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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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#11,976 ·
The Lull

Yesterday morning I honestly did have an entire post written. I was just applying the finishing touches and corrections on it when my computer screen went blank. The power was out.

It was a rainy morning here, but nothing like the violent storms I had experienced growing up in Chicago. The rain was soft and relaxing and when I first awoke I could hear some gentle rumbling of thunder in the distance.While the climate here in Nova Scotia is very similar to the one I grew up with living in Chicago, there are some differences. We rarely experience the sound of thunder here (or far less than in Chicago, anyway) and it doesn't get as hot and humid as in the Midwest. So the low rumbling sound of thunder is more noticeable to me, and it always makes me think of 'home'.

In any case, after waiting a couple of minutes to see if the power would return quickly, I kind of figured that it would be a while. While we were fortunate enough that we never lost power through the past brutal winter, with all its ice storms and high winds, it seemed ironic to me that we would fall to a little rumbling and some light, gentle rain.

But we did, and even though I had my first cup of coffee in me already and the second by my side, after trying to read for a bit I felt tired again and laid on the couch to drift off to sleep.

I was awaken a couple hours later from the low 'whirrrrr' of the refrigerator and the 'beep' of the microwave clock as power was restored. All three cats had positioned themselves near or on me, with Pancakes being curled up in my arms like a baby. I didn't even feel them come up there.

When I re-booted my computer, I checked for the nearly-finished blog and of course it was gone. I knew that would be the case, as I rarely do backups of it as I write. It is supposed to be backed up on the server every few minutes, but that feature never seems to work. It is not a big issue, as these kind of blips don't occur often and it isn't really a tragedy if a post gets 'lost'. I choose to fight my battles elsewhere.

Once the blog was gone, I really had no desire to begin writing it again. It was already past 10am, and I needed to get my day started. Besides - when I write, it isn't rehearsed and is more of a stream of consciousness type of writing. I write off the top of my head and it would be a very difficult thing to try to replicate a post without looking forced. So I decided to skip.

I have been going through somewhat of a 'lull' anyway as far as my designing is concerned. After pushing so hard in so many directions over the past couple of months, it seems that I am kind of 'caught up' with everything and all of my deadlines are met.

While many of you may thing this is a good thing, I sit here this morning and I am not so sure. Since I finished the instructions of Layla over the weekend, I have been kind of floundering around, unfocused and sleepy, and I have accomplished little. It feels rather strange.

It isn't that I don't have many ideas in my mind. I have so many that I am finding it hard to pick just one to start. It is a rare occurrence when I have completed ALL of my ongoing projects in all three aspects of my designing - scroll sawing, painting and embroidery - and don't have one thing on the go. Usually I have two if not all three forms of designing to fill these voids. My "A Perfect World" sampler was wonderful for that, as it took over a year to complete and I could always pick it up on a day when my brain needed a rest or I was in between designs.

But these evenings when I am a bit tired to start anything fresh, I pick around on the computer for a bit and I have been turning in early and sleeping fitfully and waking up tired. It is quite unsettling.

I know that all creative people experience these lulls. Just this morning, I saw a thread on one of my painting groups of a girl who was going the same thing. She had a lot to do and wanted to do something, but found herself unmotivated to get started on anything and was in essence, stuck.

I used to panic when this would happen. I would begin to question myself as to if I had 'dried up' with ideas. Even though I had many, it was as if they were shrouded in a dense fog. Try as I may, there was seemingly no way to force it to dissipate quickly. I had to be patient.

And I will. (Be patient, that is.)

Perhaps my head is 're-booting' like my computer needs to every once in a while. Perhaps when it comes back 'online' everything will be organized and make sense and once again allow me to move forward creating a variety of new patterns. Until then, I need to respect the down time and allow it to serve its purpose. Experience tells me it will pass and soon I will be firing on all cylinders in all directions once again. I just have to wait a bit.

In the mean time, Keith put a new pattern up on the site. He created a lovely sectional plaque of the "Pledge of Allegiance" (SLDK456) :

Font Rectangle Publication Art Pattern


We are planning to do a site update tomorrow, as he also has a new set of three plaques for you all as well. We will be changing our sales too, so if you intended to purchase any of our "Super Sets" that we have discounted, now would be the time to do so. It is a great opportunity to stock up on some of our most popular patterns.

Today is a quiet and overcast day. There is barely a breeze blowing through the trees across the road along the river. I think that the weather much reflects the way I feel. Calm. Serene. Somber.

I am feeling a bit of a spark though as I think about one of my future projects. Sometimes that is all I need to once again get moving. I have some other cutting I need to do today and then I will see where the rest of the day takes me. With all the ideas I am contemplating, I doubt that I will be in this lull for long. Perhaps it is my own body telling me that I needed some down time, as there are many wonderful things to come.

I certainly hope so.

"There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither." - Alan Cohen

Have a beautiful Tuesday.
 

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#11,977 ·
Hunky Dory

I was sitting here this morning sipping my second cup of coffee and trying to think about something inspiring to write about today. Since I am still experiencing the lull that I mentioned yesterday, I fear that today's post would be bland and uninteresting.

"Why then would I even choose to write?", you may ask.

To be honest, I considered the possibility of skipping. Of course, that would be the easy and probably the most logical thing to do. While there is seemingly limitless cyber-space available for blogs such as mine, I didn't feel that polluting the internet with a senseless post would be the answer. After all - I like my blogs to have positive meaning at some level to those of you who read. I believe that on most days I do accomplish that.

But we all know that life isn't always an easy journey. There are bumps in the road - big and small - that range from a minor annoyances to a full blown crisis and everything in between. While I try to focus on the positive aspects of my life here in my daily writings, there are times when I encounter some of these bumps and they take a bit of the wind out of my sails. After all - I am only human and it would be completely unnatural if I never slipped off of my pink cloud of contentment from time to time. You would all think I wasn't being completely honest with you.

However, my philosophy of "following where we focus" is more to me than just words. It is a belief I have within my soul that we are masters of our own destiny. I firmly believe that focusing on the good things in our lives will save us from the day to day hardships. How else could those who smile in the face of despair do so? How could those who have experienced bitter hardships thrust upon them emerge grateful and loving and positive? What makes them different from the rest?

I believe that having a positive attitude and outlook is a key to happiness. I realize that cliche may sound a bit rehearsed, but it is truly something that I believe in. As I watch the world around me, I notice that those who focus on negativity and sadness and despair only serve to perpetuate and spread it among all they encounter. While it is easy to jump on that band wagon, it sometimes takes a bit of thinking, effort and skill to find a grain of good on a 'bad day' or in a 'bad situation.' I believe it separates the positive people from the negative people, and those who are truly happy from those who are troubled and sad.

It isn't always easy to find good in every situation. When one is caught off guard or deeply involved in something that isn't really positive, it sometimes takes quite a bit of work to find good in it. Sometimes it is buried deep or indirectly related to the problem at hand. Perhaps it is not even related at all. When the magazines folded last year, it was difficult to find the positive in that. However, after many months have passed, I realize that many of the opportunities that I have followed successfully that affect me today I would not have pursued if I hadn't lost the magazines. In many ways, I am better off now with these venues than I was working for the magazines. I would have never known that if they were still in business.

It is easy to look back and see things clearly. What is more difficult is looking ahead to the unknown. For most of us, it is unsettling to forge ahead into uncharted territory - especially when we are taking risks and the stakes are high. But without taking those chances, we are giving up our chance for growth. Perhaps our chance for something better. That is why I feel that when things are not going just right, I need to remind myself to be patient. Things have a way of working themselves out.

I am not one to air all of my personal concerns here on my blog. While I try to be up front and straight forward every day, I feel that there are some things that need to be kept private. For ranting about the things that make me unhappy only fuel and perpetuate the negative feelings that I have, and that turns into the focus. I know how debilitating that can be to a creative person and that is not the path I choose to take.

So when those around me ask casually, "How are you?", I smile and answer back "Hunky Dory!" (I like that phrase, don't you? It ages me but it is funny!) I think about the good things in my life (and there are many) and instead of focusing on the negative things, I am grateful for the positive things. And that makes me happy.

I ask that you be patient with me. I am on the brink of beginning to work on some new things. While I am still in my 'lull', the fog is beginning to lift and things are starting to come to life for me.

It just takes a little time.

"I am grateful for the struggles of my life, for without them, I wouldn't have found my strengths." - Unknown

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
 
#11,978 ·
Hi Sheila, I think anyone with a creative mind hits a wall every now and then and needs to take a step back. It's not that there are not many designs in the brain - there are a lot! They all just need to be placed in line! Sometimes a day at the beach helps! We just got back from our road trip to Edmonton so next week I'll have to get my projects all lined up :)
 
#11,980 ·
The Tides are Turning

As I looked back at the last few blog entries, I hoped that I didn't appear to be negative or upset. While I was definitely going through a time where I didn't feel very productive or focused, I only shared those posts because I want you all to know that it is part of the process. Perhaps by me writing down and telling you all about it, it also helped to remind myself that it is perfectly natural (if not necessary) and something that I shouldn't be worried about.

I often receive emails from people that ask how I stay motivated and accomplish so much and keep my enthusiasm for what I do. I also receive notes from those who are experiencing exactly what I have just been going through - a time when they feel 'stuck' or 'blocked'. One of the main reasons I take the time to write here in the morning is so I can put in writing things that most designers don't talk about. Perhaps by allowing you to peek into my thought process in regards to my work and my designs, you will find something that you can relate to and not feel so 'lost' when things aren't going exactly as you planned.

I feel as if I would be doing you a disservice if I only wrote on the 'good' days. While most of my days are good (really - they are!) I also experience times when I get tired or frustrated or just worn out. I have made it my mission not to whine about the stumbling blocks that I encounter along the trail of life, but to learn from them and use them as tools to make my life better. There are days when it is easy to do that, and there are days when it is a bit more difficult, but as I get older (and hopefully wiser) I am starting to figure out that eventually things will work themselves out. The worry was unwarranted and didn't change the outcome in the least. So why waste time with it at all?

However, it is human nature to worry. It comes with accepting responsibility for yourself and your actions. There are some who never regard the consequences of their actions (I call it the "Mr. Magoo Syndrome" - my older readers will appreciate that!) and never look back.

Accepting responsibility is part of being a caring, functioning adult. Even if it comes with the baggage of worry, I prefer it to living in a bubble of fantasy and denial. It is worth the discomfort.

With that all said, I see the tide turning on my creativity. I have spent the past couple of days sorting through ideas and projects in my head and I have finally felt decisive enough to take action. As I mentioned before, I am far from being short of ideas. There is a wealth of them cruising around my brain and I think I am experiencing somewhat of a 'bottleneck' effect in beginning to implement and develop them.

"Where do I begin? Which one do I choose? Which ones will be the most popular and help my business?"

These are all considerations that when focused on too much, can cause a complete shut down. I have many creative friends that experience the same thing, so I know I am not alone in this phenomena.

Recognizing this is the first big step. The second step is just choosing ONE of the ideas and begin to run with it. That is exactly what I am doing.

I can offer you a sneak peek at the chosen project:

Nose Head Hand Eye Ear


It doesn't look like much, but it is a start.

Of all the 'visions' I have of projects, it seems to be the clearest. Therefore it will be the best starting point to get me moving again.

We updated the website yesterday, and added new patterns and new sales. Keith added a great new plaque set:

Rectangle Font Pattern Parallel Wood


SLDK599 Liberty, Equality and Justice. As all his sets of this nature, they are availaible as a set or individually. We hope you enjoy them.

It feels really good to be getting my direction back. While I know the rest was necessary and functional, I always feel much better when I am creating. I can't wait to show you all what I have in mind for you all!

Have a wonderful and creative Thursday!
 

Attachments

#11,981 ·
The Tides are Turning

As I looked back at the last few blog entries, I hoped that I didn't appear to be negative or upset. While I was definitely going through a time where I didn't feel very productive or focused, I only shared those posts because I want you all to know that it is part of the process. Perhaps by me writing down and telling you all about it, it also helped to remind myself that it is perfectly natural (if not necessary) and something that I shouldn't be worried about.

I often receive emails from people that ask how I stay motivated and accomplish so much and keep my enthusiasm for what I do. I also receive notes from those who are experiencing exactly what I have just been going through - a time when they feel 'stuck' or 'blocked'. One of the main reasons I take the time to write here in the morning is so I can put in writing things that most designers don't talk about. Perhaps by allowing you to peek into my thought process in regards to my work and my designs, you will find something that you can relate to and not feel so 'lost' when things aren't going exactly as you planned.

I feel as if I would be doing you a disservice if I only wrote on the 'good' days. While most of my days are good (really - they are!) I also experience times when I get tired or frustrated or just worn out. I have made it my mission not to whine about the stumbling blocks that I encounter along the trail of life, but to learn from them and use them as tools to make my life better. There are days when it is easy to do that, and there are days when it is a bit more difficult, but as I get older (and hopefully wiser) I am starting to figure out that eventually things will work themselves out. The worry was unwarranted and didn't change the outcome in the least. So why waste time with it at all?

However, it is human nature to worry. It comes with accepting responsibility for yourself and your actions. There are some who never regard the consequences of their actions (I call it the "Mr. Magoo Syndrome" - my older readers will appreciate that!) and never look back.

Accepting responsibility is part of being a caring, functioning adult. Even if it comes with the baggage of worry, I prefer it to living in a bubble of fantasy and denial. It is worth the discomfort.

With that all said, I see the tide turning on my creativity. I have spent the past couple of days sorting through ideas and projects in my head and I have finally felt decisive enough to take action. As I mentioned before, I am far from being short of ideas. There is a wealth of them cruising around my brain and I think I am experiencing somewhat of a 'bottleneck' effect in beginning to implement and develop them.

"Where do I begin? Which one do I choose? Which ones will be the most popular and help my business?"

These are all considerations that when focused on too much, can cause a complete shut down. I have many creative friends that experience the same thing, so I know I am not alone in this phenomena.

Recognizing this is the first big step. The second step is just choosing ONE of the ideas and begin to run with it. That is exactly what I am doing.

I can offer you a sneak peek at the chosen project:

Nose Head Hand Eye Ear


It doesn't look like much, but it is a start.

Of all the 'visions' I have of projects, it seems to be the clearest. Therefore it will be the best starting point to get me moving again.

We updated the website yesterday, and added new patterns and new sales. Keith added a great new plaque set:

Rectangle Font Pattern Parallel Wood


SLDK599 Liberty, Equality and Justice. As all his sets of this nature, they are availaible as a set or individually. We hope you enjoy them.

It feels really good to be getting my direction back. While I know the rest was necessary and functional, I always feel much better when I am creating. I can't wait to show you all what I have in mind for you all!

Have a wonderful and creative Thursday!
Intriguing project! Could be many mediums for this supercat! Enjoy!
Keith is doing a great job on his plaques. Beautiful!
 

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#11,984 ·
Lesson Learned - Pretty Scary

The day took a somewhat unexpected turn for me yesterday when Keith decided to make the hour long trip to Bear River to replenish some of the pens that he had on consignment in the artisan shop "Flight of Fancy". He had received a call from the owner, Rob a couple of weeks ago and was asked to bring more fountain pens, as the last one he had there had just sold.

Even though Keith doesn't do much turning anymore, he still had some stock of beautiful pens left, and since it was a beautiful day and the sun was warm and shining, he thought it would be a nice time to take a drive to the shop. He asked me if I wanted to accompany him and even though I was gearing myself up to work on my own project, I decided to go with. After all - these days don't seem to come often and there would certainly be time to work later on. After the long winter I wanted to be sure to take advantage of as many opportunities like this as possible.

We took the road along the ocean, where the drive took a little longer, but the scenery was nicer. After all - we may as well enjoy the time we had. We did our business at the shop and stopped in one of the cafe's in town for a nice lunch. The tide was low and downtown Bear River was as picturesque as always.

Water Cloud Sky Building Window


It was a beautiful day, and by the time we returned home it was nearly 5pm.

Keith then headed off to meet his friend at the gym and I began to catch up on the daily mail and messages that had accumulated throughout the day. One phone message was from the hosts of our website and the message asked me to phone them back as soon as possible. I wondered what could be up, and hoped that nothing was wrong with our site, as they said it was very important.

The number had an 801 area code, which is where the offices are located, so even though it was a little later here in Nova Scotia, because of the time difference I knew I still had time to reach them. I called back to inquire as to the reason for the seemingly urgent call. I phoned back and got the person who left the message on the line(it was supposed to be a direct number.)

He spent the first five minutes or so of the phone conversation asking me general questions regarding my opinion of the service they provided as a web host. I had been with the company for probably about 13 years and was generally satisfied, but there were a couple things that I would like to see done. (Etc., etc.) After a few minutes of talking, he told me that the reason for the call was that they were doing a mandatory upgrade of all their websites to HTML5, which would allow the site to be easily integrated with devices of any kind, including computers, tablets, mobile phones, etc. Since this was one of our concerns, I was pleased to hear this. He went on for several minutes explaining all the changes that would be made, and even directed me to a short video on YouTube to watch to further explain.

I was happy about this, but then there came a point when he kept mentioning the 'extras' he would include in the upgrade and it dawned on me - this change wouldn't be done without an additional charge to our monthly fee. More and more it began to sound like a sales pitch.

From the beginning of the conversation, I had told them that my partner wasn't available, but would be in an hour or so and that they should talk to him. He does most of the website layout and maintenance and knows far more about coding and the mechanics of the site than I do. He kept saying that since my name is on the site, that I would have to hear the 'speal' anyway, so he kept moving ahead in his pitch.

I am trying to keep this short, so I will skip ahead to when I finally got to the point of asking him how much it would cost. I was beginning to feel that the reason for the call was to pad me because they were going to raise their monthly hosting fee. I asked him point blank how much it would cost me and he hesitated and finally spit out the number - $3,900.

I almost died! I told him there was no way I would or could pay that now. On top of that, he was telling me that they had tried to contact me for weeks and now they were down to a two week window when all of this had to be done. They were under a deadline and had to move fast.

My head was spinning. I kept telling him that there was no way I was going to pay this amount. I asked them how they could do this to their customers of so many years. He kept apologizing but maintained that my name must have just 'slipped through the cracks' and they wanted to 'help' me figure this out. He then offered to talk to their "financial manager" and put me on hold. You can imagine I was sick to my stomach at the thought of being forced to do this without much notice. I knew Keith would be upset as well and the thought of moving our site to another host within two weeks made me ill.

When he came back on the line, he said he 'negotiated' the price with the financial manager and the knocked off about $1000. It was still out of the question and I told him that. I also told him I wouldn't make any decisions without talking to my partner. He kept stressing the urgency of 'lining up the programmers' and wanted me to pay at least part of the fee immediately. I said "no" over and over.

As a final attempt at getting me to pay, he put me on hold and had me speak to the 'financial manager' guy. This guy started off by asking me a bunch of questions - Was I a Veteran? Was I single or married? Did I have children? He said that these all could help 'lower' the rate. By the time that he was done with these questions, he was "happy" to tell me that they got the fee down to about $2000. Half of the original cost. He kept telling me that I could put it on a credit card, and even asked what my limit was. Of course, I didn't tell him. I was getting more and more annoyed with him as we spoke.

I still refused to pay until I spoke with Keith. I told him I would call back. We had been contemplating moving our site for the above mentioned reasons anyway, but it would be an enormous task and we haven't made the jump. Perhaps this would be the time.

The final thing he said to me was "Well - you know we own your Domain Name - Sheila Landry Designs dot com?" as if he were threatening me. Since I purchased my name myself, I began to know that something wasn't right. I ended the conversation there and took his number and name.

To make a long story short(er), when Keith came home I was pretty upset. I was angry with the company for their 'scare tactics' and I was contemplating calling someone higher up in it to give them a piece of my mind. I didn't want to do anything until I spoke with Keith however and we had a plan. If need be, we could move the site and after them threatening to pull my domain name, I realized that I never wanted to do business with a company that would use such tactics. I was angry and upset and pretty darn mad.

Keith's reaction to the story was pretty much the same as mine. I showed him the video they had me watch and we began discussing our options. When I told him that they had insinuated that they would hold my domain name hostage, Keith began calling them back. Although he didn't use the number they had given us, we used the number that we had in our records for the home office.

Upon calling, Keith learned that this was indeed a SCAM and that our hosts had nothing to do with these two people. He said the rep told him that this happened several weeks ago and several clients had called them - much as we did - and that they called the police to investigate. The complaints seemed to stop and our hosts thought all was well again. But now it seems that they are calling clients again and trying to obtain their credit card information through these tactics.

I was SO RELIEVED that I followed my instincts and didn't give out any information! I was SO GRATEFUL that I had my head together and waited to discuss things with my partner first!

As a final note I want to tell you that these guys had the guts to CALL BACK after the hour or so that I told them that Keith would return and they tried to get him to comply. When they called and asked for him, I handed him the phone and he promptly told them where they could go. Even after that, the guy still tried to keep up the ruse, saying he was just trying to 'help' us. Unbelievable!

I have been on the internet a long, long time. I am here all day, every day, conducting business and using it to its full capabilities. I consider myself smart regarding "safety" and I take many precautions to ensure that my information is protected and not misused. But I have to hand it to these guys - they had me going for a bit. Their attack was somewhat plausible and while after thinking about it for a bit I realize that a reputable company like the one that hosts our site would never do that, they had me thinking that it was just a blip that I wasn't contacted earlier and had to move quickly. The thought of what they were doing is just downright scary.

I tell you all this long, long story because I want you to know "They are out there." I try to look at people through kind eyes, and one of my biggest downfalls is that I think most people think like I do. But sometimes I forget how evil and selfish and uncaring these people could be.

Could you imagine what would have happened if I would have given my credit card information? They would have had a field day.

This is my reminder to never, never, NEVER give your information to anyone who calls you. No matter who they say they are. No legitimate company would call you up and ask for payment/money/financial information. They may know a bit about you because your information is available online somewhere (as mine is) and they will use that and spin stories that will make you forget your safety rules and lower your guard. They may try to convince you that if you don't act NOW, you will come to some sort of bigger problem. Don't allow it to work for them. Hang up and check it out. Legitimate companies do not use those tactics. We just have to remember that.

I feel very relieved, but also still a bit shaky about it. I was amazed at the lengths they went to so they would appear to be legitimate - all the way up to sharing the video on what they were doing. Looking back, I see how many could have fallen for it. What a shame.

I hope you read this to the end and think of it if something like this ever happens to you. The scam artists are getting more clever by the day, and we have to learn to be leary of just about everyone. It is just the way of our world.

I wish you all a wonderful Friday. I plan some great things over the weekend and I am happy to feel back on track. :)

Have a good one!
 

Attachments

#11,985 ·
Lesson Learned - Pretty Scary

The day took a somewhat unexpected turn for me yesterday when Keith decided to make the hour long trip to Bear River to replenish some of the pens that he had on consignment in the artisan shop "Flight of Fancy". He had received a call from the owner, Rob a couple of weeks ago and was asked to bring more fountain pens, as the last one he had there had just sold.

Even though Keith doesn't do much turning anymore, he still had some stock of beautiful pens left, and since it was a beautiful day and the sun was warm and shining, he thought it would be a nice time to take a drive to the shop. He asked me if I wanted to accompany him and even though I was gearing myself up to work on my own project, I decided to go with. After all - these days don't seem to come often and there would certainly be time to work later on. After the long winter I wanted to be sure to take advantage of as many opportunities like this as possible.

We took the road along the ocean, where the drive took a little longer, but the scenery was nicer. After all - we may as well enjoy the time we had. We did our business at the shop and stopped in one of the cafe's in town for a nice lunch. The tide was low and downtown Bear River was as picturesque as always.

Water Cloud Sky Building Window


It was a beautiful day, and by the time we returned home it was nearly 5pm.

Keith then headed off to meet his friend at the gym and I began to catch up on the daily mail and messages that had accumulated throughout the day. One phone message was from the hosts of our website and the message asked me to phone them back as soon as possible. I wondered what could be up, and hoped that nothing was wrong with our site, as they said it was very important.

The number had an 801 area code, which is where the offices are located, so even though it was a little later here in Nova Scotia, because of the time difference I knew I still had time to reach them. I called back to inquire as to the reason for the seemingly urgent call. I phoned back and got the person who left the message on the line(it was supposed to be a direct number.)

