on making some new cat toys for all the critters in my life. In honor of spring and the Easter holiday, I had the idea of making some little felt bunnies that would be filled with catnip. We would be at Keith's mom's the entire day on Saturday, and she always invited me to bring my needlework so I can 'play' while we chatted. so I decided to bring some of my leftover silk ribbon and threads and bought a felt square and planned on making some cute kitty toys. I even brought some catnip to fill them with (the good stuff we get from BC). But when I got to the point of closing the first bunny, Keith and his mom vetoed the idea of making the bunny into a toy for the cats. I decided to make them into lapel pins instead. (Sorry, Kitties!) I guess they came out cuter than I thought they would.

Rabbit Vertebrate Mammal Hare Rabbits and Hares


They are kind of cute, I suppose, and giving them to the cats would be a waste. I will now have to think of something perhaps a bit simpler to make for the cats to enjoy. I am actually thinking that I may offer patterns or kits for these critters if there is enough interest. Even my days off seem to be filled with doing something creative, I fear. ;)

Yesterday was a quiet day for us. I baked for today's dinner that we are spending with my "Canadian family" in Digby. I also spent the day finishing up a special secret gift that I can't show until later. It was a good weekend.

Richard is pretty much recovered it seems. He is eating normally and is alert and playing in between naps. Again - a great relief.

I feel as if I am 'slacking' in the work department. Keith is working on a new set of seven plaques that will be available later on this week. I have some new painting designs to do as well as scrolling designs that I want to make. As usual, I don't know where to begin first.

But it is all good. Today will be a great day to visit with family and friends. Things will come as they will and eventually everything will get done. I have to keep reminding myself that I need to take time for relaxing and enjoying life as well as working. Even though my 'work' doesn't feel like work.

It snowed off and on over the weekend. At times yesterday, it was nearly white-out conditions. It was rather comical actually. I am happy that even though we had several squalls of snow, there was sunshine in between and nothing additional seemed to stick. I can actually see the front bumper of my car now and I am once again dreaming of being able to drive. It is an odd spring so far. But eventually it will come.

I hope you all had a great weekend as well.

Happy Monday to you all! May your week ahead be filled with fun and creativity!
 

Attachments

#11,605 ·
Spring?

We've had a couple of busy days and there are busy days ahead as well. Part of me feels like I am on vacation, as it is going to still be a couple of days until I will be able to 'work' again. We had a wonderful holiday, with a great day and meal on Saturday with our family on Keith's side. It was good to get out for the day, although I was a little worried about Richard our cat. He wasn't doing well on the antibiotic that he was prescribed earlier in the week.

While the medicine did help him, it also made him sleepy and he had no appetite. At first I didn't see this as an issue, as it was good to see him resting after being so agitated over the past weekend. But by Thursday or Friday when he still wasn't really eating or doing much beside sleeping, I began to worry a bit. I was only halfway through the pills and I felt like he looked really tired. On Friday when I opened a can of tuna for lunch and he showed absolutely no interest, I knew something was up.

Of course, because it was Good Friday, the vet was closed. But our vet at least has an 'emergency' service and while I didn't feel it was an emergency at this point, I didn't want it to become one over the Easter weekend.

I left a message and he called back within a couple of minutes. I really like this vet. He honestly seems to care about his patients. We talked over the issues and came to the conclusion that the best thing to do was suspend taking the pills and see how that goes. Rich's digestive issues seemed to calm down a bit and it was more important that he ate and drank at this point.

I am happy to report that it seemed to have worked. While he was still 'quiet' on Saturday, by the time I got home in the later evening, he seemed more like his normal 'self'. By Sunday he was alert and once again eating and drinking.

Crisis averted.

It is funny how worrying about your critters can take so much out of you. It reminds me of when my non-fur children were babies and sick and they were too young to tell you what was wrong. You play a guessing game and hope that you can figure it out quickly and alleviate their distress. But it all worked out well.

I had planned on making some new cat toys for all the critters in my life. In honor of spring and the Easter holiday, I had the idea of making some little felt bunnies that would be filled with catnip. We would be at Keith's mom's the entire day on Saturday, and she always invited me to bring my needlework so I can 'play' while we chatted. so I decided to bring some of my leftover silk ribbon and threads and bought a felt square and planned on making some cute kitty toys. I even brought some catnip to fill them with (the good stuff we get from BC). But when I got to the point of closing the first bunny, Keith and his mom vetoed the idea of making the bunny into a toy for the cats. I decided to make them into lapel pins instead. (Sorry, Kitties!) I guess they came out cuter than I thought they would.

Rabbit Vertebrate Mammal Hare Rabbits and Hares


They are kind of cute, I suppose, and giving them to the cats would be a waste. I will now have to think of something perhaps a bit simpler to make for the cats to enjoy. I am actually thinking that I may offer patterns or kits for these critters if there is enough interest. Even my days off seem to be filled with doing something creative, I fear. ;)

Yesterday was a quiet day for us. I baked for today's dinner that we are spending with my "Canadian family" in Digby. I also spent the day finishing up a special secret gift that I can't show until later. It was a good weekend.

Richard is pretty much recovered it seems. He is eating normally and is alert and playing in between naps. Again - a great relief.

I feel as if I am 'slacking' in the work department. Keith is working on a new set of seven plaques that will be available later on this week. I have some new painting designs to do as well as scrolling designs that I want to make. As usual, I don't know where to begin first.

But it is all good. Today will be a great day to visit with family and friends. Things will come as they will and eventually everything will get done. I have to keep reminding myself that I need to take time for relaxing and enjoying life as well as working. Even though my 'work' doesn't feel like work.

It snowed off and on over the weekend. At times yesterday, it was nearly white-out conditions. It was rather comical actually. I am happy that even though we had several squalls of snow, there was sunshine in between and nothing additional seemed to stick. I can actually see the front bumper of my car now and I am once again dreaming of being able to drive. It is an odd spring so far. But eventually it will come.

I hope you all had a great weekend as well.

Happy Monday to you all! May your week ahead be filled with fun and creativity!
Good call Keith and Keith's Mom! Those bunnies are way too cute for cat claws! Great lapel pins.
Hope you have seen the last of your snow!:)
 

Attachments

#11,608 ·
Really?

It snowed this morning.

Again.

I guess I should be used to it, but I truly couldn't believe how much had once again accumulated over the night. It looks to be about 3-4 inches, and is still coming down as I write. Following is a snapshot of my view from my deck across the yard to the road and river bank:

Snow Plant Automotive tire Slope Font


That 'hill' that I pointed out is a 6-7 foot wall of snow that is probably about 10 feet deep. Our trash bin is under it, and it would probably take a good long time to shovel through it to get to it. You see, that is where some of the snow from our large driveway was dumped, and has since frozen/thawed/frozen and thawed several times over, leaving a base of what equals a solid block of ice. At this rate, it will be July before we see green grass. And I was so hopeful.

Yesterday I was bragging how we could almost see our full lawn again. I even toyed with the idea of taking my car for a drive. After all, it IS April 7th and by now the winter should be a memory for us. Right? I suppose I have to be a bit more patient. This is certainly the winter that doesn't want to quit.

We had a nice day though. Keith, his mom and I went to have an Easter dinner with my "Canadian family" in Digby - Bernie and Ellen Bell and their daughter, Cindy. You have probably heard me talk about them before. I met them right when I came here to Canada over ten years ago, and they immediately 'adopted' me. I have spent nearly every holiday with them and they have been an important part of my life.

We arrived to another beautifully set table by Ellen:

Table Tableware Furniture Stemware Decoration


She never fails to make every meal so special. We had ham, salads and all the trimmings. And of course, TWO pies! (Apple and pumpkin!)

After a dinner and a wonderful, long visit, She surprised Keith's mom with a birthday cake:

Table Furniture Tableware Chair Comfort


It is her birthday today and we plan on doing some celebrating ourselves. Even though our family is small, it doesn't mean we can't have some wonderful times together.

I just love Bernie and Ellen (and their daughter Cindy, too!) They are some of the kindest people you would ever meet. I am so happy that they are in my life and I don't think things would have ever been the same if I hadn't met them.

Glasses Picture frame Wood Cabinetry Event


(I am sorry for the photos, but no one wanted to pose for them so I had to "sneak" them all!)

I must say though our drive home was pretty scary. I am not one to be alarmed when driving, but it was snowing and blowing so much that you couldn't see more than 20 feet in front of you all the way home on the highway. Thank goodness there was little traffic and Keith is a good driver. It was truly like driving through a tunnel. Keith went pretty slow and was very careful, but it was scary not even being able to tell where you were. But we made it without incident and we hope to go to Yarmouth today. Hopefully this will all melt again, as it is not really cold and heavy and slushy. This winter is just unrelenting.

I hope to get working on some other new designs maybe tomorrow. Today will be a good day that will be spent with Keith's mom. I look forward to it. :)

Food Cake decorating supply Party supply Sweetness Event


Happy Tuesday to you all!
 

Attachments

#11,609 ·
Really?

It snowed this morning.

Again.

I guess I should be used to it, but I truly couldn't believe how much had once again accumulated over the night. It looks to be about 3-4 inches, and is still coming down as I write. Following is a snapshot of my view from my deck across the yard to the road and river bank:

Snow Plant Automotive tire Slope Font


That 'hill' that I pointed out is a 6-7 foot wall of snow that is probably about 10 feet deep. Our trash bin is under it, and it would probably take a good long time to shovel through it to get to it. You see, that is where some of the snow from our large driveway was dumped, and has since frozen/thawed/frozen and thawed several times over, leaving a base of what equals a solid block of ice. At this rate, it will be July before we see green grass. And I was so hopeful.

Yesterday I was bragging how we could almost see our full lawn again. I even toyed with the idea of taking my car for a drive. After all, it IS April 7th and by now the winter should be a memory for us. Right? I suppose I have to be a bit more patient. This is certainly the winter that doesn't want to quit.

We had a nice day though. Keith, his mom and I went to have an Easter dinner with my "Canadian family" in Digby - Bernie and Ellen Bell and their daughter, Cindy. You have probably heard me talk about them before. I met them right when I came here to Canada over ten years ago, and they immediately 'adopted' me. I have spent nearly every holiday with them and they have been an important part of my life.

We arrived to another beautifully set table by Ellen:

Table Tableware Furniture Stemware Decoration


She never fails to make every meal so special. We had ham, salads and all the trimmings. And of course, TWO pies! (Apple and pumpkin!)

After a dinner and a wonderful, long visit, She surprised Keith's mom with a birthday cake:

Table Furniture Tableware Chair Comfort


It is her birthday today and we plan on doing some celebrating ourselves. Even though our family is small, it doesn't mean we can't have some wonderful times together.

I just love Bernie and Ellen (and their daughter Cindy, too!) They are some of the kindest people you would ever meet. I am so happy that they are in my life and I don't think things would have ever been the same if I hadn't met them.

Glasses Picture frame Wood Cabinetry Event


(I am sorry for the photos, but no one wanted to pose for them so I had to "sneak" them all!)

I must say though our drive home was pretty scary. I am not one to be alarmed when driving, but it was snowing and blowing so much that you couldn't see more than 20 feet in front of you all the way home on the highway. Thank goodness there was little traffic and Keith is a good driver. It was truly like driving through a tunnel. Keith went pretty slow and was very careful, but it was scary not even being able to tell where you were. But we made it without incident and we hope to go to Yarmouth today. Hopefully this will all melt again, as it is not really cold and heavy and slushy. This winter is just unrelenting.

I hope to get working on some other new designs maybe tomorrow. Today will be a good day that will be spent with Keith's mom. I look forward to it. :)

Food Cake decorating supply Party supply Sweetness Event


Happy Tuesday to you all!
Glad you had a good Easter. Friends always make the holidays more enjoyable.

Don't worry about the weather. Soon the sun will start peaking above the horizon, the snow will melt, the otter, penguin, and white bears will emerge from hibernation and you will have a brief summer - just don't blink ;-)
 

Attachments

#11,616 ·
Back to Work

I woke up this morning to NO new snow! There was only a light coating of frost on the deck, cars and places where the grass what peeking through the drifts, but no new snow. There is HOPE!

Yesterday's storm was rather short-lived. After the morning blanket of snow re-covered the melting drifts, it too succumbed to the warming temperatures and sun throughout the day. By the evening, all the new snow was gone and little by little the drifts are shrinking and receding. I am sure it will continue. After all - we are one week into April.

It was a wonderful day yesterday. It was Keith's mom's birthday and we spent the entire day together. We went for a nice trip to Yarmouth to shop a bit and had a wonderfully dinner at our now favorite restaurant in town. When we got home, we unpacked our treasures and settled in and just relaxed for a bit, topping off the evening with a nice cup of tea and some home made blueberry pie. It was a 'perfect' day.

I feel as if I have been on vacation these past couple of days. With our holiday visits and my last minute touches on some gifts, the days have been busy and passed quickly. It seems I have been really busy, but I haven't been doing much drawing. I want to change that later on today.

Sometimes it is good to change gears. Being away from our daily routine leaves you 'hungry' to do something new again. I find that rotating my scroll sawing, painting and embroidery always keeps me moving ahead. While I am doing one, I am thinking about projects for not only that medium, but also the other two. It seems that I am always longing for time with each of those three aspects of creating and can't wait to get time to do them all (oh - and I still love the needle felting, too!) It makes for a very full and happy life.

Today I will be here at the computer drawing some new designs. I have new ideas for both scroll sawing as well as painting and I can't really decide which to work on first. I am sure once I am ready to sit down and draw, I will have a clearer picture in mind. I am excited about so many of the new ideas I have. I just need to sit down and do one at a time.

Keith has created a new set of plaques as well, and they are already up on the site (SLDK570). It is a set of seven Biblical plaques that feature the "I Am" sayings from the book of John:

Rectangle Font Tints and shades Art Metal


We hope you enjoy them.

I also wanted to mention that I have had the honor to be chosen as the Creative Artist Resource Artist of the Month.

Creative Artist Resource is a wonderful site put together by Vicki Alley which offers information on artists, teachers, and suppliers all in one place. It is a great way to find resources in your area, or even find some new teachers or suppliers. I really appreciate this opportunity and I invite you to check out the site. (My fellow artists/designers may want to consider listing yourself there as well - email Vicki via the Contact Page or check the page for details)

I hope to have some new things to show you soon. It will feel great to get back and draw again. While it has only been a few days since my last project, somehow it seems like it has been a long time.

It is sunny and calm here this morning, and promises to be a beautiful day. I think that spring is (finally) taking its turn and slowly and surely replacing the cold and long winter. With a little patience, it will arrive soon.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
 

Attachments

#11,617 ·
Back to Work

I woke up this morning to NO new snow! There was only a light coating of frost on the deck, cars and places where the grass what peeking through the drifts, but no new snow. There is HOPE!

Yesterday's storm was rather short-lived. After the morning blanket of snow re-covered the melting drifts, it too succumbed to the warming temperatures and sun throughout the day. By the evening, all the new snow was gone and little by little the drifts are shrinking and receding. I am sure it will continue. After all - we are one week into April.

It was a wonderful day yesterday. It was Keith's mom's birthday and we spent the entire day together. We went for a nice trip to Yarmouth to shop a bit and had a wonderfully dinner at our now favorite restaurant in town. When we got home, we unpacked our treasures and settled in and just relaxed for a bit, topping off the evening with a nice cup of tea and some home made blueberry pie. It was a 'perfect' day.

I feel as if I have been on vacation these past couple of days. With our holiday visits and my last minute touches on some gifts, the days have been busy and passed quickly. It seems I have been really busy, but I haven't been doing much drawing. I want to change that later on today.

Sometimes it is good to change gears. Being away from our daily routine leaves you 'hungry' to do something new again. I find that rotating my scroll sawing, painting and embroidery always keeps me moving ahead. While I am doing one, I am thinking about projects for not only that medium, but also the other two. It seems that I am always longing for time with each of those three aspects of creating and can't wait to get time to do them all (oh - and I still love the needle felting, too!) It makes for a very full and happy life.

Today I will be here at the computer drawing some new designs. I have new ideas for both scroll sawing as well as painting and I can't really decide which to work on first. I am sure once I am ready to sit down and draw, I will have a clearer picture in mind. I am excited about so many of the new ideas I have. I just need to sit down and do one at a time.

Keith has created a new set of plaques as well, and they are already up on the site (SLDK570). It is a set of seven Biblical plaques that feature the "I Am" sayings from the book of John:

Rectangle Font Tints and shades Art Metal


We hope you enjoy them.

I also wanted to mention that I have had the honor to be chosen as the Creative Artist Resource Artist of the Month.

Creative Artist Resource is a wonderful site put together by Vicki Alley which offers information on artists, teachers, and suppliers all in one place. It is a great way to find resources in your area, or even find some new teachers or suppliers. I really appreciate this opportunity and I invite you to check out the site. (My fellow artists/designers may want to consider listing yourself there as well - email Vicki via the Contact Page or check the page for details)

I hope to have some new things to show you soon. It will feel great to get back and draw again. While it has only been a few days since my last project, somehow it seems like it has been a long time.

It is sunny and calm here this morning, and promises to be a beautiful day. I think that spring is (finally) taking its turn and slowly and surely replacing the cold and long winter. With a little patience, it will arrive soon.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Yea!! I can understand that feeling in the morning. WhoopWhoop!!
 

Attachments

#11,622 ·
"Nevermore" Painting Pattern (Finally!)

You know - there are days when I really do get mixed up! (Yes - I know! Some of you think EVERY day!)

With all the different things I am doing and all the calendars, dates and reminders that I give myself, sometimes things do happen to slip by my steel trap of a mind. I suppose I am only human!

Last autumn, I created a painting pattern that turned out to be one of my favorites. It was a bit 'darker' than my usual cheerful pieces, but I think that is what I liked about it most. The name of the piece is "Nevermore" and I created both a scroll sawn layered version as well as a painted piece of the plaque. As you can imagine, it was inspired by the Edgar Allen Poe poem "The Raven".

While I liked the scrolled version, I really LOVED the painted version much more. It was dark and dreary and mysterious and something that I would proudly hang in my own home. My own prototype was given to my daughter, Danielle. She expressed how much she loved it right off the bat and let's face it - I am a mom - and I was more than happy to send it her way.

Bird Branch Wood Rectangle Beak


I had originally created the piece for the August issue of Interactive Artists Magazine, which is an online publication for painters. Because of that, there was a holding period where I needed to wait until after a length of time until I could sell the pattern on my own. I was used to that, as I worked with magazines (both online and print) for many, many years and as a habit, I just 'forgot' about putting the pattern on my site. It just got tucked away in the archives of my patterns and there it sat.

But the other day, someone mentioned it to me and I went to look for it on my site and lo and behold - it wasn't there. It was only then that I realized that I never converted the pattern into PDF format or put the piece on my site. So I spent the day yesterday doing just that.

After not seeing the pattern or reading the instructions for several months, coming back to it was a nice surprise. I am actually pretty proud of how detailed, yet simple the instructions are.(You can order the packet here: SLDP223 "Nevermore" Painting Pattern) Sometimes when we are in the midst of meeting deadlines or things of that nature, we tend to 'look through' what we are doing and are focused on just getting the job done. We aren't able to really appreciate or enjoy what we are creating. But I was pleased with this one. It breaks down each step to make the process simple. I am rather proud of it.

The pattern packet itself turned out to be 19 pages with 30 color photos. It isn't that big because it is difficult, but because I wanted to clearly guide the painter through the process. Many baby steps are far easier than taking big leaps, I believe. I think this is the best way to teach.

Bird Beak Painting Raven Feather


I posted the announcement on one of my painting groups last night and I already have several orders for patterns and kits. (I am also providing the wood surface for the plaque). I am surprised at how many, actually, as I had forgotten that people were waiting for the release. But I am happy with the response nonetheless.

We are updating the website today, as well as sending out a newsletter. Those of you who are on our Mailing List should receive a newsletter later on today. After I get that done, I will be cutting wood kits and hopefully I will get them out by tomorrow. At least the ones that were ordered last night.

I sure do appreciate the response from everyone on this. I have some pretty cool ideas for more designs that are on the 'darker side' and if you like this, I think you will enjoy them as well.

I also wanted to thank you all for your kind words of encouragement yesterday regarding my 'Artist of the Month' recognition. I was quite overwhelmed with all the kind words you said on my Facebook and I am very humbled. It is a great life when you can do something that you love passionately and people appreciate you so much as well. It truly makes me happy. (So happy in fact that I won't even complain about the three inches of new SNOW that I woke to this morning!)

This last week has been rather quiet for me design-wise. I feel as if I have been in a lull. I don't know if it is because of the holiday, or if I just needed a step away for a bit. But this exercise of creating this packet has reminded me of the love I have for doing what I do. It has ignited my desire to create more like it (and I have some wonderful ideas along these lines!)

Thank you all for making my 'job' such a pleasure. I truly enjoy it every day!

Rectangle Gold Wood Font Beige


Happy Thursday!
 

Attachments

#11,623 ·
"Nevermore" Painting Pattern (Finally!)

You know - there are days when I really do get mixed up! (Yes - I know! Some of you think EVERY day!)

With all the different things I am doing and all the calendars, dates and reminders that I give myself, sometimes things do happen to slip by my steel trap of a mind. I suppose I am only human!

Last autumn, I created a painting pattern that turned out to be one of my favorites. It was a bit 'darker' than my usual cheerful pieces, but I think that is what I liked about it most. The name of the piece is "Nevermore" and I created both a scroll sawn layered version as well as a painted piece of the plaque. As you can imagine, it was inspired by the Edgar Allen Poe poem "The Raven".

While I liked the scrolled version, I really LOVED the painted version much more. It was dark and dreary and mysterious and something that I would proudly hang in my own home. My own prototype was given to my daughter, Danielle. She expressed how much she loved it right off the bat and let's face it - I am a mom - and I was more than happy to send it her way.

Bird Branch Wood Rectangle Beak


I had originally created the piece for the August issue of Interactive Artists Magazine, which is an online publication for painters. Because of that, there was a holding period where I needed to wait until after a length of time until I could sell the pattern on my own. I was used to that, as I worked with magazines (both online and print) for many, many years and as a habit, I just 'forgot' about putting the pattern on my site. It just got tucked away in the archives of my patterns and there it sat.

But the other day, someone mentioned it to me and I went to look for it on my site and lo and behold - it wasn't there. It was only then that I realized that I never converted the pattern into PDF format or put the piece on my site. So I spent the day yesterday doing just that.

After not seeing the pattern or reading the instructions for several months, coming back to it was a nice surprise. I am actually pretty proud of how detailed, yet simple the instructions are.(You can order the packet here: SLDP223 "Nevermore" Painting Pattern) Sometimes when we are in the midst of meeting deadlines or things of that nature, we tend to 'look through' what we are doing and are focused on just getting the job done. We aren't able to really appreciate or enjoy what we are creating. But I was pleased with this one. It breaks down each step to make the process simple. I am rather proud of it.

The pattern packet itself turned out to be 19 pages with 30 color photos. It isn't that big because it is difficult, but because I wanted to clearly guide the painter through the process. Many baby steps are far easier than taking big leaps, I believe. I think this is the best way to teach.

Bird Beak Painting Raven Feather


I posted the announcement on one of my painting groups last night and I already have several orders for patterns and kits. (I am also providing the wood surface for the plaque). I am surprised at how many, actually, as I had forgotten that people were waiting for the release. But I am happy with the response nonetheless.

We are updating the website today, as well as sending out a newsletter. Those of you who are on our Mailing List should receive a newsletter later on today. After I get that done, I will be cutting wood kits and hopefully I will get them out by tomorrow. At least the ones that were ordered last night.

I sure do appreciate the response from everyone on this. I have some pretty cool ideas for more designs that are on the 'darker side' and if you like this, I think you will enjoy them as well.

I also wanted to thank you all for your kind words of encouragement yesterday regarding my 'Artist of the Month' recognition. I was quite overwhelmed with all the kind words you said on my Facebook and I am very humbled. It is a great life when you can do something that you love passionately and people appreciate you so much as well. It truly makes me happy. (So happy in fact that I won't even complain about the three inches of new SNOW that I woke to this morning!)

This last week has been rather quiet for me design-wise. I feel as if I have been in a lull. I don't know if it is because of the holiday, or if I just needed a step away for a bit. But this exercise of creating this packet has reminded me of the love I have for doing what I do. It has ignited my desire to create more like it (and I have some wonderful ideas along these lines!)

Thank you all for making my 'job' such a pleasure. I truly enjoy it every day!

Rectangle Gold Wood Font Beige


Happy Thursday!
Hi Sheila, Your "Nevermore" was right on time this morning. We were just watching a large Raven strutting through the yard, letting us know that he's back. Beautiful to see.
Here's a bit of BC Spring for you to enjoy. Mock Cherry blossoms to brighten your day . . . I hope.
Flower Plant Branch Twig Petal
 

Attachments

#11,625 ·
Headed for the Drawing Board

Good day to you all! I am happy to say that I awoke today to NO snow! (There IS hope!) I state that half-jokingly because even though I love living in an area with four seasons - and I love them ALL - I have just about had my fill of the white stuff for a while. Each morning it seems we were waking up to another 2-3 inches of snow, and while it usually disappeared by the afternoon, it was a little disheartening all the same. The forecast ahead shows temperatures above freezing for the next several days, with the promise of "+10" by the middle of next week. I can't help but be a little excited.

Yesterday I planed some cat grass for my dear cat Pancakes. Oh how he LOVES to sit on our little deck and eat grass! (Actually, he likes to run down off the porch to nibble on grass there, but I found that by getting him his own planter, he is happy to snack on it and stay on the porch.) Here is a photo from last July when he was in his glory:

Cat Felidae Wood Fence Small to medium-sized cats


I look at how green everything is and I can't wait for it to be like that again! Every day for lunch when the weather is nice Pancakes accomplanies me on the deck. He even sits in his little planter while snacking:

Cat Felidae Window Small to medium-sized cats Carnivore


He is quite the character. I certainly look forward to spending time with him in the warm sunshine though.