He spent the first five minutes or so of the phone conversation asking me general questions regarding my opinion of the service they provided as a web host. I had been with the company for probably about 13 years and was generally satisfied, but there were a couple things that I would like to see done. (Etc., etc.) After a few minutes of talking, he told me that the reason for the call was that they were doing a mandatory upgrade of all their websites to HTML5, which would allow the site to be easily integrated with devices of any kind, including computers, tablets, mobile phones, etc. Since this was one of our concerns, I was pleased to hear this. He went on for several minutes explaining all the changes that would be made, and even directed me to a short video on YouTube to watch to further explain.

I was happy about this, but then there came a point when he kept mentioning the 'extras' he would include in the upgrade and it dawned on me - this change wouldn't be done without an additional charge to our monthly fee. More and more it began to sound like a sales pitch.

From the beginning of the conversation, I had told them that my partner wasn't available, but would be in an hour or so and that they should talk to him. He does most of the website layout and maintenance and knows far more about coding and the mechanics of the site than I do. He kept saying that since my name is on the site, that I would have to hear the 'speal' anyway, so he kept moving ahead in his pitch.

I am trying to keep this short, so I will skip ahead to when I finally got to the point of asking him how much it would cost. I was beginning to feel that the reason for the call was to pad me because they were going to raise their monthly hosting fee. I asked him point blank how much it would cost me and he hesitated and finally spit out the number - $3,900.

I almost died! I told him there was no way I would or could pay that now. On top of that, he was telling me that they had tried to contact me for weeks and now they were down to a two week window when all of this had to be done. They were under a deadline and had to move fast.

My head was spinning. I kept telling him that there was no way I was going to pay this amount. I asked them how they could do this to their customers of so many years. He kept apologizing but maintained that my name must have just 'slipped through the cracks' and they wanted to 'help' me figure this out. He then offered to talk to their "financial manager" and put me on hold. You can imagine I was sick to my stomach at the thought of being forced to do this without much notice. I knew Keith would be upset as well and the thought of moving our site to another host within two weeks made me ill.

When he came back on the line, he said he 'negotiated' the price with the financial manager and the knocked off about $1000. It was still out of the question and I told him that. I also told him I wouldn't make any decisions without talking to my partner. He kept stressing the urgency of 'lining up the programmers' and wanted me to pay at least part of the fee immediately. I said "no" over and over.

As a final attempt at getting me to pay, he put me on hold and had me speak to the 'financial manager' guy. This guy started off by asking me a bunch of questions - Was I a Veteran? Was I single or married? Did I have children? He said that these all could help 'lower' the rate. By the time that he was done with these questions, he was "happy" to tell me that they got the fee down to about $2000. Half of the original cost. He kept telling me that I could put it on a credit card, and even asked what my limit was. Of course, I didn't tell him. I was getting more and more annoyed with him as we spoke.

I still refused to pay until I spoke with Keith. I told him I would call back. We had been contemplating moving our site for the above mentioned reasons anyway, but it would be an enormous task and we haven't made the jump. Perhaps this would be the time.

The final thing he said to me was "Well - you know we own your Domain Name - Sheila Landry Designs dot com?" as if he were threatening me. Since I purchased my name myself, I began to know that something wasn't right. I ended the conversation there and took his number and name.

To make a long story short(er), when Keith came home I was pretty upset. I was angry with the company for their 'scare tactics' and I was contemplating calling someone higher up in it to give them a piece of my mind. I didn't want to do anything until I spoke with Keith however and we had a plan. If need be, we could move the site and after them threatening to pull my domain name, I realized that I never wanted to do business with a company that would use such tactics. I was angry and upset and pretty darn mad.

Keith's reaction to the story was pretty much the same as mine. I showed him the video they had me watch and we began discussing our options. When I told him that they had insinuated that they would hold my domain name hostage, Keith began calling them back. Although he didn't use the number they had given us, we used the number that we had in our records for the home office.

Upon calling, Keith learned that this was indeed a SCAM and that our hosts had nothing to do with these two people. He said the rep told him that this happened several weeks ago and several clients had called them - much as we did - and that they called the police to investigate. The complaints seemed to stop and our hosts thought all was well again. But now it seems that they are calling clients again and trying to obtain their credit card information through these tactics.

I was SO RELIEVED that I followed my instincts and didn't give out any information! I was SO GRATEFUL that I had my head together and waited to discuss things with my partner first!

As a final note I want to tell you that these guys had the guts to CALL BACK after the hour or so that I told them that Keith would return and they tried to get him to comply. When they called and asked for him, I handed him the phone and he promptly told them where they could go. Even after that, the guy still tried to keep up the ruse, saying he was just trying to 'help' us. Unbelievable!

I have been on the internet a long, long time. I am here all day, every day, conducting business and using it to its full capabilities. I consider myself smart regarding "safety" and I take many precautions to ensure that my information is protected and not misused. But I have to hand it to these guys - they had me going for a bit. Their attack was somewhat plausible and while after thinking about it for a bit I realize that a reputable company like the one that hosts our site would never do that, they had me thinking that it was just a blip that I wasn't contacted earlier and had to move quickly. The thought of what they were doing is just downright scary.

I tell you all this long, long story because I want you to know "They are out there." I try to look at people through kind eyes, and one of my biggest downfalls is that I think most people think like I do. But sometimes I forget how evil and selfish and uncaring these people could be.

Could you imagine what would have happened if I would have given my credit card information? They would have had a field day.

This is my reminder to never, never, NEVER give your information to anyone who calls you. No matter who they say they are. No legitimate company would call you up and ask for payment/money/financial information. They may know a bit about you because your information is available online somewhere (as mine is) and they will use that and spin stories that will make you forget your safety rules and lower your guard. They may try to convince you that if you don't act NOW, you will come to some sort of bigger problem. Don't allow it to work for them. Hang up and check it out. Legitimate companies do not use those tactics. We just have to remember that.

I feel very relieved, but also still a bit shaky about it. I was amazed at the lengths they went to so they would appear to be legitimate - all the way up to sharing the video on what they were doing. Looking back, I see how many could have fallen for it. What a shame.

I hope you read this to the end and think of it if something like this ever happens to you. The scam artists are getting more clever by the day, and we have to learn to be leary of just about everyone. It is just the way of our world.

I wish you all a wonderful Friday. I plan some great things over the weekend and I am happy to feel back on track. :)

Have a good one!
Congratulations for keeping your wits about you, Sheila! It is so very sad that there are such wolves out there just waiting (and sometimes NOT waiting!) to devour the unsuspecting. Thank you for the reminder. Have a great weekend!
 

Attachments

#11,992 ·
A Beautiful Day in My Neighborhood

I can think of many people who live in lovely places, yet sometimes take them for granted. I don't think we realize that we are doing this until for some reason or another (school, job, etc.) we are taken away from our homeland for any length of time and then return to it. It seems that we come 'home' and look at things with new eyes. We notice things that we hadn't paid attention to before. Things that were right there all the time.

Coming from Chicago, I am perhaps more aware of this. My earliest recollections of my childhood were that of growing up in a large city. Everything was within a few short city blocks and we could walk or take our bikes to the pool or the store or the park district for our after school lessons. Friends were all close by as well, and anyone who lived more than four or five short city blocks away seemed to be in a different group of kids. Our own closer circle of friends usually lived on the same street. Anyone beyond that was an 'outsider'.

But as we grow and venture out into the world, we begin to realize that the further we move from the nucleus of our neighborhood, the more different things could be. I remember when I was a teen and took a vacation with my family on a Caribbean Cruise that I was in awe that such a place really existed in the world. As we drove up our street upon returning from the airport, it was hard to believe that just a few short hours before I was at a part of the world where the culture was so different from my own. Instead of the concrete streets and sidewalks of suburban Chicago, the neighborhood streets were sandy and there were palm trees all around and you could see and smell the beautiful blue ocean from just about anywhere.

I have always loved the ocean. From the first time I saw it, I knew that one day I wanted to live sea side. There is something about the serenity of the beach and the unrelenting sound of the waves rolling unrelentingly to the shore. To this day I can sit and get lost in the sounds and sites of the beach. It is one of my favorite places to be.

I live about 2 km from the shore of the Bay of Fundy. Actually, it is St. Mary's Bay that borders our shoreline. St. Mary's is located on the west side of Nova Scotia between the mainland and the small string of islands called Digby Neck. On most days, you can see the neck from our shoreline. However, if you go far enough down the coast, to Mavalette Beach where I usually visit, you can see out into the open sea.

The Neck is comprised of two islands and the long Apennines of land that juts out from the town of Digby, where I used to live. There are two small ferry boats which connect the mainland to first Long Island and then the tiny Brier Island at the end of the string. It is very beautiful and picturesque and a great place to take in nature and enjoy a quiet afternoon. There are many whale watching tours as well, and eleven years ago when I first came to Nova Scotia I took one. It was an experience that was amazing and I hope to go again before this summer is done.

On Saturday, I took the day to spend on the islands with my good friend Cindy. After being cooped up all winter and then waiting for my car this spring, we were long overdo for a 'girls' day out'. We choose the islands because we both love it there and there was a wool farm on Brier Island that we both wanted to visit. Cindy does rug hooking and me - I just love fiber and any creative material anyway, so it seemed like a good reason to go.

We had a beautiful day ahead. Although there was a slight chance of rain, the morning fog and clouds had cleared to offer brilliant sunshine. We boarded the ferry and put the top down on the car to fully enjoy the day:

Glasses Smile Vision care Motor vehicle Sunglasses


We decided to drive to Brier Island and then take our time returning. It sounded like a good plan.

After the second ferry, we arrived on Brier Island. We drove to a beautiful lookout point where we could see the channel between Brier and Long Islands. Here is a photo of the car for those who wanted to see it done:

Tire Wheel Automotive parking light Sky Automotive side marker light


The lighthouse across the water was on Long Island. It was filled with seagulls and other birds:

Water Cloud Sky Highland Lake


Looking to the West, you can see just how close the two islands are. That's Brier on the left and Long Island on the right. Our ferry attendant said he spotted a whale as we were coming across (we were sitting in the car for the short trip and missed it!)

Cloud Water Sky Water resources Highland


We stayed on that point for a while, and then we sought out the wool farm. Even though the farm said "Open Always", for some reason it was closed and there was no one around except some chickens walking around the grounds. We were a little disappointed, but how could we be with such beautiful scenery?

We decided to go for lunch on Long Island. There was a place called Levena's Catch Cafe that had great reviews, so we went there. Even though I am not a big fish eater, I decided to get their sample plate of fresh Digby scallops and fresh haddock. It came with a beautiful Caesar salad and we had split some wonderful bruschetta as an appetizer.

Food Window Tableware Ingredient Recipe


The food was scrumptious!

Food Tableware Plate Ingredient Recipe


It made me want to eat fish more! :)

We then decided to visit The Balancing Rock on the North side of Long Island.

Plant Sky Natural landscape Tree Land lot


To reach it, you had to walk a 1.7 km trail and then descend a staircase to bring you to the ocean level. (250 or so stairs!) It was well worth the trip though and it gave us a great chance to walk off our lunch.

The rock is amazing:

Water Sky Fence Wood Sunglasses


I don't know how it stays in place. Here is a photo of my daughter Danielle and her friend Dana about 10 years ago when we visited. (NO - They did NOT push it over!)

Water Sky Wood Bedrock Formation


After the hike, we took the second ferry back and were once again on the mainland. We decided to make one more stop at Gulliver's Cove beach so Cindy could pick up some rocks to paint. There are hundreds of beautiful coves like this in our area, and I love every one of them.

Cloud Sky Water Wood Coastal and oceanic landforms


We spent about an hour exploring the rocky beach there. I found several little crab shells:

Gesture Finger Bedrock Natural material Wood


By then it was really cooling off and the sun was getting low. We decided to end our day of exploring.

On the way home, just before I arrived at my own place, it finally rained. It was one of those rains where the sky was still mostly blue with patches of dark clouds and I saw the most beautiful and intense rainbow! I wanted to stop the car and take a photo, but it really was raining hard. I think though that it was the perfect ending to a beautiful day.

On Sunday, I felt relaxed and ready to work again. It is amazing how taking time off can make one feel so refreshed. The previous week had been busy and hectic and I think I needed a day off more than I realized.

Here is a quick peek of what I am working on for my next project:



Obviously it is a painting pattern. I hope to make great headway on it today.

I am so happy that I took time to be with my friend and enjoy the beautiful place that I live. I know that these warm summer days are a gift, and things don't always work out so that we can enjoy them. But next winter when I am watching the snow fall, I will have some great memories to relive of how beautiful Nova Scotia is. I am very lucky to live in such a lovely place.

Today it is raining, but we are due for rain so that is a good thing. After my errands, I plan on continuing work on my painting pattern. I hope to have it done in the next couple of days and then go on to creating a new scroll saw pattern. The holidays are approaching quickly and I hope to get several new things ready for the upcoming seasons.

I hope you all had a great weekend and took time to enjoy the area in which you live. Even though we are busy, it is important to take time to enjoy our lives and families. For that is the reason we work so hard in the first place, isn't it?

Happy Monday to you all!
 

Attachments

#11,993 ·
A Beautiful Day in My Neighborhood

I can think of many people who live in lovely places, yet sometimes take them for granted. I don't think we realize that we are doing this until for some reason or another (school, job, etc.) we are taken away from our homeland for any length of time and then return to it. It seems that we come 'home' and look at things with new eyes. We notice things that we hadn't paid attention to before. Things that were right there all the time.

Coming from Chicago, I am perhaps more aware of this. My earliest recollections of my childhood were that of growing up in a large city. Everything was within a few short city blocks and we could walk or take our bikes to the pool or the store or the park district for our after school lessons. Friends were all close by as well, and anyone who lived more than four or five short city blocks away seemed to be in a different group of kids. Our own closer circle of friends usually lived on the same street. Anyone beyond that was an 'outsider'.

But as we grow and venture out into the world, we begin to realize that the further we move from the nucleus of our neighborhood, the more different things could be. I remember when I was a teen and took a vacation with my family on a Caribbean Cruise that I was in awe that such a place really existed in the world. As we drove up our street upon returning from the airport, it was hard to believe that just a few short hours before I was at a part of the world where the culture was so different from my own. Instead of the concrete streets and sidewalks of suburban Chicago, the neighborhood streets were sandy and there were palm trees all around and you could see and smell the beautiful blue ocean from just about anywhere.

I have always loved the ocean. From the first time I saw it, I knew that one day I wanted to live sea side. There is something about the serenity of the beach and the unrelenting sound of the waves rolling unrelentingly to the shore. To this day I can sit and get lost in the sounds and sites of the beach. It is one of my favorite places to be.

I live about 2 km from the shore of the Bay of Fundy. Actually, it is St. Mary's Bay that borders our shoreline. St. Mary's is located on the west side of Nova Scotia between the mainland and the small string of islands called Digby Neck. On most days, you can see the neck from our shoreline. However, if you go far enough down the coast, to Mavalette Beach where I usually visit, you can see out into the open sea.

The Neck is comprised of two islands and the long Apennines of land that juts out from the town of Digby, where I used to live. There are two small ferry boats which connect the mainland to first Long Island and then the tiny Brier Island at the end of the string. It is very beautiful and picturesque and a great place to take in nature and enjoy a quiet afternoon. There are many whale watching tours as well, and eleven years ago when I first came to Nova Scotia I took one. It was an experience that was amazing and I hope to go again before this summer is done.

On Saturday, I took the day to spend on the islands with my good friend Cindy. After being cooped up all winter and then waiting for my car this spring, we were long overdo for a 'girls' day out'. We choose the islands because we both love it there and there was a wool farm on Brier Island that we both wanted to visit. Cindy does rug hooking and me - I just love fiber and any creative material anyway, so it seemed like a good reason to go.

We had a beautiful day ahead. Although there was a slight chance of rain, the morning fog and clouds had cleared to offer brilliant sunshine. We boarded the ferry and put the top down on the car to fully enjoy the day:

Glasses Smile Vision care Motor vehicle Sunglasses


We decided to drive to Brier Island and then take our time returning. It sounded like a good plan.

After the second ferry, we arrived on Brier Island. We drove to a beautiful lookout point where we could see the channel between Brier and Long Islands. Here is a photo of the car for those who wanted to see it done:

Tire Wheel Automotive parking light Sky Automotive side marker light


The lighthouse across the water was on Long Island. It was filled with seagulls and other birds:

Water Cloud Sky Highland Lake


Looking to the West, you can see just how close the two islands are. That's Brier on the left and Long Island on the right. Our ferry attendant said he spotted a whale as we were coming across (we were sitting in the car for the short trip and missed it!)

Cloud Water Sky Water resources Highland


We stayed on that point for a while, and then we sought out the wool farm. Even though the farm said "Open Always", for some reason it was closed and there was no one around except some chickens walking around the grounds. We were a little disappointed, but how could we be with such beautiful scenery?

We decided to go for lunch on Long Island. There was a place called Levena's Catch Cafe that had great reviews, so we went there. Even though I am not a big fish eater, I decided to get their sample plate of fresh Digby scallops and fresh haddock. It came with a beautiful Caesar salad and we had split some wonderful bruschetta as an appetizer.

Food Window Tableware Ingredient Recipe


The food was scrumptious!

Food Tableware Plate Ingredient Recipe


It made me want to eat fish more! :)

We then decided to visit The Balancing Rock on the North side of Long Island.

Plant Sky Natural landscape Tree Land lot


To reach it, you had to walk a 1.7 km trail and then descend a staircase to bring you to the ocean level. (250 or so stairs!) It was well worth the trip though and it gave us a great chance to walk off our lunch.

The rock is amazing:

Water Sky Fence Wood Sunglasses


I don't know how it stays in place. Here is a photo of my daughter Danielle and her friend Dana about 10 years ago when we visited. (NO - They did NOT push it over!)

Water Sky Wood Bedrock Formation


After the hike, we took the second ferry back and were once again on the mainland. We decided to make one more stop at Gulliver's Cove beach so Cindy could pick up some rocks to paint. There are hundreds of beautiful coves like this in our area, and I love every one of them.

Cloud Sky Water Wood Coastal and oceanic landforms


We spent about an hour exploring the rocky beach there. I found several little crab shells:

Gesture Finger Bedrock Natural material Wood


By then it was really cooling off and the sun was getting low. We decided to end our day of exploring.

On the way home, just before I arrived at my own place, it finally rained. It was one of those rains where the sky was still mostly blue with patches of dark clouds and I saw the most beautiful and intense rainbow! I wanted to stop the car and take a photo, but it really was raining hard. I think though that it was the perfect ending to a beautiful day.

On Sunday, I felt relaxed and ready to work again. It is amazing how taking time off can make one feel so refreshed. The previous week had been busy and hectic and I think I needed a day off more than I realized.

Here is a quick peek of what I am working on for my next project:



Obviously it is a painting pattern. I hope to make great headway on it today.

I am so happy that I took time to be with my friend and enjoy the beautiful place that I live. I know that these warm summer days are a gift, and things don't always work out so that we can enjoy them. But next winter when I am watching the snow fall, I will have some great memories to relive of how beautiful Nova Scotia is. I am very lucky to live in such a lovely place.

Today it is raining, but we are due for rain so that is a good thing. After my errands, I plan on continuing work on my painting pattern. I hope to have it done in the next couple of days and then go on to creating a new scroll saw pattern. The holidays are approaching quickly and I hope to get several new things ready for the upcoming seasons.

I hope you all had a great weekend and took time to enjoy the area in which you live. Even though we are busy, it is important to take time to enjoy our lives and families. For that is the reason we work so hard in the first place, isn't it?

Happy Monday to you all!
Sheila, Thank you so very, very much for that absolutely wonderful tour, Although I've been several places in our world, such as Guam for its beaches and coves, I've never traveled to your area. The closest was Maine. The church window would be lovely with stained glass, which my wife does. Thanks again for sharing your adventure with we, readers.
 

Attachments

#11,999 ·
Down but not Out

I was really and truly writing my blog yesterday when some pretty impressive storms rolled in. Even though I am in the process of replacing the main components of my computer (motherboard, processor, memory, main drive) I really didn't want anything to happen to my current computer. I am awaiting delivery of the new SSD drive, and Keith should be changing things over in the next several days. The board arrived on Monday:

Gadget Audio equipment Font Electronic device Multimedia


It should be a nice change, although it will be a bit of a chore to load everything up and get things in order. I expect it we may do the changeover this weekend.

Just to be safe, we disconnected everything from the wall for a time while the storm was passing through. There was quite a bit of thunder and lightening, and even though we have surge protectors, we felt it would be better to be safe than sorry. This meant, once again, that I didn't post a blog, as it was during the morning hours when I write.

I went on with my day and planned on working on my painting. Unfortunately, in the late morning I was doing some 'regular things' and one side of my back seemed to seize up. This happened to me last year and I was pretty much immobile for about a week. It certainly isn't fun.

I don't know if it is because I overdid at the gym or if it is because of the damp weather or just because I am getting older. Either way it is no fun. I can't really move around much at all, as there is a sharp pain just above my right hip. I talked to the pharmacist and am taking the proper medication to reduce the inflammation and relieve the pain. It sure slows me down though.

But I will just hobble through life smiling until life is better. I have too much to do to let it get me down. I found I can sit an paint for a while and even though I need to take breaks and walk around, I can at least accomplish something.

Last I posted, I was working on a new painting. Here is where I was at then:

Blue Azure Paint Window Rectangle


The window was coming out nice, but hardly finished. I added some shading and a cool crackle finish by DecoArt and it really came out nice:

Musical instrument Textile Rectangle Wood Art


The fine crackle finish really looks beautiful:

Brown Wood Textile Rectangle Art


I then started adding the main subjects. First a hat and some fun little mice:

Wood Textile Art Rectangle Flooring


Then the main subject of the painting, a black cat:

Cat Carnivore Wood Art Grey


The cat isn't done by any stretch right now. Neither is the painting. There are several more details that need to be added in to make it look as I envision it in my head. But it is a good start and considering that I could only work on it at short spurts at a time, it is coming along.

This will be offered as a pattern on my site as soon as I am done with it. I hope to finish it up in the next few days.

Today is quite foggy and dreary out - probably a good day to stay in and paint. It really makes me appreciate the past weekend and my time out on the islands.

Even though I am not feeling my best, when I sit still I don't hurt. (Only when I move - lol!) Perhaps I will get even more accomplished because I am somewhat forced to stay in one place longer than three minutes.

I guess if I look hard enough, I can find good in anything . . .

I wish you all a wonderful day today. Have fun and enjoy whatever life sends your way.

Happy Wednesday!
 

Attachments

#12,000 ·
Down but not Out

I was really and truly writing my blog yesterday when some pretty impressive storms rolled in. Even though I am in the process of replacing the main components of my computer (motherboard, processor, memory, main drive) I really didn't want anything to happen to my current computer. I am awaiting delivery of the new SSD drive, and Keith should be changing things over in the next several days. The board arrived on Monday:

Gadget Audio equipment Font Electronic device Multimedia


It should be a nice change, although it will be a bit of a chore to load everything up and get things in order. I expect it we may do the changeover this weekend.

Just to be safe, we disconnected everything from the wall for a time while the storm was passing through. There was quite a bit of thunder and lightening, and even though we have surge protectors, we felt it would be better to be safe than sorry. This meant, once again, that I didn't post a blog, as it was during the morning hours when I write.

I went on with my day and planned on working on my painting. Unfortunately, in the late morning I was doing some 'regular things' and one side of my back seemed to seize up. This happened to me last year and I was pretty much immobile for about a week. It certainly isn't fun.

I don't know if it is because I overdid at the gym or if it is because of the damp weather or just because I am getting older. Either way it is no fun. I can't really move around much at all, as there is a sharp pain just above my right hip. I talked to the pharmacist and am taking the proper medication to reduce the inflammation and relieve the pain. It sure slows me down though.

But I will just hobble through life smiling until life is better. I have too much to do to let it get me down. I found I can sit an paint for a while and even though I need to take breaks and walk around, I can at least accomplish something.