We finished our site update and sent out a newsletter yesterday. We had a special offer for our newsletter customers, so if you are interested, you can go to our Mailing List page and sign up if you have not already done so. We never share your information with anyone, and we send out about two newsletters per month. It keeps you up to date on all the new patterns we are working on and offers we have.

I am going to be drawing over the weekend. I have some ideas for both painting patterns as well as scroll saw patterns. I am not sure which to do first, but I will try to get some new things in both areas finished before the next update. I am always torn between which projects to do, as I want to do everything at once, it seems.

I also wanted to mention that Lee Valley Tools is having a 'Free Shipping' special:

Font Rectangle Terrestrial plant Poster Brand


They do this a couple of times a year and this is when I usually do my shopping from them. I realize that their products are sometimes a little more expensive than 'bargain' or 'big box' stores, but I have always found them to have excellent quality and their customer service is top notch. I like to support companies that offer quality products and services. Not having to pay shipping helps a lot.

That should be all for today. Thank you for the great response on the update we did yesterday. We are very pleased that you all like our patterns and kits so much. It really feels great to be appreciated.

I wish you a wonderful, warm and happy weekend!

Happy Friday!
 

Attachments

#11,626 ·
Headed for the Drawing Board

Good day to you all! I am happy to say that I awoke today to NO snow! (There IS hope!) I state that half-jokingly because even though I love living in an area with four seasons - and I love them ALL - I have just about had my fill of the white stuff for a while. Each morning it seems we were waking up to another 2-3 inches of snow, and while it usually disappeared by the afternoon, it was a little disheartening all the same. The forecast ahead shows temperatures above freezing for the next several days, with the promise of "+10" by the middle of next week. I can't help but be a little excited.

Yesterday I planed some cat grass for my dear cat Pancakes. Oh how he LOVES to sit on our little deck and eat grass! (Actually, he likes to run down off the porch to nibble on grass there, but I found that by getting him his own planter, he is happy to snack on it and stay on the porch.) Here is a photo from last July when he was in his glory:

Cat Felidae Wood Fence Small to medium-sized cats


I look at how green everything is and I can't wait for it to be like that again! Every day for lunch when the weather is nice Pancakes accomplanies me on the deck. He even sits in his little planter while snacking:

Cat Felidae Window Small to medium-sized cats Carnivore


He is quite the character. I certainly look forward to spending time with him in the warm sunshine though.

We finished our site update and sent out a newsletter yesterday. We had a special offer for our newsletter customers, so if you are interested, you can go to our Mailing List page and sign up if you have not already done so. We never share your information with anyone, and we send out about two newsletters per month. It keeps you up to date on all the new patterns we are working on and offers we have.

I am going to be drawing over the weekend. I have some ideas for both painting patterns as well as scroll saw patterns. I am not sure which to do first, but I will try to get some new things in both areas finished before the next update. I am always torn between which projects to do, as I want to do everything at once, it seems.

I also wanted to mention that Lee Valley Tools is having a 'Free Shipping' special:

Font Rectangle Terrestrial plant Poster Brand


They do this a couple of times a year and this is when I usually do my shopping from them. I realize that their products are sometimes a little more expensive than 'bargain' or 'big box' stores, but I have always found them to have excellent quality and their customer service is top notch. I like to support companies that offer quality products and services. Not having to pay shipping helps a lot.

That should be all for today. Thank you for the great response on the update we did yesterday. We are very pleased that you all like our patterns and kits so much. It really feels great to be appreciated.

I wish you a wonderful, warm and happy weekend!

Happy Friday!
Glad to hear that you had a "snowless" night. Have fun at the drawing board.
 

Attachments

#11,630 ·
Creating for the Sake of Creating

As a designer, I have many (many) ideas for new projects. I am fortunate in that I keep my eyes open and by merely observing things around me in the world, I find lots of sources of inspiration. I am not always sure how this process works, as some days I am overflowing with ideas and others it just seems that nothing makes sense or wants to fall into place. Much of my designing process is 'automatic' and I sometimes forget just how to go about things when I am in a lull. Many projects that I create are things that I have thought about for a while, and try to fit in when I have time to do so. I often use the phrase 'if you could see inside my head . . . ' when referring to something that I am working on creating.

I am not always great at explaining my ideas, but I usually have a pretty clear picture of how I want things to turn out. It seems the ones that are thought about the longest seem to be the easiest to make a reality. Because of that, from the outside it may appear that things come 'easy' to me. But the implementation and actual creation is only the tip of the iceberg. There are very few people who really understand all the unseen planning and thought which goes into some of the projects I create.

About a year and a half ago, I had an idea. (Maybe it was two years ago) I am not quite sure what triggered this idea, but I really fell in love with the thought of creating this project. It isn't a 'run of the mill' project for me, but far more involved than anything that I ever created with the intent of selling the patterns.

For the most part, it is a painting project, but it requires a pretty good amount of scroll saw work as well. I am trying to figure out how I could efficiently create it so I can supply at least the majority of the wood pieces, and still have it meet the expectations that I have in my head of how I want it to look. That isn't always an easy task.

So I thought about it. For nearly two years I went over many different ways of doing things in order to make it work. Before I even began drawing, I built the project over and over in my mind. Trying this. Eliminating that. Figuring out just how to make things fall into place so that when I finally do build it, it will be not only beautiful, but practical, too. It may be my biggest challenge to date.

I have only discussed this project with a few people who are close to me. And even at that, I only mentioned just a few sketchy details. There is no way that I can put into words what I see in my head, and from past experience I know that trying to explain things would be a waste of effort and time on my part. Besides . . . the fog is still lifting and it seems that only now things are beginning to fully fall into place. With things such as this, I have learned to respect the process and allow it to come to me in its own time. Forcing it would just invite disaster.

From a marketing point of view, I am not sure this is practical. I think that in order to replicate the project, I would have to be very careful in regards to my construction and resources. After all - if I want this to be something that is shared with others through a pattern packet or packets (I do!) then I need to be careful about what materials I use. They need to be readily accessible to just about anyone who has the desire to recreate it. There is much to consider.

I don't think that this will be a project that will be for everyone. It may be over the top for much of my customer base. From a business point of view, it probably isn't the wisest of choices of places to invest my time. I fully understand that. I have had the thought of perhaps creating it in stages, where I can sell parts of the completed project as stand alone patterns themselves. That may work. I will have to see.

But I am at the point where I have toyed with the idea long enough and put it on the back burner over and over. Yet it keeps coming back to me. . . as if it is begging to be made. So I finally decided that it was "time". Practical or not, I want to see it though. If it is a bust, then so be it. At least I know I tried. Besides - creating from your heart doesn't always have to be practical, does it? I think not.

I am probably building things up to be far bigger than they really are. While this may not seem big to you all, it has occupied a lot of my thinking process these past couple of weeks. Perhaps that is how I know that "it's time."

I am going to try to weave this project in between my 'normal' work over the next few weeks (months, years?) Usually, I am pretty good at spinning a couple of plates at once, so I don't see that as a problem. I worked on getting started ove the weekend, and it actually occupied a great deal of my time. But as with most projects of this nature, getting a foothold on things in the beginning seems to be the biggest step. I fear I have little to physically show for my efforts. Just one lone drawing.

Head Hand Vertebrate Plant Neck


But oh . . . how I wish you could see inside of my head!

I promise to keep you all up to date on the progress. I will reveal more as I feel things are ready. While I am happy to have gotten this far, I can't help but feel somewhat apprehensive and also intimidated by the gauntlet that I laid down for myself here. Sharing here means commitment. Now that my thoughts are revealed, it means I must follow through. Perhaps that is just the inspiration I need.

To me, designing is more than just drawing something up on the computer. Anyone can draw lines. While I have made a lot of nice projects by doing just that, there are times when my soul needs more to feed on. It has nothing to do with making money or selling or even teaching. It is the desire to create something really outstanding and unique. Creating just for the sake of creating. That is something that I have had for as long as I can remember. If I can teach others to do so along the way - all the better.

I hope you enjoy this journey with me.

Have a wonderful Monday!
 

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#11,631 ·
Creating for the Sake of Creating

As a designer, I have many (many) ideas for new projects. I am fortunate in that I keep my eyes open and by merely observing things around me in the world, I find lots of sources of inspiration. I am not always sure how this process works, as some days I am overflowing with ideas and others it just seems that nothing makes sense or wants to fall into place. Much of my designing process is 'automatic' and I sometimes forget just how to go about things when I am in a lull. Many projects that I create are things that I have thought about for a while, and try to fit in when I have time to do so. I often use the phrase 'if you could see inside my head . . . ' when referring to something that I am working on creating.

I am not always great at explaining my ideas, but I usually have a pretty clear picture of how I want things to turn out. It seems the ones that are thought about the longest seem to be the easiest to make a reality. Because of that, from the outside it may appear that things come 'easy' to me. But the implementation and actual creation is only the tip of the iceberg. There are very few people who really understand all the unseen planning and thought which goes into some of the projects I create.

About a year and a half ago, I had an idea. (Maybe it was two years ago) I am not quite sure what triggered this idea, but I really fell in love with the thought of creating this project. It isn't a 'run of the mill' project for me, but far more involved than anything that I ever created with the intent of selling the patterns.

For the most part, it is a painting project, but it requires a pretty good amount of scroll saw work as well. I am trying to figure out how I could efficiently create it so I can supply at least the majority of the wood pieces, and still have it meet the expectations that I have in my head of how I want it to look. That isn't always an easy task.

So I thought about it. For nearly two years I went over many different ways of doing things in order to make it work. Before I even began drawing, I built the project over and over in my mind. Trying this. Eliminating that. Figuring out just how to make things fall into place so that when I finally do build it, it will be not only beautiful, but practical, too. It may be my biggest challenge to date.

I have only discussed this project with a few people who are close to me. And even at that, I only mentioned just a few sketchy details. There is no way that I can put into words what I see in my head, and from past experience I know that trying to explain things would be a waste of effort and time on my part. Besides . . . the fog is still lifting and it seems that only now things are beginning to fully fall into place. With things such as this, I have learned to respect the process and allow it to come to me in its own time. Forcing it would just invite disaster.

From a marketing point of view, I am not sure this is practical. I think that in order to replicate the project, I would have to be very careful in regards to my construction and resources. After all - if I want this to be something that is shared with others through a pattern packet or packets (I do!) then I need to be careful about what materials I use. They need to be readily accessible to just about anyone who has the desire to recreate it. There is much to consider.

I don't think that this will be a project that will be for everyone. It may be over the top for much of my customer base. From a business point of view, it probably isn't the wisest of choices of places to invest my time. I fully understand that. I have had the thought of perhaps creating it in stages, where I can sell parts of the completed project as stand alone patterns themselves. That may work. I will have to see.

But I am at the point where I have toyed with the idea long enough and put it on the back burner over and over. Yet it keeps coming back to me. . . as if it is begging to be made. So I finally decided that it was "time". Practical or not, I want to see it though. If it is a bust, then so be it. At least I know I tried. Besides - creating from your heart doesn't always have to be practical, does it? I think not.

I am probably building things up to be far bigger than they really are. While this may not seem big to you all, it has occupied a lot of my thinking process these past couple of weeks. Perhaps that is how I know that "it's time."

I am going to try to weave this project in between my 'normal' work over the next few weeks (months, years?) Usually, I am pretty good at spinning a couple of plates at once, so I don't see that as a problem. I worked on getting started ove the weekend, and it actually occupied a great deal of my time. But as with most projects of this nature, getting a foothold on things in the beginning seems to be the biggest step. I fear I have little to physically show for my efforts. Just one lone drawing.

Head Hand Vertebrate Plant Neck


But oh . . . how I wish you could see inside of my head!

I promise to keep you all up to date on the progress. I will reveal more as I feel things are ready. While I am happy to have gotten this far, I can't help but feel somewhat apprehensive and also intimidated by the gauntlet that I laid down for myself here. Sharing here means commitment. Now that my thoughts are revealed, it means I must follow through. Perhaps that is just the inspiration I need.

To me, designing is more than just drawing something up on the computer. Anyone can draw lines. While I have made a lot of nice projects by doing just that, there are times when my soul needs more to feed on. It has nothing to do with making money or selling or even teaching. It is the desire to create something really outstanding and unique. Creating just for the sake of creating. That is something that I have had for as long as I can remember. If I can teach others to do so along the way - all the better.

I hope you enjoy this journey with me.

Have a wonderful Monday!
Sorry for the double post. I removed the second one. My landlord decided to "check the power" and cut the electricity momentarily. That caused the blog to post twice (How? I don't have a clue!) Anyway, the second one is gone now. Sorry to SPAM your Inbox! :)

Sheila
 

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#11,640 ·
#1536 Making Progress

Today's post will be quick. (Really!) Yesterday, as with many Mondays, I had a lot of 'odds and ends' to do to get my week started. I didn't really sit down to draw until later in the day, and while that was all well and good, I don't have much more to show you.

Add to that, I got up late today (around 8am - YIKES for me!) but since I was drawing until about 11:30 last night, I feel that my time was not wasted and I am kind of on a roll. It's all good.

I do have something nice to show you all today though. My partner Keith has been once again busy creating some word art patterns. The popularity of them has been tremendous and people are asking for more of them, so Keith has been happy to comply. This new set honors more of our Emergency Service Providers:

Rectangle Font Wood Metal Art


They are available on our site as a set (SLDK582) or you can follow the links on the set page to purchase the patterns individually. We hope you like them.

Today is a bit dark and it looks like it is raining. It is supposed to rain for the majority of the day. I don't really mind though, as it will help clean the last dirty piles of snow that are still around. Some of the piles are large and I expect it will take a couple of weeks of warmer temperatures to melt them completely.

Keith and I took my Mustang out for a ride yesterday when we did our errands. I was thrilled that after having it parked for several months through winter, it started up immediately. We had taken the battery inside for the winter, and I am sure that helped a great deal. I am making arrangements to give it its "face lift" in the next couple of weeks. It is hard to believe that I have had the car for eleven years now. It only has about 80,000 miles on it and it looks pretty good. The interior is near perfect and it has no signs of rust. However the clear coat had shown signs of wear last year and in places it has indeed began to peel. The dealership near us has a wonderful painting facility and backs their work up nicely so I have made the decision that it is worth the expense to repaint it and replace some of the trim and so forth.

After getting the work done, I will certainly be storing it inside during subsequent winters. We have several facilities nearby and I feel that it is well worth the expense. I will have to take photos of it when it is completed.

So that is it for today. I hope you all have a great and productive day. I hope to keep things moving here on my side and I will post photos when I feel they are warranted.

Enjoy your Tuesday!
 

Attachments

#11,641 ·
#1536 Making Progress

Today's post will be quick. (Really!) Yesterday, as with many Mondays, I had a lot of 'odds and ends' to do to get my week started. I didn't really sit down to draw until later in the day, and while that was all well and good, I don't have much more to show you.

Add to that, I got up late today (around 8am - YIKES for me!) but since I was drawing until about 11:30 last night, I feel that my time was not wasted and I am kind of on a roll. It's all good.

I do have something nice to show you all today though. My partner Keith has been once again busy creating some word art patterns. The popularity of them has been tremendous and people are asking for more of them, so Keith has been happy to comply. This new set honors more of our Emergency Service Providers:

Rectangle Font Wood Metal Art


They are available on our site as a set (SLDK582) or you can follow the links on the set page to purchase the patterns individually. We hope you like them.

Today is a bit dark and it looks like it is raining. It is supposed to rain for the majority of the day. I don't really mind though, as it will help clean the last dirty piles of snow that are still around. Some of the piles are large and I expect it will take a couple of weeks of warmer temperatures to melt them completely.

Keith and I took my Mustang out for a ride yesterday when we did our errands. I was thrilled that after having it parked for several months through winter, it started up immediately. We had taken the battery inside for the winter, and I am sure that helped a great deal. I am making arrangements to give it its "face lift" in the next couple of weeks. It is hard to believe that I have had the car for eleven years now. It only has about 80,000 miles on it and it looks pretty good. The interior is near perfect and it has no signs of rust. However the clear coat had shown signs of wear last year and in places it has indeed began to peel. The dealership near us has a wonderful painting facility and backs their work up nicely so I have made the decision that it is worth the expense to repaint it and replace some of the trim and so forth.

After getting the work done, I will certainly be storing it inside during subsequent winters. We have several facilities nearby and I feel that it is well worth the expense. I will have to take photos of it when it is completed.

So that is it for today. I hope you all have a great and productive day. I hope to keep things moving here on my side and I will post photos when I feel they are warranted.

Enjoy your Tuesday!
Keith's plaques are always awesome! Glad to hear the rain is washing away your snow! Spring is finally arriving eh?
 

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#11,643 ·
Learning from Mistakes

I always find it amazing how quickly things can go from uncertainty to progress.

Only a few short hours ago, I was somewhat stuck - paralyzed and afraid to move forward with things for fear of mucking things up and failing. I was thinking about several things at once on this project, as there are many things that need to be worked out. Not only the design of it, but also the construction. I had been looking at the big picture all at once, and by doing so, it appeared to be very complicated. Overwhelming even. But as I broke things down into smaller, palatable steps, each one in itself was not so intimidating. Going through things systematically and solving issues one at a time was not nearly as daunting. Things began to fall into place.The ball slowly started rolling in the other direction. Chaos gently and quietly shifted to advancement. Now I am more excite than ever.

Why is it that I keep forgetting that the key to most of these complex issues is 'patience'?

Time and time again I have had this experience. I get an idea. The idea grows. The variables multiply. Soon in my mind I have created a monster. Something large and complex and intimidating. Something "impossible". I have walked away from several potential projects because of that. I think that is a shame.

It just goes to show that we are sometimes able to think ourselves out of some good ideas. We create these bigger than life things in our minds that become so complicated that only a fool would attempt them. We may give them a half-hearted try, but as soon as we reach our first obstacle, it is as if the scales tip to the negative side and most of the time we abandon things altogether. That small stumble is enough to derail the whole thing and we feel we are foolish for ever trying it in the first place. I did not want this to happen this time.

As I mentioned the other day, this project that I am working on has been almost two year in the making. And that is before I even drew a stroke with my pen. I knew what I wanted to accomplish with it, but there was a heavy fog that I was seeing it through. The concept was vague and the logistics of things were non-existent. When I thought about starting it, I truly didn't know where to begin. Usually at that point I would become overwhelmed or busy with other things and turn my attention elsewhere. The idea would be once again tucked in the back of my mind for another time - perhaps when I was 'less busy.'

But this time around, I wanted it to happen. It is an autumn-themed project - Halloween to be exact - and if I want to pull it off for the upcoming season, now is the time to begin. Otherwise, another year will pass and the likelihood of me ever doing it will diminish. I just came to a point in my head of "just do it!" and I began.

I started thinking in earnest about it at the end of last week. It may sound silly, but it took quite a bit out of me to just pick up my pen and begin to draw. After hundreds of variations and ideas of what to include and what not to include, I decided that I would have to make a firm decision to start somewhere. Otherwise I would keep going in circles for who knows how long.

I chose to begin with the simplest of elements. Not only did that make things less intimidating for me, but it started things in motion. By doing what I felt clearly about, it helped me take those first anxious steps. I knew that once I began this journey, there would be no turning back. I am on my way.

This may sound a bit ridiculous to you all. I don't intend it to be so 'cloak and dagger.' But the fog has not lifted completely yet, and while I have a much clearer picture in my mind of how I want this project to be, many of the elements are still forming in my mind and I am not quite envisioning the end result yet. What I do see however, it pretty cool.

I have a piece to show you of what I worked on yesterday:

Wood Creative arts Art Tints and shades Triangle


I will tell you right now, that I am pleased with it.

I will also tell you that this piece will wind up in the trash can. Seriously. I encountered one of those small stumbling blocks that I mentioned above and it simply will not work. So it is destined for the garbage.

I am not upset though, as I realize that it is part of the process. If this had occurred a week ago, I may have been discouraged and given up before I had even begun. But since then, I have thought through many other parts of this project and I know that they will work. So I am forging ahead and looking at this 'hiccup' as part of the process. I learned something from the error so the time and energy was not wasted. I never had any expectations of getting through this process flawlessly. I am proud of that attitude.

"Mistakes are the portals of discovery." - James Joyce

That is about all I have to show you today. I arose early because I couldn't stop thinking about things. I couldn't wait to get at it and try again.

I know this project will probably take several weeks to create. In between working on it, I will probably devote my time and attention to some other things. But just for now, since the ball seems to be rolling, I don't want to stop the momentum and I will probably spend the next couple of days working on it. I am too excited not to do so.

I realize this may not be very exciting to some of you who read every day. But I hope that you do stop by from time to time to see where I am in the process. As I progress, I will document not only what successes I achieve, but also my mistakes. Perhaps we can all learn together.

I wish you all a wonderful Wednesday!
 

Attachments

#11,644 ·
Learning from Mistakes

I always find it amazing how quickly things can go from uncertainty to progress.

Only a few short hours ago, I was somewhat stuck - paralyzed and afraid to move forward with things for fear of mucking things up and failing. I was thinking about several things at once on this project, as there are many things that need to be worked out. Not only the design of it, but also the construction. I had been looking at the big picture all at once, and by doing so, it appeared to be very complicated. Overwhelming even. But as I broke things down into smaller, palatable steps, each one in itself was not so intimidating. Going through things systematically and solving issues one at a time was not nearly as daunting. Things began to fall into place.The ball slowly started rolling in the other direction. Chaos gently and quietly shifted to advancement. Now I am more excite than ever.

Why is it that I keep forgetting that the key to most of these complex issues is 'patience'?

Time and time again I have had this experience. I get an idea. The idea grows. The variables multiply. Soon in my mind I have created a monster. Something large and complex and intimidating. Something "impossible". I have walked away from several potential projects because of that. I think that is a shame.

It just goes to show that we are sometimes able to think ourselves out of some good ideas. We create these bigger than life things in our minds that become so complicated that only a fool would attempt them. We may give them a half-hearted try, but as soon as we reach our first obstacle, it is as if the scales tip to the negative side and most of the time we abandon things altogether. That small stumble is enough to derail the whole thing and we feel we are foolish for ever trying it in the first place. I did not want this to happen this time.

As I mentioned the other day, this project that I am working on has been almost two year in the making. And that is before I even drew a stroke with my pen. I knew what I wanted to accomplish with it, but there was a heavy fog that I was seeing it through. The concept was vague and the logistics of things were non-existent. When I thought about starting it, I truly didn't know where to begin. Usually at that point I would become overwhelmed or busy with other things and turn my attention elsewhere. The idea would be once again tucked in the back of my mind for another time - perhaps when I was 'less busy.'

But this time around, I wanted it to happen. It is an autumn-themed project - Halloween to be exact - and if I want to pull it off for the upcoming season, now is the time to begin. Otherwise, another year will pass and the likelihood of me ever doing it will diminish. I just came to a point in my head of "just do it!" and I began.

I started thinking in earnest about it at the end of last week. It may sound silly, but it took quite a bit out of me to just pick up my pen and begin to draw. After hundreds of variations and ideas of what to include and what not to include, I decided that I would have to make a firm decision to start somewhere. Otherwise I would keep going in circles for who knows how long.

I chose to begin with the simplest of elements. Not only did that make things less intimidating for me, but it started things in motion. By doing what I felt clearly about, it helped me take those first anxious steps. I knew that once I began this journey, there would be no turning back. I am on my way.

This may sound a bit ridiculous to you all. I don't intend it to be so 'cloak and dagger.' But the fog has not lifted completely yet, and while I have a much clearer picture in my mind of how I want this project to be, many of the elements are still forming in my mind and I am not quite envisioning the end result yet. What I do see however, it pretty cool.

I have a piece to show you of what I worked on yesterday:

Wood Creative arts Art Tints and shades Triangle


I will tell you right now, that I am pleased with it.

I will also tell you that this piece will wind up in the trash can. Seriously. I encountered one of those small stumbling blocks that I mentioned above and it simply will not work. So it is destined for the garbage.

I am not upset though, as I realize that it is part of the process. If this had occurred a week ago, I may have been discouraged and given up before I had even begun. But since then, I have thought through many other parts of this project and I know that they will work. So I am forging ahead and looking at this 'hiccup' as part of the process. I learned something from the error so the time and energy was not wasted. I never had any expectations of getting through this process flawlessly. I am proud of that attitude.

"Mistakes are the portals of discovery." - James Joyce

That is about all I have to show you today. I arose early because I couldn't stop thinking about things. I couldn't wait to get at it and try again.

I know this project will probably take several weeks to create. In between working on it, I will probably devote my time and attention to some other things. But just for now, since the ball seems to be rolling, I don't want to stop the momentum and I will probably spend the next couple of days working on it. I am too excited not to do so.

I realize this may not be very exciting to some of you who read every day. But I hope that you do stop by from time to time to see where I am in the process. As I progress, I will document not only what successes I achieve, but also my mistakes. Perhaps we can all learn together.

I wish you all a wonderful Wednesday!
Ok, I'm certainly curious, and waiting in eager anticipation to see what's coming.
 

Attachments

#11,649 ·
The Cast of Characters

I skipped posting yesterday because I felt there was little new that I had to show you. I know that sometimes when that happens, I find something interesting for a 'filler post', but I didn't want to take the time to think in other directions. I was on a mission.

The new project that I have begun working on has consumed me. I find myself thinking about it most of the waking hours of my day, and even as I awake momentarily in the middle of the night to roll over. It has been a long while since something has taken over so much of my thought process. I suppose that is one of the reasons that I know it is time to create. I need to get this done.