Last I posted, I was working on a new painting. Here is where I was at then:

Blue Azure Paint Window Rectangle


The window was coming out nice, but hardly finished. I added some shading and a cool crackle finish by DecoArt and it really came out nice:

Musical instrument Textile Rectangle Wood Art


The fine crackle finish really looks beautiful:

Brown Wood Textile Rectangle Art


I then started adding the main subjects. First a hat and some fun little mice:

Wood Textile Art Rectangle Flooring


Then the main subject of the painting, a black cat:

Cat Carnivore Wood Art Grey


The cat isn't done by any stretch right now. Neither is the painting. There are several more details that need to be added in to make it look as I envision it in my head. But it is a good start and considering that I could only work on it at short spurts at a time, it is coming along.

This will be offered as a pattern on my site as soon as I am done with it. I hope to finish it up in the next few days.

Today is quite foggy and dreary out - probably a good day to stay in and paint. It really makes me appreciate the past weekend and my time out on the islands.

Even though I am not feeling my best, when I sit still I don't hurt. (Only when I move - lol!) Perhaps I will get even more accomplished because I am somewhat forced to stay in one place longer than three minutes.

I guess if I look hard enough, I can find good in anything . . .

I wish you all a wonderful day today. Have fun and enjoy whatever life sends your way.

Happy Wednesday!
I understand about thunderstorms as in the Midwest we get some thrilling ones. I have my computer on a surge protector and UPS. My internet modem and router are on another on another. This seems to be pretty good protection and also allows me to watch weather radar for when serious storms are about to hit.
 

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#12,003 ·
Getting Back At It

Last week was not one of my usual weeks. Between getting the new computer and the issues I was having with my back, I felt that I didn't really accomplish a great deal. I have been writing here for over five years now, and I think this was the first time in all those years that I was here at home and took so much time 'off'. But sometimes it is needed. I always try to be positive and productive and have something interesting to write about. With the week that I had, I thought it best just to skip.

But I don't think that things were as bad as they seemed. Of the days that I skipped writing, one day we had lightening storms, a couple of days my computer was in the process of being reconfigured, and one day I was still 'catching up' with things and organizing. Sometimes things just take time, and the days that I spent re-organizing and backing up my computer were well worth it. Everything is settled into place now and my huge amount of information, drawings and reference materials are fully organized and fully backed up, both on two hard drives on my own system as well as on an external drive that will be stored off-site. It is a really good feeling.

I love the new components that I added to my system. I doubled the memory, have a faster processor and a top of the line mother board which should last me many years. I cleaned up my filing systems and moved everything so that it is most efficient, and while it may look pretty much the same from somone looking in, I notice that everything is much faster and cleaner and makes more sense to me. It feels good to work in such an organized environment.

I spent Saturday catching up on the housework as well. It is funny how even a few days of being out of your routine can make you feel as if you have fallen behind. Saturday was one of the first days I felt more like my 'old self' and while I had to be cautious, I did get a lot done around here. I am the type of person who has trouble being productive when things are chaotic around me and I needed to tidy some things up in order to move ahead.

Yesterday was a beautiful day here in Nova Scotia. It had cooled down a little from the really warm weather we had the previous several days and felt much more comfortable. While I was very ready to do some work, I asked Keith if he felt like taking our lunch to the beach and having a little picnic there. I was glad he felt up for it, as while I really wanted to get back to work, I also wanted to enjoy the day a bit. After all - these warm summer days will be gone before we know it and while it would be easy for me to jump in and get back to work, I felt the need to appreciate the day a little first. So off we went.

We picked up Keith's mom on the way home and had her here for the afternoon/evening. It was nice to catch her in between events. Sometimes these impromptu visits are the best. We had a great rest of the day catching up and I actually did make some progress on my next painting project. I had felt a little 'stuck' there and part of the reason that I was avoiding working on it was that I was at a place in the main piece where I didn't quite know where to go next. There was (is) something with my cat that I am not comfortable with and it needs addressing. But I was not sure what.

Cat Carnivore Wood Art Grey


But after stepping away and thinking about it, I think I know what I want to change. More importantly, I believe was figuring out how I was going to do that. After all the time I spent on the background, I had to be careful so I wouldn't muck that up in the process.

I spent the afternoon working on the header and footer of the plaque:

Wood Wood stain Handwriting Font Hardwood


While it may not look like much yet, it pushed the pile and I figured out some of the colors that I wanted to use, as well as the techniques. It felt good to switch gears on it and finally move forward, after it was staring at me from my table all week long, untouched.

So I think I am back. I awoke this morning closer to my usual time (the medication I was taking for my back pain has really made me sleepy - another reason I feel that I haven't accomplished a lot!) and while I still feel a tinge of soreness and need to be careful, I feel that I am ready to face the day without the help of the pills. That alone should help me be more productive.

Everything is getting back to 'normal.'

I plan to really make some progress on this in the next few days and hopefully button it up. I want to get the pattern on the site as soon as possible, as well as get some new things going. I look for it to be a good week. :)

Keith was also busy this weekend. He tackled the task of updating our large catalog, which is growing every day.

Plant Plant community Water Tree Font


To download the new version of all of our current patterns, you can follow the instructions HERE.

Please remember to give it ample time to download, as it is growing and full of color photos of what patterns we have to offer.

This is always a great accomplishment and it humbles us to see all of our work in one place at once. I think Keith does a wonderful job with it and it came out beautifully.

It is another beautiful and cloudless morning here in Nova Scotia. It is a wonderful way to start what promises to be a productive week. I wish you all a good one as well. It feels great to be "back".

Happy Monday to you all!
 

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#12,004 ·
Getting Back At It

Last week was not one of my usual weeks. Between getting the new computer and the issues I was having with my back, I felt that I didn't really accomplish a great deal. I have been writing here for over five years now, and I think this was the first time in all those years that I was here at home and took so much time 'off'. But sometimes it is needed. I always try to be positive and productive and have something interesting to write about. With the week that I had, I thought it best just to skip.

But I don't think that things were as bad as they seemed. Of the days that I skipped writing, one day we had lightening storms, a couple of days my computer was in the process of being reconfigured, and one day I was still 'catching up' with things and organizing. Sometimes things just take time, and the days that I spent re-organizing and backing up my computer were well worth it. Everything is settled into place now and my huge amount of information, drawings and reference materials are fully organized and fully backed up, both on two hard drives on my own system as well as on an external drive that will be stored off-site. It is a really good feeling.

I love the new components that I added to my system. I doubled the memory, have a faster processor and a top of the line mother board which should last me many years. I cleaned up my filing systems and moved everything so that it is most efficient, and while it may look pretty much the same from somone looking in, I notice that everything is much faster and cleaner and makes more sense to me. It feels good to work in such an organized environment.

I spent Saturday catching up on the housework as well. It is funny how even a few days of being out of your routine can make you feel as if you have fallen behind. Saturday was one of the first days I felt more like my 'old self' and while I had to be cautious, I did get a lot done around here. I am the type of person who has trouble being productive when things are chaotic around me and I needed to tidy some things up in order to move ahead.

Yesterday was a beautiful day here in Nova Scotia. It had cooled down a little from the really warm weather we had the previous several days and felt much more comfortable. While I was very ready to do some work, I asked Keith if he felt like taking our lunch to the beach and having a little picnic there. I was glad he felt up for it, as while I really wanted to get back to work, I also wanted to enjoy the day a bit. After all - these warm summer days will be gone before we know it and while it would be easy for me to jump in and get back to work, I felt the need to appreciate the day a little first. So off we went.

We picked up Keith's mom on the way home and had her here for the afternoon/evening. It was nice to catch her in between events. Sometimes these impromptu visits are the best. We had a great rest of the day catching up and I actually did make some progress on my next painting project. I had felt a little 'stuck' there and part of the reason that I was avoiding working on it was that I was at a place in the main piece where I didn't quite know where to go next. There was (is) something with my cat that I am not comfortable with and it needs addressing. But I was not sure what.

Cat Carnivore Wood Art Grey


But after stepping away and thinking about it, I think I know what I want to change. More importantly, I believe was figuring out how I was going to do that. After all the time I spent on the background, I had to be careful so I wouldn't muck that up in the process.

I spent the afternoon working on the header and footer of the plaque:

Wood Wood stain Handwriting Font Hardwood


While it may not look like much yet, it pushed the pile and I figured out some of the colors that I wanted to use, as well as the techniques. It felt good to switch gears on it and finally move forward, after it was staring at me from my table all week long, untouched.

So I think I am back. I awoke this morning closer to my usual time (the medication I was taking for my back pain has really made me sleepy - another reason I feel that I haven't accomplished a lot!) and while I still feel a tinge of soreness and need to be careful, I feel that I am ready to face the day without the help of the pills. That alone should help me be more productive.

Everything is getting back to 'normal.'

I plan to really make some progress on this in the next few days and hopefully button it up. I want to get the pattern on the site as soon as possible, as well as get some new things going. I look for it to be a good week. :)

Keith was also busy this weekend. He tackled the task of updating our large catalog, which is growing every day.

Plant Plant community Water Tree Font


To download the new version of all of our current patterns, you can follow the instructions HERE.

Please remember to give it ample time to download, as it is growing and full of color photos of what patterns we have to offer.

This is always a great accomplishment and it humbles us to see all of our work in one place at once. I think Keith does a wonderful job with it and it came out beautifully.

It is another beautiful and cloudless morning here in Nova Scotia. It is a wonderful way to start what promises to be a productive week. I wish you all a good one as well. It feels great to be "back".

Happy Monday to you all!
Thanks for your in-depth journey report. Glad you're back with us and that your back spasms are somewhat relieved. I can certainly appreciate your agony, as I also suffer from chronic back pain that slows me down. although I'm not fond of Halloween your art work is really giving it a nice light touch.
 

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#12,015 ·
Flight or Flight

It is good to be back. Not only here blogging, but actually having something to blog about. Last week when I wasn't feeling my best, it reminded me just how important setting goals for myself and being productive was to my life. It is even more important because I am self-employed I think. Without setting new goals and working toward them every day, I would imagine that there is really no way that one could succeed. I believe that 'success' and 'self-motivation' go hand in hand. The most successful self-employed people are those that take the initiative on life in general. They realize that having their own business means that it is up to them to keep things moving in a forward direction, without someone sitting on the sidelines telling them the next step(s). Because of this, self-employment isn't for everyone. It takes a particular type of personality to make it work.

The past week was tough for me. As I mentioned before, I wasn't feeling my best. While I tried to accomplish and keep the pile moving, artistically I was having a difficult time. Looking back now though, I am glad that the pieces fell where they did and it was a good week to do the overhaul of my computer. The technical 'busy work' that I had to do (organizing, cleaning out files, backing up, etc.) was something that took a great deal of time, but not too much thought. Fortunately, I had Keith here to do the job of installing the hardware. He is great at that and knows far more than me. But once that was done, it was up to me to sort, organize and set things up to my own liking. It was the perfect job for me to do when I wasn't 100 per cent - where most of the time was spent watching and waiting for files to transfer. At least I was moving one aspect of my business in a positive direction.

I had tried to do some painting on the first day or so when my back spasms started. After laying out the background and beautiful window and hat with the mice, things seemed to be moving along just fine. I picture the finished piece in my head and getting it from my imagination to the reality of the painting were pretty much trouble-free at that point. But it was time to add the cat in and while I thought it would be an easy task (after all - I had just finished up the beautiful tiger painting "Layla" - my confidence level was high) I soon found that I would have far more trouble than I anticipated. I got very discouraged.

While the cat I painted wasn't horrific, it certainly wasn't what I had in mind. Even though this was more of a cartoon than a realistic animal, I just wasn't getting it right. I had several photos of black cats for reference, as well as my own beautiful black cat, Coco. But when I tried to translate what was in my head to the painting, I found that I struggled far more than usual. Things were just not looking good.

I attribute this in part to the pain I was in. (Really!) I could only sit and paint for short periods of time, and I had to get up and move. It was hard to concentrate on what I was doing, too and the pain pills that I was taking (over the counter Robax) were making me a little tired. Or maybe I was tired from not sleeping for those few nights. Probably a bit of both. After a couple of attempts at the cat and being pretty disappointed with the outcome, I began to get discouraged. The beautiful painting that was in my mind was far from the reality of what was done before me. I was actually happy to leave it alone for several days and work on the computer stuff. After all - it was 'technical' work that required a different part of my brain and no creativity whatsoever. It was a welcome change.

My painting supplies and half-finished piece stayed on the kitchen table all week. Every once in a while I picked it up to see if what I remembered it to be was 'really that bad'. I must say - it was. Each time I looked at it I felt sadness. It certainly wasn't what I had in mind for the finished painting.

But the computer got finished and I knew it was time to move on to new projects. I felt the week was somewhat wasted and the clock was ticking for new designs. Fortunately, I began to feel better, and I once again began thinking about how I would repair and finish up what I started. I had too much time invested to abandon it altogether.

On Sunday I decided it was time to move forward. It was time to face the battle I started and stop running away. The computer was done. The house was somewhat caught up. It was once again time for me to work on the now unpleasant task of getting that painting back on track.

I spent Sunday picking on the header and footer. That was the easy part and I thought it would ease me back into the painting. Perhaps if I cleared that hurdle, it would transform what was now a bad feeling about it into something that was good again. The lettering was simple and straight-forward. Just following lines. Besides color, it took little thought and at least moved me in a positive direction. I hoped that it would once again get me excited about finishing up the painting.

It actually worked!

When I was done with the lettering, I did like it and it did inspire me to continue on. My back was feeling better (no pain meds!) and I felt up for the battle with the cat. It was a long day of painting, repainting and changing things, but in the end I think I am happy with the results. By 9:30 or so, I was at this point:

Wood Grey Rectangle Art Pattern


I am pleased with it again.

Below is a photo of the 'before' and 'after photos:

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


The left cat looked more like a Wookie than a cat. I will admit that before I finally got it 'right' it had grown to an enormous size, as well. I wound up having to re-work the wall behind her, and while I was quite worried about that, I think it blends in beautifully. I have won the battle. :)

Here is what the painting will look like with the header and footer:

Vertebrate Carnivore Rectangle Font Art


I am still not done yet, as there are many details to add. But the main subjects are in and they are good and what I envisioned when I began. From here on it is "smooth sailing!"

I am glad I stuck with this. I share my story here because I often have others tell me how 'lucky' I am to have things come so easy. Sometimes they do, but many times they do not. The 'easy' thing to do would have been to stuff this in a closet and forget about it and move on. But I didn't want to do that. I wanted to be better than that and it became a challenge to myself to see what I am made of. I am proud that I finally felt up to the challenge and faced my demon. I can't wait to continue on and finish.

I want to live the rest of my life facing these types of challenges. I believe that is how we learn and grow. I did learn though that sometimes when we don't feel physically up for the challenge, it is best to take a step back and switch gears for a bit. When we return to our task, we often have a different perspective. Many times it is one that will help us move forward. I am glad it did here.

It is a somewhat muggy and overcast day here in Nova Scotia this morning. It never really cooled off last night. Yesterday seemed to be the warmest day we have had this season.

I plan to continue painting today and hopefully finishing up my piece. Or at least come close to doing so. Then on to the instructions for it. That will be the easy part.

I wish you all a wonderful day today! Happy Tuesday to you all!
 

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#12,016 ·
Flight or Flight

It is good to be back. Not only here blogging, but actually having something to blog about. Last week when I wasn't feeling my best, it reminded me just how important setting goals for myself and being productive was to my life. It is even more important because I am self-employed I think. Without setting new goals and working toward them every day, I would imagine that there is really no way that one could succeed. I believe that 'success' and 'self-motivation' go hand in hand. The most successful self-employed people are those that take the initiative on life in general. They realize that having their own business means that it is up to them to keep things moving in a forward direction, without someone sitting on the sidelines telling them the next step(s). Because of this, self-employment isn't for everyone. It takes a particular type of personality to make it work.

The past week was tough for me. As I mentioned before, I wasn't feeling my best. While I tried to accomplish and keep the pile moving, artistically I was having a difficult time. Looking back now though, I am glad that the pieces fell where they did and it was a good week to do the overhaul of my computer. The technical 'busy work' that I had to do (organizing, cleaning out files, backing up, etc.) was something that took a great deal of time, but not too much thought. Fortunately, I had Keith here to do the job of installing the hardware. He is great at that and knows far more than me. But once that was done, it was up to me to sort, organize and set things up to my own liking. It was the perfect job for me to do when I wasn't 100 per cent - where most of the time was spent watching and waiting for files to transfer. At least I was moving one aspect of my business in a positive direction.

I had tried to do some painting on the first day or so when my back spasms started. After laying out the background and beautiful window and hat with the mice, things seemed to be moving along just fine. I picture the finished piece in my head and getting it from my imagination to the reality of the painting were pretty much trouble-free at that point. But it was time to add the cat in and while I thought it would be an easy task (after all - I had just finished up the beautiful tiger painting "Layla" - my confidence level was high) I soon found that I would have far more trouble than I anticipated. I got very discouraged.

While the cat I painted wasn't horrific, it certainly wasn't what I had in mind. Even though this was more of a cartoon than a realistic animal, I just wasn't getting it right. I had several photos of black cats for reference, as well as my own beautiful black cat, Coco. But when I tried to translate what was in my head to the painting, I found that I struggled far more than usual. Things were just not looking good.

I attribute this in part to the pain I was in. (Really!) I could only sit and paint for short periods of time, and I had to get up and move. It was hard to concentrate on what I was doing, too and the pain pills that I was taking (over the counter Robax) were making me a little tired. Or maybe I was tired from not sleeping for those few nights. Probably a bit of both. After a couple of attempts at the cat and being pretty disappointed with the outcome, I began to get discouraged. The beautiful painting that was in my mind was far from the reality of what was done before me. I was actually happy to leave it alone for several days and work on the computer stuff. After all - it was 'technical' work that required a different part of my brain and no creativity whatsoever. It was a welcome change.

My painting supplies and half-finished piece stayed on the kitchen table all week. Every once in a while I picked it up to see if what I remembered it to be was 'really that bad'. I must say - it was. Each time I looked at it I felt sadness. It certainly wasn't what I had in mind for the finished painting.

But the computer got finished and I knew it was time to move on to new projects. I felt the week was somewhat wasted and the clock was ticking for new designs. Fortunately, I began to feel better, and I once again began thinking about how I would repair and finish up what I started. I had too much time invested to abandon it altogether.

On Sunday I decided it was time to move forward. It was time to face the battle I started and stop running away. The computer was done. The house was somewhat caught up. It was once again time for me to work on the now unpleasant task of getting that painting back on track.

I spent Sunday picking on the header and footer. That was the easy part and I thought it would ease me back into the painting. Perhaps if I cleared that hurdle, it would transform what was now a bad feeling about it into something that was good again. The lettering was simple and straight-forward. Just following lines. Besides color, it took little thought and at least moved me in a positive direction. I hoped that it would once again get me excited about finishing up the painting.

It actually worked!

When I was done with the lettering, I did like it and it did inspire me to continue on. My back was feeling better (no pain meds!) and I felt up for the battle with the cat. It was a long day of painting, repainting and changing things, but in the end I think I am happy with the results. By 9:30 or so, I was at this point:

Wood Grey Rectangle Art Pattern


I am pleased with it again.

Below is a photo of the 'before' and 'after photos:

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


The left cat looked more like a Wookie than a cat. I will admit that before I finally got it 'right' it had grown to an enormous size, as well. I wound up having to re-work the wall behind her, and while I was quite worried about that, I think it blends in beautifully. I have won the battle. :)

Here is what the painting will look like with the header and footer:

Vertebrate Carnivore Rectangle Font Art


I am still not done yet, as there are many details to add. But the main subjects are in and they are good and what I envisioned when I began. From here on it is "smooth sailing!"

I am glad I stuck with this. I share my story here because I often have others tell me how 'lucky' I am to have things come so easy. Sometimes they do, but many times they do not. The 'easy' thing to do would have been to stuff this in a closet and forget about it and move on. But I didn't want to do that. I wanted to be better than that and it became a challenge to myself to see what I am made of. I am proud that I finally felt up to the challenge and faced my demon. I can't wait to continue on and finish.

I want to live the rest of my life facing these types of challenges. I believe that is how we learn and grow. I did learn though that sometimes when we don't feel physically up for the challenge, it is best to take a step back and switch gears for a bit. When we return to our task, we often have a different perspective. Many times it is one that will help us move forward. I am glad it did here.

It is a somewhat muggy and overcast day here in Nova Scotia this morning. It never really cooled off last night. Yesterday seemed to be the warmest day we have had this season.

I plan to continue painting today and hopefully finishing up my piece. Or at least come close to doing so. Then on to the instructions for it. That will be the easy part.

I wish you all a wonderful day today! Happy Tuesday to you all!
I do admire your artistic ability and talent. You have a special eye. (color me very jealous).
 

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#12,020 ·
Progress!

Ahhhh the sweet taste of "progress"!

Like that first sip of coffee in the morning or the breathtaking beauty when the sun begins to illuminate the morning fog, it is something that sometimes causes us to just stop, take notice and enjoy.

I am especially aware of positive progress in my current painting because things have been a bit of a struggle for me in creating it. Not because what I am creating is particularly difficult, but because there have been a few obstacles in place along the way. Last week (as I mentioned) I wasn't feeling my best. It was hard to concentrate on what I was creating and I am happy that I had the presence of mind to take a step back and wait until I felt better before I continued with my work on this piece. I will admit to you, there have been more than a few times in this painting where I took a step forward and then had to back up, remove paint and re-do something. That is part of the designing process.

It isn't always crystal clear for me as to the order of steps I need to take or even the colors of paint to achieve the look I want. I am working with a couple of new products here, so there is somewhat of a learning curve that needs to be respected (by me!) and sometimes things progress slowly.

It bothers me sometimes just how slow things evolve. But I need to keep reminding myself that it isn't a race and that taking the time that is required to create something of quality is just part of the process. I also remind myself that when painting (or scroll sawing for that matter) others' designs, the process is much quicker. That is an important idea that should by now be ingrained in my head, but somehow still isn't at times. One day I will learn . . .

Yesterday was a good day of progress on my "Black Cat Society" painting pattern. With the main characters satisfactory, all I have left to do are the finer details - and there are many of them! These are the little touches that will bring this project to life and make it truly special.

As I began the plaque yesterday, it was in this state:

Vertebrate Carnivore Rectangle Font Art


While some may consider it 'done', I know I have much more in mind for it. These little elements will make it far more interesting and fun and hopefully add to its appeal.

I began by adding a vine hatband to the witches' hat.

Hat Textile Art Mammal Creative arts


I thought it brought some wonderful color and interest to it and fit in nicely. I still have some highlighting to do on the berries, but it looks pretty cool. I also added a crystal ball, as you see.

Hat Paint Cap Headgear Wood


The second photo shows the iridescent glow a little better. I used the new Interference paint from DecoArt's Media Fluid Acrylic line and it gives the 'glass' ball a beautiful depth. That along with some Opal Dust makes the ball look transparent and deep. The pedestal that the ball is on is done in metallic gold as well, so it has a wonderful shine to it.

I also added a cool Gothic shelf up above and behind the cat.

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


This opens an array of possibilities for some wonderful accessories! The shelf is crackled like the window sill and panes, and looks pretty creepy and cool.

Just adding these few things really filled in the picture nicely:

Vertebrate Textile Carnivore Rectangle Cat


. . . but I am not done yet! :)

I still have a few 'tricks' up my sleeve for this one. But I am pleased with how it is progressing.

I am back to feeling really good about it, and I am not even thinking about how long it is taking me to get it right. When I first pictured the scene in my head, it was very close to what has come to be. The fog is slowly lifting from my vision and it is becoming reality right before my eyes. Like MAGIC!

I don't know how far I will get today. Perhaps I will be close to the finish line. Maybe not for another day or so. I will see how things unfold before me and allow them to dictate the pace. I think that is the best way to let it happen.

I hope you enjoy seeing these progressions. I also hope that they help you understand what goes into creating a design of this type. While I can only be sure of my own process, I know that for me, it is a series of trial and error steps (and yes - there are errors!) that need to be carefully considered and implemented. There is just no quick way to do it. But that is the fun part of the process, and I thrive on it.

We have a cooler and hazy morning here in Nova Scotia. I can't figure out if it will burn off and the sun will come out or not. I am thinking it will. After the warm, humid air of the past couple of days, I find it is a welcome change.