Painting the poles for the six main characters of the project took longer than I expected. It wasn't because it was difficult, but for the most part, I consciously took my time. On a good day, I am what you call a 'slow painter'. Things take me sometimes twice as long to accomplish what I see others do so quickly. But usually when I paint, I am not just pushing a paint brush around - I am thinking. Some may refer to it as daydreaming, but I prefer to think of it as planning. Envisioning. Calculating. This is especially true when I am finding my way through a new creation. I have been told that things come 'easy' to me. From the outside, it may appear to be so. But that is only because while I am slowly and methodically going through the process by outer appearances, on the inside my mind is on fast forward. Trying one method and process at a time until I figure out the best fit for the next step. One by one eliminating possibilities until I find the best one and am ready to move forward. This was especially true for what I am working on now.

I'll be honest in saying that I was terrified in moving ahead. When I got to the point on my last post where the pole was finished, I was happy with the result:

Sleeve Creative arts Art Wood Tints and shades


However, it was now time for the 'real work' and my next step would (I feel) make or break the entire project. I knew if I wasn't able to make it come out as I envisioned, I wouldn't be happy with anything else about it and I would probably need to scrap the entire idea.

After spending a good part of the day on all the usual distractions (the computer, getting the mail, tidying up the house, etc.) I held my breath and came to a point where I had to just sit down and paint. I truly didn't even realize that I was 'stalling' until I looked at the clock and it was nearly 4pm. Another day was nearly finished and while I did finish the last bit of the bases for these pieces, it should have only taken me about an hour instead of three or four. It was time to "just do it" and hope for the best.

I was happy that I flubbed the first piece that I showed you. Since then, I had re-drawn the piece to correct the error and then re-cut, sanded and painted it so I would be all caught up. That was one of the distractions - albeit a justified one. The incorrect piece came in handy though, as I used it for the first attempt when I moved forward. This way, if I messed things up again, I would still have the six good pieces that I need for my subsequent efforts. It helped ease the pressure I put on myself - just a bit.

I finally sat down and just started painting. After trying to draw on the piece first with a chalk pencil, I figured out that it only caused unnecessary hardship and decided that painting free hand worked much better. I actually liked it:

Finger Font Creative arts Art Tool


With each piece, I became more confident. One looked nicer than the next. While the first piece took me the better part of an hour to finish, by the time I got a couple under my belt, things came much easier. I think the last three pieces only took me about 20 minutes each. It was a major victory for me.

Horse Vertebrate Giraffe Giraffidae Organism


As you can tell by now, these are carousel animals. The project will be a vignette of a Haunted Carousel scene. I am going to build an entire carousel, complete with animals, benches and a canopy top. It will be situated on a lazy Susan mechanism, so it will actually spin.

Every element of it will be unique and detailed. I have been going over things in my mind and figuring out how to make it work. My goal is to not only offer the pattern, but a full wood 'kit' of pieces for those who do not cut wood, and smaller sub-kits as well for those who may not want the entire project.

The six skeletal animals are the focal points and 'stars' of the piece. I decided to have a horse, giraffe, frog, rabbit and dragon. And (of course) a cat:

Sleeve Jersey Sportswear T-shirt Rectangle


I think that these six pieces alone will make a splendid ornament set. They would look wonderful on a wreath, mantle, or even Halloween tree. I will be adding to them as I go along, and I still have a few surprises in store.

Giraffidae Font Wood Line Art


You can see now how this part of the project was so important. But there is so much more to do yet! It is probably my most ambitious project to date, and I realize that while it may or may not sell, it just had to be done. Sometimes you have to do things for yourself, and no other reason.

I am going to continue to work on this throughout the weekend. There is much to do and I have to start thinking about the next step and the next pieces. One by one I have been sorting elements out in my mind and thinking of how I will make everything come together. So far, so good.

In all honesty, I will probably deviate from this project from time to time. I am sure it will take several weeks to complete, and I think it will be good for me to do other things in between. There will be those times when I will need to step back and get away from it, so I can come back with a fresher perspective. But that is OK.

I already have drawings for other, unrelated projects that I have been working on. I was never one to meander back and forth between designs - at least not in the real world (I do it all the time in my mind). But this will be the exception.

I hope you will enjoy taking this journey with me. Sharing it here will help me keep on track and keep moving forward. I think in the end, it will be something that I will be very proud of. I hope so anyway.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend. Nearly all of our snow is gone now, except for the once huge piles on the sides of some of the roads. We have definitely made it to the other side of winter, and I can honestly say I am happy to see it go.

Happy Friday to you all! Enjoy your day!
 

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#11,650 ·
The Cast of Characters

I skipped posting yesterday because I felt there was little new that I had to show you. I know that sometimes when that happens, I find something interesting for a 'filler post', but I didn't want to take the time to think in other directions. I was on a mission.

The new project that I have begun working on has consumed me. I find myself thinking about it most of the waking hours of my day, and even as I awake momentarily in the middle of the night to roll over. It has been a long while since something has taken over so much of my thought process. I suppose that is one of the reasons that I know it is time to create. I need to get this done.

Painting the poles for the six main characters of the project took longer than I expected. It wasn't because it was difficult, but for the most part, I consciously took my time. On a good day, I am what you call a 'slow painter'. Things take me sometimes twice as long to accomplish what I see others do so quickly. But usually when I paint, I am not just pushing a paint brush around - I am thinking. Some may refer to it as daydreaming, but I prefer to think of it as planning. Envisioning. Calculating. This is especially true when I am finding my way through a new creation. I have been told that things come 'easy' to me. From the outside, it may appear to be so. But that is only because while I am slowly and methodically going through the process by outer appearances, on the inside my mind is on fast forward. Trying one method and process at a time until I figure out the best fit for the next step. One by one eliminating possibilities until I find the best one and am ready to move forward. This was especially true for what I am working on now.

I'll be honest in saying that I was terrified in moving ahead. When I got to the point on my last post where the pole was finished, I was happy with the result:



However, it was now time for the 'real work' and my next step would (I feel) make or break the entire project. I knew if I wasn't able to make it come out as I envisioned, I wouldn't be happy with anything else about it and I would probably need to scrap the entire idea.

After spending a good part of the day on all the usual distractions (the computer, getting the mail, tidying up the house, etc.) I held my breath and came to a point where I had to just sit down and paint. I truly didn't even realize that I was 'stalling' until I looked at the clock and it was nearly 4pm. Another day was nearly finished and while I did finish the last bit of the bases for these pieces, it should have only taken me about an hour instead of three or four. It was time to "just do it" and hope for the best.

I was happy that I flubbed the first piece that I showed you. Since then, I had re-drawn the piece to correct the error and then re-cut, sanded and painted it so I would be all caught up. That was one of the distractions - albeit a justified one. The incorrect piece came in handy though, as I used it for the first attempt when I moved forward. This way, if I messed things up again, I would still have the six good pieces that I need for my subsequent efforts. It helped ease the pressure I put on myself - just a bit.

I finally sat down and just started painting. After trying to draw on the piece first with a chalk pencil, I figured out that it only caused unnecessary hardship and decided that painting free hand worked much better. I actually liked it:



With each piece, I became more confident. One looked nicer than the next. While the first piece took me the better part of an hour to finish, by the time I got a couple under my belt, things came much easier. I think the last three pieces only took me about 20 minutes each. It was a major victory for me.



As you can tell by now, these are carousel animals. The project will be a vignette of a Haunted Carousel scene. I am going to build an entire carousel, complete with animals, benches and a canopy top. It will be situated on a lazy Susan mechanism, so it will actually spin.

Every element of it will be unique and detailed. I have been going over things in my mind and figuring out how to make it work. My goal is to not only offer the pattern, but a full wood 'kit' of pieces for those who do not cut wood, and smaller sub-kits as well for those who may not want the entire project.

The six skeletal animals are the focal points and 'stars' of the piece. I decided to have a horse, giraffe, frog, rabbit and dragon. And (of course) a cat:



I think that these six pieces alone will make a splendid ornament set. They would look wonderful on a wreath, mantle, or even Halloween tree. I will be adding to them as I go along, and I still have a few surprises in store.



You can see now how this part of the project was so important. But there is so much more to do yet! It is probably my most ambitious project to date, and I realize that while it may or may not sell, it just had to be done. Sometimes you have to do things for yourself, and no other reason.

I am going to continue to work on this throughout the weekend. There is much to do and I have to start thinking about the next step and the next pieces. One by one I have been sorting elements out in my mind and thinking of how I will make everything come together. So far, so good.

In all honesty, I will probably deviate from this project from time to time. I am sure it will take several weeks to complete, and I think it will be good for me to do other things in between. There will be those times when I will need to step back and get away from it, so I can come back with a fresher perspective. But that is OK.

I already have drawings for other, unrelated projects that I have been working on. I was never one to meander back and forth between designs - at least not in the real world (I do it all the time in my mind). But this will be the exception.

I hope you will enjoy taking this journey with me. Sharing it here will help me keep on track and keep moving forward. I think in the end, it will be something that I will be very proud of. I hope so anyway.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend. Nearly all of our snow is gone now, except for the once huge piles on the sides of some of the roads. We have definitely made it to the other side of winter, and I can honestly say I am happy to see it go.

Happy Friday to you all! Enjoy your day!
Those are just cool
 

Attachments

#11,653 ·
Task Lamp Steampunk Makeover

Spring has finally arrived here in Nova Scotia! After the long, harsh winter, even me - one who loves winter - was ready for a change. The days are getting longer and the air is warmer and the last remnants of snow piles are slowly disappearing.

I often find that the change of season encourages me to do some work around the house. Even though I was in the midst of my Haunted Carousel project, as well as several other things that I have on the go, on Saturday I opened up and let the warm air and sunshine in and went to town on doing my 'spring cleaning.'

I did everything from dusting the ceilings to moving all the furniture and even cleaning UNDER the area rug in our living room. It felt good to get things clean again, and while I usually keep up pretty much with things, this deep cleaning really made me feel happy. I did some work on the speakers that Keith had built, as he finished them about a week ago. I know that our do over of our computer/electronics systems was something that I was going to blog and I still intend to do that. Keith has been weaving time to work on the project in between other things, much like I do with my projects, and I will be honest - the second unit that he built has been waiting for me to paint in the middle of our bedroom floor for over a month now (probably closer to two!) So you see - I procrastinate just like everyone else on things. But the nice weather and getting things cleaned has encouraged me to get my butt moving in that direction. Besides the project I am going to show you today, I spent the weekend painting and finishing the two large sub-woofer speaker boxes that Keith built. But I will blog that soon on another day.

Today I am going to show you a smaller project that I decided to tackle. As I was moving furniture and cleaning under my sofa, for some reason it bugged me that my little task lamp that I used for my embroidery and close work by my side of the couch was so ugly. It is made of plastic and painted silver, and very "unimpressive."

Wood Gas Flooring Metal Fashion accessory


Keith and I have a decor that is pretty much black and brown. We love the "Steampunk" genre and little by little, piece by piece, we are adding to that style. With all the wonderful DecoArt paint that I have, I thought it was time to give this ugly lamp a 'face lift'.

I began by removing the bulb and carefully taping off the inside area. After all - in needs to reflect white and I didn't want to mess with it:

Hood Rectangle Automotive lighting Electronic device Plastic


I decided to use DecoArt's Multi-Surface Satin Paint.

Brown Liquid Bottle Purple Fluid


This is my absolute favorite 'go to' paint for home dec stuff such as this, which will get some handling and use. The paint needs no prep and no top coat. It is an all in one products that has really great adhesion and durability. It is the same thing I used on my Ladybug Puzzles and I have used it on many other pieces of furniture. Once cured (which takes about a week) it is strong and durable and very easy to keep clean. As with all of their paints, it is water based and odorless and I am amazed that it dries so nicely and quickly. After 20 minutes to a half hour, it is no longer sticky or tacky in the least bit and you can apply the next coat. I had found that many 'satin' type finishes that I have used in the past stay tacky for a long time. I really highly recommend this paint for anything that gets 'use' or handling. The colors are amazing as well. I decided that I was going to use the Black Tie for the base and the Chocolate Metallic as the accent color. (YES! They have them in METALLIC colors, too! They look just amazing!)

After making sure the lamp was clean, I began by using a stippler brush and gently tapping on the first coat of paint:

Sleeve Grey Bag Metal Circle


As you can see, it didn't cover completely. I didn't really feel like sanding the surface, and I probably could have done that to give it a slightly rougher feel for the paint to grab on, but since I wanted somewhat of a texture, it didn't find it necessary. When painting a smooth, non-porous surface such as plastic (like this) we need to understand that it will take two or probably three coats of paint before we get coverage. Painting THICKER and using MORE paint at a time will not make it better. It will usually create a MESS! The key here is to be PATIENT and allow the paint to work with the surface we are painting.

By the second coat, there was much better coverage as you can see:

Hand Finger Wood Flooring Automotive tire


(Sorry the photo is slightly blurry!) But you can see the paint held on better and the coverage was much stronger. I still allowed this to 'dry' for another hour or so and applied a third coat. I then had my solid black, but slightly textured finish that I was seeking.

I allowed this to sit overnight on Saturday and then continued on Sunday. That way I was sure that the paint was completely air-dried (although I realized it would not be cured for a week!)

I next took the Chocolate paint and did a sponging effect:

Plant Tree Musical instrument Electric blue Wood


Gas Composite material Circle Metal Nickel


Isn't it amazing??? I was really thrilled with the results! I painted the joined areas with Solid Chocolate paint to give a finished look:

Household hardware Metal Auto part Nickel Engineering


But I wasn't done there . . .

I wanted to give it a 'Steampunk' look - remember? So I decided to use the hot-fix Nailheads that I had on hand from Rhinestone Canada.

Wood Watch Rim Tints and shades Bicycle part


I will tell you - I fell in LOVE with Rhinestone Canada all over again! I used the 6mm Brown Nailheads which cost only 90 cents per GROSS! I was amazed at just how strong the glue was on them - even on the fresh paint. When I finished the trim around the light, I was really thrilled with the result:

Bicycle Bicycle part Microphone Bicycle handlebar Eyewear


How cool is that? I think I surprised myself on this one!

I decided to add a few around the base:

Musical instrument Bicycle part Rim Gas Automotive tire


As well as on the middle trim piece:

Composite material Metal Nickel Steel Engineering


. . . and here is a better picture of the head of the lamp finished:

Natural material Metal Fashion accessory Composite material


Pretty darn cool, I think!

Here is the final photo of the finished lamp:

Wood Gas Handle Metal Chair


I think it is much more attractive than the bland silver. And it looks like it fits right in with our decor. I honestly don't want to put it back in the corner at the side of the couch. I want it to be "seen"!

Edgar likes it too:

Eye Sleeve Purple Hat Art


And it only cost me a couple of dollars! I don't even think I went through one 2oz bottle of black paint and I certainly didn't use much of the Chocolate Metallic paint. The nailheads cost about 40 cents, too. I would think that this entire project cost me about $7 or less to complete. Not too bad!

I hope you enjoyed seeing this transformation. There are so many fun things you can do just with PAINT and some little accents. Let's face it - if I had purchased that lamp from a store looking like that, it would probably have come from China and still been plastic and cost me many times as much just because it looks more 'finished'. On another blog, I will show the technique I used for the marble effect, although I just looked up "Faux Marbling" on YouTube and looked at a couple of videos. There really is no way to screw it up. If you put too much of the secondary color, you just go over with the base and start again. "Easy-Peasy"!!

I hope this inspires you a little. Today I will get back to my carousel. Getting away from it for a couple of days really did help me think through some things. I think I figured out the perfect way to get the characters to stay on the base. It is going to be great!

Happy Monday to you all! Have a wonderful and creative week!
 

Attachments

#11,654 ·
Task Lamp Steampunk Makeover

Spring has finally arrived here in Nova Scotia! After the long, harsh winter, even me - one who loves winter - was ready for a change. The days are getting longer and the air is warmer and the last remnants of snow piles are slowly disappearing.

I often find that the change of season encourages me to do some work around the house. Even though I was in the midst of my Haunted Carousel project, as well as several other things that I have on the go, on Saturday I opened up and let the warm air and sunshine in and went to town on doing my 'spring cleaning.'

I did everything from dusting the ceilings to moving all the furniture and even cleaning UNDER the area rug in our living room. It felt good to get things clean again, and while I usually keep up pretty much with things, this deep cleaning really made me feel happy. I did some work on the speakers that Keith had built, as he finished them about a week ago. I know that our do over of our computer/electronics systems was something that I was going to blog and I still intend to do that. Keith has been weaving time to work on the project in between other things, much like I do with my projects, and I will be honest - the second unit that he built has been waiting for me to paint in the middle of our bedroom floor for over a month now (probably closer to two!) So you see - I procrastinate just like everyone else on things. But the nice weather and getting things cleaned has encouraged me to get my butt moving in that direction. Besides the project I am going to show you today, I spent the weekend painting and finishing the two large sub-woofer speaker boxes that Keith built. But I will blog that soon on another day.

Today I am going to show you a smaller project that I decided to tackle. As I was moving furniture and cleaning under my sofa, for some reason it bugged me that my little task lamp that I used for my embroidery and close work by my side of the couch was so ugly. It is made of plastic and painted silver, and very "unimpressive."

Wood Gas Flooring Metal Fashion accessory


Keith and I have a decor that is pretty much black and brown. We love the "Steampunk" genre and little by little, piece by piece, we are adding to that style. With all the wonderful DecoArt paint that I have, I thought it was time to give this ugly lamp a 'face lift'.

I began by removing the bulb and carefully taping off the inside area. After all - in needs to reflect white and I didn't want to mess with it:

Hood Rectangle Automotive lighting Electronic device Plastic


I decided to use DecoArt's Multi-Surface Satin Paint.

Brown Liquid Bottle Purple Fluid


This is my absolute favorite 'go to' paint for home dec stuff such as this, which will get some handling and use. The paint needs no prep and no top coat. It is an all in one products that has really great adhesion and durability. It is the same thing I used on my Ladybug Puzzles and I have used it on many other pieces of furniture. Once cured (which takes about a week) it is strong and durable and very easy to keep clean. As with all of their paints, it is water based and odorless and I am amazed that it dries so nicely and quickly. After 20 minutes to a half hour, it is no longer sticky or tacky in the least bit and you can apply the next coat. I had found that many 'satin' type finishes that I have used in the past stay tacky for a long time. I really highly recommend this paint for anything that gets 'use' or handling. The colors are amazing as well. I decided that I was going to use the Black Tie for the base and the Chocolate Metallic as the accent color. (YES! They have them in METALLIC colors, too! They look just amazing!)

After making sure the lamp was clean, I began by using a stippler brush and gently tapping on the first coat of paint:

Sleeve Grey Bag Metal Circle


As you can see, it didn't cover completely. I didn't really feel like sanding the surface, and I probably could have done that to give it a slightly rougher feel for the paint to grab on, but since I wanted somewhat of a texture, it didn't find it necessary. When painting a smooth, non-porous surface such as plastic (like this) we need to understand that it will take two or probably three coats of paint before we get coverage. Painting THICKER and using MORE paint at a time will not make it better. It will usually create a MESS! The key here is to be PATIENT and allow the paint to work with the surface we are painting.

By the second coat, there was much better coverage as you can see:

Hand Finger Wood Flooring Automotive tire


(Sorry the photo is slightly blurry!) But you can see the paint held on better and the coverage was much stronger. I still allowed this to 'dry' for another hour or so and applied a third coat. I then had my solid black, but slightly textured finish that I was seeking.

I allowed this to sit overnight on Saturday and then continued on Sunday. That way I was sure that the paint was completely air-dried (although I realized it would not be cured for a week!)

I next took the Chocolate paint and did a sponging effect:

Plant Tree Musical instrument Electric blue Wood


Gas Composite material Circle Metal Nickel


Isn't it amazing??? I was really thrilled with the results! I painted the joined areas with Solid Chocolate paint to give a finished look:

Household hardware Metal Auto part Nickel Engineering


But I wasn't done there . . .

I wanted to give it a 'Steampunk' look - remember? So I decided to use the hot-fix Nailheads that I had on hand from Rhinestone Canada.

Wood Watch Rim Tints and shades Bicycle part


I will tell you - I fell in LOVE with Rhinestone Canada all over again! I used the 6mm Brown Nailheads which cost only 90 cents per GROSS! I was amazed at just how strong the glue was on them - even on the fresh paint. When I finished the trim around the light, I was really thrilled with the result:

Bicycle Bicycle part Microphone Bicycle handlebar Eyewear


How cool is that? I think I surprised myself on this one!

I decided to add a few around the base:

Musical instrument Bicycle part Rim Gas Automotive tire


As well as on the middle trim piece:

Composite material Metal Nickel Steel Engineering


. . . and here is a better picture of the head of the lamp finished:

Natural material Metal Fashion accessory Composite material


Pretty darn cool, I think!

Here is the final photo of the finished lamp:

Wood Gas Handle Metal Chair


I think it is much more attractive than the bland silver. And it looks like it fits right in with our decor. I honestly don't want to put it back in the corner at the side of the couch. I want it to be "seen"!

Edgar likes it too:

Eye Sleeve Purple Hat Art


And it only cost me a couple of dollars! I don't even think I went through one 2oz bottle of black paint and I certainly didn't use much of the Chocolate Metallic paint. The nailheads cost about 40 cents, too. I would think that this entire project cost me about $7 or less to complete. Not too bad!

I hope you enjoyed seeing this transformation. There are so many fun things you can do just with PAINT and some little accents. Let's face it - if I had purchased that lamp from a store looking like that, it would probably have come from China and still been plastic and cost me many times as much just because it looks more 'finished'. On another blog, I will show the technique I used for the marble effect, although I just looked up "Faux Marbling" on YouTube and looked at a couple of videos. There really is no way to screw it up. If you put too much of the secondary color, you just go over with the base and start again. "Easy-Peasy"!!

I hope this inspires you a little. Today I will get back to my carousel. Getting away from it for a couple of days really did help me think through some things. I think I figured out the perfect way to get the characters to stay on the base. It is going to be great!

Happy Monday to you all! Have a wonderful and creative week!
I like that transformation on the lamp. Steam punk is cool cool.
 

Attachments

#11,661 ·
Carousel Canopy and Stands for the Figures

I have never been really 'fast' when I am creating a new design. Whether it is the process of making one of my own creations or following the instructions of someone else, things just seem to take me a long time. Often people mention how quickly I produce new projects, and I find that rather odd. It seems that more times than not, I take quite a bit longer than I anticipate to complete anything that I am working on. I think that I can attribute the illusion of me working so quickly with the fact that I spend a large portion of my days on whatever is in front of me at the time. I lose track of the hours and my days go by very quickly it seems.

As many of you who have been reading lately know, the current project that is taking up my days is my Haunted Carousel. Bit by bit this project is coming together, but it isn't without its' stumbling blocks. I don't take these pitfalls as failures, but I embrace them as tools for learning. As I solve each issue, I am learning more and more about construction and what will work and what will not. I believe it will help me in future projects and not only make more things possible, but also teach my customers some things as well.

The biggest issue that I have encountered with this project is creating the pieces so that someone with very little woodworking experience is able to recreate it easily and efficiently. I have a very limited amount of tools here (basically a scroll saw, drill press and sander) and I want to be able to make kits that include many, if not all the pieces so that the final customer only needs common household items like paint and glue to complete the project. I think that the least amount of running around to find supplies for this would be to my best advantage. Since the boards that make up the carousel floor and ceiling are going to be about 16" wide, the package that will contain the kit will cost a certain amount to ship. We all know that shipping is expensive, and after it reaches a certain point, adding pieces doesn't really raise the cost. So I may as well include just about every piece that I can to make the kits complete. I know my customers will appreciate that.

I spent the last couple of days working on the large canopy for the carousel as well as the stands for the figures. While it would have been nice to have everything fall into place immediately, that wasn't really the case.

I actually did three mock-ups of the canopy and there was a great deal of consideration involved. The carousel is going to have eight figures, so I felt that the canopy that will create the roof of it should be divided into 24 sections. However, since it needs to be angled like a tent, it involved much more than drawing a circle and evenly dividing it into 24 equal parts. there needs to be overlap where the canopy joins, and the amount of space that will overlap will directly effect the height and angle of the top. After two tries and getting to a point that I was happy, I noticed that the overhang of the canopy was too long. While it looked nice and decorative, it dropped too far and made it difficult to see what was underneath.

Back to drawing . . .

I finally got everything to where I think it will look good. I spent the remainder of the evening painting it, although I am not finished yet. But so far it looks nice and I am happy.

The next thing to consider was the stand of the carousel animals. Since I want to be able to offer them as an ornament kit, I created them out of 1/8" wood. I considered clay for the bases, much like I used for my SLDP201 Mini-Skating Pond Vignette Kit:

World Cartoon Gesture Art Fun


But while the clay looked nice for the figures here and resembled snow, it wouldn't do for the carousel.

The 1/8" thickness of the wood didn't allow me to dowel or post the figures into another piece of wood. So I decided that I would make a two tiered stand for each figure in the shape of a spider web. The two levels not only added to the stability of the pieces, but allowed me to insert a flat disc magnet underneath so that I could glue flat, metal washers onto the base and the figures would be able to be easily set up and removed. This will help in storing the large piece when the season is over.

To further impove the stands, I decided to make them in the shape of spider webs, to add to the spookiness of the piece. I am going to paint them today.

Orange Font Wood Terrestrial animal Cryptid


Little by little. Step by step. Things are slowly coming together. I find that the projects like this - those that require the most 'thinking' - are usually the best ones in the long run. My goal is that when my customers receive their kits, they are easily and confidently able to create their vignette. The thought and time that I am putting in now is a real investment in what I hope to be a long term successful project. There is no other way that I would do it.

I skipped posting yesterday and may do so again from time to time. While many of you have expressed that you enjoy seeing the building process of this project, there are times when things simply just take more than one day or one go at it to be successful. When I am in the middle of things and they aren't quite figured out yet, I find that it is better to lay low and keep working. But my absence here will probably mean that I am making progress - so it isn't bad at all.