I wish you all a beautiful day today. Have fun and do something creative.

Happy Wednesday!
 

Attachments

#12,021 ·
Progress!

Ahhhh the sweet taste of "progress"!

Like that first sip of coffee in the morning or the breathtaking beauty when the sun begins to illuminate the morning fog, it is something that sometimes causes us to just stop, take notice and enjoy.

I am especially aware of positive progress in my current painting because things have been a bit of a struggle for me in creating it. Not because what I am creating is particularly difficult, but because there have been a few obstacles in place along the way. Last week (as I mentioned) I wasn't feeling my best. It was hard to concentrate on what I was creating and I am happy that I had the presence of mind to take a step back and wait until I felt better before I continued with my work on this piece. I will admit to you, there have been more than a few times in this painting where I took a step forward and then had to back up, remove paint and re-do something. That is part of the designing process.

It isn't always crystal clear for me as to the order of steps I need to take or even the colors of paint to achieve the look I want. I am working with a couple of new products here, so there is somewhat of a learning curve that needs to be respected (by me!) and sometimes things progress slowly.

It bothers me sometimes just how slow things evolve. But I need to keep reminding myself that it isn't a race and that taking the time that is required to create something of quality is just part of the process. I also remind myself that when painting (or scroll sawing for that matter) others' designs, the process is much quicker. That is an important idea that should by now be ingrained in my head, but somehow still isn't at times. One day I will learn . . .

Yesterday was a good day of progress on my "Black Cat Society" painting pattern. With the main characters satisfactory, all I have left to do are the finer details - and there are many of them! These are the little touches that will bring this project to life and make it truly special.

As I began the plaque yesterday, it was in this state:

Vertebrate Carnivore Rectangle Font Art


While some may consider it 'done', I know I have much more in mind for it. These little elements will make it far more interesting and fun and hopefully add to its appeal.

I began by adding a vine hatband to the witches' hat.

Hat Textile Art Mammal Creative arts


I thought it brought some wonderful color and interest to it and fit in nicely. I still have some highlighting to do on the berries, but it looks pretty cool. I also added a crystal ball, as you see.

Hat Paint Cap Headgear Wood


The second photo shows the iridescent glow a little better. I used the new Interference paint from DecoArt's Media Fluid Acrylic line and it gives the 'glass' ball a beautiful depth. That along with some Opal Dust makes the ball look transparent and deep. The pedestal that the ball is on is done in metallic gold as well, so it has a wonderful shine to it.

I also added a cool Gothic shelf up above and behind the cat.

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Whiskers


This opens an array of possibilities for some wonderful accessories! The shelf is crackled like the window sill and panes, and looks pretty creepy and cool.

Just adding these few things really filled in the picture nicely:

Vertebrate Textile Carnivore Rectangle Cat


. . . but I am not done yet! :)

I still have a few 'tricks' up my sleeve for this one. But I am pleased with how it is progressing.

I am back to feeling really good about it, and I am not even thinking about how long it is taking me to get it right. When I first pictured the scene in my head, it was very close to what has come to be. The fog is slowly lifting from my vision and it is becoming reality right before my eyes. Like MAGIC!

I don't know how far I will get today. Perhaps I will be close to the finish line. Maybe not for another day or so. I will see how things unfold before me and allow them to dictate the pace. I think that is the best way to let it happen.

I hope you enjoy seeing these progressions. I also hope that they help you understand what goes into creating a design of this type. While I can only be sure of my own process, I know that for me, it is a series of trial and error steps (and yes - there are errors!) that need to be carefully considered and implemented. There is just no quick way to do it. But that is the fun part of the process, and I thrive on it.

We have a cooler and hazy morning here in Nova Scotia. I can't figure out if it will burn off and the sun will come out or not. I am thinking it will. After the warm, humid air of the past couple of days, I find it is a welcome change.

I wish you all a beautiful day today. Have fun and do something creative.

Happy Wednesday!
There is movement and energy in that picture! Just adding those pieces has made a wonderful difference. Looking forward to seeing what else you will come up with.
It finally rained here today, not much but enough to keep the garden happy :)
 

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#12,023 ·
Nearing the Finish on This One

Today's post will be short. (Really!) It seems that the past couple of days, I have awaken to a lot of emails that need my attention. I have spent much of the morning working on that and I am anxious to get to finishing up my latest painting. Then on to writing the packet.

I made good progress yesterday, adding details and thinking about the finishing touches that I will add today to complete it. I am pleased with how it looks, and feel good about it in general.

I have enjoyed hearing the feedback from people regarding the piece. There have been both positive comments, as well as some things that people said they would change. Keith mentioned that he thinks things look 'too deliberate'. Another comment mentioned that she preferred it with fewer objects.

This is good.

My goal as a designer isn't just to offer designs to copy exactly, but to also evoke thought and offer a base so that others can use their own preferences and creativity and have fun with the elements given. I could never expect everyone who sees my designs to like them exactly 'as is.'

I often receive questions from customers asking if it was "OK" to alter my designs. My answer is always "Of course you can!" I actually enjoy seeing others' takes on my original ideas. I only ask that you don't claim them as your own if they are derivatives of my work. That is only fair.

Since I am in the final stages of the painting, I am only going to show you a little hint of what I added yesterday:

Table Rectangle Wood Art Serveware


There are some cool additional 'final touches' that I will be adding today as well. But you will just have to wait to see them. (Yes - I can be mean!) But I hope the wait will be worth it.

I also wanted to mention in today's post that Keith has added a new pattern for a set of Classic Filigree Ornaments to the site:

Textile Motif Font Wood Ornament


The link to them is here: SLDK600 Classic Filigree Ornament Pattern.

It is our first of many new holiday patterns we hope to add to our site. We hope you enjoy them.

Today is another bright and sunny day. It seems a little cooler than the previous few days, which is much more comfortable. All in all, it has been a really nice summer.

I wish you all a wonderful Thursday.
 

Attachments

#12,024 ·
Nearing the Finish on This One

Today's post will be short. (Really!) It seems that the past couple of days, I have awaken to a lot of emails that need my attention. I have spent much of the morning working on that and I am anxious to get to finishing up my latest painting. Then on to writing the packet.

I made good progress yesterday, adding details and thinking about the finishing touches that I will add today to complete it. I am pleased with how it looks, and feel good about it in general.

I have enjoyed hearing the feedback from people regarding the piece. There have been both positive comments, as well as some things that people said they would change. Keith mentioned that he thinks things look 'too deliberate'. Another comment mentioned that she preferred it with fewer objects.

This is good.

My goal as a designer isn't just to offer designs to copy exactly, but to also evoke thought and offer a base so that others can use their own preferences and creativity and have fun with the elements given. I could never expect everyone who sees my designs to like them exactly 'as is.'

I often receive questions from customers asking if it was "OK" to alter my designs. My answer is always "Of course you can!" I actually enjoy seeing others' takes on my original ideas. I only ask that you don't claim them as your own if they are derivatives of my work. That is only fair.

Since I am in the final stages of the painting, I am only going to show you a little hint of what I added yesterday:

Table Rectangle Wood Art Serveware


There are some cool additional 'final touches' that I will be adding today as well. But you will just have to wait to see them. (Yes - I can be mean!) But I hope the wait will be worth it.

I also wanted to mention in today's post that Keith has added a new pattern for a set of Classic Filigree Ornaments to the site:

Textile Motif Font Wood Ornament


The link to them is here: SLDK600 Classic Filigree Ornament Pattern.

It is our first of many new holiday patterns we hope to add to our site. We hope you enjoy them.

Today is another bright and sunny day. It seems a little cooler than the previous few days, which is much more comfortable. All in all, it has been a really nice summer.

I wish you all a wonderful Thursday.
Sheila, Does the Crescent and star hold any particular significance to you or the painting? And, I notice that what appear to be arm bones supporting the candle platform unique thoughts. Have a productive day, please.
 

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#12,028 ·
The Black Cat Society

All of you who know me know how much I love cats. I have had cats all my life and they are always a huge part of my daily living. I also love autumn and the beautiful fall colors. the deep, rich tones are always a pleasure to paint and work with.

Last year I had an idea for a plaque for autumn/fall/Halloween. Unfortunately, it was a bit late in the season when I thought of it and I had to move on to other things. I was determined to have it done for this year.

Like many ideas that I have, it developed slowly. Rarely does a design ever just pop into my head all at once. Usually it falls into place little by little, as if the fog was lifting. More often than not I am a little surprised at the final outcome when it finally becomes reality. Many times there were so many changes that only parts of the idea remain.

That wasn't the case though with my "Black Cat Society" plaque. From the beginning, I had a pretty good idea of where I wanted the idea to head and what I wanted the final outcome to be like. I pictured a beautiful Gothic window in an stone building or castle. A lovely black cat sitting in the moonlight. A hat (of course) with some daring little mice peeking out. A crystal ball. Some potion bottles. A spooky candle. I even had a pre-concieved idea of their placement. Watching things materialize these past days has been both fun and exciting for me, and I am happy with the outcome.

But everything didn't come easy. I have had a couple of weeks of my back troubling me and I don't know if it affected my painting abilities or not, but there were several elements in this piece that I needed to do more than once. To be honest with you all - I am a little surprised that it looks as good as it does. I feel very lucky in fact that it all fell into place so well.

I took over 350 photos along the way. Today's job (and maybe tomorrow's as well) will be refining the photos and writing the instructions for the plaque. Because of the photos, that won't be too difficult a task. I am finally in the habit of snapping a picture or two each and every step of the way. This not only helps when writing the instructions, but also provides excellent visuals for the pattern packet itself. It breaks down a seemingly complex process into small, easy steps. Everybody wins.

I created the plaque using the same surface as my "Nevermore" Plaque (SLDP223 on my site):

Bird Branch Rectangle Twig Wood


I have been trying to use surfaces for more than one thing so that it is easier for me to keep up with thing. Besides - this is a nice sized plaque and I like it a lot.

As I left off yesterday, I noticed some refining to do before I continued on. I darkened up the crystal ball a bit, as I thought it looked a little too bright. That was done in several layers. I also added some highlights to the berries on the hat so they stood out a little more:

Vertebrate Blue Hat Cartoon Art


I then worked on the shelf items. I finished up the potion bottles and also the skull candle holder and candle. I added in a little spider and web under the shelf too. I think he looks pretty cool. (The web is in metallic pearl paint and much more subtle than it looks in the photograph):

Cat Green Blue Black Felidae


I added a little mischevious bat on the upper left corner next to the window. I didn't know how it would look, but I truly love him! He even has little pearly fangs!

Textile Wood Art Painting Tints and shades


Finally, I outlined the black matte lettering very carefully with metallic gold paint.

Hand Wood Finger Font Guitar accessory


I wasn't sure if it would look nice or distract fromt he design, but I think it came out stunning. I am really happy with it:

Wood Font Wood stain Metal Fashion accessory


The final results with everything together came out pretty nice.

I am pretty happy with it overall.

Carnivore Font Window Art Illustration


I have already had several inquiries regarding the pattern. As I mentioned above, I will be working all day today and hopefully getting it on the site over the weekend. I will announce it on the Sheila Landry Designs Facebook page and also in my painting groups when it is ready. (Please give our page a "Like" if you haven't already. Facebook is making it harder and harder to be seen and we need all the help we can get. Comment and share often if you will to help our visibility.)

The pattern will be available both digitally (PDF) as well as print and will be filled with full color step-by-step photos, as all of my patterns are. I will also be selling the surface for it, as well as a combo kit of the pattern and surface for those interested.

Although this took a little longer than anticipated, I am really pleased with the outcome of it. I am even considering whether or not to make it into a scroll sawing pattern for my woodworking followers. Your thoughts on it if you would like it would be appreciated. :)

I hope you all have a nice weekend. It is beautiful and sunny here and there isn't a cloud in the sky. It is calling for some rain though tomorrow and throughout the weekend. We shall see.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend ahead. Thank you for all the encouragement on this piece. It really helps to know that what I do is liked.

Happy Friday!
 

Attachments

#12,029 ·
The Black Cat Society

All of you who know me know how much I love cats. I have had cats all my life and they are always a huge part of my daily living. I also love autumn and the beautiful fall colors. the deep, rich tones are always a pleasure to paint and work with.

Last year I had an idea for a plaque for autumn/fall/Halloween. Unfortunately, it was a bit late in the season when I thought of it and I had to move on to other things. I was determined to have it done for this year.

Like many ideas that I have, it developed slowly. Rarely does a design ever just pop into my head all at once. Usually it falls into place little by little, as if the fog was lifting. More often than not I am a little surprised at the final outcome when it finally becomes reality. Many times there were so many changes that only parts of the idea remain.

That wasn't the case though with my "Black Cat Society" plaque. From the beginning, I had a pretty good idea of where I wanted the idea to head and what I wanted the final outcome to be like. I pictured a beautiful Gothic window in an stone building or castle. A lovely black cat sitting in the moonlight. A hat (of course) with some daring little mice peeking out. A crystal ball. Some potion bottles. A spooky candle. I even had a pre-concieved idea of their placement. Watching things materialize these past days has been both fun and exciting for me, and I am happy with the outcome.

But everything didn't come easy. I have had a couple of weeks of my back troubling me and I don't know if it affected my painting abilities or not, but there were several elements in this piece that I needed to do more than once. To be honest with you all - I am a little surprised that it looks as good as it does. I feel very lucky in fact that it all fell into place so well.

I took over 350 photos along the way. Today's job (and maybe tomorrow's as well) will be refining the photos and writing the instructions for the plaque. Because of the photos, that won't be too difficult a task. I am finally in the habit of snapping a picture or two each and every step of the way. This not only helps when writing the instructions, but also provides excellent visuals for the pattern packet itself. It breaks down a seemingly complex process into small, easy steps. Everybody wins.

I created the plaque using the same surface as my "Nevermore" Plaque (SLDP223 on my site):

Bird Branch Rectangle Twig Wood


I have been trying to use surfaces for more than one thing so that it is easier for me to keep up with thing. Besides - this is a nice sized plaque and I like it a lot.

As I left off yesterday, I noticed some refining to do before I continued on. I darkened up the crystal ball a bit, as I thought it looked a little too bright. That was done in several layers. I also added some highlights to the berries on the hat so they stood out a little more:

Vertebrate Blue Hat Cartoon Art


I then worked on the shelf items. I finished up the potion bottles and also the skull candle holder and candle. I added in a little spider and web under the shelf too. I think he looks pretty cool. (The web is in metallic pearl paint and much more subtle than it looks in the photograph):

Cat Green Blue Black Felidae


I added a little mischevious bat on the upper left corner next to the window. I didn't know how it would look, but I truly love him! He even has little pearly fangs!

Textile Wood Art Painting Tints and shades


Finally, I outlined the black matte lettering very carefully with metallic gold paint.

Hand Wood Finger Font Guitar accessory


I wasn't sure if it would look nice or distract fromt he design, but I think it came out stunning. I am really happy with it:

Wood Font Wood stain Metal Fashion accessory


The final results with everything together came out pretty nice.

I am pretty happy with it overall.

Carnivore Font Window Art Illustration


I have already had several inquiries regarding the pattern. As I mentioned above, I will be working all day today and hopefully getting it on the site over the weekend. I will announce it on the Sheila Landry Designs Facebook page and also in my painting groups when it is ready. (Please give our page a "Like" if you haven't already. Facebook is making it harder and harder to be seen and we need all the help we can get. Comment and share often if you will to help our visibility.)

The pattern will be available both digitally (PDF) as well as print and will be filled with full color step-by-step photos, as all of my patterns are. I will also be selling the surface for it, as well as a combo kit of the pattern and surface for those interested.

Although this took a little longer than anticipated, I am really pleased with the outcome of it. I am even considering whether or not to make it into a scroll sawing pattern for my woodworking followers. Your thoughts on it if you would like it would be appreciated. :)

I hope you all have a nice weekend. It is beautiful and sunny here and there isn't a cloud in the sky. It is calling for some rain though tomorrow and throughout the weekend. We shall see.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend ahead. Thank you for all the encouragement on this piece. It really helps to know that what I do is liked.

Happy Friday!
Cat Eye Felidae Carnivore Comfort


Well Bess likes it.
 

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#12,037 ·
Baby Steps

There are times when I get impatient with myself. I always have lots of plans and things that I want to do, and many times I only get a fraction of the things actually finished. If by some chance I do get close to the bottom of my list, I then feel that I didn't set my goals high enough. As you can see, I am kind of setting my self up for a 'no win' situation.

It is hard sometimes to be objective though. Especially when I am dealing with myself. As I look at the Facebook posts of all my creative friends - both woodworking and painting - I see project after project and sometimes feel inadequate and as if I am not 'keeping up'. It is a very destructive mindset.

I always do best when I 'mind my own p's and q's.' When I worry only about what I am doing and not comparing myself to everyone else. Of course it is nice to be inspired by others and see all the wonderful things they are creating, but when it begins to make us feel as if we aren't keeping up or doing enough, it can very quickly turn from inspiration to paralyzing feelings of inadequacies. And that isn't good.

As a teacher, I always preach to my students that we shouldn't compare ourselves to our neighbors, or even to me for that matter. Since I mostly teach things of an artistic nature, I think that it is more important to learn the method that is being taught, and making projects with your own unique flair added in. That is after all what makes something "artistic". Everything shouldn't be done exactly the same as the person's next to us. We each have our own style and flair that we add to our work, and as we learn and become more comfortable with the methods, we tend to meander off the line just a little bit more as our confidence in ourselves grows.

Everyone works at a different pace, as each artist has a different amount of experience, ability and looks at things in a different way. That is what makes creating so exciting. Why then do we find that we need to compare ourselves to those around us? It really isn't being fair to ourselves, and it usually does more damage than good.

The same goes with designing. I need to remind myself sometimes that we all have different goals and abilities in creating our designs. Some may look to make as many new patterns that they can in a given time. Others, like myself, are much slower in the process of teaching a pattern or creating a pattern packet. It is just the nature of the beast.

On Friday I had the goal of having my new "Black Cat Society" pattern ready and on the site by Monday. Surely I would complete it over the entire weekend. But here I sit on Monday morning and it still isn't quite there. I made good progress, but I didn't really reach my goal.

Last night when I realized that I would not finish, I began to feel crummy about myself. I was feeling kind of down and Keith asked me why. I answered that I was kind of depressed because I wanted to be finished with it and I wasn't. He said to me "But you worked on it all weekend." and at that moment it struck me - he was right. (Shhh! Don't tell him I said that!)

I DID work on the pattern all weekend, and I spent a lot of time making it a good one. There is a lot going on in the plaque and I didn't only want to list the colors that I used for the pattern, but also TEACH the process. That takes time.

I spent most of Saturday re-painting the main part of the plaque - the cat. I did this because (as you may remember from reading last week) I wound up changing the cat from the initial painting that I did. I was much happier with the results, but I wanted to be sure that I could re-create the cat in the same manner again and again - and so could my students (the ones who bought the pattern.) I thought it would be best to re-paint it one more time so I could be sure of the process and then relay it to those who purchased the plaque. So I did that and in the process took probably 100 step-by-step photos along the way. Not only does that help me remember the steps as I am writing the instructions, but it gives a visual to those who may be newer to painting and it helps them understand and successfully recreate the design.

Below is an example of some of the steps:

Cat White Vertebrate Felidae Black


White Cat Carnivore Felidae Window


When looking at things in this manner, you can see that it actually does make the process much easier. These are just five of the actual 25 photos for the cat that I will include in the pattern. Ten of those photos will focus on just the eyes, as I understand that the eyes are an integral part of the design.

Is it too much? Perhaps in some people's eyes it is. But for those who are newer to painting and who want to learn something new and expand their painting ability, I don't think it is. I think that they will appreciate these 'lessons' and not only recreate my design, but learn something in the process. That is my goal, anyway.

Over the years I have purchased hundreds, if not thousands of patterns. They range anywhere in length from a photo with a color listing and general instructions to step-by-step guides with lots of photos and explanations. Even though I am what some would consider a 'seasoned' painter, I ALWAYS appreciate the patterns that offer the full explantions and lots of photos. I just feel that I get much more out of them and even if things are done differently than I am used to, it opens me up to new methods and techniques and I learn from them. I want my own patterns to do the same for others.

In the many years that I have been designing, the most common thing I hear from newer painters or woodworkers is "I can't do that - it's too hard". In both instances, I try to explain that while some things may be more complicated than others, if broken down into palatable 'baby steps', anything is possible. Most of the time, when showing the process one small step at a time, it is far less intimidating and doesn't overwhelm even newer students. It is just a matter of looking at things differently.

I need to keep reminding myself that as well. As I look at my long list of things that I want to accomplish, I sometimes get overwhelmed. I need to remember that there are a lot of stopping points between the start and the finish and in the end, it isn't the number of new patterns or things that I accomplish, but the quality of the ones that I do. I need to stop beating myself up for not putting out the same quantity of patterns as some of my fellow designers and know in my heart that the patterns I put out are my very best effort. After all - I think I would feel a lot worse if I had a larger number of patterns that I didn't feel good about. Sometimes I forget that.

So today I will continue working on my "Black Cat Society" pattern. Over the weekend I not only recreated the cat, but I adjusted all the photos for the pattern and re-drew all the line work so it would be accurate and clean. When I looked at the results of what I DID accomplish, I felt pretty good about it.

Today I will be actually writing the process. It will be a somewhat easy task because the photos are all in order and already tell the story. It is as simple as adding words to them and laying them out in a manner that can be easily and logically followed. All in all, I think this will be a good pattern. It will be something that I will be proud to put my name on and I think that no matter what level of painter attempts it, they will be successful. That is the most important thing to me.

I appreciate in all of you indulging me with this. I hope by sharing this story and these thoughts with you, that you can apply them to some of the circumstances in your own life. Is it really important to do as much as those around you appear to be doing? Or are you putting unnecessary stress on yourself to keep up with something or someone that may not even be in the same circumstances as you are? It is something worth thinking about, I believe.

I am going to start this week with a light heart and happy soul. When it all comes down to it, we, ourselves are our own worst critics. We need to learn to treat ourselves with the kindness and consideration that we offer to others. When we do that, we are not only happier, but much more productive in the long run it seems. At least I am.

I am looking forward to a wonderfully productive week ahead. I wish you all one as well.

Happy Monday to you all!

"Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one." - Eleanor Roosevelt
 

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#12,038 ·
Baby Steps

There are times when I get impatient with myself. I always have lots of plans and things that I want to do, and many times I only get a fraction of the things actually finished. If by some chance I do get close to the bottom of my list, I then feel that I didn't set my goals high enough. As you can see, I am kind of setting my self up for a 'no win' situation.

It is hard sometimes to be objective though. Especially when I am dealing with myself. As I look at the Facebook posts of all my creative friends - both woodworking and painting - I see project after project and sometimes feel inadequate and as if I am not 'keeping up'. It is a very destructive mindset.

I always do best when I 'mind my own p's and q's.' When I worry only about what I am doing and not comparing myself to everyone else. Of course it is nice to be inspired by others and see all the wonderful things they are creating, but when it begins to make us feel as if we aren't keeping up or doing enough, it can very quickly turn from inspiration to paralyzing feelings of inadequacies. And that isn't good.

As a teacher, I always preach to my students that we shouldn't compare ourselves to our neighbors, or even to me for that matter. Since I mostly teach things of an artistic nature, I think that it is more important to learn the method that is being taught, and making projects with your own unique flair added in. That is after all what makes something "artistic". Everything shouldn't be done exactly the same as the person's next to us. We each have our own style and flair that we add to our work, and as we learn and become more comfortable with the methods, we tend to meander off the line just a little bit more as our confidence in ourselves grows.

Everyone works at a different pace, as each artist has a different amount of experience, ability and looks at things in a different way. That is what makes creating so exciting. Why then do we find that we need to compare ourselves to those around us? It really isn't being fair to ourselves, and it usually does more damage than good.

The same goes with designing. I need to remind myself sometimes that we all have different goals and abilities in creating our designs. Some may look to make as many new patterns that they can in a given time. Others, like myself, are much slower in the process of teaching a pattern or creating a pattern packet. It is just the nature of the beast.