After the canopy, stands, and ceiling are completed, I will be moving ahead to create the two benches as well as the central pillar. The pillar will be the most important part, as it will not only support the roof and canopy completely, but will have some beautiful artwork on it as well. I have some ideas as to how I want to proceed with it, but I need to make sure I do it right. It will be the heart of the construction of this piece.

So much to consider . . .

I thank you for all of your supportive comments on the project so far. It is really nice to see it come to life. I know I have to get back to creating 'regular' patterns soon, but I just want to focus on this for a little while more. I am on a roll. . .

It is dark and stormy today - typical of 'spring'. The last small piles of snow are still evident, although they are shrinking every day. It will be good to see the buds and green grass. I am sure it will come soon.

Happy Thursday to you al! Have a wonderful and creative day!
 

Attachments

#11,662 ·
Carousel Canopy and Stands for the Figures

I have never been really 'fast' when I am creating a new design. Whether it is the process of making one of my own creations or following the instructions of someone else, things just seem to take me a long time. Often people mention how quickly I produce new projects, and I find that rather odd. It seems that more times than not, I take quite a bit longer than I anticipate to complete anything that I am working on. I think that I can attribute the illusion of me working so quickly with the fact that I spend a large portion of my days on whatever is in front of me at the time. I lose track of the hours and my days go by very quickly it seems.

As many of you who have been reading lately know, the current project that is taking up my days is my Haunted Carousel. Bit by bit this project is coming together, but it isn't without its' stumbling blocks. I don't take these pitfalls as failures, but I embrace them as tools for learning. As I solve each issue, I am learning more and more about construction and what will work and what will not. I believe it will help me in future projects and not only make more things possible, but also teach my customers some things as well.

The biggest issue that I have encountered with this project is creating the pieces so that someone with very little woodworking experience is able to recreate it easily and efficiently. I have a very limited amount of tools here (basically a scroll saw, drill press and sander) and I want to be able to make kits that include many, if not all the pieces so that the final customer only needs common household items like paint and glue to complete the project. I think that the least amount of running around to find supplies for this would be to my best advantage. Since the boards that make up the carousel floor and ceiling are going to be about 16" wide, the package that will contain the kit will cost a certain amount to ship. We all know that shipping is expensive, and after it reaches a certain point, adding pieces doesn't really raise the cost. So I may as well include just about every piece that I can to make the kits complete. I know my customers will appreciate that.

I spent the last couple of days working on the large canopy for the carousel as well as the stands for the figures. While it would have been nice to have everything fall into place immediately, that wasn't really the case.

I actually did three mock-ups of the canopy and there was a great deal of consideration involved. The carousel is going to have eight figures, so I felt that the canopy that will create the roof of it should be divided into 24 sections. However, since it needs to be angled like a tent, it involved much more than drawing a circle and evenly dividing it into 24 equal parts. there needs to be overlap where the canopy joins, and the amount of space that will overlap will directly effect the height and angle of the top. After two tries and getting to a point that I was happy, I noticed that the overhang of the canopy was too long. While it looked nice and decorative, it dropped too far and made it difficult to see what was underneath.

Back to drawing . . .

I finally got everything to where I think it will look good. I spent the remainder of the evening painting it, although I am not finished yet. But so far it looks nice and I am happy.

The next thing to consider was the stand of the carousel animals. Since I want to be able to offer them as an ornament kit, I created them out of 1/8" wood. I considered clay for the bases, much like I used for my SLDP201 Mini-Skating Pond Vignette Kit:

World Cartoon Gesture Art Fun


But while the clay looked nice for the figures here and resembled snow, it wouldn't do for the carousel.

The 1/8" thickness of the wood didn't allow me to dowel or post the figures into another piece of wood. So I decided that I would make a two tiered stand for each figure in the shape of a spider web. The two levels not only added to the stability of the pieces, but allowed me to insert a flat disc magnet underneath so that I could glue flat, metal washers onto the base and the figures would be able to be easily set up and removed. This will help in storing the large piece when the season is over.

To further impove the stands, I decided to make them in the shape of spider webs, to add to the spookiness of the piece. I am going to paint them today.

Orange Font Wood Terrestrial animal Cryptid


Little by little. Step by step. Things are slowly coming together. I find that the projects like this - those that require the most 'thinking' - are usually the best ones in the long run. My goal is that when my customers receive their kits, they are easily and confidently able to create their vignette. The thought and time that I am putting in now is a real investment in what I hope to be a long term successful project. There is no other way that I would do it.

I skipped posting yesterday and may do so again from time to time. While many of you have expressed that you enjoy seeing the building process of this project, there are times when things simply just take more than one day or one go at it to be successful. When I am in the middle of things and they aren't quite figured out yet, I find that it is better to lay low and keep working. But my absence here will probably mean that I am making progress - so it isn't bad at all.

After the canopy, stands, and ceiling are completed, I will be moving ahead to create the two benches as well as the central pillar. The pillar will be the most important part, as it will not only support the roof and canopy completely, but will have some beautiful artwork on it as well. I have some ideas as to how I want to proceed with it, but I need to make sure I do it right. It will be the heart of the construction of this piece.

So much to consider . . .

I thank you for all of your supportive comments on the project so far. It is really nice to see it come to life. I know I have to get back to creating 'regular' patterns soon, but I just want to focus on this for a little while more. I am on a roll. . .

It is dark and stormy today - typical of 'spring'. The last small piles of snow are still evident, although they are shrinking every day. It will be good to see the buds and green grass. I am sure it will come soon.

Happy Thursday to you al! Have a wonderful and creative day!
The dragon skeleton is fantastic!
 

Attachments

#11,670 ·
"Scary-Go-Round" Progress

I was absolutely thrilled with the progress that I made yesterday on my "Scary-Go-Round" painted carousel project! After all the thinking and planning, I think it is coming together rather nicely. I was debating on whether I was going to put it aside for a little bit and do some other work, but I can't help but keep moving forward and forging ahead. As each element is completed, I find myself wanting to hurry and get to the next part. It is wonderful to see my ideas turning into reality.

Yesterday I finished the work on the canopy top. The canopy is made from Roc-Lon fabric, which is a dream to use with projects such as this. Roc-Lon is a coated, almost canvas-like fabric that is used for lining draperies. It is very inexpensive (about $6 USD per 50" wide yard) and is excellent for things like banners and other home-dec applications. It is not quite as thick as canvas, and you can cut it to any shape without worrying about it unraveling or fraying, so it needs no edge seam. It holds up wonderfully in outdoor applications and takes paint beautifully. And it is absolutely wonderful to paint on. I usually roll on a neutral base coat with a small paint roller and go from there. I know I will be using it lots more in future projects.

As of yesterday's post, I had the main colors of the banner base coated and partially shaded. Yesterday I finished the shading, and added gold metallic division lines between the stripes. I also painted eight different silhouettes on each of the canopy overhang sections, and I couldn't help but add some wonderful brass hot-fix nailheads that I got from Rhinestone Canada. You see me recommending them all the time, and I will continue to do so. Their products are absolutely amazing and the cost is so reasonable! (The 4mm hot-fix nailheads were $ .55 per gross and the 6mm nailheads are $.90 per gross!) You simply place them with tweezers and touch the wand to them for about 4-5 seconds. The adhesive on the back melts them into the fabric (or wood or whatever) and they are on for GOOD. I seriously tried to pick one of the nailheads off, and I would have destroyed the fabric doing so. I can't believe that they adhere so well! But what is nice is if you touch the heat wand to them, you can re-position them by gently sliding them around a bit while the adhesive is hot. They are awesome and really made the canopy look incredible!

Dishware Orange Creative arts Art Symmetry


Initially I had painted the red dots for eyes in each of the characters, but I decided to add some 2mm crystal hot-fix rhinestones to make them look even better:

Table Lamp Undergarment Font Tints and shades


Whatcha' think??

Next was the issue of the stands. Each of the six haunted figures is created from 1//8" plywood.

Art Font Wood Auto part Logo


I wanted them to stand on the carousel and be held into place. This was one of the most challenging things for me to figure out. So what I decided to do was this -

Art Toy Font Tail Symbol


Each figure would have a 'spider web' stand created out of two tiers. The thicker, 1/4" tear on the bottom would be drilled out to hold a small, but strong Rare Earth magnet. This will make the pieces easily removable for storage. The top tier will be scrolled to accommodate the 1/8" pole that each figure rides on. I loved the spider web shape, as it was fun and would certainly add to the 'spookiness' of the vignette.

Sleeve Fin Tail Felidae Toy


I am thrilled at how balanced and solid these feel - even without the magnets in place. Wouldn't these look fun along a mantle?? Or even on a shelf draped with those stringy spider webs? I plan on selling a pattern/ornament set of just the figures for those who are not as ambitious to create the entire carousel. I think they would make wonderful stand-alone figures!

I had a ball painting them, too! I used a new product (new to ME!) from Jacquard called "PearlEx Powdered Pigment".

Liquid Bottle Fluid Camera accessory Chemical compound


I know it has been around a while, and this is the first time I had the opportunity to use it. I got mine from another great company that I discovered called Dharma Trading Company. You can find them here: http://www.dharmatrading.com/paints/pearl-ex-pigments.html I have ordered three times from Dharma in the past six months or so and I find them to be a wonderful company. Their prices are really the best around and they ship the same day. I had a question about a product and I was answered within a very short time. I am sure that I will be purchasing from them more often. I hope you check them out.

In using the Pearl Ex, you need very LITTLE to achieve an amazing result. I wound up buying the Pearl Ex "The Works" Set and a couple of larger jars of colors that I will use more, like the clear pearls and a couple of metallic colors as well. I probably used a QUARTER of the size of a PEA of powder in about a teaspoon of paint to get this amazing effect. These little powders go a LONG way! I added them to the DecoArt Glow In The Dark paint and painted a thin layer over each web piece.

Creative arts Rectangle Musical instrument Electric blue Pattern


The color I used to get this eerie glow is called "Interference Blue". It is a duo-tone that looks pearl from one angle and has a beautiful blue shimmer from other angles. Just the spooky look I was going for. (They also have Interference Green and I was going back and forth as to use that. I may swipe a thin coat on the 'bones' of my figures before I call the project done. We will just have to see!) As a final touch, I added a small spider on each web, with a hot-fix 2mm crystal body. Doesn't it look cool??

Today I am drawing up the central pillar and I will be working on that, the ceiling and the two remaining benches, as well as the floor over the weekend. As each piece comes to life, I am more and more excited.

Thank you all for your kind comments so far. I am really pleased that you are getting as excited as I am about seeing this project finished.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend and a happy Friday! I hope you have fun and do something that will feed your soul! :)
 

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#11,671 ·
"Scary-Go-Round" Progress

I was absolutely thrilled with the progress that I made yesterday on my "Scary-Go-Round" painted carousel project! After all the thinking and planning, I think it is coming together rather nicely. I was debating on whether I was going to put it aside for a little bit and do some other work, but I can't help but keep moving forward and forging ahead. As each element is completed, I find myself wanting to hurry and get to the next part. It is wonderful to see my ideas turning into reality.

Yesterday I finished the work on the canopy top. The canopy is made from Roc-Lon fabric, which is a dream to use with projects such as this. Roc-Lon is a coated, almost canvas-like fabric that is used for lining draperies. It is very inexpensive (about $6 USD per 50" wide yard) and is excellent for things like banners and other home-dec applications. It is not quite as thick as canvas, and you can cut it to any shape without worrying about it unraveling or fraying, so it needs no edge seam. It holds up wonderfully in outdoor applications and takes paint beautifully. And it is absolutely wonderful to paint on. I usually roll on a neutral base coat with a small paint roller and go from there. I know I will be using it lots more in future projects.

As of yesterday's post, I had the main colors of the banner base coated and partially shaded. Yesterday I finished the shading, and added gold metallic division lines between the stripes. I also painted eight different silhouettes on each of the canopy overhang sections, and I couldn't help but add some wonderful brass hot-fix nailheads that I got from Rhinestone Canada. You see me recommending them all the time, and I will continue to do so. Their products are absolutely amazing and the cost is so reasonable! (The 4mm hot-fix nailheads were $ .55 per gross and the 6mm nailheads are $.90 per gross!) You simply place them with tweezers and touch the wand to them for about 4-5 seconds. The adhesive on the back melts them into the fabric (or wood or whatever) and they are on for GOOD. I seriously tried to pick one of the nailheads off, and I would have destroyed the fabric doing so. I can't believe that they adhere so well! But what is nice is if you touch the heat wand to them, you can re-position them by gently sliding them around a bit while the adhesive is hot. They are awesome and really made the canopy look incredible!

Dishware Orange Creative arts Art Symmetry


Initially I had painted the red dots for eyes in each of the characters, but I decided to add some 2mm crystal hot-fix rhinestones to make them look even better:

Table Lamp Undergarment Font Tints and shades


Whatcha' think??