On Friday I had the goal of having my new "Black Cat Society" pattern ready and on the site by Monday. Surely I would complete it over the entire weekend. But here I sit on Monday morning and it still isn't quite there. I made good progress, but I didn't really reach my goal.

Last night when I realized that I would not finish, I began to feel crummy about myself. I was feeling kind of down and Keith asked me why. I answered that I was kind of depressed because I wanted to be finished with it and I wasn't. He said to me "But you worked on it all weekend." and at that moment it struck me - he was right. (Shhh! Don't tell him I said that!)

I DID work on the pattern all weekend, and I spent a lot of time making it a good one. There is a lot going on in the plaque and I didn't only want to list the colors that I used for the pattern, but also TEACH the process. That takes time.

I spent most of Saturday re-painting the main part of the plaque - the cat. I did this because (as you may remember from reading last week) I wound up changing the cat from the initial painting that I did. I was much happier with the results, but I wanted to be sure that I could re-create the cat in the same manner again and again - and so could my students (the ones who bought the pattern.) I thought it would be best to re-paint it one more time so I could be sure of the process and then relay it to those who purchased the plaque. So I did that and in the process took probably 100 step-by-step photos along the way. Not only does that help me remember the steps as I am writing the instructions, but it gives a visual to those who may be newer to painting and it helps them understand and successfully recreate the design.

Below is an example of some of the steps:

Cat White Vertebrate Felidae Black


White Cat Carnivore Felidae Window


When looking at things in this manner, you can see that it actually does make the process much easier. These are just five of the actual 25 photos for the cat that I will include in the pattern. Ten of those photos will focus on just the eyes, as I understand that the eyes are an integral part of the design.

Is it too much? Perhaps in some people's eyes it is. But for those who are newer to painting and who want to learn something new and expand their painting ability, I don't think it is. I think that they will appreciate these 'lessons' and not only recreate my design, but learn something in the process. That is my goal, anyway.

Over the years I have purchased hundreds, if not thousands of patterns. They range anywhere in length from a photo with a color listing and general instructions to step-by-step guides with lots of photos and explanations. Even though I am what some would consider a 'seasoned' painter, I ALWAYS appreciate the patterns that offer the full explantions and lots of photos. I just feel that I get much more out of them and even if things are done differently than I am used to, it opens me up to new methods and techniques and I learn from them. I want my own patterns to do the same for others.

In the many years that I have been designing, the most common thing I hear from newer painters or woodworkers is "I can't do that - it's too hard". In both instances, I try to explain that while some things may be more complicated than others, if broken down into palatable 'baby steps', anything is possible. Most of the time, when showing the process one small step at a time, it is far less intimidating and doesn't overwhelm even newer students. It is just a matter of looking at things differently.

I need to keep reminding myself that as well. As I look at my long list of things that I want to accomplish, I sometimes get overwhelmed. I need to remember that there are a lot of stopping points between the start and the finish and in the end, it isn't the number of new patterns or things that I accomplish, but the quality of the ones that I do. I need to stop beating myself up for not putting out the same quantity of patterns as some of my fellow designers and know in my heart that the patterns I put out are my very best effort. After all - I think I would feel a lot worse if I had a larger number of patterns that I didn't feel good about. Sometimes I forget that.

So today I will continue working on my "Black Cat Society" pattern. Over the weekend I not only recreated the cat, but I adjusted all the photos for the pattern and re-drew all the line work so it would be accurate and clean. When I looked at the results of what I DID accomplish, I felt pretty good about it.

Today I will be actually writing the process. It will be a somewhat easy task because the photos are all in order and already tell the story. It is as simple as adding words to them and laying them out in a manner that can be easily and logically followed. All in all, I think this will be a good pattern. It will be something that I will be proud to put my name on and I think that no matter what level of painter attempts it, they will be successful. That is the most important thing to me.

I appreciate in all of you indulging me with this. I hope by sharing this story and these thoughts with you, that you can apply them to some of the circumstances in your own life. Is it really important to do as much as those around you appear to be doing? Or are you putting unnecessary stress on yourself to keep up with something or someone that may not even be in the same circumstances as you are? It is something worth thinking about, I believe.

I am going to start this week with a light heart and happy soul. When it all comes down to it, we, ourselves are our own worst critics. We need to learn to treat ourselves with the kindness and consideration that we offer to others. When we do that, we are not only happier, but much more productive in the long run it seems. At least I am.

I am looking forward to a wonderfully productive week ahead. I wish you all one as well.

Happy Monday to you all!

"Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one." - Eleanor Roosevelt
You are unique individual Sheila! Your lessons are beautifully detailed and easy to follow - not everyone can teach their craft. I am making custom bags at the minute for a family member and it is a slow process. I'm enjoying the process and not worrying about the deadlines:)
 

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#12,040 ·
There's Hope

Yesterday I had to skip posting. Our internet had become so spotty that it was difficult to stay online for any length of time. Over the past couple of weeks, both Keith and I noticed the problem was getting worse. The thing that got us wondering though was that much of the time it would work fine, but then it would be 'dragging' for increasing lengths of time. Sometimes hours.

It is funny how dependent we have become on the internet. Not only for our business, but for our every day communication. Even our phone is run though our computers, so when that is down, we are pretty much out of touch.

In any case, after having very little internet over the weekend, Keith decided to give them a call on Monday. Much to our surprise, they scheduled a service call for Tuesday morning. (Really - they told us it would be in the morning and didn't leave us dangling all day!) At around 9am we received a call from the tech that he would be over within an hour, as he was finishing up one more call before coming to our place.

He showed up on time and found the problem to be that an obsolete filter was installed on our physical line (out on the pole) and removed it. He then suggested we upgrade our router to their newer equipment which was a router/modem all in one. The speed would be more than twice of what we had and the cost was minimal. We decided to go for it.

He spent the next hour or so setting things up and configuring our system and we are again up and running and better than ever. It was a great experience.

Keith gave him excellent reviews and we were both impressed at the professionalism as well as the time frame in which they acted. As we all know - cable and internet companies don't have a great reputation for their in home service. I just wanted to tell the story because it was so positive.

Later in the day, I needed to go to Yarmouth to renew my driver's license. I have nightmarish memories of when I lived in suburban Chicago and had to go to the DMV, with young children in tow, and wait in lines that sometimes went out the door and around the buiding to do so. My friend Cari used to go with me and help me manage the kids, and it usually took about 3-4 hours to get through the process. It certainly left a bitter taste in my mouth regarding the DMV.

But here in Nova Scotia it is different. Yarmouth is a medium sized town, and most from the southern part of the province go there for services. When I arrived there yesterday at about 3:30 pm I took a number and as I sat down in the chair the number was called. The clerk was pleasant and knew what she was doing and I was literally walking out the door with my new license in under five minutes total. It was awesome.

They have always been great there, and the most I ever had to wait was about 20 minutes on a really busy day. When I had the complicated task of 'importing' my car from the USA when I received my "Landed Immigrant" papers, they were curtious and helpful and knowledgable and everything went smoothly. It was a pleasure to do business with them.

I am telling you these stories because historically, both the cable company (internet provider included) and the DMV have not so positive reputations with the general public. However, both of these service providers did outstanding jobs and I can honestly say I am very pleased with them. It kind of gives me 'hope'.

Several of you have noticed that I have been kind of floundering around a little bit lately. I do admit that things have been kind of getting to me. It is sometimes hard not to be overwhelmed when so many things in the world seem to be 'broken'. It is nice to see that there are still people that take pride in their work and truly try to do a good job. I think there may be more out there than we realize. But we only seem to hear of the negative situations. That is why I wanted to relay these two very positive ones.

My goal today is to finish up my "Black Cat Society" instructions. As you may imagine, it was difficult to write yesterday with all that was going on. I didn't have my computer most of the morning and had to leave by afternoon. But I am pretty determined to get things done today.

In the mean time, I notice that many of our customers are shopping "Halloween" patterns. I thought I would share some of our spooky and fun patterns with you today.

This is Keith's SLDK339 - 10 Gothic Bats ornament pattern:



It is a fun design for those who love his filigree scroll saw patterns.

And for those who enjoy doing my candle trays, one of my all time favorite tray patterns is my SLD320 Gothic Bat Candle Tray pattern:



Keith also has some great Halloween trivets. There are three designs in this one pattern (SLDK391)



And for my painters, there are lots of fun Halloween designs on my Painting Patterns page such as these SLDP217 Spooky Halloween Ornament Set:

Orange Font Yellow Calabaza Symbol


I offer the wood pieces for most of the painting patterns I have, as well as some wood and pattern Combo Sets (Just scroll to the bottom of the page on the Painting Surfaces page.

I realize that many don't know about our Pattern Search feature. It is kind of stuck up in the upper right corner of our pages, and it may be hard to find. But it does a pretty good job of helping you find a particular type of pattern or project. When I typed in "Halloween" I got three pages of items.

It is raining and 'muggy' here today, but that is a good thing. We haven't had much rain and it is very much needed. The mornings seem to be darker already though, and the air in the morning is crisp and cool. It is hard to believe that autumn is actually coming so quickly. It seems like summer has just begun.

I wish you all a good day today. Happy Wednesday to you!
 

Attachments

#12,041 ·
There's Hope

Yesterday I had to skip posting. Our internet had become so spotty that it was difficult to stay online for any length of time. Over the past couple of weeks, both Keith and I noticed the problem was getting worse. The thing that got us wondering though was that much of the time it would work fine, but then it would be 'dragging' for increasing lengths of time. Sometimes hours.

It is funny how dependent we have become on the internet. Not only for our business, but for our every day communication. Even our phone is run though our computers, so when that is down, we are pretty much out of touch.

In any case, after having very little internet over the weekend, Keith decided to give them a call on Monday. Much to our surprise, they scheduled a service call for Tuesday morning. (Really - they told us it would be in the morning and didn't leave us dangling all day!) At around 9am we received a call from the tech that he would be over within an hour, as he was finishing up one more call before coming to our place.

He showed up on time and found the problem to be that an obsolete filter was installed on our physical line (out on the pole) and removed it. He then suggested we upgrade our router to their newer equipment which was a router/modem all in one. The speed would be more than twice of what we had and the cost was minimal. We decided to go for it.

He spent the next hour or so setting things up and configuring our system and we are again up and running and better than ever. It was a great experience.

Keith gave him excellent reviews and we were both impressed at the professionalism as well as the time frame in which they acted. As we all know - cable and internet companies don't have a great reputation for their in home service. I just wanted to tell the story because it was so positive.

Later in the day, I needed to go to Yarmouth to renew my driver's license. I have nightmarish memories of when I lived in suburban Chicago and had to go to the DMV, with young children in tow, and wait in lines that sometimes went out the door and around the buiding to do so. My friend Cari used to go with me and help me manage the kids, and it usually took about 3-4 hours to get through the process. It certainly left a bitter taste in my mouth regarding the DMV.

But here in Nova Scotia it is different. Yarmouth is a medium sized town, and most from the southern part of the province go there for services. When I arrived there yesterday at about 3:30 pm I took a number and as I sat down in the chair the number was called. The clerk was pleasant and knew what she was doing and I was literally walking out the door with my new license in under five minutes total. It was awesome.

They have always been great there, and the most I ever had to wait was about 20 minutes on a really busy day. When I had the complicated task of 'importing' my car from the USA when I received my "Landed Immigrant" papers, they were curtious and helpful and knowledgable and everything went smoothly. It was a pleasure to do business with them.

I am telling you these stories because historically, both the cable company (internet provider included) and the DMV have not so positive reputations with the general public. However, both of these service providers did outstanding jobs and I can honestly say I am very pleased with them. It kind of gives me 'hope'.

Several of you have noticed that I have been kind of floundering around a little bit lately. I do admit that things have been kind of getting to me. It is sometimes hard not to be overwhelmed when so many things in the world seem to be 'broken'. It is nice to see that there are still people that take pride in their work and truly try to do a good job. I think there may be more out there than we realize. But we only seem to hear of the negative situations. That is why I wanted to relay these two very positive ones.

My goal today is to finish up my "Black Cat Society" instructions. As you may imagine, it was difficult to write yesterday with all that was going on. I didn't have my computer most of the morning and had to leave by afternoon. But I am pretty determined to get things done today.

In the mean time, I notice that many of our customers are shopping "Halloween" patterns. I thought I would share some of our spooky and fun patterns with you today.

This is Keith's SLDK339 - 10 Gothic Bats ornament pattern:



It is a fun design for those who love his filigree scroll saw patterns.

And for those who enjoy doing my candle trays, one of my all time favorite tray patterns is my SLD320 Gothic Bat Candle Tray pattern:



Keith also has some great Halloween trivets. There are three designs in this one pattern (SLDK391)



And for my painters, there are lots of fun Halloween designs on my Painting Patterns page such as these SLDP217 Spooky Halloween Ornament Set:

Orange Font Yellow Calabaza Symbol


I offer the wood pieces for most of the painting patterns I have, as well as some wood and pattern Combo Sets (Just scroll to the bottom of the page on the Painting Surfaces page.

I realize that many don't know about our Pattern Search feature. It is kind of stuck up in the upper right corner of our pages, and it may be hard to find. But it does a pretty good job of helping you find a particular type of pattern or project. When I typed in "Halloween" I got three pages of items.

It is raining and 'muggy' here today, but that is a good thing. We haven't had much rain and it is very much needed. The mornings seem to be darker already though, and the air in the morning is crisp and cool. It is hard to believe that autumn is actually coming so quickly. It seems like summer has just begun.

I wish you all a good day today. Happy Wednesday to you!
Blows my mind to see how fast time is just clickin on. Sheeesh!!
 

Attachments

#12,046 ·
Numbers

With the summer months here, it seems we are running just a bit slower. I know I am. I don't know if it was because of the back issues or if is attributed to some things that have been on my mind. We all go through highs and lows though, and for the most part, things are still moving in a forward direction - just slower.

The only thing that seems to be moving quickly is "time". It is hard for me to believe that it is the middle of August already. It seems that summer has just started and it is already beginning to feel like autumn. Maybe it was due to our long, snowy winter that seemed to last much longer than usual. Maybe it feels that way because I didn't have my car back until the first week in July. It has only been a few weeks, and I am already thinking about having to take it back in and store it again. That's kind of sad.

Another thing that probably played a part in things is that I have tackled some big projects this year. Instead of having a larger number of small projects, it seems that I am at a time in my creative life that I have the urge to tackle things that are a bit more involved. My Haunted Carousel project took over two months to complete. There have been other milestones as well, such as my "Layla" tiger painting project, that had me reaching deep inside to teach something that I never thought I would be able to teach. These are all good things.

I always believe that 'quality' is more important that 'quantity' when designing is concerned. But even though that is the case, it is sometimes difficult for me to follow my own beliefs, as designing for a living sometimes requires a bit more. While I absolutely loved the Carousel project, if I only did things of that scope and difficulty it would severely limit my audience and customer base and I doubt that I would be able to survive as a designer. So it is a constant juggling act of choosing not only what media to design in, but also the level of difficulty. But either way it keeps things interesting and fun.

Last night I finished up my SLDP237 Black Cat Society painting pattern. I pretty much worked on it all day and finished up about 8pm. It came out to be 34 pages long and has 94 step-by-step color photos in it. Those numbers surprised even me.

One would think that a pattern of that size would be very complicated. That the project would be difficult to do. But when I look at the finished pattern, I realize that because of the number of pages and photos included, quite the contrary is true. The size and number of photos actually makes creating the project 'easy' and attainable for just about anyone. No kidding.

Numbers can be deceiving. Being someone who considers herself somewhat 'artistic', I am not always a fan of numbers for many reasons. One of them in particular is that they tend to slant our view of something - and not always in a fair and accurate manner. But I realize that numbers are necessary for creating benchmarks, if you will. Points of reference that we can judge and grade things on and compare them. But more often than not we may find that when we only consider things by numbers, we are not really seeing a true and accurate portrayal.

Bigger numbers doesn't always mean that things are more difficult. Sometimes it can mean the opposite.

Take a blueberry pie. If we were to cut it into two pieces, it would probably be difficult for one to eat. (Maybe not some of us, but we won't go there!) However, if we were to divide it into eight pieces, the pieces would be smaller and much more palatable for the average person. Maybe they would eat more than one piece, but they could easily stop at two or three, etc. The point is that by breaking it down into smaller pieces, it gives a bit more control over things.

It brings us back to the idea of 'Baby Steps.'

As a teacher, I believe that most of us can do most things if we are given the opportunity and taught properly. My experience in teaching others is that when someone is learning something new, it is very easy to get overwhelmed. People tend to look from point "a" to point "z" without really considering the 24 steps in between. And that can be terrifying and stop them in their tracks.

So when I teach, I tend to like to break things down into very small 'bites' if you will. (Again - baby steps). I ask my students "Can you go from step 'a' to step 'b'? (Usually they answer affirmatively.) Then I ask "Can you go from step 'b' to step 'c'?" ("YES!" again. And so on) And before you know it, we are on a journey together of learning at a comfortable and reasonable pace. It works more often than not. If one stumbles along the way, it is also much easier to back track and correct things. They usually haven't advanced too far before they realize the error and psychologically, it is much less difficult to fix than if they had made great strides and had to take a huge step back. It is easier all around.

Is 94 photos excessive for a pattern? I really don't think so. There are as many photos as I feel necessary to show each step of the process. There are eight main elements in this painting and each one deserves the attention I gave it. I still maintain that even a newer painter can complete my designs without much difficulty. That is and will always be my goal. I always say that I would rather offer too much information than err on the side of not having enough. One can always skip over what they already know.

Here is a snapshot of the pattern:

Product Publication Book Font World


The text and instructions are nicely broken up and very easy to follow. It is an easy read. Hopefully the photos help clarify things for even the newest painter. That's my goal anyway.

I am so glad that I live in a time when digital photography and files are available. I would never be able to do this if I had to use film, or go to get the photos processed. I started with nearly 500 raw photos for this pattern and pared them down to "just" 94. As I look at the pattern, I am very pleased with the outcome and I am no longer worrying about how long it took to create. It is something that I am proud to put my name on and I know it is my best work. That is all that matters.

I need to remind myself of today's post the next time I get down on myself for not producing things quickly enough. I know it is silly, but I still do that from time to time. But it is days like this when I am reminded that I am on the right track. I want my reputation to be one of excellence. The only way I can achieve that is by doing my best. Every day.

Keith also has added a new pattern to the site. This one is a wonderful set of plaques for Christmas.

Rectangle Font Wood Metal Pattern


It is his SLDK604 Merry Christmas, Season's Greetings and Happy Holidays plaque pattern set. They are available as a set of three, or individually.

We will both be adding more holiday projects soon, and we are doing a site update today. Watch your email for our newsletter that we will be sending out later today. I will also have the Black Cat Society painting pattern and surface (as well as Combo kit) up on the site later today. Many have already inquired about it.

It is another overcast and foggy morning here, but the weather is supposed to be clearing for a couple of days. Summer isn't over yet, and hopefully we can still take advantage of some of the nice days and enjoy them.

I wish you all a great day today. Come stop by our Facebook page at Sheila Landry Designs Scroll Saw Art and give us some 'likes'. They seem to be limiting our visibility more and more and the 'likes' and comments really help us reach more people.

Have a happy Thursday!
 

Attachments

#12,047 ·
Numbers

With the summer months here, it seems we are running just a bit slower. I know I am. I don't know if it was because of the back issues or if is attributed to some things that have been on my mind. We all go through highs and lows though, and for the most part, things are still moving in a forward direction - just slower.

The only thing that seems to be moving quickly is "time". It is hard for me to believe that it is the middle of August already. It seems that summer has just started and it is already beginning to feel like autumn. Maybe it was due to our long, snowy winter that seemed to last much longer than usual. Maybe it feels that way because I didn't have my car back until the first week in July. It has only been a few weeks, and I am already thinking about having to take it back in and store it again. That's kind of sad.

Another thing that probably played a part in things is that I have tackled some big projects this year. Instead of having a larger number of small projects, it seems that I am at a time in my creative life that I have the urge to tackle things that are a bit more involved. My Haunted Carousel project took over two months to complete. There have been other milestones as well, such as my "Layla" tiger painting project, that had me reaching deep inside to teach something that I never thought I would be able to teach. These are all good things.

I always believe that 'quality' is more important that 'quantity' when designing is concerned. But even though that is the case, it is sometimes difficult for me to follow my own beliefs, as designing for a living sometimes requires a bit more. While I absolutely loved the Carousel project, if I only did things of that scope and difficulty it would severely limit my audience and customer base and I doubt that I would be able to survive as a designer. So it is a constant juggling act of choosing not only what media to design in, but also the level of difficulty. But either way it keeps things interesting and fun.

Last night I finished up my SLDP237 Black Cat Society painting pattern. I pretty much worked on it all day and finished up about 8pm. It came out to be 34 pages long and has 94 step-by-step color photos in it. Those numbers surprised even me.

One would think that a pattern of that size would be very complicated. That the project would be difficult to do. But when I look at the finished pattern, I realize that because of the number of pages and photos included, quite the contrary is true. The size and number of photos actually makes creating the project 'easy' and attainable for just about anyone. No kidding.

Numbers can be deceiving. Being someone who considers herself somewhat 'artistic', I am not always a fan of numbers for many reasons. One of them in particular is that they tend to slant our view of something - and not always in a fair and accurate manner. But I realize that numbers are necessary for creating benchmarks, if you will. Points of reference that we can judge and grade things on and compare them. But more often than not we may find that when we only consider things by numbers, we are not really seeing a true and accurate portrayal.

Bigger numbers doesn't always mean that things are more difficult. Sometimes it can mean the opposite.

Take a blueberry pie. If we were to cut it into two pieces, it would probably be difficult for one to eat. (Maybe not some of us, but we won't go there!) However, if we were to divide it into eight pieces, the pieces would be smaller and much more palatable for the average person. Maybe they would eat more than one piece, but they could easily stop at two or three, etc. The point is that by breaking it down into smaller pieces, it gives a bit more control over things.

It brings us back to the idea of 'Baby Steps.'

As a teacher, I believe that most of us can do most things if we are given the opportunity and taught properly. My experience in teaching others is that when someone is learning something new, it is very easy to get overwhelmed. People tend to look from point "a" to point "z" without really considering the 24 steps in between. And that can be terrifying and stop them in their tracks.

So when I teach, I tend to like to break things down into very small 'bites' if you will. (Again - baby steps). I ask my students "Can you go from step 'a' to step 'b'? (Usually they answer affirmatively.) Then I ask "Can you go from step 'b' to step 'c'?" ("YES!" again. And so on) And before you know it, we are on a journey together of learning at a comfortable and reasonable pace. It works more often than not. If one stumbles along the way, it is also much easier to back track and correct things. They usually haven't advanced too far before they realize the error and psychologically, it is much less difficult to fix than if they had made great strides and had to take a huge step back. It is easier all around.

Is 94 photos excessive for a pattern? I really don't think so. There are as many photos as I feel necessary to show each step of the process. There are eight main elements in this painting and each one deserves the attention I gave it. I still maintain that even a newer painter can complete my designs without much difficulty. That is and will always be my goal. I always say that I would rather offer too much information than err on the side of not having enough. One can always skip over what they already know.

Here is a snapshot of the pattern:

Product Publication Book Font World


The text and instructions are nicely broken up and very easy to follow. It is an easy read. Hopefully the photos help clarify things for even the newest painter. That's my goal anyway.

I am so glad that I live in a time when digital photography and files are available. I would never be able to do this if I had to use film, or go to get the photos processed. I started with nearly 500 raw photos for this pattern and pared them down to "just" 94. As I look at the pattern, I am very pleased with the outcome and I am no longer worrying about how long it took to create. It is something that I am proud to put my name on and I know it is my best work. That is all that matters.

I need to remind myself of today's post the next time I get down on myself for not producing things quickly enough. I know it is silly, but I still do that from time to time. But it is days like this when I am reminded that I am on the right track. I want my reputation to be one of excellence. The only way I can achieve that is by doing my best. Every day.

Keith also has added a new pattern to the site. This one is a wonderful set of plaques for Christmas.

Rectangle Font Wood Metal Pattern


It is his SLDK604 Merry Christmas, Season's Greetings and Happy Holidays plaque pattern set. They are available as a set of three, or individually.

We will both be adding more holiday projects soon, and we are doing a site update today. Watch your email for our newsletter that we will be sending out later today. I will also have the Black Cat Society painting pattern and surface (as well as Combo kit) up on the site later today. Many have already inquired about it.

It is another overcast and foggy morning here, but the weather is supposed to be clearing for a couple of days. Summer isn't over yet, and hopefully we can still take advantage of some of the nice days and enjoy them.

I wish you all a great day today. Come stop by our Facebook page at Sheila Landry Designs Scroll Saw Art and give us some 'likes'. They seem to be limiting our visibility more and more and the 'likes' and comments really help us reach more people.

Have a happy Thursday!
Your patterns and detail is what makes customers keep coming back. I know that when I paint your Layla pattern over the winter I will have no problem because of the great photos and your attention to detail. And the digital age helps!
I feel like I'm working very slowly at the minute on the bags I'm making - and it doesn't help that that my sewing area is in the living room and it looks like a tornado hit it right now :) I'll be finished by the end of this week and it all will back to being organized again.
Keith's plaques are great. He always does a wonderful job on them.
 

Attachments

#12,049 ·
Another Day in Paradise

On Friday we took a bit of an unplanned trip for the weekend. I say "a bit" because we knew we wanted to plan a getaway, but we didn't really know exactly where we were heading or for how long. Sometimes those are the best types of vacations.

We didn't really make the decision until Thursday, and then we finished up our site update and got things ready to head out. Fortunately, we have our dear friend and neighbor Lee who looks in on our kitties when we go away like this. We can leave knowing he takes good care of them and 'visits' for a bit so they aren't so lonely.

We headed out Friday morning, knowing we were going to drive along the northern coast of the New Minas basin.

Vehicle Aircraft Airplane World Air travel


In order to do this, we had to reach where the number four is on this map and follow th path up and around. It took several hours to get there.

Along the way, we stopped at a local post office to mail off our orders for the day. It was a small, rural post office that was run out of someone's home. While there, we met a beautiful silvery-grey long haired cat named "Gus" who spent the whole time we were there on the counter purring and rubbing against me while I was getting things ready. I wish I had thought to run to the car for my camera to take a photo of him. He was a real beauty and I would have loved to have a picture of him. I will have to remember to do so if our path ever follows that way again.

We spent the day driving around the basin, sticking to the coast as much as possible. The entire weekend was filled with sun and it was absolutely perfect. We stopped at a cheese farm and I got some wonderful Gouda cheese as well as some bleu cheese they called "Dragon's Breath" that is amazing. I had a little cooler to keep it in for the rest of our trip, so I could enjoy it here at home.

One of the most beautiful places I saw was a place called "Five Islands". On the above map, it was near section 2 and on the below map it is located before we reached the town of Parrsboro:

Map Ecoregion World Font Slope


(You can go to the site which shows all the lighthouses from the map here: Nova Scotia Lighthouses )

Five Islands was just beautiful!

Sky Water Cloud Plant Shorts


There was a lighthouse there that had actually been moved several times:

Lighthouse Wheel Tire Vehicle Car


We were able to go up in the lighthouse and stand on the little balcony, but once I got up there, I remembered that I have issues with heights and kind of get 'vertigo'. I had to hold on for dear life! :)

The tide was low when we were there, but still not its lowest. That would be in three hours the guide said. You could see across that one of the islands had a cool arch in it. The guide said when the tide was lowest, one could actually walk to the islands over the mud flats, although it was not advised!

Water Sky Cloud Plant Natural landscape


We had no intention of doing so!

A little further up the coast, we stopped by another beautiful beach:

Water Sky Cloud Beach Natural landscape


I wasn't sure what town this was in, but it was around 5:30 then. It was huge and beautiful.

We wound up travelling as far as Moncton, and stopped around 11pm. We then took all day Saturday picking along the northern coast of New Brunswick all the way to Bathurst.

Map Font Rectangle Parallel


There were hundreds of beautiful beaches and coves along the way, although I didn't take many photos. We stopped Saturday night at a nice hotel and Keith had booked the "Spa" room with a nice hot tub in it. (Saturday was my birthday and it was part of his surprise for me!)

Plant Property Wood Rectangle Plumbing fixture


It was really a great weekend, and the weather couldn't have been nicer. It did get a little hot and from Truro on, we put the top on our car us. I think we had enough sun for a while.

Today is a day of catch up. The kitties were happy we are home and I have lots of email and things to catch up on. But it was a great time away and a much needed rest from the every day routine. I fell asleep at about 8pm last night and slept through. I don't remember when I was last so tired.

I love our trips, but it is always good to come back home. It is great to live in a 'paradise' where there is so much beauty nearby. We just have to remember to take time out to enjoy it!

Happy Monday to you all!
 

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#12,050 ·
Another Day in Paradise

On Friday we took a bit of an unplanned trip for the weekend. I say "a bit" because we knew we wanted to plan a getaway, but we didn't really know exactly where we were heading or for how long. Sometimes those are the best types of vacations.

We didn't really make the decision until Thursday, and then we finished up our site update and got things ready to head out. Fortunately, we have our dear friend and neighbor Lee who looks in on our kitties when we go away like this. We can leave knowing he takes good care of them and 'visits' for a bit so they aren't so lonely.

We headed out Friday morning, knowing we were going to drive along the northern coast of the New Minas basin.

Vehicle Aircraft Airplane World Air travel


In order to do this, we had to reach where the number four is on this map and follow th path up and around. It took several hours to get there.

Along the way, we stopped at a local post office to mail off our orders for the day. It was a small, rural post office that was run out of someone's home. While there, we met a beautiful silvery-grey long haired cat named "Gus" who spent the whole time we were there on the counter purring and rubbing against me while I was getting things ready. I wish I had thought to run to the car for my camera to take a photo of him. He was a real beauty and I would have loved to have a picture of him. I will have to remember to do so if our path ever follows that way again.

We spent the day driving around the basin, sticking to the coast as much as possible. The entire weekend was filled with sun and it was absolutely perfect. We stopped at a cheese farm and I got some wonderful Gouda cheese as well as some bleu cheese they called "Dragon's Breath" that is amazing. I had a little cooler to keep it in for the rest of our trip, so I could enjoy it here at home.

One of the most beautiful places I saw was a place called "Five Islands". On the above map, it was near section 2 and on the below map it is located before we reached the town of Parrsboro:

Map Ecoregion World Font Slope


(You can go to the site which shows all the lighthouses from the map here: Nova Scotia Lighthouses )

Five Islands was just beautiful!

Sky Water Cloud Plant Shorts


There was a lighthouse there that had actually been moved several times:

Lighthouse Wheel Tire Vehicle Car


We were able to go up in the lighthouse and stand on the little balcony, but once I got up there, I remembered that I have issues with heights and kind of get 'vertigo'. I had to hold on for dear life! :)

The tide was low when we were there, but still not its lowest. That would be in three hours the guide said. You could see across that one of the islands had a cool arch in it. The guide said when the tide was lowest, one could actually walk to the islands over the mud flats, although it was not advised!

Water Sky Cloud Plant Natural landscape


We had no intention of doing so!

A little further up the coast, we stopped by another beautiful beach:

Water Sky Cloud Beach Natural landscape


I wasn't sure what town this was in, but it was around 5:30 then. It was huge and beautiful.

We wound up travelling as far as Moncton, and stopped around 11pm. We then took all day Saturday picking along the northern coast of New Brunswick all the way to Bathurst.

Map Font Rectangle Parallel


There were hundreds of beautiful beaches and coves along the way, although I didn't take many photos. We stopped Saturday night at a nice hotel and Keith had booked the "Spa" room with a nice hot tub in it. (Saturday was my birthday and it was part of his surprise for me!)

Plant Property Wood Rectangle Plumbing fixture


It was really a great weekend, and the weather couldn't have been nicer. It did get a little hot and from Truro on, we put the top on our car us. I think we had enough sun for a while.

Today is a day of catch up. The kitties were happy we are home and I have lots of email and things to catch up on. But it was a great time away and a much needed rest from the every day routine. I fell asleep at about 8pm last night and slept through. I don't remember when I was last so tired.

I love our trips, but it is always good to come back home. It is great to live in a 'paradise' where there is so much beauty nearby. We just have to remember to take time out to enjoy it!

Happy Monday to you all!
Happy Birthday. It looks like you got a fantastic present.
 

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#12,061 ·
Back to Creating

After a much needed break, I am back and finally feel ready to move forward in a productive manner.

It isn't because I have been short of ideas. Actually it is quite the contrary. I have so many things that I want to do that I seem to have been somewhat 'stuck' as to which direction I want to head first. It is as if all the thoughts and ideas have bottle-necked in my head and as a result, I have been quite overwhelmed.

Add to that my little back issue that remained (I haven't been to the gym for nearly a month) and the warm spell we are going through here in Nova Scotia and I feel as if I have been pretty much useless as far as accomplishing anything.

Or have I?

After returning home from our mini-vacation last week, there was a mountain of emails that needed attention. I also had to finish up some things that I had been planning for quite a while. As always, there were things here around the house that needed organizing as well. It is so important to me to keep things somewhat neat and organized in order to feel productive. I know not everyone works that way, but I do and I have trouble working in the midst of a mess. It is too distracting.

We also had a birthday to celebrate. My dear friend Ellen turned 85 and we went to dinner at one of the beautiful hotels one night to celebrate. We then went to her daughter's house for cake and coffee afterward, and had a wonderful evening visiting.

Food Cake decorating Tableware Table Cake


(That's one of Cindy's cats - Lydia - eyeing the cake!)

On Saturday we spent the day at Bernie and Ellen's camp. Since Ellen's birthday and mine are pretty close, we have always had a day of celebration for both of us at the lake. It was a nice relaxing day with family and friends and as usual, there was loads of food to eat and great company. A nice time was had by all.

By Sunday, I finally felt as if it was time to get back at it. I had the help of a couple of upcoming deadlines, but also for the first time in weeks I began to feel like my old self again. One by one I am thinking through each of the projects that I have planned and I began drawing, cutting and painting all at once. Right now I have three things 'in progress' and I feel good about each one of them and I feel as if I am finally ready to move forward. I am 'back'.

I hope to get back to being really productive again. I am not fond of living in my creative muddle and while I realize that this happens to all of my friends who design, it isn't a lot of fun. I can't tell you how many projects that I started and will probably never finish during this last bout. I will probably tuck them away for a while and eventually just toss them away.

But that is OK. It is part of the process. From what I see around me, it happens to everyone.

I noticed the mornings are getting much darker these days. It is almost like night time when I awake. That's a sure sign to me that the seasons are about to change.

Traditionally, late August and early September go through warm spells such as the ones we are experiencing now. While our summer here was short, it appears that autumn is going to arrive on time this year. I don't mind that a bit.

As for the projects that I have been working on . . .

Product Wood Table Creative arts Art


Above is a peek at my next one. It is not complicated, but simple and fun. It is just the thing I needed to get the ball rolling again. It will be nice to see it come to life.

This morning it is warm already. It appears we will have another hot and sticky day. In fact, the forecast for the week is pretty much the same - warm and a chance of rain. We need it though, as the grass in our neighborhood is dry and the rivers are low. It will do us all good.

I hope you have a wonderful week ahead. Enjoy these final weeks of summer. Before you know it, the leaves will be changing and we will be welcoming fall. I don't mind though - it is my favorite time of year.

Happy Monday to you all!
 

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#12,062 ·
Back to Creating

After a much needed break, I am back and finally feel ready to move forward in a productive manner.

It isn't because I have been short of ideas. Actually it is quite the contrary. I have so many things that I want to do that I seem to have been somewhat 'stuck' as to which direction I want to head first. It is as if all the thoughts and ideas have bottle-necked in my head and as a result, I have been quite overwhelmed.

Add to that my little back issue that remained (I haven't been to the gym for nearly a month) and the warm spell we are going through here in Nova Scotia and I feel as if I have been pretty much useless as far as accomplishing anything.

Or have I?

After returning home from our mini-vacation last week, there was a mountain of emails that needed attention. I also had to finish up some things that I had been planning for quite a while. As always, there were things here around the house that needed organizing as well. It is so important to me to keep things somewhat neat and organized in order to feel productive. I know not everyone works that way, but I do and I have trouble working in the midst of a mess. It is too distracting.

We also had a birthday to celebrate. My dear friend Ellen turned 85 and we went to dinner at one of the beautiful hotels one night to celebrate. We then went to her daughter's house for cake and coffee afterward, and had a wonderful evening visiting.

Food Cake decorating Tableware Table Cake


(That's one of Cindy's cats - Lydia - eyeing the cake!)

On Saturday we spent the day at Bernie and Ellen's camp. Since Ellen's birthday and mine are pretty close, we have always had a day of celebration for both of us at the lake. It was a nice relaxing day with family and friends and as usual, there was loads of food to eat and great company. A nice time was had by all.

By Sunday, I finally felt as if it was time to get back at it. I had the help of a couple of upcoming deadlines, but also for the first time in weeks I began to feel like my old self again. One by one I am thinking through each of the projects that I have planned and I began drawing, cutting and painting all at once. Right now I have three things 'in progress' and I feel good about each one of them and I feel as if I am finally ready to move forward. I am 'back'.

I hope to get back to being really productive again. I am not fond of living in my creative muddle and while I realize that this happens to all of my friends who design, it isn't a lot of fun. I can't tell you how many projects that I started and will probably never finish during this last bout. I will probably tuck them away for a while and eventually just toss them away.

But that is OK. It is part of the process. From what I see around me, it happens to everyone.

I noticed the mornings are getting much darker these days. It is almost like night time when I awake. That's a sure sign to me that the seasons are about to change.

Traditionally, late August and early September go through warm spells such as the ones we are experiencing now. While our summer here was short, it appears that autumn is going to arrive on time this year. I don't mind that a bit.

As for the projects that I have been working on . . .

Product Wood Table Creative arts Art


Above is a peek at my next one. It is not complicated, but simple and fun. It is just the thing I needed to get the ball rolling again. It will be nice to see it come to life.

This morning it is warm already. It appears we will have another hot and sticky day. In fact, the forecast for the week is pretty much the same - warm and a chance of rain. We need it though, as the grass in our neighborhood is dry and the rivers are low. It will do us all good.

I hope you have a wonderful week ahead. Enjoy these final weeks of summer. Before you know it, the leaves will be changing and we will be welcoming fall. I don't mind though - it is my favorite time of year.

Happy Monday to you all!
Glad to see you back. Reading your comments have become part of my morning. I understand about confusion with too many ways to go. I have found that if I pick one and attack it, the others fall into place. If you could see the unfinished projects in my shop, you wouldn't believe a word of that. I guess I am too easily distracted. Of course, being retired and not working to a schedule helps.
 

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#12,066 ·
Multi-Tasking

Yesterday I felt a lot more like myself. After a couple of weeks of feeling a bit 'lost' I was back in full swing again working on three different projects at various stages. There's nothing like some good, solid deadlines to kick start us back to productivity!

I know I am not alone in feeling this way. I have many friends who design and create all kinds of crafts from woodworking to painting and just about everything in between. I have seen them struggle and I have seen them soar and I don't think any of them can help or predict when one of these 'lulls' comes along. It just does, for whatever reason and it seems no matter how much we try, we have a hard time getting through it.

But eventually we do come out on the other end. For many of us, we are even more productive afterward. And while we may not completely understand what kept us from creating in the first place, I think as time goes on I look at these lulls as part of the process and allow them to just 'be'. Fighting them only seems to make them last longer, as the anxiety of wondering if they will ever pass only seems to strengthen them. Perhaps they are a way for our brains and bodies to 'reboot' and reset. Perhaps they offer the necessary rest that we typically refuse to allow ourselves to enjoy. But whatever the case, once we are on the other side of them, it is often difficult for me to understand what the hold up was in the first place. But I suppose I don't have to figure everything out completely.

In any case, it feels good to be 'back'. I am far more comfortable working on lots of things at once than trying to figure out where to start. I am learning to allow those phases to just pass and I no longer worry that I have 'run out' of my creativity. If I am patient, it comes back better than ever.

I had another really productive day yesterday. The wheels are definitely 'unstuck' and building up steam.

One of the projects that I worked on was for my Art Play Date 2015 class project. (You can follow the link for more information on what I will be teaching.)

Footwear Ice hockey equipment Outdoor shoe Art Font


My class is due to post the beginning of October, and I am very excited about it. Since I designed the project way back in January, it is rather fun to recreate these cool ice skates to make the pattern packet and video for the class. It will really allow me to fine tune the process and make everything clear for my students who are taking the course. I had fun playing with Margot's MUD texture paste, and I was reminded how cool this project is and how fun and easy it was to make.

Textile Sleeve Embellishment Grey Baby & toddler clothing


In the class, I show a variety of new ways to use the MUD to easily create the intricate textures on the skates. There is very little painting "skill" needed for this project, and I think that people are going to have a great time with it! I will show more hints of the project later in the week. (You can still sign up for Art Play Date 2015! You get until March of 2016 to watch the videos and all the instructions for the projects are downloadable so you can go at your own pace!)

I also worked on my new project - SLD513 Autumn Leaves Scatter Bowls - and did the first round of photos for them:

Food Green Textile Baked goods Ingredient


I am loving the way they came out so far! They are a simple and quick project, but they are so cool looking!

Plant Ingredient Cuisine Wood Petal


I have some additional finishing ideas that I am going to be using on them later today, and I will have more photos tomorrow. (The links to them won't work until later this week when I post the project pattern on the site.)

I also had my three "helpers" working with me yesterday:

Here is Coco choosing colors of thread to use in the pictures . . .

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Wood


And Pancakes was right behind me . . .

Cat Eye Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats


And Richard was watching from a "box seat" . . .

Cat Carnivore Felidae Whiskers Wood


No wonder I am getting so much done with all my helpers!

Today I will be working on these two projects, plus an additional one as well. You will have to come back tomorrow and see what I am up to.

It is still foggy out today, but it seems a bit cooler than the past several days. I hope it stays cool when the fog lifts. I am so ready for autumn!

I wish you all a wonderful day. Have a happy and productive Tuesday!
 

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#12,067 ·
Multi-Tasking

Yesterday I felt a lot more like myself. After a couple of weeks of feeling a bit 'lost' I was back in full swing again working on three different projects at various stages. There's nothing like some good, solid deadlines to kick start us back to productivity!

I know I am not alone in feeling this way. I have many friends who design and create all kinds of crafts from woodworking to painting and just about everything in between. I have seen them struggle and I have seen them soar and I don't think any of them can help or predict when one of these 'lulls' comes along. It just does, for whatever reason and it seems no matter how much we try, we have a hard time getting through it.

But eventually we do come out on the other end. For many of us, we are even more productive afterward. And while we may not completely understand what kept us from creating in the first place, I think as time goes on I look at these lulls as part of the process and allow them to just 'be'. Fighting them only seems to make them last longer, as the anxiety of wondering if they will ever pass only seems to strengthen them. Perhaps they are a way for our brains and bodies to 'reboot' and reset. Perhaps they offer the necessary rest that we typically refuse to allow ourselves to enjoy. But whatever the case, once we are on the other side of them, it is often difficult for me to understand what the hold up was in the first place. But I suppose I don't have to figure everything out completely.

In any case, it feels good to be 'back'. I am far more comfortable working on lots of things at once than trying to figure out where to start. I am learning to allow those phases to just pass and I no longer worry that I have 'run out' of my creativity. If I am patient, it comes back better than ever.

I had another really productive day yesterday. The wheels are definitely 'unstuck' and building up steam.

One of the projects that I worked on was for my Art Play Date 2015 class project. (You can follow the link for more information on what I will be teaching.)

Footwear Ice hockey equipment Outdoor shoe Art Font


My class is due to post the beginning of October, and I am very excited about it. Since I designed the project way back in January, it is rather fun to recreate these cool ice skates to make the pattern packet and video for the class. It will really allow me to fine tune the process and make everything clear for my students who are taking the course. I had fun playing with Margot's MUD texture paste, and I was reminded how cool this project is and how fun and easy it was to make.

Textile Sleeve Embellishment Grey Baby & toddler clothing


In the class, I show a variety of new ways to use the MUD to easily create the intricate textures on the skates. There is very little painting "skill" needed for this project, and I think that people are going to have a great time with it! I will show more hints of the project later in the week. (You can still sign up for Art Play Date 2015! You get until March of 2016 to watch the videos and all the instructions for the projects are downloadable so you can go at your own pace!)

I also worked on my new project - SLD513 Autumn Leaves Scatter Bowls - and did the first round of photos for them:

Food Green Textile Baked goods Ingredient


I am loving the way they came out so far! They are a simple and quick project, but they are so cool looking!

Plant Ingredient Cuisine Wood Petal


I have some additional finishing ideas that I am going to be using on them later today, and I will have more photos tomorrow. (The links to them won't work until later this week when I post the project pattern on the site.)

I also had my three "helpers" working with me yesterday:

Here is Coco choosing colors of thread to use in the pictures . . .

Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Wood


And Pancakes was right behind me . . .

Cat Eye Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats


And Richard was watching from a "box seat" . . .

Cat Carnivore Felidae Whiskers Wood


No wonder I am getting so much done with all my helpers!

Today I will be working on these two projects, plus an additional one as well. You will have to come back tomorrow and see what I am up to.

It is still foggy out today, but it seems a bit cooler than the past several days. I hope it stays cool when the fog lifts. I am so ready for autumn!

I wish you all a wonderful day. Have a happy and productive Tuesday!
The puddy-tats are all such big helpers when there are boxes involved…lol
 

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#12,071 ·
Keeping Busy

There are few things that make me feel better than seeing someone enjoying my patterns and making projects from them. After all - the reason I began designing in the first place was so others could learn and have fun with them. I try to make each pattern I create into a mini-lesson, so that people of all skill levels can create the project themselves.

Often I get notes or emails asking me if I mind if people change up my designs a little bit. Not only do I not mind it, but I encourage others to do whatever they like to make their projects truly personalized. I love seeing the creativity of others and many times it acts as a spring board for my own future ideas. I think everyone 'wins' that way.

Yesterday I received a note from a customer who created my SLDP233 "Nevermore" plaque. It has been to date, one of my favorite projects. I love designing these 'darker' pieces and I loved the subject matter.

Roxanne Corey had found a surface at Michael's that seemed to suit the plaque perfectly. Here is a picture of her painting:

Bird Twig Branch Wood Lighting


Isn't it amazing and cool? I thought so! The Gothic frame was the absolute perfect compliment to the design. I just had to share it. (Thank you, Roxanne for allowing me to do so!)

This is truly an inspiration for me. There are days (as with most designers) that we sometime question ourselves and wonder if we are on the right track. But after seeing something like this, and all the other wonderful photos that people send me of their renditions of my designs, I think I may be doing something right. It is a feeling that is "priceless".

As for my own work, I spent the day re-creating my decorated ice skates for my Art Play Date 2015 project.

Jaw Wood Toy Sock Carmine


I am really getting excited about it again and I will be shooting the video this weekend. I had forgotten just how much FUN this project was to make.

I am also going to work on the baskets that I showed you all the other day. We hope to have a site update completed by tomorrow, as well as a newsletter going out. Keith has been working on some new designs as well and I think you are going to love them!

With that said, I will keep my post rather short today. It is overcast and much cooler today. I can feel autumn in the air. My favorite time of year is approaching so I am really happy. I hope I am productive as well.

I hope you have a great day today and find some time to do something that you love.

Happy Wednesday to you all!
 

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#12,072 ·
Keeping Busy

There are few things that make me feel better than seeing someone enjoying my patterns and making projects from them. After all - the reason I began designing in the first place was so others could learn and have fun with them. I try to make each pattern I create into a mini-lesson, so that people of all skill levels can create the project themselves.

Often I get notes or emails asking me if I mind if people change up my designs a little bit. Not only do I not mind it, but I encourage others to do whatever they like to make their projects truly personalized. I love seeing the creativity of others and many times it acts as a spring board for my own future ideas. I think everyone 'wins' that way.

Yesterday I received a note from a customer who created my SLDP233 "Nevermore" plaque. It has been to date, one of my favorite projects. I love designing these 'darker' pieces and I loved the subject matter.