Next was the issue of the stands. Each of the six haunted figures is created from 1//8" plywood.

Art Font Wood Auto part Logo


I wanted them to stand on the carousel and be held into place. This was one of the most challenging things for me to figure out. So what I decided to do was this -

Art Toy Font Tail Symbol


Each figure would have a 'spider web' stand created out of two tiers. The thicker, 1/4" tear on the bottom would be drilled out to hold a small, but strong Rare Earth magnet. This will make the pieces easily removable for storage. The top tier will be scrolled to accommodate the 1/8" pole that each figure rides on. I loved the spider web shape, as it was fun and would certainly add to the 'spookiness' of the vignette.

Sleeve Fin Tail Felidae Toy


I am thrilled at how balanced and solid these feel - even without the magnets in place. Wouldn't these look fun along a mantle?? Or even on a shelf draped with those stringy spider webs? I plan on selling a pattern/ornament set of just the figures for those who are not as ambitious to create the entire carousel. I think they would make wonderful stand-alone figures!

I had a ball painting them, too! I used a new product (new to ME!) from Jacquard called "PearlEx Powdered Pigment".

Liquid Bottle Fluid Camera accessory Chemical compound


I know it has been around a while, and this is the first time I had the opportunity to use it. I got mine from another great company that I discovered called Dharma Trading Company. You can find them here: http://www.dharmatrading.com/paints/pearl-ex-pigments.html I have ordered three times from Dharma in the past six months or so and I find them to be a wonderful company. Their prices are really the best around and they ship the same day. I had a question about a product and I was answered within a very short time. I am sure that I will be purchasing from them more often. I hope you check them out.

In using the Pearl Ex, you need very LITTLE to achieve an amazing result. I wound up buying the Pearl Ex "The Works" Set and a couple of larger jars of colors that I will use more, like the clear pearls and a couple of metallic colors as well. I probably used a QUARTER of the size of a PEA of powder in about a teaspoon of paint to get this amazing effect. These little powders go a LONG way! I added them to the DecoArt Glow In The Dark paint and painted a thin layer over each web piece.

Creative arts Rectangle Musical instrument Electric blue Pattern


The color I used to get this eerie glow is called "Interference Blue". It is a duo-tone that looks pearl from one angle and has a beautiful blue shimmer from other angles. Just the spooky look I was going for. (They also have Interference Green and I was going back and forth as to use that. I may swipe a thin coat on the 'bones' of my figures before I call the project done. We will just have to see!) As a final touch, I added a small spider on each web, with a hot-fix 2mm crystal body. Doesn't it look cool??

Today I am drawing up the central pillar and I will be working on that, the ceiling and the two remaining benches, as well as the floor over the weekend. As each piece comes to life, I am more and more excited.

Thank you all for your kind comments so far. I am really pleased that you are getting as excited as I am about seeing this project finished.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend and a happy Friday! I hope you have fun and do something that will feed your soul! :)
This is turning out so beautifully Sheila! Great construction ideas. I like that you are incorporating the magnets so the pieces can be removed for easier storage. I'm happy to hear that you will be doing a Christmas one :)
 

Attachments

#11,676 ·
Electronics Makeover Complete Plus NEW Plaque Patterns

I was so thrilled to have such a productive weekend! Even though I am 'busy' most days, it sometimes seems like there are times when we feel like we are working hard and in the end, little is accomplished. (Or little is noticed, anyway!) But this weekend, we made big strides on both our home organizational project that we began a couple of months ago, and also I made progress on my "Scary-Go-Round" Haunted Carousel. I woke up today ready to take on another week and the world in general. I love when I feel like this!

First of all, I am going to show you the final result of our organizational project that we did for our wall of electronics that is in our main living area. Here is a photo of the "before" look:

Brown Public address system Sound box Electronic instrument Studio monitor


It worked for us for a while, but we felt that it was rather messy looking and a bit of an eyesore. From left to right, the components are as follows:

-Left speakers (Large black bottom speakers are sub-woofers which Keith built. The tops speakers are the NEW high and mid-range speakers that is built over the winter (much nicer and better sounding than the previous ones we had)

-Then comes Keith's computer

-Next is TV stand with shelves for components - Top shelf holds modem, phone module (we get our phone service through the computer using Vonage - we can call all over the world with it), router on the top shelf, the main amp is on the middle shelf, and the sub-woofer amp is on the bottom. The new amp that Keith built is the light colored component to the right, standing on its side.

-Next are the right speakers.

-Then that's my computer.

-Finally, our old Canon Printer sitting on top of our Canon scanner.

We both have remote monitors and wireless keyboards and mice and each monitor is held into place with a modular arm at our respective ends of our couch. Everything is networked together and the sound systems are shared using optical connections. We are even able to share our computer screens on the large TV monitor. We have no cable service and watch all of our shows through the computer. You could say that this wall is our entire communication system

While we have seen worse, we still felt this was rather messy looking. When we decided to upgrade to a better and larger printer and new speakers, we thought we would also make new furniture to custom fit the pieces and make everything look nicer and more like 'furniture' and less like a dorm room.

Keith gets all the credit for the builds. His electronics background helped him create some WICKED sounding speakers. Everything we play - from shows to our favorite music - sounds wonderful. the music is crisp and clear and the movies and shows are also wonderful. He did a great job! My job was to paint the components. I used DecoArt's Multi-Surface Satin paint for all the pieces.

Brown Liquid Bottle Purple Fluid


This is a great furniture piant that dries to a durable, satiny finish. It requires no undercoat OR top sealer which makes it fast and easy. It levels out so nicely, too and there are vertually no brush strokes. Everything that I used it on looks professionally finished. And like all DecoArt products, it is water based for easy clean up and has no odor. And because it dries so quickly (I could really add another coat within about 15 minutes) it allows you to get the job done fast. While it is recommended to allow it to cure for seven days, after a couple of hours it is completely dry to the touch and has no tacky or sticky feel like most of these types of paint have. I have used it on several of my much used furniture pieces already and I can attest to the durability and beauty.

I finished painting the TV stand/shelving unit on Saturday. Then yesterday, we spent the day re-wiring and reorganizing the entire wall of components. Here is the finished result:

Studio monitor Entertainment Home appliance Audio equipment Electronic instrument


Isn't it awesome? (I am sorry for the glare in the photo. I had back lighting from the window)

From left to right it is as follows:

-Left speakers (NEW subs on the bottom - Much more attractive and they sound completely awesome!)

-I put a little storage trunk in the space so the kitties could get up to look out the window.

-TV stand which holds all three amps.

-Right speakers

-Computer/printer stand which holds our new, larger printer, cordless headphones on the top shelf, Keith's and my computer on the bottom, and in the middle section there are three shelves which hold the modem, router, phone component and telephone. Everything is beautiful and neat and you can actually see the floor.

I promise to show more photos of the wiring and details later. You would not believe the amount of wires and things that are back there. Even with all of our 'wireless' components (mice, keyboards, printer, etc.) there were TONS of wires to deal with to get everything connected properly. But it all worked as soon as we cranked it up. Keith did a great job!

We didn't finish until around supper time. It wasn't until then when I was able to BEGIN painting on my carousel. I worked on it until about midnight and I completed the floor of the carousel. Here is a little peek at it:

Dishware Tableware Sleeve Wood Rectangle


I am thrilled with it so far. Today I will work on the cieling and the finale that goes at the top. Then on to the benches and the central pillar. I hope to have it close to being done by the weekend.

I wanted to also quickly mention that Keith created and posted two new patterns for you to enjoy. His first one is SLDK585 When Prayers Go Up . . Plaque:

Brown Handwriting Rectangle Wood Font


And the second one is SLDK586 Let Your Faith Plaque Pattern:

Brown Rectangle Petal Font Wood


We hope you enjoy them.

I can't wait to get to painting on the ceiling of my "Scary-Go-Round" today. As I complete each component, I get more and more excited. I hope you enjoyed seeing our little organizational makeover, too. We hope it is inspiring to you and encourages you to do your own 'makeover'!

Happy Monday, everyone!
 

Attachments

#11,677 ·
Electronics Makeover Complete Plus NEW Plaque Patterns

I was so thrilled to have such a productive weekend! Even though I am 'busy' most days, it sometimes seems like there are times when we feel like we are working hard and in the end, little is accomplished. (Or little is noticed, anyway!) But this weekend, we made big strides on both our home organizational project that we began a couple of months ago, and also I made progress on my "Scary-Go-Round" Haunted Carousel. I woke up today ready to take on another week and the world in general. I love when I feel like this!

First of all, I am going to show you the final result of our organizational project that we did for our wall of electronics that is in our main living area. Here is a photo of the "before" look:

Brown Public address system Sound box Electronic instrument Studio monitor


It worked for us for a while, but we felt that it was rather messy looking and a bit of an eyesore. From left to right, the components are as follows:

-Left speakers (Large black bottom speakers are sub-woofers which Keith built. The tops speakers are the NEW high and mid-range speakers that is built over the winter (much nicer and better sounding than the previous ones we had)

-Then comes Keith's computer

-Next is TV stand with shelves for components - Top shelf holds modem, phone module (we get our phone service through the computer using Vonage - we can call all over the world with it), router on the top shelf, the main amp is on the middle shelf, and the sub-woofer amp is on the bottom. The new amp that Keith built is the light colored component to the right, standing on its side.

-Next are the right speakers.

-Then that's my computer.

-Finally, our old Canon Printer sitting on top of our Canon scanner.

We both have remote monitors and wireless keyboards and mice and each monitor is held into place with a modular arm at our respective ends of our couch. Everything is networked together and the sound systems are shared using optical connections. We are even able to share our computer screens on the large TV monitor. We have no cable service and watch all of our shows through the computer. You could say that this wall is our entire communication system

While we have seen worse, we still felt this was rather messy looking. When we decided to upgrade to a better and larger printer and new speakers, we thought we would also make new furniture to custom fit the pieces and make everything look nicer and more like 'furniture' and less like a dorm room.

Keith gets all the credit for the builds. His electronics background helped him create some WICKED sounding speakers. Everything we play - from shows to our favorite music - sounds wonderful. the music is crisp and clear and the movies and shows are also wonderful. He did a great job! My job was to paint the components. I used DecoArt's Multi-Surface Satin paint for all the pieces.

Brown Liquid Bottle Purple Fluid


This is a great furniture piant that dries to a durable, satiny finish. It requires no undercoat OR top sealer which makes it fast and easy. It levels out so nicely, too and there are vertually no brush strokes. Everything that I used it on looks professionally finished. And like all DecoArt products, it is water based for easy clean up and has no odor. And because it dries so quickly (I could really add another coat within about 15 minutes) it allows you to get the job done fast. While it is recommended to allow it to cure for seven days, after a couple of hours it is completely dry to the touch and has no tacky or sticky feel like most of these types of paint have. I have used it on several of my much used furniture pieces already and I can attest to the durability and beauty.

I finished painting the TV stand/shelving unit on Saturday. Then yesterday, we spent the day re-wiring and reorganizing the entire wall of components. Here is the finished result:

Studio monitor Entertainment Home appliance Audio equipment Electronic instrument


Isn't it awesome? (I am sorry for the glare in the photo. I had back lighting from the window)

From left to right it is as follows:

-Left speakers (NEW subs on the bottom - Much more attractive and they sound completely awesome!)

-I put a little storage trunk in the space so the kitties could get up to look out the window.

-TV stand which holds all three amps.

-Right speakers

-Computer/printer stand which holds our new, larger printer, cordless headphones on the top shelf, Keith's and my computer on the bottom, and in the middle section there are three shelves which hold the modem, router, phone component and telephone. Everything is beautiful and neat and you can actually see the floor.

I promise to show more photos of the wiring and details later. You would not believe the amount of wires and things that are back there. Even with all of our 'wireless' components (mice, keyboards, printer, etc.) there were TONS of wires to deal with to get everything connected properly. But it all worked as soon as we cranked it up. Keith did a great job!

We didn't finish until around supper time. It wasn't until then when I was able to BEGIN painting on my carousel. I worked on it until about midnight and I completed the floor of the carousel. Here is a little peek at it:

Dishware Tableware Sleeve Wood Rectangle


I am thrilled with it so far. Today I will work on the cieling and the finale that goes at the top. Then on to the benches and the central pillar. I hope to have it close to being done by the weekend.

I wanted to also quickly mention that Keith created and posted two new patterns for you to enjoy. His first one is SLDK585 When Prayers Go Up . . Plaque:

Brown Handwriting Rectangle Wood Font


And the second one is SLDK586 Let Your Faith Plaque Pattern:

Brown Rectangle Petal Font Wood


We hope you enjoy them.

I can't wait to get to painting on the ceiling of my "Scary-Go-Round" today. As I complete each component, I get more and more excited. I hope you enjoyed seeing our little organizational makeover, too. We hope it is inspiring to you and encourages you to do your own 'makeover'!

Happy Monday, everyone!
Keith's plaques look great. I love the font he used and I love the shape of these ones.
Your carousel is going to be awesome. Your painting technique on the floor looks very lovely.
 

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