Roxanne Corey had found a surface at Michael's that seemed to suit the plaque perfectly. Here is a picture of her painting:

Bird Twig Branch Wood Lighting


Isn't it amazing and cool? I thought so! The Gothic frame was the absolute perfect compliment to the design. I just had to share it. (Thank you, Roxanne for allowing me to do so!)

This is truly an inspiration for me. There are days (as with most designers) that we sometime question ourselves and wonder if we are on the right track. But after seeing something like this, and all the other wonderful photos that people send me of their renditions of my designs, I think I may be doing something right. It is a feeling that is "priceless".

As for my own work, I spent the day re-creating my decorated ice skates for my Art Play Date 2015 project.

Jaw Wood Toy Sock Carmine


I am really getting excited about it again and I will be shooting the video this weekend. I had forgotten just how much FUN this project was to make.

I am also going to work on the baskets that I showed you all the other day. We hope to have a site update completed by tomorrow, as well as a newsletter going out. Keith has been working on some new designs as well and I think you are going to love them!

With that said, I will keep my post rather short today. It is overcast and much cooler today. I can feel autumn in the air. My favorite time of year is approaching so I am really happy. I hope I am productive as well.

I hope you have a great day today and find some time to do something that you love.

Happy Wednesday to you all!
All of your work is amazing to me Shelia, good luck on your Viedo.
 

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#12,078 ·
New Designs for Autumn

I woke up this morning to a cool, gentle rain and the sun wasn't even really up yet. I have noticed this past week that whether it is cloudy or not, it is taking longer and longer to get light in the mornings.

Something else changed as well. That cool, crispness is in the air again. After the heavy humidity and warmth that we experienced last week, it seems we have turned another page and are beginning a new chapter of seasons. Autumn is definitely knocking at our door.

I never mind this time of year. Even though some worry not so much about the fall season, but the season that follows, I do not. I love the cooler weather and don't do well in the heat. I notice that my usual cheerful disposition is somewhat dampened as the heat and humidity climb. I just don't feel myself when it is hot outside.

I love going to the beach, but as anyone with a job can tell you, that isn't always possible. There are frequently deadlines to meet and all the work that I do is not conducive to working remotely. This year it seems that even on the hot, sunny days, the shoreline has been cloaked in fog and clouds. I live about a kilometer in from the shore, and you can tell the difference in the air in the short drive from here to there. While it may be a bright, hot and sunny day by me, by the time I get to the beach it is many times so foggy you can't see the water. This year was definitely odd.

This year was definitely not 'typical' for me. With not getting my car back until the first part of July and then injuring my back, it really put a damper on my summer. I haven't been to the gym in several weeks and creatively I have been undecided which of the many paths I should take. I want to try them all, but we all know that one can only spread themselves so thin. But picking and choosing can be difficult, as there is no 'sure bet' on any of them and it is sometimes hard to decide where it is best to invest my time and energy. But it is all part of the process.

Please understand that I am not writing this to complain, but more to inform. I receive so many questions from you, my followers, who have your own business and are looking for a special formula or answers as to which of your own paths to follow. I try to explain that each of us has our own journey, and no two are the same. We all have different goals, likes, abilities and so forth and we have to figure these things out for ourselves. I think that applies to most things in life. I think we find we can get into the most amount of difficulty when we try to follow someone else's model too closely, as we are all individuals and rarely - if ever - will our circumstances and goals match theirs. Part of the process is feeling things out and learning from our own errors and fine tuning our businesses and actions to match our own goals. I believe that only then can we find true fulfillment and success.

With that said, I feel that I am well on the path to finding my way. While things may have been a bit of a 'muddle' for me for a while, it seems that the fog is lifting and I am once again beginning to see clear(er) goals in front of me. I feel good about this, and while I see the tables turning, I also am telling myself to be patient and allow things to fall into place. (That's the hardest part!) It will all work out in time.

As I mentioned yesterday, I just about finished up my ice skate project for the Art Play Date 2015. The next phase of that project is to create the pattern packet and video, which I will be doing over the weekend. But in the mean time, we needed to do a site update, so I finished up the SLD5131 Autumn Leaf Scatter Dishes that I showed the other day. I am really pleased at how they came out.

I decided to offer instructions on adding color to them, as I often do in my patterns. While they looked nice in natural maple, I feel that the colors brought them up to another level. This time, I decided to try the new DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylic Paints on them:

Liquid Ingredient Medicine Drink Gas


I love these new paints! I must admit that when DecoArt introduced them, I didn't think that I would have much use for them. They are advertised as "Multi-Media" paint, which I typically associate with scrap booking and creating greeting cards, etc. But I found that they are wonderful for painting on wood, as their transparency and high level of pigmentation means that they perform almost like a stain - only they are water-based and have no odor. They clean up with soap and water as well, which makes everything so much easier.

But because they ARE water-based, I do recommend that they be used mainly on hard woods. I think the softer wood such as pine and poplar (even though poplar is technically classified as a "hardwood" - it is quite soft and porous) would absorb these paints like a sponge. Now that may be OK with you, depending on the project, but on something such as what I used it on, I didn't want the wood to swell, or the basket rings would not fit together properly.

The colors are intense, brilliant and beautiful though, and they don't dry looking 'chalky' as many acrylic paints do. I think they worked nicely for this process, and with a few considerations in the process, the result was really lovely:

Natural material Wood Bivalve Shell Conch


I hope you agree.

This morning I will be working on finishing up the pattern for this set of scatter dishes. I am offering all three versions in one pattern (SLD513 Autumn Leaf Scatter Dishes - Link will work once I post the finished pattern). I am also writing the newsletter today and we are sending it out as soon as we get the new products up on the site. Keith has some new projects as well, and I think you will like them.

I have a long list of ideas and projects to tackle in the near future. I am glad that I am feeling better about things and getting back on track. If I look at everything at once, I become somewhat overwhelmed, but I can't allow that to happen. I know that many of our customers are waiting new items for Christmas and holidays, and we are doing our best to get them developed as quickly as possible. We ask that you be patient and stay tuned here and keep checking back to see what new things we have. Our site is always changing.

It just this second dawned on me that today is Thursday and not Friday. I was wondering how the week went by so quickly. I suppose if I miss an entire day, that will do it! In any case - happy THURSDAY to you all! Enjoy your day and make the best of it!
 

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#12,079 ·
New Designs for Autumn

I woke up this morning to a cool, gentle rain and the sun wasn't even really up yet. I have noticed this past week that whether it is cloudy or not, it is taking longer and longer to get light in the mornings.

Something else changed as well. That cool, crispness is in the air again. After the heavy humidity and warmth that we experienced last week, it seems we have turned another page and are beginning a new chapter of seasons. Autumn is definitely knocking at our door.

I never mind this time of year. Even though some worry not so much about the fall season, but the season that follows, I do not. I love the cooler weather and don't do well in the heat. I notice that my usual cheerful disposition is somewhat dampened as the heat and humidity climb. I just don't feel myself when it is hot outside.

I love going to the beach, but as anyone with a job can tell you, that isn't always possible. There are frequently deadlines to meet and all the work that I do is not conducive to working remotely. This year it seems that even on the hot, sunny days, the shoreline has been cloaked in fog and clouds. I live about a kilometer in from the shore, and you can tell the difference in the air in the short drive from here to there. While it may be a bright, hot and sunny day by me, by the time I get to the beach it is many times so foggy you can't see the water. This year was definitely odd.

This year was definitely not 'typical' for me. With not getting my car back until the first part of July and then injuring my back, it really put a damper on my summer. I haven't been to the gym in several weeks and creatively I have been undecided which of the many paths I should take. I want to try them all, but we all know that one can only spread themselves so thin. But picking and choosing can be difficult, as there is no 'sure bet' on any of them and it is sometimes hard to decide where it is best to invest my time and energy. But it is all part of the process.

Please understand that I am not writing this to complain, but more to inform. I receive so many questions from you, my followers, who have your own business and are looking for a special formula or answers as to which of your own paths to follow. I try to explain that each of us has our own journey, and no two are the same. We all have different goals, likes, abilities and so forth and we have to figure these things out for ourselves. I think that applies to most things in life. I think we find we can get into the most amount of difficulty when we try to follow someone else's model too closely, as we are all individuals and rarely - if ever - will our circumstances and goals match theirs. Part of the process is feeling things out and learning from our own errors and fine tuning our businesses and actions to match our own goals. I believe that only then can we find true fulfillment and success.

With that said, I feel that I am well on the path to finding my way. While things may have been a bit of a 'muddle' for me for a while, it seems that the fog is lifting and I am once again beginning to see clear(er) goals in front of me. I feel good about this, and while I see the tables turning, I also am telling myself to be patient and allow things to fall into place. (That's the hardest part!) It will all work out in time.

As I mentioned yesterday, I just about finished up my ice skate project for the Art Play Date 2015. The next phase of that project is to create the pattern packet and video, which I will be doing over the weekend. But in the mean time, we needed to do a site update, so I finished up the SLD5131 Autumn Leaf Scatter Dishes that I showed the other day. I am really pleased at how they came out.

I decided to offer instructions on adding color to them, as I often do in my patterns. While they looked nice in natural maple, I feel that the colors brought them up to another level. This time, I decided to try the new DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylic Paints on them:

Liquid Ingredient Medicine Drink Gas


I love these new paints! I must admit that when DecoArt introduced them, I didn't think that I would have much use for them. They are advertised as "Multi-Media" paint, which I typically associate with scrap booking and creating greeting cards, etc. But I found that they are wonderful for painting on wood, as their transparency and high level of pigmentation means that they perform almost like a stain - only they are water-based and have no odor. They clean up with soap and water as well, which makes everything so much easier.

But because they ARE water-based, I do recommend that they be used mainly on hard woods. I think the softer wood such as pine and poplar (even though poplar is technically classified as a "hardwood" - it is quite soft and porous) would absorb these paints like a sponge. Now that may be OK with you, depending on the project, but on something such as what I used it on, I didn't want the wood to swell, or the basket rings would not fit together properly.

The colors are intense, brilliant and beautiful though, and they don't dry looking 'chalky' as many acrylic paints do. I think they worked nicely for this process, and with a few considerations in the process, the result was really lovely:

Natural material Wood Bivalve Shell Conch


I hope you agree.

This morning I will be working on finishing up the pattern for this set of scatter dishes. I am offering all three versions in one pattern (SLD513 Autumn Leaf Scatter Dishes - Link will work once I post the finished pattern). I am also writing the newsletter today and we are sending it out as soon as we get the new products up on the site. Keith has some new projects as well, and I think you will like them.

I have a long list of ideas and projects to tackle in the near future. I am glad that I am feeling better about things and getting back on track. If I look at everything at once, I become somewhat overwhelmed, but I can't allow that to happen. I know that many of our customers are waiting new items for Christmas and holidays, and we are doing our best to get them developed as quickly as possible. We ask that you be patient and stay tuned here and keep checking back to see what new things we have. Our site is always changing.

It just this second dawned on me that today is Thursday and not Friday. I was wondering how the week went by so quickly. I suppose if I miss an entire day, that will do it! In any case - happy THURSDAY to you all! Enjoy your day and make the best of it!
Those did turn out wonderful. The colors really look like fall.
 

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#12,083 ·
More New Pattern Designs

This morning when I sat down here at my spot at my computer, ready to do the mail, my little cat Pancakes hopped right up here and snuggled in. He had greeted me with cooing and 'chirps' this morning and I was heating up my coffee - more enthusiastic than usual. Perhaps it is because he 'knows' that I made some cinnamon shortbread cookies last night and he knows me well enough to remember that I may steal one to have with my coffee for breakfast. He loves cookies and seems to favor the cinnamon flavored ones the most. As his 'Grammy' I usually share a small, pea-sized crumb or two with him when I have treats that he likes, and he gobbles them up with enthusiasm. Today was no different.

As I sit here now, it is an hour or so later and Pancakes is still on my lap. The sun is now up and there is a sliver that has slipped through the curtains that is shining right on his head. He really looks like he is enjoying that. It is a nice way to begin the day.

I love these cooler nights and mornings. I think the cats do as well. After a couple of weeks of hot weather (well - hot for Nova Scotia) it is great to have some relief from the stagnant, humid air. Some may think I am rushing the fall season, with several 'official' weeks of summer left. But I always say I never mind the cold and I mean that. I like being wrapped in a blanket with a couple of kitties snuggling with me. It appears that they like it too. I am sure with their thick fur coats they also feel much better now that it is cooler. They are far more active and social anyway.

I feel better as well. So far, this has been a good and productive week, and I look forward to an equally productive weekend. I finished my pattern for my little leaf bowls yesterday and we were able to update the website and send out our newsletter last night. Even though it was a small update by our standards, there are still plenty of new things to keep our customers busy.

Keith has some new plaques that he created for Halloween, with the first being this cool Spooky Halloween Shield Poem plaque (SLDK605):

Handwriting Font Wood Magenta Event


I think it is one of my favorites of his word plaques to date!

He also has a set of three new "unwelcome" signs for Halloween:

Handwriting Rectangle Font Signage Poster


These SLDK609 Haunted, Enter and Halloween signs are available both as individual patterns and as a set of three. They would really be cute for welcome signs or sings for a Halloween part or haunted house. :)

And finally, my set of three Autumn Leaf Scatter Dishes (SLD513) pattern:

Natural material Wood Organism Bivalve Shell


We hope that everyone likes our new things.

We also put several of our best ornament patterns on sale on our Pattern Specials page. While many of them are the scroll sawing ornaments, I also decided to offer my SLDP215 - 12 Days of Christmas ornaments Painting Pattern and Kits at a special price.

Cake decorating supply Font Sharing Circle Button


This have shown to be one of my most popular painting patterns.

We hope everyone sees something that will appeal to them.

Today I am finishing up painting on my skates for the Art Play Date event and I am going to start working on my video. I hope to have it finished by the weekend. I look forward to seeing it come together and I hope that everyone has fun and learns from the techniques that I will demonstrate.

On a final note, I want you all to be aware that Lee Valley Tools has a free shipping offer until the end of the month:

Font Rectangle Electric blue Brand Parallel


This is the time when I usually place my orders. They are a bit higher priced than some places, but the quality of their products is excellent and their customer service is great. You can visit their site here: Lee Valley Tools

Well, that should be about all for today's post. It is now bright and beautiful out, without a cloud in the sky. It looks to be a wonderful, warm summer day. I hope you enjoy your day and I wish you a great weekend.

Happy Friday to you!
 

Attachments

#12,084 ·
More New Pattern Designs

This morning when I sat down here at my spot at my computer, ready to do the mail, my little cat Pancakes hopped right up here and snuggled in. He had greeted me with cooing and 'chirps' this morning and I was heating up my coffee - more enthusiastic than usual. Perhaps it is because he 'knows' that I made some cinnamon shortbread cookies last night and he knows me well enough to remember that I may steal one to have with my coffee for breakfast. He loves cookies and seems to favor the cinnamon flavored ones the most. As his 'Grammy' I usually share a small, pea-sized crumb or two with him when I have treats that he likes, and he gobbles them up with enthusiasm. Today was no different.

As I sit here now, it is an hour or so later and Pancakes is still on my lap. The sun is now up and there is a sliver that has slipped through the curtains that is shining right on his head. He really looks like he is enjoying that. It is a nice way to begin the day.

I love these cooler nights and mornings. I think the cats do as well. After a couple of weeks of hot weather (well - hot for Nova Scotia) it is great to have some relief from the stagnant, humid air. Some may think I am rushing the fall season, with several 'official' weeks of summer left. But I always say I never mind the cold and I mean that. I like being wrapped in a blanket with a couple of kitties snuggling with me. It appears that they like it too. I am sure with their thick fur coats they also feel much better now that it is cooler. They are far more active and social anyway.

I feel better as well. So far, this has been a good and productive week, and I look forward to an equally productive weekend. I finished my pattern for my little leaf bowls yesterday and we were able to update the website and send out our newsletter last night. Even though it was a small update by our standards, there are still plenty of new things to keep our customers busy.

Keith has some new plaques that he created for Halloween, with the first being this cool Spooky Halloween Shield Poem plaque (SLDK605):

Handwriting Font Wood Magenta Event


I think it is one of my favorites of his word plaques to date!

He also has a set of three new "unwelcome" signs for Halloween:

Handwriting Rectangle Font Signage Poster


These SLDK609 Haunted, Enter and Halloween signs are available both as individual patterns and as a set of three. They would really be cute for welcome signs or sings for a Halloween part or haunted house. :)

And finally, my set of three Autumn Leaf Scatter Dishes (SLD513) pattern:

Natural material Wood Organism Bivalve Shell


We hope that everyone likes our new things.

We also put several of our best ornament patterns on sale on our Pattern Specials page. While many of them are the scroll sawing ornaments, I also decided to offer my SLDP215 - 12 Days of Christmas ornaments Painting Pattern and Kits at a special price.

Cake decorating supply Font Sharing Circle Button


This have shown to be one of my most popular painting patterns.

We hope everyone sees something that will appeal to them.

Today I am finishing up painting on my skates for the Art Play Date event and I am going to start working on my video. I hope to have it finished by the weekend. I look forward to seeing it come together and I hope that everyone has fun and learns from the techniques that I will demonstrate.

On a final note, I want you all to be aware that Lee Valley Tools has a free shipping offer until the end of the month:

Font Rectangle Electric blue Brand Parallel


This is the time when I usually place my orders. They are a bit higher priced than some places, but the quality of their products is excellent and their customer service is great. You can visit their site here: Lee Valley Tools

Well, that should be about all for today's post. It is now bright and beautiful out, without a cloud in the sky. It looks to be a wonderful, warm summer day. I hope you enjoy your day and I wish you a great weekend.

Happy Friday to you!
Keith's signs are very cool.
 

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#12,088 ·
Videos

I truly believe that I am very fortunate to live in a time when we have so many opportunities available to us via our computers. Not only does it allow us exposure to parts of the world that we may never be able to see, but it also is a great resource for learning new skills in ways we never thought possible.

Last year, I was invited to teach a class in the program "Art Play Date 2015" which was organized by a wonderful teacher (and my friend) Kelly Hoernig. Kelly came up with this concept in 2014 and I really loved the idea. In a nutshell, the "Play Date" consisted of 24 artists/designers teaching 24 video lessons in 24 weeks via the online classroom that Kelly set up. The cost of the 'course' was nominal and it was a wonderful opportunity for me to learn with some of my favorite decorative painting teachers - some which I have been following for many years. What a great idea!

I jumped at the opportunity to do so, as even though I am always busy, I wanted to be able to watch and participate in learning from some of my favorites. Even if I didn't complete all the projects, it would still be a great opportunity to learn.

When Kelly asked me if I wanted to join the line up of teachers for 2015, I jumped at the chance. It was a great opportunity for me to reach 'new' students who may have never heard of me, but also learn myself. While I had created several short technique videos, (you can see them on my YouTube channel - (Sheila Landry on YouTube) I knew it would also be an opportunity for me to hone my teaching skills and learn something myself. I was not disappointed.

The project that I am teaching is a pair of decorated Victorian Ice Skates.

Font Carnivore Art Felidae Whiskers


I thought it was a great chance to teach several easy, yet effective techniques that others can use and apply not only on this project, but many others.

Those of you who read often know that I love to experiment with different products and media that make creating fun and can be done by just about everyone. These cute skates require very little painting skill, yet they look pretty and detailed. I am thrilled for the opportunity to break down the process and show how EASY (Yes - easy!) it is to create something like this. I also included an 'antique' variation that can be acquired by adding just one or two more simple steps.

Shoe Durango boot Outdoor shoe Font Ice hockey equipment


I am thrilled at how these came out as well, and I can't really decide which version I liked best.

The quick addition of fine crackle and a darker wash really made these skates look 'old':

The best part is that it is fast and fun to create something like this, and I can't wait until my class 'airs' (the beginning of October). I hope people really enjoy the project and get as excited about it as I am!

So I spent the weekend preparing the video(s) for my class. What I decided to do is break it down into several smaller videos. that way people who know how to do one step or another don't have to struggle through an entire long piece and they can jump in right when they need to see how something is done. I think it will make it even more fun and nicer for everyone.

The video lesson will be accompanie
Creative arts Natural material Art Rectangle Embellishment


d by a full pattern packet - which will include many color step-by-step photos. Since the project video is available until March of next year, I want those who may not have had time to do the class to have a paper lesson that is complete and everything is fully explained on paper, so they can look at it even years from now and be able to follow it. This isn't a requirement for the 'course' but it is just the way I am. My way of thinking is that if people pay for a lesson, I need to provide full instructions.

When I do videos, I often get nervous and feel uncomfortable - especially in the beginning. But I find that as soon as I begin showing how to do the project, I relax and do much better. As I look at all the segments of the video as I am editing, I am pretty happy with the outcome, and I want to do more in the future. I am warming up to this new (for me) way of teaching and I plan on offering more videos soon on my YouTube channel.

Today I will be doing the final editing and also writing out the pattern packet. That will probably take all day and much of tomorrow. But when I am done, I think that I will realize that this is a wonderful way to teach both painting and scroll sawing. I plan to do many more in the future.

The weekend went by quickly, as usual. Here we are on the last day of August already and getting to the end of summer. The mornings are cooler and it is a bit darker when I get up, but I don't mind that at all. My favorite time of year is approaching quickly and I hope to enjoy it to the fullest. With the blink of an eye it will have passed.

Happy Monday to you all. I wish you a wonderfully creative week ahead.
 

Attachments

#12,089 ·
Videos

I truly believe that I am very fortunate to live in a time when we have so many opportunities available to us via our computers. Not only does it allow us exposure to parts of the world that we may never be able to see, but it also is a great resource for learning new skills in ways we never thought possible.

Last year, I was invited to teach a class in the program "Art Play Date 2015" which was organized by a wonderful teacher (and my friend) Kelly Hoernig. Kelly came up with this concept in 2014 and I really loved the idea. In a nutshell, the "Play Date" consisted of 24 artists/designers teaching 24 video lessons in 24 weeks via the online classroom that Kelly set up. The cost of the 'course' was nominal and it was a wonderful opportunity for me to learn with some of my favorite decorative painting teachers - some which I have been following for many years. What a great idea!

I jumped at the opportunity to do so, as even though I am always busy, I wanted to be able to watch and participate in learning from some of my favorites. Even if I didn't complete all the projects, it would still be a great opportunity to learn.

When Kelly asked me if I wanted to join the line up of teachers for 2015, I jumped at the chance. It was a great opportunity for me to reach 'new' students who may have never heard of me, but also learn myself. While I had created several short technique videos, (you can see them on my YouTube channel - (Sheila Landry on YouTube) I knew it would also be an opportunity for me to hone my teaching skills and learn something myself. I was not disappointed.

The project that I am teaching is a pair of decorated Victorian Ice Skates.

Font Carnivore Art Felidae Whiskers


I thought it was a great chance to teach several easy, yet effective techniques that others can use and apply not only on this project, but many others.

Those of you who read often know that I love to experiment with different products and media that make creating fun and can be done by just about everyone. These cute skates require very little painting skill, yet they look pretty and detailed. I am thrilled for the opportunity to break down the process and show how EASY (Yes - easy!) it is to create something like this. I also included an 'antique' variation that can be acquired by adding just one or two more simple steps.

Shoe Durango boot Outdoor shoe Font Ice hockey equipment


I am thrilled at how these came out as well, and I can't really decide which version I liked best.

The quick addition of fine crackle and a darker wash really made these skates look 'old':

The best part is that it is fast and fun to create something like this, and I can't wait until my class 'airs' (the beginning of October). I hope people really enjoy the project and get as excited about it as I am!

So I spent the weekend preparing the video(s) for my class. What I decided to do is break it down into several smaller videos. that way people who know how to do one step or another don't have to struggle through an entire long piece and they can jump in right when they need to see how something is done. I think it will make it even more fun and nicer for everyone.

The video lesson will be accompanie
Creative arts Natural material Art Rectangle Embellishment


d by a full pattern packet - which will include many color step-by-step photos. Since the project video is available until March of next year, I want those who may not have had time to do the class to have a paper lesson that is complete and everything is fully explained on paper, so they can look at it even years from now and be able to follow it. This isn't a requirement for the 'course' but it is just the way I am. My way of thinking is that if people pay for a lesson, I need to provide full instructions.

When I do videos, I often get nervous and feel uncomfortable - especially in the beginning. But I find that as soon as I begin showing how to do the project, I relax and do much better. As I look at all the segments of the video as I am editing, I am pretty happy with the outcome, and I want to do more in the future. I am warming up to this new (for me) way of teaching and I plan on offering more videos soon on my YouTube channel.

Today I will be doing the final editing and also writing out the pattern packet. That will probably take all day and much of tomorrow. But when I am done, I think that I will realize that this is a wonderful way to teach both painting and scroll sawing. I plan to do many more in the future.

The weekend went by quickly, as usual. Here we are on the last day of August already and getting to the end of summer. The mornings are cooler and it is a bit darker when I get up, but I don't mind that at all. My favorite time of year is approaching quickly and I hope to enjoy it to the fullest. With the blink of an eye it will have passed.

Happy Monday to you all. I wish you a wonderfully creative week ahead.
My favourite is the antique version of the skates. Beautiful! These would make a wonderful present for anyone in the iceskating world and a great prize for competitive skaters. I love the way you combined the mudding with the crackle effect. I'm looking forward to getting back to the painting time of the year!
 

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#12,092 ·
Uploading

I am afraid today's post won't be too exciting. I am in the process of uploading nine videos, and being the impatient gal I am, I am doing them all at once. I figured I would give my new computer components a chance to spread their wings and see what they can do.

So far, so good . . .

However, it is not without taxing my system a bit. I had a couple of things to show you, but I think I will wait until tomorrow. Uploading photos may just send it over the edge. ;)

Needless to say, I worked on my videos yesterday. Nine of them. They range from 5 minutes or so to about 25 minutes in length, depending on what I was doing. I like the idea of offering small 'bites' of information that are clearly labeled so that others won't have to sift through all kinds of stuff to find out what they want. After all - we are all busy - right?

But it meant cutting and editing nine files instead of two or three. It would have been much quicker if my computer cooperated. Or maybe I should say my software. I had previously used Windows Movie Maker to edit my videos without a problem. With the new system and over double the memory, one would think that it would really work much better now that I have new and updated hardware. But this is Microsoft we are talking about, and as per tradition, their software didn't pass the test.

I spent several hours trying to edit the first (four minute - SHORT!) video for uploading. It was very frustrating.

About 4pm I decided to throw in the towel and find an alternative. I wanted something BASIC and EASY that didn't have a large learning curve. After all - I was under a deadline. I have been using Windows Movie Maker for years (actually for ALL my previous videos) and the last thing I expected was for it to fail. But it locked up, crashed and just didn't do anything over, and over and over again, no matter what adjustments, upgrades or configurations I used. So I finally gave up.

I did as much research as I could on "Easy video editing programs" and came across a program called Wondershare Filmora. The reviews were positive and the learning curve was promised to be short. So I downloaded the trial version and gave it a go.

Now it still took me a couple of hours to familiarize myself with the features. I also watched several of the tutorials on it. But it did what I asked it and as soon as I was more familiar with the buttons and commands, I got rolling.

By now it was about 8pm and my first video was 'ready' to convert. The limitations on the free version were that the final output video would be watermarked. I couldn't have that, so I took the plunge and spent the $50 and bought the license. The rest of the night went very well.

I finished up the 8 segments and introduction by about midnight. I thought that was pretty good considering. I kept the videos simple and basic - with a lead in/lead out and transition for those pieces that needed splicing. But it did what it was supposed to do and the time to convert them to the version I needed (MP4) was reasonable and quick. I am happy.

Hopefully in the future I will use some of the cool 'tricks' and features that Filmora has to offer. It will be nice to play and have fun with my videos and perhaps make them a little more exciting. But for now, these are good and professional looking and even they have no extra bells and whistles, I feel that the mission is accomplished. YAY!

(I am at 41% uploaded as I write!)

Smile Building Black Sky Black-and-white


This is probably one of my all time favorite photos of her. I couldn't upload a new one because of (well - you know! The video!)

She is smart, beautiful, kind and the best daughter a mom could want. It is hard to believe she is already a beautiful young woman. She was just a child yesterday!

That will be it for today. I hope you all have a great day.

Until tomorrow. . .
 

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#12,093 ·
Quick Paint

Yesterday I didn't write because I was working on my "Quick Paint" project for the online painting community called Toletown. Last year I was asked by Lorrie, the manager of the site if I would like to be on the Toletown design team. I was very much thrilled with the chance, as I had been a member of Toletown for many years and I think it is a great venue for anyone who likes painting for fun. I am also thrilled to be in the company of some of my favorite painting designers, many who I also have been following for several years.

As a member of the design team, we got to sign up for several projects to contribute. As a whole, the design team provides two full projects (which include a video lesson) as well as a "Quick Paint" project that is something that can be done in an hour or so, without too much fussing. This time it was my turn to do the Quick Paint project.

Anyone who knows me well knows that as far as designing goes, I am rarely able to create something that would be referred to as "Quick". One talent that I possess is that I can take the simplest version of any type of project, and by the time I am done with it, it has several variations and lots of detail. Alas, it is anything but "Quick".

So this was a stretch for me. . .

I thought that perhaps I would use one of the elements of my "Black Cat Society" plaque for the quick paint. While the entire piece is quite detailed, I though extracting just one of the elements may be the way to go. I chose the little witch hat with two mice peeking from beneath it. I thought that it would make a nice stand-alone design that could be used as an ornament, on a banner, or even on a note card. The design by itself would be fast and not too difficult to paint, and I thought it was really cute.

I worked on it yesterday and I was pleased how it came out. It had enough detail in it, but it wasn't overwhelming, as the entire plaque may be to some. I still had 14 step-by-step photos in the pattern, as that is something that I just couldn't help adding, but I think that by doing so, it makes the project so much easier for someone who may not have a lot of experience, and they are able to learn and complete it. That is what teaching is all about.

Below is the finished ornament:

Organism Poster Font Publication Illustration


I really think it looks cute. And I painted it in about an hour. (For me, that is really QUICK!)

I am also offering the wood cutouts which will be available at my Etsy Shop:

Gesture Reptile Fawn Stuffed toy Snout


I think it is a cute and fast project that just about anyone can do. I hope people give it a try!

I really like working with other designers in this manner. Since we no longer have our print magazines, it is nice to have the opportunity to work with peers and other talented designers. This is especially important I believe when working from home on your own, as it sometimes helps to have peers and friends cheering us along. It gives one a sense of belonging and community.

I also received my digital issue of PaintingEzine yesterday. That was the publication that I created my "Layla" painting for. They ave a great issue for the month of September, with many fun projects:

Art Creative arts Poster Illustration Collage


For just $16 a year, you get 12 project packed digital issues with full patterns and instructions. There is always something for everyone.

At first when the paper magazines fell, I was naturally bitterly disappointed. But since that occurred (a full YEAR ago! I can't believe it!) there have been several ways that the painting community stepped up and banded together to keep us all happy. While I was one who loved to hold the beautiful issues in my hands, I have learned to appreciate the convenience of reading digital issues. Not only can you browse through them quickly and efficiently, but you can readily print the patterns without having to scan them in, and you don't have to have a place to 'store' the physical copies. With the huge drives on our computers these days, it is much easier to just file them away for later viewing. And you don't have to wait for the post office to deliver it either. I get my issues on time, every single month.

I think that I am learning that changes CAN be for the better.

Today I will be starting to draw some new designs up. My Art Play Date videos and pattern are all submitted and my deadlines are met. It is time to take a breath and begin working on other things that will be coming up quickly.

It is a cool and foggy morning here in Nova Scotia. The nights are getting much, much cooler, and while the days are still warm, there is that hint of chill in the air that indicates that summer is coming to a close. I still want to enjoy the nice weather while I can.

I wish you all a wonderful Thursday! Have fun and enjoy your day!
 

Attachments

#12,094 ·
Quick Paint

Yesterday I didn't write because I was working on my "Quick Paint" project for the online painting community called Toletown. Last year I was asked by Lorrie, the manager of the site if I would like to be on the Toletown design team. I was very much thrilled with the chance, as I had been a member of Toletown for many years and I think it is a great venue for anyone who likes painting for fun. I am also thrilled to be in the company of some of my favorite painting designers, many who I also have been following for several years.

As a member of the design team, we got to sign up for several projects to contribute. As a whole, the design team provides two full projects (which include a video lesson) as well as a "Quick Paint" project that is something that can be done in an hour or so, without too much fussing. This time it was my turn to do the Quick Paint project.

Anyone who knows me well knows that as far as designing goes, I am rarely able to create something that would be referred to as "Quick". One talent that I possess is that I can take the simplest version of any type of project, and by the time I am done with it, it has several variations and lots of detail. Alas, it is anything but "Quick".

So this was a stretch for me. . .

I thought that perhaps I would use one of the elements of my "Black Cat Society" plaque for the quick paint. While the entire piece is quite detailed, I though extracting just one of the elements may be the way to go. I chose the little witch hat with two mice peeking from beneath it. I thought that it would make a nice stand-alone design that could be used as an ornament, on a banner, or even on a note card. The design by itself would be fast and not too difficult to paint, and I thought it was really cute.

I worked on it yesterday and I was pleased how it came out. It had enough detail in it, but it wasn't overwhelming, as the entire plaque may be to some. I still had 14 step-by-step photos in the pattern, as that is something that I just couldn't help adding, but I think that by doing so, it makes the project so much easier for someone who may not have a lot of experience, and they are able to learn and complete it. That is what teaching is all about.

Below is the finished ornament:

Organism Poster Font Publication Illustration


I really think it looks cute. And I painted it in about an hour. (For me, that is really QUICK!)

I am also offering the wood cutouts which will be available at my Etsy Shop:

Gesture Reptile Fawn Stuffed toy Snout


I think it is a cute and fast project that just about anyone can do. I hope people give it a try!

I really like working with other designers in this manner. Since we no longer have our print magazines, it is nice to have the opportunity to work with peers and other talented designers. This is especially important I believe when working from home on your own, as it sometimes helps to have peers and friends cheering us along. It gives one a sense of belonging and community.

I also received my digital issue of PaintingEzine yesterday. That was the publication that I created my "Layla" painting for. They ave a great issue for the month of September, with many fun projects:

Art Creative arts Poster Illustration Collage


For just $16 a year, you get 12 project packed digital issues with full patterns and instructions. There is always something for everyone.

At first when the paper magazines fell, I was naturally bitterly disappointed. But since that occurred (a full YEAR ago! I can't believe it!) there have been several ways that the painting community stepped up and banded together to keep us all happy. While I was one who loved to hold the beautiful issues in my hands, I have learned to appreciate the convenience of reading digital issues. Not only can you browse through them quickly and efficiently, but you can readily print the patterns without having to scan them in, and you don't have to have a place to 'store' the physical copies. With the huge drives on our computers these days, it is much easier to just file them away for later viewing. And you don't have to wait for the post office to deliver it either. I get my issues on time, every single month.

I think that I am learning that changes CAN be for the better.

Today I will be starting to draw some new designs up. My Art Play Date videos and pattern are all submitted and my deadlines are met. It is time to take a breath and begin working on other things that will be coming up quickly.

It is a cool and foggy morning here in Nova Scotia. The nights are getting much, much cooler, and while the days are still warm, there is that hint of chill in the air that indicates that summer is coming to a close. I still want to enjoy the nice weather while I can.

I wish you all a wonderful Thursday! Have fun and enjoy your day!
Cool project Sheila. That would make an awesome Halloween card or you could make a Halloween banner with it.
I love Painting Ezine. It's a great painting resource and teaching magazine and I like that I have them stored on my computer and can go back to them even years down the road.
 

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#12,096 ·
Happy Birthday to my Grand Daughter, Willow!

I spent the day yesterday mapping out a couple of new designs, as well as getting some things done around my home. It seems that the last several weeks I have been working from deadline to deadline, and it felt good to have things pretty much done and under my belt. I needed a short time to catch up with everything I think.

That's not to say that I don't have new deadlines to work on. It is great to have my focus a bit ahead and have some commitments that I want to fill to keep the business thriving. I still sometimes feel unsure of the direction to take, and I keep trying to test the waters in different areas to see what will bring the most success. It is all part of the process.

I was pleased with the response from my little "SLDP242 Magical Mice" ornament that I created for the Toletown quick paint. It shows me that every project doesn't have to be huge and complicated, and that sometimes people just want something that they can make and finish up in an hour or two. Even though it is quick to make, it is still kind of cute and I think I will try to make more projects like this in the future.

Gesture Wood Fawn Toy Comfort


I have not only the wood pieces available for it, but also the pattern as well at my Sheila Landry Designs Etsy Shop. I like keeping the store active, because it is fast and easy to post and change things, without having to bother Keith with it. He likes to keep the site looking a certain way, and I kind of let that up to him. But I can add and remove products in my little store pretty quickly, and it is a good resource to have exposure to new and different customers.

I have some other new opportunities that came up in the past week that I will tell you about later. I am pretty excited about them. I also began drawing new designs for my woodworking and scroll sawing people to enjoy. It is all so busy! That makes me HAPPY! :)

Since I haven't been blogging on the weekends, I wanted to give a call out to my little two year old grand daughter, Willow who has a birthday tomorrow.

For my own birthday, my dear friend Leldon sent me this beautiful frame and photo of Willow:

Product Blue Purple Human body Standing


He makes these awesome frames and does lots of other kinds of woodworking for special orders and for local businesses. I was really thrilled and surprised to receive this. The name is compound cut and he put it on an angle so that whether I had a picture in portrait or landscape orientation, it would work. I just love it.

It is another beautiful and sunny day here. It was warm again yesterday and seems to be warming up again today as well. Summer isn't quite over yet.

I hope you all have a good weekend and get some nice days to enjoy the outdoors. To me, the most beautiful time of year is approaching and I can't wait. I love the autumn and everything about it.

Have a great weekend!
 

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#12,097 ·
Change

With the Labor Day weekend behind us, we realize that summer is coming to a close. Things are already changing. The mornings are darker and the night air is cooler. Before long summer will be a memory and it will be a new season. Autumn is upon us.

I know that I say this every year, but it went by much too quickly. Perhaps it is because our winter here was so long and brutal. I remember driving to Halifax in mid-April and still seeing piles of snow on the ground that hadn't melted. It seemed so odd to me then.

Not having my car for the months of May and June also added to the feeling that summer was short. I don't really mind not using it in the winter, but as soon as the weather turns nice I like to have my freedom back. It seems too soon for me to be already thinking about putting it away again, although this year I need to bring it back to the shop that did the renovation, as there were some things they missed and other things that need re-doing. It has been pretty disappointing for me as a whole and even though they promised to make things right and re-do things over the winter, I am pretty unhappy about it. I am giving them one chance to fix things and then I need to look at my options. It has been pretty depressing nonetheless and I am sure it contributes to my 'mood' that I have seemed to be in these past few months.

Add to that, the decision that I had to make that I will not be going to the States this fall after all. I had initially planned on going to the NET (New England Traditions) painting convention and then perhaps sneaking to the midwest to see my kids and grand daughter, but between the car and some other personal circumstances that have come up, I don't think that it was meant to be and I will not be able to see my children and little Willow this autumn. It just isn't a good time.

I guess I am explaining these things because I have felt a little 'flat' lately. Besides not being able to visit with my family, I so looked forward to meeting some of my online artist friends. Some of them I have admired for years. Some of them are customers who have grown into friends. It made me sad to make the decision to not go, but the practical side of me knows this isn't a good time. Perhaps next year. (Maybe I am growing up after all!)

After writing here nearly every day for over five years, I feel odd missing days of posting. Checking in here each morning has become part of my daily routine as much as my morning coffee, but lately my heart hasn't been in it. There has been a lot on my mind and there have been several forks in my creative road and I am quite unsure as to which path to follow. That makes it hard to move at full speed.

I hope you all don't take this as a negative. I really don't think it is. I believe that this is part of the normal process of change that occurs to all of us throughout our lives. We need change. Without it, we would quickly become bored and stagnant and our creativity would dry up completely. We need to not fight the changes that naturally take place and allow them to take us to new and exciting places. Places that can be better than where we are now.

But change is not always comfortable and is sometimes scary. The unknown aspects of what may lie ahead can loom before us with imposing uncertainty. As we stand at these crossroads, undecided and unable to see past the fog that shrouds each direction, it is sometimes hard to choose the way to move. So we don't move at all. At least not until we have a clearer idea of what may lie ahead. But that is OK.

For someone who is used to moving quickly being patient is not always comfortable, but I realize that it is necessary. After many years of running into things without thinking, I find that I am becoming perhaps a bit more cautious these days. More sensible. Time and experience can do that to you.

By realizing that I need to be patient, I am allowing things to happen as they should. I am not forcing things and I am allowing them to play out the way they are supposed to. Something inside is telling me to slow down and perhaps be a bit more contemplative before reacting. I am listening to those feelings and I think it is the right thing to do. I feel that there will be great things ahead for me. I only need to give them time.

In the mean time, I got back to designing some patterns for the scroll saw. With having so many venues of creativity, it seems that I am always neglecting one or the other. Of course, that isn't true, but it just seems so to me sometimes. There are so many ideas in my head that I probably need several lifetimes to make them all reality. In that sense, I am very fortunate.

With the Christmas and holiday season upon us, I wanted to create some new holiday designs for the scroll saw. Although, I must admit, I am getting somewhat tired of doing the 'same old thing.' As we try to do our best to grow scroll sawing, it dawned on me that perhaps we need to look at the designs with fresh eyes. I find that I sometimes have a hard time thinking of things in wood because for the most part it is monochromatic and two dimensional. I see my own designs moving toward more layering and of course adding a bit of simple coloring to my designs. I just think that offering something that may be more modern and flowing may be a phase of designing that I am ready to embark upon.

Over the weekend, I drew up a new set of angel ornaments. I initially was going to make them decorated with some kind of Damask design, as I love Damask motifs. But as I drew them, I wanted them to be graceful and flowing and the motifs didn't seem to fit. I took a different approach and came up with these:

Gesture Wood World Natural material Wing


These ladies are created using ash. Their wings are of maple. I liked the idea of the flowing lines and layering them. It made them come alive. I also used more veining than actual cutting to show off their details. "Veining" is somewhat like drawing with the scroll saw blade. I haven't done a lot of that in my designs of late, but I think I will be doing it more. I am really happy with how these turned out.

Of course, I cut another set of plywood that I will be adding color to. I think that you will all be pleased with the effect that I will show, and how easily it can be achieved. I will work on that today and have more photos to show you tomorrow.

I am looking forward to creating some new designs of this type. As I said - change is usually for the better. Change means that we are growing and hopefully improving and expanding our skills and knowledge. I want to share those changes with you all. I think together we can make some wonderful projects in many different types of media.

Bird Gesture Beak Wing Art


Happy Tuesday to you all. I wish you all a wonderful week!
 

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#12,098 ·
Change

With the Labor Day weekend behind us, we realize that summer is coming to a close. Things are already changing. The mornings are darker and the night air is cooler. Before long summer will be a memory and it will be a new season. Autumn is upon us.

I know that I say this every year, but it went by much too quickly. Perhaps it is because our winter here was so long and brutal. I remember driving to Halifax in mid-April and still seeing piles of snow on the ground that hadn't melted. It seemed so odd to me then.

Not having my car for the months of May and June also added to the feeling that summer was short. I don't really mind not using it in the winter, but as soon as the weather turns nice I like to have my freedom back. It seems too soon for me to be already thinking about putting it away again, although this year I need to bring it back to the shop that did the renovation, as there were some things they missed and other things that need re-doing. It has been pretty disappointing for me as a whole and even though they promised to make things right and re-do things over the winter, I am pretty unhappy about it. I am giving them one chance to fix things and then I need to look at my options. It has been pretty depressing nonetheless and I am sure it contributes to my 'mood' that I have seemed to be in these past few months.

Add to that, the decision that I had to make that I will not be going to the States this fall after all. I had initially planned on going to the NET (New England Traditions) painting convention and then perhaps sneaking to the midwest to see my kids and grand daughter, but between the car and some other personal circumstances that have come up, I don't think that it was meant to be and I will not be able to see my children and little Willow this autumn. It just isn't a good time.

I guess I am explaining these things because I have felt a little 'flat' lately. Besides not being able to visit with my family, I so looked forward to meeting some of my online artist friends. Some of them I have admired for years. Some of them are customers who have grown into friends. It made me sad to make the decision to not go, but the practical side of me knows this isn't a good time. Perhaps next year. (Maybe I am growing up after all!)

After writing here nearly every day for over five years, I feel odd missing days of posting. Checking in here each morning has become part of my daily routine as much as my morning coffee, but lately my heart hasn't been in it. There has been a lot on my mind and there have been several forks in my creative road and I am quite unsure as to which path to follow. That makes it hard to move at full speed.

I hope you all don't take this as a negative. I really don't think it is. I believe that this is part of the normal process of change that occurs to all of us throughout our lives. We need change. Without it, we would quickly become bored and stagnant and our creativity would dry up completely. We need to not fight the changes that naturally take place and allow them to take us to new and exciting places. Places that can be better than where we are now.

But change is not always comfortable and is sometimes scary. The unknown aspects of what may lie ahead can loom before us with imposing uncertainty. As we stand at these crossroads, undecided and unable to see past the fog that shrouds each direction, it is sometimes hard to choose the way to move. So we don't move at all. At least not until we have a clearer idea of what may lie ahead. But that is OK.

For someone who is used to moving quickly being patient is not always comfortable, but I realize that it is necessary. After many years of running into things without thinking, I find that I am becoming perhaps a bit more cautious these days. More sensible. Time and experience can do that to you.

By realizing that I need to be patient, I am allowing things to happen as they should. I am not forcing things and I am allowing them to play out the way they are supposed to. Something inside is telling me to slow down and perhaps be a bit more contemplative before reacting. I am listening to those feelings and I think it is the right thing to do. I feel that there will be great things ahead for me. I only need to give them time.

In the mean time, I got back to designing some patterns for the scroll saw. With having so many venues of creativity, it seems that I am always neglecting one or the other. Of course, that isn't true, but it just seems so to me sometimes. There are so many ideas in my head that I probably need several lifetimes to make them all reality. In that sense, I am very fortunate.

With the Christmas and holiday season upon us, I wanted to create some new holiday designs for the scroll saw. Although, I must admit, I am getting somewhat tired of doing the 'same old thing.' As we try to do our best to grow scroll sawing, it dawned on me that perhaps we need to look at the designs with fresh eyes. I find that I sometimes have a hard time thinking of things in wood because for the most part it is monochromatic and two dimensional. I see my own designs moving toward more layering and of course adding a bit of simple coloring to my designs. I just think that offering something that may be more modern and flowing may be a phase of designing that I am ready to embark upon.

Over the weekend, I drew up a new set of angel ornaments. I initially was going to make them decorated with some kind of Damask design, as I love Damask motifs. But as I drew them, I wanted them to be graceful and flowing and the motifs didn't seem to fit. I took a different approach and came up with these:

Gesture Wood World Natural material Wing


These ladies are created using ash. Their wings are of maple. I liked the idea of the flowing lines and layering them. It made them come alive. I also used more veining than actual cutting to show off their details. "Veining" is somewhat like drawing with the scroll saw blade. I haven't done a lot of that in my designs of late, but I think I will be doing it more. I am really happy with how these turned out.

Of course, I cut another set of plywood that I will be adding color to. I think that you will all be pleased with the effect that I will show, and how easily it can be achieved. I will work on that today and have more photos to show you tomorrow.

I am looking forward to creating some new designs of this type. As I said - change is usually for the better. Change means that we are growing and hopefully improving and expanding our skills and knowledge. I want to share those changes with you all. I think together we can make some wonderful projects in many different types of media.

Bird Gesture Beak Wing Art


Happy Tuesday to you all. I wish you all a wonderful week!
Sheila, I can relate to resisting change. One day I thought to myself, I adapt to the change of a broken finger nail without all the wailing and nashing of teeth, why can't I apply that same attitude to other changes in life? I have to remind myself, often, and it does seem to help.
The new layered angles are lovely. Could you, please, define or explain what veining is? I think I know, that usually means I don't, though. Hahaha!
Happy Tuesday!
 

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